Clean Sector

This comes straight from CleanFax:

Use soft water and your chemicals will clean better.

Use soft water and the carpet will be cleaner and softer.

Use soft water and you won’t have as many problems with hard water scaling in your machine.
It’s true. All of it.

The use of soft water for carpet cleaning has increased over the years, but not everyone is using this technology.

Depending where you live, you will see various hard water measurements.

Some say that springtime in colder climates increases calcium and magnesium in water due to melting snow.

Certain locations in the United States will have higher mineral content due to the minerals in the ground. [Read more →]

A baseball game on the radio can be a boon to what’s becoming a popular pastime - sprucing up our homes.

With the help of a pleasant springtime distraction, chores can feel more like therapy. Here are a few tasks that are easy to complete with one ear on the ball:

- Dingy Decks

Nothing beats listening to your favourite baseball team inch its way to the series while stretched out on a lounge chair on your beautiful deck. But right about now, your patio might look pretty grungy from winter leaf and debris stains, mildew and aging.

Give it a good cleaning with a solution of 75 ml (13 cup) of powdered laundry detergent to four litres (one gallon) of hot water. Scrub vigorously with a stiff nylon brush or bristle broom and thoroughly rinse with fresh water. Add a litre (4 cups) of liquid chlorine bleach to the solution if mildew is present.

If your deck or patio still looks dingy, consider using a deck-cleaning or brightening product to restore the appearance of the natural wood. Use a concrete cleaner to remove oxidation on concrete and restore the appearance of your patio.

Remember to wear eye protection and rubber gloves.

Finish the job by making repairs to damaged decking, secure fasteners and apply a fresh coat of deck finish. Although not necessary, a concrete sealer can breathe new life into the appearance of your patio and protect it from freeze and thaw damage if you live in a cold climate.

- Spring cleaning

Despite your best intentions, your garage or basement might be filled with a rummage sale’s worth of stuff and a maze of cobwebs. It’s time to play ball.

Work from the top down. Dusty walls and ceilings, dingy light fixtures and door and window trim should be tackled before other elements in the space. Windows, closets and furniture are next. Window panes and floor coverings should be tackled last.

This job might include floor stripping, carpet cleaning and polishing.

Start at your home’s perimeter, so you don’t track over already cleaned central spaces.

Don’t forget to dust the top ledge of all doors.

- Lawn Care

Winter’s gone and your lawn’s a mess? Start by having a soil sample analyzed to find out exactly what fertilizer you need, to make sure it hasn’t changed since last year.

Then, consult your garden centre before you reseed to be sure you have the best and latest variety of grass. New, stronger drought-resistant and heat-tolerant types are constantly being introduced.

When things start to grow, don’t mow too low. Cutting grass too short, especially the first time, can harm the lawn and lead to root damage - making it more susceptible to plant diseases, insects and the heat of scorching sun. As a rule of thumb, never trim off more than a third.

Finally, 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water once a week is enough. To avoid overwatering, set out a rain gauge.

For more home improvement tips, visit www.onthehouse.com.

SOURCE

BANGOR, Maine - A woman from El Salvador who worked for a Bangor cleaning company was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to 84 days in jail or time served for having a fake Social Security card.

Rubidia Nohemy Mejia, 20, of Bangor pleaded guilty earlier this year.

She faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. [Read more →]

FOLSOM, CA — The Low Moisture Carpet Cleaner’s Association (LMCCA) announced that one of its largest member organizations, Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning, was named the Franchise of the Year for 2008 by Franchise Business Review.

 

Spring cleaning is essential to keeping a clean and healthy home. Deep cleaning each spring expels dust and dirt that has accumulated throughout the winter months. The idea is to remove embedded dirt, dust and contaminants than you do during your regular maintenance cleaning. THE MAIDS Home Services offers the following 10 essential Spring cleaning tasks.

Organize closets. Reorganize closets, removing items that you have “slightly” outgrown or have not worn in the past two years. Check all expiration dates on medications and remove old lotions, shampoos or cosmetics.

Clean vents and registers. Dust and dirt quickly collect in registers and air vents, which can circulate into the air. For regular cleaning, use the brush attachment and your vacuum. For a thorough clean, remove metal vents from wall and wash in warm soapy water, dry and reattach.

Clean carpets. Regular carpet cleaning helps maintain the life of your carpet and can improve indoor air quality, which in turn decreases the likelihood of allergy and asthma symptoms. If you do not own a carpet cleaner, look at renting a machine or hiring a professional.

Wash windows. Wash windows inside and out. Use a drop of liquid dish soap per two gallons of water and a good squeegee. You will get the best results if you wash windows on a cloudy, not sunny day, because sunlight dries the glass quickly, causing it to streak.

Wash linens. Wash bedding, curtains and shower liners according to fabric instructions. Remove extra blankets from the bed only needed during the cold winter months.

Vacuum mattresses. Dust, dander and dust mites build up in your mattress.

Vacuum your mattress using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. This draws air through the mattress and unsettles dust and dirt.

Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures. Turn off your light then remove the light bulbs and light casing. Vacuum the tops of ceiling fan blades and inside ceiling lamp globes.

Put a washcloth in the bottom of a sink filled with warm soapy water to line the sink and prevent damage to your light casings. Then wash and dry your light casings.

Clean wastebaskets. Empty all trash containers. Clean and disinfect inside and out with warm, soapy water and a neutral disinfectant.

Clean cupboards and drawers. Vacuum crumbs, dust and hair, wipe clean. Wash the bottom and inside of each drawer and cupboard using a solution of two tablespoons vinegar per one quart of water and wipe dry.

Clean range hood. To release trapped grease and odors, wash range hood and fan with warm water and vinegar then rinse well. Remove the metal filter, soak in warm water, vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish detergent and then rinse well before replacing.

 THURSDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) — TV ads that promote quitting smoking are more likely to have an impact on better-educated smokers, while warnings about the dangers of secondhand smoke have a similar effect on people of all educational levels, says a University of Wisconsin study.In 2002 and 2003, researchers surveyed 452 adult smokers of different socioeconomic and educational levels about their recall of quitting smoking and secondhand smoke ad campaigns. A year later, the researchers checked on the respondents’ smoking status.

Of those who recalled seeing the ads, about 65 percent of college-educated participants tried to quit in the following year, compared with 30 percent of those with a high school education or less, the study found.

However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in abstinence from smoking after one year or in their response to messages about secondhand smoke. The findings are published in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health. [Read more →]

Think you have to sacrifice exercise time to get organized? No way!

1. Clean out the attic and garage—moving boxes is a great workout. When lifting them, bend your knees, keep your back straight, pull the box to your stomach, and then push up with your legs. “You’ll get those leg muscles working,” Findley says.

2. Put a spring in your step. If you live in a two-story house, run up and down the stairs as you put misplaced items back where they belong—toys to the kids’ room, DVDs to the shelf in the family room. If you’re in a one-story home, sprint (or power walk) back to the house after trips to the end of the driveway to take out the trash. Three or four trips could equal a half-mile. “Your legs will ache after the first day or two,” warns Findley, but you’ll tighten up your bum and thighs.

3. Work your arms. As you’re carrying small stacks of magazines to the recycling bin, hold them in front of you with both hands. With your palms facing up, do bicep curls, bending your elbows and bringing the magazines toward your chest.

4. Move your upper body. Sort a pile of clothes while sitting cross-legged on the floor with the clothes in front of you, and two boxes behind you, on your left and right sides. When you find something you want to keep, twist with your upper body and put the clothes in the box on your right. When you get something you want to donate, twist your body to the left to put it in the other box.

5. Give your legs a stretch as you sort your bookshelves. Whenever you reach for something, step forward with one bent leg. Keep your back leg straight and your back heel on the ground to feel the stretch going all the way up the back of your leg.

6. Tighten up your midsection. As you’re organizing and trying these moves, keep your back straight and navel pulled in toward your spine. It’ll strengthen your abs and lower back and help prevent injuries.

It happens every spring. You fling open the windows, shed your winter coat, and suddenly get the urge to clean your house. But do you ever think about “spring cleaning” the toxins from your body?

Detoxifying in spring is an important part of the ayurvedic seasonal routine, called ritucharya. Spring is the Kapha season, because the wet and cool weather reflects the moist, cool, heavy qualities of Kapha dosha that predominate during this time of the year (March-June).

Biologically, nature supports cleansing of the body in spring. In winter the digestive fire is high, and people eat more sweet and heavy food. Most of the time they aren’t able to assimilate these hard-to-digest foods, so Ama (the sticky, toxic product of indigestion) starts accumulating. [Read more →]