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Q. American Heart Health Month has inspired me to use my treadmill (for exercise, not a clothes rack!) How do I clean it?
Keeping your treadmill and other exercise equipment clean is important for maintenance and safety. Fortunately, it’s easy. (Much easier than keeping up with a rigorous exercise routine.) Just follow these steps and you’ll be off and running!
Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe away sweat on the deck, handrails and conveyer belt after every use.
Once a week,…
From her many jobs as cook, cleaner, grocery shopper, chauffeur and social director, mom typically receives just one day off a year - Mother's Day.
In a 2000 national survey by American Cleaning Institute, 82 percent of moms said that they would like to see the housework vacation that they enjoy on Mother's Day happen more often.
"Today's mothers have to juggle so many more responsibilities than they did when the first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1914,"…
Don’t let the crafty kid messes add to your stresses. The American Cleaning Institute offers these tips for cleaning up after your budding Picasso has finished with arts and crafts.
Choose Wisely:
Stock your craft closet with washable paints and markers and water-based craft glue. If any of the coloring mediums get on clothes, simply pretreat the stain with a prewash stain remover and toss the soiled items in the wash.
Finger Paint
Prevention is the key. Use a…
Living/Dining Rooms and Bedrooms serve up different types of challenges. Dust and dirt tracked in on shoes ... spill and stains on carpets and upholstery ... rings on wood surfaces. But here again, there are products that meet the challenges.
Use rugs or mats at all entrances to catch dirt and grit that can build up on floors and carpets.
Choose a soft cotton cloth or paper towel for cleaning glass surfaces. Fabric softener on cleaned cloths can leave a residue; extra absorbent paper towels…
Are you a caregiver for a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia?
If you are caring for an individual who is diagnosed with or showing signs or symptoms of dementia, all cleaning products, including laundry packets, should be stored in a locked cabinet or a closet when not in use.
Liquid laundry packets contain highly concentrated detergent. If not safely stored or handled properly, laundry packets can lead to injury from ingestion and/or exposure…
If you or your child have allergies or asthma, you already know that many things can bring on, or "trigger," an asthma flare or episode. Some things that trigger asthma attacks are called allergens. Some people get symptoms from only one allergen - like dust mites. For other people, more than one kind of allergen can trigger an episode.
Tobacco smoke is an asthma trigger. Avoid smoking in a home where a person with asthma lives.
The…
We love fresh fall breezes, but not when it blows dust and grime into our home. Here are some tips for cleaning the entire window, coverings, sills and glass:
Window Sills and Frames:
Remove dirt and debris. Use a small broom or vacuum window frames and sills to get rid of dust, soot, cobwebs, and dead insects. Wipe plastic or vinyl frames and sills with cleaning wipes. If you use a spray product, be sure to spray the product on cloth, and then use the cloth…
One of the most important things to remember when dusting is to spray the cleaner onto a cloth or sponge first instead of spraying the furniture directly so that dust doesn’t get airborne. Wipes and other non-spray products also are available. When you dust, start from the highest points in the room and work your way down, so that when the dust falls as you clean, you don’t have to re-dust. Get more dusting tips.
Q: This holiday season, I’ll be hosting several overnight guests from out of town. Do you have any tips for getting my home and guest room ready?
Having guests for the holidays is a great excuse to spruce up your home. Focus first on the bedrooms, bathrooms, and other shared spaces. Here are my top ten tips for preparing your home for guests.
Put mats and throw rugs in all entryways. This will help prevent dirt from being tracked into your home.
Keep a…
Get the jump on seasonal cleaning!
It's fall, so how about getting started with spring cleaning?! While that may sound like a contradiction in terms, stop and think about it. Warm summer months means vacations away from home and more time spent outdoors. But while you were out enjoying yourself, dirt and grime didn't take a vacation. They sat around the house, accumulating and multiplying. And, now, with the winter months ahead and the holiday seasons rushing in…