Mini-blinds made out of plastic or aluminium are the most common types of blinds, and they’re the most annoying to clean.  However, one easy way to clean them is to fill a spray bottle halfway with water and then add in a dollop of soap.  Fill the bottle up the rest of the way, and then spray the mixture on a towel.  Wipe down both sides of the slats.

If you have real wooden blinds, you’ve got to be a bit more careful since washing them is not a good idea (it may warp or even rot the wood).  Instead, you can easily brush off the dust using a feather duster or a soft cloth.  If you have a vacuum with a brush attachment and a long enough hose, you can make quick work of this task.

If your shades are made out of pleated fabric, you won’t want to use any kind of cleaner on them because they may stain.  Instead, use the vacuum attachment again, but make certain the bristles of the attachment are clean first.  Towels made out of micro fibre also work well.  Simply dampen them and then run them over the fabric, but don’t get the blinds too wet.

Cellular pleated shades, thankfully, generally don’t require much cleaning.  All you really need to do is dust them off every now and then (or use the vacuum brush on them).  You can also use a damp washcloth to wipe them off, but again, avoid excessive moisture.

Most likely, we learned how to clean from our parents.  They would give us cleaning chores to do, and we would see them cleaning the home often.  However, your parents’ cleaning methods may not be the best for you.  What you need to do is figure out the best way for you to clean your house.  Some people, for example, see their home as a series of rooms and hallways.  Each of these is like a separate task.  These people may find that they get a better sense of accomplishing something if they pick up, dust, and vacuum one room, then move on to the next.  Other people see their home as one large space.  For them, it may make more sense to pick up every room, then go back through and do all the dusting.  Neither way is “correct”—it all depends on what gives you a better sense of accomplishment.

Likewise, some people prefer to get all the cleaning done and over within a single day.  They may wake up at 8:00 a.m. and clean house all day, but they like the idea of not doing any cleaning the rest of the week.  Others may hate this idea.  For them, it makes more sense to clean a little bit each day instead of overloading one day with organising, dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, etc.  Again, both ways work.  Discovering which way works better for you will make the task of cleaning not see quite as bad, and you’ll discover your home is clean without as much effort.

•    Sweep them regularly with either a dust mop or a broom with soft bristles.
•    You can use a vacuum on your hardwood floors.  Just be certain to use the soft brush attachment so you don’t scratch your floor.
•    Do NOT mop your hardwood floor—water is not good for it!  Also, clean up any spills as soon as you can to avoid damage.  You can use a slightly damp dust mop if you need to clean your floor.
•    If possible, don’t wear high heels or heavy shoes on hardwood floors.  They can cause dents.
•    Don’t drag heavy items or furniture across the floor or you may scratch it.  Instead, use furniture shifting pads or completely pick up the object.
•    Put a floor mat down by the door to wipe your feet on so you don’t drag dust and mud onto the floor.
•    Place area rugs and carpet runners on the floor to cover high traffic areas, but be certain to vacuum them regularly to avoid a build-up of dust.

Glass cleaner:  Take a gallon of water and add a half cup of vinegar to it.

Drain cleaner – create a mixture of six tablespoons of soap to one gallon of water and let it stand in the drain.  Soaps designed to cut down grease are especially recommended for this.  You can also pour vinegar into the drain to help destroy the clog.

Carpet freshener – combined ¼ cup of talcum powder, two tablespoons of corn starch, and ¾ cup of baking soda.  Sprinkle this on the carpet and then vacuum it up after about 15 minutes.

General cleaner – mix a half cup of white vinegar and a fourth cup of baking soda.  This is great for cleaning bathtubs, showers, and other bathroom fixtures.

Air Fresheners – small dishes of vinegar or baking soda can absorb odours from the air, as can fresh coffee grounds.  To get rid of garbage disposal smells, put a sliced up lemon down it.

Bathroom mould – mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with two parts of water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle.  Spray any mould you see.  Be sure to wait an hour before using the shower if you’ve sprayed there.

Cleaning your cabinets does not have to be difficult. If you do it regularly, then you will not need to spend as much time on them. One way to always make sure that you are keeping your cabinets clean is to always wipe off your hands before touching them. Oils from your hands can make build up even worse.

The first step in cleaning your cabinets is to use a warm damp cloth. Gentle hand soap should help remove any build up with out much problem. You will want to wipe down all your cabinets to make sure that all grime is gone. Once you have completed this step, check to see if there are any lingering spots of build up. If you have removed all the grime, you can move on to polishing your cabinets.

Polishing your cabinets once or twice a year will help keep that natural glow to the wood. Your kitchen will seem so much cleaner if you can keep the cabinets looking fresh and new. Polishing will also help keep more grime from building up over time.

•    Keep your desk uncluttered.  Nothing says “disorganised!” like a desk that has papers, folders, and pens scattered all over it.  Try to keep papers in neat stacks if they must be on your desk, and file them away in a folder if they don’t.  Invest in a filing cabinet to store these files when you don’t need them.

•    Pick up a few canisters and other organisers for your pens, pencils, and other office supplies.  If your desk has a drawer to store them in, that’s even better.  Just be sure to have pens on hand if your clients will need them.

•    Don’t have any unnecessary furniture in the room.  This helps make the room look larger and makes it seem more professional.  In addition to your desk and a few chairs for your clients, you may want to include a few end tables, bookshelves, and maybe even a separate work table to use for meetings.  If the room is large enough, a small sofa and several larger chairs may be arranged around a coffee table for a more relaxing meeting atmosphere.

•    If you’ve converted a spare bedroom into your office, convert the wardrobe as well.  Add shelves to hold your office supplies and items you won’t need every day.  You may even want to put one of your filing cabinets in there to hold older files you don’t need at hand.

Counter tops that are just a little worn will not take as much time to complete, but you will still get a nice glow back to the finished product. You will only need a few ingredients. You will want to start with a powerful cleaner that comes in powder form such as comet. Take a small amount of the powder (about a ¼ cup) and add a little bit of baking soda to it. Mix these two ingredients together in a bowl. Once you have mixed well, you will want to add enough warm water to make a pretty thick paste. Do not add too much water. You want to put the paste directly on the stains on your counter.

Once you have place the mixture on the stain, you will need to let it set for about thirty minutes. This will ensure that the mixture can penetrate down into the stain. On difficult stains you will want to use a soft bristle scrub brush. Use warm water to wash the mixture off the counter. You should have a better looking counter after you have finished. If your counters are badly stained, you may need to repeat the treatment a few times before you see a big difference.

Cleaning your leather furniture with a soft bristled brush like the attachment on the vacuum cleaner is a good way to remove any dust or dirt from it. This is an important step because build up can cause your furniture to look dull and old. If your vacuum has strong suction, you might want to use a hand held vacuum. This way you do not accidentally damage the leather.

When cleaning your leather furniture use a good moisturizing soap. Something like dove hand soap works really well. A soft microfiber cloth and the soap may be used to clean it. You do not want to completely saturate the leather. Rinsing will not be needed. The cloth will buff out the soap to a nice texture. It will leave the leather feeling soft to the touch.

Leather furniture will retain its beauty for a long time if you follow these steps. It is important that you maintain regular cleanings so that it will last longer. Leather furniture really is a beautiful addition to any home.

One of the first things to do is getting organized with a cleaning schedule. If everyone has a part in the cleaning process it will go a lot quicker. This will also keep one person from doing the bulk of the work. It is important that everyone help to keep things running smooth. Make sure to include the children of the home even if they are small. Many times young children will see this as a game, and will do it with out much fuss. Assign certain tasks each day to each individual person. It will give everyone something different to do each day. Doing something different everyday is sure to keep everyone involved.

The second thing is to make sure that everyone is completing these tasks on a daily basis. It will take less time to do the work then if you try to do it all in single day after messes have built up. If you are trying to do everything in one day, you will soon find yourself overloaded with too much work. You are more likely to get every thing done daily then if you wait to do it at the end of the week.

Dirt and grit can be the worst thing for a hardwood floor. If your floors are not kept clean, over time the dirt and grit can really wear the finish to a really dull appearance. It is important to remove any dirt and grit from your floors regularly. This will ensure that your floors will keep their glossy appearance.

Polishing your floors with a floor polish is also a great way to keep your floors looking fresh. You do not want to use anything that is not recommended for flooring. You should only need to do this once or twice a year. Using too much polish or wax can cause unsightly build up on your hardwood floors. This will defeat the purpose of using the polish in the first place. You want your floors to shine, but more is not always better in this case.

Maintaining your hardwood floors regularly will keep them looking new longer. Hardwood floors that have been maintained over time will also help add value to your home. Regular upkeep reduces the likelihood of having to refinish your floors later.