'Good Enough' Housekeeping Shortcuts
Sept. 29, 2006 — -- If you're not a neat freak, help is on the way.
According to Good Housekeeping executive editor Judy Coyne, it's OK to just do "good enough" housekeeping.
She has sneaky shortcuts to help get rid of a mess in minutes.
Microwave Magic
If the inside of your microwave is covered with hard-to-clean dried-food splatters, put a measuring cup of water in the microwave and set it for three minutes. Steam from the boiling water loosens the food, and the mess comes off easily with a dry sponge or paper towel.
Paper Towel Shuffle
When you spill juice or something sticky on the floor, don't bend over. Instead, spritz liquid cleaner on two paper towels and put them under your bare feet. Slide them around to spot-clean a dirty area on your kitchen floor.
Dusty Book Cure
Blow a hair dryer on dusty books to just blow the dust off.
Dirty Blinds
Clean window blinds instantly by simply reversing the direction of the blinds. Now no one knows they're dusty. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, you should do a thorough blind cleaning once a year.
Pantyhose for Pet Hair
Have hard-to-remove pet hair and no lint brush in sight? Bunch up an old pair of pantyhose into a ball and rub along your upholstery. Static electricity picks the pet hair right up.
Vacuum Selectively
Vacuum high-traffic areas. Run your vacuum in front of chairs, around the sides of the bed, and on the bottom or top two steps of the staircase -- that's where all the dirt really is.
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