Chester's Clean House

Basic Homemade Cleaning Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:37:00 +0000

Homemade cleaning solutions are not only good for the environment they are also good for your wallet. You can make them quickly and easily with items you can find in your pantry. Some of the most popular are baking soda, distilled white vinegar, olive oil, lemon oil, and a good squirt bottle always helps.

Vinegar Clean

The general all purpose cleaner is good for cleaning kitchen counter tops, bathroom countertops and anywhere you would need to clean daily with a mild cleanser. You can make a quick solution by mixing one part vinegar and one part water into a spray bottle. You can also use this homemade cleaner on glass countertops and toilets. You should never use this on granite countertops or wood because vinegar is acidic and can damage those surfaces.

When doing the laundry, especially if you have hard water, adding 1/2 cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle will help soften your clothes and also will cut down on odors. This will leave your cloths feeling soft and fluffy.

Baking Soda Clean

When cleaning the bathroom mix baking soda and water to form a paste. You can use this paste to scrub fixtures and tile. This works really well on tile and bathtub stains. Baking soda is also good at cleaning the toilet, just sprinkle some into the toilet bowl and add a splash of vinegar. The vinegar and baking soda will react and starts to create carbon dioxide. This bubbling action is a great way to clean the toilet without having to get out your scrub brush.

Lemon Clean

Mixing two parts lemon juice and one part olive oil makes a great wood cleaner. Pour a small amount of the cleaning solution onto a rag and wipe down any finished wood you have in your house. This works exceptionally well on kitchen cabinets.

Making your own homemade cleaners is easy. Not only will you save the environment you also save a lot of money. No longer will you have to drive to the store to buy more cleaner. Next time you are starting a new cleaning project, think about using one of these homemade cleaning recipes.

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Chester's Laundry Stain Removal Guide

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:58:00 +0000

If anyone tells you that they enjoy doing the laundry, you have to question their sanity. Laundry is just a fact of life, it has to be done. I don’t mind doing the laundry, but I do hate stains! Especially the set-in ones! Here are some of our best tips for removing laundry stains.

Blood Stain Removal

Hopefully you don’t have to use this great tip too often! The best way to remove blood stains, even dried-on blood stains is to make a paste out of meat tenderizer and water and apply to the stain. Let it stand for about an hour and rinse off with water. If the stain still exists, repeat and this time work the paste into the stain. Rinse off and launder as usual.

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Coffee Stain Removal

Coffee stains happen, luckily making your own coffee stain removal solution is easy. The first thing you should do with a coffee stain is rinse out as much of the stain with water as possible. The best way to do this is to turn the garment inside out and place it under a running faucet. Next mix 1 cup hot water with about 1 tsp of dish soap. Blot with a sponge and dry with a white terry cloth. If the stain is still there, try mixing 1 part distilled vinegar and 2 parts warm water. Again blot the area with a sponge and dry with a terry cloth towel. Do not rub, that will only spread the stain. Wash regularly and verify that the stain is completely removed before you dry it. You can repeat each of the coffee stain removal methods as needed. As always test for color fastness.

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Deodorant Stains Removal

Deodorant stains can ruin any dress or shirt. I have two different tricks for dealing with these stains, however, you must test each one first in a inconspicuous place to make sure that they do not cause the color to fade or damage the fabric. The first trick is to wipe the stain with white vinegar as a pre-treatment for the stain. Launder as usual and the stain should be gone. The second trick is to soak the deodorant stain with denatured alcohol. Once you have soaked the stain, wash with the highest temperature setting that you safely can use.

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Grass Stain Removal

Grass stains are horrible. If you can get to them before they completely set, then just use a pre-wash stain remover such as the Spray and Wash Stick. It will keep the stain from setting even if you pre-treat and ignore until your normal laundry day. However, if the grass stain has set completely, you have to take more drastic measures. Mix two parts of ammonia with one part vinegar. Work the mixture into the stain and then launder as usual.

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Ink Stain Removal

Ink is one of the hardest things to get out of clothing. Inks are made in many different ways, so it is hard for me to tell you what will work best for removing your ink stain since I don’t know what kind of ink it is. The strategy for ink stain removal is to use a solvent to remove the stain from the fabric. Not all ink can be removed but you will not know about your stain until you try. In the worst case the following solvents will at least lighten the stain.

When working with all of these solutions soak a clean terry cloth rag with the solvent and blot at the stain. Never rub an ink stain because you will only work it further into the fabric. If you get an ink stain, treat it immediately if possible to make ink stain removal easier once you get home. You can treat with waterless hand sanitizer or just plain water if that is all that is available.

Hairspray is the most common ink solvent, and it works fairly well. Be patient and keep spraying and blotting. It will take some time for the stain to come up. Sometimes I will let the hairspray soak for a few moments before I blot. Rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover (acetone), Lestoil, and turpentine all work well on removing ink stains. Some ink formulas may need the use of one or more of these solvents to remove the ink.

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Laundry Soap Residue Removal

If you start to notice that your laundry is coming out of your washer with soap residue or your clothes seem to be getting stiffer the more you wash them, then you have a detergent build-up in your washer. Adding one cup of white vinegar to your laundry will help to break up that residue. I recommend adding vinegar about once a month to keep your washer clean. Just make sure to never add vinegar to any load of laundry that you are adding bleach to.

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Red Wine Stain Removal

We have all been there before. You are having a wonderful time at a party and turn around to talk to a friend when you accidentally bump into a glass full of red wine. You new dress is ruined. To get the red wine stain out mix 1 tsp of dish detergent and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide into a bowl. Use a clean towel or sponge to dab the area. Start from the outside and dab your way around the stain slowly working toward the center of the stain as it is removed. Hydrogen peroxide can bleach your clothing so test before you begin.

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Tough Laundry Stain Removal

If a stain has been completely set-in and even if it has already gone through the dryer, Lestoil can still save the day. Work the Lestoil into the stain and launder as usual. Make sure that you never use Lestoil on any garments that are dry-clean only. Also, test in an area that will not be noticed to make sure that it does not fade or damage your clothing.

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Share Your Tips

Do you have a great laundry stain removal tip? Please add it to the comments or email it to us so that we can share it. Together we can knock out even the toughest stains.

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Cleaning Tips Galore - First Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Welcome to the first edition of cleaning tips galore.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Dear Press: Clean Up Your Own Damn Mess! posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog, saying, "Spring cleaning humor."

Household

Aparna presents Beware of dust mites on your pillows posted at Beauty and Personal Grooming, saying, "Dust that gets accumulated in our houses is a host to millions of germs and microorganisms. Dusting and cleaning the house in itself is a cumbersome task, what with dust settling on sofas and beds, carpets, curtains and clothes. We all bother so much about insects, mosquitoes, houseflies and do our best to get rid of them. But we often forget about the tiny, almost invisible creatures called dust mites, which are present and booming in millions in the cozy comforts of our homes."

Tips

Samantha Marks presents Gutter Cleaning How-To Guide | Backyards And Gardens.com posted at backyardsandgardens.com.

Fred Lee presents Hand Washing: A Great First Defense posted at Parenting Squad.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Cleaning Tips Galore using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:
cleaning tips galore, blog carnival.

Leather Cleaning Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:40:00 +0000

Leather is a popular fabric for furniture, jackets, boots and belts. It is becoming more popular every year because of its versatility, strength and ease of maintenance. We have had several leather sofas over the years and they have always lasted longer than their fabric counterparts. One the reasons we have enjoyed our leather furniture is how easy they are to clean. Here are some leather cleaning tips that will help you enjoy your leather for years to come.

Furniture Leather Cleaning

Furniture leather needs special care to keep it from becoming too dry. If the leather dries out it becomes brittle and prone to cracking. To help prevent this you want to use a leather cleaning solution that also conditions the leather. The first step is to determine if you leather is finished. Almost 90% of leather furniture is finished. You can tell by looking at the surface of the leather, if it is rough and nappy like a pool table's felt, it most likely is not finished. This type of material is often called suede or nubuck. If the surface is smooth and shinny it most likely is finished leather. You can double check by taking a small amount of foaming leather cleaner and letting it sit on the surface of the leather. If it soaks in the leather is unfinished.

Homemade Leather Cleaning Solution

If you look at most commercial leather cleaners you will notice the same ingredients used in all of them. Olive oil, lanolin and Neats oil are the most commonly used. You likely have these ingredients at home and making your own leather cleaner is easy. Just mix one cup distilled white vinegar and two cups food grade linseed oil or olive oil. Just wipe the solution evenly over the leather’s surface using a lint free cloth, microfiber works great. Then use a second lint free cloth to buff and polish the leather surface. Use every three months to clean and condition.

Automotive Leather Seats

If you car has leather seats this cleaner will also clean and condition them. You can also take a few steps to protect your car’s seats. Heat is leather’s enemy, so try to park in a shaded area or use a windshield sun shade. If you have small kids, use a blanket under child car seats to protect against scratches and indentations from the seat rubbing against the leather. If you have a dog, a blanket can protect the seat from the dog’s nails.

Removing Leather Stains

Many stains can be removed from leather. Try these on your tough leather stains:

Toothpaste – Lightly scrub the area with a terry cloth and a small dab of toothpaste.
Hairspray – Ink stains can be tough to remove from leather. Spray the area liberally with hairspray and use a terry cloth two wipe away the ink. It may take several attempts to get the desired results.
Mayonnaise – Water rings can be removed from leather by covering the stain with mayonnaise for a few hours. Use a terry cloth to wipe the area clean. Use our homemade leather cleaner to make it look like new.

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The Best Home Floor Polisher

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:39:00 +0000

We have tile in our kitchen and bathroom. It gets dirty, but we always try to keep up with our spills and messes. However, after a while it just looses its shine and starts to look dingy and dull. Without regular polishing, tile floors start to appear to be dirty even when they are completely clean. This is due to the minor abrasions in the surface and to the small amounts of polish that are left over on the surface. Once your floor has hit this point, there is only one thing that you can do. Strip off any remaining wax and polish your floors!

Without a floor polisher, be prepared to spend a lot of time on your knees!

Now, when commercial companies need to strip and polish their floors, they bring in the big guns. They use large orbital buffers that can throw a man across a room. I know, I have wrestled with these things before! For home applications, there are only two choices. Going completely manual, and getting on your hands and knees and slowly stripping and polishing the floor. Or, number two; get a home-size floor polisher. I had a chance to play around with two different home floor polishers and I have to say that if you have more than one room with tile floors, these are a must have!

The Gloss Boss Buffer

This is a compact floor buffer with two heads that is perfect for small areas. It is very lightweight and quite powerful for its size. The buffer heads can be covered with different pads and scrubbers and it comes with two microfiber pads. It also cost under $100, making it perfect for homes with only a few tile floors.

Koblenz P-2500 Floor Scrubber/Buffer

Koblenz makes a large number of commercial-grade floor polishers. So, naturally, I expected a lot out of their home model. This unit cost just under $200, but it does boost a more powerful motor. It also has two rotating scrubbing heads and comes with a couple of different scrubbing/polishing pads. However, the weight is significantly higher than the Gloss Boss. This floor polisher is perfect for the home with multiple, large rooms with tile floors.

Both of these home floor polishers have major pros and cons. If cost is your only concern, the Gloss Boss is perfect for you. If speed and power are required, the Koblenz is the right choice. Either way, both units really impressed me. If you have the chance to demo these models, I highly recommend it. Just make sure that you use the right polishing liquid for your floor type. Check with the manufacturers’ website to find the perfect fit.

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Microfiber Mops

Keep Your Floors Cleaner With These Moping Tips

Floor Cleaning Week Recap

Different Types of Wardrobes for More Bedroom Storage

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:55:00 +0000

I constantly run out of storage room in my bedroom. My closet is very shallow and can barely hold my suits and hanging clothes, much less my wife’s. When we got married we inherited two dressers, one large, one quite small. My wife uses the smaller of the two and I quickly overloaded the largest. The problem with dressers is the fact that you cannot hang cloths to keep them from getting wrinkled. This is what started my quest for the best wardrobe for our needs and for the different needs of our readers.

I was surprised by how many different types of wardrobes existed!

First of all, there are many fairly inexpensive wardrobes commercially available. My brother and his wife bought the IKEA Hopen wardrobe system with two vertical storage units and one horizontal storage unit that they placed in the middle for shoes and folded clothes. This was a great wardrobe for their needs, but is simply too large for what I needed. My wife and I have a fairly small bedroom. We need to find the best wardrobe for our limited space that fits are needs. Here is how I broke down the floor space verses clothes needs wardrobe options.

First, determine the amount of hanging clothes space that you require. This is determined by how many hanging items that you have multiplied by their average horizontal space requirements. My hanging clothes require an average of two and a half inches of horizontal space to not become wrinkled. So my calculation was 15 articles of clothing times two and a half inches or 37.5 inches of horizontal hanging space. I also needed room for my folded winter sweaters and fleeces. This means that I also needed a large shelving area. I started shopping for different wardrobes that could meet our needs.

After an exhaustive search, here is what I found. There are a number of wardrobes that are designed to fit in corners. This would be fantastic for us, given our limited space, but all of the different corner models that I found have very limited space for hanging clothes. What I decided on was the 48” Ameriwood Oak Wardrobe. The wardrobe provides over 46” of hanging clothes space and the price was right around $200, which was the limit that I allowed myself to spend. It has adjustable shelves for my folded clothes and has two separate areas for hanging clothes so that I can separate my pants and shirts and jackets. I also was able to purchase it at our local Meijer store so that I didn’t have to wait.

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How to Clean Hardwood Floors

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:03:00 +0000

Hardwood floors are beautiful and can easily last a lifetime if you take proper care of them. First of all, when we talk about hardwood floors we are talking about sealed hardwood floors. Unsealed floors have not been installed in homes for a very long time. If you think that your floors are not sealed, they must be sealed immediately or they will absorb every liquid spilled on them and will quickly start to dry out and fall apart.

Great Homemade Cleaner for Hardwood Floors

There are a wide variety of commercially available wood floor cleaners. Many of these are quite expensive and contain harsh chemicals. A very simple homemade cleaner can be made from adding a few drops of basic dish soap with distilled water. Put the mixture in a misting spray bottle and clean your hardwood floor in small sections. Make sure that you spray the area that you want to clean and then wipe up immediately with a micro fiber cloth or clean towel. Never let any area remain damp for any period of time as moisture is your floor’s enemy. Adding a splash of white vinegar and lemon juice will add some major cleaning power to your homemade floor cleaner. However, if you add these ingredients to your cleaner, you will have to do a quick wet mop with clean water before you dry each section.

Quick tips to maintain your hardwood floors:

Sweep your floors at least every week with a Swiffer or with a soft bristled broom. To save time, I have found a get trick for cleaning your floors. If you are sweeping your floors, sweep the dust and dirt onto a carpeted area of your home. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly to remove all of the debris and to help keep abrasive dirt off of your hardwood floors.
Always wipe up all spills immediately. Water and other liquids can do severe damage to even sealed hardwood floors.
Protect your hardwood floor by placing furniture pads under the legs of each piece of furniture. This will spread out the weight of your furniture over a larger area and keep your floors from getting scratched.
Use area rugs to protect your hardwood floors in highly trafficked areas. Also, use floor mats in all entrances to your rooms with hardwood floors. This helps trap dirt and debris and keeps them from scratching the surface of your floors.

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Cleaning and Maintaining Bathroom Sinks

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Besides your toilet, your bathroom sinks are usually the messiest place in your bathrooms. Toothpaste drips, hair clippings, and all of the rest of our daily routines can quickly turn a beautiful porcelain sink into a messy disaster. Here are some great tips to keep it looking and working great!

Bathroom Sinks are almost always the messiest place in your bathroom.

For quick cleanups of your bathroom sink, use a little hydrogen peroxide on a sponge and simply wipe up the entire surface. As we mentioned in our post Hydrogen Peroxide – Cleaning, Sanitizing Wonder, hydrogen peroxide is both a great cleaner and a wonderful sanitizer for your sink.

To deep clean the surface of your bathroom sink, Bar Keepers Friend can remove even the worst stains. Read our full review in Bar Keepers Friend is My Friend Too to learn more about how you can use Bar Keepers Friend to not only deep clean your sink, but also polish your faucet and other bathroom fixtures to a fantastic shine.

One of the biggest problems that I have at keeping my bathroom sink clean and spotless is the amount of daily products that I use in the bathroom. If the surface is completely covered, you are never going to be able to properly clean the sink. By finding the right bathroom storage ideas from our article, Bathroom Storage Ideas, you can keep only the bare essentials out in the open. I now have enough storage space to not have to keep my razor and other necessities out in the open.

If you sink gets clogged, pour baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar or lemon juice. The chemical reaction that is caused by the two combining can power its’ way through even the toughest stain, all without having to resort to dangerous, and expensive, drain cleaners. As we mentioned in our article, Cleaning the Kitchen Sink the Non-Smelly Way, lemon juice leaves the sink smelling great whereas the vinegar leaves a pretty strong smell!

Chrome Polish

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:27:00 +0000

Chrome is one of those surfaces that cannot have any imperfections. Since chrome has a perfect mirror surface, any dirt or rust shows up immediately and ruins the entire look. Chrome has long been a standard for the automotive world, but it has also found its way into the home. Chrome accents have become commonplace on many household fixtures. Unfortunately, these fixtures usually exist around water, soap, toothpaste and other mess-makers. Luckily, we have a great chrome polish for you and a number of simple tricks to maintain the look of your chrome.

With a little elbow grease and a pinch of Nevr-Dull Metal Polish, you can bring even pitted, rusted chrome back to life. Nevr-Dull is available at most car parts shops and once you have tried it, you will find a thousand used for it. Nevr-Dull is perfect for cleaning and polishing brass, aluminum, steel and chrome. It removes even the worst tarnish and leaves behind only a light residue that, if you desire, can easily be wiped off with a microfiber clothe.

Bar Keepers Friend is also a great chrome polish. Use on a damp, clean cloth and work in circles to help buff up the chrome. Rinse well and dry to a perfect shine. Be sure to never use any abrasive cleaning pads. Chrome can be easily scratched.

Quick Tips for Keeping Chrome Fixtures Looking Great

An easy way to clean chrome fixtures is to wipe them down with a fabric softener sheet.
For really dirty fixtures try rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. You will be amazed at how well this can remove the nastiest spots.

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How the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Saved a Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:08:00 +0000

One of my friends has been in a little bit of a funk lately. He was laid off from his job six months ago and hasn’t been able to find full time work. He has been pretty depressed lately so I have been spending some extra time with him trying to cheer him up. The first thing I noticed when I when to his house was that he had stopped cleaning. His house was a disaster zone. There were pizza boxes and fast food bags everywhere. He hadn’t taken out the trash or done the dishes. After an hour of cleaning the kitchen and living room I had to use the restroom. That’s when I had the big shocker. The bathroom was disgusting. I don’t if know if I could really explain in words how bad it was.

Your Bathroom Can Make You Sick

The first thing I asked my friend is how he had been feeling. He said he had been fighting a cold for around a month. He said he would start to feel better but would always start to get sick again. He was surprised when I told him that it was likely that his nasty bathroom was making him sick. I showed him all the mold and mildew and explained how those can weaken his respiratory system, allowing other viruses and bacteria infect his body. So I convinced him that we need to deep clean his bathroom to help keep him healthy.

After looking around the house it was looking pretty bleak as to being able to clean the bathroom with my normal arsenal of homemade cleaners, so we started to tackle the task with the tools available. We had a bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming cleaner so I turned on the bathroom fan and sprayed the entire shower down and left the area until the fumes cleared. After an hour I went back to rinse the shower but there was still a thick layer of soap scum and hard water deposits. This was going to be a challenge. A quick perusal of the cleaning bucket brought me to one of my favorite cleaning tools, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The magic eraser is great at many tough cleaning jobs, but it does require a large amount of physical work. A good hour of rubbing and scrubbing later the shower was as clean as the day it was installed. Exhausted, I left feeling good about a job well done.

Two weeks later my friend let me know that he was feeling better, so much better that he got off the couch and got a new job. When we go through these tough times we all just need a kick in the butt to keep on going. If you are having a tough time or know someone who is, give them some help. We all need to work together to get out this funk.

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How to Use Toilet Cleaners and Alternatives

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:16:00 +0000

There are many different commercially available toilet cleaners. These products all do a good job at cleaning your toilet. They do require using the old nasty scrub brush and it’s always a good idea to wear rubber gloves when using strong cleaners. If the stains in your toilet are very bad, I recommend using a plunger to lower the water level. Simply plunge the toilet a number of times until there are just a few inches of water left. Spray the stains with your toilet cleaner; let it sit for a few minutes to let it work on the stain with its full strength. Then scrub until the toilet is spotless. You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean your toilet. It’s safe for septic systems and easier on the environment!

In-tank toilet drop-ins are very popular because they limit how often you have to clean. They also help with reducing smells. These drop-ins usually contain bleach or other strong chemical cleaners. Make sure when you are cleaning your toilet that you do not mix chemicals. Using ammonia to clean a toilet with a bleach drop-in is a very dangerous idea!

I have always had a problem with drop-in cleaners. I find that as they dissolve they tend to break apart and can stop the seal from forming around the stopper causing the toilet to keep running. I have come up with a great solution for this. I place the drop-ins into the feet from old panty-hose. You can also use cheesecloth which is available at most cooking stores if you don’t have access to old panty-hose. Tie off the top of the panty-hose and hang them from the side of the toilet tank with a couple of paper clips bent backwards. By putting two drop-ins into the panty-hose and by adjusting the height of the drop-ins to suspend the tablets halfway out of the water, you don’t have to add new drop-in tablets as often.

Avoid Toilet Cleaners with a Little Maintenance!

Going to be away for awhile? Pour 1/4 cup of bleach into the bowel before you leave to come home to a sanitized and cleaned bowel.
To keep rings from forming, pour a half-gallon of white vinegar in the bowel every four weeks. Close the lid and let it soak overnight before flushing.
To avoid a slow drain and to minimize odors, pour one cup baking soda down your toilet weekly. With just a few simple steps, you can all but remove the need for breaking out the nasty scrub brush and rubber gloves!

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How to Clean Grout Like The Pros

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:44:00 +0000

In your kitchen, bath, and just about anywhere else in your home, tile provides a very durable and stain resistant covering. Unfortunately, tiles are separated by grout, and grout is not nearly as stain resistant. Since grout is generally white, or at least a very light color, every stain shows up immediately. With our simple tricks, we can make cleaning grout a very simple task.

Some Tricks to Become the Best Grout Cleaner

If you have tile floors, the grout is definitely going to become stained at some point of time. Surface stains can be removed easily with sandpaper. Fold the sandpaper, and work the crease back and forth in the grout. If the grout is too soft for the sandpaper you can also use a normal pencil eraser. If the sandpaper or eraser doesn't do the job or the grout still remains discolored, you can create a solution of one part bleach and four parts of water. Saturate the grout with the solution and scrub with a small brush. A toothbrush is ideal; just throw it away when you’re done. Rinse well with clean water and let dry.

In your kitchen, your tile is constantly assaulted by food and spills of various natures. If you do not like using a lot of harsh chemicals around your kitchen, we have a great natural cleaner for you. Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and about 6 cups of water in a spray bottle. This cleaner really gets under those dried-on food stains and leaves the grout looking like new. Spray on your grout liberally, and scrub with a soft bristled brush or a toothbrush.

If your tile is heavily stained around your kitchen or bathroom, work in a little Soft Scrub with Bleach with your finger. Let it work on the grout overnight. By morning, even the toughest stains will have disappeared. Rinse with warm water and dry with a clean towel or paper towel. No need to scrub the grout with a toothbrush any more!

As a quick cleaner, wipe down your grout with hydrogen peroxide. This keeps your grout white and kills off all of the bacteria that can be living in it.

Make sure that you do not ever mix any cleaning products made with bleach with any products made with ammonia! The two combine to form chlorine gas, which is extremely dangerous. Rinse away all cleaners thoroughly after you have used them.

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Keeping House bugs Out of Your House

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Over the years, we at Chester’s Clean House have given you many different tips to keep your home free of bugs. Using these simple tricks, you can keep the house bugs, out of your house!

Homemade Garden Pest Control

To create an effective insecticide spray for your garden, finely chop 2 garlic cloves and combine with 2 teaspoons of mineral oil. Let the mixture soak for at least 24 hours. Add a quick squirt of liquid soap to 1 pint of water and combine with the garlic mixture. Stir thoroughly and strain with a coffee filter into a glass jar for storage. Combine 1 tablespoon of the solution mixture to a spray bottle full of water. Test the solution on a single leaf of any delicate plants.

Home Remedies To Get Rid of Ants For Good

Some Great tricks for getting rid of ants:

Salted cucumber peelings are said to repel ants. Just place them where you see them. I would do this outside as not to attract other things into your house.
White pepper, red pepper, or sage are said to repel ants also. Mothballs may also work. Apples will kill an ant colony.
Cut up an apple or leave the peels or the leftover core near the entry to the colony. The ants will take it back killing the queen.
Mixing borax with honey, maple syrup, butter, or lard will also kill an ant colony. You'll have to test each as some ants like sweets and others like greasy foods. You can leave the mixture in a bowl or on the ground.

Cockroaches May Live Through A Nuclear War, But Boric Acid Will Kill Them

After you have cleaned your home thoroughly, try sprinkling Borax inside all of your cupboards, except where you store food. Brush it all over the bottom of the cupboards and be sure to get the Borax into all of the cracks. Where you store your food you can leave an open container of Borax to keep the cockroaches out. Boric acid will take some time to kill the cockroaches, but it and cleaning well are your best defences. Also be sure not to step on cockroaches as you can get their eggs on your shoes, enabling them to spread.

Create a Barrier For Crawling Bugs

You can create a barrier to repel crawling bugs by painting your baseboards, walls and cracks with the following solution. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil then add 2 tablespoons of alum(aluminum sulfate). Once the alum has dissolved and the water has cooled, use a paint brush to paint your baseboards or anywhere you would like to create a barrier.

Get Rid Of Spiders, And Keep Them Away

Spiders hate American Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides). This herb can be found in two major forms American Pennyroyal plants and Oil of Pennyroyal. You can buy the plant at most nurseries. To repel spiders with the plant dry some leaves and place crumbled up leaves where the spiders congregate. Oil of pennyroyal can be found at most heath food stores and can be placed on cotton balls where the spiders live. Once you place the pennyroyal to spiders will leave, in a hurry!

Choosing the Best Pet Hair Vacuum

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:37:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges to keeping our house clean is pet hair. We have a Newfoundland dog and an orange tabby cat. I could have made several sweaters from all of the hair that they have shed over the years, too bad there isn’t a market for Newfoundland dog fur sweaters because I would be rich. We started using the FURminator brush several years ago, and while the brush does a great job, we still get lots of pet hair scattered throughout the house. When we first got Bear, we vacuumed everyday to keep up with her hair output. During shedding season we couldn’t keep up vacuuming two to three times a day. Needless to say it wasn’t too long before our vacuum gave out. After our first sweeper broke we started the process of finding a new one.

Over the last 10 years we have bought too many vacuums; the first thing we learned is that not all vacuums are made with the same quality. Using the vacuum every day, most models only lasted a year or so. The other thing we noticed was that over time they all started to lose suction as we used them. No matter how well we cleaned their filters or changed the bags they just lost all of their power over time. We were not buying the right pet hair vacuum.

The Dyson Animal

After going through 5 different models in five years we decided to splurge on a new vacuum that was specially made for pet hair. We chose the Dyson DC17 Animal after a lot of research. At first I wasn’t willing to pay close to $500 dollars for a pet hair vacuum, but I am glad that we did. The Dyson is by far the best pet hair vacuum that we have ever used.

The Dyson is an engineering masterpiece. The first time you use one you will quickly notice the attention to detail used in its construction. First, the Dyson has an incredible amount of suction. Not only is the suction strong but it hasn’t lost any of its power in the last five years. The hoses and attachments all snap tightly together and don’t fall off when you use them. Each of the attachments is also made with a lot of thought and quality. For instance, the upholstery tool has red velvet lint collectors built into each side of the tool. This allows the tool to really grab any pet hair that is caught in the upholstery. This tool does wonders at removing pet hair from your furniture and carpet. We use it on the stairs with great success.

Pet Hair Vacuum Features To Look For

If you are looking for a new pet hair vacuum, from my experience you should look for the following features. Suction is the most important factor in a good pet hair vacuum. Suction is what will pull the hair out of the carpet and upholstery, so without good suction you will not be able to get the deeply embedded hairs. The vacuum should also have an aggressive beater bar and other materials that will help to physically grab the hairs so that the suction may capture it. The collection bin is also important because the volume of hair can be overwhelming, so having the right size dust bin will keep you from excessive empting. One optional feature you might want to look for is a HEPA filter. We have noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of dust around our house after we started using one. With these features in mind you should be able to find the best pet hair vacuum.

The Best Dog Brush

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:24:00 +0000

I recently wrote about how mobile dog grooming helps my eleven year old Newfoundland, Bear, lead a less painful life while keeping her clean and pretty. Newfoundlands are very hairy dogs. They have a thick undercoat that allows them to swim in icy waters without the water reaching their skin which keeps them from getting cold. Although great for swimming in icy waters, they shed their undercoat twice a year making a big mess. Every spring and fall her fur can easily destroy the house, spreading hair to every corner of the house. To fight the hair we used to have her groomed every three weeks during shedding season, but that gets very expensive very fast. Luckily our groomer started providing a new service using the best dog brush, the FURminator.

The Furminator is a life saver. The first time the groomers did the FURminator treatment, they saved the pile of fur that they removed from Bear. It was bigger than a small dog. It was pretty amazing to see all the hair that would have ended up on my floor already collected for me. After that treatment Bear only shed about 5% of what she normally would have. Luckily the FURminator is available to buy for about the same price as one treatment at the pet salon.

How do you make the best dog brush?

The Furminator was developed to solve the number one complaint of pet owners, shedding. After years of development, a groomer and her husband developed the perfect tool that didn’t cut the hair, but grabbed a hold of the loose undercoat that ended up as shed fur. Experimentation led to the development of a stainless steel de-shedding tool that only worked on the undercoat. The special feature of this new tool was an edge that not only removed the loose undercoat, but also brought out a wonderful shine and healthy look to the coat.

The FURminator is great at removing the undercoat, but is also easy to use. Within 15 minutes we can completely comb our dog and our cat. The brush glides thru the fur and grabs just the loose under coat. Within ten or so strokes you will have a fist full of hair. Just follow up with your normal pet brush and your dog or cat will be looking their best. If you have shedding problems at home, I highly recommend you look into the best dog brush, the FURminator.

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How to Maintain Your Garage Floor

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:19:00 +0000

We all want every part of our homes to be in the best shape possible. But, sometimes it is very easy to overlook certain places. Your garage floor is probably one of those places. You drive on it, park your cars on it, and ignoring it seems to work just fine. However, once the floor becomes damaged, you will be looking at a hefty bill to get it fixed properly. We have a few tricks to help you keep your garage floor in great shape and looking good for years to come.

The most important tip to maintaining your garage floor is to clean up all liquids immediately!

First of all, as with all porous surfaces, you must clean up all messes and spills as quickly as possible. In the winter this can be especially difficult with the snow and salt being brought in with your car every time you come home. But a simple tip to remove the excess water is to purchase a large rubber squeegee with a good, long handle. Squeegees are available now at all home supply stores. Simply store the squeegee by the door to your garage so that you can quickly grab it and strip the water off of your floor each time you come home. It only takes a few seconds and will keep the water from soaking into the surface. It will also keep your garage looking great.

If your vehicle is leaking oil or grease on your garage floor, use non-clumping cat little to absorb the liquid. Sprinkle the cat litter liberally over the spill, give it a little while to absorb the liquids, work in with a stiff broom, and sweep up. This will also remove old oil stains, it just may require multiple cleanings. Obviously, you are going to want to get your vehicle serviced as quickly as possible if you have an oil leak!

To deep clean your concrete garage floor, first sweep and vacuum up any debris that you can. Next, rinse off the entire surface with a high-pressure nozzle on your garden hose or with a pressure washer. Sprinkle Bartender’s Friend all over the surface. Scrub in with a stiff brush. Rinse thoroughly and allow to completely dry. This is best done on a warm, dry day!

Once you have completely cleaned the garage floor, seal your concrete floor with a commercially available concrete sealer or water repellent. You can also seal your entire garage floor with an epoxy sealer. Epoxy sealer is applied like paint, but will provide an exceptional seal and will protect your concrete for many years! Epoxy paint will also cover up any discolorations in your concrete. Most epoxy sealers are chemical resistant, but make sure to get one that does not make the surface too slippery! Some sealers can be mixed with certain sands to give the surface some grit and to give you safe footing.

There are also tons of mats and flooring systems that you can utilize in your garage to keep it looking great. If you plan on installing one of these floor coverings, make sure that you completely clean and seal the floor before you install them. If you fail to do this and simply use the cover to hide any problems, the problems will just get worse.

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Best Tricks to Clean Tile Floor

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:36:00 +0000

When you think about the easiest types of flooring to maintain, most people think of tile. Tile floors are extremely durable, easy to clean, and can resist most major stains. However, without some simple maintenance, even tile floors can lose their luster and can develop stains, usually starting in the grout. Grout is porous and sucks up liquids and materials easily and, thus, can grow all kinds of bacteria and mold. Luckily, there are some simple tricks that will help you to clean tile floor.

The single best trick to clean tile floor is to clean up all spills and messes immediately!

The first trick to keeping your tile floors clean and glossy is to clean up all spills and messes immediately. Letting spills site on the surface will only allow them to infiltrate the grout and dry, dulling the surface of the tile. Even water and mud tracked in on shoes should be cleaned up immediately. The particulates in the water carried in on your shoes can scuff the surface and the moisture can feed any bacteria in the grout.

Make sure that you seal your tile as soon as possible after the tile has been installed. If you did not install the tile yourself, you must have the tile thoroughly cleaned and sealed to guarantee its longevity. To clean the tile you can use a commercially available cleaner of you can make your own cleaner. To make your own natural cleaner, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and about 6 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray liberally over your tile floor and scrub with a dry Swiffer scrubber or a lightly damp sponge mop.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your tile, let it completely dry. Seal the tile with the sealer recommended by the tile manufacturer. Follow all of the directions carefully; too much sealer will cause the tile to become cloudy.

If your tile floor becomes scaly, or yellowed with too many layers of wax, you are going to have to strip the floor. You can use commercially available strippers, just make sure to follow the instructions and wear protective clothing! A good homemade wax stripper can be made from 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of ammonia and a gallon of cool tap water. You may have to reapply the stripper if there are many different coats of wax. Once you have all of the wax up, clean the entire surface with clean tap water. Let it dry completely, and reseal with a new coat of wax.

Tile floors can last a lifetime, if you just do some routine maintenance! It is time consuming, but will make your floors look great and repel stains!

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The Best Coffee Stain Remover for Fabrics and Carpet!

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Every coffee drinker has had to deal with a bad coffee stain at one time or another. Seeing as how most people cannot get themselves going without coffee in the morning, a spill is going to happen. Now that every fast food drive-thru offers decent coffee, car spills are also becoming quite common. With coffee spills, make sure that you always blot the area with a dry cloth. If you try to rub out the spill, you will just spread the stain and cause it to set faster.

The best coffee stain remover can be made out of common household items.

If the coffee stain has already set, don’t worry. We have a fantastic coffee stain remover for you. To make your own coffee stain remover for fabrics and carpets, mix 1 teaspoon of a clear liquid dish washing detergent with 1 cup warm water and sponge the area with the detergent solution. Blot again with a dry, clean terry cloth. Then, mix 1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3 cup water and sponge the area with the solution. Blot dry again. Remove the excess vinegar with a sponge and clean water. Dry with a fresh cloth. Again, make sure to avoid rubbing, this can cause the stain to spread. This homemade cleaning system will remove even the worst set-in coffee stain. Just make sure to always test your fabric first to make sure that it will not discolor.

If you have just spilled coffee on yourself or your car’s interior, there is a simple way to reduce the stain. Using waterless hand sanitizer, you can work out the majority of the stain. With the recent flu scare, if you do not have your own hand sanitizer, I’m sure that someone around you will! Hopefully, they are willing to share.

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We Pick Our Best Homemade Cleaner

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Over the last few years we have brought you many great ideas on how to make the best homemade cleaner for your toughest stains and cleaning tasks. Here is a summary of our most popular homemade cleaners.

Fan Favorites for The Best Homemade Cleaner

Homemade Brass and Copper Cleaner - To clean all of your brass and copper, create a paste of vinegar and salt. Use a clean cloth and rub the mixture into the surface until the surface shines. Let it sit for a few minutes and apply the paste again with a clean cloth if necessary. Keep moving what area of the cloth you are using to avoid spreading the discoloration that you have removed. Wipe well with a fresh cloth to bring the metal to a clean shine.
Homemade Eyeglass Cleaner - We use a lot of eyeglass cleaner so I worked on making the Ultimate Homemade Eyeglass Cleaning Solution. It is very simple to make and works great. It is safe for most coatings and very inexpensive to make. Make a mixture of 3 parts rubbing alcohol and 1 part water. Add a few drops of mild liquid dish soap. Mix well and put into a spray bottle. Spray both sides of the lens and rub clean with a clean, soft cloth. I find that a good microfiber cloth works the best. Be careful to never use paper towels or else you can scratch your lenses. Rinsing the glasses under the faucet first to quickly wash away excess dirt will also aid in keeping scratches away.
Homemade All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner - A great homemade all-purpose kitchen cleaner is very easy to make, just fill a spray bottle with half white vinegar, half clean water, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Just spray the surface and wipe down with your Super Scrubbing Cleaning Cloth. Remember to use the button when you get to those dried on food stains to wipe them away easily. This cleaner is fairly acidic and should not be used on granite, marble, natural stone, or wood.
Homemade Oven Cleaner - Mix 5 tablespoons of Baking Soda, 4 teaspoons of white vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap in a bowl to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the stains and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Wipe the area clean with a dry cloths or paper towel. I usually take a wet paper towel and give the inside a through wipe down at the end.
Homemade Tough Carpet Stain Remover - For tough carpet stains try mixing 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup baking soda, 8 drops of white vinegar, and a small amount of water to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the stain. You can just let it dry or you can work it into the carpet for really tough stains. After the paste has dried, brush with a stiff brush and vacuum. Don't brush too hard as not to damage the carpet. This is a very powerful carpet cleaner so be sure to test your carpet for color fastness.
Homemade Wood Furniture Cleaner - To create your own wood cleaner simply combine 1 teaspoon of light olive oil and 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Mix well in a plastic spray bottle. Spray on your wood furniture and work in with a microfiber cloth. This works as well or better than any commercial product that I have tested. When done, use our homemade polish to bring out the shine.

And the fan favorite best homemade cleaner is Homemade Tough Carpet Stain Remover! This homemade cleaner has received the most response from our viewers and, hopefully, has helped a lot of you get better cleaning results!

Bathroom Storage Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:22:00 +0000

Do you need more bathroom storage? I always do. Luckily, I found a few tips to help maximize the limited space that I have. When I moved into my current residence, I found out that the small bathroom closet was only a few inches deep. The medicine cabinet behind the mirror was the same. It was obvious that they were afterthoughts to the construction of the room and had to be fit into the width of the wall that they were set into. Now, as we all know, toilet paper is always cheaper in the 16 pack, for about a buck more you can go from 250 Q-tips to 1,000, and multi-packs of toothpaste and contact lens solution are always the best deal. Given the fact that not one bottle of contact lens solution will fit in my medicine cabinet; I had to look for other bathroom storage ideas.

To create more bathroom storage, I looked into utilizing my wasted space.

I found an over-the-toilet shelving unit at our local home store. It has adjustable legs and shelves allowing it to fit over any toilet. It is 12 inches deep and the shelves easily accommodate towels and tons of toilet paper. By adding a few aesthetic touches, you can draw the eyes of your guests away from the fact that the shelves are covered with toilet paper. It also stores my bars of soap and excess Q-tips.

Another bathroom storage tip was to purchase a small corner vanity. Because it has three shelves with doors on them, it is the perfect place to hide the bathroom necessities that we all have. We put a small plant on top and it makes a great accent piece in the wasted space that was just a small corner.

The final tip to improve your bathroom storage is to select one shelf in an adjacent room for the larger items. We keep our guest towels, the remainder of our bulk bathroom needs, and extra shampoo on the very top shelf of the bedroom’s closet that is nearest the bathroom. This serves as the primary storage for both of our bathrooms.

Now our medicine cabinet actually just contains medicine, razors, and the like. By finding better ways to utilize our wasted space in our bathroom, our bathroom storage problem is a thing of the past!

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Fight Germs with a Hand Sanitizer Dispenser

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:38:00 +0000

Unfortunately I had to visit a friend in the hospital a few weeks ago. When I got to the hospital entrance I was quite amazed at a new piece of technology that they had installed, hand sanitizer dispensers. Actually the hospital had the units installed at every entrance and elevator door along with a sign that asked all visitors to sanitize their hands. These units were not your ordinary hand sanitizer dispenser, they were automatic. Placing your hand under the unit released a squirt of a foamy hand sanitizer. What really impressed me was that the hand sanitizer was actually soft to the touch and made your hands feel better. Most hand sanitizers are full of alcohol which tends to dry out my hands, and during the winter no one likes dry chapped hands.

I Had to Have a Hand Sanitizer Dispenser

On the way home as I thought more and more about the hand sanitizer dispensers. Being a total gadget freak, they really appealed to me. When I got home I did a quick internet search on getting a hand sanitizer dispenser. My research surprised me because the dispensers only cost about $15. They use 3 C cell batteries which the manufacturer claims will last for 350,000 uses. Pretty good if you ask me. They can sell the units at a low price because you have to use special refills. The Refills cost about $12 for the standard alcohol based gel hand sanitizer and around $20 for the soft foam sanitizer. Both come in a 1200 ml size that is good for over 1000 uses. The foam does cost almost twice as much as the gel, but I think it is worth it.

I ordered my unit from Amazon along with a foam hand sanitizer refill. I decided to install the unit near the kitchen sink. The unit came with a template for drilling the holes making it was easy to drill the holes correctly. Just make sure you use a level with the template to make sure the unit is level, otherwise the unit may not work correctly.. I had to use drywall anchors because there weren't any studs near my installation location. After the screws were in the unit slid right into place. I put the batteries into the dispenser along with the foam cartridge, the whole family has been sanitizing like crazy in no time. I'm trying still trying to figure out how much this costs per use, because at the rate we are using it I think we might need another refill in a month. So overall this may be more expensive than using plain old soap, but the convenience is unbeatable and my hands aren't chapped.

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Carpet Cleaning Tips

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:40:00 +0000

Here at Chester’s Clean House we have focused on many different carpet cleaning tips over the years. Here are a handful of some of the best tips from the last few years.

Chester's Best Carpet Cleaning Tips:

How to Remove Red Drink Stains from my Carpet - How to remove a stain from your carpet using Dawn, a terry cloth, and an iron. Remove as much liquid as possible with a shop vac. Make a mixture of Dawn and warm water and dampen a clean terry cloth with the mixture. Place the cloth over the stain and place an iron on top set to the lowest temperature setting. Over the next 15-30 minutes the stain will be pulled into the cloth and out of your carpet!
Homemade Carpet Shampoo - Using 1/2 cup of laundry detergent, 1 teaspoon of ammonia, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and about 4 cups of hot water you can create a great homemade carpet shampoo. Once you whisk the mixture together, use a sponge to lightly rub the lather over the carpet. Vacuum thoroughly once the lather has dried.
Removing Blood from Carpet and Microfiber - Spray the stained area with shaving cream and finished with a clean cloth and water. If the stain has set, use hydrogen peroxide and water to removed the dried blood. On microfiber, use meat tenderizer and water. After it dries, vacuumed thoroughly.
A Great Homemade Carpet Deodorizer - By combining equal parts of corn starch and baking soda in a medium sized bowl, you can create a great carpet deodorizer. To give it a wonderful scent, add about a dozen drops of lavender oil. You can add other essential oils as well to customize the scent.
Remove Grease Stains from Carpet - To remove a grease stain from carpet, rub baking soda into the stain. Let it stand for a few hours and then vacuum it up once it has dried.
Removing Wax from Carpet - The best way to remove wax from carpet is to gently remove as much wax as possible using a dull knife or similar object. Once you have removed as much as possible, cover the spot with a piece of brown paper bag. Run a warm iron over the bag. The wax will adhere to the paper bag. Remove the bag and repeat as necessary. Be careful of the iron's temperature. If you let it get too hot you can burn the carpet.

Mobile Dog Grooming Saves the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:41:00 +0000

The time has finally come to our household. Our loving Newfoundland can no longer take the trip to the groomers across town. She is eleven years old, has had one knee replaced, has bad hip dysplasia and arthritis. She can hardly stand up now without a lot of extra effort. Sadly, all the laying around the house and in the yard leaves her pretty dirty and matted. We do our best to keep her brushed with the Furminator, but she still has trouble standing for a long time.

We had been taking her to a great groomer about 20 minutes from our house. They always did a great job and worked around her disabilities, but she always came home and didn’t do anything for a few days because she was so sore. We have finally solved our problem.

Mobile Dog Grooming to the Rescue

We have seen the ads on the TV and heard the ads on the radio. It wasn’t until we talked to our friends that we decided to give a local mobile dog grooming service a try. Once we did a little research on our local Better Business Bureau's website we were able to select a service. Two days later the van arrived in front of our house.

An Entire Pet Salon in a Van

When the van arrived we walked our dog out into the mobile pet salon. The van had special dog steps that helped her get into the van and up onto the grooming table without any problems. These steps are what really sold us on the whole idea of mobile dog grooming. If you know anything about a Newfoundland, you know that they are pretty big dogs. 150 plus pounds big. The table doubled as a sink with a hose and en automatic shampoo and perfume dispensers. It was pretty neat watching Kelly wash and rinse our dog. Within 10 minutes she was washed and ready for a dry. One hour and a half later she was all groomed and pretty.

Surprisingly bear wasn’t sore or tired like she normally was after a visit to the pet salon. She didn’t have to endure the long trip and barking dogs, the stress of getting into and out of the car. The extra cost was more than worth it. My only advice is to use the resources of your local BBB to verify that your little precious will be well taken care of.

How to Care for Travertine Tile

noreply@blogger.com (cmvendely) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Travertine is a sedimentary rock that has a wonderful uniform color and is very strong. Recently it has made a strong resurgence as a building material in modern homes, but it has been used for thousands of years. In fact, the Colosseum in Rome is comprised of mainly travertine. This durable stone is very similar to limestone or shale and is now commonly used as flooring or a wall-covering. If your home has travertine tile, there are a number of tips that your need to know to make it last and make it look beautiful.

Travertine tile will last forever, if you take care of it with these simple steps!

Make sure that your travertine tile has been properly sealed by the installer. If you do not know if it was sealed, clean and seal the surface yourself. This will ensure your travertine lasts for years. You can tell if your travertine tile has been sealed by the behavior of a drop of water on the surface. If the water beads up, your sealer is still good, if it does not bead it is probably time to reseal. Many different sealers exist that allow you to choose the level of gloss that you want. Just make sure that your sealer is for porous stone and that you follow all of the directions for its' use. If you are unhappy with the amount of shine that you get after your first sealing, a second coat of sealer will increase the gloss. If it's too glossy, just give it a few weeks of normal wear and tear to reduce the gloss!

Clean you travertine tile often with a dry mop often. This removes all of the grime that will act as an abrasive to the surface. Travertine is extremely strong, but will wear down over time as will any natural stone. Travertine contains small deposits of materials that give it a unique look. These deposits sometimes break away from the tiles. These holes can be filled with stone epoxy before your next sealing, just make sure that you match the color before you fill in the holes. Stone epoxy is not easy to remove if you get the color wrong!

Travertine tiles, even the best honed ones, are still porous. Without proper sealing, liquids will penetrate the surface. This is why travertine tile is not ideal for kitchens or bathrooms, unless you keep up with the sealing!

With a little routine maintenance, your travertine tile will look great and stand up to hundreds, if not thousands, of years of heavy traffic!

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Guttering Protects Your Home, so Protect Your Guttering

noreply@blogger.com (Chester) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:25:00 +0000

Your house’s guttering is one of its most important protectors, probably only behind the roof. Guttering collects all of the rain water from your roof and when properly maintained will move that water away from your house’s foundation. This is very important because too much water near your foundation can cause severe damage to your house. Water constantly seeping around your foundation can make it settle unevenly causing cracked drywall, uneven door jams, doors that won’t close and cracked foundations that cost thousands to fix. The easiest way to protect your house is to have the correct guttering in working order.

Types Of Guttering

Guttering comes in several different types of materials; copper, plastic (PVC), iron and the most popular aluminum. All guttering should be inspected every year to ensure that it has not been blocked by leaves or debris. Hot and cold temperature cycles can slowly loosen the guttering away from the edge of your roof making the guttering useless. To check for many of these problems requires working with a ladder which can be quite dangerous. Only go up on a ladder if you follow all safety precautions and definitely use a spotter. If you have any doubts, call a professional gutter cleaner.

Check for Guttering Problems

The easiest way to detect a gutter blockage is to check for areas where the water is fall out of the gutter. Follow that area to the downspout and check to make sure if water is coming out. If water is still flowing there probably is only a partial blockage. In either case you will need to locate the blockage and use your hand or a gutter cleaning tool to remove the obstruction. If the blockage is in the downspout, you can use a long straightened out wire hanger. Place it down the downspout in the middle of the blockage. Run water to the gutter using your garden hose while wiggling the hanger in a circular motion. Most blockages should free fairly easily. The water from the hose can make ladders slippery so be careful.

Another thing to check is that you have the proper extensions at the bottom of your downspouts. Having the correct extensions will assure that the water gets away from you house. Always make sure that they are properly secured and flow in a downhill direction. Standing water can collect and invite some unpleasant visitors. If the extensions become loose, water can leak back around your house. My neighbor had the unlucky incident where the end of the extension fell into the window well of his basement. Needless to say the next rain we had left him with an expensive nasty surprise. So go check your guttering and protect your house.

Chester's Clean House

Basic Homemade Cleaning Solutions

Vinegar Clean

Baking Soda Clean

Lemon Clean

Chester's Laundry Stain Removal Guide

Table of Contents:

Blood Stain Removal

Coffee Stain Removal

Deodorant Stains Removal

Grass Stain Removal

Ink Stain Removal

Laundry Soap Residue Removal

Red Wine Stain Removal

Tough Laundry Stain Removal

Share Your Tips

Cleaning Tips Galore - First Edition

Household

Tips

Leather Cleaning Tips

Furniture Leather Cleaning

Homemade Leather Cleaning Solution

Automotive Leather Seats

Removing Leather Stains

The Best Home Floor Polisher

Different Types of Wardrobes for More Bedroom Storage

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Great Homemade Cleaner for Hardwood Floors

Quick tips to maintain your hardwood floors:

Cleaning and Maintaining Bathroom Sinks

Chrome Polish

How the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Saved a Bathroom

How to Use Toilet Cleaners and Alternatives

How to Clean Grout Like The Pros

Keeping House bugs Out of Your House

Choosing the Best Pet Hair Vacuum

The Best Dog Brush

How to Maintain Your Garage Floor

Best Tricks to Clean Tile Floor

The Best Coffee Stain Remover for Fabrics and Carpet!

We Pick Our Best Homemade Cleaner

Bathroom Storage Ideas

Fight Germs with a Hand Sanitizer Dispenser

Carpet Cleaning Tips

Mobile Dog Grooming Saves the Day

How to Care for Travertine Tile

Guttering Protects Your Home, so Protect Your Guttering