Home Cleaning

How To Rid Your Home Of Roaches Once And For All

How To Rid Your Home Of Roaches Once And For All 1

And now there is even a Cockroach Hall of Fame Museum in Plano, Texas run by Michael Bodhan. Don’t we all wish that cockroaches could be confined to a museum only? Photo Courtesy: Perry Quan

What’s so scary about roaches is how great they are at hiding. If you happen to see one scurry through your kitchen while switching the light on, there are many more nearby and it’s imperative that you get rid of them as soon as possible.

Clutter Means More Places to Hide

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Photo Courtesy: Moresheth

While this is probably the last thing you want to hear, you know all of those boxes in the garage? The accumulated paperwork and clothing in the attic that you never quite made the time to sort through? Well, all of these areas are perfect hiding places for roaches. Not able to find any roaches? You’ll generally find droppings in your cupboards and throughout your kitchen, as those are the areas they will find most food during the evening when they come out to scavenge.

Roaches Enter Through Surprising Areas

Roaches can enter your home through drains, so it’s important that you block off your tub when not in use, close the toilet lid and block any other areas that offer them easy access to your home when you have a roach problem. It’s impossible to seal everything, and this is why getting rid of them is so important. In time, they will take over your home.

Beginning the Cleanup Process

Roaches hate bleach. Begin cleaning your property, your clothing and linens from top to bottom with the stuff. You may want to also opt for the roach trap method so you won’t have to see the little guys. These traps are generally closed containers with openings that lure roaches inside. The base contains adhesive, which causes them to become stuck upon entry. There are also many bug sprays and pesticides that are similar to those that a professional would use that can be used throughout your property.

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Please make sure that you are selecting a product that will not harm your family or your pets. Photo Courtesy: Alan Stanton

The only problem here is you want to make sure you are selecting a solution that will not harm your family or your pets. Read each product carefully and if there ever comes a time where you are unsure whether the products are working, it may be time to call in a professional. They are going to have the most up-to-date solutions and can work with you so your family doesn’t become affected.

Keeping Those Pesky Critters Away

Now that you have kicked your unwanted guests to the curb, it’s important that you maintain a clean home where new roaches won’t want to come in and wreak havoc yet again. Make sure your trash is emptied regularly, your floors are swept and vacuumed and that any opened food containers are put away immediately.

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Keeping your home clean will help in keeping the roaches away. Photo Courtesy: Toms Baugis

Seal any cracks that may be easy access entries for the little buggers and take away water sources, such as leaky pipes, as roaches are attracted to water. If you have wood piles in your yard, keep them as far away from your home as possible, because the pests love to hide within them and as the weather cools down, will move into your home to stay warm. Many exterminators offer bi-monthly or other regular treatments where they will check in and make sure your roaches are truly gone for good, while looking for signs of new intruders.

Jonas Grant is an exterminator in Calgary. The problem of cockroaches is nothing new for him and has dealt with it successfully for a number of years. Apart from his on field work, he also writes articles suggesting measures to get rid of those pesky creatures.

Filed Under: Home Cleaning, Home Improvement Tagged With: cockroach infestation, cockroach problems, cockroaches

Housekeeping On A Budget – Make Your Own Natural Cleaning Products

by Emily Starr · Leave a Comment

Sparkling clean sink and surrounding area – Photo Courtesy: Nathan Siemers

In order to get their homes sparkling and clean, most people resort to using harmful chemical-based cleaners that give off toxic fumes, leave unsafe residues behind, and are dangerous if ingested or absorbed through the skin. These conventional cleaning products are also typically not biodegradable and, therefore, damaging to the environment outside of your home as well. In addition, many individuals do not like to purchase these products because they are tested on animals yet are still harmful to humans and pets.

In our modern world, we are bombarded by pollutants in our air, water and soil. In most cases, there is nothing that we can do to avoid this harmful pollution which affects every system of our delicate bodies. But there are steps that you can take, and easy ones at that, which can minimize your impact on the environment and help keep your family and pets healthy while avoiding the use of harsh chemical cleaners. Get your home clean, disinfected and smelling great with these homemade cleaning products that are all-natural and completely safe.

An All-Around Cleaner

A great all-around cleaner is a mixture of white vinegar and water. Just mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water and put it into a spray bottle to shake it together. Then spray it on any surface to clean and deodorize it. You can spray this cleaner on bathroom and kitchen surfaces to get them sparkling clean and sanitized. And the vinegar scent disappears once the solution dries, so you don’t need to worry about your home smelling like vinegar for long.

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Photo Courtesy: trenttsd

You can also use white vinegar without diluting it with water to clean toilet bowls, shower heads, and any other areas of the bathroom that have mineral deposits, soap scum, or stains. Combine this solution with the scrubbing action of a pumice stone to get rid of harder stains. Faucets glisten after wiping them down with the diluted or undiluted white vinegar solutions.

Give white vinegar even more power by combining it with baking soda. The abrasiveness of the baking soda combined with the acidity of the white vinegar makes this a perfect combination for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens. I like to use it to remove soap scum from my tub and bathroom and kitchen sinks. Use a good scrubbing sponge to really get the baking soda to do its job.

An All-Natural Disinfectant

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A clean and disinfected bathroom – Photo Courtesy: Sean Mulgrew

Worried about germs throughout your home but don’t want to spend the money on harsh disinfectant sprays that leave behind toxic fumes? The perfect solution to this problem is a very simple combination of 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and about 25 drops of tea tree oil. Mix this solution together and then spray it onto areas in your home where germs may thrive such as in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Just spray it on and wipe it away as you would any other disinfectant spray.

An All-Natural Glass Cleaning Solution

If you want to get your glass and mirrors clean without any streaks, an easy homemade solution consisting of 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, lemon juice or club soda in a gallon of water works great. Spray it onto the glass or mirror surface and then, instead of wiping it down with paper towels which can leave lint and streaks behind, use newspaper.

Right: A nice and clean dresser mirror – Photo by Amanda

An All-Natural Carpet Spot-Cleaner

Carpet cleaners are some of the worst offenders when it comes to ingredients that are derived from harsh chemicals. For spot cleaning your carpets try mixing ¼ cup liquid soap or detergent in a blender with 1/3 cup of water until the solution is foamy. Spray the solution on to the stain and then rinse it away with white vinegar.

You can also always attempt the tried-and-true club soda solution to get fresh stains out of your carpet before they settle in. Make sure to pour a lot of it onto the stain and then blot it away with a rag.

Left: Julie cleans her carpet – Photo Courtesy: Julie Vazquez

Whether you are combining natural ingredients to create disinfectants, tub and tile cleaners, or a multi surface cleaning spray that can be used throughout your home on a variety of surfaces, the option of making homemade cleaning products is available to everyone at a cost that is much less than purchasing products from a store.

Filed Under: Home Cleaning Tagged With: carpet cleaner, cleaning, glass cylinders, homemade cleaning products, housekeeping, natural cleaning methods, non toxic, non-pollutant

How to Keep Your Bathroom Germ-Free

by Adelaide Irene · Leave a Comment

There are little tips and proper methods of cleaning that can help keep your bathroom as germ-free as possible – Pictured bathroom designed by Ultimate Bath Systems.

Bathrooms are one of the most germ prone rooms in any house. This is due to the fact that they are a moisture-dense space that is often of warmer temperatures than the rest of the house from the use of hot water. This makes for the perfect breeding ground for germs and bacteria – including mould. Not to mention, this is also the one place in the house where people go to get clean after becoming dirty, as well as going to the bathroom. You can only imagine how much dirt and bacteria can build up over time with multiple people using the bathroom multiple times a day. It is obvious that bathrooms need to be cleaned in order to get rid of unwanted germs, but there are little tips and proper methods of cleaning that can help keep your bathroom as germ-free as possible. Read on to learn what they are.

Starting With the Obvious

Photo Courtesy: Tom Small

Before you even start to think about ways to clean your bathroom, you should start at the root of the issue. Bathrooms become dirty and grow bacteria because we use them. If no one ever used a bathroom, bathrooms would stay very clean for a long time. If you want to reduce the amount of germs and bacteria in your bathrooms, be sure to practice proper personal hygiene. After all, so many of the germs spread in the bathroom because we are touching the toilet then the sink and then the door handles. This means washing your hands with warm soapy water after going to the bathroom. Wipe up any water you spill on the sink while washing your hands or brushing your teeth. Dry your hands with either disposable towels or hand towels, but be sure to hang the hand towel up to dry afterwards as to not allow bacteria to grow. The longer a wet cloth or towel stays wet, the higher the chance bacteria will begin to grow on it. If everyone in your household can practice these simple personal hygiene steps, there will be much less bacteria and germs being spread around in your bathroom.

Keep it Covered

One of the best tips for stopping the spread of germs in your bathroom is to close the lid on the toilet before you flush it. That is exactly what it is there for. Did you know that every time you flush the toilet, particles of whatever is inside are thrown into the air as far as 6 feet away? Now think about all of the objects that are within a 6 foot radius of your toilet – most likely everything, including your toothbrush. By keeping the lid closed while flushing the toilet, you are stopping this catapult of germs from being sprung across the entire bathroom.

After learning about the above information, another thing that should be kept covered in the bathroom is your toothbrush. Not everyone will always remember to close the lid on the toilet when they flush, so to be extra safe keep your toothbrush in either the medicine cabinet or drawer, or buy a plastic toothbrush cap to keep over the head. Remember to wash the cap regularly if you choose to go this route.

Preventing Mould

Since bathrooms create so much moisture and become so humid, it becomes an easy place for mould and mildew to grow. It is always a good idea to be proactive when it comes to mould, rather than waiting for it to arrive before dealing with it. One of the best ways to do this is to keep your bathroom fan running while showering or bathing, and leave it running post shower until the mirrors have cleared up and the condensation is no longer on the walls. If you want to go the extra mile, consider painting your ceilings with mould-resistant paint made especially for the bathroom. This paint prevents mould from forming and growing on it which is a great way to be proactive. If you want to renovate your bathroom, ask the professional bathroom renovation company to do this for you before the job is complete.

Disinfectant Cleaning

When it comes time to clean your bathroom, use disinfectant cleaners. Regular soap and water won’t always kill all the germs, especially in areas where they have built up. It might be a good idea to keep a container of disinfectant wipes under the sink, or if you have small children, higher up where they cannot reach them. To make cleaning less overwhelming, use disinfectant wipes every day to keep the space germ free. Simply wipe down the outside of the toilet bowl and the toilet seat and then toss the wipe in the garbage. Next, wipe down the sink, counter and faucets and throw that wipe away. Finish by wiping down the light switches and door handles and then you’re done! This way, come your weekly cleaning of the bathroom, the time you spend cleaning will be greatly reduced. Disinfectant sprays also work well in place of the disinfectant wipes.

Photo Courtesy: Rubbermaid Products

When you fully clean your bathroom each week, be sure to focus on the inside of the toilet and the bath and shower. Use a special toilet cleansing gel around the inner rim of the toilet, and let it work its magic while you clean the rest of the bathroom. Once you are done, scrub the inside of the toilet with a toilet brush and flush the gel away. Your toilet will sparkle in no time. As for your bathtub and shower, use a disinfectant cleaning solution to wipe down the walls and wash the inside of the tub. When you are done, simply rinse it away with the shower head. And lastly, finish with the floors, being sure to throw any bath mats and towels into the laundry bin.

By following these simple tricks and cleaning tips, you will be able to keep your bathroom as germ-free as possible. Try to practice these ideas every day in order to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould.

Author Bio

Adelaide Irene is a freelance writer and stay at home mom of 2 with special interests in home improvements and renovations. She also works alongside a bathroom renovations company – Ultimate Bath Systems.

Filed Under: Bathroom Interiors, Home Cleaning Tagged With: bathroom, home cleaning, home improvement tips, tips to renovate bathroom

What’s Your Clutter Style?

by Crispin Jones · Leave a Comment

A little organization can save you from a lot of clutter. Photo Courtesy: Liz

“Clutter” is a word that perfectly describes all those items and objects you see every day in your home but never use. It could be that collection of magazines you’ve never read, or all those shoes you trip over daily.

Not everyone has clutter, of course, but it’s likely to have come up at some point or another in your home.

It doesn’t have to be on show either. That closet packed clumsily and not opened for the past few years could be better used once the unnecessary clutter is cleared out.

So wouldn’t you prefer to benefit from new found space by clearing out old possessions? To tackle the mess, the first place to start is asking yourself a simple question: what’s your clutter style?

Closet Clutter

A well organized closet by Maegan Tintari

Behind the perfectly kept home, it’s not unlikely you’ll find a closet packed to the brim. Bursting at the seams behind its oak doors, this tiny room could be packed with mounds of clutter and useless objects that no one needs nor wants any longer.

It could be anything – old clothes, random cables or a sentimental collection of your great grandfathers stamp collection. These items no longer have any meaning to anyone.

You might already mean to clear it out, but lack the time. That closet has certainly built up a lot of junk over the years, so where do you begin? Tackle it a bit each day, slowly chipping away at the mess until it’s finally all gone.

Or if you fancy getting it done quicker, enlist the help of a friend. They can help provide the motivation and common sense required when clearing out the old items, as well as helping you clear through it twice as fast.

Bargain Clutter

Photo by Breibeest

You’re walking around the supermarket when you see something on offer. You don’t need it, but everything is telling you that you should buy it because it’s a once in a life time offer.

When you get home, you remember you’ve already got a hundred of them from previous “once in a life time offers” and it gets added to the pile. This could be anything: food, trinkets or other random items that you don’t need. As well as wasting your money, it’s wasting your space.

Start by understanding you’ve bought this because it’s on offer. You’ve spent money on an item you wouldn’t normally buy in an effort to save money. Once you’ve got through that, either use up the items you’ve been hoarding or sell them on to make some money back.

Book Clutter

Photo by V Smoothe

Reading a book is a great hobby. You can learn so much from a book, and a book case looks great in your home… until it starts overflowing. Buying books that you hope to read, while not tackling the ones you own but still haven’t started is going to take up space and make the task more daunting. Reading should be fun, not a task you have to work through.

This could tie in with the bargain clutter; buying books just because they’re cheap isn’t the way to go.

To sort this one out, remove the books you’ve read and store them somewhere else or sell them on. Move through the books you own before buying anymore.

If its magazines that are plaguing your space, throw out the old issues once they’re no longer relevant. And alternatively to both, e-books and e-mags take up no space at all since they’re stored electronically.

This post was written by Crispin Jones on behalf of UK Oak Doors, the external and internal door specialists. To find out more about external and internal doors, please follow this link.

Filed Under: Home Cleaning Tagged With: home cleaning, home improvement, home improvement ideas, home improvement tips