In today’s economy everyone is looking for a smarter way to spend their money. We all run to the grocery store and roam from aisle to aisle looking for that perfect new cleaning solution. Actually, the best cleaning products are already in your home, waiting for you to pull them out of your cabinet.

1. Beer can be used to clean your solid gold jewelry. Pour a little beer on a soft cloth and begin to rub away the dirt, then use another soft cloth to rub dry. Do not use on gemstones.
2. To clean your stainless steel ranges and sinks just pour some club soda onto the surface and wipe down with a soft cloth. Rinse with warm water and wipe dry afterwards.
3. Easily clean tarnished brass by making a paste of lemon juice and salt. Generously coat the tarnished area with the paste and leave on for at least 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse and polish dry.
4. Furniture polish can be made from olive oil. Apply the olive oil to a paper towel or soft cloth and rub furniture. Wipe off the excess oil with another cloth or paper towel.
5. White vinegar is perfect for killing mold in the house. It can be used on almost any surface and can be used full strength. Just spray on.
6. If you are having problems with a clogged drain just drop a couple of Alka Seltzertablets sdown the drain and then pour a cup of vinegar. Wait for a few minutes and then rinse with hot water at full force. This should clear the drain.
7. A bananais a great source of potassium and for silver cleaning . After you eat a banana take a few mintues to clean your silverware by rubbing the inside of the peel on the silver. It is a quick and easy way to shine the tarnished areas.
8. Coffee grounds can be use to deodorize your freezer from any unpleasant smells. Add the grounds to a bowl and leave uncovered overnight.
9. Cornstarchis an excellent product to remove stains from carpet. Pour cornstarch onto carpet stain and let sit for 15 to 30 mintues, then vacuum.
10. If your young children have gotten hold to your permanent markers and decided to create an art project on your finished wood floor or your countertop, just pour a dab of rubbing alcoholon a cotton swab and then apply. That stain will dissappear quickly.

Unless you’ve hired a cleaning service in Atlanta or quit your job, it is very easy to get behind in your daily duties at home. Cleaning homes is a very time consuming job and we could all use a few cleaning tips to help make our lives a little easier.

1. Refrigerator and dishwasher - Clean the outside with a cloth soaked in a cleaning solution. Be sure to pull the fridge from the wall so you can sweep behind.
2. Stovetop – Clean with a scouring pad or microfiber cloth soaked in a cleaning solution.
3. Oven – Spray with oven cleaner and leave until the next morning. Then wipe down with a moist cloth or sponge. when finished wipe down the door, glass and handle.
4.  Microwave – Spray inside with cleaning solution and leave until almost finished with other cleaning. Then wipe with a damp cloth.
5. Cabinets – Spray cabinet from top to bottom and clean in direction of grain. May also use a mild cleanser.
6. Garbage Can – Remove bag and spray inside and out with a disinfectant. Wipe down with a moist cloth.
7. Sink – Clean with a mild abrasive from top to the bottom. Use an old toothbrush to clean any gunk that may be around the faucet area, pull drain and clean also.
8. Floor – Start sweeping the floor from the farthest corner away from where you will leave out of. Make sure to get all crumbs and dirt from the crevices near the wall and corners. Then mop using a pail of clean water and solution.

These days are very busy and most of us barely have enough time to get in a good meal, let alone clean our homes. When thinking about hiring a cleaning service you should first consider these benefits.

• A cleaning service can be tailored to your needs. They can handle your cleaning needs efficiently and usually do a better job due to their experience.
• Can free up much needed time in your schedule. Leaving open opportunities for you to spend with the kids, excercising or relaxing.
• Cleaning services offer weekly, bi-weekly or monthly cleaning. You can choose which is best for your budget and needs.
• Having a clean house can cut down on germs and bacteria which makes for a much healthier family.
• When you begin to see how nice it is having a clean home it will inspire you to keep a clean home.
• By hiring a cleaning service it will eliminate the cost of regularly buying household chemicals, because all is taken care of by the cleaning service.

Ask friends and family to recommend a good cleaning service in Atlanta it will make your life a little easier.

Christmas decorating doesn’t always have to be expensive. With a few simple items you can make your home look lavish without spending a lot of money.

Make your everyday throw pillows festive by adding holiday ribbon. Use the ribbon to tie around the pillow like a Christmas present. If you like you can even add some beading.

Cut snowflake designs out of white paper and hang in your windows.

Use vases that you already have and fill them with red and white artificial flowers. Place in areas that need that extra splash of color.

Use last years wrapping paper to wrap pictures on your wall. Gives your house that added touch of the holiday.

Take a stroll through your yard, you will be surprised what great decorations are laying around. Use some of the pine cones to decorate bowls in your home. You can even spray paint them gold and silver for that extra flair.

To help clean the mess afterwards contact a cleaning business in Atlanta.

With the air pollution being so bad in the world we live today, it is not a wonder that we have so many airborne diseases. Pollution affects different groups of individuals in different ways. Some people are more sensitive to pollutants than others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted.

The World Health Organization states that 2.4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million of these deaths attributable to indoor air pollution.

According to a study, living in a major city places people at a higher risk than living in the radioactive zone in Chernobyl.

According to a German study, people who breathe in the fumes of heavy traffic regularly have higher chances of getting hardening of the arteries, which is associated with the risk of heart attack.

Some of the main contributors to air pollution are:

•Automobile emissions
•Tobacco smoke
•Combustion of coal
•Acid rain
•Noise pollution from cars and construction
•Power plants
•Manufacturing buildings
•Large ships
•Paint fumes
•Aerosol sprays
•Wildfires
•Nuclear weapons

Air pollution can be caused by many of the acts that oocur in our daily lives. So what can we do?

Drive Less -
That doesn’t mean you can’t go anywhere. Try riding a bicycle, it will help reduce air pollution and give you a good work out. Carpool, if you and a friend work together, why not ride together, take public transportation, it is also cheaper long term.

Save Energy -
Start turning your lights off. Saving energy reduces air pollution. Change out some of your light switches for a sensor switch. I replaced my bathroom switches with a sensor because some of my family members would forget to turn off the lights. Problem solved and energy conserved. Dry your clothes on a clothesline, install low flow showerheads.

Waste Not –
It takes a lot of energy to make and sell products that we use. Recycle the plastic bags from the grocery or local stores. Almost every major store has a recycle bin located at the front entrance of their stores for bags, sometimes they even have a bin for newspaper and cans. Buy products that have packaging made from recycled products.

I have heard many people say, “It doesn’t make a difference if I don’t recycle, I am only one person.” Each journey begins with one step. Earth is our home and if we don’t care to keep our home clean what does that say about us, as individuals.

I try my best to always recycle. I can’t say I recycle everything all the time, but I do try. Trying is all we can ask from a person. Once you start it will become habit.

The holidays are always great, but getting ready for them can be stressful. I am not sure about your house, but holidays for my family home means a big crowd and lots of overnight guests, especially since we always host Christmas Eve. I have a few suggestions that I hope will help you prepare. Believe me, they will work for you just as they have for me over the years.

1. As with anything, always plan and prepare as much ahead as possible. For our many guests, it always takes a lot of food. So I always start my cooking of vegetables right after Thanksgiving dinner and then set up my menu plan. Once your vegetables are cooked, store them in your freezer and that is a check mark off of your very long list.

2. I usually start my Christmas shopping around May, but I know that has not been possible for many this year. My suggestion would be to have a list of all the individuals that you will be buying gifts for and what gift you would like to give. With the season already in full swing time is valuable. Try shopping online for many gifts. I have found that you can receive free shipping on many items and if the store is not located in your state you won’t be charged tax. Therefore, you save more money than if you had gone to the store yourself.

3. For my decorating needs I also start right after Thanksgiving. Christmas is my favorite time of year and I tend to overdo. If you start early it will give you the opportunity to look back over what you have done and fix your decorations for the better, each time.

4. Okay, now it is time to spruce up your home. Below you will find quick links to a few checklist that I have found on one of my favorite websites. Once you download the list I would suggest that you tweak it so that it will fill your needs better.

4. As far as cleaning goes I always like to clean from top to bottom and left to right in a room. That way it will be less likely for you to miss a spot. I like to always leave the guests rooms carpet cleaning for 2 days before expected time of arrival, then the mattress, linens and pillows for the day before. That way the room is much fresher. Just because, I usually leave something a little personal for the guests from me. This year I will leave homemade soaps and maybe facial scrubs, bath salts or bath oils that I have made myself.

5. It would be a good idea to also leave fresh towels and washcloths for each guest in each room. I usually also leave small bottles of lotion, shampoo and conditioner for each room. You know, like a hotel.

6. I am very fortunate that I have my own little baker. Every year one of my daughters takes care of baking all the pies, cakes, muffins and her specialty Coquito, Latin Egg Nog. Delicious! Oh, by the way, it is better to make the Coquito well in advance, a few weeks. It will give the ingredients time to blend, we usually add 1 cup of Brandy or Cognac. If you aren’t so lucky to have your own baker, plan ahead at your local grocery or bakery by ordering in advance. That way you know you will have all that is needed for your event.

7. Last but not least, the night before, start setting up your tables, chairs and how they will be arranged in your home, along with all specialty dinnerware and serveware. As you go along, carry some of your cleaning items in a bucket and do some of the last minute dusting and cleaning as you go. When finished try to find a business in Atlanta that can help you with all of the cleaning needed to be done once all of your guests have gone. It will make your holiday a lot nicer when you aren’t left to do all of the cleaning alone.

So now you can sit back, look over all your work and relax for the next day of great fun and holiday cheer.

Complete Living room, Bedroom and Dining room checklist

Complete Bathroom cleaning checklist

This checklist is great also. It is a guide to good guest behavior at seasonal festivities . Etiquette Advice for the Holiday Guest

Not sure if anyone has heard but bed bugs have become an epidemic in many major cities, Atlanta and New York to name a few. Bed bugs are tiny blood sucking nuisances. The name bed bug comes from the preferred home of the parasite. Bed bugs can feed on a human and go virtually unnoticed.

Bedbugs are much like roaches. They can be easily transferred from place to place by latching on to luggage, clothing, furniture and even our own precious and unsuspecting pets. Warehouses and college dorms are perfect locations for bedbugs to thrive.

If you have or believe that you have bedbugs you should vacuum the house to remove bugs and eggs from mattresses, carpet, walls, and other surfaces. Pay particular attention to seams, tufts and edges of mattresses and box springs, and the perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpets. Afterward, dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag. Steam cleaning of carpets is also helpful for killing bugs and eggs that vacuuming may have missed. For garments, sheets or towels it is best that you launder these items and use the hottest water possible. Make sure when coming home with newly purchased clothing, lingerie or other personal items (bed bugs have been found on clothing in the most elite of shopping areas) to launder or throw in a dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will kill the bedbugs. Then launder.

Bedbugs can find their way in even the cleanest homes. What is important is to locate and rid your home and personal items of these pesky little critters. It is possible a cleaning service in Atlanta will be able to help you.

Baking soda makes a great natural toothpaste for both humans and pets. For your dogs or cat, dip a small, soft-bristled toothbrush into baking soda and brush gently.

Baking soda has many more uses. Contact your local cleaning service in Atlanta for more uses in your home.

Did you know that every 3rd Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. you can help with cleaning Atlanta by recycling all of your old electronics at Grady High School on 8th Street (between Charles Allen & Monroe Drive).

The Keep Atlanta Beautiful, Midtown Neighbor’s Association, Atlanta Public Schools & Creative Recycling Solutions have partnered to provide electronic waste recycling for residents of Atlanta and surrounding areas.

They will accept computers, stereos, microwaves, cameras and many other items. For a complete list of items that are eligible for collecting and further information contact, The Keep Atlanta Beautiful organization.

This excellent recycling venue is a great way of cleaning Atlanta.