Ok, years later (!!), I have a new thing to add. I have found super cool cleaning products that are totally enviro-friendly (thus also non-toxic for yourself, kids, pets...). Most work with only water. It's a company called Norwex. No, I don't sell for them, but my acquaintance Kristl Ferguson does, which is how I found out about it. www.kferguson.norwex.biz The Envirocloth cleans sinks, countertops, appliances, whatever, with just water. The EnviroWand is the star for ceiling fan blades & window blind slats! Wipe them with this, and there is **no dust** floating around afterwards to make you sneeze. It is really impressive b/c the microfiber cloths pick up dirt and contain it rather than just moving it to a new spot. Kristl put a splotch of butter on a window, then wiped it with just the damp Envirocloth, and it was sparkling clean. I hope it's ok to share this info here, b/c I just learned about Norwex and have the enthusiasm of the new convert. If you order, tell her I sent you! - Karin A

shirley9904 I used sudsy ammonia in the bathrub to soak my mini blinds. Took them outside (standing in a bucket so they didn't drip thru the house) and tossed em up over a clothes line to rinse with a garden hose. Sparkling clean.. even the ones from the kitchen and bath. Those tend to get 'sticky' from the steam and heat from shower and cooking. I've sprayed them after the dry with pledge and wiped them down.. just as you would furniture. Makes them easier to dust off in between the yearly washing of them. I also use pledge on the shower rod. WHEW.. does that make for a fast shower curtain pull!

Such a common question/dilemma. I'll offer a PRO perspective (and understand this does not address the DYI question, which is legitimate, so move on if this isn't relevant for you). We have many clients who have us do annual maintenance for their tile and stone work. Yes, an expense to have a real experienced craftsman do this, but these clients want it done right and they want to preserve the original work. I might add that we do not offer this service to people who we have not done work for. We don't have the time for this sort of project, but it is an added value for our customers. And our customers know that they will be on a "list", which will result in a call when we have a "window". Generally the work is a few hours. For larger and multiple areas, it may be several days. We do a professional clean, may re-caulk, and of course re-seal those materials which require regular re-seal. Way too much info. to offer here. We are currently putting together a comprehensive chart for our clients of recommended products as the many materials used today result in various maintenance needs. And, a point we would like to make is PLEASE be careful as natural stone can be very damaged by many products used for man made materials. In other words, marble, granite, travertine, etc, cannot come in contact with the same chemicals which could be safe for ceramic or porcelain. When we have our "chart" complete, I will post it. We have some tried and true products, some commercial, but others available to the public. And yes, ventilation (fans and leave doors and shower curtains open), routine wipe downs, NO acidic products around natural stone. Sorry so long but this is our business, and this is one reason our customers hire very experienced professionals. Loved the creative approaches many have shared (just hoping they are only used around man-made materials)! Oh, and I should mention, so many dilemmas we read about here have to do with substandard work, complaints, etc. Would it make a difference if you established a positive relationship with your tile contractor and they were willing to come back and "service" the work that they performed? If they didn't stand behind their work would they want to come back in one, two, five, ten years to perform maintenance?

I have two cats and two dogs. One dog has hair and I've never seen one of his hairs shed. One dog is a yorkiechon and she sheds like crazy. My one cat barely sheds and my kitten sheds like crazy. Coincidentally, my males don't shed, my females do! Anyway, I vacuum twice a day. I have a light weight inexpensive handheld vacuum that does the job well (Moosoo 17k, Pergo flooring & area rugs). It takes me less than 10 minutes to vacuum my entire downstairs level (1800 sq ft home). My animals don't spend a lot of time upstairs so I vacuum upstairs (Shark corded vacuum, builder grade carpeting throughout) 1-2 times per week. I mop every Friday. I'm a SAHM now but even when I did work I vacuumed a lot. I like a clean floor! When I mop I use my O'Cedar mop and bucket. I add 4 oz. of whichever Odoban I have on hand to the water, 8 pumps, mop floors. They dry super fast, my floors are clean, and my house doesn't smell like cats and dogs. :-)