When it’s time for you to get to the dirty task of cleaning the windows, choose a nice overcast day. It will help eliminate the streaking that is caused by the sunlight drying the solution on the window before you can wipe it off.

While it makes perfect sense, it also bears repeating. When you are cleaning you should always do so from top to bottom and left to right. That way all the dirt goes down as you clean.

Whenever you clean in the house, clean with baking soda. It is a natural odor reducing agent that keeps the home smelling fresh.

Today’s life is busy. In order to get things done you will need to give things a priority and assign the most important first. And while you are at it, give everyone in the family an assignment. Get everyone involved it will go faster and everyone will feel important.

This goes along with the item above but make a checklist. That way you can see where you stand and know what is done and what’s left to do.

Use a little alcohol on a soft cloth and clean off the mirrors and make them sparkle.

Especially with all the diseases put there and winter coming on, make sure to clean and disinfect things like light switches and doorknobs. Anything that people might touch on a regular basis.

If you have kids you have crayon marks on the wall. They are easy to clean with a little toothpaste.

Skip the expensive and harmful wood floor cleaners and put a piece of wax paper under your mop head and give the floor a once over to get that shine.

Did the candle accidentally drip wax onto the furniture? Put a paper bag over it and run a warm iron over it. The wax will absorb into the bag.

Baking soda and hot water does a phenomenal job of cleaning old hairbrushes and making them look new.

Got a glass table that needs cleaning? Lemon juice does wonders on a paper towel finished off with drying with a newspaper.

If that glass happens to be scratched you can take a toothbrush and polish out the fine lines with toothpaste.

One cup of water and one cup of vinegar does great with a toothbrush if you want to remove the build up that accumulates in the crevices of older furniture.

A regular gum eraser from your child’s art class does a good job for removing marks and scuff from the wall.

If that mark on the wall happens to be grease based then you will have to resort to using cleaning fluid and cornstarch to get the job done.

If you have a marble top in the kitchen and get a stain, put a little salt on a freshly cut lemon and rub lightly to avoid scratching off the shine.

If you are going to clean the fan blades on the ceiling fan, remember to clean with something that cuts both dust and grease to get the most effective results.

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Let’s face it nobody like sot clean house. It is a pain and takes up a lot of time and things just end up getting dirty again anyway. Problem is that you really have to clean or your place becomes city dump. Here are a few tips to make it better, healthier and easier on you.

The first thing to do is plan you’re cleaning session and make it make sense. In other words you need to mop the floor after you dust the ceiling and you should think of things in a left to right and top to bottom way so that you get in a routine.

Take the time to think about what you are cleaning and remember to clean areas and things that you would normally not think about. Things like the seals on the dishwasher and the fridge. Or when was the last time you scrubbed the garbage can?

Maybe forget to use the spray dust agent and use old wool sock instead. It’s kinder to the environment and in many cases does just as good of a job at the task.

Harsh Silver Polish is hard on you so try the age-old use of good old toothpaste on an old toothbrush to do the job. Then you can get a new toothbrush and your teeth will be happy too.

Maintain your drains with some hot water and baking sodas followed by a half cup of vinegar each week and forget the harsh drain cleaner.

Speaking of baking soda and vinegar. You can forget the toilet bowl cleaner as well by using these two items on the bowl and its cheaper and better for you.

Forget using potent cleaners and disinfectants on the floor. Your feet are dirty so you are wasting time and money, just clean well with soap and water.

Use rubber gloves when you move cloths from the washer to the dryer. This prevents the bacteria from transferring.

Clean your cutting board. Chances are there are more bacteria there than the toilet seat.

Place your sponges in and microwave them for about 30 seconds every day to help kill the bacteria that linger there.

Do a little research and make your own cleaners. You can make them as effective as the commercial stuff without the harshness.

If you’re going to vacuum, do it safely with a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch.

Make sure that you take care to clean effectively and safely and pay attention as you clean to remain safe. Don’t let yourself be distracted.

When something has reached the end of it’s useful life, replace it. Mops, sponges and such all wear out.

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In today’s market, the best thing you can do is to make your house more saleable, these are a few ways to do just that.

1 – Check the curb appeal of the house. The first impression is the one that is going to stick with people.

2 – No one likes a house that has no place to store things. Increase the storage areas and you’ll increase the appeal and value.

3 – A fresh coat of paint will do absolute wonders for your homes visual impact and value.

4 – After you paint, take the time to clean the floors and make them as attractive as the walls. It will do wonders.

5 – Stop and smell the roses. Sniff your house and see what odors are lurking. A stinky building is a hard sell.

6 – Get rid of the personal items. A prospective buyer wants to envision it as theirs so the less of you the better.

7 – Mirrors. They make a house look a lot larger than it is and makes it more appealing because of it.

8 – If you have pets, I hate to say it but get them to a kennel long before you show the house. The odors of animals linger on.

9 – When decorating, think neutral. Nothing too flashy because it is liable to turn off a lot more people than it will attract.

10 – Fresh flowers can make things look and smell better and increase the change of selling.

11 – The bathroom is important to people. Make sure it looks as good as it can. Clean and polished is a good thing.

12 – Speaking of the bathroom, make sure to put a new toilet seat on. It’s inexpensive but a nice touch that shows you care.

13 – Make sure that the garage is clutter free, has lots of storage and is set up nice and neatly.

14 – If you have a basement, make sure it is appealing. A little remodeling here can greatly increase the sales price.

15 – Keep records of repairs. If you have kept up on the service work on the AC every spring and fall, those records can increase the value of the house.

16 – Landscaping. Make sure the outside is as appealing as the inside. It needs to be tastefully done not over done.

17 – Keep the yard well groomed. It shows that you care for the appearance and most likely take great care of the house.

18 – If you have a barbeque area, make sure it is neat and clean and the grill is not all scummy.

19 – If there are hoses on the house, keep them rolled up on the reels. A small point but it will mean a lot.

20 – If you have a deck make sure it is painted and looks nice. If you don’t have one, consider adding one on.

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Many people don’t know that they need to winterize their vehicle. When you winterize your vehicle, you take it in and flush out all of the coolant. The coolant is for the air conditioning system to keep the vehicle cold. You only need this in the summer because you won’t be running your air conditioner during the winter months when the temperatures are below zero. When you get your vehicle winterized, the technicians will put anti-freeze in it. This works to keep the car from freezing in freezing temperatures. You have to use anti-freeze or your engine will take a beating and it could cost you hundreds of dollars.

Winter also means that you have to do quite a bit for the home to get ready too. If your home is setup on a propane heating system then you will have to be sure your propane tank is full and ready to go. Many people run their propane down to a very low level and you don’t want to be without heat. A propane tank can cost up to $600 to fill, so be sure you have enough money to fill it.

Heating your home in the winter may mean hanging blankets in hallways to secure the warmth to certain rooms if there are places the warm air can escape. Be sure you have plenty of space heaters if your heating system is too expensive. It is also good to have an alternative heating system for your home because if you lose power due to a bad snow storm, you don’t want to freeze. Plenty of blankets are nice but a fireplace is even better. You can install a wood stove in a home for as little as $500.

Winterizing your home also means you need to change out the windows. Be sure that your windows are sealed properly so there is no cold air coming into the home. The more secure the windows are, the lower your heating bill will be because the heater will not have to work so hard to meet the set temperature. If your windows are thin and you do not have winter windows then you might think about putting plastic over the windows. This can help lock out the freezing temperatures. It will not lock the cold air out entirely, but plastic will sure help. You can buy an entire roll of plastic at your local hardware store for as little as $10. All you need is a staple gun to secure the plastic around the exterior of the home.

If you rely on a pellet stove or a fireplace for your heating system then you also need to be sure that you have not acquired any visitors that have taken up residence in the chimney. It is common for birds to make a nest or even for squirrels and raccoons to make their way inside of them. Always inspect and be sure that your chimney is free and clear of debris before you get started. Be sure to stock up early on pellets or begin cutting wood early so you are fully prepared. The last thing you want to happen is to get caught off guard because winter came early and you haven’t any firewood or pellets for the pellet stove.

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Clutter is something that every home has more than a small abundance of. Things just seem to pile up in our homes and we get too busy and involved in our daily lives. Suddenly we seem to almost have more things than we do places to put them and it is time to end that problem.

One simple rule of thumb here is that if you see something that you have not used in a year then it can most likely be gotten rid of.

Another way to end clutter is to stop saving useless pieces of paper. Often we keep large pieces of scrap paper with one small note scribbled on it. Combine all these little notes onto one piece of paper or on the PC and you’re good to go.

Every year we add more and more clutter to our holiday displays. This is easy to end by making the rule of when you add a new decoration, throw out an old one. 

Speaking of holidays, all too often we tend to save old Christmas cards for many years. Keep the very special ones and let the others go.

The basement is a catchall. Things go into corners and get buried. Make it a habit to clean out the basement twice a year to end clutter and make room.

Junk drawers are notorious for having about 90 percent junk that will never be used. Do the house a favor and toss out things that have no meaning.

Closets are another area that we tend to get huge build ups in. I’ll bet there are clothes in there that you are never going to fit in again at any point it time. So get rid of them and make some room.

When was the last time that you looked in the hall closet? Would you care to bet that there are most likely things in there that you are not going to use?

Search the house and take everything that you can’t identify and put it in a box. If you don’t find a use for it in six months, Throw it away, you’ll never need it anyway.

Go to the kitchen key holder and look over the key rings. There are surely keys on there that go to locks that you no longer own. Give them a toss.

If you just do these things, you have made a lot of room in your house.

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