House Cleaning Tips

  Cleaning the Vacuum Cleaner We try to clean our home and keep up with the housework on a regular basis. Maybe it’s every few days, once a week, or less often? But how often do we think to clean the vacuum cleaner? No matter what kind of vacuum you use, I’m pretty sure it’s a veritable work horse with all the dirt, debris, hair and who knows what else we have it suck up. Sometimes it truly amazes me mine runs as long as it does, especially when my younger kids are vacuuming. So treating your vacuum and the accessories that came with it, to a good cleaning on a somewhat regular basis can’t hurt. It’s not a time consuming job and something that can be done when the weather’s keeping you indoors. Step 1: Be sure the vacuum is unplugged. I’m sure this bit of instruction isn’t necessary but you never know. Step 2: If parts need to be removed, make sure you know how to put it back together by taking pictures or labeling. Step 3: Use mild soap and water to clean the accessories and ...

Did you get around to winterizing your plumbing? If not, it’s not too late to avoid unpleasant plumbing surprises. Cold weather is notoriously rough on plumbing systems. There are sure to be more days when the mercury dips and water freezes. Here are a few ways to make sure your home is ready for cold weather. Outdoor Precautions First of all, head outside. Disconnect all hoses, drain them and put them away; any leftover water trapped in them can freeze, expand, and ruin your equipment. Check your faucets to make sure they are not dripping, leaking or cracking. Frozen pipes and expanding ice turn minor cracks into major leaks. If your home is equipped with a shut-off valve for your exterior faucets, close it. It’s also a good idea to get a foam faucet insulation kit and use it to cover your outdoor faucets. The Water Heater Cooler temperatures force your water heater to work harder. Giving it an annual checkup and maintenance is a good idea. You should flush out your heater to rem...

I know you see posts all the time about the using white vinegar to clean around the house and I as well post about the many uses. These are some of the questions we get asked often by our clients. You may not realize it, but white vinegar is environmentally friendly, it’s a germ fighter and you probably have it on a kitchen shelf already as you may use it to cook with time and again for tenderizing meats, pickling your garden veggies and bringing out the flavor of some foods. I have to say, I think my bottle of white vinegar is used more for cleaning around the house than for using in my recipes. You can use it to sanitize the washing machine, make your own window cleaner and so much more. Vinegar can be used all around the house, from the kitchen to the bathrooms and even used to clean certain types of floors.  Vinegar is quite effective for killing household germs, bacteria, and killing most molds due to its acidic nature. However, because of its acidic nature it will damag...