Disneyland has oodles of actors walking around in cartoon costumes. That makes for 285,000 lbs of laundry every day!

How do you mop a large area of wood floor in the most efficient way? A string mop puts down too much water, and a microfiber mop requires that you change your mophead up to a dozen times, which is very time consuming. The solution: take a white towel, rinse it, then wring it out by hand. Then lay the towel flat on the ground and put the flat mop-head of a mop designed for microfiber mops down on it, flopping the extra towel material over the top of the mophead. The towel will give you one strip of it's surface at a time in contact with the floor and, as that strip gets dirty, you can keep moving to a new strip of the towel. You can cover a lot of area with just one towel--even more if it's not too dirty because you can use both sides.   

I discovered this little technique several years ago and it has saved me a lot of wasted time. Whenever I bring something into my home like mail or a magazine that seems interesting but that I don't want to read right now, I put it into a "look at later" box. I never do look at that box later but on the last day of the year I go through everything and decide then whether to renew the contract or toss it. Funny thing is at that point I've lost interest so most everything does get tossed!

Martha Stewart does the trick. In a test of three methods performed by a blog called "Apartment Therapy," Martha Stewart's method was the only that got the stain entirely removed. (See https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/red-wine-stain-removal-reviews-36686409?newsletter_slot=1&utm_source=at_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12232019).

​It's a bit involved but if you need to get the stain out here's the way to do it: ​https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/martha-stewart-red-wine-stain-removal-36686633

Think about winter. You're cooped up in your house with all the smells and dust that accumulate never getting a good airing out. So let's focus on some preventative measures for odor and dust:

Odor: Now is a good time to wash out all of your trash and garbage cans, especially in the kitchen.

Dust: Change your furnace filter, for one. And take a Saturday morning to get those out of the way places where dust builds up: behind the fridge (and on top), on top of kitchen countertops, couch cushions and under the couch, and closet floors for example.

That'll give you a good start to a fresher home environment in the coming months.

This is a must to keep down the dirt and salt tracked in from the winter snow, Have mats by the front and back door. And by the main door that you and others use, have a boot rack and slippers available for family and guests to put on.

For bathrooms, have a cloth available--you can keep it under the sink--to do a quick wipe around the sink area every day after you wash and to wipe the mirror! It will keep your bathroom looking prim much longer.

Here is the first installment on tips to help you get in the habit of keeping the mess under control. These are from a great article in a blog called Apartment Therapy: ​https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/one-minute-cleaning-habits-36620716?newsletter_slot=1&utm_source=at_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11182019

Here we go:

1. Clean up that spill on the counter right away.

2. Put your dishes in the dishwasher or wash them after each meal.

3. Wipe out your sink after you use it.

What is the cleanest country in the world?

A. Japan
B. Lichtenstein
C. The United States
D. Finland
E. United Arab Emirates

Answer next week.

If you clean for two hours, you'll burn about 200 calories!