Handy tips to keep your home tidy between Maid For You visits.

To keep your home tidy all the time, try these simple house cleaning tips and tricks. With just a little effort and our time-saving ideas, your home can be better organized and easier to care for. So you'll have more time for the things you really enjoy.

Get rid of clutter
If you can't put it away, it's clutter. So divide it into three groups: junk, charity and undecided. Toss the first, give away the second and store the third in a box or bag until you can decide whether it's really worth keeping.

Remove clutter catchers
If clutter accumulates on a table near a door, remove the table so you'll be more likely to put things away.

Use entry mats
Use only one entry door into your home. Put a sturdy doormat on the outside and another on the inside. It is amazing how much dirt they catch.

Establish a command center
Designate one location (usually the kitchen) for daily mail, calendar, bulletin board, car keys, school papers, grocery lists, etc. Every family member should have a shelf for messages and an out box or folder to deal with clutter on the spot.

Clean windows and mirrors like a pro
Squeegee the surface with an initial horizontal stroke across the top, then vertical strokes, wiping the blade after each stroke.

Use the clock
Give cleaning solutions time to work. Spritz counters, mirrors and surfaces in the bath and kitchen while you scrub the sink, tub and toilet. Then wipe them clean.

Defy dust
Change furnace and/or air conditioner filters regularly.

Use the right tools
Cotton diapers are great for most jobs, but some tasks require a specialist. Try a damp sponge to quickly remove pet hair from upholstery and pillows. A dry sponge erases grime from acoustical tiles. Wear cotton gloves and clean mini-blinds by hand.

Mini-blinds
Wipe down mini-blinds with a damp fabric softener sheet. This eliminates the static that causes dust to stick. The same trick works for TV and monitor screens.

Candle wax removal from upholstery, wood or carpet
To remove the wax from carpet or upholstery, you will need a plain brown paper bag and a steam iron. Paper grocery bags work well.

1. Cut open the brown paper bag so it lays flat.

2. Lay the brown paper bag on the affected carpet., with any printing away from the carpet.

3. Set the steam iron on a moderate setting and plug it in. Allow it to warm up.

4. Once warmed up, place the steam iron on top of the brown paper bag over the wax spot. Move the iron back and forth over the wax spot. The iron should never come in direct contact with the carpet, only the paper bag. As the wax warms up it will begin to absorb into the paper bag.

5. When a dark spot appears on the bag, move a dry area of the bag over the wax spot and continue to move the steam iron over the area.

6. When no further wax absorbs into the bag, you have removed the wax.

To remove candle wax from wood, apply a plastic bag filled with ice to the spot, until the wax is brittle enough to crumble off. If some candle wax remains, place an ink blotter on the area and apply a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter.

Windows
The best way to clean windows, or any large expanse of glass, is with a squeegee. It does a faster and better job.

You need a professional-quality squeegee and a window wand. If you'll be cleaning high windows, you also will need an extension pole. The basic process is simple - apply the cleaning solution with the window wand and pull the dirt and water off with the squeegee.

In detail

1. Mix a capful of ammonia or five drops of liquid dish detergent in two gallons of water. Resist the urge to use too much detergent; that causes streaking.

2. Dip your window scrubbing wand or a sponge 3/4 of an inch into the solution, picking up just enough water to wet the window without flooding it. Wet the entire window then go back over it once to loosen any stubborn soil. Last, run the scrubber against the frame on all sides of the window to pick up any dirt you've pushed against the frame.

3. Dampen the squeegee blade before you start and wipe it with a damp cloth between strokes. A dry blade will skip and jump on the window instead of gliding smoothly.

4. Tilt the squeegee at an angle so that only about an inch of the rubber blade presses lightly against the top of the window glass. Then pull the squeegee across the window horizontally. This will leave a 1-inch dry strip across the top of the window. By squeegeeing across the top first, you eliminate drips running down.

5. Place the squeegee close to the frame in the dry area near the top and pull down to about three inches from the bottom of the glass. Continue this way across the window, overlapping into the clean, dry area with each stroke, and wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each stroke.

6. Finish with a horizontal stroke across the bottom and wipe any water off the sill with a damp cloth.

On some windows, it's easier to cut the water off the frame side as well as the top, and then squeegee the entire pane using horizontal strokes. Large (picture) windows should be wet and squeegeed half at a time, the top half first. Finally, if you're cleaning both the inside and outside of the window, squeegee horizontally on one side and vertically on the other, so you can tell whether any streaks are inside or out.

Large (picture) windows should be wet and squeegeed half at a time, the top half first.

Finally, if you're doing both the inside and outside the window, you may want to squeegee horizontally on one side and vertically on the other, so you can tell whether any streaks are inside or out.

Odor removal
For all odors, the first thing you should do is to remove the cause of the odor.

To remove smoke film from washable surfaces, use a solution of heavy-duty cleaner or degreaser. A dash of water-soluble deodorizer from a janitorial supply store added to the solution will help neutralize the odor. For smoky windows, add one part isopropyl alcohol to five parts window cleaner to help cut the oily film.

Smoke on porous surfaces is a tougher proposition. Light smoke film on acoustic ceiling tile can be removed by professional ceiling cleaners, but heavy buildup usually requires painting or replacement of the tile. Upholstered furniture, draperies and carpeting can be wet- or dry-cleaned, as appropriate, after a thorough vacuuming, with water-soluble deodorizer added to the cleaning solution to control residual smoke odor.

If you smoke in the home, change the filter in their air circulation systems often.

Also, make sure you let the sun in to help dissipate smoke and other odors as you try to eliminate the cause. Try to increase air flow by opening windows, turning on fans or even putting particularly smelly items outside for awhile. You can fill small dishes with vanilla, vinegar or activated charcoal for an easy, inexpensive smoke eater. Or, you can purchase odor neutralizer from a janitorial supply house which will work more effectively.