If you take some care and use a little common sense, you can get great results and it makes more sense than leaving the marks on your carpet too long and taking a chance that the damage is permanent. Follow a few tips to maintain your carpets and cleaning the carpet yourself gets much easier.

Food spills can be a little tricky. Make sure you don’t leave any spills for later, it ’s imperative that you clean those spills immediately as it will prevent stains. When removing spots or spills do not use any harsh cleansers that might permanently damage the carpet.

When traffic patterns start to form on your carpet they can be extremely difficult to clean because the carpet itself is wearing out. You are able to clean the dirt but not the wear. To avoid this problem, try to rotate your furniture so that people will change where they are walking on your carpet.

Your best defense for pet damage is to vacuum your carpets often and make sure you clean any accidents immediately. When you clean these areas, make sure you use a deodorizer specifically designed for pet stains so that the animal will not repeat the accident on the same spot.

The fading of your carpet by the sun is a problem that no carpet cleaner can tackle because the sun literally bleaches your carpet. To avoid this problem make sure you close your blinds in areas of your home not in use and avoid long hours of direct sunlight.

Every doorway seems to have worn out carpet in the opening, or dirt that has been tracked in from outside. Lay mats in the doorways or other strategic areas to prevent wear and dirt.

To circumvent crushing from your furniture you can place glides under the furniture and move your furniture around occasionally.

One of the best techniques you can use to maintain the beauty of your carpet is to vacuum as often as possible. Vacuum areas carefully and slow enough to get out as much dirt as possible. The more dirt removed by vacuuming means you will preserve your carpets and the appearance will be much cleaner.

Its okay to steam clean your own carpets but beware of over wetting the carpets as it can cause the carpet to develop mold and mildew. Make sure that when you put your furniture back, if the carpet is not completely dry make sure you put something under the legs to prevent marking the carpets.

It ’s important that you hire a professional carpet cleaner periodically as well to deep clean your carpets. Try to use a carpet cleaner who uses encapsulation technology.

Encapsulation technology is a system that removes the dirt from the carpet and transforms any residue into a crystal. You vacuum this crystal out for a more thorough clean. Using this method of carpet cleaning will prevent your carpet from getting dirty faster and in most cases will leave your carpet cleaner.

From: http://www.content4reprint.com/home/diy-carpet-cleaning-tips-to-maintain-the-beauty-of-your-carpet.htm

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) November 13, 2008 — You scrub your kitchen, wash your floors and vacuum clean your rugs, but does that mean you have a healthy home? The answer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, might be no. In fact, the EPA says the air quality of indoor environments may be anywhere from 5 to 100 times more polluted than the outdoors. Rather than being a refuge from harmful elements, our homes may be breeding grounds for biological pollutants such as mold, bacteria and a variety of allergens, as well as havens for non-biological pollutants including chemicals from cleaning products, furnishings and combustion particles.

AirMD is a Boca Raton-based health and wellness service company that employs scientific analysis to educate the public and improve indoor environments. Its Scientific Director, Simon Hahessy, is a Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant and an authority on health-related indoor environmental quality issues.

“We know, according to studies by independent agencies such as the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that indoor air quality often is not as healthy as it needs to be,” says Hahessy, who leads AirMD’s team of field analysts and scientific personnel who are experienced in the fields of bacteriology, mycology, aerobiology, microscopy, environmental science and toxicology.

“Invisible environmental problems in our homes and businesses are the bad news,” Hahessy adds. “The good news is that there are easy steps people can take to analyze and improve their indoor environments, where they spend most of their time.”

Finding What Lives in Your House
AirMD offers scientifically based services designed to identify air quality problems and their sources and then provide the right remedies. Its field analysts begin by conducting environmental evaluations utilizing scientific instrumentation to detect a wide range of contaminants. Clients receive a scientific report within seven business days including results on levels of mold, airborne particles, volatile organic chemicals, moisture measurements electromagnetic radian and bio-aerosol sampling.

The company also conducts allergen evaluations for dust mites, mold, pollen and dust particles as well as water and bacteria evaluation. Additional evaluations analyze water and bacteria levels in bathrooms and kitchens. AirMD also offers customized testing services, such as thermal imaging of a building’s interior.

“So many people suffer from allergic reactions and various symptoms for which they have not been able to identify a cause,” says Hahessy. “There are many irritants in home or office environments that can be the causes of eye irritation, sneezing, coughing, headaches, respiratory problems and other symptoms that compromise people’s health and well-being.”

After identifying the problems, AirMD offers solutions to improve the indoor environment and promote wellness. Depending upon the nature and level of the problem, the company utilizes different types of equipment. These procedures may include, for example, filtering harmful particles from the air, displaying moisture areas not visible under ordinary lighting conditions, or sanitizing air-conditioning and duct systems.

In November 2008, AirMD will add to its existing services an environmentally responsible selection of personal and homecare products that can be purchased on the web site, www.airmd.com.

“There are scientific, proven solutions to improve the quality of the air we breathe,” says Hahessy. “The key is finding the right team to guide you through the process.”

Well first not all asthma is caused by what we call “air allergens”. The four main air allergen in the home are, dust mites, pet dander, mould, and pollen. Let’s start with that statement and then I will explain my reasons.

For one moment think about the term “Air Allergen” air being the key word here, well if you have hard floors then those allergen will blow around every time you open a door from outside. Carpet act as a filter trapping those allergens stopping them blowing around.

You might say but having them trapped is not a good thing. Well they are better trapped than in you lungs. And they don no harm here where they can be vacuumed away and periodically removed with carpet cleaning.

So why do Asthma UK recommend removing carpets? You will have to ask them but I will say they will tell you that dust mite bread here. It’s now been proven that dust mite needs moisture in their environment and carpets don’t provide this. It’s the mattress that they love.

I remember watching a TV program about asthma and Asthma UK where telling these sufferers that they should rip up carpets and use hard floors. Well as I have said dust will then be a problem. Well you could get around this by mopping every day. The amount of times each day would depend on the type of home environment you have. More kids and pets more dust equals more mopping each day.

Seeing your carpets as your homes lungs filtering out the dust for you help’s you understand what’s going on with causes of asthma attacks.

Source: http://tinakimmens.wordpress.com

When I taught time management classes, one of the things I loved to teach was the 80-20 rule. It’’s best explained by examples. Eighty percent of the time, you wear twenty percent of your wardrobe. Eighty percent of the phone calls you get come from twenty percent of your friends. Eighty percent of the dirt is on twenty percent of the floor. Twenty percent of salespeople make eighty percent of sales. Okay, sometimes it’’s 90-10 and sometimes it’’s 70-30 but you get the idea.

Eighty percent of the dirt is on twenty percent of the floor? Hmm, what does that suggest about cleaning your house? Often a quick pass through the parts of your house that really need it will make cleaning house much easier. If you are in a hurry, let the dust behind the sofa and under the table alone and just clean a swath through the heavy traffic areas. Sooner or later, you”ll get to them as well — or hire someone else to do a thorough cleaning occasionally.

You can probably make up lots of examples of the 80-20 rule that apply to your own ways of cleaning house and of keeping things picked up. Perhaps eighty percent of the dirty dishes left lying around come from one person. Perhaps eighty percent of your frustration with how your house looks could be solved by doing twenty percent of what you think you should.

Rosana Hart tries to put eighty percent of her work time into the twenty percent of activities that will be most effective. She tells you about the opportunities for cleaning houses and offices for a living at her website, http://infoandhelp.com. There are also more tips there for cleaning houses (your own or anyone’’s).’, 160, ‘Cleaning House and the 80-20 Rule, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information’, ‘Cleaning House and the 80-20 Rule plus articles and information on Home-Improvement.

Source: http://houserenovating.blogspot.com/2008/09/cleaning-house-and-80-20-rule_25.html

Tools.
1.Mops, buckets & plunger.
2.Brooms and also with the extended handle for removal of cob webs on the ceilings.
3.Personal Protection-Rubber/Vinyl works Gloves, Eye Protection Glasses
4.Proper Signage informing users of the cleaning
5.Use of plastics toilet brushes & worn out brushes should not be used as the toilet bowel will be
scratched by the worn out brushes.

Cleaners.
1.Training in the Standard cleaning procedures
2.Knowledge in the use of the cleaning agents/chemicals used
3.Knowledge in the operation of mechanical cleaning machines.
4.Good personal hygiene.

Cleaning Method

There is two (2) types of Cleanings or approaches.
1. Cleaning for “Appearance“-cleaning something appears dirty.
2 .Cleaning for “Health“-a higher level of cleaning i.e paying close attention to the cleaning of
toilet bowls , urinals ,wash basins and to high touch areas like toilet seats, flush handles, toilet’s
door knobs, etc.,

Things needed to remember like Use of correct methods of chemical use (including the dilutions),Always cleans or mops from the clean areas to the dirty areas, Counter-check the areas cleaned and Always display warning signs during cleaning operations.

To carry out “spot cleaning” for the toilet with high volume of patrons in order to maintenance the cleanliness at all time. Frequent “de-scaling” with the use of machines to remove stains & odor.

Cleaning Procedures

1. Restocking
- Restock all the paper products including toilet tissue.
- Refill all soap dispenser and air Fresheners.
- Empty trash receptacles.
- Replace plastics liners as required.

2. Cleaning
When cleaning a toilet, always works from top down,ending your work with the floor.

3. Cleaning of glass,mirrors, Sinks etc.,
Clean mirrors, glass windows and chrome surfaces with glass cleaners.Spray and wipe sinks
and counters with cleaner solution or Disinfectant Detergents.

4. Cleaning of Toilet bowl

Clean toilet bowls and inside of urinals daily using Non-acid Bowl cleaner. For fixtures
that have accumulated a water deposit ring, acid cleaner may be used until the water
deposits are removed.

The method used is to force the water over the trap with the bowl mop.Quickly push the
bowl mop head down towards the trap of the toilet pushing the water out and repeat until
the water level had been lowered below the ring line.Remove the excess water from the
bowl mop by pressing it against side of the bowl.

Then, squeeze the acid bowl cleaner directly on the ring and on the bowl mop head. Use
saturated bowl mop head to clean the rim at water outlets. Allow to remain 10 mins. Flush
and rinse out bowl mop.If the ring remains, use grit cloth or pumice stone to remove the
loosened ring.

Spray and wipe all the areas around toilets and urinals with disinfectant detergent
including seatings, handles and porcelain.

5. Clean Walls

Spot clean dirty walls, partitions and pieces of equipments (dryers, dispensers, etc.)
with disinfectant detergent solution.

6. Clean Floors.

Wet mop the entire floor with disinfectant detergent solution and Sweep the floor to remove
large soil accumulations when dry

Lastly, rinse mops, buckets,and wringers and Store supplies and equipments. Last look around to make sure nothing haven’t missed. It’s simple as A, B and C.

Source: http://sibutoiletcouncil.blogspot.com/2008/09/cleaning-process.html

Instead of every week thinking, when was the last time I cleaned the…? or I can’t forget to vacuum the…, now I can keep chores in rotation and not rush through a cleaning spree when company decides to drop by.

Would you like to make a Home Cleaning Chart too? It’s simple! Here’s how:

* Make a list of EVERY SINGLE chore that needs done around the house. Go beyond the vacuum cleaner – think cleaning window treatments and scrubbing the bathroom tiles.

* Divide your list of chores into these sections: daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally and yearly. For instance, you would probably want to wash your dishes daily, vacuum weekly (and as needed if you have little ones!), change bed linens bi-weekly, clean your refrigerator monthly, etc. Do what works for you.

* Make a spreadsheet according to your list and print it out. That way you can check things off as you go.

* Go to it! Plan to stick to your cleaning goals. Once you start cleaning in easy-to-chew portions, cleaning won’t be so burdensome. Plus you’ll have more time to do things you enjoy…in your clean house!

By Rachel
Source: http://modernmommyhood.blogspot.com/2008/09/making-home-cleaning-chart.html

Before beginning a maintenance program on a hardwood floor it’s a good idea to ask questions about the background of the floor (finish used, when it was last sanded, etc.). If that information isn’t available, then you’ll need to assess the floor to determine the condition of the floor. Some basic observations of the wood and the finish will help to determine what type of cleaning or refinishing is needed.

Begin by evaluating the condition of the wood. If the floor has extensive damage, warped boards and a lot of wear, the entire floor may need to be replaced. But that is the worst case scenario. Inspect the entire floor, including the edges, and look for differences in the level of the floor. Following are categories you can assign to the floor:

A. Overall very good condition. The hardwood floor looks good or may even be new. The floor may just need a good cleaning to get its luster back.

B. Slight scuffed. The floor is in fairly good condition, however, has a few scuffs and scratches, especially in high traffic areas.

C. Heavy wear. The floor has quite a few scratches, scrapes and dents and looks worn in places. It may even have a few expansion cracks.

D. Warped appearance. The boards in the floor have some minor warping, uneven boards, and many scratches and scrapes.

Next decide the condition of the finish. The condition of the finish may be related to the condition of the wood. For instance if there are deep cuts, scratches or chips in the finish they may go through the finish and into the wood itself. Look at the finish decide what categories are applicable:

A. The floor has a finish, but it looks dirty. The floor most likely just needs a good cleaning to get back that glossy luster.

B. The finish has light scratches, dings and chips and is worn (or is dull) in heavy traffic areas.

C. The finish is chipped in many places. Although the floor definitely has a finish, there are light scrapes, scratches and dings throughout the finish.

D. Finish is worn. There is little or no finish on the floor. The finish may appear to have deep gouges from dragging furniture across it.

E. No finish. The finish is gone or chipped and has a poor appearance.

If the wood and the finish are in good or reasonably good condition, a good cleaning and starting up a routine maintenance program is the next step. If the wood (category C, D or E) or finish (C, D or E) is in bad shape, you may need to do more research or consult a professional on the best way to proceed.

Properly maintaining hardwood floors is important to keep them looking good and extend their lifespan. It is extremely important to remove all the dirt, dropped food, grit and other debris that can end up on and ground into hardwood floors. Dirt that is not removed quickly can be “camouflaged” in the pattern or color of the wood making it not only difficult to see, but easy to ignore. There are several tools that you can use to remove dirt:

1. Brooms- make sure to use a broom that has “exploded” ends that can sweep up dust and fine grit.

2. Vacuums – Any type except an upright vacuum with a beater bar and brushes. These can cause damage to the floor.

3. Dust mop. Dust mopping and vacuuming are the most effective methods of removing debris from floors. If using a dust mop, buy a high quality mop with an eighteen inch head. Treat the mop with a dust mop treatment so it grabs the dirt and doesn’t just push it around.

Sweeping, vacuuming or dust mopping regularly is great for getting rid of the dirt, but you will still need to clean the floor. The best method to use is to mop the floor. Use a neutral cleaner (pH of 7) that is for use on hardwood floors and follow the product’s directions. Following are a few tips that will help to protect any hardwood floors that you care for:

Good matting is the best way to keep damaging soil and grit from getting onto and ground into the floor. Mats on the outside entryway will help to remove some soils. Make sure any mat(s) used inside (and on the floor) is a good quality rug that does not have a rubber coating. Plasticizers used on some rugs can “migrate” or move from the rug and into the finish of the wood floor.

High heels can cause permanent damage to hardwood floors. The spikes on heels can create dimples in hardwood floors. In a business it may not be possible to keep high heels off the hardwood floors, but if you are cleaning a residential floor, you can let the homeowner know of the problems associated with high heels.

Dragging furniture across the floor. This can cause scratches and dents in the floor. Anytime furniture needs to be moved it should be lifted and carried. Furniture legs need to be in good shape. A loose leg on a chair can dig into the floor’s finish anytime someone sits down in the chair.

Spills (food, cleaners, alcohol, oils) can damage the finish and the wood. Clean up spills as soon as possible.

Bright sunlight can bleach, darken or dry out wood. It may be necessary to cover windows with drapes or blinds to keep the ultraviolet rays off the wood.

Source: http://guide-hardwood.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-evaluate-and-care-for-hard-wood.html

Before we talk about some of our ideas, we’d like to share the best advice we’ve ever seen for making windows look better, which is to say bigger. Buy your drapery longer and wider than the window. Instead of purchasing panels that fit the height of the window, try the height of the ceiling and instead of stopping at the width of the window add 25 percent or more to the sides and buy the hardware to match. It’s a simple way to cheat and fool the eye.

1. The Anywhere Telescoping panel system ($94.50, Uma, 313 North 11th Street or www.iloveuma.com) makes for an airy and inventive window treat. The adjustable silver pole by designers Paul Rowan and Michelle Ivankovic can be used to cover windows or function as a space divider. It adjusts to a height of 70 inches to 120 inches, and the swing arm extends from 20 inches to 36 inches. The look is a great complement for contemporary décor. When closed over the window, there’s the look of filtered light and then with a shift of the swing arm, the window is completely open and unobstructed. The telescoping system is easy to assemble with a few clicks and twists. It’s anchored to the ceiling and floor with screws. Here we use a set of linking 16-inch-square cut-out screen panels ($29 for four, available in three styes and two colors, black or white, linking rings included) to create decorative window treatments.

2. If you’re more of a traditionalist, but you’d still like to give your windows some pizazz, we found a quick and easily solution for dressing up windows at Pier 1 Imports. We used a bamboo table runner ($12), a hot glue gun, colored rope and an anchor (which can be as simple as a decorative screw or an old knob from a cabinet). MacGyver would have been proud.

We used a table runner because of the length. At about 72 inches long, this will fit most windows, and we chose the multicolored bamboo table runner because it rolls nicely without shifting and kinking. You’ll need a sturdy pole to hang your new drapes from because you’ll need to be able to tug and pull on it. A lightweight tension rod would be a disaster. Try a system that screws into the wall. To make the loop for the table runner to fit over the rod, fold the bamboo runner as if you’re making a hem and then hot glue along the edge of the seam so that you have an opening to fit the rod through once it dries. We suggest measuring this distance around the rod before you glue and make it a little loose.

Let it dry completely, then slide it over the rod. Now roll up the table runner from the bottom up and use the rope to make a sort of lasso or slip knot around the whole unit. The rope is going to be the cradle for the bamboo roll.

Now hang the rod and give your slipknot a tug to raise the curtain and then give it some slack to lower. You may want to avoid a knot altogether if you plan to raise and lower the curtain a lot. This can be done by hot gluing or tying one end of the rope to the top of the curtain along the side that faces out and then simply looping the other end around and back over the top. To keep the drapes open at whatever height you chose, use an anchor.

3. Lastly, who says you need to cover a window from the top down. If you live in an area where your windows must be covered at all times, you might be able to get away with covering only the bottom half instead of top to bottom.

Think of the window as extra wall space and hang a piece of art there. Use some fishing line and suspend the art within the window pane for a floating art look. You can use this on any window, but windows that face the public are tricky because they’ll be looking at the unattractive back of the art frame, which tends to diminish curb appeal.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/homedecor/story/C45CA1C65F4A1C0C862574C7005D9490?OpenDocument

Since Hurricane Ike-driven storms soaked the metro Detroit area, water damage has taken its toll, and some homeowners are still desperately trying to dry out.

“We have had tremendous call volume since Sunday morning,” said Matt Downey of Harrison Township, owner of a Puroclean 24-hour franchise that services the metro area.

“Rochester Hills, Birmingham, Dearborn, Farmington Hills,” he said. “It’s kind of all over the map.”

Kim Berry, 41, of Clarkston was one of the lucky ones. She made it through the soggy week without damage to her home; her yard was another story.

“We live on a pond, so our yard was totally flooded,” she said this week. “Our boat started to float away and sink.”

Berry said she had to clean up large amounts of sand and branches that washed onto her lot, but she acknowledged, “We were lucky.”

Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, so the coastal storms — and subsequent deluges in Michigan — may not be over. Cleanup can be daunting and expensive, so keep in mind these tips for the next rainy day.
Ooh, that smell

First things first: Get the water and mud out with a wet-dry vacuum or broom. Then spray all surfaces with lukewarm water. Scrub the surfaces with hot water and a heavy-duty cleaner, then rinse using a brush moistened with a solution of 2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Repeat scrubbing and rinsing until the odor is gone. If it’s humid in the flooded space, do not open windows. Instead, run a dehumidifier, air-conditioning or fans to dry things out.
Disinfecting duties

If there is sewage in the water (or you just want to take precautions), clean with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water. Use rock salt (1 cup per gallon of water) on plaster and painted drywall, but not on concrete floors, which the salt will damage.
Rug redemption

If a carpet has been soaked with water and sewage, ditch it. Wear rubber gloves and be careful not to scrape your skin, to avoid infection. For slight water damage, remove the carpet if possible, roll it up and take it outside. Drape it over a sawhorse or chairs so it will drain, but don’t let the rug dry this way — it might stretch out of shape. Once the water drains, lay the carpet on the ground. Be sure it’s dry before bringing it back inside — residual moisture can breed mildew and mold. Toss the carpet pad and wash the floors. Have the carpet cleaned professionally or rent a steam cleaner.

If the carpet must stay in place, use a wet-dry vac to remove mud and water.
Walls and floors

You may need to remove baseboards to ventilate wall cavities. Unless moisture there can dry, odors will linger. After you have removed the baseboards, drill holes a few inches above the floor between the studs to drain water. Insulation might have to be removed, dried and replaced — it’s useless when wet, can breed mold and mildew and will stink.

Plastered walls and washable vinyl wallpaper can be cleaned. Allow plaster to dry thoroughly before washing. Use a mild soap and water to clean painted walls. If you have to repaint, wait a couple of months for the walls to dry or new paint will blister.

Clean woodwork with a stiff brush and non-sudsing detergent while still wet. Wood floors will buckle, so leave them alone to dry. Open doors and windows on non-humid days and maintain an indoor temperature of about 55 degrees, or the wood will warp or shrink.
Inspect the furnace

Heating systems exposed to flooding should be checked by a pro. The chimney and smoke box could be clogged with dirt, and the furnace could explode. Check where the chimney meets the foundation, to ensure mortar hasn’t washed away.
Preserving papers and photos

Drain water by placing upright in a box, separated by wax paper. Stand books up on their spines. Place papers in plastic bags and store in the freezer until you are ready to deal with them. If photos are stuck together, don’t pull apart. Wet them again, then try separating, so emulsion isn’t damaged. Clean photos carefully in a photo tray, and place between clean blotters to absorb the water, changing blotters frequently.

Free Press staff writer Kelly Kozlowski and the Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080920/NEWS05/809200356

Regular weekly cleaning usually includes vacuuming, dusting, mopping floors and doing laundry. However, we don’t typically wash our windows, clean out closets and sort the junk drawer. These types of tasks do need to be done, but we usually let these things go until it becomes an eyesore. Then it becomes a big job which you may never find the time to fit in to your schedule. Everyone’s home has different types of tasks like this. You might need to clean out your fireplace, straighten up the garage or defrost a freezer.

Compile a list of cleaning tasks you don’t do weekly. Believe me, when you start thinking about it, the list will be long! Divide your monthly housekeeping tasks in such a way that they’re distributed throughout the year, keeping the weather in mind. For example, you’ll probably do the fireplace each month during winter and windows throughout spring and summer. Cleaning closets and straightening up the garage are good fall tasks. Organizing your monthly housekeeping this way, cleaning chores never get out of hand. You’ll save time too. Cleaning up closets isn’t an all day affair when you do it every three months.

Eleanor Roosevelt was known to be a very organized and efficient housekeeper. Someone once queried her on how she managed to accomplish so much. Mrs. Roosevelt replied that she never left a room without picking up items that belonged elsewhere and putting them in their place. This simple trick was her secret. This is certainly one to share with your kids!

Speaking of kids, they can get in on the act too. Delegate some of these tasks to children, appropriate to their age. Teens can wash windows, while younger kids can pick up toys and sort the mess in the closet.

A monthly housekeeping task list can have your home looking great, at least most of the time. This approach works!

Source: http://tirpitzman.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/for-an-immaculate-house-use-a-rotating-list-of-monthly-housekeeping-tasks/