Washing walls: are we having fun yet?
Before you actually start the work of washing walls, you need to assess just how much work they actually need…and how much effect your work can actually have.
Do your walls need spot cleaning…a dab here and there for dirty spots? Or are they seriously soiled, covered with grime, soot, or nicotine? Even if you are planning to paint the walls, a good cleaning is in order. And that nice new sponge mop you used for the ceiling is the perfect tool for washing down dirty painted walls. But when washing walls, begin at the bottom of the wall and work your way up…those drips of water running from the top will leave streaks in a dirty wall surface that will be devilishly difficult to remove later! The same cleaning solution used on the ceilings is perfect for painted walls, although you should test first in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it will not harm or remove the paint.
Be careful about scrubbing too hard on painted wall surfaces as you may lose the paint. If you have wallpaper and it’s not vinyl, you could be in for some trouble: wall paper can be very difficult to clean, particularly if the offending agent is oil-based, like cooking splatter.
Spot cleaning:
Crayon: WD-40 can be helpful in removing crayon from painted wall surfaces: spray over the spots and wipe off with paper towels. Then wash the wall with your cleaning solution.
Pencil: An art gum eraser can be very helpful in removing pencil marks from walls. Rub gently, as if you were erasing a sheet of paper, and wash afterward with cleaning solution.
Ink: Anything that can remove ink from a painted surface may remove the paint as well. Test the following in an inconspicuous spot before applying to the inked areas. Wash wall afterwards.
Hair spray: with an amply supply of paper towels at hand, spray hairspray over the ink spot and then blot clean. Use a fresh paper towel for each blot or you could end up spreading the stain.
Toothpaste. Gently rub a little on the spot, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe clean.
Alcohol: for surfaces that will not be damaged by alcohol, dab some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol, which is a solution of 30% pure alcohol and 70% water) directly on the stain. Try to keep a moist pad of alcohol against the stain for ten minutes or so, then blot away the stain with clean paper towels.
Nail polish remover: it can strip paint, so this must be tested before use in a visible area. This works especially well for floors and tiles, but caution must be taken for painted walls. Blot onto the stain with a paper towel.
While you are on vertical surfaces, this is the time to do windows, pictures and picture frames, woodwork, and anything else that may drip dirty water down to the floor…remember to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Washing the whole (painted) wall
The same solution, mop, and technique that were used to wash the ceiling can be used to wash painted walls with the following caveats:
1) Gloss and semi-gloss walls will survive washing better than flat latex paints. If your paint is flat (not even a little shiny), don’t scrub too hard or you may take off paint and all.
2) Wash walls from the bottom, up. Start at the baseboard (skirting board) and work your way up. Don’t allow water to run down the wall as you clean. A sponge mop that is only damp is the best tool to use.
Other walls:
Nowadays walls can be made of…or covered with…just about anything. It’s not possible to cover every eventuality, so we’ll just touch lightly on the most common wall coverings:
Wood panelling
If you have fake wood panelling, you can wash it exactly the same way you wash a painted wall. Cleaning panelling of real wood, however, depends on how the wood is finished. See the section on woodwork, below, for how to clean wood.
Tile
Tile is pretty forgiving and most things will come off tile pretty easily. Problems with grout sometimes arise, though, and sometimes rust will stain tile.
A poultice made of bleach and baking soda on a damp paper towel will help remove rust stains from tiles and grout. The poultice can be stuck to the tile…even tiled walls…by wetting the paper towel and smoothing the outer few inches against the wall.
A paste of bleach and baking soda can also be “trowelled” into grout using the back side of a teaspoon. Allow to dry, rinse off, and repeat as necessary.
Wall coverings
Vinyl wall paper can be washed with a damp cloth and mild soap. Hard scrubbing should be avoided to prevent rubbing off the pattern. Dry with a soft cloth.
Other wall coverings such as sisal, paper wallpaper, fabric should be vacuumed with a soft brush. Any further cleaning should be done by a professional.
Washing the woodwork
When the walls are clean, it is time to wash the woodwork: doors, door frames, window frames and sills, built-ins, and panelled walls.
Painted woodwork
Woodwork is usually painted with high gloss or semi-gloss enamel paint. This makes it relatively easy to clean.
Never spray your cleaning solution directly on a surface, and this includes woodwork. Spray the solution onto your cleaning cloth and wipe it over the surfaces to be cleaned. Do not forget to wipe the tops of door sills and door frames. The same solutions to wall stains can be used on painted woodwork.
When cleaning vertical surfaces, be sure to start at the bottom and work your way up so you don’t create drip marks.
Varnished woodwork
Most “natural wood” woodwork is varnished. If neglected, varnish can easily damage, which creates an even bigger problem: sanding and refinishing. You must take care of varnished wood or pay the piper.
Before you set yourself up for difficulty, try to determine if your wood had been varnished or polyurethaned. They look alike, but the polyurethane finish is virtually indestructible and needs only to be wiped down with a damp cloth.
To test, go to an inconspicuous spot (get on a ladder and test the top of a door sill) and put a few drops of acetone (nail polish remover) on the varnished wood and rub gently in a circular motion. Do not allow it to run! After a minute or two, check it. If the finish has gone sticky or gel-like, it’s varnish. Polyurethane will not change.
In your arsenal of household products you should have a bottle of teak oil. You can get light teak oil and dark. If you have wood furnishings and woodwork, you should have teak oil on hand at all times. Light teak oil works on light woods, dark teak oil on dark woods. Teak oil works remarkably well to remove dirt from varnished or oiled wood surfaces, and it camouflages scratches. Mineral oil (not mineral spirits!) is a good second choice.
If rubbing with teak oil did not remove the soil, then you must wash the surface. You can wash varnished wood by dampening a clean cloth with a solution of mild soap and warm water and rubbing a small section of the wood to remove dirt. Dry immediately with a soft cloth. Working in small areas at a time prevents the finish from absorbing moisture. Remember, when working on vertical surfaces, like door, door jambs or window frames, to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Apply a coat of furniture polish or wax when finished.
Oiled woodwork
Before anything else, try to use teak or mineral oil to remove dirt. This can take a bit of effort, but it is the best way. Always rub with the grain of the wood.
If the soil is too deeply ingrained, then follow the instructions for varnished wood, above. Make certain that you adequately oil the wood when finished cleaning it. Rub the oil in with the grain of the wood until it looks like it is “too much.” Wait about 15 minutes for the oil to soak in, them come back and polish with a soft dry cloth.
Unfinished wood
Unfinished wood is porous and unprotected against moisture, which will eventually cause damage. Unfinished wood (unless it is redwood, cypress, or cedar) needs some kind of protective coating.
Because it is uncoated, it is very difficult to clean soiled unfinished wood. Dirt and debris can cause permanent staining. If you have unfinished wood in your home, protect it by giving it a coating of mineral oil, furniture polish, or furniture wax.
You can clean unfinished wood like varnished wood but, except in the case of very light soil, do not expect miracles.
When you acquire a new piece of unfinished furniture, treat it immediately: oil it, varnish it, wax it, paint it…anything to protect the wood. Don’t forget the bottom of the piece, where it touches the floor or you don’t see. The paint/oil/varnish is not there for looks: its primary purpose is to protect the wood from the elements, such as dampness…or too much dryness…in the air. The same is true for wood elements in your home: unfinished wood doors, door frames, built ins, may all look fresh and natural, but once they are soiled (finger prints, spills, scuffs) the soil in permanent. Seal and protect your wood so that it will give you decades of beautiful service.
Making your own wood polish
You can make your own wood polish with items found in most households. Remember, our ancestors didn’t have commercial spray-on furniture products to clean those beautiful antiques we cherish today. They made it themselves from common household goods.
You can use 2 parts vegetable or olive oil with 1 part lemon juice to make a furniture polish. Put it in a bottle with a tight fitting cap and shake vigorously. Make sure to shake again each time the oil and juice separate so that you have an emulsified liquid on your cleaning cloth. Apply with a soft cloth and then rub in a circular motion to polish. Make sure you label the bottle (use a permanent marker) with its contents on one side and the “formula” on the other so you can easily mix up a refill.
If you like lemon oil polish, take a pint ( ½ litre) of mineral oil (not mineral spirits) and dissolve a teaspoon of lemon oil in it. Bottle and label as above.
Here are some tips from Michigan State University Extension for cleaning various types of wood:
For Unfinished Wood: Mineral Oil. Mineral oil is flammable. Apply sparingly with a soft cloth.
For Mahogany: Vinegar. Mix equal pans white vinegar and warm water. Wipe onto wood and then polish with a chamois cloth.
For Grease Spots: Salt. Immediately pour salt on the grease spot to absorb grease and prevent staining.
For Scratches: Lemon Juice and Vegetable Oil. Mix equal pans of lemon juice and salad oil. Rub into scratches with a soft cloth until scratches disappear.
For Water Spots: Toothpaste. To remove water marks, rub gently with toothpaste on a damp cloth.
For Washing Wood: Mild Soap. Dampen cloth with a solution of water and mild soap, such as Ivory or Murphy's Oil Soap. Wring the cloth almost dry and wipe the furniture section by section, drying with a clean dry cloth as you go so that no section stays wet.
Next: Windows and mirrors
Showing posts with label mess. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mess. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The How-To of “Wet Work”: Overview
Once you’ve finished the dry work of sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting (hopefully in that order), it is time to finish the room by doing the “wet work.” This is a big topic, so it will be broken into several parts.
Wet work second
We do the wet work second because we don’t want to expend all that time and energy washing the dirty bits, only to stir up dust (sweeping is dusty work, even with a dampened broom) and have it land all over our nicely washed surfaces.
There are two basic kinds of places that need wet work in a room:
1) stuff you clearly see, like rings on a table or a dirty spot on the floor; and
2) places you don’t see because they have become part of the landscape and you just don’t notice them, like the smudges around the light switch or door handle.
Before you begin, you must assess the room for the kind of wet work it needs because this helps you plan your work. Check the following areas for soil that needs washing off:
1. Windows and mirrors, glass doors on cabinets (inside and out), glass or shiny ceramic vases and other tschochkes.
2. Doors: look on both sides of the door near the doorknob and above the knob for hand marks. Look also at the base of the door for foot scuffs.
3. Furniture: hard surfaces gather stickiness from the atmosphere and spills, and carved areas on furniture may need more than dusting; soft surfaces may be spotted or just grimy.
4. Architectural features: ledges, shelving, mantles and hearths, ceiling mouldings, chandeliers and light fixtures, niches and nooks, exposed beams and trusses…all of these things gather both dust and dirt.
5. Floors and carpets: these may require anything from just a light wash to heavy soil treatments.
6. Walls and/or ceilings: if there is a smoker in the house, these will definitely need washing. Also look at walls near light switches, window frames, and trash bins.
7. Curtains, draperies, “tossables” like cushions, throws, scatter rugs, doilies, table cloths and runners.
8. Woodwork: this phrase includes aluminium and clad aluminium door and window surrounds, window sills and casings and mutton bars, and all decorative touches like plinths, rosettes, reeding, fireplace surrounds, louvered doors and shutters
9. Built-ins such as heaters, furnace controls and thermostats, air conditioning units, heating/cooling registers, cool air vents.
Getting down to it
You need an order in which to do the necessary work. Remember, the goal here is to get the maximum amount of clean out of the minimum amount of effort and expense, and doing things in a logical order will help achieve that. You may begin anywhere you feel inspired to begin, but I always start at the top…literally.
As you assess your room, it can be helpful to make a set of lists. You need two basic lists to fill in: vertical surfaces, like windows and walls, drapes and doors, and horizontal surfaces like floors, ceilings, table tops, etc. Each of these lists can be further broken down into hard and soft surfaces. As you assess the room, try to figure out where in your list a particular item fits. An armoire, for example is hard and vertical whereas a sofa is soft and horizontal. It may not make sense now, but it a minute it will be clear as (clean) glass.
Basic rule of wet cleaning: wet stuff drips and the drips run down.
In practical terms, this means that you use gravity as the guide for prioritizing the order of your work. When working with horizontal items, like ceilings and light fixtures, you don’t want to drip dirty water down onto clean surfaces, so you clean those items first. In particular, you clean ceilings before the items beneath the ceilings so if dirty water drips down, it won’t be onto something you have already washed and polished.
Vertical items are a little trickier.
When washing a wall, for example, it would seem logical to start at the top and work down but that may actually give you more work in the long run. No matter how careful you are, some of your cleaning solution is going to run down the wall and if the wall it runs onto is still dirty, it will cut clean streaks into the wall that will still be visible even after you wash that section of the wall later. This is especially true if the wall is a light colour and is nicotine stained or has not been cleaned in a long time.
So, even though we start at the top for most things, for vertical surfaces it is wise to start at the bottom and work up.
Next: washing ceilings and other stuff ’way up there.
Wet work second
We do the wet work second because we don’t want to expend all that time and energy washing the dirty bits, only to stir up dust (sweeping is dusty work, even with a dampened broom) and have it land all over our nicely washed surfaces.
There are two basic kinds of places that need wet work in a room:
1) stuff you clearly see, like rings on a table or a dirty spot on the floor; and
2) places you don’t see because they have become part of the landscape and you just don’t notice them, like the smudges around the light switch or door handle.
Before you begin, you must assess the room for the kind of wet work it needs because this helps you plan your work. Check the following areas for soil that needs washing off:
1. Windows and mirrors, glass doors on cabinets (inside and out), glass or shiny ceramic vases and other tschochkes.
2. Doors: look on both sides of the door near the doorknob and above the knob for hand marks. Look also at the base of the door for foot scuffs.
3. Furniture: hard surfaces gather stickiness from the atmosphere and spills, and carved areas on furniture may need more than dusting; soft surfaces may be spotted or just grimy.
4. Architectural features: ledges, shelving, mantles and hearths, ceiling mouldings, chandeliers and light fixtures, niches and nooks, exposed beams and trusses…all of these things gather both dust and dirt.
5. Floors and carpets: these may require anything from just a light wash to heavy soil treatments.
6. Walls and/or ceilings: if there is a smoker in the house, these will definitely need washing. Also look at walls near light switches, window frames, and trash bins.
7. Curtains, draperies, “tossables” like cushions, throws, scatter rugs, doilies, table cloths and runners.
8. Woodwork: this phrase includes aluminium and clad aluminium door and window surrounds, window sills and casings and mutton bars, and all decorative touches like plinths, rosettes, reeding, fireplace surrounds, louvered doors and shutters
9. Built-ins such as heaters, furnace controls and thermostats, air conditioning units, heating/cooling registers, cool air vents.
Getting down to it
You need an order in which to do the necessary work. Remember, the goal here is to get the maximum amount of clean out of the minimum amount of effort and expense, and doing things in a logical order will help achieve that. You may begin anywhere you feel inspired to begin, but I always start at the top…literally.
As you assess your room, it can be helpful to make a set of lists. You need two basic lists to fill in: vertical surfaces, like windows and walls, drapes and doors, and horizontal surfaces like floors, ceilings, table tops, etc. Each of these lists can be further broken down into hard and soft surfaces. As you assess the room, try to figure out where in your list a particular item fits. An armoire, for example is hard and vertical whereas a sofa is soft and horizontal. It may not make sense now, but it a minute it will be clear as (clean) glass.
Basic rule of wet cleaning: wet stuff drips and the drips run down.
In practical terms, this means that you use gravity as the guide for prioritizing the order of your work. When working with horizontal items, like ceilings and light fixtures, you don’t want to drip dirty water down onto clean surfaces, so you clean those items first. In particular, you clean ceilings before the items beneath the ceilings so if dirty water drips down, it won’t be onto something you have already washed and polished.
Vertical items are a little trickier.
When washing a wall, for example, it would seem logical to start at the top and work down but that may actually give you more work in the long run. No matter how careful you are, some of your cleaning solution is going to run down the wall and if the wall it runs onto is still dirty, it will cut clean streaks into the wall that will still be visible even after you wash that section of the wall later. This is especially true if the wall is a light colour and is nicotine stained or has not been cleaned in a long time.
So, even though we start at the top for most things, for vertical surfaces it is wise to start at the bottom and work up.
Next: washing ceilings and other stuff ’way up there.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Before you clean, you need supplies...
Once the disorder and chaos in your house is under control, it’s time to clean those areas that have been beneath the clutter. But first…where are your cleaning supplies?
If you are like most people, your cleaning supplies are scattered all over the house. There are some under the kitchen sink, some in the bathroom cabinet, still more in the laundry area or garage or basement. In order to clean efficiently (and that means quickly, getting it over with in as short a time as possible) you need a single, portable repository for your household cleaning supplies…and nothing works better than a good quality rectangular plastic laundry basket.
If you are tempted to think “oh, I know where everything is, I can skip this step,” think again. You need a cleaning basket. That means a basket with everything you are going to need must accompany you to the room…no excuses for leaving the room and getting distracted! Remember how your home got into this condition in the first place: lack of focus on the goal. By putting all of your cleaning supplies in one place, a place you can easily transport from room to room, you greatly increase your chances of success because you will not need to leave the room in which you are working to fetch additional supplies. Leaving the room breaks your focus and if you are distracted by something more interesting or compelling while you are out to get the bleach, you…and your clean up project…can get permanently stalled.
It’s not necessary to use a laundry basket, per se. You can substitute one of those wheeled storage containers or a large rectangular basket with handles or whatever suits your fancy, but nothing works as well for as little money as a laundry basket, and the rectangular shape accommodates more items than round or oval.
Setting up your cleaning basket
The first thing you must do is determine the kind of supplies will you need. For safety purposes, make sure that all containers in your basket are unbreakable (in case you drop them on the floor). Also, label all bottles into which you have decanted liquids: not only will you know what is in them, so will other people. And finally, never use beverage containers for cleaning supplies: you do not want to take the chance that a child will mistake your cleaning solutions for something drinkable!
What your cleaning basket needs:
1. A window cleaner that can be used for windows, mirrors, chrome, and other shiny surfaces. You can opt for one of those blue ammonia-based cleaners or you can mix up a solution of vinegar and water and put it in a spray bottle.
2. Scouring powder: You can purchase one of those chlorinated, bubble-action, super-duper scrubble bubble thingies…or you can put a cheap box of baking soda in the basket
3. Disinfectant: there are a million of them on the market but nothing is cheaper (or more effective) than plain old bleach. Buy a 1 quart bottle of bleach that you can keep in your cleaning basket and refill from the gallon bottle in your laundry area.
4. Degreaser: Add a bottle of your favourite degreaser for cleaning soap scum and those grease marks your kids leave in the strangest places. White vinegar, straight from the bottle, is an amazing degreaser and baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge does well, too.
5. A bottle of your favourite dishwashing liquid is helpful. It’s amazing what plain old soap will clean.
6. Teak oil: Wood furniture loves teak oil: the oil penetrates and nourishes the wood, keeping it from drying out and giving it a warm, inviting look. Avoid wax build up on furniture by staying away from the aerosol products that spray waxes that seal the wood. What the manufacturers don’t tell you is that the wax should be periodically removed from the wood (in the old days we used to scrub it off with steel wool!), the wood cleaned, and then the wax re-applied. You can get around the whole thing by cleaning and polishing your wood furniture with teak oil on a soft cloth. (Works on wood floors, too.)
7. Water: yep, plain old water. You need something to dampen those sponges with!
8. A couple of rectangular reusable plastic containers (Glad or Ziploc or whatever you have in your plastics cupboard)
9. Rubber gloves. Invest in good-quality, flannel-lined gloves so that your hands don’t sweat inside them and your risk of puncture is reduced.
10. Sponges: two or three cellulose sponges, preferable the kind with the green scrubby thing on one side. If the sponges are not new, dampen them and put them in the microwave oven for one minute to sterilize them…or better yet, sterilize them at the end of your cleaning spree before they are stored.
11. Brushes: Several kinds of brushes are helpful for cleaning, but at minimum, a small stiff brush that can be used for scrubbing away grime, and a large stiff brush (one with a grip like a steam iron handle is particularly useful) for floors and large surfaces.
12. Rags: You will need something to clean with: the most economical option is rags…pieces of old cotton T-shirts, towels, and sheets work wonderfully! Once they have come to the end of their useful lives, cut them into 10” squares and use them for cleaning. They can be repeatedly laundered, and will save you a ton of money on disposables.
13. Paper: For certain tasks you really need paper instead of rags, but newspapers actually work better than paper towels and are much less costly. Save the paper towels for making poultices, where the newsprint might transfer onto the surface being soaked.
14. Toothpicks, cotton swabs: Sometimes the most difficult cleaning is not getting the grime off the door knob, it’s getting the little bits that are stuck in little crevices. These can often be removed using cotton swabs (to apply the cleaning solution) and toothpicks to gently scrub away the offending bits. Keep them in a zippered plastic bag in the basket.
15. Bags: Vacuum bags, trash bags…you need bags. Plastic supermarket bags make excellent liners for small trash cans around the house and are convenient additions to the cleaning basket. If your vacuum cleaner uses bags, this is the place to keep at least one.
What else you will need:
Well, this stuff won’t fit into your basket, but no cleaning effort is complete without
16. A vacuum cleaner with accessories. Not only can you suck up debris off the floor, the wand can be used to suck down cobwebs, and the various attachments are useful for draperies, blinds, and furniture. Sweep floors with a broom before vacuuming to remove large items the vacuum might choke on. You can also sweep carpets for the same purpose and spare your vacuum (and your wallet) the trauma of burning out the motor due to a clog.
17. Make sure your broom is in good nick. If it is worn to a point, replace it.
18. Brush and dust pan: these are not absolute necessities, but they do make it easier to pick up your sweepings and discard them.
19. Mops: You should actually have two mops: one for your floors and another for walls and ceilings. Yes…the easiest way to clean a ceiling or wall is with a sponge mop!
20. Mop pail: some thing in which to mix up a mopping solution
Now, you may have noticed a few things are conspicuously missing:
Feather or lambs wool duster. Feather dusters just scatter the dust around so it can settle back down onto your furniture later. Lambs wool dusters collect the dust better than feather dusters, but you have to leave the room and take them outside to whack them and remove the dust…leaving the room you are cleaning before you are finished with the task at hand (dusting, in this case) is a no-no.
Mop and shine products: these things are not good on all types of floors and they leave a sticky residue behind. Sticky residues attract dirt, which means you have to clean more often.
Carpet cleaner/spot removers: most of these products also leave a sticky residue behind. You end up with dirtier carpets than you began with.
Sprinkle-on carpet deodorizers: a complete waste of money: baking soda does just as well and at a fraction of the cost.
Toilet bowl or bathroom cleaner: Save yourself a ton of money: pour a cup of bleach in the toilet, let it soak, then don your rubber gloves, sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge, and give it a wash. Cheap, sanitary, and fast. (Keep this sponge separate from the other cleaning sponges…use it only for cleaning the toilet.)
Now that you have a cleaning basket, you will need a place to keep it. Best bet is to find a cupboard into which it can be slid, but whatever you choose, do not put in a difficult-to-reach space, and don’t leave it in a place where you or other will be tempted to toss things on top of it (like on top of the dryer).
With your cleaning supplies assembled, you are now ready to tackle those rooms you rescued from disorder and disarray…just how to do it without being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task is our next instalment.
If you are like most people, your cleaning supplies are scattered all over the house. There are some under the kitchen sink, some in the bathroom cabinet, still more in the laundry area or garage or basement. In order to clean efficiently (and that means quickly, getting it over with in as short a time as possible) you need a single, portable repository for your household cleaning supplies…and nothing works better than a good quality rectangular plastic laundry basket.
If you are tempted to think “oh, I know where everything is, I can skip this step,” think again. You need a cleaning basket. That means a basket with everything you are going to need must accompany you to the room…no excuses for leaving the room and getting distracted! Remember how your home got into this condition in the first place: lack of focus on the goal. By putting all of your cleaning supplies in one place, a place you can easily transport from room to room, you greatly increase your chances of success because you will not need to leave the room in which you are working to fetch additional supplies. Leaving the room breaks your focus and if you are distracted by something more interesting or compelling while you are out to get the bleach, you…and your clean up project…can get permanently stalled.
It’s not necessary to use a laundry basket, per se. You can substitute one of those wheeled storage containers or a large rectangular basket with handles or whatever suits your fancy, but nothing works as well for as little money as a laundry basket, and the rectangular shape accommodates more items than round or oval.
Setting up your cleaning basket
The first thing you must do is determine the kind of supplies will you need. For safety purposes, make sure that all containers in your basket are unbreakable (in case you drop them on the floor). Also, label all bottles into which you have decanted liquids: not only will you know what is in them, so will other people. And finally, never use beverage containers for cleaning supplies: you do not want to take the chance that a child will mistake your cleaning solutions for something drinkable!
What your cleaning basket needs:
1. A window cleaner that can be used for windows, mirrors, chrome, and other shiny surfaces. You can opt for one of those blue ammonia-based cleaners or you can mix up a solution of vinegar and water and put it in a spray bottle.
2. Scouring powder: You can purchase one of those chlorinated, bubble-action, super-duper scrubble bubble thingies…or you can put a cheap box of baking soda in the basket
3. Disinfectant: there are a million of them on the market but nothing is cheaper (or more effective) than plain old bleach. Buy a 1 quart bottle of bleach that you can keep in your cleaning basket and refill from the gallon bottle in your laundry area.
4. Degreaser: Add a bottle of your favourite degreaser for cleaning soap scum and those grease marks your kids leave in the strangest places. White vinegar, straight from the bottle, is an amazing degreaser and baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge does well, too.
5. A bottle of your favourite dishwashing liquid is helpful. It’s amazing what plain old soap will clean.
6. Teak oil: Wood furniture loves teak oil: the oil penetrates and nourishes the wood, keeping it from drying out and giving it a warm, inviting look. Avoid wax build up on furniture by staying away from the aerosol products that spray waxes that seal the wood. What the manufacturers don’t tell you is that the wax should be periodically removed from the wood (in the old days we used to scrub it off with steel wool!), the wood cleaned, and then the wax re-applied. You can get around the whole thing by cleaning and polishing your wood furniture with teak oil on a soft cloth. (Works on wood floors, too.)
7. Water: yep, plain old water. You need something to dampen those sponges with!
8. A couple of rectangular reusable plastic containers (Glad or Ziploc or whatever you have in your plastics cupboard)
9. Rubber gloves. Invest in good-quality, flannel-lined gloves so that your hands don’t sweat inside them and your risk of puncture is reduced.
10. Sponges: two or three cellulose sponges, preferable the kind with the green scrubby thing on one side. If the sponges are not new, dampen them and put them in the microwave oven for one minute to sterilize them…or better yet, sterilize them at the end of your cleaning spree before they are stored.
11. Brushes: Several kinds of brushes are helpful for cleaning, but at minimum, a small stiff brush that can be used for scrubbing away grime, and a large stiff brush (one with a grip like a steam iron handle is particularly useful) for floors and large surfaces.
12. Rags: You will need something to clean with: the most economical option is rags…pieces of old cotton T-shirts, towels, and sheets work wonderfully! Once they have come to the end of their useful lives, cut them into 10” squares and use them for cleaning. They can be repeatedly laundered, and will save you a ton of money on disposables.
13. Paper: For certain tasks you really need paper instead of rags, but newspapers actually work better than paper towels and are much less costly. Save the paper towels for making poultices, where the newsprint might transfer onto the surface being soaked.
14. Toothpicks, cotton swabs: Sometimes the most difficult cleaning is not getting the grime off the door knob, it’s getting the little bits that are stuck in little crevices. These can often be removed using cotton swabs (to apply the cleaning solution) and toothpicks to gently scrub away the offending bits. Keep them in a zippered plastic bag in the basket.
15. Bags: Vacuum bags, trash bags…you need bags. Plastic supermarket bags make excellent liners for small trash cans around the house and are convenient additions to the cleaning basket. If your vacuum cleaner uses bags, this is the place to keep at least one.
What else you will need:
Well, this stuff won’t fit into your basket, but no cleaning effort is complete without
16. A vacuum cleaner with accessories. Not only can you suck up debris off the floor, the wand can be used to suck down cobwebs, and the various attachments are useful for draperies, blinds, and furniture. Sweep floors with a broom before vacuuming to remove large items the vacuum might choke on. You can also sweep carpets for the same purpose and spare your vacuum (and your wallet) the trauma of burning out the motor due to a clog.
17. Make sure your broom is in good nick. If it is worn to a point, replace it.
18. Brush and dust pan: these are not absolute necessities, but they do make it easier to pick up your sweepings and discard them.
19. Mops: You should actually have two mops: one for your floors and another for walls and ceilings. Yes…the easiest way to clean a ceiling or wall is with a sponge mop!
20. Mop pail: some thing in which to mix up a mopping solution
Now, you may have noticed a few things are conspicuously missing:
Feather or lambs wool duster. Feather dusters just scatter the dust around so it can settle back down onto your furniture later. Lambs wool dusters collect the dust better than feather dusters, but you have to leave the room and take them outside to whack them and remove the dust…leaving the room you are cleaning before you are finished with the task at hand (dusting, in this case) is a no-no.
Mop and shine products: these things are not good on all types of floors and they leave a sticky residue behind. Sticky residues attract dirt, which means you have to clean more often.
Carpet cleaner/spot removers: most of these products also leave a sticky residue behind. You end up with dirtier carpets than you began with.
Sprinkle-on carpet deodorizers: a complete waste of money: baking soda does just as well and at a fraction of the cost.
Toilet bowl or bathroom cleaner: Save yourself a ton of money: pour a cup of bleach in the toilet, let it soak, then don your rubber gloves, sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge, and give it a wash. Cheap, sanitary, and fast. (Keep this sponge separate from the other cleaning sponges…use it only for cleaning the toilet.)
Now that you have a cleaning basket, you will need a place to keep it. Best bet is to find a cupboard into which it can be slid, but whatever you choose, do not put in a difficult-to-reach space, and don’t leave it in a place where you or other will be tempted to toss things on top of it (like on top of the dryer).
With your cleaning supplies assembled, you are now ready to tackle those rooms you rescued from disorder and disarray…just how to do it without being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task is our next instalment.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
House a cluttery mess? Try the Laundry Basket Treatment!
Bet you thought laundry baskets were just for laundry, didn’t you? Well, they actually have an amazing versatility, not the least of which is their usefulness when blitz-cleaning a messy room.
I used to be the queen of the untidy house. With a full-time job, a husband, three kids, an assortment of dogs and cats, a five-bedroom house, and no maid or cleaner, I was housework-challenged. My husband was firmly of the opinion that housework was “woman’s work,” a sentiment eagerly embraced by the boys, and my teen daughter…well, let’s say that if there was a clear path from her bedroom door to her bed (so I wouldn’t impale my foot on some buried artefact while delivering clean laundry), it just wasn’t worth the effort to tangle with her roiling hormones.
With so much house and so little time to keep it, it was an endless chore to keep things picked up. I also tended to get distracted…I would begin cleaning the living room by picking up dirty glasses and cups and toting them to the kitchen, where I would get distracted by a couple of kid’s sweaters on the table which I would carry to their rooms…where I would get further distracted by attempting to collect dirty laundry from the debris-strewn floors. End result? hours spent running from room to room with little bits of the mess, and none of the rooms ever getting tidied up.
I can remember my mother telling me “clean your room!” and being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task and baffled as to where to start. Helping my youngest child, who suffered from ADD and learning disabilities, to clean up his room taught me a few valuable lessons. First of all, “clean up” is too vague: the task needs to be broken down into smaller steps. And secondly, what do you do with something once you have picked it up? If the item in your hand belongs in the kitchen, can you stay on task long enough to take it to the kitchen and return to the room? And how many trips to the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, etc. are you going to make? And at what cost, in terms of time?
I came across the solution to my untidy house quite by accident. Having a mountain of laundry to do each weekend, I had invested in a stack of large rectangular laundry baskets into which I could sort the various loads and easily carry them to and from the washer and dryer. While upstairs gathering laundry from a bedroom one day, I stuck a few items that belonged downstairs into an empty laundry basket so that I could carry them easily back to their place of origin. Pulling dirty clothes out of another room, I spotted some items belonging to the kitchen and put them into an empty basket for easy removal. It didn’t take long for me to take this to the next level, and in a short time, I evolved a system that has stood me in good stead until this day (those children now have teenagers of their own!).
Here's how it works:
Invest in at least three large rectangular laundry baskets: you can get more, but get them in multiples of three. Boxes will work, but they aren’t as sturdy or as versatile and they exude a subliminal message of “storage” to which you do not want to succumb. The ultimate objective is to put possessions away and throw away trash, not to store the stuff.
Now, mentally label the baskets “Here,” “Another Room,” and “Trash.”
Take the baskets to the first room to be cleaned, put them near the door, and begin. Go through the room, starting at the door, and pick up each item that is on the floor, bed, tables…everything that is out of place…and place the items in one of the baskets. If a basket gets full, do not empty it! This will distract you from your task of removing the clutter from the room. Either pile stuff around it or bring in another basket. If an item is too large to fit into a basket, put it beside the appropriate basket. The objective here is to clear the room of clutter in an organized manner, and in such a way that you will not get distracted by other tasks in other parts of the house.
When all the bits and pieces have been cleared away, take the trash basket outside and empty it, returning to the room with an empty basket. Now, take the basket you mentally labelled “here” and remove each piece and put it in its proper place in the room. You will now have two (or more) empty baskets.
Now, go through the “Another room” baskets and sort the contents into the baskets you just emptied. Perhaps you’ll have “Kitchen,” “Family Room,” and “Kids’ Rooms” baskets. Maybe you'll have "Upstairs," "Basement," and "Patio" baskets...mentally label the baskets according to need. Now take those baskets to the appropriate spaces.
Chances are, each of those spaces need the Laundry Basket Treatment, too, so just put the baskets down at the appropriate doors and mentally label them “Here.” Bring in two empty baskets for the trash and things that belong in another room, and repeat the process in each room.
You’ll notice that no dusting, sweeping, vacuuming or other cleaning has been done…there is a reason for that. It is important to stay focussed on the immediate task…removing clutter and restoring order to the rooms. Cleaning, which is actually a different set of tasks from restoring order, can be done after each room has been relieved of its accumulated clutter. Order brings a sense of calm, disorder brings a sense of chaos, and if you are feeling unsettled and anxious, it scatters your energy. Hence the importance of focussing intently on only one task…restoring order to a space through the removal of those things that do not belong in it and putting the remaining items in their proper places.
When your whole house has been restored to order, then it is time to clean. We’ll talk about that next time.
I used to be the queen of the untidy house. With a full-time job, a husband, three kids, an assortment of dogs and cats, a five-bedroom house, and no maid or cleaner, I was housework-challenged. My husband was firmly of the opinion that housework was “woman’s work,” a sentiment eagerly embraced by the boys, and my teen daughter…well, let’s say that if there was a clear path from her bedroom door to her bed (so I wouldn’t impale my foot on some buried artefact while delivering clean laundry), it just wasn’t worth the effort to tangle with her roiling hormones.
With so much house and so little time to keep it, it was an endless chore to keep things picked up. I also tended to get distracted…I would begin cleaning the living room by picking up dirty glasses and cups and toting them to the kitchen, where I would get distracted by a couple of kid’s sweaters on the table which I would carry to their rooms…where I would get further distracted by attempting to collect dirty laundry from the debris-strewn floors. End result? hours spent running from room to room with little bits of the mess, and none of the rooms ever getting tidied up.
I can remember my mother telling me “clean your room!” and being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task and baffled as to where to start. Helping my youngest child, who suffered from ADD and learning disabilities, to clean up his room taught me a few valuable lessons. First of all, “clean up” is too vague: the task needs to be broken down into smaller steps. And secondly, what do you do with something once you have picked it up? If the item in your hand belongs in the kitchen, can you stay on task long enough to take it to the kitchen and return to the room? And how many trips to the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, etc. are you going to make? And at what cost, in terms of time?
I came across the solution to my untidy house quite by accident. Having a mountain of laundry to do each weekend, I had invested in a stack of large rectangular laundry baskets into which I could sort the various loads and easily carry them to and from the washer and dryer. While upstairs gathering laundry from a bedroom one day, I stuck a few items that belonged downstairs into an empty laundry basket so that I could carry them easily back to their place of origin. Pulling dirty clothes out of another room, I spotted some items belonging to the kitchen and put them into an empty basket for easy removal. It didn’t take long for me to take this to the next level, and in a short time, I evolved a system that has stood me in good stead until this day (those children now have teenagers of their own!).
Here's how it works:
Invest in at least three large rectangular laundry baskets: you can get more, but get them in multiples of three. Boxes will work, but they aren’t as sturdy or as versatile and they exude a subliminal message of “storage” to which you do not want to succumb. The ultimate objective is to put possessions away and throw away trash, not to store the stuff.
Now, mentally label the baskets “Here,” “Another Room,” and “Trash.”
Take the baskets to the first room to be cleaned, put them near the door, and begin. Go through the room, starting at the door, and pick up each item that is on the floor, bed, tables…everything that is out of place…and place the items in one of the baskets. If a basket gets full, do not empty it! This will distract you from your task of removing the clutter from the room. Either pile stuff around it or bring in another basket. If an item is too large to fit into a basket, put it beside the appropriate basket. The objective here is to clear the room of clutter in an organized manner, and in such a way that you will not get distracted by other tasks in other parts of the house.
When all the bits and pieces have been cleared away, take the trash basket outside and empty it, returning to the room with an empty basket. Now, take the basket you mentally labelled “here” and remove each piece and put it in its proper place in the room. You will now have two (or more) empty baskets.
Now, go through the “Another room” baskets and sort the contents into the baskets you just emptied. Perhaps you’ll have “Kitchen,” “Family Room,” and “Kids’ Rooms” baskets. Maybe you'll have "Upstairs," "Basement," and "Patio" baskets...mentally label the baskets according to need. Now take those baskets to the appropriate spaces.
Chances are, each of those spaces need the Laundry Basket Treatment, too, so just put the baskets down at the appropriate doors and mentally label them “Here.” Bring in two empty baskets for the trash and things that belong in another room, and repeat the process in each room.
You’ll notice that no dusting, sweeping, vacuuming or other cleaning has been done…there is a reason for that. It is important to stay focussed on the immediate task…removing clutter and restoring order to the rooms. Cleaning, which is actually a different set of tasks from restoring order, can be done after each room has been relieved of its accumulated clutter. Order brings a sense of calm, disorder brings a sense of chaos, and if you are feeling unsettled and anxious, it scatters your energy. Hence the importance of focussing intently on only one task…restoring order to a space through the removal of those things that do not belong in it and putting the remaining items in their proper places.
When your whole house has been restored to order, then it is time to clean. We’ll talk about that next time.
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