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DIY Vacuuming Tips: Backing Out, Frequency, Avoiding Odors

In parts one and two of this multi-part blog series, we’ve gone over everything you need to know about vacuuming within your home on a DIY basis. Homeowners will regularly vacuum their spaces, even those who have professional housekeeping services carried out periodically, and knowing how and when to properly execute this basic process will help keep your home cleaner and healthier at all times.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re proud to offer a variety of house cleaning services, from standard cleaning through deep cleaning and move-in/move-out services — and also to offer expertise to our clients looking to keep their homes clean and tidy in simple ways even between appointments from our maid service staff. In today’s final entry into our series, we’ll go over a few more basic pointers or themes to consider when vacuuming any part of your home.

Backing Out of Rooms

One extremely simple theme that will help you keep your carpets, rugs and other vacuumed surfaces as clean as possible: Taking the time to back out of areas you’ve already vacuumed. Let’s say you’ve worked your way through all of the carpeting within your living room, and are ready to turn around and get out of there — but fail to consider backing out.

What happens is that dirt, dust and other debris becomes dragged along with you into another room, because all of the surfaces you’ve already vacuumed are now in your path to the door. By backing out, you’re able to ensure that all of these areas are properly cleaned before you move on.

Vacuuming Frequency

We’re commonly asked by clients how often they should be vacuuming their home. While we don’t feel that there is a single answer to this question, we do suggest looking into how it varies from region to region and country to country — and also based on the size of your space.

For instance: Standard dwellings in some regions will be more prone to buildup of dust and other debris if they are not vacuumed on a regular basis. This is especially true for regions with moderate climates, or those coming out of winter months, when windows are routinely opened to let in fresh air.

Does the size of your home play into this? Absolutely — if you have multiple stories within your home, it will require more frequent cleanings than others that are on a single floor.

Avoiding the “Vacuum Smell”

Most are familiar with the smell of a freshly vacuumed area, but some don’t enjoy this scent. There are a few methods to avoid it:

  • Sprinkle some baking soda in the bag or dirt reservoir to remove dirt-related odors. Some also try cinnamon in the bag instead.
  • Use a dryer sheet in the bag to release this pleasant scent.
  • Occasionally, deodorize the entire carpet or rug space you’re vacuuming using baking soda.

For more on proper vacuuming in any part of your home, or to learn about any of our house cleaning services, speak to the pros at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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DIY Vacuuming Tips: Height, Pattern and Speed

In part one of this multi-part blog series, we imparted some expertise onto those who regularly vacuum their own spaces. Vacuuming is a big part of cleaning a home, both in the professional and DIY spheres, with many of our clients asking us for our best vacuuming tips so they can keep their home clean in between our professional appointments.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, vacuuming is just one small part of our comprehensive housekeeping services, which include everything from maintenance cleaning and spring cleaning solutions to deep cleaning, move-in and move-out services and more. For our clients who prefer to vacuum often and keep their space clean between our visits, here are some more general tips on how to do so properly.

Proper Vacuum Height

Most of today’s vacuums come with a feature that allows you to adjust their height, and it is important to set it in order to maximize your vacuum’s effectiveness. The handle should be at roughly the same height as your knees when you are standing upright and holding onto it with both hands.

If your vacuum itself is set too low, you risk wearing out your carpet with too much friction, or even damaging it. If your vacuum is set too high, you are putting more strain on your back, which could lead to injuries down the line — and you also may not be generating enough suction to truly clean the area in question.

Vacuuming Pattern

Did you know that carpet fibers are flexible and rest in a variety of directions? This means that if you only vacuum in one direction, you leave dirt on parts of the fibers.

For this reason, we generally recommend a crisscross pattern, which starts by vacuuming from one side to the other. Then, return to your starting position and vacuum first north-south and then east-west. This ensures that you get all of the area in between so as not to miss any spots.

Don’t Go Too Fast

A common mistake made by DIY vacuum users is trying to go as fast as possible. When you rush, it increases the chances that you will miss dirt and other debris, which can lead to a larger buildup or even damage your carpet fibers.

Especially if you’re looking for a deep clean of the area and removal of tougher buildups like pet hair or other debris, letting the vacuum do its job is key. Speed will come as you gain more comfort with the process and as your carpet begins to look cleaner!

For more on how to properly vacuum your space between housekeeping appointments, or to learn about any of our house cleaning services or programs, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Ogden DIY Vacuuming Tips: Bag and Filter, Dusting, Crevice Feature

There are certain home cleaning tasks that will be carried out regularly by both homeowners and professional housekeepers (if they’re hired), and a good example here is vacuuming. One of the single most common home cleaning tasks out there, vacuuming helps remove various dust, debris, dirt, hair and other materials from your flooring, particularly carpets, rugs and other fabrics.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, detailed vacuuming and related suction solutions will be just one small piece of our comprehensive house cleaning services, which include everything from maintenance cleaning to deep cleaning and move-in/move-out services in Ogden and nearby areas. However, we also naturally realize that our clients will perform some vacuuming on their own — and we’re here to offer expertise for these settings as well. In this multi-part blog series, we’ll go over some basic DIY vacuuming tips from the best housekeepers in the business.

Bag and Filter

No matter which vacuum you own or which area of your home you’ll be cleaning, you should first check the vacuum’s bag or filter. These are the two components that will collect any kind of debris, dust, dirt and other materials you’re attempting to clean up with your machine. A full bag or dirty filter is going to decrease the effectiveness of your vacuum whenever you attempt to use it.

The simplest approach here: Check the bag and filter before each use, but also before each major vacuuming session on any given day. This way you won’t have to exert the effort of bending down every single time you want to start vacuuming — plus, it helps avoid accidentally missing anything important.

Dust First

Especially if it’s been some time since a given room was cleaned, we strongly recommend dusting first. This means using a dusting mop, duster or cloth to specifically remove any loose particles and materials before you’ve started vacuuming — the easy stuff that will be compacted into your vacuum’s bag/filter if you don’t get it first.

It is also good to remember that some surfaces (particularly plush carpets) will require an approach of pre-vacuuming, so that all the dust and dirt particles are pushed closer to your vacuum’s base. This will help ensure no internal vacuuming issues result from these larger surface materials being pulled into your machine later on.

Crevice Feature

One vital feature to utilize when you’re vacuuming a hard floor is the crevice tool, which will help remove dirt from edges and other tight spaces. The crevice feature will also help immensely when it comes to cleaning around furniture legs — essentially anything that’s small enough to be difficult or near-impossible for regular suction power to reach. If you’re not using the crevice tool when vacuuming a given room, you’ll be leaving hair, dirt and other debris built up in corners.

For more tips on DIY vacuuming from the best housekeepers in town, or to learn about any of our Ogden housekeeping services, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Mold in Homes: Removal Methods and Professional Assistance

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basic risks of mold in the home, plus a few common methods to remove it. Mold is harmful to both human health and aesthetics, but there are several tactics both homeowners and house cleaners can take to remedy mold growths.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, our varied house cleaning services include several mold remediation solutions, whether we’re performing basic weekly cleaning, deep cleaning or any of our other programs. What are some of the other simple removal methods that might be available to you if mold is present in your home? Here are a few to consider.

Baking Soda for Mold Removal

Baking soda is another good option for mold removal, one with a great pH balance that allows it to kill mold without being dangerous to people or pets. Sprinkle some baking soda on the mold, then scrub it in and rinse it off. From here, perform this same process again, but leave the baking soda there for roughly 30 minutes to an hour. After that time, just sweep or vacuum it away. It’s as simple as that!

Borax for Mold Removal

If you have a big job ahead of you when you’re removing mold, borax can be another great solution. Borax is mineral that essentially dehydrates mold, so you can just leave it there for a few hours to do its thing. Use as much borax as necessary in order to cover the areas afflicted with mold, and then let it dry completely before removing.

Tea Tree Oil for Mold Removal

In other cases, you might consider using tea tree oil, which is a highly effective fungicide, and one that’s considered safe for both humans and pets. Simply mix a small amount of tea tree oil with water, and then apply the mixture to your moldy areas. If you’d like, you can use a spray bottle to mist it on as well.

Leave it be for a few hours before wiping it clean or scrubbing it off with a mild detergent. We recommend using an old toothbrush or soft-bristle brush to get the mold out of any small areas. If you do not have tea tree oil in your home, it can usually be found in health food stores or online.

When Professional Assistance is Required

In some cases, even your best efforts using the DIY methods we’ve gone over here will not be effective. Some mold growths are so significant that they will not respond to these attempts — and in these cases, it’s prudent to call our team for professional mold removal and remediation services.

For more on mold removal and prevention in your home, or to learn about any of our deep cleaning, move-out cleaning or other services, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Mold in Homes: Basic Risks and DIY Removal Methods

Among the growths or buildups you never want to find in your home, mold is at or near the top of most lists. Not only is mold ugly and unsightly to the eye, it comes with poor odors and, in many cases, significant health risks to both humans and animals living in the home.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re here to offer a wide variety of home cleaning services, from maintenance and basic weekly cleaning solutions up through deep cleaning and move-out cleaning services – and mold removal is one of many distinct tasks we carry out on a regular basis for our clients. Why is mold a risk in your home, and what are some DIY solutions you might consider for minor mold buildups? On the flip side, when should you consider calling in the pros for a major mold concern, and how can mold be prevented to begin with? We’ll go over all this in this two-part blog series.

Mold Basics and Risks

For those who are unaware, what exactly is mold and why is it a risk? Mold refers to a form of fungus comprised of living organisms, one that tends to form and thrive in moist, damp environments. There are actually over 100,000 different specific types of mold.

Many of these types do not pose much danger to humans, while others definitely do. But in both cases, mold is known to trigger allergies and other respiratory symptoms in many people, and may lead to a higher risk of being sick. It also looks ugly and breaks down other surfaces, such as your tile floor or bathroom porcelain.

So how do you get rid of it? Our next few sections will go over some simple DIY methods for small mold buildups.

Vinegar Vs Bleach

Many homeowners naturally reach for bleach when they find a mold buildup, but this is actually the wrong move. Bleach can do just fine cleaning off mold on some surfaces, but due to its chemical structure, it’s not able to penetrate into porous materials – this means that when mold spores have dug into a material and built a protective membrane, a common occurrence for mold buildups, bleach will have no impact.

Vinegar, however, will do the job well. It penetrates porous materials due to acidity, attacking the mold membrane and its entire colony. This stops the mold from reproducing and coming back. If you have vinegar on-hand, it should be your first try for removing mold from a given area – put some in a spray bottle and spray the surface, then wipe it off after letting it sit for at least an hour.

Hydrogen Peroxide

If you don’t have vinegar around, hydrogen peroxide is another antifungal substance that will have a similar impact to many mold buildups. Use a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, poured into a spray bottle and soaked onto the surface of the mold for about 10 minutes. Scrub the area down after and remove any mold residue.

For more on mold growths and how to remove them, or to learn about any of our professional cleaners and how they’ll help, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Factors in Determining Ogden Home Cleaning Frequency

When it comes to housekeeping and professional cleaning services, one of the most common question areas clients have is in the realm of cleaning frequency. Our housekeepers are available with a variety of different scheduling themes, including customizable setups, but how do you determine how often you should arrange for services?

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re here to help. Not only do we offer a wide range of professional cleaning services in Ogden and other parts of Utah, from maintenance cleaning to deep cleaning, move-in and move-out services and more, but also expertise on how to best utilize our services. We’ve assisted numerous clients with determining their ideal cleaning frequency using several important variables, each of which we’ll discuss here.

Your General Chore Frequency

First and foremost, how often do you perwform general cleaning chores around your home? The most common answer here for many homeowners is around once a week – many will save their major chores for a Saturday or Sunday, for instance, and will perform tasks like vacuuming, sweeping and cleaning bathrooms on these days.

Generally speaking, it’s good to match your professional home cleaning schedule with your personal cleaning schedule. If you clean about once a week, it’s also good to have your housekeeper come once a week – and you can even instruct them on any areas you want them to leave for you.

Housekeeping Budget

Next up, it’s time to think about your general budget for housekeeping services. While we all might prefer to have our homes cleaned twice a week by professionals, not everyone has the funds to accomplish this, and we understand that. For this area, we’re happy to provide you with a cost-free estimate for our cleaning services and what they’ll cost, based specifically on the areas you need cleaned and the specific processes involved.

Level of Cleanliness

Another important variable here is how clean you want the home, and there are varying levels to consider. This is one area that might require some trial-and-error – some will start out with monthly cleaning services, but if they are noticing too much dirt or grime buildup in between appointments, they may increase their frequency. You can always change your cleaning schedule depending on how clean you want the home; if you’re hosting a special party, for instance, you can request an additional appointment that week to ensure you’re in great shape.

General Schedules

And finally, you’ll naturally want to consider the basic schedules of the people who live in the home, plus our cleaners. It’s not necessary for homeowners to be gone during our cleaning, though it can be helpful at times – between this and other factors like your work schedule, kid school schedules and more, we’ll help you arrange the ideal setup so our services are carried out often enough without ever getting in your way.

For more on how to set up the ideal house cleaning schedule, or to learn about any of our housekeeping services in Ogden or other areas, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Dog Owner Home Cleanliness: Vacuuming, Dishes, Professionals

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some general tips for homeowners who live with at least one dog in the house. Our furry friends offer incredible amounts of joy and companionship, but they’re also not exactly clean – and between hair, dander and other related risks, they may increase your cleaning and home maintenance needs in a few simple ways.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re here to help with numerous home cleaning and maintenance needs, including basic maintenance cleaning that’s often ideal for homeowners with pets. What are some of the general themes, both DIY and with our team’s assistance, that we recommend in terms of caring for a home with a dog or another shedding pet? Here are several others to keep in mind.

Vacuuming Themes

While chunks of part one of our series went over some general mess prevention themes that will attempt to keep hair and other dirt out of the home completely, it’s a simple reality that these will only work to a certain extent. Your dog will inevitably create at least some mess inside, and the biggest culprit here for many dogs is their shedding and all the hair that spreads around.

Your top tool against this remains vacuuming, and it should be done much more often in homes with pets than in those without them. You should be vacuuming the whole home at least once a week, if not perhaps a bit more often. Pay particular attention to high-traffic areas and spots like carpets and rugs that often collect hair.

Placemat and Dish

One simple approach to limiting your dog’s mess: Using a placemat or some other kind of blocker that’s placed under their food and water dishes. This will catch splatter and crumbs that fall from their mouths, and therefore the dirt on your floors. Use either a mat that can be wiped down with soap or a small rug you can put in the washing machine.

Work With Pros

For some homes, including those with multiple pets or those where the owners lead busy lives and don’t have time to dedicate to regular cleaning, pet maintenance can be a major chore. But this is why our team of house cleaners exists – to assist anyone who needs an extra hand here, including those who own pets. We’re happy to attend to many of the areas we’ve gone over on this list, plus several other professional cleaning themes that will ensure your home is clean and healthy despite the presence of one or more dogs.

For more on any of our pet cleaning services, or to learn about our deep cleaning solutions, move-out cleaning and related themes, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Dog Owner Home Cleanliness: Grooming, Exercise, Wiping

As longtime dog owners know, while these furry friends are a source of much joy, they’re also pretty messy. And for those who like to keep their spaces clean on a regular basis, these two themes can clash with one another.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re here to help with this and numerous other potential home cleaning needs. From standard maintenance cleaning, which includes plenty of basic cleanup and possibly pet-related items if needed, up through deep cleaning, move-in and move-out cleaning and several other areas, we have you covered no matter your cleaning or sanitation requirements. What are some of the top areas we recommend in terms of keeping your home clean even with a dog around, both in terms of homeowner areas and those our team can assist with? This two-part blog series will go over several.

Frequent Grooming

Fur is one of the top issues that dogs create, particularly high-shedding dogs. Pet fur around the home can become a problem for a few reasons, from simple aesthetics up to potential exacerbation of allergies or asthma symptoms to those who suffer from them.

Grooming is a very simple way to limit this hair presence in your home, and we’re not only talking about professional grooming here – though that’s always an option as well if you have the budget for it, and will do a great job keeping your pet clean while removing all excess fur. Even if you don’t opt for pro services here, however, you can use a simple brush with your dog outside a few times a week to remove not only hair, but also dead skin particles and other contaminants. And also, we’d recommend bathing your dog at least once a month.

Exercise Themes

Another potential dog-related issue in some homes is damage, often created by overly energetic pups. The simplest solution here: Good exercise on a regular basis for your dog. Normal walks or runs (depending on breed and exercise needs) are a must, plus you might consider basic elements both inside and outside the home that allow them productive uses of energy – things like toys, outdoor play areas and more.

Wiping Down

And while you should let your dog run to its heart’s content outside, you have to be careful about what it’s tracking back inside. If there are muddy conditions, for instance, or even a significant moisture presence outside at the time, you should be wiping off muddy or wet paws before your dog has a chance to run around inside. Some dog owners will even keep a shallow tub of clean water near the door to wipe down particularly messy pets – and you’d be surprised how much easier your daily cleaning will become as a result.

For more on how to keep your home clean if you own a dog, or to learn about any of our housekeeping or related services, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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How Ogden House Cleaning Saves You Money

For most who consider them, the benefits of housekeeping and house cleaning services are pretty straightforward: They improve both convenience and home cleanliness, plus the aesthetic of your space. But did you realize that in many situations, house cleaning services are actually saving you money in the process?

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we’re proud to offer a variety of house cleaning services, from standard cleaning and maintenance through move-out cleaning, deep cleaning and several other solutions. On top of the ways we keep your space clean, inviting and healthy, how are we actively saving you money with our high-quality services in Ogden and nearby areas? Here are a few basic ways.

Home Features and Lifespan

Ask a professional who makes or installs any significant home feature, from carpet or tile to countertops, tubs, appliances and numerous others, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Regular cleaning and upkeep play a major role in lifespan. Think about a carpet, for instance; if it isn’t cleaned regularly, it will accumulate dust, dirt, spills, animal hair and other debris, and these will grind into the carpet fibers. Over time they will damage and wear down the carpet, and before long you’ll be dealing with a worn-out, ugly-looking carpet.

On the flip side, however, regular cleaning avoids these risks – to numerous features and appliances. Avoid dirt and hard water deposits building up in bathroom fixtures, risking etching, for instance. Through these and similar themes, your home will be kept not only clean, but in a state where its major features can be expected to last much longer than they otherwise would, saving you money in the long run.

Supply Savings

If you’re having a particular cleaning or buildup issue within your home, you may have tried several different solutions without success. These chemicals or other items will often sit in your home for years after they’ve been tried unsuccessfully, wasting the price you paid on them.

When you call professionals for any cleaning job, on the other hand, we’re already experts in materials – and have many of them on-hand. You won’t have to waste any time experimenting with different options to find the right one, because our pros will simply inform you and handle the job ourselves.

Time is Money

Finally, we’ve all heard this old adage, and it’s true in many cases. When it comes to house cleaning, many homeowners who attempt to switch from professional cleaning to their own DIY jobs will be shocked at just how much is involved here – pro house cleaning is an incredibly detailed pursuit, and performing the same tasks will take most homeowners several hours a week at minimum. If you’re a busy person who has heavy demands on their time, you might be saving yourself both stress and actual money by hiring a professional house cleaner.

For more on the monetary savings house cleaning services provide many clients, or to learn about any of our Ogden housekeeping or related deep cleaning services, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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Hydrogen Peroxide for Cleaning: Substitute and Disinfectant

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basics on the numerous areas of the home where hydrogen peroxide is a useful cleaning solution. While it was first invented as a wound disinfectant and still may be used for that purpose, hydrogen peroxide has become one of the single most reliable household cleaning solutions as well, with uses in several relevant areas.

At Healthy Homes Housekeeping, we regularly use solutions like hydrogen peroxide and other cleaners for numerous needs, from standard house cleaning to deep cleaning, move-in and move-out services and many others. Even in addition to standard cleaning themes, there are a variety of ways you can use hydrogen peroxide to your benefit in the home; here are a few additional unique uses of hydrogen peroxide to consider.

Bleach Substitute for Laundry

If you typically use bleach in your laundry but are currently out, one simple alternative is using hydrogen peroxide. Simply pour in a cup of hydrogen peroxide along with your white laundry to remove stains, then let it sit for at least 10 or 15 minutes before you start the machine.

In other cases, you might use it to remove smells from towels. Particularly if your towels have become musty or mildew-y, hydrogen peroxide in the wash does a great job removing this effect.

Sponge Disinfectant

Do you like to recycle your sponges through fully so you aren’t wasting materials? A great method for regularly disinfecting the sponge to keep it clean and useful is to use hydrogen peroxide.

Ideally, this will be a 50-50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide with warm, but not boiling, water. Create this mixture and then soak the sponges in it for about 10 minutes. Once this is finished, thoroughly rinse each sponge you’ve soaked.

Fruits and Veggie Cleanliness

Another set of items you can easily clean and sanitize with hydrogen peroxide: Fruits and vegetables, which may have bits of dirt or even pesticides still attached to them. Create a mix of a quarter-cup hydrogen peroxide with a full sink of cold water – wash the produce in the sink first, then rinse it thoroughly with cold water to remove both the peroxide and any contaminants.

Plant Fungus Prevention

Finally, speaking of contaminant prevention, do you have plants in your home that are susceptible to fungus risks? There are a variety of such plants, and one simple way to keep them protected is to use a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide in a water-filled spray bottle. Lightly mist plant leaves with this solution, and you’ll be lowering the risk of fungus growth on any areas you hit.

For more on the numerous uses of hydrogen peroxide throughout the home, or to learn about any of our housekeeping services, speak to the staff at Healthy Homes Housekeeping today.

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