Savvy Secrets – Spring Cleaning

It’s that time of year again and your home is just waiting for that annual domestic ritual….Spring cleaning.  Here are some great savvy secrets to make your work easier and things sparkle 🙂

Here are some wonderful ideas for cleaning from Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple….

If you don’t have a self-cleaning oven (which burns off residue at very high temperatures), try a paste of baking soda and water. Coat the oven surfaces with the paste (avoiding bare metal and heating elements), let stand overnight, and, while wearing gloves, use a plastic spatula to remove it.

To whiten cloth napkins and linens fill a large pot with water, and drop in several slices of lemon. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add the linens, and let them soak for about an hour. Then launder as usual.

The next time you polish a fork, dip a length of cotton twine into silver polish, and rub it between the tines. This will help remove every trace of tarnish from those hard-to-reach crevices.

This treatment for cleaning copper amazes everyone who tries it. A pleasing bonus: It’s chemical-free. All you need are a lemon and coarse salt. Sprinkle the cut side of a lemon half with the salt, then rub it over the copper, which will soon gleam.

To keep tiny bugs out of your pantry, try taping whole dried bay leaves to the sides and bottoms of your shelves.

Mix 10 drops of lavender or lemongrass oil in 2 ounces of water in a spray bottle to wipe grime off windows—and to make the house smell divine. Bonus: May repel flies!

Sprinkle cornstarch on greasy stains on carpets or upholstery. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes to absorb the oil, then vacuum up.

Vinegar inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, so go nuts with it in the kitchen and bathroom, cleaning cutting boards and wiping soap residue from shower doors. But don’t stop there. Spray it on the underarms of clothing and let soak for 30 minutes to deodorize! Mix it with an equal amount of warm water for a streak-free window cleaner! Remove rings left by wet glasses on wood by rubbing the rings with an equal mix of vinegar and melted beeswax! Pour it in the washer to rescue a forgotten load from funky despair—or sans clothes to refresh the machine!

Mix 1 tablespoon peroxide with ¼ cup water, then spray it on fruits and vegetables to kill bacteria and then rinse. Use it to disinfect cutting boards (they’ve never gotten so much love). Mix it with a little liquid dish soap to deodorize the cat box and trash cans.

Add Borax to a bit of liquid dish soap and tackle the refrigerator shelves. Pour it down a clogged drain along with boiling water. Sprinkle it around the house exterior to deter insects. Dilute and spray it to kill mildew in the bathroom. Pour it in the toilet and let sit overnight; the next day, swish with a brush and flush to get rid of rust stains. Clean countertops and walls by dissolving ½ cup in 1 gallon of hot water, pouring it into a spray bottle, spritzing it hither and yon, then wiping with a damp cloth. Oh, Borax, is there anything you cannot do?

For polishing anything from silver to jewelry to vehicles, cloth diapers can’t be outdone. And they won’t leave lint on mirrors or windows.

Sinks, showers, tubs, and ceramic tile: Create a homemade soft scrubber by combining 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap and 1/3 cup baking soda.

Oh a sparkling clean home certainly leads to abundant living….and a bit of joy too 🙂