Housekeeping Cleaning Tips

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.

If you have kids, you have probably had Kool-Aid spills in your carpet more than once. Or adults doing Jell-O shots. Were you able to get the stain all the way out or did you give up and toss an area rug on that spot? Some stains are just really difficult to get rid of. Especially red Kool-Aid. But it is possible if you do it correctly.

I have a confession to make: I love cooking up a greasy breakfast. It’s a vice of mine, big time. And when I cook with a lot of oil and bacon, the grease crackles and flies all over the cabinets. After my cooking sessions, my cabinets are a royal mess. The good news is, there are a couple of handy ways that you can clean greasy cabinets without losing your mind. Wanna know the secrets?

Whether it's the drain in your kitchen sink or the one in your bathroom or shower, you’ve probably dealt with some annoying clogs. Clogs always appear at inconvenient times, especially if you don’t work hard to prevent them. You can avoid stubborn clogs if you keep up with a monthly drain maintenance routine.

If you only have one type of vinegar in your home, then it should probably be distilled white vinegar. While this isn’t necessarily the most flavorful vinegar, it is certainly the most versatile. White vinegar is inoffensive in flavor, which allows for its versatility in cooking. It’s perfect for poaching eggs and adding to baked recipes, as it doesn’t have an overwhelming flavor. This vinegar is also ideal for cleaning, as it has no color, and is great at removing bacteria.

If you’ve had your dog for a while who is prone to accidents, you likely know the warning signs when one is about to happen. For example, they may walk away from you and find a discreet, comfortable spot. Placing potty pads in such places can encourage your dog to use pads instead of having an accident on the floor.

Mold can be one of the most troubling things that you will find in your home. The spores travel everywhere, and mold can actually be quite dangerous if left unchecked. You can find spores from mold all over your house; however, mold spores really love to flourish in warm, moist areas, like your bathroom.

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?

If you live in a region that has four distinct seasons, then you know your home’s interior can have different vibes in the summer and the winter. While the weather plays a large role in these varying aesthetics, there are also many ways you might want to prepare for the upcoming season. To ensure your home transitions seamlessly into summer, there are several tasks you should complete in spring.

If you’re into a more rustic design aesthetic or love an eclectic vibe, a cowhide rug is an excellent addition to your space. But are you supposed to clean a cowhide rug like a regular one? When you stop to think about it, you might even wonder if you can vacuum a cowhide rug.

Rainy weather can be relaxing if you’re at home, that is until your house smells like rotten eggs afterward. It can come as a shock when you notice sewer odors in your home, especially right after a peaceful rain. So, why is it that your house smells like rotten eggs when it rains?

A washing machine is one of the most essential appliances in your home. It ensures you always have clean clothes to wear and allows you to launder your sheets and towels regularly. While its primary function is cleaning your dirty clothes and bedding, you might be surprised by some other household items you can put in the washer.

By now, most people know about the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke. However, not as many people know about third-hand smoke or even realize how dangerous it is. So, what is third-hand smoke, and how does it affect your house?

One of the main reasons trash leaks is due to what’s inside the trash bag. Trash is meant for solids, not liquids. If you are dumping too many liquids in your trash, don’t be surprised if it leaks. All it takes is one tiny hole near the bottom of a trash bag to cause the contents to leak.

One of the main contributors to all sorts of mold in the home is humidity. When your home has a lot of moisture, it makes it easier for mold to form. This is also true for mold on leather. You must remember that leather is a natural material. 

Dusting your home is a chore that never goes away. Some parts of your home likely get dustier than others, and it can be quite difficult to keep up. Many homeowners have asked themselves the question: why is my bedroom so dusty?

Cluttered floors make it hard for professional cleaners to vacuum and mop surfaces. This can add to how long it takes, make their jobs harder, and even mess up their schedule. The last thing you should do is leave clothes, shoes, and toys on the ground before cleaners come.

Many people use humidifiers to solve a problem with dry air in their home. It's a great solution, unless you find something concerning in a humidifier. So, what is the black stuff in my humidifier?

You cannot establish rules with your roommates until you have a conversation. This is everyone’s chance to voice their opinions, concerns, and expectations. Make a mental list of talking points before the conversation to make sure you cover everything.

It’s estimated that in the United States alone, 80 to 100 million people have allergies. This is close to a third of the population, and these allergies come from many places, including inside the home. So, what are the most common household allergens?

Nobody wants to leave work, head back to their apartment, and enter a musty, smelly environment. However, that is the reality for many people who can’t figure out why their apartment smells bad. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to keep your small apartment smelling fresh.

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?

If you have severe allergy symptoms while in your home, especially in the spring when pollen counts are high, then an air purifier is a wise idea. Air purifiers can remove pollen, dust, and all sorts of other airborne allergy triggers from the air.

Some people may think that getting laundry detergent in your carpet is a good thing. But it can be a real pain to get it out of the carpet. Especially if you spilled the liquid kind. The granulated detergent can come up with a vacuum, but that liquid spill is going to take a bit more work.

The products produced by Thermos are excellent for keeping food and beverages hot or cold all day long. But, how do you properly care for a Thermos tumbler, mug, or water bottle? Are Thermos products dishwasher safe?  

Electric skillets are handy gadgets in the kitchen. Versatility is the name of the game with modern electric skillets. No longer just for frying, many new electric skillets allow you to pan fry, sauté, deep fry, or steam foods easily and quickly. However, many cooks wonder if they can put their electric skillet in the dishwasher.

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.

Automatic or self-cleaning litter boxes work via sensors and a rake. The sensors detect dirty litter and the rake sweeps the litter aside. In some cases, the dirty litter falls into a separate compartment below, and in other cases, it is stored on the side.

Many homeowners have had to deal with mold under their cabinets and on their walls or ceilings. Sometimes, it appears right when you’re ready to repaint your walls, which puts you in a tough predicament. So, what happens if you paint over mold?

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?

Cleaning cat puke is a part of being a cat owner, and you must sadly get used to it. However, you must take it seriously, or else your floors will quickly get covered in stubborn stains. Luckily, cleaning cat vomit isn’t that hard if you get it down to a science.

One of the best ways to keep your new refrigerator looking and working like new is by keeping it clean. This means you must wipe up spills as they occur, and also perform regular deep cleaning. Sticking to a cleaning schedule is the best way to ensure your fridge is well cared for.

Stainless steel fixtures, appliances, and cutlery are welcome inside most homes because of how easy they are to clean. They even resist certain kinds of stains better than other materials.

It’s an open secret that Americans love fried food. So if there’s an upcoming celebration, there will certainly be lots of frying to do in your kitchen. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that the odor of all those fried delicacies should linger in your house for days on end. On the contrary, the scent can be a source of great embarrassment, especially if you have guests in the house.

Dust mites are microscopic insect-like pests that are related to ticks. They feed off dust, and mostly live off dead skin cells. Since their diet of choice is dead skin, they are most commonly found where you spend the most time, like your bed and couch. 

Take advantage of longer days to welcome more sunshine into your home. Wash the windows, inside and outside, so grime and dust aren’t blocking the sun’s invigorating rays. Start with the frames so you don’t end up with dirt migrating to your clean windows.

Steel wool has been cleaning stubborn surface stains for over a hundred years. As the name suggests, this metallic sponge is composed of steel strands that vary in size depending on the grade you select. This product can be a lifesaver for those trying to remove tough messes and resolve specific issues. But this abrasive can also ruin many surfaces. This is why you must know when it’s wise to use steel wool and when it's not. 

Ceramic mugs are great for a lot of reasons. One can customize a ceramic mug to make it unique, and often ceramic mugs hold sentimental value. And of course, ceramic mugs make it easy to drink hot liquids like tea and coffee.

One of the best ways to keep your floors clean and free of sand or dirt is to institute a no-shoes-in-the-house policy. Believe it or not, wearing shoes in the home is frowned upon in many parts of the world. Many Asian countries, for example, do not allow the wearing of shoes in the home.

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.

A good ol’ cup of coffee is just the thing to start your day, but coffee is only good to drink if it comes from a clean coffee pot. Sometimes, neglect can get so bad, you actually may need a hardcore cleaning agent in order to fully sanitize your coffee maker. Thankfully, doing this is fairly easy and won’t take too long. 

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.

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.

Cleats are used to play a variety of sports. When these are brand new, they’re pretty nice to look at and they even smell good too. But cleats don’t stay in good condition forever, as soon after they’re out of the box they’re hitting the mud or dirt and absorbing all the sweat from your feet.

I love the look of a microfiber couch, and really, who doesn’t? Microfiber is the modern alternative to suede and is regularly ranked as one of the easiest to clean materials for sofas. It’s even pet-friendly! Cleaning it, though, can be a bit of a hassle. Is it possible to wash microfiber couch cushions, and if so, how?

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…

For some people, too much dust in their house makes them self-conscious about their cleaning habits. But for others, excessive dust leads to constant sneezing, itchy eyes, and other health problems, as it triggers significant allergic reactions. Whether for your health, your home’s appearance, or both, there are easy ways to reduce dust in your home.

There’s no way around it: cat litter will always smell bad. However, you don’t have to let that smell permeate your home, especially when there are several easy ways to help get rid of the litter box smell in your house.

Many big corporations and manufacturers use harmful chemicals with no regard for the consequences. Many people are not aware that a lot of those harmful chemicals can be present in their homes in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You’re not alone if you want to cut back and reduce the VOCs in your home to improve the air quality.

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. 

Bissell has been a leading manufacturer of home cleaning appliances for more than 140 years, and it’s been said that this company even supplied England’s Queen Victoria with sweepers in the 1890s. Since that time, their products have improved substantially, and one can find their sweepers, washers, vacuum cleaners, and bare-floor vacuums being used by not only homeowners but business owners as well.

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. 

Burnt sugar is one of the toughest stains to remove because of its strange consistency. It’s common to burn sugar on your stovetop, but that doesn’t mean that you’re out of luck.

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?

We’ve come a long way from the first mechanical dishwashers, way back in the late 1800s. Since early dishwashers were wooden and had to be hand-cranked, they were inefficient and impractical. Fast forward to the current day, and a dishwasher is only one of the many domestic conveniences we take for granted.

Ferrets are cute little animals, but they produce a musky odor that some people find unpleasant. If you keep a ferret in your house as a pet, the entire space could have a strong odor, especially if you fail to keep its cage clean. Failure to wash the animal and its litter box and bedding could also contribute to the musky smell in your house.

Persian rugs are considered to be the gold standard when it comes to luxury carpeting, especially if they’re hand woven. Unfortunately, they’re not exactly easy to clean. Unlike commercially-made rugs, Persian rugs do not come with instructions neatly printed on tags. However, they still need to be cleaned, and most of the time, it has to be done by hand. But…how?

Being a new mom is arguably one of the important jobs in the world. Without mothers, life simply does not exist!  It’s safe to say being a new mom is also one of the most demanding jobs in the world. Yet, nearly 87% of women become mothers. Thanks to the many women that came before, modern mothers just seem to know how to maximize each free second. What’s sleep? More importantly, can this go in the dishwasher?

It’s hard to feel comfortable at home when you see mold and know that more could be lingering right around the corner. Your first thought may be to scrub the mold away to fix the issue, but your gut instinct may say otherwise. Is scrubbing mold dangerous, and should you do it?

The idea of spring cleaning always sounds like a good one, but when it’s time to do it, you’d rather be doing anything else. Most likely, it’s because you’ve put things off all year, envisioning pushing this giant reset button in the spring. But that’s when things become overwhelming, so why not get a head start?