Bad Habits That Make Your Home Dirty

Let’s face it. We all have those small but bad habits which make it harder for us to maintain a clean home. It is usually very hard to recognize the damage we impose on ourselves because we have come to accept our bad habits as the standard practice.
 
The problem is the continued practice of these bad habits will probably send you and your family to the hospital.
 
Want to break these bad habits?
 
Here are the top 6 bad habits that make your home dirty.

Leaving dirty socks and clothes on your bedroom floor

A hard day at work leaves one feeling drained not only emotionally but strength-wise. That is why a vast majority of family members end up dropping dirty socks and clothes on the floor. As the week progresses, more socks and dirty clothes will litter the floor and by the time house cleaning and laundry day comes, it will be hard to find a complete pair of socks.
 
To kick this habit away, simply buy one of those large wicker baskets and position one in each bedroom. This should now be the new home for dirty clothes. During laundry day, everyone can simply take their basket to the laundry room and empty it.

Dropping wet towels on the bathroom floor

This is another bad habit that many people practice without knowing it. Leaving a wet towel on the bathroom floor will promote the growth of mildew. In addition, the wet towels will start to have a musty smell especially if you leave them wet for a long time.
 
To kick this habit, simply install a bathroom towel holder or hook. Once you have taken a bath and dried yourself, hang the towel on the hook or holder. You can take a step further by printing stylish or funny messages on the bathroom door or beside the towel hook or holder like “Keep Calm and Hang Your Towel.”

Having a cluttered kitchen

Let’s face it. No one likes to do the dishes but we have to do it to keep pests and vermin away. It is quite common to find family members dumping dishes in the kitchen sink immediately after meals. This is usually followed by dirty pots.
 
Apart from this, there is the bad habit of not storing clean dishes which means they will be left on the kitchen counter or sink. To avoid having a cluttered kitchen, store your utensils and cooking appliances in cabinets, pantries or drawers. This will leave your kitchen looking organized.

Having a messy living room

It is quite easy to turn your living room into a pigsty what with all the magazines, books, blankets, dirty coffee mugs and empty wine bottles. Just like its very easy to turn your living room into a pigsty, it’s also very easy to ensure it remains clean and tidy.
 
Start by organizing the magazines and books. Fold the blanket and take it to your bedroom. Take the dirty mugs and empty wine bottles to the kitchen. Finally, arrange the cushions.

Not placing items back where they belong

We all remove items from their proper storage and not return them. It can be a magazine, a book, pen, notebook, toys, clothes, a pair of shoes or even cereal boxes. Leaving items all over the room will lead to your home looking untidy. The magazines will be littered all over the living room table while the toys will be left on the floor. This habit will extend to your clothes and pair of shoes in your bedroom.
 
To avoid this, create a policy where all family members return items where they belong to after using them.

Having a cluttered entryway

Just like your kitchen or bedroom, it is quite common to find the entryway littered with dirty shoes and a bunch of coats. If left as is, the entryway will be dirty. Before you know it, your pets will troop from the outdoors and proceed to carry dirt into the rest of the home.
 
To avoid this, add a hook or two for coats, hats, scarves and a shoe rack for shoes. Don’t forget to add a welcoming mat at the door.

Final Thoughts

There you have it. Top 6 bad habits that you probably did not know about. Now that you are aware of the above bad habits, its best to avoid them. If you have a family, make a point of identifying any bad habits that leave your home cluttered and dirty. Develop house cleaning policies that will help to keep your home clean, de-cluttered and organized.

7 Excellent Shower Scum Cleaning Methods

Are you searching for the best shower scum cleaning tips? When it comes to cleaning shower scum, the process can be time-consuming and involves lots of effort. Keep in mind that shower scum is a combination of body oils, minerals in the water, and the bar soap that many people use. If not tackled immediately, shower scum can become a challenge, which means you should not ignore it. It’s the reason why you should consider the methods below to solve this problem.

1. Use Baking Soda

One effective way for shower scum cleaning is by using baking soda. It’s non-toxic and abrasive, which means it safe for you but efficient in cleaning scum in your bathroom. For the best outcome, sprinkle some baking soda on the shower scum along with a touch of water. You should then scrub the affected area in a circular motion and rinse when done. The final step involves pouring some white vinegar, for example, a cup, down the drain to clear the scum.

2. Lemon Oil

Lemon oil is another perfect option for getting rid of scum in your bathroom. It cleans well and prevents further buildup, meaning you should consider it. The best way you to use lemon oil is by applying it using an acrylic scrubby on a gentle circular motion. You should then wipe it away using a cotton cloth, which should be soft. Cloth baby diapers also work well since they clean and leave a fresh scent.

3. Borax

Instead of using toxic and harsh chemical products, you should use Borax as your scouring powder. That’s by pouring Borax on a quality sponge and applying on the shower scum along with a touch of water. Clean in a circular motion that trying the back and forth that many people prefer. When done, make sure you rinse well.

4. Ammonia

If you're dealing with advanced scum buildup, you should use ammonia. However, make sure you use gloves to protect your hands and rinse well when done. Remember to keep kids away while using the ammonia. Start by mixing 1/2 cup of ammonia into a gallon of water and then spray on the stain. Let the ammonia solution work on the stain for five minutes. Finally, rinse and scrub well to enable you to wipe away the shower scum.

5. White Vinegar

Another excellent option for shower scum cleaning is by using white vinegar since it’s a natural and mild deodorizer. Proceed by spraying strength (white) vinegar along with a drop of liquid washing detergent on the shower scum stain. You should then rub gently to enable you to distribute the white vinegar cleaning solution. Leave it for around 10-15 minutes and scrub using a plastic scrubby to remove the soap scum.

6. Use Laundry Detergent

If what you want is a non-toxic cleaner, you should consider using powdered laundry detergent. Proceed to start the cleaning process by making 50/50 paste of water and the laundry detergent. You should then direct the paste into the shower scum, leave it for around 15 minutes, and then scrub in a circular motion. Make sure you rinse well after you're done.
 

7. Laundry Stain Removers

Laundry stain removers are another option for getting rid of shower scum. This method involves you spraying the washing liquid on the scum. You should then leave the stain remover on the soap scum for around 15 minutes and then rinse well.

Cleaning Help

Shower scum cleaning should be an easy and fast process using the above methods. Remember cleaning a dirty bathroom can be a challenging experience. However, the above ways will ensure you find it less painful and quick. Make sure you wear protective gloves and keep children away when using Ammonia.

Cleaning soap scum is no fun task. View our house cleaning services today!

7 Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips

Keeping hardwood floors clean is a difficult task. If you have hardwood floors in your home, but don't know how to properly clean it this is your lucky day because I created this blog post specifically for you.Read the following tips and put them into action.

1. Protect It From Water

Water can ruin hardwood floors by seeping inside it. This causes staining.That is why it's important to wipe up spilled water, close windows when it's raining, and put a tray under plant pots in case of leaking.

2. Use No-Wax Cleaner

The best wood floor cleaners are the No-Wax version. You should use this cleaner to clean up dirt and spills. Also, it is important to note that any type of spill found on the floor should be cleaned up immediately.First, wipe the spill up with a paper towel or rag. Second, apply the wood floor cleaner. It's imperative that you clean up spills as fast as possible to prevent your finish from being damaged or the floor from being stained.

3. Get A Big Door Mat

One of the most common ways dirt and other substances get tracked inside a house is through shoes. The best option is always taking your shoes off as soon as you enter the house, but some people don't always follow that rule. That is why you should keep a big doormat in front of the door, so people can wipe off their feet as soon as they walk through the door.In addition, even if an individual doesn't stop to wipe their feet, the big doormat ensures that residue on people's footwear will rub off.

4. Get A Long Rug

To protect a wood floor's finish, you should put a rug on areas that people walk on a lot. This will prevent wear and tear from occurring on your hard floor. Moreover, make sure the backing of your rug isn't rubber or vinyl. These types of backings soak up moisture and will run your floor's finish.

5. Vacuum Frequently

You should vacuum your hardwood floor at least once a week. A large build-up of dust can damage your floor's finish by wearing it down over time.So keep you hard floor looking flawless, regular vacuum over it.

6. Use Furniture Pads

Furniture like couches and chairs can scratch your hardwood floor surface especially if you are constantly moving it.Place pads on the legs of your furniture to prevent scratching from happening.Furthermore, furniture pads make moving your furniture less difficult.

7. Inspect Once A Month

You should inspect hard floor once every month.Be sure to check under the rugs for discoloration and stains.If you see any problems, you consider a fresh coat for your hard floor. 

Floors & Carpets

Keeping up with the maintenance of your floor ensures your home stays looking beautiful. Cleaning hardwood floors might be a hard job, but if you follow these seven cleaning tips on a regular basis, your floor will be looking flawless for years to come. 

Contact us today for floor and carpet cleaning in Auburn and Grass Valley. 

Tips for Getting Carpet Stains Out

We can all agree that no matter your efforts to have a clean home, the carpet will finally be the casualty of accidents, spills, drops, and anything that is underneath of your footwear. Regardless of all these stains, you still want to get rid of them and have a clean carpet. There are several ways you can use to get rid of carpet stains. If you have been having the headache of removing carpet stains, these tips below will make carpet cleaning your most preferred task.

Remove surplus immediately

Get off any surplus solid using a butter blade or spoon thus will ensure that the spill or drip does not turn out to be a permanent mark. Gently wipe out the extra liquid using a clean white, permeable fabric starting from the outer part of the rim of the tinge to the middle to avoid spreading. You may blot but not rub as this might damage the fibers of the carpet permanently. Do this again and again until the fabric does not pick any color anymore.

Apply an antiseptic

Ensure to spray the stains left over the carpet with a carpet disinfectant. You may get a stain remover or formula from your nearest store. Ensure you do not over-wet the spot as this might spoil the support. It is recommended that you examine colorfastness in a not easily seen spot before you go ahead and apply a disinfectant to the tinge on the mat.

Wipe out the blemish

Get a white and absorbent cloth and use it to wipe the stain starting from the outside to the inside. Do it again and again until you see that the stain does not transfer to the fabric.
Using a plain, white, soft cloth, blot from the outside to inside. Redo until the spot no longer shifts to the material. Wet it using cold water and then dry it. Some stain removers are fantastic because they can handle various types of dirt.

Use white vinegar combination

Morning container soap plus water in a spray jug both mixed are great stain removers. Spray the part of the spill and allow it to soak for around five or ten minutes and go ahead to blot using a tidy towel. Do this until the spot is no longer available.

Use club soda

According to Oprah, club soda releases the dirt and makes it rise to the surface hence making it effortless to remove.  She says that when there is a spill on the carpet, ensure the cover it right away using a dose of club soda.

Conclusion

Take all precautions to look after your carpet and its appearance. Many procedures and techniques used to remove stains from carpets apply household cleaners and chemical. Sometimes the household cleaners may not be enough that is why you should get a cleaning agent from a reputable store. If that is not enough, get a carpet cleaning expert to do the cleaning for you. While carpet cleaning can be a tedious task, you need to be careful and educate everyone around the home.