Cleaning Floor Tile and Grout

First removing dry soil with a vacuum or dust mop will make your mopping
much easier and more effective.  Mopping your tile with just plain water
works great.  There are many kinds of tile cleaners that you can purchase and add to your water, but it is not always necessary.  As hard as it is on the knees, hand mopping works best by far. (a good pair of knee pads is a worth while investment)  You are able to get corners and edges closer than you can with any stick mop.  There are many good mops on the market, but for my money a nice clean terry towel works wonders!
Moving on to the grout.  If your grout is clean after mopping then you are done.  However, if your grout is discolored you may want to spruce it up a bit.  you can effectively clean grout by mixing 1 part chlorine bleach to 5 parts water.  Using a grout brush, use your solution to wet the grout and scrub with the brush, then mop dry.  (never mix bleach with any ammonia based cleaner)  Also, if you have colored grout, do not use the bleach/water solution as this may remove some of the color.
After drying thoroughly, a good masonry sealer applied on the grout will eliminate most of that scrubbing in the future.



Cleaning Tub and Shower Soap Scum

First of all I have a couple of tips in helping to prevent the buildup of soap scum to begin with.  Now if you sell bar soap don't get upset, but getting rid of the bar of soap in your soap dish will eliminate so much mess and hassle you won't believe it.  Simply replace that bar with your favorite brand in a liquid soap.  This step alone can save much aggravation.  The next tip is to purchase a bathroom squeegee.  One of those kinds that just suction cups to the shower wall.  After every shower, simply use the squeegee to pull all the water down to the bottom.  Squeegee the remaining water down the drain.  You might feel the next step is a little excessive, but after using the squeegee, I dry all the corners and edges with a towel!  Then you have a nice clean shower/tub that does not even have a chance to get a buildup of soap scum or hard water.
    If its a little late for the preventative measures and you need to get it nice and clean first, you need a high alkaline soap scum remover.  There are many available at your local supermarket.  However, if you wish to get it clean once and prevent it from happening again, you may not want to purchase a whole bottle of cleaner that can cost you upwards of $5.00.  Here's the secret.  Take some of your dish washing detergent and mix it with some water in a bucket.  That's it.  You have just mixed up a high alkaline cleaner that will remove the soap scum.  Of course if your buildup is high you are going to need elbow grease and plenty of it.  But once the job is complete, you will have amazed yourself!



Keeping The Dirt Outside of Your House

About Eighty percent of the dirt in your house comes in through the door on people's feet/shoes.  A "No Shoe Policy" in your house is a great step in reducing the amount of dust and dirt in your home.  It will also add to the life of your carpet/tile/wood flooring. But what about before the shoes come off? The right kind of mats placed inside and out of all entrances will save you much cleaning time. Choose professional type mats that you see at the entrance to commercial businesses, which are available at  janitorial supply and home stores. These are called walk-off mats because they give the dirt a chance to be walked off before it gets in. Walk-off mats are usually nylon or olefin with a rubber back for inside the door, and rubber or vinyl-backed synthetic turf for outside the door.  Vacuum mats regularly or shake them out. You can also take them outside and hose them off.  If necessary you can scrub them with an all purpose cleaner.  Make sure to hang mats to dry thoroughly.  Never put a wet mat back down on the floor as the moisture can damage the surface.
The addition of mats to your home is a small investment that can save you a lot of time and money in the future.


Window Cleaning

     A task that nobody likes yet at some point needs to be tackled.
     Actually it can be a little easier than you think and with the right tools you will be able to see through those windows in no time.   The only tool you may need to purchase is a squeegee if you don't already have one.  You can also use a window scrubber if you want but if you don't have one a towel will do.  Mix 3 or four drops of liquid dish soap into about a half gallon of water in a bucket.  You can also add a cap full of ammonia if you have it handy, if not just skip that step.  Now using your window scrubber or towel, saturate it in the solution and scrub the window.  After you completely scrub the window, use a clean terry towel and ipe the top and left edge of the window. (the width of your finger).  Now using your squeegee horizontally, run the squeegee left to right slightly angling the blade down.  The water will constantly be running  down and away from you.   Wipe your blade after every stroke.  When you finish up wipe the bottom ledge of the glass to clean up the last bit of water.  Resist the urge to wipe down the glass with your towel now, it will likely smear your work that you just completed.  You should now have nice clean windows!
     One more trick for exterior windows that are stained with hard water.  If you maintain the windows well and don't let the hard water get to bad, you can simply scrub the window glass with a blue backed scrub sponge and some toilet bowl cleaner that contains phosphoric acid.  After scrubbing the window, rinse it will with clean water and then proceed to your squeegee routine.
     For worse windows it would be wise to consult a professional, so you don't run the risk of scratching your glass.



Removing Pet Stains from Carpet

We deal with pet stain and odor removal almost daily, however before the problem calls for professional cleaning, you can perform light cleanup yourself.
If you have a pet that has occasional accidents or you are planning on potty training a new pet, then the first thing you want to have on hand is a bacteria/enzyme digester.  This is available at your local pet supply or janitorial supply store.  In ideal circumstances you will see the urine spot while it is still fresh.  If not, the same cleanup methods apply.  Just keep in mind the older the stain, the more difficult it will be to clean.  
If you catch the stain while it is still wet, use a dry cotton/terry towel to blot the wetness out.  You can even lay the towel on the stain and step on it.  Repeat this procedure until you can no longer remove any wetness.  Never, never scrub on your carpet!  You will fray the fibers and make a permanent mark.   After removing the moisture, apply the bacteria/enzyme digester.   Apply it liberally, especially if the urine has soaked down through the carpet and pad.  You need to apply the enzyme solution to soak as far down as the urine.  After applying the enzyme, lay a piece of plastic over the spot to keep it from drying to quickly.   The enzyme digester continues to work as long as it is moist.    Now, hopefully by the time the spot dries you have no more urine!
Beyond that, for worse problems you will have no choice other than professional cleaning and possibly replacement of the carpet.  If the spot is a popular place for your pet, the urine could be all the way into the floor boards.   Urine removal  and treatment is a step by step process because you never know how far down you are dealing with it.
But typically they can be dealt with before you have to reach the replacement stage! 


Removing Coffee Stains

What to do when that cup of coffee spills is very simple.   However the sooner you act the better.Immediately blot or extract as much of the liquid as possible with a dry, clean towel.   Then using a spray bottle with plain cold water (always use cold water, hot water will only serve to set the stain) dampen the area and with a clean towel attempt to remove as much of the coffee as possible. (remember to blot! rubbing the carpet can fray the fibers and cause a noticeable mark in the carpet).  If the stain remains, mix the spray bottle with 50/50 water and plain white vinegar and blot carefully in the carpet fibers. Let it sit for approximately 15 minutes. Coffee is an acid which settles in the actual carpet fibers, and the vinegar is a stronger acid which will displace the coffee stain. Blot carefully to remove moisture. If you have succeeded, use a clean towel again with plain water to blot out the vinegar.

If a stain remains after the carpet has dried, get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Pour it directly on the stain and work it in and around the stained fibers. Let it dry, and repeat if needed. You do not need to remove the hydrogen peroxide as it will turn to water when exposed to sunlight. You may need to apply the hydrogen peroxide a few times to completely remove the stain.

Dealing with Clutter

Excessive clutter in your home is not just difficult to work around!  Cluttered surroundings can have profound effects on you, your family, and your entire life.   A cluttered, messy and busy environment has been proven to have a dramatic negative impact on your physical and mental well being.   Just living with over clutter and disorganization can lead to unwanted  and unnecessary stress.
     What I find when working with people in their homes and offices is that many of us kind of let this situation creep up on us and then, being frustrated, don't really know where to start to get the situation back into control.
     Clear the room to clear your mind!   If you lack a focal point to get a grip on the clutter, just clear it all out first.  Move everything into the garage, a spare room, anywhere that relieves the targeted area of the mess.    Now you will be able to look at the room with a fresh perspective.  Then slowly start to sort through the all the items that you removed.   You will find that much of it can go right into the waste can!
     Of course I prefer the "clean as you go" method to avoid the clutter in the first place.  But if it creeps up on you as it sometimes will, don't let it get the best of you.  Take a step back and a deep breath.   Approach it calmly and dig in.  There are many methods of staying organized after you get there.   Do a little research and find out what works best for you.  You can tackle the issue on your own or if its just not your thing, you can of course hire a professional to help you out.