I agree on the Magic Eraser - those things are fantastic! They work wonderfully on painted walls! Bathrooms, too. How many times do you use yours before replacing it with a new one?

One thing I'm planning to do this spring is purge old paperwork and bills that I no longer need to keep. Does anyone here know what the rules are for how long to store bills and documents? I know it's 7 years for tax returns...

Just a word of warning about Magic Eraser. I've had great success on my walls, getting off scuffs etc., but when I did my window sill at my front window (my dog likes to perch there to watch outside) it rubbed it from what was a semi-gloss finish to a really matte finish, then all the dirt stuck to that spot, and was so difficult to get off. I ended up re-painting that area. I guess that's why they say to test first.

I lovelovelove my new steamer. I found it cleans things better than I ever imagined, and I'm using it like crazy. I'm waiting for it to warm up so we don't need to use the woodstove and I'll open the house up and get out DH's air compressor and blow dust out. Seriously! It gets into all the nooks & crannies.

I like to do repainting in spring, too...nothing freshens up a house like new paint. I'm planning to paint the MB for sure.

As far as tax papers, the IRS can only go back 3 years on an audit, but if you have a business or unusual deductions, save the records for 7 years. For other things, you can get rid of your bills once you've compared them to the next statement. Don't need to keep them more than a year...and now, with everything available on line, you don't even need to keep them more than a month.

Here is a good site for records retention:

Here is a link that might be useful: records retention

I use the murphys oil soap.mix in bucket water.I started one wall wash everything.

I plan on cleaning out all the old dishes, plastics and utensils I no longer use so I can donate them to a local shelter and clear up space in my cabinets.

I have a question about the steamer for those of you who have one. We have a ceramic tile shower with part glass walls and a glass door. I just HATE cleaning the thing and I've tried every product out there. Some work fairly well some don't. All are a royal PITA.

I started considering a steamer but, would they do a good job on something like that?

Don't forget to remove your heater/ac vent covers and clean them and whatever part of the ductwork you can reach. Also change the system filters.

Lisa

Well, I had the most disgusting grout in our bathroom. Our elderly dog had an accident on the floor, and the grout was, well...fragrant. I'd tried scrubbing that grout with baking soda & a scrub brush. I tried scrubbing with a toothbrush & bleach. I could not get that smell out, nor could I get that grout to look new again. Then a few minutes with the steamer and the scrubber attachment and the grout is like new. No more smell, no more discoloring.

I've cleaned glass, removed latex paint that had dried on the floor, cleaned the stove fan and even got the textured handles on the fridge clean...an NOTHING ever gets those clean. So, yeah, I'm a fan of my steamer.

Oh, my DD's boyfriend had brought a bunch of fossils and stones over that he'd collected. He spent about an hour in with that steamer and cleaned all the crevices of his fossils...they're gorgeous!

I am curious about steam cleaners!!!

Does a cheap handheld type (I see them for $30-$50) work well enough to be worthwhile? I guess I'd be using it for grout and tile in small areas (bathrooms), the kitchen exhaust hood, not sure what else....

No spring cleaning here. I've never really been one for tackling everything at once like that. We try to do things as needed (and when we make time for it LOL). Most things need to be done more than once a year anyway. I'm one to do a bigger type cleaning late fall - before the holidays, if need be.

As far as the steamer, we recently bought a Haans hand held steamer. One thing I specifically wanted it for was soap scum in our master bath shower. I think my hubby stands between the wall and the water and all the soap hits the wall LOL.

The steamer comes with several attachments and was more than the price range you mentined, but still pretty inexpensive. I specifically wanted a handheld, something small enough that I would get out and use. It's pretty easy to carry around. Another thing I really like it for is my pup's beds. She has 3 or 4 beds in different locations - the small rounded beds (she loves her some bed LOL)and they are really easy to steam and freshen up. I do like using it around the base of toilets, etc. those little nooks and crannies. We really don't have any built up gunk and grime, so I can't really say how it works on something like that, but I imagine it would do pretty good. I did some on-line research and the Haans had good reviews and good comments on several boards.

tina

Mixed results on the LadyBug steamer.

Great for cleaning ovens.

I use it to wash walls and ceilings (painted plaster on lath, no sheetrock which might get saturated - I don't know whether it would, having none.)

I sometimes use it for removing paint from trim (that's a warning).

Don't find it much use in bath or kitchen as those surfaces clean up more easily, and quickly, by other methods. The idea of cleaning my toilet and my kitchen tap with the same tool grosses me out.

Doesn't do much on the hard water deposits in my bath, whereas a wipe with vinegar does.

The steam thing doesn't mean you don't have to wipe the dirt away with the steam wand, which sometimes means you still need a bit of elbow grease, and must proceed fairly slowly. You'll need tons of cloths. I use cheap white terry cloth shop rags from auto parts places. The used and filthy cloths get perfectly clean in a very hot (180 degree) wash. I doubt a cold water wash would do the trick.

The idea of using it to "clean" rugs or carpet hasn't panned out with me. (Tried it, didn't seem to do anything.)

Ditto "cleaning" upholstery and the supposedly anti-mite "treatments" on bedding.

Despite not really being hot enough to destroy mites in mattresses, you can accidentally get a painful steam scald. You learn to avoid it pretty quickly.

I like my 'Bug a lot, but it's not a daily, or even biweekly, used tool. So it's expensive, except that for when I use it (washing walls and ceilings and cleaning the ovens), it outshines anything else I've tried. It is particularly great on the walls which used to take me weeks to complete with bucket and water washing. The fab part is that it leaves the walls almost completely dry. (Couldn't use it on wallpaper, if I had any, for the obvious reason.)

Wall-washing, and especially the ceiling, is not a job for a hot day. Whoo-boy!

I onced used it as a steamer to take the wrinkles out of a theatrical backdrop.

I think that if you have resilient (sheet vinyl), tile or perhaps even those wood laminate floors, you might find it good (much less effort, but perhaps slower) for cleaning instead of wet-mopping, or even scrubbing. I don't have any of those, so I can't say.

If you buy one online, ask if they have any open-box units. My 'Bug was one, had been returned within warranty and seemed to have had little use, if any. Perhaps the original purchaser was underwhelmed when all the uses promised in videos turned out to be a bit overstated. Or maybe she had wallpaper on sheetrock and self-sleaning ovens.... Her loss, my gain, as I think I paid about half-price on this pricey item.

Thanks for the steamer info! I hadn't thought about ovens... my new AG range is not self cleaning so this might be just the ticket.

I agree with painting in Spring. Love to touch up the baseboards and such.

Our bark in the yard needed filling in, last time done was about 3yrs ago. It is amazing how fresh and new it makes the yard look, plus it was way lower than we realized.

I have not attacked the cobwebs in a while so I got out a huge extention thing and attached a swiffer to it. Got all the critters down.

I like to clean all the shutters and windows really well a few times a year. Light dusting regularly but they need washed off a few times.

I like to gather things over the year and have a Spring garage sale. Sometimes do in Fall if we don't have enough stuff. We always have kids clothing and toys, not too much other stuff so we did nothing last year. Will need to do something this year, have some car seats and lots of toys. It feels good to purge and make room for new. I live next to busy park and actually have friends ask if they can have a sale in my yard when I am not home. One did when I was on vacation and did great.

I like to also clean out the utensil drawer, go through the plastic wear- again good for yardsale.

I bought a Wagner at Costco...it was under $60. I use it weekly, but we have a variety of surfaces I use it on (and we have a lot of pets, so it's very handy). I am going to use it to clean the wood blinds this weekend. Yes, you do need clean up rags...I just buy t-shirts at garage sales and cut them up.

My other spring cleaning includes emptying out closets and cleaning the dust bunnies out. Going thru linens and tossing the worn or holey stuff. Cleaning my washer & dryer well...and all the stuff I don't get to on my usual cleaning routines. I think our house is too big for the 2 of us, so I have too much cleaning to do!

My tip???

Call Merry Maids!

Here in North Dakota, Spring is far to short to waste any of it with heavy cleaning. LOL

Every day that has temps over 45-degrees is going to find me outside! Soaking up the rays, watching the birds, planting the flowers, talking to the bees, chattering with the squirrels, hangin' with Harry...and Sam.

"As far as tax papers, the IRS can only go back 3 years on an audit,"

That is not true.

They can go back as far as they wish.

Well, assuming people are honest, report all their income and don't fail to file or commit fraud, the IRS will generally only audit back 3 years.

I'm a big advocate of using green cleaning supplies. I don't mean buying expensive "green" cleaners. I prefer using good old soap and water, peroxide, white vinegar and other natural cleaners. We also use steam for cleaning all our hard surfaces. I have a Bissell steam mop and a hand held steamer I got at Walgreen's. It was their store brand and cost less than thirty dollars.
I have this book that's talked about in the link below and absolutely love it. I'd highly recommend it.

Here is a link that might be useful: About the book Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck

JGB - I have stopped buying commercially made products. Vinegar - baking soda - lemon - and bleach.

All of my pictures getting moved around started a whole house - spackle and patch walls & freshen up walls. Next will be the trim paint - esp. on our back french doors from doggie goo!!

Going thru paperwork is on the long list....gotta finish my taxes first - which I should be doing NOW!

Interesting discussion about the steam cleaners.

Does anybody have a recommendation for an under 100 dollar vacuum? I am sick of tugging the big ole Dyson up there (but love it) just don't want to spend the $$ on another.

SMiles:)

Just knocked down all the cobwebs and dust from the ceiling, walls and ceiling fan with my big ostrich feather duster! Next I vacummed up all the dust that had fallen on the floor and got out the Hoover Floormate to clean all the muddy paw prints from the hardwood floors! I'm calling it a day! Whew!