Even if one has a regular day-to-day job and can only clean really effectively on weekends, the cleaning routine can be the best possible exercise for health, physical stamina and rejuvenation.

Many housekeepers, physical education experts, trainers and even athletes perform household keeping and cleaning chores regularly as part of their exercise regimen, and for several good reasons.

First, regular and thorough cleaning is an excellent form of therapy, both physical and mental.  The individual who has minor pains, back problems, stiff joints or a simple run-down feeling will find herself positively looking forward to and enjoying her cleaning routine, if it is rigorous enough.

Most demanding exercise is an effective pain reliever (because of the release of endorphins in the process), and the house is efficiently cleaned as well, while one begins to feel better (obviously, this cannot be recommended for chronic pain and fatigue, which are best left to a physician).

Second, the mentally therapeutic aspect of regular and thorough cleaning is even more invigorating to experience.  If one has had a hard week with peers, bosses or family, and there is a lot of frustration to vent, there is no better way to do so than to pick up mop, broom, brush or vacuum and go into what might be called a “cleaning frenzy.”

Cleaning frenzies can be confined to a single room of the house that one has long wanted to take on and cleanse thoroughly, or they can extend to the entire home.  One can clean the sink rigorously, with brush, bleach and window cleaner, until it shines radiantly.  One can exercise elbow grease on particularly hard patches of tile or the stains on walls or in toilets, and literally scrub and scrape away frustrated rage.

Finally, about midway through the cleaning process, if one is utterly committed to the process and is cleaning in a literal frenzy, there is the astounding feeling that not only have one’s physical and mental problems been alleviated, but also one has a literal “cleaning high” from the experience.

And if the entire therapeutic cleaning process is done with sufficient vim and vigor, the house stays spotless throughout the week, due to the weekend cleaning exercises.  And the housekeeper can go back to work or her daily life without guilt or frustration, because she has taken the time to make the cleaning routine fun, energy-filled and therapeutically beneficial.

Thus the housekeeper is empowered past depression, minor pains, malaise, the desire to do nothing, and is powered up to accomplish the creation of a clean house.  If she can persuade the family to join in on the fun, all the better; regular cleaning chores divided among family members was the method common ancestors used to cleaned their castles, and that system will work for homeowners as well.

That is how the drudgery of housekeeping can be reframed into a therapeutic joy.

There are several methods to clean a sink effectively, but one in particular, known as the “Trade-Off” method, is exceptional for a first time cleaning.  It should be noted that subsequent cleanings need not follow every step, and that this excellent system will require the use of window cleaner as well as the standard household sink scrub cleaners. The age of the sink also does not matter; this method is effective even for old appliances.

The method itself has several steps:

First, one should remove all the dishes from the sink, if there are any, and either stack them in the dishwasher (which hopefully is done on a regular basis) or in a plastic tub for safe keeping (that is the “trade-off”).

Now, one fills the empty sink with the hottest water possible from the tap.  It should be filled to the absolute top brim (one should only do one side of the sink at a time if it is two sided).  Then a measured cup of bleach is poured into the water.  This should sit for an hour.

Using gloved hands or, to be safe, tongs, one removes the plug from the sink and drains the water.  Obviously, great care should be taken not to slosh some of the bleach-filled water, lest it damage clothing.  Then one rinses the sink.

Now the scrubbing begins, with any commercial preparation of cleanser (Ajax is an excellent brand, followed by Comet or, if one is economizing, baking soda).  One rinses the sink again, thoroughly.

Next, a sharp edged-instrument such as a razor blade or thin scissors should be used to clean the dirt around the sink’s rim, scraping it out like cleaning fingernails.  Then one should clean the rim of the faucet as well; an old toothbrush or even a thick waxy dental floss will serve to take the grit out.

Now comes the point where window cleaner is applied, such as Windex or any other streak-free brand, which gives an excellent shine.  If the sink is still not shiny or clean enough, or has one or two cosmetic needs as far as stains that cannot be removed, an application of car wax will work wonders.

That is the first time procedure, and it need not be repeated more than once or twice a week.  One should have a clean dishtowel hanging or lying near the sink, and use it to dry the sink whenever anyone runs the water (the family should pitch in and make this a habit as well).

Daily maintenance in this manner, plus regular cleaning and bleaching on at least a weekly basis, will keep the sink in excellent clean shape.  One can also place a plastic tub under the sink for dirty dishes, and remind family members not to place them in the sink again.  The dish drying rack should be under the sink, not next to it, also.

The sink will shine as never before.

Amazon.com has the best price on the Shark Steam Mop. Click here to check it out.

The Shark S3601 Professional Steam Mop has three steam settings to be used for various floor surfaces. You’ll be able to tackle stuck on dirt and clean heavy traffic areas, use a little less steam for everyday cleaning, or use the lowest setting for a bit of light dusting or when cleaning more delicate surfaces. The three different settings allow you to choose the perfect amount of steam for the job at hand and the steam comes out hot enough to clean and sanitize your floors and it dries in just a few seconds.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions:
• Shipping Weight: 9.5 pounds
• Intelligent 3 steam control settings, dust, mop and scrub allow you to select the perfect
• Superior cleaning with no harsh chemicals.
• 2-Sided steam pockets clean and sanitize on both sides.
• Turns ordinary tap water into super-heated steam to eliminate 99.9% of germs and bacteria. Triangle and rectangle mop heads to suit your cleaning task.

The Reviews

The Shark S3601 Professional Steam Mop looks pretty good but does it really live up to the hype? Unfortunately during our research we found the reviews to be fairly mixed. There are a good number of positive reviews but there are also quite a few very negative reviews. We found nearly 100 reviews online and the average user rating was only approximately 3.6 out of a possible 5 stars.

The people that left positive reviews had a number of things that they like about the Shark S3601. People are saying that it is very lightweight so it is easy to move from one room to another or to bring it up and down stairs. It has a very long cord so that you can clean a large area without stopping to unplug the mop. A lot of people commented that they like the three different steam settings and that the swiveling head made it easy to get into tight spaces or around objects like behind a toilet for example.

A number of people also say that the Shark S3601 Professional Steam Mop seems to be made pretty well and does not feel like a cheap piece of plastic. People are saying that it heats up quickly and that it does do a good job cleaning. One person said that it was able to remove stains from juice and other spills that they were not able to clean up with their regular mop.

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 That all sounds good so far but like I said before there were quite a few negative reviews as well. A number of people are saying that the Shark S3601 Professional Steam Mop doesn’t do a very good job of cleaning at all. One person said that after going over their floor in a high-traffic area the cleaning pad on the mop seemed to be very clean and it shouldn’t be because it’s supposed to be picking up all the dirt. When they went over the same spot with their regular mop their old mop came up pretty dirty. Another person said that the Shark S3601 did emit a lot of steam but it didn’t do much to clean anything. They said that all that really happened was that the floor got wet.

Some other people are complaining that the mop does not last very long. One person said that they bought one that lasted about a year and that it worked decently while it worked. However, one day the bottom part of the mop flew off and steam and hot water came spraying out. They bought another one to replace the broken mop and their replacement mop never seemed to get very warm and after a few uses the steam started to come out of the sides of the tank rather than through the cleaning pads at the end of the mop.

There are a number of good reviews online for the Shark S3601 Professional Steam Mop but there are far too many negative reviews to ignore. After researching all of the reviews online our recommendation would be to keep shopping and choose a different steam mop. There are a number of other steam mops available that are getting very good ratings from users online.

One of the benefits of using a steam mop is that you can clean surfaces without the use of harsh chemicals. The Hoover Multi-Purpose Disinfectant solution is EPA and FSA certified to be used on eating surfaces without the need to rinse it off. What that basically means is that you can kill germs and bacteria without worrying about the disinfectant solution being harmful to you, your family or your pets.

Amazon.com has the best price on the Hoover Steam Mop. Click here to check it out.

Using the Hoover Enhanced Clean Disinfecting Steam Mop with the included multipurpose disinfectant solution, this mop will kill or remove 99.9% of harmful bacteria.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 6.5 x 30 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• Disinfects and Kills 99.9% of Harmful Bacteria
• Two-tank system lets you clean with steam alone or with Hoover Multi-Purpose Disinfectant solution
• Clean control dial quickly adjusts for light or heavy cleaning
• Power indicator light
• Clean every area of your home: carpet glide to refresh carpets, swivel triangle head for easy maneuvering and to clean hard to reach areas

The Reviews

When researching the reviews online for the Hoover Enhanced Clean Disinfecting Steam Mop we found dozens of reviews and the reviews are very positive. The majority of the reviews are 5 star ratings and after doing a little bit of research it is clear that most people are very happy with this mop.

Most reviewers agree that the Enhanced Clean Steam Mop is very sturdy and very easy to put together. A couple of people said that it actually took them longer to take the mop out of the box than it did to assemble it. A lot of people are saying that the mop glides very easily across the floor and leaves the floor very clean. A lot of people also say that the docking station is a very nice feature for storing the mop.

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 One criticism of the Enhanced Clean Steam Mop is that the cleaning solution is expensive however a lot of people point out that this mop does a great job on hard surfaces even without the cleaning solution. One other minor criticism that we found online is that there is no button that will allow you to lock down the trigger mechanism that is used to produce steam. Some people would like to be able to have the mop producing steam without the need to hold down the trigger the entire time.

Aside from those minor criticisms there is nothing but positive comments online for the Hoover Enhanced Clean Disinfecting Steam Mop. The mop heats up very quickly and within 30 seconds you are ready to start cleaning your floors. It has a 25 foot cord so that you can clean large areas without unplugging the mop to look for another outlet. It is lightweight and easy to carry upstairs. It is easy to attach the cleaning pads and the bottom of the mop is able to pivot and that allows you to get into small spaces.

There are a lot of very positive comments online for the Hoover Enhanced Clean Disinfecting Steam Mop and according to our research it is an excellent steam mop and it gets our recommendation.

The HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer has a removable water tank so you can take it right over to your sink and fill it up. Once the water tank is full it snaps easily into place and it only takes about 20 seconds before it’s hot enough to produce steam. The HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer also features a telescoping handle so you can adjust the height for maximum comfort and collapse the handle for easier storage.

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Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions:
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 pounds
• Swivel head for easy maneuvering
• Carpet glide attachment sanitizes and refreshes carpet
• Removable water tank can be easily filled right at the tap
• Kills up to 99.9-percent of household germs, bacteria, and dust mites
• Includes 2 reusable ultra-microfiber cleaning pads

The Reviews

When researching the reviews for the HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer we found a couple dozen reviews online and the user reviews were quite positive with this mop receiving an average 4.3 star rating. There were only a couple of negative reviews online one of which came from someone that received a defective item and said that there was some strange, loud clicking sound. The other negative review came from someone that had an issue with customer service. When they opened their box one of the cleaning pads was already dirty and they had a hard time getting the customer service representative to agree to send him a new one.

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Aside from those two negative reviews all of the other comments about the HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer were very positive. A lot of the reviewers are saying that using the HAAN SI-60 is much easier than mopping. People also appreciate the fact that they don’t need to use harsh chemicals which are also expensive, they can just add water and start cleaning. People are commenting that the cord is nice and long and a lot of people appreciate the telescoping handle. The removable water tank makes it easy to refill the tank when necessary and the water heats up quickly allowing steam to come out of the 15 steam jets which evenly disperse the water across a wide cleaning path.

Those positive comments sound pretty good but does the HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer actually do a good job of cleaning your floors? After researching the reviews online the answer to that question would be a resounding yes. Many reviewers are very pleased with the way this mop cleans their floors but it can also be used on carpet and upholstery. One reviewer said that their dog had vomited on their sofa and that they tried four different times to clean the sofa with the upholstery attachment of their carpet shampooing machine. They said that the sofa looked clean but they simply could not get the smell out. After they bought the HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer they decided to use this steam mop on their sofa in a last ditch effort to save the couch. This person said that the steam was able to penetrate to where their shampooer could not and that it killed the bacteria that was causing the odor.

The overwhelming majority of the reviews online are very positive and after researching all of the reviews we could find we would give the HAAN SI-60 Select Multi-Level Steamer a very strong recommendation.

The Conair SM10LRX Lysol Steam-Cleaning Mop has 1500 Watts of power that produces heat almost instantly and there is an on/off switch so that you can shut the mop off without unplugging the unit if you need to refill the tank. The Conair SM10LRX comes with 28 fluid ounces of Lysol all-purpose cleaner, two washable cotton cloth covers, a removable tank and a fill cup.

Product Features and Specifications

Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 7 x 6.1 inches

• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Combine the power of Lysol and the power of steam to leave your floors looking great
• Quickly and effectively eliminates tough grease and scum for sanitary surface
• Wide cleaning head makes mopping faster and easier
• Water tank removes for continuous cleaning
• Includes 28 ounces of Lysol All-Purpose cleaner, fill cup, 2 washable cotton cloth covers, and 1-year warranty

The Reviews

The reviews for the Conair SM10LRX Lysol Steam-Cleaning Mop are mixed. We found a few dozen reviews online and the average user rating was approximately 3.5 stars. A lot of users agree that the Conair SM10LRX is good if you are using it to clean small spaces such as a small kitchen or bathroom. For larger areas it would just be too time-consuming because the cleaning cloths get saturated pretty quickly.

There were a good number of reviewers that like this steam mop and said that it works great and their floors were spotless after using it. People also feel good about cleaning with steam and feel that their floors are not just cleaned but sanitized. However, there were also a number of negative reviews for this mop as well. One drawback is that you will only get about 15 minutes of steam and you have to wait for it to cool down before you can refill the container.

A number of people are also describing the Conair SM10LRX Lysol Steam-Cleaning Mop as flimsy and some people said that although the mop works great at first it did eventually stop working. For some people it stopped working altogether and for others it just did not put out as much steam as it used to. One person said that they use theirs for nine months before it broke and a few other people said that lasted about a year.

Although the reviews for the Conair SM10LRX Lysol Steam-Cleaning Mop are mixed many people agree that it worked well while it lasted. That may not give you a ton of confidence in buying this mop but if you consider the fact that it can be purchased for about $40, replacing it after a year really isn’t that bad. And many people did agree that it works very well so we would recommend this steam mop for anyone that has small areas to clean and doesn’t mind spending $40 on a new one next year.

What do I recommend for carpet cleaning?  My first line of defense is the Bissell Steam Cleaning System, which I use weekly in my bedrooms to clean the odors and puppy stains from my floors.  I use the Arm and Hammer Products to clean the carpets, and I buy the ones especially made for dog accidents.

My next line of defense is the spot cleaning.  For the puppy messes, I use the Nature’s Miracle cleaning solution available at pet stores.  This stuff is wonderful.  I have had more doggy ickiness on my carpets, all of the messes you can imagine and then some when my dog had the heartworm remedy treatment, and this product has restored white carpeting to pristine condition.  It removes the stains and the odors and leaves the carpet soft and supple.

For regular spills, like coca-cola, wine, etc., I have a listing of home remedies.  For wine, use club soda and dab with a white cloth.  Your cloth will pick up the wine and the foaming of the club soda will bring the stain to the surface of the carpet.  For coca cola and soda pop, use ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide mixed with 3 cups lukewarm water.  Mix the solution very well, pour over the stained carpet (this works well for orange, red, grape, etc.) and then dab up with a cloth.  Now mix ¼ cup white vinegar with ¾ cup water.  Go over the stain again to ensure that all of the soda pop is gone.

If you spill your hot candle wax onto the carpet, immediately dab as much as possible up with paper towels.  The candle wax will cling to the paper and that will help.  Then let the wax set, and use an iron to remove the rest of the wax.  Set the iron on low and place a clean paper bag over the spilled wax.  Iron back and forth over the paper to set the wax below.  Again, the wax will cling to the paper and will come off.  This may take several applications but it will remove the wax.  Use a white paper bag that has no logo or ink that could be transferred to your carpet.  Do not freeze and scrape the wax, you will only scrape up the carpet and have mangy looking carpet!  (Don’t ask!)

For pizza stains in the carpet, the best solution is to buy plain hand cleaner in the automotive section of your grocery store.  Buy the hand cleaner that does not have the pumice or the orange scent and is used by mechanics.  Wipe it into the carpet and then removed with a white cloth.  It comes up magically and leaves no odor or stain.  It also leaves the carpet soft with no chemical odor or coarseness.

Cleaning a laminate floor begins with sweeping.  As my dogs have long hair, I use a dust mop to sweep the floor each morning to pick up the hair and doggy trash; usually pieces of torn paper I forgot to throw away that have been minced into tiny squares by little teeth.

After I thoroughly sweep all areas of my laminate floor, I begin the process of mopping the floor.  Yes, you can (and I do!) mop a laminate floor every day.  Because of the potty habits of my dogs, I use Spic N Span to mop the floors to remove any urine stains or poopy stains.  I mix ¼ cup Spic N Span to 1 quart of water.  I soak my mop and run over all areas of the floor, paying attention to discolored areas that indicate where potty-ing may have occurred.  I let the floor dry and then I have a very shiny, definitely disinfected floor.  Each day I repeat so as to be clean and sanitized.

There are days that I do not wish to mop the entire floor, or I have run out of my favorite disinfectant.  On those days, I use white ammonia or lemon ammonia and water in a spray bottle, mixed ¼ ammonia to a solution with ¾ water.  It is important to place the water first in the bottle so the ammonia doesn’t suds.  I spray this solution in the problem areas and it cleans and disinfects for a very inexpensive cleaning solution. The ammonia scent dissipates within an hour.

I have successfully used the Swiffer Wet Jet to clean my laminate floor also; I have no problem with any joints swelling or the wet solution causing warping, etc.  The key is to use a damp mop, not a wet mop.  I have also sprayed my dust mop with Pledge All Surface to clean the floor and it is wonderful to get the extra dust on the floor and in the air.  It will leave a shine to your floor that is marvelous.

My newest room cleaner is a motorized robotic floor cleaner.  This is made by Mint, and has a detachable head on which I place either a dry cloth or a wet cloth.  The dry cloth is provided by the manufacturer (they send 5) and has micropores to pick up minute pieces of dust and grime.  The robot has two settings, sweep and mop.  On the sweep setting it runs the robot across the floor one sweep per area.  On the mop setting, I place a wetted cloth onto the head (usually my mixture of Spic N Span and water) and it will go over each area three times.  There is a GPS locator to tell the robot which areas it has already cleaned.  This is not a vacuum cleaner, but is efficient for cleaning the floors while you are preparing meals, etc.

Empty the freezer. Place everything that is stored in the freezer into an ice chest to be sorted later. Make a solution of baking soda and water to wash the interior of the freezer compartment. Wash every inch carefully, looking for leaks in the insulation or cracks in the freezer area. If the shelves are removable, take them out and wash them in the sink. If they are not, wash with your baking soda solution. Dry the interior of the freezer completely with a soft, clean cloth. Any water residue will freeze and leave a coating of ice, which will cause your foods to slide out of the freezer when you open the door. Now examine the foods that you are putting back into the freezer. If they are more than 3 months old, go ahead and toss them out. They will be freezer burned and non-edible. This experience will help you to remember to rotate your freezer contents every three months. If it helps, make a list of all contents and place on the front of your freezer so you will use the meats and breads in a timely manner. If your freezer is now empty, bag some ice to take up room in the freezer. Extra ice is always a necessity for company and a freezer is more efficient when full.

Now for the big job, cleaning the refrigerator! Take everything out of the refrigerator, including the shelves. If the foods in containers (leftovers) are more than 5 days old, toss them in the trash. If the condiments are more than a year old, toss them in the trash. Clean the shelves in the sink, washing thoroughly with dishwashing liquid. Dry them so they will not slip or break as you replace them in the refrigerator. Wash the walls and sides of the refrigerator with baking soda and water, so as to disinfect without having a “cleaning solution” smell inside. Replace your condiments in a logical manner, jellies in one section, and sauces in another. Clean the vegetable, meat and fruit bins by emptying them and washing in the sink. After drying, place a clean paper towel inside to absorb moisture and catch spills from the wet produce or meat packages.
Now for the bottom and outside of the refrigerator, insert your vacuum cleaner attachment under the refrigerator and clean the coils. The dust and dirt that collect there are disgusting and keep your refrigerator from working in premium condition. Wash the exterior of your refrigerator with ammonia and water. Now, you have completed this chore for another week!

There are a number of reasons why someone might choose a steam mop over a traditional mop. For one thing, using the old-school mop with a bucket of water is not only very labor intensive it’s actually kind of disgusting when you think about sloshing dirty brown water all over the floor that you are trying to clean. Then there are those mops that are nothing more than a sponge on the end of the stick. They are not exactly ergonomically designed and a wet, dirty sponge is like a breeding ground for bacteria.

Cleaning with steam is a great solution because steam can actually kill viruses and bacteria, sanitizing your kitchen floor. Killing bacteria sure sounds a lot better than providing a home for them to thrive in and sanitizing your floor sounds a lot better than sloshing dirty water around. The other great thing about steam is that it eliminates the need for chemicals and detergents. Most cleaning products are not only expensive but are also harmful to people, pets and the environment.

If you are reading this article you are probably already convinced that a steam mop would be a good idea so what I’d like to do is give you some suggestions of features that you want to look for when you are shopping for a steam mop. One of the first things you should take into consideration is the length of the power cord. You want to make sure that the cord is long enough for you to clean your entire floor without having to stop to unplug the unit and find another outlet. Another thing you should look for is an ergonomically designed handle. If you are going to be doing some housecleaning it would be nice to have a handle that is comfortable to use and it would also be a good idea to find a steam mop with an adjustable height. If you can adjust the height then the mop can be used by anyone tall or short.

Those are probably some of the most important things to look for but some other nice features would be a microfiber pad and a swiveling head. Microfiber pads can be washed and reused many times and they do a great job at scrubbing floors, trapping dirt and they are also able to absorb a lot of liquids. A swiveling head will help you get into all of those hard-to-reach areas and corners where dirt and crumbs can collect.

Of course when shopping for any item, including a steam mop cost will be a factor so you are going to want to compare prices. Just keep in mind that the cheapest option is not always the best option. However if you do shop around you should be able to find a quality mop at an affordable price. One of the most important things you can take into consideration when shopping for a steam mop are the reviews and critiques from customers that have actually used a particular mop. Getting information from people that have used the mop you are considering buying is very valuable. This information can either let you buy with confidence or help you avoid making a costly mistake.

Purchasing a steam mop does not have to be difficult or complicated but there are a few things you might want to look for and spending a bit of time doing some research would certainly be in your best interest. Find a model that has the features you like at a reasonable cost and research some of the reviews. If you can find an affordable option with good features and great reviews you are virtually guaranteed that you will be making a good purchase and that you’ll be a happy customer.