There’s no escaping the fact that the entrance to your house creates that all-important first impression. Make it as open, clean and airy as possible. Nobody wants to walk into a dark, dank cave. It’s worthwhile standing at the front of your house, taking a good look around, and working out what your entrance says about you. If you don’t like the message, then it’s time for a revamp! Always make a point of including this area immediately outside and inside your front door in your speedclean; that way you will impress your guests, as well as giving yourself that warm feeling when you come home at this threshold between the outside world and your domestic sanctuary.
If you think your cleaning is slow …
HOW TO CLEAN CARPET FROM LEE’S PRICELESS RECIPES, 1817
Take your carpet outside, shake and beat well. Then pack down firmly. Then, with a clean wool flannel cloth, wash over with one quart of bullock’s gall mixed with 3 quarts of soft water. Then rub it off with a clean flannel or linen cloth. Very dirty spots should be rubbed with pure bullock’s gall. If the carpets are very soiled, rub them with a new broom and grated raw potatoes. For an alternative method, use half a bar of Castile soap, 2 ounces of borax and 2 ounces of washing soda. Boil in half a gallon of water until dissolved. Then add 2 gallons of tepid water. Boil for another 10 minutes. When cold, add half a pint of alcohol. Rub on with a clean piece of woollen flannel.
Clutter bucket—to transport displaced items; bicarb—cleaning agent; vinegar—cleaning agent; water—cleaning agent; methylated spirits—to clean mirrors; cloth—(such as an old T-shirt) to wipe and dust surfaces; straw broom—to sweep floors and clear cobwebs; dustpan and brush—to clear accumulated dirt; vacuum cleaner—to vacuum floors; mop—to wipe over floors; bucket—to hold water or to hold cleaning items; rubber gloves—to protect hands and provide grip; Scotchgard—to spray over carpet and rugs to protect them from dirt; hairdryer—to clean ornaments; spray bottle—to fill with vinegar or fragrance.
Remove anything that doesn’t belong in this area with a clutter bucket. Then begin clearing any spider webs outside the front door, including around light fittings, with a broom. To deter spiders, wipe the broom head with a little lemon oil before sweeping and it will transfer to surfaces as you clean. Wipe along the door jambs, lock plate and doorknob with the appropriate cleaner. For brass, use a little vinegar on a cloth. For timber, use a little vinegar on a cloth or detergent and water. Dust the door with a dry cloth. If you have furniture on the front verandah, clean according to its surface (see page 159). Shake your entrance mat and sweep the verandah or entranceway with a good straw yard broom. If there’s a lot of refuse, collect it in a dustpan and place it straight into the green bin. Water any pot plants and remove any dead heads or portions of the plant that have died.
One of the best ways to speed up your cleaning is to prevent dirt from getting into the house in the first place. That’s why a mat placed at the front and back doors of the house is so important. A mat is a bit like a security guard for dirt. I think the best kind of mat is a copra one. If the drainage around your mat is poor, put a rubber-tyre strip mat underneath the copra mat, which will help with ventilation and keep it dry.
DID YOU KNOW? In the pioneer days, mats were used for wiping dirty shoes and to indicate whether the house was receiving guests. One side of the mat read ‘Welcome’ and the other side was blank. If the mat was blank, you knew to call at another time.
The best way to clean a copra mat is to give it a good bash against a wall, then hose the top and bottom. Dry it in the sunshine standing on its edge. Stop your cat or dog from sleeping on the welcome mat by spraying the mat with insecticide.
Using the same clean kit, remove extraneous items with a clutter bucket and empty any bins. Dust the ceiling and light fittings with a soft nylon broom which has a little lemon oil on it (the oil will transfer to the ceiling and light fittings and deter spiders). Sweep along the walls and tops of cupboards or hallstands.
It’s inevitable that you’ll get marks on the wall, especially in high traffic areas. Be careful when using proprietary products to clean these marks because most have an alcohol base which can break down the paint surface and leave a bleached shiny spot. Clean your walls every week either with a broom or vacuum cleaner. Put an old T-shirt over the broom head or brush to prevent bristle marks. Some dirty marks will come off using a good pencil eraser. You could also try rolling brown bread into a ball and rubbing it against the wall. If these don’t work, try a very diluted solution of sugar soap applied with a cloth. Wring out the cloth tightly before applying. For build-up around light switches, apply vinegar and water sparingly with a sponge. To avoid drip lines, start cleaning from the bottom and work your way up, drying as you go.
Every time you change a light bulb, clean the other light bulbs with a cloth and they’ll shine brighter To prevent halogen lights corroding, wipe the connection on the bulb with a cloth once a week.
Remove dust and grime from any paintings, wall hangings or wall art. Clean light switches, door jambs and any window sills. Clean any furniture with the appropriate cleaner.
If it’s been raining, clear the water in umbrella stands or you’ll create a mould farm or a home for frogs!
Create your own umbrella stand with a spaghetti jar. The bulb at the bottom of the jar is a perfect water collector.
What to do if you get a water stain on the carpet from umbrellas
If you get to the stain immediately, blot as much as possible with a paper towel. A Slurpex is ideal in this situation. If the stain has been there for a while, wipe it with a little glycerine then apply a quality spot remover and use a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible.
Wipe the top of the table or hallstand according to its surface. Hallstands often have mirrors which should be cleaned with methylated spirits wrung out on a lint-free cloth, such as an old T-shirt.
If you don’t have room for a hallstand, Install some hooks either behind the front door or along the wall to store coats. If you’re in a rental property use removable hooks which wrap over the top of the door You can also now buy reusable 3M adhesive hooks.
When cleaning picture frames, clean glass with methylated spirits and a cloth but be careful not to get methylated spirits around the edges or it could seep into the print. Polycarbonate should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Clean metal and timber as you would furniture. Clean plastic with glycerine.
Clean floors by either vacuuming and/or mopping. To mop, I wrap an old T-shirt that has been dampened with water and vinegar over a broom head, fix it with elastic bands and wipe over the floor. If you have rugs in this space, shake them outside. And remember, rugs and carpet are less likely to absorb stains if sprayed with Scotchgard. You can spray just at the entrance or the whole hallway—wherever there is a high dirt rate—which is particularly useful when it’s raining and there’s mud around.
DID YOU KNOW? Black mud can be cleaned with detergent and cold water, but if you have red mud, use soap and cold water. Detergent reacts with the iron and manganese oxide in red mud and leaves a rusty or black mark. Soap won’t do this because it’s saponin-based. Never allow moisture to penetrate the carpet or you’ll create further staining from the back of the carpet.
To freshen dingy carpets, make up a spray bottle containing 1 part bicarb to 3 parts vinegar and 5 parts water. If you like fragrance, add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil, but avoid fruit oils because the brain associates them with the kitchen. Lightly spray the carpet, don’t go overboard and soak it, then sweep it with a T-shirt-covered broom. Sprinkling bicarb on the carpet before vacuuming is a good general carpet freshener, but won’t necessarily clean stains. These will have to be spot cleaned.
Water any pot plants, arrange fresh flowers, spray fragrance, if you like using it, or add any froufrou, such as doilies. Empty the clutter bucket, put away the clean kit and update the master list.
Light switches are often forgotten about when cleaning. Given the amount of contact they have with dirty fingers, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of wiping over them. Whatever you do, never spray cleaning product directly onto them or you could short-circuit the electricity. I dampen a cloth with white vinegar and wipe it over the light switch. Add bicarb to the vinegar cloth if it’s particularly dirty.
I like to have a rug or mat inside the front door. If you have carpet, you may have it made from a matching carpet square; just make sure it doesn’t have a thick edge that people can trip over. I’d also suggest attaching rubber mesh underneath so it doesn’t slip or curl.
You may want to create a space for damp shoes either outside the front door or on the hallstand, if you have one. Use a wooden box or basket and line it with a plastic bag so that water doesn’t soak through to the floor and leave puddle marks. Some hallstands have a metal drip tray built into them which is perfect for muddy shoes and umbrellas. Clean them with bicarb and vinegar on a cloth, but if they contain lead, be very careful and always wear rubber gloves when cleaning. Lead, a cumulative poison absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin’s pores, can kill.
It’s also a good idea to have some storage at the back of the house for dirty shoes and sports gear. A large basket or a small cupboard or even a bucket with a lid should do the trick. It depends on how much sports gear you have. If you can, use a cupboard with good ventilation. And store some bicarb here so that your sports stars can dust inside their shoes before putting them away. Bicarb will help absorb those sweaty smells. Just remember to remove the bicarb before wearing the shoes again. Shake it out the same way you would if you had sand in your shoes. If the smell from trainers is really overpowering, you may have to do what I did in a share house one time and insist the offending shoes were stored in a plastic garbage bin at the back of the garage!
Some people like to keep their sunglasses, scarves, bags and coats on the table or hallstand so they’re quickly accessible. But be careful leaving bags and keys here, particularly if you live in the city. I had a friend whose keys were stolen by a thief using a fishing rod through the locked front security door. Rather than just dumping things on the hallstand or table, have a wooden storage box with a lid or a small cupboard. It’s just as easy to use, it prevents clutter and everything is hidden away and tidy. Make dividers in the box for each family member and clean out the compartments each week as part of the speedclean.
You could also install some hooks in the box or on the inside of the cupboard for keys. Colour code the keys so you don’t confuse them.
DID YOU KNOW? Changes in the weather cause locks to expand, contract and corrode. When it’s wet or humid, lubricate locks with a graphite puffer or talcum powder You can use WD40, but if you have a lot of dust, it can clog up the mechanism; so be careful.
If you tend to dump your post and other stuff near the door, keep a wastepaper basket here as well. That way, unwanted bits and pieces can be thrown out immediately. Because it’s at the entrance to your house, make sure it’s a stylish bin. Having one here will increase your speed when cleaning.
The entrance to each house will be different and the lifestyle of the people using the house will vary. Shape it to suit your needs, being careful not to overclutter this area. Consider shifting rarely used items to the study or to the back of the house.
I know many people like to keep flowers at the entrance to their home, but did you know they die more quickly here because of the draft coming through the door? Potted plants are a much better idea, particularly daisies, because they contain pyrethrum, which deters insects. Select plants with low water needs, such as succulents, although I avoid spiky ones after snagging my stockings several times! Scented herbs are also good because they keep the house smelling fresh when you brush past them, and they come in handy when cooking. Have deep saucers under your pots so water doesn’t spill and create more cleaning!
What to do if you get lily stamens or pollen on the carpet
If the stain has set, damp it with kerosene applied with a cotton ball. Then damp the stain with methylated spirits applied with a cotton ball. Dry with a paper towel before repeating. Do this until the colour is removed. Some pollens will be easy to remove, others will need several attempts. To avoid the problem, remove the stamens before putting the flowers on display. Put a plastic bag over your hand and pull the stamens out into your palm, then wrap the bag over itself and the stamens and throw it in the bin. This way, your hands won’t come in contact with the stamens.
Instead of flowers, create an impression at the entrance to your home with a covered potpourri bowl, rock art, water art, paintings behind glass (to protect them from dust and allow easy cleaning, washable hangings, wind chimes, beautiful shells or pot plants.
The entrance is also a popular area to display ornaments but I don’t recommend it because there are higher dust volumes in this part of the house. There’s also the danger they could be knocked over in the wind. If you do keep ornaments here, clean them with a hairdryer on the lowest setting and secure them by putting some Blu-tak on the bottom. But only use Blu-tak on non-absorbent surfaces as it will leave an oily stain.
Q: “I’m desperate,” admits Trisha. “We’ve got moths in the carpet. We had the insect people in and they said there was nothing they could do. Do you have a solution?”
SOLUTION: In a spray pack, mix 1 teaspoon of cedar oil, 1 teaspoon of oil of cloves and 1 litre of warm water. Then spray a thin coat of this mixture over the carpet. Repeat every 6–8 weeks, which is the usual breeding cycle of moths.
This is an area where dog poo can hit
Remove as much of the solids as possible then blot with a paper towel until the carpet is touch dry. Sprinkle bicarb over the area. Then wring out a cloth in vinegar and sponge off the bicarb. If your dog eats commercial food, it will have a high caramel content to colour the food so you’ll need to wipe the area with glycerine first. Just apply a small amount of glycerine to a cloth and wipe over the area. Fill a bucket with cold water and enough detergent to create a sudsy mix. Use just the detergent suds, not the water, from the bucket and work them into the stain with a soft nylon brush. Dry it with a Surplex or use a paper towel to absorb the moisture. When dry, vacuum. If there’s any unpleasant odour, repeat this process. An alternative method is to apply cold water and detergent suds with an old toothbrush, using as little water as possible. Then fill the bucket with warm water and detergent and again apply the suds to the stain with an old toothbrush. The reason you use both cold and warm water is because faeces contain proteins and fats. Cold water removes proteins and warm water removes fats. You must clean in this order or the warm water will set the protein stain! Dry with a paper towel or Surplex by standing on it.
Dust lights and lamps with an old T-shirt for a speedclean.
Light shades made of fabric should be dry cleaned or cleaned with carpet cleaner or brushed with bran and vinegar. Once the carpet cleaner or bran and vinegar is dry use the brush head on your vacuum cleaner to remove it. Make sure the brush is clean first or you’ll create more mess. Glass light-shades should be cleaned in warm water. Clean brass and metal arms with a good quality brass polish—and make sure you don’t get cleaning product in the electrical fittings. To cut down on bugs, spray the tops of light shades with surface insecticide.
Acrylic paintings can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Water colours should be cleaned by a professional. To remove residue and dust from oil paintings, clean with stale urine, salt and potato. This technique is a guaranteed barbecue stopper! Collect 1 litre of female urine and leave it in the sun for a week to reduce to 500 millilitres. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of grated raw potato. Stir and allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes. Dampen a cloth in the mixture, wring it out and then wipe gently over the painting. Dampen a clean cloth in water and wipe the painting gently and pat it dry. You can also rub brown bread over the painting to clean it but it can induce mould if the atmosphere is damp, so don’t use this technique if you’re in a damp, dark spot. For any serious cleaning problems, see a restorer. Never use alcohol-based cleaners such as methylated spirits or turpentine on gilded frames. Most gilding is covered with a layer of shellac and alcohol-based cleaners will affect it. Instead, dust the frame with a hairdryer on the cool setting. This should be enough to clean it but if dirt remains, wipe a damp cloth over the frame and then dry it with a soft cloth.
Protect paintings by spraying a cloth with surface insecticide and wipe it over the back of picture frames. Don’t touch the painting, just the frames.
Your stairs could be as grand as those in the film Gone with the Wind or they could be very plain and functional. No matter how big they are or what their finish is, every corner of every tread must be vacuumed once a week because it’s a dust haven. Before vacuuming, run up and down the stairs several times to dislodge as much dust as possible. It’s great exercise. Get the kids to do it! Then, if you have pictures in the stairwells, wipe over the frames with a damp cloth. Start cleaning from the top of the stairs and work your way down because dust lifts and drops down. Then vacuum by facing up the stairs, keeping your vacuum cleaner in front of you, and walking backwards down the stairs one step at a time, cleaning each step as you go. That way, your body will stop the vacuum cleaner from tumbling down the stairs and will put less stress on your back. As you vacuum each step, also vacuum between the banister posts with the nozzle or brush attachment. The brass rods, which hold runners in place, need to be polished with bicarb and vinegar on a cloth or just vinegar if you clean them regularly.
Banisters need to be dusted and polished according to what they’re made of. Clean brass with vinegar and water applied with a cloth. Aluminium is cleaned with cold tea applied with a cloth. Clean steel with vinegar and water applied with a cloth. Painted metal or plastic can be wiped with a little detergent and water or vinegar on a cloth. For French polished timber, use beeswax, lavender oil and lemon oil applied with a cloth or you can also use a good non-silicone furniture polish.
To create the lavender oil, lemon oil and beeswax cleaning cloth, get a microwave-safe bowl. Place a cleaning cloth in the bowl, then add 1 drop of lavender oil, 1 drop of lemon oil and 1 tablespoon of beeswax to the top of the cloth. Warm it in the microwave in 10-second bursts until the beeswax melts. The cloth will be impregnated with the mixture and is ready to use. Store it in a zip-lock plastic bag.
Special attention should be paid to the end of banisters because lots of people grab onto them with their hands and leave messy finger marks. Make sure you remove all the marks. Wipe between the banister posts with a cloth that’s been wrung out in water.
Then vacuum underneath the stairs.
Q: “The kids love painting,” reports Catherine. “And the other night, they decided to do a school project on the white rug. Help!”
SOLUTION: Put some methylated spirits into a bowl then place the bowl underneath the paint stain, immersing the stained part of the rug into the bowl. Place a glass cover over the top of the stained part of the rug, so the methylated spirits doesn’t evaporate. Soak until the paint is removed. Then rinse in water and dry in the sun.
If the stairs are wooden, vacuum and then wipe with a mop. I prefer to use a broom, which has its broom head wrapped in an old T-shirt dampened with vinegar and secured with an elastic band.
To speed up polishing, instead of a duster, use a pair of old cotton socks over your hands.
Speed up your cleaning by making sure extension cords are long enough before you start vacuuming. How many times have you nudged into a corner thinking the cord would just make it and then lost power? You then have to walk all the way back to the power point, add an extension cord and resume your cleaning. It’s a time waster! So sort that out before starting the job. I also use a protector to cover the joins of extension cords so they don’t scratch the surface of things.
If your stairs are carpeted, make sure the carpet is tight and well fitted so that dust havens aren’t created.
Clean the back entrance of the house in the same way as the front entrance.
Linen cupboards can be located in various spots in a house. Many are situated at the end of the front hallway or on landings.
I don’t feel at home unless my linen cupboard is sorted. Whenever I move house, it’s the first thing I arrange. It also means a pretty tablecloth is ready to use if people suddenly pop over. You may not have time to polish a table, but you can always throw a tablecloth over it!
The linen cupboard should be sorted by having items most used at eye level, those least used on higher levels and items for children, such as towels, on lower levels. Make sure there’s nothing dangerous on the lower, child-accessible levels.
Speed your cleaning by storing linen according to the room it’s used in. That way, when you’re cleaning a particular room, you can easily grab one pile of linen rather than sorting through several shelves. If you only have a limited amount of storage space, have the linen piled from bottom to top, but group it according to the room it’s used in. If you have items stored for a long time, wrap them in acid-free tissue paper to stop them from going yellow. Acid-free tissue paper is available from newsagents, art supply stores, picture framers and sometimes from dry cleaners.
If an item has gone yellow, it’s generally because of soap residue. To repair cotton items, soak them in Napisan. For silk, hand wash in ¼ cup of lemon juice added to a nappy-sized bucket of blood-heat water, then dry in the sun. For vintage items, use 2 teaspoons of soap fakes, ¼ cup of white vinegar added to a bucket of blood-heat water rinse then dry.
Bugs love linen, so keep bath salts and fragrant soaps in the linen cupboard to deter them. The salts and soaps will leave a lovely scent on your linen. Also use scented paper liners on the shelves, which you can make yourself, as explained on page 81. Never store medicine in this cupboard because the linen will absorb the smell. Even Band-Aids have an odour that will be absorbed by the linen.
Cleaning the linen press is a spring/autumn cleaning job. Remove all the linen (I have a traymobile with two large shelves on which I pile the contents of the linen press), then vacuum the shelves of the linen press. Shake each item and refold before returning it to its spot in the linen press.
