Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

June 4 by

Ants | Flat Rate Carpet BlogGetting rid of ants can be a full time job. It seems like every time you get rid of one line of ants another one shows up. Bug repellents can work, but they also leave trails of poison all around your kitchen. Instead of buying expensive bug repellents, a few household items will help you get rid of your ant problem once and for all.

The number one top all purpose cleaner, white vinegar, also keeps away ants. Wiping down all surface areas with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water wipes away the scent trails that ants use to get from place to place.

Another way to get rid of ants is to spread a line of baby powder, or plain talcum powder, where the ants are getting into your home. Theirs no fancy science behind this method, ants just hate talcum powder, and will stay away.

Certain spices and herbs have strong scents that repel ants. Leaving these spices in ant trouble spots will keep them from coming back. Some ant repelling spices are; cinnamon, chili, black and cayenne pepper, cloves, garlic and mint.

With these simple, all natural household items, you can win the war on ants.

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How to Remove a Coffee Stain

May 29 by

Coffee & Cookies | Flat Rate Carpet Blog

No matter how careful you are, the only way to prevent a coffee spill in your home is to avoid drinking coffee.

For the rest of us, coffee stains are inevitable. Knowing how to remove a coffee stain from fabric right away can keep a minor spill from becoming a major disaster.

Your first step is to, very gently, blot the stain with a white towel to soak up any leftover liquid.

Although the cleaning isles are full of stain removers and spray cleaners, the most important stain remover in your home is usually found in the food isle. White vinegar mixed with a some white water (mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water), is a safe, effective and inexpensive stain remover.

You can spray the mixture onto the stain and gently blot with a clean towel. If you don’t have an extra spray bottle handy, dampen a towel with the mixture and blot the stain.

If the stain is treated quickly enough, it should come up easily. For older stains, or stains that just won’t come out, call the professionals.

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Soap Nuts: The Only All Natural Laundry Detergent

May 24 by

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Studies have found that the most common pollutant found in the human bloodstream is laundry detergent. Even from a very young age we are exposed to high levels of laundry detergent residue.

To avoid over exposure to detergent pollutants, try soap nuts. Soap nuts, one of the most fun alternatives to standard detergents, give you the clean you need without the yucky left overs.

Unlike most alternative laundry cleaners, soap nuts are actually soap! That’s right, soap nuts are the dried berries of the soap nut tree.

These little berries contain saponins, which create a sudsy lather that washes away dirt without leaving behind any chemical residue.

Soap nuts are reused multiple times until they turn mushy and gray, and then they are easily composted.

To see these little cleaners in action, check them out on youtube at http://youtu.be/wN5w_HMvsfQ.

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How to Clean a Keyboard

May 21 by

We clean so many surfaces of our home carefully, but one of the most used, often shared, and hardest to clean places in the house is literally left in the dust.

Whether it’s your personal keyboard, or the keyboard of the shared family computer, keyboards are perfect for collecting grime. Follow these simple steps to keep your keyboard sanitary!

 

 

Start by unplugging your keyboard or turning off your laptop. Although the following cleaning methods won’t harm your computer, they might cause some trouble if the computer is running.

Dust your keyboard thoroughly. Electronics stores sell small dusters and cans of condensed air to remove dust from between the keys, both of which are worthwhile investments if you want to prolong the lifespan of your electronics.

If you have a regular feather duster at home, this can also help, but the condensed air removes dust that’s stuck deep between the keys.

Next get a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and make sure that it’s isopropyl alcohol because ethyl alcohol will rub the letters off your keyboard. Dip a q-tip into the alcohol and gently clean the entire keyboard.

Run the q-tip along the sides of the keyboard, and even in between keys to take away any deep down dirt.

If any surfaces are super sticky and can not be cleaned, you can gently pop off the key and scrub it with a toothbrush.

Dusting your keyboard on a regular basis will help prevent build up of dirt and grime, and add years to your keyboard.

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How to Remove Nail Polish from Wood

May 20 by

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Although it’s important to be careful about where you paint your nails, sometimes accidents happen.

If you ever have the misfortune to get nail polish on wooden furniture, don’t despair. You can safely remove nail polish from wood!

Do not dump a bunch of nail polish remover on a wooden surface, as it will eat away at the varnish and cause an even bigger problem. Instead, wet a cotton swab with acetone or polish remover, and then gently blot the area.

Be very delicate, and only touch the cotton to the nail polish, avoiding any areas with wood.

Stop when most of the nail polish is off, but before you start putting acetone on bare wood.

Next, spray the area with a small amount of hair spray over the area with nail polish. Gently rub the area with a cotton ball. Try going with the grain of the wood, which will make any remaining nail polish come off easier.

Finally, use a mixture of wood oil soap and water to wash away any last bits of nail polish. The wood oil soap will also leave the wood looking clean and shiny.

Next time avoid accidents by laying down a newspaper or paper towel over the wooden surface before painting your nails.

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