Gold Jewelry And How To Take Care Of It

Gold gives a touch of elegance and distinct beauty to jewelry. The beauty of the golden jewelry comes at a big price but gold is not that hard to maintain. Some simple tricks and regular cleaning can help you avoid grime, body lotions, oil and cosmetics residue. Gold is easy to clean and it doesn't require special treatment. You can quickly restore its shine by following the steps below. Gather all the necessary materials and products and let's start cleaning!

You will need:

• Toothbrush with soft bristles
• A small bowl with warm water
• Liquid dish soap
• Soft cloth
• A special cloth for polishing jewelry ( can be found in most of the specialized jewelry shops )

How to clean your jewelry:

For cleaning your gold jewelry, it's best to use this cleaning solution provided by Cleaners Mitcham. It's a simple mixture of 1 part ammonia with 5 parts warm water. It can make miracles with cleaning gold and it's perfectly harmless. Fill the bowl with this cleaning solution and place the jewelry in the bowl. Leave it to soak for about a minute and remember not to leave your jewelry in the solution for too long. Rinse the jewelry with lukewarm water and wipe the water with a soft towel.

Cleaning stubborn oily residue from body lotions and cosmetics:

Sometimes warm water and mild detergents can't help enough with cleaning stubborn grime. Jewelry with gems and beautiful ornaments is harder to clean and requires more time and efforts, and specific care. Soak the jewelry in a solution of ammonia and water as explained above and rinse it thoroughly. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to gently brush off the grime buildup. For the tight areas, you can also use cotton swabs. Soak the top of the cotton swab in mild dish detergent and clean the ornaments with it.

Thing you have to know:

Don't immerse the jewelry in the cleaning solution, if there are gemstones on your jewelry. They are usually glued to the jewelry and soaking the glue in a cleaning solution can only dissolve the glue and destroy the beauty of your jewelry.

Gold is a metal that can be bruised easily. Don't store your gold jewelry in the same place where you place your other jewelry. Get a box or a case especially for storing your gold jewelry. Such jewelry cases are not expensive at all and they can save the beauty of your gold jewelry for a long time.

Clean After Your Pet

Muddy paws on the freshly cleaned carpet, fur flying all around the house and sticking to the upholstery, pet food all around the kitchen floor, long forgotten toys stuck under the sofa, damaged upholstery and torn wallpapers - those are some of the few things that we have to cope with when we have a pet at home. The situation worsens when we live in a big house and there are more things to be damaged and rooms to be cleaned. Having a pet at home can be as painful as it is a joy and those who have a dog, cat or other pet at home definitely understand me. Last time I got home after work, my lovely doggy, which is only few months old, had torn the wallpapers and literally eaten my shoes. Yes, he is such an adorable puppy, but he sure knows how to damage my apartment. So I decided to share with you guys how I cope with cleaning after my pets every day.

A lot of people have dogs these days and have encountered the same problems as mine. When a dog is bored, scared or even over excited it tends to eat all the stuff that is around him, like my god did with my shoes. Cats are amazing at making your house dirty, too. If they are not trained properly, they will pee wherever they like and it smells really bad. Birds seem like a good choice by the fact that they are trapped in that cage almost all of the time, but did you ever wondered how dirty that cage is and how bad it could smell. When the smell is all around you, you eventually stop sensing it, but your friends and neighbors definitely do. Cleaners Melbourne recommend that you use only non-toxic 

What's the trick?

So, really, what's the trick? How do I reduce my daily cleaning? What can I do about my pet destroying the house? The answer is simple! You have to regularly clean your house, in order to be able to maintain it clean for a long time. Brushing your pet will reduce the loosen fur that is sticking to the upholstery. Regularly mopping the floor and refreshing the carpet are not that difficult, but it can help a lot. Like you, your pet needs its own place, too. The simplest thing you can do is to get an old blanket, collect all the toys of your pet and place them where it's easier for you to clean. Tiles or hardwood floor are easier to clean than carpet. When it's warm, get the cage of your bird on the balcony. It's easier to clean the balcony and your bird will be happy to breathe some fresh air.

In conclusion, the most important thing that you have to do to keep your house clean is to maintain it clean and look after your pet's needs. After all, if your dog had a nice walk and a good meal, he won't think that much about taring your furniture apart.

How to Clean Your CDs

There was a time when the CDs were the most commonly used tool to transfer information fast and easy from one computer to another. The need of space for more information continues to rise and soon the CDs won't be needed any more. But most of us still have huge discographies and shelves filled with CDs and DVDs. There is so much information that is nearly impossible to transfer and restore, just because we didn't know how to take care of our CDs. In this article I'll show you some tips on how to keep your CDs clean and safe.

You will need:

• a soft cloth
• a microfiber cloth
• baby shampoo
• distilled water
• alcohol

First thing's first:

First of all you need to clean the dust. Start by cleaning the CD's cases. There is probably a lot of dust and dirt that you haven't thought about cleaning. Leaving the clean CDs in a dirty case won't be the best idea. So grab a clean cloth and wipe off the dust from the case. Use cotton swabs to remove the dirt from the edges of the case. Now you can move on to cleaning the CDs. 

Cleaning the CD:

You have to be very careful not to touch the surface of the CD while you clean it. Fingermarks and grease can make a big mess, so make sure you hold the CD the right way. Insert your thumb in the CD's hole and place your fingers on the CD's edge. Cleaning won't be that hard, if you know the right way to do it. Wipe off the dust from the CD with a microfiber cloth. The fabric is very soft and is best to use a microfiber cloth when you clean sensitive surfaces.

Cleaning greasy and sticky spots:

This can be a bit tricky. Professional cleaning services Melbourne gave us a great advice for removing grease from a CD. You probably never thought baby shampoo can solve the problems with the sticky fingermarks, but it's really an amazing helper. Mix two or three drops of baby shampoo with a bit of lukewarm distilled water and a wipe off the sticky spots with a clean cloth. Your can use alcohol to remove stubborn greasy spots on your CDs, but never use petroleum-based solvent like acetone. It will destroy you CD and all the information on it.

How to fix the scratches:

To check if the scratches on your CD are repairable, hold you CD up to a light. If no light comes trough the scratches, you can try fixing them. Use furniture polish. Apply only few drops and wipe the polish off after a couple of minutes. Hopefully it will fix the scratches and make the CD readable.

Hotel Rooms Carpet Cleaning Tips

Carpets are widely used in hotels and motels. However because of the many people that visit the rooms and the different hygienic habits, hotel owners need to take extra care for the carpets in the guest rooms. As an owner you cannot afford any stains on the carpets as the guests will expect clean rooms and if they believe the rooms are not clean enough you may lose your customers. 

Carpet cleaning in hotels and motels is more difficult and tricky than the carpet cleaning at home. If you need to clean the carpets at your house, in most of the cases you will know the source that created the stains. It is totally different in hotels, as many of the guests will enter the rooms with their shoes and you may need to clean the stains after a longer period of time. We have prepared for you some tips to help you keep the carpets clean and fresh and attract more customers.

How to Clean Hotel Room Carpets

To ensure the carpets stay in good condition, you need to clean them every day during the stay of the guests in the room. However this could be a problem because some guests could decline daily cleaning of the rooms. This is not a problem for short visits, but if the guest stays longer, you may ask them to clean the room at least every few days. Vacuum the carpets thoroughly every day when the rooms are occupied and the guests allow daily cleaning. If the room was not used for a longer period, we would also recommend vacuuming the carpets to remove the dust before the visitors arrive.

You may find it useful to invest some money and buy steam cleaners to help you maintain well the carpets in the hotels rooms. If you notice some stains on the carpet, use the steam cleaner and appropriate cleaning solutions to immediately remove the stains and clean the carpet.

As the hotel carpet pick up a lot of odours, you may buy cleaning solutions that also deodorise the carpets. Use special commercial products that neutralise the unpleasant odours and products that will leave a nice fragrance.

As the daily vacuuming and removing of stains will not be enough to keep the carpets clean and fresh, you will also need professional carpet cleaning services to help you maintain the carpets in great condition.

How to Clean and Maintain Leather

Having a something made from leather is great, in my opinion every woman must have a set of leather clothes jacket, boots, bag, gloves, pants and some accessories. The same applies for men, of there is something expensive you have let it be leather, because unlike other clothes and furniture it will last. Oh I almost forgot, buy a leather sofa, you wont regret it. But let me get this straight, I'm talking about real high quality leather, which you wouldn't want to buy because of the price.

Why Real Leather?

This is the real thing, and it's worth every pence, because if you know how to treat leather it will most certainly outlast you. I once lead a friend of mine to a leather shop, she wanted to buy a wallet for her husband. We looked around and she wanted to go, because the prices were too high, but I talked her out of it and she finally decided to buy something. I still remember the look on her face when the salesman told her the guarantee was a hundred years.

It is true and this is the reason why people who understand, purchase leather stuff. But it is not just to buy the first leather sofa you come across, there are so many different types of leather you won't believe. And the treatment is no the same, for example you can' clean suede with a saddle soap or you can't wet split leather, because you'll damage it. There are many examples and before you decide to buy anything made from leather do some research.

If you want the high quality prepare to invest a significant amount, and make sure to ask what kind of cleaners and conditioners you should use. If you're not convinced ask a friend who understands a thing or two about leather. If you want to be absolutely sure contact a cleaning company which deals with leather. Just in case I'll give you some basic guidance on what to look for and what to avoid. There are also some homemade recipes which work splendidly, I'll tell you about them too.

How to Choose a Leather Cleaner?

I don't recommend you look for a cleaning solution in the supermarket, go to a specialized leather shop, there you will find qualified staff and receive valuable information. Do not purchase universal cleaner, look for the type of furniture or clothes you have. Look carefully at the label and avoid volatile organic compounds. Before you start any cleaning procedure at home it is a good idea to open the windows to let the fresh air in and wipe dust with a damp cloth, to ease the cleaning process.

Other important thins is to test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area first. If you're dealing with a sofa, remember to clean the backside of the pillows too. And don't forget the conditioning, leather is a breathing material that can be dried by the sun, so every year you should apply a conditioner. If you see stain try rubbing some toothpaste it works for me. If you don't want to risk your investment contact professional cleaning company offering leather maintenance.

How to clean pinch pleated drapes

1. Vacuum the drapes with the brush attachment of your vacuum. Start at the top and work your way across and down. You can remove the drapes to clean them, if necessary. You should use a step ladder if you can't reach the top. Vacuum between each pleat to remove any dust.

2. Fill a cup or container with 1 tbsp. of mild dish detergent and add 1 cup of hot water.

3. Dip a damp sponge into the suds only, and wipe any dirty spots on the drapes using gentle pressure. Use more suds if necessary.

4. Rinse the sponge thoroughly to remove any detergent residue, and wring it out.

5. Wipe the soapy areas of the drapes with the sponge to remove any residue.

6. Blot the wet areas of the drapes with a cloth to remove any excess moisture, and allow the drapes to air dry.

Spring cleaning

Leather And Chewing Gum - How To Deal With The Situation

If you have children you should choose carefully, the furniture, carpets, food, everything in your home. Redecorating is probably your only alternative if you don't want to see your Persian carpet or your favorite leather sofa ruined. Actually to be honest it is quite hard to permanently damage a high quality leather furniture, but you can be surprised by the little devils and their skills. I have found food leftover in places you would never thought it would be possible to put food.

Tips on How To Deal With Some of The Toughest Stains

I'm very proud, because my mother has told me all about cleaning and I know all kinds of ways to deal with tough stains on different surfaces, without using commercial detergents. I can't afford the risk of using potentially dangerous chemicals on the surfaces my children play. Some other time I'll give you plenty of green recipes, from all purpose cleaners, to polishers and special organic solutions which can remove even the toughest stains.

When my sons were little, I always found crayons and chewing gum all over the house, on the carpet under the mats and rugs, inside cupboards and under the table. Once I found a half melted gum on my favorite leather sofa. I was about to burst in tears, when I remembered how my mother used to clean my gum from the leather chairs. I can't expect my children to be calm when I wasn't. So if you encounter the same problem here is what to do in order to save your leather furniture.

Get a plastic bag and put some ice cubes inside, make sure there aren't any leaks and put it over the gum. Leave it for two hours and replace the bag with fresh cubes if needed. After this time the gum will be hard enough so you can remove most of it, using a spoon or a dull knife. If there is any left after this use saddle soap. With circular motions and clean dry cotton cloth rub small amount where the gum is. Leave it for about ten minutes and scrub away any left bits with a suede or some other soft brush.

If you're afraid the cleaned area will stand out, apply saddle soap on the whole sofa, it won't hurt. After that is is a good idea to condition the piece of furniture. There are special conditioners on the market which you can use, or you can try my homemade recipe. I strongly advice you to seek professional cleaning services at least twice a year, because the specialists working there know how to maintain leather surfaces. Check out the company I use.

How to Clean Outdoor Wicker Furniture

Identify your outdoor wicker furniture

To know how to clean your wicker furniture, you first need to identify the material. Wicker refers to the weaving process used to make wicker furniture, but wicker can be made of different materials. The most common is wood wicker. Wood wicker furniture is most often made of rattan. But is also made of cane, bamboo and other wood or reed materials.
More recently on the market is "all-weather" outdoor wicker furniture which is actually made of synthetic materials such as resin or plastics. These materials are woven into wicker furniture which looks much like the real wood wicker but is much more durable for outdoor uses.
Finally, there is paper fiber wicker. This is actually made from paper tightly rolled and woven into a wicker pattern. If you have paper fiber wicker it is probably an antique and should not be used in an outdoor setting as it is very sensitive to water.

 Inspect your outdoor wicker furniture

After determining your wicker type, inspect your outdoor wicker. Is it painted or natural? Does it have a protective coating such as a varnish, lacquer or polyurethane? Knowing this is important to how you clean and care for your outdoor wicker furniture.

 Brushing and vacuuming your outdoor wicker furniture

If you have wood outdoor wicker furniture, you should regularly brush it with a soft but firm bristled brush such as a dust brush, vegetable brush, fingernail brush or even a toothbrush. This will help loosen that dirt that likes to accumulate between the wicker weave. After brushing, use the brush attachment on your vacuum to vacuum the loosened dirt. Doing this on a regular basis will keep your wicker furniture clean and in good shape. Of course, you can brush and vacuum synthetic wicker furniture as well, but since it is not as suspectible to water, it can be washed or even hosed down to help keep it clean on a regular basis.

 Washing your outdoor wicker furniture

If you have wood wicker furniture, you should thoroughly wash it about once a year. But don't wash it too often to avoid repeatedly getting the wicker furniture wet. To clean wood wicker furniture, first brush and vacuum. Then use about two tablespoons of soap in a 4 litres of water. Murphy's wood oil soap is a good vegetable-oil wood soap to use for cleaning wicker furniture. Wet a sponge or cloth in the mixture and wipe it down. Use a soft brush as needed to get into the weave.

Tilt the piece when washing to position the loosest weave at the bottom. This will help any moisture run down from the tightest weave to the loosest weave where it is most easily wiped up. Make sure you keep the weave straight while cleaning wicker furniture. Wood wicker will loosen up when it gets wet and moving the weave around can lead to weakness when the weave tightens as the wicker dries.

If your wood wicker furniture is unpainted (i.e. natural or has a clear coat), you can use a hose with light pressure to rinse off the soap residue. However, if it is painted, too much water can damage the finish so don't use a hose. Instead wash off any soap residue with a clean damp cloth. Also if your wood wicker furniture is made of bamboo, don't use a hose and don't get it too wet.

If you have synthetic wicker furniture (often called "all-weather" wicker), you can wash as needed. Simply add a mild detergent to a bucket of water and wipe down. There are no worries about spraying off with a hose.

Note again that paper fiber wicker furniture should not be washed or ever get wet. As mentioned above, paper fiber wicker should only be used indoors.

Mild and Mildew

 Wood wicker furniture can be susceptible to mildew when used outdoors. This often shows up as black spots that can't be removed with a regular washing. If you have mold or mildew, it can be difficult to remove. Try a cup of bleach in a gallon of warm water and scrub with a soft-bristle brush. Rinse well as bleach residue can damage your wood wicker furniture. If stubborn spots still remain, try a q-tip dipped in bleach and apply full-strength bleach directly to the spots. Again rinse well after applying.

To avoid mold or mildew in the future, keep your wood wicker furniture in a low-humidity spot with good air circulation. Wood wicker furniture is not meant to be out in unsheltered conditions and is best on a covered or enclosed porch. Synthetic wicker furniture is not susceptible to mold and is much more durable for full outdoor conditions.

Drying your outdoor furniture

Once you have washed your wicker furniture, it needs to thoroughly dry. The weave on wood wicker furniture becomes very loose when wet and can be permanently warped by using it before it is dry. Wipe as dry as possible with a dry cloth, and then set it in a sunny spot for 24-48 hours before using. Make sure to bring indoors or under cover if rain threatens during the drying time. Washing on a warm breezy day will help dry your wicker furniture faster.

Synthetic wicker furniture will dry faster and is not subject to the same warping as wood wicker furniture.

Oiling your outdoor wicker furniture

 If your outdoor wood wicker furniture is natural and not painted or sprayed with a protective coating, you can oil periodically to moisturize and give some protection from the elements. You can use either tung oil or boiled linseed oil (found at most hardware stores). Use a paint brush to apply and get the oil into the weave, wipe off excess oil with a lint free cloth. Be sure to allow to dry for several days before using. During the drying time, you may need to wipe excess oil that rises up during drying.
Obviously, synthetic wicker furniture does not need oil as it is not made of wood.

Protecting your outdoor furniture

  Protective coatings provide better protection than oil in outdoor applications. If your wood wicker furniture is natural, you may wish to put a clear finish on it, rather than oiling.

For a clear finish, you can apply a coating of varnish, shellac or lacquer. Make sure your wicker furniture is clean and dry before applying any finish. Finding a product in a spray can is best as it is easier to get in the crevices. Be sure to allow to dry for several days before using. Once a clear coat is applied, you can use furniture polish on it to bring out the gloss in between washings. Clear coats need to be reapplied as they wear, usually every 3-5 years or so.

Painting your outdoor wicker furniture

 Painting is another method of protecting your outdoor wood wicker furniture. Use a spray based paint for outdoor wood for easy application. Again be sure your wicker is clean and dry.
If your wicker is already painted and it needs a fresh coat of paint, make sure to remove any old flaking paint as possible before applying a new coat. This can often be accomplished by using a stiff brush to rub away as much as possible of the old paint. Then clean your wicker furniture thoroughly, dry, and apply a light coat of primer followed by paint. You can also finish with a clear top coat.
If there are multiple coats of thick, goopy paint, you may need to use a liquid paint stripper before repainting. Follow the directions for the liquid stripper. This is tedious work as you can't scrape as with flat wood furniture. Use a paint brush with the bristles half-cut to make a firm brush for pushing out the stripped paint from between the cracks. A flat screwdriver or other sharp object can also be helpful. Make sure to thoroughly dry after stripping before repainting.

 Storing your outdoor wicker furniture

 Although all-weather synthetic wicker furniture is durable in outdoor conditions, wood wicker furniture is much more fragile. It should not be exposed to rain, snow, etc. A cover is a good idea for your outdoor wicker furniture. Wood wicker should never be left outdoors in winter - store it in your garage or a shed to protect it off-season. And although very durable, synthetic wicker furniture will eventually show wear from the elements, so at least cover it off-season and if possible, store in covered place.
With these ten tips for cleaning and caring for your wicker furniture you should get years of enjoyment from your outdoor wicker furniture!

Residential cleaning Melbourne

Cleaning After Your Pet

If you own a pet then you probably know that cleaning the house is a hard task, because you have extra chores to commit to due to your little friend. Respectively you will need more time to keep your house clean, but what if you don�t really have that spare time. In this case you will need help from companies that offer cleaning services Melbourne is the city that has so many of them.

However if you prefer to do it by yourself then these tips will help you out. Most of you have witnessed how your dog or cat mistakens your favorite carpet for their personal toilet but it is already too late to prevent the catastrophe from happening. Do not lose any time and react quickly. This is what you should do. Grab a kitchen towel or a piece of paper and cover the stain in order to remove any excess fluid. Next step is to use baking soda to cover the stain and then gently rub a small amount of hydrogen peroxide into it. Damp the spot with white vinegar and when it becomes dry, vacuum it. This tip will help you deal with the urine stain only if you notice it in time. If it is too late then probably it is better to hire experts that offer cleaning services Melbourne is area that you can find such professionals.
 

One of the most common problems when you have a pet is to learn how to clean your sofa from the intense animal smell stuck o it. Here is a tip how to handle this problem. First thing you should do is to test talcum powder on a less visible area to see if it won�t negatively affect the material. Leave it for a few minutes and then vacuum the spot. If it is working then do the same for rest of the sofa.
 

To prevent cleaning your furniture from pet hairs wash the pet more frequently this will minimize the amount of hair it sheds around your household. If your dog or cat have a special place to sleep then put a rug there. It is a lot easier to wash the rug and get rid of the bad smell than going all over your home floor and upholstery on a daily basis.

4 Common Excuses for Not Cleaning

-->

Cleaning at home is not something, that people enjoy doing. A lot of them are way too busy, trying to chaise a successful career, others simply don't have the desire and the experience to deal with the domestic chores and third are simply too lazy. So what is the solution of that problem? The answer is simple � if you can't do something or you don't have the desire to do it, find someone who can and will.
The professional cleaning companies in Melbourne are providing high-quality services and they cover basically every aspect from the house cleaning � everything from wiping the dust to the more sophisticated carpet cleaning for example. The gardening in Melbourne is also a service that some cleaning companies provide.

But even with all those useful services a lot of people still find excuses to avoid the domestic chores. Let's see who are the top 4 common excuses.

Excuse # 1

I�m too tired. A lot of people are working long hours during the week and they simply prefer to rest during the weekends instead of working toward one clean house. That is understandable to some point, but if you organize the cleaning I don't see a reason for not dealing with some of the domestic issues and call professional cleaners for the rest.

Excuse # 2

I will clean it tomorrow. That is something that you probably have said many times. Postponing is not a solution of the problem and even though many people know that, they just keep doing it. They keep saying I will do it tomorrow with the clear idea that they won't. So you either do it tomorrow or simply call the professional cleaners from your area.

Excuse # 3

It's a beautiful day outside. The weather is known to have some influence over us, that is true. A lot of people simply can't accept the fact, that they have to stay at home and clean when they can go on the beach with friends instead.

 

Excuse # 4

It's a holiday. You probably have used this excuse at least once. Think about the Christmas holidays that were two weeks ago, remember? It's not a pleasant thing to do on a holiday really, but maybe you can do a little bit more on the previous days, so on the holiday you don't have to clean.

Those 4 excuses are among the most common ones, but there could be found plenty more. Just remember the excuses are weakness and don't lead to anything good, therefore try to keep them to a minimum.