Friday, October 22, 2010

Clean the Bathroom in 15 minutes
 
       With the holiday season quickly approaching and time getting pinched, this is a great time to learn insider tricks to clean your bathroom in 15 minutes. Laura Eckstein, a writer for AOL's Shelter POP, called me last week for an exact time table to clean a bathroom in 15 minutes. Did we have a ball. She has it posted for you to not only enjoy but gleem the fast way to clean a bathroom. Read the article here  http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/10/21/clean-a-bathroom/ then return to my website for more speed cleaning tips for each room of your home. http://www.goclean.com/go-clean.php.
 
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Moppins and her website at www.goclean.com. All rights reserved worldwide. copyright@2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cleaning Windows 
 
     Specific calander dates are helpful when setting up cleaning schedules. Around my home the day the clocks are turned forward an hour in the spring is my reminder to change the Co2 and smoke detector batteries and ceiling lightbulbs. The weekend before Halloween is set aside to clean windows. Everyone loves my speed cleaning tips but hard as I've tried, I just cannot find a fast way to clean windows. I do have a few handy tips to make the job easier using the most unsuspecting tools. 
 
     1) Head to a hardware store for a 1 1/2 inch paint brush, a new empty spray bottle, several sponge paint brushes in various sizes and a dividable tote tray if you don't already have one
     2) Order a Dry Sponge; Benya, an earth friendly, streak free, concentrated window cleaner and Lint Free towels from Mary Moppins or gather your collection of these items
     3) Put a new blade in your window squeegee
     4) Grab several old terry cloth towels out of the rag bag and put them in a plastic bag along with the lint free towels, then grab a spare plastic bag to use as the dirty rag bag. 
    
     First mix the Benya with distilled water in the new spray bottle and put it and the dry sponge, paint brushes and window squeegee in the tote tray. 
NOTE: Due to water quality varying from town to town, distilled water gives consistent results.
 
     *Next use a terry cloth towel over your Mary Moppins mop head or broom and dust the cobwebs around the windows, skylights etc.
     *The day before you you clean the outside of the windows clean the inside windows. Start by placing a terry towel on the window sill to catch drips.
     *Lightly spritz the window with Benya starting at the bottom of the window and spray your way to the top. Begin at the left top of the window and wipe with your lint free towel straight across to the right then back to the left. I do not like using window squeegees inside the home because a window cleaner quickly drips down the window and onto the sill. 
 
     *Never clean outside windows while the sun is shining directly on the window. You can however clean the screens so remove those and clean the windows first.
     *Open the window from the inside and remove the screen. Use the paintbrush to brush away any cobwebs in the window frame and along the bottom of the window. Then dip the sponge paint brush in sudsy water to clean the crevices of the frames. Spray any mold or mildew with hydrogen peroxide or food grade distilled white vinegar. Close the inside window.
     *On the outside, first dust for cobwebs then place an old towel down on the bottom of the window frame. 
     *Spray the window in the same manner as you did the inside window. Only this time use a window squeegee starting at the upper left coming across the top to the right and back to the left continuing to the bottom of the window. Use a lint free towel to wipe any remaining Benya from the window.
     *Finally clean the screens with the dry sponge and replace the screen. Sand the dry sponge with a fine grit sand paper as it soils. The sponge will save you hours of time and gallons of water washing screens. Now sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the display of colors as trees show off their fall beauty. 
 
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 all rights reserved worldwide.  

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Mold and Mildew Smells
 
   A month has slipped past and I'm quite late posting about smells. Between trade shows, four articles and three projects, time got the upper hand on me just like mold and mildew sneaks in under your nose. So what about those moldy smells?
 
     First up: find the cause of the mold. Unless you find the source of the mold, it will only return after treatment. Mold only grows when moisture is available. It may mean crawling under the house, pulling up carpet or even calling in a janitorial remediation team to find the source of the odor, but it must be found. It is just as important to try to determine whether the mold can be self-treated or whether you need the help of professionals.
 
     Some molds are toxic and can cause grave illnesses. If you have been suffering unusual headaches, sinus infections, loss of energy or long term health issues that are out of character or the doctor cannot find a cause for your problems, you may be dealing with a toxic mold. Call your insurance company then a janitorial company who specializes in mold remediation. This is not a do-it-yourself project.
 
     Normally mold can be self-treated. Are there bushes or shrubs next to the outside walls of the home? If so, cut them back as they are holding moisture against the house and causing mold problems. If the cause is from humidity or an over abundance of rain then dehumidifier in each room or a whole house dehumidifies is necessary to prevent the return of the mold once it has been irridicated.
 
     Talk to your local janitorial supply company for organic, human and pet friendly remediation products to treat mold. It will be necessary to pull up affected carpet, treat the flooring, seal it and treat the carpet and the padding or possibly replace it or it may be necessary to crawl under the home. If at any time headaches or any reaction to the mold occurs, get treatment immediately and call a remediation team to finish the job.
 
     If the mold is in a closet, launder all the clothing, remove all boxes, shoes etc and treat them then replace the carpet in the closet with a hard floor surface. It is rare for mold to be growing in the wallboard but it does happen. It is best to call a janitorial company and have them test the wallboard and do the necessary treatments.  
 
This article may only be rewritten giving credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world wide.