6 Items Many Neglect to Replace


Do you have the tendency to collect items, never letting them go? Or maybe you tend to get as much use out of items as you can, keeping them longer than perhaps recommended, before replacing them?


No one wants to be wasteful, yet there are many items you use that should be replaced on a regular basis, on a schedule. While there could be dozens of items like this, today we will concentrate on just six everyday items that need to be regularly replenished, for a variety of reasons.
Sponges
Sponges are great tools we use for cleaning surfaces, and some of those surfaces can be quite germy. While the appearance of your sponge may be acceptable, you should replace it every 3-4 weeks.
Toothbrushes


Advice for changing your toothbrush comes from a solid source. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), replace your toothbrush every three to four months. If you use a battery powered toothbrush, you should change the bristles on a similar basis.


Toilet brush


You use these to clean toilets. Enough said. Change them every six months, or even more often in a busy household.


Water filters


Filters that supply your drinking water can be found attached to your water spigots, and in your refrigerator, among other uses. Most manufacturers recommend replacing filters every six months. While some can taste the change in water when a filter is dirty and not effective, don’t base frequency on this. Follow a schedule.


Pillows


Pillows are meant to be comfortable and usually used just by you, but they are also a reservoir of dead skin, hair, and other potential contaminants. Replace them every one to two years, even if you really love your pillow.


Fire extinguishers


This is a no-joke type of monitoring and replacement because a fire extinguisher is meant to save your life. It is recommended to change them every 12 years, and recharge them halfway through their life. Keep an eye on the pressure, making sure it isn’t losing strength as it sits unused, which is how you want fire extinguishers to exist. Never used.


Replacing items that can go bad, or have expired, is an act of cleaning, tidying things up, keeping your home in optimal operating condition. And when it comes to cleaning, you can get excellent advice from your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Does Carpet Cleaning Kill Fleas?


With spring weather comes all types of pests, from those emerging from hibernation to those who thrive in warm weather. And some of them end up where they don’t belong: In your home.


One pest that tends to really stick around when it invades your home is the flea. The world has some 2,000 types of fleas, and they are found virtually everywhere. And when you spot one, you might notice how fast they are. They are said to have an acceleration rate some 50 times faster than a rocket. They seem to fly, but they are really jumping, and more than a foot in distance at times.


Fleas live by consuming blood, as their main meal. If you have a dog or cat, which is a flea’s best friend and food source, and your pets go outside, odds are you will face a flea in your home from time to time. And even if you have no pets, they can attach to you when you venture outside and come back in.


The big question is, how do you get rid of fleas? Many feel that laundering items and deep cleaning the home will do the trick. And since your pets lay on the carpet, a good carpet cleaning should kill fleas.


That’s not entirely true.


Fleas are tough. If you try to submerge one in water and let it go, it will pop out and survive. If you clean a surface, normal soap and water won’t kill them, either. While steam cleaning a carpet may kill some fleas, there is no guarantee that the entire flea infestation will be handled.


You must remember that, depending on the state, province, or area you live in, killing fleas falls under the pesticide umbrella. A licensed pest control expert is the best qualified professional to handle a flea infestation issue.


That doesn’t mean there isn’t value in having your carpet cleaned, especially by a professional. A thorough, professional deep cleaning of your carpet will physically remove many contaminants, from soils to bacteria and even fleas and their larvae. The hot water, detergent, and physical action of cleaning flushes them out. What you have remaining is a nice, fresh, clean carpet. And don’t forget to launder other items that may have fleas.


It's especially important to have your home cleaned after the pest control expert has done his work.


Do the right thing. Call your favorite cleaning company with any questions. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Dust Control Made Easy


The amount of dust that builds up in a home varies greatly from one house to the next. Even the most fastidious of homeowners will have dust somewhere in the house.


Dust itself is complicated because it can come from many different sources. It can be skin cells, pet dander, fibers, soot from your furnace, pollen, even particles known to be carcinogens depending on the air quality where you live. Think about this: Every time you cook something, you put particles in the air, and it has to land somewhere.


Dust. You can’t avoid it. But you can remove it. Here are a few tips to create a dust-free home (well, almost dust-free).


Top to bottom


Most of the time, the best, efficient method to clean is from the top down. It’s how the pros do it and it is a good way to avoid having to clean surfaces twice. Let gravity be your friend. Using quality cloths also traps dust and particles so that will help in the cleaning process as well.


Reaching really high surfaces, such as on the top of cabinets or the top of ceiling fan blades, requires special extension tools. You can always grab a ladder, but think safety first. Using a tool to reach high areas is safer and works great.


Stuff you need


Besides extension tools and quality cloths, using microfiber cloths work well for most because the cloth itself grabs soil and dust and holds onto it. The construction of microfiber cloths positively charges them, which attracts the negatively charged dust. Think magnets. It works! Plus, you can wash microfiber cloths and use them over and over again.


Some prefer natural materials, such as lambswool dusters or cotton cloths. That’s fine, they all work, it just depends on what you want to use.


Compressed air may be necessary to reach into crevices where a cloth or tool just won’t work.


A good vacuum is another tool that helps. With special attachments, vacuuming surfaces picks up dust and collects it all in the vacuum bag.


Keep it dust-free


When you are done, you can also rub a dryer sheet onto surfaces to keep dust from sticking. Many do this with their baseboards, which are very susceptible to dust since they are close to the ground.


And don’t forget, when you need cleaning done right, do the right thing. Call your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!