Since we don’t currently have maid service at our residence (yet!), cleaning the house is a chore that we regretfully have to do ourselves.
Case In Point:
Recently, our big dog had a bout of doggy diarrhea, and since Jim is only mildly helpful in situations that involve strong odors, gooey discharges or excrements, I’m now a PRO when it comes to “deodorizers” and “stain removers”.
Which gives me a chance to share some highly recommended products that we use regularly…
#1 – The Bissell Pro Heat steam cleaner is perfect if you’ve got kids or pets. It sucks up stains and smells from way deep in the carpet, whether they’ve been there for days or just minutes! This powerful machine forces a warm cleaning mixture deep into your carpet to blast out dirt and grime as built-in brushes help root out deeply embedded dirt. Most steam cleaners use cold water, but hot water breaks up stains better, and this one’s just great!
My favorite liquid cleaner for the Bissell is: Zep Extractor Carpet Shampoo It’s what the professionals use. I get it at Home Depot.
#2 – The best spot and stain remover on the planet is TECH Stain Remover. We learned about this one from when our builder recommended it for paint that had been spilled on our new carpet. It REALLY works. In fact, I think it works miracles! It gets out virtually ANY stain — from KoolAid to pasta sauce… even pet stains. Besides carpets, it works on clothing and upholstery too. If you’re tired of stain removers that don’t work, it’s time to try TECH!
Locally, I’ve found TECH Stain Remover at Ace Hardware, but it’s also available online.
#3 – The absolute best air freshener around is one of those highly concentrated metered air deodorizers — like you see in the restrooms of many hotels and restaurants. I can’t remember the brand of ours is (a friend gave it to us), but it’s similar to these: automatic metered air fresheners. We don’t really use the “timed” feature though. (It seems a little too “industrial” for a home). Just a couple of sprays from the can directly, and the odors are eliminated in seconds! These seem to be higher grade and more potent than the popular automatic air fresheners you see on the market today.
#4 – I’ll round out this discussion about household cleaning products by giving props to the best little vacuum cleaner in the world: the Oreck vacuum! At a mere 8 lbs. it’s the lightest weight and most powerful vacuum cleaner around.
We’ve had ours for over 9 years, and it still works good as new. If the Oreck vacuum cleaner is good enough for Marriott Hotels, Dillard’s Department Stores, Godiva Chocolatier, The Men’s Wearhouse and Trump’s Taj Mahal, I’d say that it’s good enough for my house too! I especially like the way it picks up all the dog hair. And how it can go from hardwood floors (yep, it swept them too!) to thick carpet without any adjustments — it’s all automatic.
I like to help people find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Household Tips and Life Hacks that most wouldn’t think of. I’m super-organized. And I LOVE to clean! I even enjoy doing laundry (but not ironing). I’m also a lifelong dog owner — so I often share my favorite tips for living with dogs inside your home (like smart home design choices and dog-friendly cleaning & decorating ideas). Career-wise, I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). Prior to that, I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about instead. For example, I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. When I’m not cleaning, organizing, decorating, or fixing something… you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve personally written over 200 articles about cleaning, organization, DIY repairs, and household hacks on this site! A few have over 2M shares; many others have over 100K shares.
