Clean It Right

Cleaning has fascinated me ever since I was a little girl. The women in my large Italian family gathered several times a week in each other's homes, dusting, mopping, and vacuuming to the tune of booming laughter and rhythmic banter. They waltzed from room to room, pausing conversation only to vacuum the floor, and resuming to shine every last candy dish.

I marveled at the way they knew just what cleaner to use on the railings, and what would make the faucets sparkle at every angle. The cher...