Home Maintenance Tips To Keep Your Home Looking And Smelling Clean

Your home is always getting dirty inside and out, so it can be a constant process to keep up with the dirt that collects from everyday life. Two areas of your home that can collect a large amount of grime include your interior carpeting and your home's exterior windows. Here are some cleaning tips to help you manage both.

Brighten Your Windows

Your home's windows allow incoming sunshine that makes your interior bright, but they can also make the view to the outdoors look grimy and dingy. When your windows are constantly battered by the outdoor elements, they collect a build-up of dirt, hard water stains, and bird and insect droppings. For this reason you should clean your window's exterior almost as much as you clean the inside; after all, your home's window glass will only look as clean as the dirtiest side.

Hiring a professional window cleaning service, like A-Plus Window Cleaning, will make your home's windows look brand new again and the exterior of your home sparkle. You can hire a professional service to clean them one time or on an ongoing maintenance schedule. Or you can clean your own windows with a few basic tools and cleaning equipment.

To do this, you need a bucket containing water and a cleaning solution, such as liquid dish soap. Then, you will need a window squeegee with a sponge on the opposite side of the squeegee and a roll of paper towels.

Use the squeegee sponge to loosen dirt and droppings from the window. Switch to the squeegee side and wipe the cleaning solution from the window going from side to side. After you wipe across the glass, use a paper towel to wipe the squeegee dry and clean before you use it to swipe across the glass again.

Clean and Freshen Your Carpeting

Carpeting inside your home can contribute to bad odors in your home when it traps in odor-causing debris in addition to collecting visible dirt. Along with regular vacuuming, investing in a carpet cleaner or hiring a professional steam cleaning can help you keep your carpets spot-free. Then, you can make your own carpet deodorizer to help your carpet smell fresher.

To do this, combine a mixture of one-half cup of borax and one-half cup baking soda with 30 drops of your choice of essential oils. Add this together, mixing it well, then pour it into a dispenser container, such as an old Parmesan cheese container. Sprinkle this over your carpeting, let it sit for 20 minutes, and vacuum the area thoroughly. The baking soda and borax will absorb odors and the oils, leaving the carpeting smelling great.