Our up-front initial statement is that working from home keeps you and others safe and this is a top priority. To stay at home will protect (save) others and this is important for our society.
Author: Chris Wadsworth
The windows in our home are important and this means that the window treatments are important too. Clean window treatments are necessary to achieve a clean look and feel to a room.
Window treatments are well known to collect dust. This can make them look dull. We all want our window treatments to brighten a room. We want them to look clean and fresh.
Here are some cleaning tips to help keep your window treatments looking great. This translates into a room that looks clean and fresh.
Curtains and Window Treatments
These items can be dust magnets. A valence can have significant amounts of dust on the top and the fabrics of curtains can trap dust. Blinds are also notorious for collecting dust.
Curtains
It May Be Best to Dry Clean
Even if your window coverings are made of a washable fabric, the linings and seams could shrink in the wash. If you have any doubts use a dry-cleaning service. Dry clean if your curtains have stitched-in pleats, swags, or other elaborate ornamentation that may not withstand washing.
Special Fabrics
You can freshen up velvet draperies without washing or dry-cleaning them; just brush them from time to time with a chamois cloth dipped in hot water and wrung out thoroughly.
If silk curtains allow for handwashing, do so in lukewarm or cool water and use mild liquid dish detergent. Swish gently and never twist or wring. Do not use a dryer it is best to dry them by hanging them up.
Cleaning window treatments made with cotton can usually be done by hand or machine-washing, provided they are unlined.
Cleaning window treatments that are made of wool and cashmere should always be dry-cleaned.
Sun Damage
Constant exposure to sunlight can render even sturdy fabrics fragile. So, when machine-washing curtains and draperies, use the gentle cycle, cool or lukewarm water, and mild detergent.
If possible, hang on a clothesline to dry, or put them in a clothes dryer on a no-heat or delicate setting.
Sheer Curtains
Wash sheer curtains on a regular basis even if they don’t look dirty, because by the time dirt appears, they can be permanently discolored.
Always be gentle with these fragile fabrics. Make sure they fill no more than half the machine and let them soak for 5 minutes in cold water. Use a mild detergent, and if you wish, a whitening agent. Turn the dial to rinse to drain the water, then run the machine on a gentle wash setting for just 2 to 3 minutes.
To dry, put the sheer curtains and a couple of terry-cloth towels in a dryer set to no heat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Rehang while still slightly damp and pull into shape. If necessary, move an ironing board next to the window and iron the hems while the curtains or draperies are hanging. You could also use a handheld steamer or the vertical steam setting of a regular steam iron to smooth them.
Cleaning Maintenance
After a washing, dust curtains and drapes regularly with your vacuum cleaner’s soft-brush attachment or with a soft, long-handled broom with synthetic fibers as these broom fibers are smoother.
If you use a vacuum cleaner, set it for reduced suction if you have this control so that the fabric is not drawn into the nozzle. When you cannot control the suction force place a plastic mesh screen between the nozzle and the fabric to prevent the fabric from being sucked into the vacuum.
To help keep them fresh without having to clean them air them outdoors if you can take down your curtains and drapes with relative ease. You could hang them on your clothesline.
Also, you could freshen them up by putting them in a clothes dryer set to the no-heat or delicate cycle.
Curtain Care Cleaning Tips
Measure curtains before washing in case you need to stretch them back into shape. Be sure to remove hooks and any weights and loosen the tapes so they lie flat.
Before doing the curtain cleaning, dust them by running them through a dryer set to the no-heat cycle. Or shake them out, lay them on a bed, and dust with the vacuum brush attachment.
Don’t overload the washing machine and remember that curtains will become much heavier when wet.
If handwashing, don’t rub or wring the fabric; just agitate gently.
Try to dry curtains over two parallel lines so wet surfaces don’t touch. Don’t let the curtains rest on wood, which could stain them.
Iron while damp along the vertical length on the side that doesn’t show. If parts of the fabric have already dried, dampen the entire curtain again to avoid watermarks.
Stretch seams gently while ironing to avoid puckering, then spread the curtains out on a clean surface, such as a bed, and pull them to the correct size.
When curtains are dry, insert hooks and weights, and pull to correct width.
You might be able to save a step by hanging your curtains, then using either a handheld steamer or the vertical steaming of a regular steam iron to smooth them.
Before rehanging the curtains, clean valances fixed to the wall. Vacuum an upholstered valance with the upholstery attachment and a wooden valance with the crevice tool; clean a plastic valance with a sponge dipped in a solution of liquid detergent and water.
Rehanging is easiest when one person stands on a ladder to insert the hooks and another stands below to make sure the curtains don’t drag on the floor.
Cleaning Blinds
Cleaning blinds are one of those chores that most people tend to forget about.
There are three good ways to remove dust and light grime from window blinds.
First, dust using a vacuum. Use a vacuum with a brush head. If your blinds have been well maintained from a cleaning perspective, then this may be all you need to do. Vacuum both sides. Easy!
Second, if there is a bit more dust or the dust may be coating the blind because of some grime, then you need to do a bit more. This is particularly true for kitchen blinds. First, close the blind. Then spray the blind with a water and white vinegar spray. A 1:1 water-vinegar mixture is fine. You may also want to add 5 drops of essential oil of your choice. The oil will help to freshen the scent and help to provide a polishing aspect to your cleaning. With an old sock over your hand wipe the blind and always go from top to bottom. Clean both sides of the blind.
Let the blind dry by keeping it fully down and closed. When dry, pull up the blind and be sure to clean the entire window area and sill so that all that dust that fell off the blind is also cleaned up.
Then lower the blind fully and with the blinds closed again wipe the blinds with a dryer sheet to slow down the accumulation of dust.
Finally, if you need to do more of a clean because of some extra stubborn grime it is fine to take down the blinds completely. You can then clean the blind in a bathtub with cool-warm water and some dish soap. Do not use the bathtub for wooden blinds unless the manufacturer states it is OK to do so.
Also, just to emphasize the water temperature, do not use hot water as there is a risk that the blinds can warp.
Keep in mind that a regular blind cleaning prevents the need to take down the blinds and clean them in the bathtub. A Clean Vision can help you by doing a regular clean on your blinds helping to keep your blinds clean so that there is no need to take them down and place them in the bathtub.
Perform regular maintenance cleaning very easily with a microfiber antistatic duster. An antistatic dusting tool attracts and holds onto negatively charged dust particles. An antistatic duster results in attracting dust rather than just pushing dust around.
Cleaning Fabric Blinds
Again, your vacuum will be your best tool for cleaning fabric blinds.
You can also consider using your hairdryer to help clean your fabric shades. A hairdryer can help, especially with cellular shades. Set your hairdryer on cold. Blow away the dirt that is trapped in the creases or inside the honeycomb opening. This air agitation will also help to remove bugs that are caught inside the honeycombs.
You need to regularly clean your fabric blinds. If you do not regularly clean them they can get so dirty that you then are forced to do a more vigorous cleaning. Maintenance cleaning is very helpful. Use a solution of liquid dish soap (one tablespoon) to 4 cups of water. Use a clean sponge and this solution to gently scrub the blinds. Do not rub too hard or use too much of the solution to avoid damaging the fabric.
After cleaning with the sponge and soap solution use a soft cloth to pat-dry the blind and wipe off any excess soap. Let them air dry.
Cleaning window treatments are a very important part of having a home that looks and feels clean. Windows are important and this makes the window treatments important too.
A Clean Vision has been helping people of the Upper Valley to have a wonderfully clean home. If you would like us to help with some maintenance cleaning of your window treatments then give us a call at (802) 295-6065.
Protecting Babies, Children, & the Elderly
Dirty indoor air is more common than you think.
Babies, young children, the elderly, and people with immune deficiencies or asthma need clean, fresh air. If you have young children or older persons living with you, you can help protect against a range of unpleasant, uncomfortable, and dangerous health conditions with our help.
Dust – It’s a Problem
No matter how hard you try, dust filters into your home. What does it consist of?
Dust is made up of many different tiny particles, including dirt, animal dander, insect waste, pollen, textile and paper fibers, and animal feces. Rather than having these contaminants circulating in your home air, have all dust removed from within your home, including from blinds, drapes, carpets, upholstery, and from areas where it loves to linger.
Dusting can be one of the most important benefits of using a professional home cleaning service.
Here are some blog posts on how to be more effective at removing dust from your home.
Deeper Carpet Cleaning
No matter how hard you scrub, or how often you pull out the spot cleaner to keep your carpets looking good, there is no substitute for deep, thorough carpet cleaning. Add our cleaning service to your home maintenance schedule, and we can take care of your carpets with high-performance carpet vacuuming and a regular deep clean of your carpets. We can help you with the tough cleaning tasks.
We have the right tools, cleaning products, and systems to help keep your entire home fresh and clean.
You may be interested in some ideas on how to select a carpet cleaning company.
The Right Tools do a Better Job
No matter how hard you scrub or mop, the tools and products you use don’t work as well as the professional cleaning tools used by the professional home cleaners. We have residential cleaning down to a fine art, and our years in the industry has led us to know what works well.
Our team of professionals take pride in their work, and never skimp on the details. Rather than spending hours working hard to keep your home clean let us help.
Relax and Enjoy
You can spend many hours working on keeping your home clean, but is that truly the best use of your time? Call upon the professional team at A Clean Vision, and use the time you save for your creative endeavors, education, family time, or just relaxing.
When our team takes care of your home cleaning needs, you can use the time you saved for whatever activity you enjoy – lounging, reading, or binge-watching your favorite shows in a spotless home – and enjoying the fact that it all happened without you lifting a finger.
You may interest in these other blog posts from A Clean Vision
Does Living in a Clean House Make You happier?
Upper Valley Home Cleaning
A Clean Vision supports homeowners with home cleaning throughout the Upper Valley. You can count on our home cleaning to be effective and efficient. This saves you money and produces a great result.
We can be a part of your home cleaning maintenance to help keep your home organized and clean. Give us a call at 802-295-6065.
What is clutter?
One of the best ways to enjoy your home is to maintain it as a clutter-free home.
Clutter is anything you’re keeping around your house that doesn’t add value to your life. Decluttering is about making room in your home for the things that do matter.
Why work to create a clutter-free home?
- It relieves stress.
- It makes you more efficient.
- It provides a sense of accomplishment – boosting your spirit and mood!
- It creates more space.
- You may find a lost treasure (or two)!
Here is an article from Psychology Today on their take on the benefits of decluttering your home.
The Benefits of an Uncluttered Space
Now, let’s review some ideas for decluttering your home.
Let’s get it done! Let move to a clutter-free home.
Tip Number 1 – Keep Like Things Together
Sometimes it is better to declutter and organize by category rather than by room.
Often a disorganized home has similar items spread out all over the house. For example, if you observe that you have books or magazines in multiple places, it may make sense to gather up these items, review what you have, decide what to keep, and then find a good and logical place for books and magazines.
Tip Number 2 – Be Strict About Clutter Magnets
Countertops, shelves, and other flat horizontal surfaces are clutter magnets. Make it a goal to keep your flat surfaces free (or mostly free) of clutter.
Doing this one thing will reduce most of the clutter that bothers you.
Tip Number 3 – Take Great Care of Your Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is, in my opinion, the most important room in the house to keep decluttered and organized. After all, we need to have this room, in particular, clean and organized for our own quality of life. We deserve this special room to be a sanctuary where we can renew ourselves and where we always feel relaxed. We start our day in this room and we end our day in this room.
This room also plays a role as an example. Your message to your little humans to “go and clean your room” when your room is a mess demonstrates an inconsistency that will work against you. Treat this special room with respect and declutter it.
Ask two basic questions.
- Does any particular item belong in the bedroom?
- Do you consistently use the particular item in the bedroom?
if you answer “no” to either question then either get rid of it or move it to where it belongs.
Simple. Easy!
Tip Number 4 – Declutter Bedroom Closets
Again, let’s apply a few questions that will help us with this task.
Ask:
- Does any particular item of clothing fit?
- Is it in good shape? (Or rather is it damaged such as stained, torn or faded.
- Has it been worn in the past year?
If you have answered “no” to any of these three questions then get rid of it or repair it. If it is a seasonal item, then consider how to best store it in the “off-season”.
Bonus Tip
You can use your hangers to keep track of what you wear and what you don’t wear. Organize your closet hangers so that the hanger hook has the open end facing out. As you use an item, place it back in the closet with the hanger hook facing in. After a sufficient amount of time review which items have been used and those not used.
Make some decisions on what to keep and what needs to go.
Tip Number 5 – Declutter Your Home Office
For most people clutter in the office takes the form of bills, important documents, semi-important documents, receipts, and other paper items.
Review items and place them into these three broad categories:
- File
- 2nd Review
- Trash
Next, throw away or shred the trash pile. if you are like many of us this will eliminate more than 50% of your paper clutter.
Then, file what needs to be filed. This will make you feel significantly better as you will have attended to the important items.
Finally, your success with the first two categories will inspire you to tackle once-and-for-all the third category (2nd Review) as you will be so close to finishing you will be motivated to complete this task.
Your Desk
Look critically at your desk. Keep only the essentials on your desktop. This means your computer, a lamp, and a few other essentials.
Use a minimalist mindset.
Decluttering your desk will go a long way towards helping you feel organized.
Your home is there for you to enjoy. A clutter-free home will increase the enjoyment you get from it.
Here are some other posts on keeping your home clutter-free.
Home Cleaning and Decluttering
If you need some help with keeping your home clean and tidy then give A Clean Vision a call. We have been providing cleaning services to homes of the Upper Valley since 1993.
Sometimes you and your home can benefit from some straight-forward freshening. It lifts your spirit and can inject some energy into your life. This can be done at any time of the year. Just because a selected an image of a happy snowman for this post you don’t need to think about this only in the winter.
Your home is your own special place. You control the way it looks and feels. Freshen it up. Add some excitement! Brighten the interior with some simple and easy-to-implement ideas.
Here are a few ideas.
Freshen with Flowers
Make it feel like spring inside no matter what it is doing outside! Fresh cut flowers instantly brighten your home, making it colorful and inviting. It is an easy way to introduce trendy colors that you don’t have to commit to forever. You can change them out weekly to keep your look fresh.
Not the flowery type? For the same effect, add color with a bowl of fruit.
Consider Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Some people also refer to aromatherapy as essential oil therapy. Breathing in the scent of essential oils activates the brain’s limbic system, which, among other functions, controls your emotions. You can apply essential oils using tools such as an aromatherapy lamp, nebulizer or diffuser, or by simply diluting the oil in a room spritzer solution.
The smell of your home will have a direct impact on your feelings of whether your home is fresh, clean and invigorating.
Brighten Up A Room With Pillows!
Throw pillows are inexpensive and easy to change out. You can refashion the entire color scheme of a room with just a few throw pillows. Remember, it is just an accent, so don’t be afraid of color!
Accent your Bathroom with Towels
Just like adding pillows to your living room, you can brighten up your bathroom with towels. For a fresh look, choose something light and bright. Anything from white to vibrant yellow will do! Not only will your bathroom look great but you will feel great using them.
Declutter your Living Space
Though this one seems obvious, many people can get stuck in a rut and leave items lying around (that’s clutter) that are frequently used. As for me, I do not even realize it looks cluttered until I have company over. When I remove the “clutter” I always feel better. I am often impressed by the mood change transformation. It just feels good!
Kitchens are especially susceptible to overlooked clutter. What do you have sitting on your counter? A toaster, coffee maker, microwave, juicer, mixer, cutting board (perhaps even the mail)? Put it away, clear your surfaces, and your home will look refreshed and you will feel refreshed.
Freshen Up Your Home
If you are going to have a party or just a simple get-together with some friends it is also a good idea to freshen up your home.
Here is a downloadable 7-Day Cleaning Guide to help you plan the pre-event cleaning and tidying of your home.
Home Cleaning Service
If you need some help with the cleaning of your home counts on us. A Clean Vision has been serving homeowners with our home cleaning service of the Upper Valley since 1993.
A clean home helps move things in your life in the right direction. It helps you to feel more in control, more relaxed, more organized, and will also make you more productive.
Think about how you feel when you come home after a long day at work and your house is disorganized. You go to your kitchen to prepare a meal for dinner and the sink is filled with dirty dishes. This does not brighten your mood. In fact, it does the opposite. A messy and disorganized house can disturb you and bring you down.
Conversely, after a long, hard day, coming home to a clean and tidy home can really elevate your mood and help you to feel relaxed. What is it about a fresh, clean home that just makes you feel good? How do you keep up on housework to maintain that “tidy home, tidy mind” feeling?
Here are some tips . . .
Don’t Try to Be Perfect
There are perils to striving for perfection. Being described as a perfectionist often carries a positive connotation. It implies high standards and keen attention to detail. If you are the carrier of that title, you may be paying a high price. Perfection is often coupled with a strong tendency to obsess over things and be overly compulsive. This can be unproductive, frustrating, and often unhealthy.
Perfectionism and a pursuit of excellence are not the same things. Having high standards is fine. Note that studies show that a perfectionist often has a hard time establishing clear goals. Perfectionists are too hard on themselves. They can be unforgiving. A perfectionist can get bogged down with perfection and therefore may procrastinate. This leads to higher stress. Realize that clean does not mean perfectly clean. Improvement is valuable to your happiness even if the pinnacle of perfection is not reached.
The Little Things Count
Don’t weigh yourself down with cleaning and organizing. This will make this important aspect of your life seem overwhelming. Making the task of organizing and cleaning monumental will not contribute to your happiness and wellbeing. Instead, look for little things that can be accomplished quickly and easily. The “little” things are generally not difficult . . . they just take a little extra time and require just a little extra effort.
Organized the mudroom . . . clear that shelf . . . always empty the sink and keep it clean. These are small tasks that move you in the right direction.
Do three little things each day that help you to have a more organized home and before you know it you will feel more organized and you can build off that feeling.
Prioritize
We all have many items on our to-do list. When you have a multitude of things to do then it is necessary to prioritize and determine which goals are the most important and why. Doing so helps you to maintain a clear focus on reaching the most important goals first and taking the steps to ensure that you do.
When it comes to home cleaning and organizing prioritization will help you to achieve cleaning and organizing objectives more quickly and help you to feel better more quickly and easily.
First, take the time to examine the key areas of your home that bother you. Prioritize the areas based on what bothers you the most. Focus on this list. Plan to work on the list every day – even if for just a short time (5 or 10 minutes) each day. You will make progress!
Consider Aromatherapy
A clean home smells clean and aromatherapy goes beyond smelling clean.
Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Some people also refer to aromatherapy as essential oil therapy. Breathing in the scent of essential oils activates the brain’s limbic system, which, among other functions, controls your emotions. You can apply essential oils using tools such as an aromatherapy lamp, nebulizer or diffuser, or by simply diluting the oil in a room spritzer solution.
Used in a home environment aromatherapy can:
- Improve sleep quality
- Reduce stress, agitation, and anxiety
- Fight bacteria, virus, or fungus
- Help to boost your immunity
There’s plenty of information available online and in books if you wish to apply aromatherapy at home. There are also courses you can take to learn more about aromatherapy. It is worth looking into this to make your home as pleasant as it can be. It can help to boost your happiness.
Use Some Help
We all need some help from time to time. If you need some help to clean the bathroom or dust the high places in your home to make things extra clean and to remove the burden from doing this yourself then a professional cleaning company can help.
You have multiple reasons to have a clean and organized home. Maybe your spouse is a neat freak and is often complaining about your untidy ways. Or maybe your in-laws often visit, and a cleaning service can curb the subtle (but hurtful) remarks.
Using professional cleaning help will help everyone to get along. This is above and beyond all the nice feelings that a clean home will bring.
Moreover, if you are the type of person that knows you need to clean, and you shower yourself with feelings of guilt when you don’t then you need to consider a cleaning service. Reduce feelings of guilt and boost your happiness!
Bonus Tip – Ensure Your Relaxation Space is Clean
Many of us have a special place in our home where we like to relax. It may be a room. Perhaps it is a chair with its side table. Whatever or wherever it is it is a good practice to ensure that it is kept clean and organized. This is a place where its main purpose is to help you to relax and enjoy your environment. If this place is disorganized and messy then you cannot fully achieve the happiness this place is intended to provide.
Consider making this place a top priority for your cleaning and organizing efforts.
Home Cleaning Service
If you need some help with the cleaning of your home counts on us. A Clean Vision has been serving homeowners with our home cleaning service of the Upper Valley since 1993.
Home Fragrance Ideas
Here are some home fragrance ideas that really can be used throughout the year but that many people do associate with autumn.
The fall is wonderful time of year. The air smells fresh and clean. The grocery stores and coffee shops are emphasizing pumpkin-flavored items The days are becoming chilly. To add to the joy of the season many people like to surround themselves with comforting fall fragrances that can also add a bit of warmth to your home.