Fighting Fur


If you have pets, especially cats or dogs, pet hair is a very common and frustrating issue that keeps piling up. Pun intended. It builds up fast on all surfaces, especially fabrics such as furniture and clothing. It sticks to you better than glue and follows you into your car, to work, and everywhere you go.


It’s one of the parts of life we put up with because we love our pets. But there are a few things you can do to limit the amount of hair your pet sheds, and what you can do to clean it up better. Of course, the season impacts how much hair your pets shed, such as the typical spring and fall shedding seasons.


Nutrition first


The first, most impactful tip is to make sure you are feeding your furry friends is good food. Just like people need a solid nutritious diet, so do your pets. Your vet will have plenty to say on this, such as food products that are high in vitamins, minerals, and the proper amount of protein. You can also do some research online and find quality pet food that has supporting reviews. Better diet = less shedding = happier you.


Brushing and grooming


This is a no-brainer, right? The more you brush and groom your pet, the more hair you remove and put in the trash can and the less that ends up on flooring, clothing, furniture, and other surfaces. But besides being good for removing hair, it helps their skin and circulation. Purchase a quality brush designed for quality grooming — and hair collecting as well.


Cleaning up


The most important part of cleaning pet hair from a home is to do it regularly. Have a schedule. Frequent vacuuming of all surfaces, including furniture, will help keep the hair from building up to massive proportions. A quality vacuum with a beater bar is best, and a hand-held version with a beater bar will help with furniture and stairs. Lint rollers, special hair removing brushes, and other tools may help, but nothing beats a good, regular vacuuming of your home. For quick work in a pinch, using a wet rubber glove to wipe surfaces and grab hair works great. Some even use tape, such as the life-saving duct tape version, to remove hair from surfaces that just don’t want to give up their grip.


Of course, the absolute best way to keep your home really clean is to use a professional cleaning service. After all, it pays to call a pro!

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!