Have you ever finished a load of laundry and noticed that your clothes and towels smell worse than they did before? This happens to a lot of people when they leave their load of laundry sitting in the washer for too long after it is washed. The smell comes from a buildup of mildew, which is a direct result of the wet clothes sitting in the moist washer for too long. This smell can be very persistent, so try several of these methods when figuring out how to remove the musty smell from towels or clothing.

– Rewash your load of laundry with hot water and a mixture of detergent and bleach. If your load still smells after a second washing, you might need to run your washer with ONLY one cup of bleach and hot water. The bleach should kill the odor-causing bacteria.

– Use smaller loads. If you have too large of a load, it might not dry everything completely which could result in a musty smell.

– Try using products designed especially for this problem. Pour them into your fabric softener dispenser and use along with your normal detergent.

– Wash thicker clothing by itself. Sometimes clothing or towels made out of thicker material don’t dry entirely if mixed with thinner materials.

– Try using powder detergent instead of liquid soap. In some cases, it might have something to do with the dye in liquid detergent.

– Rewash your load with one to two cups of white vinegar, and then wash again normally. Vinegar has strong odor-killing chemicals, so this should do the trick.

To avoid this problem in the future, set a timer to alert you when it’s time to switch your load. It’s always helpful to be aware of how long your clothes sit in the washer, especially if you have a front-loading washer because of its airtight seal. Nobody wants to dry off after a shower with a foul-smelling towel, so use these tips and tricks to prevent that from happening again.

If there is a still a musty scent lingering in your house, use TalkLocal to find a maid service in your area that can alleviate the stench.

How well do maids clean? It depends on a number of factors. The quality of maid services can differ from company to company, so it can be kind of tricky when you’re looking for the right one.

Choosing the right maid service

First and foremost, make sure you check the reviews of the different maid services you are considering hiring. Using TalkLocal to connect you to several local businesses will also give you the opportunity to read reviews while you wait. You can also visit websites such a Yelp that are well known for providing good reviews and ratings.

Check on specifics

Another thing to check on if you’re worried about the quality of cleaning is what the particular maid service includes when cleaning your home. Some services might provide more than others when it comes to specifically what they agree to clean. Call the company or check their website to make sure.

Try out your options

Aside from these two main factors, you can only really tell how well the maid service cleans after you’ve used them. Try several different ones before you decide to hire one long-term. Every maid service is different; when it comes to hiring the right one, make sure you consider all these factors when making your decision.

The number of things you cook in your oven are endless.  Chicken, lasagnas, turkeys, pies, and more.  Unfortunately, cooking is never a clean process.  Things can splash around and get on the oven window when it’s cooking.  This can leave a layer of hard to remove grime that dirties the look of your oven.  It is something that you should clean frequently, but it’s not as easy as it seems.  There are a few options you have when trying to remove the grease. No need to worry if you are wondering what to use to clean your oven window, the following list encompasses the best grease-cutting cleaners:

–  Dawn Power Dissolver

–  White vinegar

–  Lemon juice

–  Baking soda

–  Cameo

–  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

When trying to get rid of the dirt and grime on the oven window, you should lay down a solid layer of paste of whichever cleaner you decided to use.  Let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour, and then remove.  The dirt should be much easier to wipe off after this.  When looking for a cleaner, you should look for the least abrasive but most efficient one.  You don’t want to scratch or damage your oven window, but you still want to get it clean.  The power of the cleaner’s scent is one indication to how strong it is.

If you cannot seem to get your oven door clean or do not want to risk scratching it, you should seek professional help.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable, local maid service within minutes.  Simply input your problem, location and availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest.  Almost immediately you will be connected to someone who can help you out.

A newborn comes with a lot of joy and responsibility, and to make your new job as a parent as easy as possible, there’s a list of things you can do to prepare for your baby’s arrival.  Some of these things relate to cleaning, some to preparing your home and/or nursery, and some to necessary purchases so your new child has everything it needs. Here is a helpful cleaning list for before your baby comes:

– Purchase diapers (disposable and cloth), as well as a carrier/stroller, car seat, breast pump

– Have a crib ready, with a new mattress, sheets, blankets, etc.

– Have a cradle with supply of batteries

– Purchase baby clothes, bottles, bibs, pacifiers, socks, pajamas, etc.

– Purchase bowls, plates, silverware, extra bottles, etc. (You probably won’t need this until baby can eat solid food, but it’s good to be prepared in advance.)

– Prepare your nursery: empty and clean it, paint it, fill in with crib/bedding, curtains, changing stations, etc.

– If you have yet to open and put away all your baby shower gifts, organize and put them away into a dresser in the baby’s nursery for easy access

– Rearrange your living spaces (living room and master bedroom) to accommodate your baby’s arrival (For example, de-clutter your closets, have open spaces for changing stations, etc.)

– Clean your refrigerator, dust and vacuum the house, clean your bathrooms

– Clean your blinds and curtains, wash your sheets

These are all general tasks to do around your home before your baby comes.  In terms of a cleaning list, it is recommended to not go so crazy as to sterilize everything.  It is important for your baby to build up antibodies and its immune system, and having a few common household germs will help your baby to grow up strong and healthy.

If you don’t want to put too much stress on yourself and would rather hire some help to clean before your baby comes, use TalkLocal to find a local maid serice.  TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you to multiple maid services in your neighborhood within minutes.  All you need to do is enter in your specific problem, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact top-quality, reliable maid services who will then call you directly, ready to help.  This is a busy time for you, so save time from searching through directories and phonebooks for the right, most affordable maid, and let TalkLocal do it for you!

You have a higly-cherished granite countertop in your kitchen, and after all the day’s cooking you find stains covering the beautiful surface.  Sure, you could just clean it up with some dish soap and warm water, but doing so leaves those yucky, unappealing streaks. Continue reading for more information on the best way to clean granite countertops with a streak-free shine.

–  Try using Method’s Daily Granite polish.  This highly popular product is very affordable and will leave your stone countertop with a shiny surface.

–  You could also use Clorox disinfectant wipes to first clean the granite, and then wipe down with a non-vinegar based Green Windex to prevent streaks.

–  We also recommend using a microfiber cloth instead of paper towels to ensure clean and streak-free surfaces.

If you have stubborn stains or are finding that none of these suggestions are working for you, try locating a maid service in your area that can help.  Try using TalkLocal, a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reliable maid services in your area within minutes.  All you need to do is enter in your specific problem, location and availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest.   Save time and stress from searching for the right, most affordable maid service, and let TalkLocal do it for you.

Cleaning your home on your own is a big task, but it is one that is completely necessary.  You should take the time and effort to keep your home looking good because it will improve your overall quality of life.  A livable home environment makes day to day activities easier and more enjoyable.  Make cleaning your home a much simpler process by following a home cleaning checklist.

There are three types of cleaning you should participate in to keep you house looking spic and span.  There is the general weekly cleaning, a more in depth monthly cleaning, and a serious seasonal clean.  When participating in your monthly and seasonal cleans, you should also do all the weekly tasks as well.

Weekly cleaning

–  Vacuum/mop all floors

–  Launder all towels/washcloths/sheets

–  Dust all surfaces

–  Empty trashcans

–  Wipe mirrors

–  Throw out old food

–  Clean toilets/bathtubs/sinks

Monthly cleaning

–  Scrub tiles/grout

–  Launder duvet covers/protectors

–  Clean out fireplace/dishwasher/oven

–  Wipe insides/outsides of trashcans

–  Dust fans

Seasonal cleaning

–  Launder pillows

–  Vacuum mattresses/beds

–  Organize pantry

–  Wipe ceilings/corners of all rooms

–  Organize closets/décor in the house

If cleaning your house on your own becomes too much of a hassle you should seek out professional help.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local maid services within minutes.  Simply input your problem, location and availability, and almost immediately you should be connected to someone who can help.

Mold in the shower is a pain to discover with because it is so easily preventable. The key is to keep your shower free from water when it is not in use. Follow the tips below for preventing mold in your shower.

Keep the shower dry whenever possible — When you are done showering, wipe the water off of the floor. Allow the inside of the shower to dry by leaving the door open or pull back shower curtains for maximum air circulation. The shower door is a prime spot for mildew and mold to grow.

Ventilate the bathroom — If the weather is nice and your bathroom has a window, open it to let the steam escape. Also, leave the bathroom door open until the bathroom is completely dry. You should turn on your ventilation fan before you turn the water on for your shower; let the fan run well after you finish showering, until the bathroom is completely dry and the mirror no longer foggy.

Use shower sprays — There is a wide variety of shower sprays at your local store that can fight mold. You can choose from mild solutions to ones that use stronger chemicals. Just spray the solution all over your shower, especially on corners and the shower door. You can use a homemade solution if you don’t want to use harsh chemicals found in store-bought shower sprays. Use a spray bottle of undiluted white vinegar all over your shower. Leave it on for a few hours before rinsing it off. You can also use a mixture of two teaspoons of tea tree oil and two cups of water to clean tiles. Leave it on for a few hours as well before cleaning off.

If you’ve neglected your bathroom for a while and need an intense cleaning, you can hire a maid service through TalkLocal. State your specific service need in the online request form and receive a call from a high quality professional in your area within minutes!

A common question asked is “how do you remove rust stains from a sink?” To answer that, unfortunately, regular cleaning products will not get rid of rust stains in sinks. Similarly, regular cleaning will do nothing to keep rust stains from forming in the first place. If you are worrying about rust stains, then a little more work is required. Below are a few effective ways to get your sink looking new again. Regardless of whether you have porcelain or a stainless steel sink, try out a few of the following special cleaning methods and figure out which works best for you.

Vinegar method

– Use vinegar and a scouring pad to get rid of those evil rust stains. Pour white vinegar onto the pad and scrub in a circular fashion centered on the stained area. Do not be afraid to put a little muscle behind your work. Use a good amount of force when scrubbing out the stains. It will require hard work so do not grow weary if the stains do not come out with a few gentle strokes.

Lemon juice method

–       Apply lemon juice to the affected area. Allow the liquid to sit on the area for awhile until the spots start to fade away. Then rinse the sink with fresh water. If there are still stain spots, repeat the steps.

Bar Keepers Friend

–       Try out Bar Keeper’s Friend, a multi-purpose cleaner that works on porcelain, copper, stainless steel, fiberglass, and tile. You can order the product online or check your local store. Then just follow the instructions on the bottle.

If rust is a persistent problem or you just simply do not feel like dealing with, it may be time to hire a professional cleaning service to come to your home. Check out TalkLocal and you will be connected directly to a high quality professional right in your neighborhood! Have a maid service come to your home and take care of not only your sink stains, but also have them do a touch up on the rest of your home.

Hard water is water that has a high concentration of minerals in it.  Because of its content, it calcifies onto surfaces from which it flows out of. Shower heads become clogged with mineral deposits and these minerals harden to form the hard water stains you see.  When this happens, the head will spit water from the holes not clogged and so you get an unpleasant shower experience. Hard water also impacts your shower head’s ability to function properly.  It will block off some of the spigots so that you get lower water pressure than usual. Read more to learn how to clean hard water from a shower head.

Water softening is commonly used to avoid hard water’s adverse effects. However, if you don’t want to invest in a water softener, there is any easy homemade solution that you can use to clean hard water calcification off of your faucets and shower heads.

Homemade Solution for Hard Water Calcification

Fill a small plastic bag halfway with vinegar. Wrap the bag around the shower head and secure it with a rubberband; leave it there for an hour or two. After removing the bag, polish the shower head with a cloth and the hard water will come off easily. The showerhead will look and function like new.  The acetic acid in the vinegar acts as a solvent to fight the stains. The best part about using vinegar is that it is inexpensive and is not a harsh chemical.  If the hard water does not come off, you should repeat the process but leave the bag on for around six hours.

Now that your shower is cleaned, you should maintain it by removing future calcifications as soon as you notice them.

Continuing Problems

If you have problems removing the hard water calcifications from your shower head, you should seek professional help.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local maid services within minutes.  You don’t have to do any work! Simply input your problem and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest.  Almost immediately you will be connected with someone who can help you out on the phone.