DIY Site Curbly has an excellent post about teaching your kids to clean their own rooms.
cleaning
How To Clean Your Coffee Pot
By 6.25.07
Coffee taste gross? Buying it away from home instead of making it yourself like you know you should? Time to clean the coffee pot.
How To Remove Watermarks From Wood
By 6.21.07
Place a cotton cloth directly over the stain and with a dry iron (NO STEAM!) press down for several seconds on the cloth. Remove and check the stain. Keep doing until the watermarks are completely gone. It could take a minute or two to get the stain out completely.
Yes! We are going to try this. Wish us luck.—MEGHANN MARCO
Liberate Your Security Deposit By Acing Your Move-Out Inspection
By 5.27.07
Restoring an apartment can be easy, if done methodically. Thankfully, wikiHow has a useful room-by-room guide to help get your apartment spick-and-span.
Wash And Reuse Swiffer Duster Cloths
By 4.6.07
Swiffer duster refills are expensive, but reader Jen says you can get more uses out of your Swiffer duster cloths by handwashing them with laundry detergent.
Deodorize Your Clothes With Vodka!
By 3.26.07
Solution: Spritz garments with a small amount of vodka; hang them to dry in a well-ventilated area (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn’t leave a scent.
Great tip, because if we know you there was likely going to be some vodka on those clothes anyway. —MEGHANN MARCO
Spring Cleaning Time!
By 3.13.07
DECLUTTER!!! As my Auntie always used to say, “Look one way and pitch the other”. Look, I know it’s hard to get rid of your beloved stuff, but trust me, it’s better this way. If it’s really nice stuff that someone might use, give it away on Freecycle. Do NOT save stuff for a yard sale, unless you’re having that yard sale immediately.
True words, people. True words. —MEGHANN MARCO
Clean Your House Like A Professional
By 2.21.07
It’s a really great post for people who feel overwhelmed when its time to start cleaning. We sometimes end up standing in the middle of the room wondering what the heck to do next. —MEGHANN MARCO
Easy Cheap DIY Home Cleaning Formulas
By 2.13.07
Another alternative is microfiber cloths which lift off dirt, grease and dust without the need for cleaning chemicals, because they are formulated to penetrate and trap dirt. There are a number of different brands. A good quality cloth can last for several years.
And there are tons more like this. We really had no idea you could use mayonnaise to remove a water ring on wood. Share your tricks with us in the comments.—MEGHANN MARCO
10 Things You Can Do With Your Microwave Other Than Cook
By 2.6.07
In response to the University of Florida study that showed that microwaving sponges kills 99.9% of bacteria (p.s. they’re supposed to be wet) the Guardian has compiled a list of 10 things one can do with a microwave other than cook. Our favorites:
Microwaving Sponges Kills 99% Of Pathogens
By 1.24.07
Popping a dirty sponge in the microwave for two minutes will kill 99% of its pathogens, says a new study in the Journal of Environmental Health. [More]
Hack Your Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner
By 1.10.07
Everyone loves the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner, except of course, for the people who don’t. The main reason not to love the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner is the fact that the refill costs $5.99.
Cleaning To-Do Lists
By 1.3.07
We’re in a cleaning/organizing mood today, so we thought we’d link this story from Real Simple. It has lists of household chores broken down by when you should do them, day, week, season. Their lists are ok, we guess. (Launder the dust ruffle? Do we have one of those?) Anyway, it’s a helpful reference to maybe print out and give to the lazier members of the household. You know who you are. —MEGHANN MARCO
Scooba Isn’t Worth It
By 11.3.06
So much for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, Consumer Reports says Scooba performs exactly how you think it would. Badly.
Hardee’s Unfazed By Water Cut-Off
By 9.26.06
Bunnyspatial wrote to us about a local Hardee’s that was conducting business with its water turned off, and the fascinating implications that raises:
