GETTING ORGANIZED STEPHANIE DENTON
Experts' tips ease spring cleaning

April 27, 2005

QUESTION: I've made a deal with two girlfriends. We are
all going to help each other spring-clean our homes. We
plan to rotate to a different house each of the next
three weeks. Do you have any time-and money-saving tips
for us to keep in mind?

ANSWER: The Maids Home Services, a leader in the
residential home-cleaning industry since 1980, suggests
these unique cleaning tips that really work and require
nothing more than items you already have in your home.
They're sure to make your house sparkle for the spring:

Remove vents and wash in soapy, hot water, using a paint-
brush to reach between slats, if needed. Rinse and dry
well.

VENTS??? i'd have to use a ladder to reach the vents under my soffits.
nah, the spiders can have the vents.


Use baby oil on stainless-steel sinks and faucets and
lemon oil to clean shower doors to make them sparkle.

SPARKLE???? are shower doors supposed to sparkle? mine didn't do that when
they were new.


Use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach areas.

WITH OR WITHOUT TOOTHPASTE???? toothbrushes are too short to reach most
hard to reach places, and those places are generally ceiling high.


To remove dirt and grime from wicker furniture, wash
with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia and one
gallon of water.


DIRT AND GRIME???? i thought that was patina! dang!


The best way to get the candle wax off a glass table is
to soften it with a hair dryer, and remove the residue
with a soft cloth. Once you have absorbed all the wax,
polish your table as usual.

i tried this one. NOT A GOOD TIP! i kept hitting the candle wax with the
hair drier to soften it up, but the glass top broke before the wax got soft.
i had to use a broom and dust pan, instead of a soft cloth, to remove the
residue. but, i did polish the rest of the table as usual.

Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job
and leaves a lovely smell.

this was kind of self-defeating, because i left noseprints on the mirror,
while testing to see if it was true.


Keep leather furniture supple by polishing with a
solution to prevent yellowing.

WHAT SOLUTION TO PREVENT YELLOWING???? i think my black leather hasn't
learned how to yellow, yet. lucky me!


Clean the television and computer screens with a used
dryer sheet; this will reduce the static and prevent dust
resettling.

maybe, but it doesn't get the "BWAHAHAHA" stains off!



Baking soda works great for carpet deodorizing; just
sprinkle onto the carpet before going to bed and vacuum
in the morning.

DON'T EVEN TRY THIS, if you have cats and they use baking soda based cat
litter. trust me.