Germ Busting House Cleaning

One of the big selling points for many commercial cleaners is their claim to kill 99% of germs in minutes. Since we discovered germs, we’ve realised why it’s so important to keep our houses clean. Dirt harbours germs, and germs make us sick. This is why we clean our toilets, clean our plates and clean our clothes.

We don’t want to get ill with some horrible germ.

However, pouring on pricey wonder-products blindly is not really the answer. Yes, it’ll kill the germs, but these cleaning products can damage the environment and fill your home with toxins that cause all sorts of damage to a number of your body’s systems. It’s time to stop and think exactly what’s needed to destroy germs, and what you’re trying to do when you clean your home.

Germs are not long-lived. And a single germ is easily dealt with by your immune system. The problem comes when germs thrive and multiply to a level that your body can’t deal with them without trouble – trouble in the form of vomiting, the runs and a high temperature in an attempt to purge the body. So the secret of good domestic cleaning is to make it hard for germs to reproduce.

Germs won’t reproduce if their cellular structure is damaged, and they won’t reproduce and thrive if they don’t have the basics of life, which are food and water. Any attempt at cleaning for hygiene should try to attack germs either by damaging them or by depriving them.

Depriving them. This is the harder part of cleaning. Grime is food for germs, so anything that you do to remove grime will deprive them of their food. Cleaning that deprives germs of food involves vacuuming, general scrubbing and wiping to remove grime, dusting, carpet cleaning and doing the laundry. It also involves flushing the loo and scrubbing/wiping away debris. Don’t forget to deprive germs of water, too.

Drying dishes, clothes and other items to be stored minimises water and makes it harder for germs to reproduce. This may also be why salt can be used around the home as a germ-killing cleaner: it dessicates the germs by drawing the water out of them.

Damaging the germs is a bit more straightforward. The only real problem is that the substances that can denature germs will also attack your skin cells (and other cells). However, your body, being a multi-cellular organism, can sacrifice a few cells easily enough for the sake of the whole being. So the secret is to use things that will damage the germs but won’t damage too many of your cells.

One of the simplest forms of denaturing the proteins inside bacteria and viruses so they can’t reproduce is by using heat.  This is why hot water and steam cleaning are so effective. Not only does this remove grime, it also kills germs. Boiling (pasteurization) is an excellent method of sterilization, so if you really need to shift germs and the item to be cleaned can stand it, boiling water works! The high temperatures in dishwashers also helps kill germs. Fire also sterilizes, but has some obvious drawbacks! The only place you can really use fire as a germ-killer around the home is for sterilizing a needle for lancing boils or digging out thistles.

You can also chemically dissolve the cell walls of germs. This is done by disturbing the pH of the germ. This can be done with acid (in the form of vinegar) or with alkali (in the form of soap). Other substances also seem to break down bacteria by unravelling or dissolving their makeup, with alcohol being one (it’s a solvent) – vodka, whisky, rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits all do the job of killing germs around the home.

Nick Vassilev is the founder of successful carpet cleaning London and domestic cleaning London businesses delivering quality cleaning services to thousands of clients.

DIY Electricity

Is it now feasible to have home made electricity? The short answer is “yes”, but up until recently, all of the alternatives to commercial electricity were very expensive.

If you had a creek or small river running through your property you could dam it up and put together your own hydro power system. The ones I’ve heard of usually involve a cooperative of nearby landowners because of the high costs involved. Even after you get over the technological and financial hurdles though, there are still the water rights to worry about.

Two of the most common ways to make DIY electricity are by using solar power and/or wind power. Previously, these two alternative energies have been expensive too, with one solar panel or wind turbine costing two to five thousand dollars.

Fortunately, DIY electricity isn’t nearly as expensive because you can trade what is referred to as “sweat equity” for the dollars you would have spent if you bought solar panels or wind turbines that were already built.

There are now several companies that offer this alternative. They sell complete plans for making DIY electricity. These plans show you how you can build your own solar panels or wind turbines for less than a $ 200. outlay for parts, so you can see that your “sweat equity” is worth quite a bit in this case.

No matter how easy you make it for someone to build something though, there are always some people who are afraid to build or they don’t think they have enough time. A company called Earth4Energy has an interesting idea involving these people. They say that you could build several wind turbines in a week. You could then sell those turbines for $ 500.each. Your profit would be about $ 300.

per unit. This looks like a very interesting idea for a business.

The cost of electricity keeps going up. My electric company raised their rates last fall a full 14% even though oil prices were plummeting and the cost of everything else was dropping. It looks like DIY electricity would be a smart “sweat equity” investment for me and for many others that are tired of electric rates that only go up. I would be sticking it to my electric company, but I don’t mind; they’ve been sticking it to me for years. I believe that in 20 years, most houses will have either solar or wind power or both.

Craig Stanford lives in Portland, OR and believes very strongly in alternative energy. Like the rest of us he is tired of paying through the nose to the electric companies. To read more of what says about home made electricity, check out his squidoo lens at http://www.squdoo.com/DIYsolarpanelsandwindturbines

For Holiday Cleanings Hire Maids

With relatives visiting for the holidays and your home becoming a warm entertainment space, what better time than now to do some holiday cleaning? Although the holidays tend to bring families together, your house needs to be as ready as you are! Whether you are trying to make space in the guest room’s dresser doors or have a more functional space for your family, it is time to get some holiday housekeeping services done. Roll up your sleeves and prepare to have the clean home you want!

But are you the one who will be doing the cleaning or would you go to hire maids. Intelligent decision would be to hire maids to do housekeeping services rather than indulging your precious in this auspicious holiday season. Rather than spending time cleaning upholstery, kitchen, bath or even backyard spend the time doing shopping for your dear ones. Holidays are for enjoying the time with your family and not doing all the cleaning your home needs.

Maids are there who are professionally trained to do the house cleaning using latest cleaning equipment. You just need to leave your keys in the box outside your home and these maids will come in your absence to clean your home. But be sure the maids you hire are insured, bonded and verified. This is required to avoid expenses you might end up paying to maids while doing housekeeping services if they meet with any accident.

Another reason to hire verified maids is to make your home valuables safe in your absence. Nobody would like to be present while cleaning is done. But also no one would like that their valuables are stolen.

To avoid this check with the cleaning company if the maids coming at your home have gone through proper verification process.

Once you finalize the maids the best way to go about housekeeping services is to have a strategy. You should know what you are going to tackle and what you are going to do with the items you find that you can do without. If you find that you do not use an item in your day to day life and that you have not found in useful within the past 3-6 months, consider putting it in the toss/done pile.

Be sure to keep sentimental items in one area so that nothing is accidentally misplaced in the sorting and housekeeping services process. Once you have sorted through all the items and have established what you no longer need, consider donating the items to help the less fortunate during the holiday times. If you are looking to make some extra cash to spoil your loved ones, consider selling some items online or taking clothing to a used clothing store that will pay you for your gently worn items. What is one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

Burlley Thomson is a freelance writer and has been writing articles on several topics like: housekeeping services and maids.

Interior Lighting Design

While many who move into new living spaces spend most of their time accessing the interior design of their new homes, many fail to realize the opportunity that exists in lighting potential. Lighting design is a field in which a professional maps out the layout of reflective surfaces in respect to the windows and direction of the natural lights to maximize or minimize the light per the resident’s specifications. Moods are often affected by the way a room “feels” and lighting variance is a large part of the process. If you are looking to create the perfect setting in your home, you may want to consider the use of an interior lighting designer to accentuate the natural feel of a room without spending a lot on furnishings. Opening a Room Up The opening of a room involves much more than simply taking out walls or eliminating clutter.

In fact, lighting has more to do with it than anything else. Many times, a room has certain areas that are dimly lit, reducing the amount of space that “appears” when you walk into it. However, when properly used, natural light can reflect into these dark recesses, unveiling the true size of a living area and helping to reduce any “closed in” feelings associated with the room itself. The Engineering Side of the Field Many lighting design professionals have contacts within the industry that can help you with your project. If you consult with one regarding the interior design of your fixtures, they can refer you to an electrical engineer that can re-wire your lighting system, giving you more options that suit the concepts that you have in place for your living area. This is why contacting an expert is very beneficial.

While a lighting designer may focus on the “directional” side of the natural light equation, they also have connections that can be utilized should the need for more work arise. Properly Integrating Lighting While the subject of lighting may seem minor when considering the interior design of a home, the illusions created by a lack of lighting are quite noticeable. Because you will want to have a consistent level of natural light throughout the home, you want a plan that uses the entire floor plan of the property to cut back on the need for artificial lighting.

The fees associated with hiring a lighting expert are minimal when you consider the amount of money you will save by eliminating the need for excessive lighting during the daytime hours, not to mention the environmental impact of utilizing natural lighting for your needs. Whether you have an interest in properly implementing skylights, ceiling to floor windows, or reflective surfaces in the interior design of your spaces, the need for an expert is apparent. Because so many areas require specific angles, textures, or patterns to get the most from naturally occurring light, getting the opinion of a professional can help you understand your various options and determine which are the best for your needs. Lighting design is a field that requires a solid understanding of the properties of reflective light and how certain colors and textures reflect or absorb it. With a bit of searching, you can find a professional that fits your budget and can help you get the most from the natural sunshine in your home. Why install expensive lighting fixtures when there is enough light for everyone shining in through the window? Maximize your home’s potential and consult with a lighting expert today. In the end, you’ll immediately notice lower power bills and a softer feel through all rooms in the house.

After buying a new apartment we were considering using a melbourne lighting designer. We found an interior designer who did a superb job at it.

Rubber Flooring

A majority of commercial and industrial set-ups these days have rubber flooring. In fact, such flooring options are gaining popularity for residential properties as well. Durable and comfortable these soft carpets are also lightweight, portable, waterproof, soundproof, aerobic, insulating, and shock absorbent. Rubber flooring is readily available in the market and the two main types of products, a favorite among buyers are foam rubber backed carpets and soft foam rubber flooring. These can be found in a wide range of colors such as black, grey, navy blue, royal blue, brown, moss green, lime green, white, red, burgundy, yellow, pink, orange, purple, and so on. One of the best ways to get your hands on high quality rubber flooring, would be to search for a reputable company online before placing the order.

There are plenty of reliable health care products companies on the Internet that have their official websites providing all the required information to make an informed decision on your part. Online shopping for such products also gives you the benefit of comparing services and prices, while taking your time to browse around for the best deal available. With the variety of designs and styles you can get in rubber flooring, it comes as no surprise that people prefer it in comparison to the usual tiles, stone or hard wood floors. Some of the marked advantages of rubber floors are that they require less effort for upkeep, they are safer in case of falls (ideal for hospitals, clinics, gymnasiums, etc.), they are extremely comfortable to walk or stand on for long periods of time, they look much classier, and last long.

Another undeniable benefit of opting for rubber flooring is its hypoallergenic and antimicrobial quality.

Vinyl and other carpets can emit harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that attract dust and mites, causing many health problems and acute allergies in the long run. Cleaning and maintenance of such carpeting is also a challenge for some set-ups where traffic is on the high. While some may argue that rubber flooring may also pose a health risk to a mild extent, there are a large number of manufacturers that use adhesives that consists of antimicrobial agents to ensure full protection against mold and bacteria. Maintenance for rubber floors include sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming or wax stripping for any wax or dust build up in corners or the surface.

Rubber flooring is perfect if you want your office space or home to look attractive and be clean, peaceful, and safe. These are highly recommended for medical facilities as they absorb shock and thus are most comforting for patients with any aches or joint pains. All you have to do is find a well-known dealer or manufacturer online. With so many options in designs and color, you are bound to be spoilt for choice.

Rubber flooring is perfect if you want your office space or home to look attractive and be clean, peaceful, and safe. These are highly recommended for medical facilities as they absorb shock and thus are most comforting for patients with any aches or joint pains.

 

Why One Should Use The Ceramic Floor Tile

You must find the best materials at the most sensible costs at what time you are on the look for floor tiles. Companies who search for gaining more profit more willingly than make an image for them and get loyal customers overprice maximum time, high quality product. One thing is certain if you make a decision to make flooring your home with Ceramic Tiles, and then you will never feel apologetic for your decision.

Just like numerous further marble types, the tile is brought from Spain. There it is transferred into tiles. It is a recognized truth that marble is the excellent material for manufacturing the flooring tiles, and it gives not only resistance, but exclusive beauty and sophistication as well. For that reason, such tile is tremendously defiant as well as elegant, for making your room good-looking with its colors.

Typically, the Ceramic Floor Tile has soft, light colors such as the cream white, and beige. This makes it suitable for any class of rooms like kitchens, showers, dining rooms and bathrooms, or even for company hall as well as waiting rooms. Its universal beauty has made the such tile extremely trendy in the world of home beautifications in addition to structural design.

With the exclusion of the usual colors, the Ceramic Tiles has a large range of features too, depending on your obligations as well as preferences. Then, you can select from the polished, antiquated, honed and tumbled finishes, and each one of those comes with extraordinary features and great features to get better the look of your rooms.

If you are a big fan of mosaics and combining styles and colors, then you are supposed to unquestionably try the Ceramic Floor Tile.

Even though they have an uncomplicated look, and if this is what you are whishing for, then nothing ought to stop you from buying it. Both normal and mosaic tiles are easy to clean by means of zero effort. Keep in mind that properly caring for your tiles will guarantee they have a long lasting life and a greater resistance to damaging external factors. 

Lastly, you are suggested to decide the preeminent materials to build and beautify your home, since it is something of immense importance and money must not matter be an issue on such occasion. Nonetheless, you are advised to always go for the defined flooring, if you go to the market places for making any flooring deal for your home.

Aaden Bell write about ceramic tiles. Buy ceramic floor tile for flooring at discount prices from woodlooktiles.com

Hidden Wood Flooring Cost

You have decided on wood flooring for the floor in the remodeled room. You are not sure whether it would be cheaper to install the floor yourself or have professionals do the job.

After thinking and looking over the last couple of weekends, you have decided on what flooring you want in that room. You went to several flooring stores and found it as low as $ 4.25 a square foot.

Now you need to start getting the tools, supplies, and etc. needed to install the wood floor. Some of the items that you will need to purchase are knee pads, hardwood adhesive, flooring edgers, floor buffers, floor leveling compounds, floor leveling tools, flooring sealers, flooring scrapers, underlayment, nails, screws, a first aid kit and etc. This would have cost nothing if you had hired a professional.

The items that will need to be rented are 10″ miter saw, jig saw, sliding compound miter saw, table saw, circular saw, toe kick saw, and dumpster for waste materials. The rental of these tools would be unnecessary if you hired a professional, as they have all of their own tools.

Did you think about all the supplies and rental items that you need to get to install the flooring? Have you found someone to help you install the floor? Have you set the date for the installation and rented the tools that you will need?

You need to unpack the wood flooring and lay it out flat on the floor. It will need to set out in your home this was for about 72 hours. This will allow the wood to acclimate to the humidity in your home, and prevents warping and bowing of the wood.

You will need to completely remove all flooring that is on the floor right now. It will need to be swept and vacuumed to remove all debris and dirt.

The old flooring will need to be disposed of. Do you rent a dumpster for the waste materials? How much did the rent on the dumpster cost you?
If you would have gone with a professional to install the flooring, they would have removed the old flooring and hauled it away at no extra charge.

So far wood flooring cost you extra charges in the following area: The cost of the supplies, rental of the tools, rental of a dumpster, 3-4 days that the flooring laid out to get use to the humidity in the home, and pain in your back, knees, arms and neck from removing the old flooring.

You have not started laying the floor yet. When you do your helpers will be there to help you out, whether they are family or friends.

As you work on installing the floor, you should measure twice, before you make a cut. If you make an error, you will need to purchase more flooring. Some flooring takes awhile to come in, so you may have to wait for the extra flooring to arrive.

When you get done installing the hard wood flooring it looks great! But the wood flooring cost you even more! It took the time tearing up the floor, 2-3 days of time laying the wood flooring, your friendship with your helper because they missed out on family time, you wife is upset because the house has been a mess for several weeks now, and you’ve lost time with your wife and children that is priceless.

If you would have hired a professional to install the floor, the job would have taken 2-3 days, all the messes would have been cleaned up and rubble hauled away, they warranty on their work, and it is usually equal to or less than it would have cost you in all of the charges you paid installing it yourself.

Shawn Hickman is the Search Marketing Manager for Sears Home Improvements To get more information on Wood Flooring Cost, visit the Flooring section of our website.

Concrete Cleaning

Concrete cleaning is a process of cleaning the concrete which is done by using through the high powered pressure washers. Concrete surfaces accumulate dust very speedily and to clean that exterior is a very difficult task. There are many cleaning equipments available but without the use of right equipment this task becomes very difficult and time consuming. If you are planning to call any professionals for this task then you may have better option to contact with externalcleaners.com.au. We use latest technology for these cleaning purposes. This technology combined with the extensive training that goes into our teams produces an amazing and consistent result for our clients.
After sometime there are stains on concrete and these stains can be very hard to clean.

Due to these stains liquid allows to leak between fissures. This is the one main reason that why periodic concrete cleaning helps in maintaining your home. And for this High quality pressure washing is a key element of proper concrete cleaning. The technology behind pressure cleaning these days has gained another dimension. Gone are the days when we were using a traditional wand / gun .With the usage of these methods there was a lot of water wastage and it damaged some other equipment while cleaning. The advancement in this technology has produced thousands of specialized machines that suits with almost any application. There is no wastage of water or fear of damaging surfaces or back breaking work.

Removing graffiti from walls is the main concern that is connected with concrete cleaning. It is the most difficult task while cleaning. Even after spending many hours of scrubbing, graffiti still remains as it is. This is because concrete walls, due to their porous nature, absorb the paint deep into the surface. For efficiency, graffiti removal external cleaners provide you pressure cleaning machines along with green chemicals formulated.

To make your property more attractive and able to generate good impressions, especially if it’s a shop, restaurant or other business establishment’s store where you frequently invite your business investors, you must properly care your concrete surfaces and hire professional concrete cleaning services. This is one main reason that your concrete patios always look clean.

External Cleaners offers all our customers a wonderful service that suit with individual properties requirements.

More details:

Gutter Cleaning

Concrete cleaning

House Washing

DIY Underfloor Heating

DIY Underfloor Heating systems are quickly becoming a very popular method of heating. They are economical to run, inexpensive to install, no maintenance is required and the distribution of heat is evenly dispersed over the given area. These systems can be installed under almost any type of floor, especially tiles, wood, and laminate flooring, and are invisible, therefore no radiators, bulky heaters or fireplaces are needed, thus making space saving gains. Diy heating systems can also be laid on top of specific existing floors, and even with a layer of laminate or floor tiles, will raise the floor no more than 25mm.

Many systems consist of heating cables, and these are often attached to a sheet or mat. This mat is then simply stuck or laid onto the floor, and then covered with the desired finish flooring material ie; tiles or laminate. The system is connected to an electric outlet and thermostatically controlled.

It is not a new idea or concept and was first used by the Romans whose buildings were constructed with voids through which air, warmed by an open fire, would pass thus heating the dwelling.

Underfloor heating is one of the most energy efficient ways of heating any type of building. It is ideally suited for use with low energy efficient heat sources such as ground source heat pumps. Underfloor heating is quick and easy to install, is low maintenance and provides even warmth and comfort in the home or office. The temperature of each room can be individually controlled by a thermostat or roomstat.

There are two types of underfloor heating system – wet systems where warm water circulates through polyethylene pipes, and electric systems which consists of electric matting.

Both methods are installed within the floor, or even a wall structure.

Conventional heating systems mainly provide heat by convection that circulates through the air that surrounds objects within the building. Radiant heat warms objects and the general fabric of the building, including people, just like the suns heat warms the surface of the earth.

Underfloor heating eliminates uncomfortable hot or cold air flows around a room and gives even comfortable heating. The warmest part of the room is next to the floor – not the ceiling.

The benefits of underfloor heating:

• Clean and hygienic
• Even warmth
• No dust circulation
• Vandal proof
• Ease of installation
• Little or no maintenance

The heat produced from underfloor heating comprises 70% radiant heat and 30% convection heat.

If you are in need of this service check out our product pages, they contain many companies that specialize in this. John Cheesman writes about DIY Underfloor Heating. Visit the Businessmagnet product page for details and suppliers of DIY Underfloor Heating.

Maid of Honor Toasts

You’re the Maid of Honor. Congratulations!

You’ve got a lot of responsibilities in your position as the bride’s best friend and helper. For example, did you know you’re required to make the Maid of Honor Toast?

Yes! Really!

Okay, relax. This is not as scary as you’re probably thinking. Take a deep breath and sit down. Here are some suggestions:

1. You’re not expected to be polished and professional. After all, you’re the bride’s best friend, not Colin Powell! The reason you’re here now is to honor the bride and groom. It’s not about you. It’s about THEM. Remember that and you’ve mastered half the battle!
2. Start with a brief introduction of who you are. Most likely at least half of the guests (the groom’s side, anyway) will not know who you are. You could start with something like, “I’d like to introduce myself, I’m Olivia, and I grew up with (bride’s name).”
3. If you have a funny story about you and the bride, share it. Wedding guests love to hear stories, and it will help you warm up to the audience a little. After all, who doesn’t like to hear a funny story? (And a little laughter will help you feel better!)
4. Say something nice about the bride and groom, maybe how nice they look, or how much in love they are, something that you’ve noticed and think others will see also. Remember, it’s about them!
5. One of the advantages of giving the Maid of Honor Toast is that you know of one of the bride’s funny quirks that the groom is now going to have to live with. Share it! Everyone deals with some silly habit from a loved one, you know, Grandpa leaves his teeth on the kitchen counter and Grandma constantly drops them in the garbage disposal, or Aunt Lucy leaves the cap off the toothpaste and drives Uncle Joe crazy.
6.

If the bridal couple are of a spiritual frame of mind, you can offer some Bible verses or other spiritual thoughts.
7. Advice! If you want to, that is – you can offer some words of advice to the new couple, things like “look at each new day as a new beginning,” “treat each other like fine china, gently and with care,” “tell each other I love you every day,” “start each day with a kiss,” and so on.
8. Offer your best wishes to the couple. Again, this is about the bride and groom and their new life together. Tell them what you wish for them, long life, happiness, many children, etc. These are things that you wish for them, but also things that you know they are hoping and planning for also.

Some Maids of Honor Toasts are long, and some are short. There is no hard and fast rule. You may want to have a list of things you want to cover, or you may not, depending on if you want to be spontaneous. Most Maids of Honor bring at least a small outline. It is very possible that you may feel all conscious reason leave your brain when you stand up to speak, so an outline may be helpful to keep your thoughts together!

Generally a Maid of Honor Toast is made within the first half of the reception, after the initial excitement of the meal but before people start to leave.

Remember, this toast is about the bride and groom, not about you. If you can keep this in mind, your toast will be beautiful!

Pete really loves his home and family and lives life to the full. He also loves to learn about everything. Feel free to see some of his interests at

Wood High Chairs
and

Wall Mount Air Conditioner.