ShopSmart Makes Spring Cleaning Easy and Smart

Poll Reveals Spring Cleaning is Annual Ritual for 58% of Women; Find Out the Right Way to Tackle the Grungiest Jobs around Your House

YONKERS, N.Y., March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Spring is the season for de-gunking, degreasing, and de-cluttering. According to a new national survey in the April 2010 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, spring cleaning is an annual ritual for 58 percent of women in U.S. households. Twenty-five percent of women do it to get organized and 25 percent do it to keep a healthy home. ShopSmart's 'Clean Smarter' feature goes room by room to help readers rid every nook and cranny of dirt, dust, smells and germs.

"Not only is it satisfying to make things look, smell and sparkle like new, it's also a good investment of your time. Appliances, carpets, furniture and fixtures that are maintained will work better and last longer," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. "To make spring cleaning and regular weekly chores easier, use our 'Clean Smarter' guide for tips and tools that really work but are easy on surfaces and minimize the use of harsh chemicals that can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs."

ShopSmart's 'Clean Smarter' guide features the best vacuums, shampooers and carpet-stain removers for your home, as well as tips for picking less-toxic products and a clip-and-save label decoder to help avoid harmful ingredients.

Below is a sampling of some of ShopSmart's advice.

In The Bathroom

• MIRRORS: Skip window cleaners and instead use warm water and soft, lint-free cloths. Use one damp cloth to wipe down and dry immediately with another cloth.
• TOILETS: This is one area where you should use an abrasive cleaner like Comet and Ajax.
• SHOWERHEADS: Clean regularly with a sponge and cleanser. To unclog scaly deposits, simmer a metal head for 15 minutes in one part vinegar, eight parts water.
• SHOWER WALLS: Wipe weekly with warm soapy water. If soap scum remains, spray with a bathroom cleaner, let stand for 5 minutes, then rinse. Attack dirty grout with a bleach-and-water dipped toothbrush.
• BATHTUBS & SINKS: Tackle porcelain stains with a mix of one cup bleach and one quart of water, leave for 15 seconds, then rinse. Use warm water and vinegar on mineral deposits.
• BATH & SHOWER MATS: Machine wash in hot water regularly. Scrub rubber mats with warm water and dishwashing liquid. To remove mildew, soak in a bleach solution and rinse dry.

In the Kitchen

• REFRIGERATORS: Clean from the top down. Empty all contents and wash surfaces with warm water and liquid detergent. Use a toothbrush or cotton swab to clean rubber gaskets, then clean the coils under and behind the fridge at least once a year with a coil-cleaning brush and vacuum.
• OVENS: Remove crumbs and debris after each time you cook and wipe down so grime doesn't build up. For stubborn grime, soak the window with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly.
• MICROWAVE OVENS: Wipe down with a hot, damp cloth. Scrape off baked-on foods with a credit card. To mask odors, run the oven for one minute with a bowl of lemon juice and warm water inside.
• SINKS: Wipe down acrylic, fiberglass or stainless-steel sinks with a sponge with hot water and liquid detergent. It is safe to use scouring powder and warm water on porcelain, enamel or glass.
• DISHWASHERS: Use a toothbrush dipped in warm soapy water and work your way around the edges. Check the filter if it's removable and the floor periodically to remove debris. Restore shine to stainless-steel interiors by wiping down with white vinegar.

In Living Areas

• UPHOLSTERY: Vacuum sofas and chair cushions regularly using the upholstery, dusting and crevice attachments. If possible, remove the covers to wash or dry-clean. Once a year, air out and clean the cushion inserts, too. Dry clean feather- and down-filled cushions; machine wash polyester filled cushions.
• CARPETS: Vacuum at least once a week, but do it more often where there's heavy foot traffic to prevent dirt from unevenly wearing down carpets. Move furniture and vacuum underneath every six months, if possible. Also vacuum the backs of rugs occasionally. To remove ground-in dirt, shampoo or deep clean carpets every year or two. If your carpet has a significant amount of ground-in dirt and stains, you might want to hire a pro.

About ShopSmart magazine: Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports' celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and "best of the best" lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

ShopSmart is now available 10 times a year. Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org.  

SOURCE Consumer Reports