The holiday season is upon us and we’ve started getting our home ready., One of the places in our home that’s going to get a lot of traffic this year is the dining room! The best way to make your holiday decorating shine is with a clean home. Dining chairs are one thing no one is really sure how to clean, especially if they’re fabric instead of leather. We’ve got the step-by-step process on how to get your dining chairs looking new, smelling fresh, and ready for your guests!

What You’ll Need:

1) Vacuum cleaner

2) Stain remover

3) Bucket filled with warm water

4) Dish towels

5) Laundry detergent

Step 1:

Remove all dust from the chairs using a vacuum cleaner. Use the brush attachment to vacuum the flat part of the seat, then use the nozzle attachment to vacuum the crevices.

Step 2:

Get rid of any stains using a stain remover. Spray it directly onto the stain and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Dab the stain with a wet towel and allow it to dry before you continue. This could take a few hours, or overnight.

Step 3:

Clean the fabric on the chair. Add a tablespoon of laundry detergent into a bucket of warm water. Dip your dishtowels into the soapy water and wring them out well. Gently scrub the seat with the towel and rinse using a clean, wet towel. Allow the chair to dry overnight.

Photos: Love This Pic, Digs Digs, Inspiring Interiors Ideas, Olina Faire.

We’ve got 3 easy ways to get your burnt pots looking new! We’ve all been there, not knowing what to do when our nice stainless steel pots are caked in burned food. Try one of these simple solutions to getting rid of burned food off of your pans with little to no scrubbing!

Solution #1: Baking Soda and Vinegar

Fill the bottom of the burnt pan with a little bit of water and add in 1 cup of vinegar. Bring the pan to a boil and add in 2 tbsp of baking soda. You should start to see little bits of black lifting off the pan. Empty the pan and use a scouring pad to get rid of any black bits that have been left. You should be able to scour them off easily. If you have any stubborn spots left, make a paste from baking soda and water and apply it to the spots. Leave the paste on for as long as you like and the burnt spots should lift easily.

Solution #2: Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Pour a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda into your pan. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients. Allow it to sit for 4-6 hours and you’ll notice all the burned bits have been lifted off the pan!

Solution #3: Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap With Tea Tree

Pour soap into your burnt pan and allow it to sit. The burnt parts should lift easily with a scouring pad.

Photos: iHerb, Green Idea Reviews, Apartment Therapy.

We all know the struggle! Large area rugs are a pain to clean and maintain. If your area rugs are looking dingy, don’t fret! We’ve got the solution to getting them dirt-free, pet hair-free and smelling great!

Basic Area Rug Care

1) Vacuum: Make sure you vacuum your rugs regularly to remove any dirt that will wear out your rug. If your rug has a fringe, don’t vacuum the fringe! You could easily damage it.

2) Get rid of pet hair: Sometimes a vacuum won’t get out all the pet hair. Remove what’s left using a large brush. Brush in the direction of the nap of the rug. As an alternative, get out basic rubber cleaning gloves. Put them on and get them wet. Run your hands over the carpet, and all of the hair will stick to the gloves. When the gloves are covered in hair, simply rinse them.

3) Turn your rugs: Family members constantly stepping on the rug can cause wear and tear. Turn them a few times a year to even out the wear.

How to Care For Special Rugs

1) Sheepskin, fur, and hides: Get your hands on unscented talcum powder and sprinkle it over the rug. Allow it to sit for several hours. Brush the powder through the hair and then shake it out. Do this several times, depending on how long the hair is. Clean the back of the rug with warm soapy water and a cotton cloth. Rinse with a clean cloth and set the rug out to dry.

2) Handmade, oriental, and antique rugs: When vacuuming the rug, protect it by placing a piece of nylon screen over it and weighing it down with books. Then vacuum over the screen. As an alternative, you can place a piece of nylon mesh over the vacuum attachment and change the mesh as dirt accumulates. Have the rug professionally cleaned once a year. Rotate the rugs a few times a year and avoid direct exposure to sun, as it can fade the color.

3) Woven rugs: Check the rug for any stitching breaks before you clean. Check the label to see if it’s washable. If washable, place them in a zippered mesh laundry bag and wash in cool water on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry low. For large rugs, place them on a vinyl or concrete floor and sponge carpet-cleaning foam over them. Rub it in and rise or vacuum according to package directions. Allow it to dry completely before placing it back on the floor.

4) Sisal and grass rugs: Vacuum them often and remove the rug to vacuum underneath them. To clean stains, first protect the floor underneath with a plastic drop cloth and a towel. Scrub stains with a brush dipped in soapy water and rinse. Blot the rug until it’s as dry as possible. Allow the rug to dry completely before using it again.

Photos: Enlighten Me, Parviz Rug, The Daily Nest.

Not many people know that you can actually wash your walls. If your walls aren’t too badly scratched or worn, you can most certainly wash them to get them as good as new! Time to roll up your sleeves and read on to find out how to tackle this big task!

Cleaning Painted Walls

Cleaning walls is a hard job, so be prepared! Push all your furniture to the center of the room and lay out canvas drop cloths to catch soapy drips. Avoid using plastic tarps. They don’t absorb water, and can create a slippery surface when wet. To protect your hands and remind you where to put your pictures back, cover picture nails with a piece of dry sponge.

Supplies:

1) Lambswool duster

2) Cleaning cloths

3) A natural sponge – Avoid colored sponges since they can deposit dyes on light-colored walls.

4) Two buckets – One filled with cleaning solution and one filled with clean water for rinsing.

5) Rubber gloves

6) Step stool

Preparing Your Buckets

In one bucket, mix a wall-cleaning solution. For normal dirt, use this mixture:

– 1 gallon warm water

– a good squeeze of liquid dishwashing detergent

For extremely dirty walls you’ll need a stronger cleaning solution, something similar to what an Industrial Cleaning Company would use. Always spot-test this mixture before using it on your entire wall. You don’t want it to take off any paint! Try this strong cleaning solution:

– 1 gallon warm water

– 1 cup clean non-sudsing ammonia

– 1 cup white vinegar

– 1 cup borax

Your second bucket should hold clean water. Change the water when it starts to look dirty.

Get Rid of Dust First

Dust is easier to remove than mud, so always remove dust first before soaping up the walls. Circle the room with the duster, wiping the walls and woodwork from the top down. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any cobwebs that might be lurking in corners.

Start From the Bottom Up

While washing your walls, you will get drips. If the drips run down dry, dirty surfaces, they’ll dry and create muddy stains. Avoid this by washing your walls from the bottom up. Dip the sponge into the cleaning solution and and rub the wall gently. Work in small areas and rinse the sponge periodically. Blot excess moisture with a cleaning cloth.

How to Wash Wallpaper

1) Check the manufacturer’s guidelines – Wallpapers differ in content and coating, so always check with the manufacturer before washing.

2) Dusting – Always dust the wallpaper before washing.

3) Non-coated wallpaper – Use a dry sponge. You can find these at any hardware store. It lifts and removes dirt without water. Rub it lightly against the wallpaper to remove dirt.

4) Washable wallpaper – Use a natural sponge lightly dampened in warm water and a small amount of dishwashing soap. Always do a spot-test before washing the entire wall. Don’t scrub hard or allow the wallpaper to get too wet.

Photos: iVillage, Webmd, House Cleaning New, Itn Cleaning, Greensax.

With kids, pets, and weekend get-togethers, stains and dirt can be inevitable. We all know what it’s like trying to scrub out that stubborn coffee stain that never seems to fade. These tips and tricks will help you battle (and win!) the toughest stains on your carpet, and keep it clean, too!

First, the stains need to go! Here’s how:

1. Take 2 empty spray bottles and fill one with cold water. In the other bottle, add 1/4 tsp dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of warm water. Shake well.

2. Spray the detergent mix onto a cloth and dab the stain (don’t rub!). As the stain begins to dissolve, begin to blot with a clean section of the cloth. Keep doing this until the stain is gone.

3. Take a clean cloth and spray it with the cold water. Use it to rinse the detergent from the carpet, and blot it with a dry cloth.

4. Stack up paper towels on the spot and place a heavy pot on top. Leave this overnight. The paper towels will soak up any residual stain that’s deep inside the carpet. In the morning, remove the pot and paper towels and fluff up the carpet with your fingers. Allow it to air-dry completely.

Now that we’ve got the stains out, here are a few tips on how to keep dirt at bay:

De-Grit Doormats

Your interior doormats only stop dirt from being tracked inside the house if they’re clean. Toss your mats into the washer and dryer on a gentle cycle and tumble-dry them on low. If they are non-washable, use a vacuum. Vacuum first the front, then the back to loosen any embedded dirt. Vacuum the front of the mat again to get all the grit that came out. To give the mat a quick refresh, take it outside and shake it well. Using a stick or your hand, beat the mat to loosen any dirt.

Clean High-Traffic Areas

In between heavy-duty cleanings, use a powdered or foam carpet cleaner on areas that get a lot of traffic. Apply the cleaner according to package directions and vacuum.

Take Off Your Shoes

Keep dirt outside by implementing a no-shoes rule in your home. Keep extra slippers near the door, and encourage visitors or family members to use them. Keep a broom handy in the entryway closet to collect dirt before it gets stuck into your doormats. Put mats outside your door as well so you can wipe your feet before heading inside.

Photos: Angies List, This Old House, House Ideas.