Tarnished Diva’s Cleaning Tips

Most people have a love/hate relationship with cleaning – you hate to clean but you LOVE a clean house. I’ve put together a list of 5 of my best cleaning trips – all my friends can now laugh here as I attempt to look like a cleaning diva, we all know how much I LOVE to clean. Here ya go:

1. Microwave – put a plastic bowl full of water in the microwave and run on high for 5 minutes. The water will boil and steam the grime and gunk inside the microwave-just wipe clean! Sure does beat playing Olympic gymnast trying to scrape the grime off the roof of the microwave.

2. Hard Wood Floors – vinegar cleans and doesn’t leave any type of residue on the floor. Just a small amount of vinegar to hot water. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar then a small amount of any type of glass cleaner (even the bargain brand) will do the trick! Anyone out there learned that Pledge on hardwood floors is not a GOOD idea?

3. Windows – another use for old newspapers is to use them to clean glass. Newspapers work better than paper towels because you are reusing AND they don’t leave any type of lint behind. Put on gloves if you don’t like the ink on your fingers as your window’s sparkle! You can multitask and finish the last bit of that story as you clean the patio doors!

4. Cleaning Basket – create a holder for all your cleaning supplies to carry with you as you clean. This prevents unnecessary treks back up and down steps or into and out of other rooms for something left behind. My basic basket includes – window cleaner, vinegar, salt, baking soda, rubber gloves, sponges, scrub bushes, micro fiber towels and dusters. Hidden to the side is a small bar of chocolate, too early to add in a glass of wine.

5. Music – put on jazzy music as you clean, it will make you move faster AND get the job done quicker! Plus it lightens your mood as you do that task that most of us love to hate!
Better yet, just lower the blinds in the house and you’ll be amazed at how clean it looks! Why do you think you’ve always been invited to my house after dusk?

Do you have any cleaning tips?