When Jeff Campbell sent a book on keeping up with housework to his editor, she called him with one big concern. She loved the book, but hated his title, which was Daily Cleaning. Laughing, Campbell recalls she told him that it was just too depressing. Renamed Clutter Control: Putting Your Home on a Diet (DTP, 1992), the book became one in a series of highly successful books that Campbell, owner of Clean Team, has written.

Campbell, who is best known for his speed cleaning methods, says that, depressing or not, cleaning is more a matter of daily upkeep than anything. Below, we offer Campbell's best advice for cleaning – both everyday cleaning and the heavier work – as well as some "green" cleaning methods and handy cleaning tips that may save time and money.

Daily Cleaning
Campbell says there are a host of things you can do every day to keep your house presentable and make weekly cleaning easier. This is what should be done every day:

• Pick up all dirty dishes and load them in the dishwasher.
• Pick up dirty clothes from the floor and put them in the hamper.
• Pick up toys and put them in the toy box.
• Deal with all paper that comes in the house immediately so it doesn't pile up.
• The last person to shower should squeegee the walls.
• Wipe down the toilet and faucets.

Weekly Cleaning
This is where most people tend to founder, according to Campbell. He says it's because this generation was raised in what he calls a "full-time cleaning" model that simply isn't realistic any longer.

"Our mothers and grandmas passed down a full-time method of cleaning that we can't follow in today's world," says Campbell. "Even if you're a stay-at-home parent, the world is so different that you're just as busy as any parent who works. Now we're trying to cram our mother’s and grandmother’s full-time method into a Saturday, and it just doesn't fit. The fact is that most of us don't know how to clean, and that's why we don't have time. It's demoralizing and difficult to do something you haven't been taught how to do properly."

Campbell says to start by gathering everything you need to clean, except the vacuum. These are the tools he uses:

• Window cleaner
• All-purpose cleaner
• Rags (He recommends 100 percent cotton table napkins. They're lint free, they can be bleached, the slightly rough texture helps with scrubbing and they're reusable, which is important to environmentally conscious Campbell.)
• Feather duster
• Whisk broom
• Acid-based tile cleaner
• Soft scrub
• Brushes for cleaning shower walls (one that will dig into the grout) and white pad for cleaning tub

Start in one part of the room and thoroughly clean that part of the room from top to bottom. Then move on. Don't backtrack. Carry everything with you in either a caddy, a bucket or an apron. When you're completely done, either vacuum or mop the room. For smaller rooms, such as a bathroom, Campbell's "Clean Team" merely uses their damp rags for wiping the floor as they back out of the room.

Team Cleaning
Unless you're a real Miss Piggy, it's unlikely that you are the only person in the house that messes it up. So you should not be the only one who cleans it. Campbell recommends "team cleaning," where the entire family gets together – for example, on a Wednesday evening – and everyone cleans. The work goes much faster, it promotes family teamwork and a sense of responsibility, it makes everyone more aware of the importance of daily cleaning and it frees up your valuable time. Everyone can have their own set of tools. Order in pizza that night to give a little reward at the end of the cleaning rainbow.

Green Cleaning
People are becoming increasingly concerned about the level of toxins in the cleaning products they use, and rightfully so. Not only are some cleaners bad for people, they're bad for the environment as well. Mindy Pennybacker, editor of The Green Guide, a newsletter devoted to providing responsible environmental and health information, says that the most common misconception people have about cleaning is that they somehow have to sterilize their homes when they clean, and that simply isn't true.

"Antibacterial soaps and cleaning products are helping promote growth of resistant bacteria," says Pennybacker. "It's also quite a bit more expensive to use commercial products than to use products that work just as well and are already in your cupboards."

Below is a list of items you'll need to make your own cleaners, as well as a few "recipes" for people- and environment-friendly cleaning products:

• Baking soda
• Dish soap
• White vinegar (kills germs as well as any chemical)
• Washing soda (in laundry soap aisle)
• Bon Ami cleanser (in powdered cleanser aisle)
• Clean squirt bottles

To make glass cleaner: In spray bottle combine 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dish detergent or liquid soap and 2 cups water. Shake well.

To make all-purpose cleaner: In spray bottle, combine 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, a squirt of liquid soap and 2 cups hot tap water. Shake until washing soda dissolves.

To make a soft scrubbing cleanser: Use baking soda mixed with dish soap to a creamy texture. This is great for washing counters and tubs.

Also, for cleaning floors, toilets or any surface, an equal mix of white vinegar and hot water will kill germs very efficiently. Add baking soda for a scrubbing action. Essential oils can be added to any of the above "recipes" to make them smell good.

Household Tips
In my house we have an expression: If it's not the kids, it's the cats. If it's not the cats, it's the turtle. It just seems as if there's always someone who is spilling, making creative bathroom areas, vomiting or tracking something inappropriate through the house.

Robbie Rice knows everyone has cleaning challenges, but she's doing something to address the problem. This mom, who lives in Dayton, Ohio, has been collecting cleaning tips for quite some time. She posts them on her Web site (www.kitchen.robbiehaf.com/CleaningTips) to help her remember them and to share them with others. Here are a few of her personal favorites:

Bathroom odors: Place an opened box of baking soda behind the toilet to absorb bathroom odors.

Carpet stains: Baby wipes are miracle-workers on carpet stains. From motor oil to blood, they remove almost anything!

Crayon on walls or washable wallpaper: Spray with WD-40®, then gently wipe, using a paper towel or clean cloth. If the mark is stubborn, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp sponge and gently rub in a circular motion. If the WD-40® leaves a residue, gently wipe off with a sponge soaked in soapy water; rinse clean; blot dry. Another method is to use a hair dryer – it heats the wax and wipes away instantly. If the color remains, like red usually does, wet a cloth with bleach and wipe.

Fish or other food odors: Place a bowl of white vinegar on the counter for a few hours. The odor will disappear for good.

Pet urine on carpet: First, blot up what you can with paper towels. Then, with warm, soapy water and a clean cloth, blot the area clean; rinse with clean water; blot until dry. Next, combine 1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3 cup water and dab it on stain; rinse with clean water; blot until dry. Once the area is totally dry (at least 24 hours), sprinkle entire carpet with baking soda or rug deodorizer; vacuum after a few hours.

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