Tag Archive for: Cleaning

Cleaning with Baking Soda

10 Household Cleaning Supplies That Are Safe Around The House

/in /by

It’s always a plus to find out exactly what your using as far as chemicals go when touching up your home after a professional cleaning or in between scheduled cleanings if the mood strikes you. In this article we’ll go over some of the cleaning supplies you can keep around the house without having to worry about them being harmful.

1. Vinegar – Vinegar is one of, if not the best, solutions for a wide array of cleaning purposes around the house. The acidity in vinegar makes for a great natural cleaning product that’s capable of handling hard stains even while still being safe and tasty too if you like salt and vinegar chips!

2. Baking Soda – Baking soda is another solution that we can find in most of our kitchens that is highly effect for more than just cooking! When you mix baking soda with water it creates an easy to mix cleaning supply.

3. Salt – As a scrubbing agent, salt is great for removing stains from stubborn surfaces when mixed with water such as tea stained cups and even brass or copper, covering a wide spectrum! Salt is also a great solution for soaking up stains in carpets when they are still damp after soaking up as much liquid as possible.

4. Lemon – The natural acidity in lemons create a great, safe cleaning product that can take on similar tasks to vinegar for cleaning yet while leaving a fantastic fresh scent! One great way to clean windows is to add a little lemon juice to water and wipe the window glass down with it followed by drying it off for a clear finish.

5. Natural Soap – While natural soap is not one of the many items on the list that can be found in our kitchens, it is very safe and can also come as a detergent.

6. Soft Sponges – Rather than using rough sponges if you happen to have them around the house, get some soft sponges so there is no risk of the harsh ones falling into the wrong hands.

7. Mild Cleaners – Even though there are enough natural cleaning products to touch up your home without getting any “real cleaning supplies”, it’s important that if you do to watch for the chemicals used and educate yourself on what might be harmful such as phosphate or chlorine.

8. Eco Friendly Floor Cleaners – It’s important to use eco friendly floor cleaners if you have pets and children around that might put something in their mouth or even lick the floor!

9. Essential Oil as an Air Freshener – Instead of using normal air fresheners, there are natural solutions out there that you can be sure will be safe in your home such as “oil diffuser” that sends natural oil scents into the air for a fresh smell or even scented candles.

10. Anti-Bacterial Cleaners – Last but not least and as stated with the use of mild cleaners, when purchasing anti-bacterial cleaners, which are important for keeping a home germ free, be careful and pay attention to the chemicals used!

That concludes our list of 10 cleaning supplies that are safe around the home!

8 Spring Cleaning Tips for Pet Owners

/in /by

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

/in /by

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!