C L E A N U N D ER FU R N ITU R E A N D B E H IN D
A P P L IA N C E S
It takes some w ork, so enlist a
partner: M ove yo u r sofa and chairs, ro ll up
yo u r area rugs, then vacuum the floors. A s best
yo u can, m ove yo u r kitchen appliances away
from the w all. “In some cases you can pull
them out enough that a vacuum hose w ill
reach,” Sm allin says.
S M A R T T R IC K
I f yo u r range has a drawer,
rem ove it fo r easier vacuum ing underneath.
Furniture, Fabric, Fixtures
C L E A N FU R N ITU R E
Restore sm ooth leather
w ith an upholstery cleaner and conditioner.
U se a suede brush to perk up nubuck leather.
F o r w ood furniture, use Sm allin’s recipe to
make yo u r ow n all-natural cleaner and
polish: M ix
1 /2
teaspoon o f olive oil and
t
/2
cup o f vinegar or lem on juice in a plastic
spray bottle, shake w ell, and spray onto
a m icrofiber cloth.
F R E S H E N W IN D O W T R E A T M E N T S
In all
likelihood, yo u r curtains and draperies
aren’t d irty enough to launder. T o clean, go
over them th orou g h ly w ith the upholstery
attachm ent on yo u r vacuum .
S M A R T T R IC K
“T o rem ove dust from sheer
curtains, p u t them in the d ryer on lo w w ith
a fabric softener sheet,” says Smallin.
D U S T L IG H T F IX T U R E S , C E IL IN G F A N S , A N D
L IG H T B U L B S
U se a m icrofiber or lin t-free
cloth to dust fixtures and bulbs you can reach.
F o r ceiling fans, skip the ladder and use the
O xo Extendable D uster ($18;
oxo.com).
T o clean g rim y bulbs, lig h tly dam pen yo u r
cloth w ith vinegar. Caution: Be sure bulbs are
cool to the touch and yo u r hands are dry.
S M A R T T R IC K
Stum ped b y h o w to dust
corkscrew -type com pact fluorescent lights and
other irregular objects? U se an electrostatic
duster (such as the Q uickie Duster, $10,
lowes
.com),
w h ich uses static electricity.
Tr^emàrks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.; Vey^.Swiüei/làrid
