Spring-cleaning fever

"Housework can kill you, if done right."

-- Erma Bombeck

Many share the sentiments of the late columnist Erma Bombeck. But nonetheless, it's spring, and spring cleaning must be done. So put on some old clothes, and gather together a few rags, a roll of paper towels, a few trash bags and some cleaning solutions. Turn off the telephone and the television, and put on some lively music to get you in the mood.

Spring cleaning takes a little organization, according to those who clean professionally. Do one room thoroughly before moving on to the next, they advise. Start at one point in a room, and clean in one direction to avoid criss-crossing the room and duplicating the effort.

"What helps with spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter," said Tammy Windisch, office manager for The Cleaning Lady in Cape Girardeau. "If you don't use it, get rid of it."

Terri Brown, owner/manager of Peerless Cleaning Service in Cape Girardeau, suggests working from the top of the room to the bottom. Dust first, then vacuum. Brown recalled a customer who asked her to clean the ceiling fan blades after she'd finished vacuuming the room.

"I suggested doing it the next week," she said. "They thought I was putting them off, but that's not the case. The reason is the dust is going to fall downward."

The exception to that rule, Brown said, is for people who have pets who shed. It sometimes helps, she said, to vacuum first so the sweeper doesn't stir up the dirt on the carpet, causing the dust to settle and the furniture to look like it hasn't been dusted.

To keep dust at bay throughout the year, Brown suggests changing the furnace filter frequently.

"It needs to be done monthly anyway," she said. "If you live on a gravel road or have a gravel driveway, you need to do it more often, especially if you open your windows."

"The Rose Bowl is the only bowl I've ever seen that I didn't have to clean." --Erma Bombeck

The bathroom and kitchen need special attention because they're so heavily used. Brown said she uses whatever cleaning products her customers prefer and has found they generally pick whatever smells best to them. Windisch said she uses a commercial cleaner she buys from a janitorial supply company.

Familydigest.com suggests that all anyone needs is furniture polish and a good all-purpose glass and counter cleaner. For spring cleaning in most homes, use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the shower curtain, clean the the sinks, appliances, floors, cabinets, tub and toilet bowl. Don't forget the soap dishes and wastebaskets.

Cynthia Townley Ewer, editor of OrganizedHome.com, claims that the best cleaners are already in the average household's pantry. For cleaning the bathroom or kitchen, she suggests an equal amount of white vinegar and water. For really tough bathroom stains, such as shower walls, microwave the solution until it's barely hot, spray the shower walls with it and allow it to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften the soap scum.

Undiluted white vinegar works for tougher cleaning problems in the bathroom. Ewer suggests placing a quarter to a half cup of vinegar in a plastic food bag, securing the bag to the shower head with a rubber band, and letting it stand overnight to loosen mineral deposits from the shower head.

Baking soda, she added, is an effective replacement for abrasive scouring powders for the sink and tub. For slow-running, but not blocked, drains in the kitchen and bathroom, pour in a half to three-quarters of a cup of baking soda into the drain and add a cup of vinegar. Let stand for at least two hours and flush with hot water.

Chlorine bleach and white vinegar makes an effective combination for cleaning the washing machine, which should be done at least once a year. Add a quart of bleach to the washer tub filled with hot water, no detergent, and run it through the longest wash cycle. Immediately follow that with a tub of hot water and a quart of white vinegar.

Vinegar is also recommended to clean the coffeemaker, and baking soda is said to be effective when mixed with a cup of hot water and allowed to heat in the microwave. After about 30 seconds, the contents will explode and you just wipe down the oven's interior.

For polishing furniture, Ewer suggests mixing together a cup of olive oil and a half cup of lemon juice. The lemon juice dissolves the dirt and smudges and the olive oil shines and protects the wood. Commercial polishes, she said, contain silicone which can penetrate cracks in the furniture and damage the wood.

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." -- Phyllis Diller

One room at a time, start at the top, throw out all clutter, and vacuum everything, experts advise. Windisch says spring cleaning should also include cleaning all closets and drawers, as well as organizing what's left in them after discarding useless items. After throwing away the clutter, she suggests washing every smooth surface in the house -- ceilings, walls, baseboards, counters.

"Start washing everywhere, head to toe," she said. "Wipe every square inch down. Then you can just maintain it."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160