Over time, your once-beautiful and pristine carpets will suffer the ravages of time and use, showing wear and tear in the areas that are subjected to the heaviest traffic, developing stains where food is dropped and mud is tracked, and even developing an overall dinginess from the settling of dust and other interior particulates. Even if you vacuum frequently, spot-treat stains, and make people take off their shoes when they enter your home, at some point you’re going to have to concede that your carpet requires deeper cleaning if you want to rejuvenate it and get it back to looking like new. But hiring a professional cleaning crew can be pricy. So you might be of a mind to do it on your own. However, before you rent or buy a steam vac you should probably take the time to consider the pros and cons of a DIY attitude.
PROS:
1. Affordable. There’s no denying that renting a steam vac at your local grocery store or vacuum shop is going to be cheaper than hiring a carpet cleaning service. And the truth is that it’s not very difficult to operate a steam vac, so long as you follow the directions. It’s a lot like regular vacuuming, only you do two passes to wet and then vacuum the fibers.
2. Extra attention. When you hire a professional crew to clean your carpet, they will probably afford the same attention to every square foot of carpeting, doing a thorough and consistent job. But if you have areas that need more attention, you will have to inform them and you may have to pay extra. If you do it yourself, you can spend as much time on any given area as you like.
3. Renewed carpeting. The best reason to engage in steam cleaning your soiled carpets is to return them to their former appearance. By doing it yourself you can not only save money, but you can steam clean as frequently as you like in order to keep your carpeting looking fresh and new. And if you purchase a steam vac you can really get your money’s worth and potentially stave off the cost of flooring replacement for years to come.
CONS:
1. Drying time. Although carpeting may only take a few hours to dry after steam cleaning, depending on ventilation, temperature, humidity, and so on, it could take up to 24 hours before you can safely walk on it again and reinstall your furniture. And if you mess up and leave it too wet, it could take even longer.
2. Limited to wet cleaning. Professional carpet cleaning services have access to machinery that can clean your flooring in a number of ways, including dry cleaning that will leave your carpet ready for use in under an hour. This option simply isn’t viable if you’re doing it yourself because of the equipment needed for the task.
3. Doing it yourself. If we’re being honest, most of us rarely move the furniture to clean underneath it during regular vacuuming. So having to completely remove every stick of furniture from carpeted areas in order to steam clean is a major hassle, not to mention having to wait 24 hours to return it. And even when following carpet cleaning tips you can easily use too much water or too much solvent, leaving your carpet with patches of wetness that take longer to dry or areas that are stiff with solvent after the fact. If simply steaming your carpet seems like too much trouble, you might just want to consider spending a little more to turn the task over to a quick, efficient, professional crew.
- Bringing Your Kids into the Equation
You can’t clean your home effectively while your kids are playing or running around so you should adapt to that. Make sure you approach the subject in a way that would make it seem like less of a chore and more of a thing you can do together.
- Toddlers and Brooms
Toddlers can help you a little with your efforts and they could feel happy while doing it. You should still stick to tasks that suit their capability and make sure they’re having the most fun they can. This could mean something as simple as putting their toys back in order or trying to make their bed. As long as they feel useful you could slowly, but surely help them become more organized.
- Keeping it Realistic
Moving forward with the age of kids you could do a bit better, especially with preschoolers. They can do a good job at cleaning up and organizing their rooms if you help them understand the need for it. You shouldn’t expect absolute perfection in what they do, so provide praise for their work and avoid being far too demanding.
- Giving Specific Instructions
Stick to giving easy to follow, simple instructions that kids can follow one at a time and without difficulties. Cleaning up their room will be a good start and you could easily help them do that by having them focus on one task and not all at once. Once they get used to it in time they will start working toward it on their own.
- Using Pictures
You could make a small set of drawings for toddlers as this could help them visualize what they can help with. Picture a figure placing toys inside boxes or bins and they will have a better understanding of what needs to be done.
- Downsizing of Toys
It would be a lot faster for you and your kids if you have less clutter to deal with to begin with. Keep their toys in a manageable number and organized in bins. If the toys are starting to overflow in the bins, this may be a good time to consider what you could store away or donate. Explain the needs of those less fortunate to your kids and have them decide what they can leave to someone else.
- Remember to Play
The main thing about cleaning and organizing in this case is making sure you’re actually having fun. Have things organized as a game or a competition between you and them. Let them win, be nice and enjoy their joy and pride when they do.
For more tips visit: http://www.sofacleaners.org.uk/fulham-upholstery-cleaning-W6/upholstery-cleaner-fulham.html
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Every time the winter season rolls around, while the cool weather and snow can be nice to ice skate, snow ski or build a snowman in, when we walk inside our of homes, we definitely want the rooms of our house to feel nice and toasty. Not only that, but we don’t want to find ourselves spending hundreds of dollars each month in energy bills in order to do so.
So, in the effort to help you both clean as well as winterize your house, we wanted to provide you with five tips. Hopefully, by applying these, your house will be spotless and more importantly, your energy costs will remain within your budget.
Change your filters. Being that there’s a pretty good chance that you will turn up your HVAC unit and/or furnace during the winter season, it’s important that you make sure that your filters are clean. Typically, HVAC units need new filters about every 90 days while furnaces should have their filters changed around once a month. That way, you can know that you’re breathing fresh air, even if you’re opening up your windows a lot less often during the wintertime.
Do some caulking. Sometimes, we can find ourselves walking past a window or door and it will feel like there is a bit of a draft. If you look closer, there very well may be one due to some small cracks or holes in the frame. In most cases, there is a very simple solution. All you have to do is apply some caulking to it. You can find it for a very reasonable price at your local hardware store.
Change the rotation of your ceiling fans. If you don’t already own a ceiling fan or two, it’s definitely worth the investment. Not only do they help to beautify a room, but they can also help to reduce your energy costs and here’s why. By turning them on during the summer months, it assists in providing great air circulation so that on most days, you don’t have to turn your programmable thermostat down below 73 degrees. During the wintertime, if you set them to rotate counterclockwise, it can help to bring the heat that has risen to the ceiling down closer to where you are; and the great thing is that you still won’t have to change your temperature setting!
Add some plants. Just because the limbs may be bare on your trees, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a lot of greenery inside of your home. In fact, if you happen to have some indoor air quality and health concerns , did you know that there are a variety of plants that can actually help to keep toxins out of the air? Some of our favorites are English Ivies, Bamboo Palms and Gerber Daises.
Put down some bedding. You might be surprised what a simple change of bedding can do. By putting some flannel sheets on your beds, along with a couple of blankets, it’s a quick and easy way to stay warm all throughout the night without having to turn up your thermostat. This means lower energy bills through spring. Happy Winter!
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When you’re in your kitchen and you’re in the process of cleaning it, how much time do you devote to your range? Although it tends to be an appliance that not a lot of us give thought to, the truth of the matter is that it’s essential when it comes to keeping our kitchens healthy. That’s because the internal fan that is attached to it helps to capture all of the grease and residue that’s in the air as we’re cooking our meals. If we don’t clean it on a regular basis, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria and even the source of a potential fire hazard. This is why it’s so important that you do all that you can in order to clean and maintain your range hood.
If you’d like some tips on how to do that, we’ve enclosed five of them below:
Clean the vent hood. When it comes to your vent hood, take out the grease filter that is inside of the range and let it soak in a degreaser solution for about an hour. Then take it out and wash it in some soapy warm water (dishwashing liquid should be fine). Also take special note that if your range hood happens to use charcoal filters, when you’re in the process of cleaning it, you should change those as well.
Clean the filters. If you wait too long, there’s a pretty good chance that an oily residue is going to collect on your filters. The reason why this is cause for concern is that if the filters are not clean, the residue could actually end up dropping into your food. So make sure that you take the time to clean those out too.
Clean the inside and outside surfaces. Just about all of us have seen a range hood that seems to have layers of residue on them; almost to the point where it appears impossible to remove. You can avoid this from happening by cleaning the inside and outside surfaces of your range hood no less than twice per month. In most cases, you can put some degreaser on a damp cloth to remove any grime, grease or debris that you see. But if you come across some really stubborn areas, mix one part baking soda with one part water. That should make those spots as good as new. Word of caution: keep the degreaser and baking soda solution away from your light fixtures; it could damage them.
Empty your reservoir. If you were to ask a company like Range Hoods Inc. about what you should do in order to maintain your range hood, something that they would probably tell you to do is look to see if you have reservoir (if you do, it would be located close to the backsplash in your kitchen). It’s something that also helps to catch the oil. If you happen to notice that it is filled with oil, it’s important that you empty it just as soon as possible.
Consider using a natural degreaser. Are you someone who would prefer to use as little chemicals as possible while cleaning your range hood? If so, consider making your own degreaser. All you need to do is combine two cups of warm water, two tablespoons of baking soda, two teaspoons of castile soap and 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. It’s cheap, it’s effective and it will have your range hood sparkling clean in no time!
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Have you ever stopped to think about what life would be like without your kitchen appliances? How could you keep your food cold without a refrigerator? How long would it take you to wash the dishes in your sink without a dishwasher? What would you do without your microwavable popcorn without a microwave? Indeed, life is so much easier with the help of the appliances that we own. And in order for them to remain working at an optimal level for years to come, it’s important that we do all that we can to keep them as clean as possible.
If you’ve been looking for a few helpful tips on things that you can do to clean the big and small kitchen appliances that you own, we have five great recommendations for you below:
Your refrigerator. Your refrigerator is the one place that is responsible for keeping your food fresh and so you want to make sure that you thoroughly clean it no less than once a month. To do this, simply empty out the refrigerator. Throw out (or compost) foods that have expired. Use some warm soap and water to wash the interior of the refrigerator as well as its racks. Pour some baking soda on a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom of the refrigerator for 24 hours to “air it out” and then leave an open box on one of the racks once you put them back in. These tips should have your refrigerator looking (and smelling) like new again.
Your stovetop. Here’s something that just might surprise you. Did you know that you can actually keep your stovetop clean by simply applying a bit of car wax to it? All you need to do is pour some car wax onto a soft cloth and apply it directly to the stovetop and wipe it off. For the inside of your oven, pour a half-cup of ammonia into a dish, place it inside of a cold oven overnight and the next day, you will see that a lot of the grime has loosened up so that you can use a wet rag to wipe it all off.
Your dishwasher. Being that your dishwasher has to work hard to get all of the stuck-on food off of your dishes, it’s important that at least once a week, you pour a cup of white vinegar into your dishwasher and run a normal cycle without any dishes inside. What this actually does is clean out any old food particles that your dishwasher might have as it helps to keep the interior of your dishwasher smelling fresh.
Your toaster. Say that you recently purchased a stainless steel toaster at a place like Premier Appliance and you noticed that it has some smudges on it. Something that you can do to remove them is to pour some vinegar on a damp cloth and rub it over the smudges. As far as the inside of the toaster, most of them have a removable tray that you can wash with some warm soap and water (just remember to unplug the toaster before removing the tray and to thoroughly dry it before putting it back inside of the toaster and turning it on).
Your microwave. Don’t forget that it’s also important to clean your microwave. Just fill up a microwavable bowl with 1-2 cups of water combined with 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar. Turn on your microwave for five minutes and then use a wet rag to wipe off the inside of the microwave. It’s an easy and chemical-free way to get your microwave sparkling clean!
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When it comes to keeping your children’s playroom clean and organized, you may feel like you’re fighting a losing battle. What takes you hours to tidy and sanitize can be messed up in a matter of moments by a rambunctious group of tots. As a concerned parent you can’t allow your children to play in a space that is isn’t safe, and a room beset by dust bunnies, covered in mess from previous play, and littered with toys that could become harmful tripping hazards is not exactly the best environment for your kids to spend time in. So you continue with the arduous task of picking up toys, wiping down surfaces, and vacuuming daily. However, you don’t necessarily have to make your life so difficult. With a few simple tips and tricks under your belt you can keep your children’s playroom clean and organized with a lot less time and effort. Here are some guidelines to get you started.
First of all, you should know that organization begins with having a place for everything so that everything can go in its place. If your current strategy consists of stuffing a growing volume of playthings into one tiny toy chest or shoving them into a closet that is increasingly hard to close, it’s no wonder that the kids quickly make the room look like a tornado went through. Instead you should rethink your position on organization. The place to start is by thinning out toys and supplies at least once a year, but seeking out storage solutions that will give you the compartmentalization your need to really get the space in order is important, as well. For this purpose you could use shelving and bins to separate toys from craft supplies or give each child their own cubbies in which to house their stuff. And there are a couple of advantages to this set up.
First and foremost, you’re probably a lot taller than your kids, which means you can store items you don’t want them to have ready access to out of their reach. So if you’re tired of cleaning up glitter and glue, simply reserve these supplies for special occasions by keeping them on high shelves where kids can’t easily get to them. This will save you not only the trouble of cleaning up a mess, but also of putting items away each day. Further, having storage at a level your kids can reach means that you needn’t do all of the tidying up on your own. It’s never too soon to start teaching your kids life lessons, and this is a good opportunity to show them how to clean up after themselves. When each child has his or her own storage bins in easy reach, they can not only pull out the toys they want to play with, but they can easily put them away, as well.
As for cleaning, you can make your task somewhat easier by removing plush surfaces like carpeting that can trap dust, dirt, and allergens. And if you don’t like the idea of hard surfaces like wood or stone that could cause undue harm to young kids if they take a tumble, consider installing easy-to-clean rubber mats. These interlocking tiles can be placed on top of your current flooring, they are easy to clean, and you can remove and replace them with little fuss or additional cost as needed, making them an ideal choice for your playroom. It won’t be long before you’re sending your kids off to school, teaching them to drive, and trying to select the best tablets for kids of the year so that they have the tools they need to succeed in college. But for now you have to focus on keeping them safe and healthy, and that starts by creating a clean and organized space in which they can play.
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When you buy into new construction, the main benefit, aside from the fact that everything is brand new, is that it’s all clean, and so as long as you maintain it you’ll probably never have to do the same kind of intensive deep cleaning that older homes require. But when several generations of owners have lived in your home, adding layer upon layer of grime, not to mention wearing away the finishes meant to protect surfaces from the ravages of dirt and dust, you’ll have to work overtime to get your house in ship shape for habitation. Of course, some people simply end up renovating an older home in order to add new materials and modern upgrades. But if you love the character that old wood, embellishments, and building materials from another era add to your home, then a deep cleaning allows you to salvage the elements that make your structure unique. Here are just a few tips that can help you to achieve your goals.
- Get to the bottom. Each homeowner is going to have his or her own style, and most will cover up whatever was left behind by the previous tenants. In this case you might have to do a little digging to find the original materials in your home. Your first task should therefore be to tear out carpeting, peel off wallpaper, and strip down paint in order to get at the wood, tile, and other original materials underneath. As a bonus, this will allow you to get rid of the outdated, ugly, or soiled top layers left behind by years of former homeowners.
- Work on a room-by-room basis. Your deep cleaning project can get a little overwhelming if you start running through all the things you have to do. But you can make the process a bit more tenable by setting a schedule that allows you to work on one room at a time, not to mention creating checklists for each room so that you don’t miss anything.
- Get into every nook and cranny. Deep cleaning requires you to get into spaces where you wouldn’t normally focus your cleaning efforts. You not only have to dust the top of cabinets, but you also need to clean inside and possibly underneath or behind them. In addition to floors, you might want to use a hose and attachment to suck up dust that has settled on the walls, cobwebs near the ceiling, or the layer of grime on lighting fixtures and ceiling fans. Just take your time and follow your checklist.
- Use the right cleansers. When you’re dealing with wood flooring and stone tiles that are a hundred years old, for example, a delicate touch may be required. And the chemically-infused cleaning solvents of today might be too harsh, ultimately damaging older materials (especially if finishes have worn off over time). There are a couple of solutions (no pun intended). One is to use solvents that are specifically designed for use with wood or stone products, or that are recommended for use on delicate surfaces. But you might also consider green cleaners made with natural ingredients. Some are now available in stores, or you can find recipes to make your own online, often with common household ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, or olive oil.
- Refinish surfaces. Once you’ve finished your deep cleaning, make sure your efforts last by taking the time to reseal hardwood, stone, and other surfaces. You might also consider finding and sealing air leaks in your home as a way to keep the elements out, increase energy efficiency, and protect the interior surfaces from undue dirt, dust, and temperature fluctuations.
Whether you’ve decided to renovate your kitchen, upgrade your flooring, or repaint all of the rooms inside of your house, if there’s one thing that you can be sure to make in the process, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. As a matter of fact, the reason why a lot of people tend to procrastinate when it comes to remodeling projects is because they want to do everything that they can in order to avoid all of the cleaning that will be required once they are done.
If this has been your dilemma, the good news is that there are things that you can do to maintain the cleanliness of your home during a remodel. If you’d like a few effective ways that you can do just that, we’ve enclosed three of them below:
De-clutter first. One of the best things about remodeling is that it gives you the opportunity to throw out and give away things that you would probably never think about otherwise. So, whether it’s a few bags worth of clothes that can go to your local Goodwill or some electronics that could be donated to a local recycling center (E-CyclingCentral.com has a list of centers across the country), remember that there’s no real point in doing something new to your house if you’re just going to fill it up with old junk. Therefore, make sure to de-clutter the space first.
Remove it and cover it. Once you have all of the stuff that you don’t want out of the house, try and only do one remodeling project at a time. For instance, if it’s your master bedroom, make sure to remove all of the furniture and clothes out of the area so that none of those things will get damaged during the remodeling process. Also, don’t forget that it’s important to cover up all of your furniture, preferably with plastic. Not only will it protect things like your vanity or cherry wood bed from paint chips and other forms of debris but if you’re doing some renovation work in the summer time and you’re staying ahead of summer heat, covering up the furniture will prevent humidity from affecting some of your pieces.
Clean up. Daily. The reason why things end up becoming a big mess in the first place is usually due to the fact that we allow things to pile up. When it comes to remodeling your home, you definitely cannot afford to do that. So, make sure to clean up as you go. This would include mopping and vacuuming as needed, putting supplies and tools where they belong once you are finished and also opening up your windows in order to let out any of the toxins or fumes that have accumulated throughout the day out. Speaking of toxins, rather than going with a commercial cleaning product, we recommend using some that are made out of homemade items such as white vinegar, baking soda, lemon, hydrogen peroxide and olive oil. For a list of homemade cleaning recipes that you can make from scratch, go to your favorite search engine and put “homemade cleaning recipes” in the search field. Happy Cleaning!
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If there’s one thing that all of us have to make the time to do, it would have to be house cleaning. Not only does it keep the rooms in our home from looking cluttered but it also helps things to look great and smell nice. This is especially the case if you decide to forego the commercial cleaning products that usually have toxic chemicals and fumes and instead, look for some “green” home cleaning tips that you can use.
If you’re about to do some cleaning in the next couple of days and you’d like to know about some ways to spruce up your home that are safe, inexpensive and extremely eco-friendly, we have five great ones for you below:
Clean your floors with vinegar. If during the week you pretty much just sweep your floors, on the day that you set aside to do some housecleaning, make sure to thoroughly mop them. However, instead of using a store-bought brand, opt for making a solution that consists of one cup of vinegar and one gallon of warm water. It’s perfect for cleaning floors made out of tile, linoleum or even wood.
Try some hydrogen peroxide. There are plenty of things in your home that can help to make it spotless including baking soda, lemon and also hydrogen peroxide. As a matter of fact, there are many things that just one bottle of peroxide can do from cleaning your fruits and vegetables to sanitizing your bathrooms to even being a pretty great alternative for bleach.
Hold a yard sale or donate to Goodwill. According to many interior designers and stylists, if you’ve gone a year without wearing something in your closet, there’s a pretty good chance that you never will. But instead of tossing your old clothes into the trash, why not make a couple of extra dollars by hosting a yard sale or supporting non-profit efforts like Goodwill and making a donation to them? Both are smart ways to get rid of what you don’t want without adding more stuff to your local landfill.
Have your HVAC unit properly serviced. Initially, it might seem a bit odd that we would list this as a cleaning tip, but just think about this: Pretty much all of us use our HVAC units on a daily basis and when they are not properly serviced, not only could we end up wasting energy but there could also be dirt and debris coming out from it that can irritate our nose, throat or trigger allergies. So, at least once a year, have a professional technician come over to inspect your unit, check your coolant, change your air filter and make sure that everything is running at its best.
Add some plants. Something that you can do to help clean the air that is also aesthetically attractive is to add a few plants to various rooms of your house. The English Ivy, Spider Plant and Gerber Daisies are all ones that will help to purify the air while also beautifying your home at the exact same time.
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Over time we all learn how to pick up after ourselves, a process made easier if our parents forced us to do chores growing up. But throwing laundry in the hamper, making the bed, and wiping up toast crumbs – in other words, performing daily cleaning tasks – is a lot different than the deep cleaning that you’ll have to perform when you decide to head for greener pastures, leaving your home behind for a new set of inhabitants. Whether you’re trying to regain the deposit on an apartment or you want your house to be spic-and-span in order to garner the greatest resale value, a thorough cleaning is a major part of accomplishing your goals. So here are just a few ways to ensure that your home is as clean as you can possibly get it before you move out.
- Target nooks and crannies. When you live in a home, day in and day out, it’s easy to overlook areas that you don’t normally clean. And yet, landlords doing inspections and prospective buyers touring properties will see every cobweb in the corner, every dirty ceiling fan blade, every spot of splash damage on your stovetop from last week’s spaghetti sauce. In short, you need to find a way to start seeing your home through the eyes of an outsider in order to pinpoint the areas that you don’t often clean. Consider asking a hawkeyed friend to come over and do a room-by-room evaluation for you. This is a great way to see the problems that you are prone to overlook.
- Move the furniture. If you’re going to prepare your home for a new inhabitant, you need to consider that your furniture will be gone when they move in, and you want the spaces underneath and behind your current furnishings to be as clean as the visible areas. Of course, you’ll probably want to remove a fair amount of your stuff anyway in order to make your home look larger and more appealing to prospective renters or buyers. But make sure to move every stick of furniture, every photo, and everything that you’re going to take with you when you leave (not to mention appliances). This will ensure the best possible cleaning.
- Get industrial. You wouldn’t normally use industrial-strength cleaners in your home because of their caustic nature and potential risks they pose (from skin exposure and inhalation). And yet, your standard cleaning solvents simply may not do the job when you’re trying to super-clean your home. So consider shopping online for a good all-around cleaner of the industrial-strength variety. You might actually be able to get those stains out of the tub and the grime off the linoleum for once.
- Rent a steam cleaner. Replacing carpeting and drapes can be a big expense, one that you might not want to take on if you’re planning to leave your home. Instead, you can spend a lot less on a steam cleaner (often available at your local grocery store) that will pull most of the built-up dirt from carpeting and other plush surfaces, as well as target long-standing stains. It’s the best chance to make old carpet look like new again.
- Hire a professional cleaning crew. As a last resort, you might want to shell out the cash for a professional cleaning crew to manage your end of tenancy cleaning in London, Los Angeles, or wherever you currently reside. You have enough to worry about with packing up and finding a new place to live, so leave the cleaning to a group that knows what they’re doing and can get the job done a lot faster than you.