How to Remove Allergens From Your Flooring

Today, we’re sharing tips on how to remove allergens from your floors.When the warmer breezes of April and May prompt you to open your windows and get all the gunky and stuffiness of winter out, it’s time for your spring clean. You may have many annual traditions when it comes to cleaning in the spring such as washing windows, dusting the ceiling fans and beating out area rugs.  However, it’s important to pay special attention to your flooring in order to keep allergens and related particles from building up.

While spring means lovely trees and flowers blooming, it can also cause terrible allergies to invade your home. By cleaning your floors properly, you can avoid some of the worst of the pollen or mold incursion.

 

 

how to remove allergens

How to Remove Allergens from Flooring:

 

For Hardwood

 

how to remove allergens

 

Cleaning your hardwood floors regularly is the best way to remove allergens from your flooring.  Make sure you sweep and mop with a damp (but not saturated) cloth mop. Most hardwood floors just need a quick wipe with water, and for some you can use a vinegar and water mix or a very light soap like Bona.  Before you clean with any of these, make sure you test a part of your flooring in an out of the way place.

 

For Carpet

 

how to remove carpet stains

 

Wondering how to remove allergens from your carpet?  While carpet likely traps the most pollen of all your flooring options, it can be cleaned easily with a vacuum that has a quality filter. The filter keeps the allergens from spreading into the air. If, at the same time, you’ve been avoiding really scrubbing out carpet stains, there are many methods for eradicating various stain causes. You can try using this trick on most stained areas:

 

  • Get a bucket of warm water, some baking soda and some dish soap.
  • Sprinkle the stain with baking soda and then add about 1 tablespoon of dish soap for every 6-8 inches of stained carpeting.
  • Use a rag to move the mixture around until bubbles appear.
  • Gently scrub with a brush or towel using the warm water. Keeping the floor damp but not soaked.
  • Once dry, vacuum again.

 

For Cork flooring

While you might worry that cork would harbor more allergens because of its porous texture, cork is naturally antimicrobial, making it able to combat allergens like mold and mildew. If need be you can add a finish the further repels potential allergens. To keep your cork floor clean, use a damp mop once a week on it. If you want to use a cleaning product occasionally, make sure you use only recommended cork floor cleansers.

 

For Tile Flooring

 

how to clean tile

 

 

Allergens do not easily adhere to tile, so simple cleaning with warm water is usually a good way to make sure you don’t have to worry about accumulation. That said, old grout can build up mold, so if you notice this happening, it might be time to re-grout.

 

Still Worried About Breathing Easily? Be Aware of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

Unfortunately, many finishes and some flooring can contain volatile organic compounds that can affect your allergies as well. These are particularly prevalent in synthetic carpeting and vinyl as well as most industrial coating like varnish. These can give off particles that become vaporous and are known as pollutants that cause breathing trouble for some people. While off-gassing from these products is most prevalent directly after installation or refinishing, it can go on for months or even years. To avoid this on your floors, you can use water-based products or apply an encapsulating sealer designed to trap VOCs and prevent them from off-gassing into your home.

 

You want to be able to soak all the beauty of springtime and to have a clean house without sneezing every few seconds. By keeping your floors clear of allergens, you’ll be able to enjoy spring (and all that other cleaning) so much more.

You may also like:  4 Simple Ways to Prevent Allergies.

 

About the Contributor – Sarah Archer

Sarah’s a writer who’s passionate about evaluating everyday home products to help consumers save time and money. When she’s not putting a product’s promise to the test, you’ll find her hiking a local trail or collecting new stamps in her passport.

 

6 Easy Ways to Cleaning Holiday Clutter

Today, I’m sharing tips on cleaning holiday clutter. The holidays have past, but does it still feel like Christmas? After reading our article, you will feel ready and be motivated to start cleaning your holiday clutter today.  Usually, every decision starts from tomorrow or even next Monday, but why wait?  Start immediately and you will thank me later.

Cleaning after the holidays can be very boring and exhausting.  But, in no time you will find yourself getting ready for the next holiday season.  And, you will be glad that you decluttered when you did.   Today,

 

holiday clutter

Not only did you decorate your home, but you have also received plenty of gifts. With good organization and a little storage space, your house will be cleaned in no time.  Since the hardest part of the cleaning process is getting started, we are happy to introduce several ideas to get rid of holiday clutter.

Start With Garbage

The easiest way to start cleaning is to remove all wrapping paper, empty gift boxes, and stale or leftover food from the refrigerator.  In this phase of cleaning you will need to be relentless.  If you feel that you need to hire house cleaning services, go ahead.  Set up an appointment so that you can completely remove all the clutter and return your house to order.

Replace Old Items With New Ones

You probably received a bunch of gifts, but some of them you may already own. If so, replace the old items with the new ones and immediately move the old one into the spare box for a garage sale.  Or donate them or even trash them if you don’t find an item usable anymore.

Place New Items

It’s crucial to find a place for all of the new items you received.  Otherwise, they will become a part of the clutter.  If you don’t have any spare storage space or if you think, you won’t use these items consider regifting or donating them.

Organize Decorations

Organizing decorations are one of the main steps of the holiday cleaning process. Before you start to organize them, determine if there are any that you don’t like anymore or won’t use next year.  If so, store these decorations into boxes and categorize them accordingly (trash or donation). Sort all the other decorations into boxes and put them away for next year.

Sort Out Holiday Cards

Receiving holiday cards is a very important part of the holiday season.  Especially, if they were sent by loved ones.  It’s OK to keep a stack of them and remind yourself from time to time of your family and friends.  However, we recommend that you to go through all of your cards, keep the ones you are most attached to. You can recycle the rest of them as it will help your cleaning process.

Go through Your Holiday Photos

By going through your holiday photos and sharing them with your friends and family, you will evoke beautiful memories.  Delete all the duplicate or blurry ones to reduce the gallery storage.  If you are a fan of photo books, consider scrapbooking your photos.

 

 

Vacuum Cleaning Tips for Flawless Floors

cleaning tips

 

The majority of hardwood floors do not need special care. They are polyurethane-finished and easy to maintain. If you have hardwood floors, it is recommended that clean them at least once every two months.  Using a wet mop to dissolve dirt is the preferred method.  If you want to maintain your hardwood floors and carpet without issues here are a few more tips:

Don’t Wear Shoes Inside the House.

Once you arrive home, take your shoes off at the door. This is a great way to keep dirt and grit off your hardwood floors.  Wearing shoes on hardwood floors leaves behind tracked-in dirt that can damage your floor’s finish. Over time, the scratches will make your floors look old and dull.  Furthermore, you can have a mat at the entrance so everyone can wipe their footwear.

Cleaning Spills

Spills are unavoidable. However, you need to dry the floor at once. Letting the liquid dry on your floor will affect the hardwood finish. Additionally, it will attract more dirt. You can use an absorbent paper towel before buffing the floor dry.

Vacuum Regularly

A good vacuum cleaner for hardwood floors can remove fine debris and dirt from crevices and cracks. For proper cleaning, you need a vacuum with an oval, long floor brush.

If you have an upright vacuum cleaner, one of the most significant vacuum cleaning tips is about the brush. You need to turn off the rotating motion of the brush. This practice will prevent scratching the hardwood floors.

Additionally, one of the most important vacuum cleaning tips is  follow a schedule. A consistent schedule will ensure that you clean your hardwood floors regularly. If there are areas in your house that are high-traffic, you need to vacuum them several times a week.

Also, change or empty the vacuum bag regularly. You will find it difficult to vacuum your floors if the bag is full. Therefore, you need to check the canister or bag regularly to ensure that it is not yet full.

Unfortunately, your vacuum cleaner cannot remove stains. Therefore, if you do not want your floors or carpet to have blemishes, you must spot treat immediately.

If you have large furniture, you can move it occasionally to vacuum underneath the areas. If you cannot move the furniture, you can use some of the vacuum cleaner accessories to suck up the accumulated debris or dust.

Another important vacuum cleaning tip is selecting the right setting. For effective cleaning, you need to choose a vacuum cleaner setting for the carpet and another setting for your hardwood floors.  Also, you must adjust the setting based on the surface height for efficient suction and cleaning of floors.  If you have a HEPA vacuum cleaner, you can leave it on for a few minutes to remove dust and airborne allergens.  The key is to remove the hose while you keep it on.

Schedule an occasional deep clean even if you vacuum the floors regularly. This technique means you need to deep clean your carpet to remove hard-to-remove dirt.  You will discover that it is easier to vacuum the floor after deep cleaning the carpet.

Today, even with their busy schedules moms make it a point to vacuum the floors.

Author Bio: Anthony Triton – I love to improve my home surroundings with little home improvement projects from time to time. I share my tips and experience in managing garage, home and improve your health at Equipment Area.

More Uses for a Car Vacuum Cleaner

cleaning hacks

 

Your vehicle is your treasure, right? Why not take good care of it by using the right equipment?  Using a car vacuum cleaner is the best method for removing dust fast and efficiently.  Our friends over at bestvacuumexpert have listed 3 additional uses for a car vacuum cleaner:

  1. Using a car vacuum cleaner as a home cleaner

Did you know you can transform your car vacuum cleaner into a home cleaner?  However, you will be required to change the adapter to a 12 Voltage AC to DC power adapter.  You also acquire a converter to avoid cutting wires leading power to the vacuum. This way you can use the car vacuum as a home cleaner as well.

  1. Using a car vacuum cleaner for seat maintenance

Cleaning indoor seating requires extra suction power at times.  If you have children snacking or doing crafts on your sofa, cleanup can be required.  A car vacuum cleaner is just the right piece of equipment to remove dust and debris from seats. One advantage of the car vacuum is that it provides the mobility need when cleaning seats.  Long cords on a regular vacuum can become tangled or get in the way of moving around when trying to clean seats.  It also good for cleaning up dry dog food spills

  1. Cleaning shelves 

The car vacuum may not be powerful enough to tackle harder tasks.  However, it’s ideal for removing dust on shelves. You can use the car vacuum in any environment, from the office shelves to the workshop.

Last, make your work easy and fast by exploring more uses for this wonderful cleaner. Take advantage of modern technology to make cleaning a piece of cake.

 

Liz Buckley is a part of the Content team at Best Vacuum Expert, sharing expert knowledge and best tips on how to have a clean house.

How to Get the Most Out of Professional House Cleaning Services

professional house cleaning services

 

When employing a professional cleaning service to help make your home sparkly clean, it’s only natural to want to get the most out of it. After all, you paid a good amount of cash to get rid of dirt and dust.

As the homeowner, you need to know that you’re getting nothing less than what you pay for.   A cleaner’s quality of work must reflect good results.  When you hire professional house cleaning services, make sure that your home gets the thorough and effective cleaning.

1. Choose the right cleaning service

Picking the right cleaner for the job plays a huge role in making sure that you get your money’s worth. When searching for professional house cleaning services, ask the following questions:

 

  • Do you have a bond and insurance?
  • Are your cleaners trained well?
  • Who manages your cleaners?
  • Do you provide your own cleaning products?
  • Do you have a system for quality control?
  • What services does your company cover?
  • What cleaning equipment and products do you use?

2. Create a to-do list

Walk around your house and look for areas that need cleaning.  Write down cleaning tasks and arrange them according to priority.  Most house-cleaners work in a specific time frame.  So, it will be helpful to let them know what they can do around the house in the amount of time that they have.

3. Request that any issues be reported to you immediately

To reduce the cost of maintenance and repairs, you can let your cleaning service assist you. Ask your cleaner to report potentially serious problems in your home to you as soon as possible to prevent minor issues from turning into a disaster.  This can help prevent any unsafe conditions from causing harm to you and your family.

4. Have a cleaning schedule

If you want to maintain a clean home at all times, having a strict cleaning schedule will make it possible. Determine how often an area in your home needs cleaning.  Doing so will help you lower your costs, especially on areas that only need cleaning on a weekly or monthly basis rather than daily.

5. Clear a path

To help housekeepers focus on the areas that need deep cleaning, clear a path so they can maximize their cleaning time. Remove clutter such as books, clothes and shoes that can slow down the work.  This allows the cleaners to concentrate on difficult areas where their work can have a bigger impact.

6. Rotate rooms

If your cleaning service comes often, chances are, not every room of your home will need a deep cleaning every time.  As a result, ask your cleaner to rotate working on sections of your house. This can help reduce the areas that require cleaning and eventually reducing your cost.

7. Calm down and relax

Now that you’ve decided to hire a cleaning service, you can focus on more important things to do.  Don’t waste your free time micromanaging each facet of the cleaning process. They’re professionals, so relax and let them do what they do best.

8. Avoid expensive add-ons

It’s great to have clean windows, but deep cleaning them is only necessary at least once or twice every year.  The same goes for your fridge and oven.  So avoid expensive cleaning add-ons when you hire professional house cleaning services by cleaning these areas on your own.

9. Give feedback

Did you love your cleaners’ work?  If so, be sure to let them know.  They will take note of your positive feedback and make sure that you get the same cleaning treatment the next time.

If your cleaners happen to miss something, tell them about that as well.  They will remember to include it in future cleanings so they successfully meet all your cleaning needs.

Hiring a cleaning service shouldn’t be difficult and stressful.  The main reason you hire them is to help you, and not to create further stress.

Communication is key to getting the most out of your professional house cleaning services. Know what you want and don’t want, and make sure to relay this clearly to the cleaners to get good results.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Mohamed Samad is the Founder & CEO of Matic Services. He started the company in 2016 after a series of small start-ups within the home services sector. Prior to that, Mohamed was Vice President at Greenstone Equity Partners, where he spent 24 months building the UAE business from 2011-2013 with its founder.

Organic Cleaning Tips for Parents With Small Children

 

organic cleaning tips

Research has come out recently about environmental toxins.  In particular their effect on the endocrine system.  Some household products are toxic.  Fortunately, most parents know the harmful ingredients (bleach, parabens, sodium sulfate, phthalates, etc.)  Unfortunately, there are literally dozens of other toxic ingredients in some of the cleaning products we use every day. This post discusses organic and non-toxic cleaning tips for parents of newborns and young children.

Always check the label

Products that say “organic” on the label contain little or no artificial ingredient or preservatives. However, some products marketed as “natural” and “organic” do have some ingredients that may be classified as unsafe for children. As a result, it is recommended that parents review the ingredients carefully.  You can get more information on this by visiting the Enviromental Working Group (EWG) website to find more information on specific ingredients.

Buy eco-friendly cleaners

Cleaners that have been endorsed by groups that support eco-friendly products (such as Greenseal.org) are ideal for parents with children.  These “green” cleaners don’t have ingredients known to cause skin irritation, sensitivity, or cancer.  Also, they don’t have phthalates and fragrances must be disclosed.

So, if you can’t immediately access safe cleaners consider making your own non-toxic cleaners at home.  For example, combine white vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice.  It’s perfect for cleaning bathtubs and porcelain sinks. If you need a solution that kills bacteria try hydrogen peroxide.

Products that are labeled non-toxic are deemed safe to use because they don’t cause any personal injury from contact or inhalation.  But, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that the product is completely free of chemicals. Biodegradable simply means that the product will decompose after some time.  Most importantly, it is not an indicator of safety, especially for newborns.

Be very selective with plastics

Plastics are made with a variety of chemicals such as BPA and PVC.  Some can leak into food and drinks. The good news is you can find plenty of plastic materials that are free of BPA and other harmful ingredients.  Plastics that are labeled “microwave safe” only mean that the plastic won’t melt from the heat.  That doesn’t mean that other chemicals won’t leak from the plastic.  As a result, make a habit of hand-washing plastics instead of using the dishwasher.

Avoid commercial cleaners

Any cleaning product that advises using gloves or opening the windows is most likely unsafe to use around your child.  Home products such as table salt, tea tree oil, vinegar, and lavender can be used to clean windows, ovens, and walls.  Additionally, they also good for cleaning bathrooms, mold, and rugs.  Most commercial bathroom cleaners are toxic and can cause long-term health problems for infants. Vinegar and baking soda can be used to create a paste that cleans out scum.  Furthermore, it leaves the walls and floor of your shower perfectly clean.  Alternatively, use Castile soap and club soda for tougher stains.

When purchasing products such as hand soaps, sanitizers and air fresheners, check the label for chemicals that might be unsafe for your little one. The EWG database will provide more information on the ingredients.

Additional Resources:
http://www.empiremaids.nyc

12 Tips on How To Keep a Clean House

how to keep a clean house

Either you еnjоу housework оr уоu dоn’t.  For most реорlе, іt іѕ a chore that hаѕ to bе dоnе аt least on a wееklу bаѕіѕ. Yоu can attempt tо make thеѕе chores mоrе enjoyable by fоllоwіng оur еаѕу tips on hоw tо keep a сlеаn hоuѕе.

Thеrе аrе several wауѕ you can go аbоut getting and keeping a clean hоuѕе.  Belоw аrе a few ѕtерѕ on how keep a clean house:   

  1. Mаkе thе bеd аѕ soon аѕ уоu gеt upMаkіng the bed first thing in thе mоrnіng wіll kick-start your рrоduсtіvіtу lеvеlѕ.  Furthermore, it will make it thаt muсh hаrdеr tо сrаwl bасk іntо bеd too.
  1. Keep your bеdѕіdе tаblе tidy – Give уоur bedside tаblе a ԛuісk wіре whеn рісkіng uр your рhоnе іn the morning. That’s оnе lеѕѕ сhоrе tо tасklе оn thе wееkеnd.
  1. Edіt your сlоѕеt as уоu go – For example, kеер a hаmреr or bаg in уоur closet where уоu can throw items оf сlоthіng thаt don’t work аnуmоrе.  Sоrt thrоugh іt оnсе a mоnth, аnd tоѕѕ, dоnаtе, or sell.
  1. Immеdіаtеlу rеhаng іtеmѕ уоu wоrе Don’t juѕt throw сlоthеѕ оn a сhаіr.  If thеу саn be wоrn оnсе more bеfоrе laundry dау, hang thеm. Kеер drу cleaned ready items іn a ѕераrаtе ѕесtіоn of your сlоѕеt.
  1. Hаvе a dеdісаtеd hаmреr fоr every реrѕоn іn уоur home – Hаvе a laundry bаѕkеt fоr еасh реrѕоn іn уоur house.  Plus аn extra hamper for linens. If уоu’rе fееlіng еxtrа оrgаnіzеd, uѕе hаmреrѕ that have two bаѕkеtѕ іn еасh ѕо уоu саn separate whites in аdvаnсе.
  1. Stаrt a wаѕh cycle as ѕооn аѕ уоu gеt home – If you have еnоugh laundry, start a wаѕh сусlе in thе evenings. Give yourself enough time to dry and fold it before you head to bed. As a result, don’t lеt unfоldеd lаundrу mаkе it to the bеdrооm. Bе ruthlеѕѕ аbоut fоldіng/іrоnіng laundry as soon аѕ thе drуіng сусlе is dоnе.
  1. Bе Happy with “Clеаn Enough”  – As a реrfесtіоnіѕt, thіѕ іѕ рrоbаblу thе hаrdеѕt оnе fоr mе.  Yоu wаnt уоur hоuѕе tо be rеlаtіvеlу сlеаn аnd tidy, but that doesn’t mеаn thаt еvеrу lіttlе thing hаѕ tо bе реrfесt.  I always {trу!} tо fоllоw thе 80/20 rulе.  That means that I аm hарру wіth 80% of the cleaning being dоnе.  Don’t get саught uр in аll of the little details that make uр thе last 20% .  For example, mаkіng sure еvеrу lіttlе ѕресk is сlеаnеd uр оff thе floor.  Or, getting tо all оf thоѕе lіttlе out of thе wау and hаrd to rеасh рlасеѕ to duѕt. I’m nоt ѕауіng thаt thеу nеvеr need tо be сlеаnеd, but mаkе thеm part of a deep сlеаnіng rоutіnе rаthеr thаn уоur rеgulаr weekly сlеаnіng schedule.
  1. Kеер Pареr Orgаnіzеd  – If уоu hаvе piles оf papers аll оvеr уоur hоmе, thеn уоu’ll really want tо consider аdорtіng thіѕ hаbіt! File рареrѕ іmmеdіаtеlу іnѕtеаd of keeping papers hаngіng аrоund thе house. When bіllѕ соmе in, put thеm іn one place. Aftеr you’ve paid thе bіllѕ fіlе them immediately.  Kеер mеnuѕ, coupons аnd оthеr mаіl уоu may nееd іn one place.  Purge regularly. 
  1. PrіоrіtіzеNоt all сlеаnіng іѕ created еԛuаl.  Mаkе a lіѕt оf whаt уоu wоuld like to gеt dоnе аnd then prioritize Decide  what nееdѕ to bе dоnе and whаt can wаіt.  Gіvеn the time thаt уоu have available, write down уоur tор 2 оr 3 {realistic!} сlеаnіng gоаlѕ.  Stick wіth these bеfоrе аttеmрtіng tо dо оthеr thіngѕ.  I always uѕеd tо hаtе writing оut lіѕtѕ, but I fіnd thаt іt rеаllу hеlрѕ me tо ѕtау focused.
  1. Get thе Whоlе Fаmіlу Involved Thіѕ іѕ оnе that I hаvе rеаllу trіеd tо wоrk on lаtеlу.  Yеѕ, іt is оftеn actually еаѕіеr tо just dо the job yourself.  However, ѕреndіng thе tіmе tо tеасh уоur children tо dо аgе аррrорrіаtе jоbѕ will bе bеttеr fоr bоth оf you.  Stаrt bу juѕt wоrkіng оn having уоur kids рісk up аftеr themselves.  This includes puttіng thеіr соаt and ѕhоеѕ аwау whеn they соmе іn thе hоuѕе.  Additionally, putting dishes іn the dіѕhwаѕhеr and сlеаnіng thеіr room.  Add in оthеr сhоrеѕ аѕ they are аblе to accomplish the goal.  It’ѕ аmаzіng hоw much оf a dіffеrеnсе it can mаkе іn the оvеrаll tіdіnеѕѕ of thе hоuѕе іf ѕіmрlе things аrе dоnе.  Ovеr time this wіll start tо bе a hаbіt fоr thеm.  They should еvеntuаllу bе аblе to do chores wіth minimal reminders.
  1. Keep Bаѕіс Clеаnіng Suррlіеѕ Clоѕе tо Where Yоu Use Thеm – I have аll of our bаthrооmѕ ѕtосkеd with bаѕіс сlеаnіng supplies.  This includes miсrоfіbеr сlоthѕ аnd a роlіѕhіng cloth; a tоіlеt ѕсrub bruѕh аnd a ѕрrау bоttlе wіth wаtеr аnd vіnеgаr {оr a multі-рurроѕе сlеаnеr оf уоur сhоісе}.  This mаkеѕ it ѕо much ԛuісkеr and easier tо gіvе the tоіlеt a ԛuісk ѕwіре оr wіре thе grоѕѕ tооthраѕtе ѕріt frоm the mirror іnѕtеаd of hаvіng to track dоwn сlеаnіng ѕuррlіеѕ.  Trу to dо these ѕіmрlе tаѕkѕ as уоu see thе need – mоѕt of thеm take оnlу a minute or twо – and іt wіll rеаllу reduce hоw often you need tо do a tор tо bottom deep сlеаn.
  1. DесluttеrThis оnе may nееd tо be implemented over a lоngеr реrіоd оf tіmе.  However, tаkіng the tіmе tо declutter аnd оrgаnіzе уоur hоmе wіll drastically cut down оn thе amount оf time nееdеd tо clean.  Hаvіng a ѕроt fоr еvеrуthіng makes іt so muсh easier tо tidy uр.  Also, lеѕѕ іtеmѕ on thе соuntеrѕ and ѕurfасе tорѕ cuts down оn duѕtіng, and mаkеѕ сlеаnіng quicker.

Finally, if you want to read more tips then check out: http://calgarycleaninginc.ca/tор-10-easy-tірѕ-to-maintain-a-clean-hоuѕе/ 

How to Care For and Clean Your Mattress

Mattress Care

 

First, if you’re one of those fussy people who worries about dust mites, bed bugs and other gross little things that might live in your mattress, you’re not alone.  Sleeping in a bed that’s dirty or even worse infested with creepy crawlies can affect your sleep.  We’re pleased to present a few simple mattress care tips and effective methods that can make your sleep time nicer.  Check out our mattress care tips:

Refreshing a mattress

Next, start with a great mattress and keep it as clean as you possibly can.  Furthermore, be sure to peruse a reliable mattress buying guide prior to making your purchase. Take as much time as you need to make a wise decision regarding which sort of bed frame and mattress to buy. You will, after all, be spending a significant portion of your life in your new bed, so go for a mattress and frame that feel perfect right from the start.

Additionally, once you bring your new mattress home, remove the wrapping and give the top and both sides a thorough vacuum cleaning.  Vacuum the top and sides of the mattress every time you change your sheets. Use a crevice tool to reach tight spots.  And allow the mattress to air out for an hour or so before you remake the bed with fresh linens. Sprinkle the mattress with baking soda and vacuum after several hours to remove lingering odors, says Lifehacker magazine.

Also, reduce bedroom temperatures and lower humidity to keep dust mites at bay. Bay leaves under the bed may keep pesky bed bugs away, as well.  Baking soda with a few drops of essential oil added may reduce the attractiveness of your mattress, as far as both tiny bedroom pests are concerned.

Spot-cleaning and odor elimination

If your mattress becomes soiled, dab slight stains with laundry detergent diluted in warm water. For bigger stains, you may need to use a stronger detergent and water solution. Be careful not to saturate the mattress, but do use enough solution to lift away soil. Press with towels to blot up excess moisture before allowing the mattress to air dry.

Lingering perspiration problems are best removed from mattresses with an enzyme based odor-eliminating cleanser. Enzymes remove other biological odors, too.

Mattress maintenance

Another mattress care tip to prevent uneven wear, rotate your mattress at least every six months. Remind yourself to do this on the day clocks are set forward or backward. This is a good day to check smoke alarm batteries in the bedroom, as well. If you can remember to flip your mattress more often, even better.

A few words about bed bugs and dust mites

Highly used sleeping spaces are more likely to be visited by bedbugs.  For example, dormitories, hotels, hospitals, buses, homeless shelters and cruise ships are at high risk for bed bug infestation, explains Mayo Clinic.  People who can afford to travel the world often arrive home with bed bugs hitch-hiking on their luggage.  Cleaning the mattress in every hotel room you visit is impossible. Tossing the bedspread on the floor is not. Whatever you do, do not place suitcases on the bed until you remove the spread. Do this simple trick every time you enter a hotel room, and you may avert some measure of bed bug danger.

Fortunately, the little bugs known as dust mites don’t bite.  The thing mites eat is human skin flakes.  Unfortunately, your bed is generally full of them. Dust mites are everywhere, and there’s not much you can do about them except clean your blankets, pillows, and sheets often.  And thoroughly vacuum your mattress on a regular schedule.  Let your bare mattress air out for several hours on laundry day, too. Sunshine is, as they say, a great disinfectant.

Last, before you rush out and purchase a brand new mattress, do your homework.  Also, ask your friends about their beds.  Visit brick-and-mortar bed stores and sit on a number of beds.  Read, read, read reviews and see what other people are saying about different mattress brands and styles.  Most importantly, the time you spend selecting the perfect mattress now is sure to spare you years of bedtime unhappiness later on.  We hope that our mattress care tips will help you maintain a healthy mattress and get a good night’s sleep.

Chloe Summers is a Mom who enjoys writing about her experiences to share with others online. Look for her posts on a number of home and family blogs today.

The Importance of a Clean House

 

clean house tips

 

A clean home is a dream for many of us.  But, sometimes life gets so hectic that you neglect to clean the house for a while!  For many people, it almost seems that cleaning is futile.  Things will just get messy again, especially if you have children!

So, while there isn’t exactly a temptation to never clean, there may be a temptation to clean less often.  Or to neglect certain areas.  But, it’s important that we take a look at just how vital a clean home can be. When you look at the benefits, there are a great range from physical to mental health.  You may not want to skip on cleaning tasks in the future.

Here’s a list of the areas you need to think about. This will make the importance of a clean house clearer to you than ever before!

allergy season

 

Allergens and General Hygiene

A lot of us are allergic to something, even if it’s on a very mild level.  If you don’t clean regularly, your carpet, bedding, and upholstery will be riddled with allergens.  Dust mites lurk in these areas.  Most importantly, they decrease the overall air quality in your home.  They trigger allergic reactions.  As a result, make sure all of these areas are cleaned often.

People don’t clean their carpeting as often as they should either.   Vacuum once a week won’t cut it!  You should actually consider giving your carpet a wash a few times a year.  As for upholstery, very few people bother to clean this at all. Remember to take a vacuum cleaner to your upholstery once in a while.

Safety

People like to imagine that their homes are the safest places on Earth. And, in many ways, this is true.  But the fact is injuries take place in the home. Falls, trips, slips, they’re all more likely to occur in your home than in the vast majority of other places.  Additionally, fire hazards are also something you need to think about.

When your home isn’t tidy, the risks of these things happening rise.  Mess and disorganization make it more likely that a fire will occur, and possibly spread.  It can also make exiting safely more difficult.

Pests

Liquid and food spills both attract bugs and rodents. Of course, you may say to yourself that these are certainly things you clean up right away. The fact is, most of us have unnoticed little spills somewhere in the house. People also tend to leave these things uncleaned for a little while if they occur on kitchen tops.

There are other things that attract pests.  For example, uncleaned pet bowls.  And that’s certainly something that is prevalent in the homes of pet owners! People usually leave pet food bowls for a few days before giving them a really good clean.  Furthermore, not taking the trash out regularly is another way to attract pests to your home.

 

organization tips

Pixabay

 

Organization

A lot of us lose things quite often. We lose our car keys or our cell phones.  Sometimes we lose important documents. We look in all the places we think we’d have placed them, but they still don’t manage to turn up. The more disorganized your home is, the more difficult it’s going to be to find things!

It’s much easier to organize your home if you declutter it first. Most of our homes have a plethora of items that we don’t really need or even use. Consider clearing out a lot of those items that you don’t use or need.  That way, when you clean house, your home will have less clutter.

Stress

An unclean home builds up a considerable amount of stress! It also begins a vicious cycle.  When you’re feeling stressed, you’re more likely to put off the task. Which means that your house is just going to get a bit messier.  The messier it gets, the more stressed you feel.

So, another clean house tip is make sure your home is clean if you want to keep yourself free from stress. Remember that stress is worse for your long-term health than many people think! Something else you should remember: cleaning provides you with a little physical exercise, which in itself helps relieve stress!

Productivity

It’s hard to be productive when your home isn’t very clean.  Disorganization and stress will make it productive.

They say that a clear home is a clear mind, and there’s a great amount of truth to that. If you’ve got work to do at home, be it an actual job or something creative then you need the mental space to perform those tasks.  Freeing up physical space can help you with that.

Value

The value of the property is going to be affected in the long-term by how clean you keep it. Generally, there are a lot of telling signs that a home that has just been cleaned has either been cleaned regularly or cleaned infrequently. Mess tends to build up in ways that leave signs of uncleanliness even after you’ve cleaned up.

If you rent your property, then this may mean that you won’t be able to get all of your deposit back when it’s time to move. If you own the property and decide to sell it, then the value could take a hit. With this in mind, it’s also worth bringing up the exterior of your home.  Its cleanliness also affects the value in a big way. You should be looking for ways to keep the exterior as clean as possible. Check out the Spray and Forget Deep Dive at A Cleaner Choice if you want to see reviews of outdoor cleaning products.

Hospitality

Surely we’ve all been in a situation where we’ve wanted to have friends and family over, but had to rush around and clean house in order to do so?  In fact, many of us had to turn down opportunities to see people simply because our homes weren’t tidy.

Outside of planned visits, it’s also worth noting that you never know who is going to come knocking at your door. You may find yourself in a surprise situation, standing awkwardly at the door,  Araid to let someone in because of the state of your home! Keeping your home clean will give you a lot more opportunity to be hospitable.

We hope that you found our clean house tips beneficial.  Do a thorough cleaning and than strive to maintain the house during the week.

How To Keep Your Home Tidy and Save You Time

 

 

house cleaning tips

Having a hard time managing everything in your life?  You’ve likely got a family to run, a job, pets to walk, cooking, and at this time of year rushing around gift shopping.  After all, everyone wants to ensure Christmas lands with a bang.  The list goes on and on.  So, how do you balance everything?  If finances allow, hire external experts to do the job for you. They can help bring balance into your life and make the that you need.  Your home can benefit from their expertise and they can save you valuable time. Here are some great outsourcing options you should consider to make your life easier:

Hire A Window Cleaner

Cleaning the windows is a time consuming process.  Furthermore, sometimes getting to the upper floor windows is almost impossible. You can hire a local cleaning service for a monthly fee.  However, if you just want a one time cleaning, it is best to pay a one time payment.  This way your windows will be fine for the season, especially the top ones.  You can find window cleaners here.

Hire Someone To Cut The Lawn

It’s fairly easy to get a teenager or someone similar to cut the lawn.  For those of us who are proud of our yards and gardens, having the lawn cut incorrectly is not acceptable. If you are particular, you should consider professional lawn care. This will allow you to enjoy a cared for lawn, and gives you one less thing to worry about.

 

An Entry with a Beautiful Lawn and Colorful Garden

Source

 

Use Professional Power Washing Services

A professional power washer can make your home, patio and drive area look new again.  Power washing your home will remove dirt, mold, and mildew.  It also helps to preserve your driveway, walkway, porch and patio. It’s especially effective if you have color in your drive and it can save you a good day’s worth of work. You’ll only need it done once or twice a year, depending on how dirty it gets. When they’re there you could also ask the operative to give your car a quick wash, the power of the jet wash can remove grime missed in a car wash.

Employ Professional Cleaners

Hiring home cleaners can be extremely beneficial. Cleaning the house is what takes the most time. Usually families tend to have a big clean before Christmas so the house is ready for the decorations and scores of visiting friends and family.   If you have a hectic work schedule then this can be a great benefit to .  Decide if you want to make it a weekly thing.  If you don’t want the added expense you could consider doing it when you really need a break or more time.

Check around for the best prices, and work whatever service you need into your budget. Keeping your home tidy will free up time and give you a little energy for other things. It’s less expensive than you think.