One of the worst fears of every mother, housekeeper, or laundry shop attendant is a pile of stinky, messy underwear. Odor and smells coming from the body is one thing, but the smell from mold and other germs is another. Never fear, because stink-free underwear is here.

The North Face, a company that specializes in mountain climbing and expedition gear, has manufactured a new innovation in underwear. Stink-free underwear is ordinary underwear with silver fibers woven into the cloth. Silver compounds inhibit the growth of fungi and other foul-smelling organisms on the cloth. The stink-free underwear can be worn for days without washing, and stays smelling fresh and clean.

Stink-free underwear was made for members of mountain climbing and jungle exploring expeditions, although the underwear is also popular among men and college students who don’t have the slightest idea on how to wash clothes, or are just too lazy to haul a load of laundry off to the laundromat.

Mopping a floor or washing a window can be quite a chore. Most people find themselves bored with their weekend cleaning tasks, and end up really stressed afterwards. You can remove all the stress and the boredom from your weekend cleaning jobs by playing your favorite tunes on the home stereo system or through your MP3 player.

Dance is very invigorating, and takes your mind away from the drudgery of cleaning. It is also an excellent form of exercise, especially for people who want to lose extra pounds. You could use headphones on a portable MP3 player, or you could make cleaning more fun and exciting if you play music at a loud volume, although make sure your neighbors would not complain. Here are interesting dance ideas you could incorporate into your cleaning routines:

• Play 70s disco for window washing.

• Play some hip-hop dance remixes when you’re mopping up the floor.

• Dance crazes from the 1990s are excellent for dusting and wiping curios and shelves.

Cleaning need not be boring and tedious. You’d be surprised at how much work you can do if you make your cleaning jobs more fun and exciting.

A rule that any environmentally aware housekeeper should know is that if there are ingredients that you can’t read what’s on the label, then it is not something you should use to clean your home. Ingredients that sound complicated are toxic, and can cause medical complications like allergies and even cancer. While these cleaning agents claim to be more effective at cleaning tough stains, you’re better off sticking with all-natural ingredients.

While you can’t avoid having a few toxic chemicals around, it’s better to restock your cleaning closet with environmentally-friendly products. It pays to read labels carefully, because some manufacturers may claim to have “all-natural” ingredients, but add toxic compounds into the mixture.

For an environmentally-friendly home, you should only stock your cleaning closet with three toxic chemicals:

• Hydrochloric (muriatic) acid

• Chlorine bleach

• Drain cleaner.

Remember to keep these three chemicals sealed and stored properly out of the reach of children. You should also go through your other cleaning chemicals. Remember that if you can’t read an ingredient, chances are that it’s harmful and unsafe for use. You should properly dispose of small bottles of toxic cleaning chemicals that have those long, scientific-sounding names.

Reorganizing your cleaning closet to be more environmentally-friendly is not only good for you, but is also good for the environment.

Swimming is an enjoyable activity for hot summer days. The only problem is that a pool can get really dirty after so many butterfly strokes and cannonball dives. You can hire a pool boy to clean your pool, although the charge can be quite expensive and the task can be time-consuming. Never fear; Verro, your friendly neighborhood robotic pool boy, is here.

Verro is one of iRobot Corporation’s many automated cleaning aids, and comes from the same family as products like the Roomba and the Dirt Dog. The Verro is a self-contained submersible vacuum cleaner, water filtration unit, and pool floor scrubber all rolled into one convenient pool-cleaning robot.

Pool cleaners use an assortment of hoses, nets, and vacuum hoses to clean a pool. The Verro packs all of these tools, coupled with a very maneuverable four-wheeled chassis, into one compact package. The neat thing about the Verro is that you can just drop it into the pool, and watch it pick up all the mess and debris all over the pool.

Most home appliance stores carry the iRobot Verro. You can also visit websites to check for the best deals for a Verro. With the iRobot Verro, you can clean up your pool without fumbling for nets, pool brooms, and other equipment. A clean dive and swim is just a robot away.

Vinegar is very useful for adding some bite to your dishes, but you can also use it as a very effective cleaning ingredient. The acidity of vinegar makes it a perfect cleaning agent. Besides its effectiveness, it is also natural, which means that it is harmless to the environment and to the people living in your home. Here are some great cleaning ideas that use vinegar:

• To unclog sink drains, pour one cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar down the clogged drain, and flush it down with hot water afterwards.

• To clean glassware, soak tissue paper in pure distilled white vinegar, and wrap the cloudy glassware with it. Let the glasses stand for half an hour, and clean them with soap and hot water.

• To remove smells from refrigerators and food containers, wash them with a sponge soaked in hot white vinegar.

• To remove tarnish, rub a paste made from equal parts of table salt and distilled white vinegar.

• To deodorize a toilet bowl or a urinal, pour three cups of warm white vinegar in the toilet, and allow it to sit for 45 minutes before you flush it.

Vinegar is more than just a way to flavor your dishes or to dip potato chips in. The next time you buy vinegar from the grocery, buy those giant gallon bottles. Not only do you have a great way to add flavor to a meal, but also a great cleaning ingredient at your disposal.

Ever wondered why companies insist that their employees keep their workplaces clean? Not only is a dirty workplace a terrible place to work in, but it also lowers productivity and efficiency. Cleaning up after a day of work is just as important as what you do for a living.

Japanese companies innovated a productivity philosophy called “5S,” which stands for five Japanese words that refer to a methodology not only for cleaning, but for business. The 5S methodology is all about eliminating waste, speeding up daily tasks, and improving the quality of the workplace. You can use the 5S methodology to help you organize your tasks at the end of every working day.

Seiri (Sorting)

Go through everything in your workplace. Check your shelves, desks, and even the file structures in your office computer. Keep only the items you need at work, and discard or store everything else. Sorting and storing reduces the time you spend looking for a particular pencil, a notepad, or a certain file on your computer, which means that you can devote more time to work.

Seiton (Set in Order)

“Set in order” means that there’s a place for everything, and everything should be in its place. After a day of work, take the time to see if your writing materials, tools, notes, and files are in their correct and proper order. It also means that you can improve the work flow for the next working day.

Seiso (Sweeping)

At the end of each working day, take the time to clean up after your office space. Clean up after any mess you make. Not only should you do this out of courtesy, but “seiso” also means that you know the exact place of everything you need for work. It also means that when you enter a clean office, you should work and leave in a clean office.

Seiketsu (Standardizing)

Almost every company has a standardized manual on company behavior and workplace cleanliness. If your company assigns cleaning tasks, you should know exactly what you should do and stick with that role for the particular task.

Shitsuke (Sustaining)

A systematic and productive workplace is not a one-day-affair just because the boss or some prospective clients are around. Sustaining your cleaning tasks is important to improve productivity and increase employee satisfaction. Remember that if you cannot sustain 5S, you have to start over.

The 5S system may sound simple, but it demands dedication and commitment. With 5S, you can be sure to complete your office cleaning tasks in no time.

Baking soda is more than just for baked goods and science experiments. Baking soda is a very effective way to remove many odors, and is very useful at removing foul, sweaty odors from shoes. While baking soda is not a substitute for foot powder, it is a convenient cleaning product to use when you store shoes in a cabinet for a short period of time. It’s also very easy to use:

• Use high-quality baking soda.

• Pour some baking soda on a bowl, and stir it to a fine powder. You should not see any lumps or chunks of baking soda.

• Dust your shoes with the fine powder. Make sure to also dust the insides of the shoe. Don’t worry about using too much baking soda; if your shoes are particularly stinky, use a lot of the stuff.

• Let the shoes stand for thirty minutes to an hour. The baking soda will absorb moisture and odors.

• Shake the shoes well to remove all the baking soda.

Baking soda is a perfect multi-purpose deodorizer and cleaning tool. With baking soda, your shoes will keep smelling fresh and brand-new.

One of the leading causes of clogged kitchen drains is used cooking oil. Many people make the mistake of pouring used cooking oil down the drain, and end up with a clogged sink at the end of the day. You may spend a whole afternoon with a rubber plunger, drain cleaner, and a kettle of boiling water trying to unclog the drain. You can avoid this messy, exasperating chore by disposing of used kitchen oil properly.

• Never pour cooking oil down the sink. The temperature of your drain pipes are significantly cooler than your kitchen, which means that the oil could solidify very quickly. Even vegetable oils can build up and solidify inside your drain pipes.

• Put it in a jar. Small amounts of cooking oil can be stored in a resealable plastic jar, and disposed of with your other household rubbish.

• Take it to a processing plant. Restaurants can process used cooking oil, although it is best to send your big jars of used grease and fats to a biodiesel processing facility. Not only do you get rid of your used cooking oil, you can also help produce clean, environmentally friendly fuel.

The next time you dispose of used cooking oil, remember to give your drain pipes a break. You can prevent clogged drains by following these simple steps to get rid of your used cooking fats and grease.

Some people may take the common toothbrush for granted, but it is extremely important for you to buy a good-quality toothbrush. Dentists sometimes recommend an electric toothbrush, but most dentists still recommend the dependable manual toothbrush for daily dental hygiene. Toothbrushes available on the market have all sorts of useful features like angled heads, offset bristles, rounded bristles, bending heads, and angled heads. While much about a toothbrush will depend on your own personal preference, here are some helpful hints to help you get the perfect toothbrush:

• Choose a toothbrush with soft nylon bristles. Hard bristles may seem to get more plaque and tartar out of your teeth, but they tend to hurt your gums and wear out tooth enamel.

• Always consider the size of the toothbrush head. Big toothbrush heads are for big teeth, while small toothbrush heads are for small teeth. Some dentists recommend the use of small toothbrush heads to get to hard-to-reach places.

• For you to clean your teeth properly with just the right amount of pressure, toothbrushes should have a non-slip plastic grip.

• Always replace your toothbrush every three months. Do not wait for your toothbrush to become worn before you replace it with a new one.

With the right toothbrush, you can keep your teeth staying clean and pearly white. The next time you go to the supermarket or drugstore to buy a toothbrush, use these tips to choose one that’s just right for you.

Thanks to convenient innovations in cleaning products, most stores now carry liquid shoe polish. Sometimes stores run out of liquid polish when you need them, and all they have on stock are cans of the old-fashioned, but very reliable, cans of shoe polish wax. Believe it or not, you can shine your shoes to an mirror-like finish with wax better than polish, if you know how to use the product.

1. Wipe off excess dirt, dust and grime from a leather shoe using a soft, clean cotton rag.

2. Use the head of an old toothbrush to pick out a small amount of shoe polish wax from the can, and apply it to the shoe with short, straight, even strokes.

3. Using a shoe polish brush with short nylon bristles, polish the shoe with smart, quick, firm strokes. While a circular pattern works for some people, the best shine comes from straight strokes.

4. Allow the shoe to dry for a few minutes, and give it a short brushing afterwards.

5. Use an old woolen sock to buff out the shoe to a smooth, glossy, mirror-like finish.

The next time the store runs out of liquid shoe polish, don’t get intimidated by the stuff your dad used to shine his shoes. With the right technique, you might even get really comfortable using shoe polish wax.