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Space Clearing - A harmonious life in your own home

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 14:47:00 GMT

Cleaning the space in which we live is very important for both physical health and emotional status. A space clearing means a general cleaning accompanied by space purifying and negative energies removal. But why do we need such a purification and how to make a space clearing?

The negative energies and the chaos in a house can influence our daily existence. A healthy energy must be able to circulate. Living in clutter means living a sick life. A well-arranged, balanced and harmonious space leads not only to a general welfare, but creates real prerequisites for development.

Did you know that your home attracts all the negative energies of the events that happen in it? According to Feng Shui, the house should be cleaned annually or after every negative event in your life. A clean home physical and energetic can be obtained easily through several novel methods.

Techniques for removing negative energies from the house are often used in Feng Shui, an ancient art practiced daily in some cultures, such as those from India, Bali, Peru and Morocco. As you feel the need to clean the house of impurities, the same is beneficial to the energy level. Negative human emotions are accumulated in the area where you live. They must be removed in order to have a good feeling.

In general, experts recommend a space clearing at least once a year or after intense events with many harmful energies, such as a divorce. It is also very important to clean the space when you move into a new home.

Things you need:

Candles or incense sticks
Natural flavors
Essential oils
Music
Bouquets of sage or lavender

Make general cleaning in your home and open all windows. This step is very important because the clean air is a factor that brings freshness and naturally rid the house of negative energies. In each room, place a bowl of fresh flowers, candles or incense sticks. You can decorate the rooms with bouquets of sage and lavender, which purify the air and eliminate the bad energies. The flowers will be thrown after three days. In this time they have attracted the negative energies from the house. The essential oils with different fragrances also give a good feeling and remove the bad fluctuations.

A space clearing is more than a cleaning your house. It is the harmonization of energy flows around us offering excellent solutions for protection against harmful influences or electromagnetic stress.

How to Clean Dog Hair in Your Home

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 09:07:11 GMT

If you own a dog that sheds, you have probably experienced the woes of attempting to clean dog hair in your home. Not only is it difficult to clean dog hair off of rugs and sofas, but it often seems like every time you clean dog hair off of a surface, it returns within moments. While it may be difficult to prevent fur from clinging to areas in your home, there are ways to quickly clean dog hair from even the toughest spots.

When dog hair is trapped all over your home, it can stick to your clothes and the clothes of your guests, leaving everyone a furry mess. This can also pose a problem if you have a guest that is allergic to dogs, because if you don’t clean dog hair from your furniture, you are surrounding them with allergens.

Learning how to clean dog hair in your home will surely make entertaining a little easier, as well as improve the overall cleanliness of your living area. The following guide from Apartment Ratings outlines the best ways to clean dog hair off any surface in your home. Whether you need to clean dog hair from wood floors, carpets, or furniture, you will find the solution here.

How to Clean Dog Hair

Knowing how to properly clean dog hair from common surfaces in your apartment will make living and entertaining in your apartment a more attractive prospect. Getting all of the hair—even the hair that blends in with the surface—is more difficult than simply sweeping or vacuuming away.

Cleaning Hair on Hard Surfaces

It’s easiest to clean dog hair on hard surfaces because the hair is less likely to statically cling to the surface, although it may get caught between floor boards if you have any cracks. Don’t just sweep the dog hair, as you’ll be spreading the hair around and it’s difficult to scoop all of the hair into a dust pan. Instead, purchase an electronic sweeper or a sweeper with disposable cloths. The former uses brushes that are safe to use on hard surfaces to scoop all of the hair and the latter uses static cling on a disposable cloth to grip the hair. You can dispose of the hair with the electronic sweeper by emptying the tray.

You can make your own fairly effective manual sweeper by tying a dryer sheet on the end of a broom or mop for floors and just wiping other hard surfaces directly with the dryer sheet. The dryer sheet attracts the hair as you run it over the hard surface and you can simply throw it away when finished.

Getting Hair Off of Carpet and Rugs

Being able to clean dog hair off of carpets and rugs poses more of a challenge than the hard surfaces because the hair is more likely to grip onto the fibers and the hair may also be more difficult to see. The easiest way to remove the hair is to find a vacuum with deep bristle brushes (some vacuums even have pet hair attachments) and adjust the setting on the vacuum to as low as possible. You can make it easier for yourself, though, by first encouraging some of the dog hair to come apart from the carpet or rug fibers.

To loosen the hair before you vacuum, wear a rubber glove and run your hand back and forth along the carpet. You can also try patting the carpet or rug with a lightly dampened cloth or paper towel first or using a spray bottle with a mixture of 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup fabric softener to lightly spray the surfaces. Allow the surfaces to dry and vacuum. The hair should be less likely to cling.

Getting Hair Off of Furniture

You can use techniques similar to those that you use to keep dog hair off of carpets and rugs to clean dog hair off of furniture, particularly if you have a pet hair attachment for your vacuum. Don’t forget, though, that some furniture, like some variations of leather, stains when wet, so if you’re going to try to wet or mist the area before vacuuming, try the damp cloth or water/softener solution on a small, unnoticeable section of the furniture first.

You can also try rolling a lint roller or other pet-hair adhesive roller over the furniture. Sticky rolls designed to grab hair and lint work quite effectively at keeping furniture free of hair every day between more through vacuuming.

Being able to clean dog hair the right away not only makes your apartment look cleaner, but it can also help those who suffer from allergies breathe better. Using the proper tools can make cleaning up the hair much easier and more effective.

Don’t allow your pet’s coat to cling to the various areas of your home and hinder an otherwise tidy look. While having to clean dog hair is not a favorable task, you will be glad once you have deep-cleaned your home of all traces of pet hair. You will only need to thoroughly clean dog hair in your home every once in a while once you have removed it from being trapped in crevices. If you can stick to a schedule of wiping down your furniture once per day, then you will have to spend less time overall having to clean dog hair.

Don’t think you have enough time to clean dog hair at a frequency that is required for your pet? Contact The Maids! We would be more than happy to help you achieve a sparkly clean home free of pet hair.

The Best Method for Maintaining Clean Baseboards

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 08:55:11 GMT

Adding “clean baseboards” to your to-do list is probably one of the last tasks you’d like to go through with. No one enjoys having to clean baseboards, especially if you have baseboard heathers or wood boards with grooves that are pesky to get fully clean. Fortunately, tricks on how to clean baseboards are readily available, so fear not! Your apathy over having clean baseboards can be remedied.

It is important to have clean baseboards in your home, because dirty baseboards can affect the overall look of a room. Clean baseboards give the illusion of a cleaner home, so it is recommended that homeowners clean baseboards at least once per month to retain a tidy look. You will no longer have to deep clean before company arrives, just be sure you maintain clean baseboards and vacuum and your home will look sparkly fresh.

As a part of the series from Home Ever After about tackling a cleaning schedule for your home one day at a time, the following guide offers the best techniques for achieving squeaky clean baseboards in your home. Stop allowing that dust to accumulate and refuse to settle for anything less than clean baseboards and a clean home.

Clean This Today: Baseboard Heaters

Good morning, household managers! Today’s cleaning chore is to clean the baseboards in your house. Baseboard heaters are probably not an item which you have on your cleaning checklist for each room. This is all the more reason to dedicate one day a month to cleaning the baseboards in the whole house. The baseboards in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and near kitchens are often the most dirty and have buildup of grease, lint, hair products, and more. Clean your baseboards at least once a month to keep them from getting buildup that takes heavy duty scrubbing to remove. We’ve even got a trick that will help to keep the dirt from being attracted to your baseboard heaters in the first place. Who doesn’t love to make housework easier?!

How to Clean Baseboards: Complete Directions

We’ve created the perfect easy-to-follow step by step instructions for how to clean baseboards. Make sure to print out the directions and put them in your household management binder for quick reference.

The short version of how to clean baseboard heaters:

Clean all the baseboards in the house on the same day. Clean one room at a time.
Bring a vacuum with a tube attachment, a sponge, dryer sheets, and a bottle of antibacterial cleaner or vinegar with you to each room.
Vacuum the dirt out of the radiation fins first (these are inside the baseboard and look like a bunch of metal pieces side by side standing upright). -or-
If you don’t have a vacuum with a tube, use canned air (the kind used for computer cleaning) to blast out the dust from the fins.
Next, spray the sponge with cleaner and wipe down the outside of the baseboard.
Once dry, rub the outside of the baseboard with a dryer sheet to keep dirt from settling on the baseboards.

Click now to read the full directions for how to clean baseboards . Now get started cleaning your baseboard heaters and come back next Tuesday for Clean This Today to transform your house into your Home Ever After ! If you have more energy and want to try more extra cleaning projects today, then go back to our Clean This Today list.

Many homeowners attempt to clean baseboards with only a sponge. If dirt and dust has accumulated on the baseboards, then moisture will only trap grime in the grooves of the wood or metal. This is why it is important to vacuum the baseboards before cleaning.

Consider adding “clean baseboards” to your regular cleaning schedule in order to ensure that this task is done at least once a month. It will greatly improve the look of your home.

Don’t have time to clean baseboards? Call your local branch of The Maids! We are here to help you keep your home spotless!

How to Make Homemade Candles

Sat, 19 Oct 2019 09:26:01 GMT

Candles are a great accent piece to any room and add an inspiring flare to home decor. Not to mention, the aroma from a lit candle infuses throughout every crevasse of a space. From lemon to orange, a citrus candle can freshen up your living area!

Not to mention, the aroma from a lit candle infuses throughout every crevasse of a space. From lemon to orange, a citrus candle can freshen up your living area!

Have you ever thought about making your own homemade candles? Homemade candles are simple and easy to make. The beauty of making homemade candles is that you can infuse any scent that you enjoy. We have the perfect recipe if you love citrus scents. Have you eaten an orange lately? Or perhaps used a lemon in your cooking? Take the rinds of limes, lemons, or oranges and turn them into homemade candles.

Take a look at Martha Stewart’s step-by-step instructions on how to make lemon-scented homemade candles:

Lemon Candles

Tools and Materials

1 dozen lemon
Knife
Melon baller
Candy thermometer
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil
Wicks
Wick holder
1 pound beeswax
Small paintbrush

Lemon Candles How-To

1. Cut the lemons lengthwise. Squeeze out as much of the juice as possible without tearing the skin. Hollow out the lemon halves with a melon baller.

2. In a double boiler, heat beeswax until melted, about 180 degrees. Check temperature with a candy thermometer. Turn off the heat and add lemon oil.

3. Cut 3 inches of wick; tie a knot at one end. Thread the loose end through a wick holder, and pull so the knot is secure under the holder.

4. Dip the wick and holder with wax until coated; this will stiffen and straighten the wick. Press the wick holder into the bottom of the lemon half to affix. Let the wick dry.

5. Pour the wax into the lemon half, and fill to the edge. Use a small paintbrush to coat the rim of the lemon with wax. Let the candle dry for about 4 hours.

Follow these simple instructions and you will have homemade candles in no time. These citrus homemade candles will certainly make your kitchen table look fabulous and unique.

If you don’t want to keep all the homemade candles for yourself, these citrus candles also make great party favors. Re-kindle those artistic flames and get started on this arts and crafts project of creating your own homemade candles!

Still have some stench that you can't seem to get rid of in your home? The Maids would be happy to help! Contact us today.

TIPS ON CLEANING YOUR AREA RUGS

Sun, 16 Oct 2016 07:46:13 GMT

Area rugs are tremendously versatile. With the appropriate pad, area rugs work on any type of flooring and in any room. Area rugs offer unlimited combinations of color, texture, pattern and placement, and no matter what kind of room you have they can add a whole new level of beauty. They are the only flooring product that you can easily install, then pick up and move.

Area rugs add new depths of beauty to a room, but they have to be maintained properly.

Handmade area rugs can be very valuable and expensive elegant additions to a room, but despite their value they're made to be walked on. If you’re not going to enjoy and use your area rug, why have it? Knowing full well that your carpet will get messy at some point, there are many things to remember when cleaning it.

You should vacuum or sweep your area rug to keep it clean, but be sure to watch the fringes. You don’t want to have to pull them out of the vacuum cleaner. Another thing to remember is to rotate your rug every once in a while to ensure that the colors or patterns don't fade. If the occasion arises when something is spilled on your rug, clean it up immediately. Use club soda, baking powder, or salt can help clean up the mess and eliminate any odors that the mess may leave behind. For more tips on how you can keep your area rug clean and looking new, Mrs. Clean has some for you!

Tips on Cleaning Area Rugs

How to Keep Your Rugs Clean

Area rugs can be beautiful additions to your home, but they can be expensive and sometimes delicate.

It’s important to know how to clean and maintain area rugs to protect your investment.

By following our tips, you can keep your rugs looking new for as long as possible.

Improper Cleaning Can Ruin Your Rug!

People trampling all over your expensive area rug causes wear and tear over time. You might be adding to that damage by cleaning your rugs the wrong way!

There are a few very common mistakes that people make when it comes to cleaning area rugs. These mistakes can end up subtracting years from the life of your rugs, and they should be avoided at all costs.

Don’t beat your rugs!

Your mom might have taken her rugs out back, hung them on a clothesline, and beaten them with a baseball bat, but you shouldn’t. The only rugs you should shake or beat are inexpensive doormats. When you beat rugs, you can cause the woven threads to loosen, and you can damage the backing of the rug. Some rugs will separate from their backing after only one beating if they are poorly made. Don’t take the chance.

Don’t vacuum fringe!

If you run the vacuum over fringe when you are vacuuming your rug, you will remove the fringe up into the beater bar of your vacuum. At the very least, you will damage the fringe. It starts to loosen and look like a curly, stringy mess. Even worse, you could pull out chunks of fringe. The threads can get caught in your vacuum and you’ll have to unwind them from the beater bar. You can end up damaging your rug and your vacuum!

Don’t use carpet shampoos or sprays!

Carpet shampoos usually end up attracting more dirt, and carpet shampooing machines (especially ones with several brushes) can do damage to your area rugs. Drenching your area rug with water is never a good idea. It can ruin the rug and the floor underneath. Carpet stain sprays can discolor area rugs. It’s best to have your area rug professionally cleaned and only spot clean when necessary with a gentle stain solution.

Frequent Vacuuming is Key

To keep your area rugs clean, vacuum often. To properly vacuum area rugs, remove all furniture from them and vacuum to remove surface dirt. Next, flip the rug over and vacuum the back of the rug. Finally, flip the rug back over and give it one more pass on the right side. It sounds like a lot of work, but vacuuming the back of the rug is the only way to get the dirt that settles against the backing. This should be done as often as possible.

Weekly vacuuming on both sides would be ideal. If that’s not possible, you should do it at least once every two weeks. For the fringe, do not use the beater bar on your vacuum. If your vacuum has a curtain-cleaning tool that allows you to adjust the power of the vacuum to low, use that to clean area rug fringe.

Area Rug Stain Removal

If you spill something on your area rug or notice a stain while you’re vacuuming, you should attend to the stain right away. For new spills, place a clean towel or cloth underneath the rug. Use paper towels or a dry, clean towel and blot the stain. Repeat this until you’ve gotten as much of the spill as you can.

Next, try to remove the stain. Replace the cloth or towel underneath the rug with a clean, dry one. From the top, dip a cloth or towel in a little club soda or cold water. Ring it out well so it’s only damp. Blot the stain and follow by blotting with a dry towel. If it doesn’t get out the stain, try blotting some shaving cream onto the stain. If the shaving cream doesn’t work, try a gentle solution of 1 teaspoon dish soap to 1 cup of water. If your stain remains, call a professional. Trying anything harsher can damage your rug.

Maintaining Your Area Rug

Besides vacuuming, there are several ways to keep your area rug from wearing too much. If you have furniture on your rug, place a support underneath the rug where the legs rest. There are special rug supports, but you can also just use a small tile under each leg. This keeps the furniture from severely indenting the rug. It’s also a good idea to rotate your rug every six months if you don’t rearrange your furniture often. Rotating the rug keeps the furniture from poking the same part of the rug all of the time. If your area rug is reversible, flip it over every six months.

Periodically Call in the Pros!

Most area rug manufacturers recommend professional cleaning only. Some dry cleaners clean area rugs and most carpet cleaning services will clean area rugs, but make sure you ask which method they use. Read the care tag on your area rug to see what your manufacturer recommends. Any method of cleaning will be hard on your rug, so only do it when necessary. Most rugs can be cleaned once every year or two. Area rugs in high traffic areas will require more frequent cleaning. The more you baby your area rug, the longer you can enjoy its beauty!

If you remember these tips, maintaining a clean rug can drastically increase its durability and longevity. If you want your rug to look new, weekly vacuuming and steaming can help. Another thing to try is placing padding below the rug. Padding can help keep your rug in place as well as protect your rug from rubbing up against the floor.

Renew the Beauty of Your Outdoor Furniture

Mon, 18 May 2015 09:02:46 GMT

If you have outdoor furniture, signs of wear and tear will appear over time. Many factors cause outdoor furniture to fade and wear, some of those being: daily use, adverse weather conditions, and scruffs and scratches. Regardless of how often you clean them or how careful you are, as the years passthe signs of use will show. So have some fun with your furniture and give it a facelift instead of replacing it. These simple tips will help you bring new life toyour outdoor furniture.

A New Coat of Paint

A new coat of paint allows you to bring back the colors you once loved that have become faded and worn. Sanding down damaged areas will remove small dings and chips in the paint, and allow for a smooth painting surface. And when you repaint the furniture it is a good idea to use paint that is designed for outdoor exposure.

A New Color Selection

A new color, colors, or pattern might bring totally new beauty and attitude to your outdoor furniture. There are paints for common outdoor furniture material such as vinyl, hard plastic, metal, or wood, just to name a few. There are several paint brands to choose from, just make sure that you select one that is designed to be used outdoors.

You will be amazed at how a fresh coat of paint can make such a huge difference, or what an entirely new color scheme can do for your outdoor space. This is a simple way to save on cost, and create a space you can enjoy with family and friends. And while you are busy bringing new life to your outdoor space, you can hire The Maids to handle your indoor cleaning.

How to Maintain Your Plasma TV

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:23:33 GMT

It is important to learn how to properly maintain appliances such as plasma TVs. Doing so will ensure that your TV functions properly and remains working well for years to come. Here are tips on how to maintain your plasma TV:

Read instruction manual before you start cleaning your appliances

As with all appliances, it is important for you to read your TV’s instruction manual. This will help you avoid simple mistakes that can damage or destroy your TV. You will know how to properly take care of your TV after you read the instruction manual.

Avoid electrical surges

An electrical surge can destroy your plasma TV. It is important that you protect your TV from this type of damage. Make sure to use a surge protector to prevent any electrical surges. You can find a good surge protector at most home goods stores. Simply plug your TV into the surge protector and then plug the surge protector into the wall. You should also plug all your other home entertainment equipment into the surge protector.

Avoid burn-in

Burn in occurs when a plasma TV displays a still image for an extended period of time. You can easily prevent burn-in from damaging your plasma TV screen. Avoid playing video games that have stationary backgrounds, and do not leave movies or games paused for an extended period of time.

And while you are taking care of your TVs and all your other important tasks, let The Maids of New London, in Hamden, Connecticut handle all of your house cleaning needs.

Five Ways to De-clutter Your Kitchen

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:12:48 GMT

Your kitchen can often become cluttered with all kinds of small appliances, utensils, pots, pans, dishes and all sorts of other items. This clutter can cause your kitchen space to become crowded and disorderly. It is definitely a good idea to de-clutter your kitchen. You will realize that there may be many items that are not currently being used or are just taking up space. By de-cluttering your kitchen you will have more space, and it will increase your kitchen’s functionality. Below are five tips for de-cluttering your kitchen:

Clean the Kitchen

It is advisable to begin to de-clutter by cleaning your kitchen. Use soft cloths, rags, mild detergent and water to remove dirt from your kitchen surfaces. If the sink contains any dirty items, wash them thoroughly. Put items in a designated storage place. This way, it is a lot easier to find items every time you are looking for them.

Clear Out Items Not Being Utilized

Have a carton for things that you wish to store elsewhere in your home, and a carton for things you want to get rid of. And as long as the items you no longer want are in good shape, you could consider donating them. Take a good look at all of your available storage space, from the top to bottom, before proceeding to reorganize.

Organize your Refrigerator

Go to your refrigerator and inspect labels of all the stored food. Remove anything that is past its sell-by-date or which you are unlikely to use. Also, throw out any old leftovers.

Relocate Items

If you have limited cabinet space, all items that you do not use frequently should be packed up to be stored elsewhere in your home. Make a list of these items and their location, so that you can remember where you put them. Place this list in a visible location in the kitchen in case you need to reference it.

Hanging Storage

A hanging pot storage system is a great way to save cabinet space. This way, you will be able to more economically utilize all the space in your kitchen.

After de-cluttering your kitchen, finding what you need should be so much easier. And if you would like help with all your housekeeping needs then do not hesitate to contact The Maids of New London, in Hamden, Connecticut. They will be happy to assist you!

Four Practical Basement Storage Ideas

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:03:40 GMT

If you have a basement or attic in your home, you probably already know how useful that space can be. However, some people just use their basements to dump items that are no longer in use, but there is a lot more that you can do with that space. You don’t have to let your basement be a dark, dull storage pace, you can make it functional and inviting at the same time. Below are some tips for effectively using your basement storage space:

Open Shelving

This is a great solution for people who have many books that they would like to put on display, but lack enough space to store them. By fitting open shelving on your basement walls, it will be much easier to find and showcase your books in visually appealing manner.

Under-Stair Cabinets

The lower staircase wall in your basement can be used as a storage area or display with built-in cabinets diagonally placed alongside the stairs for a distinct look. By taking advantage of the staircase, you save up on floor space while gaining plenty of room to serve as storage for your items

Clear Plastic Bins

Compared to cardboard boxes, clear plastic bins are a much better alternative for holding your smaller stored items, because they make it easier for you to identify where different certain items are located. They also don’t attract mold and rodents when they become damp, like cardboard boxes. The bins can be placed in a closet or under the stairs to keep them out of the common area.

Bar Cart

A small bar cart tucked in a corner, against one of the walls, can provide you with space to store your wine and spirits. It can also be used to display your favorite glassware and entertainment essentials, like shot glasses, coasters, cocktail recipe books, and much more.

And while you are busy organizing your home, the maid service professionals from The Maids of New London, in Hamden, Connecticut can take care of your cleaning needs.

Will Plants Survive In Basement Windows?

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 07:55:40 GMT

Plants can really add to the atmosphere of any home. Lots of direct sunlight and a beautiful plant always brightens up a room. However if you happen to have a basement living area, then good sunlight can be something that is not very abundant. Plants need as much sunlight as possible, and clean windows provide the most sunlight. Call The Maids of New London to get your windows whipped into shape.

Many plants do not do well in the low light conditions that basements provide. However, with the right plant selection, it is possible to grow some wonderful plants even in basement windows.

Two Main Concerns With Basement Windows

With basements windows there are two main concerns when it comes to plants. The most obvious potential problem is the amount of light that is provided. Some basement windows can get a few hours of direct sunlight each day, while many others receive only indirect lighting. Fortunately there are plenty of plants that can handle these light conditions.

The second potential concern is temperature. Depending on where you live and the condition of your windows, some window sills can get quite cold and drafty. Many plants will not handle temperature changes, but there are many that do.

A Few Plant Ideas

Now that the two main concerns are understood, what are a few good options to consider that fit your conditions? A good starter plant to try is the very common Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum). They can thrive in low light conditions and are very hardy. They can handle some temperature variation and do best in temperatures that range from 40º to 85ºF. This will be perfect for many basement windows.

Another plant to consider is the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum). This wonder of a plant thrives in indirect light conditions. It will do best in temperature ranges from 65F to 80F. It is also one of the best plants for purifying air. On top of this, it is one of the few low light plants that will flower. Provided the basement window will provide the correct temperatures, this is one plant to strongly consider.

There is really a wealth of options when it comes to finding a plant for a basement window. So long as the lighting conditions and temperatures are taken into consideration, the correct plants should thrive in their perfect conditions.

Easy Ways to Have a Delicious Smelling Home

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:47:40 GMT

We all want to have beautifully scented homes. This is because of all the senses we possess as human beings, the sense of smell is one of the strongest. In addition, the olfactory nerves and the sense of smell are heavily related to memory and certain emotional responses. The most popular scent in terms of producing well being is a combination of pumpkin pie and vanilla.
Here are some ways that you can make your home smell as delicious as you've always wanted it to be and have your guests leaving happy and impressed!

Candles

There are endless brands and scents of candles that are out there for you to take home and light. Within seconds of lighting, these candles spread their scents throughout the house. From vanilla cookie to Autumn and Winter themed candles to scents like Grass and Fresh Rain, these candles will certainly produce a delicious smelling home in no time.

Baking Cookies

This is an old trick of real estate agents. When agents show a house, they put some cookies in the oven. While the cookies are baking, they create a wonderful scent that wafts through the house. Plus, they are an added incentive for potential buyers to stop in and take a look around. Pop some pre made cookie dough onto a baking sheet for a quick way to make your house smell incredible.

Incense

Whether using a stick of incense or its more unusual cone shaped cousin, burning it can make your home smell really fantastic. Best of all, there is a large variety of scents out there to choose from, from strawberry to jungle rain. You can pick your favorites and, using a dish or an incense holder, you can burn incense whenever you feel like adding a little fragrance to your home.

Above all these suggestions, a clean home is what smells the best. Hiring a service like The Maids will insure your home sparkles as well as smells like a million bucks.

Basement Cleaning: What You MUST Do!

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 07:40:39 GMT

Your basement is where you keep all the extra things that you don't feel like putting in your garage. Where your tool boxes and power tools, old poker table, and even your home gym reside. Unfortunately it is all too easy for a basement to be taken over by unwelcome atrocities such as mold, mildew, and basic repairs. Here are some of the things you must do when it comes to cleaning your basement . Your house and the people who live in it will thank you.

Remove Mold and Mildew

When it comes to mold and mildew, you need to remove the offender right away, as soon as you discover it. You have mold or mildew when you can see or smell a suspicious growth.

You need to check any and all areas once you spot mold because the spores move on the air and in water - two very common characteristics of many basements. So check the air ducts, beneath any carpets or rugs you have, and the exposed wood trim. Mold and mildew smell musty. If you believe that you have mildew or mold growth in your basement, you need to either take care of the problem yourself or consult the professionals at The Maids New London to eradicate it as soon as possible.

Repair The Foundation Cracks

Fixing foundation cracks is paramount to the health of your house. Once cracks in the foundation start, they will only grow until the damage is far more extensive and expensive than you would have ever thought possible. Repair foundation cracks on the wall or floor with a low pressure crack repair kit bought from your local hardware store, or consult professionals to come fix it. Either way, by dealing up front with the problem, you save yourself a lot of time and money and keep your house in tip top shape.

Updating Your Kitchen with New Cabinet Handles

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:15:32 GMT

One of the more cost efficient ways to add value to a home is to upgrade the kitchen. "Cost efficient", however, is a relative term because a full upgrade can be very expensive. Fortunately, a few small changes can make a world of difference, including something as simple as changing out your cabinet handles.

Details

Picture, if you will, a man in a dark blue suit. Imagine the man wearing a deep red tie with the suit. Now imagine the same man in a suit, but with a bright yellow tie with small designs on it.

This small change produces a completely different impression of the man. The man with the dark red tie is most likely a more conservative, serious gentleman whereas the gentleman with the yellow tie is perhaps a bit more expressive and quick to laugh. The devil, as they like to say, is in the details. The hardware on your cabinets serves the same role as the tie in our example. A clean stainless steel handle suggests a certain modern, utilitarian style for the cabinets and entire kitchen. Replace those handles with bright red hardware and you bring a different atmosphere to the kitchen.

Your Kitchen

Of course, the obvious question is what type of cabinetry hardware should you add to your particular kitchen? The answer depends on the style and mood you wish to pursue as well as the color and condition of your cabinets. There is no ironclad answer. This is an area where you apply your tastes and personality.

Perhaps the best approach is to get samples of cabinet handles and install all of them. Use the kitchen as you regularly would for a few days. You'll find a particular set may soon become your favorite. You can then simply replace all your current cabinet handles with the preferred version.

Cost

Perhaps one of the greater benefits of this kitchen upgrade is the cost. There isn't much of one. Whereas, new appliances can set you back thousands of dollars, changing out your cabinet handles shouldn't run you more than $100, unless you have a surprisingly large number of cabinets. Despite this small cost, the change can be so significant that the kitchen will almost feel new.

Go ahead and try it.

The Maids of New London in Hamden, continue to provide great tips and housekeeping services to loyal and prospective customers. Be sure to visit us for more.

Proven Scrubbing Tricks to Remove Shoe Marks From Floors

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:55:08 GMT

There are many techniques to get rid of shoe mark stains, but if these fail to work, you could always try other methods like the ones mentioned below. These are natural products that will not cost you too much money, but are very effective at getting the job done.

Baking Soda Paste

Just mix two tsps.of baking soda with warm water to create a smooth paste.
Using a piece of soft cloth, scrub the floor with the paste and it will remove the shoe mark.
Next, wipe the area clean using a damp cloth.
Leave it to dry.

Lighter Fluid

Take a soft cloth, dampen it using a soft fluid and rub the stained spot with the dampened cloth.
Next, wipe the area using a clean damp piece of cloth and let it dry.
When using a lighter fluid, it is important to always exercise a lot of caution. This is because the liquid is not only flammable but also toxic. Never let it get in contact with your eyes or skin.

Toothpaste

Rub a small quantity of toothpaste on your shoe mark using a clean cloth.
Apply in circular motions.
Wipe the area using a clean and damp cloth, after which you should let it dry properly.

WD-40

Take a small cloth or even a paper towel and spray it with some WD-40 and use it to gently rub the shoe mark.Wipe it clean using a piece of cloth that is clean and damp

Over-The-Counter

These are a few of thehouse cleaning tips offered by The Maids of New London located in Hamden. Many products are available in the market, and, they have been made specifically to help remove scruff marks or other tough stains. These over-the-counter solutions are quite safe for use on just about any kind of flooring. Before you buy any product, make sure that it is safe for use on your specific kind of flooring. Also, ensure that you follow the manufacturer’s directions to the letter.

Practical Ways to Keep Kids Entertained

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:39:39 GMT

Are your young kids sitting around the house bored out of their minds? Tempted to turn on the brain cell killer – better known as the television? Don't! Here are a couple of ideas you can easily use to keep kids entertained for a few hours.

Bowling

You may think of bowling as a game for adults, but it is actually one of the easier games to set up for children. It also happens to be fairly addictive, so you can count on them playing for hours and hours.

The items you need to create your own bowling alley include:

A soft ball such as a tennis ball
Empty plastic soda bottles
A flat surface such as a carpet.

Set up the plastic soda bottles in the same order they are set in a bowling alley, mark off a distance from which the "bowling ball" must be released, explain the rules to the kids and you have successfully put together a way to keep your kids occupied for a few hours.

The River

Tinfoil isn't just for keeping "them" from reading your thoughts! No, it can also be used to create fascinating surfaces your kids can play with for hours. For example, how about a river they can float things down?

Shop at a bulk store? You are going to need a couple of boxes of tin foil. Go out into an area of the yard with a slight tilt. Unroll all the tin foil creating one long strip. Have your kids stand on one end to keep it from flying away, if there is a breeze. Now fold the tinfoil in half down its length so you now have a very long, thin strip. Bend up the outer edges of the strip about an inch from the edge.

Congratulations! You've just created a legendary tin foil Grand Canyon. Put a hose at one end and gently run water down the "river canyon." Your kids will be occupied for hours as they test which toys will and will not float down the river.

The media would have you believe kids only respond to video games these days. Don't buy into it. Your younger kids will love these two games – guaranteed!

Do you need other creative ideas for your home, and information about cleaning services? Visit The Maids of New London in Hamden.

Handy Tips to Help You Care for Any Flooring Option

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:55 GMT

When buying a new flooring option, the number one concern for most people, is how easy the upkeep of the new flooring will be. In order to get the best from your flooring, there are some handy tips that will go a long way in helping you care for your flooring.

TIMBER

Timber is an extremely stylish flooring option for your office or home. It is important that you maintain its appearance in order to keep it in peak condition for as long as possible.

Tips for timber floors:

When possible, make sure that sand, dirt, and grit do not pile up on thesurface of your floors. If left to accumulate, theywill act like sandpaper, making them wear away the finish.
Ensure that you place mats at all the outer exits. Keep the floor vacuumed or swept frequently.
Do not use a wet-mop on a hardwood floor. Remember to clean up any spills as soon as they occur.
Using water or any cleaning agent; ensure that you wring the mop thoroughly before using it on the floor. This is because wood flooring is easily damaged if you allow excess moisture to get into the seams between planks.

CORK

Cork is one of the flooring options that are easier to maintain.

Tips to caring for a cork floor:

When dusty, just sweep using a soft bristled mop or broom
When dirty, just wash it using warm water or any floor care product that may be recommended by the manufacturer.

VINYL

Generally, maintaining vinyl flooring is very easy.

Tips for vinyl flooring care:

After installing this type of floor, wash its surface using a combination of warm waterand a floor care product recommended by the manufacturer. Rinse properly with warm water.
For a dry floor, just use a damp mopwith a cleaning system recommended by the vinyl manufacturerand be sure to use them consistently. Vacuum, or use a damp mop, and sweep your floor frequently to get rid of grit and dust which could mark and scratch your floor.
Avoid using wax polishes, caustic ammonia, or solvent –based cleaners

LAMINATE FLOORING

Not only arelaminate type floors easy to clean but are also able to withstand all kinds of treatment.

Tips for laminate floors:

To get rid of dirt caused by daily wear and heavier traffic by children, guests, or pets; use a vacuum cleaner, a broom, or even a a damp cloth.
Avoid polishing, steam cleaning, or even adding a detergent to water as you clean. Only use the cleaning product that has been recommended by the manufacturer.

In finding the right company to assist you with your house cleaning needs, it can be a stressful process.The Maids of New London in Hamden make everything simple.

Refresh Your Outdoor Chairs and Tables

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:07:37 GMT

You bought your outdoor furniture because you love the look and feel, but lately it isn't looking so good. You could run out and buy some new outdoor chairs and tables, but if you really like what you have, why not just give them a facelift?

Extending your house cleaning to the patio will help everything look nicer, but if you’re ready for a real change, here are some suggestions:

Look For Mildew

If you are going to refresh your outdoor chairs and tables, checking for mildew is an part of the process. Making sure there’s no mildew will extend the life of your furniture and help keep harmful toxins out of your outdoor living space. Mildew is a form of mold, and it grows best in hot, humid weather, the same place where your outdoor furniture spends most of its life.

If you find any mildew, you can use 1/2 cup of bleach in one gallon water to clean it. Rinse with clean water. Since it can cause discoloration, it is important to do this before you paint.

Before painting, prepare the surface by using a mildew killer. This will help protect your furniture against mold and mildew, and it easily blends in with paints or stains.

Brighten Up The Original Colors

If you are still in love with the colors your outdoor furniture originally had, then simply find the same or similar colors and repaint.

First, sand down the areas that you plan to paint, as this will help create a smooth surface to paint on. Then, use primer to help the paint go on more easily and stay on longer, and then paint with the closest match you can find to the previous color.

Change The Colors And Change The Atmosphere

The beauty of a facelift is that you can easily change the colors of your chairs and tables to reflect any changes you have made throughout the years. For instance, if you have painted your deck a darker color, then you may want to change the color of your furniture to something darker as well.

Of course, the great thing about an outdoor furniture makeover is that you can change the whole appearance of your backyard even if you haven't done any other updates. No matter what surface your furniture is, you can find a paint that will cover it up nicely and change the whole atmosphere of your yard.

Once your patio looks fresh and new, you’ll probably want to make sure your house does, as well. The Maids of New London are ready and waiting to help your home make the right impression!

Get Compacted and Save Space

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:06:57 GMT

If you are a housekeeper, you know just how busy you can be. There is no shadow of doubt about the amount of work you put in. However, there are certain things you can do to make it more efficient and reduce the amount of time that you require to remove all the clutter. Here is a sneak peek of some of these ways:

First, you need to have a better organization. The truth is that better organization is crucial towards efficient cleaning:

When you sort through your stuff, you will no longer inquire where they should go.

You won’t have to ask where your items will go because you will be able to tell in which category it belongs and go ahead and place it in that category.

After knowing exactly where to place your belongings, you will realize that you have saved your time for more crucial life needs.

Place some items in a lost and found drawer.

For items that neither have a category nor a drawer or items you need to ask someone about, you can choose a designated lost and found drawer and place those types of things in it. Just in case someone fails to find what they are looking for, they can always re-visit the drawer to check if these items are there. This will not only be convenient to the person looking for a lost item, but also on the person doing the cleaning.

Putting away some seasonal clothes.

The truth is that some closets have limited space. Therefore, you want to ensure that you have taken all the winter clothes out of your closet during summer. Place them in plastic storage bags or stackable totes instead. This will ensure that all the summer clothes are accessible when you want to choose an outfit to wear without winter clothes getting in the way.

Place all the puzzles in a bag.

If you have family members who love puzzles, some pieces within your home may fall out and get lost. Try placing these pieces in a sandwich bag and subsequently place them in a small tote. You will create more space and be organized in the process.

Keeping your home organized and clean is a full-time job. If your schedule is making it difficult to find time to do anything else, get in touch with The Maids for a helping hand.

Removal of Stickers and Their Residue from Various Surfaces

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 12:48:28 GMT

As long as the price stickers are where they belong – on the labeled products in your convenience store or other shopping malls, then they remain functional and useful. However, most stickers don’t stick there for long; they get to come off once they have been paid for after their brief shelf life. And heaven only knows where these stickers end up; they can easily become a nuisance on every surface in and around the home.The following are some of the ways to clean those stickers from various surfaces at home:

Glass Surfaces

Avoid scratching the glass to remove the sticker as this may damage the glass. Instead, apply vegetable or baby oil, allowing it to remain on the surface overnight; by morning it should peel off. Using nail polish and allowing it to soak for about 30 minutes should also do the trick.

Wooden Surfaces

Lay a cloth or paper towel that has been soaked in white vinegar over the sticker and allow it to soak into the sticker and residue for about five minutes. Peel off the sticker and once the wooden surface is clean, use wood polish to wipe the surface.

Plastic Surfaces

Heat up the portion around the sticker using a hair dryer, then peel off one side. Aim the hair dryer below the sticker as you hold up the loose side; this will allow the area to warm up and slowly release the sticker from the plastic surface. Ensure the surface doesn’t get hot enough to melt the plastic. Finish by washing the surface using a solution of dish soap then dry it.

Metallic Surfaces

Scrape off the adhesive as much of it as you can from the metallic surface then apply water-displacing spray on a cloth, but make sure not to use something abrasive that will scratch the metal . Continue rubbing the sticker with this spray, and then wash the surface using warm water mixed with dish soap. Rinse the area and dry it.

You can maintain all your surfaces and their nice appearance even after the stickers have been removed. There is always a suitable solution to deal with the unsightly blemishes on your surfaces. No need to be miserable about those annoying stickers anymore! And for all your other messes, The Maids can do your housekeeping for you.

Cleaning with at Home Made Products

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 12:33:42 GMT

Allergies and other respiratory issues make it hard for some people to use chemical cleaning products. At the same time, there are plenty cleaning items sold these days claim to be eco-friendly and free of harsh chemicals, when that isn’t always the case. The following are some cleaning solutions which you can make right in your kitchen using other common household products:

Wax for Floors

2 Tbsp. of olive oil
warm water
white vinegar

This wax will serve as an effective alternative for those who are bothered by the strong chemical smell of many common floor cleaners.

Furniture Polishing

1/4 cup of olive oil
20 drops of lemon oil
1/4 cup of white vinegar

The wood will absorb the oils and the lemon will cut away all the excess greases

Homemade Bleach

1/2 cup of baking soda
1/2 tsp of peroxide
1 tsp of dish soap

This solution can effectively scrub tiles and bathrooms with ease.

Microwave Cleaner

A few lemons cut into wedges
Bowl with small amount of water

Place lemon wedges inside of the bowl with a tad bit of water and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and wipe your microwave out using a damp cloth.

Glass Cleaner

1 1/2 cup of water
lemon juice
1 cup of white vinegar.

This will work best on mirrors, and the lemon will give them a streak-free shine.

The main goal of good housekeeping should be to make your home fresh and clean, which will help keep your family healthy and happy.If you would like to hire someone to do your house cleaning, The Maids should be the ones you call!

Top Uses of Storage Bins

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 12:15:51 GMT

There are many industries that are doing an awesome job of manufacturing safe-keeping bins. These bins are a great part of daily life as they are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes for organization and house cleaning. These storage bins are used not only in homes, but in schools and warehouses as well. You can easily get the bins according to your need from any shop near your property.

Here are the top 10 uses for household storage bins:

1. A detailed storage system:

A number of people use storage platforms with storage bins in an integrated system of shelves, cabinets, lockers, and racks. It depends upon the individual to select bins according to the particular storage need. These storage bins can be purchased in all different sizes and shapes, making it easy to choose the right size and condition.

2. Security of numerous materials and parts:

Many bins are manufactured to handle heavy-duty storage as these bins ought to guarantee the security of different materials and belongings.

3. Protection of electronic digital components:

Many containers are manufactured for the purpose of protecting sensitive items. These are the components that are supposed to be kept secure, and plastic storage bins do really a great job for this reason.

4. Different portions to arrange:

Many items that don’t require special care are needed in a home or shop, but these are typically the parts that need to be stored in an organized manner. Many storage bins have completely different portions that do a great job organizing these items.

5. Easy access:

Many storage boxes are accessible in handy form and the user can decide how to make bins accessible in kitchen or other places. Finding a bin that meets your need will help.

6. Handling of food:

Storage bins come with the ability to look at different items of food in them. Air tight boxes or even bins help food to remain protected. These bins are located in many different sizes meant for storing food without waste.

7. Storage for children’s items:

A number of shoppers buy storage bins in which they may keep their children’s belongings. These bins play a great role for protection with children's toys, books, and craft things. These bins are located in many bright colors which attract kids for enjoying these boxes as properly.

8. Organization of house:

Storage bins are manufactured to help with your organization of tools with the garage like screws, products, nails, pipes etc.

There are many other advantages of having these bins inside your homes but these had been just few important and additionally integral uses of storage devices bins.

Storage bins are one way to help keep a house organized and clean, and maid services like those from The Maids can take it one step further.

Keeping Valued Papers Safe

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 11:54:47 GMT

Preserving confidential papers is something that every household needs to know to do because nobody wants any of these papers wet, lost, burnt, or damaged:

birth certificates
registration papers
credit reports
membership cards
collectible concert tickets
home business papers
photos
and other valuable papers

Organization is key to keep your papers from getting lost, and an important part of housekeeping. The following are other ways to protect your valuable papers.

Lamination

You can laminate papers of different sizes using special products that come in different models to heat-seal lamination material over the paper for protection and preservation. Currently, you are not allowed to laminate Social Security cards, but you can do so for older cards without that restriction, including insurance cards and award certificates, to keep them protected from bends, tears, water, etc.

Fire Protection

A fire outbreak can cause damage to important documents and papers that might be difficult to replace. So, the best thing to do is to use a fire safe, a filing cabinet, or shelved cabinet to protect these items. Moreover, a filing cabinet will also help you to stay organized and avoid unnecessarily misplacement of your important items. For a small price of around $40, you can find a rectangular box that can offer you the benefits of safety with a small investment. Depending on what you are willing to part with for a decent fire safe, these products vary on how long and how much heat they can handle. A majority have numbered, keyed, or padlocked protection for confidentiality.

Sealed Bags

Large sealed bags such as Ziploc brand bags and sandwich bags can protect many valued papers from condensation, spills, decomposition, or debris.

Digital Protection

Digital storage is the best way to protect or preserve important papers. Scan your papers or visit a local photo lab such as CVS or Wal-Mart to make copies of your papers in digital form, and then store them on a memory stick, email, or in a cloud system. Use some of these techniques to protect your important papers and photos and you won’t have to regret: better safe than sorry.

Keeping your papers organized is an important part of the process of protecting them, and keeping clutter down in general will help. Of course, cleaning is practically a full-time job, so if you need some help, don’t hesitate to call The Maids.

Homemade Cleaning Agents Recipes

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 10:53:25 GMT

Instead of using toxic chemical products in your home, you can make your own cleaning agents using some safe household ingredients. However, never mix bleach and ammonia, as they can create a deadly gas. It is important to ensure that the ingredients you are planning to use are appropriate for the surface you want to clean. White distilled vinegar and many other basic cleansers are safe for cleaning most surfaces, and can be mixed to make great cleaning products. Below are a couple of recipes for basic cleaners and their uses:

Window Cleaner

How to Make

You will need a cup of white vinegar and a cup of water for this mixture. Fill a refillable 16 ounce trigger spray bottle with the vinegar and water. Shake the mixture and label.

How to use

Spray the mixture on the glass and wipe using a clean and soft lint free cloth, or use a balled up sheet of newspaper. This is a great recipe that does a fantastic job and is very economical.

Carpet Cleanser

How to Make

You will need six drips of oil soap, a cup of club soda. Mix the drops of oil soap with the club soda in a bowl to make a foamy cleaner.

Using the mixture

Rub mixture into the stained areas on the carpet and scrub using a brush. Rinse with water and blot immediately. Ensure that the stains on the carpet are cleanedas they happen, as the can be difficult to clean once they are dry. This agent is an effective cleanser and is strong on even the toughest stains.

While these cleaners are very effective, you simply may desire to have help. If this is the case, you can hire The Maids to assist in your cleaning needs.

The Uses of Vinegar in the Home

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:25:59 GMT

One of the most versatile cleaning solutions you can use in your home is vinegar. The uses of vinegar in the home are simply amazing and will lead you to exclaim, who knew?

The acidic content in vinegar makes it great for everything from cleaning out your coffeepot to cleaning windows. It can even be used as an adjunct to clean drains or deodorize them. Yes, humble vinegar can do it all.

Vinegar can also be used as a deodorizer and can remove unpleasant odors from the home like the order of smoke for instance. It can also be used to clean stainless steel and remove candle wax. Some of the other things that this inexpensive wonder substance can do is to clean computers and peripherals.

Those who have a mouse that has a tracking ball may easily remove it and clean the components with vinegar. Vinegar can also be used effectively for cleaning window blinds. Put on some light weight glove with a bit of vinegar solution on them and prepare to be astounded at the transformation. Vinegar is indeed the most versatile of solutions and can clean many items in your home.

These are some of the items it is most effective for. Vinegar is also good for polishing brass and copper

One of the other uses for vinegar is to unglue stickers’ decals and price tags. Many times these items leave a gooey residue. They can be easily removed by adding vinegar to the item and let it set for a minute or two and then scrape off the item. It is cost effective. It can also remove glue from glass, plastic and other glossy surfaces.

You can burnish your scissors with vinegar and if they are sticky or grimy they will come clean. Vinegar can also help remove mildew stains use full strength for set in or dark stains. Use lesser amounts for stains that are light.

Vinegar can also be used to take off ball point pen marks.

For a budding artist in the home use vinegar to remove ink from painted walls. It is an easy and inexpensive solution and a full proof and inexpensive way to remove marks that the young artist may have left.

There are even more uses for vinegar, so the next time you feel you need to buy expensive or hazardous cleaning materials, remember the uses of vinegar in the home.

The Uses and Disadvantages of Chlorine Bleach

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:54:36 GMT

There are a variety of uses for chlorine bleach in your home. Chlorine bleach can be used to eliminate mildew and mold that may be growing on various surfaces; it is also used in disinfecting and cleaning many items. Chlorine bleach may be very handy to use around the home but it is also important to note that it can be a hazard, so it’s wise to use the bleach cautiously, especially in a home that has pets or children. The Maids usehousekeeping products that work as well as—or even better than—bleach but are friendly to the environment to give you the best results in a way that is completely safe for both you and your environment.

The Downside of Chlorine Bleach

There are many uses of chlorine bleach; however, it also has very some concerning aspects. One negative quality is that it quickly corrodes stainless steel, and can literally burn a hole through it. It is important therefore to ensure that the bleach is kept away from all stainless steel items.
Additionally, the bleach should not be kept separate from many cleaners that are used in the home such as acidic chemicals and ammonia because mixing them can lead to explosive reactions. It can also cause chemical reactions that may give off dangerous vapors or gases that may be harmful to anyone nearby.
Avoid splashing or spilling chlorine bleach in the process of using it since it usually causes colored fabrics to fade.
Finally, the strength and effectiveness of the bleach reduces over time. It will have lost at least 20% of its effectiveness after just six months.

Uses of the Bleach

As a main ingredient used in most cleaners today, bleach is generally considered as an all-purpose cleaner. It is used in sanitizing and cleaning the following;

House siding
Rubber mats
Floors around the home
Shower liners
Countertops
Trash cans
Toilets, showers, sinks and tubs
Children’s toys
Rags, white socks, towels as well as many other linens

When using bleach, don’t forget to consider how it should be diluted for the task at hand, and always use it with caution.

Gain More Free Time through Better Organization

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 10:31:03 GMT

Getting organized at home is a great idea. In your daily life there are some house cleaning chores which you will be required to carry out on a daily basis. When cleaning the house, you will need to arrange different items in the places that make the most sense for functionality in your life. The best way for you to arrange the items in your home is putting them in places where you can easily locate them whenever you would like to make use of them. This will reduce the time that you would waste in trying to locate certain items in your home. The following are ideas that you can employ for you to get organized easily:

Personal Electronic Accessories

There are several home accessories available in a home. For instance, you will often have the following electronics in your home: phone chargers, game console controllers, TV cables, USB portable storage units, power adapters, headphones, video cables, Wi-Fi dongles, remotes, Ethernet cables, watches, watch batteries, standard batteries, electronic parts, tiny screws and other gadgets with their accessories. To have an easier time when cleaning your house, you can design a drawer where you can place all the electronic gadgets so that when you need them it will be easy for you to retrieve them.

Dirty Clothes

To arrange dirty clothes so you can easily gather them when you are ready to wash them, buy laundry hampers and place one in each bedroom in your home so that your family members can put their dirty clothes in them every day. This will make it easier on laundry day because when you’re ready to start cleaning your clothes you will go straight to the hamper rather than wasting time looking for the clothes all over the house.

For a little extra help in keeping the house clean and organized, a maid service like The Maids can do the job.

Eliminating Pet Hair on Your Couch

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 10:08:43 GMT

In a home, pets help family members enjoy life, especially those who love their pets very much. They also tend to add more work to your home when you’re trying to maintain high level of cleanliness. This is especially noticeable when you have to try and remove pet hairs during house cleaning that settle on places in your home such as on your couch or other furniture.

Using Attachments for Vacuums

The vacuum pump sometimes have attachments which you can use to get rid of the pet hairs. Pumps with brushes or wide floor attachments tend to make the work of removing the pet hairs a bit harder because they are not designed for the work.

Vacuums Designed for Pet Hair

There are vacuum pumps that are designed with a particular attachment that makes the work of removing pet hair very easy. You can order an attachment that will enable you to remove the pet hairs from your couch, but buying the one that has the attachments already is preferable.

The Types and Styles of Attachments

The attachments available on vacuum pumps differ according to the manufacturers. There are those that provide the attachments with rubber on the edges which form grips that help in removing the hairs before the pump sucks them. Other features on the vacuum pumps include rubber bristles which help in brushing up the pet hairs from your couch with great ease.

Of course, to keep a house really clean takes consistency, and if your time is stretched thin, The Maidscan help.

Best Garage Organization Ideas That Work

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:34:21 GMT

Are you forced to leave your car out on the street because your garage doesn’t have enough room for it? If so then its time you started thinking of how to get your garage organized. Listed below are a few tips to help you make that happen. Read on!

1. Sort

It is best to group similar items together to make them easy to find. Shelving units, a few coats of paint and some cute decals for the garage door will transform the space without spending a lot of money. Put frequently used items, such as paper towel, cleaning materials, toilet paper and drinks, on the shelf units.

2. Keep dangerous chemical in their original containers

Most people often keep paints, pesticides and auto fluids in old food containers making them very dangerous as these containers may leak and cause respiratory problems, fumes, burns and even fire hazards. Besides being stored in their original containers, they should also be kept out of reach of children or pets. This can be inside locked cabinets or on high shelves.

3. Lean the ladders horizontally

Ladders when left leaning against the wall can be a hazard. This style often seems to be the correct storage position, but what if it tips over? It can injure a loved one or damage your car. So the best position is to lean it horizontally along the wall. You can also store it on hooks, which is the better option.

4. Assign each area of the garage a specific purpose

Take your time and think carefully about what you want the garage to be used for. Also, think about the best possible way it can be divided up. Divide the space into zones to help you create a setup that does not only make sense, but also leaves the room neat and well-organized.

Ig you need help with cleaning and organizing your garage or anything else, The Maids cover it all, from one –room cleaning to whole house cleaning, as well as emergency cleanups.

Using Additional Shelves for More Storage Space

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 09:23:11 GMT

A home is a home, filled with your things—and the clutter that comes with them. However much you try, it is rather difficult keeping your home in tip-top condition all the time. You will find your cabinets filling up, drawers getting loaded, and closets carrying too many things.

The best way to overcome all this clutter is to think of innovative ideas for your shelves. Use your creativity to make more space so that all your housekeeping efforts keep your home looking great. The first thing to do is reorganize all your shelves so that they give you more space to store your belongings.

Purpose

The purpose of the shelf is very important in helping you decide what you want, and how much you want to expand your shelving units. Decide if you need shelves for storing your music and movies, for your kids’ activity coloring books and games, or other types of items.

Once you determine how much you need to store on shelves, you can decide if you need to expand with more shelving units. If you find you don’t have sufficient room for games, movies, and music on one shelf, it’s the best time to add another shelf for all of these things.

Organization

You can start organizing your things once you decide what you want in a shelving unit. You need not buy additional shelves all the time; if required, shelf systems can be compacted and restricted to fit more of your belongings.

This is because many shelf systems today have peg holes to use for self-adjustment purposes. You can thus place items on the shelves based on size, so that you have a shelf that snugly fits to the next one.

With the extra room you have, you can start adding shelves. Just go to the local hardware store to find out what they offer for shelf boards, and then cut them to the required size. If your existing shelf system is painted, just paint the new boards with a matching color.

On adding new shelves to the unit, and having pegs holding them up, you can now install a new shelf on the remaining space you have once all the new shelves are added to your existing shelf system.

Keep clutter at bay regardless of your schedule with a hand from The Maids, who will not only straighten the clutter, but also make sure your home is truly clean.

Get More Space with More Organization

Fri, 30 May 2014 09:01:54 GMT

Your home has a lot of things that get used every day, every week, some days, some weeks, and even almost never at all. Part of organization involves strategic placement based on frequency of usage. Why take up valuable space with items that hardly get used. You want your frequently used products to be in their place. When you are working on housekeeping tasks , you want simple, effective solutions to cleaning and organizing. Here are some helpful ideas to help make your cleaning go quicker and smoother.

Media Organization

Your home has a lot of media products that include items like DVDs, Blu-Rays, gaming console games, computer software, etc. These items can often get scattered around throughout the house. Designate a shelving unit for your media so that everyone knows where it will be. If you have kids, you can always have a smaller shelf system in their rooms so that the movies don’t lie around just anywhere.

Puzzles and Activity Books

If you have kids in the household, try designating a bookshelf or another type of shelving unit for their puzzles, coloring books, and activity books. That way they know where everything is when they want it and you save time when cleaning.

Household Tools and Small Accessories

Every home also has small tools like pliers, knives, screwdrivers, etc. and plenty of small accessories like wall hooks, nails, screws, picture hangers, hinges, scrapers, and more. A small drawer in the kitchen or the laundry room is a great place to store these items. If they are in one location, you’ll know where they are when you need them and so will everyone else. Having these items scattered in various locations throughout the house can waste time when you don’t really have it. Cleanup will also be easier since you have a designated spot for these items.

Getting Kids to Help Around the House

Fri, 23 May 2014 08:40:16 GMT

Housekeeping is an essential task in every home. And if you have children in your home it can be difficult to get them to help in the household chores. The following are simple tricks and tips to get your children to help around the house:

Have a Chart to Keep Kids on Track

For the children to keep track of the chores you want them to complete, making them a chart is a great idea. You can let them decorate the chart to make it seem more important and fun at the same time. You should try and work with your children in order to encourage them to complete their tasks.

Add Some Fun to Chores

For you to easily get children into doing chores, you should try and make the cleaning fun. Using music is a great way to get your kids going. You all can dance while cleaning at the same time. Another great idea is making completing tasks a race to see who can finish first.

Make Up Creative Incentives

For you to have the children to work with great efforts you need to try and make them work while aiming at a certain reward. You can reward them for completing tasks, either with praise, more TV or game time, or whatever works for you. This will make them want to accomplish their chores quickly in order to earn these incentives.

And if you still find that you would like more assistance with your housekeeping , you can hire The Maids of New London, in Hamden, Connecticut.

How to Make the Most Out of Your Garage Space

Fri, 23 May 2014 08:31:39 GMT

Your garage is probably not only the place where you park your car, but also the storage area for several tools, belongings, and other items which you do not use that often. Chances are, you simply put things in there without doing any normal housekeeping on them, and in time you will have no more space left to tuck anything else away. This tendency is quite common, but there are a number of things you can do to make the most out of your garage space.

Shelving systems and Cabinets: Instead of simply piling things on top of each other, consider installing some shelves. In this way, you will be adding more space, as the areas available on the upper parts of the walls can be put to good use. Self-standing shelves are a good option for garages. You can also opt for cabinets. Make sure to take into account the weight and the size of the items you will be storing on the shelves or in the cabinets. This will help you to choose the right sizes and materials.

Trusses: If you have no ceiling in your garage, make sure you make good use of the trusses under the roof. Just fix flat boards across the trusses and use them as shelves for those items you use very rarely.

Pegboards: Chances are, you have many tools dispersed all over the garage. Why not gather them all and try to organize them a bit? Pegboards hung on garage walls are a great way of doing this. Some tools can be hung to the hangers and hooks and you will be able to see them easily instead of rummaging all over the garage to try to find them.

Outdoor sheds: There may be some items that can be removed from the garage and placed in an outdoor shed. It is very easy to build a shed as you can find several plans online. Otherwise, you can buy a ready-made one, such as those made from vinyl, which are really affordable. In this way you will be making more space in your garage.

If the garage cleaning is overwhelming, some house cleaning services, like The Maids of New London, offer garage cleaning as an additional service!

Top Ways to Cut Clutter in Your Home

Fri, 16 May 2014 08:28:36 GMT

Organization In Your Home Will Save You Time

Your house has lot of items that are not organized as well as they could be. Therefore, you end up wasting a lot of time looking for things you need before you finally find them. To avoid this, designate specific locations for specific items. You will not only save your time when you’re house cleaning , but also get your house organized. Here are a few ideas for getting organized:

Find a Specific Area for Every Item

One of the major reasons your items pile up on tables, floors, and counters is because they have no specific area where you can place them. Make sure all items in your house have a “home.” Storing your items in the room where they are used will help you put them away the moment you are done with them. Place similar items in the same location, and if you frequently use an item, make sure you placed it somewhere you can easily access.

Electronic Accessories

With the rapid changes in technology, most homes have tons of parts and accessories from outdated electronics, like TV cables, headphones, remotes, internet cables, and power adapters, just to mention a few. You can dispose of them or designate a drawer where you can keep these accessories. By doing this, it will be easier for you to clean your home since you know where to put these items.

Do Detective Work in Your Home

Frequently scan your house for clutter hot spots and try to find out why items usually accumulate there. It is likely that you have a habit of throwing items in that area before you place them in their specific places.

If your hands are full and you need a bit of help getting the house clean, check with The Maids of New London and their expert cleaning services!

How to Remove Wax from Carpet

Fri, 16 May 2014 08:22:26 GMT

Tools to use

1 .Butter knife

2. Vacuum

3. Iron

4. White clean cloth

5. Rubbing alcohol

6. Cleaning solvent

7. Water

8. Sponge

Steps to follow

Scrape the hardened wax with the butter knife to remove it from the carpet, if there is any soft wax remaining on the carpet, rub it with a bag of ice cubes to harden and solidify it making it easier for you to collect the wax from the carpet. While doing this process one will need to take to consideration not to damage the carpet like for example with the use of butter knife.

If the wax is gone spray that area with a cleaning solvent to rub off the dye, if there is a little bit of stain still left from the dye, then rub it with a rubbing alcohol to remove the color. This is by placing a white clean cloth over the stain and with a warm iron over it, the stain should be absorbed onto the cloth and away from the carpet. This should be done carefully to ensure that the alcohol does not get absorbed deeply into the carpet because it will loosen the glue that holds the fibers together.

Use the vacuum to remove any wreckage left on the carpet and the vacuum helps to return the carpet to the original texture it was before.

Place a white clean cloth over the spot where the wax was, then warm the iron by ensuring it is not hot, this is because it will melt the cloth. Rub the warm iron over the cloth and if there is any wax left it will melt, once the wax melts it will stick to the bag cloth as you remove the cloth away from the carpet the wax will go away with it. Then repeat the process with another white clean cloth just to ensure that all wax that had remained on the carpet is rubbed off.

Lastly sponge with water to clean the area the wax was on the carpet and vacuum to return the fibers to its original texture.

Minimizing Bedroom Allergens---5 Ways to Reduce Allergy Triggers in Your Bedroom

Fri, 09 May 2014 07:45:31 GMT

The bedroom is where we spend most of our time while indoors. So keeping the air healthy in that room will have positive effect on health and well-being. Here are 5 easy-to-do things that you can do to reduce the number of allergens in the bedroom.

Close the Windows- -Lots of times individuals will encourage you to open the windows to let in outside air. A more exact depiction is "diverse air". In numerous parts of the nation, opening the windows can let different sorts of undesirable toxins into your home.

Thus instead of letting in natural air, you regularly exchange one aggravation for an alternate. Shutting the windows will keep regular dusts, auto vapor, dust and many other airborne dangers from.

Limit the Use of Fans- -Fans are a shoddy approach to keep it cool in the June through August timeframe and to all the more equitably disseminate warm in the winter, yet they additionally cause dust, dust parasites and different poisons to go airborne. This can make air that is thick with allergens and reason anaphylaxes and asthma to flare. So despite the fact that fans may take less cash, they can require you your great wellbeing by actually mixing up inconvenience.

Utmost Pet Access- -If you're a pet mate, this is presumably the hardest thing on this schedule. Home is one of the spots where you can see your pet after extended periods far from them.

Having them consider the couch, on the seat or couch, or anyplace in the room will include dander, hair, quills, and/or hide by the truck load. The scarcest development through the room will send it into the air again making everything excessively simple to be breathed in.

While you ponder what to do about this proposal, you can clean their sheets/confines normally on the grounds that tidy parasites, an alternate intense allergen, eat pet dander. Decreasing the dander will radically decrease dust parasite populace, and lessen the side effects you encounter due to them.

Take Off Your Clothes- -Removing clothes and additionally shoes before entering the room can extraordinarily decrease the exchange of outside toxins in the room. Smells and smells on attire can trigger unfavorable responses, and particles that stick to hair, apparel and shoes can add to the number of particles that can conceivably go airborne.

Segregating apparel that have been worn outside far from the room can keep aggravations held. Also leaving shoes in a mud room keeps outside toxins from being brought into the room.

Consistently Filter the Air- -Using an air purifier that is particularly intended to evacuate particulate and vaporous toxins is a compelling approach to keep allergens and different poisons to a base.

A purifier that has a high effectiveness molecule capturing (curtailed as HEPA) can trap and wipe out particles as little as .3 microns in size with 99.97% productivity. Actually this kind of channel is so great at what it does that healing centers use it to safeguard clean air also.

For vaporous smells your cleaner ought to additionally have initiated carbon zeolite and also carbon fabric to take out poisonous compound exhaust and in addition gasses and smells. The zeolite gives security against vaporous toxins and in light of the fact that the carbon material channel has carbon as its base, it gives twofold insurance against particulates and gasses .

How to Win the Fight Against Dust Mites

Fri, 02 May 2014 07:40:47 GMT

Dust mites are a threatening reality to everybody, especially for those who suffer from allergies like asthma. Without proper hygiene and cleaning, we are forced to accept the fact that they are there to stay thus increasing the risk of allergies. These microscopic arachnids that mainly feed on dead skin cells can be cleared from our environment by simply following this simple guide.

1. De-clutter your house.

A cluttered house attracts a lot of dust and this makes it more susceptible to dust mite invasion. It is utterly necessary to get rid of every unused item from the house, whether old or not. You can either throw them away or donate them. This will also make it easier for you to clean the house thus reducing the number of spots where these mites hide.

2. Embrace good hygiene.

It is extremely important to clean your entire house regularly; the floors, furniture, drapes, ceiling, fans and walls. This helps to clear off dust from their surfaces thus reducing the probability of the occurrence of dust mites. Bedding should be washed frequently in hot water over 54 degrees Celsius and dried in a hot drier to kill the mites as well as get rid of their eggs. Non washable ones should be frozen overnight to kill the mites. Vacuuming should also be done at least weekly and it should involve all surfaces: the furniture, floors, carpets, area rugs, behind furniture, the shelves and cupboards and the ceiling fans. It is important that these vacuums must have a micron or HEPA filter to absorb the dust, dust mites and eggs that could be blown into the air while vacuuming hence preventing allergies. Wiping these surfaces using a wet rug can also help prevent the dust containing dust mites from being blown into the air during cleaning.

3. Replace bedding and carpets.

It is also necessary to replace old bedding with new ones to prevent harboring of dust which contains dust mites. As a rule, any mattress older than 8 years and every sheet or blanket older that six months should be replaced for your own good. Mattresses and pillows should be covered by dust-proof airtight covers to prevent dust from making its way from the mattress or pillows to the outer bedding. It is advisable that for those who suffer from allergies frequently should get rid of carpets and replace them with wooden floors. Upholstered furniture should also be replaced with wooden, leather or metal furniture which are least likely to harbor dust mites. Getting rid of stuffed or soft toys is also advisable as they are believed to be dust mite collectors.

4. Control temperature and humidity.

Controlling temperature and humidity using air conditioners and humidifiers respectively will help in achieving our ultimate goal. Temperatures should be below 21 degrees Celsius while relative humidity should be below 50%. Opening windows and keeping your house well ventilated will also help regulate these two. Airing your bedding rather than spreading them early in the morning is also a great way of reducing the amount of moisture produced by the body thus reducing the survival of dust mites within your bed.

5. Most people have been using acaricides to kill these mites but they tend to reappear after a short time. These little changes in taking care of your house will work wonders in the fight against dust mites thus leaving your house both cleaner and healthier.

How to Clean a Rusty grill or Smoker

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 07:35:12 GMT

Everyone who loves cooking BBQ understands why it is very important to care for as well as maintain the most valuable resource: The grill or the BBQ smoker. The fact that your grill is made of metal means that it is prone to rusting, especially when you neglect it for some time. If this is the situation your smoker is currently in, there is still a way of getting it back to shape. Here are a few effective tips on How to clean a rusty grill or smoker.

1. Begin by disassembling your grill by disengaging any parts connected with bolts and screws to make it possible for you to reach all the areas where rust has accumulated. Then, inspect your smoker carefully and establish areas where rust has attacked.

2. All the rusted areas of the grill should then be brushed off using a wire brush to get rid of loose bits of rust as well as other debris. You may want to consider brushing in circular motion to remove as much loose materials as possible. Ensure to rinse your brush with water to work on other areas of the grill.

3. The next step entails attaching a 120-grit sandpaper to an orbital sander, wearing a protective mask to avoid breathing in the rust particles, plugging the device and then pressing it against the rusty areas of the smoker. The Orbital sander should help you remove the rust completely or at least minimize the rust considerably. Ensure to move the sander in circular motion while keeping it one area for only a short period of time to prevent the surface from wearing out.

4. After you are done working with the sander, the next thing is to get a bucket filled with hot soapy water and sponge, which you will use to clean the entire grill. This cleaning should help remove all the remaining loose materials that the sander was unable to get rid of. When you are done washing, allow the grill to dry completely.

5. To give your smoker or grill a new look, spray every part with a heat resistant spray that is normally found in black. Black paint will go a long way in hiding the stubborn stains while giving your grill a fresh look despite its heaviest use.

6. Reassemble your grill by bringing together all the removed parts as well as inserting all the bolts and screws in their proper positions.

How Many Calories are Burned While CLEANING?

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 07:30:30 GMT

For anyone who might not have an idea what Calories are, they are units used to measure energy in food or the energy burnt in our bodies from the food we eat. Each activity we undertake burns up energy in us. Be it a simple activity like talking, walking, doing our cleaning or performing hard activities like working out, exercises, calories of energy will be burnt in our bodies. That is why every once in a while mostly after a tiresome task we have to make our way to our kitchen for that buttered bread or a plate of cereals to replenish the lost energy.

So, how much energy do we burn while doing our cleaning at home? How many calories do we burn when we doing those basic home cleaning chores? That is what we will go through in this article. One thing to keep in mind is that the amount of energy we burn will heavily rely on the intensity of the task (how vigorous), the time we are into that task and the state of our body.

I will take through a number of home cleaning activities and the amount of calories of energy a person would burn if he did that activity for an hour. My assumption is that the person is of average body stature and is healthy.

ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN -ENERGY BURNT/ HOUR

Carpet sweeping, sweeping floors -156 Calories
Mopping -170 Calories
General cleaning -136 Calories
Dusting, changing linen and carrying out trash -102 Calories
Washing dishes -88 Calories
Vacuuming -170 Calories
Doing the laundry -68 Calories
Multiple tasks with light effort -102 Calories
Multiple tasks with moderate effort -174 Calories
Multiple tasks with vigorous effort -204 Calories

The more vigorous your cleaning activity is and the higher the number of hours you put into doing the task, the more the number of calories are burnt. Now you have it.

Cleaning Those Muddy Puppy Paws

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 07:25:47 GMT

There is nothing worse than seeing your puppy approach the house and knowing, sensing, that it had a little too much fun playing outside. Soon your sparkling floor will be no more, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Wrong. There are easy step that you can take to avoid (or at least minimize the effects of) this nightmare.

The first measure is to close your door to your baby. Yes, this sounds cruel and not good parenting at all, but this way you'll have time to receive the pup properly a cup of water in your hand. You'll introduce the dog's paw inside the cup, dissolving mist of the mud this way. Then use a rag or towel to dry it.

You could even use two cups and alternate, if your dog is the quiet type, that tends to hold still. So one paw would be in the water while you would dry/scrub the other with the towel. But really, all it takes is just submerging the paw in the cup for a couple of seconds, and scrubbing with the towel afterwards.

If you happen to have a hose within reach, even better. Just follow the same initial soaking steps, then hose down the paw of your pet, the water pressure will remove the mud very effectively after it has been softened by the water in the cup, and lastly, dry its paws with a towel.

If somehow you don't have the heart to close the door on your baby, or it's impossible to do for some reason, you can try a variation of this method: the fence. Put a fence between the front door and the rest of the house. Then just a small portion of the floors will be ruined, and you'll have time to clean your dog's paws before he leaves his marks.

Third choice: Carpeting. Using a dense front door carpet can make the difference here. Using what we learned from the previous method you could create a carpeting cleaning system, where one of the carpets will be a "cleaning" carpet, and the other a "drying" carpet. Take in consideration the materials: Dense, tall fibers will be better for capturing the mud.

Aromatherapy-The Healing Power of Nature

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 15:37:03 GMT

Aromatherapy is the use therapeutic products, such as herbs, lotions and oils to promote physical and mental well-being. It helps you relax, be happier, healthier and eliminate stress. The commonly used aromatherapy products are candles, soaps and essential oils. Aromatherapy is used to treat insomnia, asthma, eczema, menstrual complications and many other illnesses.

The following are some of the benefits of aromatherapy:

Improves your mood.
Allows you to have a better sleep at night.
Improves your complexion.
Treats nausea and stomach complexions.
Gets rid of bladder infections.
Reduce symptoms of PMS.
Relieves chronic asthma.

The following are the common types of aromatherapy:

Massage aromatherapy

This kind of aromatherapy applies the use of oils that have been infused into a form of a lotion usually massaged onto the skin. It includes olfactory aromatherapy, compresses and baths. Olfactory aromatherapy uses rom spray, candles or soaps to break up essential oils so as they breathed in.

Aromatology

This is a controversial type of aromatherapy mainly done in France. It is referred to as aromatic medicine practice that requires great training. This type of treatment does include massage, though the essential oils topically applied on the skin. The controversial part of aromatology treatment is that it can sometimes be applied in the vagina or rectum.

Cosmetic aromatherapy

Cosmetic aromatherapy involves infusing the hair care products and essential oils into the skin. You can do it a shower or bath; it is also part of a number of facials. However, this type should be done with a lot of care because some suppliers may use fragrances instead of essential oils. Unadulterated essential oils are very beneficial to the skin because they help tone, clean and moisturize as opposed to fragrances.

Clinical aromatherapy

This kind of aromatherapy is closely associated with massage aromatherapy as essential oils can be applied on the skin. However, it is advisable that only qualified professionals are required to conduct clinical aromatherapy. Misuse of essential oils and massage techniques, particularly on the skin, can cause a lot of discomfort to a person.

The most popular aromatherapy oils include:

Rosemary essential oil
Cedar essential oil
German chamomile essential oil
Bergamot essential oil
Lavender essential oil

There are many supplies used for practicing aromatherapy at home found at many retailers; but, it is advisable to do proper research on the products and ensure you consult an educated professional before you begin practicing any kind of aromatherapy. Make sure you get real and correct essential oils for treatments and you’ll be good to go!

How to Properly Fold a Fitted Sheet

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:03:44 GMT

We all dream of having that magazine worthy, perfectly organized linen cupboard with stacks of neatly folded and organized sheets. However, as many people find fitted sheets difficult to fold, that dream is often ruined. If you are one of those people who dread folding fitted sheets, don't despair, keep on reading and learn how to properly fold a fitted sheet.

1. Lay the fitted sheet on a large, flat surface such as a bed, table or clean floor. Lay the sheet so that you the long sides of the sheet are at the top and bottom. Ensure that the gathered side is facing up. Imagine each elasticated corner is lettered, corner A is the top left corner, corner B is the top right corner, corner C is the bottom right corner and corner D is the bottom left corner.

2. With your right hand, pinch corner C then with your left hand turn the corner inside out, by folding it over your hand. The seam should now be facing the outside. Bring that corner C up to the top of the sheet and tuck into corner B.

3 . Do the same step with the left side of the sheet, turn corner D inside out by folding it over your hand and then bringing it up and tucking corner D into corner A. Now, instead of having four corners you will have two corners, A & B. For the rest of the process, keep corner A as the left corner and corner B as the right corner.

4. You should see a shape resembling a square. With your hand, smooth out any creases and straighten the sides. This will ensure a perfectly folded sheet when finished.

5 . Gently pinch corner B, turn inside out and bring over to the left side of the sheet. Tuck the corner B into corner A.

6. What you should see now is a shape similar to a rectangle, but with two straight edges and two slightly curved edges. All four of the fitted sheet corners should be together on your left. As in step 4, smooth any creases with your hand.

7. Fold the sheet in thirds, starting from the left side with the corners, fold them to the middle of the sheet then fold the right side on top. This helps to hide the elastic.

8 . Finally, fold the sheet in half once from top to bottom. You should be left with a perfectly folded, smooth square.

How do I Get Rid of the Smell from my Cat in My Home?

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:50:50 GMT

Cats are adorable and offer numerous hours of fun for the family but there are certain issues that make other people avoid having them.

One argument that people use is the fact that having a cat inside the house can cause unwanted odor. However, instead of giving up the cat for adoption or avoid having cats inside the house because of the odor issues, there are ways to get rid of the smell that cats produce.

1. Using trusted odor eliminators

Cat lovers swear by certain products that have helped them remove bad odor inside the house, products like Nature’s Miracle or a deodorizer called XO odor eliminator has been proven to remove the foul smell inside the home.

PetZyme is also highly recommended by pet owners, it is an enzyme cleaner that could be used to eliminate the unpleasant smell. Simple Solutions Oxy Odor Destroyer could also be used to remove stubborn smells even those that are from old stains from furniture.

2. Using man-made deodorizer tools

Pet owners have also recommended using Lampe Berger; it is an oil lamp that makes use of a catalytic converter. It clears rooms of foul smell, users can put scented oil or non-scented. It can get rid of any lingering smell like cat pee, even smells that are caused by cigarette smoke or cooking certain types of food.

3. Use practical every day ingredients

Baking soda with vinegar combined with water could be one of the most effective ways to eliminate foul odor caused by cat pee and cat poo. After spraying the area where the foul smell is coming from just put in some additional cleaning ingredients or chemicals to make sure that the place is disinfected.

There is no need to throw the cat away; there are ways to make sure that they will not provide any worry for other people living inside the house.

Keep Your Couch, Chairs, and Sofa Looking Great

Sun, 08 Dec 2013 14:36:41 GMT

The furniture you have in your home that people sit on every single day can experience a lot of wear and tear, especially with all the up and down action they receive daily. If you have children in the home, this situation can be increased with their desires to play around on the furniture, jump on the furniture, or even create messes on the furniture. To begin with, most furniture is not rock solid nor it is that strong. They are usually just a wooden frame with material and cushioning wrapped around them that can tear or even pull off. In any case, the surface of your furniture can get stained, torn, deformed, or even loosened. What can you do to keep that appeal and make housecleaning worthwhile?

Cushion Supports

If the foundation of your couch, chair, or even recliner survives; the cushions and the support structure underneath them can break down. This often leads to sagging seat areas or bends in the furniture. If you have sagging cushions and no bending furniture yet, this is a good time to get cushion supports so that the foundation doesn’t join in. Cushion supports go right underneath the seats to keep them from sagging. You can also find them under other various names, like cushion stabilizers, furniture lifts, furniture savers, under cushion supports, or even seat savers. They provide extra support to prevent that sagging appearance that is a very common household experience.

Furniture Movers

Chairs can often have longer legs, but many couches do too. Some chairs have metal bottoms, but the movers still work for them as well. In addition, there are some styles of furniture that barely have any legs at all. A lot of couches and sofas are designed that way. In either case, furniture movers can still protect the furniture well. But how can movers help with longevity and maintained appeal? They allow the furniture to move easier, which prevents warping, cracking, bending, breaking, or even weakening. This also makes it easier for you to move them around when cleaning too. It will save you time. These movers can preserve the legs or supports by preventing chipping, bending, scratching, and even loosening. They also protect floor surfaces like wood and laminate flooring.

As you can see, these movers have many advantages above and beyond the furniture itself. There are leg protectors or floor protectors also available, but sliders are perfect for your seated furniture. Their availability is in many styles and sizes so you won’t have a noticeable change.

Old Carpet Not Looking New Anymore?

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:29:18 GMT

Your house cleaning efforts are intended to make a room look clean and fresh. However, some things are no longer capable of looking that great. One such example is your carpet. You vacuum, scrub, spray, and even use a carpet cleaner to make it look fabulous, but tears, bare spots, and impossible stains just don’t leave. If this situation applies to you, it may be time to refresh the look of the room with new, colorful carpet.

Color is very important when it comes to carpet choices. The fixtures in the room set the tone and the furniture contributes to the color scheme. With this in mind, consider what colors would look best with what you have and go from there.

Some rooms may be based off of a two-color scheme. If that is the case, you will need to decide what color tone to pick and what color is needed the most. Black sofas may be in the room with green-toned walls. In that situation, a gray or lighter green carpet may work best. If the walls are yellow and you have dark blue furniture, you may want gray or light blue carpeting.

No matter what you decide, a new carpet will add to that cleanliness you strive to maintain and add some new excitement to the room too!

Why Are Housekeeping Services Good to Have?

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:20:28 GMT

In getting straight to the point, how often do you get all cleaning done in one swift swoop? Chances are; that is never. Even if you spent all day slaving away, you most likely will not get everything done. With that said, you most likely don’t have all day to clean anyway.

Housekeeping services clean for a living. This means that they have plenty of time to get the tasks done and done right. Oftentimes, it will be a team of two or more maids. This is an advantage because more can get accomplished in one visit. You already have a lot to do, like going to work, attending meetings, picking up the kids, visiting family, walking the dogs, paying the bills, and tons of other activities. Work alone consumes an awful lot of your time and the exhaustion from it does not speed things up. Housekeeping services provide the results from every single visit. In fact, they usually have a checklist to complete to ensure nothing is left out.

One of the most important concerns to people is sanitization. Health is an important topic amongst the general public. Do you sanitize your door knobs and light switches daily, or even weekly? Do you sanitize the toilet, the tub spout and handles, the sink and faucet every day or every week? Do you wash the kitchen towels and rags frequently? Chances are, the answer is no.

Housekeeping services have a strong focus on cleanliness and sanitization. They give you the advantage of creating a healthier home, even if you work at that yourself. They will do those door knobs, those light switches, those towels, etc. on every visit. Towels build up with germs and bacteria the longer they sit. Kitchen towels often get ignored or forgotten while they hang somewhere looking clean and healthy. Maids will catch things like that. In fact, it is probably on their checklist.

In summary, there can be tons of benefits for using a maid service, many of which are not mentioned here. But the biggest benefits include thorough cleaning results on every visit, complete cleaning in many areas, fast results due to less distractions, experiencing a healthier environment with consistent health practices, the chance to experience relief of stress, the possibility of more time to do what you desire, the possibility to better handle situations, the opportunity to use some of that free time to clear your head and be ready for anything.

What to Consider When Purchasing a Vacuum Cleaner?

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:45:51 GMT

A vacuum cleaner is one of the most essential cleaning tools in every household. It may seem that choosing a vacuum cleaner is not a big deal, but sooner or later you will find out that picking a wrong kind of a vacuum can be very frustrating. Not only will you waste your money on something that does not do what it is supposed to, but also harm you by triggering respiratory problems or contribute to the ongoing allergies of your loved ones. On the other hand, when you know exactly what you want from the vacuum and choose it in accordance with your individual needs, you will be surprised how easy and fun cleaning your house can be. To transform your attitude to vacuuming from “ehhh” to “yeah!,” we decided to give away some tips on how to choose a proper vacuum. You are welcome to share these tips with your friends, too!

Decide on the purpose of your vacuum cleaner

Before you can actually go ahead and buy a vacuum cleaner, first decide on the exact purpose of the vacuum cleaner. Do you have a lot of carpets or you mostly have hard-wood flooring? Do you have pets or just need to occasionally remove dust from the floor? Do your kids smash bananas into your carpet or spill juice while playing? Do you have any allergens like mold lurking in hard-o-reach areas? All these questions will help you with your decision.

Motors Matter!

You can compare the motor strengths for the different vacuum cleaners by simply checking on their watts. Quality vacuum cleaners should at least have 1000 watts. Additionally, a vacuum cleaner with high motor strength can provide a better suction, hence more appropriate for cleaning thick carpets.

Filtrate Filters

You may be comparing and testing dozens of diferent filter options, but in our understanding you should stop looking when you find a vacuum with 'High-efficiency Particulate Air' (HEPA) filter. We recommend it because it was proven to deliver the best cleaning results and help with allergy relief. Moreover, after using a vacuum cleaner with this type of filter, your air will stay fresh longer.

Mobilize Your Vacuuming

We have all encountered problems such as a short cord of the vacuum or excessive wight of the machine. Both of these factors cause an extra irritation with your cleaning chores. The ideal length or the cord is about 20 ft. Weight is more of a personal preference, so you should really try the vacuum before buying it.

Be Wary of Warranties

A good vacuum cleaner should have at least two-year warranty. This warranty should cover motor and electrical parts. While shopping for your cleaning “buddy,” compare the warranties for different brands of vacuum cleaners, and choose the one with the most meaningful warranty.

Time!

It is not rare to hear such comments as “Vacuuming? Ain’t nobody have time for that!” If you're a busy person with no time to vacuum your house, then you should consider hiring professional cleaning services. With multiple years of experience and all necessary tools, they will be able to get your house clean quickly and efficiently. By the way, they will bring their vacuum cleaners with them.

If you follow our tips above, you should be in a good shape for buying your next vacuum cleaner. If you decide to go with our last tip, you know where to call.

Ever Considered Adding To Your House Cleaning through New Moulding?

Fri, 18 Oct 2013 12:37:48 GMT

Moulding is everywhere inside most homes. It serves a good purpose; it conceals gaps and cracks around windows, doors, entryways, floors, and even ceilings. House cleaning can surely enhance a home, but things like moulding can reduce that level of visual appeal. Moulding can get cracked, chipped, broken, loose, and faded in some cases. If you feel this applies to your situation, why not consider upgrading your trim?

When looking around for moulding, it helps to know the basics, if you don’t already . Materials, finishes, and design all play a role in finding the right trim for your needs.

Moulding is available in numerous materials, such as oak, pine, composite, and vinyl. The list is rather long. Oak provides strength and durability, while pine has a nice look and grain. Composite and vinyl clean easier, but are more susceptible to scuffing.

Aside from materials, moulding is available in several finishes. The categories include finished, unfinished, and primed. Finished moulding is ready to go, while primed moulding is ready for painting if desired. Unfinished trim provides the advantage of being able to be stained or painted to suit your needs.

Lastly, the design with interior moulding provides a huge variety. You will find various designs like circular patterns, wavy patterns, square patterns, line patterns, etc. In many cases, you may even find a mixture of some within the design. This mostly depends on what you like and desire.

Making Your Home Healthy with Air Pollutant Reduction

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 12:34:56 GMT

The air in any house carries many contaminants and allergens that affect everyone around it. House cleaning helps, but reducing air pollution is essential to a healthier home for everyone to enjoy.

You might even begin to notice an increase in energy levels or a reduction in illness.

A house is considered one of the top areas to carry sickness and allergy issues. Most of this is due to the air and the pollutants within it . Closed windows can contribute significantly as well and stimulate illness and allergies. In fact, allergies kick in for most people too at that time. Furnaces do stir up the contaminants in the air and so does body movements.

Using air purifiers is a big way to help cut back on those air pollutants and irritants. Floor and table models are widely available, but there are also plug-in models. However, the plug-in models don't work as well for room filtration. Nevertheless, they can be great as an add-on to a desk area or storage room No matter what you purchase; it will help to reduce allergens and pollutants.

An additional technique involves placing window fans in some of the windows. When using this method, be sure to have other windows open to bring in the fresher air. You will have to clean the screens once in a while, but it is worth the results.

Another thing to consider when trying cleaning your home's air is your vacuum cleaner. Cheaper models will shuffle the contaminants around and they will dispense them into the air. Yes, they pick up well but tend to shuffle the polluted air around in your home. HEPA vacuums help a bit more, but cheaper versions send a lot of air around the filter or through gaps and cracks. More expensive models force most of the air into the HEPA filter so the exhausted air is cleaner and healthier. That can be important, especially since you're kicking up nastiness from the carpet.

Air contaminants will always exist in every single household, but the good news is that you can utilize several strategies to make your home a healthier place for friends and family.

Use Fluorescent Lighting or L.E.D. Lamps to Save Money

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:24:35 GMT

You can have different color tone outputs for each room or area, depending on needs. Sometimes, you like a lot of light to see in detail. In some cases, lower lighting is preferred to add some comfort, such as near a chair or a desk. It all just depends on what you need and what you want for your home.

No matter, almost everything you try to do in your home when the sun sets requires illumination, including things like house cleaning , typing on a computer, reading a book, writing on a notepad, etc. No matter what bulb type was needed, including candelabra, lamp bulbs, small bulbs, night light bulbs, huge bulbs, or any other bulb; there was a bulb for that. 60-watt bulbs have been used the most over the years and lighting companies have mass produced them for years too. Nevertheless, the watts add up quickly.

Fluorescent light bulbs and L.E.D. (light emitting diode) bulbs have grown in popularity. Both choices help you to save money on your utility bill .

Deciding whether or not to upgrade those old incandescent light bulbs? If so, it is a good decision.

Fluorescent bulbs may cost more money up front to purchase, but the savings outweigh the cost significantly. They use 1/3 of the wattage that an incandescent bulb does and they last for years. You can also choose from different color tone output options like daylight. Choose from other color tones like bright white and cool white too. Every manufacturer of fluorescent light bulbs can have their own labeling and descriptions for each bulb, but many are similar from one to the next.

L.E.D. lamps also save a lot of money, which is even more savings than fluorescent lamps. Unfortunately, there aren’t as many options yet with L.E.D. technology.

Looking At Paint Colors for Your Bathing Room

Sat, 31 Aug 2013 12:20:24 GMT

Looking for a replaced and recharged washroom? Color Selection coordination is often vital when completing a bathroom renovation. You want a destination that brightens the afternoon and boosts the atmosphere.

You’ve tried hard to maintain it with your housekeeping efforts, but it just seems to not brighten the way you want it to, right? Now is your time to brighten, bringing that inspiring experience, not to mention fulfilling results.

When choosing paint color varieties for the restroom walls, possibilities are infinite. This can be a chance to pick remarkable designs for yourself that blend in with the bathroom together with your passions.

Get that glamorous style you've imagined or maybe an earthy-tone setting. Choose from multi-colored walls to individually colored walls. Go for that half and half painting where the top is different from the bottom. There are so many options with painting that it may take you some time to come up with a plan.

Walls usually tend to get noticed the most within a living space. Consider mixing some colors to create your masterpiece and add spice to your bathroom. Options are never-ending and consider the possibilities of using more than just two colors. Invent what your creative imagination produces. Perhaps you can find a factor that would make your personality shine, while also merging alongside the washroom you really want.

Make Your Bathroom Sparkle with New, Colorful Fixtures and Accessories

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:14:03 GMT

The fixtures and the accessories in any bathroom contribute to the overall theme of the room . Color plays an important role in the theme, as well as the design. The style of the sink, the style of the faucet, the style of the tub, the type of lighting, the design of the cabinets, the design of the mirror, and many characteristics of other items affect the style of the room. Developing a color scheme is one of the first phases in a bathroom remodel, as well as choosing fixtures and accessories that blend together.

Restroom sinks include a wide selection of types, including differences in design, color, type, and style. When choosing the color, you want it blend in well with the bathroom's design. If you want that classical look, consider going with pedestal sinks. When desiring a country-style environment, consider cabinet sinks if you have enough room. How about modern or trendy styles? In this case, consider going with a wall mount style sink. Not much room in your bathroom? Consider wall-mount sinks to add that extra space you need, while still providing a satisfying bathroom design with the colors of your dreams.

Tubs, showers, and bathroom cabinets take up a great deal of real estate in relation to restrooms. They get the most focus when cleaning the bathroom. When exploring these items, think about all the colors available and find one that fits the bill. When that is not possible or decided upon, you can always design your bathroom around them. Bathroom cabinetry has its advantages, which includes choosing stained designs, already painted designs, and even unpainted designs. This allows you to have anything you want in the way of colors. If you cannot find the color you desire, go with unpainted cabinets and paint them the color(s) you desire them to be.

Enhance Your Outdoors Living Area

Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:07:34 GMT

Together with the normal cleaning you do, your residence may possibly appear amazing, but making your outdoor loveable space come alive is an advancement almost everyone will appreciate. Your outdoor home life can become more spectacular with some clever, inexpensive tricks . There are plenty of budget-friendly upgrades and enhancements you can do, without spending a ton of money.

In reality, your outside living space is only as great as the grassy locations close to it. Gravel, concrete, or pavestone pathways are great for locations like this that have a lot of traffic. This helps prevent muddy areas, brownish areas, flattened areas, and unsightly views.

Your walkways, your patio areas, and even your walls can be enhanced with planted pots. This provides for an easy opportunity to color up your outdoor area. Choosing the flower containers gives you a chance to include some fashion, as well as multi-colored mixes. Decisions on plants can be a way to invent your own color combinations and beautiful living space. When you think about it, plants and pots provide a unique look to any area and allow for ever-changing options in design and color.

Self-standing containers are a good way to bring about a lovely showcase of beauty and hanging pots could add extra look to a zone in your outside living area. You could also place flowers on tables or use them as borders. Your possibilities do not ever stop.

Fixtures can produce appeal, unless of course it is actually worn out, discolored, broken, or dull. Fresh Paint is able to bring your classic furniture pieces back to life and lower your expenses, while eliminating the color fading, the discolorations, the corrosion, and many other unsightly factors. Paint is widely available in many different types, allowing for one that works for you.

Aside from that, replace your cushions and add some flair to your outdoor environment.

Fix Odor Problems in Bath Towels

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:56:38 GMT

Ask yourself why your bath towels just are not going to smell fresh, even though they are most often nice and clean? Laundry soap usually gets rid of smells, though not constantly. Often, an odor can be challenging to get rid of, regardless of recurring washing. Of course, you don't have the time to repeat the wash cycle, especially with your busy schedule and little time for housekeeping .

Some odors just refuse to depart, irrespective of how hard you challenge them. Just how do you fight that? Suppose you didn't see the odor so you put them away? Can you imagine if a visitor reveals them? That might turn into a substantially awkward situation.

Over time, towels of all kinds can build up with detergent, fabric softener residues, and other accumulated smells you did not recognize were there. The built up residues block water from properly penetrating the fabric, leading to areas that did not get clean.

There is certainly a better way than throwing them out at the sign of sour-like smells. Spend the money elsewhere and keep your towels because there is a way to revive them to almost new condition.

To start, get going with 1 cup of vinegar in hot water. Do not add any detergent or fabric softener because it could hinder the performance of the vinegar. Upon completion of round 1, repeat that step, but use a half cup of baking soda instead of vinegar. Once again, avoid adding laundry detergent to the washer. Once the cycle wraps up, toss the towels in your clothing dryer. You now have wonderful smelling towels.

At this point, if you don't have superb smelling towels, the automatic washer might need revitalized. Abide By procedures for your machine. Washer fresheners are an effortless way to renew your appliance. If you use that strategy, refer to the manual for the machine because it's not a typical load.

Speed Cleaning in a Pinch

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 07:34:33 GMT

Cleaning is often a task overlooked in a busy household. Sometimes it may seem as if you have no time for anything but the essentials (eating, sleeping, and working)… and who wants to spend free time on the weekends scrubbing floors and vacuuming?

Fortunately, it has been found that if you stick to a schedule, cleaning takes less time and the house will stay cleaner for longer. One way to make this schedule work within your busy agenda is by carving out a time every day for speed cleaning.

The following article from Just Mommies outlines the best speed cleaning methods in order to keep your home clean in less time. Knowing the best speed cleaning techniques is also beneficial for those times when unexpected visitors arrive. With these speed cleaning tricks, the home will be comfortable and clean again in no time!

Speed Cleaning: Tips & Tricks to Get Your Home Clean in a Hurry

Who has time for thorough housecleaning these days? With these speed cleaning tips, you’ll be able to clean your home in record time with surprisingly satisfying results. If you don’t have time to speed clean your entire home, pick one or two jobs – dusting, cleaning the bathrooms – and do those throughout the house, then take on the next few tasks during another speed cleaning mission.

Speed Cleaning: Clean Your Home From Top to Bottom

When you set aside time for speed cleaning, don’t allow any distractions. Gather all the cleaning materials you’ll need beforehand – you don’t want to interrupt your speed cleaning to run to the store for rubber gloves or a can of cleanser. (When you’re done, put everything back in a handy spot for next time, and make sure to replace any products or supplies you’ve used up.) Many cleaning professionals believe it’s wisest to move in a top-to-bottom path, whether you live in a multi-level home or you’re speed cleaning rooms in an apartment or smaller house. Clean, then dust, then vacuum. Carry a basket or storage tub with you to gather clutter that can be put away later – or, better yet, tossed in the trash! Set a time limit for each room and stick to it; spending too much time in any one room will sidetrack your speed cleaning strategy. If there’s a major cleaning project that needs to get done, make a note to do it at another time. If an area in one of the rooms is already clean, don’t waste time making it cleaner. If there’s just one dirty place on a large surface (a refrigerator door, for example), clean just the spot, not the entire space. When you’ve finished each room, move on and don’t go back; you don’t want to sabotage your speed cleaning by bringing dirt back into a room you’ve already cleaned!

Speed Cleaning: Company’s Coming

Whether you know in advance or you get a last minute call from friends or family unexpectedly in town, it’s happened to everyone – company’s coming and you’ve got little or no time to straighten up. Speed cleaning can do the trick in under an hour. Gather up all those magazines and other papers and clutter and put it all in a cupboard or closet or big basket you can squirrel away in another room. Look around the living room for obvious dust bunnies and give just that area a quick wipe. Sweep or vacuum just the floor in the room you’ll be visiting with your guests. Wash any dirty dishes in the kitchen or load them into the dishwasher. You can even stash some loose items in the dishwasher while you’re speed cleaning – but remember to take them out before you turn it on later! Wipe off all kitchen surfaces to give your kitchen a fresh, clean look. Do the same in the bathroom, paying special attention to the mirror and toilet. Consolidate and take out the trash. Close the doors to rooms your impromptu guests won’t be going into. Spray some air freshener, or light scented candles in the entry way for a welcoming touch. One thing you can do in advance is keep a set of storage tubs on hand and label them with the names of each family member. As you zoom through the house or apartment doing your speed cleaning, toss loose articles into their respective tubs. If you don’t have individual tubs handy, toss everything into one big container while you’re speed cleaning and worry about putting it all away later.

It is important follow the methodology of a professional housecleaner in the instance of speed cleaning, and always clean from top to bottom as well as be prepared with all cleaning supplies. Addressing your home from top to bottom will help you avoid having to clean anything twice (like when the crumbs fall on the floor, you can catch them by vacuuming afterwards).

If speed cleaning does not allow for enough time to get your house to its optimal appearance, perhaps it is time to consider hiring a cleaning service. Contact The Maids today and we would be happy to help you improve your living space.

How Many Uses of Baking Soda Can There Possibly Be?

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:25:21 GMT

Baking soda. It’s one of those items that has been around as long as anyone can remember and has multiple uses. In fact, the uses of baking soda can fill a pretty long list. While baking soda is primarily used in the kitchen as a leavening agent to cause dough to rise, the uses of baking soda have expanded to include a number of cleaning purposes.

A natural whitener, deodorizer, and all-purpose scrub, baking soda is a must-have in your cleaning supply closet as well as your kitchen cabinet. The uses of baking soda are listed in numerous home magazines, cooking magazines, and a wide array of other articles.

The article below from Mother Nature Network touts eleven of the most common uses for baking soda, though the many uses do not end here.

The (never-ending) uses of baking soda

Throughout your home, on your body and on your pets, baking soda truly is one of the most versatile products on the market. Here are 11 of the most popular uses.

Though the name might suggest otherwise, baking soda is not just for use in recipes. In fact, so many people use baking soda to deodorize their refrigerators and freezers that Arm & Hammer, one of the oldest and leading manufacturers of the ubiquitous powder, created new packaging specifically for that use.

What are some other uses of baking soda? Throughout your home, on your body and on your pets, baking soda truly is one of the most versatile products on the market. Try some of these uses for baking soda:

1. Clean and deodorize carpet. For stains or messy spills, scrub baking soda and water into the carpet and vacuum when dry. Sprinkle baking soda on a dry but musty or smelly carpet, and vacuum.

2. Wash clothing. Add half a cup of baking soda with your regular detergent into the washing machine for added brightness and whiteness. Many also use baking soda as a fabric softener by adding half a cup to the rinse cycle.

3. Clean a variety of surfaces. Baking soda can be used on its own — or as part of a paste with water — to clean surfaces including hardwood and tile floors, painted walls, glassware and upholstery. Various recipes exist online for creating baking soda solutions, but the most simple and multipurpose baking soda formula involves 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. This inexpensive baking soda cleaner goes a long way.

4. Keep away odors. One of the main uses of baking soda is eliminating odors. Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of your trashcans before adding the garbage bag, pour2 tablespoons down the garbage disposal drain as you run warm tap water, and shake some baking soda into your smelly sneakers overnight (and tap out the leftover before wearing). If something is smelly in your home, chances are baking soda is part of the sweet-smelling solution.

5. Clean outdoor furniture and baby pools. Washing with a quarter cup of baking soda and a quart of water will make your outdoor furniture gleam. Add baking soda to the bottom of a mildewed baby pool and hose it down with water to clean and deodorize.

6. Clean your teeth. Baking soda has long been used as a toothpaste. Pour some baking soda into a dish, dip in a wet toothbrush and apply to your teeth. Though baking soda toothpaste tastes unpleasant (unless you buy commercial toothpaste with baking soda and flavor), it is effective. You can also use baking soda and water as a mouth rinse.

7. Soak in a bath. Add a half cup of baking soda to your warm bathwater, and emerge with your skin feeling soft.

8. Exfoliate your skin. Make a baking soda paste and gently rub it in a circular motion onto your face, feet or other dry areas. Rinse and pat dry.

9. Deodorize a litter box. Pour baking soda in the bottom of the litter box, then add litter. Sprinkle baking soda on top of the litter box to remove smells.

10. Eliminate pet odors. Pet accidents often smell even after they are cleaned. Apply a layer of baking soda to the area to neutralize the odor, then vacuum when the area is dry.

11. Refresh a dog bed. Like with a carpet, sprinkle baking soda onto your dog’s bed, wait about 15 minutes, then vacuum.

While this list covers a variety of the uses of baking soda, so many other ways to use baking soda exist. For instance, if you thought mixing baking soda with a little water to put on bug bites for instant relief was an old wives’ tale, guess again. It is a legitimate use of baking soda.

Some less common uses of baking soda include cleaning the inside of the dishwasher and the coffeepot, keeping your grill grates clean with a baking soda scrub, and washing your produce. Also, in the event of a grease fire you can douse the flames with a heavy sprinkling of baking soda.

While many of the uses of baking soda are extremely common and have become very well known, other uses are relatively new with even newer uses sprouting up every day. If you were to give some thought to which new uses of baking soda you could find, you’d probably be able to test out a few theories of your own, such as adding a dash or two to your scrambled eggs for a fluffier batch.

Let’s not forget some of the original uses of baking soda that actually involve baking, such as cookies, waffles, breads, etc.

While individually we find many kitchen uses of baking soda, The Maids, as you might guess, find even more cleaning and household uses of baking soda. It certainly is one little gem of a cleaning tool. For even more cleaning tips, or better, to have your home cleaned for you, contact The Maids. We are “referred for a reason.”

Finding Ways Out of The Most Cluttered Areas

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 10:51:52 GMT

What are the most cluttered areas in your home? You can probably list them off pretty quickly without much thought. Have you ever thought about why they’re so cluttered? It turns out understanding the why might be the biggest way to solve the clutter problem!

House cleaning is as much about organizing as it is about scrubbing, and if these three areas were on your most-cluttered list , you might find these ideas to be extremely helpful.

Cluttered Entry. The problem the entryway is that everyone has to come through there at some point, and it often becomes a drop off location for shoes, backpacks, briefcases, mail—you name it, it’s probably been left in the entry!

The best way to control this clutter problem is to accept it. Does that mean you should leave it a mess? Definitely not—but it’s unlikely that your family is going to stop leaving things there.

Instead, set the entryway up to facilitate your family’s tendencies. Create drawers, cubbies, or shelves for each child to place their things. Hang hooks for backpacks and coats. This will go a long way in making your entryway cleaner.

The Kitchen Mail Center. If you have a collection of mail, papers, and calendars on your kitchen table or next to your refrigerator, you aren’t alone! Many people use their kitchen counters and dining room tables to consult their schedule or pay a bill.

Of course, a kitchen isn’t made for that, and it’s not equipped to handle the paperwork—but what if it were? Just like you can turn your entry’s clutter back on itself, you can do the same thing here by setting up a small command station.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate: a cork board, a calendar, and a mail sorter given a special corner of the counter space can become a perfect location to minimize clutter while getting everything taken care of.

The Kid’s Room. If your kid’s room is a disaster, part of it might be playing, but part of it might be a storage issue. Look around the room—are there bins, baskets, and plastic tubs in easy reach for your child?

If not, create storage for them that helps them stay sorted and organized, and help them get rid of the extra things they don’t play with anymore. When everything has a home, the space will be much neater.

How to Fake a Fireplace

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 10:46:18 GMT

Fireplaces look great in any house—they’re often a focal point of a living room, and in a bedroom or bathroom, they can feel downright luxurious. Of course, not every house has a fireplace, so how can you mimic that effect?

There are some creative homeowners out there who have found a way. If you’re looking to add a fireplace element to one of your rooms , consider these options:

1. Bookshelf fireplace . This creates depth and interest, looks interesting and fun, and will instantly be a talking point in your home. Start with a bookshelf and a mantle that fit with each other.

Paint or wallpaper the back of the bookshelf a bold, dynamic color. Fit the mantle over the top of it, and decorate both the bookshelf and the mantle. No fireplace? No problem!

2. Candle fireplace. If you enjoy the fire but not the expense or the heat, this is for you: build your own fireplace façade and put lit candles arranged in the center. It will give you that moody glow you love from a fireplace without the heat or hassle.

3. Chalkboard or artwork. If you aren’t sure what to put in the middle of your façade, try artwork, or like one owner, a chalkboard! It will draw attention, and you have the opportunity to set a tone: serious or lighthearted.

Before committing to any of these, think about what options are going to work best in your space. Do you have kids? Pets? There might be a few options you can’t use reliably in order to keep your pets and children safe.

Have you ever thought about using a fake fireplace? Will you try it now that you’re armed with information?

Make More Space In Your Kitchen

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:28:48 GMT

Whether your kitchen is large or small, you’ve probably found yourself wishing for more storage—there are always odds and ends that seem to never have a home. That’s frustrating when you’re trying to do the organizing and housekeeping .

With a few clever tricks, though; you can make more space in your kitchen for storage without much work at all!

Hooks. The great thing about hooks is that you can put them pretty much anywhere you want: magnetic hooks on the refrigerator, hooks on the wall for hanging aprons and towels, or hooks inside of cabinet doors for cleaning brushes, large utensils, or dishrags. A few hooks in your kitchen can give you storage you didn’t know you had!

Extension Rods. This is a genius idea: do you have a lot of spray bottles? If you do, put a small extension rod underneath the sink (or in an overhead cabinet, if you have young children or mischievous pets!) and hang the spray bottles from it. This way, you’ll also have storage underneath them.

Create a Shelf. Add a great shelf for holding narrow boxes by cutting a crate in half and attaching it inside the door of your pantry.

Repurpose a Shoe Organizer. One of the handiest tools you’ll find doesn’t usually belong in your kitchen at all—it’s usually hanging in a closet holding shoes! Take a shoe organizer and hang it on your pantry door to hold small items, utensils, and tools.

There are so many little things in your kitchen, it can be a pain to organize them all. These tips might help you find—or make—a little bit more space!

Amazing Solution to the Worst Carpet Stains

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:15:16 GMT

If you have ever had a stubborn carpet stain, you know how frustrating it can be to get them up. Scrubbing doesn’t work, blotting doesn’t work, carpet cleaners don’t work—it just sits there as you do the house cleaning around it.

Given up on that stain? It might be time to try one last thing. From One Good Thing comes this amazing tip that works beautifully on carpet stains—especially pet stains—and will keep your stress at bay!

Step #1: Vinegar. Saturate the area with vinegar. You don’t have to completely soak it, but you want all of the fibers to be good and wet to the touch.

Step #2: Baking Soda. Sprinkle the entire area with baking soda, and be generous.

Step #3: Cover. Covering doesn’t have anything to do with the effectiveness, but it does have a lot to do with not getting baking soda all over the house! You can use a plate or even a pot lid for this as a reminder not to kick that spot.

Step #4: Wait. Wait a while—in fact, wait a day or two. This gives the vinegar time to break down the stain and the baking soda time to absorb it and dry out completely.

Step #5: Clean Up. After a day or two, when the baking soda is nice and dry (and likely turning the color of the stain!), sweep up the excess then vacuum the area completely.

Not only is this solution completely natural (so it’s safer for your pets and kids!), it appears to work even on stains a few months old. Will you try this trick, or do you have your own trick for getting up stains?

Small Spaces Require Creative Furnishings

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:08:10 GMT

Do you have a small house or apartment? It can be difficult to know how to decorate a small space without overwhelming it. Many times, furnishings people use in their larger homes don’t suit a smaller space.

If that’s your concern, there are some great tips out there for making your space look and feel bigger while still giving you the full look that you want.

What to Look For

Apartment Therapy took a close look at some pieces that will help fill out a small space without making it feel too small. Here are some things to look for:

Open Shelves. Traditional shelving units and book cases are deep, standing far out from the wall and, in a small room, looking imposing!

Opt instead for open shelves with no backs or defined fronts. The lack of a back panel and a front design make it slimmer and much more sleek, providing much-needed shelving space without weighing down the room.

Rugs. Area rugs do a great job of defining a space. When people see an area rug under a couch, chairs, and coffee table, they instantly define that space as the living room. In a small home where you want to avoid putting up extra walls and enclosures, rugs do a great job of filling in the gap.

Don’t be afraid of going with something bold, just balance it with neutrals and complementary colors.

Slim Furniture. You don’t have to deprive yourself of good furniture for your small room. Want a soft couch, cozy chair, and a coffee table? You can have all of them! The key is the size. Look for furniture that is on the slim side to more easily fit into your space both physically and visually.

Removing Limescale in Your Home

Wed, 29 May 2013 09:48:25 GMT

If you’ve ever tried to clean limescale, you know it can be a struggle. Even when you attack it with your regular cleaners, it won’t budge. Going at them with your normal methods will just leave you frustrated.

However, there’s a house cleaning tool that’s extremely effective against limescale, and it might already be sitting in your refrigerator.

The Magic Power of Lemon

Lemon is a great natural cleaner, known for its ability to cut through grease and soften stains. It’s no different when dealing with limescale: the acidic nature of lemon juice cuts through the limescale and loosens it enough that it will flake off.

Kelly at Imperfect Homemaking uses lemons to clean her limescale , and she included directions on her post. If you’re looking for a way to treat those crusty stains, this will help:

Step 1: Cut a lemon in half and rub it on the limescale. Cutting the lemon in half gives the limescale the most exposure to the lemon juice as well as making it easier to hold while you’re using it.

Step 2: Let it sit for 10 minutes. This is more important than you might realize. Many people, in all types of cleaning, tend to get impatient and clean right away. If you let solutions sit on the surface for a few minutes, you give it more time to activate.

Step 3: Scrub it clean. Use a scrub brush or scraper to flake the limescale off once it’s loosened up by the lemon juice.

Step 4: Rinse. Rinse off the lemon juice and rinse away the limescale to get back your clean sink or shiny fixtures. If you need to repeat, do so until it comes completely clean.

Helping Your Children Get Organized

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:31:10 GMT

Ever walked by your child’s room and closed the door to hide the mess or seen them lose something only to discover it in a pile of clutter later?

Kids often need help knowing how to organize and having the motivation to do it, but with a few tips, you can have them house cleaning in no time!

1. Create a plan to decorate. To help your child get motivated, try coming up with a plan to decorate their room. Offer to move furniture around, change art, or get some new accessories.

When your child is excited about a freshly-decorated bedroom, they’re much more likely to stay motivated to clean.

2. Back-up plan for clutter . Ideally, you’ll want to encourage your child to donate things they don’t use or play with anymore, but many children find it difficult to part with things.

If this is the case, give them a back-up plan: store the things they don’t use frequently, and agree to revisit it in six months or a year.

3. Make cleaning fun and easy. The best way to help your child maintain their clean room is to make it fun and easy for them to handle. You can make it fun by adding a time element (how fast can you clean your room?) or give them a hamper or toy basket into which they can throw toys and clothes.

To make it easier, help them find a place for each type of item in their room. It’s easier to put things away when you know exactly where each item goes without thinking—it’s true for adults, too!

Basic Decorating Principles for Your Home

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:19:32 GMT

Ever wonder how professionals keep your house looking amazing? What do cleaning services do that you don't? And how do decorators know just which colors will work in a space or exactly how to position things to make the room look great? The truth is, they follow certain types of principles.

You can learn these decorating principles and decorate your house for yourself—here are three you can test the next time you’re redecorating!

#1. Balance. This is the way a room looks based on “visual weight.” Visual weight is the weight an object appears to have. Size, color, and the amount of contrast can all affect an object’s visual weight.

The key is to achieve balance. If you make the room completely the same on both sides, then you’ve achieved formal balance, or symmetry. This might include two identical bookshelves on either side of the TV, for instance.

There’s also a more informal, comfortable approach: balance the room with different objects that carry the same visual weight.

For instance, when you see a room that has a dark couch on one side and a large entertainment center on the other, that’s an example of informal balance. The room looks balanced even though it isn’t symmetrical because the size of the entertainment center balances the “weight” of the dark couch!

#2: Emphasis. You’ve probably heard this described as “focal point.” Focal points can be nearly anything, but they’re usually large enough to carry their own visual weight and striking enough to get your attention.

That’s the key to emphasis: where does your eye go? Walk into your room and notice where your eyes go first: the TV? The art on the wall? The couch? Give the room visual interested with an established emphasis.

Examples of focal points include:

Fireplaces.
Large, unique, or visually dynamic artwork.
Large windows with a great view and a good window treatment.

#3: Rhymth. Rhythm is created through repetition, and you’ve likely heard it as “tying the room together.” Rhythm in design is created by creating a path for your eye to follow around the room.

You do this with continuity. You might choose an accent color, for instance; that you use on the curtains and the rug. Or you might tie together a lace pattern through the throw on your couch and your side-table tablecloths. Repetition will give you rhythm!

Cleaning in the Yard

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:13:30 GMT

When you think of house cleaning, you generally think about what's going on inside the house. You're much less likely to think about what's going on in your yard , but often, that needs cleaning, too!

Of course, the kind of cleaning you do in your yard is different from your house, but not as different as you might think.

Here are a few tips to get you started on the outside:

Step #1: Pick up the random things. It might be the kids toys, random tools, or yard equipment that got left where it was. The first thing to do is get all of these things out of the way. Broken lawnmower pushed into the corner of the yard? Probably time to let that go, too.

Step #2: Work from the top down. Just like dusting in your home, you want to work from top to bottom on the outside of your house, too. Start with the gutters: if you use a power washer, this is a fairly easy (if time consuming) task. Move onto the siding next, and then if it needs it, your deck or porch for an all over clean.

Step #3: Wash the windows, but wait for a cloudy day. If you wash windows on a sunny day, you'll end up with water spots as the sun dries the windows while you're still cleaning. Wait until dusk or until the clouds come out to take on the windows with a vinegar and water solution and a microfiber cloth or squeegee.

Step #4: Clean out the weeds. Looking unsightly is just what weeds do, and they do a great job cluttering up the plants you actually love. As part of your outdoor spring initiative, get rid of the weeds.

Step #5: Maintain. Just like inside, the outside needs maintenance, too. Encourage everyone to clean up their belongings when they're finished and weed about once a month to keep your yard looking great!

Cleaning the Things You Usually Don't

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:07:41 GMT

Some things you don't mind cleaning every week, and then other things...well, they go a little longer between cleanings! Especially if it's things your maid service doesn't usually clean. Here are three cleaning tasks to schedule for this month that probably have put off in the past.

Even though getting them done takes a little effort and time, you'll be glad you did!

Wash (All of) the Curtains.

When we think about cleaning curtains, we think about the ones hanging on the windows, but you can also use this opportunity to take care of shower curtains. When you wash your window curtains, throw in your out shower curtain as well.

Pick up a new plastic liner for your shower, too; to get the entire shower extra clean!

Clean the Blinds

As long as the curtains are getting washed, it's not a bad idea to go ahead and tackle the blinds, too. You probably dust them off fairly frequently, but sometimes a deep, thorough clean is in order. To keep from ruining your vinyl blinds, open them up most of the way, so that there's only a little bit of space between each slat.

Regardless of the blinds you use (unless they're wood!), you can soak them in a bathtub with warm water and a little bit of dishsoap. Then rinse and let dry before you hang them back up.

Replace Shelf Liners

Shelf liners, despite our tendency to put up with them, tend to have fairly short lives before showing some age. Ripping, tearing, discoloration, dirtiness, and just dated designs all become apparently within a year or two of putting in shelf liners, especially in the cabinets and drawers you use most.

Even though it takes a little time, putting in liners isn't too hard, and the effect will make you happy!

A Fresh New Look for Spring

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:02:24 GMT

Spring makes everyone think of renewal and freshness, and you might get the itch to do something new. If this includes wanting to decorate your house differently, you aren't alone! When spring cleaning is done or your cleaning services have left, it's a great time to add something new to your home .

One of the best ways to keep your home a place you love and enjoy is to switch up the decorating every now and then and make it new for yourself.

Ideas for Spring Decor:

Bright Colors. If your décor is mostly muted and neutral in tone, a new, bright pop of color can bring a new dynamic to the whole room. You can incorporate bright colors through accent walls, bright colored furniture, or even just new accessories with bright colors that complement your room color.

Green is a popular color this year, everything from mint to emerald is showing up in homes. It complements many colors well, so if you're not sure what might work, try adding some green pillows, vases, or artwork.

Easy New Art. Speaking of artwork, sometimes you can get the best results by making your own. Of course, making extensive artwork is time consuming and possibly a challenge if you aren't an artist! There are a few good extremely easy art projects that can add a new feature to your room with very little cost and work.

This project, for instance, is one anyone can do: take scraps of wallpaper that complement your room, frame them, and hang them for something that looks professional but takes no time at all to make.

Fresh Plants. The instinct is to grab flowers and fill vases—and that's a great way to decorate! But you can also use green arrangements or just new green houseplants. Not only can you keep them around for longer, they also freshen the air. If you're not too sure about adding plants to your house, do some research to find some good, low-maintenance choices.

Use Sheers. While you don't want to use sheer curtains on windows that face directly East or West (they'll see direct sunlight and can make the house both brighter and hotter), sheer curtains on less-intensely lit windows can provide a soft natural glow to your house that is a proven mood booster.

Cleaning Your Porch for the Season

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:56:35 GMT

As the weather gets warmer, you're going to want to spend more and more time outside in the fresh air and sunlight. One of the best ways to do this is to enjoy your own front porch.

Unfortunately, the porch tends to collect dirt, dust, pollen, and junk over time, so go ahead and jump into doing a little outdoor house cleaning to get the most from your porch this season!

Step-By-Step

The porch-cleaning checklist at Real Simple helps organize the process; here's a closer look at some of the things they suggest:

Step #1: Clear the Porch. This is a straightforward (and very fast) job: just move everything off of the porch into the yard. This way, you can clean the entire porch and each of the items throughly and enjoy them that much more!

Step #2: Wash Everything. Now that all of your things are in the yard, grab some soapy water and the water hose and wash the dirt, dust, and grime off of everything. If you have some stubborn green or mildewed spots, spray some vinegar on them, let them sit, then wipe them off later.

Rinse everything and leave to dry in the yard while you finish the rest of the porch.

Step #3: Dust. Starting at the top (an extendable duster is best, but a smaller outdoor broom can do the job as well!), work your way down and around the porch, dusting off as much dust, pollen, and cobwebs as you can.

Step #4: Sweep & Wash the Porch. Grab your outdoor broom and start sweeping off all of the dust and dirt that has collected on the porch itself. The goal is to get all of the pieces of plant debris, rocks, and dirt off as preparation for washing, so if it doesn't look very clean yet, that's okay!

Once it's all swept, grab a water hose and spray down the porch, spraying towards the edge to knock off anything that got missed in sweeping. If your porch is really dirty, go ahead and grab the same soap and water mixture from before and scrub the dirtier spots before rinsing with the hose.

Step #5: Dry & Replace. Once everything is completely dry, grab all of your items from the yard and place them back on your porch. Then grab a seat, sit back, and enjoy the day from your freshly-cleaned porch!

Where Germs Hide in Your House

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:31:25 GMT

Most of us are well aware of germs around us. The rules are pretty straightforward, right? Wash your hands, avoid spending time with your sick friends, keep your house clean. But did you know there are millions of germs probably hiding in plain sight in your own house?

You wash dishes and wipe down the counters every day. Your cleaning services vacuum, dust, clean the floors, and clean the bathrooms a few times a month. Where are they hiding? When was the last time you paid attention to the germs on these three surfaces?

Paper Money. It seems to be a commonly-known fact that money has a lot of germs. That makes sense: it passes through a lot of hands, and in the picture on the right, you can see Science News' close up of money--plenty of places for germs to get cozy. You might not realize just how dirty it is, though—scientists found that the flu virus can live on money for up to 17 days. Yikes!

There's no good way to disinfect money, so your best bet is to put it into a personal quarantine. Keep it in the same place (like your wallet or a jar at home), and of course, wash your hands after you've been handling cash.

Remote Controls. Most people don't think to clean their remote control very often, but it picks up a lot of germs. Just like money, it passes through a lot of hands. Unlike money, you might also eat or drink over your remote, and those crumbs can get down into the crevices and invite more bacteria to the series premiere.

Once a day (or at least once a week), take a disinfectant wipe or a rag damp with vinegar and water and wipe the remote down. Make sure you hit the space between the buttons, too!

Sponges. Sponges are the worst offenders by far. For a tool that's supposed to help you keep clean, they do a great job of being a germ factory. Moisture plus dirt and food from the things you clean make a perfect home for bacteria.

Thankfully, the fix to this is extremely simple. Once a day, put your sponge in the dishwasher with a load of dishes. If you don't have a dishwasher, wet the sponge, ring it out, and microwave it for two minutes.

No more hiding for these germs!

How to Clean a Laptop

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:49:13 GMT

Many families use more versatile technology than just desktop computers. In fact, just as families across the country are switching to mobile phones without landline phones, many are switching from desktops to laptops and tablets, as well.

Laptops and computers need a specific type of cleaning, and it's not likely something you do in your normal house cleaning routine. If you have a laptop and you've never cleaned it, getting it clean could improve its performance--and its appearance. It's not hard to clean a laptop, thankfully; but it does take a few special considerations:

Start with the bottom. With a cotton swab dipped an rubbing alcohol, gently wipe the bottom of the laptop case, paying close attention to the vents. Dust in vents can trap heat and cause a laptop to overheat if not cleared, so do a good job on these!

Take care with the keyboard. Be especially careful not to drip as you clean the keyboard to keep any liquid from getting into the computer itself. Dip a cotton swab in alcohol again, then ring it out well. Run it over each of the keys carefully, switching to a new swab every time one starts to look dirty. Clean the trackpad in the same way for the best result.

Bring some clarity to the monitor. Your best bet is either cleaner specifically-designed for electronics or plain old water. Use a cotton or microfiber cloth since you don't want to leave lint streaks on your screen, spray some water on it, then just wipe down the screen, paying attention to fingerprints especially.

It only takes a little bit of time to get a laptop clean, and it's a great weekend project!

Three Different Bedrooms & How to Get Them

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:44:45 GMT

What do you want in your bedroom? Is it a quiet place for you to get away from stress, or a fun place to cuddle up with the kids and watch TV? Is it your favorite place to read alone and escape the world or the perfect place for a Sunday nap?

Real Simple presented three different types of bedrooms —which one appeals to you?

Peaceful

If you want a place of peace and serenity, you're going to want to keep things simple, clean, and light. Try one of the more calming wall colors, like blue, or this year's favorite, green. Keeping the room decluttered will help reinforce the peace, so make sure you have storage for hiding your extra belongings.

Filtered natural light will do a lot for granting the room an ethereal, serene tone, so find a sheer curtain to bring the light in gently.

Cozy

Sometimes you want to cuddle up with your spouse or favorite book and relax in a cozy nook. A garden theme might be the perfect choice for you.

To get a cozy feel, pick a warmer color for the wall and add some garden-inspired art. Modern florals on blankets and pillows will bring the colors into the theme, and fresh flowers or your favorite houseplants will finish off the look.

Escape

Do you want to feel like you're walking into a different world entirely away from everything else in your life? Making your bedroom exotic can do just that for you.

Pick a bright color but muted tone for the wall and some vibrant colors for your blankets, pillows, and accessories. Anchor your neutrals in this atmosphere by bringing them into other features, like accents in pillows and rugs.

Whatever room you choose, tailor it to what you love the most!

Tips for Efficient Spring Cleaning

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:36:08 GMT

No one wants to spend their whole day cleaning, so the more you can get done in the least amount of time possible, the better. If time is just not on your side, get maid services to give you a head start, then jump into organizing.

Here are a few effective, efficient tips for getting through the cleaning fast :

Tip #1: Start with the clothes. Clothes have a way of multiplying all over the house: kids throw them anywhere, clean clothes get left in the laundry room or table instead of being put away, and the closets end up overflowing with extra clothes you don't often wear.

Spring is the perfect time to get into the clothes and get them back under control. Start putting away winter clothes, and as soon as you come across something that doesn't fit or you don't plan to wear, put it in a bag or box for give away (make sure you take the box away as soon as it's full, too!).

Tip #2: Create an out-of-place collection as you go. If you take every single thing you find that's out of place back to where it belongs, you'll be exhausted before you're halfway through the house! Instead, find a central location to deposit things that are not where they should be.

Found a book in the kitchen that belongs on the book shelf? Put in the pile. A jacket your daughter left thrown over the back of the living room chair? In the pile! When you're done cleaning up an area, take all of those things back to where they belong—it will be a lot more effective than running all over the house.

Tip #3: Air out the house. Fresh air does a couple of wonderful things for a home: it's a natural mood booster (thanks, sunlight!) and it's the most effective way to make your home smell clean. As soon as the temperatures are warm enough, throw open every window you can and keep the fresh air flowing as you clean.

Tip #4: Get everyone involved. Get the family involved to make everything move a lot faster. Delegate tasks, keeping in mind everyone's abilities. Little ones can work on picking up trash or toys, older kids can help with laundry, and the adults can split up to clean different areas of the house. Working as a team gets it done much faster!

Tip #5: Reward yourself. When you're finished, take a minute to appreciate the work you've put in. Grab a moment to yourself to relax—you deserve it!

Getting Rid of Stubborn Household Odors

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:31:36 GMT

No one likes an unpleasant smell. Household odors can affect the rate of happiness and comfort in your home. It can be embarrassing to welcome someone into your home when they are struck with a foul odor. Fortunately, we have a list of ways to get rid of various household odors. These stubborn household odors can actually be removed by a variety of common household items. The following article from Yahoo! explains how to get rid of these common household odors in full detail.

How to Get Rid of Household Odors

Household odors caused by cooking, pets, smoking, and dampness can make an otherwise clean home seem neglected, smelly, and anything but clean, especially when the home is for sale or when guests unexpectedly arrive. Although it's sometimes necessary to clean and make necessary repairs get rid of recurring household odors, it is possible to get rid of some household odors with a few easy home remedies and helpful tips. Try the following ideas to get rid of unpleasant household odors, and make your home appear as impressive as possible to guests, potential buyers, or anyone else who steps inside.

Freshen a Musty Basement

If your basement smells musty due to a serious moisture problem, only waterproofing and other repairs will provide a long-lasting solution, but if your basement simply requires a little freshening to get rid of everyday household odors, try the following easy solution. You'll need several shallow pans, 20 pounds of odor-absorbing clay cat litter, and several boxes of baking soda.

Fill each pan with approximately 3 pounds of litter and one box of baking soda. Thoroughly combine the baking soda and the litter, and place the pans around the basement. After about 2 weeks, replace the litter and baking soda with a new batch. Recycle the old litter and baking soda, and save it for oil leaks or spills in the garage, or for wintertime emergencies when you need a little extra traction in the driveway.

Cinnamon Nutmeg Stovetop Air Freshener

Are unpleasant household odors taking over your home? Get rid of them! Make your home smell absolutely heavenly with a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ordinary tap water. Simply measure a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg into a saucepan of hot water, and let it simmer on the stove. Keep an eye on the water level, and add more as necessary to prevent the pan from becoming dry during evaporation. Your household will smell as if you've been baking cinnamon bread or another aromatic treat.

Cooking Odors

Celery leaves are usually discarded, but if you plan on cooking cabbage, fish, broccoli, cauliflower, or other typically pungent foods, save the leaves from your stalks of celery and put them to good use. Place fresh clean celery leaves over strong smelling foods as they cook, and household odors won't be nearly as unpleasant.

Smoky Carpet Odors

Household members who smoke indoors, or those who have visitors who smoke can easily get rid of bad household odors in carpeting without getting out the carpet machine. For really strong or unpleasant household odors caused by smoke, allow the baking soda to set on the carpets undisturbed overnight. Otherwise, allow the baking soda to remain on the carpets for about an hour before vacuuming. The carpets will smell much fresher, cleaner, and free from bad odors.

If you like the scent of freshly dried linen, flowers, pine, or other scents available in store-bought carpet fresheners, make them go a lot further by combining them with baking soda. If possible, pop the top off of carpet freshener to add baking soda, or create your own can by poking holes in the lid of an empty potato chip canister. This is an easy way to get rid of household odors caused by smoke.

Charcoal

For miscellaneous household odors, get rid of them with ordinary charcoal. This is by far the easiest way to get rid of household odors. Place open bowls of ordinary charcoal briquettes behind furniture, in smelly cabinets, under beds, and other inconspicuous locations that could use a little freshening. You will greatly lessen or even eliminate bad household odors with very little effort or expense.

Whether your household odor problem appears only when you cook pungent foods, or your carpets are infused with the smell of cigarette smoke, you are now armed with the knowledge of how to get rid of these household odors. Soon your home will smell lovely again.

If you would like more advice on cleaning your home or would like to enlist professional assistance in getting rid of stubborn odors, please contact your local branch of The Maids. We are happy to help you freshen up your living space.

How to Clean Your Glass Stovetop

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:06:18 GMT

A glass stovetop can bring an air of class to an otherwise drab kitchen. Also with a glass stovetop, you do not have to worry about removing grime beneath raised burners, so a glass stovetop typically retains its sleek look. However, a glass stovetop is easier to damage by scratching and must be cleaned with a specific method in order to prevent it from becoming a streaky surface. However, with the right know-how about how to manage your glass stovetop, your kitchen will look spotless in no time. The following article from She Knows How-To describes the best methods keeping a clean glass stovetop.

HOW TO... CLEAN GLASS STOVETOPS

A clean glass stovetop is aesthetically pleasing and will add a smooth and fresh look to your kitchen décor. Cleanup is easy if you follow a few simple steps.

STEP 1: WHAT YOU'LL NEED

In order to clean your glass stovetop you will need cleaning supplies that are used only for your stove. These include: a sponge, soft cloth, paper towel, dish soap, vinegar, and a specialized scraper for glass stovetops.

STEP 2: DAILY CLEANING

Make sure that the stovetop has completely cooled down before you begin to clean the exterior. Use a soapy water mixture on a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the surface; repeat the process if required. Rinse thoroughly and use a paper towel or a soft cloth to buff it. A daily cleaning ensures that a glass stovetop looks spotless at all times.

STEP 3: GREASE AND GRIME

To clean a build up of grease and grime, apply dish soap with a sponge to wipe the glass stovetop. You may need to repeat the process if it is really grimy. Rinse the stovetop with a clean, damp cloth and use a paper towel to completely dry the surface. Water stains that might leave a mineral deposit can be removed by using full strength vinegar. You could also buy a special cleaner for removing grease from a glass stovetop

STEP 4: BURNED ON RESIDUE

Sugary spillovers need to be cleaned immediately. Turn off the stove and remove hot pots. Do not use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, steel wool, or a brush as they may scratch the surface of the glass or leave a residue.

Wear an oven mitt and use a single-edged razor blade, scraping at a 45-degree angle. The scraper can be purchased at a hardware store, just make sure that it is for a glass stovetop. Delicately scrape the spill using a bit of pressure. Any remaining residue should be cleaned once the stove has totally cooled down. Do not use the stove until the entire burned on residue has been removed.

STEP 5: CLEANING THE STOVETOP SEAL

To clean the seal around the edges of the glass, lay a wet cloth over the top; wait for a few minutes, then wipe it clean. Dry it with a paper towel.

Before you begin to clean your glass stovetop, it is also a good idea to read the owner's manual that it came with. The manual will provide you with safety information to prevent damaging the glass surface or yourself. Some models may require specific store bought cleaning creams and polish.

The most important thing to remember when cleaning your glass stovetop is that the surface must be completely cooled before you come in contact with it, as the water may damage the stove, not to mention the glass stovetop could burn you. Also be sure not to place anything on the glass stovetop before it has cooled completely, as it may damage your cookware or the cookware may scratch the glass.

If you can incorporate a daily wipe down into your cleaning schedule, the glass stovetop will retain its like-new gleam and you will soon realize the beauty of owning a glass stovetop.

If you need assistance maintaining a clean home, please contact The Maids. We would be more than happy to help.

Cleaning Tips for Busy People

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:32:37 GMT

Home cleaning can often be one of the last things on the mind of a busy person. However, a cluttered, messy home only elevates stress levels in the life of an already overworked person and home cleaning needs to be completed at some point. Many do not understand that an organized schedule and the right cleaning tips can actually cut down on cleaning time and free up time as well as help you retain a cleaner home.

So many different cleaning tips already exist that it can be difficult to sort through the clutter of various cleaning tips in order to find the type of cleaning schedule that fits your lifestyle. This is why we have provided you with the following guide from Yahoo! . It brings together all of the best cleaning tips for busy people as well as provides a cleaning schedule for the busybody follow. This schedule only requires twenty minutes per weekday in order to maintain a spotless home.

Home Cleaning Schedule and Fast Cleaning Tips for Busy People

A 20-Minute Five Day a Week Cleaning Schedule

Let's face it. You're busy. You are trying to do a million things at once. Aren't we all? Has your home cleaning schedule fallen by the wayside and you're too embarrassed to let people past your front door?

I think I've finally found the answer. After spending time searching the internet, I've found the best of the best cleaning tips and methods, and mixed them together to create the ultimate cleaning schedule for the busy person. I mean really, who likes cleaning all day on Saturday? I should mention, these cleaning tips are for someone who doesn't have to search for the floor in their living room. If you have a lot of extra stuff lying around, you may want to check out flylady.net. After you've "decluttered," check back!

I've organized my home cleaning schedule monthly, weekly, and daily. Within one month, my home is completely clean, and I'm ready to start my schedule again. All it takes is 20 minutes a day to tackle the tough stuff.

Home Cleaning Schedule

Daily

Every morning when I get up, and right before I go to sleep, I have a routine that I stick to. It really doesn't take up much time, but doing this can help speed things along. Although this is not included in the 20 minutes, this takes no more than 10 minutes a day, and easily can become second nature. I've put these cleaning tips in order of how I accomplish them during my day.

Make bed - 30 seconds
Put away clothes and jewelry from night before - 30 seconds
Swipe toilet (I only clean out the inside if it looks dirty) -30 seconds
Wipe bathroom mirror with Windex wipe -15 seconds
Wipe bathroom sink with GreenWorks Wipe -15 seconds
Spray shower with shower spray - 5 seconds
Wipe fingerprints off table in living room - 5 seconds
Wash, dry and put away dishes -5 minutes
Sweep floor - 1 minute

The longest part of this list is obviously washing the dishes. If you are severely pressed on time, you can always use paper. I've found the easiest way to keep the dishes in control is to wash them as you use them. Otherwise, by dinner time, you can wind up with a big, uninspiring pile.

Second Nature

Some parts of my home cleaning schedule, are things that I don't really think about, but just do. These also help to cut down on clutter and allow you to spend only 20 minutes a day cleaning.

As I mentioned already, wash the dishes as you use them
Wash laundry on the go (either throughout the day over the week, or all at once at a laundromat)
Pick up your stuff whenever you leave the room
Sort the mail as soon as you get it

These are all a part of my daily routine. As for weekends, sometimes I do them, sometimes I don't. I enjoy sleeping in on the weekends, and generally have found my home cleaning schedule to get in the way. Home cleaning can be enjoyable, and even a bit Zen-like, but there are so many fun things to do. Who wants to clean all the time?

Weekly & Monthly

Okay, here come the biggies, my Weekly and Monthly home cleaning schedules. For the week, I have my days divided like this:

Monday-Home Sprint
Tuesday-Special Room(s) Day
Wednesday-Bills
Thursday-Home Sprint
Friday-Declutter

As you can see, Saturday and Sunday are not here. Why? Because I don't like cleaning on the weekends. Monday thru Friday, I organized my home cleaning so that I only need to spend 20 minutes to keep my home sparkling. You can too! Let me explain what each day means.

Home Sprint

Monday and Thursday are my Home Sprint days. On each day, for 20 minutes, I focus on completing ALL of the following:

Cleaning the Fish Tank
Dusting
Wiping all mirrors with a windex wipe
Wiping all door handles and light switches with a GreenWorks wipe
Wet Swiffering the kitchen floor
Emptying the trash
Watering the plants
Vacuuming

In only 40 minutes a week, I can race through all of these. I bet you can too!

Special Room(s) Day
Every Tuesday is Special Room(s) Day. This is actually my entire monthly schedule, right here! Each Tuesday of each week, I focus on a different section of my home, for a total of four sections.

Week 1: Porch & Kitchen
Week 2: Bathroom & Study
Week 3: Living Room
Week 4: Bedroom

For 20 minutes, I'll focus some particular parts that need a deep cleaning, like the inside of the kitchen trash can, or polishing the silver in the living room. For busy people who have more rooms, you don't have to just limit yourself to 4 Weeks, take a few extra if you need. The idea here is to only clean for 20 minutes and then STOP. You'll be surprised at how much of a focused home cleaning you can do in just 20 minutes. If you need a more in depth list on how to clean these areas, check out Flylady.net. She talks about something called "Zone Cleaning" which is similar to this idea, and she has detailed cleaning lists and cleaning tips that are great for people that aren't sure where to start.

Bills

Every Wednesday is Bills Day. I consider paying my bills to be a part of my home cleaning schedule, as it is simply another home chore that needs to be done every week. If I don't have bills to pay that week, I may take those twenty minutes to focus on budgeting, or researching financial advice. Most folks wouldn't include this with their cleaning tips, but it's a vital part of having a home!

DeClutter

Every Friday is DeClutter Day. On this day, I basically run around my home throwing stuff away, or putting stuff back where it belongs. However, because I'm constantly on autopilot (see above) there really isn't all that much to declutter, and 20 minutes a week is all it takes for cleaning schedule!

I promise you, if you stick to these cleaning tips and home cleaning schedule that you will never again have a messy home. You may find over time you will need to adapt these cleaning tips to fit your own lifestyle, but make sure that you find something that is doable for your busy self! Good luck!

By incorporating some of these cleaning tips into your everyday routine, it is possible to maintain a perpetually tidy living space even with a hectic life. Many people who have not read these cleaning tips will overestimate the time that it takes to wipe down a counter or apply shower spray. Once you have created a complete schedule from the above cleaning tips, your day will no longer be bogged down by attempts to catch up. Better yet, you will no longer have to spend any time cleaning on the weekends!

Perhaps the best part of the above cleaning tips is that the schedule may be adapted to any calendar or lifestyle. Depending on the scale of your living space, twenty minutes per weekday may even be excessive for maintaining a spotless house.

Still feeling overwhelmed by a dirty home? The Maids are here to help those who do not have time to clean. If you would like to learn more about our maid services or would like to hear more cleaning tips, please contact us.

Holiday Cleaning Tips

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:16:39 GMT

Most people don’t enjoy cleaning, least of all during the holidays. Why stress about holiday cleaning when the important things lie within spending time with family and friends? This holiday season, it’s time to stress less about the mess and get down and dirty with some helpful holiday cleaning tips. Hopefully by the end of this article, you will have these holiday cleaning tips down to a science and you will never fret over hosting again. The following article from Breeze Concierge has some great holiday cleaning tips that will leave you beyond thankful.

If holiday cleaning has you down, these tips for getting your home sparkling clean can help you get your house in tip-top shape in time for those family parties and neighborhood get togethers. Holiday cleaning can be very time consuming during an already busy and sometimes stressful season. Learning a few time-saving cleaning tips and tricks is a welcome gift for any busy family or individual.

Holiday Cleaning Tips

1. How to Clean Christmas Tree Sap and Needles. Bringing home a live Christmas tree can make your home smell wonderful, but it also leaves behind a sticky trail of pine tree sap and discarded pine needles. Sweeping up pine needles with your vacuum can ruin your sweeper, and cleaning up sap leaves your hands with a sticky, dirty residue that is nearly impossible to remove. For pine sap, try cleaning your floors and hands with a slightly damp towel with a few drops of olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil available, try using baby oil, Vaseline, or WD-40. Instead of sweeping up loose pine needles with a vacuum or broom, try looping a large piece of duct tape or masking tape over your hand. You can either wear light gloves to protect your hands from the needles or cover your entire hand with looped tape. Dab the needles from your floors and carpet with the tape and discard directly in the trash. You may need to wipe up any remaining residue with a little olive oil to remove any sticky spots.

2. How to Get Rid of Refrigerator Odors. All those Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner foods and leftovers can leave your fridge a little less than fresh. To prevent smelly odors in advance, try lining your crisper drawers with newspaper and place a new box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda (open) in fridge and freezer. Make sure all foods are sealed or covered, and put a washcloth under the turkey while it defrosts in the fridge to make clean up easier and prevent smells.

3. How to Freshen Linens Without Rewashing. If unexpected overnight company has you scrambling for fresh-smelling linens, you don’t have to rewash them and distract your guests until the laundry cycle is done to ensure a fresh smelling guest room. Try placing a dryer sheet between rarely used linens and use an open box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda to absorb stale odors. In a pinch, you can toss clean (but stale) linens in the dryer for five minutes with a washcloth moistened with your favorite fabric softener. The heat allows the fabric softener to penetrate the fibers of the linens faster and gives a short-term boost in freshness.

4. How to Clean Toilets Without Scrubbing. In a hurry to get ready for guests and your toilets are less than sparkling? Try dropping a denture cleaning tablet into the bowl and one in the water tank to remove stains and give the bowl a hands-off cleaning.

5. How to Clean Up Quickly After Holiday Decorating. If you’re making holiday crafts or simply stringing garland and glitter bulbs, you may find you’re left with a horrendous mess after the decorating frenzy is over. Attempting to vacuum glitter usual ends up in dispersing it throughout the room, and those little flecks of garland can be dangerous for pets who like to nibble things left on the floor. To quickly and easily clean up after decorating, try running a lint roller over your carpets, furniture, and floors to pick up stray glitter and garland. Peel off the used roller sheets often and keep a small trash bag handy to keep particles from dropping off on your way to the trashcan…

Whether you are preparing for holiday cleaning to get your house ready for guests, or thinking about holiday cleaning for after your celebrating is over, these holiday cleaning tips are sure to come in handy. Also, don’t forget to share these holiday cleaning techniques with friends and family.

Don’t allow holiday cleaning to get you down. We’re here to help! For more helpful information about holiday cleaning tips, cleaning advice in general, or if you need a cleaning service to give you a hand after the holidays, please contact The Maids. We would be happy to assist you with all of your holiday cleaning needs and relieve you from the stress that comes with this time of year. Happy holiday cleaning!

How to Clean Memory Foam

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:07:20 GMT

Memory foam mattresses and pillows are a modern comfort that has improved the backs and bedtimes of many people throughout the country. However, an owner of this miracle material may forget to clean memory foam. You may wonder “how do you clean memory foam, anyway”? Surprisingly, you do not need to hire a professional to clean memory foam. It is easy to clean memory foam at home.

There are two ways to clean memory foam. The first way to clean memory foam involves using dishwashing liquid to get rid of stains, or a vacuum it to erase hair and crumbs. The second way to clean memory foam is to deep clean the foam in order to boost freshness and remove any deep stains.

The following article from Overstock.com explains the best ways to clean memory foam.

How to Clean Memory Foam

Memory foam pillows and mattresses are great investments. They can help you sleep better, ease your back pain and reduce snoring. The biggest challenge you'll face with memory foam is the cleaning process, but learning how to clean memory foam is easier than you think. Check the care label or instructions that came with your memory foam product before you try to clean it, and if it's safe for non-professional cleaning, follow this guide to a fresh, clean piece of memory foam.

Cleaning Memory Foam:

Freshen it up. Lightly sprinkle some borax or baking powder on your topper or pillow. Let it sit for at least 30-45 minutes. This will give the product a bright and fresh smell.
Vacuum. Remove the borax or baking powder with a handheld vacuum cleaner. This will also clean other items off of your memory foam topper or mattress, such as dust or pet hair.
Wet the stains. If you have a stain, wet a wash cloth with warm water and a little bit of dishwashing liquid. Rub the stain in a circular motion. Use a fresh damp wash cloth to press against the area to help dry and blot the liquid out of the foam.
Soak up moisture. Next, place and press a dry towel over the dampened area and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
Dry it. As for drying your memory foam, you can air dry it outside, use an electric fan or place it in a well-ventilated area.

Deep Cleaning Memory Foam:

Place in a well -ventilated area. Place the memory foam item in a well-ventilated area. This will help dry the foam and also keep moisture from getting trapped and creating mold and allergens.
Steam clean it. Use a steam cleaner to extract deep stains. Depending on the size of the memory foam, you can use a handheld steamer or a full-size steaming machine.
Neutralize odors. For a boost in freshness, add a tablespoon of vinegar and lemon to neutralize any odors. Steam the memory foam item from top to bottom in long, slow strokes.
Dry it. Prop the item in a well-ventilated area for 30-60 minutes to ensure it dries completely.

While many people are under the impression that it is difficult to clean memory foam, all you really need to clean memory foam is a few regular household cleaning solutions. As stated in the article above, it is not challenging to clean memory foam.

If you continually keep a sheet or pillowcase over your memory foam, this will help prevent dirt and stains from infiltrating your memory foam. However, some stains cannot be avoided, and this is when you can utilize your newfound knowledge in order to clean memory foam.

Consider adding “clean memory foam” to your seasonal cleaning list to ensure that you clean your memory foam every few months or so. As with regular mattresses, bugs can become attracted to the dirt that accumulates on memory foam, so keeping a clean memory foam will help be sure that your bedroom is pest-free.

As always, be sure to check the product’s cleaning instructions before you clean memory foam using the above methods.

A professional can help deep clean memory foam if you don’t have the time or the means to do it yourself. Please contact The Maids for all of your home cleaning needs. We would be happy to assist you.

Tips for Fall Cleaning

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:57:29 GMT

Everyone knows about the importance of spring cleaning, but what about fall cleaning? Though fall cleaning is not a common household term, it is an excellent way to get your home ready for the holiday season and the cold weather.

You may wonder what should be included in fall cleaning. Surely fall cleaning need not be as in-depth with spring cleaning is already in place. This is true; however, fall cleaning can be a great opportunity to clean the spots that you often miss during the springtime. Fall cleaning also works to prepare your home for the colder months. Consider it “preventative cleaning” for the winter.

The following article from Mother Nature Network gives tips on how to make the most of your fall cleaning. The article also focuses on fall cleaning tips that are environmentally friendly.

Clean sweep: Fall cleaning 101

Looking for a project this last official weekend of summer? Get a head start on fall cleaning tasks — that's right, fall cleaning tasks — that will improve the air quality and energy efficiency of your home when the winter months hit.

Wow. That wasn't too subtle at all. With a few strong gusts of wind, a touch of rain, and some seriously lowered (but still comfortable) temperatures, fall officially blew into my neck of the woods last night. Evidence: I'm wearing socks around the house today.

To mark the occasion, here's a re-post of a few fall-centric eco-cleaning tips and tidbits that I published at around this time last year. As I stressed before, autumn is the season for preventative cleaning so that you don’t spend all winter — when you’d rather be curled up in bed or entertaining holiday houseguests — futzing with mundane household odd and ends. If there are any biggies I forgot, tell me about 'em in the comments section.

So happy unofficially fall, ya'll. Now get to.

The heat is (almost) on

Before firing up your furnace and/or fireplace it’s crucial to ensure that everything is in working order. This way, you’ll lessen the chance of a dreaded “oh my god, something’s wrong and I don’t know how to fix it” situation in the dead of winter and keep you energy costs in check.

Start off with the fireplace if you have one. Make sure that everything is clean and functioning. If it’s been a while since your fireplace has gotten a deep clean and inspection, consider hiring a professional chimney sweep to clean the flue and tackle any repairs, if needed. If your fireplace damper is damaged or nonexistent, install a chimney balloon to keep warm air in and cold air out of your home.

A less daunting task is replacing or cleaning a furnace filter as recommended by the manufacturer. Before you do, sweep or vacuum the area around your furnace. Regular cleaning or replacing of a furnace filter increases efficiently and prevents dirt and allergens from circulating around your home. And while you're at it, sweep or vacuum in and around heat registers to get rid of accumulated dust and dander.

Finally, inspect caulk around windows and doors to ensure that any leaks are nipped in the bud before winter hits. Fall is also a good time to venture up to the attic and check on the condition of the insulation. For inexpensive, DIY "heat in, cold out" tasks that can be performed in fall, check out my “Weatherize this” series where I discuss everything from foam outlet gaskets to attic stair covers to water heater blankets .

The air in there

Since fall cleaning involves efficiently buttoning up your home for the winter, you'll want to make sure that the air inside your home is as clean as possible — obviously, as fall turns to winter you're going to be doing a whole lot less window opening to let fresh air in. As described above, ensuring that your primary heat sources are clean is one step but you should also clean or replace the filters of any air purifiers or humidifiers. It wouldn't hurt to introduce a few new air-purifying houseplants to your home, too.

And while you clean, take a good look at your arsenal of cleaning products. Many conventional cleaning remedies contain caustic chemicals that can compromise the indoor air quality of your home — oven cleaners , toilet bowl cleaners , and drain openers are top offenders — so consider replacing them with plant-based alternatives or inexpensive DIY concoctions (more on this, below).

Yesterday’s pit-stained t-shirt, today’s handmade draftstopper

Need to make room for all those bulky winter sweaters that you’re bringing out of storage? Fall is an excellent time to root through your wardrobe for sartorial castaways and free up closet space.

Since some of your summer clothes and linens may not have survived the season — I’m talking about frayed beach towels and white shirts bearing the stubborn summer stain trifecta of underarm sweat, ketchup/BBQ sauce, and grass — you may not want to donate them or haul them off to a consignment store. For items that don’t make the donation/resale cut, keep them around as cleaning rags or incorporate them into craft projects for when you’re stuck inside in January in two feet of snow.

Nontoxic DIY cleaners: Now is the thyme

Fall’s the time to start prepping the pantry for the holiday baking season and for have-the-munchies-but-too-cold-to-leave-the-house kind of days. While you’re fiddling around with foodstuffs and taking kitchen cabinet inventory, why not experiment with staples like baking soda , vinegar , and lemon juice and make your own natural cleaning andlaundering solutions? If you’ve never done it before, you’ll be surprised at their effectiveness (not to mention their money-saving appeal).

If DIY cleaners aren’t your proverbial cup of tea and you’re concerned about the presence of back to school germs in your home, try Method Antibac antibacterial cleaners which includes all-purpose wipes, bathroom cleaner, and kitchen cleaner. Like Seventh Generation’s botanical disinfecting line , Method Antibac products are “powered” by CleanWell ’s effective, EPA -registered thyme-based disinfecting technology.

And if you haven’t already, purge your home of any and all antibacterial cleaning and personal care products containing the dastardly chemical, triclosan .

Not necessarily green but still a good idea ...

Flip mattresses

Inspect (and clean, if needed) the gutters

Vacuum drapes/window treatments and upholstered furniture

Clean the "four C's": carpets, cupboards, chandeliers, and (refrigerator) coils

Wipe down outdoor /patio furniture before storing

Test smoke/ carbon monoxide detectors

Wash the windows

Polish the silver

Drain and store your garden hoses

Organize your kitchen

Launder all linens and bedding (give cold water washing a shot and/or line drying outdoors before the weather turns too damp/cold).

Consider creating a fall cleaning checklist that you can complete throughout the season so that you aren’t stuck doing all of your fall cleaning on one day. You can combine a lot of the above fall cleaning with winterizing your home, but remember to do any messy DIY projects before you clean your home to avoid doing twice the work.

Once you have completed your fall cleaning, you will be able to rest easy during the cold winter months knowing that the most important fall cleaning tasks are out of the way.

Don’t have enough time to complete fall cleaning in time for the holidays? Contact The Maids. We work year-round to help you with all of your green cleaning needs.

Sofa Cleaning Tips

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:38:23 GMT

The sofa in your home most likely receives heavy traffic from your family and your guests. However, most people never clean their sofa. This may be partly due to the difficulty associated with sofa cleaning. If you are one of those people that never cleans your sofa but would like to learn how, these sofa cleaning tips are for you. Sofa cleaning does not have to be a strenuous task. Rather than trashing an old, worn couch, consider conducting your own restorative sofa cleaning.

The following guide from Cleanmind explains the best sofa cleaning techniques and helps the consumer understand the importance of the sofa cleaning codes listed on the couch’s tag.

DIY Sofa Cleaning Tips

Just try to imagine your home without that old and worn out , but still most favourite sofa of yours? I bet that you can't. It has become an inseparable part of your home interior. You have spent so many happy moments on this sofa that now every time you sit down, you quite vividly remember them, as if it was just yesterday. Besides, your sofa is still in good condition, but only needs a proper deep clean. You might be pleasantly surprised at how astonishing it may look. You can decide to clean your sofa by yourself or hire a professional sofa cleaning London company to help you.

If you want your favorite sofa back, then these sofa cleaning tips will definitely help you. Besides, you can freshen up your sofa, just following several easy to implement home cleaning methods. These tips will help you to remove dirt, dust, and stubborn stains . However, have in mind that you have to be extremely careful, when cleaning your sofa without professional help. If you think that it is beyond your knowledge and abilities to perform this task, you should hire a professional sofa cleaning London company.

The Importance of Cleaning Codes

Before even thinking about any kind of sofa cleaning, it is better to first check the cleaning code of your sofa. Most of the time manufacturers put tags with cleaning codes and sofa cleaning instructions under the sofa's frame. Identifying the code is important, so you can determine what cleaner to use. There are four codes:

“W” stands for water - based cleaners. Usage of such cleaners is considered as safe.
“ S” stands for water - FREE solvent cleaners.
“WS” stands for water - based and water - free solvent cleaners are safe to be used.
“X” means that no cleaners should be used for sofa cleaning.

When you have determined what type of sofa cleaning agent you need , you can rent or buy a steam cleaner that works both for carpets and sofas. Hardware and home improvement stores are the best places to look for one. Vacuum your sofa thoroughly before steam sofa cleaning. Thus you will remove any loose particles and dust, easing the process greatly. Allow three to four hours for your sofa to dry. You can speed up the process by opening the windows in the room.

You can also try to regularly clean your sofa. Not allowing for dust and dirt to accumulate will protect your sofa and extend its lifespan . It will save you both money and time shopping for a new sofa. But if you do not feel capable enough, remember that there are many sofa cleaning companies in London. Why risk ruining your sofa beyond repair?

Now that you understand the language on sofa cleaning codes, you can successfully clean your couch without fear of damaging the fabric. Remember to vacuum before utilizing cleaners during your sofa cleaning to prevent the trapping of dirt.

If you still feel unsure about performing a sofa cleaning without the help of professionals, consider contact your local Maids franchise. We possess all of the cleaning know-how to make your home look like new.

Decorating with Nature

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:29:51 GMT

Need some new ideas for decorating your home? Try adopting a transcendentalist outlook and look no farther than your backyard. Natural elements are not only inspirational, but can transform the look and feel of a given room. Not to mention, natural decorating is cheap!

Do not limit yourself to a bouquet of flowers. Let’s think creatively! When it comes to decorating with nature, there are no boundaries, which really allows for innovative thinking! So, it is time to turn to the sublime and find within nature, some great decorating ideas.

As you walk around your backyard, look for rocks with a range of different textures and sizes. They make for a great mantle piece and accent the room with a natural flare. From sea glass to sticks, when it comes to nautral decorating, the options are limitless.

Better Homes and Gardens has great advice for natural decorating. We highlighted our favorite decorating tips below:

Getting aGreener

Moss topiary balls introduce a natural look and add texture to this arrangement of elegant objects. Incorporating natural touches, typically seen as casual, does not diminish the formality of a traditional space. Rather, it adds another layer of personality. Opt for subtle additions and you'll maintain your room's sophistication.

Resourceful Recycling

Recycle a collection of glass bottles into an eye-catching mantel display. Gather interesting greenery from outdoors and place each piece in a different jar. Stagger jars according to shape and height, then place a mirror behind the collection to reflect light.

Decorating with Diversity

The beauty of decorating with nature is that the relics complement your keepsakes and flea market gems. Embrace decorating diversity and pair serving trays with shells, photographs, and nature prints.

Conversation Piece

Shelves filled with keepsakes become a cabinet of curiosities, sure to spark conversation with any guests. Cover books with white parchment paper to give them a uniform look. Then pile shells, coral, and apothecary jars on top of and around them for a display with dimension.

Collection Makeover

Give your sand collection a makeover with an elegant twist. Portion out your sand into antique jars and label each one with the location and date. Layer in coral and dried sea plants for an ocean-inspired scene.

Contain Yourself

For a garden-fresh display, assemble a collection of mismatched glassware, along with interesting flowers, greenery, and moss from a garden or floral shop. Arrange your natural finds inside the glassware and group together on a tabletop. Aim for an eclectic collection of natural finds in different heights, sizes, and textures.

Savvy Salvage Finds

For a subtle take on natural decorating, pair primitives with organic forms, such as branches, rocks, and wood. Burnished metal pendants with rope-covered cords set an industrial tone in this dining area. A French hay fork hangs as sculpture on the far wall, nodding to farmhouse rusticity.

Natural decorating adds balance to any given room and let’s be honest, you just can’t beat the price! Whether you are outside playing with the kids or strolling down the beach, keep your eyes pealed for any natural home decorations. Look for natural elements that you can use for natural decorating; you'd be surprised at what you can do with them!

Which natural decorations most resonate with you? We can almost guarantee that nature will inspire within you new home decorating ideas.

Flea Prevention: Natural Ways to Keep Fleas Out of Your Home

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:16:59 GMT

Are you prepared to protect your pets and your house from these flea pests? Flea prevention can be done easily and effectively. Prevent fleas from settling down in your house; do not need to resort to toxic chemicals. Before you know it, the April showers will be raining down upon us and soon enough, flea season will be here. Are you prepared to protect your pets and your house from these flea pests? You can easily and effectively use a natural prevention method to keep this pest out of your house. Prevent fleas from settling down in your house. You do not need to resort to toxic chemicals.

There are many natural methods and home remedies, which can be used to combat a flea infestation. Start your flea prevention crusade the natural way, by grooming your pet. Invest in a flea comb and comb your cat or dog’s coat on a daily basis. Also, bathe your pet consistently, using herbal shampoos. While grooming your pet, keep your eyes open for black specks. This may be a sign of fleas!

It is also important to remember that fleas will infest an entire household, not only your pet. Whether you want to take a proactive approach or you want to terminate the already laid flea eggs, make sure you wash your animal’s living space. Clean the cage, bed etc. and be sure to replace the vacuum bag right away.

Take a look at these natural flea control tips we found on Holistic Health News :

How to fight fleas the natural way:

• Vacuum your home frequently and seal vacuum bags before disposing.
• Wash the bedding of your dog weekly in warm soapy water. This is where fleas usually breed.
• Bathing your pet weekly with a mild dog shampoo prevents flea invasion.
• Use cedar shampoo for your dog, and put cedar oil in their sleeping mats. Cedar will repel fleas and other insects.
• Fleas are attracted to dry skin, so to avoid it, give your dog Linatone oil mixed with its food. Excessive shampooing should be avoided.
• A mixture of brewer’s yeast and garlic, available in powder or tablet form can be given in small doses to your pet. This creates a certain odor in pets, and fleas are surely to avoid them.
• Fresh or dried pennyroyal leaves is a natural flea repellent. Use this in carpets to avoid the abundance of fleas in the home. Do not use it if you have small children around, as this could be toxic.
• A mixture of 60 ml of lavender oil with 2.8 liters of rock salt can also be placed in areas where dogs usually come in contact with and this solution could also be used to wash your dog.
• Planting marigolds in the yard is helpful too, it repels certain types of bugs as well as fleas.
• Boiled lemon or orange peel in water can be used as a dip for dogs and can be used too to soak in dog bedding for a few hours, then washed with warm soapy water.
• Lukewarm water with little shampoo and detergent is a good way to prevent fleas. A dog’s body may be dipped into the solution for fifteen minutes and then rinsed. This only works if flea infestation is light.

So, before you resort to potent chemicals, take the natural path to flea prevention and control. Natural methods are healthier and better for your family and your pets!

Although fleas are tiny, they are huge pests. If you follow these tips, you can keep them from occupying your living space.

SIMPLE BATHROOM CLEANING TIPS

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:11:38 GMT

Your bathroom is one of the hardest places in clean in your entire home. It is also the one that needs it the most! Proper bathroom cleaning will help keep you and your family live healthier. You do not need dangerous chemicals to get your bathroom clean and free of germs, you just need to to know the right products to get the job done. While bathroom cleaning might not be a fun thing to do, but if you do it every week it will not be too time consuming. Here are some simple cleaning tips from Housekeepingchannel.com by Linda Cobb that will help you get your bathroom sparkling!

Over the years I have found that there is one room that generates question after question - the bathroom. The bathroom is also the room that most guests see and have the most private time to observe. I have tried virtually every cleaning product on the market and developed many of my own "Queen's Concoctions" - what follows are some of the best and easiest bathroom cleaning tips I can offer.

CLEANING PORCELAIN TUBS

To clean and polish a porcelain tub and remove stains, make a paste of powdered alum (available in drugstores) and water. Rub well, as if using cleanser. For stains, make a paste of powdered alum and lemon juice; apply and let dry, then moisten with more lemon juice and rub well. Rinse thoroughly.

Borax and water is also a great cleaner for porcelain. Make a paste and rub well, then rinse.

CLEANING FIBERGLASS SHOWERS AND TUBS

Heat white vinegar until it is hot, but not too hot to pour into a spray bottle and work with. Spray it on the shower and tub heavily. Wait 10-15 minutes and then moisten a scrubbing-type sponge with more of the vinegar and scrub down the shower, using additional heated vinegar as necessary. Rinse well and dry.

KEEPING SHOWERS CLEAN

To make shower upkeep simple, apply a coat of car wax. Do not use this on the floor of the tub or shower. After showering, use a squeegee to wipe down the shower door and walls, and your shower will stay clean and you'll have fewer problems with mildew.

KEEPING TILE AND GROUT CLEAN

Make a paste of baking soda and chlorine bleach and apply to the grout. Let dry and then rinse. Do this in a well-ventilated area, using care near carpet or fabric. Even the fumes of chlorine bleach can remove color from towels left hanging in the tub area.

TILE AND GROUT CLEANER

Combine two parts baking soda, one part borax, and one part hot water, adding additional water as necessary to form a thick paste. Apply to the tile and grout, and scrub with a soft brush. Rinse well.

This is a handy spray-on grout cleaner for frequent use, good for removing soap scum and cleaning tile counters:

1/2 cup of baking soda
1/3 cup of ammonia
1/4 cup of white vinegar
7 cups of water

Combine all the ingredients in a labeled spray bottle and shake well to mix. D0 not use this in conjunction with chlorine bleach or where chlorine bleach has been used. Simply spray it on and then wipe with a damp sponge or cloth. No rinsing required.

REMOVING SOAP SCUM AND MILDEW FROM GLASS SHOWER DOORS

Removing soap and scum buildup on glass shower doors is always tedious. Lemon oil or even plain old mineral oil will remove it quickly and easily, and will help to keep it from coming back. Apply the oil to a rough cloth, such as an old washcloth, and rub it across the dirty shower door surface. Next buff with a soft cloth or paper towels to provide a haze-free shine. The oil provides a protective coating that keeps the water beading and the soap scum from adhering. Never put oil or allow it to drip on the floor of the shower; this will prevent good traction in the shower and may cause someone to fall.

CLEANING SOAP SCUM AND MILDEW OFF PLASTIC SHOWER CURTAINS

Put the shower curtain in the washing machine with 1 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite liquid laundry detergent, and several old, light-colored towels. Fill the washer with warm water and run through a complete wash and rinse cycle. Remove from the washer and hang on the shower rod immediately.

CLEANING MINERAL DEPOSITS FROM THE SHOWERHEAD

Fill a plastic sandwich bag with undiluted white vinegar. Tie this around the showerhead and leave overnight. In the morning, remove the bag, scrub the head with a brush, and it's ready to use.

Put 1/2 cup of baking soda down the bathroom drain and follow with the vinegar from the plastic bag - great drain opener! Wait 30 minutes, then flush with water.

CLEANING CHROME FAUCETS

Use white vinegar on a cloth or sponge to remove water spots and soap scum. Dry and buff with a soft cloth. Or apply some lemon juice to chrome fixtures and buff with a soft cloth to a brilliant shine.

CLEANING SHOWER DOOR TRACKS

Plug the drain holes in the door track with a little bit of paper towel made into a ball. Pour in undiluted white vinegar. Let this soak for 30 minutes, unplug the holes, rinse the track with a spray bottle of water, and run a rag down it. This will flush the accumulated buildup out of the track.

TOILET TIP - TANG TUNE-UP

To keep your toilet clean and your dog happy, put several tablespoons of Tang Breakfast Drink in the toilet before you leave for work or at bedtime. Let it soak, use your toilet brush to swish around under the rim, and flush. The great thing about this is you don't have to worry if the kids get into the toilet bowl cleaner.

TOILET TIP - REMOVING HARD-WATER RINGS

Shut off the water at the toilet tank and flush. Spray undiluted white vinegar around the inside of the toilet, then sprinkle borax onto the vinegar. Let soak about 30 minutes and then scrub with a piece of moistened fine drywall sandpaper (looks like window screen - available at hardware stores and hone centers). If you have an old hard-water ring, you may need to repeat this several times.

TOILET TIP - CLEAN, SANITIZE

To clean and sanitize a toilet bowl, first shut off the water at the tank and flush the toilet to remove as much water as possible. Combine in a bucket:

1 tablespoon ammonia

1 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (drugstore variety)

1.5 quarts water

Pour the solution in the toilet bowl and use a brush to apply it to the sides of the bowl. Let stand at least 30 minutes, then scrub the inside of the bowl with a scrub brush. Allow to remain in the toilet for up to several hours, reapplying the solution to the sides of the bowl frequently as needed. Do not use this with chlorine bleach or products that contain chlorine bleach.

With these simple tips you will be able to become a bathroom cleaning pro. If bathroom cleaning is not something you really want to do, The Maids can help you with all of your bathroom cleaning and other cleaning desires.

EASY TIPS TO ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:56:33 GMT

Having to organize your closet might not seem like an important part of cleaning your house; after all, if you shut the doors no one can see the mess! But if you are using your closet everyday, think of the time and frustration you could save yourself by making it easy to find what you are looking for. Closets are a primary space for clutter, and sometimes it is a good idea to go through all it in order to get rid of the some of the more interesting items you have accumulated over the years. If your closet is organized, it will give you more room to store new purchases and keep your clothes in good condition - without wrinkles anyway! Here are some great tips to organize your closet from Sheknows.com by Julie Bielenberg.

It's a part of your home you use every day, and organization is essential to keeping you sane and your belongings accessible. Does your closet need a makeover?

Closets might be one of the most visited spots in your home. Most people have the same complaint: Not enough room. De-cluttering your closet is critical in making the most of the room you have and maintaining a neat atmosphere.

To start weeding out unnecessary items in your closet, ask yourself the following:

Have you worn that article of clothing in the past year?

Will that outfit ever fit you again?

Will that outfit ever come back into style?

Will you wear that stained shirt or pants?

Do you feel good in that outfit? Does it suit your body style?

If you answered "no" to the questions above, toss the item. Here are the most common reasons the clothing needs to go:

You've made it through all four seasons in the past year and did not wear it; it's a safe bet you are not going to wear it next season.

With age come body changes. Even if your weight hasn't changed, your hips might have become more defined and that pair of skinny jeans won't fit over your hips no matter how much weight you lose.

Sure, leg warmers came back in style along with spandex under skirts, but florescent pink t-shirts and pleated skirts are still out.

Does wearing stained clothing make you feel good? How many “painting” shirts do you need?

Does an off-the-shoulder ripped sweatshirt look good at a PTA meeting? Does a really short skirt mesh with your office’s dress code?

Now that you’ve realized you can cut back on the clutter, follow these eight steps to creating a well-organized closet.

BAG OR BOX IT

If you simply cannot part with clothes that you haven’t worn in some time, purchase a large Tupperware or vacuum-seal bag to store them. Neatly stack the boxes or bags at the bottom or top of your closet or in a basement or storage room.

STORE IT AWAY

Arrange your closet seasonally. You probably aren’t going to wear the five wool sweaters in summer. Put them in storage.

IS IT A PAIR?

Shoes mate for life. If you haven’t seen the mate to that shoe in years, get rid of the stag shoe.

GET ORGANIZED

Purchase a shoe rack, or create a system that easily displays items. Some women even buy small, clear plastic boxes and label the outside of the box for easy storage.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Keep a laundry hamper or basket as well as a dry cleaning bag in your closet for easy placement of dirty clothes. Better here than on your bedroom floor.

HAVE A SYSTEM

Organizational systems such as the Elfa System or Yaffa Blocks help you keep items in their places and within view.

HANG IT UP

Hangers! You’ve got to have the right ones. Children’s-sized hangers work great for pants, clip hangers can hold multiple skirts, and padded hangers are perfect for dresses.

CLOSET PEOPLE

Check your local yellow pages for the numerous companies that will come to your home and create a system for your closet that will help you stay organized. These companies use everything from wooden shelves to wire racks to additional rods. Some of these services can be costly, but they're well worth it.

Remember, if you can’t see it, you probably aren’t going to wear it. Keep the system simple and streamlined, and your closet makeover will keep you more organized and better able to find things you need.

Having to organize your closet may not sound fun to you, but now you have the right tips to organize your closet the right way. Once you organize your closet with these tips, you will not have to reorganize many times over.

For more great organization tips, contact the Maids!

QUICK TIPS FOR YOUR HOME ORGANIZATION

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:41:36 GMT

With a few easy organization tips, you can get your home looking great!

Organization is the easiest way to keep your home clean and healthy in between visits from The Maids.

Staying organized will also eliminate clutter and minimize stress. Follow these easy home organization tips to start your way towards a more clean, healthy and productive life.

Kitchen

Junk drawer? No more! Only 20% of all items in your kitchen are used 80% of the time. Fortunately, this means you can get rid of most of the stuff in your kitchen and not even miss it. Clean out the junk drawer now. Throw away any trash and then sort through and organize the remaining pile of junk. If you don’t have a place for it in the house, haven’t used it in a year and didn’t even know it was in there . . . toss it!

Purge your pantry! Look for any expired food that needs to be thrown away. Also, set aside any extra canned goods or nonperishable foods you can donate to a local food pantry. Then reevaluate your method of food storage to ensure that similar items are organized together, either by category or type of meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner). You decide!

Living Room

Welcome the wastebasket! The reason why few people have a wastebasket in the living room is because they are not attractive and can smell. It may be an anomaly to place a wastebasket in the living room but it will cut down on the mess and increase organization. Choose a wastebasket that matches the room’s décor and use a lid and deodorizing trash bags if you plan to throw food in there.

Clear surface clutter! Papers, books, magazines, etc. tend to attract flat surfaces throughout the living room - taking up space on the TV stand, coffee table and chairs. Counteract this by placing papers in a file cabinet or cart and books and magazines in a stand to restore order and organization to your family’s central gathering place!

Bathroom

Methodize your medicine cabinet! Change the purpose of your medicine cabinet and start to store items you need and use on a daily basis in there. Toss out expired medication and bring items used regularly to the forefront. An organized medicine cabinet quickly takes the place of a countertop covered in everyday grooming supplies!

Keep your floor dry, not damp! If your towel rack isn’t big enough to hang everyone’s towel then add more hooks to the bathroom for more organization. Towel hooks are an inexpensive and creative addition to provide more space for each family member to hang their towel!

Bedroom

Take advantage of under the bed storage for organization! The bedroom offers great horizontal space for under the bed storage bins. Store clothing items that won’t fit in your closet or other items such as purses, shoes or blankets. Plus, a bedskirt keeps the storage hidden!

Try to make the bed every day! Notice what a difference a done up bed can make. If you spend three minutes every morning making your bed, not only will your room look more organized but it may also motivate you to pick up those clothes on the floor as well!

Once you start to keep your home organized in between visits from The Maids, you and your family can enjoy the healthiest living environment possible. It is our mission to ensure the healthy cleaning of your home. The Maids healthy household cleaning process is guaranteed to make your home cleaner and healthier - from your kitchen to your bedroom.

HOW TO LIVE IN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:34:03 GMT

Learn how to live in a healthy environment, with some healthy cleaning tips from The Maids!

No other cleaning system is a match to The Maid's 22 Step Healthy Touch, but in between visits from The Maids there are ways to keep your home cleaner and a healthy environment.

Washing
Wash your hands, wash your hands, and wash your hands! You can spread unhealthy germs throughout your home if you do not wash your hands regularly. Rubbing your hands together with soap and water multiple times a day can severely minimize your chances of getting yourself, and those in your home, sick! Make the healthy choice and do not let those paws get grimy or you may be the one giving your whole family getting the flu! What good is wealth without your health?

Cleaning
Clean what you touch! The items and areas in your home that get touched often are the most important things to disinfect. These items include: door knobs, remote controls, light switches, etc. In addition to that, you may not know this but two of the most unhealthy breeding grounds for bacteria that can get you very sick include the phone and the keyboard! You may not have the H1N1 disinfectant like The Maids, but any natural all purpose cleaner should make a healthy improvement.

Hot Water
Turn that dial to Hot Water! It is important to clean things like towels and bed linens in hot water with plenty of detergent. Since they do not get cleaned daily and contain more germs and bacteria than other items in the laundry basket, they need more attention in order to better protect your health. You don't want to worry about catching a cold when you climb into bed or dry off after a shower!

Disinfect
Disinfect that bathroom! As often as possible, spray a disinfecting cleaner on all of your bathroom appliances, especially: toilet seats, showers, and faucets. Dirty bathrooms are a haven for bacteria and germs, so make a sincere effort to keep yours healthy by always keeping it clean!

Bathing
Wash that dog! Pets can bring all sorts of bacteria and other contaminants into your home. After all, some of them even roll around in their own waste (ew!). To keep both your pet healthy, and your family healthy and less likely to attract a cold, virus, or allergies, it's very important to give your pet a bath. They may hate it, and it might not be easy, but it will be worth it for the health of everyone!

Keeping your home healthy and clean does require more attention, but it is better than going through twenty boxes of tissues or sleeping on your bathroom floor!

Do you get seasonal allergies? Does the common cold somehow find its way into your system every year? Are you fearful of getting the H1N1 virus? To lower your chances of dealing with any of these ailments, a thorough cleaning of your home is essential to making it a happier, healthy environment.

Does that sounds like an impossible task? Let a professional service like The Maids do it for you. They have a 22 Step Healthy Touch system that ensures the level of cleanliness each home receives. The Maids specialize in not only cleaning for aesthetic appeal, but cleaning for health, making it less likely for their clients to get colds, flus, or allergies.

They use a HEPA filtration system that purifies indoor air by capturing 99 percent of all dust, allergens, pet dander, bacteria, pollen, and other air pollutants. The HEPA will purify your air providing you with a healthy home that feels like the fresh outdoors (minus the pollen!). They also use a disinfectant in bathrooms and commonly touched surfaces, like light switches and doorknobs, that kills the H1N1 virus. They cannot guarantee that your home will be H1N1- free, but the disinfectant can severely lower the chance of the virus spreading through your house! To further ensure a healthy home, and to remain eco-friendly, The Maids use only environmentally safe cleaning products that promote a healthy environment. These products do not contain toxins that can be harmful and unhealthy for you and your family.

CREATIVE WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR CHILD’S PLAYROOM

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:59:57 GMT

Use creative strategies to organize your child's playroom and keep it organized!

Organizing your child’s playroom can become a tedious, and sometime endless, project that results in a constantly messy playroom. Although your good intentions lie with the child's enjoyment of the playroom, you may be going about organizing the playroom the wrong way. By looking at the playroom, and the organization of the playroom, from your child's perspective, you may find that your system for organizing is neither practical nor functional. The toys and other objects in the playroom should be labeled for simple identification, and in a way that makes it easy for your child to put toys away. Your child should also not have a problem finding the designated area or zone in the playroom where a particular toy belongs.

Rather than constantly cleaning and organizing your child's playroom with no sense of strategy or system, find a creative way to organize your child's playroom that allows your child to have more fun playing with the toys they enjoy the most and less time cleaning up after the mess. Remember that your intention when organizing your child's playroom should be to make the toys accessible to your child, not to hide the toys. If your child knows where everything belongs, they are more likely to place each toy in the proper place. This article on Organizing Playroom Spaces Using 4 Zones offers a wonderfully creative organizing strategy for a child's playroom, one that incorporates the creation of different playroom zones for different activities and related toys.

Toy Zone

This is where all the toys live, including board games, interactive toys, puzzles, stuffed animals, doll houses, etc. For this zone, consider:

Toy chests -- These are actually more efficient for bigger toys. Small toys get lost in the pile and when you do finally find that superhero, he’s usually missing an arm! I suggest filling toy chests with big toys such as balls, blocks, skates, trucks, etc. Another option is to place accessible containers inside for smaller toys. For example, maybe you can a few smaller plastic boxes inside. If the playroom is being used by more than one child, make sure you label the boxes either by person, or by items stored inside.

Toy nets -- These are ideal for storing soft and light toys such as stuffed animals, dolls, and balls. They lift the mess off the ground, giving your children more floor space. The same concept can also be used with a hammock.

Shelves -- Shelves are ideal for storing smaller toys or toys that could be broken easily. Just make sure that the shelves are clearly labeled for person or item. Shelves could come in the form of bookcases, cubbies, or even lockers. Just make sure that the toys—especially the high-demand toys—are within reach. Use the upper shelves for toys that aren’t used as much.

Plastic bins -- These are wonderful, particularly when they are clear and labeled well. For example, you could have a Barbie bin that includes a separate container for all the dolls, all the clothes, and all the accessories. Depending on the size of the bins, you could stack these on the shelves, or line them up against the wall.

Arts and Crafts Zone

This is where your children can stretch their creativity! Because kids usually like to work with lots of art supplies at a time, a round table works nicely. There are different options for keeping the supplies together, but the key is to keep them together.

Rolling cart -- A rolling cart with integrated organizers is fantastic! This can be stored against the wall when not in use. It is nice because the kids can grab the supplies they need for a particular project without making a mess.

Craft caddies -- Another option is to have separate craft caddies. (Bathroom or cleaning supply caddies work well too.) One caddy could include crayons and colored pencils, one could include scissors and glue, one could include paints, etc. Label accordingly.

Plastic boxes -- Shoe-size boxes are another very practical alternative. These can be stacked nicely on book shelves. The trick to making these useful is to keep separate boxes for separate tools (as described above in craft caddies.) If all the supplies are just tossed into the box, it will make finding the midnight blue crayon all that much harder! Label the outside so the contents can be easily identified.

See-through plastic shoe bags -- These can hang on a wall or the back of a door. They include several individual slots that are just the perfect size for small supplies. Label each slot so the supplies get placed back into its proper home.

Reading/Schoolwork Zone

This is where your children can get lost in a wonderful fairytale—or buckle down to do some homework. The following items make this zone a comfortable area:

Desk -- You want a desk that isn’t too big, but is big enough for your children to grow into. For example, they may not be ready for a computer yet, but when they are, you’ll want plenty of desktop space available to accommodate.

Comfy chair -- If the desk chair isn’t comfortable, it most likely won’t be used!

Bean bag -- While a chair is nice for the desk, a big bean bag is great for reading books.

Bookshelves -- What reading zone is complete without bookshelves?

Supplies -- Make sure that the desk is supplied with the necessary school supplies—pencils, rulers, calculators, etc.

TV/Electronic Game Zone

You may or may not choose to have a TV in the playroom, but if you do, you can stock it with educational DVDs and electronic games.

DVD and video game organizers -- These are essential to protect DVDs and games. Place them in alphabetical order to easily locate them.

Bean bag -- This is another location where a big, squishy bean bag comes in handy.

When sorting through your child’s toys in the playroom, decide which toys are worthy of being repaired and which should be tossed out, given away to other children in your family or circle of friends, or donated to less fortunate children in your area. Make sure your child’s favorite toys that get the most use are in an easily accessible area in the playroom, while valuable items are kept in an out-of-reach area in the playroom. To do this right, be sure to involve your child in the organization of their playroom. You will be able to implement a creative strategy to organize your child's playroom, and keep it organized, by finding out what your child doesn't like about their playroom and what toys and activities they enjoy the most. You may also find it beneficial to rotate toys in and out of the playroom, giving your child a few toys at a time, so that they will not become bored with, but instead be surprised by, their old toys.

ANSWERS TO YOUR BED BUG QUESTIONS

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:48:23 GMT

Having a bed bug problem in your home can be a traumatic event for a homeowner. Finding beg bugs does not necessarily mean that you have poor hygiene. A beg bug infestation in

It is important to know everything about bed bugs, whether or not they've made your home theirs

your home can be ignited when you (unknowingly) purchase infested clothing at a retail store, stay in a hotel room with infested bed sheets, or when you bring your infested suitcase back with you from vacation. Before you understand how to treat a bed bug bite and prevent bed bugs from invading your home, it is important to be able to identify a bed bug, both by its appearance and by its bite. This article on Medinicenet.com will answer many of your questions about bed bugs and their origin, bed bug characteristics, symptoms of bed bug bites, bed bug extermination, and how to prevent future bed bug infestations in your home.

What are bed bugs? What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs are small, oval, non-flying insects that belong to the insect family Cimicidae, which includes three species that bite people. Adult bed bugs reach 5-7 mm in length, while nymphs (juveniles) are as small as 1.5 mm. Bed bugs have flat bodies and may sometimes be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. Bed bugs feed by removing blood from humans or animals. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color, appearing more reddish after feeding on a blood meal. Nymphs are clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. The wings of bed bugs are vestigial, so they cannot fly.

Where are bed bugs found?

Bed bugs were common in the U.S. before World War II and became rare after widespread use of the pesticide DDT began in the 1940s and 1950s. They remained prevalent in other areas of the world and, in recent years, have been increasingly observed again in the U.S. Increases in immigration and travel from the developing world as well as restrictions on the use of stronger pesticides may be factors that have led to the relatively recent increase in bed bug infestations. While bed bugs are often reported to be found when sanitation conditions are poor or when birds or mammals (particularly bats) are nesting on or near a home, bed bugs can also live and thrive in clean environments. Crowded living quarters also facilitate the spread of bed bugs.

Bed bugs can live in any area of the home and can reside in tiny cracks in furniture as well as on textiles and upholstered furniture. They tend to be most common in areas where people sleep and generally concentrate in beds, including mattresses, box springs, and bed frames. They do not infest the sleeping surfaces of beds as commonly as cracks and crevices associated with the bed frame and mattress. Other sites where bed bugs often reside include curtains, edges of carpet, corners inside dressers and other furniture, cracks in wallpaper (particularly near the bed), and inside the spaces of wicker furniture.

Since bed bugs can live for months without feeding, they can also be found in vacant homes.

What about bed bugs in hotels?

Many news reports in recent years have focused on the discovery of bed bugs in upscale hotels, and a number of lawsuits have been filed by guests in these fashionable hotels who awoke to find hundreds of bed bug bites covering their skin. Searching on TripAdvisor and other travel-review web sites regularly reveals information and even photos confirming the presence of bed bugs in numerous hotels.

Since the bed bugs can arrive on the clothing or in the suitcases of guests from infested homes or other hotels harboring the pests, hotels can be an easy target for bed bug infestations.

How are bed bugs spread?

Bed bugs live in any articles of furniture, clothing, or bedding, so they or their eggs may be present in used furniture or clothing. They spread by crawling and may contaminate multiple rooms in a home or even multiple dwellings in apartment buildings. They may also be present in boxes, suitcases, or other goods that are moved from residence to residence or from a hotel to home. Bed bugs can live on clothing from infested homes and may be spread by a person unknowingly wearing infested clothing.

What are the symptoms and signs of bed bug bites?

Bed bugs bite and remove blood from humans. Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected. A peculiarity of bed bug bites is the tendency to find several bites lined up in a row. Infectious disease specialists refer to this as the "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" sign signifying the sequential feeding that occurs from site to site.

Bed bug bites may go unnoticed or be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other types of rash or skin conditions, since they are difficult to distinguish from other bites. Bed bugs also have glands whose secretions may leave odors, and they also may leave dark fecal spots on bedsheets and around their hiding places (in crevices or protected areas around the bed or anywhere in the room).

Bed bugs have not been conclusively proven to carry infectious microbes. However, researchers have implicated bed bugs as possible vectors of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), and studies are ongoing to determine whether bed bugs may serve as disease carriers.

What is the treatment for bed bug bites?

Typically, no treatment is required for bed bug bites. If itching is severe, steroid creams or oral antihistamines may be used for symptom relief. Secondary bacterial infections that develop over heavily scratched areas may require the use of antibiotics.

How do I detect a bed bug infestation in my home?

You can look to see if you can identify the fecal stains, egg cases, and exuviae (shed skins) in crevices and cracks on or near beds. You should also look at other areas such as under wallpaper, behind picture frames, in couches and other furniture, in bedsprings and under mattresses, and even in articles of clothing. While fecal stains and skin casts suggest that bed bugs have been present, these do not confirm that the infestation is still active. Observing the bed bugs themselves is definitive confirmation that an area is infested. You may require professional assistance from a pest-control company in determining whether your home contains bed bugs.

How do I get rid of bed bugs in the home?

Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy process, and most cases of bed bug infestation will require treatment by a pest-control expert. A variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosol insecticides can be used to eradicate bed bugs. These must be applied to all areas where the bugs are observed as well as spaces where they may crawl or hide. The pest-control company can help you determine if the mattress can be disinfected or must be discarded. Since beds cannot readily be treated with insecticides, it's often necessary to discard infested mattresses and beds.

The pest-control expert may recommend certain forms of deep-cleaning such as scrubbing infested surfaces with a stiff brush to remove eggs, dismantling bed frames and furniture, filling cracks in floors, walls, and moldings, encasing mattresses within special bags, or using a powerful vacuum on cracks and crevices.

What about prevention of bed bug bites?

Avoidance of infested areas is the method for prevention of bed bug bites. Recognition of bed bug infestation and proper treatment of affected rooms (usually with the help of a pest-control specialist) is the best way to prevent bed bugs in the home. Those concerned about the potential for bed bugs bites in hotels should examine hotel beds and mattresses for signs of a bed bug infestation. Sealing your mattress in a bed bug prevention casing can be beneficial.

Bed Bugs At A Glance

Bed bugs are small, oval, non-flying insects that feed by sucking blood from humans or animals.

Bed bugs can live in any area of the home and can reside in tiny cracks in furniture as well as on textiles and upholstered furniture. They tend to be most common in areas where people sleep and generally concentrate in beds, including mattresses, boxsprings, and bed frames.

Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites.

A bed bug bite is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur.

Typically, no treatment is required for bed bug bites. If itching is severe, steroid creams or oral antihistamines may be used for symptom relief.

Fecal stains, egg cases, and exuviae (shed skins) of bed bugs in crevices and cracks on or near beds are suggestive that bed bugs may be present, but only observing the bugs themselves can confirm an active infestation.

A professional pest-control company may be required to help identify and remove bed bugs from the home.

Bed bugs have been an increasingly evident problem in U.S. homes and they have caused many homeowners extraordinary grief. Finding the answers to your bed bug questions is the first step to preventing a bed bug infestation or recovering from a bed bug infestation in your home. Once you have successfully identified bed bug bites and a bed bug infestation in your home, it is critical that you know how to receive treatment for the bed bug bites and how to go about ridding your home of bed bugs.

YOUR GUIDE TO A PERFECTLY ORGANIZED FOOD PANTRY

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:13:59 GMT

Where you store your food, how you store your food, and what types of food you store all matters when it comes to

Keeping your food pantry organized will simplify your life in the kitchen!

keeping a clean and organized food pantry. You surely can’t cook if you don’t have the right food items and ingredients for the meal, and if you can’t find where those essential ingredients are, then you might as well not even have them. If the kitchen is your personal castle, then your food pantry is your armory, the place that stocks all of your essential supplies for survival and success.

Food pantry stocking and organization sounds easy, but like most things in life, it is harder than it seems. There is common sense involved, but there is also strategy involved in creating and maintaining a well-organized food pantry. Imagine how much more simple and fun cooking would be if you never had to wonder or worry about where all the right ingredients were. No matter the size, shape, or location of your food pantry, it is possible to transform it into the perfect food pantry, at least for you. The following article by Arianne Cohen from Woman’s Day covers some basic, universal guidelines for maintaining an organized and orderly food pantry that’s perfect for your needs.

Think of your pantry the way you think of your refrigerator—as the food command center of your home. “You want to be able to open your cupboards and make dinner,” says Amy Pennington, author of Urban Pantry. “You can’t do that if your pantry only has flour, sugar, nuts and cereal.” And you can’t do that if you don’t know what you have or where it is. What you need is a master plan to get your pantry well-stocked, well-organized and ready for duty.

5 Universal Rules

Whether your pantry is a few shelves in the cupboard, a walk-in closet or three deep drawers, you can make it work. Just stick to these rules:

1. Know what you use.

How to know what to keep a stash of? Ask yourself what you eat most. If you love rice, then a 20-lb bag is great (if you’ve got the space). If you’re crackers about crackers, sure, keep a row of them. Avoid the common mistake of filling your pantry with foods you don’t often use, such as a supersize bag of flour or a row of powdered drinks.

2. Shop small.

I know, this is contrary to the dogma of rolling up to Costco in your minivan, but you don’t need a pantry that can feed your family through autumn, bomb-shelter style. The idea is to keep all items in your pantry constantly in use, filling the space you have with whatever healthy foods you might need. “People tend to go to warehouse clubs and buy giant family packs, then those huge boxes sit half-used for a year,” says Scott Dolich, chef at Park Kitchen restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Buy in bulk only the stuff you use often.

3. Go canned.

“A lot of people think canned goods are not as fresh, but canned vegetables are picked at their peak freshness, so they’re a great way to keep your pantry stocked,” says David Mechlowicz, culinary purchasing manager for Food Network. You can also enhance what you’re serving by adding fresh items to canned products. In other words, when you want to make a stew or soup or spruce up pasta, canned tomatoes are better than no tomatoes. Ditto with artichokes, pineapple, and pretty much every fruit and many nonleafy veggies.

4. Unwrap.

“Most people don’t unwrap excess packaging before putting away foods,” says Lorie Marrero, author of The Clutter Diet. “Take paper towels, for instance. Cut off that overwrap that holds the rolls together, and you can fit individual rolls much easier.” Ditto for soda, snack packs and multipacks.

5. Be cool.

Pretty much all pantry items do well in cool, dark environments. “Store foods away from your stove,” says Dolich. The biggest threat? Nearby appliances giving off heat. Dampen your hand and feel around your pantry to make sure the fridge or dishwasher isn’t heating it.

What Goes Where?

You want to create a pantry filled with easy-to-see foods in active rotation. Professional organizer Chris McKenry, a board member of the Los Angeles–based National Association of Professional Organizers, tells you how to transform your pantry.

Clean it out.

Purge. Which in this case means eat. Go through your pantry and pull out absolutely everything. Split your items into two piles: stuff you use and want to keep, and foods you haven’t touched in at least three months (if you haven’t used it by now, you’re probably not going to use it). For the stuff you generally don’t use, decide whether to toss it, donate it to a food pantry or serve it imminently. If it’s shake powder from that diet you did three years ago, toss it. If it’s cereal you just haven’t gotten around to eating, serve it soon. “Free up space so that you have room for what you really need,” says McKenry. And regift those gift baskets that take up half a shelf.

Consider relocating.

Not you, your stuff. Your pantry probably has more than a few non-food items. Perhaps the DustBuster and mop are in there. Waffle iron? Serving platters? Ask yourself, Is there a better place for these things? Here’s a secret: Doors are the great underutilized spaces in pantries. If your cleaning supplies must stay, at least get them on door hooks. I like the Reisenthel Big Eye Wardrobe Shelf. You’ve probably seen it in someone’s coat room, but its four hooks are perfect for hanging brooms and mops, while the shelf works for paper towels, all-purpose cleaners and the like ($35; Amazon.com). Or try The Grook Holder, a strip of rubber pressure clamps that hold cleaning products, gardening tools and more ($19.99; Casabella.com).

Create zones.

Group your pantry items by type—grains, drinks, pet food, baking items, canned goods, soups, snack foods, etc. And group similar items within each zone (all the canned pineapple in one cluster, canned peaches in another). The items in each zone (rice, couscous and pasta, or canned fruits and vegetables) tend to be interchangeable, so this way you’re working toward your goal: healthy meals. Each zone gets its own dedicated shelf or drawer. If your shelving doesn’t naturally separate the zones from each other, create separations. Shelf dividers, like the ones used for sweaters, work great ($7 for 2; Organize.com). Large items or jugs that you rarely use go in bottom corners.

Label.

If it makes sense for you, label the edges of your shelves with what goes there. You and the potentially confused people you live with are pretty likely to put cereal on the shelf labeled cereal.

Make it visible.

You want to be able to see everything and grab it with one hand. “Builders often design pantries with fixed shelves that are 1 to 2 feet apart,” says Barry Izsak, of the home organizing company Arranging It All in Austin, Texas. “If you use those shelves for cans or boxes of rice and soup mixes and so forth, there’s tons of wasted space, and tons that you can’t see.” For items that are hard to see or blocked by other items, consider these organizing helpers:

Bleachers: These cheap, functional little bleachers turn one shelf into three or four. Ideal for fixed shelves that are far apart. (Stainless Steel 3-Tier Expanding Shelf expands from 14" to 27 ¼" wide; $22 at The Container Store.)

Turntable: Nothing gets lost in the back if you can spin to find it. The OXO Softworks 11" and 16" turntables can hold a couple dozen cans each, and are also great for corraling bottles and jars ($11.99 and $16.99; OXO.com).

ShelfGenie: Want a truly customized kitchen? Consider ShelfGenie, the company that personal organizers have a crush on. A representative will come to your home, measure and install slide-out drawers and shelves throughout your cabinets and pantry, transforming deep cabinets into shallow, easy-to-access hubs ($500 and up; ShelfGenie.com).

Bins: Place them on deep shelves and pull them out drawer-style. Ideal for snack packs. The basic cloth bins from Target are great because they come in three different sizes ($39.99 for set of 3; Target.com).

Pantry or Not?

Bread: You may think it will last much longer in the refrigerator, but that will actually make it go stale faster, according to the Wheat Foods Council. The best way to store bread is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature.

Peanut butter: Some people like to leave peanut butter on the counter, a remnant of the fact that pantries a half-century ago were chilled. Yours should go in the fridge, along with all opened condiments (except oils).

Garlic, onions, potatoes: These should be kept in a basket or baskets—one for each kind of item—in the pantry, where it’s relatively cool and shielded from heat and light. Stored properly, they can last for up to 4 weeks.

Your time in the kitchen will be made much simpler by following these guidelines to keeping your food pantry organized. Finding the right tools – spice racks, stacking baskets, slide-out shelves, etc. – to help you organize your food pantry is a big help. Also, remember to clean your food pantry before you try to organize the food items within, and organize your pantry for you. Do what makes most sense for your food pantry: consider the type of food pantry you have; your food pantry’s size, shape and location; and what kinds of food and ingredients you use the most that will be stocked in your food pantry. Nothing in life is perfect, your food pantry included, but you can make your food pantry “perfect-ish,” at least for you. If your food is easily found, accessible, and organized in such a way that is perfect for you, you will appreciate and enjoy your food pantry so much more.

PROPER DISHWASHER CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:53:48 GMT

Your dishwasher is the workhorse of the kitchen, so it's extremely important to keep it functioning at its best. A dishwasher saves you time and the hassle of hand washing the dishes, and it is this efficiency that must be

For efficiency in the kitchen, take good care of your dishwasher!

optimized and prolonged. Like most other appliances, a dishwasher's lifespan can be lengthened if you care for it properly and provide maintenance when it's needed. Loading your dishwasher correctly is only half the battle of an efficiently run dishwasher. For a long lasting dishwasher, you will need to make sure that you load your dishwasher the right way and with the right dishes, that your dishwasher is clean, functioning properly, and that it gets proper attention and timely repairs when it's not functioning correctly. The products that you buy to clean your dishes, and your dishwasher itself, also affects the dishwasher's performance. Being well aware of what is good for your dishwasher and what is not will allow you to provide the proper care and maintenance that your dishwasher requires. This is a fantastic article from Horizon Services that covers the general care and maintenance needed for your dishwasher to work at its best.

General Dishwasher Maintenance Tips

A dishwasher is generally a low maintenance appliance. Below are some basic tips for keeping your dishwasher running in tip-top shape. (Note: Before doing any work on your dishwasher, turn off the power at the circuit-breaker box.)

Don’t Get Zapped. Dishwashers have built-in water heaters and motors which can consume a lot of electricity; couple that with all the water a dishwasher uses and you can see how improper wiring and connections can put you at risk for electrocution, fire or power outages. A ll dishwasher should always be plugged into a grounded outlet or wired direct. And your main socket must be rated adequately to handle the large load required by most dishwashers.

Make Sure Your Dishwasher is Level. If your dishwasher isn’t level, it could leak. To check, open the door and place an air-bubble level along the edge inside. If the dishwasher isn’t level, raise or lower either side by adjusting its “feet” or add a wedge to balance correctly.

Check Gaskets for Cracks and Deterioration. These are the rubber or plastic seals along the dishwasher door that provides a water-tight seal when you close. If you start noticing water around your dishwasher, it could be due to faulty gaskets. If the gasket is damaged, remove it by unscrewing it or prying it out with a screwdriver. You can get a replacement gasket at a hardware store or order one from the manufacturer. Before installing the new gasket, soak it in hot water to make it more flexible.

Check Sprayer Arm for Clogs. Over time Food particles, mineral deposits and other debris can clog the holes in the sprayer arm. It is essential to clean these small holes from time to time to enable the dishwasher to work more efficiently. Remove the sprayer arm periodically and soak in warm vinegar for a few hours to loosen any obstruction. Then clean out each spray hole with an awl or a pipe cleaner.

Check and Clean Screens and Filters. Your dishwasher should have a screen or filter located near the bottom of the dishwasher above the food drain to catch any large food or debris; they need to be cleaned regularly to avoid clogs (at least every other week). Your dishwasher owner’s manual should provide instructions for removing and cleaning the filter. If the filter has holes, it needs to be replace in order to prevent harm to other parts of the dishwasher. Also, inspect and clear out any food or debris that might be trapped in the food drain.

Invest in a Repair Kit. Notice any exposed metal, nicks or corrosion on your dish racks? These can cause rust and stains to dishes and dishwasher walls. Most hardward stores sell repair kits that allow you to quickly mend worn or chipped plastic.

Energy Efficiency Tips for Your Dishwasher

We measure the energy efficiency of our car in miles-per-gallon. Dishwasher efficiency is measured by a term called the energy factor. Energy factor is based on the number of cycles per kilowatt-hour of electricity. Today, the minimum allowable energy factor rating for standard capacity dishwashers is 0.46. The higher the number, the more efficiently your dishwasher is using energy. These tips can help you improve your dishwasher’s energy factor and get good cleaning results:

Watch Your Water Temperature. The single most important factor in getting good results is hot water. The best way to improve the energy efficiency of a dishwasher is to reduce the amount of hot water needed to clean your dishes. About 80% of the total energy used by dishwashers goes towards heating the water. Too cool won’t clean your dishes well; too hot wastes energy. Most dishwasher manufacturers and detergent companies recommend setting the water temperature at 130 degrees fahrenheit; this will effectively remove all food particles and residue without wasting energy. Place a thermometer inside the dishwasher to determine if the temperature is appropriate. If above or below 130 degrees, adjust your hot water heater.

Run Hot Water in the Kitchen Sink. Do this for a minute before you turn on the dishwasher. This will get hot water flowing through your pipes and start the wash cycle off with hot water rather than cold.

Avoid Using the Delay Cycle. This, too, fills the dishwasher tub with cold water for the first few cycles, meaning the dishwasher will have to work harder to warm the water up.

Avoid Using the Heated Dry Setting. Dishes can air dry without the use of heated air. This can produce substantial energy savings.

Run Full Loads Only. Running only a portion of a load will use the same amount of energy and water as a full dishwasher load. Don’t be wasteful.

Avoid Pre-Rinsing of Dishes. Scraping off leftover food is sufficient; a good dishwasher should be able to loosen and remove most food particles, even sticky ones. Soaking or pre-washing of dishes usually only necessary when something is burned or baked on.

Keeping Your Dishwasher Clean

The exterior of the dishwasher can be cleaned using a damp sponge and little detergent. Use any soft brush to clean the gaskets around the door and frame of the dishwasher; food debris can stick there and weaken the seal, allowing water to drip out while the machine is running. Look for any cracks or gaps in the seal. If there’s any damage, the gasket might need to be replaced.

The interior of the dishwasher does not need to be cleaned if it is being used regularly. If the dishwasher goes unused for a week or more, stains, mold and odor may form. Dishwasher cleaner and deodorizer can be used for this purpose. If you see many stains, clean with dishwasher detergent and water. Wear rubber gloves to protect the hand from alkaline detergents. You can also clean and disinfect your interior by running a cup or two of vinegar through the entire cycle of the empty dishwasher.

For rust removal on the inside of your dishwasher, try using a fine steel wool or a rust remover product.

Keeping Your Dishwasher Odor-Free

When properly installed and regularly used, dishwashers rarely develop problems with bad odors. Most dishwasher odor is related to food which has collected somewhere in the dishwasher and can’t be easily removed. Your first line of dishwasher odor defense is to always be sure to remove large food particles, non-dissolving and sticky food substances from all dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Also, visually inspect every nook, cranny and corner of the dishwasher to see if any hidden food has wedged somewhere out of view. Other dishwasher odor tips:

Suspect a Drain Clog. A foul-smelling dishwasher could be the first sign of a clog somewhere in your kitchen drain. If waste water accumulates at the bottom of the dishwasher and drains slowly…or if your garbage disposal and kitchen sink tend to back up when the dishwasher drains — this could be further evidence of a clogged drain. If so, clear the drain as soon as possible.

Check Your Water Softener. If not properly balanced or maintained, water softeners can cause foul odors in the water supply.

Disinfect and Deodorize. Run a cycle with a quart of vinegar to safely clean the tub and pump. Also, put a scoop of Tang powdered drink mix in your dishwasher to gently scour the interior walls and add a clean, fresh scent.

Dishwasher Detergents

What you put into your dishwasher significantly affects your dishwasher’s performance.

Use Detergents Specifically Designed for Dishwashers. Hand washing dish detergents and other soaps must NEVER be used in dishwater. They are not formulated to clean dishes in a dishwasher. And they will produce large amounts of foam, suds and bubbles which will leak from the dishwasher and spill onto the floor. use detergents that are specifically meant for DISHWASHING ONLY.

Choose Powders Over Gels. Powder detergents are usually a better choice than gels. Gels often contain chlorine bleach which car dissolve seals and gaskets. Gels don’t work well in hard water. Gels can clog the detergent dispenser which can impede cleaning performance. And gels tend to leave more spots, film and cloudiness on glassware. For best results, we recommend using a powdered detergent or tablets.

Don’t Buy Dishwashing Powder in the Super-Size Box. It may seem cost-effective to purchase large economy-size boxes of dish detergent powder, but these products actually have a limited shelf life. Once you open that box, you only have about two weeks to use it; once air hits the powder, its cleaning effectiveness is greatly reduced. Stick to regular-size boxes which can be consumed in a two-week time period.

Avoid Cheap Products. Make sure that the word DETERGENT appears on the box. Some inexpensive and non-name powders contain contain inferior cleansers; some even contain sand! These products should be avoided to prevent wear and damage to dishes and the dishwasher itself as well as sediment build-up.

Dishwashers and Glassware

Over time, spots, streaks and hazinesss can form on glassware when washed in a dishwasher, especially if you use hard water. Most manufacturers recommend that you hand wash most glassware, especially if it is finer glassware. If you do put glassware in your dishwasher, here are some things to keep in mind.

If you have well water or hard water, use a rinse-aid — such as Jet-Dry — in your dishwasher. These will prevent much of the spotting and streaking on glassware caused by insoluble deposits that dry on glass surfaces. Most manufacturers recommend that you use a solid rinse aid rather than a liquid. Solid rinse-aids disperse more evenly and consistently and are simpler to use; you just need to hang them from your dishwasher’s upper rack.

If you have a water softener, you may want to try cutting back on the amount of detergent you are using…or add a ¼ cup of vinegar to in the dishwasher before each load.

No matter what type of water you have, be sure to run the dishwasher with a quart of vinegar and no dishes or detergent. This will removes any mineral deposits and residues left behind anywhere in the tub as well as disinfect and deodorize.

A dishwasher that performs well will make your life in the kitchen much more hassle-free and efficient. Each type of dishwasher is different in respect to its needs and maintenance requirements. Buying the right cleaning materials and dishwasher detergent for your specific dishwasher will keep it running how it is supposed to. Loading your dishwasher with only dishwasher-safe dishes will prevent damage to your dishes and to the dishwasher itself. Generally, you do not want to load your dishwasher with non-stick pans, wooden spoons or cutting boards, crystal, blown glass, iron, pewter, all aluminum, gold-plated flatware, and any disposable plastics not labeled "dishwasher safe." Only use the recommended amount of dishwasher detergent, and do not mix flatware made of different metals as this could damage your flatware.

By taking care of your dishwasher and providing the proper maintenance, cleaning and repair when needed, your dishwasher will work efficiently and perform how it is supposed to. If you follow the simple guidelines mentioned above, and seek professional assistance when you have questions, your dishwasher will work at its best and live a longer life, making your time in the kitchen a happier time.

HOW TO MINIMIZE ALLERGENS IN YOUR HOME

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:22:37 GMT

If you or one of your family members suffers from allergies, you understand how difficult and frustrating it can be to

Make your home allergen-free to keep you and your family healthy.

deal with allergens in your home. Allergens are substances that trigger an allergic reaction, and you or your loved ones may experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, itchy eyes, swelling of tissues, and other bothersome symptoms. Making your home a refuge against the allergens most frequently found in homes will make living more bearable for you and your family. To minimize allergens in your home, or anywhere, you should keep away from the things that trigger your allergic reactions, which could be insect sprays, perfumes, cigarette smoke, or plants that you may keep indoors during the winter. There are also certain things that you can do specifically to your home to minimize allergens and keep you and your family healthy. The following article from The Housekeeping Channel outlines some steps you can take to turn your home into an allergen-free zone.

According to many allergists, the real cure for sniffing, sneezing and wheezing may be as simple as regular house cleaning. Common household allergens such as dust, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and cockroaches can trigger allergies, explains pediatric allergist Dr. Mary Lasley. "Simple changes in your routine house cleaning can reduce allergies and help your family live more comfortably," she adds.

Steps to Reduce Exposure

1. Control Ventilation and Filter the Air

Opening windows to let indoor allergens out of the home can bring outdoor allergens such as pollen and mold spores into the house. Instead, use heat and air conditioning to clean, circulate and dehumidify the air in the home. Also, using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to remove airborne allergens, such as pet dander, can lessen the amount of circulating allergens. Dust mite and cockroach allergen are generally heavy particles that do not stay suspended in the air and settle quickly, so air filters or air purifiers do not work well for these allergens.

2. Reduce Moisture

Dust mites and molds thrive only in high humidity areas. Maintain the home's relative humidity level below 55 percent by using heat and/or air-conditioning equipment consistently and using a dehumidifier where necessary - doing so will discourage dust mite and mold growth. Repair all roof and plumbing leaks to prevent mold.

3. Regular Cleaning

Cleaning is the best way to reduce allergens. Done regularly, cleaning stops allergens from accumulating, which helps minimize allergy and/or asthma symptoms. Pay special attention to the bedroom since most exposure to dust mites is while sleeping - 60 percent of dust mite allergen is found in mattresses and bedding. In order to control these allergens, wash bed linens in hot water (at least 130 F) weekly and vacuum mattresses regularly. Comforters, blankets and curtains should be washed frequently. Encase pillows, mattresses and box springs in "allergen-control" covers, and freeze or wash stuffed animals weekly in hot water (at least 130 F).

Clean and disinfect wet, warm areas - such as kitchens and bathrooms - weekly to stop mold growth.

Smooth floors should be vacuumed, dusted and wet mopped weekly. When sweeping, take care not to circulate dust from the floor into the air.

Vacuum carpet and rugs at least once a week - twice a week in bedrooms and high-traffic areas. Use a well-functioning vacuum cleaner that has adjustable brushes, and bears the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval (SOA). These are vacuum cleaners that have been tested for and meet strict standards for removing soil and containing the dust within the bag and the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners may produce dramatically different cleaning results and impact on the indoor environment. The SOA program endorses only vacuum cleaners that perform each of the following three tasks well: soil removal, dust containment (without putting the dust back into the air) and carpet appearance retention.

Vacuum upholstered furniture regularly, and clean hard furniture with a damp cloth. A damp cloth should be used on window treatments, windowsills and window frames, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and storage units as well. Dust also can be reduced by storing books and knick-knacks in closed cabinets - doing so leaves fewer places for dust to settle and makes cleaning easier.

Your allergist/immunologist can provide you with more information on allergies. For further information on carpet go to the Carpet and Rug Institute's Web site, www.carpet-rug.com.

If you contact your allergist or immunologist, they will be able to determine the source of your allergies, and then decide the best course of action to take for minimizing allergens in your home. You will need to limit your exposure to the particular allergens that you are allergic to, and then begin to make appropriate changes within your home. You may need to inspect your house for leaks, as allergens, mice, and cockroaches can make their way inside your home through small holes and cracks.

Carpets are the perfect haven for dust, dust mites, and pet dander; therefore, it might also be a good idea to consider changing your carpet to a hard floor such as hardwood, vinyl, laminate, or ceramic to minimize the allergens that are affecting you and your family. If changing your carpeted flooring is not an option, then you should be sure to have the carpet cleaned regularly for a deep, thorough cleaning that vacuuming will not achieve. You may not be able to remove all traces of allergens in your home, but if you follow these guidelines then you will successfully minimize the allergens in your home for a healthier, happier family environment.

SIX STEPS TO AN ORGANIZED GARAGE

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:16:31 GMT

Don't waste the space in your garage - organize the clutter!

Is your garage the dumping ground for everything you don’t want in your house? That is how most people utilize the space in their garage; they fill it with anything and everything. Your garage has so much more potential than that, so don’t waste perfectly good space! You can make your garage more than a place to just park your car. Make the garage an extension of your home by taking control of the clutter and reinventing the meaning of your garage.

You could turn your garage into an exercise space, for example. Remove that big, bulky workout equipment from your home to create space for something else in your home, such as an extra bed room. The garage could be the perfect spot for the home office you've always wanted, but never had space for. In your garage, you can escape the distractions of your home and completely immerse yourself in your work. Or maybe you have children who need a place to hang out with their friends? You can make that "hang out" place your garage, but only if you clean up the clutter that's stopping you from even considering a garage makeover. This is a great article from Organizingroom.com that can walk you through the steps of organizing and transforming your garage.

Your garage’s main objective is to protect and stash your vehicle or vehicles. That just can’t happen if your garage has turned out to be a glorified storage area, filled with boxes and games and gadgets and bicycles and skateboards and scooters and strollers and anything else that makes it hard to find a path through the room in the beginning. Here are 6 easy tips to help you take command of your garage again.

1. Take out every thing from the garage and organize.

Categorize all your belongings in the garage by grouping them with like items. To illustrate, kids’ toys amongst kids’ toys, carpentry tools with carpentry accessories, sports gear by sports gear, seasonal decorations with seasonal decorations, etc. Choose everything that is not working, outdated or no longer needed and sell it, contribute it, or scrap it.

2. Have the proper organizational implements.

Once you have sorted every thing, confirm what tools can help you order these items. As an example, do you wish to purchase any storage bins, rack devices, cabinet structures, tool chests, peg boards, hanging ceiling systems, hanging bicycle racks, and so on.

3. Cleanse.

After your garage is empty it is highly recommended to go to the trouble to sweep or mop out all the loose junk, clean up cobwebs and layers of dust bunnies. You may take joy in your garage better if it is a really clean garage so be sure to sweep and dust routinely to maintain it.

4. Décor.

Talking about décor does not mean I am proposing you go out there and convert your garage into a pseudo-living room, but consider if a new coat of paint on the walls makes matters look better and clearer and cheerier? How about the floor? Many folks like to paint and seal the floor of the garage to safeguard it from spills and make clean up relatively easy. Altering the wall or floor surfaces could have a considerable impact on the look and feel of the garage. If this is something you wish to try and do, now is the perfect time.

5. Classify.

After your garage is dirt free (floor and walls) it’s time to place anything back. It is best to position the gadgets that will be used on a frequent basis within easy reach. Arrange items less commonly used even further back in the garage or higher up on shelving systems or inside cabinets. Label the outside of tubs, drawers and cabinets to avoid the inconvenience of opening all of them again and again to acquire a specific thing you may be searching for. Placing labels on shelves or even peg boards will help prompt you where things should be put away also.

6. Finally, make rules and apply them.

Rules including, “Make Sure You replace gadgets you required to the place you found them,” need to be precisely abided by to help maintain the organization of your garage.

These actions will help you accomplish a tidy and properly organized garage in no time spent what-so-ever and just realize the numerous gains of having the ability to not just park your car within garage to ensure that it stays safeguarded from the elements, but having the ability to recognize exactly what you have and find it when you require it. All the best!

Another way to remove the clutter in your garage is to have a garage sale. A garage sale is great because it enables you to purge your garage of any items you don’t want or need anymore, and you may also make a buck! To host an effective garage sale, take all of the items you are placing in the garage sale and put them in a separate area from the items you are keeping. Go through and price items from your garage reasonably; you may need to disassociate yourself from the items so you don't hold on to unnecessary things that you really don't need.

When you set a date for your garage sale, make sure to check the weather forecast in advance. Advertise and spread the word about your garage sale! Make flyers and tell all of your neighbors so that your garage sale has a big turnout. Set up items in an organized manner at your garage sale; don’t make shoppers hunt around for a matching set of plates. Once your garage sale is over, do not bring the left over items back into your garage. Consider donating your unwanted items to a local charity. If you follow the above steps for garage organization, you will have a clean garage that has purpose once again - other than being just a home for your cars.

WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CARPET LAST LONGER

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:55:04 GMT

Regularly vacuuming your carpet will prolong the life of your carpet.

Carpets are beautiful but they are susceptible to stains, matting, and discoloration. You shouldn’t fear, though. There are things you can do to minimize the risk of damage to your carpet and make your carpet last as long as possible. Depending on the layout of your home, some areas have much more traffic than others, regardless of how your furniture is arranged. This means that those areas of your carpet are going to get worn more quickly. To avoid this, consider placing area rugs over your carpet in these locations. Watch out for spills; clean up spills on your carpet immediately, because letting spills set in increases the chances that you'll have a stain on your carpet.

You may also want to treat your carpet with a stain-resistant spray once every few months. Always test any carpet cleaning product on an unnoticeable area of your carpet before spraying it on your entire carpet. Carpet protector needs to be reapplied after you shampoo your carpet for optimum protection. Sometimes loose threads can stick up from your carpets, which can be caused by nearly anything. To remove the loose thread from your carpet, use scissors to snip it instead of pulling on it and further damaging your carpet. This article from eHow.com explains more ways that you can make your carpet last longer.

You finally had the money to do a little bit of redecorating, and replacing your carpets was priority number one. After all the time you spent choosing just the right color and texture, not to mention the money the carpet, padding and installation cost, you want your new flooring to remain looking great. With the following tips, you can make your carpet last longer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Start with a quality product.

To ensure longevity, buy the best carpeting and padding that fits into your budget. The carpet that you choose should incorporate stain protection.

Leave dirt outside.

You may feel a bit uneasy about asking guests to remove their shoes, but by leaving footwear at the door, you keep the dirt off your carpeting as well. In addition, take the time to sweep your home's sidewalks, and invest in heavy-duty doormats to prevent excess dirt from entering the house.

Confine all snacking to the kitchen.

Your family may protest this rule, but it's the only way to prevent spills from staining your carpeting. Sauces, chocolate and juices are lethal to your carpet's aesthetic value. If food does find its way to your carpet, be sure to clean it up immediately.

Run the vacuum often.

In high-traffic areas, carpets should be vacuumed daily. In less-traveled areas, vacuum one to two times per week. Vacuuming often will remove damaging dirt from the fibers. Buy an upright vacuum fitted with beater bars, or install a central vacuum system.

Call in the professionals.

You should hire a reputable carpet cleaning company to service your carpets at least once per year. The pros have the equipment that won't leave detergent in the fibers.

Keep your socks on.

While walking without shoes will help to make your carpet last longer, you shouldn't walk on your carpeting with bare feet. The oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.

Change the room's layout often.

To break up the same old traffic pattern and to avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, move your furniture around. This will create new foot traffic and your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.

When installing new carpets, always have a quality carpet pad installed underneath it. Carpet pads prevent carpeting from becoming matted. Carpet pads also allow for more efficient vacuuming. While a carpet pad may be an extra expense, it can really increase the longevity of your carpet so that you can enjoy your carpet longer.

Also consider the type of carpet you choose. Polyester carpeting, although it may be cheaper, will wear down more quickly and is harder to clean. If you have children and pets you should consider Nylon carpeting that resists stains better and will last longer for an active family. When shopping for new carpeting look for a pile that has tightly twisted fibers as they will be more resistant to soil. The higher the pile of your new carpet the harder it will be to keep it from matting down.

MAXIMIZING SPACE IN A SMALL HOUSE

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:50:49 GMT

Spring is certainly about to spring - and this is usually the time that homeowners take a look at their house, whether it's a small house or a large house, and set about determined to do a

To maximize space in your small house, select furniture that has more than one use.

thorough spring cleaning. If you have a small house, you probably find that your limited space is a nuisance to your regular cleaning routine, no matter what time of year it is. A small house can mean limited space, but that just means that you need to find creative solutions to maximize the space in your small house.

Maximizing space in a small house can be accomplished by simply removing - or at least finding a way to minimize - all the clutter in your small house. A cluttered desktop, countertop, kitchen pantry, hallway or closet can really have a big impact on how you feel about living comfortably in a small house. Clutter in a small house makes doing the things you need to do a little harder than they really need to be. If you have items, even if they're pieces of furniture, in your small house that you haven't used in years, get rid of them. Do your research on local charities where you can donate these unused items that are just eating up space in your small house. The following article from The Inspired Room is definitely a creative and inspirational written piece that will give you some great ideas for maximizing the space in your small house, by putting that space in your small house to use - or to many uses.

THE SMALL HOUSE: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE

I’ve always loved the idea of having a smaller house, and making the most of the space I have. When I lived in my tiny English cottage (the house prior to when I lived in my giant house) it was like a game for me to find clever places for things.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SMALL HOUSE?

1.Make finding space in a small house a game.

My small house was like a puzzle, everything had one place that it could fit. My husband’s closet was actually a linen cabinet in the hall. My canned goods fit in a neat and tidy corner of our basement on plastic shelving. We had baking dishes on wire shelving on an enclosed back porch. We put beds on risers to give us more space for things under the beds.

Oh how I wish I had been blogging 10 years ago (was anyone blogging back then, or was that before the internet was invented?)! That would have been a fun house to talk about. We did so much to that adorably small house to make work for our family.

I love coziness so for the most part, having a small house was fun for me, not a drudgery. I enjoyed figuring out how clever I could be with our storage and furniture placement. I was determined I had enough space for what I needed and it really was like a challenging game to find the solution.

2. Find more than one purpose for your rooms.

I’ve always wanted a library/dining room. Not only do I think it looks charming, it is practical too. You can use the room to dine in, but it can also hold library shelves for books or a home office. One room, multiple purposes. Love that.

I’m not sure how I feel about bookshelves in the bedroom. I wonder if it would feel kind of dusty? I do like how it looks but I think I’d rather have books in the dining room. But if the bedroom was all I had for my books, it would work!

3. Less furniture, more built ins.

Free standing furniture takes up a lot of space. If you own a small home, there are often ways you can tuck in a built in piece (or a free standing piece that fits in just like a built in) to give you more room for the buck.

For instance, I adore banquettes (built in benches with a table)! Tables and chairs take up a lot of room, so if you can build a banquette into a small niche, you can have an eat in kitchen even if the room is quite small.

Think about other ways you could eliminate pieces of furniture by having built ins. Or even if you can’t build something in, perhaps consider other ways to eliminate excess pieces and go for more streamlined furniture!

4. Get creative with the space you have!

A couple of years ago I saw this photo... and it had a pretty cool outside the box idea... a custom made dining table that opens up to reveal a pool table! You can have a family meal, then take the lid off the table and the space becomes a game room. While the table probably costs a pretty penny, imagine the cost of a whole separate pool table room! Not only is this an example of a dual purpose room, it is thinking creatively in a small space.

In our small house, for the first two years of my son’s life, our dining room was his playroom. We had to get creative with the space we had, and having a playroom for his toys at that stage was more important than having a dining room. By being willing to let go of something we used less frequently and setting the house up for what we really needed, we made the house work for us.

IF YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF A SMALL HOUSE, CONSIDER WAYS TO DOUBLE A ROOM’S USEFULNESS! WE DON’T ALWAYS NEED MORE ROOM, WE JUST NEED TO BE MORE CLEVER WITH THE SPACE WE HAVE!

Applying a few (or all if you can) of these creative strategies to your small house cleaning and organizing regimen will make living in your small house much easier, and much more enjoyable. There are many low cost ways to creatively maximize space in your small house, you just need to find that space and be a little creative doing it.

For any room in your small house, you can use hanging organizers to tuck away anything from beauty products to kitchen supplies. Bunkbeds are great if you have young children; kids love them and they're a huge space saver in a small house with small bedrooms.

If you're struggling to live in a small house, you don't need to resort to having an addition or an entire renovation project.

SPRING CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:39:30 GMT

Whatever category you fall into, it’s time to get your spring cleaning checklist out and seek out helpful resources to get you through your spring cleaning projects. While the outside may not be quite ready to undergo any major spring cleaning, the inside of your home is probably more than ready to experience a thorough spring cleaning.

Preparing your home with a good spring cleaning for the warmer weather doesn’t have to be such a chore, if you’re not a spring cleaning enthusiast. The important seasonal chores that are part of your spring cleaning checklist can be broken down into smaller projects, so you’re more willing and likely to complete them. The following spring cleaning article from shelterpop.com offers some great solutions to those nagging spring cleaning chores that you want to put off.

Spring Cleaning: Tips from a Pro

Ready your spring cleaning checklist -- it's time to clean house. First tip: Start with the task you're dreading most.

Spring may not be in the air quite yet, but there's little doubt that the air around your home is ready for a solid spring cleaning right now.

But don't fret. If you break it down into some manageable tasks, says organization wizard Laura Wittmann, founder of OrgJunkie.com and author of the book Clutter Rehab, spring cleaning can be a rewarding way to spend a weekend afternoon.

"I always suggest that the best places to concentrate on first are the ones that annoy you the most," she says. "These little (or big) annoyances can cause as much mental clutter as they do physical."

Take a look around your home, she advises, and pay attention to the inner dialogue that happens when you find yourself frustrated with specific areas. Then create a detailed list of what needs to be done. For example, rather than simply saying "clean home office," break it into manageable steps that are each doable in short spurts of time, Wittman says. "You'll be amazed at what you can get done with small bursts of attention."

Then, Wittmann says, "Eat the frog." Essentially another way of saying "bite the bullet," Wittman thinks the best place to get started is the "to do" item on your list that you're dreading the most.

"You can go about your day feeling a huge sense of relief and satisfaction knowing you've accomplished a chore you've been putting off," she says. "It's very freeing!"

Another get-inspired tip? Some really energizing music helps to get you motivated as well, she adds. So throw on your favorite playlist and get to work.

Now let's tackle some of the biggest messes:

Spring Cleaning Challenge #1: Cupboards that run the risk of item-avalanche when opened.

Allot 15 minutes per cupboard; 30 minutes for a pantry.

The Solution:

Unless you're stocking up for the end of days, there's no real need to have 500 cans of kidney beans. More likely than not, the lack of organization in your pantry or kitchen cupboards causes you to "forget" what items you have on hand and double up when grocery shopping. The same goes for that burgeoning Tupperware collection that topples over every time you open the cupboard. Time for a fix.

Start with the biggest problem cupboard. Pull all items onto a nearby counter and organize by category (either foods or utility/purpose). In the pantry, if you have more than your required monthly or weekly allotment (do you really have plans to cook something this week with those lima beans?), place extras into a pile to donate to your local food bank. If it's a Tupperware dilemma, organize by storage sizes. Do you have multiples of the same size that go unused? If they're in good condition, donate to your local thrift store.

Spring Cleaning Challenge #2: Growing piles, disorganized papers and unpaid bills.

Allot 30 minutes to an hour for cleanup, no more.

The Solution:

Piles. They start with the best of intentions, but oh how quickly they go from "strategic placement" to "where in the world did I put that?" dilemmas. Nip it in the bud.

Where do you most commonly drop your mail? Purchase a mail organizer to place directly in that area; either get a counter top option or one to attach to your wall or side of cabinetry.

Immediately upon walking in the door, get into the habit of sorting the mail: catalogs/magazines to read, personal mail and bills (and, of course, have a recycle bin nearby for the immediate toss-aways). Label each slot -- chances are, as long as you see an envelope in the "bills" or "important papers" sections, you'll never be late on a payment or miss an appointment again.

For extra organization, add a small calendar with attached marker nearby; when a bill or appointment reminder comes in the mail, mark the appointment or due date on the calendar in red, then file the notification away in its designated slot. It takes a few extra seconds, but it ensures the days of buried bills and forgotten appointments are long gone.

Have a pile that needs tackling now? Lay it all out on your dining table and sort according to the categories on your new organizer. Be sure to have a recycling bin nearby for the inevitable junk mail.

Spring Cleaning Challenge #3: Drawers that don't close properly due to overstuffing.

Allot 20 minutes to clean a drawer.

The Solution:

Chances are good that you have a junk drawer (or two) that could use some attention. Commonly junk drawers become what they are because we need a quick place to cram the miscellaneous, leading to a space chocked full of random items that are rarely accessed.

So dump the junk -- lay it all out on your dining table and sort everything into small piles. Immediately toss anything you "forgot was in there" and that you don't need. Use an old ice-cube tray to sort and store small items like paper clips, rubber bands, tacks, etc. – whatever doesn't fit can be thrown out. Who needs 500 paperclips anyway? File away any important papers in a home office accordion file, and group other items together either with a paperclip or rubber band, or place them into a labeled envelope ("stamps and address labels") for easy reference.

Spring Cleaning Challenge #4: Overburdened and under-organized linen closet.

Allot one hour; two if it's been awhile since you last tackled this dreaded task.

The Solution:

We all do it. You buy a new sheet set and cram the old ones into the linen closet. The old sets pile on top of the older and oldest until suddenly you have a collection of linens resembling a decade's highlight reel.

Empty it out. Throw every item from the closet into a laundry basket and dump it out onto your bed (you'll likely need to make a few trips). First, sort by item: flat and fitted sheets, pillow cases, towels. Then sort by needs and bed size: kids' room, guest room, master. Using a permanent felt marker, write a single-letter notation on each tag for easy reference. For instance, write T/F/Q/K for quick size reference (saves you the hassle of unfolding and folding) or write family member initials.

Finally, go through each individual pile: Any items that have stains or holes should immediately get tossed. A bit too worn but still in good condition? Unless you'd be willing to put it to use now, toss it into a "donate" pile – chances are even your seasonal items will be replaced with new ones when the next season rolls around. To stay organized, place each stack into its own individual storage box or basket, labeled for quick reference. That way, when you go to change bedding next round, you can just pull out that specific basket and leave the rest of the closet in tact.

These are some of the common spring cleaning challenges and problems that people run into when they go to tackle their spring cleaning checklist. If you follow along with the solutions to these spring cleaning challenges, your spring cleaning checklist will start to dwindle with less effort, and you may even find that you're enjoying your spring cleaning this year! Also, if you enlist the rest of your family to help out with the spring cleaning chores, your work will be even easier.

Holding a garage/yard sale will certainly help to clear the clutter from inside your home, so that your spring cleaning efforts don't get wasted on items that are taking up needed space. Rather than collecting dust, give items or articles of clothing away at your yard sale or donate them to your local charity. Read our article on donating your unwanted clothing to the right charity to find your local charities and, even better, find the right local charities. Spring cleaning can be fun, you just have to find solutions to your spring cleaning problems!

YARD SALE ADVERTISING TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL YARD SALE

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:23:13 GMT

When spring comes around and the sun is shining, we all get the urge to do some spring cleaning -- or at least we feel that we need to do some spring cleaning! Spring cleaning inevitably means that you will find things in your home that you didn't know you had, and that you wish you didn't have. This is when a yard sale comes into play as well as yard sale advertising. Yard sales (with the help of yard sale advertising) allow you to get rid of all those unwanted items you found in your home after you did some serious spring cleaning. But you don't want to have an unsuccessful yard sale; you want your yard sale to have as much foot traffic as possible. In order to attract any potential customer, there needs to be advertising, yard sale advertising.

The purpose of yard sales is to get rid of as much unwanted stuff that you can -- and after your spring cleaning is done, you probably have a lot of unwanted things lying around! There is also a purpose to yard sale advertising. So what do you think the purpose of yard sale advertising is? Yard sale advertising is so important because it will bring more foot traffic to your yard sale, and that means more potential customers that will buy your unwanted things. The following article from AllThingsThrifty.com offers some fantastic yard sale advertising tips that will ensure the most successful yard sale possible.

Top 15 Yard Sale Advertising Tips

Good afternoon peeps! I hope you are all having a great day! Spring time is here, and with Spring comes Spring-cleaning, and with cleaning/de-junking comes YARD SALES!

Since yard sales can be a GREAT environment to find treasures for your home and can be a great way to de-junk while earning some cash, today I'd like to give some yard sale tips on how to host the most successful yard sale possible. You may not know this about me, but I went to college and graduated with my Bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations. Not only that, but while getting my Masters degree, I even TAUGHT advertising for a few semesters. I bet you didn't know I was a school nerd, did ya!?!

Over the years, I have taught a lot of friends and family how to host a successful yard sale. A lot of those people have told me that my strategies are great. In fact, it's pretty funny when we have a yard sale because the chatter always begins with, "Man who did your advertising?" (no joke).

You may think my strategies are a bit over-kill. But with tried and trusted experience, if you follow these tips, I know your yard sale will be more successful than if you hadn't. Some have a hard time taking the time to properly promote their yard sale, and as a result, they don't have as much foot traffic. Without a lot of foot traffic, then you simply don't sell as much stuff. The main goal of the yard sale is to get rid of as much stuff as possible, right? Not only will my tips help you get the maximum amount of foot traffic as possible, but they will also help you sell more stuff once customersget to your yard sale.

Tip 1: Make your posters BIG.

Ok, how BIG, you say? From the main road (or roads) that will bring the most traffic, you need a poster board sized sign. Yep, the size of the poster board (which is 22 X 28 most of the time). Don't cut it in half, you need to get as much attention as possible on the busiest road near your home.

Tip 2: You need TWO big posters to catch the attention on your busiest road near your home.

One for the traffic going one way, and one for the traffic headed the opposite way. For example, if that busy road heads North and South, you need one to grab those vehicles heading North, and one to grab those vehicles heading South. If you only put one poster to direct traffic, then you potentially lose out on half of your foot traffic right from the start. A great way to do this is with a large A frame sign.

Tip 3: Use balloons on your large signs.

I'm telling ya, the more people that you can get to look at your signs, the more people you will have to actually turn off the road and head your way. A great compliment that I love to hear is "I wasn't even planning on going to a yard sale today, but your signs caught my eye."

Tip 4: Include your address, the date, and hours of your yard sale on your sign.

Some people may not want to waste their time if they are not sure the sale is still going on. Let's be honest here, we need to make it as easy as possible for people to want to come to your sale. We need to fill in the blanks in every way.

Tip 5: Use one color of poster throughout your advertising campaign.

If you go with a pink poster, then every poster needs to be pink. Don't change from pink to yellow to orange to white. It potentially confuses your traffic. If you stay consistent with one color, then your traffic knows they are headed to the correct yard sale not a different yard sale nearby.

Tip 6: Write BIG with Black marker.

Make sure that your posters can be read clearly from a long distance away. Remember that if your poster cannot be read by a passenger in a vehicle driving by, then you potentially missed out on that person making it to your yard sale. You'd be surprised how many signs I have seen that are written in pen, and unless I was 12 inches away, I wouldn't be able to read it.

Tip 7: Guide your traffic every 2 blocks with arrows.

Remember that using the same color of poster board is key here. If your posters are pink, than a bright, bold, pink and black arrow reassures them that they are still on the correct path to your sale.Think of the arrows as little reassurances that say "almost there" or "you are still on the right path." I have given up the hunt to find yard sales a lot if I think I'm lost. Who knows, I may have been a block away, but if I don't see arrows and I've been driving for awhile, I assume I'm not going to find it and give up. Remember, we are trying to make it as easy as possible to find your sale.

Tip 8: Along with marking a clear map with arrows, you need to plaster your town with yard sale signs.

I suggest to hang up at least 10 other signs in popular areas to inform others that you are having a yard sale. I suggest these signs to be half a poster board. Also, advertise your sale on Craigslist. Spreading the word is the key here.

Tip 9: Advertise that the sale is "HUGE," "NEIGHBORHOOD" or "MULTI-FAMILY."

If you can convince a neighbor or two (or even more) to have a yard sale with you, you can advertise your sale as such. This will catch the attention of your traffic. The more stuff you have for them to look at, the better. So, if you can round up more people to participate, go for it. Warning: Do not advertise your sale as multi-family if your neighbor brought one or two items over to sell with your stuff. Make sure that if you are advertising as "multi-family" that there are genuinely more than one family participating in the sale.

Tip 10: On your half-poster signs, include a few of your best items on the posters.

For example "Baby Items" or "Lots of Furniture" or "Hunting Gear" or "Decor Items." Be specific if you have something that will be a hot item. For example: "Trampoline" or "Little Tikes Slide."

Tip 11: At your sale, mark a few of your larger items with informative signs.

For example, if you are selling a TV, include a larger sign that says "works great." Or if you have a dresser for sale, put a larger sign that says, "Only $20.00." These signs are to catch the eye of those people who are driving by. The first step to get a potential customer to buy something is to get them to get out of their car. If you show them that your prices are reasonable and that your items are working properly, they will be more likely to come check out the rest of your items.

Tip 12: Put a price tag on EVERYTHING.

Let's face it folks, a yard sale can be chaotic. In fact, most the time, it is hard to tell whose yard sale you are attending. Some people are shy, and some people are a tiny bit lazy. So, if you have your prices clear, then you'll have more people buying. If you don't, you will have people walk away even if they are interested in one of your items. We need to make their decision-making process as easy as possible. If the price isn't on the item, you simply made their decision for them. They may think, "I don't even know how much it costs." Voila, you lost a sale. If you have an item that you are unsure of how much to ask, put a sign on it that says "make me an offer" but I rarely do this.

Tip 13: Organize your items in categories.

Some people enjoy hunting for items, and like I said before, some are a bit lazy. Don't lose all the customers that aren't the searching type. The more items you have on tables the better in my opinion. Put the decor items together, the clothing items in a separate area, and the baby items near each other.

Tip 14: Present your items in a way to help your customers visualize them in their home.

For example, if you are selling a crib, assemble it. If you are selling a couch, rug, pillows and end tables, set it up on your driveway like a living room. If you have a bedding set, lay it out on a tarp for the customers to see the entire quilt. Remember, we are making it as easy as possible for your customers to visualize the item in their home.

Tip 15: Never turn away a customer.

You need to have your items set up at least a half hour before your beginning time. You will probably have early birds (those avid yard salers that get up at the crack of dawn just to go to yard sales). If customers begin to come and you are still setting up your items, you may miss out on a sale. It may be annoying that someone is early and that they begin rummaging through your stuff before you feel completely prepared, but don't forget, the point of having this sale is to get rid of your stuff. Don't forget to welcome them with a friendly, "Good morning" greeting! If you aren't quite ready when customers begin coming, just simply tell them that you will have all the items displayed as soon as you can.

Hopefully these tips have given you some great tips of how to successfully host a yard sale. Happy Spring!!

These yard sale advertising tips should help you! Yard sale advertising allows you to have the most successful yard sale you can so that you can sell as much as you can. Take these yard sale advertising tips and put them into action the next time you have a yard sale -- which is probably very soon if you've done your spring cleaning already! Yard sale advertising shouldn't cost you much money, and yard sale advertising shouldn't have to (that would go against the whole philosophy of a yard sale). These thrifty yard sale advertising tips will ensure the success of your yard sale and your yard sale advertising without you needing to spend money. Happy yard sale-ing! And happy yard sale advertising!

IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY AT HOME

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:54:01 GMT

Modern homes are very well insulated so indoor air temperatures can be maintained. But air-tight homes can mean that chemicals get trapped indoors, leading to poor indoor air quality. So what can you do to improve the indoor air quality of your home? You have options.

Make sure your home is well ventilated; if your home doesn’t have a built-in ventilation system, install vents in your home or open up the windows more often to improve indoor air quality. Bring the outdoors inside with indoor plants. There are many common varieties of houseplants have been proven to remove harmful chemicals from the air in your home and improve indoor air quality.

The following article from HealthyTheory.com offers insight on the causes of poor indoor air quality, how poor indoor air quality affects your health, and what steps you can take to improve your indoor air quality at home.

How To Improve Air Quality At Home

Your home should be your sanctuary. It should offer a safe haven from the chaos of the world, a place to retreat and rejuvenate at the end of a long day. In some cases however, your home may be harboring pollutants that make it an environment that can jeopardize our health.

When it comes to air quality, indoor air is often worse than the air you breathe when outside. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to improve the quality of air you breathe at home, reducing the negative health effects resulting from breathing "bad" air. Here we look at a few ways you can breath new life into the air quality inside your home.

Recognize the signs of poor air quality

Home construction today results in buildings that are more airtight than those built in the past. Heating and cooling systems are more efficient when hot or cold air is kept out of the home. Unfortunately, this lack of fresh air circulation can lead to the following conditions which suggest a lower level of air quality inside your home.

lack of air movement, stale or stuffy air
unusual odors
noticeable odors
excessive humidity
mold and mildew

There are other causes of poor air quality beyond lack of fresh air. Indoor air contaminants such as chemicals, dust, and vapors also contribute to reduced air quality in a home. Certain building materials and even appliances can reduce indoor air quality.

How poor air quality affects your health

Depending on the air quality in your home, you may experience minor reactions or, in extreme cases, severe illness. For those who suffer from allergies or asthma, poor air quality will exacerbate the problems associated with these conditions.

Common symptoms reported from individuals affected by poor indoor air quality include; headache, shortness of breath, coughing and sneezing, congestion, fatigue and dry or irritated skin, nose, throat and eyes. If you are unsure whether air quality is to blame for health issues, keep track of when you notice symptoms the strongest. Do you notice symptoms are present at all times, even when you are outside or not in your home? If your symptoms go away when you leave your home, only to return a few hours after you arrive back, it is time to address the air quality of your home.

How to improve the air quality of your home

There are dozens of ways to improve the air quality of your home. Assuming you have eliminated any obvious air pollutants, consider the following general tips to help improve your indoor air quality.

Vacuum and mop regularly. Dust can be a major factor in poor air quality, and it is also present in every home. Regular vacuuming and mopping can reduce the chemicals and allergens which accumulate in dust. Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter that not only picks up dust but also prevents it from being redistributed out of the exhaust.

Keep humidity levels down. By reducing the moisture levels in your home, you control the growth of mold, mildew and other allergens that thrive in moist conditions. A dehumidifier as well as air conditioning in the summer months will greatly reduce indoor air pollutants.

No smoking. Do not allow smoking in your home, period. If you are a smoker or live with a smoker, make a commitment to smoke outdoors. Secondhand smoke is one of the biggest indoor air pollutants and also one of the most easily managed.

Clean naturally. Cut out synthetic fragrances and opt for a clean, fresh scent in your house. All of the products available today to make your home smell "good" may also be contributing to the poor air quality in your home. Consider using natural cleaners instead of chemical cleaners. Open a window to allow for the circulation of fresh air, which will reduce stuffiness and odors that become trapped in the home.

By improving the indoor air quality in your home, you make it possible to enjoy your residence while reducing the negative health consequences resulting from poor indoor air quality.

When you want your home to smell good – think about the effects it can have on your indoor air quality. You can still make your home smell good naturally, by using fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products, using lemons and baking soda to clean the kitchen, and letting in the fresh air from outside. Each of these can have an affect on indoor air quality.

To keep your healthy indoor air quality levels healthy, keep your floors fresh. Keep as much dirt, pesticides and other pollutants out of your home as possible with a large floor mat. Even if people coming into your home don’t wipe their shoes, most pollutants will be left on a large mat and out of the rest of your home. When the indoor air quality is good at home, you will notice the difference and be able to live more comfortably at home. Follow these tips to better your indoor air quality.

CARING FOR YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:22:34 GMT

Daily cleaning will keep your hardwood floors looking new, longer.

Your hardwood floors were beautiful when they were installed, but to keep hardwood floors looking that way, there is a little maintenance required. Cleaning hardwood floors can be broken down into three types: daily care, quarterly care, and preventative maintenance. Daily care involves sweeping hardwood floors with a soft bristle broom to remove dirt that can cause abrasions. Also, you should always clean up spills on your hardwood floors as quickly as possible to avoid water damage. Quarterly care is needed to remove surface grease and dirt that may have accumulated on your hardwood floors. Be sure to use a cleaning product that has a neutral pH when you're cleaning your hardwood floors. Ammonia or ammonia-based products should never be used on hardwood floors because they will dull the finish and may cause discoloration. Using a very wet mop with a liquid soap or using abrasive cleaners on hardwood floors is never recommended, because both methods have the potential to strip the finish on your hardwood floors, or cause the hardwood floors to deteriorate prematurely.

To prevent future damage of your hardwood floors, there are a few simple things you can do. Use area rugs in high traffic areas, use felt pads under legs and feet of furniture so you won't scratch your hardwood floors when moving the furniture, and take your shoes off at the door! This article from WFCA.org will guide you through caring for your hardwood floors.

Your hardwood floor is installed. Your house finally feels like a home. But now what? How do you care for your new investment?

Meet Mat

Floor mats are a wonderful thing when it comes to hardwood floors. Tiny particles, like dirt, can act like sandpaper and scratch your wood. By placing a floor mat at each entryway and encouraging family members and guests to wipe their feet, the majority of dirt and grime will remain on the mat. Also put a floor mat or rug in any area where water could be splashed — like near the kitchen sink. This will hinder any possible water damage.

Note that rubber-backed or non-ventilated floor mats or rugs can damage your floor. Instead use floor mats or rugs made especially for hardwood floors and be sure to shake them out regularly.

Whistle While You Work

Along with a hardwood floor comes the responsibility of keeping it clean. The better care you take, the longer your floor will maintain its original beauty. Step one is to purchase a high quality broom so that you can sweep your floor regularly of dirt, dust and other particles.

Second step is a vacuum cleaner without a beater bar, to get in between the boards and other hard to reach areas.

Deeper cleaning techniques vary depending on the installation and finish of your hardwood floor. For “Finish in Place” hardwood floors, using an 8”x14” terrycloth mop with a rotating head that makes cleaning corners, under cabinets and along base boards as simple as pie is recommeded.

Professional cleaning products recommended by your flooring retailer can be used to remove tough stains and spills without dulling the finish of your wood floor. Makers of “Pre-finished” floors recommend their own specific products for routine maintenance. Check with your retailer for details.

Do and Don’ts

Don’t wax a wood floor with a urethane finish

Do use cleaners that won’t leave a film or residue

Don’t use ammonia cleaners or oil soaps on a wood floor — they’ll dull the finish and affect your ability to recoat later.

Do use a professional hardwood floor cleaner to remove occasional scuffs and heel marks (just spray some cleaner on a cloth and rub the stained area lightly)

Don’t wet mop or use excessive water to clean your floor (wood naturally expands when it’s wet and can cause your floor to crack or splinter). For information on steam cleaning hardwood floors, see our blog post on Floor Talk.

Do clean sticky spots with a damp towel or sponge

Do minimize water exposure and clean spills immediately

Go Deep

If and when your hardwood floor begins to look like it belongs beneath the feet of gold miners in an old western saloon, it’s time to consider screening and recoating.

Screening is the process used to abrade or grind down your floor’s polyurethane finish. Next, fresh coats of urethane are applied. The result is a rejuvenated floor that looks as good as the day it was installed!

If the damage to your hardwood floor is severe, then you may require sanding and refinishing. This process involves sanding your floor down to the bare wood and refinishing it. Only go to this effort if screening and recoating doesn’t solve your problem. Replacement boards may be available so you don’t have to refinish the entire area. Be sure to go pro whenever you have work done on your hardwood floors!

Protect Your Investment

All hardwood floors fade or change shades over time. Like our own skin, wood’s exposure to sunlight may greatly increase this process and cause permanent damage.

Window treatments are recommended to shade your floors from the sun’s harsh rays. We also recommend rotating area rugs and furniture regularly, allowing wood floors to age evenly from UV exposure.

To avoid permanent marks and scratches, it’s a good idea to cover furniture and table legs with flannel protectors. Be careful when moving heavy objects across your floor to avoid scuffing.

Ladies — your stiletto heels may be fashionable, but what’s not in fashion (or covered by your warranty) are the dents and scratches they cause to wood floors. Likewise, trim your pet’s nails regularly and keep any and all other sharp objects away from your floors.

Love your floors and your floors will love you back for a long, long time.

To keep your hardwood floors looking new, more intense maintenance may be required as the years go by. The condition of the finish on your hardwood floors is important because it acts as protection. If you are uncertain if the finish on your hardwood floors is wearing off, you can do a simple test. Begin in a high-traffic area and pour one to two tablespoons of water onto the hardwood floor. If the water soaks in immediately and leaves a darkened spot on your hardwood floor, the finish is worn and water can damage the wood. If the water soaks in after a few minutes and darkens the hardwood floor only slightly, the finish is partially worn. If the water beads on top of the hardwood floor, the surface is properly sealed. Repeat this test in low- and medium-traffic areas on your hardwood floors. If the finish has worn off, it is a good idea to refinish to increase the longevity of your hardwood floor.

WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE A PROFESSIONAL MAID CLEANING SERVICE

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:11:01 GMT

Sometimes you just don’t have the energy or motivation to clean your home after a long day at work – or just a long

Hiring a maid cleaning service provider like The Maids will give you more time to enjoy life.

day in general. Cleaning is considered a chore by many, but there are options if you’re not that fond of cleaning. Hiring a professional cleaning company gives you the benefit of being able to relax in your own home, one that you didn’t have to clean. But there are many other reasons why hiring a professional cleaning service company is a good decision.

The Maids home cleaning services will provide you with a better, deeper and healthier clean than if you were to take on the task of cleaning your own home. The Maids is a maid service provider that you can count on for a deep clean. The following information from Maids.com goes over the benefits that you are sure to notice if you hire a professional maid cleaning service provider – specifically The Maids home cleaning service.

Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service vs. Cleaning Your Own Home

There are many benefits to using a professional cleaning service versus doing home cleaning yourself.

The first step to a healthy home is to clean it regularly. Family and work obligations may make it difficult for people to find the time to give their home a thorough, regular cleaning. With ongoing maintenance from a professional cleaning service, a home’s surfaces will be vacuumed, dusted, cleaned and disinfected on a regular schedule. This helps remove allergens like dust, pollen and dander, as well as viruses and bacteria throughout a home. After hiring a maid services provider, homeowners will never have to worry about the unexpected – family “dropping by” or neighbors “stopping to visit.” Homeowners can forget about rushing home to tidy up or missing important obligations in order to maintain their home.

In addition, depending on the service, a professional cleaning company may have more effective equipment, procedures or products than a consumer might use in his or her own home. For instance, The Maids’ commercial-grade Back Pack Vacs with HEPA filtration capture up to 99% of dust, allergens, bacteria, dust mites, pet dander, pollen and other pollutants. Our vacuum has been independently tested to remove up to two and a half times more dirt than a conventional upright.

If homeowners have a pet, that raises the stakes even higher due to pet dander, pet hair, allergens, and whatever else the pet brings into the house. With a conventional vacuum cleaner, tiny allergens may pass right through the bag, or the exhaust may blow still more of them up out of the carpet and into the air. Not with specialty vacuums many professional cleaning service companies use. Professional multi-filtered vacuums can capture particles as tiny as 1/210th the diameter of a human hair!

Hiring maid services means greater cleaning efficiency.

The methods of a professional cleaning company can literally make homes cleaner and healthier than using most conventional cleaning practices, and it’s a wise idea when hiring a maid services provider to make sure to ask about the company’s cleaning philosophy.

Homeowners, when doing their own cleaning, often overlook areas that are cleaned by a service. For instance, The Maids vacuum the tops of ceiling fan blades and under beds, as well as registers and vents, including the refrigerator vent, to reduce dust and allergens in the home. We also damp wipe baseboards and window sills on our first visit to a home and routinely clean more places and areas in a home than one might get to on an average busy weekend.

In addition, a professional cleaning company’s employees are trained on the proper use of the products. A homeowner, however, may use a product on sale or try something new from the cleaning aisle and not understand its proper use or what surfaces it may be safely used on, causing damage to a home.

A professional cleaning company offers cleaning efficiency. With The Maids, homes are cleaned with teams of four members. In about an hour, The Maids can save homeowners four hours of valuable time that they can spend however they want — without lifting a finger to maintain their home! If homeowners don’t have time to keep up, they should consider hiring maid services. But just make sure to ask about the company’s cleaning procedures, products and equipment to be sure the home will get the thorough clean it needs and deserves.

When it comes to hiring a maid services provider you can count on, trust The Maids.

Save yourself the time to do things that matter to you -- like spend time with your family -- by hiring The Maids professional home cleaning service. The Maids is a maid service provider that you can trust to give your home the very best clean and to keep your home healthy and safe for you and your family. If you are one of the many people in this world juggling multiple responsibilities, you will quickly learn that hiring a maid cleaning service provider will allow you to enjoy your life a little more.

HOW TO CLEAN OUTDOOR PATIO FURNITURE CUSHIONS

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:53:36 GMT

Patio furniture cushions may be waterproof, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t get dirty! Your outdoor patio -- and the furniture cushions especially -- are exposed to all the elements of the outdoors and therefore can collect dirt and dust that indoor furniture cushions are

Keep your outdoor patio furniture cushions clean and vibrant -- like the day you bought them!

not exposed to. It's never a pretty sight when you're planning an outdoor party with family and friends, and you uncover your patio only to discover dirty patio furniture! By properly cleaning and maintaining your outdoor patio furniture cushions, your party will be a blast -- not a dud!

To clean your patio furniture cushions, there are very simple cleaning instructions that you can follow. You should be using a soapy mixture for cleaning patio furniture cushions that is mild so that you will not damage the fabric of the furniture cushions. So how do you clean patio furniture cushions? To keep your outdoor patio furniture cushions clean and usable for a long time, follow these instructions from DIYNetwork.com .

Step 1: Mix the Cleaning Solution

Mix together 1 tsp. diswashing detergent and 1 tsp. Borax in 1 quart warm water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle.

Step 2: Saturate the Surface

Generously saturate the cushions on both sides with the solution. Do not be frugal -- it will clean off the mold and mildew. Be sure to get all the crevices and creases. The more you put on now, the less you will have to do when you wash it off.

Step 3: Wait, Wash and Dry

Let the cleaning solution sit for 15 minutes. Then with the garden hose on high, spray the cushions thoroughly to knock the dirt and cleaning solution off the cushions. Stand the cushions up on edge to let them dry to just damp.

Step 4: Add Fabric Protector

Spray the cushions with a fabric protector. This will both protect them and make them easier to clean in the future.

Step 5: Clean Canvas

Most of the time, canvas can be machine washed and then put back on the furniture while it is damp to stretch the material back into shape. However, if you can't remove the canvas, use a scrub brush and rub it across the bar of Fels-Naptha soap and then rub the brush back and forth on the canvas. You may have to do this a few times — don't be afraid to really lather it up. Fels-Naptha soap works well for canvas awnings. It does a good job removing bird droppings and many stains.

Once you get the canvas nice and clean, take the hose or a spray bottle and rinse it off.

Remember that different materials respond differently to cleaning solutions. First, find out what your patio furniture cushions are made of by checking the tags. If you have removed the tags from your furniture cushions, check with the manufacturer to get their opinion -- either by phone, in person or through an online forum.

Before you mix the cleaning solution for your patio furniture cushions as suggested above, you should remove the patio furniture cushions from the furniture itself and take the cushions to a flat surface for cleaning. You should always clean your patio furniture cushions before you put them out for the summer and before storing them for the winter. Of course, as stains can occur frequently (especially with children around!), you will need to do touch-ups on your patio furniture cushions on a more regular basis. Stick to this method of cleaning, and your outdoor patio furniture cushions will look brand new for a long time!

HALLOWEEN DECORATING IDEAS

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:26:55 GMT

There's no denying that Halloween is right around the corner now that the leaves are falling,so why not do some Halloween decorating to get in the spirit of the season? By doing some Halloween decorating you can help get your children excited about this candy-filled holiday while getting yourself in a candy-giving mood.

A little bit of Halloween decorating can go a long way!

Not all Halloween decorations have to be store bought. In fact, some of the best Halloween decorations are the ones that you and your children make at home together.

There are some classic elements that no Halloween decorating spree should be without, like the jack-o-lantern, but here's another Halloween decorating idea that's a little outside of the box: a cheese cloth spider web. All you need to make this cool halloween decoration is white or ivory cheese cloth, scissors, pushpins, plastic spiders, craft glue and maybe a few Halloween decorating helpers.

Measure where you will hang the cheesecloth, and cut fabric to the width of that space. Pin or hook cheesecloth in place. Cut vertical strips in cloth, varying the length of the cuts and the spacing between.

Snip, tear, and make holes in each strip; rub cheesecloth between hands to fray the edges. Attach plastic spiders to the tattered webbing with glue.

This is just one of the many creative things you can incorporate into your Halloween decorating scheme that will definitely give your house a spooky vibe. Here are some more Halloween decorating ideas from JoyHolidays.com that are not only cool but can also save you money.

Happy Halloween!

When our children were little, Halloween was their favorite holiday because we decorated our Victorian home like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. My husband went all out with dry ice in our fountain and moving "ghosts" tied to a rope in the tall trees. Because we believe that you can have fun decorating your home without going into debt, here are some Halloween decorating tips that don't cost too much.

Low-Cost Halloween Decorating Ideas

by Jeanette Joy Fisher

Halloween is a uniquely special time of year, regardless of whether you're a kid or just a kid at heart. It's a holiday time that offers lots of wonderful opportunities to decorate your home creatively, since the subject matter is different from any other holiday. If you're thinking about decorating your porch and yard for the spookiest night of the year, you can do it without having to spend a lot of money. Here are a few low-cost ideas for showing your Halloween spirit to the world:

You can get rolls of yellow Caution tape (the type you see at crime or disaster scenes to keep people out of certain areas) fairly inexpensively at most hardware stores, and if you put it up around the perimeter of your yard, accompanied by a sign that says something like "Fright Scene: Enter at Your Own Risk," it can give an eerily spooky ambience while also offering guests a wary smile.

You can enhance that spookiness either more by replacing your regular porch light with a black light bulb. Adding a few Halloween-oriented items like skulls and ghost figures that glow in the dark will be even more effective.

If you want your pumpkins to last longer (and even to be reusable when you scrap your Halloween decorations and begin decorating for Thanksgiving), don't carve them. Paint them with acrylic paint. You can create an infinite variety of faces or scenes, and your pumpkins will last much longer. There's also none of the mess involved with carving them. Place your pumpkins in groups of three to five of varying sizes and shapes. It makes for a much more effective display.

A little paint can go a long way in creating great-looking tombstones, too. You can paint simple boards grey and then use black paint to add silly or scary epitaphs that will delight visitors. Things like: "See? I Told You I Was Sick" can bring smiles, but you can also create scarier epitaphs to bring out the more ghoulish side of your nature.

You can create some wonderfully spooky scenes in your windows by cutting out silhouettes of the various Halloween icons, such as black cats, witches, and skeletons, out of construction paper. When it gets dark, your windows will take on a lovely macabre look when the light is blocked out by those eerie objects.

Simple scarecrow-type figures, topped with rubber Halloween masks, can also be effective in adding some scare factor to your front porch and lawn. Just stuff a shirt and pair of pants with straw or leaves, add the mask, and you've got an instant horror figure for just a little time, imagination, and very little money.

Halloween is a time when anyone can be a kid at heart. You can celebrate the spookiest holiday of them all to your heart's content without having to break the bank in the process. With a little thought, you can create great-looking Halloween decorations. You're limited only by your imagination.

Enjoy!

The key to low-cost Halloween decorating is to make the decorations yourself with things you have at home or things you can pick up at a craft store. Another great part of making your own Halloween decorations is that you can see all the hard work you put into the homemade decor. If you enlist your children to help with the Halloween decorations, you will be able too see their unique crafts throughout the house. What a treat!

Good luck embarking on your Halloween decorating journey, and keep in mind that imperfect Halloween decorations are sometimes the best Halloween decorations!

HOMEMADE SOAP: HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOAP

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:23:38 GMT

Homemade soap; this may have never crossed your mind before. Maybe you want to make homemade soap to avoid the harsh chemicals that are found in store bought soap, or to save money. Maybe you want to make homemade soap so you can mix your own scents and mold the bars into your own design; whatever the reason, homemade soap is a fun hobby to get into.

Homemade soap is a perfect gift for the upcomming holidays.

Before making homemade soap, just be aware of the dangers in the process of making your own homemade soap and how to avoid them. When making homemade soap, lye is a main ingredient, and the most dangerous part of the process. Lye is a dangerous, corrosive chemical. It can blind you, burn your skin, or could even cause death if ingested. Don’t let this scare you away from making homemade soap though -- it’s very easy to manage if you are careful. The following article from EHow.com gives instructions on how to make your very own homemade soap.

How to Make Homemade Soap

This soap is a pleasure to give - and to receive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Soap Making 101

Dissolve 12 oz. lye in 32 oz. softened water in a plastic or glass bowl. If at all possible, do this outside or under an exhaust fan.

Add the lye to the water, not vice versa. Pour the lye slowly and in a steady stream, and stir constantly with a plastic spoon.

Set the mixture aside to cool. The mixture will heat up considerably due to the lye reacting with fats in the oils. This is called saponification.

Melt 24 oz. coconut oil and 38 oz. solid vegetable shortening in a stainless steel pot.

Add 25 oz. olive oil (not virgin) and any fragrance oils you want to use.

Allow the oils to cool.

Grease the soap mold with Crisco.

When both the oil and lye mixtures have cooled to room temperature, slowly combine them, adding the lye to the oils.

Stir slowly and constantly. If you see bubbles, stir more slowly.

Drizzle the soap into the pot once in a while. When it keeps its shape momentarily before sinking into the rest of the mix (tracing), it's time to add whatever extras you want.

Stir your botanicals, grains and coloring into a cup of soap taken from the mix.

Combine that back into the original mixture.

Pour the soap into the mold.

Wrap the mold in a towel and leave it undisturbed for 18 hours. The soap mixture will heat up and then cool down. Avoid uncovering it until it's cooled.

Allow the soap to sit in the uncovered mold for another 12 hours.

Loosen the sides by wiggling the mold a little.

Turn the mold over onto a clean counter.

Cut the soap into bars with a knife. Some people use a miter box to make square corners.

Allow the bars to cure for three to four weeks before using. Smaller bars cure faster than larger ones.

Additives

Mix candle coloring into the oil solution. If it's wax-based, melt it first in a couple of tablespoons of oil and then add it to the rest of the oil mix.
Realize that you can also use crayons for coloring. Experiment with colors. Note that purples are very difficult to keep true.
Use 1 tsp. per pound of soap of the following ingredients: cocoa powder for brown, cayenne pepper for pink-peach, liquid chlorophyll for light green, turmeric for yellow, paprika for peach and titanium dioxide for white.
Use 1 oz. essential oil to scent a 4-lb. batch of soap.
Know that 2 tsp. ground cloves makes a great-smelling soap. Try grated orange or lemon peel or ginger, too.
Use rose water instead of regular water for rose soap.
Oatmeal makes a great complexion soap. Use 8 oz.
Add 4 oz. cornmeal for a gritty texture.
Make soap with 1/2 oz. geranium oil for dry skin.
Use tea tree oil - 1/2 oz. - for problem skin.

If you wanted to take the more cautious approach on making homemade soap, you could “rebatch” your own soap to avoid contact with lye. “Rebatching” soap is a process where you use pre-made grated soap and add your own herbs, fragrances and colors to it. This is still considered homemade soap because you are adding your touches to it, just steering away from having to deal with the harsh chemicals.

Either way you feel like making your homemade soap, the experience can be a very rewarding hobby. Once you make your first few batches of homemade soap you will be able to venture out and experiment more. Eventually you can even come up with your own homemade soap recipes. Keep in mind that the holidays are coming, and what better gift than personalized homemade soap!

OVEN CLEANING: HOMEMADE OVEN CLEANERS

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:10:58 GMT

Regularly cleaning your oven is needed in order to remove the grease, splatters and charred carbon. Ever wonder what oven cleaners are best to use on the different parts of your oven? How about natural, homemade oven cleaners?

Cleaning your oven with natural oven cleaners is better for your health.

These oven cleaners do not contain the chemicals you may find in store oven cleaners, which include sodium hydroxide, butane, monoethanolamine, and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether... to name a few. These chemicals are harmful to the human body, so why use them when cleaning a place you cook your food? Natural oven cleaners may require more time to produce, and a little extra scrubbing time, but are well worth it for your health in the end. The following article from Housecleaningcentral.com offer safe oven cleaning tips as well as ways to make your own oven cleaners at home.

Safe Oven Cleaning Tips

It doesn't matter how careful you place dinner in the oven, you will eventually get baked on grease, spills and splatters from cooking your families favorite dishes.

The good news is that you don't have to buy those dangerous and toxic oven cleaners in the grocery store. Do yourself a favor, (and your pocketbook) and make your own homemade oven cleaner from the recipes listed below.

How to Clean Your Oven Safely:

These oven cleaning tips will help you clean your oven safely, quickly, and are better for the environment. It takes a little more elbow grease to clean with natural products, but it's better for you too, and worth the extra effort it takes to clean.

Note: Never mix ammonia with bleach containing products as a poisonous gas will result.

Home Made Oven Cleaner:

1 T Liquid dish soap

1 T Lemon juice

1 T Bleach

1 Quart Warm water

Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl or a bucket.

Apply the oven cleaning solution with a sponge to the inside of the oven. Let it sit for 1 hour. Scrub with a sponge or green scrubby. Rinse well.

Oven Cleaner With Ammonia:

1 Cup Ammonia
Put the ammonia in a glass bowl, and place it inside the oven and close the door.

Let the bowl stay in the oven over night. The next day, use a green scrubby and wipe away those stubborn stains.

Chemical Free Natural Oven Cleaning:

5 T Baking Soda
3 drops Liquid Dish Soap
4 T White vinegar

Mix the above ingredients into a thick paste. Use a sponge to apply the oven cleaner to the inside of the oven and then scrub with green scrubby. make sure to rinse thoroughly and wipe the oven clean.

Lemon Juice Cleaner:
Lemon is a great grease cutter. To make lemon oven cleaner, mix equal parts of lemon juice and salt. Apply the lemon oven cleaner to oven stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. Use a green scrubby and rinse and wipe the oven clean.

Natural Oven Cleaner:

4 T Baking Soda
4 T Hot Water

Baking soda is a great stain remover, and an abrasive.

Mix the ingredients and apply to the inside of your oven with a sponge. Let the oven cleaner sit for 15 minutes. Use a green scrubby. Then rinse and wipe the oven clean.

Tough Oven Stain Remover:

1 Cup Salt
1 Cup Baking Soda
1 Cup Water

Make a paste using these ingredients. Apply the mixture to the inside of the oven. Close the oven door and heat the oven to 500-degrees for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow it to cool. Use a damp rag or sponge to wipe any debris. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry.

Commercial Oven Cleaner:

It's easy to clean your oven using commercial oven cleaner spray. Make sure to wear rubber gloves and eye protection if using oven cleaner. Read all product instructions and follow the manufacturers directions.

First heat the to 200° . Turn the oven off, and take the spay and completely spray the soiled areas.

By heating the oven slightly, you give the cleaning product a power boost and it will do a better job at removing the baked on grime. Let the cleaner work over night.

Take a damp rag or sponge and simply wipe the grime out the next morning. Rinse the oven thoroughly then wipe it dry.

Baking soda, a natural oven cleaner, is one of the most common household products to help remove tough oven carbon and grease. As you may have read in the previous article, baking soda is one of the main ingredients in most of the home made oven cleaners. Baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive that also soaks up oily stains and grease.

For burnt-on carbon, sprinkling baking soda over the bottom of the oven and then spraying some water from a spray bottle may work. Let this homemade oven cleaner sit overnight and then go over it with a sponge in the morning; most of the gunk should come off with it. If there are still some carbon and burnt food remaining, apply some more baking soda as well as adding some vinegar. Let the mixture bubble for 30 minutes and then scrub.

If there is ever a time where your natural oven cleaners and elbow grease don’t do the trick, don’t be afraid to turn on the self oven cleaner if you have the function. The self oven cleaner heats your oven to about 900 Fahrenheit to burn off any spoiled foods. This oven cleaning function is good to use every so often, but try to stick to no more than once a year due to the smoky aftermath that it may produce.

PREVENTING MOLD: 9 TIPS THAT HELP PREVENT MOLD

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:52:37 GMT

Preventing mold, a microscopic fungus, is something that every homeowner should keep in mind. These fungi, once grown, reproduce at a rapid rate, producing spores and mycelia in the process. Some people may not think that preventing mold is a big deal; you see food spoilage due to mold, wood and leaves decaying due to mold. What most people may not know is that mold can be harmful and may affect the occupants of a home; therefore, preventing mold is a serious matter.

Preventing mold can save your house from looking like this.

Mold can cause damages to both materials it grows on as well as an occupant’s health. Mold on a material may cause discoloration or staining, cause paper or cardboard to disintegrate over time, and can also cause wood rot and structural damage. When it comes to health concerns, mold releases chemicals and spores which, depending on the type of mold and level of exposure, may cause allergic reactions and illness to those who are exposed. This is why people should be concerned with preventing mold. Those with health problems and weakened immune systems, such as pregnant woman, infants, and elders, are more at risk when exposed to mold. Knowing how to prevent mold before it starts can help keep your family and all that enter your home safe.

Preventing mold is a bigger deal then some may think. When you see that black fuzzy growth on a wet window sill, you may not realize that it's mold. Mold is attracted to damp and moist areas. Mold can occur from moisture coming into your home from the outside through the floor, walls, plumbing leaks, or even by daily life activities of the homeowner: bathing, washing clothes, and cooking. Preventing mold from coming into your house in the first place may be hard, but the following article on Mothernaturenetwork.com offers 9 tips on how you can be preventing mold in your home.

How to prevent mold: 9 tips

The key to preventing mold is simple: Moisture control.

By Heidi HillFri, Apr 16 2010 at 11:14 AM EST 8

Mold. The very word is enough to make a person cringe.

Yes, mold can be good — it's essential in making brie and penicillin, for example, and necessary for the decomposition of organic matter in nature — but it can also be very, very bad, especially when it grows undetected in your home.

Mold spores spread easily and cannot be completely eradicated.

Mold can grow anywhere: on carpet, clothing, food, paper, and even in places you can't see, such as the backside of drywall, areas inside walls around leaking or condensing pipes, and above ceiling tiles.

Not only is a mold problem difficult and costly to fix, but mold can also produce allergens and irritants (and, rarely, toxins) that may compromise your health.

So what can you do if you're concerned about mold growing in your home?

The best approach is preventing mold before it becomes a problem. The key to mold prevention is simple: moisture control.

Here are nine ways to curb moisture indoors, and the mold that thrives on it.

Identify problem areas in your home and correct them. You can't mold-proof your home, but you can make it mold-resistant. Do an audit of your home: where are the problem areas? Does the basement flood? Do you notice frequent condensation on an upstairs window? Is there a water stain on the ceiling from a persistent leak? Preventing mold from growing or spreading might be as simple as ripping up carpet in a damp basement, installing mold-resistant products, or repairing damaged gutters. Or it may be a matter of major excavation and waterproofing. Whatever the case, address the problem now. It might cost some money up front, but it will surely be more costly down the road if mold continues to grow unchecked.

Dry wet areas immediately. Mold can't grow without moisture, so tackle wet areas right away. Seepage into the basement after a heavy rainfall, accumulation from a leaky pipe, even a spill on the carpet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours. If you've experienced a flood, remove water-damaged carpets, bedding, and furniture if they can't be completely dried. Even everyday occurrences need attention: don't leave wet items lying around the house, and make sure to dry the floor and walls after a shower. Don't leave wet clothes in the washing machine, where mold can spread quickly. Hang them to dry — preferably outside or in areas with good air circulation.

Prevent moisture with proper ventilation. It may be that your routine domestic activities are encouraging the growth of mold in your home. Make sure an activity as simple as cooking dinner, taking a shower, or doing a load of laundry doesn't invite mold by providing proper ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other high-moisture area. Vent appliances that produce moisture — clothes dryers, stoves — to the outside (not the attic). Use AC units and dehumidifiers (especially in humid climates), but make sure they don’t produce moisture themselves by checking them periodically and cleaning them as directed by the manufacturer. Your energy-efficient home may be holding moisture inside, so open a window when cooking or washing dishes or showering, or run an exhaust fan.

Equip your home with mold-resistant products. Building a new home or renovating an old one? Use mold-resistant products like mold-resistant drywall or mold-resistant Sheetrock, and mold inhibitors for paints. Traditional drywall is composed of a gypsum plaster core pressed between plies of paper. Mold-resistant drywall is paperless — the gypsum core is covered in fiberglass, making the surface highly water-resistant. Moisture-resistant drywall is especially valuable in areas prone to wetness, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and kitchens. Not only is traditional drywall more susceptible to mold than the paperless kind, but it is also difficult to rid of mold, and removal and replacement can be expensive. Mold-resistant gypsum board is also available; the core of the drywall is developed in such a way to prevent moisture absorption, and thus prevent mold growth.

Monitor humidity indoors. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent. You can measure humidity with a moisture meter purchased from your local hardware store. You'll also be able to detect high humidity by simply paying attention to potential problem areas in your home. Telltale signs of excessive humidity include condensation on windows, pipes, and walls. If you notice condensation, dry the surface immediately and address the source of moisture (for example, turn off a humidifier if water appears on the inside of nearby windows).

Direct water away from your home . If the ground around your home isn't sufficiently sloped away from the foundation, water may collect there and seep into your crawlspace or basement.

Clean or repair roof gutters. A mold problem might be a simple matter of a roof that is leaking because of full or damaged gutters. Have your roof gutters cleaned regularly and inspected for damage. Repair them as necessary, and keep an eye out for water stains after storms that may indicate a leak.

Improve air flow in your home. According to the EPA, as temperatures drop, the air is able to hold less moisture. Without good air flow in your home, that excess moisture may appear on your walls, windows and floors. To increase circulation, open doors between rooms, move furniture away from walls, and open doors to closets that may be colder than the rooms they’re in. Let fresh air in to reduce moisture and keep mold at bay.

Keep mold off household plants . They're beautiful and help keep your indoor air clean — and mold loves them. The moist soil in indoor plants is a perfect breeding ground for mold, which may then spread to other areas of your house. Instead of getting rid of your plants, try adding a bit of Taheebo tea to the water you give to your houseplants. The oil of this tree, which withstands fungi even in rain forests, helps hinder mold growth in plant soil and can be found at natural food stores.

Finally, educate yourself on your region's climate — be it the cold and wet Northeast, the hot and wet South, the hot and dry Southwest, or the cold and dry West — and how it responds to moisture. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to mold prevention. Knowing what works for your climate and your home is an important first step.

Preventing mold is sometimes out of your control; if mold makes its way into your home, take action right away. The sooner you clean up the mold the better off you are from preventing mold growth in the future. You can determine how much mold your home has by looking at the size and amount of patches you find in a given area. For mold to be considered a small amount, there should be no more than three patches greater in size than a square meter. If you have small amounts of mold, preventing mold growth from continuing, use a detergent solution or bleach is the best way to kill it.

If there is an extensive amount of mold found -- a single patch larger in area than a sheet of plywood -- it’s time to call in professional help. That amount of mold is not healthy to be around. As you can see, preventing mold is a serious matter and preventing mold from making its way into your home is your best option for keeping your family, as well as your home, safe.

MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE CLEANING PRODUCTS

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:40:25 GMT

Homemade cleaning products can also allow you to clear out some space in your shelves that's overcrowded with commercial cleaners that you don't even know are there. With the right ingredients and combinations, homemade cleaning products work just as well as commerical products, if not better. Here are some recipes for homemade cleaning products from DIYLife.com that will have you on your way to a green, clean home.

Home Ec: 7 Homemade Cleaning Products

by Francesca Clarke , Posted May 4th 2010 12:00PM

A few years ago I became overwhelmed by all the information about toxins in household cleaners. Determined to make healthy choices for my family and the environment, I switched to natural cleaners.

Like many organic products, I found the premium price almost prohibitive. Since then, I've moved almost exclusively to homemade products. First, I used mostly vinegar and baking soda solutions. They did something, but could hardly manage an intense clean. Now, I've found a handful of tested recipes that really get the job done.
Here are some great homemade cleaning products

ROOM DEODORIZER

Commercial deodorizers can be harmful to your health . The American Lung Association cites them as a contributing factor to the spike in asthma cases. The Canadian Lung Association labels air fresheners as a hazardous product. It's no wonder that people are learning how to freshen their homes the natural way.

If you have an odor issue, first get rid of it. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet, and leave it out overnight in dishes around the problem areas. Baking soda has an amazing ability to remove up odor. Once you're odor neutral, it's time to add some pleasant scents to the home. Many people still choose to make potpourri , while gelatin room deodorizers and reed diffusers are more modern solutions. For myself, I like this simple spray solution:

Baking Soda
Water
Essential oil
Combine 4 cups of hot water with 1/4 cup baking soda and mix well. Add real lemon juice or your favorite essential oil. I like to alternate between lavender and grapefruit. When choosing oils, make sure you select pure essential oils , and not synthetic ones.

The options are endless. Natural cleaning solutions that can be made easily and inexpensively are becoming more popular. People are eagerly abandoning commercial cleaners and sharing their homemade secrets. Here are a few more tips I've gathered from friends. Share yours in the comments.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons borax
4-5 drop orange or lemon essential oil (citrus cuts grease)
2 cups hot water

Combine all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. If you need a little extra cleaning action, replace the baking soda with washing soda . Washing soda is twice as strong as baking soda. It's recommended that you wear gloves and a mask when cleaning with washing soda, but don't worry, it still passes the natural ingredient test, and will cut through your toughest dirt and grime.

SINK CLEANER

This sink cleaner is so simple you can whip up a paste for each use.

3 tsp Lemon juice
3 tbs Cream of Tartar (you'll find it in the spice isle)

Combine the lemon juice and cream or tartar to make a paste. The proportions don't need to be exact, but the paste should be smooth and thick. Simply scrub it in gently and thoroughly then rinse it off to uncover your clean sink.

OVEN CLEANER

Chemical oven cleaner is one if the harshest household solutions, one many of us would happily avoid. This organic solution is a great alternative, but it still requires that you practice some precaution; see the oven cleaner instructions for some other important tips.

1/2 cup of salt
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of vinegar

Mix the ingredients together forming a thick paste. Cover any holes or openings with tin foil. Apply the mixture to the bottom and side walls of the oven. Leave overnigh. Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle. Use this solution to wash off the paste.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER

Chemical based bathroom cleaners are the hardest to part with. Somehow we feel like cleaning the bathroom needs to induce a toxic headache or it's not really working. Trying out recipes like this one for natural toilet bowl cleaner is a great way to see just how well homemade solutions really clean.

2 tbs baking soda
1 tbs olive oil
3-4 drops essential oil (optional)

Pour the baking soda and olive oil into your toilet bowl and scrub it with a toilet brush. Add in a few drops of scented oil as a deodorizer.

WINDOW CLEANER

With six homemade window cleaners , Tip Nut has you covered. Their cleaners range from your standard vinegar solution to some more creative black tea concoctions, and I've had the most luck with this simple recipe:

1 gallon water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbs lemon juice
Approx. 1 tbs dish detergent (liquid)

Mix all ingredients together and store in a container, ready to refill your spray bottle. The lemon juice and dish detergent will cut through those greasy hand-prints. Spray the cleaner on your window and wipe it with a microfiber cloth, newspaper, or squeegee.

HAND SANITIZER

A pump in the bathroom, one in the kitchen, one in the playroom, three or four floating around the car and one in my purse; while it's true that nothing beats a good scrub with soap and hot water, for a family on the go hand sanitizers are essential. Here's how to make your own alcohol-free hand sanitizer:

1 cup pure aloe vera gel
1-2 tsp of witch hazel
8 drops of essential oils of your choice

Combine all ingredients, adjusting until you have your desired consistency and stir well. Tea tree oil is the best disinfectant, but isn't safe for pregnant women, children or pets. Other recommended oils include orange, lemon and basil. This recipe, along with some alcohol-based solutions and additional tips are all available from No Ordinary Homestead .

Polish silverware: Fill your sink with hot water, sprinkle in some baking soda and add a sheet of tin foil. Let the silver soak for an hour, rinse and wipe clean.
Clean a vase or bottom of a container by adding rice to your cleaning solution. The rice scrubs all those hard to reach places!
Get rid of the smell in your sink by crushing orange or grapefruit peel in the garborator.
Sprinkle borax anywhere you've had rodent problems. They won't come near it.
Mop your floor with vinegar and hot water. Add a touch of olive oil for polish.

Homemade cleaning products are a great alternative to commerical cleaning products, so why not give homemade cleaning products a try? Here's another great homemade cleaning product recipe for you so that you can make your own green laundry detergent:

Ingredients: Borax, 1 bar of soap, Super Washing Soda, a wooden spoon, a hand grater and a bowl.

Grate the entire bar of soap into the bowl.
Add 1 cup of Borax
Add 1 cup of Washing Soda
Stir really thuroughly so that the mixture turns into a powder
Store it so that it is ready to use

Now that you have all of these great homemade cleaning product recipes, you can do a cleaning product overhaul. It's time to get rid of all of the commercial products you haven't used in forever and replace them with the homemade cleaning product essentials. Happy green cleaning!

CREATIVE THANKSGIVING DECORATIONS FOR YOUR HOME

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:13:24 GMT

With the fall foliage as your backdrop you are sure to create beautiful Thanksgiving decorations that will be sure to get your friends and family in the turkey-eating mood. To start, the best way to come up with Thanksgiving decorations is to let yourself be inspired by the fall color pallete and stick to that. This is something that won't be difficult given all of the great fall colors you'll have the chance to incorporate as part of your Thanksgiving decorations. Since you will be using the outdoors as an inspiration for your Thanksgiving decorations, the best way to bring those colors into your home is to use things from the outdoors -- like leaves and pine cones -- and use them to brighten up your Thanksgiving decorations.

Creating your own Thanksgiving decorations is easier than you think!

We all know that the focal point of Thanksgiving is always the dining room table. Since it will be hard to move from it after eating all of that delicious food, it's important that the Thanksgiving decorations on your table -- from your place settings to your centerpiece -- look amazing.

Some important elements of Thanksgiving decorations include: great linens, creative place settings, a colorful centerpiece and even candles. Here are some great Thanksgiving decorations from MarthaStewart.com that will help you create Thanksgiving decorations your friends and family will rave about.

Thanksgiving Table Settings

Golden Harvest Thanksgiving Table

Long before the appetizer is served, your table will make a good first impression with these ideas for place cards, centerpieces, linens, and more.

Fabric glue, glitter, and masking tape are all you need to add understated glamour to your Thanksgiving table runner. Gold and copper glitter also add sparkle to the dried corn centerpiece.

How to Create the Golden Harvest Thanksgiving Table

Table Topper: In a Nutshell

Use a nutcracker to open whole walnuts just enough to slip in paper flags bearing guests' names. Coordinate the colors of the paper and ink to match your tablecloth or centerpiece.

How to Make the Nutshell Table Topper

Glimmer and Shine

Blue is not traditionally associated with the season, but highlight it with small touches of gold and the color can become a happy participant in holiday revels. These spray-painted miniature pumpkins and place cards written in gold ink do the trick nicely. A block-printed napkin and tablecloth and the marbleized plate add patterned richness, while a mix of mismatched contemporary glassware and classic flatware keep the feeling clean and modern.

Colors of the Season

For a splash of style, adorn your table with autumn's brightest accessories: vivid fall leaves. Simply clip sprays of young leaves from a tree in your yard (ours are from a maple). Arrange the clippings at each place setting, and top with transparent glass plates. Come dinnertime, you'll be basking in the oohs and aahs of your guests.

Pom-Pom Tom Decoration

The only turkey you won't want to gobble up this holiday? One of our comely yarn-and-felt creations. Perched on a mantel or arranged on a straw-covered tray on a sideboard, they are a fun, fanciful touch. You can also use them as place-card holders (glue name tags inside their beaks), and invite children to take their feathered friends home at the day's end.

How to Make the Pom-Pom Tom

There are so many great things that you can do to make these Thanksgiving decorations your own; you can even combine elements from each one of these Thanksgiving decoration ideas. If you find yourself stuck right before the holiday without any Thanksgiving decorations, there are a few things that you can do to bring the outdoors in and still create festive Thanksgiving decorations.

One thing you can do is go out and buy small pumpkins and gourds that come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so that they're easy to incorporate into any Thanksgiving decoration scape. Another thing you can do is go out into your backyard and collect pretty leaves and pine cones. You can place these down the center of your table to add a colorful touch to your Thanksgiving decorations.

Don't let the stress of entertaining on Thanksgiving get to you. Prepare ahead of time and be sure to utilize what is around you to create the perfect Thanksgiving decorations.

Creative Ways to Reuse Common Household Items

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:07:28 GMT

You would be surprised at how much you can do with what you already have in your home. So many common

Decorate and reuse clothespins to keep your chips and cereal fresh, rather than buying plastic chip clips.

household items can be reused and re-purposed, which saves you from buying more of things that just may not be necessary. There is no right way to reuse or wrong way to reuse the items you already have in your home. There are some creative ways to reuse common household items, however, some that will save you money and might even spark some creativity in other areas of your life.

When you find creative ways to recycle and reuse household items that you may otherwise throw out, you not only save yourself money but you live a more ec0-friendly life. In the following article from MoneyCrashers.com , author Casey Slide offers up some of her creative strategies for recycling and reusing common household items. These are some helpful tips on how you can live a little greener by learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle.

10 Creative, Thrifty Ways to Recycle & Reuse Household Items

My husband and I really enjoy learning new ways to reuse things around the house. We try to be creative and innovative in our ongoing efforts to reuse, and also have fun with it.

Here’s why we do it, and 10 easy ways you too can start using less, and reusing more:

Why Reuse?

Saves Money

This is obvious, but keep in mind that how much you save depends on what you are reusing, and how consistent you are with it. Some projects may only save you a few dollars a month. The key to more substantial savings is to reuse several things and stick with it. The savings will add up.

Less Trash

The amount of trash that goes into landfills is mind boggling. Even though we reuse whenever possible, my family throws out at least a bag of trash a week – multiply that by tens of millions of households. Reducing your trash will also save you money if you pay for trash pickup. Many services charge by how much they have to haul each month; the less you trash, the more you save.

Creative Outlet

The challenge of transforming everyday stuff that has run its course into useful or decorative objects really makes you flex your creative muscles! This means it’s an ideal family activity, and an antidote to work and life stress.

10 Household Items to Reuse

Shower Water
While you are waiting for the shower to warm up, gallons and gallons of water flush down the drain. Instead of wasting that water, put a bucket in the shower to catch it and then put it to use elsewhere. You can use it to water houseplants or your garden, wash dishes, or for hand washing clothes. You can do the same thing in your sink with an empty milk jug. This is a great way to save money (and resources) by conserving water!

Butter / Yogurt / Sour Cream Containers
Instead of buying storage containers for leftovers, wash out used food containers (such as those for butter, yogurt, or sour cream) and use them instead. The smaller containers are the perfect size for storing individually portioned leftovers, ready to grab for lunch the next day. This is a reuse that can save you money and calories! It’s another step to help you lose weight on a budget .

Plastic Bags
As you may or may not know, plastic bags are in most cases not recyclable. Many pet owners reuse plastic bags to pick up and dispose of pet waste. If you do not have a pet, donate those plastic bags to dog parks . They never seem to have enough!

Wine Corks
A great friend of mine made me a wine cork board to hang on my wall for me to stick notes and pictures on. She made it entirely from wine corks that she had saved. I love it!

Dryer Sheets
An easy and inexpensive way to freshen up a room or drawer is used dryer sheets. Instead of buying a plug-in or a scented candle that has to be replaced often and costs money, lay used dryer sheets in the room or drawer that needs freshening, and replace them each time you do a load of laundry. I did this in the room where I keep my dogs, and it really helped with the dog smell .

Tissue Boxes
Do you ever need a trash receptacle in your car? Or how about a place to neatly store those plastic bags that you use to clean up after your dog? An empty tissue box fits the bill.

Blankets / Towels / Clothes
My dogs are really spoiled and like to sleep on soft, cozy beds. So whenever I have some sort of soft material that is too old to use anymore, I give it to my dogs. Again, if you do not have a pet, consider giving your old blankets and towels to a pet shelter, where they are always appreciated.

Oven Heat
On a chilly night, keep your oven cracked open as it cools down after you are done making dinner to heat up the kitchen. Otherwise, that heat that has already been generated will go to waste. Every little bit will help to reduce your utility bill and make your home more energy efficient .

Coffee Grinds
Did you know that the main ingredient in commercial cellulite creams is caffeine? Instead of buying expensive lotions, reuse your coffee grinds! Rub the used grinds on the affected area, and the caffeine will help increase circulation which helps tighten and smooth the skin. The grinds also act as an exfoliant. This is obviously a different type of coffee recipe than what you may be used to, but it works!

Besides these very common household items that you can reuse, there are endless opportunities for you to reuse so many other items in your home. All you need to do is be a little creative when you're considering what to reuse. You can reuse old place mats and transform them into coasters. You can save the plastic bags that come in cereal boxes for leftovers or to wrap sandwiches. Reuse old coffee mugs to plant a mini garden in your home; just fill with potting soil and seeds, and maybe even paint the outside of the mug for an artsy approach. Burned-out candles can even be reused as pincushions.

Once you start to learn about others' ideas on how to reuse household items, you might be able to come up with your own creative ways to reuse those unwanted items in your home that don't have much more life left in them. What about those brown paper bags you always get at the grocery store? Reuse them as book covers for your kids, wrap mailed packages in them, or let your kids turn them into a colorful piece of artwork. No matter what you have lying around the home, there is probably a way to reuse it.

GETTING RID OF ALLERGENS IN YOUR HOME

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:41:33 GMT

Many allergens exist in our homes, but only certain people may notice, depending on the prevalence of allergies. If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies or asthma, one great way to relieve some of the symptoms is to rid your home of the allergens that cause these ailments.

The following article from GreenAmerica.org describes the best way to clean specific allergens in your bedroom so that you and your loved ones can live a healthier, happier lifestyle.

The Allergen-Free Bedroom

Improve air quality in your bedroom by combatting dust mites, mold, dander, and more.

We spend an average of 33 percent of our time (eight hours per day) in our bedrooms. And, experts say the bedroom is often the room with the highest allergen content in the entire house.

If you or a family member have allergies or asthma, you might experience a noticeable difference in your symptoms after removing as many allergens as you can from this one room. Here are our best tips for creating an allergen-free bedroom.

What Lurks Under Your Bed

There are five main types of allergens that lurk in the bedroom:

• Dust mites: These ugly little microscopic creatures feed on sloughed-off skin cells and congregate mainly in bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, curtains, upholstery, carpets, and storage boxes. It’s actually dust mite waste that triggers our allergies, not the mites themselves.

• Mold: Anything damp—from pet bedding to carpets to walls and window moldings—can become a haven for mold.

• Animal dander: If you allow your cat or dog to sleep in your room, allergy-inducing proteins from your furry friend’s skin, saliva, and urine—also called animal dander—may be sticking to any available surface. Animal dander also remains airborne for several hours, so it can float into your bedroom from other areas of the house.

• Pollen: Pollen is often carried indoors on clothing or on pets. It can also float inside from windows or your central air system.

• Cockroaches: The cast-off skins and droppings of these pests are what trigger allergies. Now that you know what allergens could be making you sneeze, it’s time to focus on getting rid of them as much as possible. If you’d like to pinpoint exactly which allergens trigger your symptoms, consider asking your doctor for a referral to an allergist, who can figure out what you’re allergic to through a simple skin test.

Simplify Your Bedroom

Simplifying your life isn’t just good for your pocketbook—it can be good for your health, too. The more storage boxes, books, upholstered furniture, pillows and bedding, and other items in your bedroom, the more places allergens have to hide.

Keep your bedroom as simple as possible. Clear out clutter, and see if you can sell or donate it instead of letting it sit around and collect allergens. Put items you can’t part with in other rooms.

Remove drapes, feather pillows, upholstered furniture, non-washable comforters, and other non washable soft items, if possible.

For children, minimize stuffed animals and other soft toys in the bedroom—they become havens for dust mites. Look for machine washable stuffed toys. Clean those that can’t be washed with a damp cloth, then put in the dryer on a high setting to kill dust mites.

Carpets: A Haven for Allergens

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) recommends replacing carpets with hard flooring, since carpets are notorious for trapping allergens and exacerbating symptoms.

To find environmentally (and allergy-) friendly flooring options, consult our Real MoneyJuly 2003 article, “Eco-Flooring Options,” or check the “Flooring” category of our National Green Pages ™ for sellers of cork, sustainable hardwood, and bamboo flooring.

If replacing carpeting isn’t an option, vacuum floors at least weekly with a machine that has a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. (Standard or water-filtered vacuums just stir up allergens.) Vacuum furniture and curtains as well.

Several green companies offer nontoxic allergen-reducing sprays, detergents, and cleaners for
carpeting, upholstery, and more. (See below.)

Steps to Reduce Allergens

Use the following suggestions to expunge each of the five main types of allergens from your bedroom:

To dispel dust mites:

• Encase mattresses, box springs, comforters, and pillows in airtight, zippered plastic or special allergen-proof fabric covers. These are widely available at national and specialty stores, as well as from the socially and environmentally responsible businesses listed in the resource box on this page.

• Avoid down pillows and comforters, if possible, as they attract dust mites. If you choose to use them, encase them in allergen-proof covers.

• Wash sheets and pillow cases weekly in hot water to kill dust mites—the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) says temperatures lower than 130°F will not kill mites. (You can still save energy by rinsing in cold water, and by washing your other items in cold water.)

• Vacuum weekly with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. Dust weekly with a damp or electro-static cloth to pick up dust, rather than dispel it. Wear a dust mask while cleaning to minimize symptoms.

To combat pet dander:

• If your pet allergies are significantly reducing your quality of life, or have become life-threatening, the only way to truly get rid of dander is to find your pet another loving home with someone who is not allergic to it. The AAAAI says that even keeping your pet outdoors exclusively isn’t a complete solution, since homes with an outdoor pet have been found to have a higher concentration of pet dander inside than homes without a pet.

• If you choose to keep your beloved pet, the best way to minimize allergens is to keep your pet outside in an environment that meets its health and social needs. If your pet isn’t the outdoor sort, at least keep it out of your bedroom at all times.

• Replace bedding and carpeting that has animal dander on it. “It can take weeks or months for fabrics to come clean of allergens, and animal allergens may persist for a year or more,” says the AAAAI.

• Bathe your pet weekly—studies have shown that weekly baths can minimize dander.

• Vacuuming does little to reduce pet dander, since vacuums don’t clean the very bottom levels of the carpet where dander collects. A HEPA vacuum may help somewhat. As with dust mites, the best solution is to install hard flooring, if possible.

To minimize mold:

• To keep mold out of your home, keep dampness out. Repair and seal any leaks, and keep humidity levels below 50 percent (see the next section, “For All Allergens,” for more information).

• If you discover mold, clean it promptly with a solution of water and a non-ammonia soap or detergent. Remove any carpeting or wallpaper contaminated with mold.

• If the soap or detergent doesn’t eliminate the mold, and you can’t remove the contaminated materials, some green companies, such as Sneeze.com , offer nontoxic mold removers. As a last resort, a solution of water and five percent chlorine bleach may kill stubborn mold. Keep in mind, however, that chlorine bleach may react with organic compounds in drinking water to produce carcinogens and other toxins, according to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition.

• Keep houseplants out of your bedroom.

• If you don’t have pollen allergies, open doors and windows periodically and use fans to increase air movement.

To reduce pollen:

• Bathe before going to bed to wash pollen off your skin and hair. Leave the clothes you wore all day in a hamper outside your bedroom.

• Avoid line-drying your clothes outside, as they will collect pollen. Instead, invest in a folding drying rack and dry your clothes indoors to save energy.

To control cockroaches:

• Block areas where roaches could enter the home, including cracks, windows, and outside doors and drains.

• Keep your home meticulously clean, especially the kitchen. Store food in airtight containers, clean counters and sweep the floor after meals, and put away pet food after your pet eats. Vacuum frequently, and take out trash and recycling daily.

• If you think you need to call an exterminator, first try employing the less-toxic roach control methods such as: "The Pesticator" (an ultrasonic device that is supposed repel mice and roaches, available from www.global-instruments.com ), borax for carpets and cracks (use caution around pets and children), products from the "Pest Control" section of our National Green Pages ™, and pest-control companies that use less-toxic methods (for a list of questions to ask such companies, click here ).

For All Allergens

These steps will help reduce all five allergens:

• Filter your air: Though no studies have proven that indoor air filters help clear out allergens, many people with allergies attest to their effectiveness. The NIAID recommends talking to your allergist about the best type of air filter to use. Having your air ducts cleaned has not been proven effective against allergies, says the AAAAI.

• Bring in plants: Indoor plants are great air filters, so unless you have mold allergies, putting plants in your home can reduce allergens.

• Keep humidity levels low: All five allergens thrive in humidity, so keep humidity levels below 50 percent by repairing leaks and using a dehumidifier. If you live in a very humid climate, you may need to turn on your air conditioner to reduce humidity and, therefore, your symptoms.

• Clean your house: In addition, keeping your home, especially your bedroom, as clean as possible will go a long way toward keeping allergens at bay. Use nontoxic cleaning products, which can be found at your local health food store or in the National Green Pages ™, to avoid chemical irritants.

• Avoid toxins: “Those with allergies and asthma should avoid airborne irritants, including tobacco smoke, aerosols, paint, perfumes, cleaning products, or other strong odors or fumes,” says the AAAAI.

Of course, none of the advice we’ve given is intended to replace evaluation of your symptoms by a physician. If you have concerns about your health, please consult your doctor.

--Tracy Fernandez Rysavy

Depending on the type of allergies you or someone in your home suffers from, you may need to invest some time in deep-cleaning or even replacing some of the furniture and carpets in your home. Thankfully, this article has provided a variety of “green” methods of cleaning your bedroom in order to avoid the introduction of toxic chemicals in your home.

If you would like more advice on ridding your home of allergens or would like professionals to take care of the cleaning for you, please contact The Maids.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL DO'S AND DON'TS

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:36:31 GMT

The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the home. You cook in the kitchen, gather for those cooked meals in the kitchen and maybe even do homework in the kitchen. There's a lot of foot traffic, and you want to keep your kitchen as clean as possible, for many reasons. The garbage disposal is often an area that's neglected when it comes to cleaning your home, however. The garbage disposal is probably something you are very thankful to have (if you have one). A garbage disposal can make life in the kitchen a little less hectic and a lot more simple. So, it's important that you keep the garbage disposal running how it's meant to run.

The garbage disposal is an appliance that was created to grind, crush and dispose of all types of kitchen waste. What happens, though, is that food particles can become entrapped in the teeth of the garbage disposal, causing damage, leading to mold and giving off a foul smell in the kitchen. The following article from Horizon Services, Inc goes over some common -- and most likely some unknown -- garbage disposal do's and don'ts. Use these tips and tricks to keep your garbage disposal running properly, safely and cleanly.

Garbage Disposal Do’s and Don’ts

Proper maintenance and operation will extend the life of your garbage disposal and prevent plumbing and drain mishaps.Good Practices Today Can Prevent Major Plumbing and Drain Problems Tomorrow!

If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen, you know that it’s a great appliance that makes household duties less demanding. But if not operated or maintained properly, a garbage disposal can easily break down, block and clog the drains and cause a long list of expensive plumbing and drain nightmares.

Clogged drains are a major inconvenience and garbage disposal repair can be a costly proposition. Fortunately, most garbage disposal troubles are completely unnecessary, and garbage disposal care and maintenance is extremely easy. Treat your garbage disposal well, and it will treat you well, in return. Below, we describe the mistakes you should avoid and the actions you should take in order to keep your garbage disposal working smoothly for many years and minimize the likelihood that you’ll need to call for plumbing or drain cleaning services.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL DO’S:

Do keep your garbage disposal clean. Pour a little dish soap inside and let the garbage disposal run for a minute or so with some cold water after washing dishes.
Do run your garbage disposal regularly. Frequent use prevents rust and corrosion, assures that all parts stay moving and prevents obstructions from accumulating.
Do grind food waste w/ a strong flow of cold water. Why cold water? It will cause any grease or oils that may get into the unit to solidify, so that they can be chopped up before reaching the trap.
Do grind certain hard materials such as small chicken and fish bones, egg shells, small fruit pits, etc. A scouring action is created by these particles inside the grind chamber that cleans the garbage disposal’s walls.
Do grind peelings from citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges to freshen up drain smells.
Do cut large items into smaller pieces. Put them into the garbage disposal one at a time instead of trying to shove a large amount in at once.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL DON’TS:

The most important rule of thumb: Don’t Put Anything In The Garbage Disposal That Is Not Biodegradable Food.A garbage disposal is not a trash can; it’s for food scraps only. Non food items can damage both blades and the motor. When in doubt, throw it out!

Don’t grind glass, plastic, metal or even paper.
Don’t grind anything combustible.
Don’t grind cigarette butts
Don’t pour grease, oil or fat into your garbage disposal or drain. Grease will slowly accumulate and impede your garbage disposal’s grinding ability as well as clog drains.
Don’t use hot water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to liquefy and accumulate, causing drains to clog.
Don’t grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, and artichokes. Fibers from these can tangle and jam the garbage disposal motor and block drains .
Don’t turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed. When grinding is complete, turn off the the garbage disposal first. Let water continue to run for at least 15 seconds, flushing out any remaining particles. Then turn off water.
Don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal. The starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and may cause blades to stick.
Don’t put large amounts of food down the garbage disposal. Feed food into the garbage disposal a little at a time with the cold water running; this will help the food scraps flow down freely through the drain pipes and plumbing.
Don’t put expandable foods into your garbage disposal. Foods like pasta and rice expand when you add water in a pot; they do the same thing once inside your pipes or garbage disposal and are the cause of many jams and clogs.
Don’t grind large animal bones (beef, pork etc.).
Avoid putting coffee grounds down the garbage disposal. They won’t harm the garbage disposal and they’ll actually help eliminate odors. However, they can accumulate in drains and pipes, causing clogs. Best to avoid.
Don’t use harsh chemicals like bleach or drain cleaners. They can damage blades and pipes. Borax is a natural sink cleaner and sanitizer that effectively works on odor-causing mold and mildew that accumulates in garbage disposals. (See more below).

KEEPING YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL RUNNING PROBLEM-FREE

Ice is an extremely effective and inexpensive method for cleaning your garbage disposal, sharpening the blades and breaking up any grease build-up which has accumulated. Just toss a few ice cubes into the garbage disposal and run it. As the garbage disposal chops into the ice cubes, the ice chips will effectively scour all the hard to reach areas of the unit, and melt down the drain. Try this once or twice a month to keep your garbage disposal in fine working order.

TO REMOVE OR PREVENT NASTY GARBAGE DISPOSAL SMELLS

Here are some natural methods to clean your garbage disposal that are good for the environment and very inexpensive.

Periodically, take a lemon or orange and toss it into the disposal. The oils and juice from the fruits and peels naturally clean the walls inside the garbage disposal and create a fresh, long-lasting scent.
Freeze vinegar in ice cube trays and run those down the disposal. This will keep your blades sharp while safely killing odor-causing bacteria.
For stubborn odors pour baking soda into the drain and let it set for several hours before running the water and garbage disposal.
For really stubborn odors, use a safe cleaning product like Borax. Just pour 3-4 tablespoons of Borax down the drain and let it sit for an hour. Then turn on the hot water and flush the borax away.

TIPS FOR REMOVING FALLEN OBJECTS

NEVER, EVER insert your unprotected hand into the garbage disposal…unless, of course, you want to lose it! If you must use your hand to remove objects and debris from the garbage disposal, unplug the unit or turn off the appropriate circuit breaker. Always wear safety gloves to protect your hand from the garbage disposal’s sharp blades.There are safer steps in retrieving the fallen objects. First, grab a flashlight and try to find the exact location of the object. Use a pair of extra-long needle nose pliers or an automotive finger gripper (available at most hardware stores) to extract the object from the garbage disposal. In some case, you may be able to use a bent coat-hanger to reach down into the garbage disposal and dislodge and hook the object. Even a pair of chopsticks or crochet needles can work to grab the object.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL IS NOT GRINDING:

90% of garbage disposals that appear not to be working just need to be reset. There is usually a red or black reset button on the garbage disposal motor underneath your sink. Just push to reset.
If the garbage disposal is plugged into a wall outlet, ensure the outlet has power.
Check for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker.
Give it a push-start. Most garbage disposals have a hole underneath that allows you to hand-crank it free once it’s been jammed. To crank it, use either an Alan wrench or a garbage disposal tool that you can pick up at most hardware stores. This should free up most non-serious jams.

If your garbage disposal isn't running as it should, there might be a quick fix that you didn't know about before. If you are aware of a problem with your garbage disposal, you should tend to your garbage disposal immediately. Whether it's a quick fix or you need to call a plumber to help fix the garbage disposal, correcting any problems now will help you from more problems with the garbage disposal later.

CREATIVE STORAGE IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME OFFICE

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:22:58 GMT

If you're a small business owner, then you might find yourself working from your home office or space where you can conduct your business.

Your home office can increase your productivity if it is clean and organized.

A home office can be very convenient, beneficial and rewarding, but if this space is messy and disorganized, it can quickly become a nightmare. No matter the size or shape of your home office, there is endless opportunity to create a space that is customized for your personal style and work needs.

Your home office is a place where you will be spending a lot of time, so it’s important to keep the space in your home office clean and controlled, even if that means being a little bit creative with your approach. Start with a vision and ask yourself, “What do I want to see when I walk into my home office?” You probably don’t want to see a messy home office that houses piles upon meaninglessly organized piles. Turn your home office into a neatly and attractively organized work space that you enjoy being in, without spending too much money. Here are 20 creative ways to inexpensively organize your home office from Better Homes and Gardens .

Home Office Storage on a Dime

Clever and inexpensive storage is easy if you know where to find it. See basic storage items in a different light to create a budget-friendly, organized office.

1. Drop Zone

Keep a small desktop clutter-free. Stack simple trays on top for items you want in sight and in mind, such as bills to pay and outgoing mail. Use a file box to hold items you need to access regularly such as receipts and contact information. Attach an inexpensive toothbrush-and-tumbler holder to the side of the desk to stash pens, pencils, and a pair of scissors. Hang S hooks for keys.

2. Uncommon Uses

Loose papers and small items are the biggest challenges in a home office. Corral papers and mail in an unused bath cabinet mounted to the wall. The pegs offer extra space for hanging lunchboxes or clipboards. For extra organization, store small items, such as labels, note cards, and ribbons in a three-tier basket.

3. Shower Organizer

Mount a low-cost shower caddy to the wall to stash home office supplies, bills, and mail or create gift central (shown here) by storing stationery and wrapping paper. Add ribbon to a wire canister to hang writing utensils from one of the hooks.

4. Box It Up

Finding inexpensive storage is easy if you know where to look. Check out the kitchen shelf storage section and use a baker's rack for a sturdy alternative to a built-in storage unit. Take a stroll down the clothing storage aisle to find cardboard clothing boxes that house papers, books, and notebooks.

5. Declutter a Desktop

Repurpose a toothbrush holder and soap dish to round up office essentials and keep your desktop and drawers clutter-free.

6. Clear as Glass

Store pens, markers, paper clips, and more in simple glass kitchen containers. The clear glass makes it easy to spot what you need, and twist-off lids make them a breeze to open.

7. Magnetic Attraction

Install a magnetic knife wall mount to the side of a shelving unit and hang small items on magnetic hooks.

8. Keep In Touch

Need a better way to keep track of your business cards? Rather than throwing cards into a drawer, keep them organized in a leftover mint container. They're the perfect size for keeping all your contacts in one place. Don't know what to do with your own cards? Organize them in a separate container.

9. Corral with Cans

Use empty cans for wall storage in your home office. They can organize sewing essentials (as shown) or corral writing utensils, scissors, and other small office items. To make this wall storage, clean the cans, then spray-paint them the desired colors. Attach each can to the wall with a single screw through the bottom or with a heavy-duty wall-mounting tape.

10. Take Note

Don't spend money on a corkboard -- instead turn an artist's canvas into a practical memo board. For a magnetic surface, attach a sheet-metal square. Hang this above your desk to keep important items visible.

11. Hanging Around

Take advantage of your wall space by turning it into storage space. Hang clipboards, magnetic boards, and plain containers around the room. Each item is inexpensive and available at office supply stores.

12. Can Do

Recycled soup cans make great holders for writing utensils. Install pan-head screws through the backs of the cans and mount the cans to the wall.

13. Mail Center

Use unexpected containers, such as these simple mailboxes, for desk-side storage. They're perfect for organizing mail, takeout menus, and bills. Plus, they'll keep your desktop paper-free. Dress them with pretty motifs from wallpaper remnants or decorative paper, and adhere with decoupage medium.

14. Mini Compartments

This pan will do more than help you cook when you use it to compartmentalize office supplies. Use an inexpensive cupcake pan to organize small items that have a tendency to get lost in drawers.

15. Magnetic Pull

Create a magnetic memo board out of a cookie pan. Just add magnets and important papers and your memo board is ready for business.

16. Write Stuff

Can't keep track of your writing utensils? Get them in line with a holder made from a cloth napkin. Fold over one-third of the napkin and sew the side edges. Then create the slim pockets by spacing seams 2 inches apart along the napkin's width.

17. Financial Planning

Keep your finances in order with food containers turned piggy banks. Disposable food containers are great for keeping track of loose change. Pick a denomination for each container and cut a slit in the lid. The containers can also work for keeping paper clips, rubber bands, and other small office supplies organized.

18. Perfectly Plain

If you need big, open space in your office, build a large open desk area using a large cut of plywood. Support it with either file cabinets or sawhorses.

19. Mix and Match

Use small containers to compartmentalize office supplies. Don't be afraid to shop the sale racks for storage items you'll have to mix and match.

20. Hip to Be Square

Instead of having rolls of paper rolling around on the floor, transform a sturdy wine storage unit into convenient paper cubbies and keep the paper in its place.

Before you go about organizing the things in your home office that you need, get rid of what you don’t need in your home office. Rid your home office of unnecessary papers, using a shredder to destroy important information. One option is singing up for online bill statements and bank statements. By eliminating excess papers coming into your home office, you will be able to achieve organizing your home office more easily and you will enjoy working from your home office even more.

Be quick and decisive when choosing what stays in your home office and what should go out of your home office, what will be tossed out and what can be donated to make your home office a much more brethable space. Your home office should be a space that you are comfortable and productive in, and you cannot do that if you are fighting with piles of junk that keep on appearing in your home office. Having your home office organized, will help you be more productive and efficient in whatever you are doing.

FALL CLEANING: GET YOUR HOUSE READY FOR WINTER

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:59:33 GMT

When it starts to cool off after a Summer of sun we would all love to curl up inside the house and maybe even do a little complaining about the weather, but you can make that time spent inside productive by doing some Fall cleaning. Fall Cleaning can get you saving money and time come Winter. By doing simple Fall cleaning chores like changing your furnace filter, you can save energy and money.

Get your house Winter-ready by doing some Fall cleaning inside and outside of the house!

You can also make time spent indoors this Winter more pleasurable by getting your Fall cleaning done. If you add something as simple as vacuuming all your drapery and upholstered furniture to your Fall cleaning chore list, you will be in a virtually dust free house come Winter. Especially when heating a house can be so costly, taking the time to do your Fall cleaning now can really pay off (literally)!

The following article from JournalTimes.com pulls together some great Fall cleaning tips from various sources to help you get your home ready for winter.

Fall cleaning: Tips for getting your house ready for winter

When the first warm breezes start to wind their way through the county, a lot of people throw open their windows, roll up their sleeves and dig in for a big spring cleaning.

What feels better than freshening up the house after a long winter stuck inside? Except maybe, to do a thorough house cleaning before that cold season spent indoors.

There's plenty of household tasks that it just makes sense to tackle in a fall, including some regular maintenance jobs.

If you're going to spend the majority of time over the next seven months inside, why not make it a comfortable, energy-efficient and organized one?

Local cleaning and home maintenance experts say there is plenty to do around the house in the fall.

Fall cleanup

Any deep cleaning you didn't get to this spring should probably be done this fall, said Chris Miller of Household Help Inc.

She suggests doing tasks such as:

Turning over your mattress and washing all of your bedding, including comforters and blankets.
Getting your carpets professionally cleaned. Think of all the sand and grass clippings that have been walked in on your flip-flops this summer.
Cleaning your windows, inside and out, including in between the sills. Miller said many new windows have UV filters and aren't supposed to be cleaned with glass cleaners. Instead, she suggests buying some microfiber towels. She gets them at the dollar store. "Take a microfiber cloth and get it damp with warm water," Miller said. "Wipe the window, then use a dry microfiber cloth to dry it. That's the way I clean all my windows.

Other deep-cleaning ideas for the fall from the Web site organizedhome.com include:

Cleaning your house from top to bottom, focusing on public rooms such as the living room, family room, entryway and guest bath.
Get out the vacuum. Vacuum the drapes, window treatments, baseboards and in the corners. Move furniture and vacuum beneath and behind it. Vacuum upholstered furniture, or have professionally cleaned if needed. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, and vacuum the condenser coils. For bottom-mounted coils, use a long, narrow brush to clean coils of dust and debris.

Home maintenance

Before the chilly weather of fall begins, make sure your furnace is tuned up for the winter and change the filter, said Miller. She said homeowners with a fireplace should check the flue and have the fireplace cleaned if it is wood burning.

Fall is also a good time to have your air ducts cleaned, she said.

Greg Kruchko, the owner of the local Mr. Handyman, said one of the biggest must-do tasks of the season is to clean your home's gutters. If you don't clean out your gutters, you run the risk of water building up in them during cold weather. This can cause "ice damming," Kruchko said. "That will ruin a roof."

It's also a great time to install gutter protectors that keep debris, like falling leaves, out of the gutters, he said.

Other home maintenance tasks for the fall include:

Examining your chimney for any damage, Kruchko suggests.
Covering up your air conditioning unit to protect it from ice and snow.
Putting away summer equipment, such as outdoor tables and chairs, umbrellas, grills and children's toys.
Touching up paint on and decks, trim and railings, says organizedhome.com . Use a wire brush to remove flaking paint; prime bare wood first.
Draining and storing garden hoses, the site recommends. Install insulating covers on exterior spigots and have sprinkler systems blown free of water.
Inspecting washing machine hoses for bulges, cracks or splits. Replace them every other year.
Checking the dryer exhaust tube and vent for built-up lint, debris or birds' nests. Make sure the exterior vent door closes tightly when not in use.

Beware of bugs

Cindy Wysocki, owner of Maid in Racine, said she finds more cobwebs in homes in the fall, because the spiders are coming in to get out of the cold.

Bugs and mice are looking for a warm place to stay for the winter, Kruchko said. It's probably a good time to look for rotted, cracked or damaged wood around the house, which is the perfect entrance for critters into your home.

"A lot of people neglect the wood," he said. "Look at the trim around the garage door. It's typically weathered at the bottom. Wood is like a straw. It sucks the water up."

That causes rot, splitting and damage.

Kruchko said it's important to keep wood on a home painted, sealed and caulked. He also suggests replacing wood trim with PVC material trim that requires no maintenance and can be painted.

"Keep the water out and make sure the house is sealed well," Kruchko said.

Energy-saving fall ideas

Fall is the time to get your house sealed up and ready for the cold, said Kruchko. He suggests caulking around windows and doors. This will keep the chilly air and bugs out, and keep the heat in.

Although caulking is something newer homes might not require, according to Kruchko, all homeowners should also be checking weather-stripping and door sweeps.

Other energy saving maintenance ideas for the fall include:

Installing ceiling fans, which Kruchko said might sound like a strange autumn task. However, he said with the fan blades tipped to push warm air down, homeowners can help save on heating bills and make themselves more comfortable.
Using a hot water heater blanket.
Insulating and wrapping pipes.
Checking the attic insulation and adding more if necessary.
Replacing windows, which, if you can afford it now, can really help save with energy costs, Kruchko said.
Have an energy audit done, which will tell you where heat is escaping your home and costing you money

Stick to these Fall cleaning musts and you will be happy you did come the first snow fall. Aside from Fall cleaning inside of your house, it's great to do routine home maintainence in the spirit of Fall cleaning that you'll be happy you did come December. Here are 5 Fall Cleaning Tips that are also Green:

Turn Down the Thermostat

Start Composting (this means less garbage!)

Set your water heater's default setting to 120

Elbow Grease (get your Fall cleaning started!)

Plug leaks around the house so your heat isn't going out the window

By doing these simple Fall cleaning chores now, you can save energy and money over the Winter, something that we all love to do. It can't get any better than sitting my the fire place watching the snow fall with a mug of hot coco, and all you have to think about is drinking it rather than cleaning out your chimney because you already did your Fall cleaning. Have fun with your Fall cleaning; it'll be well worth it!

SIMPLIFY THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH A FALL CLEANING CHECKLIST

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:40:38 GMT

Most people think that there isn’t a need for Fall cleaning because there is so much hype in the Spring, but that is a common misconception. In reality, it can be much more efficient and useful to do Fall cleaning instead. House cleaning can become less of a priority over the Summer since most fill their time enjoying the long awaited heat rather than cleaning; making a Fall cleaning checklist is the perfect chance to catch up.

Get your kitchen in tip-top shape for the holidays by using a Fall cleaning checklist!

Not only will creating your own Fall cleaning checklist allow you to make up for a lazy summer, but Fall cleaning will also allow you to prep for the holidays. By getting your Fall cleaning done, you can allow yourself to truly enjoy the holiday season and spend your time picking out the perfect stuffing recipe for the holidays rather than spending time on holiday cleaning. Fall cleaning will make your holiday cleaning more bearable and less stressful. Take our word for it, following a simple Fall cleaning checklist will make your holiday season run more smoothly. Of course there are things that you would still be cleaning regularly, but here is a great Fall cleaning checklist from HouseCleaningCentral.com that spells out the essentials of Fall cleaning.

Fall Cleaning Checklist

In the past, once-a-year cleaning tasks were done in the spring. Over the years, I’ve gradually moved many of them to the fall. It just makes more sense.

If you have friends or family over for Thanksgiving or winter holidays, fall is the perfect time to do these things. It will ensure that you have a cleaner house and don’t end up putting things off until the last minute. It makes the holidays a lot less stressful.

Carpets

According to carpeting industry experts, you should have your carpet professionally cleaned every 6-18 months depending on traffic. If you do it once a year, fall is the perfect time. Your carpet will be beautiful for holiday family gatherings and parties.

Most carpet cleaning companies offer a special deal where they will come back and take care of any stain within so many months of cleaning. If you clean in the fall and one of the kids spills cranberry sauce on the carpet at Thanksgiving, you’re covered. You should also let them professionally vacuum your carpet before cleaning. They can remove more dirt than your vacuum can.

Attic

When the weather cools down, it’s the best time to get up there and get rid of your dust and mildew breeding factory. All you have to do is take a vacuum up into the attic, start at the ceilings, and work your way down. If you’ve never been in your attic or just don’t want to try this project yourself (some attics require some dangerous maneuvering), you can hire someone to do it for you.

The benefit is that you will increase the air quality in the whole house. You’ll also have a clean place for storage. Be sure to use a dust mask and protective eyewear, especially if you’ve never cleaned your attic. You are going to create a lot of particle clouds floating around up there. Check for wet areas caused by roof leaks.

Chandeliers & Light Fixtures

The beginning of fall is the best time to clean chandeliers, light globes, and light diffusers. You are probably going to have people over for the holidays, and let’s face it – that’s the only time you notice how dirty your lights are.

The easiest way to clean a chandelier is to leave it where it is. Taking apart the chandelier creates a much larger job, and you might not know how to put everything back together again. Get a step stool or a ladder and clean with a damp cloth. Another method is to use two cotton gloves – one sprayed with window cleaner and one dry.

Next you should tackle the light globes on ceiling fans and other fixtures. You should do a room at a time. Detach the globes carefully and let them soak while you are cleaning that room. Rinse and wipe them clean and replace them afterward. It’s not difficult, but most people have a lot of light fixtures. You’ll notice a change in lighting immediately. Don’t forget your porch lights.

Draperies

Check the labels of your draperies. If they are machine washable, wash them on a gentle cycle with Woolite or other gentle detergent and let them hang dry. If they say dry clean only, don’t take chances.

Oven and Range

You probably do this as needed, but this is a good time to do a thorough oven cleaning, especially if you cook and bake a lot during the holidays. Use a spray cleaner and let it sit overnight. Wipe clean in the morning. This is a much safer technique than using a self-cleaning oven. Starting with a clean oven makes it a lot easier to simply wipe the oven clean the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to take off the range and oven dials and let them soak in soapy dishwater.

Refrigerator & Freezer

This is the time to do a thorough job where you take everything out and clean the shelves. It won’t take long enough to worry about food spoiling if you just get in there and do it. Use an antibacterial household cleaner and clean off all the shelves. Take out the drawers and wash them in the kitchen sink. When you’re done, take everything out of the freezer and put it in one side of the sink. Use the same cleaner to wipe down all surfaces. If you have ice cube trays, wash them in the top shelf of the dishwasher or let them soak in the sink.

Polish Silver

Most people only use their good silver around the holidays, so this is the perfect time to polish silver serving pieces and tarnished silver flatware.

Furniture and Rugs

Move heavy furniture and mop or vacuum underneath it. This only has to be done once a year, so don’t break your back doing it more often. Turn over area rugs and vacuum the backs of them. This will help get out any dirt that is hiding out at the base of the rug fibers. Never beat an area rug to clean it. It will break down the rug backing and fibers.

Gutters

Of course, fall is the time of year that your gutters get filled with leaves. Clean them with a special hose attachment that has a hooked end to get down into the gutters.

Better yet, look into attaching “hoods” or “helmets” to your gutters so you won’t have to worry as much about leaves in the future

Before you embark upon your Fall cleaning mission, you should be sure to de-clutter and get rid of things you don’t need or use, which can make your Fall cleaning an easier job. For example, when you get up to that attic to start your Fall cleaning, be sure to throw out (or donate) all the stuff you forgot you even had!

Here are some more Fall cleaning tips that you can add to your Fall cleaning checklist to really help you get holiday ready:
Be sure to turn over your mattresses and wash all sheets and comforters as part of your Fall cleaning routine
Add windows (both inside and out) to your Fall cleaning checklist
Wiping down all cabinets is a Fall cleaning must
A Fall cleaning essential is to dust off your refrigerator’s condenser coil (you wouldn’t want to run into problems on Thanksgiving!)
Be sure to include vacuuming and spot cleaning upholstered furniture and cushions to your Fall cleaning checklist

The end goal of having a Fall cleaning checklist is to ultimately make holiday cleaning less stressful for you and your family so you can truly enjoy the holiday season. By using these Fall cleaning tips you could potentially have you refrigerator cleaned out, all your rugs deep cleaned and even your silver polished all by Halloween. After you get your Fall cleaning out of the way, all you will need to think about is how you are going to fit your family around the dining room table this holiday season. Good luck with your Fall Cleaning!

CLEANING WITH VINEGAR - THE GREEN CLEANING SOLUTION

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:25:32 GMT

Vinegar; you’ve most likely used it to cook with, possibly as a salad dressing or a dietary aid, and possibly evenin your hair to balance out the pH level (yes it works)! Did you ever think of using vinegar in other ways? How about cleaning with vinegar as an organic cleaning product?

Cleaning with vinegar is an all natural way to clean your home.

Cleaning products today are loaded with toxins that are harmful to both users as well as the people who come into contact with that cleaned surface afterwards. As consumers we believe that if our children don’t come into contact with a cleaner, they will be fine; most cleaning products state “Keep out of reach of children.” We need to consider the most common methods of exposure, through the skin and respiratory tract.

‘Green cleaning’ and ‘non-toxins’ are words getting thrown on labels everywhere now to try and get the consumer to make the purchase. Why worry about what’s in your cleaning products when you can make your own vinegar cleaning solution? If you can’t think how to go about making your first vinegar cleaning product or what to clean it with once you have, this article from Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Benefits.com offers you multiple benefits of cleaning with vinegar to help you safely clean your home.

Cleaning with Vinegar Best Tips

"Finally a site with so many 'READY TO USE' vinegar cleaning solutions!"

Cleaning with vinegar is a great way to avoid exposure to many hazardous commercial household cleaners and it's cheaper, safer and easier on the environment.

The cheaper distilled white vinegar, available at your local supermarket, is the best type to use for cleaning. The acetic acid in vinegar is an effective disinfectant, deodorizer, and cleaner which will cut grease and soap scum, dissolve mineral buildup, and inhibit mold and bacteria growth.

For the household, a number of time-honored vinegar cleaning recipes are included some of which require, for best results, the addition of other readily available non-toxic ingredients such as:

Salt - to help dissolve tarnish
Baking soda - to absorb odors and act as a mild abrasive.
Hydrogen Peroxide - to help disinfect.

Caution: Do not add vinegar directly to materials containing ammonia since this could produce harmful vapors.

Coffee Maker - Cleaning with Vinegar

Over time, mineral deposits from the water you use, build up and clog your coffee maker.Cleaning coffee makers with vinegar once a month will dissolve these deposits and will also allow you to wipe clean accumulated coffee stains.

For a regular 12 cup coffee maker:

Add 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water to the water reservoir followed by 2 cups (500 ml) of white vinegar, then run the coffee maker through a brewing cycle.
Discard the vinegar solution and clean thoroughly with water.
Run the coffee maker 2 more times through the brewing cycle with just plain water to rinse out all the vinegar.

By cleaning your coffee maker regularly, you will not only get rid of clogging mineral deposits, you will also eliminate coffee oils that can accumulate inside your coffee maker and become rancid.

There is no doubt about it, a clean coffee maker will produce a better tasting coffee!

Copper Pennies – Cleaning with Vinegar

A popular science fair project for public and junior high students is to find and evaluate household products that can restore the shine to dull copper pennies.

A copper penny looses its bright original shine because with time, the copper metal on the surface of the penny reacts with the oxygen in the air to form a dull brown copper oxide tarnish.
Cleaning with vinegar is a way to restore the shine on dull pennies. The acetic acid in vinegar dissolves the copper oxide layer on the surface of the coin thus exposing the bright copper metal underneath

The reaction occurs much quicker if you add a little salt to the vinegar so try the following cleaning solution:

½ cup (125 ml) Vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 g) Salt

Another natural cleaning product that can be used is ketchup. That's not surprising once you read the label on the bottle which shows that salt and vinegar are major ingredients in ketchup.

Don't use vinegar to clean valuable or collectible copper coins since this dissolves some of the copper, which is the same thing as increasing the wear on the coin and thus reducing its value.

Electric Shaver- Cleaning with vinegar

The newer electric shavers are normally cleaned by rinsing the shaving head and hair chamber daily with hot water, once the shaver has been turned off and the power plug removed from the wall socket.

This procedure works well but it does not remove any odor which generally builds up on the shaver over time.

To eliminate this odor, simply rinse the shaving head and hair chamber with a dilute vinegar solution before rinsing with water.

A 0.5% vinegar solution works well and it can be prepared by mixing 1 part normal household vinegar with 10 parts tap water.

So, for an odor free shaver, rinsing once or twice a month with this dilute vinegar solution will do the job.

Clothes washing and drying - Cleaning with Vinegar

When cleaning clothes, instead of adding a fabric softener sheet to the dryer, use a vinegar/water liquid fabric softener in the washing machine.

To the liquid fabric softening dispenser in your washing machine, add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of white vinegar and then top up the reservoir with tap water.

Besides saving you money and reducing the amount of chemicals you add to the environment you will reduce the amount of lint that your dryer's lint filter catches, and your towels will be more absorbent because they won’t be coated with chemicals from the fabric softening sheet.

You will also be making the drying operation safer since vinegar, unlike fabric softener sheets, will not leave a waxy film on the lint filter which could, over time, restrict airflow from the dryer and cause overheating.

To check out your dryer's filter, remove the accumulated lint as you would normally do after each dryer cycle, and then place a little water on the filter. If the water doesn't go through it easily then it needs to be cleaned with a small brush dipped in vinegar.

Clothes Iron- Cleaning with vinegar

If you live in an area where the water supply contains a lot of minerals, then over time, these minerals can clog your iron's fine steam pores reducing the steam output to just a trickle.

Fill up the iron's water reservoir with pure white vinegar and then place it face down on a metal cookie rack.
Let the iron run on the steam setting until the reservoir is empty. The steam pores should now be perfectly clean.
Refill the reservoir with water and you're good to go.

Drains – Cleaning with Vinegar

Try this home drain cleaner to clean, deodorize and unclog partially blocked drains in the kitchen or bathroom:

½ cup (125 ml) Baking Soda
½ cup (125 ml) Table Salt
½ cup (125 ml) White Vinegar

Mix the baking soda and salt in a small bowl and pour the powder into the drain.
Next pour in the vinegar. A frothy foam will be produced as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to give off harmless carbon dioxide gas.
After 2 or 3 hours flush the drain with water.

Hardwood Floors – Cleaning with Vinegar

Cleaning regular hardwood floors with vinegar or polyurethane-coated hardwood floors can be easily accomplished with the following solution:

1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar
1 gallon (3.8 L) warm water

Fill a bucket with the warm water then mix in the vinegar.
Damp-mop the floor using as little of the solution as possible then dry with paper or cloth towels. Avoid leaving excess water on the floor that could work its way into small openings and cause the wood to swell and crack

An alternative procedure would be to fill up a plastic spray bottle with the vinegar cleaning solution and spray it on the floor. Then dry with a terry cloth mop or with paper towels.

Other types of floors such as vinyl or ceramic can also be cleaned with this same simple vinegar solution.

Kitchen Cutting Boards and Countertops – Cleaning with Vinegar

The best way to sanitize kitchen food preparation surfaces such as countertops and wood cutting boards is to use the following vinegar and hydrogen peroxide germ-killing combo:

Using a spray bottle, apply undiluted apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the kitchen surface to be cleaned.
Then immediately spray the same area with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available in all drugstores) from another spray bottle.
Wipe the area clean or rinse with water.

According to Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, it does not matter whether you spray the vinegar before or after the hydrogen peroxide, the effect is the same, it kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. Coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food preparation surfaces.

She also found that using both sprays was 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than chlorine bleach and all other commercially available kitchen cleaners.

The vinegar / hydrogen peroxide sprays also work well to clean meats, fruits and vegetables of disease-causing germs.

Reference:
Science News Online – Food for Thought – 9/28/9

Odor Removal - Cleaning with Vinegar

Besides controlling body odor (such as underarm or foot odor) and eliminating pet odor (including skunk odor ), cleaning with vinegar can
also get rid of odors found in many households resulting from cooking or other everyday chores.

Vinegar works by killing the bacteria that cause odors and by neutralizing many of the basic volatile compounds that are responsible for harsh or unpleasant smells.
Try out some of these examples and see for yourself how efficient and inexpensive cleaning with vinegar can be:

Onion or fish odor can be removed from your hands by wiping them with vinegar.
Cabbage odor can be reduced when cooking by adding a tablespoon of ACV to the cooking water.
To eliminate cooking odors in the kitchen, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of water & boil this solution.
To freshen up garbage disposal units, run a tray of vinegar ice cubes through it once a week.
To remove the odor of smoke, paint, vomit, etc, place a bowl of vinegar in the room.
Vinegar can be used to freshen up and remove all types of odors (including smoke odor) found in older cars. Add about an inch of vinegar to a plastic container and place it in the car overnight with all windows closed. Remove the vinegar before operating the car to avoid spilling and repeat the procedure for about one week for best results.

Vinegar as a wallpaper remover

For a professional-looking job, old wallpaper and its adhesive backing must be completely removed before re-papering or painting.

Make up a solution of equal parts hot water and white vinegar, and apply it to a section of the wall with a sponge or a roller or even a spray bottle.
Be sure to completely soak the wall paper and allow it to sit for 20 minutes

After that, apply more of the vinegar solution and use a wide scraper (putty knife) to peel off the old wallpaper.

Once all the paper has been removed, use more of the vinegar solution to remove any adhesive still remaining on the wall.

Windows - Cleaning with Vinegar

Many different vinegar cleaning solutions have been used for dirty windows. Here are two of the easier ones:

Use a 50/50 white vinegar water solution for normal dirt.
Use full strength warm vinegar for very dirty windows or windows that have dried paint or hard-water mineral spots.

Spray on the vinegar solution then wipe dry with a paper towel.
Alternatively, some people use crumpled up newspapers dipped in or sprayed with vinegar solution to wipe the glass, followed by a dry paper towel or crumpled up newspaper.
Why newspapers? Because they don't leave any lint behind, they are readily available, cheap and recyclable.

Another widely used vinegar formulation that is my favorite for cleaning windows, involves mixing white vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol(70%) as follows:

2 cups Water (500 ml)
1/2 cup Vinegar (125 ml)
1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol (60 ml)

Those who use it claim that it works just like expensive commercial products and I certainly agree.

Patio, Sidewalk and Driveway Cracks - Cleaning with Vinegar

Cleaning with vinegar will remove the dirt and dark organic material that often accumulates with time on patio stones and will restore their original colors and luster.

As well, it will control the grass and pesky weeds that tend to grow in the smallest of cracks or crevices in your outdoor patio, sidewalk or driveway.

Simply spray or pour distilled white vinegar onto the stones to clean, and into the cracks to kill unwanted weeds or grass and discourage further growth in the future.

The photo below, of a section of my backyard patio, shows how well a vinegar application cleaned the patio stones on the right compared to the stones on the left which were not treated.

This will also discourage ants and other insects from building their nests there.

In these situations, the use of vinegar as a weed killer is both environmentally friendly and inexpensive.

From grease, germs and bacteria to that fingerprint on the window, vinegar cleaning solutions can work wonders. A study on vinegar announced that the acid substance in vinegar kills 99 percent of surface bacteria, 80 percent of germs, and 82 percent of molds on a counter. That is with just a 5 percent solution, like you could get at the super market (minus all of the harmful chemicals of course). Not only does cleaning with vinegar work all this magic, but vinegar cleaning solutions are a cheap alternative to harsh cleaning products as well. The average price for a bottle of vinegar is around five dollars a bottle. With all of the ways you can clean with vinegar and on a low budget, you can’t go wrong!

Getting Rid of Mold and Mildew in the Bathroom

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:49:31 GMT

Mold and mildew are common problems in many households, and it is especially common in the bathroom. Bathrooms with showers are particularly susceptible to mold and mildew growth because the steam creates excess moisture, and moisture is what causes mold and mildew to develop.

Fortunately, there are a number of steps that one can take to rid their bathroom of mold and mildew. Fighting mold and mildew with acids is one great way to combat the problem. There are also various methods for preventing mold and mildew from growing as well, and all of these steps are simple to take. The following article from Mrs. Clean explains the best methods.

How to Get Rid of Mold and Mildew in the Bathroom

If you're having trouble getting rid of mold and mildew, you're not alone. Mold and mildew thrives in dark, damp places with high humidity and low ventilation, so it's the bane of every bathroom cleaner.

Mold and mildew will grow in the shower, on the tub, tiles, walls and floor. It grows quickly in areas with standing water, but given enough time and the right conditions, mold and mildew will even grow on shower curtains and painted walls too.

Soap scum, skin and body oils (yuck!), and any other decaying material- even rotting wood or certain chemicals will fuel its growth in the right environment.

Here's exactly how to clean it all up and keep it from coming back!

Regular Cleaning:

Vinegar and Water:

Mold and mildew will not grow in an acidic environment. Plain white vinegar is a mild acid, it kills mold and mildew and makes the environment less hospitable for further growth.

Because vinegar is a natural deodorizer, once it dries the bathroom will not just look better, it will smell better too.

Start by using a mixture of 50/50 white vinegar and water. Pour ½ cup of each into a spray bottle and shake. Spray on all of the surfaces in the shower, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and then wipe it all down with a damp sponge.

Vinegar and Baking Soda:

Baking soda added to the cleaning solution has the added benefit of being a mild abrasive, and provides additional deodorizing power.

Mix ½ cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda in a bowl and stir gently. Take a sponge and spread the paste on the shower walls, and allow it to stand for 10 minutes or so. Use a sponge or plastic bristle brush to scrub it down and rinse completely with warm water.

Heavy Duty Cleaning:

Vinegar Only:

If you are cleaning a heavy build up, use 100 percent undiluted plain white vinegar. Pour it in a spray bottle, spray the shower and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a pot scrubber with plastic bristles, grout brush or an old toothbrush to clean it up before rinsing and wiping it down.

Chlorine Bleach: Dilute ¼ to ½ cup of household bleach per each gallon of water used. Spray on the tiles and scrub with a plastic bristle brush. When you are finished scrubbing, rinse completely to remove all traces because any remaining bleach will make surfaces very slippery.

Note: Use caution when using bleach. Bleach is highly alkaline and will burn you just as easily as an acid will. Wear a pair of rubber gloves and protective goggles to keep any splashes out of your eyes.

If you're working in a very small bathroom without much air circulation, turn on the fan, open a window and you might want to wear a mask.

Never mix bleach with any other cleaner especially ammonia, as this will create potentially deadly fumes.

Preventing Mold and Mildew: There are things you can do to prevent mold and mildew regrowth. The way to do this is to change the environmental conditions in the bathroom: reduce dampness, increase air circulation and light.

1. Reduce Humidity: Use the fan when bathing or showering, and leave it after you are finished until all traces of dampness are removed from the air.

2. Increase Light: Keep the light on, open the window curtains to let the daylight in.

3. Increase Air Flow: Open the window if you can to let some fresh air in. This will increase air circulation which reduces odors as well.

4. Keep it Dry: If you make it a habit to dry the tub or shower after using it the mold and mildew will not have a chance to grow. A small squeegee is really helpful in removing all traces of water after showing.

5. Keep it Clean: An after shower wipe down also removes remaining debris on the shower or tub walls and floor so there will not be a food source for it to grow on.

If mold and mildew are prevalent problems in your bathroom, be sure to take the correct steps towards preventing more mold and mildew appearing in the future. One great way to prevent shower moisture from growing mold in your bathroom is by opening a window during and after showers.

Need more assistance with your mold and mildew problem? Contact The Maids. We’d love to help you with any of your home cleaning needs!

FALL DECORATING: FALL DECORATING IDEAS

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:32:04 GMT

Fall is known for two things: the beautiful fall scenery and beautiful fall decorating! Colorful fall decorating can add to any house during this time of season. While fall decorating, keep in mind these five tips in order to keep your fall decorating ideas more sophisticated opposed to just placing common fall items all over the house:

Fall decorating can add color to any house.

Curb appeal- how your fall decorations look far away as well as close up.
Accessories that reflect your house style- fall decorations that don’t go with your house style are better left out.
Symmetry- fall decorating sometimes looks better in odd numbers and shapes.
Color- Mother Nature provides the best fall decorating items!
Texture- Some textured fall decorations may make better combinations than others.

Fall decorating ideas cannot only be found in stores, but using the real thing adds a special touch to your fall decorations, and is inexpensive! The following article from Thebudgetdecorator.com offers 13 home made fall decorating ideas that will make any home beautiful and fall ready!

Inexpensive Fall Decorating

Autumn provides a bounty of decorating ideas. No need to decorate
for fall with cheap, plastic, fake items when the real thing i
sinexpensive, more tasteful, and easily creates a beautiful fal
lambiance in your home. Here are 13 ideas that you can easily do

Use a taller pumpkin as a vase for fresh flowers. Clean out
the guts and seeds and use the pumpkin to arrange your flowers.
Taller ones work well, but so will squatty pumpkins if you cut
your flower stems short. Call your florist for great fall flower and hampers
gift suggestions. You can find a lot of great theme ideas and products to
decorate with at your local flower shop.

Make topiary out of a foam form (conical shapes always work
well) and hot glue a variety of large seeds – acorns, walnuts,
pinecones – to the form. Completely cover the foam. Easy and
makes a wonderful piece for any table or countertop.

Pick brightly colored fallen leaves. Rub a good moisturizer
onto the front and back of the leaves and let dry. This helps the
leaves keep their color and avoid curling. Once dry, scatter the
leaves on a table, around a centerpiece, or on a fireplace
mantle.

Fill a tall vase or extra-large brandy snifter with a variety
of colorful miniature pumpkins and gourds.

Make a centerpiece using pie pumpkins, gourds, and leaves.
Vary the sizes and colors of these squashes and fill in the gaps
with leaves, mini pumpkins, and gourds.

Arrange large pumpkins in a group (odd numbers work best) or
on stairs. Carve or paint designs or messages on the pumpkins.
For example, I saw white pumpkins used on stair treads, each wit
ha letter spelling "Welcome"

Carve a small hole, one inch deep in miniature pumpkins for
use as taper candle holders.

If you have a tiered cake or serving plate, arrange pumpkins,
gourds, or squash on each tier. Use a pie pumpkin or turban
squash (looks like two placed one on top of the other) on the top
level. Use smaller ones, even miniatures, as well as leaves and
nuts on the other tiers.

Cut a branch for a tree. Place lengthwise on a table. Nest
miniature gourds, pumpkins, leaves, nuts, and votive candles
among the smaller branches. (Whenever you bring branches in from
outdoors, spray insect repellent on the branch outside before you
cut it. Let it stay outside for a day or two. Then bring into the
garage or on a porch for another day or two until the smell is
gone.

Soften a three-wick candle by blowing a hairdryer on it until
the wax is soft. Then press small colored leaves into the
softened wax to add a fall touch.

Take tall corn stalks and attach to porch columns or mailbox
or even trees with a large fall colored ribbon. Further accent
with pumpkins or mums around the base.

Cut long branches with colored leaves still attached (see
instructions above to prevent bringing bugs into your home).
Place in a tall vase or an umbrella stand. Be sure the branches
are proportionate to the vase or stand.

Use potted mums to replace your summer flowers in flower
beds, on porches, near fireplace hearths, in corner of rooms
–this classic never goes out of style. To give added height withi
na group, place one potted mum on a miniature straw bale

Using the natural beauty of fall nature, you can easily and
inexpensively decorate your home for the changing season

Though pumpkins and gourds are the most common for fall decorating due to their versatility, nuts and acorns are another good option. A way to beautiful fall decorating out of these, is to add a touch of spray paint. Silver, black, and metallic work best; they compliment the browns and oranges that Mother Nature provides and make your fall decorating that much better. After spray painting these items, displaying them in a vase or bowl make for beautiful sophisticated fall decorations.

If you're looking for more fall decorating ideas, taking a walk around your yard may inspire you. These colorful fall decorating ideas only come around once a year, so work with them while you still can!

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR SMALL ROOM

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:53:41 GMT

Many of us have that small room in our house that is seemingly useless. Maybe it was once your oldest child’s bedroom and now they are all grown up and gone, and that small room is still there. Perhaps you haven’t organized the small room since they left because you either don’t know what to do with the small room, or you simply discovered that you can use that small room for storage.

Organizing a small room can make a huge difference in your home.

Wouldn’t it be nice to organize that small room and have it be used for something other than holding your extra things? Maybe the small room could be used for another TV room or a small room for the kids to hang out and play. If you want to learn how to organize your small room, make sure you read the following article from www.lovetoknow.com .

Organize A Small Room

By Marye Audet

Do you have a small room? Organize it with the following hints, tips and helps. An organized room stays cleaner, looks larger, and is much easier to maintain than a room that is in total disarray.

Cope with Clutter

One of the first things that must be done when it is time to organize any room, small or large, is to cope with the clutter. Papers, magazines, and other items are distracting and make it difficult to clean. You will need to decide what to do with each item that is not put away properly in your small room. There are three options:

Put it away

Throw it away

Give it away

Use these three labels on three boxes or large clothes baskets. As you clean and organize your room you will put the clutter in one of the three containers. The stuff in the throw away box will go straight to the trash, the giveaway box will go straight to the thrift shop, and the put away box will need to be put away properly. Once you have a clean slate to work with it will be easier to organize your cozy space.

Make a Plan

If you are starting from scratch with new furniture then make a scale diagram of your room on graph paper. Be sure to put in doors, windows, and other architectural features. Be sure that any furniture that you bring in to your space is a good fit. By having the scale drawing you can easily tell if you can fit both the three foot ottoman and the five foot bookcase on the wall by the window. When you go to buy items for your room take your drawing and your measuring tape.

Have an idea of what the room will be used for. Different types of rooms need different types of organization. If it is going to be used as both a guest bedroom and a home office then it will need a different type of organization than if it was going to be used as a den. Make notes of what containers and other organizational items you will need. Some that may be useful are:

Baskets are a great way to organize small items
In bathrooms they can hold makeup, towels, and other items
In other rooms they can hold magazines, papers, books, craft supplies and other things.
They can be used on shelves or in cabinets
Placed in a mudroom, or by the door baskets can hold library books, homework, and other items necessary for school
In a child's room baskets can hold socks, mittens, or small toys
Files
Magazine articles
Important papers
The kid's drawings

Book Cases

Books
Baskets
Magazine holders

How to Organize Specific Small Rooms

Now that you have an idea of what to do, it is time to work on each room individually. After all, a small bathroom will be organized much differently than a small kitchen.

The Kitchen

Keep spices in a clear bin with a lid. Depending on how many spices you have you may need more than one bin. The plastic boxes that are sold to hold shoes work well for this. The bins stack easily and are easy to take to the work area when you are creating a recipe.
Transfer dried grocery items like beans and pasta to clear, glass jars if possible. You will quickly be able to see what you have and they look nice.
Keep your counter tops clear as much as you can. This is especially important in a small kitchen.
If possible hang your pots and pans from a hanging rack. This will keep them within easy reach and yet leave your cupboard space open for other things.

Organize your kitchen by area:

Wet- sink area. Keep dishwashing soap, dish cloths, scrubbers, vegetable scrubbers and colanders in this area of the kitchen.
Hot - stove and oven. Keep hot pads, pans, wooden spoons, and other items that you need to cook with in this area.
Work- counter top. This is the area where you will prepare the foods for cooking as well as preparing them for storage. Knives, bowls, mixers, and other items used in food preparation should be stored here if possible.

Bathroom

Keep makeup and other small cosmetic items in plastic bins.
Have dirty clothes hamper and use it.
Use baskets to hold towels if necessary.
Use hooks on the wall to hang items.
Get a soap dispenser.
Closet Sort your clothes and put off season items in storage

Categorize your clothing by style:

Casual
Work
Formal

Hang belts on racks
Place shoes on a shoe rack, an over the door one may work best.
Use clear bins to hold scarves, shoes, mittens, gloves, and other small items.

If you have a small room, organize it to make it both beautiful and efficient. Organization takes some planning but nearly anyone can create a relaxing space when they get rid of the clutter. Whether you are downsizing to a smaller house or apartment, or you are just coping with a small sized room, an organized space is relaxing and comforting.

Remember it is your house and you can use your small room for whatever you want. No matter how you use your small room, you will want to make sure it can be used to its full potential. You will be very happy once you have organized your small room and you will discover that that small room that was once cluttered and messy, can serve a purpose in your house other than being a "storage closet."

WINTER CLEANING: YOUR WINTER CLEANING CHECKLIST

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:36:25 GMT

Winter is coming quick and that means winter cleaning is almost here as well! This is the time of year when many people spend the most time in their homes; it’s colder, and you're enjoying indoor gatherings with family and friends. While winter cleaning becomes a thought mostly due to colder weather or holiday specifics, there are a few extras to take into consideration while you're stuck at home on a “snow day”.

During winter cleaning, change your floor mat to a sturdy one. Winter cleaning doesn’t only consist of clearing snow once it comes; there are plenty of things around the house you need to consider when it comes time for winter cleaning.

While winter cleaning, consider the different linens and rug options for winter. Changing the area rugs around you house to sturdier, water resistant options may help keep mud- and water-covered shoes from tracking debris onto your furniture and carpeting and make your winter cleaning last much longer than expected. A good winter cleaning also calls for changing of your bed linens. Using a thicker blanket will prevent temptations of cranking up your heat, and adding to your monthly heating bill.

The following article from Ehow.com offers a winter cleaning checklist to follow in order to prepare your home for the winter weather.

Winter Cleaning Checklist

Prepare your home for winter.

Some household jobs only require attention once or twice a year. Winter cleaning, though not as common as spring cleaning, is necessary to keep a home running smoothly through the long, indoor months. Spread these jobs out over a couple of weekends to complete them all before the season is through.

Furnace

A furnace works hard through the winter months, so don't make it work harder than it needs to. A clean furnace runs more efficiently, saving money on heating bills, and it lasts longer as well. Replace the furnace filter monthly throughout the cold season, and vacuum the heat registers and vents every time the floor is vacuumed.

Chimney

If the chimney is used at all during the winter, hire a chimney sweet to clean and inspect it at the beginning of the season. A chimney sweep checks for creosote, a buildup of dirt and chemicals, which are a dangerous fire hazard.

Pantry

Winter is an excellent time to go through the pantry and discard any food that is well over its expiration date or that family members probably won't eat. Old food is an invitation for critters looking for a warmer place to live during cold months. Pull all food out of the pantry, toss out old food, wipe the pantry surfaces with a clean, wet cloth and replace the food after the shelves are dry.

Mattresses

At the beginning of the winter, remove all sheets, mattress pads, and dust ruffles from beds, and wash them in hot water to inhibit dust mites. Vacuum all mattresses on both sides, and remove the top mattresses to vacuum the box springs as well. Cleaning mattresses especially helps those with allergies.

Computers

During the winter months, the computer is used more often. Clean your computer very well at least once a year by vacuuming all vents, wiping all exterior surfaces with rubbing alcohol, and spraying a can of compressed air into keyboard slots and vents in the monitor and central processing unit.

On top of winter cleaning, a good way to bring in the new season would be to move winter- and holiday-themed books and magazines where they're more visible; this is an easy way to add to the winter decorations around your home and make your winter cleaning that much more successful.

Another way to bring in the feeling of winter is to change any air fresheners and potpourri to classic winter scents. Though these winter cleaning tips may not involve much winter cleaning, bringing these extras out will help make your home feel clean; it’s one of the easiest ways to help set up a cozy winter mood to your home!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: STICKING TO YOUR HOME CLEANING IN 2012

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:40:47 GMT

A new year is almost here, that means a New Year's resolution. It's time to (try to) stick to a New Year's resolution, once and for all. Setting a New Year's resolution is one thing, but following through on your promise to yourself is the real challenge. If you've promised yourself that you're going to create a healthy home cleaning schedule for 2012 as your New Year's Resolution, The Maids are happy to help you stick to your home cleaning plan.

Healthy home cleaning is a New Year's resolution you can follow through on! Sometimes New Year's Resolutions like this one could be harder than you expected. That is why we decided to share month-by-month tips on accomplishing this New Year's resolution.

One way on accomplishing such a resolution is through a continuos storage project. A storage project can be a great way to keep your goal in sight.

The following article from BHG.com will make your New Year's resolution for a clean home possible, and a whole lot easier than you ever thought home cleaning could be. It gives great tips on monthly storage projects.Follow this home cleaning checklist each month for a simple and efficient way to stick to your New Year's resolution for a healthy and clean home in 2012!

Month-By-Month Storage Plan

Let us help you get organized! We've created a 12-month plan focusing on improving the storage in just one room eah month

12 Months of Storage Projects

A complete overhaul of your home's storage system may sound overwhelming, but focusing on improving the storage in just one room each month can get you the storage you want in a quick but manageable time frame.

We've provided you with quick and easy mini projects to do throughout the month, each month. Combine the projects into one weekend or do one project each week of the month.

January Storage Projects: Home Office

Create a Mail Station. Set up mailboxes on a desk, wall, or bulletin board. Or give each member of your family his or her own labeled box, bin, or slot.

Stay on Schedule. Hang a large monthly calendar in a spot everyone can see and use it. Choose a paper calendar or dry-erase version, and encourage everyone to write important events, deadlines, and reminders.

Organize Office Supplies. Outfit a desk drawer near your main working area with a divided tray or multiple small bins. Limit the number of office supplies in each compartment. Label each compartment with an adhesive label.

Get Rid of Junk. Test all writing utensils. Toss everything that doesn't work perfectly. Group similar items (pens, pencils, markers, etc) in canisters for easy access.
February Storage Projects: Kitchen

Sort and Label. Evaluate all pantry items. Toss everything that's expired and give away everything you didn't use in the last year. (Write today's date on every item so you'll know next year if you actually used each item.) Put items back in pantry and label shelves.

Outfit a Drawer. Double the storage capacity inside a cabinet by adding freestanding wire shelves. Measure your cabinet interiors before heading to the home center or choose expandable shelves. Include riser-style inserts for small items such as spices or glassware.

Utilize Cabinet Doors. Evaluate the interior of every cabinet door and determine whether you can use the space to store spices, loose recipes, paper towels, or utensils. Add shallow shelves, racks, wall-mount pouches, and magnetic or cork boards.

Add Hooks. Install a utensil bar or metal grid above or beside your stove. Dangle five to eight frequently used utensils from S-hooks. Include a small wire basket to hold salt, pepper, cooking spray, and oil.

March Storage Projects: Living Room

Personal Storage Bin. Give every family member a spot to stash personal items. Fill a bookcase with similar baskets or bins and label containers with each person's name. Establish a house rule to put away books, magazines, toys, and projects every night.

Multifunctional Storage. Overhaul your occasional tables. Replace tables and traditional ottomans with small chests and storage cubes. Add baskets to open spaces. Skirt tables and stash items underneath.

Don't Overdo with Collectibles. Edit a collection to 12 or a fewer outstanding items. Display on a single shelf for maximum impact. Store other items in the collection in one location. Introduce three or four new items--and remove and store the same number--every season.

Create a Space for Entertainment Supplies. Designate one easily accessible drawer for entertaining supplies. Fill the drawer with coasters, napkins, and snack bowls or plates. Include a basket of favorite snacks, a roll of paper towels, and a mini trash receptacle.

April Storage Projects: Laundry

Sorting Baskets. Place a three-compartment bin or basket (look at home or office supply stores for options) in a closet or on an open shelf in your laundry room. Use it to separate out clothing to be repaired, dry-cleaned, and donated.

Keep Detergent Handy. Fill plastic beverage dispensers with laundry detergent, softener, and other liquid laundry additives. Hang a set of plastic measuring cups nearby from a cup hook.

Drying Rack. Mount a drying rack or double towel bar near your washer as a spot for air-drying clean sweaters or rugs.

Make a Catch-all for Ironing Supplies. Convert a silverware caddy into a stain-treating or ironing kit. Fill with small size cleaners, spray starches, and linen waters. Be sure to include essential tools such as brushes, dry-cleaning pads, and collar points.

May Storage Projects: Garage

Create Task Kits. Create kits for various outdoors projects by filling 5- and 10-gallon plastic buckets with all the tools, products, and accessories you need to complete specific tasks such as car-washing, weeding, bicycle repair, and more.

Stash Sporting Gear. Fill tall kitchen trash cans with large and odd-shaped sporting gear. Drill holes in the bottom of bins if drainage is important. Stabilize containers by securing to a wall with short bungee cords.

Organize the Trunk. Clean out your vehicle's trunk. Toss every item that is expired or damaged. Place all trunk gear in a canvas bin or box. Make sure the container doesn't slip by adding rubber or hook-and-loop tape to the bottom.

Tidy Up the Tools. Hang hand tools on a wall near your workbench from hooks on pegboard, magnetic board, or a wall-mount strip system. Label each tool's spot. Put extra tools in a tool box or clear plastic boxes and store on floor underneath workbench.

June Storage Projects: Kids' Rooms

Hooks for All Heights . Mount two strips of hooks or pegs to the back of a child's door -- one about 3 feet from the floor, the other between 5 and 6 feet. Two levels of hooks allow kids to grow and provide more spots for shorter items such as jackets, towels, and bags.

See-Through Toy Storage. Skip the toy box and stash playthings in large clear containers. Line up against the wall, under windows. Top with a cushion for bench seating.

Keep Books Handy. Fill open boxes with children's books based on size and shape. (Kids' books always slide around on bookshelves anyway.) Keep a box near a child's bed for favorite bedtime reading.

Kid-Friendly Closet. Replace the low hanging-bar section of a child's closet with stackable, ready-to-assemble drawers or cubbies -- or slide in a small chest or bookcase. Fill with folded clothes and other gear.

July Storage Projects: Hobby Area

Clean Out Clutter. Test all the craft supplies you own, including paints, markers, and glues. Do the same with tools such as scissors, staplers, and punches. Toss everything that doesn't work. Put similar items in clear plastic containers with handles.

Storage for Small Gear. Hang a clear vinyl shoe bag inside a closet or behind a door. Slip small parts, supplies, and tools into the pouches.

Hang Fabric. Drape fabric scraps and swatches over rubber-coated hangers intended for multiple pairs of pants. Hang from hooks on the back of a door.

Organize Ideas. Purchase eight to 10 sturdy letter boxes and fill with inspirational materials from books, magazines, photographs, and online searching. Organize and label boxes by topic, source, or project. Stack near a chair or desk and use an extra counter, end table, or resting spot.

August Storage Projects: Bathroom

Store Only What You Need. Evaluate all bath linens and keep only a two week's supply for every family member. If you have guest linens, keep them separate from everyday linens. Give away unused linens--or mark as rags with a permanent marker and store appropriately.

Non-skid Baskets. Add rubber feet to the bottom of a plastic basket and fill with bath supplies. Rest basket on tub ledge or in corner to ensure bottles stay in place.

Make Good Use of Cabinet Space. Arrange medicines, beauty, and hair products on lazy Susans to avoid forgetting about items pushed toward the back of the cabinet. Look for two and three-tiered versions to pack in more function.

Hide-away Makeup Caddy. Fill a metal or plastic desktop organizer with makeup, brushes, pencils, and other beauty essentials. Store the entire organizer under the sink when not in use.

September Storage Projects: Master Closet

Spot Unused Items. Arrange all clothes hangers with hooks facing out. Whenever you put away newly laundered items, arrange so the hangers point in. At the end of the season, give away everything on facing-out hangers because you didn't wear it.

Stacking Storage. Turn milk crates on their sides, stack, and fill with folded items divided by style or garment type. Rearrange crate placement based on season.

Workout Gear. Dangle two canvas bags from hooks on the back of your closet door. Fill one with clean, rolled up work-out clothes and other with paired athletic socks.

Organize Accessories. Stash scarves, hats, and other lesser-worn accessories in a stack of clear shoebox-size containers. Look for containers that click together and feature handles for easy transport.

October Storage Projects: Media Room

Control the Cords. Label both ends of every cord behind your entertainment center with a tag or sticker. Bundle up excess cord length with a rubber band or hook-and-loop ties.

Easy-access Discs. Set an attractive bowl (cereal-size works fine) on top of a DVD player and stereo. Place your CD and DVD favorites in the bowl.

Hide the Gaming System. Drill holes in the bottom of a storage ottoman and house a gaming system and all accessories inside. Run cords through the bottom of the ottoman and leave a few holes empty to allow for ventilation.

Label Chargers . Use permanent marker or stickers to label every charger you own. Store all chargers in one bath caddy with a handle.

November Storage Projects: Dining Area

Wrinkle-free Linens. Iron all table cloths and drape over padded hangers. Place coordinating napkins in gallon-size plastic bags and clip to hanger with clothespins.

Hanging Glassware Storage. Install top-mount glassware racks in a cabinet or china hutch. Arrange glassware by type and size.

Corral Disposables. Fill one compartment of a serving buffet with paper party supplies. Use letter holders to organize plates by size and style and mugs to corral plastic cutlery.

Stash Platters. Place larger platters in oversize plastic bags and slip between appliances or behind a hutch.

December Storage Projects: Entry

Family Drop Spot. Use a tabletop serving set as a drop spot for keys, change, wallets, and personal devices. Give family members their own bowls or sections.

Stash Away Entry Rugs. Roll up extra rugs, mats, and towels and place in a wood-carrying basket near the door.

Hanging Outdoor Gear. Hang a multi-compartment canvas shoe or sweater shelf from a closet hang bar. Fill spaces with hats, gloves, pet gear, and purses.

Personalized Coat Rack. Hang a coat rack with enough hooks for each family member to have his or her own and label it with each family member's name.

If your family has made a promise to do a better job with the household cleaning chores, it's time to put them to work for you! Achieving your cleaning goal for the new year is a lot easier if you have more than one person (you) dedicated to the monthly home cleaning checklist. See how you can get the kids to be part of your home cleaning team. Following the home cleaning schedule above, combined with an army of cleaning warriors, will help you actually stick to your New Year's resolution this year.

Here are a few more helpful cleaning tips to help you make your New Year's resolution work for you in 2012:

Create a cleaning chart. Break down household cleaning responsibilities: list the cleaning chore itself, the person who will tackle that cleaning project, and the date of completion. You can organize the cleaning chart by day, week or month.
Evaluate your home. Before you begin any home cleaning or home organization chores, make sure there's a place for everything. You may need to declutter your home and get rid of unused items before you go about your home cleaning.
Complete the cleaning checklist items on time. Create incentives and reward everyone (including yourself) for every completed cleaning project. Put on music or make a game out of it -- if cleaning is fun, more will get done!
Motivate yourself. Any New Year's resolution can be tough to commit to, especially if you're committing to home cleaning for the year. Motivate yourself for home cleaning by inviting a friend over or talking to someone on the phone while you clean.
Consider a house cleaning budget. You can save money on cleaning products by using common household items, reusing cleaning products or making your own green cleaning products.
Organize your cleaning. Keeping all of your cleaning supplies in the same, easily accessible location will speed up the cleaning process. Start cleaning in your least-favorite room to get it out of the way first. This way you can work towards a more enjoyable cleaning task with each room you complete.

Following all of the home cleaning tips will help you get on the right track in 2012 and actually stick to your New Year's resolution for a cleaner home! These storage projects can really help. Follow each of the monthly storage projects to keep up with your New Year's vision.

Of course, if you're finding that you're too time-stressed to complete your house cleaning chores each month and your storage projects are harder and harder to handle, The Maids of South CT are ready and happy to help you get your home cleaner than ever in 2012. Our professional maid cleaning services are superior to other house cleaning companies. See how our maid service is different .

Happy New Year from all of us at The Maids !

SPRING-CLEANING: TIPS FOR YOUR SPRING-CLEANING TO-DO LIST

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:57:26 GMT

Have you started to think about your spring-cleaning to-do-list? Your spring-cleaning should begin with a spring-cleaning to-do-list, so that you know exactly what you need to accomplish.

http://www.themaidssouthct.com/components/com_jce/editor/tiny_mce/plugins/article/img/readmore.png); ">Spring is on her way. The temperature is getting milder and the days are lasting longer. To most gracefully welcome spring, you should do some spring-cleaning. Have

Spring-cleaning: It's time to freshen up your living space!

you started to think about your spring-cleaning to-do-list?

Your spring-cleaning should begin with a spring-cleaning to-do-list, so that you know exactly what you need to accomplish. Typically, the spring-cleaning list is a compilation of chores that are not done on a weekly basis. You can organize your list any way you like. For example, your spring-cleaning list may be organized according to the rooms in your house or chores pertaining to your yard and chores pertains to the house. Get the idea?

Take a look at this spring-cleaning list that we found on Organized Homes :

Around The House:

Schedule a family garage clean-out. Create efficient storage for sporting goods, camping equipment, recreational vehicles, and garden tools. You'll have the jump on summer fun!
Inspect, clean and repair outdoor furniture.
Tour house exterior and grounds. Make a list of any needed seasonal maintenance.
Inspect the roof for winter damage: leaks, missing or broken shingles or tiles. Arrange for any needed repairs early; roofing contractors can be hard to find during summer's construction season.
Use a sunny Saturday to scrape, prime and paint peeling spots on trim or woodwork. You'll protect wood against Summer's heat and moisture--and prevent a more difficult paint job come fall.
Clear away any remaining dead foliage and weeds from beds and lawn. New growth will be protected from damage or disease.
Begin major Spring landscaping projects. Spring's the time to put in shrubs and trees, but check with your local extension office for specific planting recommendations for your area.

The Inside Story:

Changing seasons, changing clothes. Hold a family wardrobe check as you bring out warm-weather clothing. Sort winter clothing for discards and donations before you store.
Hold a garage sale! Declutter house and garage to turn trash into cash. Build your yard sale savvy here.
Pick a weekend and enlist the family for Spring cleaning. Many hands make light work! Reward the team with dinner at a pizza parlor.
Wash windows inside and out.
While at the window area, check drapes and window treatments. Vacuum any dust; send dirtier drapes to the cleaners.
Move furniture and vacuum beneath it.
Arrange for a spring inspection of cooling systems. Don't wait for the first hot day! Air conditioning firms will give better service when they're not busy.
When the weather warms, deactivate heat system humidifiers. Check the system manual for instructions on how to power down for the summer.
Drain sediment from hot water heaters.

Regardless of what your spring-cleaning to-do-list looks like, it is important to tackle the different chores little by little. You do not have to do all of your spring-cleaning at once. In fact, we can almost guarantee that if you try completing everything at once, you will be extremely miserable.

Spring-cleaning gives you the perfect opportunity to freshen up your living space. So, do not be afraid to throw things away and clear away the clutter. You cannot save everything.

Happy Cleaning! Oh, and despite the phrase “spring-cleaning,” you do not necessarily have to save your cleaning for the spring!

If you are looking for professional help, contact us at The Maids. Our team would love to help you with your spring-cleaning.

INDOOR GARDENING: HEALTH BENEFITS OF HOUSE PLANTS

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:50:36 GMT

The health benefits of indoor gardening might have you putting “house plants” on your shopping list.

Enjoy the health benefits of growing indoor house plants!

In today’s hectic world, it can be tough to stay healthy and eat right. As a society, we are becoming more conscious of the foods we eat, the exercise we get and the way we live our lives.

Growing your own garden can have a wealth of benefits for your health, and those realizing this truth don’t always have the outdoor space to host a flourishing garden filled with fresh vegetables.

The solution: growing a garden indoors! Indoor house plants are not only beautiful and provide you with fresh nutrients, but they improve the indoor air quality in your home.

Plants can do anything! Whether you want to naturally freshen the air in your home, stock your fridge with fresh vegetables or enjoy the inviting atmosphere of house plants, you should definitely consider growing and indoor garden. The following article from Masters in Health Care explains the various benefits of house plants and indoor gardening.

15 Fabulous Health Benefits of House Plants

Just about everyone knows that plants are great for producing oxygen and contributing to a zen feeling in any environment. But did you know that they can clinically reduce stress, fight colds, remove contaminants, and even stop headaches? Read on to find out about the great health benefits associated with house plants.

Plants can help fight colds : Indoor plants have been shown to reduce cold-related illnesses by more than 30%. This is due to their effect of increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.

Plants can remove airborne contaminants : We breathe the same air again and again, potentially inhaling harmful substances that are trapped inside. Indoor plants can help to remove pollutants including VOCs that cause headaches, nausea, and more.

Plants can stop your headaches : Filling your home with plants can decrease or eliminate headaches. With plants, you’re much less likely to be breathing the kind of stuffy, stale air that contributes to headaches.

Plants can make you happy : House plants can contribute to a feeling of wellbeing, making you calmer and more optimistic. Studies have shown that patients who face a garden view in their hospital rooms often recover more quickly than those facing a wall.

Plants can improve your mental health: Caring for a living thing can help when you’re depressed and lonely, giving you a purpose in life.

Plants can decrease your blood pressure: People with plants in their homes have less stress, and plants have been known to contribute to lower blood pressure.

Plants can reduce carbon dioxide : During photosynthesis, plants draw carbon dioxide from the air. Removing this substance can help prevent drowsiness from elevated levels.

Plants can offer treatment: Some indoor plants, like aloe, can be applied to skin and offer pain relief.

Plants can prevent allergies : Exposing children to allergens such as plants early in life can help them build a tolerance and immunity to the allergen. It works like a custom allergy shot, naturally.

Plants can negate cigarette smoke : If you are a smoker or live with one, a plant may help you remove the airborne chemicals from cigarettes. In particular, the Peace Lily is a good choice for this health benefit.

Plants can make your brain work better : Potted plants and flowers can improve your idea generation, mood, and more.

Plants provide clean air : In addition to filtering chemicals, plants also put out clean air, improving the air quality around them.

Plants can clear congestion: Eucalyptus in particular can help clear phlegm and congestion from your system. In fact, eucalyptus is often found in congestion remedies.

Plants are natural humidifiers : Instead of buying a humidifier machine to soften the air, just bring in a plant or two.

Plants can improve your sleep: Gerbera daisies give off oxygen at night. Filling a vase in your bedroom with these flowers can improve your night’s rest.

Even large companies are realizing the benefits of having indoor plants in their offices. They relize that plants can increase employee morale, plants can increase productivity and and plants can increase health benefits.

Growing house plants is one way to clean and freshen your air, but learn about other ways you can improve your indoor air quality. Oh, and we know one more way you can clean not only your air, but your entire home: The Maids !

CITRUS CLEANING: FRESHEN HOME NATURALLY WITH LEMONS

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:39:19 GMT

Natural cleaning takes on a new meaning when you do it with lemons.

Cleaning with lemons sounds crazy, however nearly every space in your home can be cleaned with lemons – from your windows to your laundry, lemon juice is a natural cleaning product that can be used to fight toxins and kill germs . And chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re looking for more ways to take a natural, eco-friendly approach to your cleaning, and what better to do that than with lemons?

If you’ve been on the lookout for natural cleaning recipes that are geared towards cleaning with lemons, you’ve come to the right place. Cleaning with lemons is made easy with this article from Mother Nature Network . Read below to learn some fantastic ways to freshen and clean your home naturally with lemons!

24 things you can clean with lemon

This green cleaner and natural disinfectant has a wonderful smell, and best of all, you probably have one in your refrigerator right now.

How could the versatile lemon be associated with things that don’t work well? High in citric acid, lemon juice one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties. Lemons also smell great and aren’t likely to cause damage to materials around what you are cleaning such as fabric or wood.

When cleaning with lemons always rinse with warm soapy water and dry with a clean cloth afterwards. One of the very few things you can’t clean with lemon juice is anything that is brass plated as the juice will damage the item. Aside from that, here is a list of items that can be cleaned with lemons.

1. Use a half lemon and salt to clean even the most heavily discolored brass (real brass, not brass plated). Be careful with antiques. Always test a small spot before scrubbing away.

2. The same method can be used for copper items such has copper bottoms of pots.

3 . You can also shine up your chrome faucets or the chrome on older model cars with lemon and salt.

4. Diluted lemon juice not only cleans stains from cutting boards, but helps kill germs as well. Rub the juice full strength onto the stain and let sit until the stain fades. Can be left overnight, then rinsed well and dried.

5 . Use lemon juice and an old toothbrush to scrub grout.

6. Clean your microwave and remove odors. Place a cup 3/4 full of water with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice in the microwave. Heat to boiling. Don’t open the door for another 10 minutes. Then just wipe away food particles with a clean cloth and dry.

7. Put a dilute solution of lemon juice in a spray bottle to clean laminate counter tops. Rinse with water and dry afterward.

8. Scrub grills and grates with lemon juice and salt.

9. Soak plastic food storage containers in dilute lemon juice to remove stains and odors. Add baking soda and scrub, rinse and dry.

10. Remove rust stains from cotton and polyesters. Make a paste with lemon juice and cream of tarter and rub the mixture into the stain. Let the item sit for about a half hour, and then wash as normal (test before use).

11. Sanitize your garbage disposal. Pour a gallon of hot water mixed with a half cup of lemon juice down the drain. This tip is from Hometalk.com member Ann from Conyers, Ga. (Hometalk.com is a social network dedicated to home improvement.)

12. Brighten your clothing by soaking clothes in a hot water and lemon juice mix (about a half cup per gallon of water) and then wash as normal. Works best if laundry is then dried in the sun. Lemon juice should not be used on silks or other delicate fabrics. If you are uncertain, test a tiny area first.

13. Add a few drops of lemon juice to your dish soap to boost degreasing ability.

14 . Remove odors from your refrigerator with a half lemon on a saucer. Change once a week.

15. Clean food preparation smells from your hands with a dilute solution of water and lemon juice.

16. Remove grease stains from clothing. Rub lemon juice into the spot and let sit overnight and then wash as normal.

17. Clean windows and mirrors. Put a few tablespoons of lemon juice and water into a spray bottle. Works as well as a vinegar solution and smells better.

18. Keep your toilet bowl fresh. Place a half cup of lemon juice in the bowl and swish with a toilet bowl brush.

19. Sanitize earrings by placing them in a saucer of lemon juice.

20. Unclog your drain with a mixture of baking soda followed by lemon juice. The foaming action will clear minor clogs.

21. Clean hard water stains on glass shower doors with half a lemon.

22. Clean mineral buildup on tea kettle and coffee pots by boiling lemon slices in the pots. Allow the mixture to sit for an hour or two, and then rinse and dry.

23. A dilute lemon juice rinse for your hair cuts soap residue and leaves hair softer and shinier.

24. Lastly, you can make a facial scrub of sugar and lemon juice for cleaner, softer skin

This article was reprinted with permission. It originally appeared here on Networx.com.

Clean wooden furniture and floors. Mix one part olive oil to one part lemon juice, then rub liquid in with a soft rag.
Polish black or tan leather shoes. Apply lemon juice and buff with a soft cloth.
Wash dishes with a citrus sponge. Hand-wash your dishes with half a lemon and baking soda… this is your sponge!

The Maids take a healthy, natural approach to cleaning with every single visit. Learn about our natural cleaning methods . We understand that cleaning with chemicals places harmful toxins into the air we breathe at home and onto everything we touch, so cleaning with lemons actually sounds like a great idea. Keep your home fresh and healthy with natural cleaning products that do the job and smell fantastic.

Enjoy the fresh feeling of citrus even if you don't necessarily want to clean with lemons!

WINDOW CLEANING FOR NATURAL LIGHT: HOW TO CLEAN WINDOWS WITH VINEGAR

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:21:42 GMT

Cleaning windows is a simple way to reap the benefits of natural sunlight. Cleaning windows with vinegar is a natural way to let natural light shine through your home.

Since the generation of electricity is one of the largest contributors of pollution in the U.S. it’s only natural that we should try to reduce our use of artificial lighting .

The benefits of natural lighting are far reaching, and cleaning your windows with vinegar is the easiest way to let that natural sunlight seep into your home... in a very natural way.

Consider vinegar window cleaning your natural solution to any lack of natural light in your home.

Here are some tips for cleaning windows with vinegar provided by care2.com . Learn how to clean your windows with vinegar and enjoy all the glorious benefits of having the sun shining into your space.

3 Ways to Clean Your Windows with Vinegar

Finally the days are becoming clear and sparkling, although I’d be hard-pressed to tell if I were to rely upon the blurry view from my winter-grimed windows. How do windows become so speckled and what can one do about it?

One of the earliest DIY housecleaning formulas that the media latched on to way back when was to clean your windows with vinegar. Remember that? It was a good idea, the only problem was, according to Annie B. Bond , that years of using commercial products left a residue on windows that wasn’t adequately handled by the vinegar. The result? Streaky windows and a lackluster reputation for homemade housecleaning formulas.

So if you are looking at the world through dirty windows and want an inexpensive and natural way to clean them, you might need a tweak on the simple vinegar formula. Try one of these methods depending on your situation.

First time with vinegar
If you are going to clean your windows with vinegar for the first time, you need to add an extra ingredient to help combat the residue left over from commercial products. Here is Annie’s formula:
2 cups of water
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish soap or detergent
Combine in a labeled spray bottle, spray and wipe.

Normal dirt
Once you have removed any waxy residue with the liquid soap formula, you can begin using a diluted white vinegar solution for normal dirt.
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup water
Combine in a labeled spray bottle, spray and wipe.

Very dirty
If you have extra dirty windows, or windows with dried paint or hard-water mineral spots, try warming up full-strength white distilled vinegar and applying it directly to the windows.

What to wipe with?

As for what to wipe with, what’s best? To avoid streaks it’s important to dry the window as quickly as possible once you have cleaned it. Many normal cleaning cloths can leave a small flurry of lint, not ideal. Paper towels are lint-free, but are too wasteful. Some people swear by newspaper–it is lint-free, and the texture of the crumpled paper can work well on grime. But if you don’t like the feeling of newspaper ink on your hands, or if the ink smudges your white window frames or sills, you’ll need something else. Squeegees are good because you only need one towel to wipe and they really do conquer streaks once you have the technique mastered. I find that microfiber cleaning cloths work well on just about everything, including windows. What do you use? We’d like to hear, leave a comment.

Did you know you can use lemons to clean your windows , too? There are a lot of natural ways to clean your windows and let the natural light in!

Windows look best when they’re cleaned on a regular basis… but do you not have the time or desire to commit to a consistent window cleaning schedule? You can trust your team of maids to polish your windows to a sparkling shine that brings the outdoors in, every time. Enjoy all the benefits of natural light with our window cleaning services .

FIVE TIPS TO GET RID OF YOUR HOME'S CLUTTER

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:08:35 GMT

Is your stuff taking over your home? For many people, their houses are messy not because they are messy, but simply because they have too much stuff and not enough storage. Clutter can take up space in your house that could be better used for other things, and cutting down on your unnecessary or unused possessions can really make your home cleaner and more comfortable. However, deciding what to get rid of and finding the time to sort through it all can seem daunting. An article in Time Magazine by Lisa McLaughlin gives some great tips to help motivate and guide you through decluttering your home.

Let the decluttering begin. Maybe it's because of decreasing home sales. Or rising gas prices. Or maybe just because it's still spring. Whatever the reason, there are several grassroots movements afoot that have average Joes trying to pare down their possessions and do more living with less stuff. The 100 Thing Challenge is a pledge to cull your belongings to a mere 100 items. If that seems too daunting, there's the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, which has people promising to donate, sell or toss one unused item from their homes everyday for — you guessed it — a year.

The biggest challenge, of course, is simply getting started. Organizing experts Julie Morgenstern and Peter Walsh each have their own approaches to decluttering, but they agree that the key to a successful purge is defining what your ideal life should look like and then deciding which of your belongings still fits in the picture. Both are also trying to draw attention to different kinds of clutter: physical, emotional, even temporal clutter. Some stuff keeps you stuck in the past and I-might-need-it-some-day clutter keeps you from focusing on the present. Here are a few of their tips figuring out what to keep and what to toss:

Tips:

1. DEFINE YOUR VISION

In her new book When Organizing Isn't Enough, SHED your Stuff, Change Your Life, Morgenstern advises people looking to declutter to come up with a theme. "No one lets go without reaching for something else," she says. "You need to come up with a theme for the next phase of your life. Giving a name to what you want to do or feel or express will help dislodge you from your current state of stagnancy." Some common themes are creating a nurturing home, striving for career excellence, and focusing on self-expression and enrichment. Walsh agrees. "If you focus on the stuff, you will never ever get organized," says Walsh, author of the bestselling It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff. "The starting point has to be, 'What is the vision you have for the life you want?,'" he says. "Then you're in a position to ask, 'What do I need for this space?"

2. DEFINE THE CLUTTER

Once you have your vision or theme, separating the treasures from trash should be a little easier. Ask yourself: does this item help me get there? What doesn't fit gets purged. Morgenstern emphasizes that clutter doesn't have to be messy. "A perfectly organized closet or drawer is clutter if it is filled with clothes that you haven't worn for years," she says. And clutter doesn't have to be made of stuff. "It can be any obsolete object, space, commitment or behavior that weighs you down or distracts you or saps your energy," she says. "It can be bad habits that take up too much time."

3. START SMALL

Purging can be very emotional. "It's a big mistake to dismiss clutter as junk," says Morgenstern. "These piles are things that were once important to you, to who you once were or who you wanted to be." To help ease you into the process, she suggests starting in the room you are least attached to. If books are your great love—and clutter weakness—don't start your purging project by the bookcases. Move to a less emotional area, like the kitchen or hall closet. Once you are successful in those parts of the house, it may be easier to tackle the rest. "And be ready for the panic," she warns. Every once in a while you will be overcome with thoughts of "what if I really need that later?" If that happens, just take a deep breath, remember your goal and keep going. "Keep in mind that if you aren't careful, what you own will end up owning you," says Walsh.

4. LET YOUR GOOD RIDDANCE HELP OTHERS

It might not be as difficult to say goodbye to your belongings if you're giving them to organizations that can really use them. For instance, those books that are gathering dust in your home could be page-turners at a library, school or senior-citizen center. And those skinny clothes that you'll probably never fit into again could be doing a whole lot more than making you feel bad; take them to a charity shop or shelter.

5. EXAMINE ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE FOR CLUTTER

Morgenstern points out that poor uses of time, outdated commitments and bad habits can all be defined as clutter and are worthy of purging. Walsh makes the case for a strong mind-home-body connection in his latest bestseller, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? "If you think about it, the reasons why a lot of people buy stuff are exactly the same reasons why a lot of people run out and eat inappropriate food—to make themselves feel better," he says. "The parallels are amazing. Our homes, heads and hips are connected." At the end of the day, experts agree that there are many different types of clutter, and they all rob us of peace and harmony. So look at the vision that you have for your life and then ask does keeping this item — whether it be a chair, vase or eclair — help me get there.

This content is from Time.com , click the link to read more!

CLEANING MICROFIBER—THE RIGHT WAY

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:58:23 GMT

Microfiber is a durable, resilient fabric commonly used in furniture, towels, and clothing. Its plush feel and appearance makes it a desirable material. However, when faced with a difficult mess, microfiber may not look its best. Depending on the color and type of microfiber that you are use, stains may turn your lovely sofa into an eye sore. No worries though, cleaning microfiber is much easier than you think. In fact, after you’re finished cleaning microfiber, it practically looks brand new!

When cleaning microfiber, remember that all microfiber is not created equal. There are various types of microfiber fabrics. Before cleaning microfiber, pay close attention to the manufacturer’s label. Their directions are the best to follow when cleaning microfiber.

However, when you’re cleaning microfiber it is important to keep in mind that gentle soap, water, elbow grease, and an upholstery brush can keep your fabric looking new. The following article from Squidoo.com has tips to make cleaning microfiber easier.

Learn About Cleaning Microfiber Furniture and More

Microfiber is a very attractive, popular fabric for furniture, clothing, and even towels and cleaning cloths. But, what about cleaning microfiber? What's the best way to clean and care for your microfiber furniture and upholstery?

On this page we'll provide information about cleaning microfiber couches, chairs, sofas or other furniture and tell you how you can do it yourself - and when you shouldn't. From getting rid of little stains on your microfiber recliner to what you need to deep clean your microfiber sofa , we've got you covered. Cleaning microfiber is easier than you might think, so let's get started.

How to Clean Microfiber

First rule of cleaning microfiber furniture: Follow the manufacturer's instructions! (Better safe than sorry.)

Your microfiber furniture probably came with information and instructions on how to clean the upholstery . Check this information first!

If you can't find the manufacturer's instructions (or even if you can), keep these points in mind:

Microfiber is a man-made polyester fabric and gentle soap, water, and the right upholstery brush are usually all you need to keep it clean.
Always test any cleaner in an inconspicuous spot.
When spot cleaning microfiber, use a soft cloth to rub in a circular motion. Let the surface dry naturally, then brush with soft bristles to lift the microfibers and restore the original feel of the microfiber fabric.
To avoid creating a spot, clean the area in a circular motion from the outside in.
For deep cleaning a microfiber sofa, chair, or other furniture we recommend a machine such as the Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Compact Deep Cleaner with its spray cleaner and strong suction.
For best results , clean spills as soon as possible after they happen. Obviously, set-in stains will require more work and more time to clean.
After cleaning, let the fabric air dry.
When in doubt, consult a professional. Better safe than sorry!

RECOMMENDED: OxyDeep Stain Remover by Woolite

Works on more than just carpet.

We used Woolite Oxy Deep Oxygen-Activated Stain Remover to clean a food stain on our microfiber love seat. It worked great, lifted off the stain, and didn't leave a mark. Your results may vary and we aren't going to make any promises or guarantees, but it worked for us!

From the manufacturer: "Permanently removes tough set in stains like red wine, food stains, fruit juice, pet messes, mud/dirt, ink, chocolate, coffee/tea, blood, grease, and more! Eliminates household stains and odors like garlic, onion and fish. Safe for all colorfast carpet and upholstery."

K2R Spotlifter for Cleaning Microfiber

Also recommended for spot cleaning microfiber upholstery.

K2R Spotlifter is a very popular quick-drying product made to clean carpets, dry-cleanable clothing, and upholstery fabrics such as microfiber. This product is recommended by satisfied customers who have used it to clean their own microfiber furniture and have given it glowing reviews.

If you follow proper instructions, cleaning microfiber can restore your fabric to look like new. Many avoid cleaning microfiber because they fear it will destroy the fabric. This is preventable by paying attention to the manufacturer’s label. TLC explains the variations of microfiber. On the tag you will see either a S,W,S/W, or X. Each of these stands for a different protocol for cleaning microfiber.

Type S means that cleaning microfiber should be done with a water-free solvent. If your label has a W, clean your microfiber with a water-based solvent. S/W means the fabric can be cleaned with either a water-based or solvent cleaner. An X means that cleaning microfiber should be done with a vacuum. Brushing the surface regularly is another method used for type X microfiber. Doing so will help hide stains. Follow this protocol when you’re cleaning microfiber for the essential upkeep to the appearance and maintenance of the material.

An additional tip to cleaning microfiber is that regular upkeep with a vacuum can evade stains. On couches, use blankets to prevent stains from reaching your microfiber. Laying down a blanket also helps avoid odor that can easily get trapped in microfiber fabric.

For more information on cleaning microfiber or other cleaning tips in general, please contact The Maids. We would be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Ways to Reduce the Household Workload for Stay-At-Home Moms

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:31:32 GMT

For the majority of stay-at-home moms, life is simply a never-ending cycle of household tasks. Regardless of how much they do every day, it always seems as if there is even more to do the following day, which can make them feel stressed. This can take a toll on a mom’s relationship with both her spouse and even the kids. Reducing household chores is a simple way to decrease stress and fatigue. Below are some tips to help reduce the household workload:

Simplify Meals

Many moms feel that they shouldcook amazingly complex meals to please their families.But the fact is that young kids do not know how to appreciate the detail that goes into such cooking. In fact, there are times when this food is barely touched. It doesn’t have to take a long time to create healthy, delicious meals for the family. One amazing idea is crockpot meals. There are tons of different recipes to choose from, and a great option is to spend one day preparing all the different recipes. Then put the ingredients for each meal in separate plastic storage bags, and place them in the freezer. All you have to do to prepare them each day is to take them out and place the ingredients in the crockpot to slow cook all day and be ready by dinnertime!

Abolish Some Cleaning Chores

Thehousedoesn’t have to always be spotless. You can still have a house that is free of pests, clutter free, and still livable, even if you do away with some cleaning chores. For example, reduce the frequency of vacuuming carpets or mopping floors. These should be done once a week, unless there is a significant spill or mess.

Ask for Assistance

With proper communication and understanding, you can get your spouse to help out with some household chores. Do not demand but request for help. Research shows that if men are asked to do something in a polite manner, they are likely to respond better. However, if you would like professional help around the house, then do not hesitate to contact The Maids of New London, in Hamden, Connecticut, who would be happy to assist you with your housekeeping .

Rope in the Kids

The perfect situation would be to have every family member contribute something in terms of accomplishing household tasks. Don’t think that you are burdening your kids by assigning them work. In fact, experts will tell you that when you give kids responsibilities around the house that you help build their self-esteem, team spirits, time management skills, and also their feelings of accomplishment.

HOW TO NATURALLY CLEAN AN OVEN

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:49:35 GMT

Many have the misconception that harsh chemicals are the only method to clean an oven. However, common chemicals used to clean an oven are hazardous to your health. Accidentally touching, inhaling or ingesting these chemicals used to clean an oven can have severe effects. However, there are better, more natural solutions you can use to clean an oven.

To initially avoid messes, line your oven with aluminum foil or use a cookie sheet to dodge spill overs. This will minimize the frequency and amount of time it takes to clean an oven. When a solvent is needed to clean an oven, you can use some basic items found in your kitchen, are Baking soda, lemon, and white vinegar are common products that fight grime and dirt. These products can be combined a multitude of ways to clean an oven and remove grease, clean up spills, remove odor, and cut down on elbow grease. To learn how to properly clean an oven with theses household items, read the following article from MNN.com .

How to clean an oven naturally

A cheesy casserole bubbles over at 450 degrees, and what's left in your oven is a tar-like black sludge that seems like it might require heavy-duty chemical oven cleaners to tackle. But toxic conventional cleaners aren't your only choice to make an oven gleam like new. Learn how to clean an oven naturally with safe, gentle ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.

Avoid chemicals in conventional oven cleaners
Many conventional oven cleaners seem to miraculously dissolve even the toughest baked-on messes after just a few minutes. There's a good reason for that: they're usually made with extremely corrosive ingredients. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, oven cleaners typically contain lye (either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.)

Lye may be effective, but it's also dangerous. It can burn your eyes and skin, and can be fatal if swallowed, so it's not a safe product to have in your home, especially if you have young children.

Prevent oven messes that are tough to clean
The first step to a clean oven is prevention. Try placing casserole dishes on cookie sheets while baking to keep sauces from spilling over onto oven surfaces. You could also line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil if you're cooking a dish that's likely to make a mess. Wipe up any minor spills immediately to keep them from hardening into a mess that's tougher to clean.

How to clean an oven naturally
It's easy to make non-toxic oven cleaners yourself with basic ingredients like baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar. These natural oven cleaning solutions are frugal, effective and totally free of harmful chemicals and caustic ingredients.

For grease, mix non-toxic dish soap like Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural Dish Liquid with water and scrub with a sponge. Natural dish soaps contain cleaners derived from plant sources like coconuts to dissolve fats.

To tackle bad smells, squeeze two lemons into a baking dish filled with an inch of water and toss in what remains of the lemons. Place the dish in the oven and bake it for 30 minutes at 250 degrees. Not only will your oven smell like lemons instead of scorched food, the citrus oils will soften gunk on oven surfaces, making it easier to remove.

Burnt-on food and elbow grease
For burnt-on food, sprinkle baking soda over the bottom of the oven and then spritz it with water from a spray bottle. Let it sit overnight and then remove it in the morning with a sponge, and most of the gunk in the oven will come out with it. If baked-on spills still remain, sprinkle on some more baking soda and then add a little bit of white vinegar. Let the bubbling mixture sit for 30 minutes, then scrub.

To remove the cloudy residue that has made a glass oven window nearly opaque, try mixing baking soda and lemon juice into a thick paste. Rub it onto the door, leave it for half an hour and then scrub, and the glass will be clear and shiny again.

Finally, for those situations where elbow grease just doesn't seem to cut it, don't be afraid to use the self-cleaning function on your oven if you have one. Self-cleaning ovens heat up to temperatures that can reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit to burn off spilled food. While this process uses a lot of energy, it's offset by the fact that self-cleaning ovens are double-insulated, reducing your overall energy consumption from regular use. Just try not to use it more than once a year or so.

If you follow these tips, you will be out of harm’s way when it’s time to clean an oven. Avoiding the use of chemicals in order to clean an oven will benefit your own health as well as the health of your household. Cleaning has become a major focus in our push towards a greener world. Harsh chemicals may seem like an easier approach, however, they are unsafe to clean an oven.

Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon provide natural alternatives to clean an oven. Also, these ingredients can be used in a variety of ways to clean an oven. You can leave baking soda overnight, mix baking soda and vinegar leave on mess, bake lemons and water to get rid of odor, or mix baking soda and lemon to remove opaque windows.

Minimize time spent to clean an oven by cleaning messes immediately. Messes that sit over time are harder to remove. In addition, if you know the dish that you are baking will be messy, try to catch it with aluminum foil or a pan. Aluminum foil works best because you can dispose it after you’re done using the oven.

For more information on how to clean an over or other cleaning tips in general, feel free to contact The Maids.

CLEAN BABY TOYS WITH HOMEMADE CLEANING PRODUCTS

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:43:13 GMT

Parents must clean baby toys frequently. Baby toys get dirty easily, thanks to all of the slobbering, throwing, and every day wear that your baby inflicts on these toys. If your child is teething, they will be putting toys in their mouths all of the time, making them susceptible to germs. At this age you will need to clean baby toys on a constant basis. Many common cleaning products contain harmful chemicals—chemicals that should not be used to clean baby toys.

The best remedy to this is to make your own, baby-safe cleaning products to clean baby toys. That way your child can feel free to teethe all over the clean baby toys and you will not have to worry about the baby ingesting chemicals.

The following article from Make-Baby-Stuff.com enlists some great cleaning recipes for baby safe cleaner, as well as describes how to clean baby toys made from various materials. Learn how to clean baby toys the safe and money-savvy way.

How to Clean Baby Toys Naturally with Homemade Cleaning Products

Learn how to clean baby toys using natural (and affordable!) ingredients. Skip the bleach and other dangerous chemicals and even skip the expensive "natural" product brands. Make your own using these recipes!

Once you have a baby you start looking at your home environment in a whole new way. You look at those chemicals under your kitchen sink suspiciously. Dangerous! Bad for the environment! Bad for baby! Remember those headaches you'd get when you'd scrub the tub with a bleach based product? Bad. Very bad. Who would want to introduce those chemicals into baby's environment?

Luckily, there are baby safe cleaning alternatives, and I'm not talking about spending a fortune on natural cleaners either. (although those are nice too) I'm talking about going back to basics, learning how to clean baby toys like our great-grandparents did...don't worry, you can keep your vacuum.

How to Clean Baby Toys - Teethers, plastic and wood toys. Most all "hard" toys fall in this category. When your baby is in the "putting everything in the mouth" stage you'll want to wipe down her toys more often. Just think, the toys lay on the ground most of the time. Would you want to put something in your mouth that sat on the floor for a week? They also get covered in saliva (and even food if baby just ate) and handled by other babies during play dates, etc. Maybe the dog even sits on one or two. Ew.

1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar

Mix together equal parts distilled white vinegar and water for a cheap toy cleaning solution. I put it in a spray bottle and just spray a little on a cloth and then wipe down the toys. The vinegar smell goes away completely after it dries and it doesn't leave any residue on the toys. Vinegar is edible...but you can clean with it too!

How to Clean Stuffed Toys - Stuffed animals, fabric mats and fabric toys fall into this category. These too get mouthed and can even stain. Please follow the washing directions on the tag for how to clean baby toys. However, if there are no directions or the tag is long gone there are still some gentle cleaning methods you can try. Washing Machine with Vinegar & Baking Soda - Yes, you can throw most fabric toys and stuffed animals into the washing machine and they'll be fine if the material and content is cotton or polyester blends. For heavily stained or soiled stuffed animals sprinkle them with baking soda and wash, adding 3 capfuls of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Most fabric and stuffed toys can also be tumble dried on low.

Wool Toys - If your wool toy is "felted" you can simply wash it in the machine in a pillow case or net bag. If not, you need to take special care when washing. Spot cleaning is ideal, especially for things like Waldorf dolls or knitted wool stuffed animals. To spot clean, use a mild wool soap and a damp wash cloth and let air dry. For very heavily soiled wool toys you can also hand wash using a wool soap and then lay in a sunny window to dry. Do NOT tumble dry wool toys unless they have already been felted.

Sunning Out Stains on Whites - Our beloved white teddy bear had seen better days but I didn't want to use bleach on it. I finally gave "sunning" a try and was surprised by how well it worked! Lay white toys (this works well on cloth diapers or stained cotton onesies too) in direct sunlight and the stains disappear in a few hours. Really! For really tough stains spritz a bit of lemon juice on the stain and then put in the sun. Like magic!

Now that are aware of the proper way to clean baby toys without the use of toxic chemicals, you can rest easy knowing that you have safe and clean baby toys in your home. Even just a few squirts of fresh lemon juice can clean baby toys as well as store-bought cleaners.

If you would like to learn more about utilizing natural cleaning products throughout your entire home, please contact The Maids.

PROTECT YOUR KITCHEN AGAINST WASTED SPACE

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:29:48 GMT

Kitchens always look spacious and clean on the Food Network; no wonder cooks spend all day smiling in them. So how come your kitchen never looks like the ones on TV? The biggest issue in your kitchen is probably all of the wasted space. Organizing your kitchen cabinets is a great way to utilize the once wasted space and make your kitchen a happy place again. Wasted space in a kitchen is the enemy of the cook, so figure out what items you really need in your kitchen (maybe your piles of old cookbooks that you’ve never opened need to go) and get rid of wasted space.

Wasted space appears anywhere in your kitchen. Wasted space on the counters, wasted space in the cabinets, wasted space in the drawers, and even wasted space in the refrigerator. These tips from the Container Store can give you a nudge in the right direction to eliminate your kitchen’s wasted space.

Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets

Often the biggest problem with standard kitchen cabinets in the home is the inefficient use of space. Shelves that have been installed by the builder are often spaced too far apart, leaving wasted space between stored goods and other shelves. Here are some helpful hints to assist in tackling this wasted space and make cabinets 100 percent more efficient.

When choosing an organizer, keep in mind that you want to divide the space. A free-standing stacking shelf placed on the current shelf gives you two complete shelves, where before you had only one. A much more efficient use of your space!
When organizing cabinets, you’ll find that you’ll save yourself a great deal of time (and even money) if everything is easily accessible. You don’t have to spend hours searching for that box of cornstarch you know you had somewhere and you won’t have to go out to buy a new box. A good idea is to group like items together in small bins and label the contents or even select bins that you can see through for quick identification.
Look for products that are specifically designed to tackle the hard-to-organize items in a kitchen pantry. Choose racks to keep the lids to your pots and pans (and even plastic food storage containers) under control. Your lids will be easily accessible and won’t spill out each time you open the cabinet.
Canned goods can pose problems in your cabinets. Because of the depth of the shelves, stacking the cans one in front of the other is just not practical! You will forget what you’ve got stored in the back because you can’t see it. Choose a tiered shelf organizer that provides you with a full view of your canned goods.
Many customers complain that spice storage is the biggest problem in their kitchen cabinets. Spices used most frequently can be stored on a countertop spice rack. To preserve the freshness of spices used less frequently, store them in a cool, dark place, preferably away from the stovetop.
Many times there is wasted space because cabinets are built so deep. A quick and easy solution to cavernous cabinets is to add sliding drawers. Made in a variety of sizes and styles, sliding drawers are mounted to the manufactured shelf and rest on gliders so that they can be easily accessed. These allow you to bring the back of the cabinet up front and center.
If you have a door in your pantry or kitchen area, don’t neglect that often wasted space. Our elfa Door & Wall Rack is designed to fit onto the back of a door. The system’s flexible baskets provide you with extra storage space for canned goods and other dry foods, cleaning supplies and even bottles of soda! The rack will ease the overcrowding in your cabinets and make it possible to have everything at your fingertips.

After reading these tips to fix wasted space in your kitchen there’s no reason you can’t get into your kitchen and be the next Rachael Ray, especially since you can find your EVOO easily now.

Now that you’ve tackled the wasted space in your kitchen, cleaning the rest of your house can be next on your agenda. If the rest of your home looks too daunting, you can contact The Maids to do the work for you.

TIPS FOR WASHING WALLS

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:25:08 GMT

You are staring at the wall in a battle of wills. To wash or not to wash; who will break first? You will probably ignore them for a while. Why wash something that isn’t that dirty? However, your walls are probably dirtier than you believe. Washing walls is usually preluded by the accumulation of dust, dirt, houseguests, pets, and the artistic toddler. However, slaving away on a part of your home that you never expected to clean may make you feel a bit like Cinderella. While this article from Yahoo! may not get you a handsome prince or glass slippers, but it will make washing walls a lot easier.

Cleaning House: Tips for Washing Walls

Make the Job Easier

Are you thinking of repainting your painted walls because they look dingy or dirty? If you're otherwise happy with the color and condition of your walls, you don't have to paint them. Washing walls is by far the cheaper alternative, and with helpful tips, it's really very easy.

Washing walls is a task no one enjoys, but hiring someone to wash dirty walls is almost as expensive as hiring a professional painter. Fortunately, there are very useful tips for washing walls that make the job much less of a chore. These tips will help you rid your walls of dirt and grime, and you'll have them looking like new in no time!

Tips to Make a Difficult Task Easier

Have you ever washed walls or something else high above and ended up with dirty soapy water running down your arms? Water running down your arms and soaking your clothes is very uncomfortable to say the least. Prevent water from running down your arms by wearing terrycloth wristbands. If you don't have terrycloth wristbands, pin rolled washcloths around your wrists. They'll catch the water long before it has a chance to reach your armpits.

For best results, wash the walls with white absorbent rags. The dye in colored rags can bleed into the cleaning solution and onto the walls. This is especially true of the typical red shop rags sold in home improvement and hardware stores.

Having to constantly change the water is one of the most time-consuming aspects of washing walls, and if you don't change the water, you'll be adding rather than removing dirt from walls. This is one of the best timesaving tips for washing dirty surfaces. Make the job easier on yourself by filling one bucket with cleaning solution and one bucket with clear water. Use the second bucket to rinse the dirty rag or sponge during the washing process. Your cleaning solution will go much further while washing. Ask a family member to help change the water when it becomes necessary so you don't have to stop what you're doing.

Although it might be tempting to start at arms height, always start washing at the top. If you don't, dirty water might run down onto areas you've already cleaned.

To Rinse or Not to Rinse?

Some cleaning products require rinsing while others don't. One of the most useful tips is using your own judgment when deciding whether or not to rinse. Look for streaks after a test area has dried. Inspect walls at an angle in different variations of light, and look for telltale marks. If you find streaks, it will be necessary to go over the walls with clean rags and clear water. Dry the walls with absorbent white rags or towels for a beautiful streak-free finish.

Don't Forget the Baseboards

Tips for washing walls sometimes fail to mention baseboards. The baseboards collect a lot of hair, dust, and grime, so take the time to wash the baseboards while washing walls. Your home will smell clean and fresh, and your walls and baseboards will shine.

Washing walls can be a hassle, but cranking up the music or listening to a book on tape can make the task of washing walls a bit more enjoyable, even if there isn’t a prince at the end of it.

Washing walls with these tips will make your home look newer than the day you bought it. While washing walls may seem like an easy task now, the rest of the house may need the help of The Maids. Or, if washing walls seems unappealing to you, the Maids would be happy to clean your walls for you. Please contact us for more information.

THE BENEFITS OF GREEN CLEANING

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:15:13 GMT

Green cleaning has been in style lately as people become more environmentally conscious and aware of the dangerous chemicals that prove to be hazards in their homes. Thankfully many alternatives to these toxic products exist.

Some people may still be skeptical of green cleaning and wonder how much of a difference green cleaning products have on the environment and the home. The following article from EZineArticles.com ( http://EzineArticles.com/1957627 ) proves that most regular cleaning products are toxic. The article outlines the reasons that green cleaning is better for your world and your family.

Do You Know the Benefits of Green Cleaning?

Any family can benefit from green cleaning. When you clean green, you do not use any harmful chemicals or abrasive products in the cleaning process. Imagine the benefits of having bleach quality clean floors without having to have the harmful toxins contained in bleach in your home. Of course, when you consider green cleaning supplies, you also need to consider the benefits to the overall environment. These supplies are non-toxic, but they are also environmentally safe.

The family will benefit from green cleaning products in a number of ways. Here are some of those ways to keep in mind.

Allergies Reduced

Many families find that their children are suffering from allergies, even though their family history does not necessary say that there are no allergies. In some situations, chemicals found within cleaning products contain allergens. Bleaches, toxic cleaning sprays and other chemicals used to clean the home commonly contain a variety of ingredients specifically able to cause or trigger allergies in people. Children and the elderly are most likely to suffer from them, since they have weaker immune systems, but anyone can suffer from them. Most people do not make the correlation between the allergies and the chemicals, though.

Less Toxic Risk

Many chemicals contain toxins, including poisonous elements, cancer causing irritants, skin irritants, and harmful products for your respiratory system. Each of these is likely in your cabinet right now. They are there at the risk of a child drinking them. They can also be a risk of inhaling these products when they are sprayed into the air or applied to surfaces. There are many instances where you can easily ingest products that are unhealthy for you that contain chemicals on them. Even trace amounts of some chemicals can and do build up in your system, with the potential to lead to heart and lung conditions, including cancers.

More Risks Examined

There are many other risks associated with traditional cleaning products. These are some of the reasons you should consider green cleaning. Even if you do not do the cleaning yourself, but hire a professional cleaning service, the key is to look for the "green" factor.

•Chemicals applied to counter tops or sponges will rinse down the drain into the water sources for your home. If there are a large amount of chemicals being used, the fumes from those chemicals can be dangerous coming up from the drain. Inhaling them can have immediate effects.

•Some chemicals have extraordinary risks associated with them when individuals are exposed to them. A chemical called alkyl phenol ethoxylate is commonly used in many types of surface cleaners. You may use it to clean your tabletops or the cabinets in your home. In some lab studies, there is evidence that these products wind up in water sources where they cause reproductive effects in wildlife.

You may be asking, then, why should you buy green products? The answers are everywhere. No matter if you are to buy green cleaning products or you hire a professional company using green cleaning products, the key is to have them in your home instead of having other, more potentially dangerous chemicals in your home.

•When you clean green, you avoid exposing your family to the harmful toxins in many of these products.

•You reduce the environmental impact of your home and family on the environment around you.

•You are using non-hazardous products, those that provide your family with safety even when you do turn your back for a second and your toddler climbs into the cabinet.

•Buying products that are green cleaning products is also much less likely to use as much packaging and these products are often biodegradable.

•Sometimes, you can reduce your costs by not having to purchase costly products.

Clean green one way or the other. Call on your local service company to provide you with the green cleaning you need. Be sure to purchase only products that have been tested to be safe to use within the home. You will be happy you did when your family's health improves from the lack of chemicals in the home.

Gone are the days when you have to open all of the windows in order to prevent passing out while bleaching the floor. Inhalation of toxic chemicals is not a problem when you are green cleaning. The article illustrates the danger found in non-environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Green cleaning does not need to costly. While you can purchase green merchandise in your local stores, the internet also has a wide array of resources for homemade green cleaning products.

Don’t have time to clean your home? The Maids proudly offers a 22 step green cleaning system, as well as a multitude of other green cleaning services. Contact us today for your professional green cleaning needs.

STEPS TO AN ORGANIZED HOME OFFICE

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:06:57 GMT

Working from home is a great alternative to working in an office building, but oftentimes remote workers find themselves settling into an unorganized home office. It can be easy to allow disorganization and untidiness when you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder. However, clutter can often cause focus to stray. Your goal should be to have your organized home office as clean as you would keep any other office.

Set aside a space for an organized home office, don’t just do work in your kitchen table or in your bed. Carving out a separate space will help you quickly switch into work mode when necessary. Your organized home office must be contained in one space to help you avoid the distractions lurking in other areas of your house. A single file cabinet in your organized home office should suffice for the concentration of files and papers. Along with physical files, it is important to organize your electronic files as well in order to keep an organized home office.

The following article from LifeOrganizers.com (http://www.lifeorganizers.com/cm_articles/19_10_easy_steps_to_an_organized_home_office_154.html) lists ten simple steps to creating an organized home office. Follow these tips and you will own an organized home office that maximizes your productivity.

10 Easy Steps To An Organized Home Office

From personal and business filing to adding a personal touch to your home office, making your home office your personalized and efficient space can do wonders for productivity.

Without the structure of an office outside of our homes, it is easy to scatter anything work related all over the house. We still need to complete our work in a timely and efficient manner. After all, the less time we spend working, the more time we have with our family. An organized home office will make for a faster and more pleasant workday. Here are a few ideas to get you and your home office organized .

1) Do you have a home office? You don't necessarily need an entire room, but you should have a well-defined space to contain all your office essentials and files. A desk in your bedroom that will hold your files, paper, pens, calculator and of course computer will do fine, especially in the beginning. If your "office" consists of the dining room table, some of the drawers in your kitchen, a file cabinet in the basement and the computer in the bedroom, you may want to think about organizing everything in one spot. Are you spending a lot of time searching for a particular document, running from room to room to find it? Consider moving all your files and papers to one central location, preferably close to the computer if that's where you are doing the bulk of your work.

2) Keep your personal files and papers separate from your business things. You will eventually have enough paperwork to deal with without having your personal bills, magazines and the kids' after-school schedule mixed in there. Create a separate spot for those somewhere outside of your home office space.

3) Create a file system that works for you. Remember, you may be working for someone else, but when it comes to your home office, you are your own boss. Think about how you look for a particular file or piece of paper. What will be the easiest way for you to find it? Then create a file system that works for you. Don't worry, if you don't get it right the first time, you can always resort and try again. Sooner or later you will come up with a system that is "just right" for you.

4) Take a good look at your work area. Do you have piles of papers, files, mail, floppy discs and CDs lying around? Do you notice anything else piling up? Set aside a few hours and put everything away. Use your new file system and find "homes" for anything else.

5) Now that you have your office organized, set aside a few minutes at the end of your workday to keep it that way. Try to "leave work" for the day with a clean, empty desk. You will appreciate it the next morning. This will also prevent you from ever coming across a huge pile of papers again.

6) Add a personal touch to your office. Bring in some pictures of the kids; add some pretty plants, inspirational quotes, or anything else you can think of that will make your office a pleasant place to work in. In addition to getting and keeping you in a good mood whenever you step in your office, you are more likely to keep it clean and organized if it is a place you treasure. So splurge a little on some special office décor.

7) Let's talk about the files on your computer. You can waste just as much time searching for an online document as for a piece of paper. If your computer is used for work as well as for personal use, create a work folder and use subfolders for particular employers, projects etc. Again, come up with a file system that works for you and keep your work files separate from your personal files. This is particularly important if other family members access the computer as well. If that's the case, and you are using Windows XP, I strongly recommend setting up a separate user account just for work and password protecting it. This will prevent other family members from accidentally changing or deleting your work files.

8) In addition to your regular files, you also want to keep your emails organized. Let's be honest, we have all wasted time searching for a particular email that contained some vital information we needed fast. Setting up folders for different clients and projects has worked well for me, but again find a system that works for you and stick with it. Sort the email as soon as you read it. It only takes a second or two to drop it in the appropriate folder, but will save you a lot of time if you have to find it later.

9) Now that you have a good filing system (both physical and digital) in place, set aside a little time every few months (or weeks if appropriate) to purge your files. We can quickly accumulate a lot of documents both in our file cabinet and on our hard drive that we no longer need. At the very least, try to purge your files twice a year.

10) Now that your office is organized, you may also want to take a look at organizing your time. Again, come up with a system that works well for you.

I encourage you to start with a few of these ideas to get your office and yourself more organized . You will be surprised by how much time you will save not searching for files, papers or the stapler. Before long, you won't know how you ever functioned without an organized home office.

Since you are working in your own space, you are free to change and rearrange your methods as many times as necessary in order to achieve an organized home office. If one manner of organizing doesn’t seem to work for you, try something else. Take mental note of what systems work well for you and which ones don’t. Soon your organized home office will be your own personal power station.

As stated in the article, try to clean up at the end of every workday so each morning you can return to an organized home office. The absence of clutter will help reduce stress.

It is also important not to allow distractions in your organized home office (kids, non-work related phone calls, checking Facebook, etc.). Try to discipline yourself the same way that you would in an office building and don’t allow your personal life to interfere with your specified work time (unless of course, there is an emergency).

An organized home office not only will take some time to consolidate, but you must also remember to continue the upkeep of your organized home office. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the chaos or have trouble keeping a clean, organized home office, please contact The Maids and we would be happy to help.

How to Treat Stains In Your Home

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:04 GMT

Stains have many sources; anyone or anything can cause a stain, but the question is: how do you go about getting rid of each kind of stain? One thing that is important when we treat stains is timing. As soon as you know a stain has been made on clothing, curtains, furniture or the carpet, be sure to act immediately. The longer you wait to treat stains, the longer the stain gets to set into the fabric.

We can also categorize a given stain based on what it is made of, and as long as we know that, we will know what exactly to use to treat stains of all kinds.

Wine stains are thought to be some of the worst, but you will be prepared to treat stains like this if you follow this guide.

There is no need to panic when you find a stain. There are many ways to treat stains, and if you follow these tips from the Editors of Consumer Guide, you will be prepared to treat any stain.

How to Remove Stains and Spots

by the Editors of Consumer Guide

It seems that in every household, there's at least one person who leaves behind a trail of stains and spots like a path of gingerbread crumbs: the home handyman who scatters grease spots from garage to attic, the toddler who expresses independence by painting with peanut butter on the wallpaper; the enthusiastic cook who splatters spaghetti sauce from ceiling to carpet; the new puppy that pointedly demonstrates its need for house-training.

Grass spots on jeans, wine spots on tablecloths, oil stains on the driveway. And what makes it worse is that each stain calls for a different treatment. Ketchup on carpet is not treated in the same way as catsup on concrete, and on top of having to identify both the staining agent and the stained surface, you have to work fast.

The longer most stains set, the harder they are to remove without damage to the stained surface. If you haven't identified the stain correctly, or if you use an improper stain-removing agent or technique, you may make the stain permanent and cause additional damage to the stained object.

THREE TYPES OF STAINS ON FABRICS

Generally, stains can be divided into three types. Each type dictates certain general treatment procedures.

Greasy Stains. Lubricating and cooking oils, butter, machine grease, and similar substances produce greasy stains. Grease spots are sometimes removed from washable fabrics by hand or machine laundering. Pretreating by rubbing a little detergent directly into the spot often helps, as does using a dry-cleaning solvent on the stain. If you are treating an old stain or one that has been ironed, a yellow stain may remain after treatment with a solvent. Bleach is often effective at eliminating this yellow residue.

To remove grease spots from nonwashable fabrics, sponge the stain from center to edge with a stain-removal product. Removal may take several applications, and the spot should be allowed to dry completely before each sponging. Greasy stains may also be removed from nonwashable fabrics by using an absorbent substance such as cornstarch, corn meal, French chalk, or fuller's earth. Absorbents are dusted on greasy spots to pick up the grease. When the absorbent material begins to look caked, it should be shaken or brushed off. Repeat this procedure until most of the stain is gone.

Absorbents are easy to use and will not harm fabrics. However, the other stain removal agents (detergent, dry-cleaning solvent, and bleach) can damage fibers; before using them you should carefully read the care label on the stained item and the label on the product container.

Nongreasy Stains. Nongreasy stains are produced by materials such as tea, coffee, fruit juice, food coloring, and ink. If you have such a stain on a washable fabric, the best treatment is to sponge the stain with cool water as soon as possible. If this doesn't work, try soaking the fabric in cool water. The stain may soak out within half an hour, or you may need to leave the item in the water overnight. If some stain still remains, gently rub liquid detergent into it and rinse with cool water. The last resort is to use bleach, but read the fabric care label first. If the stain is old or has been ironed, it may be impossible to remove it completely.

A nongreasy stain on a nonwashable fabric can also be sponged with cool water. Or, you can place a disposable diaper or other absorbent pad beneath the stained area and slowly and carefully flush the stain by pouring water onto it using a mister or eyedropper. You must control the amount of water and the rate at which it is poured to avoid spreading the stain. This may be sufficient to remove some stains, especially if treatment is started promptly. If not, work liquid detergent into the stain as described above and rinse by flushing or sponging with cool water. Sponge the stain with rubbing alcohol after rinsing to remove detergent residue and to speed drying. (Caution: If treating acetate, acrylic, modacrylic, rayon, triacetate, or vinyl, dilute 1 part alcohol with 2 parts water.

Combination Stains. Coffee with cream, Thousand Island salad dressing, and lipstick are items that cause combination stains; that is, they combine greasy and nongreasy elements. Such stains may require double treatment-first the nongreasy elements of the stain should be treated, then the greasy residue should be removed. The first step in treating such stains is to sponge with cool water as described above, then work liquid detergent into the stain and rinse thoroughly. After the fabric has dried, apply dry-cleaning fluid to any remaining greasy portion of the stain with a sponge. Allow the fabric to dry. Repeat applications of cleaning fluid if necessary.

In order to properly treat stains, it is important not only to know what kind of stain you are dealing with, but to also follow some general rules of treating stains:

Try your best to identify the components of the stain and the material that was stained. This is the best way to ensure that you treat stains properly and avoid damaging the stained surface further.
Be sure to remove as much of the stain sitting on the surface before you actually treat the stain with a given product. You can pre-treat stains by blotting excess liquid or scraping it off if the stain happens to be solid.
When you go to treat stains, regardless of materials, avoid the use of heat and handle the stained item carefully, being sure not to fold, rub or wrinkle it.
It is important that before you treat stains, that you test the product on a part of the stained material that can be hidden. Even water can stain some materials.
When you treat stains, no matter the material, make sure that you work from the center of the stain outward.
Lastly, follow the directions on any product you use to treat stains perfectly; you would not want a misread to ruin the effectiveness of a stain remover.

Follow these simple stain removal tips and you will be able to treat stains of all kinds! Just remember: even though it is easy to freak out when you see your white carpet stained with coffee or your silk pillow speckled with wine, remain calm, cool and collected and use your new-found knowledge to treat stains.

How to Remove Cat Urine From Your Carpet

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:00:57 GMT

Anyone who has owned a cat knows that cat urine is an especially strong odor that is difficult to remove from carpets. Even well-trained cats have been known to leave cat urine on the carpet, sometimes out of anger, due to a health problem, or disgust at a dirty litter box. After you have identified the reason for your cat’s naughty behavior and done what you can to prevent a reoccurrence, it is important to learn about the best methods of removing cat urine from your carpet.

The following article from caturineodor.com (http://caturineodor.com/removing-cat-urine-odor-carpets/) explains the science behind why cat urine smells so bad and why it is so hard to clean out of carpets, as well as offering tips on removing cat urine from your carpet.

Removing Cat Urine Odor From Carpets

Our cats bring us great joy, but sometimes they do things we don’t understand. When they urinate on our carpets, it’s a frustrating and smelly issue. Cat urine is possibly one of the most potent, unpleasant smells you’ll ever experience. When it has dried into your home’s carpeting, it can be a source of embarrassment and annoyance. Complicating things further, the urine is likely to be in the carpet for some time before it’s discovered, which makes the odor even harder to eradicate. Although standard carpet cleaners provide little help, it’s usually possible to remove cat urine odor. There are several different approaches to try, and it may take more than one remedy to get rid of the smell completely.

Cat Urine’s Powerful Odor

Cat urine has a very distinct odor that is caused by proteins and high levels of uric acid. By nature, healthy cats don’t drink large amounts of water. This makes their urine more concentrated. At the time of urination, the fluid is acidic. As the urine dries, the uric acid forms crystals or urine salts and becomes alkaline. This gives our furry friends the most pungent-smelling urine that a poor carpet can suffer.

How to Find Invisible Cat Urine Stains

The first challenge of eliminating odors is finding them. Cats tend to urinate in corners, hidden areas and against borders. A helpful strategy is to check the perimeter of the carpet first. On some carpets, stains may be visible, but in many cases they’re not. There are several ways to locate the source of the smell. The first is to purchase a hand-held black light. The ultra-violet rays used by black lights use the same wavelength as biological waste such as urine. When using a backlight to find cat urine spots, turn out the lights and shine the black light over all areas of the carpet. Most urine stains will produce a noticeable glow. Use small objects to mark stained areas; you’ll need to find them again with the lights on. Unfortunately, black lights don’t work 100 percent of the time. Sometimes you may have to find stains the more difficult and distasteful way— by crawling on your hands and knees and using your nose to sniff out smelly spots.

Getting Rid of the Odor

Why It’s Difficult to Get Cat Urine Out of Carpets

Aside from removing urine odors from concrete, carpet is generally the most difficult surface to remove odors from. Let’s take a look at a this diagram to understand why.

When a cat pees on the carpet, it’s actually peeing on 4 different surfaces; the carpet its self, the carpet backing, the carpet pad, and the sub-floor. The longer the pee saturates in the carpet, the more layers it will effect, and the more layers it effects, the harder it will be to remove. Regardless of what approach you’re using to get rid of the smell, it’s important to remember that, to be effective, the solution needs to reach any part of the carpet that that the urine may have touched. One of the biggest mistakes people often make is only focusing on the upper layers of the carpet. This is partly a result of the packaging that is common with cat urine odor removal products, i.e. the “spray gun” bottling. Nine times out of ten, you’ll need to take the top off of the solution and pour it on the spot. This type of saturation allows the cleanser to reach all instances of urine and/or uric crystals, greatly increasing the likelihood of success.

First Response: Wet and Dry Stains

While it’s sometimes impossible to find stains soon after they occur, if you do happen to find a wet stain, treating it immediately will give the best results. Absorb as much of the liquid as possible by blotting with an old towel. If you have a wet/dry vacuum or spot cleaning machine, use this to remove as much fluid as you can.

Dry stains can be treated with full strength product as soon as they’re discovered. There are a variety of home-made and commercial products that are designed to remove urine stains and odor. Before using any of these, test them for safety. Some chemicals and home remedies can stain, bleach or damage carpeting. To prevent ruining your carpet, try the product in a closet or hidden area first.

Natural Treatment Methods

§Vinegar and Water

Dilute white vinegar with equal parts water and saturate the carpet stain with this solution. After 30 minutes, remove as much of the liquid as possible. Several treatments may be required. The strong vinegar smell will dissipate once it’s dry.

§Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

This may be used alone or after vinegar treatment. Sprinkle dry baking soda over the stain and work it into the fibers. Mix one-quarter cup peroxide with a teaspoon of dish detergent. Use only three-percent hydrogen peroxide. Pour or spray this over the baking soda and work into the carpet with a toothbrush. Once it’s dry, vacuum away the residue using an upholstery brush attachment.

§Club Soda

Pour club soda directly onto the stain. When it stops effervescing, blot the liquid away with a towel. Repeat if needed. This remedy is more likely to work on recent stains that aren’t very strong. It’s a good alternative for when you don’t want to smell vinegar or have a powdery mess on your carpet.

Commercial Products

Enzyme Treatments

Enzymatic cleaners such as Nature’s Miracle neutralize odors without producing a strong smell like vinegar. Multiple treatments may be needed, but enzyme cleaners are generally very effective and safe for most carpets.

Combination Products

Anti-Icky Poo, a product that uses both enzymes and genetically altered bacteria, is a favorite product of many cat owners.

Oxygen Cleaners

Oxi-Clean and similar products are slightly less effective but may work well on recent stains. Test in an inconspicuous area before use.

Total Cleansing

If you can’t locate the stains, or repeated search-and-destroy missions have not proven effective, you may want to consider using a steam cleaner or carpet shampooer to treat the entire room. If you don’t own one, you can rent one and buy special carpet shampoos that are designed to remove pet odors. If you want to let the professionals handle it, consult your local carpet-cleaning services to see what pet odor removal suggestions and systems they have to offer.

Preventing Repeat Performances

Once you’ve rid your carpet of cat urine odors, you’ll want to ensure that they don’t return. Be sure that all odors are completely neutralized and undetectable. If your cat can still smell them, it may entice him to urinate in the same area again. Most importantly, find out why your cat is peeing outside of his litter box. Have your vet check for health problems and urinary infections, and invest some time in a little detective work so that you don’t have to face that horrible smell again.

Thanks to this article, you now have the option of creating your own home recipes of cat urine cleaner or purchasing the most effective commercial cleaners.

If you have tried all of these cat urine removal methods and you can still smell the odor of cat urine, it may be time to call in a professional to revive your carpets. The Maids will be happy to help you get rid of pet odors.

How to Clean a Toilet with Eco-Friendly Homemade Products

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:47:19 GMT

Do you need to clean a toilet before guests arrive but don’t have any cleaner on hand? Do not fret; we have just the recipe to clean a toilet in a safe, eco-friendly, and quick manner.

Families with younger kids are especially wary about using popular household cleaning products around their children due to the toxic chemicals in the cleaners. Many companies are pushing for more “green” products but often these eco-friendly cleaners cost more.

We have found a solution to this problem: homemade cleaner.

Homemade cleaner utilizes ingredients that you probably already have on hand and are safe to use around children, pets, and you. Plus, if you are in a pinch and need to clean a toilet, no running out to the store is necessary.

eHow.com ( http://www.ehow.com/how_5302835_use-soda-clean-toilet-naturally.html ) shares how you can clean a toilet with just two common ingredients: vinegar and baking soda. The chemical reaction that you probably used to make volcanoes as a kid proves useful when you need to clean a toilet. You won’t even have to scrub, just allow the mixture to work its magic. What a way to clean a toilet!

How to Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean a Toilet Naturally

Commercial cleaners do not always sufficiently clean a toilet. Sometimes a natural method of cleaning is easier and produces cleaner results. It's easy to use vinegar and baking soda to clean a toilet naturally.

Instructions

1. Add about a half-cup of vinegar to the toilet bowl to begin to use vinegar and baking soda to clean a toilet naturally. Let the vinegar sit for a few minutes before adding baking soda. Do not flush the toilet.

2. Add about a half cup of baking soda to the toilet bowl. The vinegar and baking soda will fizz because the reaction of vinegar and baking soda results in oxygen being released from the baking soda and vinegar combination. Let the mixture fizz for about ten minutes. This will alleviate the work you need to do later on to clean a toilet naturally.

3. Add another quarter cup baking soda and another half-cup vinegar to the toilet bowl in order to produce more fizzing in the toilet bowl.

4. Use the toilet brush to swish the water in the toilet bowl along with the vinegar and baking soda mixture. Rub the toilet brush along the sides and bottom of the toilet bowl to clean the toilet. You don't need to rub too hard, and you only need to use the toilet brush for about two minutes in the toilet bowl.

5. Flush the toilet. The vinegar and baking soda mixture will clean the tank and plumbing pipes without causing any damage. After the toilet flushes, rinse the toilet brush in the clean toilet water and flush the toilet again.

Tips & Warnings

· Depending on the severity of the dirtiness of the toilet bowl, you may be able to skip step 3.

Gone are the days when people buy expensive cleaners and have to use elbow grease to clean a toilet. You no longer have to worry about exposure harmful chemicals when you clean a toilet. With this simple mixture of vinegar and baking soda, the toilet practically cleans itself. You can also rest easy knowing that you are not flushing toxic ingredients into your septic tank.

If the idea of having to clean a toilet is not pleasant for you, The Maids would be happy to clean a toilet (or three) for our customers.

HOW TO CREATE A HOUSEHOLD TOOL KIT

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:40:46 GMT

Appliance problems are inevitable when owning a home or leasing apartment. While some occurrences may require you to call the maintenance person, many fix-it projects can be done without outside help. The key to preparing yourself for when repairs are necessary is to have a tool kit readied before any issues occur.

A household tool kit is simple to create and only requires a few tools that you can easily find at your local hardware store. The tool kit does not need to be very big and you can store the tool kit in a closet or drawer.

The following article from About.com
( http://interiordec.about.com/od/careandrepair/a/org_toolkits.htm ) outlines the most important items for your household tool kit. This is a great reference especially for those new to living on their own. Pretty soon your tool kit will have you prepared for just about any malfunction in your home.

Put Together a Basic Household Tool Kit

Homeowners and apartment dwellers alike need a basic household tool kit.

You may have lots of tools for particular projects that you use infrequently, and they can be kept in a garage or workroom. But having basic tools handy in your living area makes it much more convenient to do simple home repairs.

You might keep these basic tools in a hall closet, a kitchen drawer, or in a handy tool box or plastic box on a shelf in the entry or mudroom.

It doesn't really matter where you keep them, as long as they're easy to get at for quick home repairs. You'll save lots of inconvenient trips out to the garage or down to the basement.

Your in-home basic tool kit should include these basic do-it-yourself items.

Tape Measure

You may not think you need one, but a 25-foot measuring tape will work for most jobs. Whether you measure for a tablecloth or window treatment, or a whole room for new flooring, choose one large enough to easily measure your home's spaces. A second smaller tape of 6 to 12 feet can be put in a pocket or purse for shopping trips or for hanging pictures.

Screwdrivers

Two basic screwdrivers are a necessity. Choose both a good quality flat head screwdriver and a Phillips head screwdriver in a medium size. A set of tiny screwdrivers will come in handy when you need to tighten a pair of eyeglasses or fix audio or computer equipment.

Pliers

One pliers will not do. Get a small assortment in various sizes and shapes. You'll use a needle-nose pliars most frequently, but have a heavy grooved pliers for removing nails or large staples. Wire cutting pliers are good for wiring and craft jobs.

Level

You get what you pay for here. It's important to get an accurate level for accurate positioning. A good sturdy level will last a lifetime. (These are also called "torpedo levels" due to shapes of the tapered ends.) A level is a must for straightening up pictures, drilling holes in a level line, checking tabletop alignment, or mounting towel bars perfectly.

Hammer

Whether you're hanging pictures or putting shelf supports up, a medium weight hammer will cover most household jobs. Consider other sizes if you'll be doing either delicate projects or construction.

Vice Grip

This tool resembles a pliers, but has a locking mechanism that grips and holds things tightly. Use it to grip a screw you want to remove or use two to twist sticky things apart. They provide a slip-free hold when you need it.

Assortment of Nails and Screws

You might find prepackaged sets of basic sizes at a home center or get a small divided box and put together a custom assortment that will come in handy when you hang pictures or make minor repairs.

Wire Cutters

Save your scissors with this essential tool. A wire cutter makes it easy to snip wire for crafts, electrical repairs, and other household projects.

Pencils

You'll probably need to mark a drill hole or record a measurement. Have pencils handy and write on post it notes or bits of blue painter's tape if you don't want to write on the wall.

Blue Painter's Tape

Even professional painters use this tape to mask off areas they don't want to paint. It's available in several widths and looks like plain masking tape. But this special tape is blue and can be removed from most surfaces without damage. You can use it for other household jobs besides painting. Mark stud locations with a small square when hanging a picture or installing molding. Tape off the edges of a door frame when painting a wall, or tape down runners of heavy kraft paper to protect floors from dirt and scratches when moving.

Here are more basic items to put in a household tool kit.

Cordless Drill

You may feel this is a luxury, but there are nearly endless uses for this handy tool. The obvious use is drilling pilot holes for nails and screws, but you can also insert screwdriver bits to help insert or remove screws.

Utility Blades and Holder

There are several varities to choose from in knives. A fast easy one has breakaway blades which is especially useful when doing a wallpaper or a delicate craft project. They are also handy when opening sealed boxes.

Metal Straightedge

Choose a heavy ruler, long level or angle. It can be used to measure or mark, and serves as a cutting guide for heavy materials when using a utility knife.

Felt, Plastic, and Carpet Dots

Keep an assortment of these sticky-backed furniture protectors on hand. Felt dots can be applied to the bottoms of vases, candleholders, boxes, or any accessory that might scratch a table surface. Plastic or rubber dots applied to the bottom back corners of a picture can help keep framed pictures level. Carpet dots are heavier and thicker and used under chair and table legs to avoid scrape marks on hardwood floors.

Spackle

You'll need spackle for filling nail holes in sheetrock before painting or to repair small scratches, holes, or dents in walls. Unless you do lots of repair jobs, we'd recommend buying a small tub. Spackle dries out even if you seal the container well, and then it will not go on smoothly.

Putty Knife

To apply spackle, you'll need a putty knife. Other uses include scraping up a bit of paint or smoothing down a corner of repaired wallpaper. Putty knives come in either metal or plastic and are very inexpensive.

Paint Can Key

This simple tool will come in handy when you need to open a can or paint, varnish, or stain.

Package Sealing Tape

Though it looks like wide Scotch tape, sealing tape is actually stickier and heavier weight. Use it to re-seal cardboard boxes, to tape together a number of slippery items (such as sticks of molding, etc.), or just to prepare boxed gifts for mailing. Get a large tape dispenser which will let you apply tape with one hand if you're moving and need to seal a lot of boxes.

Glues

A supply of super glue, carpenter's glue, and white glue should cover most household needs. Follow manufacturer's directions for best results.

Solvents

To remove scratches or sticky substances, paint smudges or tape residue, a small tube of "Goof Off" or "Goo Gone" are good addition to a tool kit. Follow directions on the lables for proper use.

Now that you have learned the key elements of creating a tool kit, it is time to build your tool kit. The easiest way to keep your tool kit compact and organized is to purchase a box from a craft store or a hardware store to contain your tool kit.

A tool kit is useful in a variety of instances, including if you are planning to do any renovations in your home. A tool kit can also come in handy in everyday living. For example, a paint can key may come in handy for opening a can in the kitchen, and super glue may rescue your new purse’s broken clasp. Keeping a household tool kit around can assuredly become important during emergencies.

Another essential item that you should consider keeping in your tool kit is a flashlight; both for power outages or doing work on a poorly lit part of your home.

We at The Maids are as dedicated to the upkeep of your home as you are. We hope that this article has helped you ready an emergency tool kit for your home. If you need help with keeping your home in its best shape, call us for all of your cleaning needs.

How to Clean and Organize Your Garage

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:16:40 GMT

It is easy to allow your garage to gather all of the clutter that you don’t want in your house. Sometimes garages can get so filled that there is no longer any room for your car. If you are beginning to reach that point, or already have, cleaning the garage may seem like too daunting a task to tackle.

But with these nine tips from HGTV ( http://www.hgtv.com/homekeeping/to-do-list-organizing-the-garage/index.html ), your cluttered garage can turn into a clean space in no time. If you begin with a plan for organizing your garage before you begin, chances are that you can successfully rid your garage of chaos.

To-Do List: Organizing the Garage

The garage is where we toss everything that doesn't have a place in the house. If you find yourself using your garage as a receptacle, it's likely that you haven't resolved all your organizing challenges within the home-and that your garage needs a serious overhaul. Reclaim your garage and restore order with this organizational to-do list.

1.Set aside enough time to work on the project.

Back-to-back days are recommended (like an entire weekend) so that items being sorted don't have to sit out in piles for long. Tip: Try to plan for a dry weekend, because you'll have to pull many items out of the shelter of the garage.

2.Don't tackle it by yourself.

Hire an expert, or round up a team of helpers. Otherwise, it may turn into an overwhelming task that will be abandoned halfway through. Tip: Be sure you have a plan for directing your helpers through the process from start to finish.

3.Categorize the items in your garage.

Typical categories include recycling, sports and recreational equipment, camping gear, automotive, seasonal decor, garden gear and tools. Evaluate things like luggage and paint and see whether you can store them elsewhere. Tip: It's much easier to tackle a garage after you've organized the rest of the house. Once you determine the purpose of your interior storage, many garage items can be relocated.

4. Group the garage's contents.

Once you know the categories of the items that will live in your garage, begin grouping them into the categories in the driveway or the center of the garage. A few cardboard boxes will help you to group, because everything from huge paint cans to nuts and bolts will eventually need to be contained. Be sure to label the boxes. Tip: Don't buy containers, bins, baskets and boxes to organize your items just yet. A big mistake is buying containers now and later discovering you don't have the correct sizes or sturdiness.

5. Trash or donate items that don't fit the categories.

Sometimes, random parts or items are discovered in the garage and you don't know what to do with them. If you want to keep them, assign them to the most similar category or put them in a visible place so you remember that you have them. Otherwise, start your donation and trash piles now.

6. Determine the best garage layout.

Decide where you want each type of item to live, considering its frequency of use and the available space. For instance, recycling should live near the entrance to the home, and tools should live near the workbench. Tip: Think about "valuable real estate" when considering available space. Parking space and shelves at eye level or within reach are "valuable real estate." Less valuable real estate would be very high or low shelves and should be reserved for less frequently used items.

7. Install built-in cabinets or modular storage if needed.

Now that you know what you're keeping and how much space you have, determine what containers to use. Make the most of vertical space with wall-mounted pegboards and wire grids that hold everything from sports equipment to garden tools. Also take advantage of overhead space with sturdy shelves that mount to the ceiling.

8. Relocate items to their new homes within the garage.

9. Set an organizing schedule.

Get your quarterly or biannual garage maintenance on your calendar. If it doesn't make it onto your calendar, it's less likely to happen. And remember to put things away promptly after using them.

Remember that when cleaning, a room (or garage) must get dirtier before it is clean. This is why setting aside a couple of days in a row to work on your garage project will prevent large piles of items from sitting around in your garage too long.

Also keep in mind that if you doubt the value of something in your garage, chances are it should be thrown away. This will stop you from keeping too many things that you don’t need that will only use up precious space in your garage.

If you are still feeling overwhelmed by the mess in your garage, contact The Maids. We would be happy to help de-clutter your life.

The Right Way to Care for Your Curtains

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:39:56 GMT

Curtains may be one of the most neglected aspects of your home when it comes to cleaning. After you hang them, it is easy to forget that they require upkeep as well.

It is important to vacuum and wash your curtains to prevent a gathering of dirt and dust. Especially in the summer months, curtains are also subjected to harsh UV rays that can fade and damage the curtains. You can choose from a few different options when it comes to protecting your curtains from the sunlight.

This guide from Overstock.com ( http://www.overstock.com/guides/how-to-care-for-curtains ) outlines the basic steps to follow when thinking about upkeep for your curtains. You may want to get started on these curtain cleaning steps right away, as many people do not care for their curtains on a regular basis. It is important to read through these steps carefully, as some curtains may need special treatment.

How to Care for Curtains

Adding style and privacy to your home is easy with the right curtains for your windows. It's also easy to keep your drapes and curtains looking great for years to come with the proper care. Whether you need to clean delicate sheer curtains or keep your lined curtains from losing their crispness, the following suggestions will help you preserve your favorite window treatments. Read on for tips on caring for curtains.

Caring for Curtains:

1. Protect your curtains from sunlight damage. If your windows receive a lot of direct sunlight, the drapes and curtains you hang will fade over time. Prevent this by hanging light-colored curtains in these windows, which won't fade as quickly as dark curtains will. Lined curtains are also a great option, as the lining will protect the outer fabric of your curtains from damage.

2. Vacuum your curtains once a month. To prevent dust from accumulating in the folds of your curtains, you'll want to use a hand-held vacuum and a brush attachment monthly to remove dust and dirt. Make sure that you also clean the edges of your curtains, especially living room curtains, because these are frequently touched and may also accumulate dust from the window sills. Before vacuuming living room curtains or any heavy curtains, however, make sure that there are no embellishments or loose trims that could be damaged.

3. Wash curtains when they're especially dirty. You may occasionally need to wash the curtains in your home, especially kitchen curtains that absorb cooking odors and splattered grease over time. To do this, read the care instructions carefully. Bedroom and kitchen curtains made of cotton and linen can usually be machine washed, but silk curtains should almost always be washed by hand. Before washing any type of curtains, test a small patch with water to see how the fabric reacts. Some silk curtains or other delicate draperies may bleed their color when first washed. Whether you machine wash or hand wash your curtains, always use cool water and a mild detergent so that they don't shrink or become misshapen.

4. Press your curtains when necessary. You'll need to press your curtains when you wash them, of course, but you may also need to iron your living room or bedroom curtains occasionally to refresh the fabric and keep pleats looking crisp. To iron your curtains without damaging the fabric, always turn them inside out, put your iron on a low setting and gently glide the iron over the material. Check the care label on sheer curtains before ironing them; you may be able to dip them in a starch mixture and hang them again without ironing so that you don't ruin the material. Living room or bedroom curtains with embellishments must be pressed carefully so that the fabric doesn't pucker and the embellishments aren't damaged.

Aside from choosing UV protected curtains, or hanging a curtain liner, it is important to note that a third option exists. Window treatments that deflect the sunlight are also a good way to prevent curtains from fading.

Making sure that your curtains are dust-free is helpful in managing indoor allergies and asthma. Always be sure to make note of the washing instructions for the type of fabric used in your curtains so that you do not risk ruining them.

A clean house is a happy house, as we at The Maids live by!

SIX THINGS YOU SHOULD CLEAN – BUT PROBABLY DON’T

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 07:33:41 GMT

Having to clean our home is a chore that most of us do not enjoy. Yet it must be done in order to maintain a healthy, presentable home.

Everyone has their own routine for when and what they clean in their house, but chances are that some objects are completely forgotten—some rather important objects. This is understandable—it can be simple to overlook some objects that you see every day in your home when powering through your clean routine. Homeowners should keep in mind that it is important to clean items such as reusable grocery bags, showerheads, computer keyboards, draperies, trash cans, and doormats in order to remove a constant gathering of bacteria.

If you are skeptical about the importance of keeping these everyday items clean, then read the article below from DevineCaroline.com ( http://www.divinecaroline.com/22154/102475-six-things-clean-probably ) and you will be convinced to pay closer attention to these specific items, and rethink your own clean practices.

Six Things You Should Clean – but Probably Don’t

I am a cleaning nut. If there’s a surface to be shined, I’ll shine it. If there’s streaky glass, I’ll polish it. I’ll clean, wash, scrub, and disinfect just about everything in my house I can get my hands on, and I’ve even been known to not sleep well when I know dust bunnies are gathering under the bed. (My fiancé still hasn’t decided whether my proclivity for cleaning makes him the luckiest or most tortured man in the world.)

Regardless of whether your cleaning routine is a simple toilet-floor-dishes progression or one that borders on mania (like, umm, sanitizing your baseboards), there are likely some items in your house that are riddled with germs and need to be sanitized. Even those of us on high dirt alert can occasionally forget about these stealthy bacteria bombs.

Reusable Grocery Bags

Many of us have gotten into the habit of taking our own bags when we do our shopping, but how many of us clean them after each trip? According to a study conducted by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, 97 percent of consumers never wash their bags. About 50 percent of the bags tested contained coliform (fecal) bacteria, and 12 percent contained E. coli. Especially since many people choose reusable bags to bring their lunch to work, to transport books or clothes, and for many other household uses, washing them after each use is the key to stopping contamination from vegetables or raw meat. Cloth bags can go directly into the washer and dryer, and recycled plastic bags can be wiped down with hot soapy water or treated with a disinfectant spray. Researchers also advise using each bag for only a single purpose—carrying raw meat, carrying vegetables, transporting laundry, or as a miscellaneous shopping tote.

Showerheads

Everyone loves a shower in the morning, but no one wants to get showered with bacteria. If you haven’t cleaned your showerhead recently, though, this is what may be happening. A study at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that 30 percent of showerheads tested positive for Mycobacterium avium, a germ that can cause lung infections, and for other various bacteria and fungi. Since some microbes may be resistant to chlorine, the best way to clean a showerhead is to soak it in a diluted vinegar solution and then scrub the deposits away with an old toothbrush. Plastic showerheads are more prone to bacterial buildup than metal ones, so people with compromised immune systems are advised to consider switching if necessary.

Computer Keyboards

A 2008 experiment by a researcher in England found that some computer keyboards harbor five times as many bacteria than the average toilet seat—bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), E. coli, and staph. The Centers for Disease Control blamed computer-equipment contamination for a 2007 norovirus outbreak that affected more than 100 people at a Washington, D.C., elementary school. Even private computers used at home aren’t immune to infection, considering that people are more likely to clean, take out trash, prepare food, handle pets, or use the bathroom without washing their hands when they’re at home. A good scrub after typing is the best way to avoid getting sick, but cleaning the keyboard is another good idea. First, eliminate dirt and crumbs using a vacuum cleaner or compressed-air canister, and then use a solution of diluted dishwashing detergent or isopropyl alcohol to swab down the keys with cotton balls or cotton swabs. (Make sure you disconnect the keyboard first.) While you’re at it, you might as well give the same treatment to your mouse, as well as your TV’s remote control.

Draperies

They may hang motionless, but drapes and curtains are a magnet for dust mites, pet hair, mold, dander, and debris of all kinds. If someone in your house suffers from indoor allergies, cleaning the curtains regularly can help reduce allergen buildup. Simple panel curtains can usually be washed and dried at home and then steamed to release wrinkles. There are certain types of draperies you should take to a dry cleaner or other cleaning professional, including lace curtains, designs with embroidery or appliqué, those with pleats or complicated fabric construction, and draperies that are too big to fit into your washing machine. In between washings, experts recommend vacuuming curtains with a hose and brush attachment at least once a month to prevent debris from building up.

Trash Cans

Considering that the kitchen is usually the dirtiest spot in any house—even dirtier than the bathroom—it’s no surprise that trash cans can become laden with germs. Even if you take out the trash regularly (which I sincerely hope you do), the can itself is still coming into contact with dirt, dust, old food, raw meat, decomposing vegetables, moldy leftovers, kitty litter, and whatever else we deem to be too old, too gross, or too disgusting to keep in the house. Clean the trash cans at least twice a month to prevent the spread of germs like E. coli, salmonella, trichinosis, and simple cold and flu bugs. Small pails can go into the dishwasher; wash large cans with hot water and a mild bleach solution or with a product designed for pet messes, which contain enzymes to break down bacteria. A hose works best, but apartment-dwellers can clean a large trash can in the shower. (Just remember to rinse out the tub afterward.)

Doormats
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that about 96 percent of shoes carry traces of fecal bacteria on the soles. If you think about the legions of feet that have crossed your threshold, you might decide that it’s time to give the welcome mat a welcome washing. Vacuum mats with fabric tops before washing to remove dust and loose dirt; you can wash rubber-backed mats in the washing machine. The easiest way to clean any doormat is to spray it down with a garden hose or use the pressure washer at a car wash, using a small amount of soap or detergent. Allow the mat to air-dry completely before putting it back into service.

No matter how vigilant we are, we can never create a completely sterile environment. It’s normal to come into contact with some germs and bacteria—they help us digest our food, keep our immune systems on alert, and provide a whole host of beneficial services. We can’t eradicate every single microbe that crosses our paths, but given the choice between living with more or fewer bacteria, you don’t have to be a clean freak to know which to pick.

Not only is avoiding a routine clean for each of these items going to cause your home to appear dirty, but it can also compromise your health. Especially if you or someone in your family has an immune disease, consider keeping these objects clean at all times. The dangerous amount of E. coli brought into your house without a frequent clean could mean more sickness for you and those living in your home, yet it is nothing that a little bit of bleach and elbow grease cannot fix.

If a regular clean is just too much for your busy schedule, The Maids are happy to help. We are dedicated to helping keep your home as clean as it can be.

DETOX YOUR HOME: RID YOUR HOME OF TOXIC CLEANING PRODUCTS

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:48:57 GMT

If “detox your home” is not on your spring cleaning to-do list, it sure should be!

Clean your home naturally and safely with non-toxic cleaning products for a detoxifying experience.

Detoxifying your home should be an essential part of your spring cleaning regimen.

You’ve probably heard of doing a detox to eliminate the internal toxins from your body, but did you know that you can also detox your hoome? Evidence shows that what we use to clean our home is just as important as what we’re putting in and on our bodies. After all, the toxins that are present in our home make their way into our bodies eventually.

Just because you can’t literally see the toxins floating around in your home, these invisible toxins still exist. Indoor air quality is actually about 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. After a long winter of closed doors and trapped stale air, spring is the time to freshen up and detoxify your home!

You can find a natural, green cleaning product for just about anything these days. Below you will find helpful information from KeeperoftheHome.org that shares some wonderful recipes for non-toxic cleaning products that you can use to detox your home. You can essentially clean the whole house with four non-toxic ingredients!

Non-Toxic Cleaners You Can Make at Home

Written by Stacy Karen, Contributing Writer

Advertisers everywhere proclaim the germ fighting power of chemical-filled cleaners. Many would have us believe that there is no way to clean and disinfect without a chemical product. And doesn’t every good mother want to rid her home of germs and dirt?

May I encourage you not to buy into these messages? A little dirt won’t kill you or your children.

While it is true that some germs can be dangerous, so are the chemicals in the cleaners that claim to eradicate said germs! The toxins contained in most commercial cleaners are unhealthy for us and the environment.

In her book, The Naturally Clean Home, Karyn Siegel-Maier states:

"A study by the Toronto Indoor Air Commission concluded that, due to increased exposure to household carcinogens, women who work at home have a 55 percent greater chance of developing cancer than women who spend the majority of their time outside the home."

This is a sobering reminder that we should not be adding to our toxic load by using chemical laden cleaners day after day.

Thankfully more and more non-toxic cleaners are becoming available. However, these new choices can be expensive (and many are still not entirely safe). Lucky for us, it is easy and inexpensive to make cleaners at home. And you don’t need a bunch of fancy ingredients to do it. Keeping vinegar, Castile soap, baking soda, and essential oils on hand will enable you to make just about every cleaner you need.

Today I’d like to show you how to make a variety of non-toxic cleaners using these four ingredients.

But first, here is a brief overview of each ingredient:

Vinegar

White, distilled vinegar is great for deodorizing, degreasing and general cleaning. It’s also extremely inexpensive and readily available.

The smell of vinegar does dissipate fairly quickly, but if you dislike it a great deal, try scenting it. To create scented vinegar, simply add 75 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil to a one gallon jug of white vinegar (this combination came from Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan, page 254-255).

Castile Soap

This gentle soap is made from vegetable fat/oil such as hemp, palm or olive (opposed to tallow). It is a versatile cleaner that works well with other ingredients as well as alone.

Baking Soda

The texture of baking soda makes it useful as a mild abrasive. It is also an excellent deodorizer.Many of us already have an open box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb smells, but it can also be used to scrub sinks and clean toilets!

To freshen carpets, add a few drops of essential oil to a box of baking soda, stir to combine, sprinkle on the carpet and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Then vacuum.

Essential Oils

These concentrated plant oils contain powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-biotic and anti-fungal properties. While they can sometimes be expensive, one small bottle will last a long time. They add a lovely fragrance to your homemade cleaners, which provides psychological benefits too!

My favorite essential oils for cleaning are: lemon, orange, peppermint, lavender, and tea tree.

Image by Rowdy Kittens

Simple Recipes to Clean the Whole House

Floors

My favorite floor cleaner is made by adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of Castile soap and 10 drops of lemon essential oil to a large container. Fill with 1 gallon of hot water and stir to mix. If the floor is greasy, add up to 1/8 cup of vinegar.

Walls

The above floor cleaner will work well on walls too. If you wish to disinfect walls (or door knobs, crib rails, and so on), mix equal parts vinegar and water. Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil, per 16 oz of mixture, if desired.

Mirrors

Mirrors can be cleaned well with water and a microfiber cloth. If you are looking for more shine (and germ killing power), combine 1 ½ cups of water with ½ cup of vinegar in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Add 5 to 10 drops of orange or lemon essential oil for extra cleaning power and added fragrance.

Counter tops

I often keep leftover floor cleaner in a spray bottle and use it on the counter tops. It works very well.

If this is not available I will make some disinfecting spray with lavender and peppermint essential oil and water. Adding two tablespoons of Castile soap to this mix will help loosen dirt or grime if necessary.

Toilets

Pouring a little straight or scented vinegar into the toilet bowl is a great way to clean and deodorize. For regular toilet seat wipe downs, keep some vinegar in a spray bottle. (Because it’s non-toxic and safe to use, why not give kids the job of swishing and swiping each day!)

Bath and shower

The best way to keep the shower clean is to regularly spray the walls with vinegar, this helps prevent soap and scum from building up. Using a squeegee to remove excess water (a few times each week) is also very effective, especially on glass doors.

For a thorough cleaning, it is easy to make your own soft soap cleaner with baking soda and Castile soap.

The recipes shared here today are just a sampling of the natural, non-toxic cleaners that can be made with four basic ingredients (or less). There are many other possibilities

It is always a good idea to label your homemade cleaners. Writing the recipe on the container also helps make refills a breeze.

The change of seasons marks a new beginning for your home. Take this time to create an eco-friendly and safe environment for you and your family indoors. Detoxifying your home and ridding your closets and shelves of toxic cleaning products is one big way to do so.

Breathe easier knowing you tackled the toxins that matter most in your home!

Read more about how The Maids tackle toxins in your home with our green cleaning process .

NATURAL ANT CONTROL: HOW TO GET RID OF ANTS IN YOUR HOME

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:13:13 GMT

Having ants in the home is a constant battle faced by so many people.

As the warmer weather settles in, keeping ants out of the home is a struggle we all must deal with. Drawn by open containers, exposed food and ease of entrance, ants find your home quite attractive in the spring and summer. To get rid of ants in your home, make sure you tightly seal all leftover food well and keep your floors and countertops clean of the crumbs and stickiness ants love.

There are plenty of other natural ways you can get rid of ants in your home. eHow.com ( http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Ants-Naturally ) shares a wealth of information to help you keep ants out of your home without harming small children, pets or the environment. The following tips use many of the items around your home to get rid of ants naturally.

How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

1. Heed the scouts.

The first signs of ants in your kitchen is a warning to you. These are the scout ants checking out your kitchen for signs of suitability to invade and their job will be to return back to the nest to inform the other ants that your kitchen is blooming with potential. Waste no time in getting to work cleaning your kitchen, sealing all food and removing all sources of sticky, sweet, greasy and flesh foods from their access.

Don't have any dirty dishes left out. Wash all dishes as they're used or place them into the dishwasher and shut the door tight. Wipe down all of your cupboard and benchtop surfaces with vinegar; this cleans, disinfects and leaves a nasty smell as far as ants are concerned. Remove all sources of garbage and keep the kitchen bin shut tightly. Rinse all recyclable containers before putting them into storage.
Sweep and vacuum the kitchen area daily.
Rinse off any jar, container or bottle that has a sticky or leftover residue. In particular, check jam/jelly jars, sauce bottles, pickle bottles, cordial bottles and honey and syrup containers. Place your honey jar and any other very ant-attractive foods inside a bowl of water (see How to keep ants out of honey and How to remove ants from cat food for more details.
Seal every food item in containers. The containers need to be of the sort that ants cannot get into. Be relentless about this for 3-7 days. The ants, having nothing to eat, will go elsewhere. This works because the ants are following the chemical trails left by other ants, who did find food.
You may also need to seal fragrant items such as cleaning powders, deodorants, and the like in case these attract the ants' initial attention. Just be alert to any congregations around non-food sources.

2. Seal off all entrance areas.

As part of your big kitchen clean, do some of your own scouting work. Can you tell where the ants are entering the house? Follow the first ants to see where they're entering and leaving from. Seal all the entrance holes that you can find using silicone caulk, putty, glue or plaster. Temporary methods can include petroleum jelly or poster tack. If you use a temporary sealant (such as poster tack), only do so until you can purchase a more permanent solution, as it will deteriorate over time and open up the gap again.

3. Load the soapy water.

Soapy water will both kill the ants it hits and it will destroy their chemical trail, preventing more ants from following in their tracks.This cheap and easy method consists simply of putting one teaspoon of liquid dish soap into a spray bottle and filling it with water. When you see ants, spritz them and that will be it!

Additions to the water for added potency include mint oil or citrus peels or citrus rind oil.
Adding soap to water barriers can make them even more effective than simply using the water.

4. Put up defensive barriers.

There are a number of barrier methods that you can put into place to really terrify the ants and keep them at bay. Many of the products that form these natural barriers are probably already in your kitchen; they just need to be deployed properly. A barrier doesn't need to be wider than a quarter of an inch (6.35mm) but it must be an unbroken line. Be clear that barriers won't work on ants already in the kitchen (indeed, you'll be trapping them inside) but they will prevent any more ants from coming in. Some of the items with which to make barriers include:

Powdered charcoal
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Citrus oil
Black or cayenne pepper (hotter is best); or try red chili pepper
Chalk lines
Vaseline (great for doors and windows)
Baby powder
Powdered cleanser
Desiccating dusts such as diatomaceous earth or silica aerogel.

5. Sprinkle around deterring odors.

Ants dislike various scents such as peppermint and camphor. These can be used fresh or in oil form to disturb the ambiance of any area that ants have been making their way to. The great thing about these fragrant deterrents is that your own preferences for scent can be used to improve the household odorsin general, all the while making your kitchen, pantry and other areas very ant-unfriendly. Here are some ideas:

Crushed mint leaves; and grow mint near the entrance areas. Dried peppermint is also effective.
Lavender oil; and grow lavender near the entrance areas.
Oil of clove or crush cloves and sprinkle as a barrier.
Camphor.
Use laurel/bay leaves to keep the ants away from a specific food. Ants are especially attracted to sugar, paprika and flour. Put laurel/bay leaves in your sugar can, flour canister and paprika jar. You will be amazed!

6. Create your own ant baits.

You can buy ant baits but they're chemical preparations that don't fit well with natural attempts to control ants in the home. It's straightforward to make your own ant baits and a particularly successful one is made using boric acid. A natural derivative of the mineral boron, boric acidis used in borax and some saline solutions. Boric acid is a stomach poison – when ants walk in it and then clean their feet or antennae, they ingest it. Bearing in mind that removing too many ants from your local environment can harm the good they're doing in keeping down pests for you, here is how to make a boric acid bait:

Buy boric acid at the local drug store (it's about USD$2 a bottle).
Pour about a tablespoon of real maple syrup (or anything you know ants love) on a flat plate or saucer.
Sprinkle the boric acid around the syrup so that the ants must walk through it to get to the syrup, you may even use a q-tip to ensure a good distribution of the powder around the the syrup.
Place wherever the ants are frequenting. Keep out of the reach of children or pets. Be patient as this method can take a week to take effect.

7. Use food against ants.

There are several techniques that can get rid of ants through their inability to digest the food or through expansion and death. It's not very pretty to think about but these methods do work. As with all methods, put the bait food where the ants are appearing:

Use corn meal. This method is especially great around pets or children, as corn meal by itself is not poisonous. The ants will carry it home and try to eat it, but they can't digest it properly. Be sure to put corn meal wherever you see that the ants like to frequent.
Put out cream of wheat (farina). Don't cook it – use it raw. The ants eat it and it expands in their stomachs, killing them. Put the food somewhere you know there will be ants and just leave it.
Ants are extremely susceptible to caffeine. Leave coffee grounds (used works) where the ants are and they will carry it home and eat it. This method takes a few weeks to see.

8. Deal with carpenter ants in as natural way as possible.

An invasion of carpenter ants is serious as they can damage your house structure. Be alert for their invasion – piles of broken wings can be one sign and it is longer than most ants. You may also see their fecal pellets (these appear like sawdust) and they can sometimes be heard rustling in the walls. Some ways to deal with them include:

Bait them. They like sugar, so you can turn this against them; use the boric acid method described earlier.
Vacuum their nests out of the wall if possible.
Have an exterminator drill holes in the wall and blow in diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel or boric acid. A professional exterminator specializing in natural pesticides can also use pyrethrin spray or boric acid baits of their own concoction.

9. Use a professional exterminator specializing in natural pesticides to deal with fire ants.

Fire ants rarely enter the home but if they do, get immediate help as they're aggressive and their stings are painful and can trigger off an allergic reaction in susceptible people. If the ants need to be sprayed, insist on the use of a bait that has an insect growth regulator like abamectin in it. In terms of outside areas, you can do this yourself provided you wear clothing top to toe and boots to protect yourself. Sneak up to the nest on a cooler day (the ants and queen rise to get more warmth) and pour several gallons/liters of boiling water into the nest. If you want to use additives to the water, try vinegar, insecticidal soaps, citrus oil, pyrethrum insecticide, or ammonia. And then repeat every day or so until it seems that the ants have given up and moved.

Coat your boots in something sticky to deter the ants from crawling on you as you perform this task.

Splenda

1. Sprinkle Splenda where you see ants. We use this at school where it is not a danger to the kids.

Coffee grounds

1.This really does work! You have to be persistent: empty coffee grounds on ant hills and along your house foundations. We generate a surprising amount of grounds in a week. This safe material confuses the worker ants because they lose their scent trails. Thus the hatched young in the ant colonies have no food and starve. It may take all summer at first but now we don't get ants in the house and the lawn is mostly clear of ant hills. It is important to apply grounds every year but that is what makes this safe! No residue effects. Clean kitchens are also a must.

The easiest way to prevent ants from entering your home is perform routine maintenance on all your doors and windows, ensuring that any cracks or openings are tightly sealed. Keeping your home clean is another important way to keep ants out of your home. If you need help sticking to a regular cleaning schedule, call The Maids of South CT. We’ll help you keep ants out of your home with a clean that sparkles.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN CLEAN BETWEEN MAID VISITS

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:56:48 GMT

Does your kitchen suffer in between maid visits? There’s a way you can keep your kitchen cleaner, longer, without spending loads of time cleaning the kitchen every day. Your maids will be able to provide you with a thorough, deep kitchen cleaning with each visit, but you may not have them scheduled to clean the kitchen every day (actually, you most likely don’t).

Keeping the kitchen clean doesn’t have to be a hassle. There are a lot of kitchen cleaning tips that you can follow to ensure you have a safe, healthy environment for your family year round.

The following article from RealSimple.com shares helpful kitchen cleaning tips so you can keep the kitchen cleaner between maid visits.

Keep the Kitchen Clean Longer

The only thing better than finishing kitchen-cleanup duty? Not having to do it again for a while. These techniques will make your efforts last longer.

Cabinets

Set jars of liquid or jelly on coasters, or line shelves with nonadhesive cork liner. When drips occur, just replace the coasters or the lining.

Countertops

To repel stains on countertops, twice a year apply grout sealer (available at hardware stores) to tile, and stone sealer (also at hardware stores) to stone countertops. Follow the package instructions.
Instead of using wood cutting boards, switch to plastic. Since wood shouldn’t be sanitized in the dishwasher (wood can warp when wet), it can harbor bacteria, which gets on knives and can invade your food-prep area. Pop plastic boards into the dishwasher after every use to kill germs.
To make cleanup faster when you cook, cover countertops with sheets of wax paper, parchment paper, or butcher paper before preparing food. Juices from meats, chicken, and fish never hit the counters, so there’s no need to disinfect. When finished, crumple up the paper and toss.

Freezer and Refrigerator

Place a box of baking soda in the freezer and another in the refrigerator to absorb and neutralize smells; replace them every three months. Alternatives: a mound of charcoal; coffee beans in a bowl; or a cotton ball soaked in vanilla extract and kept in the refrigerator until dry.
Every month or so, dump ice cubes from the trays and make a new batch. Stale ice traps odors, like those from frozen fish or meat.

Sink

Grind the skins of oranges, lemons, and limes in the garbage disposal with a handful of ice cubes. The rock-hard texture of the ice cubes sharpens the blades; the citrus scent of the grated peels clears the air. Or make ice cubes of vinegar instead of water. The vinegar will deodorize the disposal.

Stovetop

Reduce grease splatters on the stovetop and the hood by putting a mesh splatter screen over pans when cooking.

Following these simple and effective kitchen cleaning tips should help you keep the kitchen safe and clean for a longer period of time. If you’re looking for some more tips on how to keep the kitchen clean, read this post from theKitchn.com that offers valuable advice on how to clean the kitchen in just 20 minutes a day.

The Maids are dedicated to providing you with the healthiest, most thorough clean on every visit. Our goal is to put a sparkling touch on your home so that everyone who enters will enjoy it. Learn about our 22-Step Healthy Touch cleaning system by clicking here.

How to Keep Your Home Library Neatly Organized

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 07:31:40 GMT

It is nice when you can dedicate one of the rooms in your house to become a home library. But this is not an option for many people, who have less space to work with. In such cases, book lovers need to find or create space to store their books, like through bookcases and shelves placed in several rooms. Whichever option you choose, there are many ways to organize your shelving systems, allowing you to accommodate as many books as you have. The following are a few tips to help you keep your home library fun and orderly. If you want help with organization or even housekeeping in general, The Maids of New London in Hamden, CT can help.

Librarything.com

Any tech savvy person will appreciate this tool. This platform keeps a record of all your books, and even informs you what shelf they are on, allowing you to keep track of the books you have read, intend to read, and those that you have lent out to friends. Its layout is very simple to use. Once you enter all the details of your book, it brings up a photo next to the title, making it easy to find a specific one while scrolling through the list of your books.

Organizing Alphabetically

This is the most common way to organize books, though it is very time consuming. You simply organize your shelves the same way big libraries do it: alphabetized by title or author’s last name. When using this method, it is important to note that “a” and “the” do not count.

Organizing By Color

This is a great project for homes with kids, since you can have fun together as you organize your books. The best way to start is by piling books with the same color, after which you can move from one colored pile to the next sorting books into your preferred genres. You can then alphabetize within each genre or pile to make it much easier to find a specific book. When sorting in genres, make sure that you keep the order with all piles. For instance,

Black: biographies, fiction, history
Red: biographies, fiction, history

It is important to label your books with your name, address, and number, and to keep a journal for writing down the books that you have lent out. Labeling helps your friends remember whose book they borrowed.

DIY HOME TIPS FOR TACKLING THE “HONEY-DO” LIST BEFORE SPRING

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:25:46 GMT

Spring dreaming? That means it’s time to think about spring cleaning!

Now, about that “Honey-do” list that your spouse or significant other expects you to complete before spring makes an appearance on Tuesday, March 20th.

Find a little inspiration before you tackle your honey-do list, and spring chores can actually be enjoyable!

Stuck with the “Honey-do” list?... have you even thought about tackling that yet?

Spring 2012 will be here before you know it, so it’s time to put your thinking cap on and decide how you’re going to tackle your spring to do list as a self-proclaimed do-it-yourselfer.

Common DIY home projects, as seen on the (dreaded) “Honey-do” list:

Install shelving and hanger rods
Install door knobs, locks and deadbolts
Replace exhaust fans and covers
Install smoke detectors
Repair or replace broken tiles
Install ceramic tiles
Replace sink fixtures
Caulk tubs, sinks and tiles
Replace lighting fixtures
Fix broken drawers
Repair broken fences and gates
Paint doors, windows, trim, rooms, or your home’s exterior
Replace garage door springs
Clean and repair rain gutters
Clean and lubricate sliding doors
Doesn’t the spring to-do list seem to go on, and on?

Whether you have spring home maintenance to tackle, spring cleaning and organization chores, or you’re not even sure what home projects need priority, we’re here to help you out. We don’t believe that you should have to dread your spring to-do list!

The following article from PGEverydaySolutions.com offers a few excellent DIY home tips to make tackling your honey-do list a little easier… and a lot less dreadful. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer with a long list of spring cleaning chores ahead of you, sift through these DIY tips for some inspiration (and maybe a sigh of relief).

Get Motivated to Tackle Your To-do List

Spring is here and you've got about a million and one things you want to get done around the house. So before you get overwhelmed by the mounting tasks, give yourself some inspiration to accomplish your goals. Take some time out to strategize about how best to accomplish your to-do list, and try these helpful, motivating tips:

Ask yourself why.

Try switching your focus from what you have to do ("I've got to clean the garage, move the bikes, get rid of boxes, ugh!") to the reason why you're beginning the project. Concentrating on the why ("I'm cleaning out the garage so I can actually fit my car in here!") can get you excited about the end result.

Do 10 jumping jacks.

You remember these from grade school — jumping jacks are the perfect way to get your blood pumping. Using almost every major muscle group in your body, a quick set of 10 can energize you and help you focus. As always, you should consult your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Prioritize fun.

Spend five minutes in the morning prioritizing your day. It will help you set realistic timelines and make your tasks easier to accomplish. Plus, it gives you the chance to put the most interesting or easiest project first — starting off your day on the right note.

Call in the reinforcements.

Calling on a good friend to help with one of your least favorite tasks can make the drudgery fun before you know it. Even if it's running errands, you're more than likely to have a friend or two who needs to go to the post office, drugstore or the cleaners. While you're out you can pick up a thank-you card ....

Promise yourself a treat.

While the thought of a slice of pie may not be enough to get you to jump at the prospect of washing windows, you may want to ask yourself — and your pocketbook — how much you saved by doing the project yourself. From edging the yard to cleaning out the gutters, you may be surprised to find that your to-do list tasks saved you a nice chunk of money. Whether it's a manicure or a nice dinner out, you deserve a special treat!

Work, family and the daily demands of life can turn a simple honey-do list into a never-ending battle with time (or lack of, for that matter). We hope that this article on DIY home projects will take some stress off your plate.

And when it comes to your spring cleaning honey-do list, you know you should give The Maids a call ! Our professional, licensed maids will come to your home to help you tackle your spring cleaning so you have one less thing to worry about. See how we’re always thinking green , and exactly which areas of your home we can tackle for you !