Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are dozens of popular cleaning books on the market, many of which are touted on TV or tied to a particular cleaning maven's approach... and web site! What I've found in most of those books--and I am a full time bookseller, so I see a lot of them--is a long list of recipes for multitudes of all purpose cleaners, or tricks for particular stains. This is the BEST, most SPECIFIC book I've seen yet for describing how a person should begin cleaning their entire home. It takes one step-by-step through every room. Though some reviewers complain about so many references to the Clean Team web site, the book explicitely describes alternate solutions and products in chapter 13. They use their own product names simply because they are writing an INTRODUCTORY how to book for those who are stumped as to how to clean their own homes! Some (many?) of those people will probably breathe a sigh of relief to have a single source for exactly the right tools for the job. The "recommended instead of" and "recommended in addition to" right now are both for the excellent housekeeping manual, "Home Comforts." I agree wholeheartedly that everyone should own that book, but this one does serve a different purpose. "Home Comforts" is an ideal housewarming or wedding gift, but it is HUGE and covers lots of other territory. "Speed Cleaning" is a quick--dare I say speedy--overview that can get a person working toward a clean, healthy home after an hour's reading. I must also add that I believe the emphasis on scrubbing over soaking is based upon the author's own habit of keeping an environment constantly essentially clean. A person who follows these steps on a frequent schedule and does daily cleaning religiously will find these methods cover every need. The expectation is that one will maintain using every step in the book, and therefore rarely need stronger methods. Buy this book if you want instructions as to how to quickly do a basic weekly cleaning of your home. Look elsewhere for: * specific homemade cleaning product recipes * clutter control * heavy-duty spring cleaning tips