Cleaning through the ages | CNN

Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Real Simple culled the smartest strategies and products from all possible eras, so you can be as scrappy as a Colonial settler and as high-tech as Jane Jetson—and make your cleaning routine faster, easier, and more effective than ever before.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

In 1893 the Fels soap company added naphtha, a kind of solvent, to their formula to create a much loved product that thrives to this day. Use it to pretreat oily (or otherwise tough) stains, like chocolate, makeup, baby formula, and ring around the collar. "Wet the bar, rub on, let sit for a few minutes, and wash as usual," says Steve Boorstein, the author of "The Clothing Doctor's 99 Secrets to Cleaning and Clothing Care."

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Clean brass and copper by sprinkling salt on a lemon half and rubbing it on the metal, then rinsing thoroughly. To bleach acidic-food stains from dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let the items dry in the sun, then wash as usual. Use the same process to coax food smells out of wooden spoons.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

This spinning wonder was patented in 1876 by Melville Bissell. He created the carpet sweeper at the behest of his wife, Anna, who was frustrated with the existing rug-cleaning technology. After Melville's untimely death in 1889, Anna became America's first female corporate CEO and helped the company grow into a powerhouse. Today the Bissell Swift Sweep remains a go-to gadget for quick (and quiet) cleanups.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Vinegar: It inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, so go nuts with it in the kitchen and bathroom, cleaning cutting boards and wiping soap residue from shower doors. But don't stop there. Spray it on the underarms of clothing and let soak for 30 minutes to deodorize! Mix it with an equal amount of warm water for a streak-free window cleaner! Remove rings left by wet glasses on wood by rubbing the rings with an equal mix of vinegar and melted beeswax! Pour it in the washer to rescue a forgotten load from funky despair—or sans clothes to refresh the machine!

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Mix 1 tablespoon peroxide with ¼ cup water, then spray it on fruits and vegetables to kill bacteria and rinse. Use it to disinfect cutting boards (they've never gotten so much love). Mix it with a little liquid dish soap to deodorize the cat box and trash cans. Do not use it to bleach your hair at home (1980s punks, you feel us, right?).

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Add it to a bit of liquid dish soap and tackle the refrigerator shelves. Pour it down a clogged drain along with boiling water. Sprinkle it around the house exterior to deter insects. Dilute and spray it to kill mildew in the bathroom. Pour it in the toilet and let sit overnight; the next day, swish with a brush and flush to get rid of rust stains. Clean countertops and walls by dissolving ½ cup in 1 gallon of hot water, pouring it into a spray bottle, spritzing it hither and yon, then wiping with a damp cloth. Oh, borax, is there anything you cannot do?

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Make a paste with an equal amount of water to clean smudges on washable wallpaper. Take on dingy grout by mixing 3 cups baking soda with 1 cup warm water and applying to the nasty area. Let sit, then rinse well. Also superb on a damp cloth for removing heel marks from linoleum floors.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

"For polishing anything from silver to jewelry to vehicles, these can't be outdone," says Mary Findley, the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning." And cloth diapers won't leave lint on mirrors or windows, she adds.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

In these times of better living through gadgetry, we want a just-right tool for every job. The rotating curved edge on this pan scraper, for example, fits the shape of any pan to dislodge stuck-on foods (scrambled-egg cleanup is a breeze). And the finely tapered nylon head won't scratch even delicate nonstick surfaces. Designed for the Museum of Modern Art, it's as snazzy as it is brilliant.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

The robot vacuum has a new cousin—the Mint 4200 Automatic Floor Cleaner is a wet mop and a duster. And, yes, a robot, too! Set on "sweep," it moves back and forth in neat lines, catching dust and dander. In "mop" mode, it uses its own wet cleaning cloths (or disposable cloths from most big-name brands) to make floors shiny and fresh. Flat and small enough to zip under furniture and into tight spaces (measuring only 3.1 inches high), it uses GPS-like technology to map its path and built-in sensors to avoid stairs and area rugs. When it's all done, it returns to its starting spot. And it's super-quiet, so it won't terrify the cat.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

The long-reaching Baseboard Buddy is shaped to nestle in the curves of molding—and tall enough to keep you off the ladder while you work. Spray the disposable pads (which have the texture of a velour lint brush) with the cleaner of your choice and get swiping. Hit the tops of doors and window frames while you're at it.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

We'll all soon be hooked on this tiny OXO double-tipped doohickey. The silicone end removes dust, crumbs, and goop from around computer keys, and the retractable soft-bristled brush is gentle enough for detailing a cell-phone camera lens.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Save the Q-tips for makeup removal. This tough-bristled tool from QVC quickly and efficiently cleans window and sliding-door tracks. After you loosen the grime, pick up what's left with a damp cloth or a paper towel.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Never again splatter bleach on your clothes while doing laundry. Evolve Ultra Concentrated bleach tablets offer a precisely metered dose of controlled bleachy goodness and take up practically no space in the laundry room. Keep a bottle in the bathroom as well, and drop one into the bowl between cleaning days.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Whatever the shape and contours of your tub or shower, this Rubbermaid brush can get right in there. A button lets you slide between flat or flexed mode.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

What the what?! A magic wand for fighting germs? Using the same technology employed to sanitize hospital equipment for the past three decades, the ultraviolet light-emitting the Clean Wave is said to kill bacteria on all sorts of hard surfaces. It works without chemicals, so it's safe on electronic devices, like keyboards, remotes, and phones, as well as countertops and door-knobs. (But, no, not on germy humans and pets. We were wondering, too.)

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

Here's an important industry-wide innovation inspired by plain old logic: Ready-to-use products contain about 10 percent cleaner; the rest is water. So if a spray product costs $6, you could be paying something like $5 for water. Enter concentrated cleaners, sold in starter kits (bottle included) and refill pods or tablets that you mix with tap water. They save you money and put less stress on the planet. (Lighter products require less fuel for shipping.) One of our favorite all-purpose concentrates is the Replenish: $6.50 for a starter kit.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

An industrial designer in Chicago named Elie Ahovi has come up with a prototype for a washing machine, called the Orbit, that uses pressurized dry ice to smash dirt particles off clothing. The dry ice starts as a solid block that stays cold thanks to liquid nitrogen. When you turn on the machine, the block is transformed into a gas and blasted at laundry. The Orbit process takes only a few minutes, after which the gas is transformed back into a solid. Even more fun: Clothing floats while it spins inside a glamorous spherical see-through machine that could have been a set piece in Barbarella. Laundry never gets wet and there's no need for detergent, so it comes out dry as well as clean. The dirt from clothes is sucked into a tube, which needs emptying now and then.

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Cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

A vacuuming robot called Cocorobo (in Japanese, a play on words for "robot with a heart") does everything but make you dinner. Newly available in Japan, this product from Sharp lets you map out your floor plan on your phone so you can decide exactly where the robot should go. It beams you floor's-eye-- view pictures as it works so you can spy on its progress. Want to be really hands-on? You can use your phone as a radio controller to steer the gizmo. Some models have voice-recognition software and can chat with you via a few dozen programmed phrases. This level of braininess doesn't come cheap. In Japan the robots retail for over $1,000. Sharp hopes to introduce an American version soon.

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The best cleaning ideas: Past, present and future —

A British research project known as Catalytic Clothing focuses on fabrics that use existing technology to purify the air. Tony Ryan, a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Sheffield, and Helen Storey, a fashion designer, run the project. They have created prototypes for dresses and jeans treated with an additive that's a photocatalyst (a light-triggered energy source) that breaks down airborne pollutants. In the future, the creators aim to have the photocatalyst delivered to clothes through detergents or fabric conditioner. There needs to be mass adoption of the technology for it to make a meaningful difference in air quality. Ryan and Storey hope that the additive can be affordable enough for their ambitious plan to become a reality.

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The best cleaning ideas: Past, present and future

Story highlights

Based on ancient pottery, the Babylonians used soap

Before vacuum cleaners, grass was used to sweep carpets

Lysol was once advertised as a birth control method

Real Simple —

2800 B.C.: Soaplike residue found clinging to the insides of clay vessels dating from this era proves that the ancient Babylonians had soap. And soap scum.

1500s: In Scotland, stale human urine is used as a cleaning agent for laundry. (They don’t tell you that in all those Scottish Highlander romance novels.)

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1782: Henry Sidgier is awarded the first British patent for a washing machine that uses a rotating drum. It features a cage with a handle for turning clothes. Inside, wooden rods toss the laundry to and fro.

1856: The how-to book “Enquire Within Upon Everything” advises: “Persons who are accustomed to use tea leaves for sweeping their carpets, and find that they leave stains, will do well to employ fresh cut grass instead.”

1886: A typical day for an American housewife includes 8 to 10 trips to the local water source. (It takes 50 gallons to do a single load of laundry!) That’s nearly 11 tons of water hauled per year.

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1886: Josephine Cochran of Shelbyville, Illinois, irked that the servants chip her fine china in the sink (darn servants!), designs the first dishwasher, a motorized machine with racks that hold dishes in place as soapy water shoots from below. It later makes a splash at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

1907: The Scott Paper Company introduces the first paper towels, designed to help prevent the spread of cold germs from cloth towels in public restrooms (eek!).

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1912: Lysol comes to America from Germany. It’s soon advertised as a way to halt the Spanish-influenza epidemic. It’s also promoted as a birth-control method and a feminine-hygiene product. Handy!

1913: Five California businessmen invest $100 each to found America’s first commercial liquid-bleach factory, using brine extracted from salt ponds. With sodium hypochlorite as its main ingredient, the product is dubbed Clorox. The business takes off when one investor’s wife starts giving away free samples at her family’s Oakland grocery store to cultivate customer loyalty.

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1918: The Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog advertises “Aids That Every Woman Appreciates,” featuring a home motor that can operate a fan, a sewing machine, a mixer, and even a vibrator (OMG).

1933: Proctor & Gamble advertises Oxydol soap powder with the then-innovative strategy of sponsoring a radio drama. The genre soon becomes known as—you guessed it—”soap operas.”

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1937: Betty Boop sings, “I’ve got those housecleaning blues,” in a cartoon. Her Grampy rigs up a Zamboni-esque bicycle-mop (right), plus a player piano that presses laundry. Then Grampy makes her a frothy soda-fountain drink. We want a Grampy.

1965: Studies from this decade show that despite advances in technology, women spend slightly more time on house-work—an average of 55 hours a week—than their grandmothers did.

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1980s: The maker of Dawn begins donating dish soap to help clean oil-covered wildlife. Rescue workers find that washing birds with dish soap gets the best results. (In the 1970s, some rescuers had tried mineral oil, sopped up by cornmeal.) Since then, Dawn has helped save more than 75,000 animals.

1998: Executive Order No. 13101 mandates that “environmentally preferable” (a.k.a. green) cleaning products be used in all federal facilities. Because the president says so, that’s why.

2012: Washing machines are 98 percent and dishwashers 101 percent more energy-efficient than they were 20 years ago.