If you have allergies, want to reduce the likleyhood of inviting miniture pests, or simply have too much unsightly hair in your enviornment, don't fret! There are a variety of effective solutions for cleaning up after your furry family, no matter your situation. The first line of defense starts with your hair habits. For human hair, cleaning out brushes, making sure loose hair makes it into the trash, and regularly washing (or just drying) hairy clothes will help you with overall house cleaning. When it comes to your pets, taking bedding outside before shaking them off, and regular baths and/or brushings will keep the majority of pet hair off your walls, clothes, furniture, and carpets. After the hair gets through that first line of defense, most articles on the subject seem to agree that hair problems start with static caused by dry, low-humidity enviornments, so the next thing I recommend is to get a humidifyer for the spaces you tend to have the most trouble with. Start the humidifyer at least 30 minutes prior to any planned cleaning to help speed up the process.
Next, clean the furniture:
Lastly, to the floor. Once at the floor level, sweep or vacuum all edges and corners, using a finger (beware of painful carpet staples!), toothbrush, or vacuum attachment to drag hairs out of cracks and corners. After that is done, simply vacuum the remaining floor (for carpets) or sweep/vacuum and mop hard floors. If for whatever reason you do not have a vacuum, you can use a pummice stone, FURminator, or the glove method to get by.
Useful vacuum techniques for carpet:1. Pick the right vacuum: A vacuum built to handle pet hair is highly recommended. Pet vacuums generally have higher suction, specialized attachments, and stronger filters to catch allergy causing dander-and other particulates- brought in by our furry housemates. We feel the Shark Navigatior (NV360) and the Hoover Windtunnel Pet Preformance (UH72630PC) are great for everyday use in pet friendly homes (each with their own pros and cons, of course). 2. Vacuum Slowly: In my experience, most people do not seem to realize that making passes slowly with the vacuum is more effecient at cleaning up hair than saving time by moving quickly. Moving quickly does save time, but only picks up the surface layer of hairs and other particulates. Moving slowly allows the agitatiors (brushes) to loosen hair and for the suction to pick up the hair. 3. Switch directions: Go over areas at least twice and alternate directions to loosen stubborn hairs. For high pile carpets, you may need three or more directions to get all the hairs pulled up to your satisfaction. 4. Use the correct brush height: Most vacuums have the option to raise or lower the 'foot'. Listen to the vacuum: If it sounds like it is having a hard time (deeper tones) or is difficult to push, raise the foot. If it is too easy to push or seems to be leaving particulates behind, lower the foot until you get the results you are looking for. On bare floor, lower the foot as needed and turn off the agetatiors, if that is an option. This prevents particulates from being thrown out behind the vacuum, which can be very annoying to say the least! Beware of any hard particulates, pebbles, small rocks, or parts of childrens toys that may scratch your bare floors as you try to vacuum over them. I recommend you pick up those tiny hazards by hand (or with a broom) beforehand. Your Turn!We all have our favorite-or at least preferred-ways of cleaning those pesky hairs.
Please feel welcome to share your successful (or not so successful) experiences!
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12/3/2018 2 Comments What's that pink stuff?
That pink stuff is called Serratia marcencens or S. marcencens for short. This little rod-shaped bacterium is commonly found in our natural environment, however, when growing in mass in a home or hospital setting, it has been known to cause various respiratory infections as well as UTI's and other minor infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. It is most recognized by its pink or orange color and slimy feel. Once settled into grout or the small cracks of your shower head, it can be fairly difficult to fully eradicate. But Fear Not! It can be done! The first steps to keeping these tenacious beasts from overgrowing the bathroom and kitchen is to make those areas an inhospitable place to live simply by:
For step by step instructions, keep reading: For Bleach method:
If you are sensitive to bleach, try replacing the bleach mixture with straight vinegar:
If you want to get the pink off your shower curtain, simply throw your curtain into the washer. Use gentile cycle and warm water. In summary, the best way to get ahead of S. marcencens is to be proactive by:
Mold is not only ugly, but it can have serious negative effects on the integrity of your home and, more importantly, your health! Some of the many symptoms of co-habitation with the toxic fuzz are:
If you think you have some of these symptoms and do have mold, please do not panic! Start with this simple step-by-step procedure to help you on the way to a more clean and healthy environment:
Since I have less than favorable reactions to bleach and borax (as many do), I cannot personally vouch for the chemical based solutions. However, I have used a more natural step-by-step solution of essential oil blend, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide to help scrub off mold and to prevent it from spreading. Here is how I did it:
I found that this method was great for the space it was used in. It not only killed the mold in the area, but effectively reduced the discolored spots, smelled wonderful, and didn't hurt my lungs! If you are interested in buying essential oils to create your own DIY mold remover, feel free to browse DoTerra's collection from my personal link: my.doterra.com/lynnburnett OR Find essential oils at other reputable companies like:
Young Living, Plant Therapy, Aura Cacia, Edens Garden, NOW Foods, or Mountain Rose Herbs. Many people often use Amazon.com, however, please do your research as quality essential oils are usually worth their higher cost! 10/23/2018 1 Comment We're Back to Blogging!![]() Hello all! I am happy to say that with the busy season winding down, we are ready to start blogging again! The next few topics I would like to talk about are:
So stay tuned for the next topics! 5/11/2018 3 Comments A More Gentile SolutionDuring the TRADE Show last month, many of our visitors took an interest in the type of chemicals we used and asked us to consider adding more natural chemicals to our cleaning arsenal. Specifically, some individuals were concerned with the impact our chemicals had on the environment, respiratory conditions, or were cancer survivors hoping for a more gentile approach to cleaning.
In response to those requests, I am happy to announce that, starting June 1st, we will be carrying alternative options for the chemicals we use in your home. All you have to do is ask! Here is a sneak-peak at some of the alternatives we will be able to offer:
For some more information or insight into the powerful cleaning properties of Essential Oils, please follow this link. If you have a favorite DIY cleaning solution, comment below and we will be happy to try it for ourselves (and perhaps even add it to our growing list of alternative cleaning options!). |
AuthorI am an adventurous homemaker with a passion for wandering the forest trails of Alaska. When not exploring under every leaf, twig, and rock with my husband and two year old son, I tend to busy myself with keeping habitat trails from forming around the house. After more than 10 years of experience cleaning under various companies, we decided to make our own path and that is how Southeast Clean & Care started! Archives
January 2019
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