Get the dirt on cleaning house
Is your home a little messier than you would like? Are dust bunnies taking over, or is an unidentifiable object lurking in the back of the refrigerator? Don’t feel bad. You’re not alone.
In this current climate of multi-tasking households where people are pressed for time, it is common that a few of the household chores may fall by the wayside. Many people simply do not have the desire or enough hours in the day to get their homes in top shape. Others have far less tolerance for dirt and grime and will never supplant Mike Rowe as host of The Discovery Channel’s, “Dirty Jobs.” But one woman is just tickled about tackling cleaning projects. Her name is Cindy Inman, a cleaning expert who provides advice to people across the country in “Ask Cindy,” a monthly column and collection of seminars aimed at helping the cleaning-impaired.
Inman says that while time is certainly a factor in regard to cleaning apprehension, others run and hide from the task because they simply don’t know how to get the job done right. She hopes that by uncovering the “mysteries” of some relatively easy cleaning tasks, she can gain more followers with a passion for cleaning. Well, at least help them keep a neater home.
“I found that people really don’t know what to do and what to use when I’ve toured homes and apartments for cleaning consultations,” says Cindy. “No one has ever offered these people a blueprint: ‘This is how you polish a table.’ ‘This is how you get stainless steel appliances to shine like new.’”
Cindy grew up in the Bronx and didn’t initially have aspirations to gain celebrity as a cleaning guru. However, under the tutelage and watchful eyes of her grandmother, Sadie Whitting, an upscale domestic whom Cindy affectionately called Me-Me, she acquired a sense of pride in keeping things spic-and-span.
“I never ‘enjoyed’ cleaning as a kid, but I wasn’t a sloppy child; I wanted to keep things pleasant around me,” says Cindy.
Today, through her successful business, and her light-hearted but informative cleaning seminars, Cindy makes things pleasant for more people than she ever could have imagined.
Cindy Helps You Keep it Clean
Considering Cindy Inman has been intimate with cleaning for more than 15 years, she’s developed some tried-and-true strategies for tackling common — and uncommon — projects. And the majority of her favorite products are everyday items you probably already have in your cupboards. Here’s a list of some of her top tips:
1. Clean your stainless steel appliance surfaces with a soap-and-water solution prior to using a stainless-steel cleaner and polisher.
2. Wipe out the inside of your newly cleaned oven with a vinegar-and-water solution to remove any remaining oven-spray residue.
3. When cleaning floors, avoid mopping the edges and corners. After sweeping and vacuuming well, wipe out corners and edges by hand. This prevents developing edge and dirt buildup that is so unsightly.
4. Check your vacuum-cleaner bag prior to turning on your unit. A bag that is more than 3/4 -full of dirt and dust mites challenges any vacuuming system.
5. Always work from the top down when doing a complete room clean. Assess what is needed to complete the cleaning task at hand, gather the appropriate tools and detergents, and execute your plan.