Household Hints For Dummies, Pocket Edition E-Book

Janet Sobesky

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 172

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

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

Leseprobe

Household Hints For Dummies®, Pocket Edition

Table of Contents

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 and Carpets

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 glass pans

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 are your 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

Household Hints For Dummies®, Pocket Edition

by Janet Sobesky

Household Hints For Dummies®, Pocket Edition

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN: 978-0-470-59534-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Publisher’s Acknowledgments

Senior Project Editor: Georgette Beatty

Composition Services: Indianapolis Composition Services Department

Cover Photo: iStock

Introduction

Probably somewhere high on the list of life’s unfortunate necessities is cleaning. There are people out there, I know, who relish it, just as I know there are others who vanish at the sight of a vacuum. But no matter what kind of house or apartment we live in and how many nifty appliances we own, dishes still get dirty, clothes still need to be cleaned, furniture still gets scratched, and dust and grime still collect. And whether we do it ourselves or hire someone, housekeeping chores just have to get done eventually.