Living Areas
1 Vacuum in reverse.
Give your entire carpet a once-over by going first against the pile, then across it. This will fluff it up to remove more dirt with each pass.
SOFAS & RUGS
2 Deep-clean the sofa. Remove the couch cushions and thoroughly vacuum all the folds and crevices. Flip and reposition the cushions if possible. For a sofa bed, unfold the mattress and vacuum it too.
3 Tend to area rugs and mats. Shake out or vacuum washable rugs and mats, then launder in cold on a gentle cycle and air-dry. (Never machine-wash rugs with dry or peeling rubber backs.)
4 Freshen up covers. Wash removable throw pillow covers on a gentle machine cycle or by hand. For ones without separate covers or with fancy trim, use a garment steamer or your dryer's steam cycle on low heat to freshen.
SCUFFS & SCRAPES
5 Wipe out wall scuffs. Try a cleaning paste to easily rub out blemishes on painted walls and baseboards. Apply it with a damp cloth, then rinse with a cloth and wipe dry. GH Lab pick: Norwex Cleaning Paste, $37, shopus.norwex.biz
6 Fill in wood flaws. Give new life to wood by camouflaging nicks and dings with a furniture marker pen. Dab (don't color) along the line to fill it in, then wipe excess away with a soft cloth.
7 Renew your floors. Dip a damp paper towel (or your finger) into baking soda and rub out floor scuffs. Wipe with a damp cloth and buff dry.
WINDOW COVERINGS
8 Revive curtains. Use your vacuum's upholstery tool to "dust" fabric drapes and valances. Be sure to hit all the folds and pleats.
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Good House Keeping - US.
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This story is from the April 2023 edition of Good House Keeping - US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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