De-lint the dryer. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 10,000 home fires begin in laundry rooms annually (yikes!). You should already be removing the fuzz from your dryer’s filter after every load. For the lint that gets stuck deeper inside your machine, pull out the crevice tool Read more
Another cleaner that needs cleaned! Help your broom help you by getting rid of dust bunnies that end up getting stuck to bristles. To do this, swish the broom head around in warm, soapy water, or vacuum it with a handheld attachment (then be sure to clean out the attachment).
Your course of action will depend on the drawer: If it’s in your closet, toss clothes you haven’t worn in a year. If it’s in your kitchen, suck up dust and debris with your vacuum’s nozzle. Genius, we know.
Yes, you have to clean your cleaners. Replace the bag, clean the dust cup, and replace or wash the filters. Snip threads snarled in the brush with scissors or a seam ripper. For the best carpet cleaning in the future, set your vacuum’s nozzle to the lowest level that lets Read more
Use a blast of steam from your iron to disguise imprints – just hold the iron above the area, press the “steam burst” button several times, then fluff. Another option? putting an ice cube in each indention, letting cubes slowly melting, then lifting carpet fibers back up with a spool. Read more
Once a week, shake baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe around the machine’s edges to remove stuck-on food or stains. To clean the inside, run an empty cycle with Dishwasher Magic, a product designed to kill bacteria like E.coli. During cold and flu season, add a quarter-cup of Read more
It’s hard to believe, but your dirty kitchen sink has more bacteria than your toilet seat. Use a product labeled as an EPA-registered disinfectant, or make your own. To disinfect, clean your sink with soap and water first, then spray a mist of vinegar followed by a mist of hydrogen Read more
To make this surface sparkle again (see ya, fingerprints), mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot tap water. Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections (it will take a little elbow grease), going with the grain. Rinse with Read more
Word to the wise: If the food from your plates doesn’t make it out of your machine, it might start to smell (yuck). So remove food bits from around the filter (below the lower spray arm), then pop it out and rinse it thoroughly under hot water. Run a cycle Read more
Sticky kitchen grime is a mix of dust and grease that’s invisible until it builds up. Run the exhaust hood over your range every time you cook to keep grease from settling. Do an extra pass around door and drawer pulls and other places where grease collects.