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How-To
How-To
Declutter BEFORE Summer Break - Three Simple Rules
by Amy Sardone on May 28, 2024
In a few short weeks, your home will become the hub of summer break activities, with outdoor gear strewn about, beach towels tossed aside, and more items accumulating than you know what to do with! As the summer season approaches, it's crucial to clear your home in preparation for the upcoming chaos.
We’re sharing the top three rules for decluttering to help you keep your sanity as the kids get ready to come home for summer break. If you follow even one of these rules, you’ll find your home a much more organized and enjoyable space to relax with family and friends.
Rule 1 – When in doubt, TOSS IT OUT!
No matter how sentimental you feel about that old swimsuit that no longer fits or the worn-out beach umbrella, it’s time to let them go. Be firm and decisive as you sort through clothes and belongings to determine what stays and what needs to be discarded.
Rule 2 – Use it or lose it!
Building on Rule #1, if something hasn’t been used in the past year, it’s time to bid it farewell. Whether it's clothing, sports equipment, or hobby supplies, if it's been collecting dust, it's taking up valuable space. Donate unused items to make room for summer essentials.
Rule 3 – A place for everything and everything in its place.
Now that you've streamlined your belongings, it's essential to establish designated spots for each item. Make it a habit to return items to their designated homes after use. Whether it's putting away beach toys or hanging up wet towels, maintaining organization will prevent clutter from piling up.
These three rules are just the beginning. For a comprehensive guide to decluttering, check out the Clutter Control ebook here. Happy decluttering and enjoy a clutter-free summer break!

How-To
How to Host a Graduation Party at Home
by Amy Sardone on May 24, 2024
Graduation season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate your graduate’s achievements than by hosting a memorable party at home? With the Speed Cleaning method, you can quickly prepare your house for a celebration that’s both fun and stress-free. Here’s how to plan your party, clean efficiently, and ensure everything goes smoothly.
PLAN YOUR PARTY
Set a Date and Time: Choose a date and time that works best for your family and guests. Consider whether a daytime or evening event suits your needs.
Create a Guest List: Write down everyone you’d like to invite. Send out invitations a few weeks in advance to give guests ample time to RSVP.
Plan the Menu: Decide on the type of food and drinks you want to serve. Finger foods, appetizers, and a few main dishes work well for a party. Don’t forget to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences.
Decorations and Supplies: Order or purchase decorations that match the graduation theme. Balloons, banners, and tablecloths in school colors are great choices. Ensure you have enough plates, cups, utensils, and napkins for all guests.
SPEED CLEAN YOUR HOME - OUR 6 POINT PLAN MAKES IT EASY!
1. Decide which rooms your guests are most likely to spend time in and concentrate on just those rooms. If there’s time to clean elsewhere, fine.
2. Declutter the most important rooms. This step alone can make a huge difference in how a room looks and it certainly makes it easier to clean.
3. Clean the bathrooms first after decluttering in case you run out of time before guests arrive. Bathrooms are the exception to the “good enough” rule. They should truly be clean and smell clean. Keeping a tote bin under the bathroom sink stocked with cleaning supplies like Speed Cleaning’s Red Juice, Pro Scrub, paper towels, etc., makes this quick cleanup easy.
4. Then clean the kitchen to the best of your ability, even though you’re simultaneously preparing dinner for a crowd.
Vacuum or sweep the floor
Run the dishwasher or put clean dishes away
Clean the sink
Wipe the counters
Empty the trash can
Wipe up visible marks and spills on the floor
5. Moving on to the other important rooms, dust working from the top down. The light fixture over the table might be something that doesn’t get a routine dusting, so be sure to include that. Speed Cleaning’s Flexible Microfiber Duster is perfect for dusting delicate surfaces as well as large surfaces quickly and easily.
6. Lastly, vacuum. Then you can get yourself ready for your guests and greet them at the door relaxed and smiling. And if something didn’t get done – say it with me – oh well!
TIPS FOR A SMOOTH PARTY
Create a Flow: Arrange furniture to create a good flow for guests to move around easily. Set up food and drink stations in accessible areas.
Entertainment: Prepare a playlist of your graduate’s favorite songs to play in the background. Consider setting up a photo booth with props for fun pictures.
Delegate: Don’t hesitate to ask family members for help with tasks like refilling food, greeting guests, or cleaning up spills.
Prepare Ahead: Cook or prepare as much food as possible the day before the party. This will free up time on the day of the event for final touches and relaxation.
Relax and Enjoy: Once the party starts, relax and enjoy celebrating your graduate’s accomplishments with friends and family.
By following the Speed Cleaning method, you’ll have your home party-ready in no time, allowing you to focus on making lasting memories with your loved ones. Congratulations to all the graduates and happy hosting!
How-To
How To Quickly Clean Outdoor Toys
by Amy Sardone on May 22, 2024
It’s finally warm enough to break out the outdoor toys – the ones stored in the garage and in the way-back corner of the backyard shed that have been collecting dust and grime since last fall. Here are simple steps to make quick work of it so everyone can get down to having some outdoor fun. And why not get the kids involved while you’re at it?!
Gather all of the toys that will definitely be used over the next six months and even those that have been outgrown but are in good condition and can be donated or sold at a garage sale. Dispose of broken toys, putting any recyclable parts in the recycling bin.
Clear a space on the driveway or lawn to lay the clean toys out to dry.
Fill a large tub or bucket with a little squirt of dish soap and keep a scrub brush and the garden hose handy. If you’ve got enough buckets, let everyone have their own.
Give everyone a rag and dig in, using the scrub brush where you need more cleaning power. Clean the toys you know you’re going to donate or sell, too.
TIP: SLIP ON A MITT - LIKE OUR SPEED CLEANING MICROFIBER DUSTING MITT - TO MAKE THIS CLEANING TASK EVEN EASIER. DESPITE THE NAME, IT’S NOT JUST FOR DUSTING!
For stubborn dirt, spray the area with an eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaner like Red Juice. Red Juice is a safe unscented grease-cutting cleaner that packs a punch – gentle to the user, gentle to the environment, tough on grime. This would be a great choice for cleaning up bicycles because of the greasy areas around the chain and tire spokes.
Rinse the toys with the hose and lay out to dry.
Grab some popsicles and declare winter officially over.
Speed Cleaning wishes everyone a fun and safe – and clean, of course! – warm-weather season!
How-To
How to Clean Stains from White Countertops
by Amy Sardone on May 13, 2024
We’ve all been there – a cup of coffee is just what you need in the morning but you’re a bit groggy before you’ve had your first sip, and oops! you spill it on your white countertop.
One of our readers writes in that she’s had success cleaning these coffee stains with bleach in the past, but now that’s not working. On top of this, her teenagers are adding orange juice spills to the mix.
What has probably happened is that repeated applications of bleach have damaged the countertop. Bleach can eat at the surface in a way that you may not even be able to see. It makes the surface rougher and rougher. These rough surfaces have millions of tiny crevices and grooves that trap stain makers like coffee and OJ, making it nearly impossible to remove. Ultimately, you’ll have to replace the countertop.
For those of you who have not yet resorted to bleach and begun damaging your countertops, there’s a lot more hope. Clean up spills with a white pad or steel wool along with Red Juice and hydrogen peroxide.
You may also think about preventative measures, such as protecting the countertop with a cutting board or a place mat over the area where your family pours juice and coffee. Then wipe up spills quickly before they can drip off the board and onto the countertop.
How-To
How to Clean a Rusty Stainless Steel Sink
by Amy Sardone on May 13, 2024
Wait a minute, I thought stainless steel sinks don’t rust, you might be saying. Well, if you’ve got rust on your stainless steel sink, it could be coming from metal things attached to it (like faucet or drain ring). But the sink itself may be rusty. Stainless steel is still mainly iron, with up to 30 percent chromium. Even stainless steel deteriorates over time—it just takes longer than other steels.
Whatever the source, powdered cleanser and a white pad will remove most rust spots. Use a toothbrush to reach areas that the white pad can’t get to.
If the white pad isn’t working, try steel wool. The rust stains or rust in porcelain sinks, tubs, etc. can also be removed with a special rust-neutralizing product that contains oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is the main weapon against rust problems of all sorts. Be warned that oxalic acid is toxic, so follow the manufacturer’s directions completely.
Do not use chlorine bleach on rust because this will set your stain and make the problem worse.
Once you’ve got the rust stains cleared, be sure to tackle future cleanings with our stainless steel cleaner and polish.
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