Read Cheaper, Better, Faster for Free Online Page A

a drain with a bottle brush.
    Drains—mesh bag debris catcher
    Stuff a mesh produce bag into a drain to catch food particles, hair, and other debris. Be sure to wash it in hot water or in the dishwasher to get rid of bacteria.
    Drains—odors and grease
    To eliminate odors and keep grease from building up in your kitchen plumbing, regularly pour a strong saltwater solution down the drain.
    Drapery sheers
    If your sheer draperies are looking a little limp and tired, wash them and then dip them into a sink filled with warm water into which you’ve dissolved a cup of Epsom salt. Do not rinse. Hang to dry.
    Dry-erase boards
    To add luster and restore the surface of a dry-erase board, polish it with a dryer sheet.
    Dust mop
    To clean a dust mop indoors, pull an oversized plastic bag over the head of the mop, tie the top of the bag, and shake the mop vigorously so the dust falls into the bag.
    Duster with reach—broom
    Slip a pillowcase over a broom’s bristles, tie it on with a twine tie or piece of string, spray lightly with furniture polish or water, and you’ll be able to easily dust high spots and ceilings.
    Duster with reach—fishing pole
    Stick a fluffy feather duster into the hollow end of a cane fishing pole, sold at import stores for about $1. Now you have an extension handle that will allow you to remove cobwebs that form on your high-vaulted ceilings and ceiling fans.
    Dusting—delicate items
    New paintbrushes are terrific for dusting delicate items that need a light touch, such as a lamp shade or silk flowers.
    Dusting—in tight places
    Wear cotton gloves sprayed with furniture polish to dust hard-to-reach places.
    Dusting—under beds
    Wrap an old cotton T-shirt around the bristle end of a broom for cleaning under beds.
    Dusting—with glycerin
    Dampen vacuum brushes with a solution of several drops of glycerin to ½ cup water. It attracts dust and hair like a magnet. You can find glycerin in the drugstore.
    Dustpan
    Spray your dustpan with furniture polish and the dust will slip right off.
    Dusty curtains
    Don’t dry-clean curtains that are simply dusty. Toss them into the dryer with a couple of dryer sheets on “air dry.” This will fluff them up and loosen and release the dust.
    Dusty curtains, pillows, slipcovers
    Put dusty pillows, curtains, and slipcovers into the dryer. Set it on cool, and toss in a fabric softener sheet for fragrance.
    Enamel cookware
    If your enamel cookware has unsightly stains, fill it with a mixture of equal parts household bleach and water andallow to sit overnight. Then thoroughly rinse.
    Eyeglasses
    Mix ⅓ cup rubbing alcohol with 1 cup water. Put in spray bottle and use to clean eyeglass lenses. This mixture is safe to use on all ophthalmic eyeglass lenses, even those made from plastic material, as those materials are hardened and impervious to isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.
    Fan blades
    There’s nothing like static electricity to turn a fan blade into a dust magnet. But that’s no match for a dryer sheet. Just take one of those gems and wipe down the blade to release dust—and pet hair and cobwebs too.
    Faucets—lime deposits
    Lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave paper towels on for about 1 hour before cleaning. The vinegar leaves chrome clean and shiny.
    Faucets—soap scum
    Remove soap scum from a faucet with an old toothbrush dipped into a 50/50 ammonia and water solution.
    Fiberglass—shower walls and tiles
    For a brilliant shine and easy cleanups, give freshly cleaned tile and fiberglass shower walls a coat of car polish. Do not wax the shower floor or bathtub as it will become dangerously slick.
    Fiberglass—showers and bathtubs
    Clean fiberglass showers and tubs with baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge. Scrub clean and wipe dry.
    Floors—ceramic tile
    Mop ceramic tile floors with a solution of 1