Secrets to Making Your Home Sparkle!

Every girl needs a little sparkle in her life right? Well unfortunately I'm not talking about diamonds...but, having a home that sparkles can make you feel almost as good...right? lol

I have come across a few cleaning tips over the past few weeks from watching TV at all kinds of crazy hours. Mom's you know what I mean. I have tested them all and have found them to work brilliantly! I just had to share!

Now some of you might be reading trough this saying, "um, those tricks have been around forever", so to you I say, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SHARE THEM WITH ME!!!" j/k. But as a "new" stay home mom, I am always looking for tips on how to make my house a home. Before when I worked the dreadful 9-5, I cleaned on the weekends and did the BARE minimum. While watching GMA the other morning I learned that there are 2 areas to check to make sure your home is clean or if your house keeper is doing a good job. 1. The base of your toilet and 2. The top of your refrigerator. Well, I failed that one! You better believe those are on my list this week. lol. Here are 7 tips that will make having a home that sparkles SO much easier!

1. Place a little water and baking soda in a small microwave safe glass dish in your microwave. Turn your microwave on for a few minutes. Now all of that stuck on food that has been splattered all over your microwave can be easily wiped down!

2. Place 1 denture tablet into your toilet, wait 30 minutes, scrub and flush! It will leave your toilet grime free and minty fresh! Although I wonder what the cashier checking me out at the grocery store is thinking..."why is this 20 some year old woman buying denture tablets"...hmmmmm

3. When cleaning your mirrored and glass surfaces, use coffee filters instead of paper towels or a cloth towel. It leaves your glass squeaky clean with no residue or fuzz left behind!

4. I know that cleaning blinds is such a daunting task. I rarely get around to doing it because it can be very time consuming, especially if you have a lot of windows in your home like I do. Every once and a while I will run the "swiffer" over them but I feel like that just pushes the dust around. I found that using a dryer sheet works like a charm! All of the dust clings to it! And you can even use a used one right out of the dryer!

5. Want a clean shower? Combine vinegar and water in a spray bottle (you can get them at the dollar store) and spray down all surfaces of your shower. Tile, glass, etc. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean. It breaks down all that dirt and grime and it DOES NOT leave a vinegar smell behind.

6. I am constantly dealing with how to reach those nasty cobwebs and I have 12 ft ceilings in my home! So grab a broom, a yard stick, pole, whatever you have lying around and put a tube sock over it. I bet all of us women can find an old holey sock in our husbands sock drawer! The cobwebs stick right to it and then you can just throw it in the wash!

7. I hate those sticky price tags that come on home decor, picture frames, etc. I have used 'Goof Off" in the past and it does work really well, but it is a chemical, has a very strong odor, and can even eat away color. I now use a little baby oil. Rub it into the sticker until it wipes right off! Genius!

So I know it's only 7 tips, but they have changed my cleaning routine for the better! If you have any cleaning tips of your own you would like to share, please do so on my FB page 'Style with Wisdom'! I would love to hear them! And if you missed my post on how to make cleaning your home less overwhelming you can read it here! http://www.stylewithwisdom.blogspot.com/2011/11/keeping-things-organized-on-busy.html. Now make that home SPARKLE!