Top timesaving housekeeping tips

1.Clean out and throw away obvious trash as the first step. Once the trash is gone, it makes it easier to see what you want to keep, and just how much stuff you’ll need to get rid of.

Clean one shelf in the refrigerator, or one cupboard or spend five minutes on the junk door while waiting for the coffee to perk or while you are on a phone call.

Old socks or cotton garden gloves are perfect for dusting. They fit your hands and go everywhere even work well on things like blinds and small knickknacks! Spray on Polish and off you go! Wash the socks or gloves with your other old cleaning rags, and you're ready to go again.

If you have carpet in the halls and livingroom and your kitchen has tile or linoleum, sweep the dust onto the carpet and vacuum up.

2. Staging area with tubs marked as keep, give away and throw away in the room you are working in. Finish one room before you move to the next.

Use baking soda and water to wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. It scrubs and eliminates odors without damaging surfaces.

The night before trash day, clean out the bad food in your refrigerator. It will only takes a few minutes to dump the stuff, and will clear out space to make cleaning easier.

Put toilet cleaner in the toilet to soak while you wipe down the outside. The inside dirt and stains will be loosened and more easily cleaned. Buy a drop-in toilet cleaner dispenser, to increase the time between needed cleanings.

Bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave, the steam will help loosen dried on particles making them easily wiped away.

Wear disposable gloves to protect your skin and help you clean without worrying about what you touch.

Use scrunched-up, crust-less white bread, or an eraser. (Remember to rub gently.)

Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. (In a plastic tub for silver platters etc.

Pour salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously...the salt will absorb the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!

Good for ink transfer from receipts or labels.

Wrap adhesive tape around your fingers, sticky side out, and brush your hand over the surfaces.

Whether its a basket, a plastic tub or a drawer, when a family member finds something stray on a countertop he or she can toss it in the "lost and found." It's a great way to clean up, and it's the first place you'll look for a missing item, instead of searching for it. Set a time when everyone takes their things from the container and puts them away.