Spring Cleaning Hacks: DO Try This at Home!
Simplify Spring Cleaning with household multitaskers
From the LifeMinute Team
April 1, 2015
There's a cleaning product for everything, but you can save money, time and precious cabinet space by relying on just a few household all-stars to cover a lot of ground. And even better? These household all-stars are household NAMES so odds are you already have them in your home...
For instance, when you hear "Pine-Sol," you think floor cleaner. "But it does so much more than that," says Lifestyle Expert Amy Goodman, "...Beginning with your laundry as a pre-wash spot treatment for non color-fast clothing. Or you can use a capful of it into your laundry as a tough odor eliminator for things like pet beds and socks." And here's a hack hint: take it outside. The same Pine-Sol that cuts through the grease on your kitchen floor is powerful enough to tackle the grease and oil on your driveway, in your garage or yard -- even right on your barbecue grill. "And lastly, carpet stains..." says Amy, "[When] dealing with those really tough stains that never seem to go away, try a little bit of Pine-Sol, mix it in with some water, and this is amazing for everything from juice box spills to pet accidents that sometimes happen indoors."
And nothing says Spring Cleaning like the fresh smell of...trash bags? Yup, now there's a way to see to it that your trash doesn't smell like trash. Amy explains, "While I'm cleaning, I also really love for my house to smell fresh in the process; it's like positive reinforcement while I'm tackling all of these cleaning issues. And for that, I have Glad trash bags with Gain scent. These are brand new, they smell amazing, and they also have reinforcing bands, which have added strength and also save on plastics, so that's always a great thing." Plus, they're a great thing that's easy to find, available at places like Target and Walmart and many others.
"Now I love this next tip for the largest appliance in the home and in the kitchen...and that is the refrigerator," says Amy, "First, empty out everything -- it might take a little bit of work at first -- but then wipe down all the surface areas and line those shelves with the Press'n Seal. This is phenomenal for preventing stains but also provides really easy cleanup for those accidental spills as well." For more info on Press'n Seal or those Gain-scented trash bags, just check out Glad.com.
Moving on to the great outdoors... "If you happen to live in an area that has extreme weather conditions, you know that you face issues with mold and mildew and moss, which is not only really unsightly but also dangerous because it's very slippery," says Amy. Her Spring Cleaning hack for sprucing up the place? Blast the surface area with water to remove the heavy debris, and then mix Clorox general bleach, half a cup with a gallon of water, and put that on that surface area, letting it rest for about five minutes. Then scrub with a brush and again rinse thoroughly with water to help get rid of that mold and mildew, making the space a place where you'll be ready for all of your great Spring and Summer outdoor entertaining. "And not to mention, if you want to look fabulous while you're doing that entertaining," adds Amy, "Make sure for all your great 'whites' clothing to put a half a cup of Clorox bleach into your all-white laundry and your whites will look crisp and white and fresh." Visit Clorox.com for more tips, ideas and info.
But forget the grease and grime and mold and mildew...what about just regular Spring Cleaning maintenance? "Sometimes it's the things that we can't see visually that also need maintenance. And I'm talking about below the counter with the drains and the pipes," begins Amy, "Let's say you have a clog; you should try Liquid Plumr Urgent Clear. This has lab-tested gel that blasts away a clog in seven minutes. It gives your pipes like a pick-me-up that gets them moving fast and quickly." For pipes that seem to be working just fine, Amy suggests keeping them that way with Liquid Plumr Full Clog Destroyer. "It's a great 3-in-1 powerhouse product that removes the clog, maintains the pipe and also smells fabulous in the process," says Amy. For more info, check out LiquidPlumr.com...besides, you'll have plenty of time to surf the 'net now that Spring Cleaning just got a whole lot simpler.
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