Old Style Book - Can You Help?

Dora_the_Explorer_5

I believe hotel chambermaids are taught to clean rooms from left to right, starting at the door and finishing at the door. Apparently this prevents them from missing anything and is a quicker way to clean for right-handed people so saves time = saves money. I guess left-handers won't be employed!

Caterina

Use cheap toilet cleaner to scrub a tea-stained sink (rinse well afterwards!).

Soak a teacloth with warm water and apply to a crusty cooker, leave for half an hour and then it is much easier to wipe

Wipe the bath tub and the tiles immediately after having a bath or a shower, as the steam will make it easier to remove any dirt with less detergent. Dry with an old towel to avoid water stains.

More to follow

(edited to add the last one hehe) ciao all

Caterina

superscotsman

zar wrote:

We don't have a tumble drier, and I do miss it for getting pet hair out of things. Yesterday my DH and I attempted to clean the fleece blanket from our dog's basket by standing on two corners each and hoovering it like a rug (I'd started using the attachment but it was taking far too long). It worked pretty well - certainly better than it was. I got a bit more hair out by using some parcel tape but didn't do the whole thing as its just too big. If anyone has any better ideas for getting pet hair out it'd be great to hear them!

My sister in law showed us how to get dog hair off the stair carpet. If you are wearing trainers, you just drag it out of the corners of each step with the sole of your foot, drag it into a pile and then pick it up. I had no idea life could be so simple.

Sarahsaver

hoover from the furthest point from the door to the doorway
literally clean rooms from top to bottom as dust falls down
children like to clean and armed with baby wipes for the purpose are usually harmless
keep separate brooms for indoor and outdoor use :rolleyes:
take shoes off when entering the house - cuts down on dirt a lot
throw away junk mail straightaway and deal with letters requiring a reply on the day you get them
keep an inventory of whats in the freezer
redo the salt and rinseaid in the dishwasher on the first of the month then you won't forget to do it
never go up or down stairs without taking something with you, never leave a room without removing something which should not be there
don't let people smoke in your house
air your bed all day - healthier than making it straightaway. Remember as soon as you get into a made up bed it becomes unmade;)
If you start a job - FINISH IT!

jack92

...it's great for descaling kettles. I use the cheapest vinegar I can find, pour enough in to cover the element and come up to the "minimum" line on the water indicator then bring it to the boil. Once the boiled vinegar has cooled a little, I sometimes give the inside the kettle a quick scrub to get off any really tough limescale. The kettle then needs a good rinse, and I also boil water in it a couple of times first (then throw the water away).

On the downside, it makes my kitchen smell for a short while afterwards, but it's worth it when you see how shiny the inside of your kettle comes up :xmassmile

Nicola

ivyleaf

When you're going to wash shirts with grubby collars and/or cuffs, moisten the grubby bits and rub them with good old green "household soap" - Fairy or similar. Just like my Mum used to, and much cheaper than "Stain Sticks"! She sometimes used to scrub them (the collars) gently with a nailbrush as well - usually if my Dad had worn them when fixing the car :snow_grin It's good for preparing most stains before washing too. One bar seems to last for years! Depending on how many grubby shirts you have to wash! :xmassmile

ivyleaf

catznine

Good old fashioned soaking is very under rated and has saved me lots of pennies! Just pour hot water over burnt on gunge in pots and pans and walk away and do something else, then come back and cleaning the offending article will be so much easier. I also do this with the top of the cooker just use a bit of hot water and a bit of cheap washing up liquid, leave for a while and then clean.

Cheap cellotape lifts off stubborn pet hairs.

Baby wipes are handy for some quick dusting.

I find if I dampdust (just a cloth lightly dampened with water) regularily then I cut the need for expensive cleaners and don't sneeze so much either!

exlibris

Put the ends of soap bars into a screwtop jar and add water. Shake frequently until you get a jelly-like substance.

Use to cover stains on clothes as soon as possible after they are made. The clothes can then be washed on a normal wash day and the soap solution will have done its work.

MJay

A damp tea towel is excellent for removing dog hairs from soft furniture (bit like one of those roller thingy's but without the mess. Simply rinse and wring out every now and then or you will find you are puting more on than taking off!! Dog blankets do well on washing lines in a stiff breeze....... Gets rid of the hairs and they smell better too.

tenuissent

"Use pegs to hold the corners of the duvet in the duvet cover while shaking it into place/changing the linen"

On the subject of changing duvet covers:

I have learned from my daughter to wash and fold them and put them away INSIDE OUT. When you come to use one, grab the far corners from the INSIDE, grab two duvet corners as well, then reverse everything and shake the cover down the outside of the duvet. It is now showing the right side of the material, of course.

Easier to do than to describe, and has speeded up my bed making no end.