Seven Simple, Time-Saving Cleaning Tips for Every Home

Cleaning is not on anyone's list of fun activities, but everyone wants a clean home. Below are seven simple cleaning tips the will trim time from of your cleaning schedule.

Clean Your Baseboards with Dryer Sheets

Wiping your baseboards with dryer sheets will remove dust and make the room smell like freshly cleaned laundry.

Microwave Your Kitchen Sponge

Germs consider sponges paradise, but not for long. Make sure there is enough water in your sponge so it doesn't dry out, place it inside the microwave, and run on high for one to two minutes. Microwaving the sponge kills nearly 99 percent of the bacteria ensuring you're not spreading harmful germs when using it. This technique only works with sponges that do not contain metal. Be careful when taking the sponge out because it's hot.

Bubble Clean Your Cooktop

Cleaning spills that dry onto your cooking surface takes old-fashioned elbow grease unless you let science do the work. First, coat the stain with a layer of baking soda. Next, carefully sprinkle hydrogen peroxide onto the baking soda. The chemicals react creating bubbles that attack the crusted food so you don't have to. Once the reaction subsides, wipe the surface with the sponge you just microwaved.

Remove Grease From Your Furniture

Inevitably, grease from a hamburger or pizza might find its way onto your favorite recliner. Grab the cornstarch from your pantry and cover the stain. Wait an hour and vacuum the area then repeat as needed. Cornstarch is very absorbent and soaks up the grease without damaging your furniture.

Keep Your Toilet Bowl Shiny

Reveal the porcelain's shine by pouring one cup of baking soda into your toilet bowl after you've given it a good scrubbing. Let the baking soda work for about an hour and flush.

Clean Appliance Control Boards

Seams on appliance control boards will accumulate dirt and grease. Ranges and microwaves in particular are prone to this because of their many knobs and buttons. To get at those hard to reach areas, use a wooden food skewer; think shish kabobs, to clean the sides of buttons, door seams, and edges of the control board on your appliances. Be sure to never use a metal skewer so as not to scratch the appliance's surface.

Clean Your Dishwasher With Tang

Enjoyed by many as a beverage, it's not just for drinking. Tang's citrus flavor is caused in part by citric acid. Like any acid, it reacts with certain materials causing them to break down. While citric acid is safe to consume, it's not safe for the minerals and detergent that build up inside a dishwasher. Once a month, throw one cup of Tang into the basin of your dishwasher and run it using a heavy-duty cycle without any dishes inside. The citric acid not only cleans the tub, it also rids the dishwasher's pipework of unwanted build up.

By using the simple tips above, you'll spend less time cleaning and more time adding to your fun activities list.

Source: http://houseware.answers.com/cleaning/seven-simple-time-saving-cleaning-tips-for-every-home