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August 2005
Real Simple
Everyday Cleaning Strategies That Work
Conquer Garbage Odor, David Horii
The Cause. The fetid blend of banana peels, used paper towels, cheese scraps, onion ends, milk cartons, takeout containers, and dead flowers is inevitable. Lidded garbage cans left outdoors are especially prone to bacteria growth.
The Cure. Originally designed for pet odors, SeaYu Petrotech Odor Eliminator ($10, www.petsmart.com) also works well in garbage cans and diaper pails. The nontoxic spray binds to odor particles and naturally biodegrades the odor-causing bacteria. To prevent garbage smells from forming, clean and disinfect both indoor and outdoor garbage cans with an all-purpose cleaner at least once a month.
How to Load a Dishwasher, Rick Lew
- Soiled dish surfaces should face the center of the dishwasher — not the outside — to get the fullest blast of water. Position the dirtiest pots and pans straight down, not tilted.
- Mix the flatware, so that spoons don't nest with spoons and forks don't nest with forks, escaping a thorough wash. Place knives in the basket blades down for safety.
- Don't machine-wash cast iron, anodized cookware, wood, pewter, gold flatware, delicate glassware, or any one-of-a-kind pieces.
The Best Way to Sweep, Andrew McCaul
Sure, you've been sweeping floors longer than Cinderella, but you can still learn from a pro. Start at the periphery of the room (edges and corners), says Don Aslett, who runs a national commercial cleaning company, and "use quick, short, downward strokes" to minimize both your effort and the debris you kick up.
Step 1: Stand facing forward, holding the broom to one side with the broom head a foot behind your heel. Sweep forward.
Step 2: Once the broom head has reached your heel, leave the bristles angled down to keep the dust in place, step forward a foot, and repeat as you go around the room, directing dust to one or two central piles.
Presort the Family Laundry
Presort the Family Laundry, Michele Gastl
Clean laundry is only half the battle — it still needs to be sorted and put away. Save those steps by keeping washer-and-dryer-safe mesh bags (27-by-36-inch mesh bag, $7, www.stacksandstacks.com) in each kid's room — one for lights, one for darks. Throw the bags directly into the washing machine and dryer, then hand them back to the kids. If they're old enough, they can do their own folding.
The Best Time of Day to Clean the House, Ngoc Minh Ngo
4 p.m. You’re more likely to whistle while you window wash (and not kick over the bucket) if you do it in the late afternoon. That’s when hand-eye coordination is at its peak and mood levels are high, says Michael Smolensky, a professor of environmental physiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston and author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health (Owl Books, $11, www.amazon.com). If anyone in the house has allergies or asthma, avoid insomnia-hour and morning cleaning sprees (nasal-allergy symptoms are most severe between 6 a.m. and noon, asthma attacks more likely between midnight and 6 a.m.), and finish well before that person walks in the door. “It takes about an hour for allergens and dust to settle after you clean,” says Martha White, M.D., director of research at the Institute for Asthma and Allergy, in Wheaton, Maryland.
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