Take advantage of our years of experience in cleaning different surfaces.  Here are just a few of our favorite household cleaning tips to help you clean in between.

 

 

 

Everybody has had carpet dents at one time or another.  Carpet dents are those bothersome impressions left in your carpet after you have moved furniture.  By simply placing a piece of ice in the impression you can remove these dents.  Place the ice in the impression and leave overnight for it to slowly melt.  In the morning, blot up the excess water and fluff with your fingers.  Works like a charm!

 

 

Eighty percent of the dirt in your house walks in through the door on people's feet. The right kind of mats placed inside and out of all entrances will help cut down on cleaning time. Choose professional mats you see at the entrances of hospitals and supermarkets, which are available at a janitorial supply store. They're called walk-off mats because they give the dirt a chance to be walked off before it gets in. Walk-off mats are usually nylon or olefin with a rubber or vinyl back for inside the door, and rubber or vinyl-backed synthetic turf for outside on the step. They're available in a variety of colors.

 

Keep vacuum bags, filters, seals and gaskets in good repair to prevent fine dust from being blown back into the air as you vacuum.

 

Feather dusters typically don't do much but spread dirt around. If you are using a feather duster on some surfaces, consider looking at alternative cleaning options.

 

Hard-water deposits are alkaline, so an acid-based cleaner is the best way to clean them. Phosphoric acid works well and is safe for most surfaces. Grocery store with phosphoric acid contain 4 percent to 6 percent acid. You can purchase lime scale removers at supply stores that contain 8 percent to 12 percent acid to get the job done faster. A higher concentration of acid is safe on most household surfaces as long as you rinse the surface to remove all traces of the acid after the cleaning is complete. Let the acid sit for a few minutes after you apply it to let it work. Tough hard-water deposits may take more than one application. Scrub the applied areas with a white, nylon-backed scrub sponge. Make sure you read any manufacturer's warnings before applying phosphoric acid solutions to surfaces in your home. 

 

Regular vacuuming or sweeping is the best way to maintain the finish. Then damp mop with plain water or add just a drop of liquid dish soap. If the floor has some tough spots to clean, use a white, nylon-backed scrub sponge. This will keep soil from wearing away the surface. However, if time and traffic eventually dull the glossy top layer, you may want to add a floor finish or wax to restore the shine. Choose any good commercial floor polish or try a self-polishing, metal-interlock floor finish available from a janitorial supply. Traffic areas may need finish applied more often than the rest of the floor. It's a good idea to keep doormats at all the entrances to your home, as they will catch much of the dirt that could eventually damage your floors.

 

Since preventing soap scum build-up is a lot easier than cleaning it, squeegee water off shower walls and doors after every use or wipe them down with a towel. For tile walls or frosted shower doors, apply a light coating of lemon oil periodically to help prevent build-up. For a porcelain tub, apply a light coat of boat or car wax to the sides (never the bottom) of the tub.

 

If it's too late for prevention, use a de-greasing agent and lots of elbow grease. Get a good alkaline soap scum remover at a janitorial supply store or dissolve a handful of automatic dishwasher detergent in a bucket of warm water. Cover the affected area completely and let your cleaning solution soak for at least 15 minutes. Do it right after a shower when the walls will be wet. After soaking, use a stiff scrub brush or a white, nylon-backed scrub sponge to clean the walls. You may need to soak and scrub a couple of times to get rid of all the build-up. Then rinse well with clear water.

 

In addition to cleaning wood floors, Murphy Oil Soap makes a great laundry pre-spotter, especially on organic stains like grass or blood. Wet washable, colorfast fabric, add a drop of Murphy directly to the stain, squish through the fabric and wash as usual. Visit www.murphyoilsoap.com for more cleaning tips.

 

The earlier you attack this problem, the easier it will be to remove the ring. A thorough cleaning with a commercial acid-based bowl cleaner may do the trick. If the bowl cleaner doesn't work, try using a green, nylon-backed scrub sponge along with the acid. For an old ring, use a pumice stone. Wet the stone with the water in the bowl and rub it on the ring keeping the stone wet the entire time you're scrubbing. Pumice stones should only be used on vitreous china toilets - never on colored, enamel or plastic fixtures. Once you've gotten rid of a ring, weekly cleanings should keep it from coming back.

 

 

Before following any of the cleaning information, methods, advice or suggestions above, always test a small area that is less visible first. Also, you should consult the manufacturer's care instructions and warnings before trying any of the above. Due to the general nature of the advice in this material, Final Touch Housekeeping assumes no responsibility or accepts liability for any loss, damage or injury,which may be incurred as a result of any action inspired by information, advice or suggestions through this material.

 

 

 

 

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