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Housekeeping for 20-Somethings: 20 Ways to Make Like Martha

Housekeeping for 20-Somethings: 20 Ways to Make Like Martha

Things that Martha did in her twenties: sanded floors, tiled her own roof, became an expert in all things food and homekeeping. Things you're doing in your twenties: couch-surfing, talking about backpacking in Europe, praying for a paid internship. But it's the little things that count, right? Here are 20 small housekeeping tips to help you make like Martha.

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More Reasons to Make That Bed

Things that Martha did in her twenties: sanded floors, tiled her own roof, became an expert in all things food and homekeeping. Things you're doing in your twenties: couch-surfing, talking about backpacking in Europe, praying for a paid internship. But it's the little things that count, right? Here are 20 small housekeeping tips to help you make like Martha.

Make the Bed Every Day

The bed is the biggest piece of furniture in your home -- for some of us, it's the only piece of furnture in our home. So make it! Your college futon will look ten times better, we promise.

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Learn How to Clean

Read for More Cleaning Tricks

We know cleaning is on the bottom of your to-do list, but maybe chores wouldn't be so bad if you knew how to do them properly. These tips should help optimize your tidy-up time.

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Don't Let the Stains Stay

Read Up! The Stain-Removal Guide Will Sort You Out

A classic twentysomething is very talented at hiding lingering stains. Move really quickly and no one will notice the coffee stain on your shirt! Hard to maintain, but it really works! Better yet, just get rid of the stain -- the sooner the better. All you need is a little bit of water and our handy-dandy stain-removal guide for fresh, spotless, Martha-ish clothing.

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Cover Up Your Mistakes

For Ambitious Folk: The Slipcover How-To

Covering your futon with a sheet isn't fooling anyone. If you can't afford a real sofa, at least get a nice slipcover made for your sofa -- it can reset the room entirely, giving it a more adult (and more Martha) look. If you're feeling ambitious, make your own slipcover. Martha would.

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Own a Vacuum

The Golden Rules of Vacuuming

Dust (and other nasties) snuggle down in your carpets and hard-to-get corners for a home riddled with hidden bacteria. Sucking up dust particles with an unwieldy machine is annoying, we know, but it's something that must be done!

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De-Clog Your Drains

Addie Juell

Get the DIY Drain Cleaners How-To

Grease, oil, and hair collect in your shower drain pretty regularly -- gross, we know. But you can prevent it! It's all part of the Martha life. Remember that volcano you made in third grade, the one with the vinegar and the baking soda? That exact formula will create the perfect DIY de-clogger (and it's kinda fun.)

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Learn How to Fold Your Clothes

It's been a while since Mom folded them for you (we hope), so it's about time to learn how to properly fold your cool-weather pullovers. Shoving sweaters in the bottom of your drawers was fun through college, but now's the time to smooth the creases from your new, Martha-style life. A sweater, folded correctly, will be wrinkle-free and ready-to-wear.

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Make Sure Your Fridge Doesn't Smell

How to Clean Your Fridge

Chinese food smells great at two in the morning. Two weeks later, however, it smells a whole lot worse. Keeping a stinky fridge at bay is about constant vigilance: know what's in your fridge and get rid of the stuff that's about to be smelly. Make sure every container that goes in the fridge is immaculate: No sticky jam jars or grease-covered trays of meat. If smells have really settled in, you'll have to -- gasp! -- turn the fridge off and really get your elbows dirty.

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Get Thee to a Dry Cleaner

Steven McDonald

The Real Dry-Cleaning Solutions

Nice clothing deserves nice treatment -- dresses, winter coats, and suits should all be dry-cleaned.

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Learn How to Hand-Wash

Learn How to Hand-Wash a Sweater

But T-shirts are cozy! I look great in a hoodie! And who needs cashmere anyway? You do. It's time to invest in good-quality pieces, which are sometimes made with delicate fabrics (see: cashmere, silk). For when you accidentally rub avocado toast on your "first-day-of-work" sweater, you should be able to scrub-a-dub-rub that stain out, all with your own two hands.

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