What are the living areas in your home? Loosely interpreted, these areas of the home are anywhere that you spend a significant amount of time. A very brief list of these rooms would include the bedroom, our kitchens, the garage and the living room to name just a few. There are a few problems when it comes to cleaning these rooms though, for example how you clean your living room furniture is going to be different than how you clean your bedroom furniture and bedding. Take a look inside here for all the latest hints and tricks to help guide you through our living areas.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Living Areas' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   A Tidy Home Is More Appealing
When doing an emergency cleaning job for short-notice guests, you'll want to keep a few things in mind that will save you both work and time. You only need to clean the rooms that your guests will be entering, including one bathroom. You also only need to do a surface cleaning, organizing or hiding things that are at eye level or otherwise easily visible.

   Chimney Liners
If you have an older chimney, it may be unsafe to use. Be sure the chimney is properly lined to ensure it is safe.

   Clean Up Soot and Your Fireplace
These neat tricks allow you to easily remove soot and ash from the inner surfaces of your fireplace. If you add salt to your next fire, it will take the soot right off of your fireplace stone or bricks. A mixture of vinegar, ammonia, and water will make a great cleaner for your fireplace door, and if you place foil in the bottom of your fireplace, it will allow you to pick up your ashes with ease.

   Clean Wooden Chairs
Wooden chairs have got to be one of the most common types of furniture available today. No matter where you go and where you live, chances are you will find a wooden chair fairly close by. Since they are so popular, it might just be beneficial to know how you can get clean wooden chairs. Here's how.

   Cleaning a Gas Fireplace
Fireplaces are a wonderful thing to have in the home; however, they too need to be cleaned every once in a while—even gas fireplaces. Cleaning a gas fireplace though can present a few unique problems. If you find yourself in need of cleaning a gas fireplace, then here is what you should do.

   Cleaning a Water Stained Sofa
Water stains are not caused by water, but by the things the water leaves behind when it evaporates. If you can remove the sediment, you can remove the stain, but check your fabric care labels before you get to work.

   Cleaning Artwork
Because artwork can accumulate dust, just like anything else in your home, it needs to be cleaned. However, fine artwork requires special attention when cleaning it. Here are some tips for cleaning artwork, and preserving its beauty for years to come.

   Cleaning Cobwebs from Ceilings
For many people, cleaning spider webs is something of an exercise in controlled terror. After all, since one of the leading fears around is arachnophobia (fear of spiders), it only makes sense that a vast majority of people don't like cleaning cobwebs from ceilings. That being said, here are a few methods that you can use to do the job as quickly and effectively as possible.

   Cleaning Decorative Pillows
Decorative pillows are great items that can help increase the beauty, and general comfort level, of almost any home design. However, cleaning decorative pillows can often present a few unique problems that need to be addressed. If the proper care isn't taken, these pillows can quickly go from being decorative, to being an eyesore.

   Cleaning Dry Clean Only Drapes
Just like with clothes, there are drapes and curtains that have those dreaded words "Dry Clean Only" spelled out on their care tags. If you find them on your drapes don't worry. Here is a simple way that you can begin cleaning dry clean only drapes at home without having to take a trip to the cleaners.

   Cleaning Living Room Furniture
From hardwood to soft cloth, a living room has a lot of different surface types to keep clean. A methodical approach to cleaning all of your living room furniture is the best way to cut time and increase cleanliness.

   Cleaning Out Your Attic
It might not be so childish to fear the attic. Instead of ghosts there's something much worse up there: a massive, multi-year mess for you to clean up. Here are some tips on how to tackle the organizational nightmare lurking upstairs.

   Cleaning Stained Hearths
Whenever the weather begins to get a little colder, or you are looking for a romantic evening, thoughts naturally begin to drift towards the fireplace. While a fireplace is a wonderful thing to have in the home, often it can be a cleaning headache, one of the biggest causes being the hearth. Cleaning stained hearths is possible, but may take some work.

   Cleaning Your Ceiling
Cleaning a ceiling is often overlooked, even when doing deep cleaning in your home. Here's how to quickly and easily clean your ceiling.

   Cleaning Your Couch Cushions
Best-case scenario: your couch cushions are just a little dingy from use. Worst case scenario: kids or pets leaving their unique mark. For either of these cases and any case in between here are a few tips on how to clean, sanitize, and deodorize your couch cushions.

   Cleaning Your Living Room
Cleaning high-traffic rooms in your house, like your living room, seems like a long chore. Following these easy steps will help you keep that room in good cleanliness.

   Closet Organization
Do you have too many items to comfortably fit in your closet? Start organizing this area to help make a place for everything.

   Does Oxygen Bleach Remove Creosote Stains?
If you have a fireplace and ever watched those oxygen bleach commercials, then chances are you have asked yourself a fairly simple question. That question is: Does oxygen bleach remove creosote stains? The simple answer is yes. But how it is done takes a little longer to explain.

   Easy Sofa Cleaning
Your sofa says a lot about you. It can show your sense of style, your temperament, your favorite colors and sometimes what you ate for dinner the night before. Over time, even the most well maintained sofas collect dirt and dust. If it is time for a sofa sudsing and you are on a budget, look no further than a steam cleaner and a washing machine.

   Fireplace Cleaner
Having a fireplace is great, but don't forget to keep it clean. Cleaning your fireplace will help it work efficiently and can keep you and your family safe.

   Fireplace Cleaning
Your fireplace is a great tool that can save you money during the cool months. Remember to take care of the fireplace by cleaning it as needed.

   Furniture Cleaners
What can you do to rid furniture of stains and spots? Properly clean your furniture pieces using these helpful tips.

   Get Jam Out of the Couch
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a long standing favorite of many people, and are particularly loved by children. If your kids have dropped their peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the couch, you may need to know a few tricks to get the jam out. Luckily, if you use this method, you will soon realize how easy it is to get jam out of the couch.

   Grand Piano Care
Grand pianos are a wonderful piece of musical equipment that can add elegance to just about any home. However, if you don't properly take care of this gorgeous item then all you have is an expensive hunk of wood. If you happen to have a grand piano, then you need these basic guidelines for grand piano care.

   Removing Musty Smells from Upholstery
Just about all upholstery can end up smelling really terrible. It is possible to get the scent out though, and possibly wash off the mold from which the musty smell might be coming.

   Removing Rust Stains from Wood-burning Stoves
If you've ever used an iron skillet or pot, then you probably know that you have to safeguard the metal from rust, keep the metal dry, and cure it after use. The same principles apply when using a wood-burning stove. Follow these tips to remove rust from a wood-burning stove.

   Removing Soot Stains From the Mantel
Just about everyone loves to see a fireplace whenever they go to look at a new home or go away on a vacation. However, what many people do not realize is that these wonderfully romantic additions to any home can be a wonderfully major hassle to clean. Here is everything that you need to know about removing soot stains from the mantel of your home fireplace.

   Removing Stains from Draperies
Draperies can make a room look beautiful, but they also absorb sunlight, dust, dirt, smoke, and grime. Make sure to vacuum your drapes once every six months or so to stop a build up of dust. Several preventative measures exist to keep your draperies looking good, but if they do get stained, most of the time you will have to turn to a professional cleaning service. If the draperies are water resistant, you can also try steam-cleaning them.

   Removing Stains from Silk Upholstery
Silk is a gorgeous material that can add beauty and elegance to almost any situation as a clothing option. When used as an upholstery material you can find yourself faced with some interesting cleaning predicaments. Removing stains from silk upholstery isn't impossible, but it does require a certain touch.

   Removing Stains from Wood Furniture
Stains in wooden furniture can be treated to return the furniture back to its former beauty. Each stain needs certain chemicals and a particular treatment to remove the stain without damaging the wood. Follow all instructions to the letter to restore your furniture.

   Removing Stains Left By Moving Blankets
When it comes to moving, one of the biggest problems is protecting your furniture from getting damaged. That's where moving blankets come in. Unfortunately though, there are times when these blankets can actually be the cause of some problems, such as stains. Here's what you need to do to remove these kinds of stains.

   Removing Water Stains from a Sofa
Unfortunate water stains can show up on almost any kind of sofa. Learn how to get rid of this annoying stain with a few simple tips.

   Water Damage Restoration
Water damage can come from a variety of different sources. Some of the most common are flood, burst pipes, backed up sewage, and sometimes children. While hopefully not a common occurrence, water damage restoration is generally a good skill to have. Here are some pointers that you should keep in mind.