ALL TUCKED IN
Strategically place baskets in unexpected places, like this nightstand, to help corral and hide clutter.
4
BEDROOMS, FAMILY ROOMS & HOME OFFICES
“I hate housework. You do the dishes, make the beds, and six months later you have to start all over again.”
—Joan Rivers, comedian
Coming home after a stressful day is most restorative when you walk into clean, calming spaces. Whether you hope to catch up on a little TV, a little work, or a little sleep, this chapter will ensure that your bedrooms, family spaces, and home-office areas are relaxing sanctuaries. You’ll find speedy tips for controlling clutter, banishing dust, and deep-cleaning mattresses, floors, window coverings, and more. Yes—there really is no place like home.
FAST FIXES FOR A SPOTLESS BEDROOM
If you tidy up daily and deep-clean weekly with these simple steps, an organized oasis will await you.
MAKE THE BED
Do this before any dusting and vacuuming so you aren’t generating dust that will fall onto clean surfaces. Fluff decorative pillows.
PUT EVERYTHING AWAY
Start by stowing any clothing or shoes littering the room and taking any dirty items to the hamper. Store any loose jewelry lying around and remove books, magazines, cups, and any other items cluttering surfaces that don’t belong there.
DUST WISELY
Spray a cloth with furniture polish and wipe the tops of night tables and dressers, lamps, and the wooden headboard and footboard, if you have them. Straighten up items that stay on display.
HIT THE FLOORS
Vacuum the carpet or flooring around the bed and other furniture. Start at the far corner of the room and work your way backward out the door.
A clean bed is more than just clean sheets. But relax; deep-cleaning takes only minutes.
DITCH DUST
Use your vacuum cleaner’s upholstery tool to go over the top and sides of the mattress and as much of the foundation as you can. Press firmly on the tool to draw out dust beneath the fabric’s surface. Use the crevice tool to get into the quilting, edge welting, and where any pillow top is attached.
ZAP STAINS
Remove pet or food stains with a carpet cleaner like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Bissell Professional Pet Stain and Odor Remover. It removes both stains and odors from mattress coverings, and because it’s formulated for carpeting, it is easy to rinse out. Avoid overwetting the mattress, and let it dry completely before making the bed. 
KILL ODORS
Freshen your mattress by sprinkling baking soda onto the fabric to absorb odors. Work it into the fabric with your hand or a soft brush. Wait 15 minutes, then vacuum. Sanitize with a disinfecting spray, like Lysol. It’s safe to use on fabrics and kills bacteria that cause odors.
DEEP-CLEANING
If you have a garment or household steamer, go over the mattress with it to help kill dust mites lurking near the surface. Then vacuum them away.
Washing is just the beginning. Here’s what to know to keep pillows up to “fluff.”
WHEN TO REPLACE THEM
How do you know when it’s time to toss a pillow? Fold it in half and place a heavy book on top for 30 minutes—if it doesn’t spring back into shape once the book is removed, it’s time for a new one.
Between cleanings, tumble pillows (even foam) in the dryer on the no-heat or air-only cycle for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dust and help fluff them.
PICK THE PROPER PILLOW.
When you are in the market for a new pillow, choose one based on your preferred sleep position. Side sleepers need a thick, firm one; stomach snoozers a thin, soft one; and back sleepers somewhere in between. What’s key is keeping your neck and spine aligned. Choose down, synthetic, foam, or combination fillings based on what feels best to you.
PROTECT AGAINST ALLERGENS.
Encase pillows (and mattresses) in coverings that are barriers against dust, mites, and other sniffle-inducing particles for easy breathing.
GH Seal–holder Protect-A-Bed® encasements keep bedding clean and allergens away and can be washed in hot water without shrinking.
3 THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A PILLOWCASE
PROTECT CLOTHES
WASH TOYS
STOW SHEETS
HOW TO NEATLY FOLD A FITTED SHEET
It’s easier than you think, even without a helper. Just follow these four simple steps.
GET A NEATER LINEN CLOSET
Once you master this technique, your sheets will be easier to store and your linen closet will go from mess to marvelous!
1 TURN THE SHEET INSIDE-OUT. With the elastic facing you, place your hands into two adjacent corners.
2 FLIP ONE CORNER OVER THE OTHER. Invert the corner in your right hand over the corner in your left so the left corner is tucked inside the right.
3 REPEAT STEP 2 WITH THE OTHER TWO CORNERS. When you’re done, the sheet will be folded in half horizontally with two sets of double corners. The top side of the sheet is now facing out.
4 FOLD VERTICALLY. Invert one set of corners over the other so all corners are tucked into one (the elastic should form a semicircle). Lay it flat and smooth. Fold in thirds lengthwise, then in thirds again.
1-MINUTE TIP! Steal a home-stager secret and make the bed with the top sheet facedown so the finished side is up once the bed is made. If you have the time, go one step further: Iron the pillowcases and use a steamer on the section of top sheet that is visible.
Get ready for overnight guests—even last-minute ones—in no time.
REFRESH THE BED
Make up the bed with fresh sheets, and check that blankets and coverings are appropriate for the season. Fluff the pillows in your dryer on the Air-Only cycle for 10 minutes. Spritz sheets with a softly scented linen spray for a relaxing touch.
CLEAR CLOSET SPACE
Take 10 hangers’ worth of clothes from the middle of the closet and relocate them to another room. Add fresh hangers to the cleared space.
BANISH DUST
Turn on the lights and open the blinds so you can spot even the most hidden dust. Check light-fixture globes for bugs and spider webs. Unscrew them to remove, wash, and replace. With a cloth, go over furniture, lamps, headboard, mirrors, windowsills, and picture frames. Empty the wastebasket, and vacuum around the furniture and bed.
ADD A LUGGAGE RACK
Skip emptying drawers. Instead, pick up an inexpensive luggage rack so guests can access clothing right out of their bags. But do declutter the nightstand and set out a pretty dish to hold jewelry and loose change.
RELOCATE FRAGILE KEEPSAKES
Remove delicate treasures to lower stress for you and your guests. Replace them with a water carafe and glasses, extra toiletries, or helpful information, like local maps and brochures.
Start by corraling kids’ clutter so their rooms are easier to clean.
CLEAR POCKETS
Recycle a plastic over-the-door shoe pocket organizer as easy-to-reach containers for small toys, from baby rattles to doll accessories. Hang them within reach of each of your children to encourage them to put their toys away.
CATCHALL HAMPERS
Woven fabric or wicker laundry bins are great toy keepers for bigger kids who can reach down to the bottom. Hang a mesh toy hammock in the corner of the room as a catchall for plush toys.
SHARED-ROOM STORAGE
Pullout bins are great for rooms with multiple kids. Designate low ones for the youngest and label them with colored tags or pictures of the contents so that putting items back is easy for all.
EASY ACCESS
Open shelves are ideal for holding board games and puzzles and displaying “collections” and awards. Use an extendable tool, like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Swiffer 360° Duster, to keep shelves and their contents clean and dust-free.
Try these ideas to make sure your living and family rooms stay mess-free.
DARE TO BE SPARE
Ease congestion in these rooms by sticking to the basics when it comes to furniture—a sofa, comfy chairs, and a coffee table. If you have room, add a side table. Arrange the pieces for clear, unimpeded traffic flow.
TABLE THAT
Corral small items, like candles and vases, on a tray (so they’re easy to move when company’s coming). Store TV remotes in a lidded basket on a lower shelf.
DOUBLE UP
Maximize storage and get extra seating with a hide-stuff-inside ottoman. Pare throw pillows down to a few in complementary patterns and colors.
All you need is a quick sweep of family spaces to get them in shape fast.
PURGE PAPERWORK
Gather newspapers, books, magazines, and electronic devices. Stack them neatly in baskets or stash them in racks or on shelves. Remove items like shoes and toys that don’t belong there.
GO OVER UPHOLSTERY
Stash a sticky lint roller in a nearby drawer and use it to quickly grab lint and pet hair from chair cushions and backs.
CLEAR AWAY DUST
Use a microfiber cloth or duster to go over flat surfaces where dust is most noticeable—coffee table, end tables, TV screen, and lamp bases. Leave the hidden spots for another day.
VACUUM THE FLOOR
With a lightweight, easy-to-grab stick vac, clean surface litter and lint from the center of the room, paying special attention to the areas around the sofa and side chairs.
3 WAYS TO SPIFF UP WOOD FLOORS
Bring back the glow with barely any effort.
1 RUB OUT SCUFFS. Rub light marks with the sock on your foot (no bending required) or a clean tennis ball. For more stubborn marks, apply baking soda to a damp cloth and gently rub the scuff until it disappears. Wipe with a clean, damp cloth and buff dry.
2 CLEAR THE WAY. Remove dirt from traffic lanes and in front of chairs with a cleaner formulated for wood, like Good Housekeeping Lab pick Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Lightly spritz a 3-foot-square area with the cleaner, then go over it with a damp microfiber mop or cloth; let dry. Rinse the cloth or mop often.
3 SHOO AWAY GOO. To pry off tacky messes, like tar or candle wax, place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and hold it against the blob to harden it. Gently scrape it off with a plastic spatula or credit card. Coax off dried paint splatters by holding a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol on the drip for a few seconds. Use a baking soda paste to finish the job. Rinse and dry.
3 MISTAKES THAT CAN RUIN WOOD FLOORS
Avoid these common cleaning blunders to keep your floors looking their best.
1 VACUUMING WITH A ROTATING BRUSH. To keep from scratching and marring your floor’s finish, use a canister vacuum’s floor brush attachment or switch off the spinning brush on an upright vacuum.
2 WET-CLEANING TOO OFTEN. Newer floor finishes are more resistant to water, but it’s always best to tackle small areas at a time with a damp (not wet) mop or cloth and dry them promptly. Wet-clean wood floors only as needed.
3 OVERUSING STEAM. Steam mops clean without chemicals, but use them sparingly, if at all, on wood. Choose the lightest level of steam and don’t linger on one spot for too long. Never use steam on waxed or worn wood floors.
Yes, you can get rid of them once and for all! (And see our complete stain removal guide in Chapter 7, page 148.)
DON’T RUB IT IN
If you attack a stain vigorously, you’ll only untwist the carpet tufts. Instead, blot gently and work from the stain’s outer edge toward the center.
DON’T SPRAY THE CARPET
Applying too much cleaner only makes it harder to rinse out and leaves a residue that attracts dirt. Spray the cloth you’re using and dab the stain instead.
RINSE SPARINGLY
Never pour water directly on a carpet. It will saturate the padding and flooring underneath and damage them. Instead, dip a cloth in clear water and dab the carpet to rinse. Blot with a dry cloth.
STOP Stubborn STAINS
Residue deep in the carpet may travel up the fibers as they dry and resurface as a stain. To prevent this, place paper towels and a heavy pot or vase on top and leave overnight. In the morning, fluff to dry.
Choose one of these ways to keep carpets looking great.
BUY
If you have the room to store it, buying a carpet deep-cleaning machine means that you can tackle stains and traffic paths regularly. And your purchase cost will likely be repaid with just a few uses.
Bissell Proheat 2x Revolution Pet Pro Carpet Cleaner is easy to maneuver and has an Express Mode for quicker cleaning and faster drying.
RENT
When you rent, you don’t need storage space, but you do have to pick the machine up and return it to the store. Choose a retailer with machines that are clean and well-maintained. Always try out the vacuum on a scrap piece of carpet or a mat before using it on your carpet to be sure it works well.
PRO
Likely the most expensive but also the most convenient way to go, professional carpet cleaners have equipment more powerful and effective at removing embedded dirt than home machines. Before hiring any company, get recommendations from friends and neighbors, and ask companies for an estimate, whether the technicians move furniture and apply stain-preventive treatments, and about any warranty.
DON’T MAKE THESE 4 DUSTING MISTAKES
Here’s what not to do to give your furniture the care it deserves.
USING A FEATHER DUSTER
This tool simply spreads dust from one surface to another. Instead, use a microfiber or electrostatic duster, like Swiffer 360° DustersTM, to grab and hold on to dust. Use a long-handled version for the tops of bookcases and ceiling fans. Wash or replace the duster when it gets dirty.
NEGLECTING HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING VENTS
These grilles on your walls and ceilings are dust magnets. To keep dust from blowing back into your room, go over the slats with your vacuum’s soft brush attachment.
DRY DUSTING
Dust particles are abrasive and, when wiped dry, may put fine scratches in your furniture’s finish. Dry dust is also harder to collect. Spritz microfiber dusters and cloths with a dusting spray or polish for easier cleaning and better results.
SPRAYING POLISH ON FURNITURE
Do this and you risk forming a filmy buildup on your wood that is difficult to remove and attracts more dust. Spray your cloth instead and pass it gently across the surface. Buff any excess with a clean cloth.
1-MINUTE TIP! If you place a drippy glass or a hot dish directly on a wood table, moisture will become trapped in the finish, leaving a white ring or mark. To remove that mark, place a thick towel on the blemish and press for a few seconds with a warm, dry iron. Repeat until the ring disappears. Polish and buff well.
HOW TO FRESHEN UP WINDOW COVERINGS
Clean windows are only part of the equation. Blinds and shades need care, too.
ALUMINUM AND VINYL BLINDS
Lower the blind and tilt the slats partially closed. Hold the bottom rail and vacuum the blind horizontally or top to bottom with your vacuum’s soft dusting brush. Dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe the slats again. Open and allow them to air-dry. Good Housekeeping Lab pick Casabella Microfiber Blind Gloves can be used wet or dry and on either hand to quickly and easily clean dusty blinds.
VINYL AND FABRIC SHADES
Vacuum fabric shades with a dusting or upholstery tool. Clean vinyl shades with a sudsy cloth, starting at the bottom. Rinse with another cloth. Work your way up the shade to the roller. Leave it fully extended to dry.
CURTAINS AND DRAPES
Washable curtains and drapes should be laundered according to the manufacturer’s care instructions. Hang them promptly to keep creases from setting. Skip ironing. Instead, smooth them with a garment steamer while they are hanging on the rod.
1-MINUTE TIP! Spray fabric shades, curtains, and draperies with an antistatic product, like Static Guard, to help repel dust and pet hair and make them easier to clean.
HOW TO KEEP A CLEAN DESK & OFFICE
Make this space one you’ll want to work in.
MAXIMIZE YOUR SPACE.
Mount a shelf to keep supplies and tools within reach but off your desk. Use baskets or magazine files to corral catalogs and other publications. Recycle old issues when new ones arrive. A rolling file cabinet can hold important papers and serve as an additional work surface. Leave only the essentials on your desk.
SHRED IT.
A supereasy thing you can do to protect yourself from identity theft is to invest in a micro-cut shredder. Fellowes® Powershred® 99 MS Micro-Cut handles fifteen sheets at once, along with credit cards and staples. Shred unwanted mail daily to keep it from piling up.
BE A LABELER.
Whatever your system, be sure containers, files, and boxes are clearly labeled with their contents. This will make it easier to sort, stash, and retrieve items and keep you from digging around unnecessarily.
TACK IT UP.
Install cork tiles, a bulletin board, or a magnetic photo strip to hold small notes, business cards, slips of paper, and other reminders you refer to often so they don’t fall “out of sight, out of mind” or become lost or misplaced.
CLEAN SCREENS.
Electronic devices, especially smartphones, tablets, and those with touch screens, are dust and dirt magnets. Stash microfiber cloths and screen-cleaning sprays or wipes in your desk drawer, purse, or where you charge your portable devices. Clean them at least every one to two days. Always spray the cloth, not the device. For televisions, use only a dry, soft, lint-free cloth or duster or compressed air to blow away dust. Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions to keep from voiding the warranty.
DE-GUNK KEYBOARDS AND REMOTE CONTROLS.
The nooks and crannies of these touchpads get pretty grimy. Gently tap keyboards upside down on the desk to dislodge dirt and food crumbs, or vacuum them with the vacuum’s soft brush attachment. To remove grime, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If you use a premoistened disinfecting or electronics wipe to remove stuck-on dirt, just be sure not to let any liquid seep inside.
WEED OUT CLUNKERS.
Nonworking or unwanted devices along with their cords and chargers take up valuable office real estate. Turn them in on your town’s electronics recycling days, use store take-back programs, or check earth911.com for area e-cyclers.
ORGANIZE YOUR DESKTOP.
Going digital is a great way to eliminate a paper mess, but clutter on a computer desktop can actually slow down performance, so don’t save unneeded files there. Take a second to put them into a labeled hard drive folder or in the cloud, where you’ll be able to easily find them.