Thanksgiving guests are gone, but the beginning of December ushers in a new round of house cleaning chores, especially if you are hosting Christmas at your chalet. While most homeowners dread the drudgery of getting their house in order for additional guests, cleaning can be fun if you incorporate the following suggestions: Rock Out: Turn up the volume on your favorite music and get cleaning. Or, put on some classical or Christmas music and sway in time to the beat as you dust, mop or scrub sinks. Feel the Burn: Instead of looking at house cleaning as a chore, look … Continue reading →

I’ll never forget the time when my oldest brother refused to use a coaster my mom gave him to set under his glass of iced tea, and his stubbornness resulted in three glaring white water stains on my parents’ wood end table. He was 14 at the time and the scene was far from pretty… and I’m not referring to the water stains. Homeowners with wood furniture are familiar with the trepidation that sets in during parties where dozens of people are milling around with wet glasses and no coasters. The fear of white water stains is palpable. Fortunately, there … Continue reading →

I don’t drink coffee. Ever. In fact, I don’t consume any caffeinated or carbonated beverages, which is why when the holidays roll around and guests are scheduled to arrive, I end up scrambling around. One of my first tasks is to dig out the coffeemaker. My second task is to clean the coffee pot. Typically, it’s an easy chore, but it can be a pain depending on how well the pot was cleaned before it was shoved back into the closet. My college roommate worked at IHOP when we were in school and she taught me a useful trick for … Continue reading →

Nothing ushers in the holiday season quite like scented candles. With a young child around the house, I’m not a huge fan of candles, but during the holidays I have been known to light gingerbread, evergreen, and spiced cranberry-scented candles to enhance our family celebrations. The downside to having your house smell like a Christmas tree farm is dealing with unexpected wax stains. Fortunately, cleaning candle wax is not a huge undertaking, provided you follow these tips: FABRIC Removing candle wax from cotton is fairly simple. While you should consult the care label before laundering, in most cases you can … Continue reading →

Tis the season for dusting off the “good stuff.” If you are like me, then you only use your good china and/or silver during the holidays. This sad, but true fact is something I have tried to break free from, but alas, when you have young ones at home, using grandma’s cherished china every day is not really a viable option. With Thanksgiving just a few days away and Christmas right around the corner, now is the time to take a refresher course in how to clean the “good stuff.” If you only use your fine china and silver a … Continue reading →

The holiday season officially kicks off with next week’s Thanksgiving celebrations. Soon your home will be packed with friends and family toasting the good times shared in 2010. Wine and other celebratory beverages are common at holiday parties, but unfortunately, there are times when the fun goes too far and spilled red wine stains your holiday festivities. Don’t let a vino stains put a damper on your seasonal fun. Rather, arm yourself with these cleaning tips aimed at removing red wine stains from a variety of surfaces: Salt: If red wine spills on carpet or fabric upholstery tend to it … Continue reading →

You know those hosts, who follow their drink-toting guests around the house with coasters, in order to preserve their wood surfaces? That was my grandma. My dear, sweet, beloved grandmother was deathly afraid of getting water stains on her wood furniture. She was especially fearful of black stains, which are indicative of water seeping beyond the finish and into the wood. There isn’t a homeowner around, who wants to deal with water stains, especially ones that damage furniture. However, there is some good news when it comes to water stains. If you treat them right away, there is a good … Continue reading →