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?
Sports season is upon us and so is the constant battle to keep sports uniforms clean! Whether you have soccer, football, or baseball pants, grass stains and dirt leave their mark. I'll share the best types of cleaning products to use, and a pre-game method to help prevent stains from sticking!
VIDEO BONUS: Watch the video through to the end to learn about a surprising location to clean uniforms and dirt-stained pants!
#happycleaning, Amy Bates
Jillian Ihloff from Ihloff Homes-McGraw Realtors in Tulsa, OK shared a quick checklist me for keeping your kitchen neat and clean when trying to sell your home! From decluttering to quick staging tips, this is your task list for last minute home showings:
#happycleaning, Amy Bates
Do you find foul smelling towels hidden behind bathroom doors or closet floors in your house? Or wet, musty swim clothing items when your kids return from camp?
Try this tip to get those smelly things fresh in a jiffy:
#happycleaning, Amy Bates
Are you too busy to spend loads of time cleaning dirty baseball caps, but don't want to buy new ones at the end of baseball season? I've got an easy method for getting your hats and caps clean in a hurry using your dishwasher and items you likely have on hand!
#happycleaning, Amy Bates
Reminder: If shape is vital to you... or your sense of style.... frames are readily available at your discount store and help maintain shape.
Ever enjoy a delicious lunch but drip oily salad dressing or grease on your blouse or tie? This is what I call a "Oh Sh#t moment"! But you can save your favorite outfits from staining using items found on the dining table. Check out my quick video below!
#happycleaning, Amy Bates
In my new video, I'll take you through my family "dungeon" a.k.a. the laundry room. This is where everything collects and the washer sees some serious battles. See a step-by-step process on how to clean your front loading washer to keep it smelling fresh and working great!
#happycleaning - Amy Bates
Hate cleaning your baseboards? Grab a couple of dryer sheets and a wet magic eraser sponge and get to work! The dryer sheet's waxy finish will pick up dust and leave your base boards smelling fresh. Then, use the magic eraser to clean up any scuff marks on the walls left behind from bags or traffic in the house.
#happycleaning - Amy Bates
Do you love your dog, but hate the smell he leaves behind? I'll give you a simple way to deodorize carpets, that is safe for pets and provides amazing results!
*VIDEO BONUS* - watch the video through to the end to see my dog's hilarious reaction to the D.I.Y. recipe!
#happycleaning - Amy Bates
Are you grossed out by excessive dog hair on your couch? Try these two simple tricks to get rid of the hair and prep your living room for your next family get together!
#happycleaning - Amy Bates
Do you have your own tips for keeping pet hair at bay? - Comment below!
Does your dishwasher leave your glassware cloudy?
I'll show you how to use a common drink mix to get rid of haze on your dishes, and answer some common questions about how to get the most out of your dishwasher's cycle.
#happycleaning - Amy Bates
