We have come across this problem many times, where a client calls saying the candle fell over, and now there’s bright red wax on the clean white carpet. It happens to pretty much everyone at some point, and we think it’s important to know how to remove it. It’s actually very easy!
All you need is paper towel and an iron. It is described well In This Article By The Same Name. So don’t panic, and in no time your clean carpet will be good as new!
Your kitchen accumulates a great deal of clutter, aka tools and devices that are really neat, but just don’t get used. Well, it’s time to clean out that mess, and let your kitchen stand out as a beautiful and functional area of your home, not the place where the drawers don’t close and every cabinet you open is subject to spill out. Use this as a checklist to get started. The general rule here is: if it’s not special enough to use at least once a year, get rid of it!
Go through each cabinet, one at a time, pulling everything out. Then, put everything that you still use back in. Once you see how much nicer it looks in there, you will be less likely to try and stuff everything back in it. Get rid of the rest. Leave extra space where you can, because there is a really good chance you’re going to need a new home for some of the items on your countertops.
Just like cabinets, go through each one individually, pulling everything out, and replacing only what you use. Is your silverware drawer overflowing? I get it, you hate doing dishes, so the more flatware the better, right? It’s ok to have extras, but if there are 4 people in your home, and you have 15 forks, you are not saving yourself any trouble. And keep in mind, you probably don’t need more than one food thermometor.
Is your countertop full of appliances? Does it take a long time to clean, because you have too many items to move? Take inventory of everything you have on there, and get rid of or find a place that is out of sight for everything that doesn’t get used daily. Sure, the breadmaker makes you look really cool, but if you’re only using it a handful of times a year, does it really need to take up that much space? Or maybe you keep the blender up there thinking it will motivate you to make healthy smoothies every day. But if you’re not, put it somewhere you can easily get to, but is out of sight.
The pantry is one of the easiest areas to clutter. You buy something because it’s on sale, or you convince yourself you will eat it, and then before you know it, it has been in the back of the pantry for over a year collecting dust. Throw out all food that is past it’s expiration date, and donate food that is still good, but has been there long enough to where you know you aren’t going to do anything with it. And be realistic, just because those canned beats are good for you, doesn’t mean you will convince yourself that you like them.
Just like any other part of your home, decor can be easy to bypass in your cleaning adventure, especially if it has been there for so long it just seems necessary because you’re used to it. Your decor puts the whole room together, it creates the feel of the area, so have some fun with it! But don’t overdo it, for example if you can’t see more than the edges of the windowsill behind the kitchen sink, you have more on there than you need! Try reducing it to just your favorite picture, or a little plant.
It’s not always easy getting your kids to help out around the house. Their growing minds are going at a million miles an hour figuring everything out, and it may seem impossible to get them to focus on house cleaning, especially when it’s not as exciting as everything else. The trick is to make it a fun learning experience with them. Keeping the chores age appropriate is necessary. Go To This Chart as a guideline of what you can realistically ask a child/teen to do.
To keep your kids on track with their duties, try a chore chart with a rewards system! It will teach them a great deal more than an allowance alone, and you can be creative with what you decide to give them if they complete all their tasks. They will happily oblige if they know they are working towards something they can really look forward to! The reward could be strictly monetary if you would like (for example, you will give a dollor for every chore completed by the end of the week,) or add a bonus for the end of the month, such as dinner at a restaurant of their choice or a day at the water park. You know your children better than anyone, so use your judgement. If you want to create your own fun chore chart, Try This Link By Tipjunkie for some great ideas!
It can be easy to skip out on deep cleaning your bedroom. After all, it’s not a kitchen or bathroom, right? Ok, maybe it’s not as intensive as deep cleaning one of those, but you spend more time in it than any other room, so it deserves some TLC here and there. If you are cleaning your home on your own, we recommend doing this deep clean quarterly, then keeping it up with dusting and spot cleaning in between. For this deep cleaning, we recommend opening your windows a little to keep the air circulating, so there will be minimum resettling of dust.
Before you do anything else, dust the ceiling fan, crown moulding, and remove any cobwebs with an extendable duster. This way, everything will fall onto surfaces and your bed before they are clean.
Strip your sheets and bedskirt, and throw in the washer. If anything is dry-clean only, take it a day or two in advance so that it will be ready today, and use your backup linens/comforter in the meantime. Take a spray bottle with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of baking soda filled to the top with water and spray on your mattress and pillows until slightly damp. This will remove unsightly odors and freshen up everything. You can add a little scent to the baking soda mix if you like, but if you are sensitive, just leave it as is. Make your bed at the very end of your deep clean, making sure the mattress and pillows are completely dry.
Carefully dust your blinds and window sills with a microfiber rag, to minimize tossing dust up in the air. With a clean rag and a spray bottle with 2 tablespoons vinegar, a few drops of essential oil of your choice (optional) filled to the top with water, remove any spots from your blinds, windows, and sills.
With the Vinegar solution, go around and clean all door frames, doors, door handles, and switchplates. These are commonly touched areas that can harbor viruses and bacteria. Vinegar is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, so it will not only make those areas look sparkling, but will sanitize them as well.
With a microfiber rag, dust every item on your wall carefully. If possible, gently pull the decor away from the wall and dust behind it.
A good trick is to take every item off of your dresser and tables first. This way, when you put everything back, you are less likely to put everything back as clutter, and find a new home for everything you don’t need sitting out. Go around with a microfiber cloth and dust every piece of furniture, including the sides and any detail work. Don’t forget the headboard and footboard! As you put all decor and necessities back on your furniture, dust each item as well.
Using the vinegar mixture and a rag, wash all basebaords. Move furniture away from the wall if possible.
If you have carpet, use the hose attachment of your vacuum to go around all edges, corners, and underneath all furniture before doing the main area. If you are sweeping and mopping, be sure and get every possible nook and cranny.