Monthly Archives: April 2009

Essential Cleaning Supplies for a Super Clean Home

Posted on by
Reply

The task of cleaning the house is easier when you use the right cleaning supplies to do it. This is very important! You do not want to use the wrong porducts and damage surfaces.The essential cleaning supplies will aid you in your task of cleaning as it will take less effort and time.

First of all, read the label on each cleaning product before you purchase it from a store. All labels list any warnings or precautions for the product as well as what the solution ingredients are and its uses.  Don’t be fooled by a cleaning product that is labeled as an “all-purpose” cleaner, because it may not be good for all surfaces.Be aware that those cleaning products that have ammonia in them could damage some surfaces like plastic or laminate permanently.To clean well you don’t always have to use a strong cleaner.Most of the time all you really need to use is a mild soap and a bucket of warm water.

Whether you are going to light every day cleaning or are ready to delve into the large annual house cleaning you should be sure to gather your essential cleaning supplies together before you start your cleaning.Which products are the essential cleaning supplies that you will probably use the most?Think about what you things you need to clean in order to answer the question.

If you wan to clean efficiently then you start from the top of the room and work your way down and floors are the last thing you do.  The basic essential cleaning supplies you will need are rags so that you can dust cobwebs in the corners, the tops of shelves and ledges, and ceiling fan blades. There are many products out recently that advertise that they have a better way to dust, but the truth is that an old rag will work just as well as any of these new products.To uses rags that are made form old t-shirts or mismatched socks is cost effective. Rather than get thrown out rags can be used again after washing. Even though the rag will remove cobwebs nicely you will need to use furniture polish to dust your shelves and other wood surfaces.  So in addition to rags in your cleaning kit, make sure you put some furniture polish in there also.

Your cleaning kit must also contain a window washing cleaner because it is an essential cleaning product.You do not an expensive brand to get that streak free shine no matter what the advertisements for name brand products say. There is a trick to getting streak free windows without spending the extra dough on products that work just as well as the bargain brands; all you do is use newspaper to wipe down the window glass instead of using paper towels like everyone else does.You can put used newspapers in a brown paper bags when cleaning so add those to your cleaning kit also. Then when you are done with your cleaning, you just throw the whole bag into the recycling bin.

 

An anti-bacterial spray should also be included in your bucket of essential cleaning supplies. There are alot of cleaners on the market that can be used on all types of surfaces and that are made to be used in different areas of the house specifically. there are two specific cleaning products you need to get, one that will clean both the kitchen and bathroom surfaces and one that is designed to clean hard soap scum and mildew.

The last thing to be cleaned in a room is the floor.  A mop, bucket, and floor cleaner are essential for cleaning all non-carpeted areas; however, it is not practical to carry these things from room to room as you clean. Just keep these things together and pull them out when you are ready to use them. Be sure to vacuum all areas of the carpet really well. Many people use a carpet freshener which comes in either a powder or a spray to use on the carpets.

Keep all your essential cleaning supplies together in a box or bucket once you have aquired them all. It’s easy to be an efficient cleaner when you have all the supplies you need and they are all orgainzed and ready to use.

 

 

The Professional And Gentle Way To Clean Rugs

Posted on by
Reply

Rugs form an important part of your valuable soft furnishings and indoor living space, whether they are used for decoration, as a floor covering or to create warmth in a room. Rugs can help reduce wear on areas near doors or create interest on wooden floors.

Rugs like other home furnishings can suffer from a build up of dirt, dust and soiling and require a regular thorough deep down professional clean. However, the thought of cleaning your own rugs can be a thankless task that leaves you feeling overwhelmed.

Professionally cleaned rugs and carpets can transform your home and restore your furnishings to an almost new state. If you have hired carpet cleaning professionals, why not get your rugs professionally cleaned at the same time, professional rug cleaning companies will have an armoury of specialised rug cleaning equipment and technology, to restore the napp and pile of your rug.

Those who are unsure about taking on the task of cleaning their own rugs and carpets should call in the services of the professionals who have all the correct rug cleaning equipment and necessary cleaning solutions. This way you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the benefits of professionally cleaned rugs and carpets without all the hassle and work.  

Modern & oriental rugs are either constructed by either hand or machine; therefore they are likely to be coloured and finished using different materials, dyes and processes. Identifying a rug and its history plays an important part in any rug cleaning process. 

Professional Rug cleaners can clean rugs on-site or at their purpose built rug cleaning workshop (this will depend on the extent of soiling, size and convenience). It is essential that your professional rug cleaner vacuums both sides of the rug, uses a cleaning solution that gently lifts stains to the surface and provides a thorough deep down rug clean. 

When selecting your professional rug cleaner, make sure their use a rug cleaning process which is fast drying, this will reduce the risk of colour bleeding and the growth of mould. Some professional rug cleaning companies can clean and dry rugs in hours not days.

How to Care For Your Granite Countertops

Posted on by
Reply

Normal 0

Many homeowners that have made an effort to invest in their homes have increased the value by adding wise features such as granite bathroom tops. Not only aesthetically pleasing, these counters last much longer than other materials, and give a pristine and clean feeling to a bathroom. Besides investing in the cost of these granite bathroom tops, the number one thing that homeowners are concerned about is the care and maintenance of real granite. Granite bathroom tops are made of natural stone with a polished finish, and require a certain amount of care. There are a few pointers that have been passed down through owners of granite bathroom tops, and even through the manufacturers that will give you advice when it comes to preserving your own.

One issue that is commonly addressed is whether or not to use regular commercial chemical cleaning products on your natural granite bathroom tops on a daily basis. The answer is don’t use commercial chemical cleaning products on your granite bathroom tops; it could dull the countertop polish. If you are noticing a cloudy or stained appearance in your granite bathroom tops, you most likely are looking at the effects of using one of these harmful and strong chemical cleaners. Not to fear, a lot of the time these stains and cloudy spots can be buffed away with a specialized granite repair kit. Some granite bathroom tops even come with a maintenance warranty and are covered for a certain amount of time. No matter what type of finish you have on your granite bathroom tops, don’t spill harsh cleaners, nail polish remover, acetone, paint thinner, or any chemicals of this nature on. Such chemicals are used to remove stains from the granite tops by granite professional and if you want to clean any stain from your counter, be careful not to damage the top luster. It is easy to strip the seal on the granite bathroom tops. Some stains become too deep and too large to be completely fixed, but for most cases, you can get them resealed.

When dealing with spills, attempt to get to the area as quickly as possible. The longer you wait to take care of this potential granite catastrophe, the more likely it is to be a permanent issue. Never rub at the spill; wipe out the spill immediately to soak up any excess moisture. Items of high acid/abrasive content such as alcohol, citrus, perfumes and so forth are the worst kind to deal with, so make sure you use care when placing them on or near your granite bathroom tops. In general, if it states on your cleaning product that it is not to be used on marble or granite, do not use it on marble or granite.

Apply sealer to the granite counters once a year. It is easy to do, just apply the sealer, wait 5 minutes and wipe the remaining seal out. You can buy the sealer at hardware stores.

Carpet Cleaning Business: Always In Demand

Posted on by
Reply

So, you’ve decided to open your own carpet cleaning business. Think about it, nobody likes to have a stained carpet. They have carpet in their home and they want it to continue to look nice for as long as they own their home. Most people can go out and buy carpet cleaning solutions but these aren’t guaranteed on every type of stain and they’re not very practical for an entire carpet cleaning treatment. They can also rent carpet cleaning machines for the big jobs. However, these machines aren’t as powerful as professional carpet cleaners have. That’s why a carpet cleaning business will always be needed as long as people use carpeting to cover their floors.

A carpet cleaning business can be a very fulfilling job. You get to see the inside of many people’s homes. Their homes are, essentially, your office. No two days are ever the same. A carpet cleaning business is ideal for those people who like change in their daily activities. You are essentially improving the look of their home and this alone can be fulfilling to a lot of people. If nothing else, you are helping people and what can be better than that? A carpet cleaning business has, when compared to most other businesses, has very little overhead and that makes it a great option for starting your own business.

What Services Are You Going To Offer?

A carpet cleaning business needs to decide what types of carpet cleaning services to provide of if they want to incorporate as many different types as they can. For instance, is the carpet cleaning business going to offer steam cleaning, chemical dry cleaning, both or more? The more methods you offer, the more expensive your venture will be because you’ll have to buy more products in order to take care of many clients’ needs.

To start a carpet cleaning business, you’ll need the right equipment. You can find pretty much anything you want over the internet. The great thing about having a carpet cleaning business is that your services are always in demand. You never know when someone is going to have important company over and they want to have their carpet looking like new. A bland looking carpet can make even the most decorated home look mediocre. For this reason, someone will always seek the help of a carpet cleaning business. Good luck with your business and get ready for a very non monotonous, fulfilling job.

The Best Way to Clean Carpet, Upholstery and Mattresses

Posted on by
Reply

All major carpet manufacturers agree that “hot water extraction (steam cleaning), with maximum moisture and residue removal” is the right way to care for their
textiles.

If your carpet cleaner’s equipment lacks suction power, there is likely dirt and countless pollutants yet lurking within your carpet after the cleaning.  Many chemicals and machinery can loosen soils and stains.The only way to really remove all this liquefied soil, stains, pollutants, chemical residues and excess water from your fibers is to uses brute extraction power.

What constitutes cleaning as actually effective is the amount of soils in reality removed; not just loosed or spread through your fiber.  The extreme suction produced by a truck-mount such as a Vortex system will actually remove these soils and stains. When a stain is really extracted out there is nothing left to re-surface later!This is why we chose to write about the “Worlds most powerful cleaning Machine”. Once you have the Vortex Big Truck Service your home, you’ll choose nothing less as well.

The Vortex machine has more suction power than all other cleaning systems.It’s like connecting the heat and suction of three Stanley Steemer vans together.A true deep cleaning is accomplished when the effective cleaning agents are applied and flushed with the proper amount of steaming hot water, which is all extracted by this powerful suction. 

Steaming water has the ability to scold and kill all types of germs, viruses, bacteria and living organisms. The hotter temperature water used with Vortex cleaning makes it a healther clean than with other systems.   Another great factor is that the massive suction will extract this organic waste from your carpets, upholstery or even your mattress to leave your carpets truly clean and fresh – not just masked with a  fragrance.

See how other companies compare the Vortex system to other systems they have used at: http://www.vortexinfo.com

There are many methods that can make a carpets surface appear clean. If you want your carpets truly deep cleaned and dry in half the time, I recommend that you Insist on the BIG Truck!

As of this point in time, there is not a more powerful system in production.  It stands to reason, therefore, that no other method or machinery can clean your carpet, upholstery, mattress, tile or grout better.

You may be able to find a carpet cleaner using this system by searching the web for Vortex Big Truck carpet cleaners along with the name of your city, county or state.  If you happen to be anywhere close to the Washington DC Metro area, including parts of Maryland, the Fredericksburg Va area, including Northern Virginia contact http://www.superiorfabriccleaners.com to see if they service your location.

 

Is a Carpet Steam Cleaner Superior to Regular Vacuum Cleaners?

Posted on by
Reply

Necessity is the mother of invention. Carpets were invented in the sixties and became popular very quickly. Following this breakthrough, manufacturers needed to make something to clean the carpets and preserve their texture. Thus, there came the invention of the first vacuum cleaner.

In today’s world, with the rise of pollution, dirt and grime has also become more sticky and difficult to get rid off. People have started developing asthma and other allergies, all which demand the need of a cleaner, safer environment in the home. While regular vacuum cleaners are able to remove surface dust only, steam carpet cleaners go deep into the base of the carpet and the carpet fibers to eliminate dirt from the roots.

Features of Carpet Steam Cleaner

The steam vacuums work by injecting superheated steam onto the carpet. The high temperatures allow complete removal of the toughest stains, as well as kill all dust mites and other allergens.This way the carpet is sanitized to the maximum. The self contained carpet steam cleaners are the best combination as they have inbuilt vacuum cleaners which allow the surface dust to be removed as well as the debris from the base of the carpet.

Rotating brushes are also part of the machine, which make sure the steam reaches all parts of the carpet and any sticky dirt is removed completely. Mostly, hot water has to be added to the machine, but the newer models are being manufactured with their own water heaters which keep the water at the optimum temperature allowing maximum efficacy.

These steam cleaners are helpful in areas, apart from carpets as well. They can be used to clean all types of places, from cooker hoods to the inside of ovens.  Even tiling and toilet corners can be effectively disinfected using these steam cleaners. Along with domestic use, carpet steam cleaners have become the best tool for carpet cleaning, in various industries, like hospitals, restaurants, hair salons and even trains. The quick drying of these gadgets allows continuous use, making it practical and convenient for everyone.

Carpet steam cleaners are far more superior to vacuum cleaning, when it comes to efficacy. Nevertheless, it is a time consuming activity and certain carpets with delicate threads may get damaged permanently. Keeping these facts in mind, we can come to the conclusion, that steam cleaning is a must for every household, at least once a year, while carpet should be cleaned with a regular vacuum at least once a week.

The Non-Toxic Way: Natural Home Pest Control

Posted on by
Reply

It is probably safe to say that not may people enjoy the presence of insects or other unwanted pests within the home.  Therefore, individuals turn to many methods to rid the home of these unwanted pests.

In doing so there are two basic ways of handling unwanted pests.One option is the use of chemicals that help to repel the unwanted visitors or agents that will destroy these pests.  Although effective, this treatment method can be hazardous to the environment, pets or the members of the family.

Another way of dealing with unwanted visitors is to use natural pest control.Often these natural home pest control methods are the more favorable of the two choices.  Therefore, it is important to know what natural indoor pest control is and what are some examples of this type of control.

What Is Natural Home Pest Control?

Natural indoor pest control is that method of controlling pests through the use of a natural product or combination of natural products.  Generally, this method of controlling indoor pests is more acceptable than the use of chemicals.

This is because often the chemicals that are used have harmful effects.  Specifically, those harmful vapors or ingredients could be harmful to children in the home, household pets and the environment.  Therefore, many individuals today endeavor to use a natural indoor pest control method to minimize the adverse effects.

In addition, when the chemically based pest control products are manufactured they also can adversely affect the environment.This is because the manufacturing of these products use the earth’s resources and may negatively impact the earth’s environment or atmosphere as well.

Examples Of Natural Indoor Pest Control

There are many examples of natural indoor pest control products that can be used.  In addition, because pests travel from the outdoors to the indoors, these natural remedies can be utilized as natural plant pest controls as well.

Examples of natural indoor pest control remedies include the use of a spray bottle filled with soapy water.  Simply spray the mixture on to the ants to help deter them from entering the home or portions of the garden area.

Another natural indoor pest control concoction that can be mixed that is a deterrent to cockroaches utilizes the ingredients of bay leaves, garlic or cucumber slices where cockroaches are known to be harbored.  These individual natural indoor pest control items have been proven to be effective in one’s fight against cockroaches.

Cleaning Your Home on Auto-Pilot

Posted on by
Reply

You would be in the majority if you feel that you would love to automatically have your floor cleaned without you having to drag out a clumsy vacuum cleaner.  This will be possible once you purchase the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner.  It does not matter if you have bare floors or carpeting, as the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner will handle all of those things when you are out of the house, and you are not required to touch a thing.  

It is easy to use the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner.  Just turn the vacuum on and put it on the floor.  The vacuum will begin traveling across the floor to clean up pet hair, dust and other debris that may be on the floor.  You can keep your carpet or your floor neat without pushing the vacuum cleaner everywhere and having to move furniture.

One of the more impressive advantages to owning an iRobot  Roomba vacuum cleaner is that this little appliance is able to work in places that you cannot normally reach while wrestling with a traditional vacuum cleaner, including under beds and other furniture.  You could turn the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner on and place it on the living room floor, for example, and then watch during the time that it automatically cleans the floor.  The iRobot Roomba can keep your floors neat and clean so that you should not have to endlessly be sweeping or vacuuming.  

The iRobot corporation manufactures many sizes and styles of the  iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner, all of which are small enough to fit under your bed and are powerful enough to pick up even the most stubborn of all floor problems – pet hair.  You can select from a variety of different models and speeds when you are buying this robotic vacuum cleaner, but every one of them works using identical standards and that is that you do not have to vacuum the floor yourself.  

When you use the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner, you will not have to waste time and effort vacuuming your floor or carpet on your own.  You can even set this cutting edge cleaning device so that it gets to work when you are in another room.  The iRobot has a rubber exterior that will not damage baseboards.  When it glides alongside a piece of furniture, it will simply work its way along the legs and proceed with the rest of the job, moving along the ends of the furniture and walls, areas that normally go unserviced by the ordinary vacuum cleaner, particularly if you have an upright that has no hose attachments.  Another advantage is that it can vacuum in areas that you cannot easily get to, unless you lift or drag furniture.  

If you would like to maintain clean floors daily without having to incessantly work on them, you can keep them clean without your involvement when you have a iRobot Roomba Vacuum.  There are several different models of vacuum cleaners in this line in addition to machines made for floor washing, gutter cleaning, and floor polishing.

Carpet Cleaning Made Easy: Various Types of Carpet Cleaning

Posted on by
Reply

So many stains, so little time. Carpet cleaning has sure come a long way over the years since the baking soda paste scrub.  Today there are so many different ways to clean a carpet that you can be sure that one of those ways will get rid of the nasty stain.The most common ways today for carpet cleaning are: carpet shampoo, dry powder, steam cleaners, carbonated water, bonnet plus many home remedies.  No matter what your stain is one of these proven methods is sure to get rid of your tough stains.Let's break it down as to which method does what.

The bonnet and carbonated water method of carpet cleaning uses a pretreat solution of cleaning agents then a rotary tool is used to scrub the stain.  At the bottom of the rotary tool is a bonnet or pad if you will, that transfers the dirt from your carpet to the bonnet.You might have heard of such companies as Chem Dry that offers this method.  Sort of the methods used by house wives where they use club soda on a stain and then a clean white clothe to soak up the stain by blotting it.  This method works much better than just shampooing the carpet.  Using shampoo involves spreading carpet shampoo on the stains and scrubbing it in with a brush.  The shampoo’s can be in dry powder form, foam spray or even liquid.  After the shampoo has dried it is then vacuumed up with a vacuum cleaner.  This method of carpet cleaning works for quick fixes but mainly just pushes the dirt further into the carpet.

Most Shops Have What You’re Looking For

Most every grocery store you walk into has a shelf at the front of the store, which is dedicated, to carpet cleaners.  You can buy them at most stores such as Target and Walmart. The carpet steam cleaner is perhaps one the most common ways for people to carpet cleaning.  Do not be fooled by the name, as steam is not really used in this process but actually hot water. It is affordable and they can do it themselves.  With a steam cleaner, shampoo is sprayed onto the carpet mixed with hot water and then scrubbed in with rotary brushes to loosen dirt in the carpet and to clean stains.  The steam cleaner then uses strong suction to pull the water and dirt back out of the carpet.  This is perhaps the best method out on the market today for carpet cleaning and you can do it your self or opt for the pros to come and take care of it for you.

Everyone Needs these Carpet Cleaning Tips

Posted on by
Reply

To have a living environment which is healthy a clean carpet is a must. Carpets seem to get dirty very fast.  Even though you may vacuum regularly it does not always ensure that your carpet is clean.  Here are several carpet cleaning tips to help you care for your carpet.

Even though vacuuming alone may not keep your carpets perfectly clean, vacuuming regularly does prevent dirt from getting imbedded deep down into the fibers. If you want to keep you carpet in its best shape then be sure that you vacuum daily. However, this might be a little unrealistic. Be sure to vacuum at least twice a week. You will get better results in removing dirt and dust when vacuuming if you go over each area of the carpet several times especially the high traffic areas.

It is also necessary to shampoo your carpet to maintain it as well as vacuuming. There are a few ways to get the job done. You can use a carpet cleaner solution to spray on the carpet which will help loosen the dirt that deep down in it and then make sure you vacuum well once it dries.You can also steam clean your carpets to get them clean.  To do this you use a liquid-based cleaning agent and a steam-cleaning machine which brings dirt to the carpet’s surface and pulls it out of the carpet. The job will get done no matter which method. It is just a matter of preference.

We all need carpet cleaning tips on how to clean up those hard to remove stains since it is difficult to avoid getting stains on the carpet. Always take care of a stain when it occurs immediately. This is especially critical when it comes to liquid spills. The liquid will set in the carpet the longer it is left there.  As soon as there is a liquid spill on the carpet, be sure to blot the area as best you can.  Do not ever rub the carpet fibers because rubbing will cause the carpet fibers to weaken and will eventually create a worn spot.After blotting the stain with water you can use a stain cleaner if you want or use club soda to blot the stain. It’s hard to believe but it does the trick. Oil spots can be removed with baking soda or corn starch and for coffee or chocolate stains use vinegar. Aren't these great carpet cleaning tips!

Learning how to keep your carpet clean is just as important as knowing how to clean your carpet when it gets dirty. One idea is to have a "shoe free" home. When they enter your home have your family and your guests remove their shoes. We all know that carpets can get ruined by shoes but did you also know that the oil in bare feet can also ruin carpets.A shoe free home is great but you still want to be sure your family puts some slippers or socks on their feet to walk around.

 

Another thing you can do to help prevent stains on the carpet is to place a mat at the front door so people can wipe their feet before walking on your floors. This way less dirt enters your home when people come to visit. You can also place a mat inside the front door. When guests come the mat needs to be long enough for them to enter your home, wipe their feet, and close the door. Then you must also keep your mats clean too.when it gets to the point that the mat can not hold any more dirt then the dirt starts coming into the house. With these few carpet cleaning tips you should be able to enjoy your beautiful floors for many years.