Real Simple: Cleaning by Editors of Real Simple Magazine
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Book Reviews of Real Simple: Cleaning
Book Review: Good for reference and how-to
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is divided into sections: first, the recommended cleaning kit is described. Then cleaning strategies for each room in the house are outlined. Next, there's a guide to cleaning common surfaces like ceilings, walls, windows, and floors. At the back of the book, there's a guide to stain removal, a cleaning calendar, and a resource guide.
My favorite part of the book is the cleaning calendar. Tasks are divided into categories based on how often they should be completed: weekly, monthly, every 3-6 months, every 6-12 months, and every year or so. As a neophyte SAHM and new home-owner, I find it helpful to have recommendations for the frequency of tasks. I found it helpful to put small "LabelOnce" brand labels on each task box so I could mark the last time I'd done it - it helps me to have a reminder of when I last vacuumed the coils on the back of the fridge, etc, especially for tasks that are performed less frequently.
Each room section begins with a "101" introduction (eg Kitchen Cleaning 101) that's fewer than 10 steps, along with a "10-minute clean" sidebar. That's followed by "The Next Steps" for more detailed cleaning. There's a page or two devoted to each part of the room (counters, sink, faucets, refrigerator/freezer, oven, stovetop, cabinets/drawers, and kitchen accessories for the kitchen section) that goes into detail about how to clean that specific element. Different advice for different materials (stainless steel, ceramic, etc) is given. Alongside these pages are sidebars with related information: protecting your counters, what's *really* on your counter, sink stopped up?, what's in your water?, defrosting your freezer, avoiding food overflow (in the oven), four more uses for oven cleaner, pantry purge (how long to keep pantry items), etc. At the end of each section is a page or two with tips to help keep the room cleaner between cleanings (eg, make the sink smell better by grinding the skins of citrus fruits in the garbage disposal).
The book covers the kitchen, bathroom, living/dining/bedrooms, home office, child's bedroom, and laundry rooms. The "Common Surfaces" section covers ceilings, walls, windows, window coverings, floors, and carpets/rugs. For each surface, different materials are discussed.
I find this book to be quite useful, but I am not a long-time homeowner and historically have not been good at keeping on top of the cleaning chores that need to be done. This book helps me keep my home more clean, and I've found it useful when I'm trying to tackle a large cleaning job. It has information that may be available elsewhere, granted, but it's all collected in one easy-to-find place. In particular, I like the step-by-step cleaning guides for each room. I thought I knew how to clean a kitchen, but I admit that it had never really occurred to me to wash the fronts of the cabinets or to use a vacuum to remove crumbs from drawers. For the experienced housekeeper I don't know that this book would be particularly useful, but if you have trouble keeping everything clean and knowing how to clean, it would probably come in handy.
Book Review: I Like the Feel of Real Simple Books
Summary: 4 Stars
Like the Real Simple magazine, this how-to book appeals to my senses. The frosty cover beckons you to pick it up. And that is why I selected it to "evaluate" at my local book store recently. I have been cleaning for 50 years, first my mom's house and then my own, but even I learned a few things. Is it smart to use inexpensive white vinegar on your sink to remove hard water deposits? If you thought yes, think again! It depends on what the sink is made of. You could be etching the finish. If you use it on your bathtub floor, you could be removing the non-slip surface. These helpful gems are sprinkled throughout the book. A quickie clean up idea that never occurred to me: Visitors are ringing the doorbell and your bathroom is a mess. What do you do? Gather up your hair dryer, rollers, miscellaneous bottles & such and place them inside the shower stall and close the door! Ha! Great solution, in my opinion. The best solution is to never allow things to get that bad. And with this book, which you can purchase on Amazon used, I think you'd have all the inspiration one would need.Book Review: Real Simple: Cleaning
Summary: 4 Stars
I really detest cleaning the house. Don't get me wrong: I love my family, I love to care for them, but there are just some things that's really hard to do. I have to drag myself just to clean the kitchen and the bathroom. But, these days, it's not that hard a chore to do. Thanks to this book, I've learned helpful tips in cleaning--from vacuuming drawers to cleaning toilets. I know it's pretty basic but there are step-by-step guides on cleaning different rooms in the house. The spiral binding is also a great idea because it's quite handy to bring along anywhere, particularly if I'm doing some cleaning in one part of the house. This is definitely a very practical book.
Also recommended:
Home Speed Cleaning Tips & Clutter Control. An Organized & Happy Home. 100% Guaranteed!
Book Review: Great cleaning tool!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great book for a person who is out on their own for the first time. There are detailed instructions on how to test all flooring types, and how to best clean them. I fould this part to be most helpful. There are some obvious parts that are a little too basic, for example how to clean a toilet. I agree that the book is pretty basic, however, it is a great quick reference guide. The spiral bounding allows for easy referencing while cleaning.
All of the "Real Simple" books are helpful and user friendly.
Book Review: Practical Read
Summary: 4 Stars
This book has been a good basic reference for house cleaning, and the minimum frequencies at which things should be cleaned. I particularly liked the list of cleaning tools every household should have - I learned a few new things from it.