For me it wasn’t a huge task to keep my house clean when I was first married, even though I worked out of the home because I didn’t have children-yet.  When I had my first son, I was fortunate to be able to stay home with him and house cleaning was still somewhat simple.  Fast forward 18 years and 5 more kids later and even though I still have the opportunity to be home with my children, it’s definitely more of a challenge keeping the house clean.

I’ve definitely had to change my cleaning habits since my first child was born.  My perfectionistic, “all-or-none” cleaning attitude just wasn’t cutting it.  So, I’m here to bust a few cleaning myths that will hopefully enlighten your cleaning attitude:

Cleaning Myth #1:  When it comes to cleaning, it’s “all-or-nothing’.

I used to do my cleaning by rooms-the bathroom one day, the bedrooms the next day, and so on.  Even if I noticed that my toilet was getting a bit icky, I wouldn’t take one minute to scrub it out and wash it clean because if I did that, I would have to clean the entire bathroom, right?  And I just didn’t have the time to clean the entire bathroom at that moment. Because of that I dealt with an icky toilet for days longer than I needed to.  What I’ve learned over the years is that I can just take a minute (or 39 seconds to be exact) to clean the toilet and leave the rest of the bathroom for later.  Same with the kitchen; I can scrub the kitchen sink without having to mop the floor, clean the appliances and wipe down the cabinets.

Cleaning Myth #2 Commercial cleaners are best and the stronger, the better.

Lateley, I’ve come to realize that harsh chemical cleaners aren’t necessarily the best.  In fact, they are probably creating toxins in our home that we don’t realize are there.  There are tons of homemade, chemical free cleaners that will work in place of the commercial cleaners that you are using.  Not only will they create a safer home environment, they’ll also be softer on your pocketbook.

Cleaning Myth #3: Cleaning takes a long time

I’ve asked my seven-year-old daugther several times this week to clean her room.  Although she did attempt it once or twice, it always seemed to get messy again by the next day.  I decide yesterday that I would just spend ten minutes tidying up in her room and she would complete the job when she got home from school. I set the timer and went to work.  I was beginning to think the timer wasn’t working because her room was almost completely clean and I still hadn’t heard the buzzer.  It did finally go off, however, and I was amazed at how much I had accomplished in only ten minutes.

So, if we spend just a little time here and there maintaining our homes, it will definitely be easier than waiting until you have time to get the entire job done.  Please let me know if you have busted any other cleaning myths )

The repairman explained that the fabric softener sheets she had been using in her dryer created a film over her lint screen and that had a part in her dryer’s heating unit going out.  If you’ve ever noticed when you pull a fabric softener sheet from the box, it does feel kind of “waxy”.  This is the invisible build-up that ends up on your lint screen, and even your clothes.

To get rid of the build-up, take your dryer lint screen and wash it with hot, soapy water every six months.  This will help lower your electric bill and, according to the repairman, double the life of your dryer!

I use dryer sheets all of the time so I had to try this.  When I held my dryer lint screen under water, a little bit ran through, but most of it puddled up on top and stayed there.  I quickly cleaned it with hot soapy water, and yes, that solved the problem!

Perfume is one of the most memorable things about a person. It is sometimes much easier to remember people by the way that they smell, at times it’s even easier than the way they look. A lot of figures from ‘Miss Saigon’ to Bon Jovi have immortalized the experience of memorable smells. It can become a person’s trademark and at times, when things are absolutely perfect, the perfect perfume can be the most seductive thing about you. Women and men have perfected this trick throughout the centuries.

But sometimes you just want to get rid of perfume scents. At times you just can’t stand the smell of the last person that sat in your car. At times the perfume of your mother-in-law on your furniture is just really oppressive on your allergy. And then there are scents that may just get you into trouble with your significant other. So if you have any of the above, you definitely need some of the best scent removal techniques around!

• On clothes: When it comes to removing perfume scents from clothes, nothing beats the effectiveness of a good wash. People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, asthma, or extreme allergies should best take notice! Using organic detergents rather than chemical detergents greatly decreases the risk of you suffering from any side effects. Another more hands-on technique of removing scents is to soak your clothes in water and vinegar in the washer overnight. And afterwards wash your clothes the next day three to four full cycle washes, using only water after the first spin and rinse.
• In cars: For the case of perfume sticking on the car seat, it would be much better to use leather friendly products, lest you damage that amazing interior of your vehicle. Washing the seat covers and keeping your windows slightly opened to keep the air circulating is a great option. If you have some money to burn, having it professionally cleaned is an amazing option.
• On people: Sometimes it escapes even our own noses when we’ve worn too much perfume. If you’ve been warned by a colleague or a friend (or are simply drawing a lot of annoyed stares and wrinkled noses), what you can do is to make a paste of water and baking soda and then rub it on the area where you applied the perfume. Rinse it off afterward.

These are just a few things that you would like excessive perfume scents removed from. If you want to remove perfume from other things not on this list or you want more tips on removing scents, just visit: http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-perfume-smell/

There are many safe and effective uses for salt for household use. Here is a list of salt uses by category.

Salt and Laundry:

• soak stained hankies in salt water before washing
• boil clothes pins in salt water before using them and they will last longer
• eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt
• soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line
• likewise, use salt in your final rinse to prevent clothes from freezing
• fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash
• boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out matched
• cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cold water later
• to remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol

General cleaning with Salt:

• rub salt on your pancake griddle, and your pancakes won’t stick
• clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made from salt and vinegar, thickened with flour
• pour a mound of salt on an ink or blood spot on your carpet; let salt soak up the stain
• clean your iron by rubbing some salt on a damp cloth on the ironing surface
• clean piano keys with a mixture of salt and lemon juice
• rub any wicker furniture with salt water to prevent yellowing
• freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water
• mix salt with turpentine to whiten your bathtub and toilet bowl
• soak enamel pans in salt water overnight, then boil salt water in them the next day to remove burned-on stains
• sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean
• soak discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains
• clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt
• use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot
• sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor
• salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator
• salt and cinnamon will remove offensive odors from the stove
• salt and lemon juice removes mildew
• remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt and water
• polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look
• if a pie bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smell and will bake into a dry, light crust you can easily wipe away when oven in cool

Salt and Personal hygiene:

• soak toothbrushes in salt water before your first use; they’ll last longer
• dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher
• mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. gargle with warm water for a sore throat
• use equal parts salt and soda for brushing your teeth
• rinse a sore eye with a little salt water

Miscellaneous uses for Salt:

• sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks or cracks where you don’t want grass to grow
• to fill holes in your plaster walls, use equal parts of salt and starch with just enough water to make a stiff putty
• sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away
• for a longer life for cut flowers, add a little salt to the water

Chris Wilhelm http://blog.werelivingwell.com

I have a corner desk and on it I have my computer, printer, fax, phone, etc. Beside my desk I have a two-drawer filing cabinet. This was possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever done to organize my business. In it I have my files and supplies that I use on a daily or regular basis. My clients’ stationery, clients’ files, file for my receipts, all personal correspondence, paper, folders, etc. Whenever these files get bulky with client documents, I simply empty them into the main filing cabinet. For example, my main clients that I’ve been working with for 15 years, their files in the main cabinet are quite large and it’s so nice to have the smaller file close by with just their recent correspondence. Plus, when I need a folder, an order slip for my books, a copy of my stationery, it’s all right there. AAAHHH, now that’s convenience.

Now for the receipts’ file. I keep it monthly. I simply at the beginning of the month, replace the file with the new month’s file. That way, at tax time, I don’t have to go through a whole year’s receipts and divide it up then. It’s all separated.

Here are some other organizational tips you might find beneficial:

Mail—We have a round basket by a small table by the front door. All incoming mail goes in there first. Then when I have the opportunity to sort through it, I get it and put it in its appropriate place. Always pitch anything you aren’t keeping All business-related mail is sorted and put away immediately. Anything that might need work done on it, is logged into my Day timer and then put in the To Do Bend.

Desk—Your desk should have on it only those items that you use on a regular basis. Look around. What haven’t you used in the last month or two. Start Dumping. Find another spot for it. But find the RIGHT space for it.

No Piling of Anything Allowed. This is one of those habits that can be so easy to get into. Definitely one of the ones that I catch myself doing a lot! But I stop myself now because I know it will just be brushed off to the side and forgotten. Too often I miss something important and regret the piling blunder again. You will be amazed how much more organized you will feel if you just don’t do this one thing.

Daytimer—Now this isn’t only for Time Management. Your Daytimer can have a space for all your business cards, appointment cards, etc. How great it is to have all these cards right in the same place. On the date of your appointment, you simply grab the card and off you go.

Start the beginning of the day and the end of the day with a clean-up. What a tremendous feeling that is. When you are done with a project. Away it goes. Everything. When you start the next project, out comes all the material you need.

There’s nothing like the feeling of sitting down in the morning to a nice clean organized desk and office. Once you feel this a couple of days, you want to experience this every day so you’ll take the appropriate steps to make it happen.

About the Author: Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Workbook, Corel Word Perfect Office Ready, Virtual Assistant Solution Pack, and is president of Virtual Word Publishing www.virtualwordpublishing.com and www.virtualassistantstartups.com. Free to reprint article as long as the bio remains intact.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Borax. Borax is most often used as a laundry booster and water softener, but it’s also great for killing insects, cleaning walls, floors and bathrooms, killing weeds, and getting rid of nasty odors. Unlike many of the other cleaning products listed here, borax can be toxic if swallowed. It may also lead to skin irritation. Be sure to keep it away from pets and children.

Vinegar. You know those spray bottles of multipurpose cleaner. Why not replace that with a solution of half water and half vinegar? It cleans glass and surfaces, while disinfecting and deodorizing. Plus it’s safe for your kids to drink (it’s actually healthy).

Hydrogen peroxide. You may have used this to clean out cuts and scrapes, or just the inside of your ears. If it can clean so well inside your body, imagine what it can do for your house. While drinking hydrogen peroxide is safe, it can make you feel very sick, so keep it away from children.

Lemon juice. Lemons juice is a strong acid, so it breaks down dirt and the organisms that live all over your house. It can be used to clean and disinfect just about anything (just test for staining first) and even polishes and shines many metals. Plus, you don’t have to add the lemony scent, it’s already in there.

One great thing to do with natural cleaning products that you should never ever do with conventional products is to mix them. While mixing certain household cleaners can be harmful and even deadly to you and your family, mixing natural products can give you added cleaning power.

You know all those bubbles that get released when you mix baking soda and vinegar? Well those bubbles are great for unclogging drains and breaking up other hard to reach dirt and grime. You can also substitute lemon juice for vinegar to produce the same effect with a fresh scent.

So, next time you need a new cleaning product, why not replace it with one of these great natural alternatives instead? You’ll soon find you can have both a clean house and a safe house.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Start with small projects, things you can see improvement in quickly. Try organizing a closet. Sort through it and get rid of things you don’t need anymore. You can donate them, get them ready for a yard sale or just throw them away. As you make more room in your closet, think about ways to maximize your storage space. You can add shelves and other closet organizers.

As you move through the list, some projects may take more than a day. Take about 15 minutes to a half an hour a day working on your cleaning “to do” list. Before you know it, you’ve gone through the entire house and organized it. The trick now is to keep it organized.

Each day, keep up on maintaining your newly organized home. The key is to not get into the “I’ll do it later” mindset. Stay focused and keep at it and you WILL have an organized home and life…AND you will be a happier person! While it takes time and a bit of effort, it will be worth it once the house is clean, neat and organized.

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Let’s get a GRIP on the “Little People!!”

The Toy Factor

As our children continue to get more toys with each holiday, birthday, vacations, grandparent visits, and all other various let’s overwhelm with noise toys occasions, space becomes a hot commodity. And, clutter overwhelmingly relevant.

What’s a poor Mom to do?

Well…first, she MUST bring balance back into the home. It may be time to get rid of old toys. If there are toys that are broken…games and puzzles with missing pieces…they can be thrown away or at the very least showcased in your next garage sale.

A good idea is to set aside a quarterly schedule…maybe with the seasons…that you go through all of the “little people’s” toys and decide what needs to be tossed, given away, or sold. This can be a month or so before birthdays and your family’s special gift giving occasions. However, if you wait until after they get new things, they might be more willing to part with the older toys.

It is important to keep the lines of communication open and talk to the children, if they are old enough to understand. Let them help decide which toys they might want to let go of. Get them involved in the process. Give them an opportunity to search for things they can bless others with (maybe even their younger brother or sister). You may also want to encourage them to look for toys to sell in your next garage sale and let them keep the money.

Something to keep in mind, especially with the younger children, is to give them time to adjust to the idea of giving things away. Young children can often be generous with their things, but then later realize they gave away a “favorite” toy. Let them practice for a few days, or even weeks. Put the things away in a box where they can’t get them. If they seem to be OK without them, they are probably ready to begin a long life of giving!

It is an awesome thing to encourage our children to share their blessings by donating some of their nicer toys, books and games. This is a great way of not only reducing the clutter in your home, but also helping someone less fortunate.

Playroom Chaos Preventers

It is a known fact that when kids play chaos comes.

How do we keep the order???

Well, you can start with sorting through all the toys and finding the things that they never play with anymore. Have they outgrown them? Are the broken? Make piles of things to toss, give away or sell. Sort the toys by type and then you can decide if you need to change the way they are stored. You may not have to get anything new; you may have enough containers that are not being used around the house.

Label everything.

Make signs, either with words, pictures or both, and attach them to the various containers and shelves. Your “little people” then have a clear guide for putting things away. It also helps find their toys more easily when chaos is not present.

Divide. Conquer. And Organize!

Another way to help reduce the chaos is to reduce the number of toys in the room. Divide the toys into groups, some to pack away for a time, and some to have out. Store them in a closet, garage, or anywhere that they will be out of site and out of mind. When the time comes to swap the sets of toys, it’s almost like getting new toys without buying anything else. Go figure! LOL!!

Good Storage Prevents Chaos

Changing the way the toys are stored can also be helpful. By having easy access containers, the kids can put things away more easily. Younger children can have a hard time with lids, but there are nice fabric containers that are flexible and are safe for them. Some of these come designed to look like animals or people and are a lot of fun. Baskets are an attractive way to keep the playroom organized as well. Oh, and those clear plastic containers are a wonderful idea too. The “little people” can actually see what is in them before digging through the whole thing and causing chaos.

To Stuff or Not to Stuff…THAT is the question!

I am the Mother of girls…so I do not know what it is like for Moms of boys…LOL…but man, Stuffed animals seem to multiply like rabbits. I mean we have stuffed animals of every breed, species, and color imaginable! There are a few options for corralling these tyrants of the playroom. However, we will give it a try!

There are Velcro poles and clip chains that the smaller ones can be attached to. You could get an old hammock and set them up in style by attaching it to the ceiling and tossing carefully them into it. This is a GREAT way to save floor space! Another option is to tuck them in a corner where they will not take up as much space.

Endings are Such Sweet Sorrow…

In closing, the main idea is to keep the “little people” under control! LOL!! We need to maintain the order every day. Out with the chaos and in with organization! Get the kids into a new habit of only getting one thing out at a time and putting it back “home” when they are finished playing with it. If we unite as parents we may break the cycle of creating more organizationally challenged people!! ROFL!

OK, PLEASE share any tips for organizing the “little people” and their space….

Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean!

Two Simple Steps to Help you Clean and Organize Your Closet:

Step One: Go through each closet in your home. Sort all items into four piles; keepers, sell, donate and toss. You might surprise yourself in how much space you can find just by removing things you never use. Once you have sorted all closet contents into piles, decide if there is a better place to store some of the items. If you have seasonal or keepsake items, consider putting them in plastic containers in the garage.

Step Two: Now you need to decide what will be stored in each closet. This will help you decide what type of storage system is best. You may need something different for each closet. There are closet organizers that you can buy. There are also services that can help you choose the best closet organizer to fit your needs.

Closet Organizers at a Glance:

The main types of closet storage are rods for clothes hangers, shelves, baskets and drawers. There is a closet organizer for every budget. You will want to start by measuring your closet space. Then, you are ready to go shopping for the things you need to get your closet organized.

One of the easiest and cheapest options is to get an adjustable bracket system. You hang the metal rods with slots on the sides of the closet. Then, all you need to do is place the support brackets where you want shelves. Wood shelves are easy to cut to size. Most home improvement stores will cut the pieces to size for you for a small fee. Then you can paint or stain the shelves if you wish.

There are also plastic shelving units that snap together and can be placed inside the closet. They aren’t as adjustable, and you cannot decorate them as easily. However, they are sturdy and take no tools to put together.

If you prefer a more permanent closet storage option, there are companies that can build a unit right into the closet. They combine clothes rods, shelves, drawers, boxes and baskets.

Regardless of which closet organizer you choose, it will take time, patience, determination and effort to get your closets organized and maximize your storage space…especially if you are already organizationally challenged. However, clean and well designed closets will make you feel good about yourself and you will smile every time you open your closet because you have accomplished something!

Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean!

Well, if you are organizationally challenged then getting your home organized is a chore all in itself. However, for a wannabe keeping it organized can be the biggest challenge!

I have some good news for the determined…with some work and forced cooperation from the rest of the family, it will be easier. It takes time to get used to new habits, but with nagging gentle reminders, everyone will be on their was to the cleaning zone.

One thing that will help keep things running smoothly is to create some daily routines. Even though in a perfect world everything should have a place, it takes a lot of effort to get it there. So staying on top of things is crucial to your new system working.

Here are some creative ways you can keep the whole family involved:

Charts are Us - Create a chart showing all the rooms in your house and all the family members (even the little ones). Each family member can be responsible for making sure a specific area is clutter free each day at a pre-established time. You can provide a basket for each person. They will go through their area with it and throw anything in it that isn’t supposed to be there. Once they have filled their basket, they can start putting things away…and start again if there is a big mess.

The Gathering Place - If you have more than one story, running up and down stairs all day to put things away can get old pretty fast. One way to help is to keep a box at the top and bottom of the stairs where people can put things they find that belong on another floor. At the end of the day, or when the box is full, the things can all be put back where they belong.

Little People Can Organize Too - Even the youngest members of the family can help. Labeling things, at least at first, will help your little people remember where things go. If they are too young to read, try a picture. You can save it from the original package or find one similar in a magazine. At the younger ages, they actually LIKE to help in most cases, so this should be “fun” for them.

Make a Mole Hill out of a Mountain - Yeah, you read it right. LOL! Clothes pile up real fast no matter how much laundry you do, the pile just keeps growing. It has a mind of its own. One way to help is to designate a place for all the dirty clothes. You can label the laundry baskets for white, darks and colors. Everyone can then put their own clothes in the baskets. When a basket is full, it’s time to wash. This is also a great way to teach the little ones colors and organization skills.

Remember, consistency is the key to successfully keeping your home clean. It also requires team effort! So, think of creative ways to get the whole family involved and then not only will you have less of a load to carry…you will help break the cycle of the wannabes!

Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean

I am sure that if you search your home you will find MANY things that you just don’t need…

Old appliances…all shapes and sizes. When you recycle your old appliances, it doesn’t just reduce things that are just lying around; sometimes you can get some extra cash if you take the time and make the effort to take them to a local recycling center or scrap yard that deals in metal. If you are like me and just don’t have the time to put forth any extra effort there is also the fire station option. Many of them collect aluminum cans for burn units at the local hospitals.

By setting up your own recycling center in your home, it can help reduce your own clutter. You can have bins lined with bags that can hold various recyclables, set up in your garage, basement or utility room. One can be for aluminum cans, another for plastic bottles, and another for paper. Any time someone sees something lying around, instead of just tossing it in the trash…or like in my house making little junk piles…they can throw the items in a bin! When the bins get full, you can either set them out for the city to pick up (if they provide a recycling program), or take them to the local center.

You can make this fun for the kids too. You can have a “Recycle Day.” You can read a book about it to them…have them help decorate the bins, and let them know that they are not only helping keep the house clean, they are helping keep the planet God gave us clean and healthier!

Just about anything in your home can be recycled. There are a TON of Yahoo e-mail groups that are dedicated to “recycling” or “freecycling” like they call it. The lists are organized by local regions. If someone has something they no longer need they can list it to the group and it is claimed on a first come, first served basis. These kinds of lists are great for people who just want to get rid of a few things and don’t want to bother with a garage sale. Plus THEY pick it up and you do not have to worry about it! YEAH!

Listen…even us organizationally challenged people can make a difference for our homes…and out planet! If we start small and work our way up, before we know it, we’ll be the eco-friendly wannabe neat freaks recycling pros! LOL!!! And….have a much neater house!

Copyright © Lara Velez, All Rights Reserved

Shelves - Attaching shelves to the walls of the garage can increase your storage space. There are also stand-alone shelving units that are perfect in the garage. They are heavy-duty plastic or metal and can hold the heavier items that are often found in the garage, such as tools and sports equipment.

Pegboard – They can have hooks and baskets attached to allow for storage of a variety of items of all sizes. Brackets can be added to place shelves as needed. They can be completely customized to hold tools – both for the garden and the garage, parts, cleaning supplies, and much more.

Tool hangers - There are a variety of hanging systems to hold tools. There are roller versions that grab the handles and hold them in place. There are also standard hooks that will hold the tool, with the handles hanging down. These will keep the tools out of the way, making things not only neater, but also safer.

Store-Pod - Store-pods are a great addition to your garage storage system. They are waterproof, heavy-duty plastic storage units that are attached to the beams above. They look like a large plastic bag with shelves inside. The front is a clear plastic door that zips closed. They have ventilation slots that help reduce dust and mildew, while still keeping pests out of the things being stored.

Racks - There are specially designed holders for sports equipment and large items. There are some for balls, bike racks and more. There are bike racks that can be mounted on the wall or ceiling.

Cabinets - Cabinets with a work surface are perfect for the garage. You can close the doors and hide any possible clutter. You also have a work area for projects that are too messy or noisy for the house. Many of the cabinets also come with locks, not only to protect your tools, but also to keep small children safe.

Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean

Created as a raising agent used in bakery, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has a multitude of household uses. Being only slightly alkaline and gently abrasive, this most versatile of substances is non-toxic and safe for most surfaces/fabrics.

Baking soda is an effective deodorizer. Place an open box on a shelf in the refrigerator to prevent strong odors from spreading to other foods; replace the box about every three months. Do the same in any cramped closet, storage area or basement room. Sprinkle at the bottom of the litter box to minimize offensive smells. Keep your carpets fresh by sprinkling it all over, letting stand for about 15 minutes and then vacuuming.

Baking soda gently cleans a range of hard surfaces. Apply it to your toothbrush, after brushing with toothpaste, to remove stains and whiten teeth. Dissolve four tablespoons in four cups of water and use the mixture to clean a variety of kitchen and bathroom surfaces; rinse and dry. Combine with hot water in a 50/50% mixture for difficult jobs such as cleaning a grimy windshield or headlights.

Baking soda whitens clothes and removes stains. Adding one cup to a load of laundry or ½ cup in a 50/50% mixture with bleach really boosts the effectiveness of your regular detergent. Apply in a paste to remove ring-around-the-collar, mildew and other stubborn stains; let it stand for several minutes, rub in and wash as usual. Remove the ammonia-like smell of urine by soaking fabric diapers or bed linens in a mild warm-water solution.

Among other uses, baking soda will put out a grease or electrical fire (sprinkle it on dry) and keep drains clog-free (once a week, pour ½ cup down the drain and follow with warm water).

Visit Clever Clarissa’s website for tons of Household Tips. Make sure to sign up to Clarissa’s Newsletter for more tips, advice and recommendations.

Do you have a problem with getting your windows clean and streak free? Have you ever washed your windows thinking you had them sparkling clean; only to discover, that when the sun came around, they were still streaked. I have lots of times, till I found microfiber cloths and towels. Other tips I have used before microfiber towels are:

• Using newspapers to dry the windows with, but that left you with carbon on your hands from the print on the paper

• Using some vinegar in the water helps to cut dirt and grime

• Wiping the inside of the windows in one direction and the outside in the opposite direction. This helped me to know which side I had to redo.

• Another trick my mom used to use (on her windows that would get coated with road grime) was to wash her front porch windows with oven cleaner. It was the only way she could get them clean. She lived on a heavily traveled state highway, with lots of trucks and farm traffic. So that left her windows with lots of oil, dirt and exhaust residue on them.

• But my favorite tip was when I discovered microfiber towels and cloths to wash and dry my windows with.

What microfiber towels I like best to use:

I use a wet suede microfiber towel to wash my windows with and a dry waffle weave towel to dry with. You could also use one 16″ x 16″ microfiber terry towel to wash with and one or more 16″ x 16″ terry microfiber towels to dry with, depending on how many windows you need to wash. One 20″ x 40″ waffle weave will dry numerous windows with just this one towel, because of its special built in “pockets” that whisk the moisture away, first into the pocket and then deep into the fabric of the towel, leaving your window dry and streak free. I have heard people tell me they just wash and let air dry.

How the microfiber towel works:

The unique technology of the microfiber blend, gives you a towel that is soft, durable, dirt grabbing and absorbent. The microfiber blend is made up of polyester and polyamide (nylon). The polyester gives it its softness, and the polyamide gives it its absorbency. The “star” wedges gives it its scrubbing ability, with it’s thousands of surface edges. This technology allows the fibers to pick up the dirt and pull it into the towel not just pushing it ahead of itself.

I use hot water to wash my windows with. Rinsing your microfiber towel in hot water causes the fibers to swell, thus forcing the dirt, oil and grime out of the fibers into to your water. Rinse your rag frequently, to keep it clean. Dirty rags can also cause streaking of your windows. Just using hot water and microfiber towels helps to save you money, eliminating window cleaner and paper towels.

Caring for your microfiber towels:

Launder your cloths in hot water if they are especially dirty, microfiber loves hot water. Dry on low heat in the dryer or line dry. Use regular detergent, no bleach or fabric softener. If the microfiber cloths are getting stiff, they may not be clean, or they have been dried at too high of heat; try soaking them in hot water, detergent and OxiClean (a non-bleach stain remover) for ½ hour to help loosen and remove dirt deep within the fibers.

Written by Marcia Loofboro, believer in chemical free cleaning and owner of http://www.MerryMicrofiber.com home of affordable, dirt grabbing microfiber towels, cloths, mitts, sponges and mops.

There are a variety of vinegars on the market – from plain distilled white vinegar to vinegars made from fruit, herbs, cider, malt and wine. All of them are somewhat corrosive, with a level of acidity between 4% and 6%; this is why they are sold in glass or plastic containers with cork or other corrosion-proof tops. Since they contain vinegar and are acidic, marinades, vinaigrettes and pickles should be mixed in glass, enamel or stainless steel vessels and kept well away from copper, zinc, aluminum, iron and galvanized metal.

Distilled white vinegar, based on dilute distilled alcohol fermented to a 4% acetic acid count, is an effectual inexpensive household cleaner and stain remover. Being acid (with a pH below 7), it will NOT remove the majority of stains which are caused by acid substances (oils, fats, etc.). Vinegar is very effective, however, against stains caused alkaline substances such as soap, mustard, ketchup, coffee, tea, beer, gum, glue, calcium, rust, grass, etc.

Only distilled white vinegar should be employed for household uses, as the other varieties of vinegars could stain what you want to clean. Make use of the vinegar at full strength to absorb offensive odors in a room or to remove tannin build-up from teapots and coffeemakers. Mix it 50/50 with water to take out salt from the carpeting in your car after winter. Add a small quantity to water when rinsing your fine china and glassware, machine-washing your clothes, cleaning your wood floors. You should never use vinegar on cotton, linen or acetate.

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