Cleaning Windows
Several people have emailed asking my opinion of a recipe for a furniture polish using olive oil and vinegar. Olive oil is very healthy for your body. It is not healthy for furniture. It turns rancid in a short period of time especially when exposed to air. Rancid olive oil will smell (do you really want that in your home?) Please use products only for their intended use unless you thoroughly check the validity of what is recommended.
Spring is here and it's time to clean the windows. First of all use the Mary Moppins mop http://www.goclean.com/mops.htm to remove cobwebs around windows and under the eves of your home. Always wash windows from top to bottom. When using a squeegee wipe the blade often and change the blade if it continues to smear. Wash any towels you will be using adding ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse water. Do not use fabric softener, bleach or dryer sheets as all three will cause windows to smear. Wash windows out of the direct sunlight to prevent streaks. Wipe squeegee blades frequently. Replace your blades if they are more than a year or two old.
1) Remove the screens cleaning them with our dry sponge http://www.goclean.com/dry-sponge.htm. This is faster and less messy than washing them.
2) With a 1" paint brush remove cobwebs and dirt from around window frames
3) Vacuum the frames to remove any dirt that is left
4) Clean inside windows that can be reached by hand using a microfiber cloth http://www.goclean.com/towels.htm. Use microfiber ONLY on glass or mirrors. It will eventually take the finish off furniture, cars etc. We do carry very high quality microfiber that won't leave lint or stop working after washing it.
5) For inside windows that are up high including Sun Rooms, lightly dampen the wash pad of our Window Wizard http://www.goclean.com/ww-wizzard.htm with water only. If you have a microfiber mop, (please do not use it on your floors. It will eventually strip the finish off any floor) it will work quite well for you. Wash it then rinse it in a white vinegar and water solution to remove the soap residue.
6) Alternately for sun rooms or windows up high you will need a step ladder and either microfiber cloths or lint free towels like our huck towels. Cotton baby diapers work quite well. Just do not use newspapers as the ink has changed and will leave streaks. Paper towels and newspapers contain pulp which will scratch glass. Mix 1/3 of a cup of distilled white vinegar and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol in a new 32 ounce spray bottle. Fill with distilled water, which gives consistent results. Put a terry towel on window sills to catch the drips.
7) Outside windows: Use the same window cleaning recipe as above. Spray the window thoroughly, let it set a minute then squeegee down starting at the top. If you are using the Window Wizzard, dampen the wash pad with water clean the window and squeegee.
8) For those of you who like to use a bucket of window cleaner wash your bucket and wipe the inside with rubbing alcohol to remove any film or oil left behind. Fill with water adding two-thirds cup of white vinegar and one-half cup of rubbing alcohol. Some people also add a bit of automatic dish washer detergent. That works too. I would use one-fourth cup.
Generally smears are caused by towels that contain laundry detergent residue, squeegee blades that are old or dirty, cleaning in the direct sunlight or not drying the window quickly enough.
If your window does smear, use an old cotton tee shirt (clean please) spray it with straight rubbing alcohol and wipe over the window. A neat trick is to tuck a lint free towel sprayed with rubbing alcohol in your belt loop. After you squeegee the window, wipe the window with the towel. A friend of mine (thank you Jerry) told me that wiping windows with a dry eraser will also remove smears. It would be fast! Just make sure the window is completely dry. You don't need to take this precaution if using alcohol.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2006 All rights reserved worldwide.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
Ideas for Half Day Cleanings
Half day cleaning ideas
Down on the farm every spring, Grandma would haul out the pillows, mattresses and throw rugs and have us shake, beat and rattle them to freshen them for the spring and summer. Those may be old fashioned ideas but they should be time honored. All that shaking and beating removed the winter's coat of dust, pollen and who knows what else that decided to hibernate between the layers of blankets and mattresses.
Even if time is tight for spring cleaning and you need to limit the time spent on deep cleaning, don't neglect your bed room. When you spend 6 to 8 hours sleeping on top of dust - sinus and allergy problems tend to rear their ugly heads. You'll be surprised how much easier you will breathe simply by cleaning your bed thoroughly.
Wash all the bedding including your mattress cover. Remove the mattress and box springs. Turn your frame on the side and clean it with our Bi-O-Kleen. Vacuum the carpet. If there is any dirt marks along the wall use the Ion-A-Clean to remove them.
Replace the box springs and vacuum it. Next replace the mattress, vacuum the first side, flip it then vacuum the other side. Clean your pillows by either air drying them in the dryer or washing them if they are feather pillows.
Next pull out your dresser or chest of drawers and vacuum then dust the walls. If you get real energetic tackle the closet. Take to Goodwill anything you haven't worn for the past 2 years and this includes those items we all toss on the top shelf thinking we might need it one day. Well, this is 5 years later and you forgot you had it – toss it in the Goodwill bag.
* In the kitchen: Ok this is time to fess up. When was the last time you treated your cabinets to a good wood treatment? Our Wood Care is just the answer to prevent the drying and cracking that can and does happen. It will revive those areas that have dulled from water splashing.
Remember though if you have used a product like Pledge that contains chemicals, it's best not to mix products. It could cause the finish to soften. Wood Care can be used successfully on top of pure lemon oil as long as the product does not contain petroleum distillates. Petroleum distillates should never be used inside the home. Check your products carefully. Researchers are just now beginning to associate d-limolene with physical ailments as well.
*Don't forget to clean your refrigerator and toss any bottle that is past the "best used by date." Wipe out the freezer and thoroughly clean the drawers and shelves. They will soon be full of the summer's harvest.
Then each day where you have a few spare minutes, remove everything from one cabinet and wipe down the shelves. Start with the shelves where food, spices etc are stored to discourage ants from hauling off the leftovers.
Spring is a great time to go through your home and disguard your toxic cleaners. Call your local toxic waste management company and take that stuff to them for proper disposal. Give your body a spring cleaning as well by getting rid of all that stuff. It literally is killing you.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Mary Moppins Happeni
Mary Moppins Happenings
This past Sunday, our local paper ran an article about Mary Moppins. You can read it at this website.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/03/05/ol.marymop.0305.p1.php?section=oregonlife
Mary Moppins and my new book, "A Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning" will also be featured in an upcoming article for the Boston Globe. I'll keep you posted with updates as soon as it is available.
Also on Sunday, March 19 at 8 PM Pacific Time, the products I have donated to ABC's Extreme Makeover, home edition will be aired.
This past Sunday, our local paper ran an article about Mary Moppins. You can read it at this website.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/03/05/ol.marymop.0305.p1.php?section=oregonlife
Mary Moppins and my new book, "A Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning" will also be featured in an upcoming article for the Boston Globe. I'll keep you posted with updates as soon as it is available.
Also on Sunday, March 19 at 8 PM Pacific Time, the products I have donated to ABC's Extreme Makeover, home edition will be aired.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Second of 3 part series
This is the second part to a three part article. Last issue I began an article suggesting tips on what to clean if you have 15 minutes on your hands and suggestions on how to get started in your own home. Please see my blog dated yesterday for the first part.
The second part continues with suggestions on what to clean with 30 minutes and an hour. Remember these are only suggestions. Adapt them to your schedule and your circumstance. I'm only giving you suggestions so when your busy schedule allows a few minutes you don't waste half that time deciding what to clean.
Thirty minutes:
1) When was the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils? That should be done twice a year to keep your motor running smoothly.
2) Clean the inside windows in your kitchen and family or living room and sliding glass door if you have one. In other words remove those smudges. Then apply just a little bit of Advantage to keep the smudges at bay.
3) Clean the drawers in your kitchen you most frequently use or the ones that tend to gather "stuff" like coupons and knickknacks.
4) Pick up and put away clutter in two rooms – if you have more than 15 minutes of clutter to remove in any one room then this 30 minutes is a great time to get rid of the clutter in one room. Yes it is plenty of time – stay focused. That cup of coffee comes as a reward after the clutter is gone not before or during.
5) Dust the mini blinds or window coverings in one sector of your home
6) Clean your light fixtures and change light bulbs that are getting old using the energy saving bulbs.
7) Change smoke detector batteries
8) Change your furnace filter
One hour:
1) Bathrooms – do all the bathrooms at one time to eliminate dragging out your tote tray two or three times. Mary Moppins Bi-O-Kleen will make short work of bathrooms. Read my article on bathroom cleaning for more tips to speed clean your bathrooms.
Don't forget to treat your shower walls and inside of the toilet with Advantage. It is my waterless car wash and protectant. The polymers in Advantage make surfaces slick. Water sheets down shower walls so they are faster to squeegee. I'll let your imagination go to work to tell you the advantage of slick toilet bowls (.
2) Dust one sector of your home like the bedroom sector or the living room, dining room and family room areas using our diluted Wood Care. .
3) Clean out the refrigerator – it should take less than hour so use the remaining time to clean up under the hood of your stove or the surrounding cabinets.
4) Clean the ashes out of the fireplace or wood stove and clean the glass insert
5) Condition your leather or vinyl furniture with our Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
6) Winter is harsh on wood window sills. Prevent them from cracking with our Wood Care.
7) Clean smudges on walls and light plates.
8) Dust lamp shades. Use a clean paint brush with the bristles cut down one half inch for pleated shades and our dry sponge for flat ones.
Now you can see why I recommend making a list of everything in your home that needs to be cleaned. It's so much easier to refer to your list and check them off as you get them done.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
The second part continues with suggestions on what to clean with 30 minutes and an hour. Remember these are only suggestions. Adapt them to your schedule and your circumstance. I'm only giving you suggestions so when your busy schedule allows a few minutes you don't waste half that time deciding what to clean.
Thirty minutes:
1) When was the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils? That should be done twice a year to keep your motor running smoothly.
2) Clean the inside windows in your kitchen and family or living room and sliding glass door if you have one. In other words remove those smudges. Then apply just a little bit of Advantage to keep the smudges at bay.
3) Clean the drawers in your kitchen you most frequently use or the ones that tend to gather "stuff" like coupons and knickknacks.
4) Pick up and put away clutter in two rooms – if you have more than 15 minutes of clutter to remove in any one room then this 30 minutes is a great time to get rid of the clutter in one room. Yes it is plenty of time – stay focused. That cup of coffee comes as a reward after the clutter is gone not before or during.
5) Dust the mini blinds or window coverings in one sector of your home
6) Clean your light fixtures and change light bulbs that are getting old using the energy saving bulbs.
7) Change smoke detector batteries
8) Change your furnace filter
One hour:
1) Bathrooms – do all the bathrooms at one time to eliminate dragging out your tote tray two or three times. Mary Moppins Bi-O-Kleen will make short work of bathrooms. Read my article on bathroom cleaning for more tips to speed clean your bathrooms.
Don't forget to treat your shower walls and inside of the toilet with Advantage. It is my waterless car wash and protectant. The polymers in Advantage make surfaces slick. Water sheets down shower walls so they are faster to squeegee. I'll let your imagination go to work to tell you the advantage of slick toilet bowls (.
2) Dust one sector of your home like the bedroom sector or the living room, dining room and family room areas using our diluted Wood Care. .
3) Clean out the refrigerator – it should take less than hour so use the remaining time to clean up under the hood of your stove or the surrounding cabinets.
4) Clean the ashes out of the fireplace or wood stove and clean the glass insert
5) Condition your leather or vinyl furniture with our Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
6) Winter is harsh on wood window sills. Prevent them from cracking with our Wood Care.
7) Clean smudges on walls and light plates.
8) Dust lamp shades. Use a clean paint brush with the bristles cut down one half inch for pleated shades and our dry sponge for flat ones.
Now you can see why I recommend making a list of everything in your home that needs to be cleaned. It's so much easier to refer to your list and check them off as you get them done.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Things to clean in 15 minutes.
If you don't have clutter under control these 15 minute exercises will take an hour or longer. Follow this one rule: Never leave a room empty handed – never. When you leave a room, look around for items that have not been used for three or four weeks. Either toss them, give them away, recycle or put them in their proper place.
Keep current magazines in a rack by the side of a chair. Do not keep an entire magazine for one or two articles. (there are exceptions) Purchase a two to three inch 3 ring binder and tabs. Remove any article you wish to keep punching holes in it with a three hole punch. Label a tab for the appropriate title adding the article. Not only does it get rid of the magazine but you can actually find the article when you need it.
Immediately refill your bottles when you finish cleaning. That way they are ready to tackle those unexpected spills. Keep everything stored in one place. Use a tote tray and not an apron for holding your cleaners and brushes. Aprons are a hazard waiting to happen let alone the weight hanging around your neck.
For the quick fifteen minute cleanups keep a spray bottle of our diluted Bi-O-Kleen or Ion-A-Clean, (the best stain remover I've ever used and the reason I carry it) in the kitchen along with a towel or two. For those of you with chemical allergies, Ion-A-Clean is a must. It contains no chemicals, surfactants or cleaning agents of any kind. It's so safe a fish will live in it yet it is a remarkable cleaner. You will love what it does and how easily it removes nearly all carpet stains including magic marker. Click on Ion-A-Kleen to read more.
The secret to speed cleaning no matter how much or how little time you have is to keep focused and work up a sweat. Put on some fast paced music and move quickly. Get your heartbeat raised and a sweat on your brow. Your body will love you and you will love the additional time you have.
Homework: Grab a clipboard and piece of paper. Walk through each room of your home as if for the first time. Using a critical eye, list everything that needs cleaning both quick and long job like pulling out cabinets and cleaning inside under and around them and the wall behind them. Include cleaning walls, windows to easier chores like dusting cobwebs or removing clutter or perhaps decorating changes you want to make. By each chore, mark how long you think it will take. ie: 15 minutes 30 minutes and hour half a day or maybe a whole day.
Here is a sample for what you want to achieve for a 15 minute cleaning job. You don't need this much detail but it gives you an idea of my concept behind "giving your product time to work." Soak one surface while you clean another. You use your time efficiently which is the essence of speed cleaning. Now apply this concept to everything you do.
15 minute cleaning suggestions:
Kitchen: Begin filling the sink with hot sudsy water. Place a coffee cup half filled with water in the microwave - if it's dirty - and turn it on high for 3 minutes. Remove the drip pans from the stove putting them in the sink to soak. Spray the stove top with the Bi-O-Kleen or Ion-A-Clean. Time: 3 minutes.
Grab an SOS pad and scrub the drip pans then the grates. Wipe down the microwave with a towel then clean the front of the stove, spray the hood and under the hood and clean them. Then wipe the stove top. Time: 7 minutes.
Remove the bins from the refrigerator and spritz down the bottom of the refrigerator. Dump the contents of the bins on the counter and toss old fruits and veggies. Run hot sudsy water in the bins. Then wipe down the bottom of the refrigerator, clean and dry the bins and return the fruits and veggies. Spray down the top and exterior of the refrigerator and wipe it clean. Time: 5 minutes.
Here are a few other ideas for 15 minute cleaning jobs:
1)Dust cobwebs
2)Declutter one room
3)Clean lampshades or ceiling fans
4)Clean sliding glass doors (apply just a bit of our Advantage Waterless Wash and Protectant to your sliding glass doors and fingerprints will have a difficult time sticking if they stick at all.
5)Dust miniblinds
6) Wipe down the fronts of kitchen cabinets or the bathroom cabinets – our diluted Wood Care is excellent for this
7)Dust baseboards in one section of your home
8)Clean the inside of a cabinet and toss anything that is over a year old
8)enjoy a cup of tea!
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Keep current magazines in a rack by the side of a chair. Do not keep an entire magazine for one or two articles. (there are exceptions) Purchase a two to three inch 3 ring binder and tabs. Remove any article you wish to keep punching holes in it with a three hole punch. Label a tab for the appropriate title adding the article. Not only does it get rid of the magazine but you can actually find the article when you need it.
Immediately refill your bottles when you finish cleaning. That way they are ready to tackle those unexpected spills. Keep everything stored in one place. Use a tote tray and not an apron for holding your cleaners and brushes. Aprons are a hazard waiting to happen let alone the weight hanging around your neck.
For the quick fifteen minute cleanups keep a spray bottle of our diluted Bi-O-Kleen or Ion-A-Clean, (the best stain remover I've ever used and the reason I carry it) in the kitchen along with a towel or two. For those of you with chemical allergies, Ion-A-Clean is a must. It contains no chemicals, surfactants or cleaning agents of any kind. It's so safe a fish will live in it yet it is a remarkable cleaner. You will love what it does and how easily it removes nearly all carpet stains including magic marker. Click on Ion-A-Kleen to read more.
The secret to speed cleaning no matter how much or how little time you have is to keep focused and work up a sweat. Put on some fast paced music and move quickly. Get your heartbeat raised and a sweat on your brow. Your body will love you and you will love the additional time you have.
Homework: Grab a clipboard and piece of paper. Walk through each room of your home as if for the first time. Using a critical eye, list everything that needs cleaning both quick and long job like pulling out cabinets and cleaning inside under and around them and the wall behind them. Include cleaning walls, windows to easier chores like dusting cobwebs or removing clutter or perhaps decorating changes you want to make. By each chore, mark how long you think it will take. ie: 15 minutes 30 minutes and hour half a day or maybe a whole day.
Here is a sample for what you want to achieve for a 15 minute cleaning job. You don't need this much detail but it gives you an idea of my concept behind "giving your product time to work." Soak one surface while you clean another. You use your time efficiently which is the essence of speed cleaning. Now apply this concept to everything you do.
15 minute cleaning suggestions:
Kitchen: Begin filling the sink with hot sudsy water. Place a coffee cup half filled with water in the microwave - if it's dirty - and turn it on high for 3 minutes. Remove the drip pans from the stove putting them in the sink to soak. Spray the stove top with the Bi-O-Kleen or Ion-A-Clean. Time: 3 minutes.
Grab an SOS pad and scrub the drip pans then the grates. Wipe down the microwave with a towel then clean the front of the stove, spray the hood and under the hood and clean them. Then wipe the stove top. Time: 7 minutes.
Remove the bins from the refrigerator and spritz down the bottom of the refrigerator. Dump the contents of the bins on the counter and toss old fruits and veggies. Run hot sudsy water in the bins. Then wipe down the bottom of the refrigerator, clean and dry the bins and return the fruits and veggies. Spray down the top and exterior of the refrigerator and wipe it clean. Time: 5 minutes.
Here are a few other ideas for 15 minute cleaning jobs:
1)Dust cobwebs
2)Declutter one room
3)Clean lampshades or ceiling fans
4)Clean sliding glass doors (apply just a bit of our Advantage Waterless Wash and Protectant to your sliding glass doors and fingerprints will have a difficult time sticking if they stick at all.
5)Dust miniblinds
6) Wipe down the fronts of kitchen cabinets or the bathroom cabinets – our diluted Wood Care is excellent for this
7)Dust baseboards in one section of your home
8)Clean the inside of a cabinet and toss anything that is over a year old
8)enjoy a cup of tea!
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Club Soda
Club Soda
The flip side
Several popular cleaning websites promote the use of club soda for removing various stains from carpeting, which it does a wonderful job – if – the bottle is fresh. Club soda is a carbonated beverage and like any soda, looses its "fizz" within a short period of time. Once club soda has flattened you must open a fresh bottle for it to be effective either for removing stains or for drinks.
Club soda is not an inexpensive item. Since it does quickly loose its effectiveness this means keeping several bottles of it in your pantry at all times. Just what you don't need – more product to consume an already overloaded pantry.
Try our Ion-A-Clean instead. Ion-A-Clean is water that has been ionized. Under most conditions water only holds ionization for only 24 hours. Ion-A-Clean has been patented to have a three year shelf life. Now you have one bottle in your pantry rather than half a dozen and it has cost you far less as well. Spray Ion-A-Clean on the stain and leave it alone for 30 minutes – do mark the area of the stain because most dissolve into the carpet. It encapsulates both the fibers of the carpet and the dirt. Both surfaces are now negatively charged acting like two negatively charged magnets. The stain "peels" away from the carpet fibers since they no longer have a death grip on the dirt.
Club soda must be rinsed or the ants will be beating a path to the spot. With Ion-A-Clean blot and that's it. It needs no rinsing. Ion-A-clean even removes magic marker from carpet and fabric furniture and won't leave a residue or stain behind like other products that claim to remove marker.
Ion-A-Clean is so safe a fish can live in it as long as you feed it (. It is a wonderful cleaner for anyone with chemical sensitivities, asthma, heart problems or where breathing fumes of any kind should be avoided. It is safe to use around children and pets can lick the floor without the worry of ingesting a cleaner. Drop a nail into a glass of Ion-A-clean. It will not rust even after a year. And it is the only product safe for cleaning granite and marble counters and showers. It will not damage those surfaces.
The flip side
Several popular cleaning websites promote the use of club soda for removing various stains from carpeting, which it does a wonderful job – if – the bottle is fresh. Club soda is a carbonated beverage and like any soda, looses its "fizz" within a short period of time. Once club soda has flattened you must open a fresh bottle for it to be effective either for removing stains or for drinks.
Club soda is not an inexpensive item. Since it does quickly loose its effectiveness this means keeping several bottles of it in your pantry at all times. Just what you don't need – more product to consume an already overloaded pantry.
Try our Ion-A-Clean instead. Ion-A-Clean is water that has been ionized. Under most conditions water only holds ionization for only 24 hours. Ion-A-Clean has been patented to have a three year shelf life. Now you have one bottle in your pantry rather than half a dozen and it has cost you far less as well. Spray Ion-A-Clean on the stain and leave it alone for 30 minutes – do mark the area of the stain because most dissolve into the carpet. It encapsulates both the fibers of the carpet and the dirt. Both surfaces are now negatively charged acting like two negatively charged magnets. The stain "peels" away from the carpet fibers since they no longer have a death grip on the dirt.
Club soda must be rinsed or the ants will be beating a path to the spot. With Ion-A-Clean blot and that's it. It needs no rinsing. Ion-A-clean even removes magic marker from carpet and fabric furniture and won't leave a residue or stain behind like other products that claim to remove marker.
Ion-A-Clean is so safe a fish can live in it as long as you feed it (. It is a wonderful cleaner for anyone with chemical sensitivities, asthma, heart problems or where breathing fumes of any kind should be avoided. It is safe to use around children and pets can lick the floor without the worry of ingesting a cleaner. Drop a nail into a glass of Ion-A-clean. It will not rust even after a year. And it is the only product safe for cleaning granite and marble counters and showers. It will not damage those surfaces.
Cleaning Tips for Fe
February Tips
Spring is quickly on the way so now is the best time to attend to those cleaning chores we tend to ignore but need attention to prevent major problems down the road.
Cleaning and conditioning wood cabinets and furniture. Wood furniture and cabinets dry and crack if ignored. Feel your bathroom cabinets. After several years of suffering through daily steam baths they crack and turn grey. Treat them at least once a year with our Wood Care to prevent this. Our Wood Care can be diluted eight parts water to one part Wood Care for a wonderful weekly furniture cleaner.
Deep treat leather and vinyl furniture to prevent sun damage if they are near a window and drying and cracking. Our Leather/Vinyl Cleaner and Conditioner deep cleans and conditions. It can be diluted the same as the Wood Care for regular cleanings.
Spring is quickly on the way so now is the best time to attend to those cleaning chores we tend to ignore but need attention to prevent major problems down the road.
Cleaning and conditioning wood cabinets and furniture. Wood furniture and cabinets dry and crack if ignored. Feel your bathroom cabinets. After several years of suffering through daily steam baths they crack and turn grey. Treat them at least once a year with our Wood Care to prevent this. Our Wood Care can be diluted eight parts water to one part Wood Care for a wonderful weekly furniture cleaner.
Deep treat leather and vinyl furniture to prevent sun damage if they are near a window and drying and cracking. Our Leather/Vinyl Cleaner and Conditioner deep cleans and conditions. It can be diluted the same as the Wood Care for regular cleanings.
- Clean the inside of kitchen cabinets. Grab two plastic clothes baskets. Use one basket to toss anything you haven't eaten including old spices, medicines etc. that are past expiration date. The second will hold any item you haven't used for the past 3 to 4 years. Either have a garage sale, take them to Good Will or sell it on EBay. Then wipe down the shelves and walls of the cabinets.
- If storage is a problem in your kitchen, places like Bed Bath and Beyond, department stores and hardware stores have great storage ideas. Just let your creative side take over when you go looking.
- Resolve once a month to thoroughly clean one to two rooms of your home. Designate a day then keep the appointment with yourself. Pull the furniture away from walls. Clean the walls and baseboards then vacuum thoroughly. Use our Dry Sponge to clean dog hair and surface dirt off fabric furniture. Our Ion-A-Clean will remove most stains on the furniture even magic marker.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Holiday Party Hints
Holiday Party Hints
Cleaning Tips
By Mary Findley copyright @2005
Ah the joys and wonders of the Holiday Season – The brightly decorated homes, warm spiced cider by an inviting fireplace, traditional family festivities, guests coming for the Yuletide party. Wait a minute did someone say guests and party in the same sentence? Oh my, it's getting late and nothing has been done yet about party planning let alone cleaning or preparing for family for the traditional gathering of the clan.
All the preparation and cleaning must have been the scary things Scrooge dreamt at night. It may be late but Santa does not have sole rights to helpers nor is Rudolph the only one in town with a bright shiny light. Here are a few holiday guidelines to ensure Scrooge gets a sound night's sleep while you borrow Santa's helpers who happen to have hidden flashlights.
Take Note: Keep a pad handy to write down the extra items you'll need for a party or Christmas dinner. A second pad keeps a running tab of your "to do" list as they come to mind at three AM. Keep an extra pad in the car as well.
●Weeks before your party, enter each room where people will linger and look around with the eye of Sherlock Holmes. Find a cubby hole for any unnecessary item until after the New Year. The less left out, the less that needs cleaning or can get broken. Remember the fastest way to declutter a room is never leave that room empty handed. Take something with you then put it away. Toss or take to Goodwill any item that passed its usefulness.
Plan Ahead: As you plan for your party or holiday dinner, write down things that your guests can help prepare when they arrive. These might include taking coats, opening wine bottles, mixing drinks, emptying trash, keeping nut dishes filled, arranging fruit, vegetable or cheese platters. Keep the list posted so when guests ask to help, it is easy to refer them to the list. Ask them to mark it off the list once they finish. No more last hour kitchen mayhem directing people on how they can help. Save this list on your computer for other parties as well.
● Carry a clean 1 ½ inch paint brush in your back pocket while you are decorating your home for the holidays. It is within easy reach to whisk away cobwebs around lamps, door hinges or other area we all miss during our regular cleaning. Tuck a barely damp cloth into your other back pocket to wipe down baseboards as you move furniture making room for holiday decorations.
● Purchase additional plastic tablecloths if you have small children or pets coming for visits. Turn them soft side up and place a towel on top of the tablecloth on a bed or sofa where the pets or young children might sleep. The towel catches any accident while the plastic protects the bed, chair or couch. Then place the table cloth under the small fry during meal time to prevent carpet stains. Turn them into a place for children's activities either on a table or the floor to prevent stains, scratches and confine the toys.
Speed cleaning PhD:
● Let the phone ring
● Put on some fast bouncy music
● Hold off that latte as a reward for getting the cleaning finished not for getting it started.
● Ignore the advice you often read to do laundry etc as you clean – what are they nuts? Your goal is to pick up speed while you are cleaning. Every time you stop what you are doing you loose that speed and it takes 10 minutes to get going again.
● Tuck all your cleaners in a tote tray. Forget the cleaning aprons. They are trouble waiting to happen. Put clean rags in one plastic bag and carry a second for used rags. Then carry a trash bag to discard trash. Gather everything you need before you start. Remember don't stop keep moving.
● Turn your house cleaning into an aerobic exercise. Nearly everything, except vacuuming, is a matter of speed. Get both hands working - one moves objects as the other cleans. Move fast enough to get your heart rate up and put a sweat on your brow. You will love the time savings and your body will love you!
Tricks of the trade include:
● Quickly remove water ring marks in toilets with our Erase It for Bathrooms without scratching the bowl like a pumice stone. Then back the water out of the toilet and dry the bowl. Spray the bowl with our Advantage waterless car wash, wipe it to cover the entire bowl and go clean the shower. Wipe the toilet with a dry towel and allow the water to flow back in. Advantage contains polymers, which makes surfaces slick so "things" don't stick. Oh is post party cleanup a breeze. Then treat your Corian countertops with Advantage as well to add luster and help prevent stains.
● Get rid of all leftovers in the refrigerator, clean the refrigerator tossing any bottle that has not been used for six months.
Preventive cures:
● If you burn candles, place them up high or in areas where people won't move them and never place them close to flammable objects or where a child or pet might knock them over. 100% soy candles are best to burn. They emit very little smoke and most do not contain lead wicks. A 16 oz soy candle will burn for 30 to 40 hours. If you light candles at a table or for a special ceremony, make certain the surface is well protected.
● You might want to decorate window sills to prevent guests from placing glasses on the sills otherwise place three or four coasters and napkins on the sills as well as around all rooms that will be used.
● Remove any antique or valuable furniture. Prevention is wise for any party.
● Replace end tables with folding tray tables setting one or two extra in each room along with a decorative trash can.
● Cover coffee tables first with plastic then a holiday table cloth followed by decorations and snacks if you serve them in that room. Never serve nuts that must be cracked open or snacks that have toothpicks. Both are deadly to carpet and require hours of extra cleaning labor.
● It is permissible to ask guests to remove their shoes before entering your home especially if you live in a rainy or snowy area. One friend had everyone bring colorful Christmas socks to wear. It was a riot with everyone in their holiday dress.
● Allow any mud to dry that does find its way onto your carpet then vacuum it.
Keep it handy:
● Our Ion-A-Clean, a patented, ionized water that is a remarkable stain remover. Most stains can merely be sprayed and left alone. Ion-A-Clean surrounds both the stain and the carpet fibers negatively charging both surfaces. The stain then releases from the carpet and an hour later or after guests leave is quickly blotted to remove the stain. It does not need to be rinsed. It works quite well on red wine stains without leaving the sticky residue that white wine or seltzer water leaves behind both of which are more difficult to remove than the red wine and damage carpet fibers.
● Along with the Ion-A-Clean have several dry towels and damp towels ready to tackle those spills. Keep a few dry towels inside a cabinet front if possible in every room where guests will linger. The faster you attend to a stain the less damage the stain will cause.
● Resist the temptation to serve colored punch drinks. If you do keep a spray bottle filled with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide to water. Immediately spray the spot with the solution. Wait 15 to 20 minutes then blot with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar to water.
● Dampen a towel placing it and a mop just outside the garage door. A towel is much faster to use than any other mop to quickly remove spills from floors.
● Keep a bottle of Bac-Out or Nature's Miracle found at pet stores, close at hand for spills on flooring with grout. Detergents cannot be used on any stone floor. The enzymes in either product "eat" bacteria and will not damage stone flooring.
● A small cordless vacuum comes in quite handy and should be close at hand as well as a pair of pliers and a screw driver with all four heads tucked into the handle. Keep these and a pair of scissors in a kitchen drawer.
● Copy motels and tuck one or two extra trash bag at the bottom of a trash container before placing the trash bag inside. This prevents rushing around finding replacements when the container needs emptying.
Be sure to watch for Mary's book "The Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning" coming to her website and bookstores Jan, 2006.
Cleaning Tips
By Mary Findley copyright @2005
Ah the joys and wonders of the Holiday Season – The brightly decorated homes, warm spiced cider by an inviting fireplace, traditional family festivities, guests coming for the Yuletide party. Wait a minute did someone say guests and party in the same sentence? Oh my, it's getting late and nothing has been done yet about party planning let alone cleaning or preparing for family for the traditional gathering of the clan.
All the preparation and cleaning must have been the scary things Scrooge dreamt at night. It may be late but Santa does not have sole rights to helpers nor is Rudolph the only one in town with a bright shiny light. Here are a few holiday guidelines to ensure Scrooge gets a sound night's sleep while you borrow Santa's helpers who happen to have hidden flashlights.
Take Note: Keep a pad handy to write down the extra items you'll need for a party or Christmas dinner. A second pad keeps a running tab of your "to do" list as they come to mind at three AM. Keep an extra pad in the car as well.
●Weeks before your party, enter each room where people will linger and look around with the eye of Sherlock Holmes. Find a cubby hole for any unnecessary item until after the New Year. The less left out, the less that needs cleaning or can get broken. Remember the fastest way to declutter a room is never leave that room empty handed. Take something with you then put it away. Toss or take to Goodwill any item that passed its usefulness.
Plan Ahead: As you plan for your party or holiday dinner, write down things that your guests can help prepare when they arrive. These might include taking coats, opening wine bottles, mixing drinks, emptying trash, keeping nut dishes filled, arranging fruit, vegetable or cheese platters. Keep the list posted so when guests ask to help, it is easy to refer them to the list. Ask them to mark it off the list once they finish. No more last hour kitchen mayhem directing people on how they can help. Save this list on your computer for other parties as well.
● Carry a clean 1 ½ inch paint brush in your back pocket while you are decorating your home for the holidays. It is within easy reach to whisk away cobwebs around lamps, door hinges or other area we all miss during our regular cleaning. Tuck a barely damp cloth into your other back pocket to wipe down baseboards as you move furniture making room for holiday decorations.
● Purchase additional plastic tablecloths if you have small children or pets coming for visits. Turn them soft side up and place a towel on top of the tablecloth on a bed or sofa where the pets or young children might sleep. The towel catches any accident while the plastic protects the bed, chair or couch. Then place the table cloth under the small fry during meal time to prevent carpet stains. Turn them into a place for children's activities either on a table or the floor to prevent stains, scratches and confine the toys.
Speed cleaning PhD:
● Let the phone ring
● Put on some fast bouncy music
● Hold off that latte as a reward for getting the cleaning finished not for getting it started.
● Ignore the advice you often read to do laundry etc as you clean – what are they nuts? Your goal is to pick up speed while you are cleaning. Every time you stop what you are doing you loose that speed and it takes 10 minutes to get going again.
● Tuck all your cleaners in a tote tray. Forget the cleaning aprons. They are trouble waiting to happen. Put clean rags in one plastic bag and carry a second for used rags. Then carry a trash bag to discard trash. Gather everything you need before you start. Remember don't stop keep moving.
● Turn your house cleaning into an aerobic exercise. Nearly everything, except vacuuming, is a matter of speed. Get both hands working - one moves objects as the other cleans. Move fast enough to get your heart rate up and put a sweat on your brow. You will love the time savings and your body will love you!
Tricks of the trade include:
● Quickly remove water ring marks in toilets with our Erase It for Bathrooms without scratching the bowl like a pumice stone. Then back the water out of the toilet and dry the bowl. Spray the bowl with our Advantage waterless car wash, wipe it to cover the entire bowl and go clean the shower. Wipe the toilet with a dry towel and allow the water to flow back in. Advantage contains polymers, which makes surfaces slick so "things" don't stick. Oh is post party cleanup a breeze. Then treat your Corian countertops with Advantage as well to add luster and help prevent stains.
● Get rid of all leftovers in the refrigerator, clean the refrigerator tossing any bottle that has not been used for six months.
Preventive cures:
● If you burn candles, place them up high or in areas where people won't move them and never place them close to flammable objects or where a child or pet might knock them over. 100% soy candles are best to burn. They emit very little smoke and most do not contain lead wicks. A 16 oz soy candle will burn for 30 to 40 hours. If you light candles at a table or for a special ceremony, make certain the surface is well protected.
● You might want to decorate window sills to prevent guests from placing glasses on the sills otherwise place three or four coasters and napkins on the sills as well as around all rooms that will be used.
● Remove any antique or valuable furniture. Prevention is wise for any party.
● Replace end tables with folding tray tables setting one or two extra in each room along with a decorative trash can.
● Cover coffee tables first with plastic then a holiday table cloth followed by decorations and snacks if you serve them in that room. Never serve nuts that must be cracked open or snacks that have toothpicks. Both are deadly to carpet and require hours of extra cleaning labor.
● It is permissible to ask guests to remove their shoes before entering your home especially if you live in a rainy or snowy area. One friend had everyone bring colorful Christmas socks to wear. It was a riot with everyone in their holiday dress.
● Allow any mud to dry that does find its way onto your carpet then vacuum it.
Keep it handy:
● Our Ion-A-Clean, a patented, ionized water that is a remarkable stain remover. Most stains can merely be sprayed and left alone. Ion-A-Clean surrounds both the stain and the carpet fibers negatively charging both surfaces. The stain then releases from the carpet and an hour later or after guests leave is quickly blotted to remove the stain. It does not need to be rinsed. It works quite well on red wine stains without leaving the sticky residue that white wine or seltzer water leaves behind both of which are more difficult to remove than the red wine and damage carpet fibers.
● Along with the Ion-A-Clean have several dry towels and damp towels ready to tackle those spills. Keep a few dry towels inside a cabinet front if possible in every room where guests will linger. The faster you attend to a stain the less damage the stain will cause.
● Resist the temptation to serve colored punch drinks. If you do keep a spray bottle filled with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide to water. Immediately spray the spot with the solution. Wait 15 to 20 minutes then blot with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar to water.
● Dampen a towel placing it and a mop just outside the garage door. A towel is much faster to use than any other mop to quickly remove spills from floors.
● Keep a bottle of Bac-Out or Nature's Miracle found at pet stores, close at hand for spills on flooring with grout. Detergents cannot be used on any stone floor. The enzymes in either product "eat" bacteria and will not damage stone flooring.
● A small cordless vacuum comes in quite handy and should be close at hand as well as a pair of pliers and a screw driver with all four heads tucked into the handle. Keep these and a pair of scissors in a kitchen drawer.
● Copy motels and tuck one or two extra trash bag at the bottom of a trash container before placing the trash bag inside. This prevents rushing around finding replacements when the container needs emptying.
Be sure to watch for Mary's book "The Complete Idiots Guide to Cleaning" coming to her website and bookstores Jan, 2006.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
With the snowy weather settling around already, there are a few winter tips for making life a bit easier. All of you in the southern states can retreat to the patio and bask in the 75º sun with you glass of ice tea. The rest of us are cuddled up around the fireplace in warm blankets.
Speaking of fireplaces have you cleaned the chimney yet? A quick way to clean the glass fronts of a wood burning stove is to carefully scrape it with a single edge razor blade making sure to put plastic down on the floor to prevent stains. Then use our Bi-O-Kleen and Red Scrubbie Pad to remove the rest. Wipe on the Bi-O-Kleen concentrated, wait 30 to 45 minutes then scrub with a dampened Red Scrubbie Pad.
I receive quite a few emails asking for easy ways to clean and dry a dog's feet after he comes inside from the wet, snowy outdoors. Place an old towel on the floor. Then grab a good sturdy bowl adding a small squirt of our Liquid Dish Soap. Fill the bowl part way with warm but not hot water. Your pet will love the warmth on their cold feet. The dish soap, which is safe for pets because it does not contain the usual harmful chemicals of other dish soaps, removes the mud and caked on snow. Then dry with the towel.
The best prevention for winter time blues is to kick your shoes off at the front door! Do this year round to save wear and tear and cleaning bills on your carpet. Yes it is a hard habit to adapt. People who have made the switch have written back with buckets of gratitude. It's worth the effort and will save hours of agony removing carpet stains. The best product I have ever used for cleaning stains is our Ion-A-Clean and that is why I sell it. It is also is wonderful for people with chemical sensitivities. It is an all purpose cleaner as well yet contains no chemicals or harsh cleaners.
Save on your heating bills this winter by keeping the blinds closed in rooms that you don't use often like formal living rooms, dining rooms or bedrooms. The cold air draws the heat out of your home.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Speaking of fireplaces have you cleaned the chimney yet? A quick way to clean the glass fronts of a wood burning stove is to carefully scrape it with a single edge razor blade making sure to put plastic down on the floor to prevent stains. Then use our Bi-O-Kleen and Red Scrubbie Pad to remove the rest. Wipe on the Bi-O-Kleen concentrated, wait 30 to 45 minutes then scrub with a dampened Red Scrubbie Pad.
I receive quite a few emails asking for easy ways to clean and dry a dog's feet after he comes inside from the wet, snowy outdoors. Place an old towel on the floor. Then grab a good sturdy bowl adding a small squirt of our Liquid Dish Soap. Fill the bowl part way with warm but not hot water. Your pet will love the warmth on their cold feet. The dish soap, which is safe for pets because it does not contain the usual harmful chemicals of other dish soaps, removes the mud and caked on snow. Then dry with the towel.
The best prevention for winter time blues is to kick your shoes off at the front door! Do this year round to save wear and tear and cleaning bills on your carpet. Yes it is a hard habit to adapt. People who have made the switch have written back with buckets of gratitude. It's worth the effort and will save hours of agony removing carpet stains. The best product I have ever used for cleaning stains is our Ion-A-Clean and that is why I sell it. It is also is wonderful for people with chemical sensitivities. It is an all purpose cleaner as well yet contains no chemicals or harsh cleaners.
Save on your heating bills this winter by keeping the blinds closed in rooms that you don't use often like formal living rooms, dining rooms or bedrooms. The cold air draws the heat out of your home.
This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at http://www.goclean.com. Copyright @2005 All rights reserved worldwide.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Time is tight, cookies need baking, kids demand attention and your home screams for a thorough cleaning. Where do you start? Make a list and check it twice. Write down your holiday activities including what needs to be baked, cleaned, rearranged, disguarded or ignored. Remember that commitment you silently made to spend more time with your family this holiday season? A good hard look at your list quickly reveals what you can eliminate to free your time this holiday season.
A list also helps prevent those last minute "I forgot to wash the tablecloth" catastrophes. Check off each chore as you complete it. A computer spreadsheet program allows you to quickly rearrange that schedule so priorities or do ahead projects make the top ten. Keep the master copy to use again next year and work from a second copy.
Starting mid November make double meals twice a week. It only takes a few extra minutes to throw together 2 meatloaves or double a casserole or favorite chili recipe. Freeze the second meal for a homemade "fast food" meal. It's faster and healthier than heading to the local drive through.
Now comes the tough but essential part to give you added time during the holidays. Make a commitment to run errands nor more than twice a week. It takes at least 30 to 40 minutes just driving to and from a store. Keep spare rolls of tape, paper, glue, screwdrivers and pliers within easy reach.
This is the time to multitask: if you go to the garage take a load of laundry. When you head out to the store, take out the garbage. Get three days worth of dinner out of the freezer in the garage. Pay attention to the trips you make and do double duty. You'll save a couple hours a week simply by combing trips around your home.
It is impossible to speed clean a cluttered home. Put on some calypso music and start decluttering. Fast moving music takes the burden out of this job. Besides you'll find yourself dancing to the beat and the exercise is wonderful! Small children love to dance so let their imagine run free. Get the entire family involved in decluttering. If the kids want holiday cookies they need to pick up after themselves then let them help.
If you serve finger food rather than a sit down dinner, purchase good sturdy, oversized plates so your guests have plenty of room to place napkins, silverware and their glass on the plate while they walk to a chair. A sturdier plate balances better in a lap as well. Think twice about serving things like chips, popcorn or things that crumble like crackers or cookies. Not only do they leave grease stains in fabric, but they are often dropped and crushed into the carpeting or hard flooring and they find their way into the crevices in furniture, all of which can take hours to clean.
Place extra coasters along window sills etc where people linger to talk and often put down a glass. Keep a look out for glasses left behind and pick them up quickly to prevent spills. Use burning candles sparingly perhaps on the buffet or main dinner table only. Extinguish them right after dinner. Fires often start because a candle is moved during the evening and placed close to a flammable item.
After guests leave, straighten up before retiring for the night. You will spot any stain that might have been missed. Our Ion-A-Clean can be sprayed on a stain and left until the next day. Ion-A-Clean is ionized water and will not cause damage to any surface. The negatively charged ions "peel" away the stain from the fabric making removal easy.
You are welcome to download my free stain removal guide. It does come in handy all year long and especially during the holiday season.
Buy a large size carpet sample to place at your front door. Carpet does a great job cleaning the bottom of shoes. Then put a non rubber backed throw rug just inside the door to catch what the carpet sample missed. Rubber backed throw rugs leave yellow stains on surfaces especially when they get wet. Make sure the throw rug is light in color. Otherwise the dye will seep into your carpet. Hold the throw rug in place with non skid padding you find in most department stores. It should not yellow like the rubbed backing on rugs.
Speed clean your home like a pro: That cup of coffee can wait. You don't have to answer the phone unless you are expecting a call and it won't hurt a thing if the mail gets left in the box for another hour. Stay focused when you clean. You pick up speed while cleaning. Stop to do laundry and you just lost 15 minutes regaining your speed, if you can even do that at all.
Next take a serious walk around your home. If a room isn't to be used during the holidays, thoroughly clean it early in the season then shut the door. It will keep clean for a month until the hustle and bustle pass. Each evening after dinner clean one kitchen counter top, a shelf in the refrigerator, the microwave etc. Go through your refrigerator before the holidays and get rid of anything that has sprouted legs and is doing the two step by the light of a 20 watt bulb.
A list also helps prevent those last minute "I forgot to wash the tablecloth" catastrophes. Check off each chore as you complete it. A computer spreadsheet program allows you to quickly rearrange that schedule so priorities or do ahead projects make the top ten. Keep the master copy to use again next year and work from a second copy.
Starting mid November make double meals twice a week. It only takes a few extra minutes to throw together 2 meatloaves or double a casserole or favorite chili recipe. Freeze the second meal for a homemade "fast food" meal. It's faster and healthier than heading to the local drive through.
Now comes the tough but essential part to give you added time during the holidays. Make a commitment to run errands nor more than twice a week. It takes at least 30 to 40 minutes just driving to and from a store. Keep spare rolls of tape, paper, glue, screwdrivers and pliers within easy reach.
This is the time to multitask: if you go to the garage take a load of laundry. When you head out to the store, take out the garbage. Get three days worth of dinner out of the freezer in the garage. Pay attention to the trips you make and do double duty. You'll save a couple hours a week simply by combing trips around your home.
It is impossible to speed clean a cluttered home. Put on some calypso music and start decluttering. Fast moving music takes the burden out of this job. Besides you'll find yourself dancing to the beat and the exercise is wonderful! Small children love to dance so let their imagine run free. Get the entire family involved in decluttering. If the kids want holiday cookies they need to pick up after themselves then let them help.
If you serve finger food rather than a sit down dinner, purchase good sturdy, oversized plates so your guests have plenty of room to place napkins, silverware and their glass on the plate while they walk to a chair. A sturdier plate balances better in a lap as well. Think twice about serving things like chips, popcorn or things that crumble like crackers or cookies. Not only do they leave grease stains in fabric, but they are often dropped and crushed into the carpeting or hard flooring and they find their way into the crevices in furniture, all of which can take hours to clean.
Place extra coasters along window sills etc where people linger to talk and often put down a glass. Keep a look out for glasses left behind and pick them up quickly to prevent spills. Use burning candles sparingly perhaps on the buffet or main dinner table only. Extinguish them right after dinner. Fires often start because a candle is moved during the evening and placed close to a flammable item.
After guests leave, straighten up before retiring for the night. You will spot any stain that might have been missed. Our Ion-A-Clean can be sprayed on a stain and left until the next day. Ion-A-Clean is ionized water and will not cause damage to any surface. The negatively charged ions "peel" away the stain from the fabric making removal easy.
You are welcome to download my free stain removal guide. It does come in handy all year long and especially during the holiday season.
Buy a large size carpet sample to place at your front door. Carpet does a great job cleaning the bottom of shoes. Then put a non rubber backed throw rug just inside the door to catch what the carpet sample missed. Rubber backed throw rugs leave yellow stains on surfaces especially when they get wet. Make sure the throw rug is light in color. Otherwise the dye will seep into your carpet. Hold the throw rug in place with non skid padding you find in most department stores. It should not yellow like the rubbed backing on rugs.
Speed clean your home like a pro: That cup of coffee can wait. You don't have to answer the phone unless you are expecting a call and it won't hurt a thing if the mail gets left in the box for another hour. Stay focused when you clean. You pick up speed while cleaning. Stop to do laundry and you just lost 15 minutes regaining your speed, if you can even do that at all.
Next take a serious walk around your home. If a room isn't to be used during the holidays, thoroughly clean it early in the season then shut the door. It will keep clean for a month until the hustle and bustle pass. Each evening after dinner clean one kitchen counter top, a shelf in the refrigerator, the microwave etc. Go through your refrigerator before the holidays and get rid of anything that has sprouted legs and is doing the two step by the light of a 20 watt bulb.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Holiday Cheer
By Mary Findley copyright@2005 all rights reserved
Please be careful this holiday season of candles. Many contain lead, which emits toxins in your home. The black smoke also plays havoc on walls, which takes hours to clean. All too often I receive an email from someone whose home has received fire damage from a candle sitting too close to a lamp shade, fabric furniture or placed on a holder attached to the wall. Please take extra caution where and how you burn candles. If children of any age are present, keep lit and unlit candles out of their reach.
Look for lead free and smokeless candles. Soy candles are my favorite. They have a long burn time, light scent and don't leave black soot on anything. They are more expensive but your lungs will thank you and if means spending 3 or 4 less hours cleaning walls, your arms will also thank you!
Place a holder under all candles. Candles sweat whether they are burning or not. The dye from the candles stains whatever surface they sit upon, especially wood and it does not come out.
When company comes for dinner or a social gathering, avoid serving foods and particularly drinks with red, purple or orange coloring. For a complete stain removal guide head to www.goclean.com and print out my free stain removal guide.
Here are a few handy tips for holiday parties. Store a dampened mop just outside the door going to your garage. If a spill happens it is ready to clean the spill. Keep a few terry towels in a plastic bag under the sink along with a spray bottle of your all purpose cleaner, a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove red dye stains (not everyone heeds my warnings,) your liquid dish soap for greasy food stains and foaming shaving cream for most other food stains.
Next have a bottle of seltzer water handy if you serve red wine. Make sure guests use saucers for coffee cups and hand them a large napkin with each glass of wine. Be sure to keep coasters handy on all tables and surfaces and see to it they are used.
It is perfectly fine to ask guests to remove their shoes at the door. Do let them know ahead of time. The mud, slush and so forth carried in on shoes plays havoc on carpeting. The heels of shoes leave scratches in wood floors. Place a neutral colored throw rug just inside the door for shoes. Any color in a rug will transfer to the carpet or linoleum flooring.
If you are expecting small children or guests with pets purchase several plastic table cloths. Turn one upside down on a bed or sofa where the little ones or pets might rest. Then place a terry towel on top of the table cloth. The towel catches any "accidents" and the table cloth prevents the liquid from saturating bedding or furniture. Then place one underneath children's chairs at a meal. Shake the table cloth outside after a meal, the birds will love the leftovers, wipe clean and return to your guests within seconds without the worry of stained carpet.
Look for Mary's book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" coming to bookstores in Jan, 2005
By Mary Findley copyright@2005 all rights reserved
Please be careful this holiday season of candles. Many contain lead, which emits toxins in your home. The black smoke also plays havoc on walls, which takes hours to clean. All too often I receive an email from someone whose home has received fire damage from a candle sitting too close to a lamp shade, fabric furniture or placed on a holder attached to the wall. Please take extra caution where and how you burn candles. If children of any age are present, keep lit and unlit candles out of their reach.
Look for lead free and smokeless candles. Soy candles are my favorite. They have a long burn time, light scent and don't leave black soot on anything. They are more expensive but your lungs will thank you and if means spending 3 or 4 less hours cleaning walls, your arms will also thank you!
Place a holder under all candles. Candles sweat whether they are burning or not. The dye from the candles stains whatever surface they sit upon, especially wood and it does not come out.
When company comes for dinner or a social gathering, avoid serving foods and particularly drinks with red, purple or orange coloring. For a complete stain removal guide head to www.goclean.com and print out my free stain removal guide.
Here are a few handy tips for holiday parties. Store a dampened mop just outside the door going to your garage. If a spill happens it is ready to clean the spill. Keep a few terry towels in a plastic bag under the sink along with a spray bottle of your all purpose cleaner, a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove red dye stains (not everyone heeds my warnings,) your liquid dish soap for greasy food stains and foaming shaving cream for most other food stains.
Next have a bottle of seltzer water handy if you serve red wine. Make sure guests use saucers for coffee cups and hand them a large napkin with each glass of wine. Be sure to keep coasters handy on all tables and surfaces and see to it they are used.
It is perfectly fine to ask guests to remove their shoes at the door. Do let them know ahead of time. The mud, slush and so forth carried in on shoes plays havoc on carpeting. The heels of shoes leave scratches in wood floors. Place a neutral colored throw rug just inside the door for shoes. Any color in a rug will transfer to the carpet or linoleum flooring.
If you are expecting small children or guests with pets purchase several plastic table cloths. Turn one upside down on a bed or sofa where the little ones or pets might rest. Then place a terry towel on top of the table cloth. The towel catches any "accidents" and the table cloth prevents the liquid from saturating bedding or furniture. Then place one underneath children's chairs at a meal. Shake the table cloth outside after a meal, the birds will love the leftovers, wipe clean and return to your guests within seconds without the worry of stained carpet.
Look for Mary's book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" coming to bookstores in Jan, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Along with the beauty of the fall colors, comes a yearly winterizing check of your home. Make certain your list includes cleaning and checking the following:
*Gutters
*Chimneys
*Fireplaces and wood stoves and pipes
*Furnace filters and ducts (cleaning air ducts is best left to the professionals and is necessary once a year)
*Drain lawnmowers, replace spark plugs etc
*Check car tires, belts, plugs, radiator fluids etc. Make sure your chains are ready and you have a good ice scraper handy.
*Use an augur, drain cleaner or call a plumber to clear your drains before they clog. Winter is a terrible time for overflow problems. It's colder and takes longer for water to dry if a drain overflows giving mold and mildew time to cause structural problems.
*Wash or dry clean stored blankets, bedding, coats and sweaters before you need them.
*Dispose of any and all old paint, varnishes etc. Be sure the cans you do keep are stored away from sources of heat along with any flammable material.
*Check your home for any cracks that might need sealing. Clean windows and framing making sure the drain holes are unplugged.
*Trim bushes back away from the house so they don't hold in the moisture. This helps reduce mold and mildew growth next spring and gives your foundation that breathing space it needs.
*Replace smoke detector batteries.
*Have your fire extinguisher checked to make sure it is working. Do you have the right fire extinguisher? There is a difference. Do you have one conveniently located in each part of your home and not tucked away at the back of a closet?
*Clean outdoor grills. Properly store propane gas.
*Toss out old candles. Replace them with soy candles that burn with very little smoke. Look for ones that burn with natural, not lead, wicks. Your lungs and arms will love you for it. It takes a lot of elbow grease removing soot stains from walls. Breathing that smoke and lead can be a killer – literally.
*Look for natural cleaning products to clean your home. The toxic buildup of chemicals fumes cause a multitude of health problems. This worsens during the winter when windows and doors remain shut. Homes are built to be air tight. They don't let cold air in or fumes out. If you are suffering from headaches, asthma or other health problems it could be caused from the chemicals you use.
*Winter is especially hard on leather, vinyl and wood furniture. The heat from fireplaces and furnaces dries and cracks them. Clean and condition all your furniture.
Reprinted from "Mary Moppins" a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for cleaning just about anything. This article may be reprinted only with proper credit given to Mary Findley, owner of Mary Moppins at http://www.goclean.com/
*Gutters
*Chimneys
*Fireplaces and wood stoves and pipes
*Furnace filters and ducts (cleaning air ducts is best left to the professionals and is necessary once a year)
*Drain lawnmowers, replace spark plugs etc
*Check car tires, belts, plugs, radiator fluids etc. Make sure your chains are ready and you have a good ice scraper handy.
*Use an augur, drain cleaner or call a plumber to clear your drains before they clog. Winter is a terrible time for overflow problems. It's colder and takes longer for water to dry if a drain overflows giving mold and mildew time to cause structural problems.
*Wash or dry clean stored blankets, bedding, coats and sweaters before you need them.
*Dispose of any and all old paint, varnishes etc. Be sure the cans you do keep are stored away from sources of heat along with any flammable material.
*Check your home for any cracks that might need sealing. Clean windows and framing making sure the drain holes are unplugged.
*Trim bushes back away from the house so they don't hold in the moisture. This helps reduce mold and mildew growth next spring and gives your foundation that breathing space it needs.
*Replace smoke detector batteries.
*Have your fire extinguisher checked to make sure it is working. Do you have the right fire extinguisher? There is a difference. Do you have one conveniently located in each part of your home and not tucked away at the back of a closet?
*Clean outdoor grills. Properly store propane gas.
*Toss out old candles. Replace them with soy candles that burn with very little smoke. Look for ones that burn with natural, not lead, wicks. Your lungs and arms will love you for it. It takes a lot of elbow grease removing soot stains from walls. Breathing that smoke and lead can be a killer – literally.
*Look for natural cleaning products to clean your home. The toxic buildup of chemicals fumes cause a multitude of health problems. This worsens during the winter when windows and doors remain shut. Homes are built to be air tight. They don't let cold air in or fumes out. If you are suffering from headaches, asthma or other health problems it could be caused from the chemicals you use.
*Winter is especially hard on leather, vinyl and wood furniture. The heat from fireplaces and furnaces dries and cracks them. Clean and condition all your furniture.
Reprinted from "Mary Moppins" a free ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for cleaning just about anything. This article may be reprinted only with proper credit given to Mary Findley, owner of Mary Moppins at http://www.goclean.com/
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