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INTERIOR HOME CARE MONEY SAVING TIPS

 

 

House Cleaning

 

Refurbishing & Simple Repairs

 

Home Pest Control

 

 

House Cleaning

 

Cleaning is a chore that most everyone dislikes, but it is a necessity.  For the fortunate few, professional cleaners can be hired to do about most any type of cleaning project desired. Cost is not a consideration.  For the rest of us, saving time and money, while still having a clean house, is important.  Try the following tips to ad just a little more “sparkle” to your home and save a few dollars at the same time.

 

1.     If you want to save a little bit of money on cleaning products, consider “making your own.”  They will do just as good a job as the expensive ones purchased at the store.  It’s generally as simple as adding ammonia, vinegar, baking soda or some other very inexpensive ingredient to water.  Just go to the Internet and look up “homemade cleaning products,” make your own and save. A good site with recipes for cleaning products is OrganizedHome.com/articles/clean-house, but there are many others.

 

2.     Recently, household cleaning wipes have become popular.  Manufacturers say they are easy; just wipe and you are done.  But they are expensive.  They also get cleaners all over your hands when used.  Try a cloth or paper towel, and your cleaner of choice, and save.

 

3.     And to save on surface damage, limit the use of  cleaners with abrasives (even mild abrasive products like Soft Scrub).  Most of the time they are not really necessary to get the job done.  Avoid them if at all possible on most surfaces, including glass, counter tops, vanities, painted surfaces (particularly walls), floors, cabinets, glass cook tops, etc. Remember, the first rule of cleaning is to “do no damage.”

 

4.     When cleaning windows, save yourself some time and money, and get cleaner windows with less streaking, by using your home-made cleaning solution and a squeegee.  Forget the Windex and paper towels.  You can even use the squeegee indoors.  Just put an old towel at the bottom of the window to catch any drips.

 

5.     Reduce the need to clean your shower doors and glass by using a squeegee on the glass after each shower.  It only takes a minute, and all that soap scum and mineral deposits will build up much, much slower and be easier to remove.

 

6.     When cleaning mold and mildew off your shower walls and floor, just mix some chlorine bleach and water together and spray it on.  Really, the only active ingredient in all these mildew cleaners found at the store is chlorine bleach. But be careful never to use chlorine bleach together with ammonia, as it can cause a deadly gas to form.

 

7.     When cleaning clothes and dishes, try using only one-half the recommended amount of detergent.  Most of the time this provides plenty of cleaning power and the savings will add up.

 

8.     When spot cleaning carpets is no longer enough, and a general cleaning is required, many people will either buy a carpet cleaning machine, or borrow or rent a machine. When you figure in the cost of the machine and shampoo, this is not necessarily the most economical way to go.  It can also cause mold and mildew problems because of the excess water left in the carpet.  Consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning service that has one of those large, truck mounted steam cleaners.  They will clean your carpets better, leave less water in the carpet, and it will be less work for you.  They will even move your furniture for you (although you will most likely need to move it back once the carpets dry). And, most importantly, professional carpet cleaning can be relatively inexpensive; often under $100.

 

a.  Make sure you shop around for prices, since pricing varies greatly among carpet cleaners.  An do not hesitate to bargain on pricing.  Make sure you consider small, local carpet cleaning companies, including one-man shows.  As long as they are using a large, truck-mounted steam cleaner, most carpet leaning services will clean your carpets to the same degree.

 

b.  Consider only getting the high-traffic, soiled areas cleaned to save money. Just ask them for a quote on exactly what you want cleaned.

 

c.  Do not get talked into all the extra services offered, like anti-allergens, stain repellents, fragrances, etc.  Most of the time these are not worth the money.  Good basic carpet cleaning is what you want.  However, you may also want to consider having your upholstered furniture cleaned.  But be careful, cleaning furniture often does not turn out as well as carpets.

 

9.     If you have a garbage disposal that smells, try the following to solve the problem.

 

a.  Remove any bits of food that the disposal is not able to “digest” such as grizzle.

 

b.  Pour some baking soda in the disposal and let it sit overnight.  The next morning put a couple of quartered lemons down your disposal and run the disposal.

INTERIOR HOME CARE

Cleaning.
Refurbishing.
PestControl.

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Refurbishing & Simple Repairs.