Category Archives: Cleaning

How to clean your windows with vinegar

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For those of you who don’t want to use store bought cleaners that are full of chemicals, you know there are many ways to clean your home with everyday home ingredients that are completely healthy. Distilled vinegar is a great cleaner, since it is a mixture of water and acetic acid that is perfect for cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing almost every surface of your home. Here is a step-by-step guide to how to perfectly clean your windows for a glistening, streak-free look.

  • Wipe down the window and window frame first to get rid of all the dust.
  • Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar.
  • Spray the mixture all over the window, be sure that if you are cleaning more than one window at a time, only take care of one window at a time.
  • Rub the mix with a lint-free towel, or a paper towel, all over the window. Make sure to work quickly to avoid streaks.
  • Use a microfiber cloth to dry the entire window surface.

The last step? Enjoy your shimmering windows!

http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Windows-With-Vinegar

 

 

What corn starch can do for your apartment/home

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For most people, corn starch is one of those things that you buy to use one time and you have a box of it sitting in your cupboard for weeks, months, and even years on end. Well, that is about to end because there are quite a few ways that corn starch can really come in handy when it comes to cleaning your apartment/home.

  • Corn starch is incredibly absorbent making it ideal for soaking up those horrible grease stains on clothes. Pour some directly on the stain right when you get the stain to watch it get soaked up in seconds.
  • Clothing is one thing, but furniture is much harder to clean so if grease or oil falls on your beloved sofa, pour corn starch on the stain, let it soak for 15-20 minutes and vacuum the residue right up
  • You can also use corn starch to clean windows. Since it is so fine, it is non-abrasive and will leave no streaks. Just mix equal parts of corn starch and soap in water for a perfect at home cleaner.

I’m sure you’ll be picking up a few boxes of this miracle powder on your next trip to the store.

http://lifehacker.com/5812561/not-just-for-cooking-use-corn-starch-to-clean-up-stains-spills-furniture-and-more

Get a handle on those germs

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Now that winter is upon us, the weather change will be sure to make a few people sick.  No matter how much you avoid contact with sick people in your school or at your work, you may be still be getting into contact with their germs in some of the most overlooked places… door handles, knobs, and light switches.  Be sure to keep some hand sanitizer with you and make sure to use it every time you use a door handle or knob in public, or better yet wash your hands frequently.  De-germ your home as well, by cleaning your own handles, knobs, and switches with a disinfectant once or twice a week to make sure they are squeaky clean!

http://www.goodearthproducts.net/blog/how-dirty-are-door-knobs/

 

4 places in your apartment home that you might be forgetting to clean

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When you do your regular cleaning, you probably only clean the things and places that are right in sight. However, there are several places that you may overlook.  However, not taking some time to clean these places may contribute to allergies or even funky smells, and no one wants that!  Here are some things in your home that you might have forgotten to clean.

Under things

Whether it is under the bed, under the sofa, or under dressers, if these places are not attended to, it will lead to an accumulation of dust.  All that dust can cause musty smells and even allergies making it impossible to breathe freely in your own home. Make sure to run a vacuum under those places to get those dust bunnies out!

 Between couch cushions

We lay, sit, and even eat on our couches, so they are bound to catch a few mystery items, like loose change, hair pins, crumbs, or even remotes you thought were long gone.  Remember to clean in-between the cushions to get all of that gunk out.   Move the couch and vacuum under it too.

 Make-up brushes

For something you girls use on your face almost every day, it also happens to be a thing that you might forget to clean.  All that accumulation of old makeup, dust, and oil is not good to put on your face so be sure to wash your brushes regularly with some shampoo to get them like brand new again.

Air vents

Just like the dust under your bed, the dust on your air vents can contribute to musty smells and allergies.  All of that dust being blown into your home is not good, so be sure to wipe them down regularly with a microfiber cloth or duster

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/six-things-youre-probably-forgetting-to-clean-211953

Get that grease out of your kitchen!

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From frying chicken for dinner to preparing a bacon breakfast, grease stains are almost impossible to avoid.  However, no matter how delicious these fried goods are, grease stains are not fun at all and they are a pain to clean. Here are some ways to wave goodbye to those nasty grease stains using vinegar or baking soda.

Vinegar

Pour some undiluted vinegar into a small spray bottle and spray it directly on the grease spots.  Don’t be afraid to spray generously!  Leave the vinegar for 5 to 10 minutes and then wipe it off with a dishcloth.  Viola!  The grease is gone!

 Baking soda

As you know, baking soda is one of your best friends when it comes to natural cleaning products, and the case is no different here.  To get rid of stains on your surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub the surfaces. Afterwards, take a clean, damp sponge to remove any excess powder.

Another tip, if you happen to get grease on your clothes, sprinkle, a generous amount of baking soda on the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes. The baking soda should soak up the grease!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-green-clean-grease-from-138621

Maintaining your silverware

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Whether you got it for yourself, it was a gift, or it is a family heirloom, if you have valuable pieces of silver, you want to try your best to keep them looking shiny and brand new. Tarnish starts off with a yellowish tint and the more time passes, the darker it gets until it is a purple or black. Don’t ever let your silver get that bad because to have that repaired requires a professional, a lot of time, and a lot of money. If you are starting to notice a bit of tarnish on your silverware, here is a step-by-step process on how to carefully remove it:

  1. Rinse each silver item in hot water to remove any surface dust.
  1. While the silver is still warm, use a moistened foam sponge to spread the silver polish one at a time to each piece of silver.
  2. Spread the cream quickly over the silver piece to cover it completely.
  3. Gently rub each tarnished area. Move all around the piece until the tarnish is gone.
  4. Wash with mild dish soap and rinse in warm water.
  5. Dry each piece with a very soft cotton towel to remove all of the water.

Remember, silver is a soft metal so be careful when rubbing the polish on your pieces.

http://interiordec.about.com/od/silverstoragetips/a/careforsilver.htm

The Benefits of Car Wax

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It is no surprise that there is a ton of household items that double as cleaning supplies, deodorizers  and much more.  Another item that you may have overlooked is right in your garage: car wax.  Car wax offers a variety of fixing abilities that you will be thankful to find out about.

  •  If your appliances are starting to bear a few scratches, rub some car wax on them to make the scratches disappear before your eyes.
  • Get rid of pesky handprints on your stainless steel appliances by rubbing car wax on the appliances.
  • Shine the fixtures in your kitchen and bathroom with a bit of car wax and have them looking as good as new and as shiny as ever.
  • Fight mold and mildew by rubbing a bit of car wax on your shower door.  It will act like a protective layer and keep the mildew from forming.
  • Defog mirrors by rubbing some car wax on them so that you can actually see yourself once you step out of that hot shower.

Even if you don’t have a car, you can still reap the benefits that car wax has to offer.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/why-car-wax-is-your-new-best-friend-at-home-207751

Make your mattress brand new again

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Things like rugs, stuffed animals, and clothes are easy to clean or even just replace, but something as big and expensive as a mattress is not as easy to replace but it  still needs a good cleaning every now and again. Have no fear though; here are a few ways to help you get your mattress feeling clean and new again.

  •  An easy clean up would be to just strip your mattress of all the sheets and go over it with a vacuum to get rid of all the crumbs, dust, or pet hair that is just lying on the surface.
  • To treat specific spots and stains you can try one of two treatments:
  1.  Treat stains with a combination of hydrogen peroxide, liquid dish soap, and baking soda. Mix them into a spray and apply that right onto the necessary spots. Rub the area with a clean rag to watch the stains diminish.
  2.  Make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub the mixture onto the stain, almost like an exfoliate for your bed!  Let it stand for 30-60 minutes and wipe off the salt with a clean towel.
  • We all know the wonders of baking soda, and it also works well here too. Sprinkle some all over the surface of the bed and its deodorizing powers will soak up any bad smells and leave your bed fresh and clean.

Don’t let the one item that you use every single day go without a good cleaning.

http://cleanmyspace.com/how-to-clean-deodorize-and-care-for-a-mattress/

Natural ways to have your house smelling good

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You don’t have to go to the store and buy Febreeze and Glade for your house to smell good.  There are other ways to have your home smelling fresh, naturally,  in no time.

-Get a spray bottle and put about 4 ounces of water in it as well as 10-15 drops of essential oil.  Lavender is a great choice because of its calming properties.  Not only will your place smell good, it will also help you relax.

-You can also use the essential oil by dipping a cotton swab in it and leaving the cotton swab in the smellier places of your home like the kitchen or bathroom for a constant hint of freshness.

-Put a small dab of vanilla extract on a lamp light bulb and while the lamp is on, it will heat up the vanilla and make your house smell delicious.

-Run lemon, lime, or orange peels through the garbage disposal to have your home smelling as sweet as summer all year round!

Moving out and what to get rid of

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The process of moving is hard enough, but it’s even worse if you make it more difficult for yourself by bringing along tons of stuff that you really should have gotten rid of years ago.  Moving is the perfect time to get rid of old things because you have to go through everything you own and really evaluate what you need and what is garbage.  Some things that you can definitely throw away are:

 Clothes and shoes that you have not worn in a year.

If you went 365 days without wearing that pair of bright red and green shorts, then you probably won’t wear them again for the rest of your life. Evaluate each piece of clothing and each pair of shoes as you pack.

Old papers

Make sure that it’s not an important document that you may need, but old magazines, receipts from years ago, and old classwork are things that are completely ok to get rid of.

 Old medicines and makeup

Medicine comes with expiration dates, so check each bottle to see if your medicines have expired.  Makeup too, believe it or not,  goes bad after a while (often times after 12 months from when you first opened it) and if you keep using it for too long, it can cause skin problems.

 Old books

Don’t just throw old books in the garbage, but try to sell those old textbooks for a few bucks.  If not, you can even try donating them to your local library or put them in the recycle bin.  Doing good, while getting them off your hands.

Having all that old stuff thrown out will be sure to make your move a lot easier!