Perfect Clean Home

Before you plan on starting a black mold ceiling cleanup operation, first inspect all the ceilings in your home and survey the damage. If it's just one or two rooms, say, the basement and the attic, you might want to buckle down to business and do the job yourself.

This would involve taking down the ceiling boards carefully, wrapping them in plastic (to keep spores from flying around the house while transporting them) and cleaning them up with soap and water in the yard.

Cleaning

Never attempt to clean mold-contaminated stuff inside the home. You will only spread the spores to other furniture or parts of the house, and in a few days, your mold problems are back!

Now, if you are asthmatic or are especially prone to allergies, don't attempt to do the job yourself, regardless of whether you're an excellent DIYer. Remember, countless persons have been rushed to the hospital for severe asthma attacks after exposure to the spores of black mold.

If the boards have already been severely damaged or are now too unattractive because of discoloration, you may opt to replace them with ones. This not only improves the look of the room but also ensures that no mold spores are left behind to again reproduce.

When cleaning off the black mold, always wear protective gloves and masks to protect yourself. And since you're working with a strained position - that is, looking up into the ceiling - you're also exposing your eyes to mold spores that may inevitably fall off. Put a pair of soldering glasses back on or any protective pair of glasses to avoid an irritation of the eyes.

In the shower, black mold not only grows on the ceiling but also on the shower room tiles. To clean them, prepare a mixture of water and bleach to kill the mold. You may want to purchase another cleaning solution to treat the discoloration, or if the black mold contamination is deep-set, you can opt to replace the shower tiles instead.

Prevent the recurrence of black mold

After a thorough cleanup, ensure that the Black Mold won't reappear soon by keeping humidity levels in your house at a constant 30-60% and no higher. Black mold thrives in extremely humid areas, so making conditions below their optimum levels would deter their further growth.

It would also be wise to have all leaking pipes fixed before restoring the panels which you have cleaned. You may have to shell out a couple of hundred dollars to have a plumber do a thorough inspection and repair, but the added expense may well be worth it, if it means ensuring your health.

You can also find more info on Types Of Mold. Blackmoldbliss.com is a comprehensive resource which provide information about Blackmold.

Along with a business plan, a mission statement is an important tool that will capture the spirit of your business. A mission statement helps to clarify the goals and objectives of your company. In just a sentence or two, the mission statement for your cleaning business will set your business goals, your underlying philosophy, and what special benefits you have to offer to your customers. A good mission statement will reflect that special niche that your cleaning business is catering to and provide a long-range vision for you to build on.

Following is a sample mission statement:

Cleaning

"ABC Cleaning Company is committed to delivering the exact services our commercial cleaning customers want, listening closely to their expectations, taking a pro-active approach in defining their needs, and building the best partnering relationship possible. We are also committed to acting with honesty and integrity at all times in all aspects of our business, to being professional in doing our job, and to delivering a consistent, high level quality of work."

A well thought out mission statement will take more than just a few minutes to develop - it takes careful thought and planning. Spending time developing those few sentences that define your business can be just as valuable as the final statement. Going through the process of evaluating your cleaning business, and then defining your customers and your services will help you to look at your cleaning business from your customers' perspective. Don't get bogged down with technical jargon. Focus on defining your company's strengths and why those strengths benefit your customers.

When you are ready to begin, sit down in an area with no distractions. To come up with the statements that will sum up what your cleaning business is all about, consider the following:

- What specific need does your business satisfy?

- What are the principles and values that guide you in the everyday operation of your business?

- Who are your customers?

- What level of service will you provide?

- What image would you like your business to portray to your customers?

To write an effective mission statement, sit down with those who are closest to your business and jot down notes to answer the above questions. Look at mission statements from other businesses and start brainstorming. Once you have a couple of key ideas draft those thoughts into complete sentences.

Once you have formalized your mission statement use it in your promotional materials. The statement will be a quick and easy way for your customers and potential customers to learn about your cleaning business. Keep your mission statement visible and live up to it everyday. This will show your employees and customers that you practice what you preach.

Copyright 2006 The Janitorial Store

Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com Read success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com

Glass top stoves are far easier to clean than your typical range with all those nooks and crannies. However, when cleaning glass cooktops, you will still need to worry about how to clean up streaks and how to clean stains. Sugar syrup, water rings, melted plastic, caked on stains, baked on stains and copper stains on glass stove tops can be a hassle. But before you give up on cleaning tough stains, try some of these tips.

The best way to prevent persistent stains on a glass cooktop is to clean it regularly. Regular cleaning of a glass or ceramic stove is pretty basic. Simply turn off the glass top stove and wait for it to cool. Then, using a clean dishtowel and a little bit of water and mild dish detergent, wipe down the entire stove. The key is to use a clean dishtowel, as the dirty dish towel you use to wipe your pots and pans will leave residue. You'll also want to make sure to take off your diamond ring or turn it outwards to avoid scratching your cooktop.

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Another method is to use a mixture of baking soda and warm water. For very persistent stains, spray your cooktop with white distilled vinegar and then sprinkle a sponge with baking soda. Scrub away, rinse and dry. This is an excellent way to remove grease.

If you get a copper stain on your cooktop, apply a little bit of Bar Keepers Friend and scrub it with a plastic scrubber. It's very important to not use something like steel wool, as this can scratch the surface.

If you get an aluminum stain from a piece of foil left on your stovetop, soak two paper towels in a mixture of 1 part bleach and 1 part water. Let the paper towels sit on top of the aluminum stain for an hour. Wipe clean and reapply a cleaning conditioner.

For spills on hot elements, wipe them up immediately before they get caked on. Wait until the burner cools a bit so you don't burn yourself then promptly wipe it up.

For caked on stains, use a single sided razor blade. Keep the flat side in contact with the glass cooktop to avoid scratching it. You should only be scraping away the stain. Wedge it beneath as if you were trying to flip a very stuck pancake.

The best way, of course, is to use the commercial cleaner that comes with your stove. All glass cook tops are a little bit different. You can find the best glass and ceramic oven cleaner for your model by referring to the manual. Stock up! You'll need it for as long as you have a glass stove top.

For mineral deposits (white streaks and splotches), use the commercial cleaner. You will usually get these deposits because your water is very hard. You may be able to avoid this by using distilled water when mixing the abovementioned cleaning solutions. But the commercial cleaner will likely work best.

Gretta Wallace is a homemaker and proud owner of a glass cooktop. She maintains a blog of quick, easy, effective and green cleaning tips called The Cleaning Frenzy Blog where she also discusses how to clean a glass cooktop.

Soft and absorbent cotton cleaning cloths are still great for projects such as polishing but get your hands on some microfiber cleaning cloths and you may put the cotton aside.

Microfiber cloths are made from a product you thought you left behind in the 70's, polyester (and nylon). This cloth is the wonder cleaning product of 21st century!

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Why?

Soft and resilient microfiber can hold up to seven times it's weight in water and absorbs oil wonderfully! Also it's unique properties make it ideal for cleaning glass items as it leaves no streaks behind.

Microfiber is a great product to use if you would like to have a green more natural home especially when it comes to your cleaning products.

Unless you need to disinfect a surface with microfiber cloths you don't need a potentially toxic cleaning solution. Perfect when combined with just hot water microfiber can clean things like mirrors, windows, walls, and non-food or bathroom counters leaving just nothing but clean behind.

Some of the different microfiber cleaning tools you can find are...

1. Mop heads

2. Dusting cloths

3. Window cleaning cloths

4. Scrubbing cloths

5. Furniture cleaning cloths

Some tips to keep in mind when working with microfiber cleaning cloths:

As with most things you get what you pay for. If it looks cheap it probably is. The more plush towels with more and finer fiber heads are what to look for.

When using to clean rinse in hot water, wring it dry and then wipe what you are cleaning.

Don't use bleach or fabric softener when washing your microfiber cloths.

Wash your microfiber cloths without other clothing or fabrics. They will attract lint from these items and then you won't have that lint free shine anymore.

Dry them in the dryer (not too high of they will melt). Although I know some people hang them to dry.

Visit O Quinn on the web at Homemaking Organized and drop by her store The Vintage Homemaker's Shoppe for Household Notes a Housekeeping Planner on CD which includes fill-in form fields.

Product: Antibacterials

Used for: Disinfecting everything you can think of, ranging from kids' toys to toilets.

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Nasty inside: Tricoslan, an endocrine (hormone) disrupter that doesn't break down easily (it kills bacteria and bacteria are often the agents of biodegrading). Excessive use of potent chemical disinfectants to sterilise everything in the home is probably associated with asthma and other autoimmune problems, as an over-clean home leads to a bored, restless immune system that starts reacting to non-threats.

Natural cleaning alternative: Soap and water will do most of the cleaning and kill most of the germs you need to worry about. Vinegar, salt, ultraviolet light (sunshine), boiling water and strong alcohol are other natural disinfectants.

Product: Detergents

Used for: Nearly every sort of cleaner imaginable, mostly because it can work up a grease and grime busting lather in all sorts of water - even hard water - without getting gunky white scum all over everything.

Nasty inside: Phosphate. This is more of a nuisance in the water system, as it breaks down very slowly and allows too much algae to grow in the waterways, leading to environmental problems. Also, detergent in general is harsher on the skin and hair, leading to dry hair (the least of your problems) and cracking, flaking itchy skin.

Natural cleaning alternative: Soap won't form that ghastly scum if it is used alongside a water softener such as washing soda. Alternatively, look out for reduced phosphate or phosphate-free cleaning products such as laundry powder.

Product: Synthetic fragrances

Used for: Air fresheners. Also used in a range of other cleaning products such as those spray on kitchen cleaners and bathroom cleaners because the active ingredients in these products pong. Baby products. Cheap perfumes and cosmetics.

Nasty inside: Toluene, which is a probable asthma and allergy trigger. Synthetic musk, which does all sorts of peculiar things to the hormones if you are exposed to too much of it.

Natural cleaning alternative: Make your own natural cleaners and add essential oils. Open windows to remove pongs. Use essential oils, pot pourri and fresh flowers to scent the air delicately. Don't overuse perfume - just a few dabs on the pulse points will be adequate.

Product: Solvents

Used for: Dry cleaning fluid, spot cleaning treatments. Found in all sorts of common household products.

Nasty inside: This really depends on the solvent in question. There are half a dozen different types (or more) and each has its problems. The chlorinated ones are the worst - one of these can cause permanent brain damage if too much is inhaled.

Natural cleaning alternative: Oddly, mineral turpentine - which isn't exactly natural - is one of the least harmful solvent. Strong alcohol also makes a decent solvent for everyday household cleaning. Don't dry clean clothes or toys unless it is absolutely essential. Eucalyptus oil makes a good spot treatment.

Product: Ammonium compounds

Used for: Floor cleaners, glass cleaners and bathroom cleaners.

Nasty inside: Ammonia gas in itself is pretty awful if inhaled. It is positively lethal if mixed with chlorine. Avoid if you have chlorinated water and never mix ammonia-based cleaners with chlorine based cleaners. However, ammonia breaks down easily and doesn't last long in the environment.

Natural cleaning alternative: For window cleaning, use dilute vinegar. For cleaning floors, use warm soapy water. For cleaning the bathroom, either use baking soda or use vinegar. If you have to use ammonia based products, make sure that the area you are cleaning is well ventilated.

Nick Vassilev is the director and owner of Anyclean, a successful window cleaning London business established in 1998. His company offers a wide array of window cleaning services to large and small commercial clients throughout Greater London.

The name of your cleaning business will make up a large part of the perceptions that customers have about your brand. It will eventually become one of the most valuable assets that your company has, representing the sum total of all the goodwill that you build up over the years. The process of naming a cleaning business is indeed something that you should take very seriously.

One approach to naming a business is to give people a clear idea about what a business does so that people immediately know what a company can do for them. Other experts believe that this approach is too limiting and that as you may want to change the direction of your company in the future you should go for something a little more creative. abstract and versatile. Including the word 'cleaning' in a name is a good idea but you wouldn't want to describe the services that you offer to precisely in the name as you might discontinue that particular service at some point in time.

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Using the owners name or the area where the business operates in as part of the business name, while seemingly adding a nice touch can also be limiting and inappropriate as your business evolves.

Depending on your budget you could even approach an expert in naming businesses to come up with something creative and effective for you. The naming decision is worthy of some expert attention as so many entrepreneurs regret their selection further down the road. Maybe business owners shouldn't name their own business when someone a little more objective and with more business experience could do a much better job.

A name should be reasonably short, distinct and memorable, separating a business from the crowd. Use strong words that command attention. Stay away from overused words like 'Global' or 'Best'.

Try out a few of your favorites on friends and family. Ask them what they think of your top choices and see if they can remember them the next day. Make sure that they can pronounce them correctly too.

Make sure that your selection is not already in use by another cleaning business. Check online and also do a database search at your city or county clerks office. You might also want to check to see if there is a suitable domain name as you will undoubtedly set up a website for your cleaning business at some point. Most importantly, you, as the business owner have to like the name. It has to inspire you, instill confidence in you and allow you to envision your success.

A name forms an important part of a companies overall branding strategy and is one of the factors contributing to overall success. Changing a cleaning business name in the future would cause a loss of brand power and would result in a serious inconvenience and expense. You should do everything that you can to get the name right first time round.

To compare some of the top cleaning business startup guides visit - Starting a Cleaning Business

If your business premises include warehouse space then you're undoubtedly aware of the importance of the appearance of your premises. Getting your warehouse cleaned could provide your business with a real boost but the work needs to be carried out in the correct manner.

Due to the nature of the structures, warehouses can make quite imposing buildings to cleaned. They will often have a large surface area, including a large roof space.

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It's not unusual for them to rise to quite a height and to be cladded in plastic. All of these details add to the complexities of cleaning the exterior of a warehouse.

One of the greatest difficulties is simply one of gaining access to all of the parts of the warehouse that will require cleaning.

Trying to simply use ladders is rarely going to be successful, partly because of the heights involved and partly because of the amount of time that such an exercise would take.

The answer to the problem usually involves hiring professional building cleaning contractors to carry out the job. There are a number of such companies based in the UK who are able to specialise in cleaning warehouses and industrial premises.

These professionals will have the necessary experience and expertise to carry out the job. Equally importantly, they will have the appropriate equipment to enable them to reach the various different parts of the structure.

Warehouse cleaning experts also note the importance of carrying out the cleaning job effectively. It's important to leave the building looking clean but it's also vital that the cleaning process does not lead to the cladding being damaged.

Taking all of these factors into account, it's clear why many warehouse owners are looking to specialist building cleaning contractors to get the job done properly.

As Keith Barrett found out, the specialists from EcoLogic Systems are experts in warehouse cleaning projects. This article may be published on any website but this resource box must be included in full. The author retains all copyright.

You've bought all your cleaning supplies and equipment, told everyone you know that you have started a cleaning business and now you are ready to start bidding on jobs and getting down to work. So your next step is to meet with potential clients and put together a bid for their cleaning services. But how do you know what to charge for cleaning your potential client's building?

Start off by remembering that you are in business to make a profit and earn a living. Sometimes the tendency is to price our services low in order to get our foot in the door. Pricing your services too low may mean you will end up working for very little per hour. And more importantly, will have little left over to reinvest in the growth of your company. There are cleaning companies that charge more than others and have all the work they can handle and there are companies that have lower fees yet are struggling to find work! Don't sell yourself short or you will not be able to earn a living off your cleaning business.

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The rates for commercial cleaning vary widely depending upon the area you live. Hourly rates are anywhere from to per hour depending on the type of services that you provide, whether or not you're doing the work yourself, and your company's overhead and expenses. Monthly square footage rates could run anywhere from $.05 to $.20 per square foot depending on the type of building you are cleaning and the frequency of cleaning. You'll be able to bid a higher square footage price for medical facilities versus office buildings due to more specialized cleaning needs. You'll likely bid a lower square footage price for large buildings versus small buildings. For example, you may bid $.08 per square foot for a 50,000 square foot building versus $.12 per square foot for an 8,000 square foot building.

You will most likely be charging your customers a monthly price and you will need to figure that price by estimating how long it will take to perform the services that your client has requested. The more productive you or your employees are, the higher the hourly production rate. If you're able to clean 3,500 square feet per hour, your profit will be higher than if you're only able to clean 2,500 square feet per hour, so adjust your price accordingly.

It's also a good idea to find out what the "going rates" are in your area. A few phone calls to competitors may be necessary to get an idea of the basic charges in your area. Use a script when you call so you can compare apples to apples. So what do you say when you call? Try something like, "Hi, I have a small business office that I would like cleaned once a week. It is 3000 square feet and has two small restrooms. Can you give me a rough estimate of what you what you charge per month?" The person may or may not give you an estimate. Most contractors will insist on walking through the building, but it is worth a few phone calls so you have a ballpark figure on what cleaning companies in the area are charging.

To estimate what you should charge for cleaning a building, start by doing a walk-through with the building owner or manager. Keep track of the following:

* Frequency of cleaning (once a week, three times a week, five times a week). If frequency is one or two times per week, it's best to estimate your time and multiply by your hourly rate. If cleaning 3 or more times per week you can estimate your time by the square foot.

* Overall square feet

* Types of floor surfaces and square footage of each (carpet, vinyl flooring, ceramic tile)

* Types of rooms - general office, break room, restrooms. Also note the number of toilets/stalls and fixtures in each restroom, as well as the types of restroom supplies used.

* Any special considerations - heavy traffic areas, elevators, unusual requests, etc.

* Make note of the specific services the client is seeking such as emptying trash, dusting, restroom cleaning, mopping and vacuuming.

The following services are specialized services and you should bid them separately, and list a per-service charge on your bid:

* Stripping and Waxing (.25¢ - .50¢ per square foot)

* Buffing/Burnishing (.03¢ - .07¢ per square foot)

* Machine Cleaning of Ceramic Tile floors (.12¢ - .21¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Cleaning (.12¢ - .25¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Spotting ( - per hour)

* Cleaning appliances (microwave, refrigerator) - - per appliance

* Window Washing (.00 - .00 per pane)

Make sure you take enough notes so you can put together a realistic price that is fair to the client and one in which you will make a profit. After your first meeting with the client, go back to your office look through your notes and decide what it will cost you to clean the building. You may have to consult a production cleaning rate chart to determine how long it will take you and your staff to clean the building. Once you have an idea of how long it will take to clean the building you can put your cost estimate together:

* Estimate the time it will take by using a production cleaning rate chart or calculator.

* Determine your labor cost for cleaning the building one time.

* Determine your monthly labor cost to clean the building.

* Estimate a monthly cost for supplies. This will be a fairly low figure, perhaps 1 or 2% of monthly sales.

* Be sure to add in a profit margin!

Add up the figures and you will come up with your monthly cost. If you have access to a bidding calculator you will be able to put in a series of numbers and come up with a price. A bidding calculator will also show what profit you can expect to make. It is also advisable to add a first time cleaning charge. This is usually an hourly rate of perhaps - an hour. The first time you go through a building it will take longer and you may find the previous cleaning service may have left dirt in cracks and crevices that you will have to clean the first time through.

Once you have your price established, put your bid packet together. Your bid packet should specify what you are responsible for and what the client is responsible for (buying their own trash can liners, restrooms supplies, etc.). It should also include the monthly charge for cleaning services, how long the agreement is for, and the procedure to cancel the contract if either party is unhappy.

It is important to learn how to price your cleaning services so your customers know you are providing a professional service at a realistic price and so that you make a profit. After all, if you do not make a profit you won't stay in business very long!

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community that offers weekly tips, articles, downloads, discussion forums, and more for anyone who would like to learn how to start a cleaning business. Visit The Janitorial Store's blog and get inspired by reading cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies.

The most obvious and lingering signs of smoking are the tar and nicotine stains on the skin and teeth. The most prominent discolorations usually appear on the lips and on the nails of the fingers. Some ex-smokers often find these to be rather stubborn, and some of the deep stains may last long after the person has stopped smoking. For people who continue to smoke, the months and years from this habit can be clearly seen in the lank and brittle hair, the yellowing nails, the dark brownish crusts under the fingernails, the blackened lips, the dark gums and the yellowing enamel of the teeth. The best recommendation for the permanent removal of these stains and discolorations is the permanent removal of the person's smoking habit.

However, for ex-smokers who want to remove their ugly marks of a former addiction, there are some very simple home remedies for cleaning nicotine stains and tar tarnishes on the skin.

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1. Lemons (or any citrus fruit) can help bleach the discolorations on the skin, especially on the lips. Simply slice a fresh fruit and have the person apply it on the lips daily, for 2 to 5 minutes at a time. This can also be used on the discoloration on the fingertips and under the nails. The person can scrub the freshly sliced citrus fruit and its pulp vigorously on the affected areas for 2 to 5 minutes, and then rinse with water afterwards. However, this treatment is done best on skin areas that have no breaks or external damages since citrus juice and pulp can sting. Vinegar may be substituted for lemons, as long as the product label indicated that the vinegar is naturally made and is not mixed with any other chemical or preservative.

2. Yellowish nails can be buffed, covered over with nail polish or allowed to grow out. Many people would prefer that the nails eventually grow out, revealing the natural pink health of the tissues under the nails. However, more immediate and temporary remedies include buffing the nails with a mineral buffer (will add shine to the nails but will not really hide the discoloration) and painting the nails with color and polish. Rubbing the nails with freshly grated garlic can help strengthen the nails and eliminate the yellowish tinge. However, this treatment should be used sparingly - about once a week only and only for less than 2 minutes at a time. Wash hands thoroughly after treatment with soap and water. Pat dry and allowed to stay that way (without putting on lotions or moisturizers) for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Only then can you moisturize the skin of the hands with Vitamin E enriched lotion or moisturizer.

3. This problem can also be tackled internally. Increasing one's intake of Vitamin C and E can help speed up the skin renewal process, making the underlying tissues under the skin and nails to come out looking more rejuvenated.

As for the yellowing teeth, it would be best if the person is to consult a dentist. Some home remedies and products may actually do more harm to the weakened enamel of smokers' (or ex-smoker') teeth, causing the gums to look blacker and the enamel more brownish looking.

April Kerr owns website End Smoking Tips which is all about tips on stopping smoking [http://endsmokingtips.com/quit-smoking/tips-on-stopping-smoking.html] and best ways to stop smoking [http://endsmokingtips.com/quit-smoking/best-ways-to-quit-smoking.html].

Make sure to use a safe ladder in order to reach this chandelier. By reading the directions below you should then be able to have a nice, clean chandelier looking good as new!

Start off by turning on lights that are near because you will not be able to use the chandelier lighting once you start to clean it. Turn off the light to the chandelier and put a piece of tape over the switch so nobody will turn the light on. Place plastic bags over any of the light bulbs and wrap a rubber band around it to keep it in place. Make sure to place a cloth underneath the fixture just in case anything drops onto the floor. One way to clean the fixture is to make your own solution or you could buy a special cleaner for your type of chandelier.

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To make the solution you can mix a solution of one part isopropyl alcohol or ammonia in three parts distilled water. Put this solution in a spray bottle. Next, spray every part of the lighting with the solution, avoiding wires and any other electrical spots. Let the cleaning method drip dry, if your fixture is not good to let drip dry then you will have to clean each individual crystal with the spray. You should then remove the plastic bags and rubber bands from the fixture. Make sure not to turn on the chandelier until the day after so it will be completely dry.

Your chandelier should be looking as clean and shiny as new! No more problems trying to clean this, you should be good to go now for a few months until it needs another cleaning.

Visit [http://www.paolettiscleaners.com] for more info.

Please visit [http://www.paolettiscleaners.com] to see more cleaning tips

Many people have an issue with the price of professional dry cleaning. This fact alone has led many to seek out different, less expensive methods such as home dry cleaning treatments. While they provide a cheaper alternative to professional dry cleaning, many remain skeptical as to how effective they really are.

The Process

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Regardless of its name, dry cleaning uses perchloroethylene to remove soil and stains from fabric. It is able to dissolve greases and oils and prevents shrinkage, loss of color, and fabric distortion. The process begins with the pretreatment of spots and stains using special cleaning agents. The garments are then loaded into a machine and washed with perchloroethylene, then pressed and packaged.

Two types of home dry cleaning products exist: with a dryer bag (i.e. Dryel) and without a dryer bag (i.e. Dry Cleaner's Secret). Both processes begin with removing spots with the provided spot remover before either placing the garments into either the dryer bag or directly into the dryer along with the cleaning cloth, depending on the product. When the garments come out of the dryer they are wrinkle-free and typically require no other treatment.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Professional dry cleaning has obvious benefits, obvious drawbacks, and less obvious drawbacks that need to be brought to light.

When you bring your clothes to a professional dry cleaner, you can typically expect nothing less than perfect. Your clothes will most likely be clean and stain-free, and all the wrinkles pressed out. The entire process is more precise and thorough than the alternative at-home dry cleaning methods. You get what you pay for. Speaking of which, the cost of professional dry cleaning is a major drawback. It's expensive, with prices ranging from nearly four dollars to over twenty dollars, depending on the size of the garment, the fabric and the amount of treatment needed.

A little known fact about the process of professional dry cleaning is that the chemical perchloroethylene poses health risks to both the people handling the garments while they are being cleaned, and the customers who wear the clothes afterward.

Home dry-cleaning is a cheaper alternative. It costs less than fifty cents per garment to dry clean at home if everything is done correctly. It also freshens and removes wrinkles in one simple process without the use of harmful chemicals. The biggest drawback is that home dry cleaning kits cannot remove stains that are larger than a dime and sometimes need to be touched-up after the first cycle.

The Verdict

The truth of the matter is that deciding between professional dry cleaning and home dry cleaning is a matter preference, budget, and necessity. If you have heavy or large stains, professionals can do the best job, but if you know that your local dry cleaner uses chemicals that may be harmful to your health then you might want to avoid using their service. If you have smaller stains or simply need to refresh a piece of clothing, then home dry cleaning is your best bet.

~Ben Anton

Want to learn more about dry cleaning at-home? You can read more on this article on our comprehensive home dry cleaning website.

Cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar is definitely not the best approach. Installing hardwood flooring is typically an expensive proposition and you want to make sure that you take care of it so that it looks fantastic for many years to come. Thus it's important to learn a few do's and don'ts to protect your investment.

There are three basic enemies of polyurethane finished hardwood floors, vinegar is only one of them.

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Wax, Oil or Perfumed Hardwood Floor Cleaners:

The largest misconception in the industry is that floor cleaners can restore a dull polyurethane finish to its original shine. This is just not true. It is possible to remove a layer of grime or whatever that has built up over time and reveal the original shiny finish if it is still in good shape. But proper hardwood floor cleaners are designed to leave NO residue on the floor, thus you can only work with what you have in the first place.

Any floor cleaner that suggests it "shines" your floor must be leaving behind an oil or wax. It looks great on the day of application but leads to future problems. It is difficult to remove and prevents the adhesion of new finishes if you do in fact get to a point that you want to refinish to your hardwood floor. It forces you into a labour-intensive waxed floor maintenance regime that your mother was always trying to get away from.

Water, Your Floor's Worst Enemy!

Most floors today are factory finished. That means that the finish starts and stops at the edges of every board. In the dry seasons of the year your wood floor shrinks, leaving pathways between boards allowing water penetration. Thus it is highly recommended NOT to wet mop a floor and risk leaving a puddle of water sitting in these cracks that will cause your floor to swell and discolor. It is much better to use a terry cloth mop and spray a light mist of cleaner or water onto the mop or the floor.

Vinegar, To Do or Not?

And lastly should you use vinegar? Remember that cleaning a hardwood floor is all about cleaning NOT WOOD, but rather the chemical finish on the wood. You know by experience that anything acidic will etch chemical finishes. Now I'll agree that vinegar is a very mild acid and floor finishes today are extremely tough, but when cleaning hardwood floor with vinegar, used weekly, over years of application it will leave microscopic surface scratches that cause the light to deflect in strange ways and reduce overall shine. If there are better "neutral" cleaning products available why take the chance?

Read more about the 7 essential maintenance issues on how to clean hardwood floors so that they stay looking beautiful for your lifetime.

Karen Lacasse draws on 25+ years of woodworking experience, both as a woodworking teacher and industrial woodworker/owner of Lacasse Fine Wood Products. She is the author behind http://woodsthebest.com where you will find articles and resources to help with all your buying decisions for Hardwood Flooring. She designs woodworking craft patterns and shares her wood crafting knowledge.

With so many vacuum cleaners on the market today how can a consumer know what one to buy for house cleaning purposes? It is never easy to sort out the pros and cons but that is an excellent starting point to begin the search for the best vacuum. I have researched the market and spent many hours pondering which machine would be the best. I wrote a list of what was important to me before researching what was available. I did not do the research because I love vacuum cleaners but instead because I use and depend on them everyday in our cleaning business. Vacuum cleaners come in two basic types as most people know an upright and a canister.

In today's market some vacuum cleaner companies make a backpack vacuum, which as the name suggests is a vacuum that straps to your back. A few home cleaning service companies use a backpack vacuum but that is not a usual choice for a home owners use. Why carry a vacuum on your back when there is no need to? My research brought to light one brand of vacuum that consistently scored higher than the rest and most of the time at the number one spot.

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What were important to me were several criteria.

First, the machine must do an excellent job picking up dirt, dust, and debris. As you can imagine, our customers would be upset if their floors were not clean after we completed our work.

Second, the machine should be durable and dependable. I have used machines that are a waste time because the belts break frequently or the hose clogs easily.

Third, the vacuum must be light. Home cleaning is a physically challenging endeavor especially when doing several in a day. Usually cleaning the floor is the most physical part of our daily house cleaning work. We have clients that purchased the wrong machine for home use. Little or no thought went into how difficult it would be to lift the heavy machine they own to the second and third floors. Pushing a heavy vacuum around from room to room can be a drag if the machine is too heavy.

Forth, ease of use was important to me. Bending over to wrap a cord up every time you are done is not what I would consider for a vacuum cleaner as easy to use, especially when there are other options available.

Fifth, good vacuums come with a HEPA filter. If you suffer from asthma or allergies a HEPA filter will keep your air clean. I can still remember as a child the smell of dirt and dust in the air after mom was done vacuuming around our home. All professional house cleaning service companies use machines with true HEPA filtration.

We tested and daily use the Miele canister vacuum. At this time they discontinued their flagship model vacuum which went by the name Blue Moon but they still have many top of the line models to choose from. All their vacuums have many features that will help you to do the job easier and quicker. Check their web site at milele.com for all your your vacuum needs.

Mr. Maid Cleaning is a family owned Pittsburgh based residential and commercial cleaning company. Go to http://www.mr-maid.com and sign up to receive your free monthly newsletter.

One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it's a blessing to make money doing something they love. I'm not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn't hate it.

How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.

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Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.

1) Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.

Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won't do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.

2) Pricing your housecleaning service.

To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.

3) Workout startup costs.

For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.

Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).

Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.

Once you've gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.

4) Name your business.

Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, 'Maid Brigade', 'All Shine Cleaning', 'White Glove Cleaning Service'. Please avoid using 'Your Name Cleaning Services'. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.

5) Learn the zoning regulations of your community.

Check the city clerk's Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.

6) Do a few free cleaning jobs.

Well you're not actually doing them for free. You're doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.

7) Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.

Tell everyone you know that you've started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.

This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.

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You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. fayolap@yahoo.com

About The Author

Fayola Peters is the webmaster of housecleaning-tips.com. To find more information about a house business cleaning course check out her website at http://www.housecleaning-tips.com.

fayolap@yahoo.com

If you are thinking about starting your own house cleaning business, begin by evaluating your present circumstances. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but how you reply will affect what you do.

How much strength and stamina do you have? If you have lots, you can schedule more house cleaning jobs than someone who is more average in these ways.

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What times of the week are you available? If you have a job, weekly meetings of any kind, or children that you want or need to be with at certain times, draw up a schedule of when you can be available for your new house cleaning business. Don't worry if there are only a small number of hours per week that you can work right now. That will be enough to get you started, and you will be glad of the income.

Do you want to work alone or with your partner or another friend? If you have someone compatible to work with, it can be more fun to work together. Also, it can make it easier if you or your co-worker gets sick or has a family emergency come up.

There are many ways to get customers, and none of them have to cost much. Here are several:

Go to a local copy shop and have some business cards made up. (Or make them yourself on your computer if you happen to know how. Office supply stores sell boxes of cardstock already perforated for business card size. You'd need a program capable of making business cards.) Give these cards out and post them in grocery stores, laundromats, etc.

With a computer and a word processing program (or a poster-making program, if you happen to have one), you can make a one-page or half-page flyer that says something like: "Don't Have Time to Do It All? Let Lou's House Cleaning Business Make Your House Shine! Special Introductory Half-Price Offer!" Be sure to include your name, phone number, even your email if you have one that you check every day. Indicating your prices will get you more calls. Don't set your prices too low, a common tendency for new business owners.

Tell everyone you know. Get on the phone and tell your friends. Place a small classified ad in a local shopper-type paper.

Okay, you will soon be getting customers. How will you actually do the house cleaning? What tools do you need to start with? There are probably as many different answers to this as there are people who have started a house cleaning business. Here are some ways to decide what you will do: Poke around on the internet. Ask your mother. Go to a library or bookstore and read.

You may need to get a business license. Check with the city, town, or county, where you live. This rarely costs much.

So there you have it. You can start your own house cleaning business. Go for it!

Rosana Hart tells you more about cleaning houses and offices for a living at her website, http://infoandhelp.com. It also has links to further information about all the details of how to start a house cleaning business.

Cleaning Up A Messy House Can Be Fun

When you were growing up did your parents require you to clean up the house but didn't show you how to do it? Did you want to tell your parents you needed further instruction but they expected you to instantly know what "Clean the house!" meant? Well, that's unfortunate. Maybe there was a reason...

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Your Parents Might Have Been Confused

Suppose that your parents were really aliens from another planet. Is that possible? Anything is possible...maybe you can imagine that your alien parents LOVED to goof off playing video games like Pong and Pac Man instead of cleaning house. Yeah, I'm sure that's possible. Ok. Maybe not...

How Do We Clean A Messy House On Earth?

We find a way to enjoy cleaning. So sorry your ITZADILLY parents were clueless. So, here's one of my best messy house cleaning tips. You can use it no matter how old you are now.

Best Tip To Enjoy Cleaning Up A Messy House

Make a game of cleaning.

Pretend you are 5 years old with your Fairy Godmother (FG). The two of you are wearing your lucky hats. The rules for enjoying cleaning up a messy house are that you do a lot of laughing.

Your FG says, "Let's set the timer for 90 seconds. The first one who collects the most red things up off the floor in the bathroom gets to make funny faces in the mirror. What do you think of that idea?"

You make a face of disapproval like a little kid would do, but then you say with great delight, "OKAY!"

Your FG says, "Okay, ready, set, go!"

You and your FG race to the bathroom. The both of you are trying to squish into the small bathroom. FG is darting her eyes left, then right, looking for something red. There's nothing on the floor that's red. She's grabs a blue flip flop.

"FG, you said red stuff on the floor."

"I know, I know. But I'm feeling desperate here. I LOVE to win!" Then, you both burst out laughing. You grab the flip flop from FG's hand and say, "I win!"

FG grabs the flip flop from you and says jokingly, "Uh uh." and runs out of the bathroom clinging it in her right hand. You fall down laughing on the toilet seat and say, "This is the funnest time I've ever had cleaning up!"

Did you like that method of cleaning a messy house? Well, there's plenty more where THAT came from. AND, it's all in your MIND. Imagine the possibilities!

The "Wandering Butterfly Clean Up Technique" is a wonderful way to make it easy to clean up. It is excellent to use when you don't feel like cleaning up, yet you get something done! To receive the free document, click here http://www.easykeytoclutter.com

Many clutterers benefit from the gentle, easy and empowering process of hypnotherapy, especially with a hypnotherapist who specializes in clutter. Beverly E. Taylor, the "Clean Up Queen" is the only person in the world who has written a book using hypnosis to help people easily clean up clutter.

Nobody wants to be taking a shower or a bath, cleaning themselves up, only to look up and see a dirty, scummy shower curtain. Unfortunately, your shower curtain is going to get dirty. Being in such damp conditions and with such soap scum build up - well, you're going to have a dirty shower curtain on your hands. Luckily, there are some things that you can do to clean up your shower curtain.

You can wash your shower curtain in your basic everyday clothes washer. Just use about 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of bleach. Then add white towels and a regular amount of your normal laundry detergent and run the machine. Also use some liquid fabric softener. Do not run your machine on hot - plastic shower curtains could melt.

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When you're done washing your shower curtain, do not place it in the dryer (again, it could melt). Instead, simply hang it up in its regular place on the shower rod and let it drip dry.

No matter what your shower curtain is made out of, fabric, vinyl, or plastic, you can stick it in the washing machine with a cup of baking soda instead of bleach and vinegar. It is also a good idea to read the label on your shower curtain to check for any warnings or suggestions.

If you soak your shower curtain in salt water, it will prevent mildew (although, it could leave small crystals on your curtain if you use too much salt). Before hanging shower curtains, soak in vinegar or salt water solutions to prevent mold and mildew. To remove mold and mildew, wash in hot soapy water with a little bit of bleach. For plastic curtains, clean with laundry pre-wash spray. Spray along the top, letting it run down to cover the curtain. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bathroom decor and cleaning tips, please visit Shower Curtains.

Dust seems to be everywhere, especially when you hate to dust. It accumulates in a home at an amazing pace.

Obviously, dusting has to be done. Here's how to keep dusting time down to the bare minimum.

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First, always remember to dust top-down. You should always start with cobwebs on the ceiling, then move to fixtures, then high shelves, then tables and furniture, then finally chairs.

The next thing to do in your battle against dust is to break out the vacuum. The floor is your next surface. It seems weird to think of dusting a floor, but when you vacuum that's pretty much what you are doing. When you dust surfaces, all of the dust you remove that doesn't cling to your duster or cloth ends up on the floor. If you vacuum after you dust, you'll keep the dust from resettling on the surfaces in your home.

Another important thing to remember is that dry dust cloths don't do a very good job. In general, they just move the dust around, rather than removing any of it. You should be using a wet dust cloth, not a dry one, so that dust will cling.

When you wet your cloth, wring it back out. The goal is that it will be wet and dust will cling to it. You don't want it sopping wet and making the dust into mud! If the cloth gets too dirty, you may need to change it out or clean it before continuing.

The best idea is to try to cut down the amount of dust that is going to accumulate in your house in the first place. A good air filter will really help cut down on the dust you'll see in your home, as will not smoking in your home. And remember to air out the home every so often. Open your windows and let air flow through, this really helps.

If you are still finding yourself spending a lot of time dusting, or looking at everything you have to dust and giving up, ask yourself if you have a clutter or knickknack issue. If you can't stay on top of your dusting because of too many knickknacks, get rid of some of them. Knickknacks have become clutter when they are hard to maintain and just collecting dust.

In addition to the information on fad diets, read articles on the sugar glider cages and rabbit cage on my blog.

If you are getting ready to sell your home and you want to make it look great and improve the value of your home at the same time, you should look into grout cleaning. Often, grout cleaning is something that is overlooked when people are getting ready to sell their homes, but the payoff is great it they take the time to have grout cleaning done. Tile can look very good or very bad depending on the grout that is between the tiles, so in order to make your tile look great you will want to have grout cleaning performed in your home.

Better Looks:

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One reason that grout cleaning can help you add value to your home is because of the way it looks. When people are looking at your home and they see tile that has grout that is moldy or that looks very dirty, they will probably think that the tile is quite old, even if it is not. On the other hand, grout that is clean and looking great can make the tile look newer and make people think that it is worth more. If you want the grout in your home to look its best, you need to have grout cleaning done to make it look great to those who will be viewing your home.

Bad Grout Cleaning Can Cost You:

If you want to add value to your home, you will want to make sure that your grout cleaning is done by a professional in grout cleaning that knows what he or she is doing. You may be tempted to use some do-it-yourself methods on your grout or to use some method of grout cleaning that you heard about on TV. It is important to note that if you mess up when you are grout cleaning, it will probably cost you money. Doing grout cleaning by yourself can lead to ruining the grout or making it look even worse. If you ruin the grout, you may have to have it fixed, which can cost you a great deal of money. If you want to cash in on the benefits of grout cleaning, you should let a professional do the job.

Cleanliness Lets People Know You Care:

Another reason that grout cleaning can add value to your home is that when people see that you care about keeping things clean, they know that you have cared for the home and are more willing to pay more money for it. If a home looks like no one has cared about keeping it clean, even a home of great value can go for a much cheaper price. A home that is kept clean and looks like it has been cared for can get a great deal more money on the market, and grout cleaning is a great way to make your home look clean and cared for. Even if your home is clean, grout that is dirty can make the rest of your home look dirty as well. Grout cleaning is a simple way to help your whole home look clean and cared

Carpet Cleaning of Dallas performs grout cleaning in the Dallas Texas area. http://www.dfwcarpetcleaning.com

Solar panel cleaning is usually the last thing on a prospective green candidate's mind when it comes to installing a solar panel system on their home or business. It is more common to think about how much the cost of the system will be and the potential energy savings.

Does dirty panels really matter?

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The external surfaces of your panels are designed to capture sunlight and convert that to usable electricity so anything that hinders the ability of the panels to capture sunlight will decrease the amount of generated electricity. This decrease will cut into your energy savings. Unlike a car that can be left dirty for months at a time with no impact, your solar panels will perform less efficiently.

What makes solar panels dirty?

A solar panel system is typically mounted high atop a home or business leaving it susceptible to all elements of nature. Dirt, which comes is many forms, has the biggest impact. Dirt can be loose soil or sand from the ground, dust, or grime. All of which becomes airborne potentially mixing with other substances in the air and eventually finding its way onto your solar panels. During the nighttime, moisture becomes a problem leading to water spots facilitating quicker accumulation of dirt. Bugs, insects, and bird droppings are yet more nuisance creating further maintenance needs.

Solar Panel Cleaning Solutions

One option for keeping your solar panels clean is to roll up your sleeves and get a good cleaning kit to help you easily and quickly clean your panels. The frequency of cleaning depends on your neighborhood and how quickly your solar panels get dirty.

Another option would be to employ an automated cleaning system that will clean your solar panels at a set interval. An automated cleaning system is a good option to cut down on the cleaning care for your system but will add to the overall cost of your solar panel system.

Lastly, you can consider a cleaning service with a local service provider.

Deciding which options are best suited for your needs depends largely on the impact to your energy savings. If your solar panels get dirty on a frequent basis, then you'll benefit from an automated cleaning system. On the other hand, for areas of less dirt saturation, manual care or periodic cleaning service makes more sense.

If you are serious about maximizing your energy savings, visit Solar Panel Cleaning [http://www.solarpanelcleaningcare.com] for solar panel cleaning kits and other cleaning solutions.