Vacuuming Tips You Probably Didn’t Know

Vacuuming tips - Magnolia TX house cleaners

Vacuuming Tips You Probably Didn’t Know

Vacuuming Tips You Probably Didn’t Know

A vacuum cleaner is an excellent tool for keeping your home tidy and dust-free. If you need to clean carpets, sofas, or any other flat surface, a good vacuum cleaner is only half the battle. Knowing how to use your vacuum is the other half. In this article, our Maid for Muddy Paws housecleaners shares a few vacuuming tips you probably didn’t know. We hope these tips help you effectively and efficiently clean your home like a pro!

Vacuuming Surfaces Once is Insufficient.

Vacuuming the floors to remove dust and hair can be a difficult job, especially if you have furry friends. Our pet-friendly cleaning company knows the struggle. Vacuuming the floor only once will not remove dust and hair from the surface. To remove dust and hair from the floor and reduce the likelihood of allergies, vacuum the floor several times. When vacuuming, make a crisscross pattern with the vacuum cleaner to extract dust and pet hair from the surface.

Replace the Bag or Canister

Despite the fact that it is an obvious cleaning tip, many people resist changing the bag of their vacuum cleaner. Yes – it can be extremely gross to see what your vacuum has picked up. However, you will have a difficult time cleaning your home if you do not adjust the bag on a regular basis. If you have a bagged vacuum cleaner, replace the bag when it is 3/4 full—waiting too long to empty the bag while vacuuming will cause the hose to become clogged, reducing the machine’s performance. To get the best results from a bagless vacuum cleaner, start with an empty canister.

Spot Treatments Are a Must

One thing to keep in mind is that a vacuum cleaner cannot remove stains. As a consequence, if there is a spill on the carpet or couch, you must spot clean it. Furthermore, handle the spill as soon as possible so that the stain is not difficult to clean later. If you find a spill while vacuuming, use a spot cleaner to remove the stain. This would improve vacuuming results while still keeping the carpet in better condition.

If you need tips on carpet stain removal, read this article.

Vacuum Settings Are Key

When vacuuming, one of the most important things to remember is to use the proper environment. Vacuum cleaners have various settings that must be adjusted based on your individual needs. Depending on the height of the floor, the vacuum cleaner’s setting must be adjusted. Since the height of the surface varies in the home, you must adjust the vacuum cleaner’s settings accordingly. Our friends at Specialized AV, a smart home automation company in Sacramento, always recommend incorporating smart home features. Smart vacuums are excellent. It makes life easier and gets the job done without having to lift a finger! 

Clear the Floor of Small Objects

When vacuuming the floor, make sure to pick up any small items. Remove all clutter to make cleaning the floor easier. Clutter removal ensures that small items do not become entangled in the vacuum cleaner and cause it to malfunction. Furthermore, if small items are scattered on the floor, it becomes difficult to remove the dust and dirt effectively.

Hire a Professional Cleaning Company

You can quickly clean the floors with these helpful vacuuming tips for the house. Using a high-quality vacuum cleaner on a daily basis would keep your home free of dust and contaminants. If your schedule is too busy for regular housekeeping, we highly recommend finding a cleaning company to pick up the slack. You can contact Maid for Muddy Paws about weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning services.

Safe Mold Removal Tips

safe mold removal tips - The Woodlands TX

Safe Mold Removal Tips

safe mold removal tips - The Woodlands TX

Safe Mold Removal Tips

Fact: there’s mold growing somewhere in your home. It’s one of those problems that happen without us realizing it. Mold prefers dark, warm, humid environments that are often out of sight. Getting rid of black mold after it has developed can be quite difficult. In this article, Maid for Muddy Paws discusses safe, mold removal tips that residents in Magnolia, TX can use in their homes. 

Mold will develop rapidly if the conditions are favorable — often in as little as 24-48 hours, says our pet-friendly housekeepers. Allowing mold to grow unchecked can exacerbate respiratory illnesses as well as aggravate asthma and allergies. Because of mold’s potential to spread rapidly and its detrimental impact on your family’s health, you should keep an eye out for it and stop it before it spreads.

Since they are usually moist areas, your basement, kitchen, and bathroom are the most vulnerable to mold and bacteria development. The easiest way to avoid mold is to keep your home clean and keep moisture minimum. Mold can be prevented by squeegeeing shower doors during use, fixing leaks, and keeping tile grout clean. Even if you clean and disinfect regularly, mold will infiltrate and establish itself.

How to Get Rid of Mold in Your Home

There are several commercial items that are effective for removing black mold, but many of them contain harsh chemicals that may be as toxic as the mold itself. There are some alternatives to using harmful chemicals to remove mold. Continue reading to learn a few safe mold removal tips.

Hydrogen Peroxide 

Hydrogen peroxide is a popular antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial solution that is also an effective mold treatment. It is safe to use on a variety of surfaces, including kitchen appliances and cabinets, bathroom fixtures and tubs, hard flooring, and even some wall surfaces.

Fill a spray bottle halfway with hydrogen peroxide at a 3 percent concentration. To avoid discoloring clothes or even injury, test on other surfaces first. Saturate the moldy surface with water and set aside for 10 minutes. Scrub the moldy area with just enough force to eliminate any remaining black mold and mold stains. Wipe dry until the surface is clear of residual mold and stains.

Vinegar

White vinegar is a slightly acidic cleaning, deodorizing, and disinfecting agent, explains our house cleaners. On porous and non-porous surfaces, it can also destroy 82 percent of mold species, including black mold. It is safe to use on most surfaces, and the smell will fade quickly.

To remove mold with vinegar, start by filling a spray bottle halfway with undiluted white vinegar. Since white vinegar contains natural acid, adding water dilutes its effectiveness. Keep the vinegar on the moldy surface for an hour. Finally, wipe down the moldy area, clean with water, and allow it to dry. Any vinegar odor should dissipate within a few hours.

Baking Soda

Baking soda has a plethora of uses in the kitchen, including absorbing odors in the fridge to being a key ingredient in treats. Using baking soda for mold removal is safe for your family and fur friends. 

When using baking soda for mold removal, shake a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda into a spray bottle of water until it dissolves. Spray the moldy area with baking soda and water solution, then clean the surface with a scrub brush to remove the mold. After that, rinse the surface with water to remove any remaining residue and baking soda. Finally, re-spray the area and allow it to dry without wiping. This will destroy any remaining mold and help prevent it from returning.

To get rid of stubborn black mold, combine two parts baking soda, one part white vinegar, and one part water. Stir the mixture until it reaches the consistency of a thick paste. Spread your mixture over the surface liberally and allow it to dry. Remove the black mold and stains with a scrub brush and a damp cloth.

Lemons 

Many people are surprised to hear that lemons can remove black mold. Lemons are a natural deodorizer, antiseptic, bleach, stain remover. Lemons’ high acid content breaks down mold, making it easy to remove and leaving a disinfected surface behind. In addition to the lovely citrus scent! Fill a cup halfway with lemon juice and pour it over the moldy spot. Allow it to sit for five minutes before wiping the surface with a damp towel. To remove tough mold stains, reapply and clean the surface.

Search for the Best Cleaning Company Near Me

These natural remedies are excellent non-toxic alternatives to chemical-based black mold removers, and many of them are also mold-resistant. If you’d like to avoid using harsh chemicals in your home, try some of the remedies above. Our house cleaners can also help with mold removal. Call us today to learn about our residential cleaning services. Maid for Muddy Paws is always happy to help. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to keep up with our latest news.

Get Rid of Dog Hair & Pet Odor

get rid of dog hair and pet odor - Pet friendly cleaning company Magnolia TX

Get Rid of Dog Hair & Pet Odor

get rid of dog hair and pet odor - Pet friendly cleaning company Magnolia TX

How to Get Rid of Dog Hair & Pet Odor

We all love our furry friends, but sometimes they can cause havoc on your home. We often forget that these furry friends come with a lot of dog fur, odor, and urine! Cleaning up after your pet can be frustrating for some people. However, there are plenty of tips to making your life as a pet parent much easier. Below, Maid for Muddy Paws team shares how to get rid of dog hair and pet odor so that your home can stay clean!

Create a Dog Grooming Schedule

Just like us, pets have to be groomed and maintained to look and feel their best. If you have a dog, we recommend grooming them on a regular basis. As the seasons change, pets will begin to shed their coat. This, of course, causes fuzz and dander to be everywhere. It is recommended that dogs with longer hair are groomed on a daily or weekly basis. Many pet owners have to vacuum or sweep daily to get keep the dog hair from getting out of control. 

Owning a puppy involves having to deal with dog hair on the carpet, furniture, and clothing. Investing in a lint roller is the first step toward living fuzz-free with a pet dog. Additionally, when your dog is shedding more, frequent trips to the dog groomer or daily brushing will help keep pet hair at bay. However, if you want to keep dog hair under control in the long run, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and do some daily vacuuming. You would also want to consider purchasing a pet sponge, which is a dry sponge that is useful for extracting pet fur from areas where the vacuum cannot reach. Our friends at Specialized AV, who offers home automation services, recommend getting an automated vacuum cleaner. This will help eliminate dander.

Find the Best Pet Cleaner

When your dog has an accident on the carpet or floor, it is important that you clean up the pet pee as soon as possible. Your dog’s sense of smell is far superior to yours. It will be able to say where it left you a “gift” and will repeatedly return to the scene of the crime. To avoid this unfortunate sequence of events, use floor or carpet cleaners known as “bacteria/enzyme digesters.” These are available online and at most pet shops. Before you begin washing, check the bottle to see if your solution needs to be diluted.

Use the Cleaning Solutions Properly

To ensure that puppy messes do not linger, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the cleaning solutions properly. If you’re a first-time pet owner, read the following: 

  • Dispose of poop and blot up pet pee with absorbent products such as paper towels or coffee filters. Repeat until there is no more liquid visible on the towel or filter.
  • Follow the instructions on your bacteria/enzyme cleaner and apply it to the stained area to efficiently eliminate both the mess and the pet odor.
  • Firmly press the plastic over the affected area. Continue to apply pressure so that floor and carpet cleaners can get into the nooks and crannies.
  • Leave the plastic on the stained area for the period specified.
  • If your pet dog often visits the same place, you can try to eliminate the pet odor. Apply one cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water to the stained area of the floor or carpet. Apply another round of bacteria/enzyme carpet cleaner after that.

Hire a Pet-Friendly Cleaning Company

Many of us live busy lives, which explains why you don’t have time to clean your house as often as you’d like. Having a pet in the house is nice, but it does mean more messes. Maid for Muddy Paws is known for being the best pet-friendly cleaning company in Magnolia, TX. Our residential cleaning services are pet-friendly enough to wear. We offer dog grooming services as an additional service! If this is something you’re interested in, please contact Maid for Muddy Paws for a free estimate.