It’s summer time once again. Although summer is fun, you cannot deny the fact that dust and dirt comes along with the humid air. So to have a really nice and clean home, here are some tips to have a clean and ‘grin’ summer:

Cleaning wallpaper:

• To dust papered walls, tie a dust cloth over your broom and work from the top down.

• To remove pencil marks and other non-greasy spots from non-washable papers, use an art gum eraser or a slice of fresh rye bread.
  
  
• To remove greasy spots, crayon marks and food stains, apply a paste of cleaning fluid and fuller’s earth, cornstarch or whiting. Let dry and brush off. Repeat the treatment until the spot is gone.

• Wipe off fingerprints with a damp cloth, then sprinkle the moist area with fuller’s earth. Let it dry and then brush it off.
  
  
• To prevent splash marks when you’re washing baseboards or other woodwork, mask wallpaper with a wide ruler, venetian blind-slat or a piece of rigid plastic.

• When you save scraps of wallpaper for patching, tack them to a wall in the attic or closet. When you use them for repairs, they won’t look so brand new.
  

Removing water stains:

• If the fabric is non-washable, gently scratch off the stain (which is made up of mineral deposits) with your fingernail. Still there? Hold the spot over a steaming teakettle until well dampened. As it dries, rub the stain, working from its outer edges toward the center.

• Remove hard-water stains from glasses and bottles by rubbing them with steel wool dipped in vinegar.

• Cover hard-water stains on bathroom fixtures with a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Then drape with a terry cloth towel and let stand for about an hour. Wipe off, rinse and dry.
  

Cleaning wicker:

• Remove dust from wicker by vacuuming with the dust-brush attachment. To remove grime, wash with a solution of 2 tablespoons ammonia per gallon of water. Use a paintbrush or a toothbrush to get at hard-to-reach places. Rinse well. Air-dry in the shade.

Cleaning mini blinds:

• Slip your hands in a pair of socks for cleaning the mini blinds. Dip one hand into a bucket of warm, soapy water and hold the blinds between your two hands. Rub back and forth until you’ve cleaned the whole surface. Then reverse sides so the dry sock dries the blinds. Wipe mini blinds with damp fabric softener sheets to eliminate static that collects dust. The same tricks works for your TV. Screen.

• Take the blind down and take it outside. Lay it on an old blanket preferably on a slanted area of the yard. Let the blind out all the way and make sure all the louvers are flat. Mix up a bucket of all-purpose cleaner or ammonia solution. Scrub with a soft brush then turn it over to do the backside. By now the blanket is wet and is helping to clean the blind and protecting it. Hang the blind on a clothesline and hose it off. Gentle shaking will help it begin to drip dry.

Linen closets:

• Linen closets can be a jumbled mess, especially when you have children making their own beds. Organize bed linens in sets. Fold flat sheet in half twice lengthwise, then fold fitted sheet the same way and lay it on top of the flat folded sheet. Add one or two pillowcases folded long ways and roll them all together into a neat roll. Whoever is making the bed can grab only a roll instead of rummaging around and making a mess.

Mix own solutions:

• Ammonia, diluted with 3 parts water in an empty spray bottle can be used to clean windows, appliances and countertops. Full strength it can remove wax build-up from the kitchen floor.

• An excellent way to scour copper and brass is ½ cup vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon salt.
  
  
• Full strength pine oil is great for deodorizing garbage cans, and scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom floor.
  
  
• Baking soda can be used instead of scouring powder and also removes stains and odors from refrigerators and coffeepots.

• A sprinkle of dry baking soda before vacuuming will freshen the carpeting. Try it as a deodorizer for diaper pails and kitty litter.

Urine Spots:

• Get to them quickly with a solution of a dish detergent and water.