Beware of Cold Water!


Cold water has become the default for laundry, and for good reason. It saves energy, lowers utility bills, and keeps dark colors from fading. Modern detergents and machines do impressive work even at lower temperatures, so most of your weekly loads are perfectly happy on a cold cycle. Cold water has its limits, though, and trusting it for every single load can leave germs, grease, and grime behind.
Kitchen towels and dishcloths
These fabrics absorb bacteria from raw meat, produce, and spills every day. Cold water will not kill what lives in the fibers, which means contamination can travel right back to your counters and food prep areas. Wash kitchen towels often in hot water.
Anything greasy or heavily soiled
Grease does not dissolve in cold water. Pretreat oily stains, then run them through a hot cycle so the detergent can actually break down the residue. The same goes for heavily soiled bedding, work clothes, and linens, where cold water struggles to lift embedded dirt.
Cleaning rags and sponges
Reusable rags, sponges, and dusters move germs around your kitchen and bathroom, picking up pathogens like E. coli along the way. A cold cycle around 80 degrees will not sanitize them. Experts recommend at least 140 degrees, so reach for the sanitize setting to keep these tools from spreading what they collect.
Towels, sheets, and baby items
Bath towels and bedding hold dust mites, dead skin, and bacteria, and hot water clears them out far better than a cold rinse. Cloth diapers, crib bedding, and onesies deserve the same treatment, since hot water removes waste, formula stains, and allergens that irritate sensitive skin.
When someone is sick
If a member of your household is contagious, launder their clothing, towels, and bedding separately in hot water. High temperatures help stop illness from spreading through shared laundry.
One smart rule
Always check the care label first, because it overrides every rule of thumb. Some delicates, knits, and bright colors genuinely need cold water to survive a wash without shrinking, stretching, or fading. For everything else that touches food, germs, or grease, give cold water a pass and turn up the heat.



For more cleaning advice and to get some professional help cleaning anything in your home, call your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Beware of Firework Stains!
Nothing caps off a summer night like a backyard fireworks show. The morning after is a different matter. Sparklers, fountains, and smoke bombs leave behind black soot, sulfur residue, and bright dye marks on driveways, sidewalks, and clothing. Most of it will come out, though, as long as you move fast and go at it the right way. Here is how to deal with firework stains before they settle in for good.
Start with prevention
The best way to handle a stain is to keep it from happening in the first place. Set off ground fireworks on a sheet of wet plywood, a piece of metal, or a tarp instead of right on the concrete. That one barrier catches the residue, protects the surface underneath, and spares you most of the scrubbing the next day.
Cleaning concrete and sidewalks
Black powder soaks into porous concrete fast, so deal with the marks as soon as the area cools off. Mix three parts water to one part bleach, then pour it over the stain and let it soak for about five minutes. Scrub hard with a stiff-bristle brush, then rinse with clean water. Tough marks might take a second pass to come up all the way.
When a stain won’t budge
Sun and rain are natural bleaching agents. If a faint mark is still there after you scrub, the weather will usually fade it over the next few weeks with no effort on your part. Sometimes waiting it out is the cheapest fix, although it can be tough to live with it for that period of time.
Rescuing stained clothing
Treat clothing right away, before the stain has a chance to set. Coat the spot with liquid detergent or a prewash stain spray, then let it sit for up to 2 hours. Wash the item in the hottest water the fabric can safely withstand, then hang it to air-dry. Heat from the dryer can lock in whatever is left, so check the garment before it goes in and rewash if needed. For dye marks from smoke bombs, white vinegar or oxygen bleach can pull out color that regular detergent leaves behind.
For the best tips on cleaning just about anything, or to bring in professional help, call your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Beware of Pipe Blockages
Your kitchen sink and bathroom drains handle a lot every day, but they're not as tough as they look. What goes down those pipes matters—and the wrong stuff can lead to serious, costly clogs that back up into your home.
The grease problem
Cooking grease is one of the biggest culprits behind blocked pipes. It may look liquid when you pour it down the sink after cooking, but once it cools inside your pipes, it stiffens and sticks to the pipe walls. Over time, layer by layer, that grease narrows the pipe—and eventually seals it off. Bacon drippings, butter, cooking oils, and even the fatty residue from meat are all the same stories. Let that grease cool in a container, then toss it in the trash.
Garbage disposals aren't a catch-all
A garbage disposal is a convenience, not a solution for everything. Potato peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, pasta, rice, and fibrous vegetables like celery can all jam or slowly damage your disposal and clog the pipes below it. And grease? Still a problem—even with a disposal running. The best rule: when in doubt, throw it out.
Don't forget the bathroom
Hair is another major drain villain. A little here, a little there, and before long you've got a thick mat of hair tangled with soap scum sitting in your shower or tub drain. Inexpensive drain covers and hair catchers can save you a headache. Make it a habit to clean them out regularly.
Other bathroom offenders include so-called "flushable" wipes (they're not, really), cotton balls, and excess toothpaste or product buildup.
When a clog happens
Even careful households can end up with a slow drain. If you notice water draining sluggishly or backing up, that's the time to call a professional—before a partial clog becomes a full blockage or a pipe problem.
A little awareness about what goes down your drains goes a long way toward keeping your home's plumbing healthy and your floors dry.
When bad things happen
There are times when a blockage or other drain issue causes a backup and impacts other surfaces, such as carpet or hard flooring, leaving tough soils or stains. When that happens, it’s time to call in the cavalry. Do the right thing and contact your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!