Updated to add: This giveaway is now over. The winners are #250, #116 and #230. Congrats!
Well this shouldn’t come as a shock to most of you but I really hate to clean and yes there is a HUGE difference between cleaning and organizing. So while I’m your girl for helpful organizing tips I am most definitely not your girl for helpful cleaning tips. I mean, don’t get me wrong, my house doesn’t look too bad (thanks to minimal clutter to help reduce cleaning time and kids that are pretty good at getting their chores done) but I could always use some help in this area.
Today I’d like to introduce someone who knows all about the ins and outs of not only cleaning but other valuable skills for everyday living. Heather Solos started her blog, Home-Ec 101, in 2007 which is originally how we met but we finally got to meet in person at Blissdom Canada last year which was very cool. Heather also just released a book based on her blog called, Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living – Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it. She is a smarty pants for sure. I’m in awe of her knowledge of all things domesticated and her desire to help teach others such valuable skills for real life. I also really enjoy her entertaining sarcastic humor.
Throughout Heather’s 240 page book you’ll find information on all things to do with cleaning, washing, scrubbing, fixing, dusting, organizing, plumbing and cooking. Seriously it is FULL of answers for so many common household dilemmas and problems that are super quick to find too because she’s got the book broken down into four easy to refer to sections (so important!).
Section 1: Clean It – help for all your cleaning challenges
Section 2: Wash It – help for all your laundry challenges
Section 3: Fix It – handyman (girl) help for common household challenges
Section 4: Cook It – help in the kitchen including tips on menu planning (which she says isn’t just for control freaks..hahaha!)
So one of my household challenges? Mini blinds. Yuck! Our new house has them and I can’t afford to replace them. So I looked up blinds in the detailed index in the back, turned to page 71 and now know that the easiest way to get those suckers clean is just to take them down and soak them in the bathtub with some dish soap. And yes I tried to clean each slat one by one (talk about a painful messy experience!) before I read that little piece of wisdom. I told you I need help!
Anyway this is a great book to pick up for inspiration for yourself or for a shower gift or even as a graduation gift for that teen in your life.
Also available for Kindle!
Giveaway:
In addition to the book I received to review, I also have THREE to giveaway as well. Simply leave a comment on this post, prior to Wednesday, May 4th at 2:00 pm EST, telling me one of your own household cleaning challenges. No other hoops to jump through 🙂
Good luck!
Lynn Pridgen says
I have tons of cleaning challenges.My biggest one is all these people that live here. If they moved out, my house would be cleaned, but I would be terribly lonely.
I guess my biggest challenge is keeping my kitchen floors clean. I never seem to get them mopped and when I do, they still don’t look that great.
Linzi says
My couch has a woven fabric covering. That combined with an active and perpetually hungry toddler makes for food crud stuck in all of the crevices that I simply cannot get out! How can I get a couch really clean without renting a carpet cleaner? Argh!
Kristi says
My biggest challenge is my kitchen – and the people who make messes in it without cleaning up after themselves! (a 14 year old who loves to make snacks, and leave the dishes for me!!)
cheryl says
My biggest challenge is the bathrooms. Boys and bathrooms =always cleaning!
Kristie says
I need to clean my wood diningroom table—-
Tracey says
Mine would be the bedroom.. it never seems to want to stay clean!
Beth says
My big challenge is the laundry. Not the washing and drying but the folding and putting away. I fold it and it stays on the bed or floor until a beautful child thinks its a jump pile, and no matter how many drawers I have, I never have enough room for the clothes.
Nikki says
My biggest challenge is all the toys!! I have 4 kids and of them my 4 year old boy is sooo messy!! He certainly keeps me on my toes.
Christine says
My biggest cleaning challenge is just keeping up. Every time I turn around, there are more toys on the floor, more dishes across the counter and more laundry in every. single. room. It makes me want to be a hermit.
AnnMarie says
Where do I start?! I guess my number one cleaning challenge is the bathroom. I just can’t seem to stay on top of it. I think that’s because I just HATE cleaning the bathroom. Yuck! I also have a problem with keeping my floors looking nice. I have a hard time sweeping and mopping. It feels like I need to do it all the time, so I don’t! Thanks for the chance to win, I NEED this book! :0)
Amy says
Mine is definitely the bathrooms! Keeping the toilets clean! 🙂
Terri says
My biggest challenge (and I have many) is getting the bathrooms clean. I despise dirty bathrooms but I just keep neglecting them! They don’t clean themselves and if I don’t do it, it won’t get done. Right now, I would be so embarrassed if anyone saw them! yuck!
Kendra says
Mine is getting my floors clean. They never look great.
Rachel @ Healthy Teacher says
I bought a house last year, and there was a ring around the toilet where the water comes that I just can’t seem to get rid of. It drives me NUTS! I’ve tried grease lightening, clorox cleanup, fabuloso, and others. Can’t seem to find anything to do the trick.
Larissa says
why don’t you try dumping a bottle of coke in the toilet and see if that is able to eat away at the stain? Can’t hurt to try…good luck in finding a solution!
Heather P says
Also may want to try leaving a scoop or two of Borax laundry booster in the toilet over night. If not that, then possibly a few efferdent – like tabs or a pumice stone to scrub the actual bowl. The ring may be due to hard water in your area – you may want to have it tested. Perhaps some salt tabs in the water reserve area might help settle that problem! Good luck!
valerie (in TX) says
We have that problem too. The only thing I’ve found that will take it off is a pumice stone. The stain comes back, but at least it looks great for a while! I haven’t tried the Coke thing, though. Hey, if it can clean off a car battery, surely it would work in the toilet! 🙂
Kira @ Kissing the Joy says
Ohh, I would love to win this book! My biggest challenge also involves blinds, but mine are those fabric honeycomb blinds. How in the world do you clean those?
Jennifer Carbonel Figueroa says
My biggest challenge (besides kids who don’t clean up after themselves AND years of hoarding EVERYTHING) is finding the time to fit my household chores (I’m a really bad domestic) AND overcoming the clutter (I’m trying but its hard) in the same daily schedule WHILE trying to raise a teen and a 5 year old. Any good tips on a productive daily schedule or super quick cleaning tips? btw I’m not very good at time esp. since my fiance, who was my daily alarm clock, died this past March (I need to be both effective and efficient).
Tracy says
My ceiling vents are a pain to clean since they do not disconnect from the vent system. Any solutions to cleaning them?
Heather P says
A cheap dust mop that you can wash the mop head to would be a good solution. I use this with a spot of furniture cleaner on it and it picks up dust, etc like a charm. If you can find one with a telescoping handle (depending on how vertically challenged you may be versus the height of your ceilings) that would be a bonus. I found mine at Big Lots or Kmart – possibly even the dollar store. (didn’t I say inexpensive??!) The key is being able to take the mop head off once you have cleaned and throw it in the washer. I use mine for ceiling vents, dusting around the smoke alarm tops, the cobwebs in the corners,etc.
Karen says
My biggest challenge is simply that I’m severely outnumbered! My husband and 4 kids are all working against my cleaning efforts! I’m a clean freak and an organizing freak…double doozy!
Jenni says
My biggest cleaning challenge (besides the otherwise-wonderful man in my life) is our bookshelves. He’s in medicine, I’m in biology, and we both love to read, so we have several shelving units that are packed with periodicals, reference books and textbooks. I’m beginning to think there’s no such thing as a “quick clean” for our bookshelves.
Shannon says
We have a white tile kitchen floor that I HATE and I have the worst time keeping it clean. It seems like I can scrub it and scour it and five minutes later it looks disgusting again….
Donna da Costa says
My whole house lol! Biggest challenge? I can’t choose! It’s between the vertical blinds, carpet, & drains in the bathrooms!
Marleena says
My biggest challenge…when my pain from spinal damage acts up it can be weeks or even months until I can do anything and by that time it piles up and takes twice as long to go through and clean. Still cleaning piles of papers from 2007. Help just threw them in corners and closets for me to “do later”.
Julia says
Me too! And no one seems to understand the increased lower back pain associated with bending over to do pretty much anything! Yikes! So what is your solution? My house just stays a wreck…
Marleena says
Mine too Julia. Once a month I have someone from my church come and he takes the garbage down to the dumpster. Of course it depends on how much pain I’m in how much, if any work gets done. I take advantage of good days too. The one person that I had helping me a few months ago walked in while I was in extreme pain and couldn’t even move since the muscles in both legs were spasming. It scared him so much he called 911 all they did was tell me to call my doctor for stronger meds. After that he tried to get someone at the church to help me weekly but no one was willing and he does’t have time. So there are still piles of papers and crap everywhere. I do what I can when I can. I have one of those reacher things too I got for $10 at Walmart to help pick up things off the floor. Some of the people I have had to deal with now have back problems of their own and keep asking me how I do things when in pain I just tell them you have to figure it out.
I sit and sort most of the time if I have to stand and bend it doesn’t get done, too much pain.
Amanda says
my biggest cleaning challenge is.. everything. it feels like everything. I have a husband, a baby, a toddler, and 2 preteens. stuff piles up quickly. floors are a big deal to me because of the crawler.
Joyce says
Blinds are a challenge for me too! We haven’t even cleaned since moving in 3 yrs ago.
Julie Lawrence says
Mould!! I live in Queensland, Australia, and it’s pretty humid here in summer. On top of that, we had a LOT of rain this summer (including floods and cyclones!), and our roof needs replacing … hence, mould on the ceilings!! Last time I tried to clean it I put my back out – too much reaching up over my head. The only real solution is a new roof, but in the meantime I need to keep us healthy! Agh!
Elisabeth@SimpleGreenishLiving says
My biggest cleaning challenge is our dang glass shower doors – no matter what I do, they never look truly clean. When I work that hard to get something clean, I want it to look like I have!
Kathy Casserly says
My biggest challenge is EVERYTHING! lol It seems like I’m constantly doing laundry, or dishes, or vacuuming. I have 3 girls, and while my oldest is a BIG help…the other two, just aren’t there yet. I can’t imagine what the teenage years will be like! Yikes! Also, what to do with all of our books?! There is a significant age gap between my older two and my youngest. I don’t want to give any books away, then have to re-buy them…but there are just so darn many…they are overtaking the house! Help!
Caroline says
Keeping the bathroom clean.
Sarah Sherman says
My biggest challenge is keeping the kitchen floor clean!!!! YUCKKK!!! It never ever can stay clean!
Melissa says
I have hardwood floors throughout our home and three small kids: ages 4, 2, and 5 months. My biggest challenge is keeping the floors mopped – I can’t seem to keep up with apple juice dripping from sippy cups, food flung from the highchair, the baby spitting up…you name it. Gross. I need help!
Megan says
I do not like the horrible noxious smells of cleaners. Even natural cleaners like vinegar bothers me as well!
Jessica says
Try Method cleansers! I am also very sensitive to those cleanser/vinegar/bleach/ammonia smells. I use all Method products in my home and they smell more like spa products! They are also completely biodegradable, most of them are labeled non-toxic (so great for use around kids & dogs), plus their packaging is recycleable and they sell liquids (dish soap, bathroom cleansers, and laundry detergent) in refills so you don’t have to keep buying plastic bottles. I LOVE METHOD!!! Usually, I find them at Target, Kroger, and some items at Lowes Hardware. Good luck!
Laura says
My biggest challenge is staying on top of picking up the random things lying about the house each day/night…our house can quickly look “messy” even when it’s not actually dirty just because of all of the stuff lying around.
Krystle L. says
My biggest cleaning challenge is definitely staying on top of the kitchen… more specifically the dishes. I love to cook but all the clean up afterward…. not so much.
Rebecca C. says
The dogs and cats. It is a constant battle to keep the floor from looking like the desert (with fur tumbleweeds everywhere), and to keep the muddy backyard from being all over the house via doggy paws.
That, and we are still learning how to clean/get in the habit of cleaning, and it is tough to remember to do the little things every day.
Kim says
My biggest challenge is the crevices in the window tracks that get full of dust and grime (and, here in rainy western Washington state, moisture!). No matter what I do I can’t seem to get them 100% clean.
This looks like a great book! 🙂
ter@waaoms says
My biggest challenge… dust bunnies! it seems that even vacuuming doesn’t do the job perfectly. It’ll look fine then I’ll go put away the vacuum and turn around and it doesn’t look like I did anything. I don’t have carpet, just hardwood and tiles which you’d think would be easy to keep clean!
Donna says
Blinds are my problem also. But mine are the honeyomb kind. I’ve had them cleaned professionally, but that’s super expensive. Now after 13 yrs, they aren’t white anymore. Help!
Hilarie says
My biggest cleaning challenge is floors. Between toys and tools, it can be difficult to see the floor. And I hate mopping, so I wait as long as possible to do that. Blah.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Heather B says
Oh my what a CUTE cover! I need that book!! My cleaning challenge if we ignore motivation, is my desire to go chemical free, but fear of vinegar and baking soda cleaning.
LuAnn says
I’m kind of spoiled for choice on “big challenges” around this place! *lol* :/ One thing that really gives me the “oogies”, though, is cleaning the blades on the ceiling fans. The gunk that gathers around the edges is like part dirt, part oil and part humidity…it’s like trying to strip tar from roads! UGH!!!!
se7en says
I am very week in the “Fix it” department… usually they are small quick tasks… but I pile them up until I literally have made a mountain out of all the molehills and I just can’t face it… Procrastination is the real problem!!!
Cate says
Getting everything done without letting cleaning take over my life is a huge challenge of mine.
Larissa says
I would have to say my biggest challenge is my pedantic perfectionism – ie. if I don’t have the time to clean it ‘properly’ I will tend to just leave it … ending with a less than ‘perfect’ looking area. Also, my tendency to collect clutter on most surfaces. No matter how big the area I have available to me that is clear – within the week it looks like I haven’t touched it for a month!
Kristen says
My biggest cleaning challenge is keeping my floors clean. I vacuum them every day (little kids love to carry a trail of mess with them wherever they go!) and wash the floors on my hands and needs often (not with a mop because that just seems to drag dirt around and never really picks it up). I hate washing the floors (not so much the vacuuming) and have decided that there isn’t much of a point since they always remain dirty! AH!
Cynthia says
recently have been learning to try to keep a clean & organized home, along with meals planned & shopping done while in a wheelchair. Big change in my life & i’m sure this book would be extremely useful.
pinkbeary says
My challenge is cleaning grout. I found out about the clorox bleach pen and it is now easy to clean.
Hulsy says
Mine is cleaning my windows; I have 20 of them. It takes forever ans it does not stay clean more than a week…
Jutta@Organized Living Solutions says
My main challenge is dealing with dog hair. We have four dogs and they all HAVE to stay right next to me whereever I am (at the moment they are parked off next to the computer, with one of the cats half on the keyboard 🙂 ). I love them dearly but they do leave a lot of hair and sand. Finally my family (and most visitors) have learned to take their shoes off before coming into the house, which feels a bit like bolting the stable door after the horse has escaped…
ChristinaF93 says
My biggest challenge is the bathroom. I’m the first one out of the house in the morning and nobody cleans up until I get home at the end of the day. It’s not pretty to come home to.
klutzymama says
The bathrooms are my biggest challenge for sure. Hate cleaning the bathrooms!
Karla says
my biggest cleaning challenge is after my husband and 4 dogs. The husband drags in all his tools and leaves them everywhere and the dogs drag in branches, grass and dirt. I am cleaning constantly behind them only to turn around and find something else the “children” dragged in one time it was a dead rattlesnake that they left by the foot of my bed. Some great present 😮
jenny says
the biggest challenge that I have is CLUTTER- I have determined that we just have too much stuff and don’t need to buy anymore.
Julie says
I have a few challenges. First is my shower. I just hate cleaning showers for some reason. The other is the sliding glass doors. As soon as I clean them, my dog walks up and smears his nose all over it and laps his tongue on it. Uuugggghhh!!
Shannon says
I despise dusting and quite frankly only do it if someone is coming over. If you drop by unannounced you’re very much welcome but expect to see some dust. 🙂
Jiselle says
My biggest challenges are my floors, as my almost two year old son loves throwing food on the floor! He also has discovered colouring the walls, so I guess I have a new thing to conquer.
Shannon says
My main challenge is finding the time and energy to get everything done! I picked up more hours at work so there’s less time to take care of the house.
Nancy says
My biggest challenge is the microwave. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is like every time I open it up, someone had splattered beans or cooked bacon in it and not only was it dirty, but the smell was offensive, too.
So, I take a glass quart bowl, and mix 2 cups of water, 1/2 of a lemon, and 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar. Bring this all to a boil. Shut the microwave off, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
After waiting 15 minutes, take the bowl out, and wipe clean with hot soapy water. Not only does this loosen up the hard food, and make clean up easier, but it leaves a pleasant clean scent behind, too. I do this once a week, to keep my microwave clean and odor free.
Brenda says
I would love hints on how to keep my BLACK stove top looking good. We clean it regularly, but it never looks like I want it to. The black color shows EVERYTHING!
marissa says
These days it seems like everything is a challenge but my biggest would have to be laundry for sure.
World_Runner says
My biggest cleaning challenge is taming the toy monster. I swear those things multiply over night!
Janelle says
Getting my kids to help without frustrating them & me!
Kim @ Homesteader's Heart says
My biggest challenge is probably time management with the whole cleaning thing. I always seem to want to be doing something else. LOL!
Kerri says
my biggest challenge is clearning the hardwood floors. I hate doing them and it takes so long that I end up putting them off..all the time.
Cindy says
I’m not a control freak, but I have not taught my children to clean well! I think I’d rather do things myself than have to go after them and re-clean. I would love one of the books so we can clean together, and in a way that might be more efficient/effective than I’m doing. The bathrooms are the biggest challenge!
Brittany says
The Bathroom….. one of those things that I do everyday, but it never looks or feels clean! And the shower curtain…..I just despise!
Nichole says
I hate putting away dishes and laundry. I don’t understand why it’s such a hangup for me because I find washing dishes and folding clothes soothing, I just can’t put them away
Lisa says
My biggest cleaning challenge is teaching my son how to clean. I just told my daughter what to do & she sis it well. But I’m finding it very challenging to teach my son how to do his chores properly.
Java says
TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!
Abby says
I’m actually at college right now, so my biggest cleaning challenge is finding time to keep everything neat and organized. Though, sometimes at home it’s easy for me to get discouraged when the kitchen is a mess. It looks so overwhelming, especially after my mom or I has been cooking a lot. Other than overwhelming things, I like cleaning, and get a lot of energy from seeing a space looking nice and neat.
Toni W says
I would have to say that it’s my kitchen & bathroom. I can’t seem to keep either one clean. With 3 kids they mess it up as soon as it’s clean.
Beth says
I HATE prepping and mopping my hardwood floors!!
SmugMama says
Cleaning the base of the toilet – can’t ever get it clean!!
Christine says
For one, I hate to clean the bathroom, but something I never get to is dusting the fans and top of tall furniture.
Rebecca Jo says
My biggest challenge? Bathtubs! UGH!!!! They have shower doors on them & are so awkward to get in & clean… & the corners of the shower door? Forget about it! (said in my best Italian voice)
Joanna Grote says
My kitchen floor grout is eternally dirt colored…It’s not supposed to be.
Amber says
My biggest problem is my glass top stove and the kitchen fan.
Amanda says
My biggest cleaning problem is getting my husband to use the laundry hamper, hah! But no, seriously, it would be cleaning up hairball stains- my cat is on prescription food that leaves terrible stains and if it sits while I’m at work or sleeping it’s hopeless. Other than taping his mouth shut while I’m not there to immediately clean his messes I don’t know what to do!
Heather says
My wood floors. They are new-ish but getting dingey. How to clean? Only water? Water and white vinegar? Murphy’s Oil Soap? So much advice but nothing really works.
Tabitha says
My biggest challenge is just keeping up with the mess of 3 kids 6 and under. I spend all day trailing after my 16 month old as he goes from one thing to the next making messes!
Lori H says
The bathrooms give me fits! Our area is prone to a yucky pink mold and it shows up even when I clean each week. Also, despite the water softening system, all of our NEW toilets have rings around the bowl. Bleh!
Kristina says
My biggest challenge is the kids’ too big/small clothes that need to be sorted, boxed, and put away.
Katherine says
My biggest challenge is the bathroom. Not the actual cleaning of it, but finding the motivation to go clean it. Yuck.
Elizabeth says
My flat top stove. It drives me crazy cleaning that thing without damaging it.
Brooke D says
What a great book! I too have struggled with the miniblinds…only one more room to take down and scrub in the bathtub. Thanks for the chance to win!
Trinity says
One of my biggest challenges is keeping my (rough hardwood) floors clean.
Holly says
Dog hair! I feel like I am constantly cleaning up dog hair tumbleweeds around the house. It’s really bad now that the weather is warming up and the dogs are shedding more. Ugh!
Kristel says
Mine are my windows… thankfully they are nice ones so they’re relatively easy to clean, but we have 25 BIG ones! While I love having all the light, it’s hard to want to clean them… and it always seems to rain within a couple days of doing the outsides.
I sure love having a clean house, and would love a chance at a copy of this book!
April L. says
My biggest challenge is the bathroom–seems like the sink needs to be cleaned twice a day (and there are only 2 of us!), and I still haven’t found a way to clean the shower without feeling like an acrobat.
Dianna @ Sincerely Me says
Really its not the cleaning so much as the sorting through. I have a hard time getting rid of stuff when it belongs to the kids.
Kim says
I absolutely despise cleaning the stove, oven and microwave. They are dirty again the minute you make the next meal. And it doesn’t help that I am a messy cook!
JoannaTopazT says
My biggest cleaning challenge is that our dining area is carpeted — and there is no way to set up the house to eat in the very small linoleum floor kitchen — and we actually, you know, live and eat here, including the kid. Spills happen.
Erin @ One Particular Kitchen says
Oh my biggest cleaning challenge is definitely my glass-top stove. It’ll be the death of me!
Michaela says
I actually have 2- one is having 3 boys in the house. They’re ages 7, 11 & 14. I find socks everywhere, dirt, grime, toothpaste trails & all sorts of things in their wake.
My other is where we’re living we have NASTY calcium deposits from our water. Sometimes our shower stall & tub look perpetually dirty :-/
Annie L. says
Sounds like a great book!!
Living the Balanced Life says
I have a big challenge with a LARGE kitchen tile floor. I hate mopping it!
Bernice
13 ways to stay stressed out
[email protected] says
I have to pick just one???? My ceiling fans are atrocious.
This does look like a great book.
Rachel says
My biggest challenege is the bathroom tiles. I have a 1950’s home with tile floors and tile 3/4 up the walls! The grout on the walls and in the shower always looks terrible.
Kristin Peterson says
I can always use help in this area. My biggest challenge, by far, is mopping. We have a LOT of floor that needs mopping (or SHOULD be!) – kitchen, dining room, 2 hallways, and our living room (tiled – and every time I mop there grout comes out and makes a worse mess).
Michelle says
My biggest challenge is my master bathroom shower– it’s the most neglected place in the house
Donna VDL says
My biggest cleaning challenge is a tie between staying on top of things and the showers – I really do like to clean but absolutely hate to clean showers!
Kayla says
ugh grout. we live in an apartment that was built sometime in the late 40s, early 50s. the tiles are horrendous and the grout is the worst.
Misty says
Umm, what is NOT a challenge in my house?
I have 5 children and my husband works 12-14 hours a day.
Meal planning, cleaning and scheduling seem to have me whipped!
What am I to do?
Lindsay says
My biggest cleaning challenge is probably my living room carpet and furniture. After twins, the spit-up/milk/etc stains are insane and no matter how I scrub or clean, they still look gross. *sigh*
Tami Q. says
My household cleaning challenge is my bathtub. I can clean it and even bleach it, but the caulking still looks groooosssss!!
Mia says
My biggest challenge is just keeping up with cleaning while caring for a 21 month old, 3 month old, and a husband that doesn’t seen to know how to lend a helping hand. Add that to his years of collecting his favorite toys and military garb it can become almost depressing.
Sonja Drake says
Well, I have to ditto many others, our master bath shower. We have only lived here two years, but have always had a mold/mildew problem in the shower. I despise spraying harsh cleaners in there as we have a dog and a cat. I would love to have some alternative methods of cleaning this problem area!
Corie says
I am also not a fan of cleaning. My challenge is definitely keeping our hardwood floors clean. They are throughout our whole house and it seems every time I turn around there are dustbunnies! Still on the lookout for an awesome handheld vacuum to keep this problem at bay.
Kim says
vaccuuming gets put off for some reason, don’t like that job. I started using my Sanity Saver to help keep me on track. It is how I get my cleaning done. 🙂
Denise says
Keeping mini blinds clean is a challenge for me too.
Maria Matter says
oh my challenge has to be keeping my kitchen cabinets clean…the outside of them! There is always a splatter or running spill. The kids at times will clean up the counter top but no one thinks to look at the wood cabinet itself! I feel as though I’m slowly wiping the wood stain right off the wood cabinets!
Jessica W says
My biggest challenge when it comes to house cleaning is CONSISTENCY! I’ve tried routines and can’t seem to stick with them. 🙁
~ Karen ~ says
Besides the fact that I have a newborn and cleaning has pretty much fallen by the wayside for the time being, I hate mopping.
Valerie H. says
My biggest challenge is probably pen on fabric or walls. I have a little girl that always gets a hold of pens that older kids leave out.
Sara says
My biggest challenge is the floors! Keeping them swept and mopped is just overwhelming sometimes!
KaeleyAnne says
I have so many cleaning challenges, but recently the bathroom has been the worst. And the kitchen floor.
Erin Quinn Robison says
Shower doors. Oh my….shower doors. I squeegee and I scrub but I just can’t get a hold of the nastiness that is our shower/bathtub.
*sigh*
Janette says
My cleaning challenge would be finding the time and energy to actually do it, my pet hate would have to be cleaning windows.
Jen says
Besides seeming to have a different definition of “clean” than my kids regarding their rooms, my biggest challenge is dusting. It just comes back so quickly, makes me not even want to bother.
Kim Ritter says
I HATE, HATE, HATE when mold begins showing up in my shower…urgh! I hope there’s a tip for that in this book that I could use!?!
Anne says
My biggest cleaning challenge has got to be anything around water–sinks, bathtubs, toilets….I can never get them the way I want to, and they don’t even stay close to it for long.
Jeanette says
My biggest and most ongoing challenge is keeping up with cat hair! I have 5 cats so it’s practially a full time job just doing that!!
Kristi G says
This is so exciting! I’ve had my eye on this book for a while!
My biggest challenge is our guest bathroom where the shower meets the tub… ewww!!! white tile and black… mold? ugh!
Kelly P. says
By far my daughter’s room. Literally I pick it up at least 3 times a day. If I don’t then the carpet isn’t even visible by the end of the night.
Michelle says
First off, I didn’t even think about that for the mini blinds. Brilliant! Second, my biggest challenge is the vent that is upright in my kitchen. I can seem to get it clean and it looks disgusting. I’m half tempted to just repaint it and move on.
Ruth says
I hate to admit it, but I am not a day to day upkeep person.sadly, this makes for far too many all day intensive cleaning sessions. It sounds like this book would be a huge help!
Ruth
Jean says
I have just stumbled across your site and am loving it!!! So much great information.
I have quite a few cleaning challenges…the biggest one is the finding the time with an active family. To narrow it down to one, I’d say bathrooms. I hate cleaning them! My mom used to make me clean them all the time as a child (with 4 brothers!!) and now I try to avoid them but I hate dirty bathrooms. It’s a vicious cycle!
Maggie says
My biggest challenge is the bathroom. I use nearly all of it every day, but it just seems like I don’t spend enough time in there to truly understand how much attention I ~should~ be spending to maintaining it’s cleanliness.
Also dishes, but cleaning the bathroom is worse. :/
Kara M. says
I have the hardest time dusting and keeping my kitchen floors clean. I hate mopping, HATE it. I really hate sweeping too, but I have a little boy that crawls, and he will eat anything that is on the floor, so that’s motivation to sweep, lol.
Kassandra says
Laundry – baby poop, baby spit-up, baby food, preschooler grass stains, marker, stains, food stains…you name it, we have stains! I try and try, but some things I just haven’t mastered stain removal on yet!
MemeGRL says
I am cleaning challenged in general! But one of my worst is–I don’t know what products are greenest and best for which things. Do dusting sprays work or leave waxy buildup? Do microfiber cloths pick up the dust or just fling it back in to the air for next time? Is there a non-toxic thing that works for windows?
Michelle says
I am challenged by my window blinds. They collect dust like crazy and cleaning them takes hours. I need a simple, effective way to do this.
Emily says
I can’t keep up with the bathrooms with little boys in the house! They need to be cleaned every time they go in there! I would love to have a separate bathroom for boys that is floor to ceiling in tile, a drain in the middle of the room, and a hose to just spray it all down!
Jana says
My biggest challenge is dust! It seems like I dust every day and with a daughter with special needs and allergies that can be a challenge. Is there a way to get it done faster?
Alison says
I’ve got hardwood floors in my kitchen, which is lovely, but not the easiest thing to keep clean. They’re not those super smooth hardwood floors in newer construction, they’re definitely textured. I use a poor man’s version of a swiffer (cotton cloth over a swiffer and diluted floor cleaner in a spray bottle) but no matter how many times I go over the floor, the cotton cloth always comes back a little gray.
Alicia says
:O. The miniblinds. That is an amazing idea. That is def a place in my home that needs cleaned. Another place I am in desperate need of help with is the ceiling fans. Eww.. I have one in every room and they get so dusty!
Lori Mc says
My biggest is mini blinds – they are the worst to clean.
Jessica says
Mine would be blinds (wooden ones, probably can’t soak those) and the kids bathroom…with little boys, it always smells – now matter how much and how hard I scour it!
Shannon says
My biggest challenge are hardwood floors and laundry. My husband is a firefighter and comes home covered in smoke/soot. How do I get that out smell out of his clothes? I would love a copy of this book!
Amber Jarvis says
my cleaning problem is getting the grout clean in the shower/tub!
Emily C says
I think it’s a tie between kitchen counters and window sills for me. They are never perfectly clean and the moment they think about getting close something is spilt or there is grime and dust again. So frustrating.
Heather says
My biggest challenge is DUSTING! Ugh. I don’t know if it’s where we live or the fact that we have dark wood furniture (and dark wood blinds…ugh) but it seems like our house is ALWAYS dusty! 🙁
Carolyn says
I totally need this! What a great giveaway.
My biggest challenge is laundry. My children are forever getting spots that are impossible for me to get out and we are always losing socks. Help!
Laura says
My biggest challenge is keeping up with those ocassional cleaning jobs like mini blinds, ceiling fans and our basement.
Kathie says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the ceiling! We have a popcorn ceiling and dust/cobwebs stick to it! So frustrating to try to clean it.
Denise McNeill says
Keeping up with all of the dust. Everything in my house is dark, dark wood, black granite so the dust collects and SHOWS everywhere. It seems like we are always dusting!
Beth says
I have a household of 10. It’s seems I can barely keep the everyday clutter at bay, much less get any real cleaning accomplished. I would love to have the windows clean, the dust off the ceilings, and the kitchen cabinets degreased!
Rochel @ barefootandcooking says
bathrooms… everything about them.
Erin says
Ugh. Our house is a constant nightmare. Between a 50+ hour a week job and a natural dis-inclination towards all things neat/tidy/organized/clean, it’s a major challenge to make the house livable. This sounds like a useful book!
Sara Beth says
I have two small children and work full-time outside the home. Cleaning and de-cluttering are a challenge in themselves.
Amy says
My biggest problem is just knowing where to start! i work full time and have three kids, one 9 and two 6 years old. No matter what I do, it is never enough! I just stink at being domestic! I would love help at knowing short cuts, and helpful hints..
Katie B. says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the carpet. My apartment has carpet everywhere, even where the kitchen table is. So food falls on it all the time. And my vacuum is broken on top of all that. Never really feels clean without the carpet truly getting clean.
Elaine says
My biggest cleaning challenge is that we live in a very tiny space with two rowdy toddlers. I’m constantly contending with clutter, toys on the floor, crayon on the walls…
Tiffany says
My biggest challenge is the closets. I want to keep them organized, but it just doesn’t happen.
Melanna says
My biggest challenge is my dining room floor. My house was built in the era of wall to wall carpet. The dining room is the only place a table can fit, even though the carpet suggests that the room should just be a formal dining room (my house is not big enough to actually have a formal dining room in my opinion). I can’t afford to replace the flooring, but I have a 3 year old and a baby learning to eat solid foods, so you can imagine what ends up on that carpet. Yuck!
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
My biggest cleaning challenge is finding the time to clean! I work full time, have a husband in school, and a three-year-old son. When the little guy goes to bed, I just want to lay around and watch tv, not clean!
Bethany says
My biggest cleaning challenges are carpets, mini blinds, base boards, ceiling fans, and the refrigerator. 🙁
april says
keeping it clean for more than 5 minutes with 3 kids in the house :/
Sara says
Keeping walls and patio door clean from twin toddler hands is my biggest challenge.
KerryAnn says
My biggest cleaning challenge is an all hard-wood floor house. Seems no matter how often I mop or sweep, it’s always dirty! I don’t want carpet at all, I just wish I could figure out how to keep the floors from turning the bottom of my kid’s socks dirty all the time!
SalBug says
I’m with you, Laura – I’m an organizer, not a cleaner. I would love a copy of this book. Anything to make cleaning easier and more effective. I could especially use some tips on cleaning my painted kitchen cabinets. Thanks!
Karen says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the kitchen. I can’t seem to keep the area clean and clutter-free.
Rena says
Ugh, I have lots of cleaning challenges. I really HATE cleaning my husband’s shower, though. This is a blog and a book that I definitely will have to check out.
Anne says
My biggest cleaning challenge are tile floors and grout. It seems no matter what I use to get them clean, the tile always looks dull and the grout doesn’t look clean. I’ve tried over the counter products and have made my own. I just wish I could figure out what to use that not only cleaned the tile and grout but made both sparkle!
Lori says
My biggest challenge is keeping my floors clean.
Kathy says
My biggest cleaning challenge is getting beautiful sparkling clean glass shower doors. : (
They always have spots or soap scum. I hope I win : )
amybee says
My biggest challenge is cleaning the tiled shower. It just never seems to sparkle, even with lots of time and elbow grease invested.
Fiona says
My biggest challenge is dealing with dust and sand. It is a constant battle. I live in the Middle East and sandstorms are the norm. In order to keep my home free from dust and sand, I have to mop and dust daily. After just a day, carpets are filled with dust, and need not only a quick runaround with the Hoover, but a beating outside too. Not an easy feat with work to do and 4 children to take care of!
Deborah says
My cleaning problem is a clutter problem, as it’s very difficult to clean around the clutter. Had I no clutter, cleaning would be a breeze!
Kathy says
Cleaning challenge? Is there only one?? I battle with the kitchen most of all. It is not only our kitchen/dining room, it is also our school room! Can’t seem to keep up with anything these days … I used to be so organized and on top of things. Then, along came our 2 blessings and life has forever changed. 🙂
Leighann Marquiss says
Oooooo. I hate cleaning mini-blinds too. The bathroom humidity especially makes them hard.
Leanne Tucker says
I hate doing the dishes and dusting! I have invested tons on those dusting tools that are supposed to make it easier only to find its a waste!
Elizabeth says
My biggest challenge is scrubbing the ancient bathtub, where the enamel has worn away, making it look permanently filthy. Yuck!
valerie (in TX) says
Wow, I have so many. Mainly just finding the TIME to do cleaning at all! My worst problem area is probably the bathtub. Ugh.
Miranda says
For me it’s just the general upkeep. With a hubby and toddler, things never stay clean for very long and I always need motivation to keep it clean.
Heather Carr says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the ring around the toilet and the tub~I would love to get rid of those for good without buying a new tub and a new toilet!! Thank you!
Dawn says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the brown drips that seem to appear magically down my bathroom walls. I don’t know if it’s the moisture leaching smoke and dirt out of the wall so it shows up better or what but I hate it. Being short and cleaning walls and the ceiling is no fun so it’s a serious challenge for me.
Dynamics says
Windows. I love clean windows. I would love a way to clean them quickly. Part of the problem is the screens and the need for using a ladder.
Kristi says
My biggest issue is I HATE cleaning…. it is one of those things thjat you have to do constantly and it drives me crazy. I would love any tips to motivate me and I am excited to get the chance to win the book – thanks!!!! I LOVE your tips!
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
On top of my entertainment center is a bunch of fake foliage that is a pain to clean and then get back up again, thanks!
Martianne says
Sounds like a fabulous book! I would love to win a copy.
My special cleaning challenge? Hmm…. So many! Perhaps the biggest is how to keep where the toilet meets the floor clean with a boy who cannot control his pee always making puddles that seep under the toilet.
S. Davis says
Everything, really – laundry & dishes get done well, but not very good at anything beyond that – can use any help I can find! Thankfully, kids are old enough to do their own bathroom (with a little supervision) & help with the rest of the house, too. Thank you!
Lisa says
I’m a self-proclaimed NON-domestic goddess! I like to organize, though am not a champ at it. My biggest challenge is just staying on top of it all with 3 kids in 3 schools. I’m spread thin during the day and tired at night. I need tips to do small tasks during the week to keep everything clean and tidy.
The Chatty Housewife says
One of my own household cleaning challenges is the mini blinds. I know they need to be dusted, but it just takes so much work! You can see fingerprints in the dust and I still am not cleaning them.
Stacy Schochler says
as a homeschooling mom, i never have time to clean! i’m terrible at time management! go figure! i’d love to be able to incorporate it into their schooling. maybe this book will help!
Sallie says
My mama has always been great at getting stains out of laundry, but I’m not! I’m so impatient! I want to be able do just spray it and forget it. 🙁 Sadly, it rarely works out for the best…
Katie says
Sign me up
Amy says
biggest challenge, bathroom floors.
Vanessa says
By biggest challenge is keeping our apartment picked up so I can clean.
Thanks!
Sydney says
My biggest challenge is finding a non-super-toxic-fumey way to clean the inside of my oven.
Sandy G says
My biggest challenge is getting those nasty water spots off the shower doors!
Julie D says
My challenge is that I have a hard time knowing the line. You know. The line between obsessively clean in a crazy way like my mother, and never really cleaning stuff and possibly frightening my houseguests. I also live in an apartment with my husband, and we both work from home! I would love to win this book; I seriously have very little cleaning/homemaking skills to fall back on except what my OCD mother taught me. I never know how often I should clean things. My mom would get upset if we left a lone, used tissue in our bedroom trashcans more than overnight. Help! 🙂
Leigh says
The actual cleaning I am not bad at (as in getting rid of dirt), but it is the daily picking up that gets me. I think that is the third skill, separate from cleaning and organizing.
Carrie says
Two challenges: Wooden kitchen table chairs (YUCK!) and OLD kitchen cabinet doors that attract everything!
Paula Hunt says
I’m sure I would learn so much with this book. It would certainly hone my “Domestic Goddess” skills! 🙂
Joanna says
My biggest challenge is the oven hood. All that cooked-on dust and grease…yuck! I have given up on it, think. 🙁
Mandy says
My biggest challenge is laundry. I don’t mind washing, drying or even folding its just putting it all away that drives me crazy!
Mary Norman says
The Shower/ bath area.
Yukky!!!!!!
Thanks for the chance.
Mary
ladefly@aol dot com
Rochelle says
our floors. we have carpeted floors and i have to rent a carpet cleaner constantly. no matter what i do – no shoes in the house, no food outside of the kitchen — it goes from tan to dark gray. My couch. I can’t remove the back cushions and the arm rests are just atrocious. How do I get them clean without renting a carpet cleaner?
Lisa says
I sooo need this book! The thing I seem to be always cleaning is the bathtub. I have 3 little girls who take lots of baths. The problem is we only have one tub in the house, and it’s also our only shower, which equals lots of showers and baths in it.
BTW, I also tried cleaning my vertical blinds slat by slat…. what a mess!
Emily says
I don’t like to clean the sealant around the bathroom sink and the floor by the bathtub. Really, I just hate cleaning in general, but those are the worst 2 areas.
Jeaneen says
Every part of my house…help
Kay says
My greatest challenge in cleaning is myself. Due to a severe breathing problem it takes me forever to get anything done!
Kathy Wolfe says
Mirrors and sliding glass doors!! Help!
I am embarassingly clueless!
Streaks!! Smudges etc.
This book wd be awesome to own!
Debbie D says
Cleaning?….oh so that’s what its called!
Lauren @YoungNester says
My biggest cleaning challenge is keeping my house hair-free with a German Shepherd mix! My vacuum is near death!
Thanks for a great giveaway!
Linda Kish says
My biggest challenge would be my son and DIl. They like to cook but haven’t figured out how to clean up after themselves. And then when I wash the dishes, they don’t know how to put them away either.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Danielle says
Ugh, cleaning the bathtub is no fun. But, it is less fun having not cleaned it; if that makes sense?!
– Danielle
other-option AT hotmail DOT com
Martha (MM) says
My biggest cleaning challenge is keeping the cat hair off of everything, it’s a constant battle! Thanks for hosting the giveaway 🙂
kathy w says
My biggest cleaning challenge is shower. No matter what I try on the doors and walls it never seems clean. I would like to win a copy of this book.
Jenni R says
My biggest challenge is cleaning–any type of cleaning. I will pretty much put any other task before cleaning. It’s my least favorite task as a wife and mom.
Carleen says
My floors! In every room they seem to always get dirty the very next day after I clean them.
Natalie says
The stovetop… hands down. It gets so gross so fast!
Super Mommie says
I dred cleaning the bathroom. I’ll wash and fold every load of clothes first!
Christine says
I would love to enter, my biggest challenge is the floor!
Katie Weber says
My biggest cleaning challenge would probably be clothing stains.
Melanie says
Let’s see….my biggest problem is my kitchen, specifically my sink and kitchen counters. My sink is in a corner, with cabinets above it, so not a nice place to do dishes. But the worst bit is the fact my kitchen counters are black. Black Formica. EVERYTHING shows! I can never seem to keep it clean.
Martha Landgraf says
My cleaning challenges include having a black dog who sheds daily! I am always vacuuming!
Allison Erhardt says
One of the weirdest challenges that I just came across was this past weekend. I ended up having to take my son to the E.R because he woke up from a nap with an ear infection, and all the walk ins were closed.
When I was in admitting, I put my purse down on the floor while holding my 3 yr old son, and the nurse said to me “NEVER put your purse down on a hospital floor. I know what we walk through all day long, and your purse is now contaminated.”
When I got home I was determined to clean my leather purse, somehow, but didn’t know how. I ended up looking on the internet and ended up with some weird sounding solutions, but I wasn’t sure what to trust. In the end I just washed it and hoped for the best.
I’d love to own a book like this that would probably help out in these not-so-everyday everyday problems!
Jacci Mace says
I have tile floors throughout my kitchen/ dining/ hallways/ bathroom/ and entryways they are WHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need lots and lots of help. I did not choose the color they were already installed when we bought the house, so with two kids two labs and a husband who crawls houses for a living I need some good pointers.
Mary says
I pet sit for active duty military personel when they are sent away from home. Every area of my home has cat or dog hair and pet accidents to be cleaned up hourly HELP! Sometimes the pets do not adjust well to the change and it is an on going battle to keep the floors clean and free of animal scents what do I do?
Suzanne says
Well…..everything really…..but my kitchen floor….with dog hair, kids and their messes…..I can use all the help I can get……thanks for the chance to win!
monarchnmr says
I have many problem spots such as my floors, 3 toddler boys who all use the toilet, and the never-ending laundry. I can usually keep everything spot cleaned and laundry all washed and put away by Saturday, but housework overtakes me & is rather be spending tim3 raising my 4 children (5 & under). I guess this isn’t my season in life to have a perpetually clean house!
Tina S. says
My biggest challenge is keeping the fiberglass tub and shower clean. We have hard water and it has left a residue on the fiberglass that always looks dirty.
Kelly A. says
My biggest cleaning challenge is finding all the surfaces to clean underneath all the clutter!
sarah says
We have a water fountain for our cats that combined with our bad water and lack of a dishwasher is soo hard to keep clean.
dawn says
My problem is the blinds,too. The last tenants in the apt. obviously never cleaned them,& they’re so grimy & gross. We spent so much time and elbow grease trying to clean them,but it was no use. Don’t know if soaking in soapy water would help-they’re really bad!
Tracy Stone says
I cannot get my shower doors clean!
Leslie Raffelson says
Doing the dishes. I hate it. Well..I generally hate cleaning, taking the trash out, doing showers, floors, dusting, you name it…
Cecilia says
Keeping our shower clean, free of mildew and soap scum. For some reason I really struggle with this. I guess I just hate scrubbing the shower.
Miranda says
My biggest challenge is keeping toys under control
Melanie says
I hate trying to clean the grout in my shower! I can’t keep it from molding! Argh!
Pat McGlothlin says
One of my problems is the bottoms of frying pans and keeping them looking the same as I bought them and not having to purchase new pans to look good
Beth says
Now I just need a section on Find Time For It!
Marilyn Holeman says
My biggest challenge would be the floor heater vents or the mini-blinds. Thanks for the chance to win!
Theresa says
What isn’t my challenge?! I need help find a quick way to get it all done while makeing sure everything is clean!
Sara says
I am my biggest challenge! lol I’ve never been very clean or organized. But with a 3 month old baby I need to get my home together before she starts tearing it apart 😉
Becc says
My biggest cleaning hurdle is walls and skirting boards….if only it was affordable and easy to repaint once a month..I think that would be easier then cleaning them!
Andrea Merrigan says
That book looks fabulous. My cleaning challenge, having time to clean..hehehe! I use homemade natural cleaning products and I am struggling finding a good way to scrub the bathtub.
Karla says
my biggest problem in my house in keeping up with the clutter and the dust and the stuff my dogs drag in.
Lisa says
I am a busy teacher and the mother of twin girls. I know that if a do a little every day, I would keep up with the cleaning and laundry… instead, I hired my parents to clean my house… ridiculous?!? I need help!
Keeley says
My biggest cleaning challenges are the floors! Particularly the bathroom and kitchen floors. Some how they get so messy, so quickly! I try to keep up by sweeping/vacuuming and mopping, but it just feels like it’s too much. And I’m sooo OCD that it doesn’t help. I feel like I absolutely have to get down on my hands and knees to get them cleaned properly.
Lisa says
My biggest cleaning challenge: the husband-a pack rat and (I joke) a future hoarder. At this moment “his” end table is full (including the shelf and floor under it), plus a stack of containers (level with the end table) next to it-and a growing pile on our DR table. and a stack of “daily needs” on the coffee table.
2nd biggest challenge: the basement. partly due to reason #1.
Peggy says
My biggest challenge is a dining table we bought about a year ago. Has a finish on it that I am not used to and nothing will come off of it so it always looks dirty! Also, has planks with space inbetween them so crumbs always go into them and are hard to get out!
Linda says
My least favorite home-making task is dusting.My husband made most of our furniture and getting the dust out of all the carvings he put on them drives me crazy.
Krissa says
Keep clutter under control is a challenge for me!
Laura says
I would love this book!
I really hate cleaning the bathroom…especially the corner whirlpool tub and shower stall…both require me to actually have to get into them to clean…which I hate!!! UGH!
Rina Jurceka says
My 18 yo is learning about domestic actions. This would be valuable for her. all areas
Kate M says
My biggest cleaning challenge are the 8 children I have who are pack rats!!
AnnieJ says
Cleaning … period … is a challenge!!! But mini-blinds are tough – and I have them all over the house. I will have to get the bathtub filled and start cleaning them …. Thanks
Julie says
My biggest problem is keeping the area underneath my toddler’s seat at the kitchen table clean. It seems there’s always some sort of dried food down there. Thank you for the giveaway!
Susan C. says
I would love to have this book. I know I was supposed to learn how to clean from my mom, but either she didn’t do a good job teaching, or my brain rotted (I suspect the 2nd), because I am pretty much baffled for anything beyond washing dishes and clothes. I have a few housekeeping tomes, but they are all so complicated.
meagan says
I really need this book! I live in an old, converted hunting cabin and between the dust, mold and mildew…i need all the help I can get!
Melissa says
Any cleaning task is a challenge for me. I have no energy after I get off of work . I work a 60 hour week, 6 days a week. On my one day off I sleep! Any tips I can get would SAVE ME! 🙂
Shirley says
My biggest cleaning challenge is a 25yo beige tile floor. No matter waht I try it never looks clean.
I will admint I am planning to pull it up in the next 6 months and replace it with big white tiles which will actually look clean 🙂
Nota Supermom says
My main cleaning problems are the ones I birthed.
Tanya says
Thanks for the chance to win. One of my cleaning challenges is keeping up with laundry and organizing the closets
Diane Morgan says
I have come along way but still have a problem with laundry and clothing. So basically dresser drawers, clothes closets and laundry ( actually folding and putting away) Wish I could get a handle on this but it just never seems to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kathi says
I get so frustrated chasing the dog and cat hair all over and under my furniture.
guess i should get to work inventing a hair magnet !!
Beth S says
My biggest challenge right now it the entry way – with 7 kids, 2 dogs and living on a ranch – some days are just overwhelming.
Erin Branscom says
My challenges are keeping up with bathrooms that little boys use that have poor aim! 🙂 ha! I feel like I am constantly cleaning up after someone! 🙁 This book looks great! Erin
http://www.healthybranscoms.com
RebeccaK says
My biggest household challenge is just keeping up with it in the first place.
Debbie says
My biggest challenge is keeping the bathroom (esp. the shower) clean!
Miranda White says
What is the best way to clean and freshen up you couch and things like this that can not be put in the washer.
Becky says
I have trouble just keeping up with the cleaning. ALL of it. I become overwhelmed and say, “oh well”, then it doesn’t get done. I would love my entire house cleaned all at the same time in one day.!
Heather Siani says
Baseboards! What a chore! They are all over my house and the mop just doesn’t reach.
April says
We have well water, so keeping the shower & toilets clean is a challenge!
The Hungry Housewives says
My biggest challenge is my bar-height dining room table. No matter HOW much I clean it, it still feels grubby and doesn’t look shiny. If I use any kind of oil (which does help get it clean), then it’s not really a surface you want to chat with friends and put an arm on the table (wouldn’t it stain???).
lynn says
i would have to say that my blinds are the thing that never seem clean!
wendy says
mine would be the walls in our entryway, which continually get new handprints/marks on them – what is the best thing to clean them up with?
Jen P says
My biggest challenge is the caulk in my stand alone shower. I have tried everything and replaced it quite a few times but it always gets bad!
Kendra says
My biggest cleaning challenge is our master bathroom – it seems to always need a good scrubbing and I wish I could keep on top of it everyday, but I just can’t for some reason!
Thanks!
Kendra
Shelia says
Just when I think I may have figured out a cleaning routine, something happens in the life of this busy, work outside the home, single mom to 3 kids under 11, and i’m left once again figuring out how to keep up with all the things that demand attention in cleaning, fixing, maintaining and even in raising these beautiful beings entrusted to me to be Godly men/women. HELP!!!
Kathryn Cross says
The bathroom…I hate cleaning it because it always seems dirty. I often wait for my husband to do it but he has a much lower standard of cleanliness than me…
Mary Weaver says
Between laundry and bathroom cleaning I NEED HELP!!!
Elisabeth says
I really dislike cleaning my master bath. I think because it’s so large. The other bathrooms, which are smaller, are not a problem, but my master bathroom. Ugghh!
Mary Snow says
My whole house is a cleaning problem!!! I have 2 dogs one large one small, we have a hair issue. But also the floors. They track in everything and keeping up with their mess is one huge challenge. Then you toss in a husband & 13yo with all her friends & we have spills, drips, and they never wipe them up so I’m chiseling the dried gunk off the floor & countertops. This isn’t a cleaning issue, but why is it no one else in the house every puts the tp on the holder – they just set it on the counter or whereever. I mean come on how hard is it to just toss the empty tube & replace the roll?? OK that’s my peeve..
Kt says
How to get things clean, safely, with a toddler always trying to help. 🙂
Sarah E. says
My biggest challenge is actually cleaning. I’m always trying to find easier ways of doing things because I abhor cleaning.
Arlene says
My biggest challenge is laundry; every once in a while, I catch up, and stay on top of things… and next thing I know, there’s Mt. Washmore in my house again. Haven’t been able to find a system that works for me yet.
Stephanie's Mommy Brain says
The bathtub. I hate, Hate, HATE cleaning the bathtub. Partly because I’m short and it’s just hard to reach everything without being in the tub. And partly because I just hate cleaning.
Kathy says
I hate cleaning vertical blinds!!! But it is necessary.
Melissa Ash says
I have such a hard time keeping my floors clean. I HATE mopping and sweeping! Laundry is another thing!! Ugh!
Adrienne says
My biggest challenge is to get my husband and kids to cooperate and put their stuff away. If I can get them to do that, my life would be great!!!
Melissa says
I hate not being able to focus on one cleaning task at a time. With two kiddie I always seem to be moving from one task to the next w/o ever finishing the first.
Ring says
We really need to clean and organize our guest bedroom. It’s a disorganized storage room at the moment and we usually push everything out of the way when we have guests.
Nicole says
Sounds like a great book! I enjoy using the hose method on my blinds….hang them on a nail outside and spray ’em down! Works great! Would love reading all the other ideas in this book!
JESS says
My battle is our bath tubs! Scum in ours, and bath rub ring in my son’s! I would LOVE a solution!
Lisa says
Mine are my beautiful hardwood floors. We don;t even wear shoes in the house and they are always filthy!
Barb S says
My biggest challenge is the WHITE kitchen floor. Whose brilliant idea was that, anyway??
Verena says
My biggest cleaning challenge is cleaning the grime on the bottom edges of my windows.
Heather says
My biggest frustration is that I have four children and often feel I am cleaning and recleaning and recleaning the same surface over and over throughout the day. I realize this is normal and not even a bad thing but some days it is hard for me.
Gina says
My biggest challenge is keeping the kitchen clean. There is always dishes and more dishes.
Pam says
My biggest challenge is definitely dealing w/ shower/bathtub mold. We live in NC where the humidity is high and after moving here from the dry Arizona climate, I need help in dealing w/ this. Also, any tips for dealing w/ smelly dish clothes and kitchen towels…besides buying new ones frequently? Thanks for doing this giveaway! 🙂
Marlo says
I hate to admit it but I don’t like cleaning. I don’t upkeep as much as I should. Therefore, when I do decide to clean, it’s a HUGE undertaking which makes me despise cleaning even more. It’s such a vicious cycle. 🙂
Thankfully, my husband cleans. And he does it very well.
Angel says
The toilet….yuck…..I really hate to clean that. And scrubbing the garbage cans. Luckily my husband does that……I just have to do the toilets.
Johnna says
My biggest challenge is mopping… I detest it! I’d rather clean my toilets!
Jena says
Cleaning challenges…everything! I’m not a big fan of cleaning…so i do as little as possible, until it drives me crazy then I do it!!
Rooh says
My biggest challenge would have to be keeping the white tile floors in this new (to us) house. They go from the front doors, down the hall and into the kitchen. The other rooms (except the bathroom, which is also white tile) are hardwood on the main floor.
Did I mention that I have three young children with another on the way? With no dog to help, it’s hard to keep all that white clean. Especially in the kitchen … under and around the table. All splats harden and are hard to get rid off. More so for me since I REALLY do not like mopping, or using lots of chemical cleaners.
I’d live to win that book, by the way 😉 Such a great offer!
Carrie at In the Hammock Blog says
The bathroom is my biggest cleaning challenge!! thank you!
Angela says
My biggest cleaning challenge is actually getting started. Once I get going and finished, I feel so good that it’s done!
Sheila says
If all rooms were as easy to clean as my bathrooms, I would be home free. I am probably “odd” because I would rather clean the bathrooms than any other room. Maybe because they have the least clutter.
Amy says
My biggest challenge is laundry. It seems that with kids, there is always a growing pile. My husband travels a lot so he comes home with a huge pile of dirty clothes. As for myself, many mothers can probably relate to having children and cleaning house our clothes get dirty as well. So I go through outfits like crazy as well. I try to do at least a load a day. I really hate putting laundry away, although I try to always get it done. I hate nothing more than laundry baskets piled full of laundry just waiting to be put away. And you keep saying you’ll get to it, and end up living out of the laundry basket. Well I’m guilty of it. I think we all are at one time or another.
hahnak says
i have to get rid of a lot of clutter. baby steps!
Divya Vikram says
My biggest cleaning challenge is keeping the glass doors in my bathtub sparkling clean 🙁
CaroleM says
My biggest challenge is the floors. We have carpet in the dining room and with 2 small kids I am always cleaning under there and it’s a bit of a pain!!
Donna says
My household challenge is the stove. I seemed to have burnt food on the inner metal pan of my electric stove and I’ve been trying for days to get it off.
Annette says
You have no idea how much my disasterous life needs this book.
Heather says
I do not like cleaning bathrooms and I have a hard time prioritizing my cleaning list. Working at home means work is ALWAYS there, so I am constantly being pulled from housewife duties to Mommy duties to work…I need help finding a balance!!!
kimmers says
I am pretty much cleaning challenged in every area! My family of 8 really hopes that I win a copy of this book ; )
Jessica says
I don’t know how often to wash towels and bedding and such:)
Absentminded Mother says
My cleaning challenge would be the carpet. I can smell it when I come home from vacations, and it takes a lot of cleaning. The spots don’t seem to want to disappear. My solution: I’m ripping it up and thank goodness we have hardwood floors under it.
This book would be great for a recent hight school grad. It seems to be full of all the questions I always wanted answered.
Alissa A says
One of my cleaning challenges is the vaulted ceilings and cobwebs! captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com
Melissa says
My biggest cleaning challenge is the shower. I HATE cleaning the shower!
Courtney says
I need to establish a daily routine. I’m the mom of a toddler. I work full-time as a teacher, and I’m also going to school for my Master’s degree. I feel like I just have no time for anything!
Specifically, my biggest cleaning challenge (maybe not the biggest, but one that comes to mind the most often), is the glass stop stove. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get rid of the rings left from cookware and food. It looks clean at first glance, but then when you’re actually standing in front of it, you can see the rings.
Shana says
My biggest challenge would have to be the grease on the wall around the stove. I need a back splash that cleans easier than paint! Or a cleaner that won’t scratch the paint.
nineteen19 at blackfoot dot net
Lauren says
The bathrooms seem to be my biggest struggle.
Brenda says
My biggest challenge is the muddy dog prints all over our laminate floors. Requires mopping daily but the floors have a dull haze to them – would love to see them shiny again (as well as teach the dog to wipe those muddy paws)!!!
Angi says
My biggest cleaning prob is laundry, but my biggest homemaking problem is still TOO MUCH STUFF! We are moving this summer, so that should help.
cynthia rafler says
I would love to win this and give it to my daughter, who is just starting out.
Christina @ The Scrappy Housewife says
OMG I LOVE Home Ec 101! My biggest cleaning challenge is cleaning the vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bath areas. They get so much dust and grime in the corners and nooks and crannies and I just can’t get it clean!
Cheryl says
My big challenge is my carpets..I can vacuum every day and still they don’t seem clean.
Emily Anne says
floors–I always think they can go unwashed for a little longer but when I finally wash them the mop is black!
Lisa says
My biggest challenge is keeping the house dusted & the bathrooms clean (3 boys). I’m constantly cleaning and would love some new shortcuts & tips…thanks for hosting.
Julie H says
i need this book! everything in my household is a challenge! My biggest problem right now is motivation- i get it clean and then 20 minutes later, a tornado has swept through!
Denise says
I have to clean the ceiling in my kitchen. A jar of tomato sauce exploded and now my ceiling is marked with blobs of red. Yuck! In all honesty it really needed a good scrubbing before this but now it’s a must. I dread doing it…getting the ladder…cleaning supplies…OK I’ll get off my duff and get it done!
Sandy says
I have many cleaning challenges. I have 6 kids and they love to make messes but they dont like to clean up after themselves. This book would be a valuable tool for me to use not only for my 2 girls but also for the boys. I think boys need to learn house keeping skills as well. Thank You
Sandy Thobe
momxs6
Andrea Watts says
My challenge is to clean up after a husband, two kids that are not kids anymore and my niece. Our house is small and it’s a challenge to keep everything clean.
Brandi says
The biggest challenge for me is the main bathroom! I can’t seem to keep the laminate walls (yes, it’s true – landlords got a deal and we’ve got orange countertops and bath walls all of the same material) and the glass doors clear of grime, and with no windows and a fan that barely works, the walls and ceiling never seem to be clear of the creeping black mold spots. Perhaps finding the right combination of products and methods will help ease may pain?! 🙂
Jonna Licona says
My biggest challenge is trying to get my future husband to clean up after himself and to follow my organization scheme. How do I convert him to an organization junkie like me??? (LOL) Help!!!
Jennifer says
I HATE cleaning bathrooms!! I mean really hate it. Its hard to keep my showers clean, I don’t know if its the type of walls in the shower or what.
Angie says
I live for organization and minimum household chaos in my country log home. However, throw in the mix a very active teenager, two racous, fun-loving in-door dauchshunds who love to bring in “gifts” from the outside, two excitable ferrets, one wandering, shedding cat, a hubby who is in and out in grubby boots and tons of farm chores to be done and you have one busy household! It can be a real challenge just to keep up with all of the laundry let alone the rest of the household chores. I feel like I often play “catch up” and would love to know short-cuts I can take to stream line the cleaning process. Also, any tips on cleaning copper sinks would be awesome!
Roseann says
Mine biggest cleaning issue is the hard floors in my house. Nothing other getting down on my hands and knees really gets them clean because they are textured. GRR
Karla says
My biggest cleaning challenge is keeping up with dishes. There are ALWAYS dirty dishes!
Karmin says
My husband works on a dock (I know what song is going thru your head) anyways, he comes home covered in a thick suit of forklift exhaust. After he showers or takes a bath its like it coats the tub. I have tried everything to get it off the tub. Interested to see what she has for bathroom tub cleaners.
Thanks
Anna says
My biggest challenge is dust! I feel like it’s back within an hour after I dust. It’s so frustrating. When you also add in the fact that I’m allergic to dust, it doesn’t help.