I'm here to tell you that sometimes doing it yourself does not pay off.

My family and I spent the past weekend cleaning our carpets.  My husband rented a carpet cleaning machine from Home Depot for 2 days. 

Along with the cost of the cleaning solution ($108.27 with tax) and the carpet cleaning machine itself, my husband, my son and I spent the better part of 2 days moving furniture, setting up fans, and using this behemoth of a machine to get our carpets clean.

The Miele is probably the best vacuum cleaner that I have ever used.

In my business of cleaning homes for a living, I've used many different types of vacuums. But the Miele stands above the rest.

Here's why I choose the Miele vacuum cleaner over the Dyson, the Rainbow, the Oreck, and other vacuum cleaners...

Trying to choose a good cleaner can be a hassle because the store shelves are full of so many different cleaners, and a lot of them basically do the same thing.

Personally, I clean about 200 homes in a year's time -- not including my own home. So I use a lot of cleaning products.

I have tried a variety of different cleaning products, but I usually stick to the ones that I think are the best. 

These household cleaners work the best, in my opinion:

Ever wonder what those black lines are along the edges of your carpet -- at the baseboards and under doorways?

Who knew, that I'd first hear about Mr. Clean Magic Erasers at a conference about blogging?

It's true. When Glenn Reynolds (a.k.a. "The Instapundit" and godfather of the blogging world) mentioned in passing how much he liked this handy household gadget, I knew they must be great. And when he commented on their ability to work on a wide variety of surfaces, rather than just those stated on the box, I knew this product would be right up my alley.

I'm not kidding when I say these Magic Erasers truly work miracles... and they're only about a buck apiece!

• These foam-like pads are extremely lightweight and resemble pieces of styrofoam.
• They are made of a porous melamine material that gets into hard-to-clean surfaces and tiny grooves... like magic!
• All it takes is a dab of water to moisten the eraser. No other cleaning chemicals needed (...and no elbow grease).

My Favorite Uses For Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

After a few minutes of wiping down appliances, light switches, and cupboards (also lightly textured), I was compelled to go all around the house LOOKING for stuff to clean... These things are great at getting into the tiny cracks & crevices of virtually any surface!

My other faves:

Removing scuff marks from floors, doors, and baseboards (...not only scuff marks, but also years of black grime & built-up hairspray on white baseboards in the bathrooms & door panels of cabinets/doors)

Making tennis shoes look like new again

Cleaning white grout effortlessly

Removing set-in tea stains in the Mr. Coffee Instant Tea Maker (pitcher & tea holder)

Cleaning the textured plastic parts of the computer monitor, keyboard & mouse

Removing set-in stains from drink coasters (...even those ceramic ones)

Cleaning in the tiny nooks & crannies of the electric can opener

...but wait, there's more!

With two dogs in the house 24/7, we NEED a powerful carpet cleaner more often than we'd like to admit!

I can't tell you just how many times I've used our Bissell Pro Heat steam cleaner to clean up even the toughest of pet stains.

If you're wondering how it works, and whether or not it's worth the money, consider this...

...than a maid!

But, since we don't currently have maid service at our residence (yet!), cleaning the house is a chore that we regretfully have to do ourselves.

Case In Point:
Recently, our big dog had a bout with "the runs", and since Jim is only mildly helpful in situations that involve strong odors, gooey discharges or excrements, I'm now a PRO when it comes to "deodorizers" and "stain removers".

Which gives me a chance to share some highly recommended products that we use regularly...