Saturday, December 13, 2008

Just Carpet Cleaning. Hayley's Hints.

Started out chilly, but the sun warmed it up to the 60's by midday. Tomorrow it is supposed to be back in the mid 70's. That's more like normal winter weather around here.

Ray arrived and we cleaned the carpets. Just two rooms of carpet here, the living room, and my bedroom, the rest is linoleum. I moved stuff out of the way, and Ray used the carpet machine. We even put some little plastic nail-on feet on a wooden filing cabinet, so that it could be put back in place, even though the carpet felt dry. I had sprayed some carpet cleaner on any spots, so he just rinsed the carpet, and sucked it very dry with the machine. It took all morning.

Before we shampooed I vacuumed with this old Bissell Upright that Jay swapped out for my old Panasonic, and I wasn't too impressed with the way the hose worked. So I looked in Consumer Reports for the reviews on vacuum cleaners. One brand and model seemed to stand out and had very good reviews. I was expecting to see Kirby, but was a Eureka, so I found a factory refurbished one on eBay.
At my age I don't buy anything new, as I can't take it with me, and my kids have everything they need. They each have big motor homes, too.

PBS had a program on today about Hayley's Hints and Cleaning Hints. It is amazing what you can do with ordinary households products, instead of having a cupboard full of chemicals. Like anti-fogging a bathroom mirror for a month with a quarter's size of shaving foam smeared over it. Then you have to really rub it off with some paper towels, but it works!
That is a good RVing tip, as they have small bathrooms.

Then I use this tip all the time. Put clothes, towels, blankets, pillows, etc., in clear plastic bags, I have a little Shark vacuum for the RV, and I put the hose in between the things, and turn it on. The bag sucks down to a really flat shape, twist it shut quickly getting the hose out at the same time, and secure with a rubber band. I keep my RV packed down with it's linens at all times, and they stay fresh and are ready to use whenever I do take the RV out.
My late DH always said I could pack 10 lb of stuff in a 5 lb bag.
Easy if you are not packing air too!

Haley mixed up three things, but I didn't get the recipe, (I know it had Dawn and Ammonia), and it really cleaned a dirty rug. He had put it in one of those little bottles that makes foam, as the foam is all you use. My rugs are clean, but the fringes on the ends look a grubby off-white, so I ordered the book off eBay, too. I contribute to PBS already, as I like their Ask This Old House, and Antique Roadshow.

A real cleaning day.

2 comments:

Tumbleweed Dee said...

Wasn't it peroxide for the third item? I'm sure how much of each item though.

LakeConroePenny,TX said...

Dee, thank you for your comment, but I thought it was vinegar. Peroxide would bleach them out, I know, but I think I will wait for the book, as I can't remember the amounts, either.
Happy Trails, Penny,TX