Cleaning Tips

• You can save a lot of money on cleaning supplies by using bleach in a spray bottle to clean and disinfect the bathroom and kitchen. Just fill an empty spray bottle with a half-and-half mixture of bleach and water. Be careful not to spray the bleach mixture near fabrics, rugs and carpet.
  
  Despite its smell, vinegar can neutralize odor. Use a vinegar-and-hot-water solution as a shampoo to clean and deodorize household items like rugs and carpets. The room will smell like vinegar only temporarily. Vinegar also cuts through grease, so you can use it for stubborn stove stains. Baking soda deodorizes as well, so vinegar and baking soda are essential items if a smoker lives in your home.
  
  Place fabric softener dryer sheets in your garbage cans and drawers to freshen and deodorize.
  
  

Cat and Dog Hair

• One of a home's more-difficult cleaning jobs is getting rid of cat and dog hair, which clings to surfaces, especially couches. Strong packing tape works but can sometimes leave hairs behind. The Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair or a similar product brushed across the surface of your couches and cloth chairs pulls up and traps animal hair (and lint) inside a container.
  
  

Cooking Prep

• When you cook for your family, food preparation can be time-consuming. Instead of prepping at each meal, take an hour to cut up the food you'll want to cook for the next two days. Store the chopped items in a large freezer or storage bag.
  
  

House Management Tips

• Managing the affairs of the house, which includes remembering events and paying bills, is an important part of housekeeping. To better manage your tasks, place a dry-erase calendar board in the kitchen. Take an hour to write down, for all to see, your month in advance, including kids' sports games, important bill due dates, special trash days and weekend getaways.