Housekeeping Cleaning Tips

If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional flatware and cooking utensils, bamboo is an excellent choice. Not only is it more affordable than silver flatware, it is also durable, lightweight, and incredibly eco-friendly. In fact, the environmentally-friendly nature of bamboo is the main reason why bamboo kitchen utensils have become so popular in recent years.

If you have taken the time to examine the toothcare aisle at your local pharmacy, you will likely notice that charcoal or baking soda is infused into more toothpaste than ever before. These two common ingredients are now in dozens of popular toothpaste brands, and with both stating they are great at removing stains and bacteria. But in a world with so many toothpaste options, you are probably wondering if either of these common ingredients are effective, and if so, which one is superior?

It happens. That cherished baseball glove gets forgotten in the excitement of the day. Left outside, a rainstorm or the lawn sprinklers it the baseball glove a soggy mass. Many parents and players wonder if you can put a baseball glove in the dryer?

You should tell your landlord that your apartment is dirty if you just moved in. It’s a great idea to take pictures and even videos of the mess before you talk to your landlord. This will come in handy if they try to dispute your claim. 

Today, we live in an era that is celebrated for being the age of lifehacks. Want to wash a wall? There are tricks for that. Want to wash a floor? Just go on Google and you’ll find a ton of information on how to do it quickly and effectively. These days, we’re even talking about power washing rugs. Is this actually okay, though?

Selling your home is a monumental task, full of things to do and boxes to check (and pack). Getting your house into tip-top shape increases your odds of a more successful sale. A solid checklist to prep your home before you list it keeps things from falling through the cracks.

Think about how you feel when your house is a mess or cluttered. Now, think about how you feel when things are tidy, clean, and fresh. Which one do you prefer? Most likely, you enjoy how you feel when your house is somewhat in order (it doesn't have to be perfect).

Wrinkles can turn a chic garment into a frumpy disaster. A wrinkle-free and well-pressed garment, on the other hand, can look like a million bucks even if you only paid a few dollars. This is why irons are so handy and helpful. But in life, there are many times when an iron isn’t available. If you don’t have access to an iron, or simply can’t stand the act of ironing, you probably want to know how you can keep your clothes wrinkle-free without having to pick up an iron.

When you add a pet to the family, shedding is often an inevitable part of the deal. But even though you adore your furry friend, that doesn’t mean you have to love their hair all over the place. If you’d rather spend more time loving your pet than cleaning up their fur, consider dogs or cats that don’t shed a lot.

Swiffers make it easy to clean your house without needing to drag a bucket around with you. The Swiffer’s cleaning solution is quite effective and eliminates the need to make a mixture of your own. However, Swiffers aren’t ideal for all applications. There are several things you should never clean with a Swiffer.

Mesh laundry bags are a must-have for washing your most delicate pieces of clothing. However, can you throw the same mesh laundry bag in the dryer afterward?

Dish soap is one of the best household remedies for many problems, and that includes dirty hardwood floors. It’s the best way to clean hardwood floors without damaging them, especially if you use natural or mild dish soap. First, sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors to remove dust and debris before you mop them.

Outdoor living spaces are a fabulous way to expand your home and provide a restful retreat or extra entertaining area. Laying a rug on your grass or patio helps define zones and transform spaces into more of a room. Of course, it’s still outside, which means it’s prone to more dirt and grime, so how do you clean an outdoor rug?

Coconut oil has become one of the most popular “superfood” buzzwords of the last decade, and rightfully so. It can be used for almost anything from massage oil to a delicious additive to your food. Unsurprisingly, it’s also found itself on many unsuspecting carpets across the country in unprecedented quantities. So, how do you get this oil out of your carpet?

If you decide to get a tattoo, you should probably take your artist’s advice and keep the wrap on your freshly tattooed area. However, sometimes, the wrap can slip off. When this happens, the residual ink can land on the floor, staining your carpet. As we all know, tattoo ink is permanent. So how do you get it out of your carpet?

One reason people get maggots is because they empty their trash infrequently. Sure, fewer trips to the dumpster means using fewer plastic bags. This is often smart logic. If, however, you live in a warm climate, and have an open-air kitchen, then this may also mean you have a breeding ground for maggots.

Clogged drains can cause problems in the kitchen and bathroom. The last thing anyone wants is their kitchen sink to back up or their clogged tub drain overflowing. Luckily, in many cases, white vinegar is the perfect home remedy for unclogging drains, depending on the cause.

Carpet on stairs presents a few extra challenges when it comes to cleaning. It’s not like you can quickly run your vacuum across the steps. However, knowing how to clean carpet on stairs doesn’t take a lot of specialized knowledge or tools.

Nothing is inviting about dirty gym equipment. Not only is it unsanitary, but your gym equipment will only get dirtier with time if you don’t clean it. Zogics is a popular brand of disinfectant wipes that many people use to clean their gym equipment. 

Coffee machines are super convenient to have in your home, especially cause so many of them come with timers now, so you don’t have to remember to turn the coffee pot on in time before heading to work or starting your day. However, one thing that gets super annoying is the need to descale it. But, it needs to be done! But what if you have a Breville Coffee Maker? How do you descale that?

One of the more common reasons your sheets can make you itchy has to do with your laundry detergent. The main goal of washing detergent is to clean clothes. Many brands add fragrances to leave your clothes and sheets smelling nice. This all sounds great in theory, but in practice, it can cause issues.

Generally, you should start shoveling your walkways and driveway after there is more than an inch or two of snow on the ground. Shoveling an inch of snow is much easier (and faster) than shoveling five to 10 inches. 

If you’re looking for the ideal drinkware for daily use, acrylic glasses are an excellent choice. Not only are they inexpensive, they are also incredibly durable and versatile. This makes them perfect for home, commercial, and even industrial situations. But, how do you clean acrylic glasses? Or, more specifically, “Is acrylic dishwasher safe?”

Less is often more when it comes to filling a litter box. Of course, you should use enough litter to adequately absorb waste, but going overboard can be messy. You only typically need to pour litter 2” deep in most cases.

You should never move a fish tank with water in it. A fish tank with water, decorations, equipment, and substrate is quite heavy. The combined weight of everything can crack the glass and create a huge, dangerous mess. Moving a tank with fish in it can also cause physical trauma, and they may even die.

You think you smell Raid in your house, even though it’s been days since you used the insecticide  eliminate ants and termites? Well, chances are that you went on a little overkill while trying to get rid of the insects. Raid has a strong odor, which takes time to wear off, especially if you empty a can to eliminate the insects.

Wood floors can offer a lot as a counterpoint to carpeting. For one, hardwood floors can seriously decrease the amount of dust and other allergens in your home. Not only that but having hardwood floors can even add to the value of your home.

Sometimes the pots and pans you use to cook Thanksgiving food get crusted over and burnt. There is a lot of dairy and sugar cooked on this holiday, so don't be surprised if all your pans have a bit of crust that is hard to remove. 

While it’s normal to put effort towards keeping clothes clean, when you have a busy schedule, it can be quite challenging. It is highly likely that you’re going to spend a fair amount of time trying to remove various unidentifiable stains from your family’s clothing, such as highlighter ink. Tackling stains isn’t always easy, but how do you get highlighter out of clothes?

Wool is a natural material you should never put in the dryer. The heat and constant agitation inside a dryer can ruin wool products. A dryer can shrink, distort, and clump all wool items.

Cleaning your toilet can be a big pain, but it’s one of those chores that you must do on a regular basis. Thankfully, bleach can make the job a whole lot easier and a lot less gross. If you’ve had to deal with stubborn stains that won’t seem to fade in the past, you may have found yourself wondering if you could leave bleach sitting in the bowl to do the hard work.

When your dishwasher gets clogged, it won’t be able to function properly. You can do a variety of things to unclog a dishwasher, and one common method is using calcium lime and rust remover (CLR).

When it comes to comfort, no other mattress beats memory foam mattresses. This is due to the ability to adapt to your body size and shape. However, memory foam mattresses can also get dirty, and if you’re looking to clean them, one question will cross your mind; can a memory foam mattress be steam-cleaned?

Showerhead clogs can be caused by deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals in hard water, especially well water. This mineral deposit may block the canal, which will prohibit your showerhead from operating at full force. This is especially true in bathrooms and kitchens, hard water can leave off-white or brown stains on ceramic or glass surfaces.

If you’re a fan of Moscow mules, you definitely want to have a set of those majestic copper mugs in your drinkware collection. Not only do metal cups add a rustic flair to your bar, they are excellent thermal conductors. This means that they’ll keep your drinks chilled during the summer and warm in the fall.

Pinesol has been around since the late 1920s and has made its way into every household in America at one time or another. People use it as an all-purpose cleaner to clean their showers, toilets, floors, and countertops. But, are you able to use this on your carpet? That’s the real question.

One of the most important parts of many people’s work clothing is a good pair of steel-toe boots. Not only do the boots protect your feet from falling objects, but they can also support your ankles and arches as you go about your day. Work boots are often subject to water in various ways and come home wet. Many people wonder if you can put your steel toes boots in the clothes dryer.

The number one reason why clothes contain detergent residue when you take them out of the wash is that you used too much detergent. If you use double the amount of detergent you should, it can be hard or impossible to remove all the soap from the water before the cycle completes.

If you were recently placed under a boil water advisory, this means that there’s a concern that your local water supply may be contaminated with pathogens. When this happens, you can no longer trust the water that comes out of your tap, including any appliances that are connected to your water supply. This includes your refrigerator and ice maker, but what about your dishwasher? Can you use the dishwasher during a boil water advisory?

When you buy a Coach purse, it’s an exciting purchase. It’s hard not to feel fancy sporting their signature Cs at an event or even for everyday wear. When owning a designer item like a Coach purse, you’ll want to keep it looking fresh and brand new. However, it is important to be careful when cleaning these bags to avoid unintended damage.  This raises the question, is it possible to wash a Coach purse in your washing machine? 

There are many reasons why a garment can only be washed by hand. It might be the fabric, the colors, or even how the garment was made. Washing duffel bags and backpacks often needs to be done by hand as well. Whatever the reason, if the tag says 'hand wash only,' make sure you wash the garment by hand, and use the tips below.

Ah, new joys of parenthood. Lots of bottle filling, lots of new stains to get rid of, and tons of new things you never knew about keeping a good house. One of the first new stains you’ll run into as a parent is the awkward spill that happens if you drop diaper cream on a carpet. So, how do you get this stuff out of your pre-baby carpet?

For those of us who like to change things up every so often, Pottery Barn offers a variety of couch slipcovers. They have a wide range of materials, colors, and textures to suit any style. And here’s some great news: Pottery Barn couch covers are so easy to wash and maintain!

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, one that’s mainly used to soften water. Water that includes calcium, magnesium, and other particles is classified as hard water, and borax is what turns hard water into soft water by way of exchanging sodium ions.

As the coldest months of the year are approaching, owning a heated mattress pad becomes a necessity. They are ideal for cuddling up after a long chilly day, as they deliver maximum warmth on days that are so cold that you just want to stay in bed. Not to mention, they can help you remain at a consistent, comfortable temperature overnight thus improving your quality of sleep.

Mildew smells damp, unpleasant, and pungent. When carpet smells of mildew, finding a solution is often high on most people’s priority list. If there is mildew on your carpet, you have a problem to solve. Luckily, you can get rid of it using a few household products.

Do you know that feeling when, on opening the door of your dryer, you see the unmistakable signs of oily residue smeared all over your clothing? (We hope you said no!) Not only do you have to clean your dryer, but you’re also stuck trying to figure out exactly how to get the melted Chapstick out of your clothing. However, don’t worry, we have the answer for you!

Those dry erase markers are excellent tools for giving presentations at work or school. But they are not so great when they leave spots on your carpet. Even though they erase like magic from a whiteboard, it does not disappear from the carpet that way. There are many solutions to getting dry erase marker out of your carpet.

Kids these days have some very odd toys that they play with. Flarp is one of the weirdest. Actually, adults seem to like it too. It is just putty-like Silly Putty, but it makes a farting noise when you play with it. But Flarp is not so much fun when it is stuck in your carpet.

One of the most unfortunate parts about cooking is the cleanup process after the fact. When it comes to cleaning your blender, for convenience sake, you may be wondering: “Are blenders dishwasher safe?” Of course, every brand of blender is different, which means that each manufacturer has specific guidelines when it comes to washing.

Hamilton Beach is one of the largest coffee maker manufacturers in the world, and that means that you probably own one. If you want to keep your coffee tasting fresh, you need to know how to clean it. Cleaning a Hamilton Beach coffee maker isn’t always easy, though. So, how do you make your coffee maker squeaky clean?

As someone who appreciates arts and has plenty of artist friends, I already know how bad art supplies can stain everything in sight. I mean, that’s what they are meant to do, right? Unfortunately, that’s only true when it’s on a canvas. When you have something like an oil pastel spill on your carpet, it’s normal to freak out. But, what on earth can you do with something this pigmented?

Cats, like many animals, have a strong sense of smell, which you can use to your advantage. Many smells deter cats, such as thyme. Many people love the smell, but cats dislike it enough to avoid your counters altogether. 

Tempered glass is one of the most durable types of glass in the world, which is why it’s often used in convenience store counters, cellphones, as well as commercial furniture. When you first get it, it has a tendency of having a shiny, pristine look that’s not unlike regular glass. As the years pass, though, it starts to become harder to clean and even a little cloudy. Thankfully, if you clean it the right way, you can restore it to its former glory…

Dishwashers are modern conveniences that can help reduce the amount of time spent cleaning dishes in the kitchen every day. But, when you regularly find undissolved dishwashing pods left in your dishwasher, you know that your dishes are  not properly cleaned.

Maintaining a clean and beautiful home starts with good habits. You can buy all the right appliances, plant the best flowers, and sleep in the softest sheets, but it’s cleaning and maintenance that keep your home in its original splendid condition. You can create good habits with routines. One of the best routines you can have is to perform certain cleaning tasks every day.

If you live in a house, the odds are good you prefer it to be clean. So, you likely have a regular cleaning routine and maybe even do a mega spring cleaning every year. Perhaps you devote time each day to tidying and cleaning specific areas.

You must protect yourself before you can protect your home from mold after a flood. Floods can stir up harmful bacteria and materials that are dangerous to inhale. Ideally, you should protect your lungs with an N-95 mask to avoid breathing in dangerous materials. 

Your Airbnb guest won’t leave a kind review if the bathrooms and kitchen in your home are dirty. Clean bathrooms and kitchens go a long way in making a great impression on your Airbnb guests. Deep clean these rooms as if you’re showing your home to potential buyers. 

For many people, the thought of straightening up their house sends shivers down their spine. They try everything they can to put it off, from diverting to Netflix binges to watching TikTok cat videos. But then, things pile up, making the idea of tidying up even more unbearable.