Blue Spruce Cleaning Company

10/21/2024

Hacks for the Bathroom for Between Cleanings

Here are some simple things to do to keep your bathroom in decent shape before the next full cleaning:

Sink: keep a sponge with a scrubby side near the sink that you can grab and swish around the sink after using it.

Mirror: Use the sponge on the mirror too each time it gets dirty and have a cloth handy to dry it.

Toilet: Use that toilet brush every few times you use the toilet.

Tub: Have another sponge for the bath. You can get a daily Shower Spray, like the one made by Method, for the tile walls.

09/30/2024

How Often Should You Wash Your Sheets?

It’s funny that this is something we just know. But the rule of thumb is once a week. Here is an informative article about it:

Most experts say you should wash sheets once a week. Here’s how (and why) to do that.

09/23/2024

Great Degreaser

Here is a product I just started using that really packs a punch. It’s the Heavy Duty Degreaser by Method, an eco-friendly cleaning product company. It works great in greasy kitchens, even getting some of the black baked-on goo on the stovetop! You can get it at Whole Foods and some food co-ops.

09/02/2024

The Self-Cleaning House
Published On: September 2, 2024

This really exists. In the 1950’s an inventor, Frances Gabe, from Oregon, motivated by the desire to free women from the drudgery of housework, came up with a plan for a house that would clean itself at the push of a button and actually built it! The main idea involved having waterproof material covering furnishing and spraying each room with water from a spigot in the middle of the ceiling. Check out the details of this fascinating invention:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Gabe #:~:text=Frances%20Gabe%20(June%2023%201915,%22self%2Dcleaning%20house%22.

08/25/2024

Mold in the Home
water hose on wall
Categories: For All & Sundry
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Published On: August 25, 2024
Mold in our homes is something that we often don’t think about that can significantly impact our health. Mold grows when there is dampness and water. It can affect walls or ceilings, say from water leakage, and also furnishings. Effects can include various allergic reactions and sometimes more serious health issues. There are companies that specialize in mold remediation. Here is an online lab that offers affordable testing that you can do yourself:



https://immunolytics.com/mold-testing/mold-testing-101/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ra1&utm_campaign=july-2024-traffic&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrKu2BhDkARIsAD7GBouub-yuy9YxIacOKGXK-wJ0qtzNeHtsFtJTbJtYzBYWBct4bng-nrUaAu30EALw_wcB

And here is an authoritative short guide to mold in the home:

https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home

This guide provides information and guidance for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth.

08/05/2024

A Helpful Guide to Storage Facilities
purple shutter doors
Categories: For Apartment/Condo Dwellers
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Published On: August 4, 2024
Here is a useful resource if you are considering putting items you own in storage. It’s very complete, going into the different options you have for storage facilities, how much they cost, and what to look out for when you sign a lease on a storage space. You’ll find most of your questions answered here.

We could all use a little space from time to time - sometimes literally. This guide will go through everything you need to know about self storage.

07/27/2024

Senior Emergency Housing

Here is something that came my way that I’d like to pass on. There has been an increasing problem of homelessness among seniors in recent years, in response to the pandemic, the high cost of rent, and some other factors in recent years. If you know of someone in need, this guide on emergency housing for seniors is a great resource:

Learn about the growing epidemic of homelessness in senior adults and the solution of emergency housing. Explore programs and resources in your state to help protect vulnerable seniors.

07/19/2024

Of Radiators and Radiator Brushes
Categories: For All & Sundry
Of Radiators and Radiator Brushes
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Published On: July 19, 2024
An ongoing frustration of mine is that my standard issue radiator brush only fits in the front-access holes in a radiator, too wide to fit in the end-access holes, always leaving a residue of dust bunnies that I can’t get when I clean a radiator. Last week I hit upon a brilliant solution: get a skinnier brush! I found a pipe brush on line with shorter bristles and viola–problem solved.

Buy the Carlisle 4117602 Cleaning Brushes at KaTom. Same Day Shipping on thousands of restaurant supplies. 3 decades of satisfied, repeat customers.

07/09/2024

Woody's Pet Food Deli

Here is a plug for a food source for your cat or dog: Woody’s Pet Food Deli. My partner and I have been going there for our cat for years. Woody’s sells raw meat of many different kinds, either combined with vitamins and minerals or without. Since cats and dogs are carnivores, this is the diet that their bodies need. It’s much healthier than the meat/veggie mixes that are typical of commercial pet food. And these are fresh and unprocessed sources of meat, unlike commercial pet food, again a great benefit to your dog or cat’s health. As Woody’s says on their website:

“No animal, us humans included, would rather eat highly-processed food over real fresh food. Some of the benefits of a real food diet include:

Clear eyes and ears
Easy and efficient digestion
Muscular, toned body
Smooth, pliable, odor-free skin
Shiny, soft, full-bodied coat
No flaking and excessive shedding
Healthy teeth and gums
More energy, calmer, and less nervous
Hormonal balance
Healthy immune system”
While it’s not as simple as opening a can, prep is still very easy and quick. Do your pet a favor. Try Woody’s. Located in Minneapolis, Eagan, and Woodbury.

Woodys Pet Deli makes fresh real pet food for dogs and cats. Shop at multiple locations in the St Paul, Minneapolis Minnesota metro area.

06/20/2024

Spring Cleaning Tips

It’s still spring for a few more days. Here are some ideas for getting your home clean from the winter buildup.

Windows: newspaper is great for wiping because it contains silica that polishes the glass.
Tops of and behind books.
Radiators: splurge and get a radiator brush for those tight spaces—available at your hardware store or Home Depot.
Dusting surfaces: ceiling fans, tops of kitchen cabinets, spider webs in corners throughout the house.
Dusting low: baseboards, vent covers, behind toilet, under beds.
Spot clean carpets.
Wipe out fridge.

06/10/2024

What Is Dust?

Dust seems to accumulate as if by magic. Have you ever wondered what it actually is? Scientists tell us that it is actually a mix of many different substances, some coming from outside and some from inside our homes. About 60% comes from outside: soil, pollutants, smoke, pollens are major contributors. Inside the home much comes from flaked off skin cells from us and our pets. Dust also gets added to from fibers in our clothes and from fabrics in the house, as well cooking oil, broken down food crumbs, and dust mites that grow naturally in damp areas like bedding. A particularly noxious source is construction materials in our homes decomposing. From all these sources, it is easy to see that a healthy home requires us to keep dust under control.

for more information:

If you have a dust allergy, you probably want to know just how to get rid of the seemingly endless amounts of dust that gather in your home. Even if you’re lucky and dust doesn’t cause an allergic reaction, it’s unsightly and can deteriorate the air quality of your home. In fact, even if you d...

05/30/2024

Getting Blood Stains Out of Carpet

Here are four methods in order of intensity:

Mix a little salt in water and set on the stain for a few minutes then blot repeatedly.
Mix corn starch in water to make a paste and apply to the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes then blot repeatedly.
Apply equal parts household ammonia and water to the spot. Let it sit then blot repeatedly.
Apply hydrogen peroxide (3%) undiluted to the spot. Be sure to test an inconspicuous area first, though, since hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties. Let it sit and then blot repeatedly.