Archive for the ‘Cleaning’ Category
How Do I Clean Antique Furniture
There are hundreds of channels on televisions now with people watching things we never would have imagined just a couple of decades ago. We have several 24-hour news networks, a station devoted entirely to food, a dozen or more stations with 24-hour sports, another focused on cartoons, even one entirely with soap operas.
One of the things that has become popular in recent years is a show called Antiques Roadshow. It has taught people that there are many things out there with a long history, they can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and with care these antiques may last for a long time as collectibles. Taking care of these antiques properly is very important. After all, nobody would put a several thousand dollar baseball card in the spokes of their child’s bicycle tire. Why would you ruin perfectly good, expensive antiques that have been around for years or even generations? Some easy tips to keep antiques looking nice are to dust frequently with a soft cloth, polish with orange or lemon oils, and use steps to preserve it.
Since antiques are by definition old, they are often more delicate than most pieces of furniture or other household decorations. Because of this, most chemicals or in many cases even water is not recommended. The easiest alternative is to dust your antiques frequently with a soft and clean cloth. Spending a few minutes per day dusting an antique will keep you from having to use rougher cleaning methods.
Occasionally use a bit of lemon oil on wood antiques to keep it from drying out. Wood looks best right after it is oiled. You can do this with any just about any wood. Just dampen the rag or paper towel with the oil and apply that to all wood surfaces. Do this every month or so and wood will look new and the lemon or orange has the added benefit of making the house smell clean.
The hardest part about keeping antiques looking nice is preserving it. They are probably starting to wear out and fade and it may be tempting to refinish them. In reality the best thing to do is do what museums do. Keep antiques out of direct sunlight, be sure to wipe up spills immediately, and keep the temperature and humidity in the house as consistent as possible. And do not refinish them if you plan to sell an antique. Generally an imperfect antique is worth more money than one that was refinished. Leave the little blemishes, it gives the item character, a history.
Antiques make wonderful collectibles. Like all collectibles they need to be treated well to keep their value and to look good for years to come. Be gentler with them by dusting with just a soft cloth. Use oils like Old English on wood rather than polishes. And sure to preserve antiques as much as possible. That way they will look great for future generations or will hold their value if you ever need to sell them.
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Vinyl Upholstery Cleaning
Regular vinyl upholstery cleaning will prevent problems and keep your upholstery looking great for many years. Vinyl is a popular material for upholstery and it has several attributes that make it used in furniture and vehicles.
Tools and Materials Used
- Vacuum cleaner
- Soft cloth
- Water
- Mild dish-washing liquid
- Protective finish
Step 1 – Vacuum the Upholstery Once a Week
Regular vacuuming of your vinyl upholstery will keep it free of dirt particles and dust buildup. It will also keep it smelling fresher. Use a soft brush attachment for vacuuming, so that you can avoid damage to the upholstery. The recommended interval between upholstery vacuuming is usually a week for low traffic areas and a couple of days if the furniture is used a lot. Make sure you vacuum thoroughly, going through all the creases and folds where dust buildup tends to stay hidden.
Step 2 – Clean Spills Immediately
To avoid long term damage and staining, one of the most important things is to take care of spilt liquids immediately. Vinyl is largely resistant to moisture and stains, but leaving spilt food items, juice or coffee on the upholstery for a long time may leave long term marks or stains. As soon as a spill happens, use a soft moist cloth to wipe it off. Repeat a couple of times and then use a dry cloth to remove excess moisture. Leaving the upholstery damp will result in a loss of sheen over time and can also lead to cracks on the surface. Mineral spirits can take care of tougher stains that do not come off with dish-washing liquid.
Step 3 – Use Appropriate Cleaners
Avoid using harsh commercial cleaners or abrasive materials on the vinyl. A good cleaning product that is also safe on vinyl is a mix of warm water and mild dish-washing liquid. Mix the two thoroughly till you have enough lather. Apply only the lather on the vinyl upholstery and avoid wetting it with the soap solution.
Step 4 – Deep Clean Occasionally
Deep cleaning vinyl upholstery will keep it in good condition for a longer amount of time. Before cleaning the entire upholstery, clean a small spot in an inconspicuous area such as the back or the underside. Leave the cleaning material on for a few minutes while scrubbing the test spot. Wipe clean and remove all residue. After some time, inspect the test area to ensure that there is no fading, dulling or damage done. If so, you can proceed to clean the upholstery with the cleaner. Clean in small zones, using a soft brush or sponge to apply the cleaner. Use a soft damp cloth to remove the residue left behind. Follow up with a dry cloth to remove all the moisture.
Step 5 – Protect from Fading and Cracking
A special finish that protects vinyl upholstery is a good investment. Such finishes are available in most home improvement stores. Spraying the finish over the upholstery keeps it in good condition and also reduces the incidence of cracking, peeling and fading.
Water for Your Family
We understand that family is the most important thing for everyone. That is why we just do everything we can to give what our loved ones needs and wants. We also go to great lengths just to be able to protect them and keep them away from harm. And we do that in our homes. In this safe shelter, we are assured that all family members are free to do whatever they like without being in danger.
But how about if one of the life-sustaining necessities we give out family is contaminated. No one wants to give their loved ones water that will have them sick. That is why it is important to make sure that water for drinking is always clean and safe. That is why there are water cleaning chemicals that are specifically manufactured to keep drinking water for our family free from any harmful germs and bacteria that can make them sick. Chemicals like flocculants, enzymes, pH control, corrosion inhibitors, coagulants and other custom formulas can be used to clean water that our family will consume.
Water is such a life-giving thing. That’s why we should always be sure that we give them to our family in it cleanest and safest. This way, we make sure that our loved ones will always live a happy and healthy life.
Cleaning Your Bathroom Without Toxic Chemicals!
Have you ever read the warnings on the back of cleaning products? How about the ingredients? It all sounds scary and worse yet, it is bad for your health. But most people feel, as I did, that in order to thoroughly clean and disinfect one’s bathroom, toxic chemical cleaners were the way to go. However, as Washington contemplates tougher regulations on household cleaning products and more evidence points to a correlation between household cleaners and aliments like cancer, we need to rethink cleaning so it is safe for us and the environment.
I have seen a lot of dirty bathrooms and bathtubs. When I need to clean tough water stains and soap build-up off of bathtub, I reach for my vinegar, Borax, and baking soda. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and removes many water stains. For really tough water stains and grime, I use a cocktail of a paste made out of Borax, baking soda, and vinegar. I recently cleaned a bathtub which had not been thoroughly cleaned in around 6 months. The fixtures had hard water build-up on them and the tub, which had been refinished several years before, was discolored from kids’ toys rubbing on them.
I started by mixing about 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of baking soda with a 1/4 cup of vinegar in the base of the tub. Next, I took a regular scouring pad, wet it with water and dipped it into the paste of Borax, baking soda and vinegar and went to work scrubbing. I repeated the process until the entire tub had been covered with the cleaning cocktail. Some areas, like the fixtures, I worked longer on as they were water stained and had hard water build-up around them. Next I rinsed the tub with water. This all took around 30 minutes and afterward, the tub looked new, the fixtures were sparkling chrome again and best of all, no fumes! All of these products can easily be purchased at any local grocery store in the baking isle.
Upholstery Dry Cleaning vs. Steam Cleaning
Upholstery dry cleaning is essential to keeping your upholstered fabrics looking new and keeping them fresh. You do have the option of dry cleaning or steam cleaning. Here are comparisons to help you decided which method will work best for your upholstered fabrics.
1 – Steam Cleaning
This is the method that is usually recommended by the upholstery makers. This is because it deep cleans, as opposed to other methods that only clean the surface. In other words, if you have an upholstered chair, only steam cleaning will extract any dirt from beneath the upholstery fabric, removing the dirt from the padding below. This is also a preferred method because the dirt that is extracted is contained in a tank and will not allow it to fly around the air in your home.
2 – Dry Cleaning
The method has no drying time, which is a plus to many people. The upholstery is covered with a powder that is damp which contains detergent and a solvent. It is then rubbed into the surface to loosen debris, and then vacuumed out. As discussed above, this method will only clean the surface of your upholstery, but is a good option if your upholstery is not heavily soiled and you are just wanting to remove the dust and freshen the fabric.