House Keeping Tips to Pass Down - Mom's Best Cleaning Tricks

8 House keeping Secrets Every Mom Should Teach Her Kids

 

There's no doubt technology has made our lives easier. But even robot vacuums and fancy dishwashers can't replace the timeless housekeeping tricks that even your grandmother might have obeyed. We asked experts and bloggers to share their must-know tips that you should pass down with your family heirlooms.

1. Always (always!) have white vinegar on hand.

This natural cleaning solution is great for a host of household chores, and designer Cortney Novogratz is a big fan. She says: "I mix it with a little baking soda to lift tough stains, like red wine, or use it alone to clean the refrigerator, freshen windows, and to get marker stains off my kids' hands."

2. Treat your laundry with care (even if it takes an extra minute).

"I learned to turn pocketed pants and shorts inside out as a foolproof way to avoid washing unwanted objects, like receipts, tissues, and pens," says Maxwell Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy. But if you get stuck picking white paper off dark clothes, use a lint roller, he says. Another laundry lesson worth passing down: Never wring out sweaters and woolens after a wash. Instead, Ryan suggests playing them on a flat towel and then rolling the towel up to absorb water before laying them flat to dry.

3. Greet your visitors with a tidy welcome.

Overnight guests will appreciate a few small, hotel-like touches and for Erin Souder, founder of Earnest Home Company, it's a well-made bed. "Everyone should know how to do a hospital corner," she says.

4. Always iron. And do it well.

"If your child wears a wrinkly shirt or dress to a job interview, it could keep them from receiving an offer," says Laura Delluri, author of The Overworked Mom's Stress Free Homekeeping. "It's important they understand the power of steam, when to use starch, and where to crease." But what good is a pressed shirt if it gets shrunk in the wash? Teaching kids to sort clothes by color and fabric is just as important, she says, and they need to understand how to decode clothing labels. Make sure your brood understands there is no such thing as a laundry fairy before they go to college.

5. Make everything smell good.

A spritz of Febreze will work well, but Abby Larson, founder and editor of Style Me Pretty Living, has an inventive trick for gaining freshness. She says: "To add a gorgeous scent to your linens, towels, and clothing, fill paper teabags with dried lavender and iron the packets closed. Then, place them into a small muslin bag and toss directly into the dryer with your next load."

 

6. Toothpaste isn't just for cavities.

Linda Cobb, author of Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean, keeps an all-white tube of toothpaste in her house for quick cleaning fixes. "It's a great spot cleaner for marks on the floor and walls, and for cleaning small pieces of jewelry and silver," she says. Use a rubber band to keep a spare toothbrush around the toothpaste so you'll always be ready for those hard-to-reach spots.

7. Know how to stretch time between cleanings.

Taking curtains off the rod or hooks for cleaning is a huge pain, which is why Cobb vacuums her drapes. "I slip an old nylon stocking over the head of the attachment so curtains don't get sucked into the vacuum," she says. This will help extend the time between removing and cleaning.

8. Dust the lightbulbs.

They're often forgotten! "They attract dust, and dusty bulbs are dimmer and less energy efficient," says Ryan. Clean bulbs with a soft cloth when they're turned off and cool to the touch.