House Cleaning Tips

Hardwood floors are gorgeous when they’re clean. I love it when either natural light or ambient light shows just how stylish they are. Hardwood floors add a touch of elegance to a home, don’t you think? Hardwoods are a great option as they are durable, they come in different colors and a variety of styles, and they are easy to clean and maintain. Sweeping the Floors Cleaning hardwood floors is a pretty basic task when done on a regular basis. If you use something like a Swiffer sweeper to sweep your floors, this simple task will keep the floors shiny and dust free. I particularly like microfiber sweepers like the Swiffer. They are lightweight and the materials are designed to attract and trap dust particles, which is so much nicer than in the old days of brooms which just pushed the dirt around. Sweeping the floors is also an easy task to put on the kids chore list, especially the younger ones. They’ll get a kick out of watching the dust bunnies stick to the Swiffer. For large mess...

Maybe you're thinking - Hmmm? What are some of the most common carpet stains? Well for me and others in my household they happen to be: Blood Stains Ketchup Stains Chocolate Stains Mud Stains Throw Up I know I'm guilty of at least two of these stains. Kids - quite a few and my husband, well he's no innocent guy either. What to Do Or Not to Do Before removing a stain, (if necessary) clean the bulk of it up first with a spoon, dull knife, old toothbrush, etc. Whatever you have handy that won't damage the carpet. Never rub the stain. Blot or dab so the stain doesn't get any bigger than it already is. Work from the outside of the stain towards the center. No need to unnecessarily create a bigger stain. Only use enough water or cleaner to get the job done. Test first in an inconspicuous place to make sure the cleaning method is safe for your carpets. When you're done and the stain is gone and dry, vacuum the area completely. Getting Rid of a Ketchup Stain In our ...

What pet owner doesn’t have pet stains? If you don’t – I envy you! What Do you do? I have two Ragdoll cats, sweet as can be; one wants to over indulge herself and would vomit quite a bit, the other likes to watch her girlish figure. For the most part, we solved the overeating issue by putting a golf ball in their food bowls. And no matter what we do, they both cough up occasional hairballs. I love my cats and a cleanin’ up after them I will do. What else can you do? To remove vomit stains follow these simple tips. We’ve given you a few options to try. Oxyclean Oxyclean works great to remove vomit stains. 1. First you want to remove as much of the vomit as you can. 2. Then mix 2 tablespoons Oxyclean with 16 ounces of water. 3. Apply just enough of the solution to saturate the stained area. Let sit for 5 minutes. You don’t want the mix to dry. 4. Use a clean, white cloth and blot the stain, working from the outside in. 5. Rinse the area with clean water and blot with another clean cl...

No one ever really likes to hear the word “Oops!” It typically leads to something having to be fixed or cleaned and time taken away from whatever it was you were doing. In this case we’re talking about carpet stains. Maybe someone spilled on the carpet or a stain was brought into the house from the bottom of dirty shoes, or a nice little mess one of the animals made. Removing carpet stains is essential, especially if you have little ones crawling around. A Few Tips to Keep in Mind Before Starting • Blot stains don’t rub or scrub hard. You don’t want to spread the stain further into the carpet or damage carpet fibers. • In most cases you will work from the outside of the stain towards the center. • Don’t use an excessive amount of water or cleaning solution. You want to get the liquid out of the carpet and not have it soaking through the carpet pad. • Test new cleaning methods in an inconspicuous spot first. • Use clean terry towels or white paper towels to blot up stains. • Use pr...

Before I drag out the vacuum and start vacuuming, I do a quick walk through and pick up toys, throw rugs, blankets, office supplies, anything noticeable on the floor that needs to be picked up and moved. This way I’m not going to have to worry about damaging my vacuum cleaner when it sucks up a paperclip or some other small object. Vacuuming is the last thing I do. Not only do I want to pick up stray items, I also dust, shake out and air out floor rugs then put them back when I'm done. Before you start, also check the bag and make sure it isn’t full. A full bag is not helpful to efficient cleaning. It just doesn't suck enough dirt out of the carpet. Not all vacuums will butt up to the edge of the wall to pick up dust bunnies, little pieces of paper, etc. Here are a few things you can do: • Before you vacuum a room, use the wand and get the edges first. • For carpeted areas you can also use a stiff broom to run along the edges then vacuum the mess. • For hard surface area...

Keeping your carpets looking their best and looking like new doesn’t have to be hard. Here are a few carpet cleaning tips you might find helpful. Carpet Cleaning Tips Make sure you have the right vacuum for the type of carpet you have. For example, vacuuming a frieze carpet works best with a vacuum that has height adjustments and no beater. Vacuuming is recommended at least once a week, more if you have high traffic areas, pets, or members of the family that have allergies. A dirty carpet will have excess dirt, dust and other allergens and can become a breeding ground for germs. Have your carpets professionally cleaned once a year, especially if you have pets and lots of people coming and going. Do your research before hiring a professional, get references from other family members and friends; you don’t want a professional that’s just dumping water on the carpets. Although it is less expensive to rent a carpet cleaning machine from the grocery store, they may not be the best thing fo...