Three Handy Hints for a Cleaner Home and Smarter Spending

If the grille on a bathroom exhaust fan is clogged with dust, turn on the fan and blast it with canned air rather than reaching for the vacuum; the fan will carry the dust straight outside. The same trick works on central heating and cooling return grilles while the system is running. Canned air contains chemical propellants, not just air, so it should be kept away from kids.

Area rugs should be vacuumed weekly, but taking them outside three or four times a year, draping them over a fence or clothesline, and beating them with a broom or tennis racket removes far more dust than vacuuming ever will. Smaller rugs just need a vigorous weekly shake outdoors.

Before buying a ladder, leaf blower, or wheelbarrow that will barely get used, it's worth asking around, since borrowing is easier than most people think. Sites like Freecycle exist specifically to help neighbors lend, rent, or give away things like this instead of everyone buying their own.