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.