Start in one corner, work your way around the room. Begin by dusting the highest pieces of furniture first, down to the lowest. Damp mop the walls (only if they are paneled, of course!), and then vacuum. If your wall has a door, don’t forget to clean over the door jamb! Do the window before you vacuum so you can wipe all the dust onto the floor.

Window cleaning – vinegar & newpaper (you can usually purchase unprinted rolls cheap from your local newspaper carrier.) Vinegar takes odors out of the air and doesn’t leave streaks.

A sliced lemon, 1 tsp of salt, and a couple of pieces of ice will clean coffee pots. Just rinse it well afterwards!

2 TBS. Baking soda in the dish drain followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar will remove odors from that too!

When drying your drapes, don’t dry them all the way through. Hang them just slightly damp back on the curtain rods – no ironing!

Baking soda sprinkled on your carpet will remove pet odors. If you live in a humid area, spray it with lightly with white distilled vinegar instead since moist baking soda is difficult to remove from the carpet fibers.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of nontoxic cleaning solutions!

Use newspaper instead of a paper towel or rag to clean glass along with your regular cleaner. It works great, and there are no streaks.

I like to set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes. That way it’s not overwhelming. I try to “beat the clock” and see how much I can get done in that time period. Usually, when the time is up, I’m on such a roll I keep going. But, it’s comforting to know that I can quit after the time limit if I want to.

I suggest starting in one room and finishing it before moving on to other rooms. This way, you don’t have the whole house in a giant mess. Good luck