By BEV BENNETT Special to the Daily Press T
Soap, bucket and elbow grease can take you only so far. To clean a home – and keep it that way – calls for dirt-fighting furnishings and a room-by-room war on clutter. he acrid smell of vinegar churns up unlikely memories of springs past, when I was given rags and bottles of vinegar and enlisted in my mother’s battle against germs and grime.
I take a pass on the vinegar these days, but a thorough cleaning is still an annual rite in my household, as it is in many.
Ridding your home of its film of dust and eliminating sources of bacterial contamination doesn’t have to be as odious — or odiferous — a task as it once was.The key is to become more efficient.Streamline your rooms to avoid clutter build-up in the first place,and take advantage of products that keep your house tidy.
If that sounds as if it’s easier said than done, here’s a room-by-room strategy. Follow these steps this year and you may have your weekends free next spring.
The hermetically sealed living room of the ’50s certainly was miss-named considering that no one was allowed to step foot into the space. Thankfully, those days are gone. These days, though, the living room is more likely home to guilty piles of newspapers, clothing and toys.
Purchase furniture and accessories that double as storage space to hold things. For example, buy an ottoman or bench that opens to a storage compartment for afghans or heavy socks. Arrange baskets under the coffee table to stash magazines. Either discard older publications or store them in upright Lucite organizers in your home office.
Install blinds or washable cotton curtains instead.Slipcovers are an attractive cover-up for upholstered sofas. Buy loose-fitting slipcovers and zippered pillow covers that can be tossed in the washing machine.To vary the look with the seasons,buy both a winter and summer set of slipcovers and pillow covers. Instead of wool,use a natural fiber rug available in lifestyle stores. Clean with a hose and air dry outdoors.
Although it’s expensive and so luxurious, leather is easier to care for than many fabrics. Spills wipe up quickly on a leather surface and are less likely to stain than they are with chenille or linen.
Be stingy with your collectibles. Put at least half in storage boxes in the attic. You’ll cut down on dusting and your room will look more spacious.
Arrange your possessions to keep them clean.Don’t put the glass coffee table near the room entrance where it can be a dumping spot. Place a basket there instead.
KITCHEN “Lurking under the sink” sounds like the title of a horror movie, and it may be your personal nightmare. You’re risking a combustible or toxic mess if you shove cleaning supplies, flammable lighting fluid for the grill and recy-clable paper bags into the cupboard.
For a household with young children,remove all products to a high shelf. Discard any bottle that’s a quarter-full or less, or any product that hasn’t proven effective to give yourself more space.
Install roll-out shelves so you can see what you’ve got. Place a hanging wire basket on the cupboard door to hold recyclable grocery bags.
Unstuff your cupboards. You’ll have less clutter and reduce the chance of glasses or pots toppling out. Strip down your cookware to those items you regularly use and organize for efficiency.
“Place cupboards close to the dishwasher. Keep only enough table settings for two days. The rest of the dishes should go into a reseal-able bag so you have clean tableware for company,” says Aronson, whose family, including three children, lives in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Grease, scuff marks and splatters from spills make kitchen walls grungy.Get a big sponge and wash down with a mild liquid soap cleanser.
If you’re redecorating and deciding between wallpaper and paint, the latter is easier to keep clean. Choose latex-based paint in a semi-gloss finish.
You have more options for floors. Hardwood, tile and stone surfaces require the most effort.Concrete,though definitely not stylish,is a snap to maintain,according to Aronson.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 3, 2004. Read the original PDF.