All About Clean

Air Duct Cleaning this upcoming September 24, 2009

2009-09-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my earlier post, I emphasised the importance of having your air ducts properly cleaned. Next Thursday, Brian Daleske with Indoor Aire, LLC will be at my home to clean my ducts out. I will be uploading photos that detail the process. WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE DEBRIS!! It's scary..........

Clean Air

2009-09-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

Here we go.....In order to achieve a maximum clean, you must have clean air in your home. Dust, dander and particles accumulate throughout your home, and elimination is critical. (I'll get to your furnace and air ducts towards the end of this post.)

Coming from someone who has multiple pet's, having clean floors is essential. I have hardwood floors on the main level and carpet upstairs.

Now I have tried virtually every vacuum product under the sun. From an inexpensive Dirt Devil, to Kenmore, to ElectroLux to the new love of my life, Oreck XL Platinum.

To be honest with you, the Dirt Devil is the best bang for your buck, if you are not inclined to spend several hundred dollars on a vac. However, if you are willing to spend a little bit of money upfront, and make payments over 12 months, the Oreck is the way to go. BTW...Oreck retail stores have a WONDERFUL promotion where it is 10% down, and automatic deductions out of your checking account, NO CREDIT CHECK REQUIRED!!

I LOVE MY ORECK. I could kick myself for not purchasing an Oreck Vac sooner. The best clean EVER! This vac not only possesses the ability to clean both floors and carpets, it is truly cleaning the tiniest particles in the air, that fall onto your floors. TRUE HEPA FILTRATION!

Now here's the most amazing part... 10 year WARRANTY, annual inspection and tune ups included for 10 years and loaner vac's and air purifiers. AMAZING!! Made in the USA TOO!

So, you have dust and dander particles floating all around your house, and eventually they fall to the floor. A broom is not going to pick that up, it's going to move that grime around and send it back into the air. People, save your brooms for Halloween. Now, Swiffer dry cloths are a quick way to pick up debris, but it will not pick up everything. Swiffer Dry Cloths are perfect for a quick clean up. when someone pulls into the drive unannounced or someone or something brings grass clippings into the house. YOU HAVE TO VACUUM, and using the correct vac is really the best option.

Next, you should use air purifiers. Most purifiers have some form of HEPA filtration. Then you have purifiers that reverse Ions. The list goes on and on.... I have (3) Oreck air purifiers and they are AMAZING. You can purchase an air purifier at almost any box big retailer, and the sizes and prices vary. Just be sure to consider the fact, many will require replacement filters; and be sure to check out the prices on replacement filters. Many can cost in excess of $ 20.00 That's where a manufacturer will get you. You spend $ 35.00 on a small air purifier, and the replacement filter costs just as much. So buyer, be savvy!

And on to air ducts, furnace and furnace filters. You must change your furnace filters to manufacturer guidelines. I deviate and replace every two weeks due to the fact I have multiple pet's and my husband loves to smoke stinky cigars in the basement. (gotta love husbands)

I normally buy my filters at Menard, Lowes or Home Depot. Whoever has the best sale gets my business. I have tried custom filters that have a lifetime warranty that cost me $ 100.00. You rinse them with hot water every 30 days. (pain in the BUTT) I have tried $ 3.99 filters, that don't seem to get dirty. (which is scary) I don't have a true preference when it comes to air filters. I typically spend around $ 7.00 on a Filtrate filter. They go in snow white and come out grey.

With all of this being said, you do need to have your air ducts cleaned every 3-4 years. Now, throw away all the Money Mailer coupons you pull from companies that clean air ducts for $ 99.00. You are LITERALLY throwing away your money and making your home FILTHY! They blow air into your ducts, claim use reverse suction to suck up the debris. ITS A HUGE SCAM!! I tired it once, and my allergies were awful. It was the worst mistake I have every made and I want to spare all of you the drama and cost involved with clean up/remedy.

In order to really have your air ducts cleaned, you need to hire a company that uses a whip system. A TRUE AIR DUCT CLEANING WILL TAKE 3-6 HOURS DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF YOUR HOME.

45-60 minutes of blowing air into vents, is 45-60 minutes of highway robbery!

Air duct cleaning is not an annual expenditure. It's a worthwhile expense every couple of years.

For me, I will remove my vent covers in spring and fall and use my handheld vacuum to clean out debris, and insert the hose as far down as I can. Then, I spray OUST or OZIUM into the vents. Both products sanitize air and surfaces. After the sanitizer drys, you can also drop 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil into the vents for long lasting aromatic enjoyment.

Okay, so there you have it. Quick, clean and honest.

The Desire to Clean

2009-09-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

OK, I have to admit, I have been urged numerous times to start a blog about my cleaning efforts. Should I say efforts or obsession with cleaning? OK, I'M OBSESSED. But the entire point to creating this blog, is to share my experiences with cleaning products, and help you find better products that really do work.

My initial disclaimer is this: I am loyal to no particular brand. I simply use what works and will tell you what does work, and that which falls short of my high expectations. Too bad for companies who sell inferior products, that don't live up to what they claim they can do.

Sure, some people claim they are clean, but I am the QUEEN OF CLEAN.

I live a normal life in the suburbs of Chicago. I use to have a full-time job, but thanks to our nation's economic downturn, I have entered the land of employment limbo. No worries, more time to find better ways to effectively clean!

Now hold onto your seats, I have (4) dogs and (2) cats. Yes, it may seem as if I need a 12-step program, but it's really an absolute joy for me. In addition to the critters, I have a wonderful husband and fantastic daughter in middle school.

Running joke in the family, or nickname I have been given is , "Ellie Mae". If that does not ring a familiar bell, you need to watch some old school TV and check out "The Beverly Hillbillies".

Let's talk pets........ I have (2) Cocker spaniels, (1) Black Lab and (1) Golden retriever, (1) alley cat and (1) obese Himalayan named Mei Chou.

Given the fact I possess such a posse of pet's, I must maintain a clean home.

What could be worse then walking into someones home and smelling PETS? Maybe smelling something NASTY when you walk into an individuals home and you come to find out they own no pets. THAT'S JUST GROSS! Bottom line is this, a home needs to smell fresh at all times.

Cleaning is critical. It's not only good for your soul, it's essential for good health. That's right...dirty equals sick, and clean equals good health. It makes perfect sense. If you teeth are not brushed, they will smell, rot away and make you physically ill. If you home is dirty, it will smell and make you ill.

Additionally, a clean home starts with clean air. That's right, the air inside your home needs to be CLEAN.

I'll post again soon, which will technically be my first post. "Clean Air". I'll provide tips on how to achieve clean air, what to do, what to use, and what NOT TO DO.