Use throw rugs in high-traffic areas to keep harsh winter grime from ruining tile, wood and even carpeted floors. Salt can abrade wood and tile, but carpeting can hide the dirt and wetness tracked in with winter weather until it’s too late — and then your carpeting will have a permanent dirty spot. Use carpet and upholstery cleaners judiciously, says the University of Nebraska; using the wrong one can ruin fine fabrics.
Tag: cleaning the house
Protect Your Home Against Winter Dirt
Winter weather means one thing for your indoor environment: more dirt. People track in mud and salt when snow accumulates on the ground outside, and that dirt can mar your floors. Give the floors a good scrubbing when the weather is dry, and place a low tray or throw rug tray at each of the entrances to your home. People can leave their wet shoes and boots there, and your floors — and house — will stay cleaner longer.
Get Organized with the 1-for-3 Rule
If you want to get organized in the New Year, use the one-for-three rule, says the blog Clean and Organized Family Home. For every new thing you bring into your home, eliminate three that just aren’t pulling their weight. Christmas decorations, clothing, and giveaway items that you’ll never use again go in the donation pile. Then, box them up and send them to ClothingDonations.org, where they can find a new life with people who need them.
Put Them to Work!
With the kids home over the summer chances are that things are a little bit more cluttered at your house than usual! As they dig out old toys and games, outdoor sporting equipment and other sundry items used to keep them amused during those long, lazy days of summer things can pile up.
With school looming in the not-too-distant future, now’s the time to get a head start on summer clutter clean-up. And what better timing than when the kids are at home to lend a hand!
Whatever their ages, your kids can be put to work on helping to clean up the clutter in preparation for back-to-school. One added benefit—as they get rid of the old they can keep a list of what replacement items they may need. Whether old clothes are torn and tattered, or simply no longer fit, now is a good time to begin those back-to-school shopping lists.
Don’t have kids? Summer time still means some added clutter for all of us. There’s no better time to declutter than when the temperatures are warm and the nights are long!
Here are some additional tips to help you get on top of summer clutter:
- Do it in stages. Maybe one week you assign a task of emptying old dressers and closets, another week you focus on the basement, the garage, the family room, etc.
- Keep that list handy: ask everyone to keep track of the replacement item “must haves” that they will need when they get rid of no-longer-need/want items.
- Separate “need to be tossed” from “someone else may value” items so you can readily donate your still-in-good-shape, but no longer needed items.
- Don’t overlook adult clutter: spend some time focusing on all of the areas of your house that lend themselves to clutter: “junk” drawers, kitchen cabinets, pantries, etc.
- Give us a call! When you’ve cleared through the clutter and have identified items that can go to good homes, give us a call—we offer free pick-up.
Finally, gather those lists together and plan for some fun end-of-summer, back-to-school shopping to replenish your closets for fall!