May 5, 2003

COLLEGE STATION – Don't just sit there! It's time for that annual rite known as spring cleaning. Isn't it?

Actually, said Janie Harris, Texas Cooperative Extension housing and environment specialist, that term may be little misleading. Few people still do that kind of seasonal heavy cleaning where no stick of furniture is left unmoved, she said.

"However, most do a little more cleaning than usual when spring arrives."

Most people today can keep their homes in sparkling clean condition without an annual deep-cleaning event, she said. The best way to accomplish this is with the "clean as you go" method of house cleaning, rather than the "do it all at once and strain your back" method. Not only is housekeeping easier, but fewer chemical cleaners are needed for cleaning, Harris said.

Harris offered a few tips to get started:

- Clean up spills as they occur. Spills are easier to clean while they are still liquid.

- Use plain water as much as possible. This will cut back on the use of expensive – and potentially harmful – household chemical cleaners.

- To avoid spreading dust, use damp cleaning when possible. Or use special fabrics, such as electrostatic or "magic" cloth dusters, which attract dust. This eliminates the need for extra cleaners.

- Use a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner to trap more dust particles and keep them from being redistributed in the air.

- Place washable throw rugs at all entries so feet can be wiped when people enter the house. Wash these rugs weekly to get rid of the dust and pollen they've trapped.

- When cleaning, start at the top of the room so any airborne dust has time to settle. Then vacuum or dust it up.

- Give each high-traffic area a daily once-over to collect any dust and debris.

A daily routine that includes some or all of these steps will "alleviate the need for such intense cleaning" on a yearly basis, Harris said.

Some cleaning chores, by their nature, are a little more difficult than others. To keep a handle on this more serious cleaning, Harris suggested these steps:

- Control mold growth and mildew by controlling moisture. Make sure small plumbing leaks are repaired before they become large plumbing leaks, and keep relative humidity inside the home to no more than 50 percent. Keep surfaces clean and dry to prevent mold from growing, and if mold is found on hard surfaces, clean the surface with detergent and water, disinfect with a chlorine bleach solution and dry thoroughly.

Use exhaust fans vented to the outside when taking baths or showers and when cooking; make sure clothes dryers are also vented to the outside. And regularly clean and disinfect dehumidifiers, humidifiers, air conditioners, refrigerator drip pans and other appliances that collect or distribute water.

- Wet-clean hard floors instead of vacuuming or sweeping. Wet-cleaning is less likely to stir up dust particles into the air.

- Vacuum upholstered furniture at least twice a month and have it professionally cleaned at least once a year.

These preventative maintenance steps not only make house cleaning easier, but can help "reduce the need for using some of the potentially hazardous household chemicals," Harris said. But when household chemicals must be used:

- Follow label directions; use only the amount of product recommended by the manufacture.

- Use the least amount of product to get the job done.

- Limit the use of aerosol products whenever and wherever possible, since these items tend to release more chemicals into the air.

- And never mix household products or chemicals together – additional toxic chemicals may be the result. For instance, when chlorine bleach and ammonia are mixed, they release a toxic gas.

Follow this advice and spring cleaning will never be such a dreaded chore again, Harris said.

Save spring for birds, flowers and enjoying life.