***Kristina won this giveaway and she has been notified! Yay, Kristina!****
I STILL have not figured out how to get my house perfectly clean by wiggling my nose.
So irritating!
As I’ve gone through this deslobification process over the past few years, I’ve realized that even more important than knowing how to clean is . . . doing it consistently.
Again, so irritating!
I’ve also realized that for the most part, I do know how to clean. Once the clutter is out of the way, I’m able to draw on the cleaning skills I learned from my mother and from working at a summer camp as a teenager. But there are always a few things that stump me. Things that make me shake my head.
And look away.
And pretend the cleaning dilemma doesn’t exist.
Which, unfortunately . . . doesn’t work. Because the not-so-clean item either stays in my house and continues to subconsciously irritate me, or I get rid of it. And suffer the guilt of knowing that the item could be salvaged if only I knew how to clean it.
But now, in the age of the internet, it’s ever-so-much-more difficult to use the excuse that you do not know how to clean something.
Molly Maid is well-known for their Maid Service, but they also now have a YouTube channel with videos of tips specifically for cleaning hard-to-clean items. There’s advice for washing baseball caps, getting sweat stains out of t-shirts, getting rid of furniture indentions in carpet, and more.
I thought I knew how to wash a shower curtain liner, but appreciated an extra tip that was given in this video:
I do wish that the videos contained some demonstrations, but they’re very clear and quick to watch. All of the tips are extremely simple and make irritating cleaning problems easier, which makes life easier.
I’m excited that Molly Maid is offering a giveaway! The giveaway is for one “Take Care of You!” gift pack including a nail file, foot pumice scrub, microfiber cleaner, etc.
Giveaway Rules:
Win a “Take Care of You” gift pack from Molly Maid ($50 value)!
This sweepstakes will end June 7 at 11:59PM PT, so enter now! A winner will be selected randomly from the comments on June 8 and contacted via email, at which time the winner will have 48 hours to respond with shipping information before a new winner is selected.
Enter up to five times by doing each of the following:
- One Entry – Tweet about the Molly Maid sweepstakes (you can even use one of the handy-dandy Tweets below, if you like) and leave a comment here with either the Tweet or the URL to the Tweet. Please be sure to tag your Tweet with #MollyMaidTips.
- One Entry – Tweet out the URL to one of the Molly Cleaning Institute videos and leave a comment here with either the Tweet or the URL to the Tweet. Please be sure to tag your Tweet with #MollyMaidTips.
- One Entry – Post about this sweepstakes on Facebook, and leave a comment here saying what you posted. Please tag the post with the #MollyMaidTips hashtag.
- One Entry – Write a blog post including at least one of the videos, and — you guessed it — leave a comment here with the URL to the blog post.
- One Entry – Just leave a comment on this blog post telling us about your favorite cleaning tips. They could potentially be included in a future video!
Sample Tweet: I just entered to win a gift pack from Molly Maid! You can too! http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2012/05/cleaning-tips-and-a-giveaway/#MollyMaidTips
Sample Tweet: I just learned a new cleaning trick, courtesy of Molly Maid. Check it out for yourself! http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2012/05/cleaning-tips-and-a-giveaway/ #MollyMaidTips
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Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.
My most realistic tip is to just do it! Often I spend way more time avoiding and fretting over a cleaning issue than just doing it! So, go do that looming project.
My favorite tip is using white vinegar as a dishwasher rinse aid. For one, it works wonders on removing the hard water spots from glasses and secondly, it removes build up soap scum and cleans the dishwasher all at the same time. Which is just on less thing this work-in-progress reformed clutter will have to clean in my kitchen. Oh, I also love to use Goof Off to clean cooked on oil off of pots.
P.S. I am new to your blog and I have to say it inspires me to stay on track with my decluttering and organization.
I really want to try putting vinegar in my dishwasher. We have extrememly hard water and my “clean” dishes look terrible. Thanks!
It’s not as bad as you think it is. 🙂 My floors always loom as this huge PROJECT but once I get going, they are done before I know it. The dread though! Oh! I love LOVE LOVE your site, BTW. Thank you for reminding me that cleanliness is not, in fact, next to Godliness, and that I can be a worthwhile human being and a SLOB too. It’s really, really nice to know I’m not alone in my struggles!
My favorite cleaning tip is to use natural cleaners so you aren’t dirtying your body with chemicals.
My favorite cleaning tip is “never leave a room without taking something with you that belongs somewhere else.” It really helps to keep clutter down.
Posted on facebook: I just entered to win a gift pack from Molly Maid! You can too! http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2012/05/cleaning-tips-and-a-giveaway/#MollyMaidTips
I shared about the giveaway on twitter
https://twitter.com/beckymilstead/status/208238566457868288
I posted on facebook
I just entered to win a gift pack from Molly Maid! You can too! http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2012/05/cleaning-tips-and-a-giveaway/#MollyMaidTips
I shared a Molly Maid video on twitter
https://twitter.com/beckymilstead/status/208240392297132032
My favorite tip is just to buy a huge container of white vinegar. It is such a versatile and useful cleaner. Everything from cleaning mirrors, rinse aid in the dishwasher, liquid fabric softener, and on & on.
I love the tips being circulated on Pinterest about using equal amounts of regular blue Dawn dish soap and hot vinegar to remove soap scum, etc. from the shower. I tried it & it works great. Love your site.
I agree with the “just do it” comment. I also use vinnegar. My one big thing is to tidy up before bed so I start fresh in the morning.
I would love to win! 🙂 Our home is never *truly* clean, mostly because of the dog or the two kids strewing toys…but my best tip is this: if you can’t vacuum the whole room, do the edges. One of my cousins (who was much older) told me this when I was young, and it really does help. Even if all the toys are covering the middle of the room, just get the edges and that’ll pick up most of the dog hair, dust, etc. that needs getting rid of. 🙂
Thanks for the great tips, I’ll be checking out the maids’ tips as well!
Emily
After years of picking up after little ones, my cleaning tip is to get everyone involved. It takes far less time when each family member picks up after themselves and does a few chores. Before you know it, the house is in order. I would still love to have a maid!
Best tip for cooking. Clean as you. If you spill something on the stove top wipe it up right then. It’s much harder to clean later once it had time to get cooked on.
My favorite cleaning tip is one I learned when I worked in daycare: foamy shaving cream is GREAT at removing crayon, marker, and other marks off of surfaces! If you have a table thats all marked up, spray some shaving cream on there, let your kids rub it all around, playing in it, then just clean off
i did NOT know the trick about the shower curtain liner….i wash mine (fairly) regularly because it’s clear and gets white hard water spots on it. next time i will definitely be trying molly’s trick!!
so far, i’ve gotten (pretty) used to running the dishwasher at night to be unloaded in the morning and monday is my new laundry day for the last few months. i still haven’t been able to get past monday with a consistent day/job schedule, but ALL of my laundry gets done once a week and the kitchen stays (mostly) clean on a (mostly) regular basis.
oh, and my feet could definitely use the gift pack to get ready for summer sandals!! 🙂 just sayin’
I sweep the room first, then pick up the toys etc out of the pile before I use the dust pan. Much less bending.
I also LOVE using vinegar as fabric softener! Been using it for about 6 mos now and LOVE it!
My favorite tip is “never leave a room empty-handed”. always takes something with you to put away, either on the way, or wherever you’re going.
My favorite cleaning tip is to use washing soda to clean the toilet. Sprinkle it on just after flushing and let it sit – the longer the better. Scrub with brush & voila – it’s clean. My feet could use some love. 🙂
My cleaning tip is to use a drop of vinegar on the faucet to really shine it up and get rid of water spots. It’s the finishing touch!
The Dawn and White Vinegar mix in a spray bottle for cleaning your showers. It is amazing!!!
My cleaning tip is to always empty your sink of dishes before you go to bed at night. There is NOTHING worse to waking up to a stack of dirty dishes in the sink! The kitchen may be a pit, but at least the sink will be clear! 😉
I am also learning to just do it instead of procrastinating. Still a slob, but doing better. So thankful for your blog and all of the encouragement and the knowledge that I am not alone.
Shared on FB 🙂
My tip is don’t have kids… If that didn’t work for you like me (mom of 4). I suggest that you put a cleaning routine in place. I used to be a big slop but since the kids mess up everything so fast I clean up every day, some days it isn’t much and others more but then your house never gets really really bad.
My favorite tip is using vinegar in the washing machine for fabric softener with my bath towels. They don’t get the build up of over concentrated fabric softener and don’t smell musty either. My hubby even says they seem to dry him off better too!!
My favorite cleaning tip is to soak things, like the top of your stove for few minutes while you do something else, just don’t forget to go back and wipe up. lol.
My best cleaning tip (and one that I forget all too often) is to “just do it!” (Thank you, Nike!) Usually the task is WAY less onerous than my inertia makes it out to be!
Hmmm. Cleaning tips aren’t something I have a lot of. My best tip is to jump in and do what needs to be doing, no excuses. But that’s not really a tip. Just something I’ve discovered that keeps my house clean better than any cleaning product. 😉
I like to fill the kitchen sink with a few inches of warm sudsy water when I begin preparing a meal. I throw dirty utensils, prep bowls, cutting boards, etc. into the water as I finish with them. That way, nothing has a chance to dry or harden on the dishes. A quick swish in the water and they’re ready to load in the dishwasher or hand-wash with a cloth as needed. I can also use the water to rinse off the dinner plates before putting them in the dishwasher. It saves water and makes clean up so much faster and easier.
I agree with the “Just do it” tip. When things get too cluttered, it becomes overwhelming and I just don’t know where to begin. I also love using vinegar as a cleaning product!
I don’t have a cleaning tip, I have lots of to-do lists, but no idea how to get them done!
I’m not on Twitter, so I used Facebook to announce the tips and giveaway!
I loathe cleaning the floors. Sometimes, it helps to “trick” kids into cleaning them by getting old rags wet (not sopping with cleaning solution and have them “skate” across floor to clean and use dry rag “skating” to dry.
My (kinda silly) cleaning tip- set a timer. I hate to clean, but it’s amazing how much you can get done if you just set a timer for 10 minutes or so. I don’t know why it helps, but it does 🙂
I put a cup of vinegar in the dishwasher to get sparkling dishes. I have really hard water.
We don’t use commercial cleaners. For floor cleaner we use vinegar & water. For counter top, use essential oil with dish soap & water.
Share the giveaway on Facebook.
My best tip for a cleaner home is right before bed and the whole family helps do a five-minute pick-up. Makes a huge difference, and so much gets done in so little time with everyone helping.
My best cleaning tip is to buy small version of your favorite cleaning tools and have your children help you! It is easier for them to use a small broom, mop, or even gardening tools than adult sized one! (can you imagine trying to sweet with a broom handle taller than you!) My children are still young enough to enjoy helping and working with Mom. 🙂 I hope it stays that way because I hate cleaning alone!
Tweet!
https://twitter.com/tkingrn/status/210479115298545664
tweet 2
https://twitter.com/tkingrn/status/210479694133477376
My cleaning tip:
Equal parts vinegar/dawn sprayed on glass shower doors and left overnight works WONDERS!!! It works so well I feel exposed when showering!!!
My favorite tip is to keep a laundry hamper in each bedroom and when it’s full, throw it in the washer. So much easier to put away if it all goes in the same room. I do have a seperate one for whites in the master bedroom, but find it doesn’t really matter for the kids, especially if I use the Shout color catchers.
I love the fact that you can clean stainless steel pots & pans with baking soda.
I just posted on Facebook about this contest.
my cleaning tip: I clean by themes: one day it’s floors, one day baths, one day dusting. Etc. I like it better at I feel a room is cleaned bit by bit.
I don’t have many cleaning tips, but cleaning is definitely less of a chore if I picture myself with a clean room/kitchen/bathroom! There’s no words to describe the comfortable, happy, satisfied feeling I get when I see a neat and clean room.
Also, I’ve found that a lot of stains/discolorations around the house (e.g. on the doors, walls) can be removed with water! I like to re-use holey socks (clean, of course), wet it with water, and go around the house to see how many “stains” are able to disappear. =)
The best cleaning tip I have is to have laundry baskets for each child(labeled with their name) and fill it with their stuff. Let them put it away as you fill it.
I’m not sure if laundry tips count, but using Dawn Direct Foam on grease stains has changed my life.
Posted on Facebook: I just entered to win a gift pack from Molly Maid! You can too! http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2012/05/cleaning-tips-and-a-giveaway/#MollyMaidTips
Favorite tip? Water is great for dusting. Just dampen a rag…and go for it. No dust flying around and no extra chemicals.
Best cleaning tip: Mr Clean Magic erasers! they work on soap scum, crayons, markers, shoe scuffs, … I use it in the shower to get the tiles and glass clean.
My favorite cleaning tip involves cleaning copper bottom pots and pans…. sprinkle a little cleanser and ketchup on the bottom of a really yucky copper bottom pot or pan. Let it sit for a little while. Then, come back with a brillo pad and scrub it clean. Be sure to rinse the mixture well before using. I think that the combo of the cleaning stuff in the cleanser and the acid in the ketchup must eat through the stuff that forms on the bottom of your copper bottomed pots and pans when you cook. The brillo pad just adds some friction to release it all.
I just posted about the sweepstakes on my facebook page. I included a link to this blog post.
Just sent you the link.
My favorite cleaning tip is to use either a Magic Eraser or I prefer the Norwex version of cleaning pad to scrub away stains in white crockpots or casserole dishes! It works amazing! They also work very good on getting stains off of countertops (test an area first as it may work too good and take off finish) and crayons off of walls and other surfaces! Had my 4th baby few months ago and could really use some help getting on top of my cleaning and decluttering :0) So a little help would be greatly appreciated!
Sorry I don’t have a blog or use Twitter….my favorite tip is to try the easy way first; 9 out of 10 times it’s good enough.
Also we have an old white porcelain kitchen sink that is dingy all the time but it also gets marks from skillets, knives, tomato sauce etc.. Some weeks Comet could barely touch the stains. I tried using hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing with table salt I was amazed at the results!!! It was so clean (and brighter) that even my husband noticed!
Dawn is great to clean many things like acrylic paint off a table, with vinegar for a shower, spray to keep away bugs and to strip cloth diapers.
I tweeted about the giveaway here
With boys in the house, I keep Clorox or Lysel wipes in every bathroom! (Eww- is that TMI.)
I just posted on FB that I posted cleaning tip on your blog! 🙂
Just came across your blog today, Nony! Wonderful! One tip my mom taught me was to use hair spray to get ink out of clothing. My brother was always coming home from school with pen marks on his cuffs and occasionally his shirt pocket. Hair spray worked great!
My favorite tip is just to buy a huge container of white vinegar. It is such a versatile and useful cleaner. Everything from cleaning mirrors, rinse aid in the dishwasher, basic household cleanser, and on and on.
I tweeted.
https://twitter.com/frugalmomto4/status/210888776107573248