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Friday, July 6th, 2018
Fine Furniture Design’s Summer Home Collection
Summer is a lot more than the perfect time to go to the beach and enjoy some picnics or a barbecue with your family. This can also be the time to have some items taken off your maintenance checklist. Take note, though, that summer is a season for relaxing so you might feel a bit of resistance when it comes to cleaning up during this season.
First Day Cleanup: Cooling Units and Detectors
The first day does not have to be a difficult one. You can check on your detectors (smoke, home timers, and carbon monoxide detectors) and replace their batteries. You can also use a damp cloth or rag to clean the ceiling, fans, vents, dryer and washer units.
If you’re feeling up to it, you can also clean the air-conditioning units by replacing the filters. This simple cleanup task could result in reduced energy bills.
Second Day Cleanup: The Kitchen
You can then proceed to conquer the kitchen. You can dust off the condenser coils and clean also the range hood and the filter. Don’t let dust and grease accumulate as these can cut short the lifespan of a range hood fan or any electrical appliance for that matter.
Deep clean the kitchen this summer by disinfecting the food prep surfaces and getting rid of spattered grease and dirt on your oven. As you clean up these appliances, though, make sure that you protect your eyes and skin as you use the correct kind of clothing. Wear long-sleeved clothing, rubber gloves, and safety goggles.
Use green alternatives as much as you can. Instead of chemicals, try using baking soda and other such natural cleaning agents.
Third Day: The Bathroom
As soon as you have tackled the kitchen, it’s time to go to the bathroom. Use efficient means to clean this part of your home. Get rid of toothpaste dribbles, grime, scum, and just about every type of bathroom dirt that you could find.
Find an all-purpose bathroom cleaner that can remove film and light soil. For the hardened type of deposits, use a scrubber or abrasive cleaners that can be easily rinsed. Use green homemade cleaners if you can’t handle formulated bleach cleaning agents.
Spray and let stand. This time will allow the soap scums and oils to dissolve. You will then need less energy to clean up and remove the rest. Scrub with a toothbrush on the nooks and crannies while the good bowl brush should do the trick on the toilet.
After all these cleanup, disinfect and leave some deodorizing agents.
Fourth Day: The Outdoors
It’s summer! You have all the time in the world to clean up any outdoors part of your home. Turn the heat up on the gas grills and allow it to burn for about half an hour. Once this cools, scrub with a grill brush.
As for the charcoal grills, empty it out and then clean with a soapy, lukewarm sponge. Clean the deck and porch while you’re at it. Sweep the porch then mop where there’s more dirt to clean up. As for the deck, roofing, and other outdoor structures, look for damages made worse by leaks, termites, etc.
Check also the irrigation systems for your plants. Remove any dead trees or plants and make sure that there is ample mulch to keep the weeds at bay.
Fifth Day: Thorough Checkup
When you’re done with the deep cleaning, it’s time to go through the interiors and outdoors once again. Recheck for leaks, mildew, mold, cracks, holes, and even excessive moisture in some crawlspaces. You may not be able to get rid of every single problem this summer but doing your best will definitely make a huge difference.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, summer cleaning, summer cleaning checklist, summer cleaning tips, summer cleanup
Posted in Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101, Summer Season | Comments Off on The Five-Day Summer Cleanup
Tuesday, June 13th, 2017
Cynthia Rowley Rivington 3-Over-3 Sofa is deliciously summer.
Heat brings about humidity, grime and dust. All these nobody wants so why not engage in summer cleaning? This task does not have to be a drag. You can actually have some fun while doing it.
But how?
Use Leftover Cleaning Agents
Now whoever said you have to buy expensive chemicals just so you can get the dirt off surfaces? Half a lemon that’s been left over dinner can be used to clean up faucets and stainless steel fixtures. You can also use this to get the grime off the grill.
Using a wire brush, rub the lemon juice onto the still warm grill. For major mess, use oven cleaner so you can attach the grime and food bits.
The grill isn’t the only thing that you can clean up using leftovers. You can also use full fat mayonnaise for those stubborn water rings left by some of your guests. Instead of hating that particular guest forever, just apply some mayonnaise onto the area. Let it sit for an hour before you wipe it off with a clean cloth.
Eliminate Mold and Mildew
Your washing machine could smell awful during the summer because it could get really humid. To prevent this from happening, use hot water and detergent and run an empty load. This should get rid of the awful smell. Just be sure to leave the washing machine door ajar so that it will dry properly.
As much as you can, try getting rid of mold and mildew using natural means. You would be surprised to find out that you already have some of the cleaning agents right inside your kitchen.
Vinegar, when diluted with water, can cut any pungent odor. It is also a natural mold killer when it is sprayed directly to the moldy area. Just leave the vinegar for a few hours then scrub using a clean brush.
If vinegar odor offends you, then use a few drops of essential oil to overcome the powerful scent.
Tea tree oil is also an effective mold eliminator. This may be more expensive than most green remedies but you would just need two teaspoons of this oil mixed with two cups water so it is actually relative. Spray this solution to the affected area but don’t wipe off or rinse.
Baking soda is another natural kitchen ingredient that you can use get rid of mold and mildew. Use it with water or water and vinegar. Spray the solution onto the moldy surface, let sit then scrub using a damp cloth.
Divide Your Work
Instead of tackling your cleaning in just one day, why not divide your summer cleanup to a number of days. You can spread the cleaning throughout the weeks and among different family members. This is so everyone will feel that they did their share of cleaning.
As a family, you can also set a goal to have a clutter-free home during the summer. Remember that having more stuff than needed means having more things where dust can accumulate.
Have the kids say yes to dusting during this season. Encourage even the preschoolers to take part. Ask them to put their laundry into the hamper and also to store their playthings once they’re done playing.
Never be sidetracked. Allow the voicemail to take your call while you’re still halfway through with your living room cleanup. Answer the call or email once you’re done with what you were initially doing.
Always make it a group project so that the cleaning will become fun rather than a burden.
Keep Dirt at Bay
One effective way to keep dust, dirt and sand away from your home is to have people remove their shoes right before they enter your home. Invest in a thick doormat that is also gentle on your feet.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, summer cleaning, summer cleaning tips, summer cleanup
Posted in Home Maintenance, Interior Design 101, Summer Season | Comments Off on Summer Cleaning (Coz You Missed Spring Cleaning)
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