Golden Valley Spring Cleaning Challenge: Elbow Grease

Editor's Note: As we've made our way through the tail end of what feels like the longest winter ever, we started to hear from local businesses and organizations with advice for spring cleaning.  Not only is this a perfect way to rid of the lingering winter blahs and organize your home and yard, but we're hoping it'll help organize your mind a bit.

This month we're giving you some advice and a plethora of Golden Valley resources to give your home a facelift.  Our domestic goddess, Kathleen Riley-Daniels, started with the .  Today we're on to the next step: Elbow Grease.  Next Monday, we're going to tackle the outside of your home.

Now that you've , it's time to get out the elbow grease. Nobody looks forward scrubbing and washing.  So I'm going to give you some ways to get things done faster and more efficiently... and keep an eye out for some shortcuts. 

To make it easier on you, break the cleaning into doable chunks. Take it one room at a time – or even one cabinet at a time if you don’t have a lot of time or energy. Every step forward is success! 

Years ago, I hired Diane Johnson to help me clean a house I was selling. I talked to her about her cleaning business success and how she got so much done and she said it really comes down to how you clean an area. Her tip was: “Top to bottom, left to right.” That one tip has made cleaning so much simpler over the years. No matter what room you walk into, you know exactly where to get started.

In the cleaning business, there are two types of rooms, “wet” rooms like kitchens and bathroom and “dry” rooms like bedrooms and living rooms. If you are going to keep cleaning throughout the year, you can deep clean one room per week, alternating the wet and dry rooms.  

When you clean a “wet” room, having a tote to carry your supplies along will make the job simpler. The professionals at place like Molly Maid in Golden Valley have a system and tote all their products along with them. You’ll want to simplify what you are carrying along, too.

• light-duty evaporating cleaner (glass cleaner or multi-surface cleaner)
• heavy-duty degreasing cleaner
• tile cleaner
• powdered abrasive cleanser

That's it! These four simple products can handle any regular cleaning chore.

Cleaning “dry” rooms is simple. Knock down the cobwebs, dust off the light fixtures, dust the furniture and picture frames – remember the tip, left to right, top to bottom.  If you are cleaning your bedroom, this is the time to change the sheets. Run your duster along the baseboards and then run the vacuum.

Now that you know how the professionals break down the cleaning system, it is time to decide who is helping clean. The right answer is everyone in the home should help with the cleaning. Everyone, even young children, can do something to help and it also teaches them how to do these chores which is always a good thing.

After a long Minnesota winter, you’ll want to move furniture and clean behind it. Pull the furniture out, vacuum, wash the baseboards and really get rid of all that accumulated dust and dirt.

Clean your windows – inside and out. Getting that natural light into your house will make everyone feel better. This is also a great time to clean glass light fixtures in your home so they throw as much light as possible into your living spaces.  Now open those windows and get that stale air to circulate.  (Shortcut: Give a call to )

Once you've finished your spring cleaning, keep things sparkling by addressing one spot in your home for about five minutes.  Marla Cilley, creator of FlyLady suggests starting with a clean kitchen sink. "Keep it empty and shining." Cilley shares that the clean sink will become the clean counter, and clean stove top and pretty soon your entire house is looking great.

While working on this article, I asked for tips from Facebook and Twitter and these are some of the cleaning supplies and tips that arrived. Hopefully there will be some that help you simplify your life.

Natural Cleaning Supplies

White Vinegar: Vinegar is used in many formulations and is great for cleaning and disinfecting.

Baking Soda: So many applications. Get the HUGE box and save some money.

Washing Soda: Can be found in the natural section or near laundry supplies in most groceries.

Borax: Boost the strength of cleaning solutions. (Check safety precautions for pets and people.)

Salt: Great for adding an abrasive quality to your cleaners. Kosher or sea salt is best.

Mild Soap: Comes in both flakes and liquids. Vegetable based soap made from coconut or olive oil is known as castile soap and can be found at most health food stores and some groceries.  Comes in scented and unscented. You will want unscented if you plan to add your own essential oils. This is NOT detergent! Many products today are detergents made from petroleum distillates which are both toxic and non-renewable.

Essential Oils: These are not fragrance or perfume oils but rather the volatile oils of plants. Note: If you have cats or small dog breeds check with your Veterinarian on safe use. Cats and small dogs are especially sensitive to essential oils. May also interfere with homeopathic medicines. When in doubt, don't use them.

Containers: Spray bottles and storage containers come in a variety of sizes and styles and in both glass and plastic. You can usually find them in supermarkets, discount retailers, health food stores and container stores at very reasonable prices.

Cleaning Floors
The healthiest option is to have no carpet, but many homes have wall-to-wall carpet or gigantic area rugs that collect all the junk from the world. With carpet, you want to clean it with the least impact on yourself and your pets. (Shortcut: Head over to .  They can give you some great ideas for cleaning everything from grout to pet dander.)

Carpet. To freshen the carpet you can make a simple mixture of equal parts baking soda and borax. Sprinkle on the carpet, then vacuum up. You can add several drops of your favorite essential oil to the powder mix. If you are concerned about fleas, Lemongrass and citronella oils are good choices.  (Shortcut: can do the carpet for you.)

Wood Floors: The best cleaner is a mixture of equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Combine in a spray bottle, spritz a small section and dry mop. You can add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil to 3 Cups of this mixture. (Peppermint will kill germs and keep mice away for those of you in older homes or homes with attached garages.)

Vinyl or Tile Floors: Mix one gallon of hot water and 2-3 Tablespoons of a liquid Castile soap. To this mix you can either add lemon (great for kitchens) or pine essential oil. Use 10-20 drops of essential oils and if you feel creative, mix the oils. Dip your mop into the mixture, squeeze out the excess water and mop in small section. The best part of this mix is there is no rinsing needed and the residue won't hurt your dog (or spouse) if they happen to lick the floor when you are finished.

Cleaning Counters and Cutting Boards
Clean counters and cutting boards are important to the overall health of all the members of our households.

Counters: Cleaning counters is easy, all you need is hot water, white vinegar, borax and the essential oil(s) of your preference. (Lavender and lemon essential oils are antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antibiotic.) For each cup of hot water use one tablespoon of vinegar and a light teaspoon of Borax. Add about 10-12 drops of essential oil. The oils are potent, so use sparingly.

Wood Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks: Mix a couple of teaspoons of salt (Sea Salt and Kosher Salt are grittier.) and a like amount of fresh lemon juice and vigorously rub into the wood. Gloves will help protect your hands. Let this sit on the wood for 10-20 minutes, then rinse with hot water while scrubbing. Allow the wood to dry thoroughly.

Cleaning Bathrooms
Although we try to keep bathroom doors shut and toilet seats down, our dogs have on occasion enjoyed the sip of water out of the toilet. When I saw what was in toilet bowl cleaners, I thought even an occasional sip could not be good for long term health for the dogs. You can make your own germ proof toilet bowl cleaner by combining the following in a spray bottle. 1 Cup water; three Tablespoons of liquid Castile soap; 20 drops melaleuca (tea tree) oil; 7-10 drops eucalyptus oil.

Laundry
Laundry soap and fabric deodorizers and softeners are easy to make and can be enhanced to smell quite nice when essential oils are added to the mix. (Shortcut: Enlist the help of the professionals at )

Soap: Mix equal parts washing soda, baking soda and real soap flakes. (You can grate pure Castile soap.)  For tops loading washers use 1/2 Cup per load. For front loading washers use 1/4 Cup.

Deodorizer and Softener: Use 1/4 Cup white vinegar scented with a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Whitener: One part hydrogen peroxide to 8 parts water. Soak item for 5-30 minutes. Rinse and wash if needed.

Alternatives to Harsh Cleaners

Instead Of:

Try:

All Purpose Cleaner

• Mix 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water, or use plain baking soda with a wet sponge.

Ammonia Based Cleaners

• Vinegar, salt and water for surface cleaning.
• Baking soda and water for the bathroom.

Abrasive Cleaners

• Rub area with one-half lemon dipped in borax or baking soda, then rinse.

Coffee Pot (Glass) Cleaner

• Place crushed ice, salt and sliced lemons in pot and swirl till clean.

Copper Cleaner
(Also, brass and pewter)

• Paste of lemon juice, salt and flour.
• Equal parts sale and vinegar. Thicken with flour.

Disinfectant Cleaner

• Mix 1/2 cup Borax in 1 gallon hot water.

Drain Cleaners

• Plunger. 
• Flush with boiling water. (Be careful!)
• 1/4 Cup baking soda and 1/4 Cup Vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes then follow up with hot water to flush the drain.

Dusting Cloth

• Re-use an unscented dryer sheet instead of buying more packaged goods like Swiffer or Pledge cloths.

Carpet Cleaner

• Sprinkle baking soda or corn starch on the carpet. Let sit for 20 minuets then vacuum.

Floor or Furniture Polish

• 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts olive or vegetable oil.
• Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 3/4 cup oil (olive, vegetable, lemon).

Floor Cleaner

• Mix 1 cup vinegar with 2 gallons water.

Glass Cleaner (Windows too)

• White vinegar and water.
• Rubbing alcohol and water.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 quart warm water.

Ironing Clothes

• To get crisp results when ironing clothes, combine 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch in one pint of water. Pour into a spray bottle, shake and spray clothes before ironing.

Mildew Remover

• Lemon juice and salt. or
• White vinegar and salt.

Oil Stains

• White chalk rubbed into stain before laundering.

Oven Cleaner

• Baking Soda and vinegar.

Pest Control

• To keep bugs out of wheat products like flour, pasta, rice and pancake mix, put 2-3 Bay Leaves in the containers.
• Rather than pesticides, you might foil roaches by placing bay leaves around cracks in the room and leaving out dishes of equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. 
• For other pests, a soapy water spray can be an insecticide.
• A shallow pan filled with stale beer will kill snails and slugs.

Shower Cleaner

• 1 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap, and 1/4 cup dishwasher rinse agent. (Use Daily)

Telephone Cleaner

• Rubbing Alcohol.

Toilet Cleaners

• Baking soda and a toilet brush.
• Drop a denture tablet in the bowl and let sit.

Stainless Steel Polish

• Baking soda or mineral oil for shining.
• Vinegar to remove spots.
• 2 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar with 1 quart hot water. (Works on aluminum too.)

Stain Remover.

• Vinegar.

Tub and Tile Cleaners

• Mix 1/4 Cup baking soda with 1/2 Cup white vinegar.

Woodwork Cleaner

• Use cold tea for cleaning any type of wood.

Woodwork Water Stain Removal

• To remove water stains on wood furniture, dab white toothpaste onto the stain. Allow paste to dry and then gently buff with a soft cloth.

Here are some additional tips that I have come across and you may find helpful.

Flies and Bees

Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.

Sealed envelope

Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.

Empty Toilet Paper Rolls

Store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

Icy Door Steps in Freezing Temperatures

Get warm water and put Dawn Dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.

Crayon marks on walls

A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is)

Permanent Marker on Appliances and Countertops

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops like a store receipt BLUE? Rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

SOS Pads

Take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

Opening Jars

Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found away to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

Blood Stains on Clothing

Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

Washing Windows

Use vertical strokes when washing the outside of  windows and horizontal for the inside of windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

Air Freshener

Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. [Don't do this on a hot bulb!]

Fabric Softener Sheets

Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linens.

Candles

Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

Artificial Flowers

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

Cleaning Pots and Pans

To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.

Plastic Ware

Spray your Tupperware, Gladware et cetera with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

Cake Mixes

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Celery

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Corn on the Cob

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

Headahces

Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Wine Leftovers

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Mosquito Bites

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

Ants

Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. They won't cross the chalk line.

Bathroom Mirror

Spray on a little foaming shaving lotion and wipe across the mirror. Keep wiping until the residue is gone. Your mirror should stay steam free for up to a month.

Splinters

When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape

Alka Seltzer

• Clean Toilets by dropping two tablets in the bowl. Wait 20 minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean the porcelain.
• Clean Vases by filling with water and drop in two tablets.
• Polish Jewelry by dropping two tablets into a glass of water and immerse jewelry for two minutes.
• Thermos Bottles. Fill with water and drop in four tablets, let soak for one hour (longer if needed.)
• Unclogging Drains - drop three tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run hot water.

Remember to study about the ingredients you use and the effects that may occur.

Toxins in Common Household Cleaners

Chemical

Commonly Found In

Concerns/Issues

Ammonia

Glass Cleaners

Lung and skin irritant. See sodium hypochlorite for dangers in mixing chemicals.

Formaldehyde

Preservative in many household cleaners and air freshener

Probable carcinogen. Even really low levels can cause watery or burning eyes, stuffy/burning nose and throat, nausea, coughing and wheezing, rashes, hives and allergic reactions.

Hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate

Toilet bowl cleaners

Can burn skin, may cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach burns if swallowed. May cause blindness of splashed in eyes.

Perchloroethylene or trichloroethane

Dry cleaning spot removers and carpet cleaners

Eye, skin and lung irritant. If ingested can cause liver and kidney damage. Probable carcinogen and can accumulate in fatty tissues.

Phenol and cresol

Disinfectants

Corrosive. May cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness and kidney and liver damage.

Sodium hypochlorite

Chlorine bleach

Lung and eye irritant. If mixed with ammonia or acid based cleaners, including vinegar, it releases toxic chloramines gas. Short term exposure to the gas may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems.