If you thought that the Times was just for reading, you might miss one of the cleverest cleaning tips out there for your spring cleaning list.

Newspaper ink is a terrific polishing agent that requires no water or liquid, so just crumple a piece of newspaper and rub, to polish your faucets, windows and more after youve read it all, of course.

For an extra clean window or mirror, use a simple solution of white vinegar, newspaper and a little elbow grease, according to cleaning experts at Good Housekeeping magazine. Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on the surface, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking.

If you dont like the smell of vinegar, you can substitute straight lemon juice or club soda (dont dilute either in water). Just rub on the surface with newspaper.

Speaking of lemons, you can use fresh lemons also to clean your microwave. Cut one in half, put the pieces in a microwave-safe bowl with water to cover, and cook on high for two to three minutes. The steam will soften hardened food in the oven, and the citrus scent will provide an enjoyable fragrance. Then grate the lemon in the garbage disposal to eliminate any musty odor and greasy residue.

Many household items can be used for cleaning, saving money on expensive cleaning products, while also reducing the use of chemicals in your home. Check out the recipe for homemade all-purpose cleaner in this sidebar, and you may never buy a chemically-based cleaner again.

Sherri McArthur, owner of The Cleaning Authority in Fenton, has her own special way of cleaning stainless steel appliances, which often look smeary because of the oils from hands, plus constant use, especially if you have kids. To make your stainless steel appliances look brand new, I suggest a two-step process using products you likely have at home already, she said.

First, apply rubbing alcohol on the surface, wiping thoroughly using cotton cloths. Then, take baby oil and wipe the appliance down, going with the grain. It will look as if it just came brand new from the factory, said McArthur, who learned this trick from her mother. I do it every couple of months or if Im having company, I just wipe it down with baby oil and it shines.

The first step in spring cleaning, according to the experts, is to focus on one project or room at a time, so you dont get sidetracked or overwhelmed, and end up not accomplishing anything.

Use these clever household tips when you start your spring cleaning:

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Clever cleaning tips

Window Cleaning Aurora IL Torres Windows
Torres Windows offers the region #39;s premier window cleaning service that offers superior glass cleaning, and so much more. For over 11 years, we have exceeded...

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Window Cleaning Aurora IL Torres Windows - Video

Tips To Protect Windows - Window Cleaning Boca Raton FL
http://www.EricsWindowCleaning.com | (561) 288-8006 - Erics Window Cleaning in Boca Raton FL is a Local Window Cleaning and Pressure Washing Service that spe...

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Tips To Protect Windows - Window Cleaning Boca Raton FL - Video

Window Cleaning Myths Buster - Pressure Cleaning Boca Raton FL
http://www.EricsWindowCleaning.com | (561) 288-8006 - Erics Window Cleaning in Boca Raton FL is a Local Window Cleaning and Pressure Washing Service that spe...

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Unger Ninja 30

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Magnetic Window Cleaning Double Side Glass Cleaner Surface Useful Brush
http://www.chinabuye.com/magnetic-window-cleaning-double-side-glass-cleaner-surface-useful-brush.

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Magnetic Window Cleaning Double Side Glass Cleaner Surface Useful Brush - Video

Window Cleaning Services - Healy #39;s Cleaning Services
Are dirty windows spoiling your view, get Healy #39;s Cleaning Services, the window Cleaning Specialists to give you spotless windows so you can enjoy the view a...

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Window Cleaning Services - Healy's Cleaning Services - Video

window cleaning with a water fed pole

By: brownie2uk

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window cleaning with a water fed pole - Video

NEW YORK (AP) With spring emerging from a seemingly never-ending winter, I wanted to clean my New York City apartment. But without cleaning products.

I've been trying to eliminate unfamiliar chemicals and the consumer products stuffed with them from my life when feasible. So I got advice on how to clean without them from Cori Morenberg, the owner of the Ms. Green-Clean cleaning service in New York, and Mary Findley, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning" and a seller of green cleaning products.

They had a few key ingredients for me: White vinegar, baking soda, dish detergent, essential oils, rubbing alcohol and water.

So can I clean without Clorox, Windex and Murphy Oil Soap? (Yes.) Is it harder? (Kind of it's an extra step to mix cleaners together rather than just spraying from a package.) Does it smell better? (Yes.) Is it easier on my skin? (Yes.) Cheaper? (A little.)

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

A one-size-fits-all soapy mixture works for most surfaces, both Morenberg and Findley say.

Morenberg likes warm water, dish soap she likes a brand called Ecover and a few drops of an essential oil in a bucket. Findley pushes warm water, Biokleen dish soap and about a quarter-cup of distilled white vinegar, and she puts the whole mixture in a spray bottle.

Morenberg recommends dipping microfiber and cotton terry cloths, available at grocery stores and hardware stores, in the solution, wringing them out and then attacking floors and other surfaces.

Exceptions: Findley says the vinegar mixture should not be used on stone floors or countertops because the acid in it can dull the surface. So stick to hot water and soap. On wood or laminate floors, avoid soap. Clean those with warm water and vinegar.

I filled a large plastic container halfway with warm water, poured in less than half a cup of white vinegar, added a few drops of some lavender essential oil and a squirt of my dish soap. I tried cleaning my window sills, which got grimy over the winter, with paper towels dipped in this mix. That didn't work so well the windowsills are less dirty, but aren't sparkling, either. Using paper towels with the solution didn't work well for me on really dirty surfaces.

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Smart Spending: Spring cleaning, homemade style

Millions worth of cars damaged at Hollywood Imports during Monday's flood Millions worth of cars damaged at Hollywood Imports during Monday's flood

Updated: Wednesday, April 9 2014 7:22 PM EDT2014-04-09 23:22:58 GMT

Clean up crews werehard at work across the area, cleaning upafter Monday's flooding at the Vestavia Bowl, cutting down trees near Brookwood MedicalCenter and, at Hollywood Imports, cleaning up after water, mud and debris damaged all of the cars on their lot and much of the office space, as well. During the storm, some of the cars at Hollywood Imports were picked up like toys and tossed on top of each other or into the creek nearby. "Every single car was moved. I...

Clean up crews werehard at work across the area, cleaning upafter Monday's flooding at the Vestavia Bowl, cutting down trees near Brookwood MedicalCenter and, at Hollywood Imports, cleaning up after water, mud and debris damaged all of the cars on their lot and much of the office space, as well. During the storm, some of the cars at Hollywood Imports were picked up like toys and tossed on top of each other or into the creek nearby. "Every single car was moved. I...

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 1:10 PM EDT2014-04-10 17:10:01 GMT

William Bradford Bishop, Jr. is suspected of beating his wife, mother and three sons ages 14, 10 and 5 to death on March 1, 1976.

William Bradford Bishop, Jr. is suspected of beating his wife, mother and three sons ages 14, 10 and 5 to death on March 1, 1976.

Updated: Thursday, April 10 2014 10:45 AM EDT2014-04-10 14:45:37 GMT

Traffic is being diverted at the intersections of Heardmont Park to the west and Shelby County Highway 14 to the east.

Traffic is being diverted at the intersections of Heardmont Park to the west and Shelby County Highway 14 to the east.

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Birmingham mother and five children jump from window to escape house fire