Declutter - Oh! The Clutter

My dad always used to say that he could stand an inch of dust on the furniture as long as the house was not cluttered up. And isn't that so true? Even if your floors are swept, your windows and mirrors are clean, and your furniture dusted, a home doesn't look or feel clean if there's stuff laying around everywhere.

There are lots of things that attribute to a house being cluttered. The biggest problem at my house is mail. Magazines, newspapers, and just plain old junk mail. And I used to be the world's worst about stacking those types of things on the desk or countertop with intentions of sitting down and going through them. But it seemed like I never actually got around to it until the stack was so tall and unsightly that is was driving me crazy. Finally, I decided to put an end to that kind of mess before it happened again.

When I go to the mailbox, I immediately throw away the junk; stuff that I know has no importance and that I am not interested in. Next, I open bills and take them to the "bill" drawer. I, then, write on my calendar when that particular bill is due. This step keeps me from having to go back and do it later and possible forgetting to write it down or even pay it.

At this point, generally what's left is magazines or newspapers. I put the magazines next to my bed and make it a point to look at some of the magazine before I turn out the lights. To keep magazines from piling up, I will carry them with me when I go somewhere that i know I am going to have to site and wait, such as the doctor's office, when I get my oil changed, or even while I am waiting to pick up my son from school. Making it a point to go through the mail as soon as you get it will keep it from causing an unsightly and unnecessary mess.

I also used to be bad about wanting to keep everything that my kids made. And don't you know, that pile grew really large, really fast. But, although I love every single thing they make, now I only keep the very special one. I write their name and the date it was done on it and place it in a storage container. I have a storage container for each of my children so that it doesn't have to be sorted at some point in the future.

Storage containers are a wonderful thing for organizing clutter. I store items in containers that I don't want to get rid of but don't necessarily want sitting around the house. I, then, label the container with what's in the box and put it in my shed. That way, if I am ever looking for something specific, I don't have to go through them all until I find it, I can just look at the labels on each box.

And what do you do with stuff that you don't know what to do with? Do you have a drawer or a cabinet that you toss these types of things into? I still have a big problem with that. It's really best if EVERYTHING has a place and everything is put into that place instead of some junk drawer. Yeah, I know, that's a hard thing to do but believe me, you will be glad that you did. It just prevents another cleaning job that will have to be done somewhere down the road.

Autor: Kimberly A Gibbons

Kim is a housewife who is continually looking for ways to clean and organize her home in the most time efficient manner possible. Visit her website to find many of the ways you can organize clutter and help you get your home clean and organized and have extra time to do other things that you love to do. Visit http://www.tisptospeedcleaning.com

Added: July 4, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

5 Key Questions to Bring Up With a Cleaning Service Or Cleaner

In this busy way of life, most of us could really use some assistance with keeping our homes or offices clean. Or maybe you're moving and want to make things look new again. In either respect, hiring a cleaning service or a private cleaner is a smart idea.

It may seem easy to hire a cleaner or cleaning service until you take into consideration the expanse of the job. You're trusting strangers to come into your home or office and be responsible with your items and valuables. You're allowing someone to come in and clean with little or no supervision-how do you know the job will be completed? And what happens if they become injured in your home, or if they break something valuable?

These are important questions you should address to ensure your items are untouched, your office cleaned and everyone is safe.

Before you can ask questions of your cleaner, you need to decide what type of cleaning you want done. Is this a weekly job or a one-time deep cleaning job? Are there special chores you wish to have done during their cleaning time? Once you've decided what you want cleaned and how often, you can begin to look for a service.

Where to Look.

Word of mouth is always a great way of finding a reliable cleaning service. Ask your friends, family or colleagues. If you're a business owner and you're looking for someone to clean your office or establishment, ask a few local businesses which service they use. If you can't locate someone by just asking around then look in the phone book.

Keep in mind you'll pay a little more for a service instead of an individual, mainly because the service has more overhead, usually provides cleaning supplies, and may carry insurance that an individual won't. If you hire an individual, you'll want to consult your local laws to see what the rule is about covering taxes for the individual.

Once you've found a few prospective cleaners you'll want to give them a call and ask about services, prices and availability. Make sure if you have special chores you need done that you ask if the cleaner covers those jobs. For example, some cleaners won't do windows or laundry. If they seem eager to take your job on, set up an interview so you can ask them a few more questions.

The Top Five Questions.

Getting to know your cleaner or cleaning service seems like a step you don't need, but how else will you know what to expect, and what your cleaner expects from you?

1) How long have you been in business?

This is an important question, because a well-established company will have a long list of references. Someone who has been in the business longer should have more experience and ability to clean specialty items, such as antiques.

*Ask for references and call at least three.

*Ask about turnover rate with employees. House/office cleaning usually has a large turnover rate, so count on them changing employees every 3-5 months. Each change in personnel means trusting someone new in your home, so a higher turnover rate isn't as desirable.

*Ask if their employees have been bonded and background checked for a criminal record.

2) What supplies do you use and what methods do you use?

Some cleaning services offer the use of their stock cleaning supplies which they bring every week to your home for use. Sometimes this is a great benefit, other times this means the cleaner is equipped with a rag and a bottle of spray solution.

*You'll want to know what products they use so you can tell them if you're allergic to a product.

*If you have specialty items such as antiques that require special solutions or methods of cleaning you'll want to mention this to ensure your home is cared for properly.

3) Do you carry insurance?

This is an important question to ask, especially of a cleaning service. In this day and age, people are quick to sue if anything goes wrong. Insurance helps to protect both parties and keeps everyone involved happy.

*If someone from the cleaning service is injured on your property, you may be liable for damages and hospital bills unless the company carries insurance.

*Insurance works to cover your property if it is broken or damaged.

*If you are interested in hiring a single cleaning professional that isn't insured, check with your insurance company to see what you'll need for coverage.

*Ask if the service carries Worker's Compensation. Not only does this insurance provide protection to the employees, it can help you be sure the cleaner is paying its employees 'on the books' instead of 'under the table'.

4) How will it take to clean a house of my size and what methods do you use?

These are absolutely essential questions. You certainly don't have any interest in paying for two hours for a project that could be completed in half the time and you want to ensure the work is done correctly.

*Ask questions about what will be cleaned, what method they'll use to accomplish the job, and how long it will take.

*Ask if they have a check list to follow so they don't miss any duties.

*Ask about communication methods. Some cleaners don't mind a detailed note left in the home to follow, while others might prefer a phone call.

5) Is your work guaranteed?

If you're not pleased with the job done it's important to know what action you can take to have the problem corrected. A lot of cleaning companies will offer a 24 hour guarantee, meaning if you call within 24 hours after the job is completed with a complaint they will return to correct the problem.

Autor: Julie Davidson

You can find the most popular Australian home cleaners and cleaning services at Start Local. Wherever you live in Australia, you should make Start Local your first stop. Start Local is Australia's fastest growing local search engine and business directory. If you want to find an ideal Australian local cleaning service, look no further than: http://www.startlocal.com.au/home/dcleaners

Added: July 3, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

How to Effectively Deal With Water Damage to Your Floor

Water damage to your floor in any room of your home can arise from a number of sources. The most common sources are natural disasters and accidents. Natural disasters include circumstances such as high tides, excessive water from a tropical storm and hurricanes. Accidents arise because of defects in water heaters, burst pipes in the winter or other defects in the plumbing.

It doesn't matter the source of the problem. Once water seeps into a home it gives rise to a host of problems not only from the water itself but also the resulting consequences of the floor, carpet, furniture and household belongings getting wet. Clean up can be a prolonged and physically taxing process.

If you arrive home to find your floors are wet, your first action is to use common sense. If it was the result of a storm, make sure the storm has stopped before entering and beginning clean up. If, however, you arrive home and find your house flooded because of an accidental problem, you need to assess the situation to find the source. It may be a broken water heater, burst pipe or other plumbing problem. If you can't find the source, turn off the main valve for the water into your home.

Keep in mind that while facing this situation can be severely emotional and distressing, your personal safety and that of your family is the most important thing to remember. Make sure no one uses or turns on any electrical appliances, there is no floating debris that can cause injury and that you avoid touching any floating nails or debris that can cause personal injury or infection later on.

Your next decision is whether you are going to clean up the water yourself or hire a professional to do the job. This decision will be made by the source of the water damage to your floor, extent of the damage, your physical condition and your financial means. Factors in favor of hiring a professional are when there are more than a few inches of water in the house, substantial damage to the carpeting or flooring, and soaked furniture that needs to be discarded.

If you do attempt clean up yourself, you should purchase a wet-vac which is a vacuum that can suck up the water and place it into an attached bin or pail to prevent further floor water damage. Once the water is down to only a small amount you can then use towels and mops to finish it. If you don't own one, you can rent fans at a rental shop which will help to circulate the air and dry the floors. Remove and hang any wet area rugs to allow them to dry out.

Whether or not you use a professional, if you believe you will need to make a claim for the damage you should take pictures immediately of the flooding, wet furniture, picture frames, rugs, books and other valuables which might be later claimed as a loss. Your insurance may also cover water damage and the costs of cleanup. Check your policy or contact your insurance agent for further information.

There is a hidden danger with any major flood incident. It develops often in the unseen interior walls of your home. Even though you may not see outward signs of structural damage immediately it may be present. It is the development of mold.

Molds have gained wide attention recently because of some high profile cases of medical conditions being exacerbated and builders having to replace entire sections of homes because of mold. If you can't see the mold growing on the walls, you might smell a musty odor which is indicative of mold.

Molds are microscopic in size. They are basically a fungus which helps break down leaves, wood and other botanical material. This is great outside for the balance of nature. It is not so good for the walls or ceilings of your home.

Mold grows and expands as a result of moisture. When your house floods, the water gets under the floorboards and into the walls creating moisture. Whether or not it develops often depends on the humidity in the home.

You should call a professional as part of your clean up to check for mold. If mold is present, it can affect your health because mold has spores that discharge into the air. Unless the mold is extensive or you have a previous health condition such as asthma or allergies, it often will not be harmful to your or your family. All of this begins with the assessment of water damage to your floor and the resulting consequences of that flooding.

Autor: Sam Barton

If you would like to learn more about water damage floor and the easiest and best ways to fix it, see http://waterdamage.synthasite.com for lots of great information.

Added: July 2, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/