It's time to say goodbye to winter dirt and grime. Spring cleaning, although not necessarily the most anticipated event of the season, is certainly worth your investment of elbow grease. But how can you guarantee that those windows and floors will really sparkle after 24 hours on your hands and knees? Take some advice from our Facebook fans, who share their time-tested cleaning tips and tricks.
WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR CLOSET ORGANIZATION?
“Colorize it, light to dark. It’s a snap.” -Eileen Doherty Charles, Lancaster “I love the Container Store’s boot shapers to keep all of my pairs of boots standing like soldiers.” -Casi Babinchak, York
WHAT’S THE BEST STAIN REMOVAL TIP YOU’VE DISCOVERED?
“Vinegar is great for pet stains and to get the smell out.”
-Dana Bauder Cedeno, Conestoga
“Pretreat stains with a stain remover solution or a mixture of detergent and water. Presoak clothes for best results. Air dry garment and repeat process, if needed.”
-Doug Brubaker, Lancaster
DO YOU USE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS?
“We use a combination of natural products and sometimes incorporate heavy duty
cleaners like Clorox in both our home and business equipment (photography props and studio pieces) for disinfecting purposes.”
-Mandy Leger, Linglestown
“Very much so. Either homemade ones, or we buy ones without harsh chemicals.”
-Larry Guengerich, East Petersburg
Go Green! Ninety percent of polled readers prefer to use natural cleaning products.
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY YOU’VE FOUND TO CLEAN WOOD FLOORS?
“I love the Bona hardwood floor cleaner andpolish.” -Annette Fisher, York
DO YOU HAVE A SECRET FOR SPARKLING WHITE GROUT?
“I was at a home show once and a tile installer told me to use equal parts peroxide and baking soda mixed into a paste and lots of elbow grease.”
-Victoria Hill, Lancaster
HOW DO YOU GET CRYSTAL CLEAR WINDOWS?
“I love hot water and white vinegar to clean windows. Dry with newspaper for a streak free finish!”
-Erin Cramer, Lancaster
HOW DO YOU SPRING CLEAN YOUR KITCHEN?
“Don’t forget your pantry, especially your spices and herbs. Usually the shelf life on herbs is a year. Buy in smaller quantity and use whole versus powdered herbs. Do a sniff test, just in case it’s been about a year.”
-Phoebe Canakis, Bowmansville
STYLE STAFF SECRETS:
“My secret cleaning product of choice is S-32; it takes out stains in clothes, fabrics and carpeting. Also for an absolute last resort on a past-the-point-of-no-return clothing stain try pouring boiling water onto the spot.”
-Katie Drejas, art director
“My two favorite cleaning accessories are my central vacuum and my Swiffer Dusters. You can get all the hard-to-reach places like shelves, vents, ceiling fans and more!”
-Erica Keene, account executive
“I once read in Real Simple a tip I love for getting the ick that forms around faucets off. Soak a paper towel in white vinegar and wrap around the faucet, leave to soak for several hours; then clean as normal (I like Bon Ami for scouring sinks and faucets).”
-Keely Childers Heany, editor-in-chief and associate publisher
“When I prepare raw chicken, or any meat for that matter, I clean the entire area (sink, countertops) with Scotch-Brite botanical disinfecting wipes. They kill a wide spectrum of bacteria and can be used on surfaces that contact food.”
-Sue Ottenheimer, senior account executive
“I make a paste out of OxiClean and water, and scrub it into a set-in stain with a toothbrush. Then I soak the item overnight in a bucket of warm water mixed with another scoop of OxiClean. This will get absolutely any stain, including pesky deodorant stains, out of your clothes. I’ve saved many a white shirt this way!”
-Hannah Wigton, managing editor and marketing coordinator
Compiled by Hannah Wigton
