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0 The Art of Cleaning Stains – Part 1

I have always admired how the most difficult and unpleasant things to do have been transformed into art. “The art of war”, “Martial arts”, etc. Well, it only seems fair that cleaning stains, which falls in the category of unpleasant things to do, should be considered an art form. It combines physical techniques – you cannot just wipe a stain off – some stains require wiping from the outside towards the center, while other have to be soaked into detergent first and so on. It also requires certain knowledge – it’s is, after all, chemistry. You use acids and solvents to defeat the stains. Just like martial arts, you have to react quickly and decisively, especially to a red wine stain. And with this being said, I want to declare myself your cleaning sensei and give you guidance in the art of stain removal.

1. Cleaning dye stains on wool fabrics. When cleaning those, start by rubbing the stains with detergent or with soap. Soak the fabric in boiling water for a couple of seconds. If necessary, rub the stains with detergent again and dip them in the boiling water. Repeat until the stains are completely gone. In order to remove the soap from the fabric, soak it in the hot water. Then, wrap the wet part in a cotton towel to dry it. The rest of the spills of the dye can be cleaned with a wet sponge and dried with hot air (e.g. with the hairdryer).

2. Cleaning dye stains on white cotton fabrics. Take a glazed pot and pour 32 ounces of water in it. Add a little bit of baking soda and grinded soap or detergent to the water. Heat the mixture until the soap dissolves completely. Squash the stained area and soak it several times in the boiling liquid for a few seconds until the stain is cleaned. If this procedure leaves marks from the dye, soak the cloth in hot water and bleach it.

3. Cleaning nitrocellulose glue stains. Cleaning stains from any fabric, except silk, can be done using amyl acetate. Put the stained area of the fabric over a cleaning pad and use the amyl acetate to rub it off. The treated area is then cleaned with a tampon, soaked in gasoline. The lining of the stain can be cleaned with a sponge and, after drying the fabric with a clean towel, sprinkle chalk over it. Nitrocellulose glues form hard stains with a glazed surface which are strongly attached to the fabric.

4. Cleaning rubber glues stains. These glues form a sticky stain which attaches to the surface of most fabrics. They can be cleaned using a tampon, soaked in gasoline. When done, sprinkle chalk over the wet area.

0 Bathroom Cleaning Tips and Ideas – Part Three

Bathroom is the place of paradox of every home. On the one hand, it is the place where you take care of your personal hygiene – you shower, bathe, brush teeth, shave, wash hands, etc. On the other hand, the bathroom is the place where most bacteria are likely to appear, as well as mould and other potentially harmful things. That’s why it is important to take care of the hygiene of the bathroom just like you do for your own, or maybe even better. So, here are a few tips and ideas on how to do just that.

1. Bacteria on the bathroom tiles. Deposits on the tiles or in the fugues can amass a big amount of bacteria and the humidity in the bathroom is a perfect condition for their growth, as well as for mould, which can also spread harmful germs. Use a squeegee or a clean sponge and a disinfectant to clean the tiles. Spray and wipe them.

2. When cleaning mould from the bathroom tiles, use a mixture of equal parts of water and bleach. Apply with a spraying bottle and leave it on for at least thirty minutes. Then, you can either wipe off with a sponge or brush it off with a hard brush.

3. Cleaning the shower curtain. The shower curtain can amass a lot of bacteria, because it holds humidity and accumulates mould. You can put it in the washing machine, along with a few bigger towels, add detergent and bleach (enough for a medium wash) and set the machine on a medium high temperature cycle. The friction between the shower curtain and the towels will increase the temperature of the water as well. The bleach will remove the mould and the towels will act as brushes and will scrape off the stains. The detergent will do the rest. After washing the shower curtain, hang it the bathroom and turn on the ventilation to get the humidity away. The steam and high temperature the next them you take a shower will get the wrinkles off the shower curtain.

4. Cleaning the toilet dish. This is definitely one of the things you want to get over with as quickly as possible. That’s why you need to use strong sanitizing products which will kill the bacteria at once. Put on a pair of rubber gloves on, apply bleach on the inside and on the edges of the toilet dish, let it stay for ten minutes and brush it off. Rinse with hot water. Never combine bleach with ammonia-based products or other bathroom cleaners, as this might cause a chemical reaction that will exhaust poisonous gases.

5. Never clean the sink or the bathtub with bleach.

0 Bathroom Cleaning Tips and Ideas – Part Two

Bathroom is the place of paradox of every home. On the one hand, it is the place where you take care of your personal hygiene – you shower, bathe, brush teeth, shave, wash hands, etc. On the other hand, the bathroom is the place where most bacteria are likely to appear, as well as mould and other potentially harmful things. That’s why it is important to take care of the hygiene of the bathroom just like you do for your own, or maybe even better. So, here are a few tips and ideas on how to do just that.

1. The bathroom sink has the potential to have even more bacteria than the shower. How should you clean it? First, take a piece of soft paper and remove everything in and around the drain. Then, use hot water and a rough sponge to scrub off the deposits of toothpaste, foam, make-up, etc. Then, apply the cleaning product and leave it on for fifteen to twenty minutes. Repeat the sponge procedure, rinse the sink with hot water, including the sponge, and dry everything with a towel.

2. When cleaning the bathroom, do not forget to wash and dry the soap dish, the toothbrush cup and all places where water can stay longer.

3. Pillows, stuffed with plush and feathers have to be washed by hand. Soak them in warm water with detergent in it and when they are completely wet, squeeze them gently. Remove the dirty water and carefully apply pressure on the pillows to get all the dirty water out of them. Wrap them in dry towels and put them in the washing machine on a program for delicate fabrics to avoid tearing them.

4. When cleaning the bathroom, do not forget about the drain stopper. Soak it in a pot of vinegar for a couple of hours to kill any bacteria there might be.

5. The newer models of bathtubs are made of porcelain, which requires special attention when cleaning them. Use liquid cleaners which do not have abrasive particles, acids or alkali in them, otherwise you might damage the surface.

6. When cleaning the tub in the bathroom, start by spraying the whole tub with a cleaning spray or powder, including the edges and the outside of it. Wait for fifteen minutes and wipe off with a rough towel. In order to remove the yellow spots, use a mixture of salt and turpentine. Make sure you have a pair of rubber gloves on. Rinse good and do not forget to clean the drain as well.

7. Before you get in the shower, run the hot water for at least of couple of minutes.

0 Bathroom Cleaning Tips and Ideas – Part One

Bathroom is the place of paradox of every home. On the one hand, it is the place where you take care of your personal hygiene – you shower, bathe, brush teeth, shave, wash hands, etc. On the other hand, the bathroom is the place where most bacteria are likely to appear, as well as mould and other potentially harmful things. That’s why it is important to take care of the hygiene of the bathroom just like you do for your own, or maybe even better. So, here are a few tips and ideas on how to do make bathroom cleaning easier.

1. The bathroom needs to be cleaned at least once a week (even more if your family is bigger). Bacteria could be anywhere – not just the sewer. They can be around the toilet dish, the bathroom sink or the tub, on the shower curtain and between the tiles, even in the toilet paper and the shower handset. Quite often bacteria are the reason for the bad smell in the room, which will not go away with a few air fresheners. So, instead of hiding the dirty face of your bathroom, deal with it – clean it regularly and to perfection.

2. Get the bacteria out of your shower. The morning shower in a combination with a cup of strong coffee guarantees you a strong start of the day. But did you know that the shower provides perfect conditions for bacteria to grow? These bacteria will fall down on you the second you run the water and will get in the air. This way you will inhale them even after the water has stopped. The shower bacteria are almost 100 times more than the bacteria in the water. Good news is that people with strong immune system are less likely to be affected. However, if you are sick, pregnant or too old you might be at some risk. The symptoms of problems caused by shower bacteria can vary from coughing to tiredness.

3. In order to reduce the number of bacteria in your bathroom, change the plastic shower handset with a metal one. It might be a good idea to soak the shower head in a bucket of water and vinegar for a few hours or even overnight. Scrub the holes of it with a toothbrush or with a needle. Run a strong stream of hot water regularly to get rid of the dirtiness and always dry the shower after using it. In case you cannot move your shower head around, put hot vinegar in a plastic bag and tie it on the head of the shower. Leave it on for a few hours, and then run the hot water and dry.

0 Home Cleaning Advices – Part 4

What does it take to make you feel comfortable at home? You might say you need a fireplace and all your loved ones, or a nice hot tub in the bathroom. Well, you are probably not getting these any time soon, but even if you do, there is something more important for a home to be cozy and that is for the place to be clean. Think of it – do you really dream of a hot tub that is moldy? I didn’t think so. Therefore, cleaning is something that even if you do not dream about is necessary to make you feel good. However, it is still not among the most enjoyable activities in the world. However, there are things you can do to make it easier, more fun and, if that bothers you, cheaper and more effective. I will try to give some ideas to you about how to do just that and hopefully help you live in a place you feel comfortable and relaxed in.

1. Cleaning Facades. There are a few reasons why you should consider cleaning the façade of the building you are living in. Realizing the importance of this issue, I have put together a list of reasons why you should think about cleaning the façade:

a. First, the good looks of the buildings. Time and weather conditions, dust in the wind, and rain – all of these pollute the outside of your building. Cleaning the façade you will remove the layer of dirt that has changed the color of it and you also get rid of harmful polluters which can damage the surface.

b. Another reason is the message a dirty façade sends to your guests and neighbors. Regardless whether we are talking about your home, office building or warehouse, the way your building looks will indicate the importance of the building and the high quality work that is done in there.

c. Last, but not least, it is important to clean your building’s façade because apart from dust that can stick to the building, there is the potential of mold finding its place there, which can lead to the necessity of having much more expensive work done than just cleaning. Keeping your façade clean, these problems are easier to spot and solve, which saves you money.

When cleaning your façade, professional cleaning companies offer a variety of safe and non-abrasive methods, suitable for different surfaces. Cleaning companies can help your whether you have a one floor or higher building. If you are living in an apartment, you should throw in the idea of cleaning the façade of the building on the next meeting or to your landlord. You can still call a cleaning company to clean just outside of your apartment but this will be pointless.

0 Home Cleaning Advices – Part 3

Having order at home means not making a mess. Answer the question: “How can I have some free time after I come home from work, when in the morning I threw a couple of shirts on the floor as I was looking for something to wear and finally settled for what was in the back of the dresser?” If it is not just you, but your husband and your family as a whole and you do that each morning, when you come home you will find at least a dozen of things that should not be where they are. Now add a few glasses and plates from breakfast, dirty socks and bed, which have not been made. There you go! Half an hour of your free, after-work time at home is gone, spent for fixing the above. Therefore, instead of ruining your time at home, put some effort in teaching yourself and your family some self-control. How about everybody started putting their belongings in their rightful places?

Clean the carpets. Regular carpet cleaning will provide you with the unique opportunity to preserve the colours of these interior design items, which are usually related to the warmth and the cosiness of your home. The best way to wash your carpets is, of course, during the warm months of the year. However, you sometimes have to do that when the weather outside is colder. The carpet cleaning itself is not an easy task, especially if you are living in the big city. During the first months after purchasing your new carpet, it is enough to just beat the carpet from the outside to get the dust off. You still have to face the problem of finding a place to do that. One of the options you are left with is to vacuum your carpet as often as you can, which will significantly reduce the level of the dirtiness and you will have to wash it less. If we are talking about washing the carpets at the office, the situation changes a lot. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of people on the carpet daily, which brings in more dirtiness. This would suggest a necessity of a professional company stepping in, which would bring in experts, professional cleaning products and the equipment required to deal with this challenge. An alternative way to clean your carpet at home is to use a mixture of vinegar and water. This way it will preserve its characteristics longer. Even though a lot of people prefer washing their carpets at home, on the spot, a once in a while visit to a professional cleaning company is something that you should not denude your carpet from.

0 Home Cleaning Advices – Part 2

Having order at home means not making a mess. Answer the question: “How can I have some free time after I come home from work, when in the morning I threw a couple of shirts on the floor as I was looking for something to wear and finally settled for what was in the back of the dresser?” If it is not just you, but your husband and your family as a whole and you do that each morning, when you come home you will find at least a dozen of things that should not be where they are. Now add a few glasses and plates from breakfast, dirty socks and bed, which have not been made. There you go! Half an hour of your free, after-work time at home is gone, spent for fixing the above. Therefore, instead of ruining your time at home, put some effort in teaching yourself and your family some self-control. How about everybody started putting their belongings in their rightful places?

Cleaning before the holidays. First, start with looking around the rooms to see if you have any damaged or broken items, which you keep for some reason, and throw them away. If you haven’t put the summer clothes away by now, it is high time you did so. Do not forget to wash them first. Get rid of any pile of old magazines, newspapers, etc. Check each and every corner for useless and pointlessly preserved items. Open the fridge and the kitchen cabinets and go through everything you have in there. Usually, we tend to forget about foods and products until they are long expired. If you haven’t defrosted your fridge recently, you can do it while you are cleaning before the holidays. It is something that has to be done at least twice a year. This way you will make room for all the sweet and delicious stuff you will have around the holidays. Clean all lamps, lampshades, door handles, shelves, etc. where there might be dust or fingerprints.

It is time you washed the curtains, sheets, and the table covers. Do that before you start cleaning the windows otherwise the effects will not be satisfying. Refresh the furniture and the wallpapers with the appropriate products. Go in the bathroom and polish the faucets, the shower set, and any shiny surface you might have in there. This is the room of the house that shows best what kind of a housewife you truly are. Do not forget about the cellar and the attic where you surely have piled on a lot of useless things. If you find something from last year’s pre-holiday cleaning then you should consider throwing them away or giving them away.

0 Home Cleaning Advices – Part 1

Having order at home means not making a mess. Answer the question: “How can I have some free time after I come home from work, when in the morning I threw a couple of shirts on the floor as I was looking for something to wear and finally settled for what was in the back of the dresser?” If it is not just you, but your husband and your family as a whole and you do that each morning, when you come home you will find at least a dozen of things that should not be where they are. Now add a few glasses and plates from breakfast, dirty socks and bed, which have not been made. There you go! Half an hour of your free, after-work time at home is gone, spent for fixing the above. Therefore, instead of ruining your time at home, put some effort in teaching yourself and your family some self-control. How about everybody started putting their belongings in their rightful places?

1.       Cleaning a car seat. Here are a few ideas on how to keep your car seat clean, safe and at its best. First, take out the car seat as well as all the toys you might have in the back of your car. Then, use the vacuum cleaner to suck all the dirtiness and dust out of the car. Take off the case of the car seat and wash it in the washing machine at a low temperature program. Read the label to make sure you can, indeed, wash it. Let the case dry in the open. Before you put it back on, take a look around the seat, check the less visible areas of it and clean them as well. Install the seat back in the car and make sure it is not loose. Read the manual again, if you have any doubts. If you want to clean the seat again but you do not want to or do not have the time to take off the case again, you can use a wet rag and hot soapy water to clean it. Do not use strong chemicals or bleach to clean the car seat. You might be thinking that the case of the infant car seat is just to make it look good, but it is actually a very important part of the seat. It has to always be on, so it is crucial that it is properly cleaned. Every car seat wears out. The reasons for that are various – direct sunlight, dust, spilled drinks and foods, and whatever the little traveller had in mind.

Now, you know how to properly clean your child’s car seat so that it is not only good looking, but also safe.

0 Easy Cleaning – Part Three

“Wash the washing machine!” – When I heard this order for the first time it sounded to me as some kind of joke. When my employer screamed it from the down floor, I thought I misunderstood her. However, I proved to be wrong – the lady said exactly this. Few people actually think of cleaning the cleaning appliances – it is the same like the case in which a maid hires a maid to do her work. Anyway, the appliances like the washing machine really need some regular maintenance, even from time to time.

Today, I, Charis, will lead you through the maze of this “double-cleaning” process. Most of the people do not pay attention to it and usually a period of two or three years separate the cleanings from one another. And some good cleaning inventory is good to invest in. For the method I am presenting to you, I was told by my mother. All you need is some cooking stuff and simple tools. Distilled white vinegar and baking powder can be found in any household as well as toothbrush, soft towel and microfiber piece of cloth.

As a beginning, set your washing machine on the highest water temperature, the longest programme and the largest load. While the machine tub fills, open the lid and pour ¼ of the distilled vinegar inside. Some of my colleagues, have told me that they use bleach when it comes to cleaning appliances but I would not agree with them since there are too much toxic ingredients in it and the cleaning process does not run safely at all. Avoid using bleach preparations. Vinegar has a mild reaction when used as disinfector.

As a next step, add a cup soda. Close the washing machine’s lid and leave it stir the cleaners inside for about 2-3 minutes. Then open it once again thus allowing the soda and the vinegar to soak through the washing tube for an hour. During that time you can take out any removable parts of your washer; use the same preparation as before, put them on the toothbrush and scrub and clean them precisely. Make sure to reach and clean the dirt even from the barely accessible cracks and slots of the appliance. You may have guessed that this happens with the lid open

After the hour soaking is over, close the lid and leave the washing machine finish its working cycle. Meanwhile, dust, wipe and wash the surface of it with a duster, soft towel and white vinegar.

In case that your washer does not improve its washing abilities, run the same process once more. Thus any remains from cleaning preparation, rust or dirt would disappear. Once again, make sure to remove any residue left.

Finally, one simple advice from me – leaving the lid of your washing machine open increases its continuity and life. Good luck, dear!

0 Easy Cleaning – Part Two

Hello, dear readers. This is Charis and today I am telling you the story about my first experience of cleaning ceiling fans. You probably guess that for people over 40, stepping on a high chair and dealing with dusters and so on, is not possible to happen. Not to talk about my employers who are older than 150 years together (I am not trying to be offensive but the facts speak!).  That is why, I, Charis, had to cope with this housework task. Read the following story and tips if you are about to engage in doing the same duty, it would probably help you.

Even though I work as a maid and have considerable knowledge and practice in cleaning all kind of appliances, furniture, floorings and even pets! –I face some difficulties when the duty of cleaning the ceiling fans looms large. Do not think that I do this chore every week only because it is my job to. I come to think about it when I look up and see the dust collected weaving at me. It happens once in a while though, not only during the seasonal urges in the autumn and spring.

When I worked for my former employers together with my parents, I was told to use tights or stockings put on the end of a long rolling pin so I could put in between the ribs of the fan. But when I involved in the profession of cleaning lady, I learned about the tremendous power of wool dusters and cloths when it comes to collecting dust from the fan. The dusters proved to be good enough for wiping the thin layer of dirt but the real problem were those naughty fluffs which fell from the fan every time I turned it on.

Then I invented my own formula which included only a wool cloth and a large old rag. When you remove the coverlet of the fan, hold the wool duster in one hand and the rad in the other as you are holding a tray. Then wipe the dust down the ribs slowly towards the “rag tray”, one at a time. All of the dust will fall on it without spreading over the floor and furniture.

This method you could apply when cleaning every fan in every room of your home. Since I have to dust 8 of a kind, I use one and the same dusters and rags, and after I accomplish the task, I just remove the fluffs from my tools, put them in the washing machine and in a few minutes they are ready for their next exploitation. Isn’t that simple, dear?