Vacuum More Than Your Floor

Natalie Norbut / July 11, 2014 / Comments are off for this post.

When it comes to cleaning your home, vacuuming is probably one of the most common/frequent jobs. Of course, when you think of vacuuming, you probably think of mainly just doing the floors. However, your vacuum could be cleaning a lot more than just your floors. This article from Enviro Maids, lets you know of a few other cleaning jobs where your vacuum should get the job done.

Areas in your home you’re not vacuuming but should

The powered vacuum cleaner was invented in 1901 by Hubert Cecil Booth, an engineer from England. Thanks to Mr. Booth’s invention, people have been vacuuming up dirt, dust, pet hair, crumbs, and other messes for 113 years and counting. The vacuum has come a long way since its early beginnings. Whether you own an upright, canister, cordless, bagless, robotic, or central vacuum, your trusty vacuum is an important ally in your fight against a dirty house. Vacuums do a stellar job at getting floors and carpets clean, but did you know that vacuums can also tackle other dirty areas in your house? Here are some areas in your home that you’re not vacuuming but should.

Computer Keyboard

Your computer keyboard falls under the category of “most neglected” when it comes to cleaning. If you’re like the average person, you’re tapping away at your keyboard daily — sometimes for hours at a time. Keyboards are notorious for getting dirt, dust, food particles, and other tiny items stuck in between the keys. Your vacuum is a great way to grab all those little particles. Just be sure none of your keys are loose before going near them with a vacuum.

Drawers

You may not think about vacuuming inside your drawers, but you’d be surprised at just how much dust can be found inside a closed drawer. According to Goodhousekeeping.com, you’ll want to take some precautions before you aim your vacuum nozzle inside your drawers to prevent accidentally sucking up items (socks, pens, coins, etc.) in the process. The pros suggest stretching a pair of nylon stockings over the nozzle. The stocking will allow dust to get through while preventing other objects from getting sucked up.

Dryer Lint Chamber and Vent

Your dryer’s lint chamber and exhaust vent can never be too clean. In addition to making your dryer run less efficiently, resulting in wasted energy, excess lint buildup can lead to a fire. Familyhandyman.com, suggests vacuuming the lint from inside your dryer as well as lint that accumulates in the exhaust vent. Consult your dryer’s user manual for tips on how to properly and safely clean the lint from your dryer as well as how often you should clean your dryer.

Foam Pillows

Foam pillows offer great head and neck support and ensure a good night’s rest, but they pose a problem when it comes to cleaning them. Foam pillows can’t be washed in the washing machine like a feather or cotton/polyester fiberfill pillow can. To get rid of dust mites, skin cells, and dirt, vacuum them often — preferably once a week. According to Goodhousekeeping.com, thoroughly vacuum both sides of your pillow using your vacuum’s upholstery attachment.

Mattresses

Just like pillows, mattresses are magnets for dirt, dust, and dust mites. How often should you vacuum them? Experts suggest you vacuum your mattress every six months. The next time you flip your mattress (experts suggest flipping your mattress every six months), vacuum the top, sides, and inside the crevices of your mattress. Don’t forget the box spring!

Heating and Air Conditioning Vents

Heating ducts and air conditioning vents do a great job of circulating warm and cool air throughout your home. But if they haven’t been cleaned in a while, they’re also circulating unwanted dust and dirt throughout your home. Using a soft-bristled brush attachment, go over the slats of your vents as part of your regular vacuuming routine. For further instructions, check out the complete guide on duct cleaning by Aeroseal.com.

Refrigerator Coils

Refrigerator coils (also called condenser coils) play an important role in helping to keep your refrigerator cool. Coils can be found in the back, top, or bottom of your refrigerator. When the coils get clogged with dust, dirt, and clumps of pet hair, they force your refrigerator to work overtime. This adds unnecessary strain on your refrigerator. Goodhousekeeping.com suggests vacuuming the coils each season. Always unplug your refrigerator first and consult your user manual for safety and cleaning suggestions.

Window Blinds

Window blinds come in an array of materials, styles, and designs, but they all share one thing in common: they love to collect dust. While regularly running a microfiber cloth or soft cloth is the best way to clean minor dust buildup, Bobvilla.com suggests using a small brush attachment to tackle heavier dust. For best results, go over the blinds in the direction of the slats on the lightest setting to avoid damaging delicate slats.

Brooms

Using a dirty broom to sweep your floors is counterproductive. Before putting your broom to use, run the nozzle of your vacuum over the bristles to remove stuck-on dirt and hair.

Cleaning Your Cleaning Tools

Natalie Norbut / May 20, 2014 / Comments are off for this post.

When it comes to getting your home spick-and-span, the right cleaning tools can really help. But what happens when those cleaning tools need to be cleaned themselves? Think about it, cleaning your floor with a dirty mop is basically just spreading more dirt and germs around. Vacuum cleaners lose their ability to suck up dirt, dust and hair from your rugs when they haven’t been properly cleaned. From mops and brooms, to washing machines and dishwashers, the tools you use to clean work best when, they too, are clean. This article from Enviro Maids, gives you a few tips on how to clean some of your most used cleaning tools.

How to Clean your Cleaning Tools

Dishwasher

Dishwashers should regularly be cleaned — about once a month — to remove the bacteria, fungi, and mold that can build up inside over time. Sometimes even bits of food get stuck to the bottom or in crevices, causing a foul smell. To kill germs and clean your dishwasher, Goodhousekeeping.comsuggests first picking up any food particles from the bottom of the drain with a rag. Pour white vinegar into a cup, and place it on the top rack of an empty dishwasher. Freshen-up a foul-smelling dishwasher by sprinkling the bottom of the dishwasher with baking soda; run a cycle on the hottest setting.

Washing Machine

Washing machines are notorious for developing a bad smell after a while. Where is that smell coming from? According to Goodhousekeeping.com, the odor culprit could be caused by many things: detergent or fabric softener buildup, bacteria from clothes, or leaving wet clothes sitting inside for long periods of time. Front-loader machines are more susceptible to growing mold and mildew around the rubber gasket that lines the door. Fortunately, a few steps can get your washer smelling fresh again. Keep the door to your washer open when not in use so the inside can dry out. Also, don’t overdo it on the soap; high-efficiency washers use less water. If you add too much soap, remaining soap residue inside the drum can develop an odor.

To get rid of the unpleasant odor, disinfect with white vinegar and baking soda. Run an empty cycle with hot water, adding 3 to 4 cups of vinegar to ½ cup of baking soda.

Vacuum Cleaner

A vacuum needs regular maintenance to make sure it’s doing its job properly. Dirty filters or overstuffed vacuum bags end up just pushing dirt around instead of collecting it. For bagless vacuums, Goodhousekeeping.com suggests emptying the canister after each use. For ones with bags, don’t wait until the bag is completely full; replace it when it’s two-thirds full. Clean the filter by shaking out dust or removing buildup with fingers; or, replace it every six months to a year. If there’s an odor coming from your vacuum, try cleaning the attachments with hot, soapy water. Be sure to completely dry the pieces before using them.

Brooms

Over time, your hardworking broom can get pretty grimy. After you’re done sweeping, be sure to remove any debris that’s stuck to the bristles. Once a month (or more often if you’re sweeping up food) gently wash the ends with warm water and a gentle detergent, Rinse well. Let it air dry outdoors, bristles up. To prevent the bristles from crimping and bending, always hang the broom from a hook or nail.

Mops

If you’re not washing and drying your mop after each use, you are potentially spreading bacteria and germs the next time you use it. After mopping up messes, your floor is clean, but not your mop. If your mop has a removable head, throw it in the washing machine, using soap and hot water. For sponge mops, wash the head with dish detergent and hot water. Always squeeze out excess water and thoroughly air dry before storing it away.

Green Gadgets

Natalie Norbut / August 16, 2013 / Comments are off for this post.

Going green is all about making changes in our lives to ensure a better future for the environment and for ourselves. In this article from Living Green Magazine, you are shown a few products that look like they are right out of Star Trek. So it just goes to show ya, the future is looking green.

Crazy Eco Cleaning Gadgets

The concept of Eco-Cleaning is a current trend with people looking to move away from chemicals and toward more natural innovative solutions.

This article highlights some highly innovation cleaning devices that may become part of every house in the future—and some that you can buy now to tackle life chores with a lower environmental impact.

Futuristic Washing Machine

The Renew, designed by Louis Filosa for Electrolux, makes use of RFID and infrared scanners that detect deficiencies in the fabric (fade, tears, etc) and suggests new clothing options as well. The smart home appliance also includes an OLED touchscreen interface, and Wi-Fi allows for easy navigation and updating. All you need to do is swipe your dirty clothes between the two steam blades, like a credit card, and get ready-to-wear clothes within no time. (Source)

Door Handle with Self-Sterilization System

With door handles and knobs being bacteria breeding grounds for microscopic germs to live, in residential and commercial properties, this product sees to eradicate them with UV light. Using UV light instead of chemicals is eco-friendly and allows for sterilisation throughout the day, reducing common communicable diseases. How many door handles have you touched today? (Source)

Eco-Friendly Cardboard Vacuum Cleaner

Designed by Jake Tyler a UK student, the eco-friendly vacuum cleaner is constructed from its own packaging, including the wheels! Jack gave the following insight into creating the eco-friendly vacuum cleaner: “Environmental stability was in at forefront of the design and that is why I used cardboard. Most consumer electrics need to be taken to a landfill site, my idea was to have something recyclable and you can build it yourself, so you feel part of the product.” (Source)

Integrated System

The Washup washing machine-toilet was designed by Sevin Coskun. With space becoming limited and more uses being found for grey water (water that is not clean enough for human consumption) this gadget uses the grey water from the washing machine to flush the toilet. Saving space , water and cleaning this product ticks 3 Eco boxes! (Source)

Orbital Washing

Using two individual washing containers the orbital splits the washing into colours and whites. The ball filled with dirty clothes is then placed into the washing machine to be washed.

Once the drum is inserted into the machine the drive rotates the drum and the weight of the clothes spinning would then rotate the orbital ball around in another directions. As the drum rotates in all directions a centrifugal force is acting on the drum. As the drum spins it forces the clothes to stick to the inner sides of the drum allowing the water to pass through and efficiently washes the clothes.

In a conventional washing machine a large amount of energy is needed to drive the drum through the water, however in orbital the water is pumped through and sprayed out on to the drum through a shower which surrounds the tub. The drum would require less energy to spin through the water and less water is needed as it is being continually pumped around and sprayed. (Source)

Air Clean Balls

The Air Clean ball purifies the air around the device by using a form of ionisation. This ionisation is in the form of a photocatalyst complex, which sterilises the air particles. This does not freshen the air by releasing chemicals, but uses the internal filter to purify, removing viruses and bacteria. This could be the fruit bowl of the future. (Source)

Museum of Clean

Natalie Norbut / October 24, 2011 / Comments are off for this post.

The Don Aslett Museum of Clean had a traveling showcase at the ISSA/Interclean show. More than a hundred artifacts from the exclusive 5,000-piece collection were transported from the Pocatello, ID museum and displayed at the Las Vegas Convention Center for this year’s show. Many items dating over 100 years. It was really cool to see how far the industry has progressed, especially the vacuums. Here are a few pictures…