8 Spring Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners

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For many of us spring is the time to refresh and rejuvenate our home with the ‘spring cleaning’ we all know and love! It’s time to get a fresh start in cleanliness, to open the windows up and embrace the temperatures of April and May. For us pet owners, though, we know we aren’t the only ones with a bounce in our step around this time of year as our pets our ready to enjoy the weather too! In this article we’ll look at eight tips to add to a spring-cleaning checklist that will improve the well being of our pets through the summer as they come in and out of the house with us.

1. Clean out the Pantry

Just as with the human section of the panty, it’s time to check the pet food to see if any of it has expired. Most pet food will keep for a long time but in case there are some expired foods, throw them away.

2. Clean the Carrier and Crate

Not all pet owners have carrier cages and/or crates for their pets but we who do know how they can get forgotten about when it comes to cleaning because it’s hard for us humans to get a proper glance in them. Give them a thorough spring-cleaning and your pets will appreciate it but don’t forget about the one in the car!

3. Wash Your Pet’s Dishes

How often do you clean your pet’s dishes? If you don’t clean your pet’s dishes at least once a week, now might be a good time to clean some in advance so your pet can have a clean dish all the time with a backup incase you have trouble getting into the cleaning routine.

4. Check Your Pet’s Toy Box

Go through your pet’s toy box and get rid of some of the old, slobber covered toys to make room for the new! If you know it’s your pet’s favorite even though the toy has been through a lot, clean the toy to get rid of germs but don’t forget to treat your pet with a new toy!

5. Clean Your Pet’s Bedding

For those of us with pets that shed a fair amount of hair, we know all to well that cleaning our pet’s bed can be a tedious task! To avoid relying on our washer machines to wash the bedding and remove all the hair, designate a $3 lint roller to your pets bed to remove as much hair as possible before washing.

6. Clean Your Pet’s Winter Clothes

Our pets are part of the family, some of us dress them to keep them warm when were out and about! Before packing their winter clothes up for the summer, along with our own, lets give their little coats and booties a thorough cleaning!

7. Clean the Collars and Leashes

Let’s not forget about their collars and leashes, they need cleaning too, plain and simple!

8. Check for a First Aid Kit

Check to see if you have a pet first aid kit and if you don’t have one, get one! Have a safe and fun filled summer with your pet without any concerns!

How to Clean Blinds Effectively

How to Clean Blinds Effectively

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Window blinds are a true convenience when it comes to privacy for houses and apartments alike. Having the ability to let the sun shine through the windows and into ones home at the flick of a wrist is certainly handy, it isn’t until it comes to cleaning the blinds that the potential for trouble sets in as removing dust can be a daunting task! Depending on the type of window blinds you have and the material they’re made of, they may gather more dust than others so clean accordingly and regularly! In this article we’ll give you some tips to make cleaning your window blinds easier and more effective.

1. The easiest way to start getting a handle on keeping your blinds clean is to get a feather duster that you can run in-between each individual blind on occasion to keep them up to par in cleanliness.

2. Take a portable vacuum nozzle and run it along the blinds to remove dust and dirt.

3. Consider using vinegar. Wear a rubber glove and dip your finger in a bowl of vinegar then simply wipe the blinds down by placing your finger in between the slats of the blinds.

4. Use a soapy sponge. Dip your sponge in warm soapy water and wipe the blonds down repeatedly until clean.

5. Buy a window blind cleaning tool! For just a few dollars you can buy a brush specifically for window blinds from Amazon for example.

6. Get a microfiber towel to pick up hard to remove dust.

7. If your blinds are made of fabric and it seems your not making progress, take them to your nearby dry cleaner.

8. Take the blinds down and bring them outside to be sprayed with water and subsequently dried!

This includes our insider tips on how to clean those pesky yet appreciated window blinds!

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

How To Remove Hard Water Stains

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As we thrive to keep our homes immaculately clean we find new and interesting areas in need of special attention for the spotless finish we aspire to! One of them might be right under your feet if your standing on a hardwood floor – hard water stains. Hard water stains are most commonly found in our kitchens, bathrooms, and wherever else we may have had a little water spill around the house. Some other areas where we may find hard water stains are tabletops, windowsills if there are leaks, countertops, and other stain worthy surfaces alike.

The more recent the water stain, similar to most other type of stain, the easier it will be to remove it from whichever surface it’s found. For example, water stains on hardwood floors that are mopped often are unlikely to have tough stains to remove but if liquid leaks through carpet to hardwood floors beneath the carpet they may be a permanence once removing the carpet long after the spill making for refinishing required of the hardwood floors.

One trick of the trade in household items to get rid of tough to remove hard water stains is vinegar but this you do not want to use on wood finishes as the acidic elements in vinegar can harm wood surfaces. For best results on surface other that wood, take an empty spray bottle, an old ‘Windex’ bottle if you will, and pour vinegar into the bottle. If you have a large area yet not much vinegar, dilute it with water in your spray bottle. After spraying the areas in need with vinegar, wipe the affected areas with a cloth and rub accordingly until you have a spotless surface!

In cases with tougher to remove hard water stains that vinegar don’t seem to be doing the trick with, consider getting some baking soda from your pantry and mixing it with the vinegar to make a solution with a paste-like consistency. After applying the vinegar and baking soda, wipe the area clean with water and a towel. Last, but not least, for wood surfaces you can use white toothpaste and a damp towel; apply until the stain is removed! Hopefully this helps in getting your home as shiny as possible!