Articles in: Cleaning Tips

Clean House: Red Wine Stains

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on October 27th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Clean red wine off a white wall

Q: Party foul! My dinner guest just spilled red wine on my white wall. How can I keep the stain from setting?

A: We tried out this cleaning tip for red wine stains — and it worked! In a glass or plastic bowl, mix together two parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dish detergent (the stuff you put in the machine, not dish soap that you use for hand-washing). Use a light-colored cloth to dab the mixture onto the stain. Don’t try to scrub the stain. Works best on fresh spills, of course.

Be amazed!

Read more of our Clean House cleaning tips here on the Apron blog. And check out The Home Depot’s online Cleaning Supplies page for everything you need to keep your kitchen, bathroom and all of your household spic and span.

Clean House: Use An Electric Toothbrush for Cleaning Bathrooms

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on October 20th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Q: When cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing the little crevices is one of my least favorite things on earth. What to do?

A: Grab a bathroom cleaner—any one will do, but this tactic is especially useful with a anti-bacterial micro-abrasive bathroom cleaner—and then pick up a cheap electric toothbrush at a dollar store. You can also use an old one that you’ve used a disinfectant or bleach to clean.

After wiping down the countertop, apply the cleaner directly to the toothbrush. Turn it on and let the whirring motion do the scrubbing for you. This works especially well around a bathroom sink and in other places where two surfaces come together.

Bathroom, Clean House, Cleaning Tips

Clean House: Use A Cleaning Bucket or Caddy

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on October 13th, 2012 | One Comment

Q: When I’m cleaning my house I end up walking back and forth from the supply closet about one hundred times. How do I minimize this—so I can get done faster?

A: Try this cleaning tip from the professionals: A simple solution is to make a cleaning caddy or bucket with all of your essentials that can easily be toted around from one room to the next.

Consider including items like a duster, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, microfiber cloths, abrasive sponges, scrub brushes and even old toothbrushes for detail work.

It will simplify your life. And that’s always a good thing.

Clean House, cleaning bucket, cleaning caddy, cleaning tip, Cleaning Tips

Clean House: How To Clean A Dirty Shower Head

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on October 6th, 2012 | One Comment

Q: My shower head has lots of build-up—and it’s kind of gross. How do I clean it?

In most homes the shower head gets its fair share of use. Naturally, calcium and minerals will start to build up, especially if you’ve got lots of those elements in your local water supply. You may also get some rusty residue.

One solution is to soak the shower head in some acidic white vinegar, which will break down many of the elements that are clogging the flow. Just grab a Ziploc bag or a grocery bag and some rubber bands or hair ties. Fill up the bag with the vinegar, then place the shower head inside until it is fully immersed. Secure the bag with the band and allow it to sit for overnight or longer.

If you’ve got particularly “hard” water, you can also filter the shower, which many people say leads to softer hair and skin as well as a cleaner flow. If the build-up persists, you may want to consider swapping out the shower head for a new model. Check out our selection of shower heads.

Bath, Bathroom, Clean House, Cleaning Tips, shower head, showerhead

Clean House: Try this Trick for Changing the Vacuum Bag

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on September 29th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Q: How can I change the vacuum bag without making a total mess?

A: Changing out the vacuum bag is one of those tasks that often gets overlooked. But the longer you go without cleaning or swapping one out, depending on if you’ve got a disposable or reusable bag, the harder your vacuum’s engine will have to work—and the less effective the carpet clean will be. Many manufacturers say that when a bag is at 50 to 60 percent capacity, it’s ready for a swap, though some people wait until that bag is bursting at the seams.

Here’s some surprising news: If you vacuum about once a week, and you’ve got a house, you may have to switch the bag only as often as once a month. If you have pets or kids–or you are really into vacuuming–you may want to consider a swap or dump more often.

We like this tip: Before changing out the bag, slap a piece of duct tape over the hole where the bag connects with the vacuum. When you are moving the bag around, the dust and dirt will not be able to escape, so no more dust volcanoes in your face.

change the vacuum bag, Clean House, Cleaning, cleaning supplies, Cleaning Tips, Decorating, Vacuum Cleaners, Vacuums

Clean House: A Dusting Trick

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on September 22nd, 2012 | Make A Comment

When dusting, start at the top of the room

Q: As I move around the room dusting, I feel like I undo my earlier work with, you guessed it, more dust. How can I avoid that?

A: You’d better believe that pro cleaners have a game plan for how they move through the house. A dusting strategy, if you will.

Move around each room in a circle. Hit the highest points first in the room you are going to tackle then work your way down, moving in a circle. That way you won’t end up mucking up a clean space after you’ve already dusted it. It’s deceptively simple… and now you know the secret.

Need a tool for the job? Check out this selection of dusting products, including everything from commercial-grade wands with microfiber sleeves to Swiffer refillable dusting cloths.

Clean House, cleaning supplies, Cleaning Tips, Dining Room, dusting, dusting trick

Clean House: Garbage Disposal Trick

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on September 15th, 2012 | 3 Comments

garbage disposal cleaning trick: use vinegar and lemons

Q: How can I keep my garbage disposal from being so stinky?

A: You can definitely use a solvent-based drain cleaner, which will clean, degrease and deodorize. A fresh citrus scent is a bonus.

Another DIY solution is to make your own citrus cleansing cubes for the disposal, a little trick we picked up from the excellent lifestyle blog Turnstyle Vogue. Grab a few ice cube trays. Dice up some lemon into pieces small enough to fit into the trays, then place one piece into each ice cube slot. Fill the trays with vinegar and freeze. In the end you’ll have frozen vinegar cubes that look like what you see in the photo above. Toss one of those cubes into your garbage disposal and let it run for a few seconds, and you’ll have a clean disposal.

Photo via Turnstyle Vogue

Clean House, Cleaning Tips, garbage disposal cleaning, Kitchen, vinegar cleaning tricks

Clean House: Use a Pillowcase to Clean Ceiling Fan Blades

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on September 8th, 2012 | 3 Comments

A ceiling fan waiting to be cleaned with a pillowcase

Q: When I clean my ceiling fan dust flies everywhere. How can I avoid this?

A: Yes, cleaning ceiling fan blades can cause a big mess. This is especially annoying if you notice those gross fan blades after you’ve already thoroughly scrubbed everything down and the house is sparkling.

We love this idea: Spray the inside of an old pillowcase with some Formula 409 or Clorox Clean-up. Slip the pillowcase around the blades and put some elbow work into cleaning the blades. The gunk falls into the case, which you can throw into the wash. See, we’ve got you covered.

ceiling fan blades, Clean House, Cleaning, cleaning supplies, Cleaning Tips

Clean House: The Dreaded Bottom of the Trash Can

Posted by: Laura Sullivan on September 1st, 2012 | 2 Comments

Q: The bottom of my trash can gets moldy, smelly and just plain gross. How can I tackle this cleaning job?

A: After spraying the can down with a hose outdoors or in your bathtub, try this simple trick: Give the trash can a spray inside and out with a cleaner designed for spot-treating pet messes. These types of sprays have an enzyme that kills bacteria and neutralizes odors, which are two key parts of this cleaning task. The enzyme speeds up the biodegradation process of organic materials—that’s most of the funky foodstuff that you’ll find in the bottom of the trash can.

Also recommended: let the can dry in the sun after you’ve given it another rinse with the hose. Any mold will be zapped by pure sunshine.

Whether your home is regularly sparkling clean or you avoid a dreaded day of chores, our Clean House column has you covered. Get the best down and dirty tricks to help you breeze through even the worst cleaning jobs in your house. And check out our online Cleaning Supplies page for everything you need to keep your kitchen, bathroom and all of your home spic and span.

Clean House, cleaning supplies, Cleaning Tips, pet cleaner

From the Forums: Fixing Pits and Cleaning Old Paint from a Terrazzo Floor

Posted by: Craig Allen on June 29th, 2012 | Make A Comment

screen shot of a video about how to repair terrazzo

PatInPaint made a whole video just for one Forums reader

Sometimes we find ourselves faced with a DIY project that’s the result of someone else’s mistakes, sloppy work, or questionable decisions. That’s pretty much was the situation facing Home Depot Forums member autumnfrigger when he visited The Home Depot’s online Community Forums to ask about removing dried paint from a terrazzo floor, and then repairing pits in the terrazzo.

Cleaning Tips, Flooring, From the Forums, terrazzo

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