House & Home : Cleaning & Caretaking

When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry, ''It's all too much''? Do you dream of having a closet where your clothes aren't crammed in so tightly that you can actually get to them? Is your basement filled with boxes of precious family mementos you haven't opened in ten years but are too afraid to toss? Are your kitchen counters overrun with appliances you've never used? Do your kids play in the living room because there's no room left in their playroom? If somewhere along the way you've simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It's All Too Much has the solution you've been searching for. more...

Price: $11.99

Harness All the Latest Technology, Equipment, and MethodsNeeded to Keep Any Pool or Spa in Top Condition!. The Ultimate Guide to Pool Maintenance provides complete guidance on all the maintenance and repair tasks required to keep pools and spas working at peak efficiency. This Third Edition now contains information on the latest technology and equipment, together with Quick Start Guides and difficulty ratings for each procedure. Filled with hundreds of detailed illustrations, this updated classic features: A step-by-step explanation of each pool maintenance procedure with easy-to-follow photos; Quick Start Guides to help readers start and finish each task quickly; Tricks of the Trade to make each procedure easier; Tools of the Trade highlighting parts and tools for each job; An Easy, Advanced, or Pro difficulty rating for every task; The following new material: new information on chlorine alternatives; a new section on maintaining saltwater pools; expanded coverage of pools with built-in spas. Inside This Updated Pool Maintenance “Bible” • The Pool and Spa • Basic Plumbing Systems • Advanced Plumbing Systems • Pumps and Motors _ Filters • Heaters • Additional Equipment • Water Chemistry • Cleaning and Servicing • Special Procedures • Water Features • Commercial Pools • Winterizing • Basic Electricity • The Toolbox • 50 Things Your Pool and Spa Can Do for Our Environment • Facts and Formulas • Typical Pool and Spa Health, Safety, and Building Codes more...

Price: $34.95

An authoritative guide to reducing household exposure to hazardous chemicals. Thousands of household products contain toxic ingredients. Today, more and more people are seeking more natural cleaning methods to reduce their exposure to harsh chemicals. From the kitchen and bath to the living room and laundry, Green Cleaning For Dummies provides readers with green solutions to every common cleaning chore. Focusing on organic, nontoxic, sustainable alternatives to conventional cleaning products, it's packed with suggestions and tips for effective cleaning, and even offers green solutions for sprucing up patios, garages, vehicles, and the exterior of a house. more...

Price: $16.99

Change the way you clean and keep your family's home wholesome and healthy with the help of expert and activist Deirdre Imus. We all grew up thinking chemical smells like bleach and ammonia signaled ''clean.'' But as Deirdre Imus reveals, some of the chemicals we use to maintain our homes are doing us and our families much more harm than good. In Greening Your Cleaning, the first in her Green This! series, Deirdre shows how cleaning house the environmentally responsible way can be as effective and often cheaper than the more traditional, toxic, means. more...

Price: $11.99

Leading medical experts and scientists team up with celebrity activists to help parents detoxify and green their households. Nothing makes one more keenly aware of health risks lurking in the everyday world than becoming a parent. Most know the importance of using cabinet locks and child gates, but research is showing many more ways we need to be childproofing our homes. Tens of millions of American children now face chronic diseases and illnesses including cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD/ADHD, allergies, learning and developmental disabilities, as well as a host of lesser but disruptive ailments. The number gets higher every year and more parents are asking why. A growing body of research points to unseen threats wrought by exposure to chemicals in everyday products like cleaning supplies, beauty care and cosmetics, home furnishings, plastics, some foods and toys as contributing to these ailments. With that in mind, the non-profit organization Healthy Child Healthy World offers parents a definitive guide to creating a healthy, nontoxic, and environmentally sound home. Filled with easy steps and simple solutions to improve family living without wreaking havoc on schedules or budgets, this book includes inspiring ideas for safe, eco-friendly cleaning methods, choosing healthier food, pet and garden care, nursery and home building materials, plus extensive tips for energy saving and family fun. With contributions from environmental science and public-health experts such as Dr. Harvey Karp, as well as many celebrity supporters (including Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, and Tom Hanks), Healthy Child HealthyWorld is the essential guidebook for parents and children’s health advocates. more...

Price: $25.95