General Home Cleaning

This is great general housekeeping advice that friends pass along to one another. Just general, good-to-know stuff about keeping house.

Borax. Why don’t you have any yet? Most people have no idea about how wonderful this little box of cleaning joy is. Borax is made with water, oxygen, boron, and sodium—simple stuff that's been known to man for more than 4000 years, and used for cleaning with borax has been going on for...
I love to cook, but getting burnt food from pots and pans can be a tricky task. Tamara asks: What’s the best way to clean super dirty pots and pans with burnt on food on the bottom? Melissa Says: There are a few different approaches to this task—it really depends on what kind...
We've all heard about these kinds of floors but let's be honest, if you're not a contractor, a decorator or builder you're likely unsure about the real differences. So, what is the difference between a laminate, hardwood and an engineered hardwood floor? The answer: 3 simple parts! Laminate Laminate is durable, cost-effective...
One of the most common questions I get asked is how to clean a shower properly. This is definitely one of the jobs that seems harder than it is. If you have the right tools, products, and technique, and do it regularly, you will be in good shape. If your shower...
"How do I clean my kids' toys?" might be one of the questions I'm asked most often. Time and again, my friends (who used to ask me if their butts looked good in their tightest clubbing outfit) are now asking me how to clean toys.  Oh, friends, how the...
"Clean your rooooooom!" Man, if I had a dollar for every time my parents yelled this very phrase at me when I was growing up, I'd probably still be doing this but I'd be doing it from a big old beach house along the California coast. It seems most of...
I consider our bathroom cleaning video to be essential viewing, if you want to know how to clean your tub, toilet, sink, counters, tiles, and even the floor. But I hate to tell you—those aren't even the nastiest parts of the bathroom. So now we're back to tackle those things—the ones that you might...
Whether you know it or not, your house has a unique smell. It can range from a light, fresh scent all the way to a musty, stale, wet dog kind of smell. The unfortunate part is, you get so used to this smell that you don't even recognize it...
Since I've been cleaning on a professional level, I have had a love affair with OxiClean. It just works! You put it in your laundry and your laundry comes out stain free. But, did you know that you can use OxiClean around the house to tackle other cleaning tasks?...
The way a house smells when you first step in, might seem unimportant, but I can assure you it is anything but. Our sense of smell is connected to our emotions and that's powerful in and of itself.  Smells can elicit emotional responses such as being happy, relaxed and...
Myth 1: Dishwasher detergent is safe to use on your car. Remember all those commercials about how dishwashing detergent ‘fights grease’ and ‘eliminates streaks’? As appealing as it may sound to use that on your car, consider it a huge no-no if you ever want to get that showroom SHEEN...
You might have noticed during our recent home tour video, that we have a hodge-podge of wood furniture at Clean My Space HQ. And since a popular ask has been how I clean it, I decided to go over in detail how to clean and care for wood furniture. As surprising...
Letting your glass stovetop stay dirty can lead to scratching, pitting—tiny chips, craters, or dents in the glass—and cracking, which means you will need to replace the stovetop ($$$). I bet you can think of lots of things you'd rather spend your money on. Cleaning it doesn't have to be a royal pain—just try this quick and...
Cleaning expert, Melissa Maker, walks you through the products and tools you'll need as well as the simple steps to cleaning a toilet quickly and effectively in 3 minutes. Tools you'll need Rubber Gloves Use separate ones for the bathroom (these ones are while, choose another colour for the kitchen). Cleaning Toothbrush Use an...
As I've learned, mopping is one of the most confusing cleaning jobs out there - who knew! Well friends, let me use my ridiculously vast knowledge of cleaning to make mopping as simple as tying a shoelace for you! Sometimes a mop, is just a mop - but if you've been...
Vacuums are so sensitive <rolls eyes>. They look all burly and rugged on the exterior, but inside, they're delicate little creatures that need to be treated with the most tender loving care. If not, they'll blow out dust, overheat, lose suction, make you work harder and eventually, just stop...