Cleaning Upholstery

Cleaning spills on furniture cushions can seem tricky, but there are some basic tips to getting them clean that anyone can put to use quickly. One of the most important points is knowing what caused the stain, and what type of fabric the stain is on.

Cold water should be used on all types of stains other than enzyme based stains such as blood. Using hot water on other types of stains can actually cause more harm than good.

Quick Tips

Clean off the food or other debris from the affected area. If the mess is already dried you can vacuum the area to remove any excess food, etc.
Clean the area with either a commercial upholstery cleaner or natural cleaners.
Let the area dry.

Green Upholstery Cleaners

One of the best is white vinegar. Mixed with water, the vinegar not only picks up the stain, but also disinfects. It works great on wine stains.
Another effective cleaning agent is salt. Pour it over the stain and let dry. Scrape it off and wash with cold water. Finish by vacuuming and you should have a like-new cushion.

Cornstarch is another excellent way of removing oil and grease stains. Pour it over the affected area and let it dry. Vacuum it off and you should have a nice clean surface.

Add 1/4 c. laundry detergent or liquid dish detergent to 1 c. warm water. Blend with an electric mixer; whip the mixture until the suds look like whipped cream (it will be dry and form peaks). Take a damp cloth and rub the mixture into the stained area. Rinse out the cloth and gently wipe off the surface.

Source: www.wisegeek.com

Keeping your Countertops Clean—How to Care for Granite

Granite counter tops in the kitchen are a great choice for the stylish and savvy homeowner. Not only does granite come in wide range of colors and patterns, each slab of stone is uniquely distinct from another—making it the ideal choice for someone looking to set their kitchen apart. But it is also extremely durable and able to resist heat and metal abrasion, making it equally as practical for your tough kitchen wear and tear. Because granite needs to be sealed, it is also stain resistant—perfect for the clean-conscious!

With all of these advantages, granite is known as a high-end counter top solution, and therefore adds value to your home. But proper care and maintenance is important to not only keep your kitchen looking its best, it’s also necessary in order to retain that added value. Here are few Do's and Don'ts when it comes to caring for and cleaning your granite counter tops.

Do's & Don'ts
The best way to keep your stone looking great is to avoid bad habits that may cause damage.

Do:
• Clean up spills immediately. Though granite is strong enough that it will not etch like marble, some liquids—particularly highly acidic substances like wine, coffee, fruit juices, tomato sauce and sodas--could potentially stain the surface, especially if the slab is due for another sealing.
• Don't over clean. Using a small amount of specially formulated stone cleaner is a best practice because it will protect your sealer; however, hot water and a very, very small amount of dish soap will do in a pitch. Be sure you only use a very small amount of soap, as excessive and repeated use could cause build-up and dull your counter top's shine.
• Use coasters under all glasses, bottles and cans. Though this is not an absolute necessity because of the strength of granite, using coasters is a good habit to protect all surfaces.
• Use trivets and hot pads under pots, pans and dinnerware. Though the granite will not be necessarily damaged by the heat, once you remove the hot pan from the surface, it will be very hot and may burn you. So use caution!
• Use cutting boards. Avoid the very small possibility of scratching the surface, but also protect your knives, which can be dulled and damaged very quickly by cutting on stone.
• Re-seal your counter tops every 3-5 years.

Don't:
• Use common household or abrasive cleaners such as glass cleaners, degreasers or bleach. These products can contain chemicals that wear the granite sealer, leaving you stone more vulnerable to damage.
• Use vinegar, ammonia, lemon or orange as cleaners. Though natural cleaners and usually effective as a kitchen cleaning aid, these products are highly acidic, which again, can cause your sealant to wear more quickly than usually.
• Use bathroom, tub & tile or grout cleaners. These powders and creams cleansers are abrasive and will dull the surface, and could cause scratches with prolonged use.
• Sit or stand on your counter tops. Though this material is extremely hard, is it NOT flexible, unlink many other counter top materials. Too much weight in one spot could cause a crack.

Sources: www.countertopspecialty.com
www.thekitchn.com

Getting Rid of Tough Soap Scum for Good

In the battle to keep your bathroom spotless, soap scum can be a hefty opponent. If getting rid of the grime that so easily accumulates on the shower and tub in a busy household leaves you with a sore arms from the scrubbing and scouring, a headache from the fumes of the abrasive chemicals needed to help, and for all of your hard work, the promise that by next weekend you'll have to do it all over again? Read on—there is hope.

Unfortunately, the only way to remove stubborn soap scum that has built up over time is with good old fashioned elbow grease. But here are two quick and easy scum-busting solutions (you probably already have in your house somewhere) to help get the job done.

Ammonia

The most basic of all cleaning solutions, ammonia is a great scum remover because it dissolves the grease that makes up the majority of soap scum. Because of its concentration and strength, be sure you wear gloves, be careful not to get the solution in or near your eyes. Also, be sure to properly ventilate the room whenever cleaning with an ammonia-based solvent.

• In a spray bottle, mix one part of ammonia to two parts of water.

• Thoroughly mist the scummy areas of your tub and shower. You will begin to see the hard, concrete like scum slowly soften and break apart.

• Once you see it breaking apart, wipe the scum off with a rag or towel, and rinse thoroughly.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a great alternative to ammonia, with similar scum removal capabilities, but much less abrasive and it is usually found in most kitchen cupboards.

• Measure out two cups of vinegar and then microwave it until it is warm.

• Pour your warm vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the areas built up with soap scum.

• Let the solution stand for two minutes, to start breaking down the soap scum.

You can begin wiping the scum off a few minutes later using a dry towel or rag.

**Tip: Try substituting your regular dry towel or rag with a dryer sheet, which has its own scum removing properties.

*As always with cleaning, prevention is the best defense. With a little regular maintenance, you can help make this chore a little less daunting. Try to keep soap scum from building up in the first place by following these simple tips and techniques.

• Once your soap scum is gone and your tub and shower are clean, apply a thin layer of car wax or lemon based furniture polish to repel water and scum and protect your tiles from settling soap scum. This will also help gives your tiles a nice shine and a fresh scent. Do this about once every six month.

• After every shower, take the time to wipe the soap residue off your tub and shower walls. You should also consider using any of the after-shower cleaning agents on the market today, which are gentle enough to be left on your tub and shower surfaces between showers without requiring rinsing or causing damage.

• Trade in your standard bar soaps for liquid or gel body washes. These synthetic soaps don't create soap scum like true soaps do.

Sources
www.ehow.com
www.howtogetridofstuff.com

Caring for No-wax/linoleum floors

Linoleum can be made from a variety of materials. It is inexpensive, easy to install, and easy to maintain. However, be careful about exactly what cleaners you use because strong detergents can damage your floor.

The best defense is a good offense so when it comes to keeping your linoleum floor looking good, wet mop it on a weekly or as-needed basis. Start by vacuuming or sweeping, then damp mop it with plain water. For tough ground in spots, use a white, nylon scrub sponge. Since soil will wear away the surface make sure you get those spots up as soon as possible.

Everyday traffic can eventually dull even the best maintained floor. To reinvigorate the glossy top layer, you might consider using floor finish or cleaner recommended by your floor manufacturer to restore the shine. It is critical that you use only products that are specifically made for linoleum flooring to avoid damage. Use the appropriate cleaner on high traffic areas more often than the rest of the floor. If you floor leads to an entrance of your home than consider using a doormat to catch much of the dirt before it damages your floors.

A tip for making your mopping easier is to mix the appropriate cleaner that is recommended by the floor manufacture in a spray bottle and spray the floor with the cleaner. Then use the mop to clean up the cleaning solution.

Another tip in regards to mopping technique is to start away from the entrance of the room. Mop from left to right in three-foot sections, working toward the door. Overlap the previous section you mopped. Using this method can help prevent you from walking on the cleaned area.

Polishing Furniture

Nice wood furniture can be an expensive investment. Taking good care of your investment is essential for it to last for years to come. Just a little bit of extra attention during your weekly cleaning can help preserve your furniture and help the environment.

Anyway you can protect your furniture means that less trees will need to be cut down to build more furniture. Polishing is the key to keeping your wood looking good. Select a good quality furniture polish. A paste style wax every six to twelve months as needed will go a long way to preserving the shine. Before you polish you can also remove any old wax that is on the furniture using a non alkaline soap mixed with water. You should also dust your furniture weekly to get the dust off between polishing.

Many furniture polishes contain petroleum and other chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. If want to take an eco-friendly route below are a few ways buff your furniture to a high shine. Before using any of these cleaning solutions test the treatment on a hidden spot on the furniture to make sure you don’t damage it.


* Equal parts white vinegar and warm water acts as a good furniture cleaner

* Lemon juice and vegetable oil has also been used to cover up mild scratches. Use a cloth apply generously and buff. Make sure to wipe of the excess oil.

There are now many environmentally friendly cleaners that are available in stores and through the Internet. So you have more choices than ever.



Sources :http://www.essortment.com

Benefits of Hiring a Cleaning Service

Today it’s easy for families to feel overworked and wish they had more hours in the day. Do you dread coming home from work and cleaning the house or, are you tired of spending all weekend cleaning your home? Do you feel that you could spend more time with your family or use your time to do the things you want to do, instead of cleaning? Then it’s time to start thinking of hiring a professional cleaning service.

By hiring a cleaning service you get a clean and organized that you can enjoy and appreciate after a hard day at work. Without cleaning on your mind you can experience relief from stress and improvement in your mood.

Who can benefit from hiring a cleaning company?

Working Families

Times have changed, and both parents are often working a full-time, high-pressure job. But feedback shows that women are still generally more responsible for household cleaning than men.

Hiring a cleaning company is a great way for working moms to save time. Keeping up the house can be tiring and take long hours. It can also give them back critical time needed to concentrate on their family, hobbies and most importantly themselves.

Some women feel guilty about hiring someone to clean their home. But in today’s busy world, hiring a professional cleaning company can give you back valuable time that can spent on the most important things in life like, spend more time with their families, playing, helping with homework and even cooking dinner together.

Single People
Singles don’t have others to rely on for home shores. They have the sole responsibility of being the sole wage earner and all the work and around the home. Handling the entire household on your own can be difficult task. And with more singles buying single homes today you can take some of the pressure off by hiring a cleaning service.

The Elderly & Disabled
The elderly may have a hard time reaching hard to reach places around the house or doing the heavy lifting required for housework. Hiring a cleaning service will make their lives easier and safer. The same is true for those who suffer from disabilities or injuries.

There is no doubt that cleaning services serve to make our lives simpler and easier, regardless of who we are, what we do or how we live. The time and stress they can save us are priceless. So, when you're thinking of a new way to invest a little bit of your money, why not look into hiring a cleaning company and freeing yourself up to concentrate on other more important and enjoyable things?

Commercial Cleaning

Did you know that Grime Solvers also does commercial cleaning? Grime Solvers has been commercial cleaning for over 25 years. Many businesses don’t know what to look for when hiring a commercial cleaning firm. The cleaning firm you hire reflects on your place of business. If a client enters you business and it’s not clean, that could result in lost or damaged business relationships. This can be avoided by simply hiring a professional office cleaning company to clean your office one, to two times a week. But, when hiring a professional office cleaning company, there are a number of important factors that you must keep in mind.

Does the company have a good reputation? Where you referred to this company by a friend or colleague, or did you simply pick them out of a phone book? Although this doesn’t mean they won’t do a good job, it is also important to hire a company that you can rely on, and that has an established reputation. When evaluating a cleaning company make sure they can provide solid references that you can check out prior to entering into a contract.

Once you find a reputable office cleaning services make sure they are fully licensed and insured. This protects your business' equipment and property from theft or damage.

Make sure you are clear about what you would like the cleaning company to do, how often you want items cleaned and what you expect. Communication is important.

Everyone has different cleaning needs and finding the right company to work with you to get desired results is important for your business.


Source:http://maintenance-one.com