A Lady's Housekeeping Tips

The book club I participate in, Ladies in Waiting, has been reading Little Women this month and I was asked to write a post about housekeeping tips. I had a few of my own and a few from my mom and aunt. Thinking that this are handy tips for everyone to know, I am sharing them here as well.



Here are a few housecleaning tips that have been passed down in my family:

• For baked on dishes that you don't feel like SCRUBBING... pour a little bit of fabric softener such as Downy in the dish or pan and let it set for about an hour. It will come RIGHT out.


• If you have rust stain on carpet...sometimes from the feet of furniture... a little bit of white vinegar will remove that rust instantly.


• If your stainless sink is looking rusty, use a little baking soda and a scrubber to get it pretty and shiny again.


• If you run out of laundry soap and have a load of white laundry to do... use dishwasher soap, it has a little bleach in it and will work wonders.


• A blood stain on something white will come out quick with a little peroxide.


• My favorite cleaning solution for windows and mirrors can be made at home:



1 teaspoon Dawn dish soap
2 cups Alcohol
1/2 cup ammonia
To the above add water to make 1 gallon. Good for windows and hard surfaces.

• After you make up the solution, put it in spray bottles and keep one in each bathroom. Makes cleaning a cinch and your bathroom can be wiped down in about 2 minutes a day!

The best tip my mom taught me growing up was almost any household chore can be done in 5 minutes. If it is a quiet task like dusting or wiping down a bathroom or folding laundry, I will do it while on the phone. A 5 minute phone call and a room is dusted! Makes housework super simple!

What is your best housecleaning tip?

Quick Cleaning Tip - Cleaning Supplies

I am not sure if this is quick because I have little time today or quick because it makes cleaning faster...anyway...on to the topic at hand...

I like to clean house, but I dislike wandering back and forth and all around looking for cleaning supplies.

My solution: keep everything where it is needed.

For example, we have two bathrooms...so this means I have two of everything necessary to clean a bathroom. Now, when the bathroom needs cleaning I don't have to go get the cleaning supplies, walk them to the bathroom, clean, and walk them back to their home.

As for cleaning supplies that are not as room specific, those all live in the laundry room in one special place. Again, this shortens the prep time for cleaning since I know exactly where the squeegee (I don't know if that is spelled right, but I too tired to care) is at all times.

For things that Husband also uses, he gets his own set of cleaning supplies for the garage so he also does not have to go wandering about looking for things.

It's the little time savers that really add up!