Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday when family and friends join for a feast and together time. As the celebration comes to an end and all of your guests leave with arms full of leftovers, they may have forgotten to take one thing with them….. the scratches and scuff marks they left behind. EEEKKKKK!!!!! (well.. maybe I’m being a little over dramatic)

No matter what type of chair, where you got it, or how old it is, inevitably you’ll need some type of furniture feet to protect your floors. Even if you claim you hardly ever use the dinette chair set in the dining room, a little Holiday named “Thanksgiving” comes along and the dinette set becomes the place to be. Protect your flooring from chair legs, so you won’t have to hold your breath every time a guest scooches their chair closer to the table.

The easiest to use chair leg protection I have come across is called a “Clear Sleeve Leg Protector.” It slips right over the chair leg so there is no messy adhesive stickers or screw/nailing to deal with. The slip on part is made of a clear flexible vinyl and the bottom is a heavy-duty brown felt. Each package contains (4) sleeves and is available in 4 sizes 1″ to 1 3/4″ (bottom of the chair leg diameter).
       
Link to all of our furniture feet: http://www.installerstore.com/Furniture-Feet-Protectors.html

If you are reading this post-Thanksgiving, and scuff marks from shoes, chairs, etc have already appeared, have no fear. There is an easy and non-chemical way to clean and it costs a whooping 2 cents….. pencil erasers. Simply use the pink eraser end of a standard pencil and erase the scuff marks from the floor. If that doesn’t work, try a non-gel toothpaste. Put the toothpaste on the scuff mark and rub it with a toothbrush (unless you like the taste of feet I would recommend using an old one). Rinse it, wipe it down with a soft cloth and let it area dry.

 *Scuff shown on Marmoleum Click Flooring

Bottom line is RELAX and enjoy your thanksgiving. Whatever accidents or tragedies that may happen to your house during Thanksgiving, check back here for helpful hints to solve it. But make sure to share your story as well 🙂

Everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

After you put the time and money into tiling your kitchen or bath, the last thing you want to worry about are stains on the grout lines. Simple stains such as Kool-Aid or cherry juice, can seep into the grout giving you smurf blue and pink grout. There are home remedies you can try first before shelling out money for cleaners. There are also some things you absolutely do not want to try, like mixing household chemicals together, which can have a very dangerous outcome. Below are tips and products you can use to try to remove stains for grout as well as brighten or change the color of your dingy grout. As with any situation, make sure you try any of the following advice in a small inconspicuous area first to ensure you will approve of the results.

The first home remedy that people normally think of to remove stains is Chlorine Bleach. This is a powerful oxidizer that can remove stains from grout, but it can also remove color of your tile and damage rugs or any type of fabrics that accidentally touch the bleached surfaces. Bleach can also produce irritant fumes, which makes it a not-so-good option for households with children and pets. Vinegar works great as a natural floor cleaner but is not effective on grout stains. Hydrogen peroxide proves to be the best home remedy grout cleaner but can be a hit or miss cleaning option. To remove stains from grout lines with Hydrogen Peroxide,  soak a q-tip with the peroxide and trace the lines where the stains are located. Cleaning large areas of grout with the q-tip is not the most effective option. For larger jobs, you may want to consider purchasing any one of the grout cleaners below and using them in conjunction with a grout brush.

Grout Cleaners:
Aqua Mix is definitely a leading manufacturer in cleaning products. They offer a product that is specifically made for Deep Cleaning of Grout Joints.  The Grout Deep Clean Spray works great for removing unwanted grease, food stains, hard water deposits, soap scum and other tough stains from your grout. It can be used on sanded and unsanded grout, tile and stone. DO NOT Use this product over grout colorants (a product you can use to change the color of your grout). It will change or remove the coloring. This product can be used with a grout brush.

Visit this link for a full list of our grout cleaners.

If you have tried cleaners and have not had luck with them, try using a Grout Stain Eraser. It is a 4″ x 2 1/2″ pad that can remove mildew, stains, calcium and rust while restoring the natural color of your grout.

Grout Colorant:
If you are at your wit’s end with your grout and want to switch to a restore the original color or change it completely, you are in luck. The easiest grout colorant tool is in a pen/marker form, which makes it really easy to apply. The grout colorant marker is non-toxic, water-resistant, fast-drying and provides and anti-microbial sealant to prevent mold and mildew staining. There are over 20 colors available, so you have a wide range of choices available. If you have a darker colored grout and you are trying to make it lighter, you may need to put a couple of layers of the colorant on.

Whether you want to remove stains or change the color of your grout, have no fear, there are plenty of products out there to help!

                                     *click on the image above to see the Halloween Greeting!

After you wake from the sugar coma and throw out the pumpkins (before you forget and leave them out until spring) you may find the little trick or treaters left you a treat in your house…. Dirt. The little feet of the doctor, transformer, and batman tracked in dirt, leaves, and… GUM!!
Before you swear off Halloween and post “Trick or Treaters Prohibited” (trust me, the results are bad) here are some easy and affordable cleaning solutions for most flooring types. Also, advice for next year so the Halloween horrors do not follow you into the next day.

Carpeting:
Maybe you’ll rethink having trick or treaters step into your front door and onto your carpet next year. With a bowl full of sugar being held in front of them, no child is going to think of wiping their feet. For dirt, sucker stains, face paint and even gum, i would recommend cleaning your carpet or rugs with Host products. It’s a tough product but gentle enough to use on wool, sisal and other delicate oriental rugsThe best bet is to purchase the Host Carpet Cleaning Kit, because they contain everything you need to tackle tough stains.  If the spill/stain is dry, use a bit of the included carpet cleaner. Then, you just need to sprinkle on the Dry Carpet Cleaner and brush the area in all directions. Once it is dry (I usually wait about an hour), you can just vacuum the area.

Hardwood:
I’ve seen many people brought to tears talking about damaged done to their hardwood floors. If there is gum or other really sticky hard residues on your hardwood, you’ll have to take great measures of care when cleaning. This tip below is something my mom taught me, which means it’s absolutely 100% true (just kidding). Always take care in trying this out in a small area first. Situations vary.

Take ice cubes and place them into a plastic lunch bag. Place the bag with a kitchen rag (so the ice doesn’t melt onto your floor). Place the bag on top of the chewing gum or stick mess and let it sit for a while. The main goal is the completely harden the gum.

Once the gum has hardened, take a butter knife or paint scraper and pull up the gum. You may need to re-harden the gum as you work to make sure it pulls off easy. Next, clean the area with your normal hardwood cleaner (such as Bona or other hardwood floor cleaner) to remove any residue. You may need to use a small amount of floor polish if you caused any scratches or marks in the floor.

Other Hard Surfaces:
For really sticky stains, try using an Oops product. The easiest of their products is the multi-purpose remover in an aerosol can. This can be used on vinyl, laminate, furniture, concrete, fiberglass, metal, glass, Formica, and more. Because this is a chemical based product, please take a moment to test it in inconspicuous area first. Otherwise the Halloween Hell might continue.

Only 364 days until the next Halloween….
To prepare for the next Halloween, you may want to purchase some type of flooring protection for the inside of your door. Whether it be a vinyl carpet runner or waterproof flooring protection. Protect your flooring investment from the lil’ monsters.

If anyone as any Post-Halloween Horror stories or tips to share, please do so!!

Have a Safe and FUN Halloween!

The purchase of stainless steel appliances and surfaces is on the rise. The material can be resistant to corrosion if it is kept clean of dirt and grime.  Normal household kitchen cleaners will not work for cleaning the stainless steel. Many of those cleaners contain abrasive elements as well as chloride or hydrochloride, which can discolor stainless steel. Make sure to read labels on all products you are thinking of using.

The old school method of warm water and a soft cloth can be used as a routine way to clean, but you will need an alternative option for fingerprints (one of the biggest complaints with stainless steel) and tougher stains.  You can also use a glass cleaner or household ammonia for the fingerprints, but make sure to rinse and towel dry.

If you are looking for a safe-yet-will-take-care-of-stains cleaner, Bona Professional Stone, Tile and Laminate Cleaner may be a great option for your household.

Bona products are waterborne, environmentally responsible cleaners. Which means this will work great if you have children or pets.  They are non-toxic, nonflammable, pH neutral, and are Green guard certified for Children and Schools.

Not only can you clean your stainless-steel surfaces, but you can also use it for laminate flooring, ceramic, tile, vinyl, sealed marble, and sealed granite flooring. Making this your go to cleaner for kitchen surfaces. I can provide you with more MSDS lingo about viscosity and density, but from the over-protective-of-her-dog consumer perspective of this product, I would go with no other cleaner for bathroom and kitchen surfaces.
Always use a soft cloth when wiping down a stainless-steel surface and wipe in the direction of the polish line. Microfiber cloths work well in this situation. As with any cleaner used in any situation, test in an inconspicuous spot. And you may want to rinse the surface with water and towel dry. Do not let water pool on the surfaces, it will discolor the stainless steel.

If there has been a major stain to the steel, scratching, or it needs polishing, you may want to go with an industrial cleaner made specifically for stainless steel. They will be a powerful cleaner/polish, so make sure you read the directions carefully and as always, test on an inconspicuous area. RINSE and thoroughly towel dry. Most retail locations where you buy your stainless-steel appliance or surface will have great advice on what type of polish/heavy-duty cleaners to use. Don’t be afraid to give them a call. I would not use these cleaners as a routine cleaner. They usually are pretty smelly and full of chemicals. You don’t want to air out your kitchen every day.

As with every post we have, these are just suggestions. If you have advice to share on this topic, please do not hesitate to share!