Grout Cleaning - Useful Tools and Safety Precautions

One of the most essential things to take into consideration when you set out to clean grout is the necessary safety equipment required and the extra precautions that need to be taken to protect yourself and your skin from dangerous burns. One of the most essential safety tools required for grout cleaning is a good pair of protective gloves, made from either latex or nitrile. Since many grout cleaning products are comprised of caustic chemicals, safety gloves protect your hands and forearms from burns and abrasions.

In addition, when it is time to clean your grout, you will also need protective eyewear, such as safety glasses or goggles. Since grout cleaning sometimes requires the use of a lot of force, it is easy for accidental splashes to cause a lot of damage, and wearing safety glasses helps reduce the level of chemical exposure to your eyes. Another important aspect to keep in mind when cleaning grout is the level of ventilation in your designated work area. A non-woven protective mask can also prevent you from breathing in deadly chemical fumes, which can rapidly overcome an individual's respiratory system if the appropriate precautions are not taken. Often, the symptoms related to over-exposure to chemicals can be difficult to notice until the individual is on the verge of collapse. Having another person nearby in case of an emergency is also helpful in this respect. Not only can an extra person help to ensure that you are safe, but they may also be able to provide an extra hand when needed.

Safety equipment for grout cleaning can easily be found at any local hardware store, and also larger home improvement retailers like Home Depot or Lowe's. You can also find a number of other necessary cleaning tools at these locations as well. In addition to your safety gear, you will also need a good cleaning brush. There are three things to keep in mind when selecting a grout cleaning brush that is right for the job. The first thing to consider is the type of bristle that you will be using. Soft bristled brushes such as toothbrushes do not work well for grout cleaning because they are not able to get deep down into the grout and also tend to fall apart when using force to scrub at hard to reach areas.

While it is important to select a harder bristled brush for grout cleaning, a metal bristled brush can be too abrasive for grout surfaces, and can even cause damage in the long run. A plastic or polyethylene bristled brush works better for grout cleaning purposes. The bristles of your grout cleaning brush should be fairly firm and stiff. The next thing to keep in mind when selecting your grout cleaning brush is the overall size and shape of the brush and how well the brush conforms to your hand. While a larger brush can be alluring, particularly if your thought process is that you can clean a larger surface in a shorter period of time. However, the reality is that most grout lines are extremely thin, and scrubbing them with a larger brush diminishes the amount of force that I put into cleaning one of these areas, and does not perform as well as smaller, more suitable brushes.

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Home Carpet Cleaning Tips

When it comes to carpet cleaning, not everybody likes doing it, while others don't have a problem with it at all. For those who do not like doing it, they will go to the extreme of trying to hide the stain but this will depend on where the stain is and it's normally in a place you can't hide.

The task of cleaning a carpet is not easy, and that is why some people opt for the option of getting a carpet cleaning service to do it for them. They can either come do it for you, or you can take the carpet to them but only if the carpet is portable enough and you have the knowledge to put it back.

The option an individual will use will depend on whether it is affordable to them, but for some, they enjoy doing the carpet cleaning themselves. They can either do this manually or by getting the necessary materials to clean out the carpet like a vacuum cleaner. This would be more affordable than hiring the service.

The best time to clean the carpet when your doing it yourself is when it is sunny outside because it will give a chance for the carpet to dry out, doing it on a cold day would mean that it will not get the chance to dry. Try and not go to the extent of hiding carpet stains by throwing on it a rug that does not even blend in with the theme of your house, the advice you will find in the sources provided will be of ample help.

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Home Carpet Cleaning Tips to Make Your Carpet Sparkle

If you've lived in your home for more than a year, you've probably started to notice that the carpet isn't as clean as it once was. Perhaps it looks dingy in high traffic areas. Perhaps children and pets have left it stained. Or maybe it just lacks that new carpet "sparkle" it had when you first moved in. A few home carpet cleaning tips can help you to restore some of the beauty to your floor.

Whatever the reasons, there is some good news. It is simple to purchase or rent a carpet cleaning machine and to clean it yourself. You'll also need a special carpet cleaning solution that can be purchased at the supermarket. Make sure to get one that is specially formulated for your particular problems - pet stains, high traffic dirt, or food stains.

To select the machine, you can find carpet cleaning recommendations online, or talk to someone at your local vacuum store. You will want to select a machine that can clean low-pile carpets, high-pile carpets, and hard floors. It is also nice to have a machine with a spot treatment device to deal with those pesky pet or spill stains.

Some home carpet cleaning tips are simple and can make a big difference. First, pre-treat high traffic areas and stains. Second, tackle the remainder of the carpet, making sure to use the correct setting and cleaning solution for your carpet. Finally - the most important of our home carpet cleaning tips - go back over the high traffic areas and stains a second and third time.

Another of our cleaning tips is to make sure the carpet dries for about 24 to 48 hours after you have cleaned it thoroughly. If possible you may want to leave some windows open so you can get some air flowing through your home to speed up the drying process. Try not to walk on the carpet while it dries - use area rugs to get from one area of the house to another. It may be inconvenient, but it will prevent pile crushing.

For more tips and info on cleaning a carpet, you can look at home cleaning sites online, or call your local vacuum or carpet store. Always make sure to consult the manufacturer of your carpet before beginning to clean, in case it needs special treatment, professional cleaning, or a more thorough drying time.

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Green Cleaning Ideas For Your Home

When my husband, Dave, and I first started housekeeping together (we are still newlyweds...), he used to shake his head and occasionally comment on my refusal to use artificial chemical cleaning products in the home. Yes, it is a bit unconventional to say the least! But even he will tell you that he likes that our house is free of toxic chemicals.

Only ten years ago, I too believed the only way to really clean was with smelly household cleaners. Here's the story:

Have you heard of the hygiene hypothesis? First proposed in England in 1989 by David Strachan, it was a possible explanation of why kids raised in larger families have a lower incidence of allergies. It has been studied extensively and has now been expanded.

The current thinking is that early exposure to bacteria, viruses, parasites etc. are important for the development of a healthy immune system. This is a radical shift in thinking from the antibacterial paradigm most of us were raised with years ago.

Ten years ago, I had a baby. I was living in England at the time. The medical community there was beginning to discuss and apply this new hygiene paradigm. I was encouraged to breast feed, of course, but also to not worry so much about sterilizing bottles and utensils after the baby was a few months old.

Naturally, as an over tired new parent, when the hygiene hypothesis was explained to me, I happily followed along. It did make a lot of sense. After all, babies have lived for thousands of years with lots and lots of dirt around and have thrived. Besides, sterilizing everything WAS a lot of work....

Well, guess what? At age 10, that same child rarely gets sick and has no allergies so far...even with a genetic predisposition to asthma from both parents!

For me the hygiene hypothesis paradigm shift led to a "re-think" about all the chemicals and insecticides that were being used in and around the house to keep it clean and "pest" free. It's really quite incredible what a young child and parents are exposed to in terms of household chemicals these days. The question is why? If early exposure to microbes is good for baby - why expose a child to pollutants in the name of killing them?

So, the search for healthier alternatives began....

Through trial and error and speaking with other parents who have gone in favor of "green cleaning", I learned that pretty much all household cleaning can be done using a bit of creativity and things you already have in your kitchen. Using greener alternatives is easy, inexpensive, good for your family and good for the earth.

Here are some ideas:

1. Baking soda: Acts as a scrub, polishes metal and deodorizes things. (a must have if you have a baby in diapers).

2. Lemon: Deodorizes, cuts grease, bleaches stains and disinfects. Mixed with baking soda, it removes stains from plastic food storage containers.

4. Salt: Another scrubber (more course than baking soda)-good for cookware and ovens. Combined with citrus juice it removes rust.

5. White vinegar: Deodorizes and disinfects (again acid). Mix with water and a little dish soap and you've got a great all purpose cleaner for windows, floors, bathrooms and all the rest. Used full strength it fights mold and mildew and body odor in clothing.

6. Olive Oil: Mix two parts oil with one part lemon juice and use as a furniture polish. It smells great.

So, if you are thinking of going organic with the food you eat, why not go all the way and get rid of the pollutants in your house. You and your family will benefit with better health and more pocket money. If you have children - you won't have to worry about poisoning. After all, what's the worst thing that can happen from drinking vinegar except a tummy ache?

And, when you say you can eat off the floor in your home, you will really mean it!

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis

Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing

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Home Cleaning And Organizing Ideas - The Living Room

Let us discuss some ideas on organizing and cleaning the living room in your home.

Some homes have a “great room” and no living room, others have a “family room” and a living room. No matter what you call it or how many of these rooms you have, organization is necessary to make it a
welcoming haven for your family.

Walk in to this room as a visitor would. Notice the small details that you’ve overlooked in daily living. Do you see clutter? Your guests do, too. To make this room inviting, we’re going to reduce the number of *things* in this room and make it more homey.

What did you see in terms of clutter? Magazines and newspapers all over? Toys? Shoes lying around? Start with several laundry baskets (empty, please!) and put things that don’t belong in this room in the baskets. The idea is to send things to different areas of the house in these baskets and make your de-cluttering that much easier.

Throw away the newspapers and old magazines. If you’re just not going to have time to read them, get rid of them. Shoes should be kept in the room where their wearer lives. Now that you’ve done, go back and look at this room as a visitor sees it. Better? If not, keep going in small stages and steps.

If you look at your furniture, do you see fingerprints and dust deep enough to write a ransom note in? Do you even see the top of your furniture? If you can’t answer the latter question, don’t worry about the former one.

Take care of the flat surfaces first—we call this The Law of Flat Surfaces. This Law is defined by the idea that flat surfaces collect papers, no matter what the surface is: tabletops, armoires, desks, or floors. If you start with clean flat surfaces, you’ll be more likely to keep them clear—a little every day. Once your flat surfaces are clear, give them a once-over with a furniture polish (if appropriate) or glass cleaner (if appropriate).

Now look up. Do you see cobwebs in the corners? Not a huge deal— grab a feather duster and knock ‘em down. That’s that!

You’ve tackled your family room and/or living room—congratulations! Keep moving along, taking baby steps every day. Soon, your home should exude the warmth and hospitality you want.

For in-depth cleaning and organizing tips and ideas, check out: The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home.

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