(ARA) - With cold and flu season here, it's more important than ever to make sure your house is as clean as it can be. But how do you get motivated about cleaning? And how do you save time and money while keeping your house sparkling?

A clean home can help prevent the spread of germs and viruses, keeping your family healthier and saving you the time and money associated with illness. Staying healthy is a timesaver, for sure, but who wants to spend that saved time on complicated cleaning tasks? Don't you wish there was a resource where you could find timesaving cleaning hints and ideas - from the pros and your peers?

Don't you wish you could get euphoric about cleaning? A growing group of people are doing just that - by logging on to the new Cleanaphoria Web site. The site, sponsored by Merry Maids, brings together cleaning advice from Merry Maid pros and just plain folks, along with a healthy dose of fun in features like a music playlist to keep you motivated and moving while you clean.

"Who doesn't love a clean home? It just feels good to be surrounded by cleanliness, plus it's healthier," says Merry Maids' president Laura Hendricks. "But people who appreciate a clean home don't always find the cleaning process at the top of their to-do list. At Cleanaphoria, people come together to share ideas for making the task more effective, speedy and enjoyable. And for those people who just can't face the dirt alone, there is Merry Maids to help them."

Tips include gems from both users and professionals, such as:

* "My dad, of all people, taught me this," one user comments. "To help prevent soap scum building in a porcelain tub, apply a light coat of boat or car wax to the sides of the tub (never on the bottom). It also keeps hard water stains off glass shower doors."

* Work with gravity when cleaning your house - do the whole house and each room from top to bottom. Dust first, vacuum last, and scrub, wipe and polish in straight lines, not circles.

* You can use a damp fabric softener sheet to wipe down mini blinds, TVs and computer monitors. The sheet eliminates the static that causes dust to cling to these surfaces.

* Merry Maids suggests using a damp cloth to rub a little mayonnaise or toothpaste onto water spots or rings on wood furniture to remove the blemishes. "This works," one user commented. "Can't tell you how much I appreciate being out of the doghouse after getting rid of the ring I left on the coffee table."

Users can seek answers to their cleaning questions in two ways - by either posting in the site's community forums or posing the question directly to the Merry Maid experts. Cleaning pros will post a response on the site. Cleanaphoria also offers downloadable playlists of music to clean by, including country, oldies and classic rock.

"Social media outlets and communities are where people go every day to interact with their friends and search for answers and helpful ideas - to be a part of the conversation," says Hendricks.  "We wanted to make our online community a place where people can learn, participate and have fun. Cleanaphoria represents a state of mind, and we think the site helps our visitors achieve that."

For more cleaning tips, visit www.Cleanaphoria.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent