National pet week this year is May 1-2011 to May 7-2011. As much as we love our household pets they can create cleaning headaches.  A great deal of care goes into maintaining a family pet including meals, walks, vaccinations and yes clean up.  Our pets can never clean up after themselves.  Fur on upholstered furniture, muddy paws and occasional accidents is what we have to take care of.

The first thing to remember is cleaner pets means a cleaner home.  Bathe and brush pets regularly to minimize the amount of pet hair and pet dander.  Rapid response is best to prevent stains.  The best course is prevention.  Keep a lint brush available to pick up loose hair.  Invest in a rug or a blanket for your animal’s favorite spot.  To remove pet hair on carpeting use a vacuum with a beater brush or brush roll.  Invest in a good vacuum cleaner with attachments that are designed to pick up pet hair. A decent vacuum cleaner will show amazing results to remove pet hair out of your carpets. Teach your pet to tolerate the vacuum cleaner.

To remove pet urine stains clean with one quart water mixed with white vinegar or pet bacteria enzyme.  Vinegar helps because it contains enzymes.  Use non-toxic and pet safe cleaning products.  No matter what kind of cleaner you use on your carpets it would be wise to try the cleaning agent on a small non-visible patch before applying to stain. Let the cleaner set for about 5 minutes. If the stain is still noticeable apply again.  If that fails use a carpet cleaner.  Even if the stains disappear a pet will repeatedly return to the same spot if he can smell his own odor.  It is important to eliminate all odors. Even when you think you did a good job the smell can come back in a few days. Store bought remedies for pet stain removal can become ineffective if the stains have persisted. If you let the carpet stay damp it could lead to mildew. A steamer such as Eureka Envrio steamer, a carpet shampooer,  or a wet/dry vacuum could help.

Moving into your new home is an exciting experience but it also can be a lot of work and filled with stress.  Some people found when they moved into their new home, everything was in the proper place, furniture arranged, the beds made, the kitchen and bathroom organized, and then realized the new home has not been cleaned.  To avoid this before you move make list of the things that need to be cleaned.  Make a list of the things you will need. Tools, garden supplies, rakes and shovels, lawn mower, shop, vacuum, furnace filters, ladder, carpet cleaner, grease and oil remover, hardwood floor wax, to name a few.  If you are moving from a one floor home to a 2 story home it may be best to get a second vacuum.

Start from the top floor of your home mopping and vacuuming, next move onto the stairs and repeat.  Dry clean the rooms which includes dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming.  This will get the majority of the dirt away.  Clean carpets with carpet cleaning supplies (During the move to prevent stains on the carpets use large plastic sheets for the movers to walk on). Hardwood floors can look like new using a hardwood floor care kit.  Appliances need a heavy duty cleaner.  If using a brush makes sure you use a brush that will not scratch the surface.  Apply an oven cleaner if you do not have a self cleaning oven.  Use grease remover to clean under the hood.

Remove all dust and cobwebs, especially in corners and around heating vents. Use a feather duster or the extender tool of your vacuum for best results.  Take a wet cloth and clean the insides of draws and cabinets to get rid of any residue.  You may want to line the cabinets and draws with contact paper.  For the bathroom use bleach cleaners to disinfect everything.  Clean the dryer vents.  Many fires have been caused because of clogged dryer vents.

Get address changed at post office; make sure your mail is being forwarded to your new address...Contact utility company.  Know the location of the main circuit breakers and the water shut off.  Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.  Identify emergency exits.  Send out change of address notices to family, friends and business acquaintance’s.  Register to vote.

In the world of commercial vacuums very few competitors stand up to the quality and capability of the Sanitaire brand. The Sanitaire Mighty Mite commercial canister and Sanitaire Duralux commercial upright are two of the best commercial vacuums on the market today. The high power and durability of both vacuums makes them ideal for cleaning purposes in homes, hotels/motels, restaurants and all other commercial cleaning needs.

Sanitaire by Electrolux Mighty Mite:

The Sanitaire Mighty Mite commercial vacuum is an ideal vacuum for those looking for a high powered canister vacuum for commercial cleaning. It holds many different features to set it apart from other commercial vacuums. To start with the obvious, the lightweight canister design makes this vacuum simple to carry at only 9 pounds, but to make carrying the vacuum even easier the Sanitaire commercial vacuum comes with a convenient carrying strap that clips easily onto the vacuum. Changing the bag is a snap with this vacuum; all you must do is open the front of the canister and simply removing the convenient paper bag and replacing it with a new one. The Mighty Mite comes with a double-insulated 20 ft. power cord to conveniently reach all areas of one might need to vacuum. The telescopic wand adds to the convenience of the vacuum easily extending to your need by simply using the button located at the bottom of the wand and pulling the wand out. At the end of the wand is a floor tool capable of use on both carpeting and hard wood floors. Along with the rug and floor tool the vacuum also comes with a multi-tool clip with both a dusting and an upholstery tool, the Sanitaire mighty mite also comes with a crevice tool for hard to reach areas. All-in-all the Sanitaire by Electrolux Mighty Mite Vacuum is a great convenient easy to use commercial canister vacuum.

Sanitaire by Electrolux DuraLux Model SC9150:

The Sanitaire Duralux upright commercial vacuum is a great upright for commercial cleaning needs. It is very powerful and very easy to operate. Not only does it have an extremely convenient 50 foot power cord but the Sanitaire Duralux also has a plug for an extension cord so the cord can be made even longer if needed and if the original cord were to get damaged it could be easily replaced. The Duralux has very large 4 quart bags for easy cleanup which are replaced very simply by opening the vacuum by the latch on the top and easily removing the bag and replacing it with a new one. The HEPA filtration system is great for eliminating dust and allergens and the filter is easily removed from the side of the vacuum and is washable making it very easy to clean. A conveniently placed switch on the side of the vacuum allows for the vacuum to be adjusted for carpeted or hardwood floors and a dial on the nozzle of the Sanitaire vacuum allows you to adjust for the height of the carpet you are vacuuming accordingly. A reset switch is at the bottom of the vacuum in order to easily restart it if for some reason the powered brush roll shuts off due to something obscure accidentally being vacuumed up. The Sanitaire DuraLux vacuum is very high powered upright vacuum fit for all commercial cleaning needs, it will clean deep into any length carpet as well as gently clean hard wood floors.

When most people think of stick vacs, handhelds and dust busters, we often think of these little machines that sit quietly in a corner awaiting some action in the form of dirt, crumbs and pet hair. But when its time for these convenient cleaning tools to go to work, it seems we are often disappointed by a machine that struggles to pick up even the smallest of particles, clogs all the time and dies on us half-way through the mess! I happy to report that we have finally found a reliable soldier that can really perform during active duty. Allow me to introduce the Electrolux Ergorapido.

The Electrolux Ergorapido is a Cordless 2-in-1 Stick and Hand Vac that is really impressive for its class. Not only did Electrolux design this unit with sleek and attractive design, but also really performs when it comes to those quick pickups around the home. Just grab the Ergorapido from its custom base and charging station and you’re ready to get that loose debris off those bare floors, and even light carpets. With the convenient swivel head, the Ergorapido is easily maneuverable around tables, chairs and other household obstacles. When its time to hit those corner spots and areas off the floor, the handheld pops off of the unit and is ready for the couch, upholstery and even the car. Several handy crevice tools are also stored within the unit, making this a compact and versatile stick vac. 

Electrolux has really done a great job with this 2-in-1 Stick and Hand Vac. Some of the additional features that contribute to the superior performance of the Electrolux Ergorapido include;

• Superior battery life (typically runs 20+ minutes on a charge)

• Motorized Brushroll to aid in pickup of debris

• Variable 2 speed selection

• • Choice of 9.6 and 12 volt models

Bottom line, if you’re in need of a quality stick vac for those quick cleanups, the Electrolux Ergorapido may be one of the coolest and most effective vacuums out there. Electrolux also provides a variety of modern color selections so it can be customized to individual taste.

The Ergorapido 2-In-1 stick vacuum is a convenient rechargeable vacuum suitable for many purposes. The Electrolux Ergorapido is a sleek and attractive design paired with great functionality in an easy to use vacuum. It’s innovative design allows the user to not only have a stick vacuum but also a convenient high powered handheld vacuum, allowing for cleaning the floor as well as the areas above the floor that normal stick vacuums can’t get. The Ergorapido’s motorized brush roll allows for cleaning of both carpeted and hardwood floors with convenient controls right at your fingertips. The vacuum comes with a small and easy to assemble charging stand making it easy to fit your Ergorapido virtually anywhere you would like. Inside of the charging stand are accessories for different cleaning situations, a dusting brush, and a crevice to clean difficult to reach places. Once removed from the charging stand the Ergorapido has a significantly powerful 12-volt battery that will run for about 20 minutes. It has an easy to steer design with a 180 degree swiveling head, allowing for an easier experience when maneuvering the vacuum in tight areas. The Ergorapido has a very low noise output compared to larger vacuums which produce a lot of noise. The cyclonic suction technology in the Ergorapido creates a system in which suction power is maintained for a longer period of time. The easy to empty dust cup allows for a very easy clean up by simply removing the dust cup and pouring out the dust. The Electrolux Cordless Stick Vac is a great vacuum for cleaning both hard wood floors and carpets as well just about anything above the ground you can find.