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Amy Bates
Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean ...

When GoodHousekeeping.com asked me to stop doing housework for two weeks, I was terrified. For starters, we're your typical, busy Midwestern family with two teenage sons and two dogs. My husband Alan is a tidy and fastidious civil engineer, and I am the proud owner of a Merry Maids office and the founder of the Don't Look Under the Rug blog. The two of us divide the chores (Alan washes dishes, cooks, and vacuums; while I handle laundry, grocery shopping, and monitoring general clutter) and the boys are expected to pick up after themselves. That said, I do feel I handle more than my fair share of housework after a day at the office.

I don't think my standards are unrealistic. I love things to be clean, but I also enjoy living in my home. We do have a mail pile and a "take it up the stairs" collection. So, eventually, I felt cautiously optimistic about taking a two-week hiatus from housework. My boys are well-behaved, helpful, and only slightly sloth-like when it comes to picking up after themselves — how bad could it be? 

Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean the House for Two Weeks

Paper Towels

How To Remove Permanent Marker From Clothes

Did your child come home from school with Sharpie permanent marker on their new shirt? Guess what? Permanent marker is not impossible to remove! To get started with this DIY cleaning tip, you will need white paper towels, a clean working surface, and rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. I prefer to use hand sanitizer (non-fragrance) because I find it is easier to work into the fabric. The trick is to NOT wash the shirt before you do this. If you do, the stain will be set in the fabric and you will have no luck getting it out! It may take a couple of tries but eventually the color will lift right out!

#happycleaning - Amy, dontlookundertherug.com