Home improvements: Take the flaws out of floors

The problem with floors is if they are not properly clean, the dirt gets ingrained when people walk over then, and they look shabby and are, in turn, really hard to get clean.

So, once every two weeks, get down on your hands and knees to give the floor a really good clean. Put a couple of tea towels under your knees to protect them. Always give the floor a good sweep first. In a bowl, mix up a solution of the juice of half a lemon, one cup of white vinegar and one cup of warm water. Get another bowl of warm water and a couple of cloths. Alternate the cleaning cloths. Wring out the cloth well so it’s just slightly damp, then put it in the lemon-and-vinegar solution, squeeze out the excess and get scrubbing. This method works brilliantly on most surfaces. If you have a wooden floor, add one teaspoon of olive oil to the mix.

Once a week, go over the floor with a mop. Again, always sweep or vacuum first. Make the cleaning solution more diluted: mix the juice of one lemon, two cups of vinegar and four cups of water in a bucket.

* Taken from Simply Wonderwoman: A Survival Guide for Women with Too Much to Do (Kyle Books) by Joanna Gosling, Dh103, www.amazon.com