Cleaning up: Housekeeping hints from the pros

The holidays are over, the decorations have been put away and now it's time for a good, thorough housecleaning.

If housekeeping isn't your strong point, many lifestyle publications have advice. The November edition of Real Simple magazine, for instance, offers timesaving tips in a "Speed Cleaning" section.

A plethora of books — from "Haley's Cleaning Hints" (3H Productions Inc., $14.95) by Rosemary and Graham Haley to "Heloise Conquers Stinks and Stains" (Perigee, 2002) — are filled with instructions.

"How Clean Is Your House? Hundreds of Handy Tips to Make Your Home Sparkle" (Dutton, $22.95), by Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie, hypes a Lifetime TV show of the same name. It airs Mondays at 11 p.m.

MacKenzie, a former Good Housekeeping editor, and Woodburn, a professional domestic, are authors and hosts who have written a resource manual that dispenses an array of tips with dramatic flair.

They write:

— "The kitchen is the heart of the home, so don't give it a coronary! Wipe up spills in your microwave whenever they occur. If you have pets, don't leave their dirty food dishes out after meals as they will attract flies and, potentially, rodents."

— "Drop a couple of denture-cleaning tablets into the (toilet) bowl. Leave overnight, but definitely don't add your false teeth."

— Dishwashing liquid "is good for your dishes, floors, walls, you name it. . . . Don't economize — the concentrated stuff is best."

— Baking soda is "a good alternative to detergent if you suffer from allergies or are sensitive to chemicals. It's great on stainless steel, it's good for sinks, it's even good sprinkled into smelly litter boxes and it's kind to the environment."

Speaking of which, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit alliance advocating a healthier environment, forswears most commercial cleansers and offers homemade alternatives.

For drains, toilet bowls, glassware and other chores, it says, "All you need for most cleaning jobs is a few tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of warm water. Or mix some vinegar and salt with warm water."

Furniture polish? "Try olive oil mixed with a little lemon juice."

Air freshener? "Scent the air by boiling cinnamon and cloves. Open your windows."