Household Hints Archives - Page 3 of 3

August 29, 2018

5 Unconventional Tips to Get Rid of Stuffy Smells from the House

Cold weather often forces us to keep the doors and windows shut. This is especially true in winter when temperatures drop significantly. While shutting the doors and windows keep us warm, they do have the undesirable side-effect of producing stuffy smells. This is usually caused by the buildup of mold and mildew, resulting from moisture, and a lack of enough ventilation and sunlight.

Though every house owner prefers to use the best canister vacuum cleaner for their home, sometimes the vacuum has some little effect. So, these following 6 unconventional tips and related natural substances will get the job done.

Vodka

As outlandish as it may at first sound, vodka is actually a great remedy for many problems around the house. Vodka can be used to disinfect and deodorize, as well as to clean jewelry. According to Snap Clean, when it comes to a stuffy-smelling house, vodka is a great solution when you find that damp source of the smell. All you have to do is sprinkle a little vodka on the area, and let it dry.

Vinegar

Vinegar, also known as acetic acid, is another multi-purpose liquid that can help a great deal in riding a house of bad smells. Vinegar usually contains about 5 to 20% acetic acid, which kills a wide variety of germs, including bacteria and viruses. Vinegar also acts as a deodorizer and grease remover. Simply mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts of water in a spray bottle, spray on the damp, smelly areas, and allow to dry.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is usually available as a white powder. Scientifically known as Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), baking soda has a wide variety of uses in the home. As with the previous 2 remedies, you need to find the origin of the odor, simply sprinkle some baking powder on it, and allow it some hours to work its magic and stop the foul smell. If there are smells originating from the refrigerator, just put a pack of baking soda in it. It should last for a year.

Zeolite

Zeolite is a powerful desiccant. It is a naturally occurring mineral that absorbs the odor from its environment. Simply leave the Zeolite in your problem area and it will start to absorb the stuffy smells. It lasts for about 6 months but can be recharged by simply being left out in the sun for a day or two, or in a very hot oven for about 30 minutes.

Ground Coffee

Ground coffee is another very effective substance that can be used to get rid of stuffy smells. To use ground coffee, you will need old socks. Fill the socks with the ground coffee and hang in stuffy spaces. Given some time, the ground coffee will absorb the odors. The only down-side to this remedy is having your guests see the socks that you have hanging around.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is a special form of carbon that has a very high capacity for removing odors. It is often found in many odor removal products. To use this method, fill a plastic container with activated charcoal and leave it to absorb the odor. The down-side here is that this process takes up to a week. Secondly, charcoal can cause quite a mess, so handle with care. The third downside is that charcoal is not reusable once its effects wear down. On the other hand, it is very cheap.

Conclusion

With the 6 tips above, you are sure to get rid of the stuffy smell in your home, using any of the methods of your choosing. One more thing to keep in mind though is that mold and mildew can be entirely avoided, by regularly arranging and cleaning the house, vacuuming, dehumidifying and frequently airing it.

July 16, 2018

Should I Hire A Cleaner for My Home?

House cleaning is one of those jobs which doesn’t require any particular skills or knowledge. However, it requires a lot of time and effort. Some people insist on cleaning their own house because they have the time.

On the other hand, there are people who don’t have the time, or feel like their time can be put to a better use. For these people, there are companies such as Clean Corp which offer a variety of professional cleaning services.

If you are on the edge about contacting a professional cleaning agency, read on through this article to see what a full house cleaning entails and how much time and effort it will require.

The Bathroom

For many, cleaning the bathroom is enough to convince them to hire a professional. Cleaning experts claim that you need to scrub your toilet every week or so, whereas your shower needs this treatment twice a month.

Not to mention the sink, all of the faucets, the mirror, the floor and the walls of your bathroom which also need to be dealt with at least as often. The amount of time you’d need to put into cleaning everything is just shocking, but the alternative is a dirty bathroom, which is objectively worse.

Professional cleaners are paid to do this kind of work and they do a good job of it. And you can take over and keep it relatively tidy until the next visit by the cleaner.

Dusting Everything

The dust is going to gather on your things no matter how clean you keep your house, that’s just a fact. A lot of the dust actually comes from our skin and hair cells, so it is unavoidable.

Dusting your home, although an easy task, takes a lot of time, especially nowadays when our homes are about 50% bigger than they used to be just 50 years ago. Not dusting is certainly an option for a week or maybe two; that is, if neither you nor anyone in your house are allergic to dust which is becoming rare.

The Floors

Just as the amount of surfaces you need to dust has become bigger over the years, so is the area of our floors. Most of our homes nowadays are at least on two levels with 20+ rooms, and all of them need to be cleaned.

What’s more, it’s very likely that you don’t have the same type of flooring in all of your rooms. Your bathrooms are tiled, as is probably your kitchen and maybe your hallway. On the other hand, your living room could be hardwood and your bedrooms probably have a carpet on them.

All of the different surfaces require different products, different kinds of cleaning which all takes a lot of time and preparation.

Professional Cleaners Are, Well, Professionals

Just as you are good at what you do for a job, so too are the cleaners. They have enough experience with cleaning that they are able to do the job a lot quicker than you would. They are probably more skilled at it than you as well. Professional cleaners know a few tricks about easier and more durable cleaning practices which will save them time, and make your home cleaner for longer.

You can opt for different types of cleaning, as seen here https://www.cleancorp.biz/our-services/, so you always know what to expect of the cleaner.

Even though you can clean your house yourself, you need to ask yourself whether you actually want to. Is there something better you can do with your time? Chances are that there is. So take it and hire a professional cleaner now.

April 26, 2018

Spring Clean Your Bachelor Pad

Men tend to be less concerned with the cleanliness of their apartments, and may not even notice some small details that women do. However, spring is the time of the year when it is customary to do a thorough cleaning of the whole house.

If you have no interest in cleaning, or you simply don’t have time, you can always hire a professional maid from websites like https://maidthis.com/santa-monica/, but if you feel like this spring is the time to get your hands dirty and you feel motivated to clean the place yourself, here’s what you can do.

Living Room Shortlist

We tend to spend the most time in our living rooms, particularly if we live alone. That’s why it is the best place to start. A surprisingly small number of things can cause a huge mess. Start by putting away clothes back into the closet. After that, simply put away all the cables and magazines lying around and you will see a drastic change.

Vacuuming your carpet may be tedious, but it will really show a difference, and the air quality inside your home will improve, too. If you don’t have any carpets, a simple sweep with a wet mop will have the same effect. Finally, put away all the dirty dishes if you have any of those lying around.

Men to the Kitchen

If you live alone, chances are (though this definitely isn’t a rule) you don’t cook too much. Which can be a good thing when it comes to cleaning your kitchen, as the oven and the stove are some of the most demanding things to clean, so you won’t have too much degreasing to do. If, however, you are a passionate cook, than put on your rubber gloves and start pouring those degreasing chemicals. You will probably have to wait for some time for them to start doing their work, so you can use that time to clean your fridge.

Take out all the expired food, remains, and similar stuff. If you don’t have them already, you could get food containers for easier and more convenient food storage. They will help you organize your food supplies better, prevent them from spilling all over the place, and they look nice and organized.

Of course, settle the dishes and the dishwasher. Sweep the floors and wipe all the surfaces. And don’t forget the vacuuming at the end.

This Shouldn’t Be Too Difficult As You Clean Your Bathroom Regularly, Right?

Or not so regularly. Who are we to judge? Be it as it may, it’s always good to organize all the things first. Put your cosmetic products in one case, put back the things that belong to the shelves, and of course, throw out all the expired products. If you haven’t settled it already, get a laundry basket. Even if you don’t have a washing machine and use the laundry service, it’s still easier and tidier to have the basket.

After that, you can throw yourself on swiping, wiping and rubbing. Before you start, make sure you have some gloves on, since a lot of the products we use for cleaning are fairly abrasive and can damage your skin. You can even consider getting a face mask, but that’s optional. Don’t forget to wash or replace your curtain shower along with the towels. Also, don’t skip cleaning the mirror, it might leave a good impression on your potential guests.

Spring cleaning comes only once a year, and everyone should take the time to thoroughly clean their home. However, if you don’t have time, hiring professional maids will accomplish the same thing without getting your hands dirty; your choice.