The Best Cleaning Advice We Learned From Dad

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Moms may traditionally be the keepers of the cleaning rulebook at home, but plenty of dads out there have their own clever work-arounds, genius chore-day tactics, and, of course, time-tested maxims they pass on to their kids. We asked readers to share the best wisdoms their fathers taught them — and they didn't disappoint:

1. Make it sparkle. 

"My dad was in the army, and always told me to use newspaper to polish brass. He was also in charge of cleaning bathrooms in my house and suggested spraying a little Windex on a paper towel and using it to polish all the faucets." — Victoria, 29, Brooklyn

2. Hot water. Always.

"My dad insists that you can't wash dishes in anything but the hottest hot water. He actually gets upset if someone rinses a dish in cold water." —Jane, 36, Los Angeles

3. Treat your grill right.

"My dad always said the trick to keeping a good grill was to brush and then brush some more. Keep it clean and you'll never have a bad meal." —Courtney, 28, Atlanta

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4. Pull yourself together, from head to toe. 

"My dad sat me down with the shoe shine kit and taught me how to make sure my shoes always looked just right. He said that even more than a suit, people would notice and appreciate well-kept shoes. He was right." — Whitney, 32, Dallas

5. Choose the right tools for the job. 

"My dad taught me that any surface must be cleaned with a rag, and that rag was exclusively made out of an old undershirt." — Mike, 27, New Jersey

6. Look for creative solutions. 

"My dad always used a leaf blower to sweep out the garage (he'd back the cars out beforehand, obviously!)" — Patti, 43, Huntsville

7. Embrace technology. 

"Dad always told me there was no need to sweep the tile before mopping it — he'd use the vacuum cleaner to avoid having to use a dustpan. We had carpet and tile in the '80s, so we would vacuum the entire house, and then go back and mop all the tiled rooms." — Matt, 39, Waco

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8. Real men do dishes. 

"My dad taught me what my grandpa taught him: A husband/dad should always do the dishes meticulously, with a smile on his face, even if he made dinner that night. Dishes are a man's job. It was a bit of a shock to learn my beloved husband did not ascribe to this belief, but we are working through it." — Kate, 31, Washington DC

9. Respect others' expertise. 

"My dad always told me, 'Just send it to the dry cleaner.'" — Ben, 34, Chicago

10. Don't upset mom. 

"My dad told me, 'Messing up a woman's towels is the quickest way to a divorce.' Apparently my dad used to use bath towels to dry off the cars (and for other odd jobs). Eventually, he switched to using a synthetic chamois on the cars and saved his old, worn-out T-shirts for cleaning." — Christian, 41, West Palm Beach

From: Good Housekeeping US

By Jolie Kerr