Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

How to Clean Air Conditioning Vents

Clean Air | Flat Rate Carpet BlogIndoor air pollution is a big issue in most homes, and dirty air vents are a major cause of allergy symptoms. All winter long dust and dirt collect in the home, contributing to allergy symptoms. Cleaning your air conditioning vents will not only extend the life of air conditioning units, but it will also make the air in your home more breathable and help prevent allergies.

To get started cleaning your air conditioning vents, take a regular broom and use it to brush dirt away from air vents in the ceiling and on the floor. You’ll be shocked at how much dust collects on the outside of the vents.

Next, remove the vent covers and vacuum inside the air ducts. This will remove the built up dirt and dust and keep it from being recirculated into the home.

Make sure to change the filters in all your vents at least once a year. Blocked filters prevent air conditioners and furnaces from working properly, wasting energy and increasing indoor air pollution.

If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned the air vents in your home, consider hiring a professional cleaning service that cleans air vents and ducts. Professionals have high powered vacuums and brushes that can quickly clean out even the dirtiest vent.

Keep your air vents clean and help your whole family breath easy.

Bed Bug Prevention

Bed bugs are extremely tiny pests that make a large mess inside of a home or building. If you live in, or are traveling to, an area that is affected by bed bugs it’s important to take certain measures to prevent bringing bed bugs into your home. Taking a few small steps in bed bug prevention is much easier than getting rid of the bugs once they have moved in.

Bedroom | Flat Rate Carpet BlogFinding furniture on the street used to be a great idea, however you may be bringing more than a sofa into your home. Bed bugs are not easily detected, so you have no way of knowing what you’re bringing home.

When purchasing used furniture take the time to deeply inspect all cracks and crevices for any signs of bed bugs. Using a magnifying class and a flashlight, look for blood spots, bug feces, or the bugs themselves deep in cracks and crevices of furniture.

Sometimes bed bugs wander into a home from a nearby apartment through small cracks in the walls, baseboards and other similar fixtures. To avoid this you can seal cracks and crevices in your home with caulk.

When traveling in areas well known for bed bugs be especially careful with your luggage, as bed bugs can hide in the seams and hitchhike home with you. Do not place suitcases on the bed or floor until you’ve inspected the mattresses for signs of bed bugs (tiny blood smears). Make sure to check the seams of your suitcase for hitchhikers before you leave.

If you think your clothing was exposed to bed bugs, wash and dry them in very hot temperatures to kill the bugs. Keep all clothing in a sealed, plastic bag until you can wash them in order to trap the bugs.

Identifying and getting rid of bed bugs is very difficult, which is why proper bed bug prevention is so important. Avoid expensive exterminations and sleepless nights by keeping bed bugs out of your home.

How to Clean a Microwave

Microwave Cleaning | Flat Rate Carpet BlogWhen it’s time to clean the microwave you might be tempted just to toss the whole thing in the garbage, or have it labeled as a toxic waste site. Tackling a messy microwave seems like a job that takes an entire day, but with the right technique cleaning your microwave is quick and painless.

All you need to get started is distilled, white vinegar, water and a microwavable bowl. Fill the bowl with water and add ¼ cup vinegar. Now pop the bowl in the microwave and microwave it on high for five minutes.

Remove the bowl from the microwave very carefully and begin cleaning right away. The steam from the bowl of water loosens and softens stuck on food inside of the microwave, making it easier to clean. Dip a sponge into the warm water from the bowl and you have a great cleaning solution already made!

If the first round of cleaning still leaves your microwave with stuck on gunk, just repeat the process again. For super dirty microwaves, heat the water for five minutes and then wait a few minutes before opening the door. This allows the steam to keep working away at the stuck on dirt.

Don’t stress when you open the door to your microwave, with this little trick you can clean your microwave in minutes.

Make Your Own Green Cleaners

Green Cleaners | Flat Rate Carpet BlogMany of us would like to make the switch to a totally green and organic home, but are limited by the high cost of green cleaning products. By making your own green cleaning products, it’s easy to keep your house spotless and free of chemicals. All you need are these five simple household items to make your own green cleaner for almost everything in the home.

  • Distilled Vinegar- Vinegar is the king of green cleaners. Vinegar kills most bacterias and molds, wipes out odors and makes surfaces shine.
  • Liquid Castile Soap- What vinegar can’t clean, a good castile soap like Dr Bronner’s can. A little bit of liquid castile soap mixed with water is perfect for cleaning dishes, marble, floors and even yourself!
  • Baking Soda- Baking soda wipes out odors and makes the perfect whitener or scouring agent for any surface. Sprinkle baking soda on a stinky rug or inside shoes, and smells disappear. Mix baking soda with vinegar and make your whole house shine.
  • Essential Oils- Adding a few drops of tea tree or lemon essential oils not only makes your house smell fresh and clean, but it also adds a powerful antibacterial punch to any cleaner.
  • Cleaning Rags- Green cleaning isn’t just about what you clean with, it’s also about how your cleaning impacts the world. No matter what kind of cleaner you use, you can save money and the world by switching from paper towels to cleaning rags. Either purchase a few microfiber cleaning rags, or rip up some old t-shirts or towels to make your own cleaning rags.

Green cleaning doesn’t mean choosing between your values and your wallet. Make 2013 the year you start making your own all natural green cleaning products.

Clean Your Windows for a Happier Winter

Cat in Clean Window | Flat Rate Carpet BlogIt’s hard to get enough sunshine in the middle of winter, especially since we spend most of our day indoors. We need sunlight to regulate melatonin, give us vitamin D, and to help beat the winter blues. Even if you’re unable to get outside during the day, the sunshine that comes in through the windows is an extremely important source of light. Dirty windows block out a lot of important sunshine, and keeping your windows clean will double the amount of helpful sunlight exposure throughout your day.

To help you maximize the sunshine in your life, we’ve compiled the following tips for super clean windows.

  • Vacuum screens to remove dust.
  • Clean windows with a squeegee, or a soft cloth to avoid the lint left behind by paper towels.
  • Prewash the outside of the windows with a hose or water to remove excess dirt.
  • On the outside of the house, wash windows up and down, and on the inside, wash them side to side – that way if there are streaks on the windows, you’ll know which side needs to be rewashed.

To make you’re own window washing liquid, just mix distilled white vinegar with water and wash away. If you’re using white vinegar for the first time, add a drop of dish washing soap to the mixture. Conventional window cleaners leave behind a waxy residue, which will leave streaks if you wash the windows with vinegar, however the drop of dish soap will remove the residue and make your windows shine.

You don’t have to freeze outside to enjoy the benefits of natural sunlight. Wash your windows well and bathe your home or office in light.