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.
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!
Clean is attractive. We all aspire our living areas to be sparkling clean so as to attract guests. Here are some genius cleaning hacks that are sure to help you in your cleaning routines:-
Clean Your Sofas with Baking Soda
Your sofa will get dirty over time from use. Normal soap might be a bit too harsh and leave corrosion marks on your sofa, also it might not perform the job as well as you expect it to. To clean dirt off your comfy sofa, mix one part of water with one part of baking soda, then use the solution to clean your sofa.
Treat Stinking Garbage with a Lemon
You might notice your garbage still stinks even when you seal off everything in a polythene bag. Such odors will make your home unbearable to live in. To counter this, cut a lemon into small pieces and dip it into the trash can. It will eliminate the bacteria at home contributing to the stinky odor, and add a fresh smell to the whole place.
Clean Your Chopping Board with a Lemon
Pieces of meat might get lodged into your chopping board when using it. Normal soap does not guarantee total removal of this remains. You can use a piece of lemon to clean off all the gunk and leave your chopping board clean as new, and smelling fresh.
Clean Your Oven with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Ovens often get caked remains stuck on their floors and walls. These are hard to get off. Use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda and water to wipe off the dirt off and your oven will be back to its glory.
Cleaning and Freshening Up Your Wood Surfaces
Use a hairdryer to quickly dry up damp wood floors or surfaces. Also, you can use olive oil to liven up your wood surfaces. For wooden surfaces that ooze stinky odors, use a lemon to ward off the smells.
Hide Leather Scratches with Shoe Polish
Leather sofas, jackets, shoes, or any other paraphernalia might get scratch damage. You can hide this by applying shoe polish and rubbing it till you achieve a shine. Remember to wipe off any extra polish. Your leather materials will be as glorious as new.
Clean Scum Off Water Tubs with Baking Soda
Water tubs often times get stained by a layer of scum due to an amalgamation of products from the reaction of hard water and soap. This layer is ugly and often proves difficult to remove. Use a mixture of liquid soap and baking soda with water to dissolve it off. After wiping, the tub will be clean as new and you can go ahead to use it.
Clean Toilets with Vinegar
Clean resistant stains on the toilet bowl with vinegar and restore the white color. Vinegar also purges any odors from the toilet.
Use Toothpaste To Restore White Sneakers
If your sneakers have stained and the white color is not clear, use a wad of paste to clean off the stains and they will be restored to their former glory. Also, any white rubber can be restored back to white with toothpaste.
Toothpaste is also useful for cleaning dirty or worn out engagement rings back to their shiny states.
Clean Burnt Stick Pans with Water, Vinegar, and Baking Soda
Burnt pans are a pain to deal with. Use a mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda then heat it in the burnt pan. Wipe off the residue and the pan will be clean.
Clean Your Keyboard With an Old Toothbrush
Dust and dirt that collects on your computer keyboard, your mouse pad, your mouse and even parts of the CPU, can be cleaned off using an old toothbrush. The bristles are thin and long enough to reach areas where normal fiber might not reach and effectively clean.
Collect Broken Glass Bits Effectively
Some of your cutlery might be glassware and they break often. Collection of broken pieces is a daunting task since you can get cut, and also there are really small pieces you might leave out that will hurt later. To avoid this, use a thick piece of bread to press on the floor area where the glass is, then collect and dispose of.
Use Chalk To Rid Off Grease Stains in Cloth
Grease is a particularly bothersome stain to get off clothes even with lots of soap. Rub some chalk on the grease stain area and the dirt will come off very quickly.
Carpet Cleaning Hacks
Use baking soda to purge oil, coffee or tea stains from your carpet. In addition, you can use rubbing alcohol to rub off nail polish that has stained your carpet.
Cleaning Your Cutlery
Use some sea salt to clean off dirt from your iron dishes.
Use cream of tartar to wash your stainless steel cutlery and surfaces.
To avoid scratching your glassware cutlery using other washing methods, use a ball of aluminum foil to clean the glassware.
Graters are hard to clean since you can hurt yourself trying to reach for the small bits in between holes. Grate a full raw peeled potato on your grater to help get rid of this bits. Then you can proceed to wash with soap.
Use lemon to clean off faucet stains.
You can also use lemon to keep your sink smelling fresh.
Cleaning Cabinet Doors
Use vegetable oil mixed with baking soda to clean your cabinet doors. If they are wooden, you can later dry them by using a hairdryer.
Cleaning Cloths
Use a sharp razor to scrap paint stains off from your clothes before washing them.
Use Coca-cola To Wipe Off Stains
Coca-cola can be used to wipe off rust stains on surfaces. It can also be used to clean off resistant oil stains from the floor, such as those in a garage floor, very efficiently.
Bathroom Cleaning
Use a mixture of baking soda and bleach to clean off any residue in your bathroom. This mixture will also restore the color of the tiles in the bathroom.
Shine Mirrors and Floors with Lemon juice
Squeeze some lemons and obtain the juice extract. This can be used to bring back the shine on your mirrors and dull floors, restoring them back to their glory.
There are more cleaning hacks for your home but the above should get you started on the exciting journey of exploring cleaning hacks.
Cleaning as essential as it is, is not everyone’s cup of tea. We were born and found that people have to clean stuff. To most, I included, is just about “when you go to Rome, do what the Romans do”. Some even feel cleaning is overrated, but seriously though, a clean home is a happy home. It an activity that you can barely look up to, but in a big way very important. The reward is great, who doesn’t enjoy the peaceful vibe that comes out of a clean home? And while there’s not just one way of cleaning your home, there are smart cleaning ways of doing it. The bottom-line is to have a clean home, therefore, why not achieve the same result but now in half the time you used to.
Frankly, life gets in the way most times than we would prefer and cleaning your home seems to be the fair option to be kept aside (I mean, without your salary, you won’t have the house in the first place). Therefore if you are a victim of circumstances like most, you need all the help you can get. Lucky for you, we have some smart ways that will keep things tidy and neat in time. With a few simple changes to your daily routine, you can buy back several of those hours for whatever activity you want to do. Here are some smart cleaning ideas:
Simplify your closet; less laundry
When it comes to the closet, we know the drill. On our good days, we thoroughly organize our stuff only to go back to square one when looking for an outfit the next day. While there are several ways you can solve that problem, there’s one that is most effective. Simplify your closet. Get rid of all the clothes that don’t fit or are out of trend for you. Having less can reap huge rewards in not only having an organized closet but also less laundry to wash. Speaking of laundry, there are clothes that don’t need to be washed as frequently as we do. For instance, jeans should be washed only if it starts showing dirt (we are talking about washing it after about four times of wear). You bras don’t need to be washed after every wear too because they easily get out of shape.
Break up chores
If you are looking for cleaning short-cuts, chances are you don’t have the whole day to do cleaning or you don’t want to put a whole day’s effort. Therefore, instead of spending the whole day cleaning on weekends, break up the chores. Most of us wait until weekends to do our cleaning, in which we are most likely to talk ourselves out of because there will be too much to do. It is easy to distribute the work throughout the week, dealing with the basic ones like washing utensils daily.
Less is more in the kitchen
I can’t think of a room that can be a huge turn off when dirty from the kitchen. Essentially this is the heart of every home. It is a place where meals are prepared and very critical to our health. Therefore, it is important to maintain order in the kitchen by creating a place for everything. This will mean that you cut on some things because our kitchens are not as spacious as our stuff demands. Therefore, go through your utensils donating or keeping in the garage or store the things you don’t need. Also those that are in double. You will then, have an easier time keeping your counters free and clean.
Make use of dead time
This simply means maximizing your time. For instance, if you are leaving a room, you can grab something and put it in its right place. Or you can be setting the table as the food warms up. Or straightening up your throw pillows when the show goes for a break. This, though, should not be mixed up with multitasking. There’s a fine line between the two.
Have a junk drawer
A floor that has only furniture and less clutter is way easy to clean. That is why you need to have a place for everything. Yet there’s this hack that most people overlook. A junk drawer. This is a drawer that is used to keep things that are regularly used. And by regular, I mean nothing more than a week. These can be your keys, remote, pen or the novel you are recently reading. You can have a draw for that purpose in every room. You will have an easy time wiping surfaces due to less clutter.
Get your kids to help
You might roll your eyes at the thought of your kids doing the cleaning. We get it, all they seem to get well done is having stains on their clothes. But if you know your way around getting your kid to do a task, they can be very good at it. Allocate them responsibilities according to their capability. There’s so much they can help you do, for instance, feed the pet, water the garden, set the table or put away grocery. Mostly, to have it easy when cleaning, talk to them to ensure their toys are always contained in the right place. You will love that you did, kids are smart and they get it. Trust them and teach them smart cleaning ways to make it easier for them.
Clean the bathroom after bathing
By now you know it is best if you clean your kitchen after every use, same applies to the bathroom. It might sound inconvenient but gradually you will realize it is easier that way. You will rarely have to deal with stains and scum. Bathrooms can get really gross if you let them. Therefore, after you finish bathing, swiftly squeegee your bathroom. You will be grateful you didn’t leave the dirt to accumulate for a week.
Have area rugs in high traffic areas
You don’t want to be mopping or vacuuming every other day. You can solve this by having a no-shoe-indoor policy, or enjoy the comfort of your shoes but then invest in area rugs. You will simply take them out to hose or air them.
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.
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…
It goes without saying that clothes look their best when the colors are crisp and new. It is everyone’s wish to maintain their color. After a few tossing and drying of your brightly colored clothes, they tend to fade. While this is almost inevitable, you can surely prolong the youthful look of your garment. Especially if clothes grow on you and have favorites like me, which I will still wear even with the faded bright hue. But with time you painfully know you have to let them go unwillingly. That literally hurts, unless of course, you are going for that comfortably stained and faded look.
Then there are stains. If not well treated after they appear on your cloth, stains can be such a turn off on a brightly colored cloth. Wait till it sets and become permanent, then your fancy dinner dress becomes utterly useless. If possible you can recycle and use it as a nightgown (for those who can’t just let it go). If you thought you are the only one struggling with maintaining your whites white, then you are wrong. You have found your people. It has been a struggle for several of us until we learned of a few tips. Try them and see the transformation.
Keeping Whites White
The first step in maintaining your white clothes while washing is by sorting the dirty laundry. Put the whites together and start with that load. As you are loading the washer, do not overload it. This is to prevent the dirt from redepositing itself in another cloth. There should be enough space between clothes for whiter clothes. With white clothes, select a detergent that has optical brighteners. These brighteners fool the eye into seeing the cloth is whiter than it actually is. This is achieved by bending the UV light waves to showcase blue light and minimize the amount of yellow light our eyes perceive making the cloth look whiter.
I should have probably started by mentioning that you should adequately deal with stains. Before you load the washer, ensure that stains are taken care of. Otherwise, due to the pressure applied to the fabric while washing, they might set and be impossible to remove. After you have properly washed the garment, add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle. This is to ensure that all dulling detergent residue is removed. If ready for drying, line-dry them outside if possible. The ultraviolet rays from the sun will naturally whiten the fabric. If there’s hard water in your area, then you’d want to invest in water softeners and add to each load of laundry. If not, the minerals in the water will deposit in your cloth making it look yellow regardless of how well you’ve washed it.
Soak Brightly Colored Clothes in Salty Water
Soaking brightly colored clothes in salty water is actually a habit I learned from my mother. There are commercial products that you can use, yet salt is not only cheap and environmentally friendly but also gets the job well done. Your clothes will be brighter and prevent running to a degree too. Before soaking any cloth with another, ensure it is not colorfast to prevent stains. Fill the washer or basin with cold water, add half a cup of salt then add your cloth. In the morning, add detergent and other clothes if you wish then run the washer as you normally would.
Do Not Over Dry
While over-drying in the sun is good for your white colors, it goes bad with brightly colored ones. Whether you are line drying or using a dryer, don’t let it dry for long. The heat is harsh on dyes and cloth fibers. Makes the color fade quite fast. Or if you are cloth lining, do it under a shade.
Turn Inside Out
It is not rocket science that the more friction is applied on the surface of the fabric, the more faded it will be. Therefore, turning the cloth inside out, will help in keeping the damage on the inside where it is not seen. The same applies to when you are line drying, you need to turn the clothes.
Wash Only When Necessary
Sometimes we wash clothes more often than we should. For the sake of preserving your clothes’ fabric and color, washing when necessary is the easiest way. If you are careful not to get stains on your cloth, you can get several wears before you wash. Use a dry sponge to remove any deodorant streaks and dust collected throughout the day. Some clothes like jeans don’t need to be washed unless they start to show dirt. That can be four to five years.
Don’t Stuff The Washer
Just like when washing whites, do not stuff the washer. This is to prevent removed dirt from redepositing itself on another fabric.
Use Vinegar
White vinegar is heavenly sent. It can not only maintain the bright hue of your clothes but also restore luster to your clothes. After a proper wash, add half a cup of vinegar to every rinse cycle to rinse away detergent residue from the fabric that may cause yellowing. You can also soak new items in a solution of vinegar to prevent them from running. Additionally, one cup of household ammonia added to the rinsing water will help brighten clothes. But do not use ammonia if bleach has been in use.
Amount of Laundry Detergent
Use as little laundry detergent as possible. That which you only need, overdosing on the laundry detergent is not a guarantee for a cleaner cloth, in fact, it has the opposite effect. When the residue of the detergent stays on the fabric, it makes it turn yellow. If line drying, the suds tend to attract dirt.
Launder brightly colored clothes after every wear even if they look clean. This is because body oil and perspiration can easily stain then fabric. It is also essential for you to clean your washing machine regularly to prevent staining.
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.
Chances are, anyone entering your home will request to use your bathroom. If there are urine stains on the toilet seat, dirty, wet and stained floor, cluttered counter and misty mirrors; then you receive guests. They’d think you are gross. And to be fair, they will be right. If they see that, it is not rocket science why they will decline to eat. Your bathroom, as insignificant as it may seem, it is a very important room that you can’t leave without. It is no place to take cleaning shortcuts and procrastination. It is not one of those rooms you will close the door and wait until you feel like cleaning to get the job done.
You just have to regularly clean the bathroom. If it is of any help, you are not alone in dreading the job. Moreover, it is in your best interest when the room is clean. It’s so worth it. For instance, it’s a good place to decompress if you had a long day or just want to disconnect from the world for a while. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a matter way than to take a long shower. Very relaxing, plus a majority of people know better than to bother someone while they are in the bathroom.
We know that if your bathroom is in a bad state, it was never your intention for it to get that gross. We know the drill, you plan to wash your bathroom on the weekend then you end up ‘forgetting’ about it for weeks. That’s why we got you. After you have made the necessary steps to thoroughly clean your bathroom, here are some tips to ensure your bathroom is always ready for impromptu guests.
Clean the bathtub and walls
There are a good number of us who can’t just seem to clean the bathroom unless you hear guests are on their way. By then, it is not a simple task and you’ll be there beating yourself as to why you never keep it clean in the first place. If you are in that position, where you can’t clean before it is out of hand, then this habit will help you. After you have loathed yourself, use a sponge filled with detergent and vinegar and swiftly clean the bathtub. Then as you rinse yourself, you’ll also be rinsing the tub. If you are feeling too lazy to scrub, after showering you can spray your walls with a mixture of water and vinegar. Then whisk away the excess moisture with a squeegee.
Keep things put away
The first step in keeping a place clean is by removing clutter. This is especially true in the bathroom where space is small and an impressive amount of grime can collect. You will have such an easy time when cleaning the surface if it’s free of clutter. Plus your bathroom will instantly look cleaner. Strive to have almost empty surfaces in your bathroom. Neatly store items in the drawers and cupboards.
Keep cleaning tools close
How many times have we talked ourselves out of cleaning the bathroom just because the disinfectant is upstairs? Fight that by having designating their place close by. In the same voice, ensure you have all the arsenals you need to clean your bathroom. It goes without saying that you must own a brush and a disinfectant of your choice. Also have a basket of rolled washcloths on your counter, which you can easily retrieve when you want to wipe the surface.
Let it sit
For an easier time while cleaning your toilet, let the disinfectant sit for some time, you could be wiping the surface or brushing your teeth as you wait. After about five minutes, all you will have to do is swiftly scrub then rinse thoroughly. And your toilet is super clean without much effort on your part. A good way of also cleaning your tub is to let it heat up. Fill the bottom of the tub a couple of inches with the hottest water you can get from the tap. Let it sit for a while, this action will double up the effectiveness of the cleanser you are using. You can also throw some hot water on the walls and surface.
Clean before it gets gross
This can be as simple as wiping off soap on the counter before it hardens and becomes more irritating to clean. Now that your surface is clean and have the necessary tools at hand, make it a routine to daily spread some soda ash on the toilet and give it a quick scrub. When you do it more often, it will be so easy and fast.
Empty trash bin
It is a simple underrated task that goes a long way to ensuring you have a clean bathroom. After you are done showering, make it a habit of clearing your bin as you step out of the shower. Litter is an unpleasant site that can also mess with your nose by the foul smell wafting from it if you let it be long enough.
Spray and fan
A good fragrance is the easiest way of fooling someone that yours is a clean bathroom, especially with empty counters. Invest in commercial air fresheners or use an exhaust fan. Turn it on to keep the air in the bathroom fresh.
Clean glass, mirrors, and counters
Remember the rolled washcloths on your counter? Use those to quickly wipe down the mirrors and counters. You don’t need a cleanser at this point. Just dibble a little water on the cloth then wipe the surface. Same with the mirrors but if you want them shining, you can wipe them down with rubbing alcohol. Also, remember to wash your sink, and you can do it while brushing your teeth than drying the surface with the washcloth.
If you incorporate the tips listed above, it is possible to have a clean bathroom in less than five minutes daily.
For a person who hates ironing, jeans are God sent to me. I’m always on the quest to find the best pair, and no wonder it’s a never-ending job for me. I can’t seem to get enough of them –I’m what they call a total jeans addict. It’s probably because I not only love how relaxing they are but also the fact that you can manipulate them to match the occasion at hand. You know how you feel when you are in the right flattering pair of jeans, perfect, right? Most importantly, they come in different style, color, and design. Whichever your taste might be, you will be well taken care of. Jeans lovers can back me when I say, for a long time I’ve struggled maintaining my jeans.
They just seem to fade quicker than they should and I couldn’t place what I was doing wrong. Trust me, I’m a believer of buying quality, therefore cheap was out of reason (though to some people, this might be the reason. You get what you pay for. Nevertheless, you can still maintain them). Regardless, after I invested so much on a designer pair, only for it to fade so fast before I could even say ‘goodness’. I felt so betrayed (I don’t know by whom exactly…. I think the jeans) and I knew I had to do something before heartbreak. Unless you are down for the faded and stretched look, you will thank me for sharing what I’ve learned since then.
Keep them clean
It goes without saying; the cleaner the garment the better and newer it looks. Although when it comes to jeans, you don’t need to wash as frequently as other clothing. Spot washing will also help lengthen the period before the next wash. But personally, I think it’s harder for ladies to adhere to this tradition than guys. Remember the dreaded sag at the knee or bum after wearing your jeans without washing? Ladies know what I’m talking about. Washing your jeans helps them get their shape back as well as keep them looking fresh. I can’t seem to bring myself to wear my jeans more than twice if you are like me, you should take more care in the cleaning process. With just a little extra care, they will always look good even after that frequent wash. Here are some tips while washing.
Turn the jeans inside out prior to washing
Turn the jeans inside out to help reduce the detergent from wearing out its dye. Additionally, a lot of friction is involved while tossing and it will be much easier on the appearance of the jeans when washed inside out. This should become a standard habit because jeans washed inside out will maintain more of their color.
Use vinegar while washing
If you see that your jeans have started to fade with each wash, start dying. It will brighten or darken your jeans more. You can also opt to use vinegar, which will not add color to your cloth but will preserve the remaining one. You might also consider using vinegar as your detergent. While detergents are harsh in order to eliminate stains and may not be able to differentiate between a stain and dye, vinegar is milder while getting the same results.
Hugely avoid bleaching
While bleaching does very well with white clothes, it severely damages other colors. If you are using bleach on your white clothes, be good to change the water. Simple thing to do but hugely saves your jeans. You should not use any bleaching agent when washing your colored jeans. The worst thing about bleach stained clothes, Is the fact that they can’t be easily reversed. In fact, most victims I know just wholly count them as a loss.
This doesn’t mean you wholly give up on using any detergent. There are literally dozens of laundry detergents that are color-safe for your jeans. It might be overwhelming settling on one since each of them claims to be the best. Therefore, the best way to shop for the detergent you need is to understand what you need for your cloth. Choose the one that will preserve the color of your jeans or that which has an additive that prevents or reduces bleeding.
Wash with similar color
It sounds like a no-brainer but it is still worth mentioning. You should always clean jeans of similar color together. I learned this lesson the hard way. Since I had only a handful of clothes to wash, I thought why not throw them all in the washer, mark you, none was bleeding as far as I was concerned. You can imagine the shock I got when I saw the big navy blue patch on my peach silk blouse. I actually think it’s more painful to lose a cloth on a discoloring stain than on a tear. It’s because it feels so careless plus there’s nothing you can do about it and chances are, you’ll never get to wear the cloth again. Therefore, save yourself a headache by sorting out your laundry first.
Don’t use the dryer
While there are great benefits of using the dryer than line drying especially during winter, it is not so friendly to your jeans. Since you want your jeans looking new and fresh after every wash, it is best if you consider line drying them. The heat and tumbling from the dryer only weakens and reshapes your cloth gradually. Besides, line drying also has an added advantage of making clothes smell so fresh that a dryer can’t achieve in the absence of a detergent. You also need to know that the ultra-violet rays of the sun don’t go smoothly on dark colored clothes when exposed to it for long. Either hang them under a shade or remove them as soon as they are dry. If you lack a line dryer because they are literally banned in some neighborhood, either use low heat in a dryer. Or a shower curtain rod can suffice as your line dryer.
When you use these tips on your good set of jeans, you will wear them longer than before. It is also essential when it comes to jeans; you adopt the mantra of quality over quantity.
