Household Hints For Dummies, Pocket Edition

Clean your homethe easy way! The best ways to clean today are different from what they were even a few years ago. It's not just that you have to know how to use new products and new equipment. The surfaces in your home and the fibers used to make clothes and furniture have improved. Plus, the time you have to clean has shrunk. Inside you'll find easy-to-follow information on stain removal and a room-by-room guide to cleaning up everything from counters to carpets. You'll cut down on expensive cleaning bills and still maintain your home. Open the book and find: The basics of having a clean house The right tools for the job Methods for busting dust Tips on cleaning floors and carpets Guidance on caring for your kitchen and bathroom Hints on doing your laundry

Clean your homethe easy way!The best ways to clean today are different from what they wereeven a few years ago. It's not just that you have to know how touse new products and new equipment. The surfaces in your home andthe fibers used to make clothes and furniture have improved. Plusthe time you have to clean has shrunk. Inside you'll findeasy-to-follow information on stain removal and a room-by-roomguide to cleaning up everything from counters to carpets. You'llcut down on expensive cleaning bills and still maintain yourhome.Open the book and find:* The basics of having a clean house* The right tools for the job* Methods for busting dust* Tips on cleaning floors and carpets* Guidance on caring for your kitchen and bathroom* Hints on doing your laundry

Introduction.About This Book.Foolish Assumptions.Icons Used in This Book.Where to Go from Here.Chapter 1: The Basics for a Clean House.Keeping Messes at Bay.Cleaning the Right Way.Declutter before you clean.Organize your cleaning supplies.Dos and don'ts for getting things clean.A Cabinet Full of Cleaners.Chemical cleaners.Natural cleaners.Homemade cleaners.Arming Yourself with the Right Tools.Brooms, brushes, and buckets.Cleaning cloths and sponges.Rubber gloves.Sponge mop.Vacuum cleaner.Getting Help from the Troops.Chapter 2: Dust-Busting.The Dust-Busters: Dusting Tools.Lambswool duster.The versatile vacuum cleaner.Unconventional dusting products.Dusting 101. How Do You Dust.Start at the top: The natural order of dusting.Dust first, then vacuum.Solve your special dusting problems.Chapter 3: Dirt Underfoot: Cleaning Floors andCarpets.Get a Handle on Dirt.Be Kind to Your Flooring.Caring for wood floors.Maintaining resilient floors.Keep Your Carpet Clean.Vacuuming 101.Staying on top of spots and spills.Doing "The Big Clean".Chapter 4: Caring for Your Kitchen.Keeping the Kitchen Clean While You Work.Cleaning Cabinets, Counters, Floors, and Faucets.Butcher blocks.Cabinets: Start with the handles.Countertops: Kitchen workhorses.Floors.Sinks and faucets.Keeping drains flowing.Cleaning Stoves -- Nobody's Favorite Task.Ranges and cooktops.Stainless steel stoves.Glass ceramic cooktops.Gas burners.Coils.Cleaning the Oven.Conventional oven.Self-cleaning ovens.Continuous cleaning ovens.Cleaning the Exhaust Fan.Cleaning the Refrigerator.Defrosting and cleaning the freezer.Attacking the exterior.Cleaning Small Appliances.Blender.Food processor.Coffeemaker.Toaster.Toaster oven.Cleaning odds and ends.Minimizing Mystery Odors.Dealing with odors on your hands.Fixing funky fridge fragrances.Doing Dishes without Doing Them In.Using the automatic dishwasher.Washing dishes by hand.Misusing cleansers.Keeping Cookware Cooking: Pots, Pans, and Serving Dishes.Cleaning aluminum.Dealing with non-stick finishes.Cleaning copper, cast iron, stainless steel, plastic, or glasspans.Chapter 5: Battling the Bathroom.A Daily Dose Will Do It.Mildew Loves Your Bathroom.Keeping mildew at bay.Fighting the battle against mildew.Winning the mildew wars.Deep Cleaning the Whole Bathroom.Shining shower enclosures.Rub-a-dubbing the tub.Showering the shower curtains.Cleaning the dreaded toilet.Cleaning countertops, faucets, and the rest of the room.Stain Solvers.Cut That Clutter.Taking charge of the toiletries.Shaping up the shower.Getting clothes off the floor.Chapter 6: This Is the Way We Wash Our Clothes.Choosing Laundry Products.Soap or detergent: How hard is your water, and how hardy areyour clothes?To whiten and brighten -- chlorine or oxygen bleach.Using bluing and other laundry aids.And Now, You Wash.Lessons for the Laundromat.Removing Stains.Following basic guidelines.Removing stains from washable fabrics.Getting rid of unknown stains.