Best Way To Tackle Cleaning

Do you have one of those really big, filthy, completely disorganized cleaning jobs to get after? It it that one client you really dislike? Worse yet, is it your house? Either way, you can tackle it quickly and efficiently is you are organized and know "how" to approach cleaning a big job, room by room and through each room. Here's how! First, make a checklist. Put on there everything you need to do. If it looks to long just keep adding items. Take it with you in your pocket to every room and a pencil, too. The idea is to cross off everything you finish so you get a great sense of accomplishement as you move through the house. It also reminds you of things you might forget so you never have to go backwards. Always start at one end of the house and work your way to the other. If its multiple stories start at the top and work your way down. If its one level, start in the bedrooms and work you way to the kitchen. In each room, always clean top to bottom. Start at the ceilings with cobwebs and spider webs and work your way down the walls, windows and to the floors. Wash walls, windows and then vacuum. After vacuuming dust. When you dust, start at the top and work down. Be mobile and prepared. Take all your cleaning tools with you into each room. Avoid unnecessary trips back and forth. Unplug the phone and turn off the T.V. Eliminate clutter as you go, too. An uncluttered home looks better than one that is dust-free but strewn with odds and ends. A house that smells fresh will give the impression of cleanliness. Leave baking soda on carpeting for the night to absorb musty odors, vacuum in the morning. Place natural soy candles scented with oils around the house. Lightly scented but not overpowereing cleaners will give your house that special "nose sparkle" clean, fresh scent. Keep a big mat on both front and back porches to cut down on tracked in dirt. Keep a basket in the kitchen for the mail, newspaper, car keys to help with clutter. Keep a hamper in every bathroom and in each child's room. Check your checklist off at this point and your finished!! About the author: Joyce Jackson writes, and publishes fresh, real and easy house cleaning tips so you can clean faster, clean better. More comprehensive and simple tips are found on her website:http://www.theonlinemaid.com

Bagged Versus Bagless

As with most things in life, there is really nothing
free. The two most claimed advantages to bagless
vacuum cleaners were lower operating costs and
better performance. As far as the cost issues go,
all vacuums must filter the exhausting air they use
to carry the dirt into the collection area, as they
would otherwise simply pick the dirt up from the
floor and spit it right back out.

Whether you have a bagless HEPA filter, a pre-filter,
or disposable bags, they all need to be changed at
some point. With the average life of a vacuum
cleaner, you can expect to spend the same on either
collection system for filters, but if you value your
time, you can expect to spend quite a bit more on
a bagless system.

To keep your bagless vacuum cleaner operating at
peak levels, you'll need to empty the dirt container
when it is full and perform regular maintenance on
the filter. The type of filter the vacuum uses will
determine just how much service will be required,
although most use a pleated HEPA filter.

Cleaning
Even though the claim of better airflow performance
with bagless vacuums is true in a sense, over the
life of the vacuum you'll get the same, or maybe
even better performance from a bagged vacuum cleaner
system.

With bagged vacuum cleaners, the performance will
start at 100% with each new bag then slowly drop
as the bag starts to fill. Just how quickly the
performance drops depends on how well the bag is
constructed. With the average vacuum and the average
bag, you may replace the bag every 3 - 4 weeks
with 90% of performance the first week, 70% in
weeks 2 and 3, then 50% of less in the fourth week.

The short cycle will insure that you get a 100%
peak cleaning every 3 or 4 weeks from the vacuum
cleaner. The filtered cyclonic machines have
filters that are designed to last 6 months, 12
months, and even up to 18 months before they need
to be replaced.

Pets
If you have dogs or cats, whether you see it or
not, almost all domestic animals shed their fur
on a regular basis throughout their lives. Pet
owners often wonder as well, which vacuum is the
best to remove pet hair.

For pretty much the same reasons that fur sticks
to the carpet, it will also stick to your bagless
vacuum's pleated filter cartridge. The fur will
reduce the performance of airflow, and is also a
pain in the neck to clean off the filter.

Over time, the fiber that makes up the filter can
retain odor from pets, even if you clean the
filter well. If your filter requires replacing
only once a year, you could end up with a vacuum
that spits odors that will stink up your house
pretty bad.

Bagged up
Those vacuums that use bags will often provide
for neat disposal of a full bag. There are some
brands such as BOSCH that actually engineer bag
disposal into the system. With BOSCH canister
vacuums, the replacement of bags is a single
dust free step. The new mega filt bags have a
built in closure system that upon removal,
will slide shut and trap the dirt and debris
inside of the bag, making removal quick and easy.

Still, there are many people out there who love
bagless machines. Bagless vacuums will continue
at a slow place to gain market share, and people
will continue to buy them. For many, a bagless
vacuum can be the right vacuum to have.

Bags are the technology of the past, while bagless
is the technology of the future. There are many
reasons as to why you should go bagless. For
the vacuums of tomorrow, cylinder and bagless
is the key.

Get Out More Dirt

The most important part of carpet maintenance is
removing and disposing of accumulated dry soil. The
removal of dry soil will improve the air quality
indoors, extend carpet life, and help to maintain
the carpet. Keeping regular maintenance on your
carpet is one thing, although being sure you have
the right equipment on the job is another.

The Green Label
For vacuum cleaners, the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute)
has developed a Green Label testing program. The
CRI developed the performance protocol with the
goal of protecting indoor quality, keeping all
surfaces as clean as possible, and all without
putting dust back into the air.

The Green Label program helps to identify vacuum
cleaners that meet three different types of criteria:
1. Removing soil.
2. Keeping dust out of the air by
containing it within the filtration bag and the
machine itself.
3. It doesn't damage the carpet and helps
to keep the appearance looking good.

The tests for determining the certification of a
vacuum cleaner were developed by carpet and vacuum
experts and reviewed by scientists with experience
in maintenance and the quality of indoor air.

Soil removal
The soil removal protocol will require that the
vacuum cleaner remove a specified quantity of soil
from the test carpet in four passes.

Dust containment
The protocol for dust containment will dictate the
total amount of dust particles that are released
into the surrounding air by the action of the
brush rolls, through the filtration bag, and any
leaks that come from the vacuum system. with this
test, the vacuum cleaner can't release more than
100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter
of air.

Carpet retention
The testing protocol for appearance retention will
require that the vacuum cleaner not adversely
affect the appearance of the carpet, based on
a year of normal usage.

If a vacuum cleaner meets all three of the above
requirements, the manufacturer may then display
the official CRI Green Label on it's brand of
vacuum cleaner. The CRI tests canister and upright
vacuums, wide area vacuums, and even walk behind
types as well.

Matching machines
Looking for that important Green Label is the first
step to providing longer carpet life and cleaner
air for your home or office. The next step is
selecting the proper vacuum cleaner for a specific
area. You can think of vacuum cleaners like
screwdrivers, as you wouldn't want to use a Phillips
head screwdriver to remove a flathead screw.

In the bigger, more open areas, a wide are vacuum
cleaner or sweeper can produce excellent results,
as well as an increase in productivity. The
average 14 inch upright vacuum can clean at a rate
of 3,000 square feet per hour, while the average
walk behind can clean at a rate of 40,000 square
feet per hour, and also lift the pile of carpet in
high traffic areas where the carpet fibers are
subject to crushing and matting.

The two motor upright vacuum cleaner is an excellent
choice in areas such as executive offices, lobbies,
conference rooms, and break areas. A two motor
upright can provide grooming of the fibers in the
carpet and removal of the dry soil. Most uprights
with two motor setups will also have a removable
hose and on board accessories for cleaning other
areas as well, such as vents and chairs.

Along with the type of area, you should also give
some thought to the needs of the operator. If
you are a manager, you should look for vacuums
with ergonomic features, especially if the vacuum
will be used for long periods of time.

If it isn't ergonomically designed, it could result
in injury to the operator. At the very least, the
cleaning operator might want to avoid using
vacuum cleaners that could result in injury.

Cleaning Aluminum: Make The Aluminum Parts Shine

Used in various house hold appliances, aluminum is a metal with a nice silver shine look that is extremely light. While raw aluminum is easy to bend and it can oxidize with ease, adding metals to its composition makes it more hard or gives it more protection to corrosion and oxidation. Uncovered aluminum surfaces in contact with the air, will oxidize and form a dark gray aluminum oxide coating. Industry have found ways to use this coating by painting it or keeping it natural. The professional cookware made from aluminum have this dark gray aluminum oxide enhanced and thicken to increase its resistance to heat, corrosion and washing chemicals.

Depending of the use of the aluminum product, you can wax it or cover it with lacquer or use different chemicals. The products that are not used in kitchen can be covered with a thin layer of wax or lacquer. For kitchen tools you can use common kitchen cleaners, or a mix made from boiling two tablespoons of vinegar or cream of tartar in one liter of water.

You can heat the mix inside the pot himself, as this is a great way to dissolve the grease during heating. Apply the cleaning products gently without scratching the surface of the tool and avoid powerful abrasive cleaning powders or sharp brushes. Remove the mineral deposits using a mix from one part vinegar and one water boiled together. Rinse with plenty of water afterwards.

Grease or burnt food covered pens can be clean by filling them with water and let them to rest for at least a hour. Scrape the dirt using a blunt tool and complete the cleaning using a steel wool pad covered in soap. You can use hot water and detergent instead of regular water if needed. Do not use baking soda or alkaline solution as they will discolor the aluminum. Make sure before use that the cleaning solution is well suited for use on aluminum products.

Use abrasive powders, polishes or steel wool with extreme care when cleaning aluminum. Be sure not to scratch the surface and tear off the painting or aluminum oxide coating. Do not clean the aluminum when its surface is too hot or too cold.

For outdoor aluminum surfaces, first remove any hard dirt, then use special solvents to remove any tar deposits. Test the solvent to make sure not to dissolve the paint, before applying them on the surface. Use these chemicals with caution, read the labels and make sure to stay away from fire; keep an open, ventilated working area.


About The Author:
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3 Important Functions Of Vacuum Cleaner Filters

Vacuum cleaners are widely used all over the world in order to individuals to achieve a more complete look and feel of a dirt and dust free home. These machines are used in order to suction off these dirt and sometimes microscopic particles, leaving the room free of that which might make it appear dirty and visually unappealing. However, there are many pieces and parts that go into making a vacuum cleaner run properly and work effectively. Many people do not understand how complex a vacuum cleaner is and why it is so important to be aware of what pieces of the vacuum perform which functions. In the end, knowing this type of information can save a person a lot of money if and when their vacuum cleaner breaks. If they already know the symptoms of the error in the vacuum cleaner, they may be able to find the proper corrective piece themselves rather the spend money to have a person disassemble the vacuum looking for the problem. One of the most important pieces that work within the vacuum cleaner is the vacuum cleaner filters. Different models use different filters for their vacuum cleaners, but they perform the same basic and inherent functions when implemented into a vacuum cleaner. Some of these functions include:

1 - Vacuum cleaner filters are used in order to make sure that the air that leaves the vacuum cleaner is as pure as it can be. As a vacuum cleaner sucks up dirt particles, it must eventually release the exhaust air. This helps to make sure that the air in your home is very clean and that your vacuum cleaner does not hinder the environment of your home by expelling air which is not filtered.

2 - The filters help to catch and trap any microscopic dirt particles which were not able to be kept inside of the canister of the vacuum cleaner or within the vacuum cleaner bag of the vacuum. This helps to make sure that your home is as clean as possible, but trapping and keeping control of as many different dirt and microscopic particles as possible, increasing the look of your home down to a microscopic level.

3 - Vacuum cleaner filters are used in order to keep the inside of the vacuum cleaner free from dirt that might be within the exhaust air. If dirt were to build up inside the vacuum cleaner, it would hurt the parts and pieces inside of the vacuum cleaner, making is virtually obsolete. The filter helps to keep the inside of the vacuum clean as well as the environment in which it is being used, and to keep the vacuum fully functional.

Having the correct vacuum cleaner filter will help to make a person's vacuum cleaner function properly, effectively and without error. When something goes wrong with your vacuum, it is important to make sure that the filter is still working properly because of the important functions that it provides for the vacuum cleaner. Depending on whether or not you have a vacuum with a bag or a canister, filters need to be cleaned or replaced every so often depending on the difficulty and frequency with which the vacuum is used, and it is important to keep this in mind so that the vacuum can continue to work as well as a person needs it to.

Flashy Vacuum Cleaners

With most people, a vacuum cleaner isn't really an
inspiring machine. If you don't care about how it
works, then you probably don't want to vacuum to start
with. At the same time, no one wants to live in a
pig sty or dirty home even.

These days however, things have began to change for
the better, and people's attitudes are changing as
well. Vacuum cleaners are becoming interesting and
it's all thanks to James Dyson, the inventor of the
Dyson vacuum cleaner.

All thanks to Dyson, vacuum cleaners have taken on
a personality and life of their own. These very
same tactics are even employed by the likes of
Apple to successfully ploy their iMacs and iPods to
the masses have now been used with tremendous
results with vacuum cleaners.

Now, let's take a look at the decision that faces
you when buying a flashy vacuum cleaner. First of
all, you have the choice between the upright or
canister versions. The upright style of vacuum
cleaners will require you to use them in the
traditional push and pull fashion, although the
latest vacuum from Tyson, the DC15, has even turned
this technology on its head with "Ball Technology"
that will let you glide around your home with the
greatest of ease - in any direction you please.

Canister vacuum cleaners on the other hand come
with a hose attachment for great control and
flexibility, as you can quickly and easily get
to all of the hard to reach places. There isn't
really a lot of difference between the two, and
it's mainly down to your personal preference,
even though the upright vacuum is best suited to
larger carpets.

You should also consider the power of the motor
and efficiency of the filtration system as well.
Those that suffer from allergies will want to
pay close attention to the filtration. Dyson for
one has been very successful by marketing the
benefits of its patented "Cyclone" technology,
which doesn't use a bag nor does it ever get
clogged up.

If you feeling really daring and adventurous and
want to stay ahead of the curve, you could go
for one of the very popular robotic vacuum cleaners
such as the ZA01 from Electrolux or the cheaper
iRobot from Roomba. While you amuse yourself or
do other things, the robot will move around your
home on it's own will, vacuuming your entire
home until it is spotless. The robot even has
the technology and intelligence to return to the
base when it is running low on battery power and
recharge itself.

If you want to be different and unique, a flashy
vacuum cleaner is the way to go. There are many
different models and types to choose from, from
cheap vacuums to those that cost hundreds of
dollars. All you have to do is meet your creative
side halfway and let the fun begin!

Essential Parts For Your Vacuum

There are many places that you can use to find parts
for a vacuum cleaner that is broken, providing you
have someone around that is handy enough with tools
to take a swing at fixing it. The part that breaks
the most on most less expensive vacuum cleaners
is the drive belt. It's the rubberized belt that
is around 6 inches long, that when stretched out
turns the brushes on the bottom of the vacuum.

When you take the vacuum over objects that don't
belong in the vacuum cleaner, such as pieces of
rope or a cat's tail and the unit comes to a screeching
halt, the burning smell that will soon fill up the
air is your drive belt slowly melting away.

Luckily, the drive belt is available at several
locations, so many in fact that your local drug
store may even carry them! They are cheap to buy
and a snap to replace with a screwdriver and a bit
of common sense. For other types of problems that
you may encounter, there are a lot of resources at
your disposal just in case you decide to tackle
the problem on your own.

You should never forget that when you buy parts for
your vacuum cleaner, most of the parts you'll need
are going to be specifically made for your particular
brand name and model. With the exception of basic
items such as drive belts and most bags, most parts
aren't interchangeable between brands and between
different models of the same brand.

The first thing to try when you need a part for
your vacuum cleaner is the local Yellow Pages
book. Inside of the Yellow Pages, you'll find
many listings for appliance parts and suppliers.
You'll have to call each one of the individually
to find out if they carry parts for your model
and brand. In the rare event that they don't
carry what you need, they can normally order it
for you quickly and easily. If that fails, you
can always call the company direct that manufactured
your model of vacuum cleaner and order the part
that way.

Most of the time, you won't have any problem
getting your hands on a part for your vacuum
cleaner, unless it is a more intricate part that
isn't readily available. Parts such as the intake
or exhaust port are very tricky to replace, and
you will probably want to have a professional
fix these types of problems.

Drive belts, vacuum bags, and little problems such
as these are a snap to replace. With the older
style of vacuum cleaners, you don't have to be
an expert to fix a majority of the problems. The
newer models however, require quite a bit of
skill and technique.

One of the most common problems that will happen
is clogging. If your vacuum stops picking up
dirt and dust, chances are it has become clogged,
which is normally not a parts problem. All you
need to do to fix it is take the front assembly
off, then manually clean out the agitators and
the housing where the dirt makes its way upwards
through the vacuum cleaner. This is very easy
to do, and won't take you but a couple of minutes.

Anytime you encounter a parts problem with your
vacuum cleaner, you should always take things one
step at a time and don't rush. You can almost
always get a hold of a part. If the part is more
expensive than you anticipated, you can always
scrap the vacuum cleaner and buy yourself a
better one - which will save you a lot of time
and headache in the long run.

Dyson D15

Unlike the use of wheels that most vacuums have, the
Dyson DC15 upright vacuum has a large yellow ball
that will allow the vacuum to pivot and roll with
the greatest of ease. With the DC15, you simply
turn your wrist and the entire vacuum cleaner will
change direction. The ability to maneuver this
easily is something that is commonly associated with
canister style vacuum cleaners.

In addition to the unique yet innovative ball design,
the Dyson DC15 also offers quite an interesting
filtration system. No matter what you may think
or hear, Dyson vacuums don't use filters in the
way that most vacuum cleaners do.

With the Dyson DC15, the air and dirt are sucked
into the container where the outer cyclone removes
large particles such as food, hair, and even
fibers. The air will then move into the shroud
and inner cyclone where it is rotated with a higher
velocity to drop fine particles of dust out of
the air.

From the inner cyclone, the air will move about
through a washable inner foam pre filter where
a majority of the particles will remain trapped.
This feature helps the DC15 to keep dirt and debris
trapped inside and out of the motor.

The last step in the system after moving through
the motor is the trip through the final HEPA
filter. The DC15 has a very strict filter system,
which will prevent 99.9% of bacteria and mold
from getting to your home. The vacuum will suck
it up and keep it inside of the vacuum where it
belongs.

Even though they aren't very well known, Dyson
has been around for many years. They aren't as
popular or as well known as the bigger companies
such as Hoover, although they offer you great
quality and performance with their vacuum
cleaners. Unlike Hoover, Dyson works to improve
on their own products as well as the competition
with each product they release.

The Dyson DC15 is truly a great vacuum to hit
the market, as it is the first and only vacuum
cleaner to feature the very unique ball. Even
though robotic vacuum cleaners are becoming the
most popular types of vacuum cleaners, the DC15
is ideal for housewives who want a traditional
vacuum cleaner with a twist.

The Dyson DC15 is also known for its suction
power and attachments as well. With the ball
assembly, using attachments are a breeze. The
only problem you may have, is getting the hang
of things.

The attachment wand is stored inside of the
handle of the vacuum and is always attached.
To use it, you lock the handle in the upright
position then push a button on the front of
the handle that will allow you to telescope
the wand for use.