Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
5 Surprising Cleaning Tips
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Americans spend roughly $5 billion on household cleaning supplies every year and growing. But do we really need all those detergents and liquids? One cleaning expert says you can skip the store and save money by employing some basic products sitting in your cabinets at home.
DIY expert and author of the book, Who Knew? 10,001 Easy Solutions to Everyday Problems, Bruce Lubin, offers the following five simple cleaning solutions.
1. Remove Ink from Leather
To remove stubborn ink marks from leather shoes or bags, Lubin says all you need to do is spray a little hairspray and wipe away.
2. Leather Polish
Regular hair conditioner adds a glossy shine to leather shoes. Dab conditioner onto your shoes and work it into the leather with a cloth. It’s a fast method and it’s cost effective.
Also See: 5 Ways to Save on Home Heating
3. Red Wine Stain Remover
Whether you spill red wine on the floor or on fabric, Lubin says a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid can do the cleaning job just as well as any expensive wine-removing product, such as Wine Away, which can cost up to $9. The bleaching agent in the peroxide helps erase the stain, while the dishwashing liquid cleans. Let the mixture soak the stain and then wash.
1. Remove Ink from Leather
To remove stubborn ink marks from leather shoes or bags, Lubin says all you need to do is spray a little hairspray and wipe away.
2. Leather Polish
Regular hair conditioner adds a glossy shine to leather shoes. Dab conditioner onto your shoes and work it into the leather with a cloth. It’s a fast method and it’s cost effective.
Also See: 5 Ways to Save on Home Heating
3. Red Wine Stain Remover
Whether you spill red wine on the floor or on fabric, Lubin says a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid can do the cleaning job just as well as any expensive wine-removing product, such as Wine Away, which can cost up to $9. The bleaching agent in the peroxide helps erase the stain, while the dishwashing liquid cleans. Let the mixture soak the stain and then wash.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
10 tips to help you quickly clean your home
Check out this article :
In my house, cleaning has always been one of those mismanaged, random tasks. My husband and I tend to sort of let things pile up and then address each pile as we go. Not a very good strategy, right?
Recently, I left my full-time job and decided to stay at home temporarily (for more on my decision and story, check out this article). Now that I’m around the house a bunch more, I’ve made setting up a systematic cleaning routine a big focus. So far, I’ve found that there are a few easy, quick tips that easily help you quickly clean your home… and maintain your sanity!
http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/01182014-10-ways-to-help-you-quickly-clean-your-home/
The Importance of a Clean Bathroom
It is crucial to keep your bathroom clean.
To prevent Germs you should disinfect everything in the bathroom with commercial cleaners 3 or 4 times per week.
Odor can become a problem in the bathroom. You can keep your bathroom odor-free by applying a little bit of fragrance on a light bulb. When the light is on, the heat releases the fresh scent.
Read the full version of this blog post on this house cleaning service in San Francisco's blog:
Thursday, January 16, 2014
How To Clean Your Bathroom: 6 Tips
Read this article we found:
If you want your bathroom to shine and sparkle, you need to put some effort into cleaning your bathroom. To make your bathroom sparkle, there are a few easy ways in which you can follow. Cleaning your bathroom properly will also help to keep germs and other infections at bay. Today there are more than a million products in the market that you can purchase to clean your bathroom. Before you begin to clean your bathroom, take a look to see if there are any stains on the tiles or on the walls. Removing these bathroom stains can be a challenge, but as they say, nothing is impossible.
Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/home-n-garden/improvement/2014/how-to-clean-your-bathroom-six-ways-037313.html
If you want your bathroom to shine and sparkle, you need to put some effort into cleaning your bathroom. To make your bathroom sparkle, there are a few easy ways in which you can follow. Cleaning your bathroom properly will also help to keep germs and other infections at bay. Today there are more than a million products in the market that you can purchase to clean your bathroom. Before you begin to clean your bathroom, take a look to see if there are any stains on the tiles or on the walls. Removing these bathroom stains can be a challenge, but as they say, nothing is impossible.
Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/home-n-garden/improvement/2014/how-to-clean-your-bathroom-six-ways-037313.html
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Taking the chore out of hiring a cleaning service
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Stay on top of the dust and grime in your home by hiring a cleaning service. Don’t know where to start? Here are some tips to keep the process from becoming a chore.
OTTAWA — No longer are cleaning services a luxury reserved for the rich. The home cleaning industry has grown in popularity among the working middle class as work and family demands have caused cleaning house to slip to the bottom of the priority list, says Ernie Hartong, executive director of the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI).
Hiring a cleaning service can ensure your home always remains in good condition, despite a hectic lifestyle. But with so many cleaning companies available, not to mention private individuals offering services, knowing who to hire to clean your house can itself be a chore. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Have clear expectations
Thérèse Levesque, Gloucester franchise owner of Molly Maid, one of Canada’s largest cleaning services, says communication is key when hiring a home cleaner. Lay out your expectations and be sure to discuss areas of the home you don’t want cleaning staff to enter.
“Some parents don’t want the cleaners to go into their teenager’s bedroom, for example,” she says.
A reputable company should offer a list of services that include surface cleaning in the kitchen, bathrooms, living areas and vacuuming or wet mopping of floors. Be clear about what services the cleaning crew will perform and what extras you can ask for such as cleaning out the refrigerator.
Ask for insurance
While the cleaning lady on your block may charge less than a professional company, Hartong warns of potential drawbacks. “If they damage something, they will not have the resources to repair or replace it whereas a company would have liability insurance,” he says. Ask to see that the company’s insurance policy is up to date and if they pay WSIB premiums in the event that an employee is injured at your home.
Get an in-home estimate
Levesque says price is not determined by square footage of the home, but the time spent cleaning it.
“You could have two homes with the same square footage but home A has two adults and no pets and home B has three kids, a dog and a cat and will take longer to clean,” she says. For this reason, Molly Maid doesn’t provide prices over the phone, preferring to provide in-home estimates instead that allow them to provide a more accurate price. (But to get an idea, other home cleaning services in Ottawa charge anywhere from $30 to $50 per hour per person.)
Service guarantee
A satisfaction guarantee ensures the cleaning company will correct any mistakes made by the crew and is your first indication that it’s a reputable cleaning company, since a company with a poor track record wouldn’t want to guarantee customer satisfaction. Asking for references is another way to ensure the company will live up to its promises.
Ask about cleaning products
Many cleaning services are responding to customer demands for eco-friendly cleaning products, but while you may have a preferred brand, most professional companies use their own product line since employees are trained how to use them properly. Hartong says issues can arise if a cleaner uses a product recommended by the homeowner but isn’t trained on how to use it properly.
Cleaning Daily or Weekly?
Many people wonder how often to clean each room of their house. AmericanHouseCleaning.com, a well known San Francisco maid service, offers a new blog post about cleaning schedules. Did you know that the more a room gets used the more often it should be cleaned? For example, the bathroom and kitchen are used daily so you should clean them daily. However you don't have to thoroughly clean these rooms everyday just sanitize and keep them tidy. Sweeping and mopping of the floors can be done each week. For more helpful tips click the link below:
http://americanhousecleaning.com/?module=bbmodule&action=view_category&id=22&more=1&subtheme=_none&src=52cdaab3ad880
http://americanhousecleaning.com/?module=bbmodule&action=view_category&id=22&more=1&subtheme=_none&src=52cdaab3ad880
Friday, January 3, 2014
8 Easy maintenance tips for front load washers
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Many people love their front-loading washing machines, thanks to their efficient use of water and energy, ergonomics and their gentler cleaning action on clothes. Indeed, many homes have traded in their old water-guzzling, top-loading machines for updated, high-efficiency models.
But these modern-looking domestic workhorses aren't perfect. A recent lawsuitalleges that some front-load models from the late 2000's were known by manufacturers to be "defective," as their design allowed for the rapid growth of mold and mildew, and yet, still sold to consumers.
Repairs and parts can be expensive too, meaning that in some cases, people are finding that it's more cost-effective to buy another machine altogether.
egardless of the age of the machine, some simple maintenance can be done to ensure the smooth operation of a front-load machine. If your machine has a self-cleaning option, great, but there are things you can still do to prevent trouble down the road. It doesn't have to be costly or burdensome -- a few small changes in one's laundry habits will go a long way. Here are some quick and easy tips to keep your front-loader happy, healthy and lasting longer.
Tips on maintaining a front-load washing machine
- Always, always use detergent made for high-efficiency (HE) machines, and use the minimum amount (more is not necessarily better). Regular detergents produce much more suds, and over time, can build up a film on the drum and hoses that become a breeding ground for mold, and may even mechanically or electronically damage a front-load machine. Read the label carefully -- some detergents are marked "HE compatible," but still produce lots of suds, which is difficult to rinse out as your high-efficiency machine uses less water, and therefore should not be used in your front-loader. We can't stress this enough -- in same cases, using the wrong detergent may even void your warranty.
- Use less or forego liquid fabric softeners (one teaspoon will soften a whole load). Ditto for bleach (one tablespoon for concentrated bleach, two tablespoons for regular). Remember, high-efficiency machines use less water, so less product is needed.
- Remove finished loads immediately. Do not let damp clothes sit in the machine (this provides an ideal breeding environment for musty smells and mildew). Care should be taken to ensure pets or children don't climb in.
- When not in use, leave the door of the washer ajar, to improve air circulation inside the machine and to prevent the buildup of mold and mildew.
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