Home Management

Posts Tagged ‘home cleaning’

A pile of laundry, a library or a refrigerator to disorderly collapse. Which of these situations is troubling you most? That’s the first thing to do tomorrow (or, if you can today).

Shake off the work that disturbs me most is my new way to manage the chores. I decided to implement when, for various reasons, could not do my cleanup plan. My to-do list was so extensive that it did not start any of them or tried to perform them all at once.

Then I decided to try a new strategy … and has given me good results. I have no fixed days for washing floors or dusting the library. Now, every night I take a mental note of the chores that I do (cleaning windows, ironing, sorting, etc.). And I choose one to do tomorrow. What? The one that annoys me to have pending.

It’s that simple. Not always have a formal cleanup plan is the best option to keep a house clean and tidy.

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Cracks or splits in wood can be glued, providing the glued, providing the glue can be spread fully on the meeting surfaces. The glue should be the strongest obtainable if the trouble is not to recur. Avoid general purpose glues. Buy one intended for boats and follow the directions, as these glues are strong as well as water proof. If good penetration of the glue into the split is doubtful, screw across the joint, so the screw head comes inconspicuously on an inner surface. Always drill a clearance hole for the neck for the screw, then a smaller hole for the threaded part. Use a countersink bit to let the screw head in level. If a glued joint has come apart, does not put new glue on top of the old as it will not bond. Scrape through the old glue to expose wood fibers. It helps to draw a fine saw sideways across the wood to roughen it before regluing. Modern glue does not require tight cramping, but the surfaces have to be brought closely together. With framed furniture, such as a chair, rope tied across and twisted with a piece of wood to tighten it, can act as a cramp.

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If the covers are removable and the fabric is suitable, you can have the covers dry cleaned by professionals, or you can do it yourself in a coin operated dry cleaning machine. Some fabrics must be cleaned by reliable cleaning services, especially pile fabrics such as plush or velvet. These firms will also be able to advise you if you are unsure about the proper cleaning procedure for a particular piece of upholstered furniture.

Leather: this can be cleaned after dusting, by using saddle soap, following the maker’s instructions, or with thick suds made from mild, pure soap and as little water as possible. Wipe the suds off with a damp cloth and polish with a soft, dry cloth. You should keep leather supple by using a good quality furniture cream or hide food on it once or twice a year.

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Regular cleaning removes all cushions and vacuum, using attachments, or uses good attachments, or use a good stiff brush. Pay particular attention to inner sides and corners where dust may collect; this can be an attraction to mice. After vacuuming or brushing, fluff up the cushions and replaces them, making a point of reversing them if possible as this distributes wear. It is also beneficial to occasionally give cushions on airing out of doors.

Stains: These should be removed as soon as possible. Some furniture with loose covers can be totally cleaned; this can be either by washing or dry cleaning – follow the manufacturer’s instructions. For small spots and stains, you can sometimes use a solvent. Dry foam upholstery shampoo is also effective. Always test an inconspicuous place first, for color fastness if using water, of for any possible reactions to chemicals.

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Dust these with a vacuum cleaner using the hand attachment. For further cleaning, this should only be done according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not use dry-cleaning fluids or upholstery cleaners as these may cause discoloration or shrinking. Where there is a bad stain, a new piece of fabric could be carefully applied to the area but it will almost certainly be a different color. Carpets and floor coverings should need proper maintenance to retain its beauty. These can provide the most comfortable and warm of coverings, but need not be really expensive. You may avoid cleaning problems later by choosing carpet with care. Consider first of all, how much you intend to spend, and how much traffic there is in the room high heels, children and pets can all be damaging carpets.

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For stains which require special treatment a number of products are available. Laundry borax is safe on most fabrics. Use it in solution 15ml to 500ml of warm water for sponging or soaking washables. For white cottons, sprinkle borax on the dampened stain, stretch the item over a basin and pour hot water through. Glycerin lubricates and softens stains. Use diluted, 1 part of 2 parts water. Methylated spirit can be used as a solvent. It is inflammable and poisonous, so care is needed when using it. White vinegar is useful on certain stains. Keep acetic acid away from acetates, and avoid contact with skin. Household ammonia is useful for neutralizing acid stains. Use diluted 1 part to 36 parts water, and use on wool and silk. Household bleach is used on white cotton or linen only, dilute 14ml to 1 liter of cold water. Grease solvents come in several forms. Liquids should be used only in a well ventilated room. Aerosols contain powder to absorb the stain as it is lifted out by the solvent. Paste solvents can also be used on wall paper and stone. Turpentine substitutes, such as white spirit and lighter fuel, are useful as solvents. Petrol can be used as a solvent but it is dangerously inflammable.

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Clean the lavatory by pouring bleach or disinfectant into the pan, brush well, paying particular attention to the area under the rim. If there are brown stains under the rim, a powder cleaner may be more effective in removing these than disinfectant. However, never mix powder loo cleaners with liquid bleaches as they can give off a dangerous chlorine gas. For bad stains, puff the lavatory powder on to the stained area and leave for two hours before rinsing off with clean water. There is a proprietary cleaner available for very badly stained lavatories, but wear rubber gloves when using this. The toilet blocks and flush cleaners will dispel unwelcome odors, but will not remove bad stains. You might find it just as effective to open the window. Remember that lavatories will become blocked if you throw items such as newspaper, tea leaves, sanitary towels or disposable nappies down them. If you do have a blocked lavatory, get a plumber as soon as possible.

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There are a great variety of these on sales in every super market, and the choice is bewildering. It is helpful to have some idea of the different categories of cleaners available in order to make a sensible choice to suit your requirements. By doing this you treat all things in your home in the way that is best. The following table gives a quick guide to the different cleaning problems around the house, the various products available and their suggested uses. There are various kinds of house hold cleaning liquids are available in the market place to choose from. Generally they are thick liquids that should be stored in plastic containers.

They can be used undiluted to remove scuff marks or burnt on fats on kitchen surfaces. Rinse with clean water. For floors or large surfaces, use diluted on a mop or sponge. Rinsing and drying and unnecessary. Scouring powders are cleaners with disinfectant properties. They are stored in canisters and often contain bleach. Scouring creams are liquids stored in plastic bottles. They are less abrasive than powder scourers. Scouring creams will clean surfaces without scratching. Good for stainless and porcelain sinks, cookers, baths and basins. Cleaner/disinfectants are dual purpose household cleaners in plastic packs.

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These are a luxury. Few people really need one, except perhaps those with a very large family of small children and those who have to entertain frequently. Indeed, many of the kitchens are not large enough to take one most must be plumbed in take up quite a lot of space. However, let us dispel some myths about them, if you really are considering one. They are quicker than doing the dishes by hand. You could only stack them in the time it takes to load and unload your machine.

They do cope with pans and backing trays, and they certainly get most if not all the food off. They are more hygienic than doing the operation by hand because the water used is so much hotter than your hands could bear. They dispense with the need for tea cloths, too. They will wash almost anything, but care should be taken with cutlery that has handles attached with animal glue, some types of glass ware and some plastics if in doubt, do these by hand. Dishwashers, however, can be expensive to buy. Add to that plumbing and running costs and they can be an expensive luxury. If your circumstances are such that you feel that having more time is more essential than wasting endless hours washing up, you might consider one. But take a careful look at the whole range before deciding. Size and noise are two priorities; some machines only take four place settings, others are noisy.

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Time is important to the housewife and labor saving equipment can mean much less and much easier cleaning. Here are some suggestions for really useful equipment for the home.

Vacuum and Carpet cleaners

There are three basic types of vacuum cleaner

. A light weight or junior upright model which is reasonable priced and is useful if you want to carry it upstairs. There are attachments for upholstery cleaning and stairs

. A heavier, more sophisticated upright model, useful if the whole house or flat is carpeted. It is less maneuverable, but efficient. It too has attachments.

. A cylinder model has the best suction is easily stored and useful for small areas and stairs. It can be a nuisance to care about from room to room.

You can hire very efficient carpet cleaner/shampooers for a reasonable hire fee usually for 24 hours. you can also buy the cleaning solution on a use or return basis, and 24 hours is usually enough time to clean all the carpets in the house, if you really get down to it. This is particularly useful for an annual spring clean.

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