cleaning Archives - Rodeo Realty

If there is one thing we pride ourselves on in LA, it is clean and natural home living. Rather then perusing the household products of your local Whole Foods, we’ve listed below 10 easy ways to use Vinegar as your go-to cleaner.

As an all-natural, all-in-one cleaner, white vinegar really does work wonders in terms of making your home look spic and span. In the kitchen, it cleans out your coffeemaker, removes hard water stains on your glassware, and rinses down your waste bins. In the laundry room, it keeps your colors bright and your whites whitened. Have a pest problem? You won’t for long with the help of white vinegar. It works as a repellent against ants in places where they like to crawl and hide (think: your patio, porch, or picnic table). Pick it up once, and it will become your new go-to cleanser.
-Martha Stewart

Deodorize the Room

Unpleasant odors lurk in the carpets, rugs, and upholstery. To remove these musty smells, fill a dish with half an inch of white vinegar and leave it out in the room until the smell dissipates.

Click here for the step-by step

Dissolve Rust

To clean sharp edges on a dirty knife or pair of shears without cutting yourself, pour white vinegar over the blade. Then sprinkle with coarse salt and rub with a cork. Rinse with water and wipe dry to prevent rusting.

Keep Colors Bright

If you think that the colors of your clothing may run in the wash, try this time-honored treatment: Pre-rinse laundry in a solution of distilled white vinegar and cold water, using 2/3 cup vinegar for each gallon of water. Let the garments soak for up to 15 minutes, then wash and dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Click here for a step-by-step

Clean the Faucet

Cut through the crusty buildup of mineral deposits on your faucet with this trick: Soak a paper towel in full-strength white vinegar, then drape over the buildup. Leave for about an hour, then scrub scum away.

Wash Your Windows and Mirrors

Reflective surfaces such as these should have a streak-free shine. You can make your own cleaner by mixing one part vinegar and one part water.

Sanitize Your Garbage Disposal

It’s no surprise that a trash bin can harbor the worst odors in your home. But a rinse-down doesn’t always do the trick. After rinsing with fresh water, use a long-handled brush to scrub the inside with a mixture of white vinegar and warm water. Rinse once more and let dry.

Remove Hard-Water Stains

Use a clean rag to rub each piece with distilled white vinegar. This will remove the hard water’s calcium and magnesium buildup. (And don’t worry—the items won’t smell like vinegar once dried.)

Clean Bath Toys

Wash bacteria and mildew from bath toys by giving them a bath of their own: Fill a bucket or large bowl with warm water, adding 1/2 cup white vinegar per gallon of water. Soak toys for 10 minutes, then rub gently with a sponge and allow to dry. The acetic acid in vinegar cuts through dirt buildup and works as a natural disinfectant.

Save Your Shoes

Leather and suede are some of the hardest materials to maintain. Stains can easily result when our shoes come in contact with rain or salt. To rid your shoes of unsightly salt spots, rub them down with a paper towel dampened with white vinegar, which dissolves the salt.

Shine the Silver

Silver is easily scratched and tarnished. Restore its sparkle by gently buffing your pieces with vinegar and a soft cotton cloth. Finish by rinsing and drying your silver with the cloth.

Courtesy of: Martha Stewart Home Living

1: Streamline the stuff

One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear it of clutter.

Each year most of us acquire a mountain of stuff. Without some regular purging, cabinets and drawers get jam-packed and it becomes hard to find the things you use and enjoy the most. (All that clutter also makes your house look dated and dirty, designers say.)

This year resolve to go room-by-room periodically clearing anything that you don’t use, wear or love and donate it to charity. After that, think twice about what you bring in, says Antoinette Nue, an Atlanta consultant who specializes in helping people simplify and go green.

“Fill your home with the things that raise your energy level and make you feel good, and get rid of the things that drain your energy or are broken,” she says.

Stash useful (but not beautiful) items such as DVDs, remotes and those kicked-off shoes in simple woven baskets. Group similar items together on sleek trays, says Stuart McCormick, a designer with Liz Levin Interiors in Washington D.C.

Clear your counters of everything you don’t use on a daily basis. And get ready to breathe a little easier in your own home.

2: Make it safe and sound

Your home may be beautiful, but is it safe?

First, check your house for radon. This colorless, odorless gas causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year from the radioactive particles it traps in your lungs as you breathe, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One in every fifteen homes has elevated levels. And with test kits costing as little as $20 at your local hardware store, there’s no reason not to get right on that.

While we’re on the subject of deadly gas, make sure you install a carbon monoxide detector on every bedroom floor in addition to fire detectors. If a chimney flue or furnace vent gets blocked or leaks, carbon monoxide could back up in your house and kill you. Like a radon test, this is a small investment — $40 or more — for such an important safeguard.

Watch out for dryer lint. We know you clean the little trap inside the door, but most people neglect to clean the vents and ducts behind the dryer. Lint may seem innocent, but it’s highly combustible, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, accounting for more than 15,000 building fires a year.

Make sure your house can breathe. Many people’s bathrooms and attics aren’t vented to the outside (or the vents are covered over with shingles.) This makes you a prime candidate for mold.

And if you’re considering a remodel — and your home was last built or remodeled before 1978 — consider testing for lead paint and asbestos flooring. It will have to handled properly during removal, or particles can be released into the air for you to ingest.

3: Shrink your bills (and your carbon footprint in the process)

When people think of going green, they often think it takes solar panels to make a difference.

Not so, says Bob Schildgen, who wrote the “Hey Mr. Green” column for Sierra magazine. It just takes a little old-fashioned common sense.

The best place to start is by cutting your energy usage in your home:

– Remember your mom’s advice and switch off the lights when you leave a room.

– Turn off your air conditioner when you leave the house and dial your heater down to 55 degrees at night.

– Install LED bulbs and low-flow showerheads.

– Turn off your power strips and/or set your home computer to revert to sleep mode when not in use.

– Water your yard less. Put in drought-tolerant landscaping if necessary.

– Give composting a try. Your garden will thank you.

4: Work out a weekly system for keeping your house clean

Here are a few tips for keeping the mess under control from Jeff Campbell. He is the author of the book Speed Cleaning and owner of the Clean Team housekeeping service in San Francisco.

Daily: Dishes go in the dishwasher every night – no excuses! Dirty clothes go in the hamper and jackets or clean clothes are hung in the closet. Bring everything back to its assigned place.

Weekly: Clean your entire house, using these tips:

– Keep all of your cleaners in a portable carryall that moves with you from room to room.

– Focus on one type of cleaning at a time. It’s faster, Campbell says. Wipe down fingerprints on all of the cabinets, for instance, before moving on to spraying and wiping counters. Then move on to windows and mirrors and appliances. Once that’s done move on to sweeping and then mopping floors.

– For optimum efficiency, enlist the help of your family. If you can, divide the jobs among at least three parties. One of you can do the dusting/vacuuming and changing beds. The other can do the bathroom cleanup, leaving only the kitchen and trash emptying for you to handle. The upside? You can get the whole house done in 45 minutes, Campbell says. Leaving more time on the weekends for the park or the movies.

5: Get your place ready for entertaining

Each year most of us vow to spend more time with family and friends. To make you feel like inviting people in, why not give the areas you entertain in a little update?

You don’t have go for broke here and invest in a new kitchen remodel. All it takes to get a fresh new look is a little bit of rearranging and a few updates, says designer McCormick.

One easy update that makes your home seem more “finished” is the addition of plants, she says.

“They bring in new energy and help clean the air,” she says. “And it’s a great way to decorate if you’re on a budget.”

Pulling out a new accent color from your existing decor can make the whole room seem fresh. Pick an underused color in the room and add more of it in the form of a new pillow or throw to update your look, McCormick advises. A colorful rug or runner can also help anchor your space.

Lastly, take some time to rearrange your furniture so it is oriented in conversation groups and not just facing the television. That just might up for chances for real conversation and connection in the New Year.

Courtesy of HGTV

Tag: cleaning

All-Natural Easy Home Cleaning Tips