Press
Amy Bates
Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean ...

When GoodHousekeeping.com asked me to stop doing housework for two weeks, I was terrified. For starters, we're your typical, busy Midwestern family with two teenage sons and two dogs. My husband Alan is a tidy and fastidious civil engineer, and I am the proud owner of a Merry Maids office and the founder of the Don't Look Under the Rug blog. The two of us divide the chores (Alan washes dishes, cooks, and vacuums; while I handle laundry, grocery shopping, and monitoring general clutter) and the boys are expected to pick up after themselves. That said, I do feel I handle more than my fair share of housework after a day at the office.

I don't think my standards are unrealistic. I love things to be clean, but I also enjoy living in my home. We do have a mail pile and a "take it up the stairs" collection. So, eventually, I felt cautiously optimistic about taking a two-week hiatus from housework. My boys are well-behaved, helpful, and only slightly sloth-like when it comes to picking up after themselves — how bad could it be? 

Here's What Happened When I Let My Family Clean the House for Two Weeks

Stubborn Stains

How To Clean Mystery Stains on Tennis Shoes

I’ve been thinking about shoes lately. I love a good well-made pair of casual shoes because when you find the right pair, you seem to wear them constantly. I’m a big believer that shoes are an investment for our wardrobe and long term health, but having great shoes is knowing how to keep them clean and fresh- and looking fabulous!

 

My friend’s mystery stained Nike shoes

How-To-Remove-Mystery-Stains-on-Tennis Shoes-dont-look-under-the-rug-amy-bates-cleaning-tips.png

Tennis shoes are meant to be worn, but it’s the worst of luck to have them get dirty the first day you take them out. And that is exactly what happened to my friend Janell when she bought her husband a brand new pair of Nike tennis shoes. She’s not exactly sure what happened, but he did come back with a chainsaw and chainsaw oil in hand, and the residue splattered all over the breathable mesh fabric was greasy. I suppose he may have been reluctant to come completely clean (lol! Bad humor... but I can't resist!) I wanted to take a stab at the mystery oil stain and help out my friend...and her husband:

  1. I wet the shoes down with water
  2. Added Dawn soap directly to shoes
  3. Set shoes aside for about an hour
  4. Threw them in the washer in a lingerie bag
  5. Allowed them to air dry in the sun

Not a very scientific cleaning process but it worked like a charm and the tennis shoes came out of the washer devoid of the mystery stains! I got extra brownie points with my friend, and was surprised to find that the simple cleaning tip of using soap and water worked so well!

 

My son’s stinky tennis shoes

I am not only the owner of a cleaning business, but the mother of two boys who are always on the go. After sports practice they love to kick their shoes off as soon as they get in the car. It seems to be a common prank to pull on mothers everywhere. How long does it take for a Mom to notice the feet have been freed from the shoes? In my car? About 30 seconds before my eyes water. Here is a picture that demonstrates exactly how smelly Andrew's socks are:

Anytime you wear athletic shoes for exercise or sports, your feet are going to sweat into the shoe and leave an very unpleasant smell! I have a cleaning tip that only requires two main items:

  1. Newspaper
  2. Baking Soda

Both are way cheaper, and not to mention more environmentally friendly, than a spray deodorizer! Check it out here:

 

A note on running shoes

I live in Tulsa and running groups and races are very popular, and runners are very particular about their gear. I am more of a pilates gal myself, so for advice on high-end running shoes ASICS recommends these great cleaning tips in their article, “How To Clean Running Shoes - 3 Tips For Keeping Cleaning Shoes”:

  1. Wash the sockliner or insole separately if you’re able to remove them. This will help make the inside of your shoe fresher. Laces can be washed or just replaced.

  2. Remove surface dirt such as mud and grit. Use an old toothbrush or nail brush, a little warm water and a gentle, anti-grease soap. This should take care of the dirt, and is fine to do once in awhile. I don't recommend soaking the shoe for lighter cleaning jobs.

  3. Dry your shoes naturally and don’t place them near a radiator. Direct heat will alter the shape of the shoe. Open out the shoe and then stuff the inside with kitchen paper or newspaper. The paper will absorb the dampness inside the shoe. A shoe takes about twelve hours to dry out.

#happycleaning - Amy

How To Easily Clean Chocolate Stains On Clothing

So there’s a reason I know how to clean chocolate stains and smears so easily from fabric and clothing. My chocolate cleaning powers have to do with my childhood. Growing up, I never learned to eat chocolate properly without making a giant mess! You may think every child has problems with “properly eating”, but my poor candy eating skills go far beyond basic kid blunders.

See, I was raised by a self-proclaimed chocoholic AND a small-town dentist! This parental combination was confusing and challenging for me. It may be hard to understand, but I would like you to imagine these memories from my upbringing...

I would find my mom's ever-present, old, half-eaten Hershey’s bars hidden throughout the entire house. It felt like there was a constant temptation of forbidden, freshly made brownies in my mother’s kitchen. Then, “You are going to rot your teeth!” would ring in my ears as I peeled back the foil on the brownie pan. Despite the constant stream of chocolate in our house, the Hershey’s and brownies belonged to my mother, and she…did…not…like…to…share! I didn’t even dare to ask for such delicacies for myself. 

Since my father was the town dentist, to be publicly seen at the Main Street Ben Franklin buying chocolate sweets was simply not permitted. Despite my mother’s chocolate obsession, Halloween was for apples and CandiDent at my house. I was never taught to properly eat chocolate because it was taboo to have it in the first place. So when I eat chocolate as an adult, it is next to impossible to not cover every nearby surface in its melted goodness. 

Since moving from the cooler temps of Minnesota to the sweltering heat of Oklahoma, I frequently practice properly eating the divine delicacy as it melts so much faster! I have learned to easily clean up the smudges, stains and smear that milk, dark and semisweet chocolate leaves behind. So if you need to remove chocolate stains from your shirt, I have you covered with this easy cleaning tip:

How To Easily Clean Chocolate Stains on Clothing

What You Need :

  1. Access to cold water

  2. Dull knife (a butter knife does fine)

  3. Enzyme Detergent (I like TIDE)

  4. Extra clean cloth on hand

  5. Pre-treatment spray or hydrogen peroxide (in case this chocolate stain is really set in)

#happycleaning

-Amy Bates

How To Remove Permanent Marker From Clothes

Did your child come home from school with Sharpie permanent marker on their new shirt? Guess what? Permanent marker is not impossible to remove! To get started with this DIY cleaning tip, you will need white paper towels, a clean working surface, and rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. I prefer to use hand sanitizer (non-fragrance) because I find it is easier to work into the fabric. The trick is to NOT wash the shirt before you do this. If you do, the stain will be set in the fabric and you will have no luck getting it out! It may take a couple of tries but eventually the color will lift right out!

#happycleaning - Amy, dontlookundertherug.com

,

News on 6: Tips On Stubborn Stains

,

Showed News on 6 this week that club soda may not always do the trick for stubborn stains. Especially when it comes to permanent marker and ballpoint pins getting on your clothing (or children!), it doesn't have to be a lost cause. Grab a couple of items you have in your bathroom, find a clean cloth and get ready to be amazed!

#happycleaning - Amy