Tuesday, September 03, 2013



Often Ignored Cleaning Chores

       Time? Who has time to clean let alone grab dust bunnies hiding in the corners? Ignore these more labor intensive tasks and they turn into  major projects. Let’s take a look at a few often ignored home cleaning tasks. Do shortcuts exist for them? No but they are a good workout!

       Speaking of dust bunnies, when was the last time the baseboards and adjoining carpet saw a damp cloth and a dab of cleaner? Vacuum cleaners and carpet shampooers miss that last inch of carpet right before it collides with the wall board. Eventually the carpet turns grey and grungy.  
      First pull furniture away from the wall. Then dilute Mary’s concentrated CleanEz to a 1 to 20 ratio CleanEz to water. Spray the edges of the carpet starting at the left of the room. Then dampen a cloth with the diluted CleanEz solution and wipe the carpet. Wipe the baseboards with five parts water to one part Wood Care. Use the Wood Care towel to wipe down the backs and bottoms of any wood furniture. Wipe down backs of fabric furniture with the diluted CleanEz.  
     *Note: any grey area on the carpet could be mold especially if it is along exterior walls. If that is the case check for water seepage and treat the carpet with a mold inhibitor. Sometimes the mold can be toxic. It is wise to have your home professionally inspected if mold is suspected.
     **Suggestion: tackle the edging of the carpet in one room a month until the entire home has been cleaned. Carpet edging needs attention every two to three years to prevent permanent carpet stains.
     Cleaning Toilet Bowls: Those ugly streaks dripping down from holes around the rims of the toilet indicates the tank needs cleaning. Turn off the water valve and flush the toilet. Grab a green heavy duty green scrub pad at the hardware store, food grade distilled white vinegar and baking soda. Pour a generous amount of vinegar on the green pad as you hold it inside the tank. Add a half teaspoon of baking soda. Excessive baking soda can clog the pipes. The bubbling action between the baking soda and vinegar helps aerate the grime off the tank.
      Wait several hours, rinse then clean the tank with straight hydrogen peroxide. Pick up a fresh bottle from the grocery store as any peroxide over 6 months old has lost its fizzle. Vinegar and peroxide both kill mold and mildew. Don't mix them together as they counteract the effectiveness of each other.
     Grab Mary’s Erase It for Bathrooms to remove water rings and stains from the toilet bowl. 

     Want to reduce toilet bowl cleaning time? After cleaning the toilet grab a bottle of Mary’s Advantage that protects vehicles from UV ray damage and leaves an awesome shine. Advantage does not contain petroleum distillates so is safe to use inside the home. After cleaning the toilet, remove the water, dry the bowl then spray Advantage around the bowl, wipe and allow to set about 10 minutes. Wipe to remove the powder. The polymers in Advantage make a surface slick including toilet bowls, shower walls and doors. ‘Stuff’ doesn’t stick to the toilet so cleaning is a breeze. Showers must be thoroughly cleaned to remove water spots and soap scum before using Advantage in the shower. When treating showers always spray it on a cloth and wipe it on.  
This article may only be copied giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. copyright @2013