Papercity

Our domestic goddess, Laurann Claridge, readies for a mean spring-clean with an arsenal of scrubbers and specialized housekeeping advice.

The Title Says It All
Wanted, a Young Woman to Do Housework (Applewood Books, $11.95; originally published in 1917). Forward-thinking author Clara Helene Barker deftly applied basic business principles to the running of an early 20th-century household, back when there were a Jeeves, a Nigel and a host of live-in staff to manage. Think of it: Today, Ms. Barker could be running a multinational corporation — or possibly a franchise of Merry Maids.

Who says household chores have to be drudgery? Not Alice Supply Co., which kicks in some fun by retooling broom handles ($26), dust pans ($22) and brushes ($20), buckets ($36), garden hoses ($42) and toolboxes ($66) with cool camouflage, bright lime, faux wood grain and jaunty multicolored and nautical stripes. At alicesupplyco.com.
Spic-&-Span
Talk about a multitasker. We hear The Original Bee’s Wax ($11, at beeswaxpolish.com) shines up granite like a dream, making its surface acid resistant, too. This aerosol wax prevents bathroom mirrors from fogging and cleans stainless steel to a fingerprint-free shine. And we haven’t even mentioned its ability to clean, protect and moisturize wood furniture without a waxy buildup … Goddard’s Granite & Marble Polish ($6, at Elliott’s Hardware) also does the trick on granite and marble. And it can take on porcelain, Corian, Formica, tile and natural stone, sealing and protecting their surfaces … Girl, don’t chip your Chanel polish. Protect that fresh mani with Casabella Water Stop Gloves ($6, at The Container Store), then dive those pink paws into your sink of soiled stemware … One drop of Restaurant Crystal Clean ($20, at Sur La Table), and a soft sponge is all you’ll need to remove butter, olive oil, fingerprints and lipstick marks from your Baccarat glasses without etching, clouding or pitting their surfaces. For every wine connoisseur who insists he or she can detect the slightest scent of Dawn, this was made for you … What on earth did I do before Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original (two for $4, at supermarkets) was invented? Touch up paint constantly, that’s what! This miraculous white eraser, which literally disintegrates like an artist’s eraser, can remove stubborn black marks from walls, doors, glass and baseboard surfaces. Try it on marred white leather tennis shoes, too … Every week, I faithfully pull a couple of Pledge Dust & Allergen Unscented Dry Cloths ($6, at supermarkets) from beneath my kitchen sink to dust every surface I can find — even electronics. This disposable quilted cloth (Why would you want to keep a dust cloth, pray tell?) traps dust and allergens within its mesh surface. Use in conjunction with your Swiffer duster to get up high or down low, too … While I’m environmentally aware (of course I recycle), I admit I’m all about the disposable wipe. Panic sets in when I’m running low on Clorox or Lysol branded disinfecting wipes. I use them on everything from kitchen counters to outdoor furniture. So it makes sense I’d flip for Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes ($6.50, at Target), a quick fix when my stainless-steel appliances are smeared with butter, flour or olive-oil fingerprints … Drip a little chocolate on your slipcover? Did the dog mess up the duvet? Take out stubborn spots with our favorite: Incredible Stain Remover ($6, at supermarkets), Locally made, this nontoxic wonder works on clothing, upholstery, and synthetic carpets and rugs to lift stains including blood, latex paint, grass and coffee … We have a Lucite habit at this magazine. Not sure how to clean this mod surface? Try one of the three formulas from Novus: a cleaner and light and heavy scratch removers ($10 for the trio, at The Container Store).
The Kitchen and the W.C.
My clean-freak friends keep urging me to let go of my blue Oxo sponge mop and bucket of sudsy water. I tend to vacuum my kitchen and bathroom floors then go old school with lavender-scented Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner ($4, at supermarkets), but my friends swear by the spray-bottle version spritzed on a Bona Microfiber Floor Cleaning Cloth (two for $7, at Bed, Bath and Beyond), pinched on the end of Bona’s floor-sweeper tool. It’s strange that I resist, really, because I’m completely sold on the Bona Hardwood Cleaner ($9, at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target) for my polyurethane-coated parquet hardwoods, and I employ that very method: squirting it across the floor from one corner of the room to the other, working my way backwards with a damp microfiber cloth adhered to the sweeper tool. I guess old cleaning habits are hard to break … Sprayway World’s Best Glass Cleaner ($6, at Restoration Hardware) is a great way to keep mirrors and glass tops streak-free. Just don’t use cheap paper towels then complain there’s lint all over the surface. That would be the paper towels, my dear. Get some microfiber cloths and a good washing machine, and do a load with just your dish towels, sponges and microfiber cloths. (The Container Store carries Casabella’s window-shining microfiber cloths for $5, as well as others specially suited for other cleaning tasks.) … If you’re guilty of letting things go in the W.C. (or live part-time in a home and don’t frequently run the plumbing), trust KRC-7 Bathroom Cleaner Restorer ($9, at berings.com) to remove stubborn hard-water stains and soap scum … Loathe those porous lime deposits and rust stains that ring your toilet bowl? Pick up a bottle of Professional Vani-Sol High Acid Bowl Cleanse ($10, at berings.com) … Week to week, I clean my bathroom counters, tub and tile surround with foaming Scrubbing Bubbles, but when I want a mean clean, I spray on Weiman Soap Scum Remover for Bathrooms ($5.50, at Tom Thumb) and tackle it with a scrub brush … Once in a while, I’m ambitious enough to pour some thick Clorox Plus Splash-less Bleach onto the countertops, let it seep into the grout and rub it in with a stiff brush (or an old toothbrush, if I’m feeling really meticulous). Or I pull out the heavy-duty artillery: Marc Tile & Grout Cleaner ($13, at berings.com). This drip-less gel is great for vertical jobs such as shower walls made of tile, fiberglass, concrete and glazed surfaces.
Housekeeping Haunt
Restoration Hardware is one of our newfangled troves for old-school housekeeping. Everyone should have a basic all-purpose bristle brush ($15). And did you realize that potpourri-looking “sponge” is actually designed to clean lampshades? Yup.  Meanwhile, those with sensitivities should try Restoration’s nontoxic Porcelain Sink Cleaner ($12) and Commode & Bathtub Cleaner ($12). Leather cleans up well with R.H’s cream-formula Leather CPR Cleaner & Conditioner ($15). For those tough cleaning jobs that require more than rubber-glove protection, tie on this vintage striped apron (suitable for either sex, $49) to keep splatters from your clothes. And keep plenty of microfiber cloths at the ready — these three in cool, steely gray are excellent specifically for natural and synthetic stone counters and tiles ($20). All at Restoration Hardware.
The Closet
Fortunate enough to have a cedar closet? Giles & Kendall Cedar Oil ($19, at amazon.com) — extracted from 100 percent natural oil of eastern red cedar wood — restores that outdoorsy, critter-repellent scent that evaporates over time. Lightly sand your cedar surface, then wipe it down with a cloth dampened with this oil. Or, bomb-blast them with SLA Reefer-Galler Cedar Scented Spray ($8, at kilianhardware.com) and fake out moths, ants, silverfish and other unmentionables with its cedar scent. It’s non-staining, too, so you don’t have to worry about your Galliano dresses … Holding your nose? The Gonzo Closet Odor Eliminator ($5, at berings.com) is a plastic mesh pouch filled with tiny volcanic minerals that suck dry-cleaning chemical odors, smoke and musty scents from the recesses of your boudoir for eight to 10 months. To restore its effectiveness, simply remove it from the closet and let dry in direct sunlight for six hours.
Sparkly Silver
Fine antique silver collectors tend to agree that any good polish probably will not harm your prized silver pieces. But many of them rely on Hagerty products because they’re gentle and have an inoffensive smell. Collectors are especially mad for Hagerty Silversmiths’ Wipes ($7, at Westlake Hardware, nancysilver.com), which are great spot cleaners. Some other dos and don’ts:
• Never use anything but a soft cotton cloth to polish or dry silver. Don’t use paper towels (they scratch) or brushes except on very ornate silver — and then, as little as possible.
• Tarnish is caused by sulfides from food, contact with rubber, smoke or gas in the air. Hagerty Silver Protection Strips ($7, at The Container Store) work wonders to retard tarnish when kept in cabinets or drawers, because they absorb sulfur from the air in closed spaces.
• Rinse mustard and salt from silver objects quickly to avoid corrosion. For tarnished tines, many collectors rely on Hagerty Silversmiths’ Wash ($8, at nancysilver.com). At a dinner party, keep a plastic dishpan of soapy water in the kitchen. As the table is cleared, submerge everything (save for the knives — soaking antique knives is not a good idea) and wash them the next morning.
• Avoid cleaning your flatware in the dishwasher. The chemicals in detergents frequently remove all the accumulated (and desired) patina from ornate silver.
• Finally, if you use silver keepers and specially treated cloth bags, know that the effectiveness of these products fades after five to 10 years of exposure to the air. Closets lined with silver cloth lose their effectiveness after about eight years.        
More About Metals
Need to clean metal of a different sort? Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloths ($5, at Sur La Table) are pre-moistened to wipe away tarnish from pewter, brass, chrome, stainless steel, aluminum and more. Store them in a Ziploc bag to reuse … If a little kosher salt and fresh lemon juice doesn’t do the trick on those fancy French E. Dehillerin copper pots, try the Twinkle Brass & Copper Cleaning Kit ($5, at supermarkets). It even has an anti-tarnish ingredient to keep your brass and copper brighter longer … Trust Maas Metal Polish ($7, at Westlake Hardware) on your most particular metals and surfaces, from platinum to bronze and magnesium.
Rug Remedy
Fine rug experts caution clients not to use any over-the-counter cleaners — including vinegar, which can damage wool and other natural fibers (even though it works fine on artificial ones). Not only does vinegar often leave behind spots or chemicals that dehydrate wool, but it can make the pile stiff and brittle, robbing fibers of natural repellents such as lanolin. Wet the spot with soda water or cool tap water, then blot (resist rubbing) from the center outward with white paper toweling. (To pick up more moisture, simply step on the towels.) Allow air to circulate around the spot from the top and bottom. One more thing: Beware of the possibility of dye-run, which may not be immediately apparent. If anything looks amiss, stop what you’re doing immediately and call a pro.