We would all face complete social isolation if our friends knew how disgusting we truly are – naturally, we devote a good deal of time to keeping our bathrooms clean. Nasty bathroom stuff, as I understand, is the current politically correct term, comes in a variety of smells and textures; the most stubborn of which is mold. The longer it’s left alone, the more of your wall it’ll seize; this can damage your air quality and even get you sick. We here at TalkLocal care about your friendships and your lungs, so we’ve collected a few tips on how to prevent and tackle bathroom mold.

Fun fact: adults with one or more friends spend 80% more money. Luckily, compared to split restaurant checks and snacks for hosting, the cost of welcoming people into your home without triggering a gag reflex is rather inexpensive.

Here are 5 tips to prevent bathroom mold:

That Fan Exists for a Reason

You know that annoying, loud fan you sometimes switch on instead of the lights? It’s actually your first line of defense against mold – nasty organic stuff like fungi require damp conditions to grow, and good use of your fan can evaporate a good portion of the water on your walls. It’ll also clear out humid air. To be especially careful, make sure your fan is equal to or above 70 CFM, and make sure it runs for at least a half hour after a bath or shower.

Restrict Access

Mold loves to stick itself between bathroom tiles. You will not love the smell this produces, nor the weird sensation of walking with wet feet on moldy tile. Restrict the mold’s access to your tile by sealing your grout lines annually. Even if you’re not concerned about mold, this will waterproof your tile, which is wise considering everything you do in the bathroom involves water.

Take Matters into Your Own Hands

If you’re the type of brute who hears “fruit flies” and wonders where you put the flyswatter (I am such a brute), you might prefer something hands-on, like drying your walls off with a towel or squeegee after showering or bathing. This is the most effective method but, efficiency-wise, is next to washing your clothes with a laundry board. It might be necessary, though, if you have an already-existing mold problem.

If You’re Past Prevention…

No worries. Everyone, at some point, deals with a mold-infested wall. All you need is a brush, detergent or bleach, and a towel. Mix detergent with water half and half or use a 10% bleach and 90% water solution, dip in the brush and scrub away the tyranny. Reclaim your freedom like a true American.

When All Else Fails

You know what’s also pretty American? Paying a qualified professional to do take out the bathroom tyrant for you. Like any true American, you’re  busy, or sometimes have unmanageable mold problems, like black mold (in this case, seriously, get a professional).You’re also a conscious consumer, so you love free things. TalkLocal is free and will take care of finding a bathroom cleaner for you.

Get started today and reclaim what is rightfully yours so you can invite friends over without distress.

Cleaning is a nuisance, even before you actually start. Honestly, I don’t mind cleaning. There’s something that makes me happy about a clean house, but there are still annoying little issues. Trying to find the right cleaning product for the right thing and then having to deal with the aftereffect of the horrid smell, not my favorite. If only there was some way to make it easier…

Wait! There is, as shown by this great video. It explains a bunch of helpful DIY cleaning hacks to help make it easier on you but what I really enjoyed was learning about 3 simple household items that make great DIY natural cleaning products.

So, without further adieu…

Here are 3 products that you can use to make your home shine:

The Magic of Vinegar

Did you know that distilled white vinegar is a natural disinfectant? It has a high alcohol content so it can be used to clean a lot of surfaces. It also has the added benefit of being a natural bug repellant…which will come in handy this summer when the ants try to invade my home.

The Power of Baking Soda

Baking soda is great. I don’t know about others but I still keep baking soda in my refrigerator to keep it smelling nice. Turns out it was a good thing as baking soda is also anti-bacterial. Additionally, it’s a great abrasive so it helps with those hard to get off stains.

The Benefit of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, has plenty of advantages. Not only is it completely natural but research states that tea tree oil is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, pretty much anti-everything bad. So, it’s a great addition to your cleaning supplies.

What else makes these three simple products so cool? Well, they’re all safe for you and the environment; they’re reasonably priced; and you can use them in a bunch of different combinations to clean almost anything you need. Not to mention both vinegar and baking soda are natural deodorizers which you can use together with other essential oils to have a beautiful scent left afterwards.

So, give the video above a look and see all of the different ways you can use these three handy-dandy items in your home. Or if you don’t have time, go to TalkLocal and find a local professional maid service to get your house spick and span.

A swimming pool is one of the most enjoyable areas you can have in your own home. It’s an indulgence that can be enjoyed by your entire family and your guests. However, it requires certain responsibilities. It must be cleaned, maintained, and serviced regularly. Otherwise, you can have major problems with your pool and it won’t be fun using it at all.

More than Basic Cleaning

Now, you may think that’s what inground pool cleaners are for. This equipment is a good investment, but it is certainly not enough to maintain your pool. You also have to keep the correct chemical balance of your pool water and have certain pool equipment, like the pump and filter, serviced periodically.

A professional cleaner can do much more than what a robot can. A professional cleaner would be able to handle other important chores, such as balancing the water chemistry of your pool. Pump and filter inspection is also part of regular pool cleaning service, which is vital in keeping your pool in good condition.

Ensure Thorough Cleaning

While inground pool cleaners do a relatively good job of cleaning a pool, they usually don’t get every square foot of the surface area on the initial cycle. Hiring a professional cleaning service is an important part of any pool maintenance program because it ensures a more thorough removal of debris, grime, and particulate buildup from the water. It’s just like how home carpet cleaning differs from professional cleaning.

Check for Problems

Inground pool cleaners may crawl along the entire floor of your pool, but they will not be able to inspect it for leaks or any cracked tiles. Professionals would be able to do this and recommend a solution.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that purchasing pool cleaning equipment is perfectly fine. Professional cleaners use their own tools and devices to do their job. However, you cannot rely completely on using equipment such as inground pool cleaners to keep your pool clean and safe throughout the year.

If you’re wondering where to find a good pool cleaning service, TalkLocal can help with your search. Contact us now and we’ll connect you with professional cleaners who provide the quality services that you need.

Mold is an organic material which will develop and spread given the right environment. All it requires is a sufficient amount of moisture. The source of moisture can be condensation, drops of water from leaking pipes or high levels of humidity in a home. The typical materials where mold grows include paper, natural fibers, ceiling tiles, and drywall.

Identifying Household Mold

Household mold is a common problem for homeowners, because there are many areas inside a home with enough constant moisture to support its growth, and because mold spores are practically everywhere. When inspecting and identifying household mold, check out the following typical breeding grounds of mold:

– Flood damaged rooms

– Wet ceilings resulting from a leaky roof

– Plumbing leaks or areas with drainage problems

– Damp basements and crawl spaces

– Kitchen and bathroom areas most often exposed to steam

– Poorly insulated/ventilated ductwork that has high condensation levels

– Humidifiers

– Clothes dryers with indoor vents

– Wet clothes left to dry indoors

Signs of Mold

When you’re identifying household mold, it’s crucial to find which areas in your home have water damage or moisture problems. Look out for discolored walls and ceilings, warped floors, or moisture beads on windows or walls. Mold will definitely grow on or around these surfaces, if it hasn’t developed already.

The simplest way of identifying household mold is to check out the areas of your home and look out for any visible signs of mold. You can usually see a mold problem when it is present.

Mold often appears as slimy or fuzzy patches. There are different colors of mold including white, blue, green, brown, orange or black. As mold develops, the patches increase in size.

Also, a mold problem frequently produces a noticeably unpleasant smell. In fact, mold’s distinct musty smell is often the first sign of a problem. If you can smell it, then it’s safe to assume there’s a mold problem in your home. Follow the odor trail to get to the source. You may need to look under surfaces or behind walls to find mold growth.

There are several areas in a home that are very prone to mold growth, such as shower curtains, shower stalls, bathroom tiles and surfaces surrounding air conditioners. Be sure to clean these areas routinely to control mold growth.

Do You Have Mold?

If you need help with identifying household mold or removing mold, TalkLocal can quickly match you up with qualified mold removal specialists in your area. Try us now!

Having your own swimming pool offers great recreation for you and your family and friends. However, it’s not all fun. As a pool owner, you have to make sure your pool water is clean and safe from so many kinds of contaminants, such as bacteria and algae.

Just as it is important to be aware of unsafe chemicals in cleaning products for the home, it is also important to know about pool cleaning chemicals and their safe use.

Chlorine

The most commonly used chemical to sanitize or disinfect swimming pools is chlorine. It is used to inhibit the growth of algae and kill bacteria in the water. Chlorinating agents come in liquid form or in dry form (tablet or granules). Chlorine is released once these agents are dissolved in the pool water. Chlorine binds with some contaminants in water and forms chloramines, which can cause irritation and produce the unpleasant chlorine smell, so good regular pool maintenance is a must.

Bromine

Bromine is a popular alternative to chlorine as a pool sanitizer, especially in areas with warmer weather, because, unlike chlorine, it is not disintegrated by heat or sunlight. Although bromine is a little more expensive and more complicated to use than chlorine, it is not an irritant and is odorless.

Pool Water Balancers

These are pool cleaning chemicals that are used to maintain the correct water chemistry in your pool, which involve components like the pH level (measures the water’s acidity or alkalinity) and total alkalinity (measures mineral levels that help control the water’s pH level). Sodium carbonate is used as a pH increaser while sodium hydrogen carbonate is used as an alkalinity increaser.

There are also chemicals used to reduce the pH level of water or to increase the water’s hardness (refers to the level of calcium and magnesium in the water, which can cause corrosion, cloudiness, and scaling at the wrong levels).

Other Chemicals

There are several other pool cleaning chemicals that can be used to address specific pool problems. For instance, algaecides are used to prevent and kill algae growth in the pool water. Shock treatments are used to prevent the buildup of organic irritants in the pool. There are also specialty chemicals used to control rust, scales, and stains. Pool clarifiers help keep water clear.

If you need help in keeping the right chemical mix for your swimming pool, TalkLocal can find the right professionals for you! Simply fill out our convenient online form to send us your request and we’ll get back to you quickly with the right professional for you.