Monthly Archives: August 2016

Well, summer is almost over. It’s been a brutal one across the nation and that means extra care has to be applied to cleaning up and preparing for Autumn.

Summer usually invites more heat, rain, wind and debris. Lots of outdoor activities and excited pets and children. Mopping and dusting and washing doubles up during the summer months and the home itself can take quite a beating from the elements and people. There are also the constant problem of insect pests who will leave no chance to enter and take advantage of your home. This means you’ll need to knuckle down and clean up from the events and battles to both preserve and protect the home from here on.

First thing is to go through damage analysis. How much has the summer’s fun and general course of action affected the home and materials therein. Don’t do a quick glance here. Summer takes a toll on a structure and if you don’t see those little things that can lead to bigger problems now, you’ll end up with bigger problems before you know it. Look at rugs in particular. Move furniture around and look up and under and all around. Large appliances are great sports for spills and bugs to find a place to show off. Window frames just love that debris and dead bugs and pet hair. Even if you’ve cleaned them once a month, do a thorough inspection now to make sure small rocks don’t damage window function. Gutters need to be cleaned as well. Autumn will bring on falling leaves in most parts of the country, so getting them cleaned now will allow for easier maintenance later. Garages need a major look over to make sure used materials are discarded or properly packaged and set away for easy access.

Once the damage analysis is over, it’s time to get down to the proverbial nitty gritty. Lots of elbow grease is required but simple solutions made from home products should allow for easy and thorough cleaning.

The good old fashioned warm water and vinegar is always a welcomed stand by. You can also make your own warm water, dish detergent, solution as well. There are many DIY or Do-It-Yourself cleaning solutions that are safe and green at that. However, you need to know what solutions to use on which surfaces.

Don’t use anything on a hardwood floor that will dull the shine or compromise the wood. Soft dusting and sweeping should suffice and for stains and spills that you didn’t know of try warm water and a cloth first and then something stronger if need be. Carpets need deep cleaning after summer to get any possible debris and insect eggs that might lie deep within. Rugs need the good old fashioned treatment. A good rug cleaning steamer should suffice. All floors need a major work over but it’s necessary.

Bathrooms and kitchen are where the elbow grease really needs to be done. Heat of summer causes more use of showers and bathrooms so getting in there with the right cleaning materials and time will result in problems like mold not taking root.
Cleaning up after summer may seem a daunting task, but it can be fun and rewarding knowing that your home is cleaned properly and you’re ready for the next season with renewed vigor.