indoors
KN O W -H O W
CHOOSE A
CLEANING
STRATEGY
To keep up with
cleaning, make it
a scheduled part
of your day or week
and choose the
approach that
best fits your life:
■ Room by room
Do one room, top to
bottom, before
starting the next.
Schedule rooms for
different days.
■ Job by job
For
example, dust the
entire house, then
vacuum it. Family
members can divvy
up jobs and work in
different rooms.
W A S H B A S E B O A R D S , D O O R FR A M E S , A N D W A LLS
Y ou m ay overlook these surfaces on a daily basis,
b ut once a year give them some attention. W ash
them w ith a sponge and a squirt o f dishw ashing
liq u id m ixed in a bucket o f w arm water.
S M A R T T R IC K
T r y M r. Clean M agic Eraser (about
$1.50 each;
mrclean.com)
fo r spot-cleaning. “Just
w et it, squeeze it, and w ip e away fingerprints,
scuffs, even crayon marks,” Sm allin says.
Floors
D E E P -C L E A N YO U R C A R P E T A N D R U G S
T o m aintain
a n e w carpet’s w arranty, you m ay need to have
it cleaned professionally every 12-18 m onths, says
Sm allin. O therw ise, you can do it yourself; rent
a deep cleaner or b u y a professional-style m odel
designed fo r hom e use. Sm allin likes the Bissell
P R O d ry carpet cleaner ($200;
bissell.com),
because it leaves carpets and rugs d ry in less
than 30 m inutes, so you don’t inconvenience
yo u r family.
86 MAY2009 BETTER
HOMES AND
GARDENS
