k n o w - h o w
in d oors
the amount of time you spend
vacuuming each week. Keep a
small rag by the door to wipe off
Fido’s feet, too.
■ Clean up spills the minute they
happen, especially in the refrigerator
and microwave. Rinse out toothpaste
so it doesn’t harden in the sink.
■ Wipe water off the walls and glass
door of your shower with a squeegee
before you step out to your towel.
“It’s easy and helps you avoid having
to work on built-up soap scum and
hard-water stains later,” Smallin
says. She likes the OXO Good Grips
All-Purpose Squeegee ($6.95;
am azon.com ),
which hangs on a
suction cup in just about any
convenient, out-of-the-way spot.
■ Stash disposable surface wipes
in the bathroom, and give your sink
and counter a quick wipe each
morning once the last person is
done so you don’t have to clean them
thoroughly as often.
■ Regularly brush pets to limit the
hair that ends up on carpeting, rugs,
and upholstery. This also tames the
small fur balls that roam the edges of
hardwood floors.
2
. C H O O S E T H E R IG H T T O O L S
Stock up on cleaning supplies that
will cut down on elbow grease.
■ Buy a few microfiber cloths. Dust
wood surfaces with the dry cloth,
then wet it, wring it out thoroughly,
and wipe mirrors and glass.
■ Recycle white cotton T-shirts
into rags. Use them to wipe up spills
or blot stains from carpets and rugs.
If a carpet stain is particularly
stubborn, try hydrogen peroxide.
(Unlike the kind you use for
bleaching hair, the 3 percent topical
solution available at drugstores
A CLEAN s w ip e
M ade w ith n o n to xic in g re d ie n ts, to d a y ’s e co -frie n d ly cle a n in g w ip e s are
m ean t n o t to last (so m e are even co m p o sta b le ). O n th e su rfa c e , d isp o sa b le
w ip e s m ay see m so m e w h at w a ste fu l, b u t co n sid e r th em a w a te r-sa v in g
a lte rn a tiv e to clo th rag s. P lu s, so m e w ip e c o n ta in e rs u se le ss p a ck a g in g th an
liq u id cle a n e rs. H e re w e pull o u t a fe w o f o u r h o m e -te ste d fa v o rite s.
*
METHOD
MULTI-SURFACE WIPES
(FRENCH LAVENDER)
$4 for 30;
methodhome.com
W E LIKE Their durability,
impressive cleaning
performance, and effective
flip-top packaging
GREEN THUMBS-UP
Made of bamboo fibers,
which are renewable and
compostable. Pouch uses
60 percent less plastic than
a typical canister.
GREEN WORKS
NATURAL CLEANING
WIPES
$3.39 for 30;
greenworkscleaners.com
W E LIKE Their heft and
softness; they feel like
fabric cloths. Actually
seemed to “grab” crumbs.
GREEN THUMBS-UP
When you’re through,
dispose of them in the
compost bin and recycle
the canister (which is made
from recycled plastic).
MRS. MEYER’S
CLEAN DAY
SURFACE W IPES
(LE M O N VERBENA)
$3.99 for 24;
m rsm eyers.com
W E LIKE Their pleasant,
not-too-strong scent.
Lots of strength in a
lightweight sheet.
GREEN THUMBS-UP
Impressively thin product
and minimal packaging
needed to do the job.
SEVENTH GENERATION
DISINFECTING WIPES
(LEMONGRASS &
TH YM E)
$
2
.
99
-$
3.99
for 35;
seventhgeneration.com
W E LIKE Their sudsiness
for bathroom cleaning.
Clean scent (though some
might find it too strong).
GREEN THUMBS-UP
They clean
and
disinfect
naturally (“ kills over 99.99
percent of household
germs”). Container and lid
are recyclable.
BABYGANICS
THE GRIME FIGHTER
ALL-PURPOSE
SURFACE WIPES
$4.99 for 25;
babyganics.com
W E LIKE Their large size
(7x10 inches) and strength.
Can handle a good
scrubbing.
GREEN THUMBS-UP
Natural enough to be used
around babies.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS MAY 2010
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