"Summertime, and the livin' is easy"--remember that great song? Unfortunately, the "livin'" is rarely easy during the summer months. Between vacation schedules, sporting events and kids being home, it's not only hard to truly savor the season, but it is hard to just manage the day-to-day chaos and mess.
If you are finding it difficult to keep your house clean while still enjoying days of summer fun, try these 7 quick cleaning tricks:
Get Rid of Chair Stains with Alcohol
Many chairs are now made with microfiber upholstery making it a challenge to clean. Spray the stain with rubbing alcohol and wipe with a clean sponge. Alcohol evaporates quicker than water so it won't leave a mark. Worried the alcohol will fade your fabric? Create a solution of one part dishwashing liquid to two parts hydrogen peroxide--spray, rub in, let stand and wash.
Deodorize Trash with Baking Soda
Sprinkling baking soda at the bottom of a trashcan will keep odors at bay--especially helpful if you have cans in a hot garage or porch. Using trash bags? Wad up old newspaper and put in the bottom of the bag--this will not only help absorb odor, but will keep the bag from leaking due to discarded liquid products.
Clean Your Blinds with a Sock
With more hours of sunlight, you may be noticing the dust that has accumulated on your blinds. Grab a pair of old socks to help you clean your blinds. Mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a bowl, put a sock over one hand, dip it into the mixture and run it over the blinds. Use the other sock to wipe away the dampness.
Keep the Bathroom Fresh with Essential Oils
Between kids being home and guests visiting, your bathroom gets a real workout during the summer months. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the inner roll core of your toilet paper. Every time the roll is used, the smell will be released.
Get Rid of Water Rings with a Blow Dryer
If your coffee table is filled with water rings (seriously, kids always forget coasters!), hold a blow dryer on high close to the ring until it disappears. You can dab a little olive oil on the area to recondition the wood if necessary.
Clean Your Microwave with a Lemon
There is nothing worse than your son using the microwave to re-heat a slice of last night's anchovy pizza. Slice lemon into a bowl of water and put it in the microwave on high for 3-minutes. Let it sit in the microwave for another 3-minutes and then simply wipe the inside clean. Another trick for quickly getting rid of odor: Place a bowl of white vinegar inside the microwave and keep the door shut for one hour.
Keep Books Dust-Free with Homemade Dust Shields
If your home has shelves filled with books, help keep them dust-free by creating linen dust shields. To make, measure the length of the shelf and the distance from the shelf above to the top of the shortest book. Add 1 inch to all sides; cut material to this size and hem bottom sides by 1 inch. Sew 1-inch-wide twill tape to top edge and fasten to underside of shelf every 6 inches. Via MarthaStewart.com
Talk to us: What is your best trick for keeping your home clean during the summer?
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