Before modern technology brought electric resistance heaters, hydronic radiant heat (steam or hot-water heating devices) and electrostatically filtered forced-air furnaces (central heating), heat-sources were wood burning stoves, oil furnaces and coal. None of these burned very clean and, for the most part, still don't today. They are the soot-developers that launched the age-old tradition known as "spring cleaning".

Spring was the first opportunity for our ancestors to open windows, let fresh air in and remove bad looking, smelly soot from walls, floors, furniture, carpets, window coverings and the like. As was the case then, fresh air is still essential to a clean home.

You needn't do spring cleaning unless you're using coal, wood or an oil furnace. If you have a modern heating system, develop a room-cleaning schedule that you can live with. Clean one room at a time from top to bottom during non-winter months. Why non-winter? Because some cleaners produce toxic fumes and because fresh air circulation plays a big part in helping to eliminate bad odors.

Create the following cleaners from common household products to get the job done economically:

1. Use a scouring pad and Mrs. Wright's Silver Polish on the inside of a dirty oven.

2. Pour a cup of vinegar into an ice tray and fill it the rest of the way with water. Add a little bit of dark food coloring so that everyone in the house knows which tray contains the vinegar. Once a week, drop a few of the ice cubes into your garbage disposal. The vinegar will clean it and the ice will sharpen the blades.

3. Table salt and any kind of vinegar make a good combination for polishing copper. First, sprinkle on a layer of salt (about an eighth of an inch thick) and then a spattering of vinegar (not too much you'll learn soon enough that a little vinegar goes a long way). Wait for a minute and then start scrubbing. Once the tough areas have been cleaned, use a metal polish to bring out the luster in the metal.

4. White rings in fine furniture can be removed with mayonnaise and a nylon scrubbing pad. Apply enough mayonnaise to cover the white ring, let sit for about fifteen-minutes, wipe up the excess mayonnaise with a soft cloth or paper towel, scrub the affected area with the nylon pad and bring the luster of the furniture back with a coat of lemon oil.

5. Window cleaning is easy when you use two tablespoons of vinegar mixed into a quart of tap water (warm water cleans better). And, yes, newsprint is still the best material made to make glass shine, streak free.

6. Add baking soda to the wash for sheets, curtains and other washable linens. The addition of the baking soda will render a fresher product. Remember to use scented fabric softeners after the baking soda. This because the baking soda will remove most of the scent if it is added after the softener.

7. Common household bleach is a killer when it comes to mildew. When diluted in water (out of the bottle it is too strong for the job) and mixed with laundry detergent, it makes mildew disappear. The laundry detergent removes mineral and soap-scum buildup that can act as a barrier between the bleach and the mildew. Mix one quart of liquid laundry bleach into three quarts of warm water, then add one-third cup of powdered laundry detergent. Mix well and scrub with a nylon bristle brush. When the black mildew turns white it's dead and so are the spores that are invisible to the eye.

8. For fiberglass shower floors try lightly dampening the shower floor with water. Then add a healthy sprinkling of powdered dishwashing soap. Let stand for two to three minutes and scrub.

9. For tough stains in porcelain and china sinks, tubs and toilets, you can create a paste of equal portions of salt and turpentine. Then scrub, scrub, scrub. Or, you can use wet and dry sandpaper from the garage dampened in turpentine. Once the job is done, use car wax to bring back the original luster and make future cleanings easier.