Skip to content

Top Navigation

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Food
  • Home
  • Life
  • Health
  • Money
  • Style and Beauty
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Real Simple

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 12 Good Books to Read in Winter

      As the days get chillier and snow starts falling, curl up with one of these good books to read in winter. Read More Next
    • 10 Virtual Games to Play When You Can't Be Together

      Close the distance with fun games you can play from the comfort of separate homes. Read More Next
    • A Guide for How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

      There are three common ways you canĀ measureĀ your ring size right at home so you can finally get your ring measurement right, for good. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See all Food

    13 Air Fryer Recipes That Are *Almost* Too Good to Be True

    • Recipes
    • Real Simple Cooking School
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping and Storing
    • Kitchen Tools and Products
  • Home

    Home

    See all Home

    Easy Homemade Carpet Cleaners to Tackle Every Stain

    Made with products you probably have on hand
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Home Improvement
    • Quick Fix
    • Real Simple Home
  • Life

    Life

    See all Life

    10 Creative Ways to Have Fun in the Snow

    Bundle up and head outside (or stay toasty inside)—either way, everyone in the family will love these snow day ideas.
    • Family
    • Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Wedding Planning
    • Travel Ideas
    • Adulting
    • Get It Done
    • Waste Less, Live Better
  • Health

    Health

    See all Health

    30 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day

    • Preventive Health
    • Mental Health
    • Health Coach
    • Crisis Coping
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Sleep
    • Healthy Eating
  • Money

    Money

    See all Money

    The Ultimate Guide to Tipping Etiquette in Every Situation, From Restaurants to Hair Salons

    How much should you tip your hairdresser? What about your food-delivery person? Here's when to tip, when to skip, and how much to tipĀ in any situation (even the confusing ones).
    • Saving Money
    • Money Made Simple
    • Spending
    • Money Etiquette
  • Style and Beauty

    Style and Beauty

    See all Style and Beauty

    9 Hair Color Trends Experts Predict for 2021

    • Clothing
    • Skincare
    • Shoes
    • Hair
    • Clothing Care
    • Makeup
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See all Holidays & Entertaining

    PowerPoint Parties Are the Socially Distant Party Trend You Have to Try: Here’s How to Host One

    Presenting a new way to party together—virtually.
    • All Holidays
    • Entertaining
    • Christmas
    • Home for the Holidays
    • Gifts
    • Hanukkah
    • Come Together
    • Thanksgiving
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • Halloween
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Real Simple
  2. Home Organizing
  3. Cleaning
  4. Keeping Your House Clean

Keeping Your House Clean

By Katheleen Squires
Updated August 29, 2014
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Paul Whicheloe
These simple techniques will make your housekeeping efforts last longer.
Start Slideshow

1 of 3

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

In the Living Room

Credit: Paul Whicheloe
  • Before rearranging paintings on walls, slip on white cotton gloves. Natural oils from your fingertips can seep onto artwork, damaging the color over time.
  • Set a doormat of toothed, bristly material, such as Astroturf, outside the door to leave dirt and grit where they belong―outdoors. After all, 80 percent of dirt in the home is the dry, tracked-in kind.
  • Slice wine corks into disks and glue them to the bottoms of furniture and heavy pottery, or stick on adhesive felt pads. Dust settles into gouges made by furniture on floors and turns into grime, making it tougher to clean.
  • Keep a dusting cloth in various handy places throughout your living spaces―on a nightstand, in a coffee-table drawer―so you can grab it to dust furniture anytime you notice an accumulation.
  • Opt for patterned upholstery, which conceals dirt better than solid fabric.
  • Wipe pets with a microfiber cloth, a dry-cleaning sponge, or a specialty pet wipe each day to reduce the amount of dander on the upholstery.
  • Once a week, mist a few squirts of room deodorizer on cool lightbulbs. (A note of caution: Moisture can seep into the light socket and damage the bulb, so spray from about a foot or so away.) The next time you turn on the light, the heat from the bulb will activate the scent.
  • Arrange furniture six inches from walls instead of flush against them so there will be fewer smudges from bumping to tend to later. You'll also have easier access to dusty corners that need a visit from a dust mop.
  • Open and close window treatments (blinds, curtains, shades) often to displace dust from the fabric instead of letting it sit until you get around to cleaning it. When it falls to the floor, run a dust mop over the surface.

1 of 3

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 3

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

In the Kitchen

Credit: Frances Janisch
  • Set jars of liquid or jelly on coasters, or line shelves with nonadhesive cork liner. When drips occur, just replace the coasters or the lining.
  • To repel stains on countertops, twice a year apply grout sealer (available at hardware stores) to tile, and stone sealer (also at hardware stores) to stone countertops. Follow the package instructions.
  • Instead of using wood cutting boards, switch to plastic. Since wood shouldn't be sanitized in the dishwasher (wood can warp when wet), it can harbor bacteria, which gets on knives and can invade your food-prep area. Pop plastic boards into the dishwasher after every use to kill germs.
  • To make cleanup faster when you cook, cover countertops with sheets of wax paper, parchment paper, or butcher paper before preparing food. Juices from meats, chicken, and fish never hit the counters, so there's no need to disinfect. When finished, crumple up the paper and toss.
  • Place a box of baking soda in the freezer and another in the refrigerator to absorb and neutralize smells; replace them every three months. Alternatives: a mound of charcoal; coffee beans in a bowl; or a cotton ball soaked in vanilla extract and kept in the refrigerator until dry.
  • Every month or so, dump ice cubes from the trays and make a new batch. Stale ice traps odors, like those from frozen fish or meat.
  • Grind the skins of oranges, lemons, and limes in the garbage disposal with a handful of ice cubes. The rock-hard texture of the ice cubes sharpens the grinding mechanism; the citrus scent of the grated peels clears the air. Or make ice cubes of vinegar instead of water. The vinegar will deodorize the disposal.
  • Reduce grease splatters on the stovetop and the hood by putting a mesh splatter screen over pans when cooking.

2 of 3

3 of 3

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

In the Laundry Room

Credit: Michele Gastl
  • Leave the lid of the washer open for at least an hour after using the machine to let moisture evaporate and discourage the growth of mold and mildew.
  • When you've accidentally left a lipstick or a crayon in the pocket of a garment, squirt a bit of WD-40 onto a cloth, then rub it on the oil-based marks inside the washing machine. One note of caution: WD-40 is flammable, so don't use this trick inside the dryer. Instead, use a cloth drenched with water and dishwashing liquid.
  • Put a rug or a carpet swatch in front of the sink to sop up splashes when you hand wash items. A highly absorbent material, like cotton chenille, is easy to care for; just toss it in the washer. A rug made from a natural fiber, such as jute or sea grass, will conceal water stains.
  • Consider purchasing a small water alarm, which will alert you if the washing machine leaks or overflows. It sits on the floor, and a battery-operated sensor sounds when water touches it. Basic models sell for less than $20 at home-improvement centers.
  • Stack liquid detergents, stain-removal solutions, and anything else that can leak in plastic bins or caddies to contain drips. Because these liquids are highly concentrated, drips can deteriorate the paint on shelves and the finishes on appliances.

3 of 3

Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Katheleen Squires

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 3 In the Living Room
2 of 3 In the Kitchen
3 of 3 In the Laundry Room

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Shop | Real Simple Logo

  • Robot Vacuums
  • Bathroom Cleaners
  • Mops
  • Kitchen Cleaners
  • All Purpose Cleaners
  • Vacuums
  • Steam Cleaners
  • Brooms
  • Glass Cleaners
  • Dusters
  • Shop More Next

Real Simple may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

Real Simple Logo

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Real Simple is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.realsimple.com

View image

Keeping Your House Clean
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.