Editors of Womans Day - Womans Day Easy House-Hold Tips: 1,000 Ideas for Caring for and Maintaining Your Home

Copyright 2008 Filipacchi Publishing, a division of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

Illustrations 2008 Claudia Pearson

First published in 2008 in the United States of America by

Filipacchi Publishing

1633 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

Womans Day is a registered trademark of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First eBook Edition: January 2010

ISBN: 978-1-933231-80-8

My mother was an excellent housekeeper. The house was always spotlessly clean with little or no real help from me. I never noticed that it took that much work. So it was a rude awakening when I moved into my own home and had to face the day-to-day task of dusting, dishwashing, decluttering and laundry. Oh yeah, fit that in somewhere between working, doing errands and taking night classes.

I think everyone wants a clean home. I know I do. But with everything else we have to do, its one of those jobs thats left simmering on the back burner. I often spend much more time thinking about it, planning to do it and feeling guilty about not doing it, than I actually do cleaning.

The simple solution is to find ways to maintain your home with less time and effort. After talking to people who own cleaning businesses, professional organizers and died-in-the-wool neatniks, Ive learned lots of tricks that make even the most daunting tasks seem doable. Knowing there are sometimes simple solutions to what seems an impossible task gives me a sense of calm in the midst of chaos. No need to panic if you spill red wine on your shirt or if your son draws a masterpiece on the wall with crayons. There are wayseasy waysto get it off.

Even though I would never say I love to clean, I find it an infinitely interesting topic.

New products and new methods of doing things are always coming up. Over the years readers have sent Womans Day thousands of their favorite household tips that cover every topic, from how to organize your makeup to cleaning the toilet with Coca-Cola, to what to do with a wet paintbrush when the phone rings. Each tip made someone happy because it solved a problem and made life a little easier.

Thats what I hope youll get out of this bookthe answer to a problem or a faster, better method of doing a household task. Keep it handy so when you get in a jam, help will be as close as the pages of this book.

JANET SOBESKY

• Cluster items on the countertop according to function and use. If you make toast and coffee every morning, keep the coffeemaker and toaster unplugged next to one another.
• Have a specific place for everything. If you (and your family) know where the mixer or measuring cups belong, you wont waste time looking for them.
• Keep items near where they are used. Put a set of measuring spoons near your spices and baked goods and mugs and filters near the coffeemaker. If something gets used in several places, store it where you need it most.
• Group things that are used daily in a basket on the countertop or hang on hooks; store everything else out of sight in cupboards or drawers.
• Use every bit of cabinet space. Put step shelves, pullout drawers, cup hooks or plastic turntables in deep pantry cabinets so stuff doesnt get lost or out of sight.
• Stop searching for coordinating plastic containers and lids. Code lids and corresponding bottoms by writing numbers on the outside with a permanent marker. Then put a lid hanger on the inside of a cabinet door and store the bottoms in an old dishpan.

SPECIAL STORAGE

LARGE TRAYS OR PLATTERS: Store vertically in a cabinet. Hold them upright in an old dish rack or file-folder rack.

PAN LIDS: Store vertically in a dish rack.

COOKIE SHEETS: Slip inside a large plastic bag and slide into the space next to the refrigerator.

LINENS: Store placemats or everyday tablecloths flat in a drawer or bin with a piece of cardboard between sets. When you pull some out, the others wont get messed up.

SOFT BAGS OF RICE, BEANS, ETC.: Stash in clear plastic shoeboxes with lids and place on cabinet shelves.

CANDLES: Put birthday candles and votives in a plastic container in the fridge. Theyll stay clean and burn longer.

• Use dead space on countertop corners to store small appliances, like can openers.
• Use an old dishpan as under-sink storage for soap, brushes, floor polish, etc. It can slide in and out like a drawer.
• Large, rarely used items can be stowed away in the space between cabinet tops and the ceiling.
• Fill empty space over a window with a narrow shelf to hold trays or platters you rarely use.
• Store everyday cups and dishes in a shallow drawer or on a shelf in a bottom cabinet to make it easier for kids to set the table and empty the dishwasher.
• Baskets are a pretty and practical way to hold onions, potatoes or garlic while letting them breathe.
• Hang a plastic shoe bag on the inside of doors to store large but little-used kitchen utensils and gadgets.
• If you have tapered glassware, position every other glass upside down on the shelf.
• Increase drawer capacity by putting in lift-out trays. Fill the tray with items that you use frequently; store other articles underneath and out of sight.

• Install pegboard to hold pots and pans or gadgets of different sizes and shapes. Paint to match your cabinets.
• Narrow Shaker peg racks are available by the foot in home centers. Use them to hang aprons, towels, oven mitts and other lightweight items.
• Mount rails, hooks or magnetic strips on the backsplash to hold kitchen gadgets and knives.
• Add narrow shelves in the space between the base of wall cabinets and the countertop to keep small items such as spices or mugs.

• Use a small ladder as a ceiling rack. Attach it to the studs with lengths of chain, and hang items from S-hooks looped around the rungs.
• Suspend baskets from studs or raftersthey add a rustic look and are great hidden storage places for items you dont use often.
• A pot rack near the stove or cooktop keeps frequently used items out of the way but within reach.

• Tack up a small bulletin board as a catchall for kids artwork or school messages.