Fall cleaning tips to help rid your home of Autumn allergens

Many people think of allergies as a spring problem, but most sniffle sufferers know that fall can pose its own issues. Mold and ragweed are common fall allergy triggers, as well as dust mites, which are naturally more prevalent in the home during the drier months. 

“You can turn your home into a safe haven from fall allergens with regular, strategic cleaning and a few preventive measures,” says Robin Wilson, an interior design expert and an ambassador with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. 

To help make your home more comfortable this season, Wilson is offering some fall cleaning tips to eliminate allergens and maintain a clean and healthy space: 

• Wash your bedding.  Mattress and pillow protectors will help control dust mites. As an added precaution, wash your bedding in warm or hot water every month and replace pillows every three years. 

• Check for mold. Moisture breeds mold, so make sure to scan the inside of dishwashers, under the fridge in the water pan and in sink and bath drains. Change water dispensers and icemaker filters on a regular basis. 

• Vacuum frequently. Whether you have wall-to-wall carpeting, tile or hardwood floors, it’s important to eliminate dust and dirt. Vacuum, mop or steam clean flooring regularly. 

“Use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which captures small particles such as allergens, irritants and pollutants,” says Wilson. 

• Wash or freeze stuffed toys. If your child sleeps with their favorite stuffed animals, you should frequently wash or freeze them in a plastic bag for 48 hours. This will lower the level of dust mites which can trigger asthma and allergies.

• Use Slipcovers. Slipcovers have come a long way in the last 10 years. Since they can be cleaned regularly and more easily than upholstery, consider using them on sofas and other furniture. 

• Keep ragweed outside. After spending time outside, have your child leave any clothing or sports equipment close to the entrance of the home to avoid tracking irritants throughout rooms.  

“Just because the pollen count isn’t through the roof doesn’t mean you can’t fall prey to allergies,” says Wilson. “With regular cleaning, you can manage the irritants in your home and make it a more breathable place.”

Elaf's Central Laundries Limited to re-open in early 2015 after major renovation

Refurbished facility with latest laundry and dry cleaning equipments to increase annual laundry capacity to 6,000 tonsJeddah /-September 29, 2014: Elaf Group of Companies for Travel, Tourism and Hotels, the sole owner of Makkah-based Central Laundries Limited Company - one of the largest and most modern laundry facilities in the Middle East - has announced its plans to renovate its laundry facility to increase its daily capacity to 22 tons of clothes and linen. The refurbished facility will reopen in early 2015.

According to senior executives from Elaf Group, the rising demand for laundry and dry cleaning services from the hospitality sector of Makkah has been the prime motivation to upgrade its central laundry. The renovation will help the company to address growing customer demand by increasing daily capacity and enhancing the quality of service provided. The revamped central laundry will feature a complete range of the latest modern equipment, including machines for washing, dry cleaning, tumble drying, and ironing.

Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, President, Elaf Group of Companies, said: "In line with our continuing commitment to provide excellent service to our clients, we have decided to upgrade our Central Laundries facility and equip it with state-of-the-art laundry machinery and equipments. Once completed, all the laundry services will be catered to from this modern plant which is spread over 6,150 square meters and will have the capacity to wash more than 6,000 tons of laundry annually."

"The renovated laundry will feature large washer extractors, along with dry cleaning and ironing machines. In addition, the plant will use the best international cleaning detergent to guarantee perfect wash results while ensuring the safety of textiles during and after the washing process. The laundry will continue to maintain its signature well-lit and clean look and will be attended to by professional and courteous staff," concluded Mahfouz.

Antique rescue makes chest better than old

one stomach-sinking morning last week, I went into my garage to find my 200-year-old, hand-painted, Hungarian chest blooming with green mold. I was ill. This lovely antique was now doomed for the funeral pyre because I'd stuck it in my hot, damp garage.

When I moved into my current home-staging project in July, for reasons of style or space, the rustic chest along with several other pieces of furniture didn't make the cut.

For those who've never been, Florida in the summer is hot as wax melting and muggier than an opera singer's armpits. Things grow here that wouldn't grow anywhere else. I am all for plant life. I just don't want it growing on my antiques.

lRelated Be thoughtful when picking house color
LIFE & FAMILY
Be thoughtful when picking house color
SEE ALL RELATED   
8

Blessedly, that very afternoon, as if delivered on angel wings, a review copy of "The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore and Care for Furniture" arrived on my doorstep.

I picked it up. Kissed it. Flipped through enough to see that the encyclopedic book indeed lived up to its name, and took no time lining up an interview with the book's author Christophe Pourny, who I hoped would save my chest.

Pourny lives in New York City where he has a furniture restoration business. He learned his trade working alongside his antique-dealer parents in southern France.

After I congratulated him on his book, I got straight to what was on my chest, literally. I sent him photos of the green-covered box and braced myself for a big-ole scolding about never storing antiques in damp garages. (Yes, I know better).

cComments
Got something to say? Start the conversation and be the first to comment.
ADD A COMMENT   
0

Instead, I got reassurance. "People here get so afraid of mold, but in France, we see it as a sign of a very good cheese." Pourny is telling me this in a French accent, which does me in every time.

"Do not be afraid," he said. "This is not a bad mold."

The reason the chest -- which he said dates back to the early 1800s, possibly the late 1700s -- and not the surrounding furniture had, uhh, ripened, was because in the early 1800s and before, furniture artisans used milk-based paint, which has proteins in it that mold like.

More things I never knew.

Pourny then gave me step-by-step instructions to restore my chest: "First, put it out in a dry place and get a little sun on it."


"Uhh, Christophe," I said, "This is Florida. It hasn't been dry here in six months." I opted instead to bring chest from the garage into the air-conditioned house, and set it in a sunny window.

"Second, brush it with a soft brush. You will be surprised how much mold you get rid of."

I put on a dust mask, and took old Hungary outside and brushed. He was right.

"Third, get a tack cloth, and wipe up the loose dust." A tack cloth is a gauze-like fabric coated with a sticky stuff that dust and particles cling to. This was brilliant.

"Fourth, rub some Marseille soap (which I happened to have because I love it) on a damp, not wet, rag and wipe all the surfaces. No need to rinse. Pourny also loves this olive-oil-based cleanser, which he uses to wash everything from himself to his clothes to his car.

Finally, Pourny suggested I use a soft cloth and wipe the chest with a coat of linseed oil or beeswax, and buff.

Et viola! She was good as old again. Even better!

From there, Pourny and I launched into a long, love-fest chat about furniture, during which I asked him what he wished more people know about caring for theirs. Here's what he said:

•People need to be less afraid of old furniture. If you have an heirloom, it is OK to use it and take care of it. Don't put it on a pedestal under glass and never touch it. Think of your furniture like a pet. Have a relationship with it, take care of it and enjoy it.

•Old furniture is OK to fix. Although it makes for dramatic television, it is not true that if you touch an antique it's ruined. Rather, it is important for the life of the piece that you keep it in good condition and working order. If the hinge is broken, or the drawer won't slide, fix it. If the finish has dulled, restore it.

•Antiques are not just for old ladies and people with a lot of money. Many are accessible, affordable and very chic.

•Furniture built before World War II requires different treatment. Pre-war furniture was likely finished with oil, water or alcohol-based products, which are a little more fragile than post-war furniture made after the invention of varnish and lacquer. To dust post-war pieces, use a feather duster or a dry cloth, and no product. For older pieces, dust the same way, but use a little light wax once or twice a year, no more.

•Use a lot less product. Almost everything can be cleaned or repaired with a little Marseille soap, some beeswax or shoe polish the color of the wood, a drop of oil in hinges (never in locks) and a soft toothbrush.

•Dirt is not patina. It's one thing to have a bronze statue outside that has turned black and green with age, which is intentional. But you would never put your good silver on the table covered in tarnish. Polishing your silver or brass is not a crime. However, people are afraid someone is going to say, "Yikes! That looks like it just came from the store!" Don't worry.

Owl class in Medina, yarn shop's gala opening and DIY cleaning tips: Home & Garden News

The Medina County Park District is sponsoring October classes on owls and woodland properties.

Laura Jordan and her volunteers from the Medina Raptor Center will be handling live owls that can be found in our parks during a class called "Mysterious World of Owls," 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Participants will go on a short hike to try to see owls in the wild. The free class is open to ages 8 to adult, and no registration is required.

The owl class will be held at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Sharon Township.

Are you a knitter? Tell us about your latest project in the comments section!
People who own woodland properties can attend a workshop with Ohio State University Extension educators to learn more about wildlife, non-native invasives and their impacts on you, ponds, ticks and more. The workshop, "Your Woods, Water and Wildlife Workshop" will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Lodge at Allardale in the Medina County Park District. The lodge is located at 141 Remsen Road, Granger Township.

Lunch and materials are included in the registration fee. Registration and payment information can be found online here. The class is open to ages 16 to adult and costs $35.

YARN SHOP'S GRAND OPENING: Local knitwear designer Meg Roke will introduce samples of her work during the grand opening celebration at Harps and Thistles Yarn Emporium. The store's event is Friday-Sunday, Oct. 3-5, at 129 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls.

Roke will appear at the yarn store from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, with samples of her knitwear designed for Three Irish Girls, a company dealing in hand-dyed yarn, as well as garment that she worked up specifically for the grand opening. The weekend includes food, prize drawings and giveaways. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all three days.

 DIY CLEANING SOLUTIONS: Need to clean up Magic Marker scribbles or scuff marks? The Family Handyman magazine has secret cleaning tips that use common household objects.
Scuff Mark Eraser: Lightly rub heel marks with a tennis ball.
Citrus Peels and Ice Cubes for a Stinky Disposer: Run the water at half-throttle and drop in some orange or lemon rinds: Citric acid from the peels softens crusty waste and kills nasty bacteria. Give the acid about 15 minutes to work.
Marker Cleanup: Vegetable oil can wipe up messes made with markers.
Baby Wipes: Use them to clean up glue drips and other messes in the workshop.

St Albans Full Cleaning Service provider

Professional carpet cleaning is highly recommended because of the long term results. Carpet is the most eye-catching and essential house eye-catching thing that offers warm and convenience. Your carpet will go more time, look better and secure your family's health. Regular and systematic carpet cleaning is a must for clean and healthy living. Top quality support and perfect good care servicing program to choose in the reasons for client's need and price range. This will help to form a protective cover over the carpet fibers and prevent them getting stained or getting contaminated immediately after the cleaning. If you are looking to use a cleaning alternatives in St Albans or anywhere this is what you should know before pleasant any them into your house. Carpet cleaning St Albans service provider is the best choice of yours.

Carpets tend to accumulate a lot of dirt, dust and allergens and even microbes which are hazardous to health. People tend to get respiratory problems such as asthma or become allergic due to dust formation. Professional carpet cleaning St Albans solutions is qualified and experienced in identifying what type you have and then applying the best techniques possible to eliminate all these substances and side effects. Your carpets are one of your greatest financial commitment opportunities in your house and they should be successfully handled.

Get Your Home Healthy With Professional Carpet Cleaning Richmond

Carpet cleaning Richmond can do this task with appropriate tools and using cleaning chemicals. Since they are well qualified to deal with germs and stains, they can provide you with the wanted level of cleanliness and your rug will look fresher and cleaner. Carpet is the most eye-catching and important house eye-catching factor that provides heated and convenience. Systematic and regular cleaning Richmond is a must for healthy and clean living. Carpets tend to gather a lot of dust, allergens and dirt and even microbes which are perilous to health. People tend to get respiratory problems such as asthma or become allergic due to dust formation. Regular cleaning of carpets will eliminate all these possible health issues. For the most of the reason it is really important and essential for all individual to a man that happen and with so many cleaning products a duality of items buildable in the market, they can make sure that the product is made of good quality and the carpet cleaner are equally professional.

Your carpet will go more time, look better and secure your family's health. When expert knowledge is accompanied with the best technology applied to different types of fabrics and on expensive carpets, it is sure to yield the desired results. If you are looking to use a cleaning alternatives in Richmond or anywhere this is what you should know before pleasant any them into your house. Your carpets are one of your greatest financial commitment opportunities in your house and they should be successfully handled.

Keep Your Home Clean With Cleaning Northampton Services

It's very mandatory to keep the rugs fresh; otherwise it may cause to allergic disease and also bronchial asthma. You'll be surely satisfied with each washing task or cleaners do; each and every task comes with your 100% iron-clad, risk and hassle-free and return policy. This is what professional carpet cleaning Northampton service providers can make and this are all issue which can be helped and guide the user with possible outcomes that are certainly not a matter of concern for such factors. With observe that carpet and ground are the most home goods which need frequent servicing and good care. Now, the second believed comes into your thoughts is due to active lifestyles how it's possible to fresh your carpet or furnishings yourself. It's essential that they get washed consistently and essential is choosing the right carpet better.

An experienced and well-trained cleaners Northampton better often has the necessary equipment to do the job wisely. He/she also knows the best techniques and methods to be used in different kinds of floor coverings. There are three different carpet cleaning packages like full service, premium service and perfect care maintenance program to choose in the basis of customer's requirement and budget. If you are looking to seek the services of a cleaners in Northampton or anywhere this is what you should know before welcoming any them into your house. Your floor coverings are one of your biggest investment strategies in your house and they should be effectively managed.

Things You Need to Consider for Carpet Cleaning

Your floor coverings are one of your biggest investment strategies in your house and they should be effectively managed. It's essential that they get washed consistently and essential is choosing the right carpet better. The main point here is you should fresh your carpet regularly when you start to see visitor paths or if you get pet spots or when the air seems to fragrance dull. Your carpet will go more time, look better and secure your family's health. Professional cleaners Bury solutions are qualified and experienced in identifying what type you have and then applying the best techniques possible to eliminate all these substances and side effects. Rug cleaners Bury are normally left to a carpet best because washing carpeting by own can be very time consuming and boring.

A well-trained and experienced carpet frequently has the needed machine to do they perform nicely. She/he also understands the best methods and techniques to be utilized in several kinds of floor coverings. It is very necessary to fresh the carpets; otherwise it may cause to allergic reactions and even bronchial asthma. You'll be absolutely satisfied with every washing job we do; each and every job comes with your 100% iron-clad, risk-free and return policy. This is what professional cleaning Bury service providers and service provider can make and this is all issue which can be helped and guide the user with possible outcomes that are certainly not a matter of concern for such factors. And for the most of the reason it is really important and essential for all individual to a man that happen and with so many carpet cleaner product an duality of items build able in the market they can sure that the product are all quality and the carpet cleanser are equally professional.

Qualified and experienced carpet cleaning Gloucester

Carpet cleaning Gloucester expert provides their customers the great employees, who are well qualified and extremely knowledgeable. Client care is the concern for carpet cleaning solutions Gloucester. We provide our specialists with extensive training in applying the most efficient and cost-effective methods of cleaning a carpet to perfection. When you hand over the work to a carpet cleaner in Gloucester, you can be rest assured that your carpet is in safe hands, and it will be cleaned in a professional way, using safe chemicals and without damaging your carpet.

Many individuals try to fresh it on their own, but that results in many issues like allergic reactions which follows the range. The carpets needs to be washed expertly by cleaning solutions without even flashing your sight for even once. There are different types of carpet cleaning out there for you to choose from. If you are looking to seek the services of a cleaning Gloucester this is what you should know before welcoming any them into your house. Get the best information to help you know more about the best carpet washing support in city. Carpet is the most eye-catching and essential house eye-catching thing that offers warm and convenience. There are 3 several carpet cleaning packages like full service, perfect care and premium service maintenance course to select in the basis of user's budget and need. It is very necessary to fresh the carpets; otherwise it may cause to allergic reactions and even bronchial asthma. You'll be absolutely satisfied with every washing job we do; each and every job comes with your 100% iron-clad, risk-free and return policy.

Does Silicon Valley Have a Contract-Worker Problem?

Earlier this year, I hired a house cleaner. I wouldn't have done so normally, but my place was a mess, I was busy at work, and I saw an offer on Facebook that looked too good to be true — a San Francisco start-up called Homejoy was offering home cleanings in the Bay Area for $19. (Not $19 per room or $19 per hour. Just $19.) So I booked an appointment through Homejoy's website, and a day later, a young man showed up at my door.

As the cleaner laid out his tools, we made small talk, and I asked him where he lived. "Well, right now I'm staying in a shelter in Oakland," he said. I paused, unsure if I'd heard him right. A shelter? Was my house cleaner — the one I'd hired through a company that has raised $40 million in venture-capital funding from well-respected firms like Google Ventures, the one who was about to perform arduous manual labor in my house using potentially hazardous cleaning chemicals — homeless?

He was, as it turned out. And as I told this story to friends in the Bay Area, I heard something even more surprising: Several of their Homejoy cleaners had been homeless, too.

To explain why it's possible for a cash-flush tech start-up to have homeless workers, it helps to know that the man I hired through Homejoy wasn't a Homejoy employee at all. That's because Homejoy doesn't employ any cleaners — like many of its peer start-ups, it uses an army of contract workers to do its customers' bidding. To hear Homejoy tell it, it's simply the digital middleman that allows people seeking home-cleaning services to find people willing to do it. The worker dusting off a bookshelf might look like he works for Homejoy, when he's really the sole employee of John Smith, LLC. As the Washington Post wrote, "Homejoy is just organizing the masses of people who already offer their cleaning services independently."

With Uber valued at $18 billion, Airbnb valued at $10 billion, and new imitators popping up daily, Silicon Valley is clearly infatuated with the middleman model. A recent study by venture-capital firm SherpaVentures, which has invested in start-ups like Washio (Uber for laundry), BloomThat (Uber for flowers), and Shyp (Uber for packages), estimated that venture capitalists invested $1.6 billion in so-called "on-demand" start-ups in 2013 alone. SherpaVentures predicts that so-called "freelance marketplace" or "managed-service" labor models used by these companies are poised to transform industries like law, health care, and investment banking, and that fewer people have traditional full-time or part-time jobs as a result. This, in the firm's mind, is a good thing.

"Perpetual, hourly employment is often deeply inefficient for all parties involved," the report reads.

But increasingly, critics argue that the freelance model is being abused, with workers being treated as if they were on payroll without getting any of the benefits afforded to payrolled employees. Some Silicon Valley insiders are beginning to worry that start-ups' overreliance on contract workers could come back to haunt them if they run afoul of longstanding labor rules. If that happens, these high-flying disruptors could be facing serious disruption themselves.

One former Homejoy cleaner who asked to remain anonymous because he feared reprisal from his current employer told me that when he signed up for Homejoy, he was issued a cleaning kit and a uniform and given a training session at a Homejoy employee's house. The company, he said, let him make his own schedule, but encouraged him to work certain days rather than others. And although he gave Homejoy credit for letting him work without any prior professional cleaning experience, he now takes issue with the company's policy of not covering independent contractors if, for example, they get injured on the job.

"Quite frankly, I don't think that's fair," the former cleaner said. "At every organization I've worked for, I considered myself an employee."

Volunteers will gather to clean coastline on Saturday

SARASOTA COUNTY - From the shoreline to the gulf floor, scuba diver Greg Vine has removed a smorgasbord of discarded and jettisoned junk from local coastlines over the years.
Fishing lines, whiskey bottles, golf balls, even a .22-caliber revolver — that one he turned over to police — the list of waste retrieved by Vine is as long as it is varied. But all of the items he’s collected share an underlying principle: each were polluting the environment.

“It’s not only disgusting,” Vine said of the rubbish. “But the wildlife has to live with our mess.”

It’s for that reason that he and other members of the Nokomis-based Suncoast Reef Rovers scuba diving club have been cleaning Service Club Park in Venice for more than 15 years. On Saturday morning, the Suncoast Reef Rovers will scour the shoreline once again during the Ocean Conservancy’s 2014 International Coastal Cleanup.

They won’t be alone.

More than 2,000 volunteers are expected to clean up local beaches across Sarasota County from 8 a.m. to noon, said Wendi Crisp, program coordinator for Keep Sarasota County Beautiful. The popular event, going for more than 20 years, reached its capacity of volunteers earlier this week.

Crisp said the high turnout was due to area residents’ strong sense of community and connection their local ecosystems.

“People take ownership,” she said. “They say ‘This is where I live. This is my beach. This is my park.’ I have some groups that come every year and go clean the same area.”

Among the volunteers will be about 800 students from elementary, middle and high schools.

Volunteer helps clean racist graffiti on McHenry home

The racially charged graffiti that marred the garage of a McHenry home has been power washed away and painted over thanks to a helping hand.
McHenry police were following some leads on the case Thursday, the day after the garage of a Drake Court home, which also operates as a day care, was marked with the threat “Go away [racial epithet] or else die,” and the car also was vandalized with the phrase “[racial epithet] ride,” Deputy Chief John Birk said.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 7:40 a.m. Wednesday when some of Cindy Dunklin’s day care attendees arrived and 8:10 a.m. when she took her daughter out to the bus, she said. Her daughter is in kindergarten.


Dunklin is white, and her husband is black.

This is the second time the house has been vandalized, Birk said. The first incident occurred in 2012.

Some of Dunklin’s clients have left her day care, which is called Garden Patch Kids, since the second incident, she said, adding that she’s now looking for new clients.

Her full-service business can be reached at 815-307-3790.

By Thursday afternoon, though, the graffiti was off the house and the garage looks “brand spanking new,” Dunklin said, adding that she scrubbed the car and then took it to Gerber Glass for a buff.

Lake in the Hills resident and Woodstock-based JH Power Cleaning Services owner Josh Harrison volunteered to paint the house after hearing of the vandalism.

“I wasn’t really surprised, just disappointed,” Harrison said. “She runs a children’s day care. That’s not something you want young minds to see.”

If Harrison’s efforts had been unsuccessful, the Dunklins would have had to pay $500 to get the garage door replaced and the car fixed, Dunklin said.

“It’s really nice and a blessing,” she said of Harrison’s offer. “Thank the lord good people still exist.”

No suspects had been identified as of Thursday afternoon, Birk said. Extra patrols have been conducted in the neighborhood on a routine basis.

Police also have conducted a neighborhood canvass, interviewed neighbors and anyone that might have an issue with any of the residents, compared the two incidents for similar leads and evidence and sent a notice to surrounding communities to see if there have been any similar incidents, Birk said.
 

Cleaning chimney not a DIY project

Question: Can I clean my own chimney? I don’t want to spend tons of money and be told I have to make expensive repairs just to use the fireplace.

— Rich C. in Portland, Maine

Answer: Your reluctance is understandable, because the chimney cleaning industry, like other contractor services, has suffered in recent years from scams. Unscrupulous scammers often target new homeowners or seniors, advertising unbelievably low prices for a chimney cleaning. They then sock the homeowner, after a cursory (or even no) inspection of their chimney, with a huge cleaning and repair bill.

Still, if you want to safely use your fireplace, an annual cleaning and inspection is extremely important. Contact more than one chimney cleaning service (three or more if possible) and get a price quote. Don’t agree to any work until you’ve seen estimates from a few services. Don’t be pressured into a sale you’re not ready for.

Your home’s furnace is another item that should get a checkup from a heating professional. Again, if the contractor inspecting your furnace says repair work needs to be done, get multiple estimates before agreeing to anything.

Those concerns aside, you can do some basic inspection and maintenance tasks yourself. These don’t replace the contractor, but help you get familiar with your house’s heating systems.

You can visually inspect the firebox and damper, and check the bottom part of the chimney flue. Open the damper and use a flashlight to look up the flue, checking for debris like leaves or nests, as well as creosote buildup. This black, sticky gunk is extremly flammable and is one of the things professional sweeps take care of. It’s also difficult to remove without the right equipment.

Clean the damper and firebox by removing ashes and unburnt wood (when they’re fully cooled) and brushing ashes and residue from the visible parts of the fireplace.

Get ready to turn on the heating system now, as well. Buy replacement filters and schedule the furnace’s annual inspection. Clean dust and debris from the registers and the air intake cover.

Home tip

MONICA GELLER’S 14 BEST OCD TIPS

it comes time for me to clean my apartment, I have no patience, no desire and no idea where to start. I usually get as far as taking out a spray bottle of disinfectant and cleaning around the various piles of clutter that have accumulated, before becoming overwhelmed and sitting down for a snack, never to finish my task. When I recently found myself in this exact scenario, I turned the TV on during my snack break and started watching “Friends.” It was The One With The Chicken Pox, and Monica was obsessing over the way her boyfriend Richard made the bed. In life, we can all take some notes from Monica’s OCD ways when it comes to tidying up, because wouldn’t life just be nicer when our toilet paper is folded at the tip? Here are 14 of Monica’s anal retentive rules to remember next time you need to clean.

1. Categorize Your Towels: Eliminate bathroom disasters by sorting towels into “everyday use,” “fancy,” “guest,” and “fancy guest.”

2. Use Logic To Properly Make The Bed: The duvet tag should be at the bottom right corner and flower-covered sheets should face up, not down, because that’s where the sun would be. You get it…

3. Clean Your Cleaning Supplies: Monica uses a Dustbuster to remove dirt from the vacuum cleaner, and wouldn’t be opposed to using an even smaller vacuum to clean the Dustbuster. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

4. Iron Wrapping Paper: There’s no need to be wasteful, and you might as well get out the creases while you’re busy saving the environment.

5. When In Doubt, Clean: Keep your own space spick and span at all times, clean up after others because they’re incapable of cleaning up after themselves properly, and even wash the neighbor’s car if you feel so obliged. In Monica’s world, a clean world is a happy world.

6. Wash Before White: If you’re about to touch something white, go wash your hands thoroughly and do not stop until you’ve sang the entire “Happy Birthday” song. Feel free to also send guests and significant others to do the same if they’re about to reach for something white.

7. Keep A Ribbon Drawer: Obviously something everyone needs, color-coded and organized by ribbon thickness for quick selection during gift wrapping and party emergencies.

8. Every Disc Has A Case: Whether they’re DVDs or CDs (for those of you still trapped in the ’90s), every disc should remain in its appropriate case. Finding “Top Gun” in the “Pretty Woman” case could throw you off schedule and destroy your day.

9. Label Everything: Photographs, kitchen mugs, dishes … basically everything deserves a label in case something goes missing. If you’re super organized, you can create a file system for photos with key search words like “dead” or “dogs.” Which reminds us…

10. Buy A Label Maker: Monica spent eight hours with her label maker organizing a filing system in which she researched and wrote about a variety of career fields. She continued to label everything in her giant, rent-controlled apartment.

11. Toilet Paper Etiquette: When you’re done with the toilet paper, carefully fold the tip into a point for the next person’s ease of use.

12. Bake With Precision: Do not bake a recipe for any more or less time than the recipe calls for, sprinkle ingredients in clockwise, circumference circles and do not eat anything before it’s cooked.

13. Use Military Time: It’s more efficient.

14. Have A Secret Junk Closet: The need to have a clean, crisp-looking countertop free of clutter poses a problem when you own too much stuff. For this, keep a locked closet or room in your house filled to the brim with your shit.

10 Hidden Health Dangers Lurking in Your Home

Air pollution. Hazardous waste. Pesticides in food. Cellphone radiation. The list of hazards and toxic pollutants that can harm our health seems to grow with almost daily. But what you may not know is some of the biggest dangers are only as far away as your kitchen cabinet, medicine chest, or garage.

 

 “When we buy products, especially everyday personal-care products, we assume they're safe. And it likely doesn't occur to most people that they may be using them improperly, or running risks even if they do follow instructions,” says Jody Rohlena, a senior editor of ShopSmart, published by Consumers Union.

 

Here’s a list of home products and pollution sources whose risks may surprise you.

 

Aerosol sprays: Chemicals used to propel sprays, including hair and antiperspirants, can cause lung problems and trigger allergies and asthma. Tip: Swap aerosol hair sprays for pump products. Close your mouth and eyes when you use a spray. 

Special: The Healing Powers of Vinegar: Arthritis, Heart, Brain, More 

 

Household cleaners: Those chemical products you may be using to get your home sparkling clean and healthy may actually be doing just the opposite. A 2009 study by the Environmental Working Group identified 457 air contaminants – 24 linked to serious health concerns, including cancer – in 21 household cleaners. Tip: Always read product labels, follow directions for use, and open a window or run a fan when cleaning. Consider non-toxic homemade cleaning products. To clean glass, mix one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with one quart of water.

 

Air fresheners: Commercial air fresheners often contain volatile organic compounds and phthalates, some of which are linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Tip: To remove odors and purify the air inside your home, open windows when possible, run your air conditioner or heating system, and consider a filter-based air purifier.

 

Cosmetics: Women who use months-old mascara, leave their makeup bag in a hot car, or use a little water or saliva to moisten the tip of an eyeliner applicator put themselves at risk for serious eye infections. Preservatives in makeup that keep them free of bacteria can be compromised by water, saliva, heat, and contaminants on hands. Tip: Wash your hands before applying makeup. Replace mascara every two to four months. Discard eye shadow and liners after a year. Store makeup in a cool, dry place.

 

Contact lenses: Failing to keep your contact lenses and cases clean can put you at risk for potentially blinding bacterial infections. Tip: Wash your hands with soap and dry them before touching lenses. Clean your lens case by dumping the used solution and rinsing it with fresh solution, before allowing it to air dry. Replace the case every three months. Never rinse lenses in water.

 

Antibacterial products: Researchers have found that triclosan – an antibacterial chemical used in soaps, deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpastes, bedding, clothes, carpets, toys, and trash bags – causes health problems in laboratory tests involving animals. Tip: There is little research to suggest antibacterial products are better than soap and water.

 

Special: The Healing Powers of Vinegar: Arthritis, Heart, Brain, More 

Radon: Naturally occurring radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. It can seep into your home from rocks and soil under your home. Tip: Test your house for radon, using an inexpensive ($20-40) monitor. If levels are higher than EPA’s designated safe standard – 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) – a radon-abatement specialist can usually remedy the situation, usually through a gas-venting system, for between $800 and $2,500.

 

Combustion gases: Carbon monoxide (CO) and other combustion gases are among the biggest indoor hazards. They can be released by faulty gas stoves, furnaces, and gas generators, as well as wood, kerosene, and propane heaters. Tip: Have your fuel-burning appliances inspected annually. Install CO alarms on each level of your house, including the basement. Change the batteries at least every year, and replace the alarms every five years.

 

Mouthwash: Some consumers have claimed using mouthwash stained their teeth or affected their sense of taste. The American Dental Association has said the ingredient responsible — cetylpyridinium chloride — is found in many mouthwashes. Tips: If you notice brown spots on your teeth or a change in your sense of taste after using a mouthwash, stop using it. Flossing, brushing, and dental cleaning are all that’s need to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

When cleaning fees are a drag

Washington - Landra Osmus doesn't smoke. So when she checked out of the Comfort Suites at Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Ariz., recently, she almost choked on her bill, which included a surprise $150 (about R1 500) cleaning fee.

Osmus, a hospital auditor from Tucson, had spent a weekend at the hotel with her 12-year-old granddaughter and a friend for a birthday celebration. A hotel representative claimed that she was being charged because “there was smoke present in the room.” But Osmus contends that the fumes came from outside the hotel, from an alley where guests were smoking.

“I'm not responsible for the alley,” she says, adding that the Comfort Suites' accusations were causing her “great emotional distress.”

Turns out that cigarettes are stressing out a lot of travellers, and in a lot of different ways.

Hotels and car rental companies are struggling to deal with shifting winds when it comes to smoking. That includes some states' legalisation of recreational marijuana use and the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes. At the same time, travelers allege that companies are turning customers' tobacco habit into a profit centre by overcharging them for smoking in hotels or rental cars — even if, like Osmus, they don't smoke.

Result: Whether you use tobacco products or not, you have to know about these new problem areas. Otherwise, some of your hard-earned vacation dollars could go up in smoke.

When Osmus contacted me for help, I suggested that she send Comfort Suites a polite written appeal and advised her to be patient. She sent the letter. In response, the property's general manager investigated her claim and found that the smoke was indeed coming from the street.

“I went ahead and refunded the $150 charge that we assessed you as a smoking fee,” the representative wrote in an email.

Depending on your perspective, the travel realm is either becoming a less accommodating place for smokers or a healthier place for nonsmokers. Cruise lines are at the forefront of this change, with Carnival and Norwegian recently banning smoking on balconies. Guests will still be able to smoke in the casinos.

And even though the recreational use of marijuana is now approved in Washington and Colorado, the travel industry hasn't exactly welcomed weed tourists with open arms. In fact, there's a considerable amount of confusion about where visitors can light up, or, for that matter, how to even wrap things up. Some tourists are reportedly leaving their stash in their rental cars in Denver before flying home.

Smoking can be expensive if you're running a hotel. Marti Mayne, a lodging industry consultant, says that smaller inns, like bed-and-breakfasts, can suffer as a result of illicit smoking. “It means that every single piece of bedding and towels must be removed and washed, rugs will have to be steam-cleaned, as will curtains, lampshades and anything else that might be fabric and can absorb the smell,” she says.

The cleaning takes time, too, which means that the room must be taken out of inventory. That loss, which Mayne says could be anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of an inn's revenue, is a “double whammy” of financial loss and cleaning expense.

But where some travel companies see cost, others spy an opportunity.

Take car rental companies. As they've cracked down on customers smoking in their vehicles, they've revved up their cleaning fees, according to Jordan Perch, a transportation analyst for the Web site DMV.com. The average fee for a car rental cleaning is $250. The going rate for a top-of-the-line car detailing is $150, which means that a car rental company can pocket the difference.

“Considering that the most expensive rates for a daily rental are somewhere around $100, if you rent a car for a day, the potential fine for smoking in it would cost you more than double that amount,” he adds. “That does seem a little irrational.”

But not as irrational as customers who are charged for something they didn't do.

Consider what happened to Angelo Figueroa when he rented a car from Budget in New York recently. “When I returned the car, the representative mentioned that it smells like smoke and asked me if I smoked,” he says. “I said no.”

The agent then conferred with another employee, who “confirmed” the smoky smell. The agent said she would charge him $70, even though the normal fee was $250.

“I told her I don't smoke, and that I'd dispute the charge, and I'd like to talk to a manager. The second employee told my agent, 'Just charge him $250 then,' “ Figueroa remembers. No manager was available to speak with him. A $250 charge then appeared on his credit card bill.

Figueroa, an attorney based in Cleveland, complained to New York's Department of Consumer Affairs and received an immediate refund.

Stories like Figueroa's and Osmus's should be encouraging to other travelers. Even though travel companies seem to be capitalising on our alleged tobacco use, your odds of disputing the charges are fairly good.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little perseverance.

* Elliott, National Geographic Traveler's reader advocate and author of How To Be The World's Smartest Traveler (National Geographic), maintains a consumer advocate website at elliott.org.

What's cooking

From chopping boards to pots and pans, Dr Chemical shares his top tips to keep your kitchenware spotless and hygienic.

A question I am often asked is how best to clean cooking utensils - knives, chopping boards, pots and pans, etc.

You've created your culinary masterpiece but what to do about the mess afterwards?

Try these tips to ensure your cookware is hygienically cleaned.

CUTLERY

The cutlery is easy - the stainless steel that modern cutlery is made out of is nonporous, and so is a poor substrate for bacterial growth.

A quick rinse in hot water and detergent or a cycle through the dishwasher and the job's done.

CHOPPING BOARDS

Chopping boards are not quite so straightforward. The issue here, of course, is bacterial growth.

Whether they are made out of wood or plastic, they possess a degree of porosity, with crevices in which moisture can lodge and bacteria can grow. And this is the best time of the year for it (or the worst, depending on how you look at it), with all the damp weather around.

There are several ways of disinfecting hard surfaces - bleach, laundry disinfectants and so on - but the easiest is the way it's done in hospitals: alcohol.

There is a popular brand of disinfecting hand gel called Aqium, whose label tells us how to do it.

It's changed now, but it used to say "70 per cent methylated spirits". That's all it was, and that's all you need to make a very effective disinfectant. Get some metho from the hardware store, and make it up as a 70 per cent solution (7 parts metho to 3 parts water) and you have a very effective disinfectant. This is what hospitals use to disinfect surgical equipment, as it is chemically benign and will not damage anything (unlike bleach, which is a strong oxidiser). But some contact time is required.

Put some in a generic sprayer, spray your chopping board, and leave it. About 30 seconds contact time is required to do the job, so just leave it to evaporate. And don't worry about the "methylated" bit - metho doesn't contain methanol anymore.

POTS AND PANS

For pots and pans, it depends where you are. If you are camping, just clean your cast iron saucepan by sitting it in the fire. With enough heat the food turns to charcoal (carbon) and the carbon turns to CO2. So yes, you could clean your saucepans at home with a butane burner, but it'd raise a few eyebrows.

A simple way to do it is with washing soda. Sprinkle a few tablespoons in the bottom of the saucepan, fill it with water, and bring it to the boil. Then simply turn it off and let it cool.

Once it's cooled, tip it out and you'll be amazed at how clean the pan is. Any solid residue will have been separated from the surface by this process, and will easily be removed with a gentle scourer.

Or, if you're in a hurry, use the washing soda as a paste with a scourer - you get the combined action of the physical scouring and the chemical action.