Donna Smallin - The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple: 500 Tips for Cleaning Smarter, Not Harder

The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple

The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple

BY DONNA SMALLIN

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Nancy D. Wood and Rebekah Boyd-Owens
Cover design and art direction by Vicky Vaughn
Cover and interior illustrations 2006 by Juliette Borda
Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith, based on design
by Wendy Palitz
Indexed by Mary McClintock

2007 by Donna Marie Smallin
The content of this book is abridged from Cleaning Plain & Simple,
2006 by Donna Marie Smallin, published by Storey Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.

Printed in the United States by Versa Press
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smallin, Donna, 1960

The one-minute cleaner : plain and simple / by Donna Smallin.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58017-659-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. House cleaning I. Title.

TX324.S535 2007

648.5dc22

2007000334

Part One:
Ready, Set, Clean!

Part Two:
Challenges Inside and Out

Into every life a little dirt will fall. Add a layer of dust, a few stains, a dash of greasy grime, and now you have a real job on your hands. The problem is you also have a busy lifestyle, which doesnt leave much time or energy to deal with everyday grunge. You end up spending a good deal of your free time cleaning (or feeling guilty that you arent cleaning). Or you attempt to keep up as best you can, hoping all the while that you will someday have time to catch up.

Housekeeping is one of those jobs thats never done. In fact, in many homes its a job thats barely begun. Working women have all but abandoned their traditional role of head housekeeper. Spouses and children have taken up some of the workload, but still, not everything that should be done is getting done. By choice or necessity, standards have been relaxed to accommodate busy schedules that frequently force domestic responsibilities to the bottom of the to-do list.

The simplest solution to the cleaning quandary is to learn how to get your housecleaning done faster, so you can spend more of your free time doing what youd rather be doing! Thats the purpose of this book to provide plain and simple cleaning practices, techniques, and strategies that make quick work of housework.

The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple is written for busy people who want a clean home and a life. Youll find hundreds of practical tips and ideas for cleaning everything from kitchen counters to eyeglass lenses, from outdoor decks to bird cages. And because it takes individual lifestyles and special needs into consideration, this book also includes cleaning tips for allergy sufferers, strategies to ensure the safety of children in the home, and natural nontoxic green cleaning recipes.

Ive always found cleaning to be therapeutic for the body, mind, and soul. I believe many of us are striving to cope with a chaotic world. We may not be able to stop war or terrorism, and we certainly cant keep hurricanes and earthquakes from occurring, but we can clean up our own little corner of the world.

This book is divided into two parts: Ready, Set, Clean! and Challenges Inside and Out. Chapters include strategies for getting on top of the housework load and ongoing maintenance for every living space you occupy. Most pages offer practical advice for any day of the week, any time of the day, and a few are geared toward seasonal cleaning or preparing for special occasions. Every tip can be read in seconds; many implemented in as little as one minute. Look for the one-minute symbol .

Whatever your cleaning goals, know that the only standards that matter are those you set for yourself. Whether you enjoy cleaning or do anything you can to avoid it, theres no point in making it any harder than it has to be. Armed with proven tips, techniques, and strategies, youll be able to accomplish every cleaning task in record time and with less effort than you ever imagined possible.

You dont need a degree in housekeeping to maintain a clean, uncluttered home. You also dont need to spend all your spare time cleaning. What you do need are the right tools and supplies, an understanding of how to best use them, and a plan for what you hope to accomplish. Most people would probably enjoy living in a cleaner home if only they didnt have to do all the work! Guess what? It might not be as hard as you think.

Ask yourself, why do you clean? Whats in it for you? Would you like to be able to eat off the floors? Or would you be happy just to be able to fix dinner without having to clean up the kitchen or empty a sink full of dishes first?

What are your goals for cleaning?

What are the benefits to cleaning? First and foremost, a clean home is a healthier home. Germs in your home can create and spread illness. While it is impossible to kill all germs, cleaning and disinfecting is the best offense against them.

Cleaning is an investment. Regular upkeep helps carpets and furnishings last longer. Frequent vacuuming can extend the life of carpets by preventing dirt from being ground in, which can destroy carpet fibers, for example. A regular cleaning routine can save you money in the long run.