Life & Balance

Clean house in 15 to 20 minutes

Let the fresh air in and the dust and dirt out as you whip your home into shape.

Updated:: 2009-10-26 21:37

Published:: 2006-04-03 00:00

By: Laura Eggertson

How to clean your house - fast

Home-organizing and cleaning whizzes Katherine Schaefer, home economist, and Terri McGraw, host of Mrs. Fixit, share tips to help you clean and freshen up your windows, screens, drapes, blinds, carpets, mattresses, bedding, walls and floors quickly.

Take heart, with tips provided by Terri McGraw and Katherine Schaefer you can tackle your house cleaning jobs in as little as 15 to 20 minutes a day.
Windows

Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol to clean the windows.

Rub them down with newspaper or unused coffee filters to get rid of streaks.

To clean all windows, mix one gallon cool water with four Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar.

Avoid smudges by cleaning inside panes horizontally and outside ones vertically.

Screens

Before putting screens back on, use an old pair of nylons or an old onion bag to scrub the dust off them without damaging them. Or, use the soft brush on a vacuum hose attachment.

Wash screens by laying them flat on a cloth-covered surface and scrub with a soft brush dipped in warm, soapy water.

For tough dirt, add vinegar to the water and rinse off with the garden hose.

Drapes and Curtains

Use the soft brush attachment to the vacuum to work on drapes from top to bottom.

Freshen washable curtains by putting them in the dryer with a fabric-softener sheet and a new tennis ball, which knocks out the dust. Run the dryer on air only for 20 minutes, and hang immediately to avoid ironing.

For new curtains or curtains with wrinkles, spritz with water - this weighs them down, which smooths them out.

Blinds

Use a white cotton or dirt-collecting microfibre glove and run your fingers between the slats of the blind to catch the dust. Wet your gloved fingers first with soapy water.

To prevent dust from accumulating, dampen a dryer sheet and run it along the blinds.

Carpet Stains

Spray spots with carpet cleaner or white foam shaving cream.

Using a damp white cloth dab at the spots, working from the outside in.

Keep working gently until the spot lifts, then dab again with clear water to lift any cleaner residue.

Mattresses

Take all the beds apart and vacuum them to get rid of the dust.

Keep dust mites out of the mattress with zippered plastic mattress covers.

Bedding

Wash all the blankets and duvets, if they'll fit in your washing machine.

Or, spend a few hours at a laundromat.

If you have a clothesline, hang them outside to dry to absorb the freshness.

Walls and Floors

Use Murphy's Oil Soap on wood floors, and an all-purpose organic cleaner for the walls.

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a mackenzie wrote:

Mar 25, 2004

2009-09-22 10:47 AM

I have installed several hardwood floors, when gleaning advice from pros, they all said not to use oil soap to maintain the floors
joan wrote:

Apr 01, 2004

2009-09-22 10:47 AM

If you want the best ever cleaner use "TSP". The dirt just roles off. Other comercial cleaners leave a film that just attracts more dirt.
Gauder wrote:

Apr 01, 2004

2009-09-22 10:47 AM

I have used murphy's oil soap for 20 years on hardwood flooring. Manufacturers advise against this to sell higher priced forms. Vinegar and water are also a good damp mop source.
Mike wrote:

Mar 25, 2004

2009-09-22 10:47 AM

I was also told not to use murphy's on hardwood flooring.
Ruth Charnell wrote:

Mar 24, 2004

2009-09-22 10:48 AM

I notice in your household hints advice to use Murphy's Soap for hardwood floors. I was advised NOT to use it when my floors were laid 12 years ago. I was advised to use nothing but vinegar in water...? They are oak floors.
Mrs. Jones wrote:

Mar 29, 2004

2009-09-22 10:48 AM

Again, when hardwood was laid we were told just to use plain water (w/vinegar if nec.). I asked about Murphy's and was told NO. I wonder if advertising or sponsorship had anything to do with this article?
Carol wrote:

Apr 02, 2004

2009-09-22 10:48 AM

Do not use Murphy's oil. I did and leaves an awful film that shows all footsteps and smudges. It seems oily!
Rebbekka wrote:

May 15, 2006

2009-09-22 10:49 AM

Once I read in the instructions for Murphey's Oil Soap that after cleaning one should follow-up with a "rinse cycle" of clear water, I put it back on the shelf. For me, cleaning floors takes a lot of motivation; having to clean off the cleaner would destroy the tiny bit of motivation completely.
marg wrote:

Apr 11, 2006

2009-09-22 10:49 AM

I was told only vinegar and water on a 1 to 4 ratio...
jane wrote:

May 18, 2007

2009-09-22 10:49 AM

It is not the type of wood, but the finish that determines the type of cleanser needed. Wax finishes will require re-waxing when using an oil soap to clean them. Polyurethane finishes may develop some buildup from oil soaps making refinishing in the future an issue. If you dust mop regularly a very dry mopping without a cleanser is probably all you need. If you have a waxy buildup on your floors, you need an oil soap to remove it. Try to find out what finish your floor have and then follow the manufacture’s advice if you need to use a cleaner.
Gillian Szabo wrote:

Jul 13, 2007

2009-09-22 10:50 AM

I was told not to use anything but water on hardwood floors. Vinegar over time will dull floors. If anyone has any better idea, I'd love to hear it.
Peggy Nature wrote:

Aug 29, 2006

2009-09-22 10:51 AM

According to the book "Home Comforts," Murphy's Oil Soap does not actually contain oil. It is a liquid soap (that uses oil instead of tallow in the manufacturing process), and if used in dilute concentration, seems to be acceptable to use on hardwood floors, even those with polyeurethane finish, provided the floor is well buffed afterward.
Dustin wrote:

Jun 29, 2007

2009-09-22 10:51 AM

I, too, was advised NEVER to use Murphy's Oil Soap on my hardwood floors (they are sealed with a polyurethane finish). The oil soap is apt to make the floors slippery. For sealed wood floors I usually use warm water and a mild soap, or vinegar, and damp mop them every so often - I don't understand why you would need any more than that. If your floors are the 'unsealed' variety, they need to be cleaned with a hardwood floor cleaner (available in paint and hardware stores) and waxed with a good-quality paste wax, then buffed. Any quantity of water on unsealed floors (whether with Murphy's Oil Soap or not) is bad for them and can cause water spots and warping if not dried up immediately.
Evelyn Sweet wrote:

Apr 10, 2007

2009-09-22 10:51 AM

I can tell you an easier way to clean screens it to use a lambs wool mitt that you use for washing cars it is faster and gets them clean in one swipe so clean you'll think they are not there anymore. I use mr clean or any cleaning agent handy.
Marlene wrote:

Dec 13, 2004

2009-09-22 10:51 AM

I am a hardwood flooring retailer, and Murphy's Oil Soap is not recommended for pre-finished hardwood flooring.. It will harm the finish and will void most warranties.
Anita wrote:

May 04, 2009

2009-11-18 2:59 PM

I invested in a good squeegy (available at cleaning supply places).Mild soapy water, a squeegy,and a damp cloth, have your windows clean and streak-free very quickly.
no wrote:

Apr 10, 2007

2009-11-18 3:00 PM

was also told not to by the floor layer. He also said that vinegar will take the shine off.
Lisa wrote:

Mar 20, 2007

2009-11-18 3:00 PM

I run a residential cleaning service here in Calgary. We exclusively use Bona Wood Floor cleaner on hardwood. It is PH balanced, leaves no dulling residue and doesn't dry out the wood. We save the Murphy's Oil Soap for damp dusting furniture and baseboards.
Connie wrote:

May 04, 2009

2009-11-18 3:01 PM

Please, if you have asthma do not use rubbing alcohol to clean your windows, I was found unconscious with oxygen saturation levels of 70 percent, and rushed to the hospital because of the fumes. Could have been potentially fatal had I not been discovered by my room-mate.
Anna from Montreal wrote:

May 22, 2007

2009-11-18 3:01 PM

I have maple hardwood floors and use Murphy's Oil Soap with no problems at all to my wood floors. Maybe it makes a difference with "newer" wood flooring - and the reason for you being told to use vinegar/water - my floors are original 1958 wood - and look beautiful.
darlene wrote:

Apr 11, 2007

2009-11-18 3:02 PM

Ditto re the Murphy's Oil Soap. Good for woodwork, but not floors, apparently. One- quarter cup of white vinegar in four litres of warm water, then a rinse with clear water, makes hardwood shine, and softwood like fir, too. I've just done two rooms with oak flooring and one with fir this way for the first time. It works!