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Here are some of the top New Year’s resolutions related to cleaning. How many are on your list?

1 ) Steam clean all your rugs and carpets. You can either do this yourself by renting a steam cleaner or hire a company to do it for you.

2 ) Dust in areas that normally get missed. For example, the top of your picture frames, ceiling lamps or chandeliers.

3 ) Polish your brass and silver. Don’t wait until you need to use it, just do it because it will look nice.

4 ) Give all your tile grout a deep cleaning. Kaboom® Stainbuster will do the trick.

5 ) Give your computer a good dusting including the keyboard and monitor.

6 ) Throw out all your junk mail and shred any outdated documents. File those papers that you need to keep.

7 ) Wash your walls to remove any marks and then touch up the paint to remove any chips.

8 ) Mop underneath your appliances. You’d be amazed by the dust and dirt that has collected under your refrigerator!

9 ) Clean your oven. If you’re lucky you have a self-cleaning oven but if not then you’ll need to employ a little elbow grease.

10 ) Clean all your household linens including drapes, comforters and pillows.

Follow any or all of the above for a fresh start to 2010! Happy New Year!

Now that we’re knee deep in the winter holiday season, many people are welcoming out of town guests, family and friends into their homes. We usually spend plenty of time decorating the living room, family room and even the kitchen but few of us think to spend any time decorating our bathrooms for the holidays.

Here are a few fun ideas to make your bathroom a little more festive this holiday season:

* Start by giving your bathroom a good clean and a fresh scent – try using the new Kaboom® Foam-Tastic™ product from GreatCleaners.com.

* Add some festive soaps in holiday colors and scents.

* Pick out some holiday hand towels featuring poinsettias, Christmas trees, snowmen or snowflakes. You can stick with the traditional green and red theme or go with something more wintery like blue and silver.

* Consider a new shower curtain in holiday colors or simply buy a plain white shower curtain and stencil on a holiday design of your choosing.

* Switch out your bathroom floor mats with some holiday mats.

* And the final touch, some holiday toilet paper! Yes, such a thing does indeed exist, just check out the selection at ChristmasToiletPaper.com.

Happy decorating!

Did you know that the air inside your home may be filled with more pollutants than the air outside? We’ve all heard of opening the windows to let in some “fresh air,” but misconceptions have left many people thinking that they can escape bad air by staying indoors. Newsflash: indoor air may be more detrimental than good for your health. The good news is, there are plenty of ways to clean up the air in your home, so you can take a deep breath and relax.

Plant One on Your Loved Ones

A simple first step to cleaning your air is to purchase indoor plants that are especially good for this purpose. You can make fresh air grow in your home by purchasing any of the following houseplant varieties: Peace lily, Rubber plant, Bamboo palm, Areca palm, English ivy, Ficus Aliii, or the Boston fern. Spread plants out throughout your home to optimize their pollutant pulling power. We all know from basic science that plants draw carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with oxygen… they also draw out dangerous toxins including chemicals released from paint, furniture, carpets and cleaners.

Invite Fresh Air in to Stay

If weather permits, you should open your windows daily to clean out your indoor air. Most people think they get sick in the winter time because it’s cold outside. The real reason people fall ill is because they spend so much more time indoors with the windows closed in close proximity to other people during the winter months. Opening your windows will actually help rid your home of bacteria and airborne viruses. Winter is actually the most vital time to let the fresh air in, and if you crack your windows open slightly, it won’t make your home frigid, and it may increase your heating bill, but only by pennies per hour. I’d rather pay for heating than medicine or doctor visits anyway!

Make sure Home Improvements really are Improvements

If you have the space to let new furniture items such as mattresses, particleboard cabinetry and pressboard shelving air out before installing it in your home, doing so will decrease the amount of indoor pollutants circulating in your air.  If you’re painting a room, choose a safe paint that won’t emit VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) into the air. If you’re putting in wallpaper, use a natural water based adhesive over a toxic glue.

Say “Nay” to Sprays

The less you can spray products throughout your home, the better. Hair spray, insecticides, oven cleaners, air fresheners… all of these sprays add up! Use them sparingly, and preferably near an open window in a well ventilated room. Aerosol sprays are especially harmful to personal and environmental health.

Break Out the Feather Duster

Toxins may settle easily into the dust throughout your home, so it’s important to dust and then vacuum on a regular basis. Dust and vacuum even more frequently if you are pregnant, have young children, or pets.

Maintain a Strict, Smoke Free Environment

Keep your children and your loved ones safe by never allowing anyone to smoke inside your home.

These tips should have you well on your way to cleaning up your indoor air… now go crack open your windows and enjoy your day!

With all the rain this winter, I am always worried about ruining my favorite shoes…but not anymore! I ran across this fantastic product called SHUELLA. It’s basically an unbrella for your shoes, hence its name and it comes highly recommended (it even made Oprah’s “O” list).

The SHUELLAs come in black, hot pink, buttercup yellow and apple green and simply slip over your favorite pair of shoes. And best of all, they fold up nice and compactly into a little carry case that you can slip right into your purse.

Don’t ruin another pair of shoes in the rain – order your SHUELLAs today!

I recently ran across a wonderful feature on CountryLiving.com that suggested some lovely ideas for making your Thanksgiving dinner table truly special. Here are a few of my favorites:

* Look for table linens that actually have words of thanks printed or embroidered on them. This is an elegant way to remember the real meaning behind the Thanksgiving holiday.

* Use the colors of fall to bring some drama to your dinner table. Rich reds, bright oranges and lush greens are all perfect for adding some autumnal color in your home.

* When creating your centerpieces, incorporate things like small pumpkins and gords or berries and leaves. And remember to keep them low in height so dishes can still be easily passed by your guests.

* Consider adding place cards or menu cards to your table for a more formal look. Use card holders that reflect your fall theme.

You can see these and many more ideas at CountryLiving.com. Have fun planning the perfect Thanksgiving table!

With some of the strange weather we’ve experienced in 2009, it’s clear to me that nature is capable of making changes. The question is, are we? There’s no denying that we live in a use-it-once-and-toss-it society. So many food products, for example, come in plastic containers that are immediately discarded after their initial use. Food storage containers and plasticware generally meet the same fate. To be more environmentally conscious, use, wash, and reuse regular utensils and dishes, rather than their disposable counterparts, whenever you can! It takes changing your habits, but it’s worth it!

Buy multi-use containers instead of single-use whenever possible, such as more durable food containers that are designed to be microwave and dishwasher safe. If you do use traditionally one-use plastic products such as those listed below, try to find corn-based biodegradeable single-use products and try to wash and reuse them as many times as possible and then recycle them rather than throwing them away.

Plastic Storage and Sandwich Bags
Plastic sandwich and other storage bags (freezer bags, snack bags, and so forth) are extremely convenient. But next time you’re done with your sandwich or other snack, instead of tossing the bag into the garbage, wash it, instead. After washing it, turn it inside out and dry in your dish drain or a wooden bag dryer. You can even throw it into the washing machine!

Plastic Dishes and Utensils
When you buy plastic plates, bowls, cups, and utensils for camping, picnics, parties, or other activities, save them instead of throwing them away. After using them, put them in the dishwasher (or wash them by hand) and then add them to your camping or picnic gear or keep them handy for the next get-together. You can also take the utensils, for example, to work and reuse them for meals or for stirring your coffee or tea in the morning.

Plastic Food and Water Containers
Many types of plastic containers can be reused for storing, refrigerating, and freezing foods. Yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, and similar containers are great for storing leftovers. You can refrigerate or freeze them, and then when you are ready to eat the contents, put the food into a pan or pot to warm on the stove or into a dish to reheat in the microwave. Note: Do not microwave food in these kinds of disposable food containers. Chemicals leech into the food. Yucky!

Water, soda, juice, and sports drink bottles can also be reused, though they must be carefully cleaned after use to avoid contamination by bacteria. If properly cleaned, these liquid containers can be reused several times. Eventually, the plastic will start to wear down, though, so don’t keep them too long (probably no more than a month or two).

Milk jugs and other opaque containers, on the other hand, are designed for very short-term use and should not be reused for storage of food or beverages because they break down very easily.

Kaboom® is proud to be an official sponsor of 2009 Bathroom Blogfest.

I am a busy Mom with 3 young children and have probably spent 4 of the last 7 years or so working on potty training. And as a result, I have seen my fair share of public restrooms.

All of my children began potty training with a fear of public restrooms. To begin with, the toilets were sized for adults and so there was that horrible feeling of dangling feet or, worse yet, the feeling that I might actually fall in if Mommy lets go of me. Then there was the noise. It seemed that each public toilet flushed louder than the last and it sent my kids screaming in terror as they attempted to block out the noise by covering their ears.

Fortunately, the fear eventually subsided and has now given way to fascination (which may actually be worse)! My youngest child always manages to announce in a loud voice at restaurants, in church, or anywhere else that others may hear, that she needs to go to the bathroom. So, never one to ignore that plaintive cry for fear of an accident, I race with her to the ladies’ room where my daughter proceeds to inspect everything from the toilet seat covers to the soap dispenser. Occasionally, she will actually use the toilet but most times we return to the rest of the family after nothing but an exploratory visit and lots of cries from me saying “don’t touch that!”

Not 5 minutes later comes the inevitable request again to go to the bathroom. I consider ignoring the second request while people around me begin to stare as my child begs to go, but eventually I give in and back we go. I have, on occasion, made this trip upwards of 5 times before my daughter eventually decides it’s time to go. But that ultimate success is a great reward!

So, in summary, it’s safe to say that at this point in my life, I don’t care if I never see the inside of another public restroom

About five years ago, my dear friend Alison turned me on to composting. Composting is a great way to recycle organic materials such as plant food scraps, egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, grass clippings, plant matter, shredded cardboard boxes, and similar materials right at home, even in a simple container under the sink. You can also add a small amount of garden soil or compost starters or accelerators, if desired, as you begin composting. You’ll want to avoid using meat or bones; styrofoam or plastic, vegetation from diseased plants, or human or pet waste in your compost pile!

When you are ready to begin composting, you can use a simple composting pile without the bin, or there are many types of composting bins available—larger, smaller, static, and tumbling. Before you begin composting, think about the location of your compost pile. Think about how much space you will want for composting, and consider the visibility of your compost, particularly if you choose not to use a compost bin. For a single compost pile, two to four square feet of area is usually best. When you compost, go higher, rather than wider, as a higher pile of compost produces better heat. After you start your pile, mix or turn it every so often (when you add more material is a good time) so that it is adequately aerated.

For best results, use a wide variety of materials in your compost. Having too much of any one thing will throw off the pH of your compost, and the material will not decompose very well. Also, make sure that your compost pile is neither too dry nor too wet—you need moisture to keep the composting process going, but your compost pile shouldn’t be soggy. Temperature, oxygenation, humidity, and the carbon-nitrogen ratio (which can be kept in balance by monitoring the humidity and composition of your compost) all affect the success of your composting, so keep these factors in mind.

If you’re planning to carve pumpkins this Halloween, here are some useful tips to make sure the process is both fun and safe for everyone.

* Be careful of sharp tools – We all know that sharp tools are a necessity when carving pumpkins but always make sure that your children are supervised during the process.

* Lay lots of newspaper – Try to contain your mess when gutting your pumpkins by laying down lots of newspaper. You may even consider working outside if the weather is warm enough.

* Clean thoroughly – Make sure to get all the pulp out of your pumpkin as any hanging pieces can pose a fire hazard once you light the pumpkin with a candle.

* Waste not, want not – Rather than throwing away all your pumpkin seeds, consider using them in some of these clever recipes.

* Artifical light – Consider using artifical light instead of candles to light your pumpkins since this helps eliminate most of the fire hazard and can be just as effective.

* Clean up easily – Finally, when you’re all done, use your favorite GreatCleaners cleaning products to give your home back its sparkle.

Happy Halloween!

No matter where you live, as we approach Winter, there are some things we should all be doing to get our homes ready for the colder weather. I found this great article on About.com with a list of 10 items we should cover during the winterizing process:

1. Have your furnace inspected, stock up on filters and remove any flammable materials from the area.

2. Prepare your fireplace, have your chimney cleaned and stock up on firewood.

3. Check doors and windows for cracks and install storm windows if you have them.

4. Check your roof for worn or missing shingles and clean out your gutters and downspouts.

5. Store your lawnmower and make sure your snow blower is ready.

6. Seal any foundation cracks and close off any entry points.

7. Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and install a carbon monoxide detector.

8. Insulate your plumbing and drain garden hoses.

9. Prune trees, seal patios and wood decks and move delicate potted plants inside.

10. Prepare an emergency kit.

For the full article – visit About.com and remember to always be prepared!