Maid In America

 I started off this week planning to write an article all about the benefits of switching to liquid soap and ditching the bars. As a house cleaner, I've found that most of the time bar soap causes mushy, yucky problems that I have to clean up every two weeks. Personally I can't see myself trying to use a bar of soap that's been left out all wet in the shower, getting smaller and mushier by the day. Over the course of my research, I learned a couple of things that surprised me: first, there are ways to keep that soap from becoming a mushy mess on a shelf in your shower. And second, today's bar soaps are actually preferable to body washes and liquid soaps in a number of ways. Imagine my surprise, learning that what I'd believed about liquid soap being superior all these years being wrong! To be completely fair, in the 1990s when I moved out on my own and switched to liquid soaps, they really were the better product choice. How the times change. Bear in mind that when ...

Today we'll tackle fall cleaning chores for inside your home. Some things only need to be done once or twice a year, but the mountain will still pile up if you let things slide. So let's get started! Sweep & Inspect Chimneys & Fireplaces Your chimney should be cleaned and inspected yearly. A chimney sweep will help you protect your home from accidental fires caused by creosote build-up. If you didn't give your interior fireplace surround a good cleaning at the end of last winter, do it now. Waiting another season will just add to the build-up of soot and make cleaning even more difficult. Gas logs and fireplaces should also be inspected and cleaned. Change Smoke Detector Batteries A change of seasons signals a time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This essential task should never be overlooked. Keeping fresh batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors will protect everyone in your household and can save lives. Clean or R...