One More Thought about Vacuuming

As always, be sure to consider your family's unique habits when problem-solving the issue of dirty floors. For example:

Do you or your husband do any woodworking? If sawdust is a problem in your home, consider moving the woodworking to a less-intrusive location, such as to the shed rather than the garage. Or maybe you can figure out how clean yourself up after woodworking in such a way that the sawdust isn't brought into the house, for example by keeping a change of clothes in the workshop.

Is your home near the beach? Do some problem-solving about how to keep the sand from getting tracked inside. Perhaps you need to put a faucet or a bench near the door, for easier cleanup of those sandy feet. Maybe the beach toys should go into outdoor storage rather than coming into your home. Whatever solutions you come up with, keep a bottle of baby powder near the door, as sprinkling baby powder on sandy feet should help the sand to fall off.

Is there some other substance that repeatedly dirties your floors? Stop fighting it—and start problem-solving instead. Remember, take the emotion out of cleaning, think like a detective, gather clues, and become the expert on your family's biggest dirt-creators. Once you know what's causing the mess, you're well on your way to preventing it!

Finally, as one more aid in keeping those floors and other surfaces clean, don't forget to change the filters on your heating and air systems regularly.