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Work through this checklist a few items idea, tackling a room at a time, and your home will be clean and ready for the holidays in no time!
Kitchen
If you plan on doing a lot of holiday cooking and entertaining, check your stockpile of aprons, potholders, dish clothes and dish towels. Make sure they’re clean and in usable condition.
Clean out the refrigerator to make room for holiday goodies. Remove the contents, checking expiration dates, and discarding anything whose time is up. Clean…
Cleaning products play an essential role in daily life. They can remove dirt and stains from our clothes, dried on food from our dishes, and even germs from our hands! Let’s learn more about the chemistry that makes this happen.
What Is Cleaning?
Cleaning is the process of taking something dirty—like your kitchen counter—and removing dirt, grease, and grime found on it. When we clean, we leave things better than they were…
The warm summer months are here and with it come the small shifts we make with the change of seasons.
Jackets may get packed away and lighter clothes get pulled out. If you’re ready to transition to summer, here are some tips to get you ready:
Store Seasonal Clothing
Summer in many parts of the country mean fewer layers. It’s time to put heavier clothes into storage and make room for some summer finery. But don't just put them out of sight and out of…
When the busy holiday season is on the horizon, get a head start by prepping your bakeware and serving items in advance. Follow these quick tips:
Spiff Up Your "Old Standbys."
Throughout the year, cooking certain types of food – like recipes with cheese, gravies, eggs or pie fillings – can leave baked-on residue or food stains on your favorite cooking/baking dishes. In addition to having "recipe residue," your non-stick cookware can also be susceptible to…
2019 ACI National Cleaning Survey Stats on Laundry:
77% of People Frequently Read Tag Instructions Before Washing Clothes
52% Tend to Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Laundry is America’s favorite cleaning task, according to the American Cleaning Institute’s (ACI) 2019 National Cleaning Survey.
Nearly a quarter of respondents to the survey, conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of ACI, picked laundry as the …
Q: We had a real tree for Christmas but now I am finding tree sap everywhere! What is the best way to clean mittens, coats and my carpet?
A: Rubbing alcohol can remove sap from washable clothing, knit gloves, and rugs, because it acts as a solvent.
For clothes, even a down coat, saturate the area with alcohol, let sit for a minute, then launder in warm water with regular detergent. Heat sets stains, so be sure all the sap is gone before using the dryer. Repeat the process if any…
Grout is generally porous and white or light colored and can get dirty or discolored quickly. Get it clean with a little chemistry and a bit of elbow grease.
First off, you'll want to use an alkaline cleaner. Grout is primarily cement and can be dissolved by acids. Over time, an acidic cleaner may require you to re-grout sooner than intended.
How do you know if your cleaner will do the trick? Typically the product label will tell you the surfaces it works on. Or, if it's says it…
Q. My daughter's teddy bear has seen better days. How can I get it clean?A. Teddy bears are objects of unconditional love. They snuggle into beds at night. They travel in backpacks, in car seats and on airplanes. They endure sticky fingers, dusty corners, and gooey kisses. They've even been known to stand in for pacifiers and chew toys. It's no wonder that this best buddy could use a bath!Start by vacuuming off any dust and loose grime. Then check for split seams; repair them…
Q. How do I clean stainless steel appliances?A. Stainless steel has made the move from commercial kitchens to the favored finish in many of today's sleekest residential kitchens (and in the laundry room, too). But in a busy household, spots, streaks and sticky fingerprints can quickly mar its lustrous look.But aesthetics aren't the only reason to keep stainless steel clean. Although consumers think of stainless steel as a finish that will last a lifetime, that's not entirely true…