Articles and tips about cleaning, of interest to homeowners. Ideas to make cleaning easier!
Keep your pool clean and enjoy the rewards of diving into the cool water this summer.
Q: I have a 12 year old white asphalt shingle roof with a lot of dark staining from the leaves of the nearby oak trees. Is there anything I can do about it?
Before entertaining, get organized and find a place for all your stuff. No one wants to entertain with clutter everywhere. Not only does clutter look messy and unappealing but it also takes away valuable space. Today there are many options that come in a variety of colors and styles.
Major clean-up projects frequently create more rubbish than can be included in the weekly garbage or even hauled to the dump in a pick-up truck.
All of us know how hard it is to keep our homes clean and tidy. It is a never-ending chore that consumes much of our free time. If your life seems to be revolving around mopping floors, vacuuming, dusting and changing bed linens, hiring a cleaning service may be the solution.
Here's an overview of what you can expect from a professional organizer.
Q: My friend's house was egged on Halloween. Can it just be rinsed off with a hose?
Consumers invest a lot of money in their home furnishings and spend a lot of time enjoying them.
It is important to have upholstered furniture cleaned often; dirt and oils from everyday use can break down fibers in fabric and cause them to fade, look bad and wear out sooner.
Furnishings are upholstered with a variety of fabrics and paddings. It's important for a service professional to know what they're made of when it's time for cleaning.
If you own a fireplace, it is important to think about getting your chimney cleaned. Learn about why you should get your chimney cleaned and answers to other common questions concerning chimneys.
Fireplace inserts are heavy, often weighing more than 400 pounds. Since wood burning inserts need to be removed when the chimney is being cleaned and maintained, they can be awkward and heavy to handle. It is a job best left to a professional chimney sweep. In some cases, however, you do not have to remove the insert to clean the chimney. The insert can stay in place during cleaning if you install a full relining collar, a stainless steel pipe that connects to the insert and goes to the top of the chimney.
The delicate colors of stone can often be altered by the improper use of cleaning chemicals, mopping with dirty solution, or using chemicals that are not designed for stone care. Sunlight can also fade the color of natural minerals.
Q: I hired someone to power wash my deck. The wood has severely splintered and several chunks of wood have come out of the boards. What can I do?
Q: How can I keep green mold from growing back on my concrete after I power wash?
Every homeowner can use help with all the little things that need maintaining around the home. Seniors are no exception. Below are some suggestions for finding help with those chores that are just out of your realm.
Problem: Improperly cleaned clothes or white residue on clothes.
There are two primary methods of carpet cleaning, dry cleaning and hot water extraction. Consult with a reputable carpet cleaning company to determine which is the best method for your type of carpet. Some brands of carpet may also recommend the best or only method to be used.
Decades ago, it was more common to clean walls and ceilings than it is today. Consumers usually hired professional painters because the oil based paints used then were so messy and toxic to apply. Those paints also lasted far longer than today's water based paints, so it made more sense to scrub surfaces than repaint.
Q: Could I be smelling toxic black mold in my home?
There is a new concept in cleaning and restoring grout to its original beauty -- steam cleaning.
Problem: A crayon, pen, marker or excessive dye from new fabric can cause staining of the dryer tumbler.
Sandblasting, sometimes referred to as bead blasting, is the easiest, quickest way to remove old paint, rust, dirt and grease from metal and other hard surfaces. It's also used for removing paint (such as graffiti) and discoloration from stone and brick buildings, for etching frosted decorations on glass, stone or tile and for "weathering" wood and carving wood signs.
Q: Can you tell me how I might remove soot from the white cement bricks in the firebox of my wood-burning fireplace? I have removed the insert, had the chimney cleaned and would like to put gas logs in.
Q: How do I remove the odor of pet urine from my carpet? Some of the stains are old and I am constantly steam cleaning my carpets.
Pets are a treasured part of our lives. But what happens when they cause problems and odors in our homes?
Q. How does one remove pet odors (urine odor) from a brick floor in one's home?
Pet food stains on carpet.
Q: The hardwood floor in our house is old and needs to be refinished. My mother-in-law thought it would be okay to mop it with Murphy's oil soap and then add a coat of lemon oil. The lemon oil stained very unevenly, and I'm not sure how to remove it. Any suggestions on how to remove the lemon oil in the wood?
Q: Any suggestions for removing blood stains from carpet?
Some communities have a choice and may request the services of private recycling companies to pick up their own recycling bins independent of the garbage service. They are very convenient because consumers can comingle cans, glass, plastic jugs and bottles, newspaper and cardboard boxes in one container and yard trimmings, including grass cuttings, weeds, leaves, flowers, tree branches and twigs, shrubs, holiday trees, etc. in another container.
It is not uncommon for a homeowner to be unhappy with the performance of their cleaning service. It doesn't take much to look through your home and realize that a less than thorough job has been done. If you realize that a pattern of this unsatisfactory work is developing, the issue needs to be addressed.
Mildew is a thin, black, or sometimes white, growth produced by mold. Molds are plants belonging to the group known as fungi. Though molds are always present in the air, those that cause mildew need moisture and certain temperatures to grow.
For large cleaning tasks like buildings, walls, parking areas, heavy equipment, even statues, you need a power washer. Power washing is the preferred cleaning method for removing pollution and fuel emission residue; mineral, lime, and hard water deposits; grease and oil leaks; graffiti, and more.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about power washing.
Pest control professionals (or exterminators) are adept at dealing with hundreds of unwanted house and office guests, including flies, birds, fleas, ants, termites, bees, hornets, wasps, roaches, silverfish, rats, mice, squirrels, moles and raccoons.
Q: This spring I'm planning to do some painting. Before I begin, I must wash my walls and ceiling because they're yellow from tobacco. Any suggestions to what I should use to clean both walls and ceiling. Do you have any advice about cleaning or preparing first?
Q: I have mud stains on my concrete patio. I have tried washing them off with water and a bristle brush to no avail. I was going to try a steel brush, but I didn't want to score the concrete and the patio is quite large. Do you know of an easier way to approach this?
Here are some tips to clean your mirrors and make them sparkle!
Unpainted wood: In damp, warm, poorly ventilated areas, surface mold often develops on wooden parts of buildings. Since new, unseasoned lumber is particularly susceptible to mildew, avoid using it whenever possible.
The type of residence you have can affect your cleaning service. For example, condominiums and apartments are multi-unit dwellings. You may first enter the building before entering the unit and your service provider may need special clearance to enter the building or complex. Make sure you arrange for clearance.
In automatically defrosted refrigerator models, water from the melting frost flows out a drain in the floor of the refrigerator and into a pan, where it evaporates. Food particles can be carried along, clogging the drain and causing odors. Clean the refrigerator drain regularly by following these steps.
There it is: the dreaded ceiling stain. What do you do? Call a roofer, a plumber, or a painter? If you call the wrong person first, they may not be able to help you, and you may waste time and money.
When the weather turns colder, people keep their doors and windows closed and many homes develop a "shut-in" smell. The lack of fresh air going through the house allows odors from different sources to become more noticeable. Many things cause odors, so there are several ways to solve odor problems. Luckily, this also is also the best time of year to attack house odors at their sources and get rid of them once and for all.
Trash removal basics: It is prohibited to put hazardous waste in the trash, including oil, chemicals, paints, freon, old batteries and building materials containing asbestos or lead. (It is also not appropriate to use these dumpsters for biodegradable garbage, such as from food preparation. Contact a local garbage company if you have a need for that type of service.)
Humidifiers should be cleaned every year because they build up scale, rust, and hard water marks as they operate. Your humidifier may be disassembled for cleaning but each system has a proper technique.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about cleaning windows.
Commercial kitchens including restaurants, cafeterias, schools and other large facilities require heavy duty range hoods and exhaust systems to purge the smoke, grease and grime created from the volume of food cooked. Commercial cooking creates grease which must be cleaned regularly to avoid fires and meet health codes.
Ask the professional who will be installing your floor for cleaning tips. Keep any cleaning solutions used for secondary materials off your wood floors. Here are some tips for keeping your hardwood floor in pristine condition.
The fireplace is a central meeting area in a home, a place for the warmth and friendship of old and a center piece for conversation. Even though they require very little maintenance, if problems do occur, there is help.
If you have a lot of iron in your water, over time the interior of your dishwasher will develop brown stains.
Acoustical tile ceilings act as "sponges" for sound, soaking up excess noise to create a more pleasant environment. Unfortunately, these tiles also absorb airborne dirt, grease, cigarette smoke, nicotine, and bacteria, making ceilings dirty. Professional cleaning solution can break down the dirt film into micro-dust particles that evaporate into the atmosphere and are filtered away through the air handling system.
Q: I have a cultured marble bathroom countertop that has a cigarette burn on it. It is very annoying to see that brown stain since we are not smokers. It was done by a guest. Can you tell me the best way to get the brown discoloration from it?
Every time you step on your carpet, you grind dirt into the fibers and dirt is abrasive, like sandpaper. Dirt causes carpets to wear out faster. Proper cleaning is the best way to extend the life of your carpet.
The joy of emerging from your home after a few cool months can quickly be negated when you see the things in need of repair. Use this list to help keep your spring cleaning projects in order:
If you have hard water, you know how difficult it can be to keep glasses and fixtures free from calcium and salt deposits.
Under normal circumstances most communities require that trash barrels be put out the night before your service day. Residential waste-removal services try to be consistent each week with pickup times, although schedules sometimes change with little notice. The best way to have your trash picked up is to make it easier on the people picking it up. When you bring your barrels to the street, place the containers so that the lids open toward the street and the handle is away from the street. Try not to place the barrels next to mailboxes, trees, basketball hoops, vehicles or other obstacles that may prevent the truck from easily picking up the barrel.
You need to clean your over-the-stove vent hood periodically. Here are some pointers.
Washing machines have either a painted steel or porcelain-coated steel cabinet. It's perfectly safe to use a little dish detergent and a damp rag to clean all of its surfaces. If the surface is porcelain, you can even use a small amount of non-abrasive cleanser for stubborn stains.
Studies show that often the dirtiest air we breathe is in our own homes. As we walk through the house, air turbulence created by our moving bodies stirs up a combination of dust and debris that can be irritating to the lungs.
Studies show that often, the dirtiest air we breathe is in our homes. This is especially true if the ducts that deliver the air have dust and dirt build up. If someone in your home has allergies or you would like to reduce the number of contaminants in the air in your home, follow these steps:
Debris often ends up in your home's ducts through the registers. Unless removed, fine particles from the debris, which can be respiratory irritants, can circulate within the ducts and enter a room through the registers. Air ducts should be cleaned and vacuumed to remove any particles that may have entered during construction or over time.
The indoor air we breathe is often dirtier and more polluted than the visible pollution we endure outside. Poor indoor air quality can cause such problems as asthma, respiratory allergies and aggravated emphysema.
Q: We had a roof leak that broke through the ceiling in the bedroom. We made the repairs but now we have this musty smell coming from the unfinished attic. Is there anything that can kill that smell?
Q: Who should I contact to see what has to be done about mold and mildew removal from an attic?