FitSugar

Casa Quickie: Map Out Your Mopping

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:00:10 PDT

My cleaning routine generally revolves around what needs to be cleaned rather than setting a schedule for myself. But there is one cleaning task where I find a timetable to be helpful: mopping the floors. Since floor scuffs and marks can be easily overlooked, it's best to get into a habit of cleaning them before they get out of hand.

High-traffic rooms like kitchens and bathrooms, I've found, should be mopped once a week to keep them in fine form. Meanwhile, less frequently visited areas such as dining rooms, guest rooms, and sitting rooms can be mopped monthly and dusted and vacuumed once a week. For spills in the kitchen, keep paper towels and a spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner or a soap solution on hand for a quick fix.

Casa Quickie: Shine Like the Top of the Chrysler Building

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:07 PDT

In the classic musical Annie there's a great line imitating Miss Hannigan during the "Hard-Knock Life" number that I always think of when I'm mopping the house:"You'll stay up until this floor shines like the top of the Chrysler Building." The image of how that landmark sparkles in the skyline is actually a great motivator for me. But, sadly, the plot, which involves the hard labor of orphans, isn't the nicest thing. But, it turns out that there is a trick to making your floors sparkle just so, and it has nothing to do with child labor or actually mopping.

To find out the trick,

read more. After you've swept your floors with a broom, put a piece of wax paper underneath a mop and run it across your floor. The dust that remains on the floor will stick to the paper, and the wax will give it a brilliant glow. Of course, you should actually mop your floors with soap and water every once in a while, but this is a quick fix. Source

Getting Down and Dirty vs. Cleaning Dirty Floors

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:00:00 PDT

Yesterday we all celebrated Labor Day, which makes me think of doing some labor intensive housework. Then there is the other kind of labor, childbirth and the activities that lead to pregnancy. I decided to do a little compare and contrast quiz between these drastically different methods of getting domestic. I want to know which burns more calories getting down and dirty or mopping / vacuuming your dirty floors.

Source

Take the Quiz

Swiffer Got a New Spokeswoman

GiggleSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:14:00 PDT

If this doesn't make mopping the floors look like a darn good time, then I don't know what will. The shades, the neck brace, the barking insanity- it's a far cry from Disneyland, but hey, there's always air guitar! And Momma Grinch here makes an entertaining drill sergeant, no?

Clean Green: Mop Your Floors with Vinegar

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 03:00:00 PDT

Weekends are when I get the majority of my house cleaning done. You know, the big jobs like mopping the floors. I like to send my husband to the park with the girls when I do this, not because I use a toxic cleaner that might hurt my loved ones (and my own) lungs. I just don't want them to muck up the floors I just mopped with vinegar.

Well not straight up vinegar, I dilute it of course, about ½ cup distilled white vinegar in a gallon of water. This is a safe way to clean hardwood, laminate or tile floors. It is safe for the floors and for you! Studies have shown that 5% solution of vinegar (straight out of the store-bought bottle) kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). Plus it is not toxic! The smell dissipates much more quickly than Lysol or other cleaners.

Some people add a little dish soap or peppermint into their solution, but I go for the simple mixture and mop to my hearts content. Try it!!!

Source

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain: How to Burn 1,000 Calories

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:57:45 PST

With all the festive beverages, special dinners, and holiday treats, you're bound to overindulge over the holidays, but no need to hit the gym to prevent holiday weight gain. Here are some ways you can burn a total of 1,000 calories if you load your day with these everyday holiday activities.

Activity	Time	Calories Burned
Grocery shopping	30 min	70
Packing suitcase and loading car (if traveling)	20 min	52
Walking the dog	15 min	50
Brushing your teeth	2 min	5
Ironing the family's outfits	10 min	22
Calling friends and relatives to wish them "Happy Holidays"	10 min	10

Keep reading to find out how else you can work off that eggnog and gingerbread man cookie.

Achoo! How to Relieve Allergies in Your Bedroom

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:35:57 PDT

If you suffer from allergies to dander, dust mites, or mold, it's time to take a closer look at the place where you spend one-third of your day - your bedroom. Here are some things you can do to reduce your allergy symptoms.

Evict the Offenders
Looked under your bed lately? To prevent a colony of dust mites from becoming squatters in the apartment below where you sleep, vacuum under your bed at least once a week. And don't be lazy about it - move the bed and other furniture to suck up the disgusting fluffs hiding in all the nooks and crannies. If your bedroom isn't carpeted, be even more ~~anal~~ thorough and mop the floor. Aside from washing your sheets weekly, take time to wipe down the tops of your dressers, nightstands, the blinds, and windowsills. Not to make you crazy for cleaning, but the curtains and your comforter can get dusty too, so don't forget to wash them once a month. If your bathroom is connected to your bedroom, check the bathtub or shower for mold and mildew.

Keep reading to find out other ways you can relieve allergy symptoms in your bedroom.

5 Ways to Save Your Hair Pre- and Postswim Workout (Plus Products!)

Self — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:45:54 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Once upon a time, many of us doused our hair with Sun-In and then spent the rest of the Summer with orange mops, euphemistically dubbed "strawberry blonde." But we knew the truth.

That may have been acceptable at 12 years old, but - as adults - we don't pay for high-end hair products, highlights, and conditioning treatments just to ruin them with chlorine, salt water, and sun. If your workout of choice involves swimming and water sports, or even just splashing in the waves, memorize these tips from celebrity colorist Sheri Roman, owner of LA hair Mecca Roman Salon, on how to keep your hair healthy and bright.

Source: Thinkstock

Sweat 15 Minutes a Day and Add Three Years to Your Life, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:18:41 PDT

If your busy schedule doesn't allow for the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, a large study from Taiwan should make you feel better. The 13-year study tracked 416,000 participants and found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise increased their life expectancy by three years, compared to those who didn't exercise. Daily workouts lower the incidence of cancer, and therefore lower the risk of cancer-related deaths.

Now who wouldn't dedicate 15 minutes a day if they could live longer? If you need some ideas for 15-minute mini workouts, check out the list below:

Walk your dog briskly around the neighborhood.
Head to the track and walk a mile, going around four times at a pace of four miles per hour (15 minutes per mile).
Run one and a half miles at a pace of 10 minutes per mile.
Do a mini interval workout on the elliptical or treadmill. Start off walking for two minutes, jog for two minutes, sprint for one minute, jog two, sprint one, jog two, sprint one, jog two, and end with two minutes of walking.

Keep reading for more 15-minute workout ideas.

The 15 Most Iconic Hairstyles of the 1960s

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 16 May 2011 06:00:00 PDT

The 1960s were a decade of enormous change. They came in with the Kennedys and ended with Woodstock, and in between everything changed, including the hair. See the 15 styles that marked the era, from the Beatles' mop tops and Jackie Kennedy's pillbox bob to Angela Davis's afro.

Source: Memory Lane