Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
There’s no way of telling when we’re all going to be vaccinated against COVID-19, so all we can do for now is follow the safety measures, maintain appropriate social distance, and disinfect our houses regularly. When you can’t do the latter as often as you’d …
The cleanliness and neatness of your home or commercial space can be accomplished through hiring a commercial cleaning firm, as they come with many advantages. Whether it is commercial kitchen and restaurant cleaning, or office cleaning in New York, professional cleaners make your place of …
Owning a pet can bring a lot of joy into a household. Unfortunately, pets can bring plenty of shed animal hair and muddy paw prints into the house as well!
That’s why any pet owner needs to keep on top of their carpet care if they want their carpets to stay in the best possible condition. Here are some top tips for keeping your carpet fresh.
Vacuum Regularly
This one is a must! Get up as much animal hair as you can, as regularly as you can. Make sure that you clear out the filters of the vacuum often as animal hair is great at clogging it up. It will also help to keep on top of any dirt, sand, or dust that can be brought in by cats or dogs after they’ve been outside.
Purchasing a vacuum that specializes in getting up animal fur is can be really helpful if you own a cat or dog. These will be specially designed to pick up animal hairs without clogging, though proper maintenance will be required to keep it working at its best.
Don’t Feed Your Pets On Carpet
It’s best to feed your pets where any spilled food or water can be easily mopped or wiped away. Anywhere that has lino or wood flooring could be suitable.
If you don’t have anywhere else to feed your animals then put a guard down to prevent any spills from getting to your carpet. And if a spill does occur treat it immediately to make sure that there is minimal staining and odor.
Get Your Carpet Professionally Cleaned
Sometimes there’s simply no avoiding it – you need to break out the big guns and have your carpet professionally cleaned. Perhaps the dog tracked in mud before you could wrangle him into the bath or the cat brought his latest hairball up on your prized rug. It is a good idea to get your carpet professionally cleaned at least twice a year if you own pets to keep your carpet at its best.
A professional will be able to remove the smell and stains that can naturally occur when sharing your home with a four-legged friend. Carpet cleaning professionals like Middleton MA Carpet Cleaning Services will make your carpet like new again and can provide specialized services like Oriental rug cleaning which can be invaluable to pet owners.
Groom Your Pet
This can be a real lifesaver for your carpets. Get your pets professionally groomed when you can to reduce the amount of shedding that will go on in the house.
You can also incorporate this into your usual pet care routine by brushing your animals regularly. This will gather any loose hair on the brush and prevent it from going directly onto the carpet.
If your pet is long-haired then this is doubly important. A good routine of grooming at home and professionally can do wonders for your carpet both in terms of hair shedding and odors.
Invest In A Good Odor Remover
All pet owners have likely experienced the odd “accident” with their pets. When this happens you need to make sure you clean up thoroughly and this can be especially difficult with carpet.
Make sure you have a supply of baking soda on hand, which is great for absorbing unpleasant smells – and it won’t break the bank! After you’ve cleaned up the mess and given the area a thorough clean you can simply sprinkle a little onto your carpet. Allow some time for it to absorb the smell and then vacuum up it back up.
This trick can be a lifesaver for when you are between professional cleans, though it is important to get a professional clean as soon as you can after an accident as smells can linger that only a deep clean will reach.
We spend a lot more time in our homes during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lockdown measures. Of course, as much as we all enjoy a nice clean home, it is also really important during this time to keep on top of the cleaning more …
Grilling is a favorite pastime for many, but most people only grill during the warm summer months when the weather is more suitable to have barbecues. Lack of utilization during the winter months can cause your grill to become rusty, worn out, and dirty, and …
Cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen trash can be a messy, but necessary task. It’s important that you clean, disinfect and deodorize it regularly. Make it part of your regular cleaning routine. The more often that you clean it…the better things will be. I personally clean mine once every 2 weeks (deep clean) and spray the inside every time I remove the bag with Lysol spray disinfectant.
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Outside Cleaning:
If possible take the trash can outside for cleaning. Use a garden hose to spray it down (inside and out). Fill it up with about 6″ of water. Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup of white distilled vinegar. Let it sit for 1-2 hours. Put on rubber cleaning gloves and use a sponge to wipe down the inside of the can with the vinegar & water solution. If you’re not a fan of cleaning with vinegar you can certainly use liquid dish washing soap. Dump out the solution. I don’t dump it near the house, garden or flower beds. I take it to a weedy area and dump it out. Use the garden hose to rinse it out.
Follow-up the cleaning process by using a disinfecting wipe to wipe down the outside and lid of your can. I typically will use two wipes to get the coverage that I need. Let air dry. Don’t add your trash bag until the can has completely dried.
Inside Cleaning:
Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup of white vinegar into your trash can. I use the kitchen sink sprayer to add water. Shut the lid and let it sit for 1-2 hours. Let it sit for 1-2 hours. Put on cleaning gloves and use a sponge to wipe down the inside of the can with the vinegar & water solution. Dump the water down your sink drain. Use your sink sprayer to add clean water and rinse out 2-3 times. I like to turn it upside down and sit it over my double kitchen sink to let the water drain out.
While it’s sitting upside down and at a higher level I use 1-2 disinfecting cleaning wipes to wipe down the outside of the can. Let it air dry (completely) before re-bagging.
Deodorizing:
If you have stinky odors that don’t seem to go away here are a few things you can try:
Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda into the can and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Lemon Juice: Pour 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice into the bottom of the can and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Orange Essential Oil: Mix 2 teaspoons of orange essential oil with 2 cups of water. Pour into the can. Shut the lid and let it sit overnight. Rinse out the following day.
Febreze: Febreze is great at removing household odors. Spray it in your can, close the lid and let it sit overnight before re-bagging.
Cleaning Stubborn Stains:
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: I’ve often used the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove light stains from the inside of our trash can.
Comet Cleanser: I’ve been able to remove some touch stains by sprinkling Comet Cleanser onto the stain & letting it sit for an hour. I then go back and scrub with my brush or sponge. Rinse with water once you’re done.
Additional Tips:
I keep old tooth brushes and a few bottle brushes in my cleaning kit. An old tooth brush is great for removing debris around the hinges and a bottle brush can get into those nooks and crannies (where the bottom of the can meets the walls) to remove debris.
Buy an inexpensive toilet bowl cleaning brush and use it to scrub the bottom of your trash can. It’s great for those hard-to-reach areas!
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