Steam Cleaner Vacuum: Hot Water Power Machines
Lately it seems that stores have been flooded with all kinds of hot water extractors for carpet cleaning. This of course includes small canister types, which have a hose and a nozzle. It also includes a carpet cleaning machine called an upright steam cleaner which resemble and are used similarly to a typical household vacuum cleaner.
How do they work? In a nutshell, a steam cleaner vacuum shoots a combination of hot water and a detergent out onto the carpet, which does most of the washing. Then all the liquid is sucked (“extracted”) back out into the carpet cleaning machine. Some of the machines get a little fancier, adding features like brush rotation to really get at the dirtiest parts of the carpet for a penetrating deep clean.
Not Your Mother’s Carpet Cleaner
As you might expect, the carpet steam cleaner has come a long way since its inception. Many of the first machines had a hose connected to some water supply. You hooked the hose up to a container of detergent and the two fluids were combined when you opened the valve. Some people still use these today, but most prefer the newer self contained cleaners.
The canister steam cleaner is one such machine. These have a standalone hose, but built-in tanks and motor. You hold a nozzle in your hand and wave it around to get all parts of your carpet. Ultimately, canister steam cleaners suffer from the flaw of inconvenience. Unlike other carpet cleaning products they’re hard to store and hard to start using. In particular, trying to move them–say, from your garage or closet to your living room–is much harder than it should be.
Upright is Your Best Choice
What’s the alternative, then? For most people, it’s the self contained upright steam cleaner. These are like the ones mentioned earlier in this article, that work a lot like a vacuum cleaner. You could think of them like a vacuum cleaner “times 100″–just as easy to use but with so much more power. (Even so, let’s not insult the vacuum too much. It’s still an important part of effective carpet cleaning and should be done first to get the most obvious dirt.)
An upright steam cleaner includes a tank, motor, nozzle and so on–all built in to the main machine. You just grab it and push it slowly around the floor for a deep, high quality clean that lasts ages. The cleaning detergent is funneled automatically to a nozzle where it is sprayed and brushed vigorously into the carpet. And to cap it all off, they usually also include a detachable brush and nozzle that you can use when the need arises.
Now You Can Clean Your Carpet on a Whim
Whether you go with an upright steam cleaner or something else, here’s a parting tip: Carpet cleaning is best done regularly. You might even work it into your routine and do it even when the carpets don’t look dirty yet. With upright steam carpet cleaners it’s more than easy enough to do as often as you like and it’ll lead to more effective carpet cleaning in the long run–as well as healthier lungs for you and your family and cleaner and longer-lasting carpets for your home.
Carpet Steam Cleaning Tips
What is the secret to a clean carpet? A carpet cleaning machine like the Hoover SteamVac f5914900 is often the most effective answer. Most people are surprised by just how easy these machines are to use and how inexpensive they are to buy.
House Rules to Keep Dirt Out
Carpet cleaning machines are easy and effective but like they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Why not make some house rules about dirt? You could have people wipe their shoes on a mat before coming inside, or even have them take their shoes off completely.
Doing these simple things can seriously reduce how dirty your carpets get in the first place and make your life easier when it comes time to use the carpet cleaning machine.
Deal With Carpet Spills With a Carpet Steam Cleaner
Also, act quickly if you spill something on your carpet. Most small spills can be cleaned up with water, vinegar or inexpensive cleaning products that you can get at the store. Different products work best with different types of spills. For bigger or more serious spills, you may want to grab your carpet cleaning machine and give the spot a once-over, but this isn’t always necessary. The main thing to remember is that the sooner you clean up a spill the simpler it’ll be to keep your carpets clean.
Vacuum Often to Keep Dirt Under Control
Now, it’s easy to get so excited about carpet cleaning machines that you forget about the boring old vacuum cleaner. But the vacuum is an important part of effective carpet cleaning. Don’t forget to vacuum thoroughly on a regular basis with a quality machine. Do it from multiple angles to make sure you get all the dirt. Later on when you pull out the carpet cleaner, you’ll be glad you already got the big stuff with the vacuum.
Home Carpet Steam Cleaners To the Rescue
But in the end, these are only partial cures. To completely clean your carpet you’ll need what’s called a deep cleaning. You can hire someone to do that for you, or you can use your own deep cleaning machine. Many people opt to pay someone else to clean their carpets because they mistakenly think it would be hard to do themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Prolong Carpet Life With Steam Cleaning
Did you know a clean carpet lasts longer and stays in better shape? Replacing a damaged carpet is costly and time-consuming, so avoiding this from the start is a great decision. But the benefits go way beyond this and can dramatically improve your quality of life. Carpet cleaning is a great step toward better health for you and your family–and there’s nothing like a clean house to brighten your mood.
Hoover f5914900 SteamVac with Clean Surge Review
I have to admit that when I ordered my Hoover f5914900 I was both excited and nervous.
My carpets had not been cleaned in a long time and they really needed help and fast. I hate renting those monster steam cleaners from the grocery store and the so-called professional carpet cleaners don’t always get the job done very well (I’ve had bad experiences with various services).
So I was asking a lot from the f5914900 but based on the huge number of reviews at Amazon I felt like the Hoover f5914 900 steamvac clean surge might be my answer!
I Really Love This Machine
Before I tell you all the nitty-gritty details about the Hoover f5914 900 first let me assure you that my steam cleaner arrived in record time and boy did it get the job done!
My husband and I had a really fun time using it. We started in the foyer because that was a really high traffic area and I figured if the Hoover f5914-900 could handle this job it will handle anything.
What a joy and what fun to see all of the dirt in the dirty water tank! If it’s getting all this dirt out then it must be getting the carpet really clean.
And the handle-mounted trigger releases a surge of cleaning fluid onto the carpet for extra deep fiber cleaning. It also has strong spinning brushes that scrub the carpet fibers.
What a Difference
But the real thrill is comparing the part you’ve cleaned with the part you have not cleaned yet. What an amazing difference. The stains and smells are gone!
We did the entire front of the house the next evening – it was a breeze and really impressive.
So I definitely love it and consider it one of my best purchases because now I’m living in a house with clean carpets I feel good about. This means less allergens, less toxic junk that comes in from outside and no more embarrassing dirt.
From Now On – Clean Carpets For Me
And best of all I can keep them clean. I plan to do the traffic areas monthly and everything else twice a year. It’s that convenient.
I can promise you that if you get one of these (and be sure it’s this model) you will never regret it.
Hoover has done a great job making this job as easy and mess free as it can be. The details and features of the Hoover F5914-900 SteamVac with Clean Surge are as follows:
“The powerful 12-amp motor combined with five spinning brushes that operate at either high or low speed lift the usual dirt and grime out of carpets.
By pulling on the trigger in the comfortable upright handle, this deep cleaner releases the included carpet/upholstery cleaner and hot tap water.
For more stubborn stains or for high-traffic areas, this SteamVac also has a Clean Surge feature, which sends an extra blast of cleaning solution into the stain by simply pressing a button on the handle.
When cleaning is complete, release the trigger and the SteamVac forces hot air into the cleaning path so you can do a few dry strokes over the stain.
This deep cleaner has two separate water tanks to keep clean water apart from dirty water.
The top tank holds the detergent and 1 gallon of hot water and automatically mixes the two so you don’t need to get your hands wet.
The lower tank holds the dirty solution picked up from the carpet and unlatches to easily pour out into a sink or toilet without spilling.
For cleaning stairs or upholstery, this deep cleaner has a long 8-foot hose and a special stair/upholstery nozzle that scrubs out spots.
Other features of this deep cleaner include:
A brush indicator, which informs you that the brushes are spinning;
An on/off foot pedal; a handle release pedal;
A 27-inch wraparound cord.
The Hoover SteamVac is covered by a full one-year warranty.”
Source: Amazon.com
Hoover f5914900 SteamVac with Clean Surge is a fantastic steam cleaner and I would recommend it to anyone. I would be very surprised if the professional carpet cleaners manage to stay in business. I know I won’t be needing their services anymore and you won’t either if you get one of these power-cleaning machines.
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Stop Letting Bad Memories Ruin Your Life
Have you ever wondered why we spend so much time thinking about bad things that have happened to us in the past?
Why do we do this and how can we stop?
These memories can be from the distant past or maybe even last week. But the common factor is that they upset us and make us feel bad.
Only One Good Reason to Focus on Bad Memories
Usually focusing on the past is a waste of time and hurtful. But there can be an important reason to take the time to think about what and why certain things happened.
What are some reasons that it make sense to focus on past situations that make us angry, sad, helpless, guilty or whatever bad feeling you get?
Protect Yourself From Now On
The only reason to do this – and even this reason will be short-lived – is in order to learn the lesson we need to learn so we never have this happen again.
So it’s okay to think about it from the standpoint of “never again will this happen to me!” and then actually making a strategy to protect yourself.
Now only memorize the strategy and the empowered feeling you get when you are helping yourself and putting your best interest as a top priority.
Example: Whenever (insert name here) starts putting me down I will quickly hang up the phone or leave the room. I will use my feelings to judge when to do this. Anytime I feel BAD I will activate this strategy.
Note: Using our feelings as warning systems works well around passive-aggressive type people. They are so skilled at hiding attacks behind a “nice” image that you must rely on your feelings to protect yourself.
So now you have a protective strategy. But what if you start running the same old bad feeling – bad place tape through your head again and again. What will you do?
You will have a strategy for this too!
Pick a New Tape to Run
The best thing I know to do when old tapes insist on filling our head with thoughts that are not helpful is this: replace them with memories or thoughts that make us feel good.
But sometimes we feel like NOTHING feels good and it seems like there are NO good replacements. What to do then?
Look around and find the littlest thing you like – even a bit. For example, I love the beautiful blue color of the sheets on my bed and also the color in a quilt I have. Just looking at it makes me happier. I know it’s a small thing but it gets me in a slightly better mood.
Feeling Better Now
From this better feeling place I can easily think of something else I feel happy about – like my cozy new socks or my cuddly little dog.
Now I’m feeling like I’m sort of lucky to have these things. In other words, I’m starting to feel much better and stronger.
Other ideas: looking at nature is always good and it’s always available too.
It’s a good idea to make a list of things you like when you’re feeling good already. Only list things that make you feel 100% good. Make sure there is no hint of feelings of envy, self-pity, jealousy or any other negative feeling.
Be sure that most of these good things on your list are simple pleasures. Remember – the small and simple things often bring us great joy.
Now when the bad times come you will have your “good things list” ready to help you. You are taking care of yourself ahead of time.
The idea is to start very small and look for just one tiny thing we like. As we start small we can move into a place of greater joy where all the bad memories of the past are exposed as traps and snares leading to our downfall.
The Most Important Lesson of All
Realizing this, we learn that the most important lesson of all is to stay away from these bad and useless memories. They don’t serve our best interests at all.
Remember this: no matter what anyone else tells you or what has happened in the past – you have the power to choose what you think about and focus on today. Always choose the thing that makes you feel better, more strong and powerful.
Practice this every minute of the day. It gets easier the more you do it and the wonderful thing is this: your life will be filled with more of what you’re thinking about now – happiness and joy.
Want More Happiness? Pamper Yourself!
Learning how to take care of yourself and give yourself the special treatment you crave is a great way to actually feel happier.
Many women take wonderful care of their families and think nothing of sacrificing to pamper others. But when it come to ourselves we often never get around to the same nice treatment.
So much of our life is spent working or managing day to day responsibilities. Often the technology in our life means that we are always plugged into more information about things to do or things happening in the world that are distressing.
Take Care of Your Body
We even abuse ourselves by working too long, not relaxing, sitting at the computer for too many hours. Eventually we start to feel the pain of all of this abuse.
We aren’t happy anymore and it’s confusing because we seem to be doing so much.
The reason is this: we long to be cared for – but we wait for someone else to care for us.
It’s time to stop that kind of thinking and realize that we can give ourselves all the pampering we need and want.
The first step to pampering is to take care of your body.
Feel Good Ideas
Here are some ideas to get you started:
A soothing bath
Splurge on a pedicure
A relaxing massage
A good novel in bed
Enjoy a favorite treat
Walk barefoot in soft green grass
Take a nap in the sunshine
Go out at night and look at the stars
Do What Feels Best to You
Everyone has unique ideas about what is the best way to pamper yourself. The important thing is to add your favorites into your schedule every week.
It only takes a few minutes to do these body-friendly activities. So get started today and watch your happiness increase as you treat yourself with the love and respect you deserve.
Wire Closet Organizers: Low-Cost Storage Solution
Organizing a closet doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive.
In fact, wire closet organization systems are designed to be both cheap and high quality. They have many benefits, and depending on your situation may be exactly what you need.
Let’s say you have a lot of things to store but you don’t expect to be using the same closet for very long. A wire closet storage system gives you an ideal mix of portability and stability. The different components are designed so you can easily move them around and reimagine your closet as often as you like, and so you can quickly remove the whole system if you have to move. Of course, this makes them perfect for college dormitories and for apartments.
Wire Closet Storage Systems
Wire closet storage systems come in a couple types. Some are installed by mounting a track inside the closet wall and placing the wire closet shelving or baskets lengthways on it. The good thing about this set-up is that it’s easy to change later and to fine-tune to get it just right. Plus, you end up having to make less holes in the wall. Other wire closet storage systems work by mounting the different products to the wall separately using screws, braces and other accessories that are easy to locate in most stores.
Do you have something heavy you need to store in your closet—a collection of thick books, for instance? With a few exceptions, wire closet storage systems are sturdier than other systems and are built to hold anything. There are exceptions to this though, so be careful to check individual products for maximum weight limits. The last thing you want is for your closet organization system to collapse.
Wire Storage: Not For Sweaters
Be warned, however, that wire storage is simply a bad idea for sweaters and some other kinds of clothes. Why? Well, the wires leave marks sometimes. Consider whether this might be an issue with the things you need to store before you decide on a wire closet organization system.
Now, of course, style is an important quality in any closet organization system. When some people hear “wire” they think it will be ugly. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can get wire closet organization kits in many attractive colors, with epoxy coatings, matching any closet decor. If you can’t find the color you want, you can always get a can of spray paint and recolor them in minutes.
Wire Closet Organizers are an Inexpensive Solution
Wire closet organizations systems are high quality, stylish and they work amazingly well, but of course the important thing is price. This is where wire systems really stand out. If you dream of getting creative and organizing a closet that you can be proud of, but have a budget to stick to, go with wire products. They’re sold online and in most home improvement outlets.
You can get your chaotic closet under control right away. Think about it. That depressing mess doesn’t have to be in there. With a wire closet organization system, you clean it up fast and inexpensively.
Easy Closet Organization Tips
So you’ve decided to organize your closet. That’s pretty big all on its own–most people think a lot about closet organization but never actually make up their minds to take action.
Now that you’ve decided, though, you might already be feeling overwhelmed. Don’t worry, with a few good tips you’ll be well on your way to closet organization heaven. Here’s the first thing you should know… it doesn’t matter how big a closet is. What matters is what you do with the space you have!
Divide and Conquer Your Closet
Divide the job up into tiny chunks that are simple to do on their own. If you get too wrapped up in the “whole” of everything that’s involved in closet organization you can quickly start to feel like you’ll never get done. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Just pick one tiny thing to do each day and before you know it you’ll be done.
Step one is getting rid of what you don’t need. In order to figure out what you need and don’t need, take everything out of the closet. Look at each thing individually. Be as brutal as you can when it comes to purging old things you don’t need.
This may be very hard for you. There are people who can throw stuff out without a second’s thought, but most of us aren’t like that. Remember, if you really want to keep something you can. Especially if it has sentimental value for you. Closet organization should always be a happy thing.
Keep Only What You Love in Your Clothes Closet
If you’ve got a lot of clothes think hard about how much of it you actually wear. A good rule is that if you haven’t put it on in the last twelve months, it can go. Also, look for stuff that no longer fits you. It can go too.
You’ll probably find that you’ve shoved some things into the closet just because you didn’t know where else to put them. Now that you’re dedicated to closet organization, it’s time to take these things and find a better place for them, somewhere other than the closet. Closets have a very specific role in your home and you should remove anything that seems out of place in it.
Whatever you decide to get rid of you, put aside for now. There are lot of options for what to do with it all, including throwing it out, donating it or putting it in garage storage. But that can wait. As for the things you decided to keep, gather all of it together and put it in a nice container somewhere else in the house.
Design Your Dream Closet
Next, sit down with a pen and paper and write down everything you’re going to want in your custom closet design. Let’s say you’re crazy about hats. If you’ve got lots of them, you’ll need to dedicate a lot of space for that. You might decide to dedicate some closet shelving just to your favorite novels. Anything goes here–it’s your closet after all.
Once you know what you need to put in the closet, get out a measuring tape and find out how wide and deep it is. This will help you estimate just how much closet shelving, racking and other closet accessories to set up.
Now you can think about what style you want to go for. Here you also need to consider what you’re willing to spend. It’s easy to go crazy buying the coolest and most expensive closet organization products but set a budget. Once you’ve decided on a style and budget you’ll have a better idea what materials you’ll need to buy.
Basically, closet organization is about two things. The hard part comes first when you throw out everything that isn’t important to keep. The fun part comes last but it’s well worth it–that’s when you get to be creative and organize what’s left.
The Best Closet Organization System for Your Lifestyle
Closet organization is all about making an investment in a happier, more productive future. Think about it. You could easily be using the very same closet years from now. Understanding this, it shouldn’t surprise you that organizing a closet usually requires an investment in time and money too. Whether or not it pays off–whether you end up with a beautiful clutter-free closet–depends on the closet organization system you use. Let’s take a moment to talk about systems for effective closet organization.
A Closet for Your Lifestyle
Many kits and systems are available, but I want to emphasize that you should only purchase the one that fits your needs. This is important because what works for other people won’t necessarily work for you. All of us have an individual “style” that we feel most comfortable with. The system you come up with for organizing your closet needs to take that style into account.
You might find that one of the existing closet organization systems is a perfect match for your organizational style. But then again, you might not. In this case you might be better off coming up with your own closet organization system. How? Well, there are a lot of possibilities.
The Unique Closet
One idea is to buy individual closet organization products and mix them together as your own system. But this isn’t easy, especially if you’re trying to get everything to fit together just right. If this idea appeals to you, though, keep one thing in mind. Make sure all the closet organization products you pick come from just one company! Otherwise you’ll get a real headache trying to get everything to work together.
Build Your Own Closet Kit
But a simpler and more fun alternative is to craft a closet organization kit of your own making. It’s the same basic idea as mixing together individual products but with some major differences–and major advantages.
What you do is this. Get in touch with a company who provides custom closet organization kits. Send the company an email describing your closet. Include pictures so they can see what they’ll be working with. They’ll send you back some mock-ups of what they think you should do. If you agree with the closet organization plan they give you, then they make and ship it to you.
You’ll have to put a little more thought into this, obviously, than you would just buying a closet organization system at the store. But in the end it’s usually cheaper and you get a better fit for your particular closet and personal style.
Getting Help With Closet Organization
Let’s say you like the idea of a custom closet organization kit, but think it sounds overwhelming. Consider finding a closet organization consultant. This is a person who does this kind of thing all the time. The downside to this option is that it costs way more money. The upside is that it costs way less in time and energy. A good consultant will drop by your house and examine the closet in person. They’ll talk in depth with you about what you want. They’ll even have it installed for you.
With all these options for closet organization, the idea is basically the same. You want a neat, well-organized closet that makes you smile every time you look at it. Achieving this goal is so empowering. It’s really worth the money and effort it takes to do it right. What are you waiting for?