Wipe away pet fur with a rubber glove.

Dip the glove in water, then run your hand over fur-covered couches, carpets or car seats to pick the fur up, no lint roller needed.

Banish faucet buildup with a lemon.

Dissolve that pesky mineral buildup and erase water spots with lemon juice.

Clean grimy oven racks with dryer sheets.

Soak the racks in warm water with a few dryer sheets for an hour, then rub the goop off.

Let ammonia clean the oven for you.

Pour half a cup of ammonia in a bowl, and let it sit in the oven overnight. Voilà! Crusty food falls away, and all you have to do is wipe down.

Fix burned pots and pans with baking soda.

First, boil water and white vinegar in the pan to lift off most of the burned food residue. Scrub any remaining bits with baking soda to erase completely.

Disinfect your mattress with vodka.

Yup, a spritz of vodka is said to kill odor-causing bacteria and disinfect. Just be sure to spray a light layer, and let the mattress dry before adding sheets.

Click here for the complete Huffington Post article with 5 more great cleaning hacks.

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Tired of carpet stain removers that cost the earth and sometimes work and sometimes don’t? This homemade carpet stain remover is inexpensive and easy to make and works better than many other options.

Who knew that you can use 2 things that you currently have in your pantry and get out those nasty kid stains on the carpet.

2 cups Hydrogen Peroxide and 1/4 cup baking soda.  Right in to a squeeze bottle.  Voila!  Stain removing magic.

I gave the spot a generous squirt of remover and rubbed and scrubbed it with my rag.  Then I went over it with the vacuum to dry it a bit.  Voila.  Really…..it felt like magic.  And now I don’t have to move the furniture.

Alexis at Joyful Mommas Kitchen says of this magical mixture: “Pay  no attention to the dark spots still lingering near the couch.  They are now also long gone.”

Read the entire article here at Joyful Mommas Kitchen.

Image courtesy of DiyHangout.

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Hardwood floors have a lot of charm but can be a bit of a bear to maintain, especially older wood floors that have not been sealed with urethane. Prevention can help keep maintenance to a minimum.

Be sure to place dirt and water grabbing rugs in front of exterior doors, both outside and inside. Also provide a seat and a mat or tray for storing boots and muddy shoes. Promote the habit of removing dirty footwear right at the door before tracking through the house. This will prevent damage from water, dirt and de-icing chemicals.

Even with those things in place, you’ll still need to clean floors on a regular basis, as accumulated dirt can scratch and mar the surface.

Basic Care

Speed up the cleaning process by first dusting the floor with a mop that has been treated with a dusting agent to pick up dust, dirt, and pet hair that might scratch the floor surface. For weekly or biweekly cleaning, vacuum with a floor-brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner or an electric broom. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch a wood floor’s finish. For quick dusting, use disposable electrostatic cloths, available at grocery and discount stores. Save money by using both sides of the disposable cloths.

Deeper Cleaning

Dirt, oil, and grime build up over time and aren’t completely removed by a weekly dust mopping. For occasional deep cleaning (consider doing the cleaning in the spring or just before the winter holidays), use a wood-cleaning product diluted according to the label instructions. Saturate a sponge or rag mop in the water, then wring it almost dry so it feels only slightly damp to the touch. Damp-mop the floor, being careful to prevent standing water on the floor. Rinse with a clean mop dampened in clear water, but only if the cleaning product requires it. Wipe up excess liquid because standing water can damage wood surfaces. If the weather is humid, operate a ceiling fan or the air-conditioner to speed up drying.

Removing Stains

First, it’s important to understand whether your floor has a hard non-permeable finish, like from urethane, or a soft finish from oil or wax products. If the mark sits on top of the surface than you probably have a hard finish. If the mark or stain has soaked into the wood to some degree, than your floor most likely has a soft finish. This is especially likely if you have an older home with the original finish on the hardwood floors.

Remove marks and stains from a floor with a hard finish by rubbing it with a soft cloth and a mild cleaning agent. Never use steel wool, sandpaper or harsh chemicals as they will mar the surface and make that area stand out from the rest of the floor.

If your floor has a soft finish, gently try one of the following:

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