Tips on how to get young children to help clean the house..

 

Kids find sock dusting highly entertaining, for some reason. Make dust monsters to dust with. Take some old tube socks, draw faces on them for quick puppets, have the kids put them on and dust away.

Place a small bowl of vinegar in affected room and this should help  absorb smoke odor.

Use the bartender's method for speedy stemware washing. Holding the base, pump the glass vigorously in very hot sudsy water, then quickly put it in hot clear water (cooler water may shatter it) Dry upside down on a cotton towel.

For extra-shiny, streakless glasses, add a little vinegar or borax to the final rinse water.
If glasses have hard-water stains, rub them with a scouring pad dipped in vinegar.

Never use hot water, harsh soaps, ammonia or washing soda on silver or gold-rimmed glasses.

A well-lathered shaving brush cleans deeply etched or hobnailed glass especially well.

If eggs have dried on your patterned glass tableware, rub off the residue with a slice of lemon.

Sprinkle pans liberally with baking soda, adding just enough water to moisten. Let stand for several hours. You can generally lift the burnt food right out of the pan.

To clean up spills in your oven, sprinkle the spills immediately with salt. When the oven has cooled, brush away the burnt-on food with a damp sponge.

Remove spilled nail polish from wood furniture: Don't wipe it up! The solvents in nail polish soften most finishes, and wiping may take off the finish. Instead, let the polish dry completely; then gently scrape it off with a credit card. Wax the surface, using superfine steel wool

Dirty neck rings around shirt or blouse collars can be removed by putting shampoo on them. Rub the shampoo in like you were washing your hair. Shampoo is specifically made to remove body oils. A cheap bottle of shampoo kept by the washing machine is handy for all kinds of stains in clothing. Don't forget this trick when you are travelling.