A showdown with dirt

I wholeheartedly admit it; I’m a clean freak. Much to my family’s

chagrin I believe that there should be a place for everything and

everything should be in its place.

Another confession: one of my favorite haunts is The Container

Store. Just walking in makes me feel lightheaded. Organization makes

my heart sing.

I’m not sure what makes me this way. If you believe in the

horoscope thing, you could just write me off as a Virgo

perfectionist. You may want to analyze this: I need some semblance of

order to be productive. I can’t even think clearly when piles and

stacks of stuff are within sight.

This is problematic for the kids and husband but, deep down, I

think they appreciate that they can always find a pair of scissors, a

calculator or a roll of tape.

When I was old enough to have a place of my own, you can bet that

my tiny apartment was squeaky clean. One of my first purchases was a

vacuum cleaner. It seemed like a fortune back then, but it was worth

every penny.

Its no wonder that 20-something years later, I have found a few

cleaning tricks that everyone should know. They are not fancy or

expensive. Nothing is exclusive or hard to find. The following tips

require just a few simple ingredients and a little strategy to

maximize your household efforts.

Everyone has a secret stash of solo socks. Whether the mate is

hiding under the dryer or been tossed due to lack of civility, solo

socks are problematic.

I think an unmatched sock is the perfect cleaning accomplice. By

putting the sock on your hand and using water or a cleaning spray,

socks are the best dusting, polishing and cleaning tool in the house.

Hands down.

Another household discard that works overtime is an old

toothbrush. The discards are the perfect tools for cleaning grout,

spot cleaning clothes and carpeting, getting the crusty mud out of

the bottom of tennis shoes and scrubbing around faucets. I keep a

handful in the tilt-out drawer by the kitchen sink. Toothbrushes go

where no sock has gone before.

Another of my tricks is a dry paintbrush. Not the spongy throwaway

variety. Medium sized bristle brushes are indispensable. If you have

a lot of nooks and crannies where dust builds up, a dry paintbrush

works wonders. I use brushes on lampshades, chandeliers, intricate

frames, hard to reach corners and cut-light windows. By keeping the

brush dry, I don’t make mud, and the dust and dirt is easy to wipe up

with ... a solo sock.

We have hardwood floors in the common areas of the house. They are

stained dark walnut -- which I think looks terrific -- but the floors

do show all the sins of a family. If you haven’t tried a Swiffer

brand dry mop, you are really missing out. It takes no time at all to

go over the floors and the cloths that attach to the end are the

“kings of cling.” They grab everything in their path. I love my

Swiffer.

If you have high ceilings and don’t have a telescoping duster that

is long enough to get all of the cobwebs out of the corners, listen

to this gimmick.

Get a helium-filled balloon and let it float up to the stringy

culprits. The static in the balloon will seize the cobwebs and you

can send daddy longlegs to look for a new home. Brilliant.

Now, I know that there is an expensive cleaning product for every

possible disaster, but I still think the staples like vinegar, lemon

juice and bleach are the best liquids around.

I’m big on lemon juice and water to clean floors. A load of white

towels, white sheets or white furniture slipcovers all benefit from a

little bleach.

Bleach is also great in bathrooms. It’s hard to get the shampoo

niches spotless without some help and bleach does the job. Shower

doors that have a plastic track at the bottom are famous for

collecting transients that turn green. A splash of bleach will send

them packing.

So get to work, there’s dirt in them there rooms. Grab the loaded

socks, get a balloon and be a quick-drawing menace with a paintbrush.

In your showdown with dirt, you’ll be the last one standing.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Sundays.