Steam kills various fungi and bacteria lurking between the rug’s fibres.

Solution for Steam Cleaner

Using a steam cleaner to refresh your rugs is one of the best ways to kill fungi and bacteria settled deep into the threads and fibres. And the best thing about using steam is that you don’t have to use toxic chemicals – the high temperature eliminates all microbes!

Read also: What is the Best Deep Cleaning Method for Your Carpet?

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dishwashing liquid
• ½ cup hydrogen peroxide
• ½ cup white distilled vinegar
• 5-6 drops of your favourite essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a plastic bowl and stir well until you get a smooth and homogenous mixture. The essential oil is optional, but it gives a pleasant odour to your cleaner. Pour the mixture inside the container of your steam cleaner and fill water to the top. Shake the tank well to dilute the cleaning mixture in the water. Turn on the steam and run it over the rug. After you cover the whole surface, dispose of the liquid from the container, rinse it, fill it with clean water and then rerun it to ‘wash’ the residues of the solution.

This rug freshener will remove even old odours leaving your rug smelling and looking great!

Rug Freshener

This is such a great, easy to prepare freshener! This formula will help you get rid of foul odours coming from your rug fast and safely. You can apply it to remove pet odours, cigarette scent and smells from cooking. Use this freshener as often as you want because it is very gentle to the rug’s fibres.

Check also: 5 Carpet Cleaning Secrets of the Pros You Can Try at Home

Ingredients:

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup baking soda
• 7-8 drops essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Put the two dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them properly. Add a few drops of essential oil and stir well. Distribute the compound evenly directly onto the rug. Spread the mixture evenly onto the whole surface using a soft brush. Let it sit for half an hour. The dry ingredients are the key to the efficacy of the recipe. Both baking soda and borax absorb strong odours quickly, without leaving a trace. The scented oil is optional. However, it will give a pleasant gentle fragrance into the room. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly to extract the compound in full.

Dull colours are no reason to throw away your rug. You can easily make the carpet bright again with the recipe below.

Rug Colour Enhancer

If your rug looks dull and dark even after meticulous vacuuming, you can use this formula to refresh its colours.

Read also: 5 Green Ways to Keep Your Carpet Clean

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white distilled vinegar
• tap water

Instructions:

Add the vinegar into the tank of your steam cleaner and fill it with water to the top. Run the steamer onto the rug and let it dry. The vinegar solution will revive the colours, and the carpet will look as new. Don’t be afraid the vinegar smell will stay – if you open a window, the smell will be gone in an hour.

Some rugs are prone to colour bleeding. If yours is like this, try this gentle cleaning foam.

Colour-Safe Rug Shampoo

If you are worried that the DIY cleaning of your rug can cause colour bleeding, you can try this homemade colour-protect shampoo.

Check also: How to Clean and Maintain Valuable Oriental Rugs?

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• ½ tsp ammonia
• 4 tbsp dishwashing liquid
• 2 cups lukewarm water

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a nice thick foam. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use an egg whisk or simply get a foam dispenser bottle. Distribute the foam evenly onto the rug without pressing or rubbing hard. Let the foam sit for 10 minutes. After this, remove the foam from the carpet using a spatula. Get a clean sponge, dip it in water, and squeeze it until almost dry. Blot the rug to rinse it from any excess residues from your cleaner. The carpet will be slightly damp after you finish, and it will dry quickly, especially if you leave a window open. Vacuum the rug after it has dried.

If you need to deal with old stubborn stains on your rug, or if it is water sensitive, homemade formulas might not be the best option. Call us, and we will provide an excellent rug cleaning service and stain removal job at a competitive price.

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The post 10 Amazing Cleaning Uses of Baking Soda for Your Home – Part 2 appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

We love green cleaning – it is an easy, healthy, and cheaper way to deal with the chores at home. Moreover, most green cleaning recipes require simple ingredients, which can be found in any home. We have already posted a good deal of green cleaning recipes and DIY home cleaning tricks. You can see that there is one substance, which is a key ingredient in the most of the DIY cleaners – the Baking soda! This powder is safe, inexpensive, it is a great stain cleaner, a natural deodorizer and can be used as a fine abrasive for surface cleaning.

Today we have decided to put together 10 new ideas on how to use baking soda when cleaning your home.

Read also: 3 Natural Substances That Will Change the Way You Clean

Smelly or stained plastic dishes and containers

Food containers are convenient for storing dinner leftovers or freezing meals. However, plastic can easily absorb strong smells like fish, cheese and gets stinky and sticky. To deal with the smell and stains, simply rinse the containers with warm water and while they are still wet, run them with baking soda. Leave them like this for 10 minutes, then rinse and let the containers dry well, before storing them.

Check also: 7 Amazing DIY Green Cleaners

Supermarket Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and veggies sold in the supermarkets sometimes have a protective coating of wax. Producers do this to keep the food fresh longer and to give it shiny, tempting appearance. Although we don’t recommend buying such fruits and vegetables, it is a shame to throw them away if you already have them. Use baking soda to remove safely the wax coating from apples, pears, cucumber, or any other fresh produce. Simply wipe the skins off with a clean sponge, dipped in baking soda.

Read also: 8 Green Home Cleaning Recipes with Soapnuts

Remove Faul Odours From Carpets and Upholstery

All fabric items in your home absorb smell overtime. And while you can drop your clothes and bed linens in the washing machine and deal with foul odours like cigarette or food smell, you cannot do the same with rugs and soft furnishings. Luckily, there is an easy way to deodorise these items and contain the situation until it’s time for the deep carpet cleaning. Baking soda is a great natural deodorizer – simply sprinkle a generous amount of it directly onto the rugs and furnishing and let it sit for 1 hour. When the time is up, run the vacuum to extract the powder.

Read also How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smell in Your Home

Greasy Stains in the Kitchen

Baking soda can help you deal with old stubborn stains everywhere in your kitchen. You can use it to treat the surfaces, appliances, as well as dirty pans and pots. The key to removing oil, grease or scorched food with baking soda is patience. Since this is a natural cleaner, you might have to give it a little bit more time to act, but in the end, you will see it is worth it! Rinse or spray the dirty area with warm water. Prepare a thick paste of warm water, baking soda, and a few drops of strong dishwashing liquid and apply it directly onto the food and grease stains. Wipe or wash the paste with a clean sponge and warm water after 30 minutes and enjoy the effortless result!

Check these 5 Awesome Green Kitchen Cleaning Recipes.

Dusty Stuffed Animals and Textile Accessories

Some items in our home collect more dust than others – like your children’s stuffed toys, artificial flowers, and fabric wall hangings. The toys can be thrown in the washing machine, but for others things – like textile decorations, this is not the best idea due to a risk of discolouration and shrinking of the material. You can easily remove the dust and dirt from all these tricky-to-clean items, without damaging them. Just place them in a big plastic or paper bag, add 1 cup of baking soda, secure the top of the bag and shake it well, turning it to all side. The baking soda will draw our all dirt and dust. Remove the items from the bag and shake them well to be sure there are no grains of baking soda left.

Read also: How to Involve Children in Home Cleaning

Contact us if you need a reliable domestic cleaner. You can check our wide range of home cleaning services in London and book us now.

The post 10 Amazing Cleaning Uses of Baking Soda for Your Home appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

What can make you quit your favourite brand of fabric softener or dishwashing liquid? They smell great, leave everything spotless, and are tried and tested in your home cleaning routine. However, if you knew how dangerous are most of the commercially sold cleaners, you would probably re-consider your current products of choice. For a start, most detergents and solutions nowadays contain toxic ingredients, harmful for both human and animal health. Many big brands are selling products labelled as “bio” or “green”, but they still contain questionable ingredients like colourants and scents that can be dangerous for small children or asthma sufferers.

Read also:

How to Involve Children in Home Cleaning Routine

How to get Your Teen Help You with the Chores

What’s more, there is a true treasure in your kitchen cabinets – substances like baking soda, vinegar, and salt that are among the basic ingredients for most of the expensive green cleaning products. These substances have been used for centuries for cleaning purposes. Ancient Babylonians found out the remarkable cleaning potential of the white vinegar, while Egyptians used natron (a derivative of the baking soda) to clean their bodies thousands of years B.C. So, why don’t we do the same and harness the power of these ingredients to make our own homemade, inexpensive and efficient cleaners?

BAKING SODA

We have already shared a lot of green cleaning recipes, involving baking soda on our blog. Using baking soda for cleaning is not a new thing. This basic ingredient makes a great abrasive cleaner for the bathroom tiles, helps remove unpleasant odours left after pet accidents, and remove grease stains from your oven and cooktops.
Check these articles for baking soda cleaning ideas:

Green Spring Cleaning Part 1 – the Kitchen

How to Live with a Dog and Have a Clean Home?

WHITE VINEGAR

White vinegar is a quite versatile product. First, it makes salads, sauces, and even meat taste better. Second, it is a great preservative and you can find it in a lot of recipes for canned foods. At last, but not least, white vinegar is a powerful cleaner! You can use it instead of commercial cleaner to remove mould and mildew from your fridge. It is also a great insecticide, and you can make a vinegar spray to chase away spiders and other unwanted guests from your home. Mix it with some water and the result is inexpensive, green window cleaning liquid.
Check also: 8 Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar

TABLE SALT

During the ancient times, salt was as valuable as gold – it was known for its preserving qualities and it was even used as a currency. Now we know, that salt consumption is vital for our health – human bodily fluids has to maintain a certain level of pH in order to help our body’s functions. But apart from its nutrition uses, salt is a great cleaner too! You can remove grease spills from clothes, upholstery and carpets using nothing but cold water and salt. Just wet the affected area, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over it, let it stay like this for 1 hour. During this time the salt will soak and lift the grease from the fabric, and then you can just sweep or vacuum the salt away.

Apart from being excellent grease remover, table salt is great for cleaning bloodstains from clothes as well! Just soak the garment in cold water and add a cup of salt. Wait for a couple of hours and then wash with liquid laundry detergent.

If you are searching for a quality domestic cleaning service, do not hesitate to contact us. We work only with certified cleaning products, safe for you and your family and pets. Call us now on 0203 302 9493 and book your cleaner!

The post 3 Awesome Natural Substances that Will Change the Way You Clean Your Home appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

Green cleaning recipes are great, because they are safe and often – frugal way to substitute dangerous commercial cleaners with toxic formulae. This week we’ve collected 3 recipes for homemade laundry detergents. They are easy to make, don’t require a lot of ingredients and are safe to use if you have small children, pets, or if you have sensitive skin.

When we started our blog one of the first topics we’ve wrote bout was toxic chemicals in detergents and cleaners. You can read more about the toxic ingredients in commercial cleaning products here, here and here.

Soapnuts Laundry Detergent

Soapnuts are fruits growing on the trees from genius Sapindus. These trees are common in Asia and some parts of North America, and native people have used soapnut shells for centuries for cleaning and washing purposes, as well as for homemade remedies for various skin conditions. Now they are largely available online, or green stores. Here is a basic recipe for soapnut laundry detergent. This liquid cleaner is hypoallergenic, which makes it suitable even for delicates or baby clothes.

You can try out 8 more green and safe soapnut recipes here.

You will need

• 14-15 soapnut shells
• 5-6 glasses of tap water
• 8-10 drops of your favourite essential oil(optional)

Break the soapnut shells and put them into a clean pot. Add water and bring to gentle boil. Leave it for about 30 minutes to allow them release their natural saponins. Cool the liquid, pour in a glass bottle or big jar and store into the fridge. Since this is natural cleaner and it doesn’t have any preservatives it will go bad if you leave it outside. Soapnuts have light natural smell, if you want to deodorize your laundry, just add a few drops of essential oil to the liquid. Use as your ordinary laundry detergent.

Powerful Soapnut Detergent

This recipe is suitable to use if you have to deal with heavily soiled laundry or stained clothes. You can try out the stronger soapnut detergent during spring and autumn cleaning, when there is a significant amount of blankets, bed linens, clothes and curtains to wash.

You will need

• 5 soapnut shells
• 4 tbsp borax
• 5 drops of essential oil (optional)

Grind soapnut shells in spice grinder or food processor. Add 4 tbsp borax and essential oil, if you want to deodorize the laundry. Use as usual. This homemade laundry detergent is strong and removes stains, without irritating your skin.

Castile Soap Laundry Detergent

If you want a bit more traditional recipe for homemade green laundry detergent, try making this one. Castile soap, borax and washing soda create powerful green combination.

You will need

1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/2 cup finely grated castile soap

Use the food processor to grate a small chunk of castile soap. Use a large bowl and mix the grated soap, borax and washing soda and stir well. Keep in a jar, or in a plastic container with lid. Use 1/4 cup of this powder instead of commercial laundry detergent.

Making your own green laundry detergent is one of the easiest steps for natural living. And don’t forget – you can always rely on our cleaning services in London if you want your home maintained in safe and eco-friendly manner.

Interested in green cleaning? Click here for more eco-friendly recipes.

The post 3 DIY Green Laundry Detergent Recipes We Love appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

From the moment we have started this blog we constantly write about the hazards of using toxic cleaners, and we always try to share new safe home cleaning methods.

Since spring is almost here it is time for the annual deep cleaning of the house. Last year we shared some tactical tricks to make the Spring Cleaning easier, as well as some great recipes for homemade solutions for your kitchen, bedroom and living room.

Today, we are adding 10 more incredible DIY non-toxic solutions for green and easy Spring Cleaning of your house.

Homemade Carpet Stain Remover

Commercial stain removers, especially those, used for carpet and upholstery cleaning contain various toxic chemicals. The one that is most commonly used is perchloroethylene, which is believed to be carcinogenic. There are various eco-friendly, commercially available spot cleaners, but they can be quite costly. Instead of spending a fortune, why don’t you try this excellent homemade stain remover?

You will need:

• 1 cup of baking soda
• 1 tbsp liquid soap
• a few drops of your favourite essential oil (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them until you get a creamy paste. Apply this solution onto the stain, leave it for 10 minutes and then blot with wet towel to remove the mixture from the carpet. If you want this recipe to be 100% pure, you can opt for organic castile soap, but any other soap will do just fine.

Non-Toxic Toilet Bowl Cleaner

In order to kill bacteria in the toilet bowl and deodorise it, specialised products often contain numerous dangerous ingredients. If you want to have the same cleaning result without using toxic products, you need to do 2 things – prepare your own solution and clean more often!

You will need:

• 1 part borax
• 1 part washing soda
• 10 drops of essential oil (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients and distribute the powder evenly onto the interior of the toilet bowl and scrub thoroughly using toilet brush. You can mix in your favourite essential oil if you want to add scent to the mixture.

Eco-friendly Tile and Grout Cleaner

In most cases 1 cup white distilled vinegar diluted in a bucket of water will be enough to make your tiles shine again. But sometimes, if you have to deal with tough stains or gunky grouts you need a stronger formula. So if you have to deal with heavily soiled tiles this Spring Cleaning try the green tile cleaner below!

You will need:

• 1 cup of baking soda
• 4 tbsp of washing soda
• 4 tbsp of borax
• 6 tbsp of liquid castile soap

Mix everything together and stir well until you have creamy white paste. Scrub the tiles and grout with the mixture. Use hard bristle brush to treat stubborn stains.

Non-toxic Laundry Detergent

Every substance you run through your washing machine eventually goes to the local aquatic system. Commercial laundry detergents contain various dangerous artificial ingredients such as synthetic fragrances, optical brighteners, petrochemicals etc. Making your own laundry soap is great both for the nature and for your health! So, this spring, when the time comes to wash all the blankets and winter clothes and put them away, try this easy to make eco-friendly laundry detergent.

You will need:

• 1 bar of laundry soap
• 1 cup of washing soda
• 1 cup of borax

Grate the laundry soap and mix it with the other ingredients. Transfer the mixture into a clean container. Use 1 tbsp per load. If you have to deal with particularly dirty laundry or stinky clothes (running t-shirt, gym pants etc.) add 1 tbsp of baking soda to the load. You can also replace the fabric softener with 1 tbsp of white vinegar in the rinse compartment of your washing machine.

Check also: another great green way to do your laundry is to use soapnuts. Here are 8 wonderful soapnuts recipes.

Eco-friendly Drain Cleaner

If clogged drains are one of the chores in your Spring Cleaning to-do-list and you want to deal with this problem the green way, try out this simple, but effective recipe.

You will need:

• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
• 1 pot of boiling water

Pour the baking soda down the drain and add the vinegar. You will hear and see the reaction immediately – wait a few minutes until the sizzling stops and pour the boiling water into the drain. This recipes works great for kitchen sinks, and if you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you can replace it with lemon juice. However, if there is a hairball clogging the drain, the best way to remove it is to use a drain snake or a plunger.

Homemade Brass Cleaner

Cleaning and polishing all small brass details, ornaments and decorations can be a meditative task – it is satisfying to rub the metal and see its shine under the dirt and build up. However, you should consider that commercially available brands of metal polish contain ammonia, and petroleum distillates. If you want to clean brass safely, try this recipe.

You will need:

1 cup white flour
1cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients and stir them well until you get homogeneous paste. Rub away the dirt and polish the metal, using cotton cloth dipped into the mixture.

Organic Mould Cleaning Spray

If you live in humid area, chances are you need to deal with mould and mildew on regular basis. Most people reach out for the bleach as soon as they see even the smallest sign of the problem. However, there is a great way to clean mould without using bleach or other toxic products.

You will need:

• 2 tsp tea tree oil
• 2 cups warm water
• a spray bottle

Pour all the ingredients into the bottle and shake well. Spray the affected areas and wipe clean. Spray again and leave it like this without rinsing – tea tree oil kills will prevent mould from re-appearing. Take in mind, that this method isn’t suitable for dealing with serious mould growth. If there are large areas in your home affected by mould or mildew better turn to specialists.

Check also: How to prevent mould appearance in your home.

Don’t hesitate to turn to our London cleaners for a stress-free one off spring cleaning! Contact KTMA Ltd. team for green and safe cleaning of:

• Carpets
• Curtains
• Upholstery
• Windows
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• and more

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The New Year is finally here and it is time to start with a clean slate. After all the cooking, dinner parties, guests and relatives most of us have to deal with stains, dirt and mess to put our homes in order.

7 Ultimate Tips to Clean Your Home in a Safe Way

As you know we’ve already posted 9 great tricks for after the holiday season here on our blog, an article to help you clean your home before and after a party, as well as 10 great professional tips on how to ease your home cleaning routine. Today we decided to share with you 7 tips on safety when cleaning and organising.

Not all Commercial Cleaners are Dangerous

There are a lot of toxic commercial cleaning products, but don’t label them all evil. Have in mind that a number of oxygen-based and sulphite-based cleaners and detergents, when used carefully, can be safer and friendlier to you and to the environment than chlorine bleach or ammonia. When buying commercial detergents choose products with neutral pH, non-irritating, non-hazardous, low in VOCs and preferably – biodegradable cleaners.

Make a Research

Allergies caused by harsh chemicals have encouraged many of us to use inexpensive common household products such as vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemons, soap, and natural oils to clean our homes. We’ve already written series of articles about dangerous household cleaning products. However it is important to do your research before preparing a new cleaning mixture. Not all DIY recipes are suitable for all kinds of spots, and surfaces. For example, although vinegar has great cleaning properties there are 8 things you should never clean with it.

Pay Attention to Labels and Containers

This is the first thing to do when attempting to deal with any kind of stain or dirt. Make sure you are using the right products for every cleaning job. Pay attention to products labelled with the words “caution,” “dangerous,” and “warning”. Always keep the cleaning products in their original containers and label your DIY cleaners accurately. Always use dry, clean containers for homemade cleaning mixtures.

DIY Cleaners can be Toxic Too

Use homemade cleaning recipes with the same caution, as you would treat commercial products. Wear gloves, face mask and take other precautions when using strong ingredients – not all homemade recipes are non-toxic. Always leave windows open when cleaning – some DIY recipes can release toxic gases too – for example when mixing ammonia and bleach.

Use Mild Cleaners When Possible

Most things, even when stained or when covered with build up dirt can be cleaned successfully with vinegar, baking soda or soap. Sometimes you just need to take your time when cleaning and soak the fabrics more, or let the cleaner stay longer on hard surface to do its job. Save harsh cleaning detergents for really tough cleaning jobs.

Bacteria, Food, and Food Preparation Area

People tend to buy a lot of antibacterial soaps, but overusing these can be as hazardous for your health as cleaning with toxic chemicals – not all microorganisms are bad. Use antibacterial cleaners when cleaning food preparation areas and when cooking raw meat, poultry or eggs, as well as when someone around you is ill. Never use toxic cleaning products in food preparation areas.

Clean After the Cleaning

If you use strong cleaners, rinse the surfaces with clean water when you are done cleaning. Never forget to wash your hands, cloths and tools after cleaning. Collect all detergents and put them out of reach of small children. Your pets can also suffer from toxic ingredients in some cleaners, so try these eco-friendly recipes when cleaning after your dog or cat.

If you don’t have the time to deal with all the chores in a green way by yourself, don’t hesitate to call our domestic cleaning team. We work with eco-friendly products, safe for your health and for the environment.

The post 7 Ultimate Tips to Clean Safe and Easy appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

We sure love our dogs – they are faithful friends and joyful companions. But we all know living with a dog can (and will) get messy. They are messy eaters, jump around, leave a lot of hair, and, during their potty training you can stumble upon small smelly puddles around the house. So, is it possible to have a dog and a clean home at the same time? KTMA Ltd. specialists say ‘Yes!’.

Here ‘s how you can do it:

Green Cleaning is a Must

We have written series of articles on how commercial cleaning products can be a real threat to your health (you can read them here: part 1, part 2, part 3). If you clean your home, using toxic products take in mind that pets are more vulnerable to poisonous fumes and chemical residues than us. Dogs sniff around the house, lay on the ground, and stay home the whole day while we are at work. So, turning to green cleaning is a key step for the health of your four-legged friend.

Vinegar and Baking Soda for Urine Stains

Both vinegar and baking soda have powerful cleaning properties and does not affect your pet’s health. You can use this recipe to remove urine, poo and vomit stains and odours from carpets, rugs, upholstery and wood floors. Since this method includes vinegar, do not use it on marble, or waxed wooden furniture – two of the 8 things you should never clean with vinegar.

Directions:

Get a cloth and blot up as much of the stain as you can. If you are cleaning vomit, scrape the residues with a dull knife. Sprinkle generously baking soda onto the spot. Leave it to absorb the smell from the stain for 10 min then vacuum. Mix 2 cups of lukewarm water and 2 cups of white distilled vinegar. Pour into spray bottle and spray onto the spot. Wait for 2 min and blot the liquid using dry cloth.

Dogs doesn’t spill their water just to wet your floor. Their tongues are just built that way.

Clean Less after Messy Eaters

Most dogs – especially the big ones, eat as if they want to decorate your floor with food residues and granules. Not to mention that often half of their meal is left on their neck, then goes straight on your furniture and carpets. To prevent food dropping on your dog’s fur we recommend putting a dog bandana on your pet’s neck before every meal. As for food spills, you can place a plastic mat under your dog’s food and water bowls. When your four legged friend is done eating, just take the mat and rinse it with hot water. This way you will keep your floor clean without much effort.

Remove Pet Hair

When you have a dog, you must vacuum around the house on regular basis. Use the upholstery attachment to remove most of the fur from your furniture. However, vacuuming sometimes isn’t enough. Check this post to see how to remove pet hair easy from furniture and carpets and make your own DIY hair-removing tools with materials you can find around the house.

Keep Your Home Clean Longer

It’s very import make comfortable home for your pet, without the hassle of cleaning all the time. If you want to keep your home clean longer, and your four-legged friend it is best to establish some rules. Teach your pets that they are not allowed on your bed and on other furniture. Get them a nice, spacious be in the room. If however you want to let your dog cuddle on the sofa with you, cover the upholstery with blankets. It will be easier for you to wash these covers, than to clean the upholstery.

At last, but not least – that having a dog is having a friend for life. Enjoy the good moments with your pet and don’t let trifles like food spills or paw stains ruin your friendship. And don’t forget – you can always hire professional cleaners to deal with stubborn stains and dirty carpets and furniture. Just choose a company that uses eco-friendly products and procedures.

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We often say the most important cleaning of the house occurs in spring. But in the past few years big supermarket chains in UK score their highest sales of household cleaning product in autumn. In a post on their blog a few years ago Tesco reported 20% rise of the sales of such products in September. Why? It’s really simple – autumn cleaning is the new spring cleaning.

Why Cleaning in Fall is so Important?

After Bank holidays in the end of August and with the beginning of the School year on the 1st of September, we finally have the time to deep clean our homes for winter. We can take advantage from the last warm days of the year and do all the chores that are impossible to deal with in the cold season. Autumn cleaning isn’t all about tidying, organizing, but also about preparing our home for the winter.

Here are a few things you need to include in your fall cleaning checklist:

In-door Autumn Cleaning Tasks

You can vacuum and dust around your house during the whole year, however, there are a few things that you better deep clean before winter comes.

Upholstery cleaning

Furniture has long drying process so it’s better to tackle with this task now. You can try this basic diy green method for cleaning your upholstery, but take in mind that different fabrics require different maintenance. If you have to deal with stain on the upholstery you can try this trick. If your sofa is upholstered with suede leather check our suede cleaning guide.

Carpet Cleaning

Carpets tend to accumulate a lot of dirt and dust and you don’t want to wait until spring to deal with this. Include carpets in your autumn cleaning chores. Here is our guide on green and easy carpet cleaning methods.

Window Cleaning

This is a great time to deal with dirty windows – the weather is not too hot, so there won’t be soap residues and marks left on the glass. Read how to clean your windows in 7 easy steps.

Curtains and Drapes

The best way to dry curtains is to hang them and let them dry naturally. In early autumn the weather still allows you to hang your drapes outside. Check how to clean different types of curtains like a pro.

Thorough Cleanup for the Kitchen

We spend a lot of time in kitchen during the cold season and cook a lot for the holidays. This is why it’s good to add kitchen to your fall cleaning checklist. Here are our green suggestions for impeccably clean kitchen.

Bedroom Cleanup

Cleaning your mattress is one of the most important things to do before winter comes. Also autumn is the time when you have to take out, aerate and wash all winter clothes and warm blankets. Here are a few green suggestions for easy and efficient bedroom cleaning.

Outdoor Cleaning Checklist

If you live in a house there are a few things that is crucial and have to be included in your autumn cleaning list.

1. Clean the gutters. Remove dead leaves and other debris. This can prevent leaks and water related damage on your siding and walls due to leaks.
2. Drain the garden hoses and store them in your garage.
3. Clean the garden furniture, toys and barbecue and put them away for the next season.

1. Pressure-wash the patio and the house exterior. Retouch the paint if needed.
2. Check the caulking of your windows and doors and re-caulk if needed.
3. Clean your chimney if you have a fireplace in your home.
4. Drain the pool (if you have one) and cover it.

Autumn cleaning doesn’t have to be exhausting task! Professional cleaning companies provide different services to fit your needs – you can call a cleaner for a day, or hire someone to help you on regular basis. The best part is that hiring a cleaner is not that costly! You can check the cleaning prices and see for yourself.

The post Why Autumn Cleaning is the New Spring Cleaning? appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

Vinegar is one of the most accessible and commonly used products at home. It is an indispensable component for eco cleaning of surfaces, to remove mould, and has an antibacterial effect. However, the liquid is acidic, so there are things that should not be used. Check out which are the things that you shouldn’t clean with vinegar at your home.

Don’t Use it as Grease Remover for Dirty Dishes

While vinegar is a great product to clean and disinfect various kitchen surfaces it is acidic and you shouldn’t use it to clean greasy pans, pots and plates. Alkaline cleaners like dishwashing liquid, or even ordinary soap are way more effective in removing grease and oil stains from your dishes.

Never Use on Wax

Never use vinegar to clean surfaces treated with paraffin or other wax. Usually this includes most solid wood furnishings, wooden floors, frames and accessories are treated with waxes because they are strong water repellents and it give wood noble and smooth shine. Vinegar damages this coating and ruins the matt gloss. However if you need to remove the old layer in order to apply a new one you can do it with vinegar. Apply it on the wax and wait 20-30 minutes, before wiping the surface with a cloth or paper towel.

Don’t Use Vinegar to Clean Marble

Vinegar is great natural cleaner for various types of surfaces, but not for marble. Never use any kind of vinegar or cleaners containing vinegar on marble. It is acidic and will corrode the porous structure of this natural stone. When cleaning marble you can use hydrogen peroxide instead of acidic cleaning agent.

Be Careful What Vinegar You Use for Laundry

Never use wine or apple cider vinegar for washing your clothes. These two kinds can colour and stain your laundry. If you want to add vinegar to your washing machine use only white distilled vinegar – it bleaches the fabric and removes foul odours.

Don’t Use Vinegar on Aluminium and Iron

Aluminium dishes and cast iron pans shouldn’t be cleaned with vinegar. These metals react with the acid and will be damaged. You can use vinegar for cleaning stainless steel or enameled cast iron.

Never Mix Vinegar and Bleach

Vinegar and bleach are different in nature but strong cleaning agents. They both remove mould very effectively. However, they should not be used together, as they produce toxic gas when mixed. Better use these cleaners separately or mixed only with natural substances.

Be Careful When Using Vinegar as Pesticide

You can use vinegar as natural weapon against insects in your garden. But if you decide to replace the commercial pesticide with vinegar be careful – spray around the leaves and stalks, but not directly onto the plants, as vinegar will kill them. Of coarse, vinegar is green and efficient way to get rid of weeds in the garden.

Never Try to Clean Protein Stains with Vinegar

If you need to remove protein stain don’t reach for the vinegar, or other acidic cleaners, including lemons. Acid coagulates proteins and form gluey substance which is very hard to clean.

Now you know when not to use vinegar. If you are searching for reliable professionals, who use eco-friendly procedures and products to clean your home, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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