11 Ways To Bring On Spring

11 Ways to Bring On Spring

Want your place to feel fresh in a flash? Here's how:

1. Gather Up Throw Rugs:
and take them outside for a good
shake. Then air them on a clothes-
line or railing for several hours.

2. Buy a Few Potted Plants:
(pansies and gerber daisies will be
flowering soon), and tuck them into
nicer pots. It's still too chilly for planting,
but meantime you can enjoy their pretty
petals.

3. Do a Quick Fridge and Freezer Clear-out
to make room for springtime fare and
plan to eat up any frozen stews and soups.

4. Switch From Tablecloths:
to place mats, and arrange a bowl of
fruit or a vase of fresh flowers in the
middle of the kitchen table. The mats
are easier to keep clean-plus, if your table
looks set, it's a less likely landing pad for
mail and other clutter.

5. Ditch Grungy Kitchen Sponges: in favor
of cheery, colorful ones. Heck, splurge
on a nice dish liquid too.

6. Once Easter and Passover:
have, well, passed, most of your roasting
days are over until autumn. So self-
clean the oven some weekend- its still cool
enough that you won't swelter, and you'll be
ready (and feeling smug) come the holiday
season in the fall.

7. De-Funk Your Fabrics:
wash the mattress pad, pillow coverings
and pillows from everyone's bed (all pillow
types except foam can go into the washer,
but check the labels for specific laundering
instructions). Then do a second load with
your bath mat, shower curtains, and even the
curtain liner on the gentle cycle in hot water.

8. Fresh Lemons Smell Clean:
so try this: Cut one in half, put the pieces in a
microwave safe bowl with water to cover, and
cook on high for two to three minutes. The
steam will soften hardened food inside the
oven while you enjoy the citrus scent, Then
grate the fruit in the garbage disposal to eliminate
any musty odor and greasy gunk.

9. In The Bathroom:
see if your loofah or toothbrush needs
replacing . You should get a new brush every
three months and a new scrubber every 30 days,
but toss immediately if the bristles are frayed
or the loofah is mildewy. Also, check the cabinet
for expired cold medicines and trash them.

10. Wipe Down Your Computer Screen:
with a lightly dampened microfiber cloth.
Do the same with the mouse pad, then load
a fun wallpaper on the screen.

11. Take Plastic Garbage Cans Outside:
for a quick hosing out, and leave them upside
down to dry. Then sprinkle the bottoms with
baking soda to keep cans odor free.

GERM PROOF YOUR HOME

Get a Grip on handles, some of the germiest
places in the house are the hot spots every-
one touches: door knobs, faucet levers, appli-
ance handles, etc. Bacteria and viruses can live
on these for up to 48 hours. Zap them with
surface-disinfecting sprays that are EPA-
registered (check the labels)-products that kill
the influenza A virus on hard surfaces will
also be effective against the H1N1 flu strain.
But note: The area should be clean of visible
dirt or gunk and needs to stay wet with the
disinfectant for the length of time listed on the
label-if it dries quickly, do a second pass.
Germs are killed during evaporation, so let
air-dry. For no-wet items, like remote controls,
light switches, or phones, saturate a cotton ball
with rubbing alcohol; squeeze out and swab
surfaces carefully so no liquid gets inside.

Do A Bed Check

While plenty of rest helps cure a
cold, it also leaves bedding and sofa
accessories in need of a good washing. Scoop
up sheets and pillowcases, as well as bathroom
towels, and launder them in hot water. To dry,
choose the antibacterial cycle, if your dryer
has one; otherwise use the highest tempera-
ture setting. For sofa pillows, throws and cov-
ers, launder according to label directions (for
nonwashable fabrics, spritz with a fabric-safe
disinfectant spray, but test in a hidden spot
first). Wash your hands after touching soiled
linens. Because bacteria can remain in the
washer, it's a good idea to de-bug the machine
by running a normal hot-water cycle (minus
clothes) with a dose of bleach added.

Rethink Your Routines

Morning Rush
Lay clothes out the night before.
Make sure there are no spots, rips
loose buttons or other poblems.

Set the breakfast table after
dinner. Put out bowls, spoons and
the cereal selection.

Fill the coffeemaker with water
and put coffee in the basket.

Change wakeup times. To make
getting ready more efficient, stagger
when the kids get up. As one goes
into the bathroom, the other can
finish gettting dressed.

Fill the gas tank at night. It
eliminates a last-minute stop, and
if gasoline gets on your hands or
clothes, it doesn't matter-you're on
your way home, not to work

Errands
Arrange to have your paycheck
directly deposited into your bank
account and start online banking
to avoid time-consuming trips
to the bank.

Keep road maps, a phone book,
paper towels and baby wipes in the
car to avoid unnecessary stops.

Set up an errand co-op with
friends. One person goes to the
post-office, another to the pet
store and a third to the hardware
store while one babysits for
everyone.

Give older kids a list of items
to find on shelves when grocery
shopping. It speeds things up and
gives them something to do.

Carpet Cleaning

Routine Care and Cleaning

    For routine care, a vaccum cleaner is your most important
tool.  Vaccum at least weekly, more often where there is heavy
traffic.  Purists may advise you to go over a section of carpet-
ing eight times to get it completely clean, but if you vaccum
reguarly you will probably find that a couple of swipes back
and forth are sufficient.  You can vaccum a new rug as soon as
it is laid.  It is normal for new carpeting to shed a lot of fluff.

     Move and vaccum beneath furniture every six months or
once a year if possible.  More frequently, use special attach-
ments to reach under furniture and to clean the edges of a
carpeted room.  Vaccum the backs of rugs occasionally.
                                                           
     Set the vaccum to the correct level of suction for your car-
pet.  Deep-pile carpeting needs a different setting than  a flat-
weave rug.  Some vaccums adjust automatically. Some small,
lightweight items-among them pine needles, threads, and
pet hairs- are difficult to vaccum up.  If your vaccum cleaner's
attachments don't do the job, use a lint roller, or wrap your
hand with packing tape with the sticky side out and "blot" up
the elusive materials.  To prevent the fringe on the edge of a
rug from being sucked up into the vaccum cleaner, use an
attachment with an old nylon stocking over the nozzle.

     Change the vaccum cleaner bag when it becomes full.  An
overstuffed bag impairs a vaccum's ability to clean. Don't
reuse bags because old ones don't trap dust, their pores can
plug up with dirt and severely restrict air flow, and they
eventually tear.  Some newer-model upright vaccum clean-
ers have, instead of a bag, a dirt-collection container that
lets you see when it is full.  To minimize mess when empty-
ing the container, place a plastic garbage bag over the open-
ing before tilting the unit.