First patented in 2004, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, a melamine foam sponge—which was billed as one of Time Magazine’s “Coolest Inventions” of that year—has since been busy removing dirt, grime, and sticky stains from everything from shoes to stovetops.
Learn more about how this unique sponge works, the many ways in which you can utilize its cleaning powers, and a few things you should never use a Magic Eraser to clean.
How Does A Magic Eraser Work, Anyway?
Although a Magic Eraser looks like an ordinary sponge in many ways, this unique cleaning tool is actually made from melamine foam. Melamine resin is a versatile plastic that is created by mixing melamine with formaldehyde; when this resin is used to create foam, the final product is an ultra-fine abrasive that’s similar to sandpaper. Adding the power of water retention to this microscopically gritty sponge gives it a cleaning power that is truly magical.
Ten Ways To Use Your Magic Eraser
In addition to the seemingly obvious uses for a Magic Eraser (like scrubbing soap scum out of showers and sinks, cleaning scuff marks from walls, and wiping burned-on spills from an induction cooktop) there are dozens of other situations in which a Magic Eraser is truly a secret weapon.
1. Erase Crayon or Marker From Your Walls
If you have children (or have hosted children) who tend to view your bare walls as a canvas, don’t fear cleanup—the Magic Eraser can handle both waxy crayons and penetrating markers, even permanent markers.
2. Remove Rusty Residue from Porcelain
For households with hard or iron-heavy water, rust stains on porcelain can be tough to get rid of. But a Magic Eraser makes short work of these stubborn red and brown streaks, easily restoring your bath, shower, or tub to like-new condition.
3. Refresh Grout and Caulk
If your tile is looking dingy, a good scrubbing with a Magic Eraser may be enough to bring back that bright white grout. And if you’ve caulked around the edge of your sink, shower, or tub, this eraser can remove stains and grime that could potentially degrade the caulk seal over time.
4. Protect Walls from Artwork
By cutting a tiny slice from a Magic Eraser and using it as a “bumper” behind shelves or mounted artwork, you’ll avoid scratches and scuff marks on your walls. Just attach the Magic Eraser to your frame with a tiny bit of superglue (which you can later use a Magic Eraser to remove!)
5. Eliminate Sticky Residue From Just About Anything
Whether you have hairspray build-up on your curling or straightening iron, the sticky remnants of a label on a glass jar, or another type of hard-to-remove stickiness, a Magic Eraser can break down these gluey bonds quickly.
6. Detail Your Car
Whether you’ve got a dusty dashboard, a smeared windshield, or sticky leather seats, a Magic Eraser can give your car that brand-new appearance again (albeit without the new-car smell).
7. Remove Stains From Fabric
If you’re dealing with a stubborn stain that even pricey laundry detergent won’t remove, try using a Magic Eraser. Often, this abrasive surface can be just the trick for stains that seem impervious to other cleaning agents. It can even remove blood stains in some cases.
8. Shine Your Car’s Headlights
Over time and with exposure to salt, hard water, and road dust, your vehicle’s headlights can become dingy and dull. A few quick swipes with a Magic Eraser may be all that’s needed to restore your headlights to new.
9. Try Your Toilet Tank
One fun experiment involves placing a Magic Eraser in your toilet’s water tank. As the Magic Eraser remains waterlogged, it will slowly release its micro-abrasive particles as it dissolves, helping keep your toilet bowl clean and sparkling.
10. Shine Your Silver
Because silver is generally hard enough to resist scratching, it’s a great candidate for a good cleaning with a Magic Eraser. Remove tarnish, water spots, and other discolorations without using harmful chemicals or tarnish removers.
Five Things To Avoid Cleaning With a Magic Eraser
While a Magic Eraser can seem like a fairly innocuous cleaning tool, its micro-abrasive surface isn’t a good idea for certain materials. Here are just five of the things you should never use your Magic Eraser to clean.
Your Car
The abrasive surface of a Magic Eraser is almost certain to leave tiny scratches in your car’s paint job. Resist the urge to use a Magic Eraser to get your vehicle super-clean; instead, opt for cleaning tools that are specifically designed for vehicles.
Your Kitchen Counters (Usually)
Some countertop surfaces are quite delicate. Using a Magic Eraser on marble or granite countertops can scratch them; and while you may not notice this damage at first, over time, the use of abrasive cleaning products can lead to pitting, discoloration, and cracks.
Your Television or Computer Screen
You wouldn’t use sandpaper to clean your television, would you? Because a Magic Eraser’s micro-scrubbers rely on the same physical principles as fine-grained sandpaper, using one of these sponges to wipe down your television or computer screen could give you permanent wipe marks. (However, using the Magic Eraser to clean the keyboard is just fine.)
Fine China
Magic Erasers are so good at removing surface dust and grime, they’re a poor choice to use to clean fine china or other delicate dishes, as they may scratch the surface or remove patterns.
Anything You Haven’t Tested First
Unless you’ve used a Magic Eraser on a certain surface before (or know, beyond a doubt, that the surface is Magic-Eraser safe), it’s a good idea to do a small spot test in an inconspicuous area. This test will reveal whether the Magic Eraser might damage the surface and help you avoid causing a much larger mess than the one you’re trying to clean.
With these Magic Eraser tips, tricks, and cautions, you’re ready for just about any cleaning project that comes your way! But if you’re ready to take the next step toward improving your home environment, consider hiring an outside cleaning company like Companion Maids. Our flexible scheduling and experienced staffers can help you get your home into ship-shape on your schedule and at your convenience.
Whether you get blood stains on clothes, furniture, carpets, or another area of your home, it can be distressing to see a continual reminder of an accident. Depending on the amount of blood and how long it had to soak in, you may be able to remove it with one or more of the tips that we outline below.
Removing Blood Stains From Clothes
The first thing to do when blood has splattered onto clothes is to remove them and soak them in cold water. Next, you can pre-treat the garment by placing liquid detergent into the cold water and allowing it to sit for up to five minutes. You may need to push down on the item of clothing with one hand to ensure that it remains fully under water.
You are ready at this point to wash the blood-stained clothing with other clothing items or sheets and towels. The other items you wash with the pre-treated clothing should be as close to its color as possible. There is no need to rinse the water or detergent off the piece of clothing with the blood stain before you put it in the wash machine with the rest of the items.
Run a load of clothes through the wash machine as you normally would but make sure the dial is set to cold water. Unfortunately, using warm or hot water will cause the stain to set into the clothing rather than remove it. If the bloodstain does not come out completely when the load has gone through a drying cycle, you can try to repeat the same process. You may need to hire a maid service if you do not want to do this yourself.
Removing Blood Stains From Furniture
If your child had a nose bleed while sitting on the sofa or your cat got a claw stuck and left a little blood behind, you might think the stains are impossible to remove. While some will be difficult to get rid of entirely, others will come up with the right combination of elbow grease and cleaning product. Keep in mind that blood is always easier to clean up when it is fresh and has not yet had the opportunity to dry and harden on the surface of your furniture.
Many home goods, discount, and online stores sell cleaning products designed only for removing blood stains. These products work by making the properties of the stain water-soluble so you can simply wipe it up. At Companion Maids, we encourage you to research several blood removal cleaning products and to read the reviews about each product. With so many options available, it really becomes a matter of preference as to which one you will buy. You can even use a magic eraser.
You also have the option of trying to remove the blood stain without special cleaning products. Here are some tips that can help:
Pour hydrogen peroxide on the blood stain. This is a common trick in the medical and veterinary fields.
Spray window cleaner on the blood stain before you attempt to wash the fabric. You will need a cloth to rub the window cleaner gently into the stain.
If the fabrics of your furniture are washable, try pouring salt water on the blood-stained area.
For removable pieces of furniture such as couch cushions, place several inches of water in the bathtub and then add a denture cleaning tablet. The blood-stained item can remain in the bucket for up to one hour before you remove it and wash it by hand.
Try rubbing lava soap on the stain and then return in three hours to see if the stain is gone.
Tips For Removing Blood Stains From Carpets
The first step in getting blood out of carpet is to saturate the area with cold water. After allowing the cold water to sit for several minutes, try to blot out the stain with a clean rag. Be sure not to use a wiping motion since this will spread the stain rather than remove it. A wet/dry vacuum cleaner can also work on a blood stain that has not set in yet. As an alternative to water, you can try using a tablespoon of ammonia and the same blotting process.
You may need to buy a carpet cleaner if neither of the above methods is effective at removing a blood stain. Be sure to follow the instructions on the back of the can, which will likely call for you to sprinkle some cleaning product onto your carpet, allow it to sit for a specified time, and vacuum the area.
Hiring A Maid Service
What each of the above tips have in common is that they may or may not be effective while still costing you time and money. It could be a better use of both resources to contact Companion Maids for a one-time cleaning session. We use strong, professional-grade cleaning supplies that you probably don’t have access to as a consumer. We have also made a significant investment in heavy-duty cleaning equipment such as wet/dry vacuum cleaners.
The likelihood of getting a blood stain out of your furniture or carpet is much higher when you work with us. Companion Maids also offers laundry services as an add-on to regular cleaning sessions. Whether you have concerns about set-in stains or not, the best way to prevent your home from becoming dirty and cluttered is to arrange for regular maid service. For your convenience, we offer cleaning packages every seven, 14, or 28 days.
We welcome you to call our office in Chicago at 773-346-6714 to learn more about how we can clean your home and reduce the stress in your life. You can also request services by completing this form.
Sometimes a drain gives warning signs that it’s about to clog. For example, you notice water pooling around your feet when you take a shower or the sink takes longer to drain when you wash dishes. Depending on what is stuck in your drain, you could also smell unpleasant odors. While dealing with a clogged drain is not always pleasant, the good news is that you may be able to unclog it yourself.
Common Mistakes Homeowners Make When Trying to Unclog a Drain
If you see hair in the shower or food particles that didn’t go down the garbage disposal in the kitchen sink, you may remove it by hand and think that is the end of your clogged drain problem. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. A product such as Liquid Plumber or plunging the clogged drain manually may also fail to produce results.
Home Remedies You Can Try
You will need to do something quickly or risk having a pipe burst. One of these do-it-yourself strategies may work for you:
Pour a mixture of baking soda and vinegar into the drain. The mix should contain one-third of a cup of each ingredient that you pour into a measuring cup. You will know the two ingredients are mixing together as they should when they start fizzing inside of the cup. Be sure to pour the mixture down the drain immediately to avoid it overflowing and making a mess. After the baking soda and vinegar has sat for an hour, pour a cup of hot water down the drain.
Use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. If you are fortunate enough to own a shop vac with wet and dry settings, it might help you clear your clogged drain. You will first need to adjust the setting to vacuum liquids. Next, cover the vent and create a tight seal over your drain. A head from an old plunger will work well for this purpose. You should now turn the vacuum cleaner to its highest setting for liquids to see if it can get the job done. Although there is no guarantee that it will work, it is always worth a shot.
Use a bent wire hanger. This is an old trick, but it can still be an effective one. Find an old wire hanger and bend one end of it into a small hook. Holding the hanger from the large end, insert the hook into the drain by pushing it down as far as you can. The goal is to pull out as much junk as you can without pushing it further down the drain. Once you have as much as you think you can retrieve, run hot water over the drain.
Use a drain snake. A drain snake is a simple piece of equipment that you can buy at any hardware store. Once you have it home, place it down the drain to attempt to loosen whatever is causing the clog in the first place. You will first need to remove the bottom of your drain and place a bucket underneath it to catch anything that the drain snake loosens.
Use sodium hydroxide. Also known as caustic soda, this chemical is available at any hardware store. However, you need to use extreme caution if you choose to work with it since it can cause chemical burns if you don’t protect yourself with gloves. Start the process by pouring three-quarters of a gallon of cold water into a large bucket and then add three cups of the sodium hydroxide. Use a large wooden spoon to mix the ingredient with the water. It should start fizzing and getting warmer right away. You should now pour the entire bucket of water and sodium hydroxide into the clogged drain and wait approximately 30 minutes. The last step is to use a bucket full of boiling water to flush the drain.
Avoid Clogged Drains With Regular Maid Service
A clogged drain can be a nuisance besides taking time and money to fix. The good news is that you can prevent them entirely by arranging for regular Chicago housecleaning services from Companion Maids. We can clean your drains during each visit or on a schedule that you determine. Companion Maids offers customers the option of a one-time service or having maids clean your home weekly, every other week, or every four weeks.
Why You Should Choose Companion Maids for Your Housecleaning Needs
Trust and superior service are two of the top things that a cleaning service can provide to its customers. We are happy to let you know that our customers consistently give us high rankings in these and several other areas. Our company has received a Superior Service Award from Angie’s List, a watchdog organization for consumer rights that provides information and reviews on thousands of companies nationwide. This award is so prestigious that only the top five percent of businesses in all categories are eligible to receive it.
Are you ready to put messes and clogged drains behind you? Book with Companion Maids today.
Do you ever casually go about your day, popping into the kitchen for a little peanut butter toast and then the next thing you know you’re turning over the toaster oven because it’s been so long and you just can’t take the crumbs anymore?
“I am still learning about my home. If you can’t do it yourself, find good service people and treat them well.” — Terry (mom to our Human Resources Coordinator, Louisa)
Raise your hand if you grew up with a mom (or another parental figure) constantly reminding you to clean your room. Often, our earliest memories of figuring out how to tidy up and take care of our homes are with our moms—they taught us how to do laundry, how to do the dishes, and how to make our beds. So it should come as no surprise that when we asked our moms for their best home keeping advice, they came back with some great tips.
Most agreed on a few major themes: it’s important to make sure everything has a home, that you put things back when you take them out, and that your home is inviting, relaxing place to come home to—and invite others to.
Grout is that necessary element that holds your tiling and fixtures into place. It’s also one of the most renowned spots for collecting gross grime and weird things that can discolor it and make it look even dirtier than it might actually be. Cleaning grout is seldom easy, since it lies between the ceramic, stone, or glass it’s tasked with keeping steady. With that said, it’s existence is something that shouldn’t be ignored. With a few handy tips and tricks, you can keep your grout looking gorgeous. Can’t do it yourself, you may need to hire an apartment cleaning service.
1. Prep the Area
Make your job as easy as possible by surface-cleaning the area before you really start digging into the dirt. Use hot water and a stiff-bristled scrubbing brush to loosen surface dirt and debris. If you have a steam cleaner on hand, put it to work on your grout; the super hot temperatures and steam liquid will help prep your soon-to-be-bright grout.
2. Try the DIY Route
There are plenty of pricey products on the market that’ll promise you the world and more, but you don’t have to succumb to the expenses associated with brand-name items. Instead, mix up a DIY solution using a few items you probably already have in your home. The tried-and-true combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda creates the perfect grout-cleaning solution. When coupled with a bit of laundry detergent, you’ll be able to cut through the grease and goo that gets tracked into your home.
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide
1 tsp of dish soap
Mix the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together first. Then, add the dish soap and continue mixing until it’s combined into a smooth ingredient. Spoon your mixture on the grout, wait 5 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse.
3. Find Some Comfort Factors
Cleaning grout isn’t exactly a pleasant process (although people who love to clean often find it very therapeutic). The fact of the matter is that grout lives in places that require you to make your body a little uncomfortable. If you’re cleaning the grout on your kitchen or bathroom floors, you’ll be on your hands and knees for a while until you get it looking as white as you want it to be. If you’re scrubbing the walls of your shower, you’ll probably have to bend and stretch your body in ways that aren’t natural to your day-to-day life.
Find ways to decrease the stress you’re putting on your body by wearing accessories such as knee pads to relieve excess pressure. Make sure you take breaks while you’re working, too. This will help your muscles come back to a relaxed state after they’ve stayed in a weird position for a while.
4. Get Your Toothbrushes Ready
By nature, grout is hard to reach, even when it’s out in the open. An arsenal of toothbrushes will be your best friend as you begin to tackle this task. They’re small enough to follow the lines of grout without overlooking the reason you’re doing this type of cleaning in the first place.
Bear in mind that toothbrushes can get pretty gnarly fairly quickly, and you don’t want to swap one layer of dirt for another. For this reason, it’s important to have several toothbrushes available at your disposal when you’re ready to get down and dirty with your grout. If the bristles start to look haggard, you still have plenty of mileage left on them. Remember, you’re not brushing your teeth; you’re cleaning grout.
If it starts to look like your toothbrushes are bringing more dirt with them than they’re eliminating, however, it’s time to switch to a new tool. You don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of new toothbrushes. Instead, keep the old toothbrushes your family swaps out when they get a new one. Those are perfectly fine for your flooring and bathroom tiles.
5. Work in Sections
You might not want to conquer your entire grout-cleaning task in a single mission, particularly if you have an expansive kitchen or bathroom. Rather than setting yourself up for a painfully long day of Cinderella-like cleaning duties, section off big areas so you only have to do a little at a time. If you start to get tired or simply have something to do that’s a little more fun, you can easily walk away and come back to the next section tomorrow.
Painter’s tape is a great option that’ll help you create even sections without leaving sticky residue behind. Before you start scrubbing, create squares with painter’s tape so you’ll know where you left off if you need to finish your task on a different day.
6. Don’t Forget to Let the Solution Set
We said it above, but it’s worth repeating—make sure you leave your cleaning solution on the grout for 5 to 15 minutes. Grout is porous, meaning it absorbs a lot of the elements your tiles can ward away. It needs time to soak in your cleaning ingredients so the gross stuff that’s buried deep within the materials can benefit from the concoction you mixed together. You can always apply solution with a sponge.
7. Apply a Grout Sealer
It’s a given that your grout is going to get a little gross from time to time. Because it’s the glue that holds all of your beautiful tile together, it’s subjected to a lot of wear and tear. Grout sealants fill the pores of grout, helping to keep out the grime and goo that causes it to get dingy in the first place. It’s important to ensure your grout is dry before you apply a sealer. Wait at least 24 hours after your cleaning project is complete to apply the sealer.
If your grout’s getting the best of you, it’s time to call in the professionals. Companion Maids is an award-winning Chicago cleaning company that’ll clean your home as it’s our very own. Ready to get rid of the grime on your grout? We’re just a phone call or online contact form away!
At the risk of sounding like a cloyingly optimistic Peppy Patty (which I can assure you, I am not), I never really understood all the pervasive hate for Mondays. I get that easing yourself from the freedom of the weekend into the structure of the workweek is a bit of a shock to the system…
Chicago’s the type of city where you have options for nearly anything you could imagine. If you feel like hanging out inside a dark and quiet lounge instead of a loud, raucous bar, the city will provide you with dozens of places you’ll love. If you’d rather enjoy a pricey plate instead of a homemade meal, you can rest assured that any chef in the Windy City would be glad to make your entree.
When it comes to apartments, there are just about as many options as anything else you could think of. One great debate seems to be more present than any other: should you choose a building with a doorman or one without?
Like most things in life, there are pros and cons to each option. The building that’s best for you may not be a great fit for your friends or family members. It’s a very personal choice—one that’s best made after evaluating all the pluses and minuses available in either case.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of living in a building in Chicago that has a doorman.
Pros of Having a Doorman in Chicago
We’ll start with the positive features of doorman-guarded buildings.
1. Safety
Great doormen pay attention to everything. That means they’re watching who comes into and out of the building, who might be loitering on the property, and which faces look like they don’t belong. The people who are approved to go into a doorman building have been vetted by the professional person who knows how to keep his (or her) building as safe as possible.
2. Convenience
When you’re away at work all day, it can be hard to plan your schedule around picking up packages. If you live in a building without a doorman, you might have to rely on your neighbors to keep an eye out for your boxes when they arrive. Even then, you’re leaving a bit of your package-delivery success to luck.
Doormen eliminate this unwanted shuffling of the clock. They’re there to get your packages and secure them until you’re able to pick them up. And, what if you have someone coming over to clean your place, such as a maid service, while you’re away? Don’t worry! Doormen do that duty, too. They’ll let your housekeepers in and make sure no one’s there who’s not on your list.
3. Luxury
It’s so nice to have someone open the door for you when you have your hands full, but doormen don’t care if you’ve got anything in your hands or not. They provide the intangible service of ensuring the people in their building feel special. Having someone open the door for you makes you feel like you’re a celebrity, no matter how un-famous you are.
Doormen greet you with a kind smile and wish you a great evening when you leave. Many of them offer concierge services that’ll enable you to make the most of your city with insider tips and special reservations.
4. Assistance
Trudging those last few steps after you’ve already hiked a few blocks with groceries in-tow can be excruciating. Coming back from a trip where you’re juggling tons of luggage poses another awkward situation in terms of getting from here to there.
There are plenty of ways people need assistance every day, and a great doorman will do his best to mitigate stressful situations when they arrive at his building. He’ll help you lug that luggage into the building and will take it upstairs for you if he’s able. He’ll open the door when you have your hands filled with groceries, and he’ll probably suggest a good recipe, too.
Whether you simply need help navigating the lobby, or your shopping excursion has taken you past the limits of carrying bags by yourself, your doorman will save the day.
Cons of Having a Doorman in Chicago
Now, let’s look at some of the reasons people choose to live in non-doorman buildings in Chicago.
1. Lack of Privacy
Doormen don’t necessarily care what you’re doing or who you’re doing it with, but they are watching. By default, their job is to no one—and nothing— comes into the building without authorized access. That means they’re paying attention to the guests you’re bringing onto the property and the packages they’re signing in your name.
If you’re a stickler for a quiet life where nobody knows what you’re doing or who you’re hanging out with, a doorman building is probably not your best option.
2. Expense
Doormen aren’t volunteers. They’re professionals, and most of them take their jobs very seriously. As such, they expect to be paid the type of wage worthy of someone who looks after the safety and well-being of an entire building.
While you won’t see an invoice from your doorman directly, you will incur the expenses by way of rent that’s higher than that of no-doorman buildings in Chicago. For many people, this is the trade-off cost between saving money and maybe having some extra living space or paying a higher monthly fee in favor of a bit of luxury.
If you’d prefer to forego higher rent in favor of a bit of savings in your pocket each month, you might be better off looking for a building that doesn’t employ a doorman.
3. Expense (Continued)
If you live in a doorman building, your base costs are covered by your rent or the monthly fees you pay your property manager or HOA. The expenses don’t stop there, however. A large portion of doormen’s income is derived from tips, particularly around the holidays. Although you’re certainly not required to tip your doorman, you can be certain that he is keeping tabs on the residents who have failed to show their appreciation monetarily.
If you don’t tip your doorman, he may accidentally forget to open the door for you when it’s pouring rain outside, or perhaps he won’t be there to sign for our package. Is it professional? No. Does it happen? Absolutely. It’s best to factor in the cost of a tip every now and then to ensure you’ll be getting the service you’re ultimately paying for if you choose a doorman building.
4. Chitchat
Chitchat can be a bonus for people who like to interact with a familiar face every day, but for people who’d prefer to run through the lobby and get into their homes without interacting with another human being, doorman buildings can create uncomfortable situations. By nature, doormen tend to be pretty social people who care about their residents and want to hear about their lives. If this scenario makes you cringe, you’re probably better off looking for a place that doesn’t have an attendant.
Don’t rule out individual apartments until you see them for yourself. Be sure to write down a list of pros and cons as you go exploring. If not having a doorman is a deal-breaker, tell your Realtor upfront. However, if you’re open to exploring the possibilities that could be found in buildings that don’t employ doormen, set some time aside to explore both options. You’ll probably know which place is right for you as soon as you walk into the building.
Interestingly, sometimes you feel that you have budgeted less for your household’s cleaning items, which then results in you spending a lot of cash in purchases. Housekeeping costs are often too expensive but sometimes as the homeowner, you might be caught up in making everything spic and span at home that you fail to notice how much you are spending on cleaning items.
In these harsh economic times, minimizing one’s budget even when it involves essentials like cleaning items is of the essence. Saving on costs where applicable will go a long way in helping you manage your finances very well. Here are some tips that can help you cut down on your housekeeping costs.
1. Put It In Writing
Many are the times that you will walk into a supermarket and find yourself picking items that you really had no intention of buying at all. Going for shopping calls for absolute discipline as far as minimizing budget is concerned. Having a shopping list is the best way to be disciplined and principled when it comes to shopping for housekeeping items. A shopping list will help you buy what you really need and not buy anything else just because it is on offer or it is a new cleaning product. This is a safe practice that will help you become mindful of your spending.
2. Buy in Large Quantities
You might think that buying items in small quantities is cheaper and safer, well, that’s a wrong notion. Buying goods in bulk is cheaper and saves you quite some good money. Discounts on items bought in large quantities are often offered and this makes it cheaper to buy more goods as opposed to buying goods in small quantities. Buying in bulk also saves you the energy and time of having to go to the store on several occasions. Most home cleaning products last a long time and you don’t have to worry about expiry dates when you buy them in bulk.
3. Practice Top-Notch Maintenance
With the advancement in technology, there are several home appliances that make home cleaning easier. The efficiency of these appliances largely depends on their maintenance. Proper care will save you the cost of having to do frequent replacements. Make sure cleaning appliances such as the vacuum cleaner and the dishwasher are regularly serviced and cleaned. This will save you not only replacement costs but the time when cleaning because a well-running vacuum cleaner is the one that gets regular maintenance.
4. Embrace Technology
As stated above, technology has largely improved in these modern times. Things that we used to clean by hand around the home can now be machine-cleaned. You can save a lot of time if you had your clothes machine-washed as opposed to hand washing and a modern cooking appliance can save you hours of cooking that you would have spent using an old fashioned stove. If your family is large, it will probably take you many hours to finish washing the laundry which can be very inconveniencing if you need to run errands or clean other areas of the home. Use cleaning appliances that consume less energy and will get the job done efficiently.
5. Go Green
You don’t have to necessarily buy all the advertised cleaning products from the store. There are several green cleaning items right in your kitchen which you can use for cleaning. Things like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and many others can be great and non-toxic cleaning agents. Instead of buying expensive air fresheners, you could simply keep your rooms well aerated by keeping the windows open. The internet is also a rich source where you can learn to create your own non-toxic cleaning agents from natural raw materials, this will greatly cut down on costs.
On the other hand, you can always look for green cleaning products that cost less in the stores instead of going for toxic scouring agents that will leave your home spotless but leave you with allergic symptoms which will cost you even more on treatments.
6. Do The Cleaning Yourself
Hiring someone to do your cleaning means extra money paying them. You can set aside time just for thorough-cleaning your house once a week. Weekly cleaning will make your home look clean always and you will just maintain it by doing the daily surface cleaning. If the economic times are weighing you down and the money you are making isn’t enough to meet all your needs, simply consider cutting down housekeeping costs by doing the cleaning yourself. You could ask family members living with you to help so the work can be easier. Besides, you know your house better and you will do a better job of cleaning it than the person you have hired if you really put your heart into it.
7. Embrace the Technique of Reusing
Reusing and recycling is a very good technique that helps you avoid the cost of buying an item all over again. For instance, old cloth can be used as a cleaning rag. Old containers can be reused as flower vases. You don’t have to throw away everything, there are items that you can re-use to serve another purpose and this will surely help you cut down on housekeeping costs by preventing you from buying a new version of the repurposed item.
8. Go for Energy-Efficient Appliances
The cost of electricity can be high at times and that means you have to dig deeper to pay the electricity bill. These utility bills can be expensive at times and due to that fact, it’s advisable to go for home appliances that efficiently save on energy. You can check on the internet about appliances that are energy efficient and you can also find out how you can save energy on your household appliances.
Cutting down on housekeeping costs is a process that really requires discipline and dedication. It’s evident by now that if you aren’t strict on how you spend your money on home cleaning appliances and products, you will end up finding that you are such a spendthrift. All these tips can really help you save some cash in several instances but you need to be strongly dedicated to the whole process of cutting down on housekeeping costs. Try these great tips and you will surely reap some amazing benefits.
Cleaning floors is an important house chore. In fact, any home cleaning job will involve 70% floor cleaning. We clean not only to remove dirt and debris, but also for aesthetic value, prevention of injuries that could result from trips, and removal of allergens, among other reasons. Of importance is to keep in mind that, different types of floors call for unique methods of care and clean-up. Here are the four common types of floors in our homes today and their best cleaning practices.
Laminate Floor
Many active families prefer laminate on their floors. It’s a heavy-duty kind of flooring material that can withstand the rampant activity of children, guests and pets. In addition to its durability, laminate flooring is painless to clean. Use the following ideas to make your floor shine beyond your imagination.
It is alright to vacuum or sweep laminate floors often. Mop with a damp cloth, but keep off excess water on the floor as this can harm its top finish. Even liquid stains should be wiped out immediately. Also, do not scrub a laminate floor especially with materials that can scratch the surface. With a household cleaner, you can purge out almost any stain on this kind of flooring.
However, acetone will come in handy when dealing with ink stains, lipstick or permanent marker.
Hardwood Flooring
Before cleaning any wooden floor, it is paramount to establish its coating. Oil, wax, or polyurethane coated wood floors require different treatment. However, whatever finish your wooden floor has, you can follow the following steps to render it squeaky clean within a few minutes.
Begin by clearing the floor of any furnishings that are mobile to create ample space for work. Remove any loose debris or dirt by either sweeping or vacuuming. Next, pour water and a mild detergent into your washing bucket. Dip your mop in this solution and wrung it up thoroughly before swiping it around the floor to collect any remaining dirt. This will also purge out tough stains.
It is necessary to mop along the grain to keep the flooring in shape for long. Avoid leaving water on lacquered wood floors as this may cause stains or warping. For this reason, take hold of a soft material such as cloth diapers and wipe any wet areas. After cleaning waxed floors with water, you may polish them with wax to restore their patina. In serious cases of dirt, use white spirit to clean but make sure to re-wax those sections.
Tile floors are a great choice for those in search of stylish, water-resistant and durable floorings. Tiles can be made of porcelain, ceramic or vinyl. Always make sure to clean your tiles recurrently so that they do not accumulate stubborn stains.
In case you have to deal with tough stains on porcelain or ceramic floors, find an acidic cleaning solution, such as one made of white vinegar. You can actually make your own at home by mixing 4 liters of warm water with ½ cup of white vinegar. This will eat into grease remarkably thus giving amazing results.
Stone Floor
Stone floors are prevalent in the bathrooms, kitchens, and stairs. Common stones used in flooring are granite, marble, and travertine. All these can be cleaned properly using the following tricks; Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any loose dirt and dust. Use a cleaning agent designed for stones to make your mopping solution. There are also cleaning sprays suitable for stone flooring. You can use a brush to scrub the flooring and mop to wipe out the dirty water so that the floor will be left dry.
Most stone floor materials are treated at the factory. This helps them not to stain easily. Otherwise, it would be necessary to seal it regularly to preserve its sheen. In the case of acidic spills, try to wipe them out urgently before they could corrode the flooring material.
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Beverly Jenkins is proud of her staff at The Tidy Maids house cleaning service in Raleigh, NC. She has 24 years of experience in house cleaning, customer service, and business operations. She knows all the tips and tricks and do-it-yourself hacks when it comes to cleaning and her clients’ homes are the best proof for that.
