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Jan
13
Dec
09
I was recently asked by Family Handyman magazine to compile a list of things that you would not find in a professional house cleaner's home. I was amazed at how long the list became as I went from room to room listing my pet peeves on furnishings! Here are just a few:Beds pushed up against the wall. This makes it difficult to change the bedding.Non-removable couch cushions. Cushions last longer if they can be rotated.Too many throw rugs. Moving then to clean under is a pain.Mission-style furniture. All the little grooves make dusting very time-consuming.Fancy light fixtures. They usually don't get cleaned because no one wants to take them apart.Lots of throw pillows on a sofa or bed. Bed-...
May
14
We are all trying to keep safe during this trying time, washing our hands until they are raw, scrambling to find enough paper towels, and searching for the right mask. But as this strain of coronavirus is thought to be able to survive on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours, and other germs even longer are there more things we could do to make our home really clean? Yes, there is and I will share with you the methods that we at Varin Enterprises use in our home cleanings.1. Use a three-step procedure for cleaning. Clean all surfaces with a detergent solution-then wipe down the surface with a cloth dipped in an alcohol-based cleaner to disinfect- let disinfectant set on the surface for at least o...
Mar
01
With everyone worrying about the coronavirus, hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves. Stores are either in short supply or entirely out of it. But don'y worry I have a solution for you -make your own. It's easy to do and much better for your hands. Most sanitizers use either alcohol or Triclosan as the antibacterial ingredient. Triclosan has been banned in some places and alcohol is very drying to the skin. I use five very available ingredients to make my skin friendly sanitizer that can be bought at the drugstore. Here is the recipe. Place in a stainless steel bowl, 20 drops of Tea tree essential Oil, 5 drops of Peppermint essential Oil, 5 drops of Sweet Orange essential Oil, 1 table...
Feb
19
Flu numbers continue to rise throughout the country and families are preparing to hop flights to warmer places. With the flu and coronavirus the airplane can seem like a large germ box. So, where is the best place to sit on a plane to keep from being infected? It doesn't really matter where you sit on the plane, germs will find you. You are going to get exposed to germs being in a crowded area. Hopefully, everyone on the plane will cover their coughs properly. The practice of coughing or sneezing into your coat sleeve doesn't do much to trap germs. The formites (the particles you sneeze or cough out) still escape and cling to the sleeve. A thick bunch of tissue that can be disposed of is th...
Feb
02
According to some recent internet surveys children are contributing to the family, learning responsibility, and taking pride in their work. Really?? I That's not what I'm hearing at the seminars I present. Most parents are complaining that they can't get their children to do anything. I think the tests are flawed because parents don't want the world to know they are raising entitled brats.Ask yourself, how many times have you opened the dishwasher to find the clean dishes you asked your child to put away are still in there? And what happens then? You shrug your shoulders and do it yourself. Why? Because you would rather spend the eight minutes it will take to empty it than nag anyone yet aga...
Dec
12
Your grandmother made you a sweater, with her own hands. You say you love it, but you know you will never wear it. Your child crafted you a picture frame out cotton balls, but where do you put it? Show me someone who can easily part with even the most obnoxiously misspelled handicraft Besides being heavy to lift, those precious handmade plaster hand casts, end tables, and jewelry boxes are durable as granite and will survive six generations. Once made, you're stuck: since you usually don't want to be seen with them, they don't have a chance to wear out or get broken. I have a solid respect for what those schools and camps produce through a bunch of kids. They embalm a pile of popsicle sticks...
Oct
06
No matter how rich you are, whether it was a gift or not, non-used clothes are clutter. When you have so many clothes that they can't fit into the normal closets of s normal home- condo, dorm room, or apartment-you have too many! Remember, there's only one of you-and if you have to stash and box and truck clothes away to get room for the one's your're actually wearing, you have too many. I'm not in any danger of being elected to the ten best dressed list, but I try to always be presentable. The clothes in my closet take up only five feet of width. I have better things to do than sort through a dry-goods store inventory every morning. Here are seven tips for whittling down your closet. 1. If ...
Oct
04
The holidays are coming and that means lots of entertaining which leads to more cleaning. Here are a two tips to help you get through the holidays. The average party generates thirty-one stains, twelve of which are on the best furniture and at least half of which are red dye base, plus four broken and seventeen left or lost things, three scratches, countless pounds of scattered litter and waste. The most obvious but seldom-practiced party precautions is to triple the waste containers throughout the party area outside and in. Every guest (even the drunks) will look for a disposal site first, and if one is right at his elbow, he will make use of it, and others will follow suit. Likewise, once ...