Water damage can be caused by a number of different sources such as floods, pooling, or bad runoff. Homeowners should understand that if any damage has built over time or is the cause of a sudden incident its most likely going to require a bit of elbow grease to rectify. In fact, the Red Cross Association says that many homeowners are able to handle flood damage as long as they can get down and dirty at times. They suggest old fashioned scrubbing as the key success to when handling mold and water cleanups.

Carpet is a very porous material, and that means that action to prevent mold needs to be proactive and quick. The very best way to prevent mold growth is by drying any water and moisture retained by the carpet. The sooner you can attack the water damage the sooner you will have control over any potential mold growth. The tools you need to handle this are rather simple. Fans, bleach, and cleaners are all you need to get started. With just these few things you can do a lot, but you’ll also want to consider a wet/dry vacuum and dehumidifier as well.

The general steps to fighting mold are as follows. First, you want to remove any visible water as quickly as possible using towels or the wet/dry vacuum. Sopping up the extra water is the only way to get at the root of where molds grow. Next, you can employ the use of fans to speed up the drying process. Now the trick with the fans, especially in medium to heavy, waterlogged areas, is persistence. It can take up to 7 days to thoroughly dry out a space. It can be taxing on the power bill, but it is the industry standard in advice for mold remittance. In addition to the fan, you can shorten the time by adding a dehumidifier to the situation. These are also great as a preventative tool in high-risk areas.

Finally, you’ll want to sanitize and inspect the peripherals that rest on your carpets day to day. Be sure to look for any water damage on furniture as well as the baseboards. Mold can be an insidious creeper and find its way into all sorts of areas and things. It can very costly to replace padding for carpet, so any kind of prevention or cleaning technique to help goes a long way in preventing and treating mold in your carpets.

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1. What are the details of the company’s licensing and insurance?Regulation is the backbone of all legitimate and well functioning industries, and each state has its own rules to be followed that allow them to operate. Asking about a company’s paperwork is a great way to get an immediate sense of the serious and experienced companies versus the newer less experienced companies. You can get a lot of knowledge from simply discussing liability coverage amounts. Companies with a 1 million dollar coverage plan might handle larger and bigger companies than a company that only carries the general liability of 500 thousand dollars. Insurance in commercial cleaning, as well as proper licensing, are incredibly important to start off the discussions.
2. How much experience does the company have, how many years?The next part of the conversation can easily lead from credentials to experience as the two are intimately linked. Now a more experienced company might seem like the immediately obvious choice, and you would be wise to hedge that bet on average. However, there are strengths and advantages that younger, hungrier companies provide as well. Sometimes decisions come down to more than just what looks good on paper, and it’s important to be flexible when determining what company is right for you.
3. How are the employees selected and screened?Depending on the type of business you are running security is the final area of consideration to discuss with potential cleaning companies. If you have concerns about theft, espionage, or sabotage, then you’ll want to get into detail about how a particular cleaning service screen for employs. Knowing the type of worker that will be permitted into your workspaces goes a long way in adding to the peace of mind that cleaning services provide in the first place.

These questions will cover the vast majority of the information you will need to make the final decisions. Add individual concerns such as costs, expected service time, and use of environmentally safe cleaning products to round out your interview. You will be glad you took the time to research your final choice.

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Paper

Every year products are tested and reported on in consumer reports all over the country. In the past Non-recycled TP and paper towels have been given high scores in consumer testing. More recently it has been found that some of the recycled brands have caught up in both performance and cost.

When it comes to toilet paper and going green, there are tons of new and different options to consider. TP can be used for petite cleaning in addition to its intended use. The cost is still struggling to compete with traditional non-recycled brands, but the difference is closing fast in the price category. As far as performance, green recycled TP has reports of not being as soft or durable as conventional TP. They do break down easily in your home’s plumbing system.

For the ever popular paper towels recycled and green is going green and can make a big difference in how much waste is generated. Paper towels are much more popular but in national consumer tests cost is still a barrier to popularity. Recycled paper towels still perform very well but no better then national store brands so if you’re looking to go green here it will have to be reliant on your passion for keeping the environment clean.

Cloth

In contrast to the paper product industry, the ability to effectively go green with your cloth cleaning supplies is much easier. In addition to that whenever you can use cloth instead of paper, it will always be more eco-friendly. The textiles like curtains, placemats, washcloths, and towels are all available with green characteristics and are also now easier to find at a lower cost. The major difference between the two is in labeling though. Look for organic labels USDA-certified organic as these textiles must be grown without most synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Organic cotton is an especially green choice because regular cotton is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops.

For cloth supplies, you will want to check on the type of processing. Organic clothes can be processed with adverse chemicals or synthetic dyes. There are certain standards for cloth supplies like the “Oeko-Tex Standard 100” certification which offers assurances that chemicals are restricted in the manufacturing process.

Unfortunately, misleading claims of organic materials are everywhere. As an example, bamboo products may have natural origins, but turning those fibers into fabric isn’t easy by any means. It usually takes chemicals to make bamboo into a usable fabric.

If you want to be more eco-friendly when it comes to caring for your home, it can be as simple as checking the labels. This works best though if you have the right knowledge to back up your investigations. There are many alternative green choices to traditional paper and cloth products for cleaning so keep your eyes open as you select your cleaning products.

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Of course, you’ll want to decide whether you want to do it yourself or outsource the work. If you’re local to your rental, it might make some sense to do it yourself and cut cost. Realistically though, Hiring the right cleaning service for this type of job is going to be the best option for most folks and in this article, we go over everything you need to know for accomplishing rental property cleaning for the season.

It’s important to first realize that a vacation rental cleaning is much more of a deep focus cleaning than your average residential cleaning. You should make sure that your housekeeper provides a more in-depth and a higher level of service. A full clean on all the linens, sanitization of surfaces, replacing paper products, repairing damage, checking for damage and testing the appliances are all examples of areas you housekeeper should pay extra attention to.

Cost is a major factor to consider when you are planning the cleaning of your rental as well. Cleaning fees will vary based on the location and size of the property involved. One great way to figure out what a reasonable price point for your area might be is recon. If possible see if you can get information from neighbors about what they pay in the area. Getting 5-10 examples will give you a solid idea of where the local companies should be at with price. The best news though, its typically standard practice to charge guests a cleaning fee as a line item, so usually the homeowner won’t have include cleaning costs in their outgoing expenses.

Ironing out the details of service with any company you hire is very important. There are a variety of situations that homeowners come across that can be forgotten about during the interview process. One example is to make sure to discuss potential emergency cleaning situations and how their services handle them. Other examples will include changing and stocking linens, putting away dishes, and light maintenance on things like bulbs and batteries.

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There is nothing more discouraging to the cleaning process then going to grab for a sponge, rag, or supplies and not having anything clean or enough to work with. It puts a major damper on your whole plan and more often than not leads to procrastination. Make sure to keep multiples of these things on hand so that it is more encouraging to take on the little messes around the home.

The kitchen is a primary hot zone for mess and needs particular daily attention in many areas. The best practice here is to always clean as you go, doing your absolute best to leave everything looking untouched before leaving the kitchen. The most common point of concern here is, of course, the dishes. Doing the dishes before they pile up is healthier, better smelling, and better looking overall. Even if you have a dishwasher, it is just good to get into the habit of cleaning things properly with your hands. Sometimes there is just no substitute for the old-fashioned methods.

Another kitchen related habit that applies to the rest of the home as well as wiping down surfaces immediately after use. Whether it’s the kitchen counter or table, the bathroom vanity, or even the top of your dresser, it is good to use those extra supplies on hand to wipe down surfaces as you leave a room. This is great for dust control and pest management.

Clothes are a common clutter item that tends to obstruct both physically and visually. Putting clothes away and out of sight at the beginning and end of each day goes a long way to keeping your home organized. Organizing in general with storage bins and areas is a keystone of great housekeeping.
It might seem trivial if you’re not used to it, but there is a great and classic habit to develop for the bedroom as well. That is, making the bed daily, its another great traditional way of keeping an important room of the home clean and tidy.

Practicing habits daily with conscious effort is the key to making those habits second nature. It’s important to throw aside feelings of annoyance and failure if you forget in the beginning. Everything is a learning process, and it will be so with the family as well. This is entirely normal, and normalizing recognizing when you forget to perform the habits is just as important as getting them done. We all learn from mistakes, and we learn from habits as well.

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Getting the right tools for the job is more than half the battle when it comes to windows and glass in particular. There are many different products to choose from and try out, and many of them interact differently in different situations. In our article on cleaning gadgets, we covered the window Roomba robot and although these do work many people still prefer or need to clean some windows by hand. There are some super important items you will need for any job and some side items you’ll want to consider for special circumstances.

The first thing you will need is a quality bucket that you will be comfortable working with. It should be sized to your other cleaning tools that we will go over shortly, but essentially this means the bucket needs to have a wider opening to accommodate tools, Next is the squeegee and the variations in quality are tremendous. There a lot of different types but the “wagtail” reigns supreme among the pros. It’s a usually a three-piece squeegee with a handle, the channel and the rubber for the channel all set on a pivot to the handle. A good rule to follow is to purchase from a hardware store rather than your common gas station or quick smart because you’ll tend to get that little extra quality which will make a difference. In addition to the squeegee, you’ll want to grab the same type handled bar only with a mop head or scrubber instead of the rubber squeegee. This is good for the pre-scrub and removal of debris. For more intense debris removal a pocket or medium-sized bladed scraper is good to have on hand as well.

When it comes to detergent and your cleaning solution the internet and pros don’t always agree. There are a huge array of secret formulas and advice to take into consideration. After some time looking into commercial window cleaning solutions, residential ones, and natural ones, it seems that most people agree that any combination of white vinegar is best for not leaving streaks, Palmolive or morning fresh soaps for suds, and cool water will do the trick.

Some other tools for keeping close by when dealing with windows and glass include rags, extension poles, ladders, and tool belts. With the right tools assembled all you need to do to finish the job is to employ some practice and technique. Fill your bucket about halfway with a few squirts of detergent. Next, wet the mop and soak the window while scrubbing it down for debris. Next up is the squeegee, you will use it for two things here; first to remove the soap, second to remove the water — finally, a rag to wipe down the edges.
Handling your glass and window needs is easy if you have the time and interest in handling it yourself as long as you have the right tools and a general idea of the technique to practice.

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The hottest trend lately In the home cleaning tech world isn’t anything super new or innovative but gaining in popularity in a big way. The robot vacuum is that new trend. In recent years, we have a seen a major increase in vacuum technology in general with our hand driven vacuums getting more and more powerful with stronger and smaller electric motors. Despite the incredible new advents in the regular vacuums most people have been opting for the robot vacuums. They did debut years ago but its only been recently that you can buy robot vacuums at various price points and with updated tech and options.

Another growing trend in the industry is the addition of the smart trashcan to the home. These have become super popular in recent years especially in warmer climate homes. The newest feature you’ll find on these super cans is voice activation making things even easier if your multi-tasking with small children in the kitchen. In addition to this many of these smart cans offer a fantastic sealing option that reduces smell and therefore potential insect rebellion in the kitchen areas.

One older gadget that has been gaining in popularity in recent years is related to your laundry. The standup steam machine has been hitting and leaving the shelves a lot lately. Getting a handle on your laundry in unique ways always helps the overall feel of your home. These stand up steam cleaners have many uses as well outside of just steaming and cleaning dress attire. One great trick is to use the cleaner on bedding or curtains as needed.

The kitchen is usually the room with the highest potential for mess in the house. Any little help you can get in this arena will matter to your daily routines. The best gadget according to most homemakers when trying to avoid the mess in the kitchen is the crockpot. You might not think of a cooking appliance as being related to cleanliness in the home at first glance, but these little crockpots can make a big difference in how much you have to clean in the kitchen. They also save time for a busy family that can’t always make an involved dinner. With the use of a crockpot you don’t have to worry about cleaning pots and pans, and prep areas, just throw your ingredients in the pot, set, and serve later with ease. This will save time and mess on doing the dishes and having to use excess serving plates and the like.

But by far the coolest gadget we have seen recently is the window and class cleaner robots. That’s right; now we have all sorts of different styles of window cleaning robots similar to the robot vacuums like Roombas. These are great little machines that clean the inside and outside of glass doors, large glass windows, or any glass in general. They use suction soap and water as well, and usually, you feed a light line for power to the heavier duty ones or use batteries on, the smaller ones. We are definitely checking out this little guy if you have lots of glass to clean.

There are many new gadgets coming out every year for cleaning and keeping an eye out for them can sometimes save you lots of time in years to come. Not all of the new gadgets or innovations are tech-based as some are just new twists on old designs — ones like a little suction cup with bristles to clean utensils in the sink. We look forward to covering more of the new gadgets in the future.

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We begin with a rare task indeed, but one that is fundamental to getting the most out of your laundry time. Your laundry is centered around two very important things in your home, your washer and dryer. Before taking your laundry routine to the next level, it is important to clean these two appliances and keep an eye on them in general throughout their usage.
A smelly washer or clogged dryer can be not only super messy but also dangerous as well. A clogged lint trap on your dryer could cause a fire. Leftover water in a washer can lead to ever-growing mildew that gets in your clothes. One way to clean leftover residue in a washing machine is to run about a half cup of white vinegar through the machine once or twice. Cleaning these appliances can get pretty complex, we will go over these two workhorses in a later article for now just know that it is critical to keep these two machines clean from the start.

Next up is the organization. With a large or small family organization is completely necessary when it comes to laundry as it can easily get out of hand and affect the rest of the house. Good laundry organization means having your tools and supplies on hand with all the laundry easy to pick up and go. Having baskets designated for each room is the first step to the organization. Keep all your detergents, softeners, and laundry supplies close by the machines and ready to use. This is also the best area for stain removal pens and garment repair supplies.

Separating the linens into different piles is important as well. For instance, it’s always best to wash towels separately from other clothes due to the heavy fabric and nature of towels in general. Likewise, you’ll want to wash curtains, bathmats, and bedding separately as well. It’s important to establish longer-term intervals for some of these items as they aren’t cleaned as frequently as clothing. Organizing a schedule for the family is a great way to get control of your laundry situation.

When it comes to the wash cycle, you’ll want to consider temperature first. Hot water is best for really dirty outdoor clothes. Warm water will get the most out of a detergent and is better for synthetic materials. Cold water is the most energy efficient for those that are green conscience. Cold isn’t the best for stains so its best for the more lightly soiled items that just need a quick freshening.

Getting your laundry done with more thoughtful and careful consideration is the key to a cleaner and happier home. The benefits of doing laundry like the pros include allergy reduction, dust reduction, and a fresher smelling home.

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It’s helpful to understand the main underlying factors that contribute to the kitchen’s designation as the messiest room of the house. When it comes down to it, food is one of the most dangerous vectors for bacteria and unwanted invaders in the home. Food particles, crumbs, residues, and waste will always seem to find their way to the lost and forgotten corners of the kitchen, the perfect breeding ground for the mess.

So how do we deal with this room in particular? A lot of these things are simple tips and tricks that are easy to work into any normal cleaning routine. The first of which covers the dirtiest object in your kitchen. Studies have shown that the sponge is more often than not the dirtiest object in the kitchen. To combat this merely place it in a simple bleach solution after finishing up cleaning or dishes.

Your Sink and faucet are the next to consider. It’s ideal to wipe down your sink and faucet daily. Using warm water is recommended with soap and disinfectant. We often forget how much use the sink gets and it can be a perfect pathway for bacteria and leftover food residue and particles. Along with the sink and faucet, you should also consider your handles and switches. This doesn’t have to be often as the sink area but its good to use a clean cloth and sanitizer on these surface often.

The trick to keeping the kitchen clean is getting all those hard to reach spots that aren’t directly in sight or easy to get to. For homes with high ceilings, debris can accumulate on the top of cabinets around the kitchen. This might seem benign just sitting there, but it almost always ends up in your food and the air you breath. This dust mixed with food particulates can cause mildew and other not so pleasant effects as well. Be sure to take a look up there from time to time and carefully dust and clean it off. The same goes for the tops of refrigerators or stand-alone pantries.

The stove the, refrigerator, under the sink, and in the dishwasher are all other places your going to want to look out for in the kitchen. Knowing what you are dealing with when it comes to cleaning your home and having a solid plan in the back of your mind for ways to adapt is most of the battle when it comes to keeping the kitchen clean.

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We start with the largest member of the appliance family the refrigerator. It’s an appliance that probably sees the most daily use as well. There is a myriad of ways your fridge can become messy over time. Water and fluctuating temperatures with different foods lead to moisture and ice build-up that can cause adverse smells, stagnation, or clogging of space in the freezer.
First, you’ll want to start with the smell. Most people want the cold rush of air coming out of their fridge to smell pleasant, and the most common method for providing this is baking soda in either the fridge or freezer. They sell baking soda fresheners in most grocery stores. Make sure to keep an eye out for any surfaces that need to be wiped down in case leftovers spill or packages leak. Cleaning under and in back of the fridge is also essential. You don’t have to do it often but try not to forget it in the monthly deep clean.

Your stove is the next on the list of high use and size. Now depending on the type of stove you have will determine how you clean it. Glass versus traditional metal topped stoves clean different on the tops. With the glass, you’ll want to use less abrasive materials, and you can use the heat of the stove itself carefully with more effect as well. Traditional grill top stoves require pulling the burners apart and cleaning pieces individually with steel wool. Oven cleaning is going to be about the same for most stoves. The most well-known method is oven cleaning, scrubbing, then a high heat bath of the inside. Make sure to wipe down handles, knobs, and backsplashes often even if they look glossy. Oil and food particles will stealthily cling to any surface of a stove, so vigilance and daily upkeep are recommended.

The microwave is another appliance to watch. Fortunately in this category its mostly about knowledge and prevention rather than constant upkeep. Be sure to teach yourself and the family to cover foods appropriately to prevent splashing and mess. Wiping down the inside and cleaning the inner dish should also be done, relative to how often it’s used. Don’t forget to wipe down the number pad as well for germs and gunk.

Your dishwashers tend to be another appliance that’s easy to clean and doesn’t require too much maintenance. With the dishwasher, you’ll want to watch for any large pieces of food or dishware ending up in the bottom under the rack. Also be sure to wipe down the soap port because these tend to get crusty and can break easily.

The washer and dryer are two other big appliances to watch for. With the dryer, the number one rule is to clean out the exhaust vent often and thoroughly. Make sure to clean off the lint screens and coin catchers as well. There isn’t much cleaning to do with a washing machine. Sometimes its good to run a load or two with just soap and water to clean it out a little being sure to wipe down any areas that accumulate spillage from detergents or watermarks from transferring the wet clothes out.

Keeping you appliance clean and well maintained will help give you better peace of mind about your home, a better atmosphere, and extended the life of your products. Many people don’t realize that even small pieces of these machines can break and cost a high amount of money to fix. Proper cleaning and upkeep will go a long way in reducing your costs and headaches in the future.

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