Tag: cleaning tips

Keeping Your Bachelor Pad Clean

We get it: you work hard and play hard, and you don’t get to spend much quality time with your cleaning products.

However, following these simple hints can help you keep your bachelor pad clean.

Trust us: you’ll feel more comfortable, misplace things less frequently (where did you put that watch?) and guests will always be impressed be a well-kept apartment or home.

Less Is Often More

It would be easier to keep your place clean if you had less things to make it appear cluttered in the first place.

Set aside an afternoon to go through your belongings and get rid of some of things you longer have a purpose for. If you haven’t worn it or used it in over a year, donate it instead.

  • If it’s broken, toss it – even if you think you’ll one day repair the clock you bought at a garage sale, you probably won’t. Getting rid of things you don’t have a purpose for will make your pad appear cleaner.

Make Priorities

microfiberMany men are notorious for taking great care of their cars, as it should be. A car is a precious investment and something many of us love to show off.

However, we should take pride in our home as well. Taking care of a car is a priority, and cleaning your home should be too.

You’d never go on a drive with a mud-spattered windshield or stained seats, right? Don’t live in a home that isn’t taken care of either.

  • Make sure that you have sponges and cleaning supplies in stock so you can easily manage your home as needed. (Side note, our microfiber clothes are great for drying off cars!)

Form Cleaning Habits

When it comes to keeping things clean, small changes make a big difference. After you shave and brush your teeth, wipe down the sink. After dinner, do the dishes immediately.

Soon, doing these things will become second nature.

  • If you get into the habit of cleaning certain areas of your home, you’ll learn to do them mindlessly. We have a variety of cleaning supplies available that can help you accomplish your cleaning tasks daily, making it quick and easy tidy up.

Having the right products will help you keep your bachelor pad in top shape. Check out SpongeOutlet for the products that will help keep your apartment or home sparkling clean.

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Choosing the Right Paint for Your Walls

Whether you have recently moved into a new home or are looking to update your current abode, a fresh coat of paint is one of the best ways to re-envision your house’s appearance.

A clean slate that allows you to change up your throw pillows and decorative pieces, a new paint color can do wonders for updating the feel of your home.

But for families with young children and pets, keeping your walls clean can seem like an impossible task.

And with so many colors and finishes to choose from, how do you know what will hold up best to daily wear and the occasional crayon mural?

Look for a Light Color

Many families make the mistake of choosing neutral wall colors like beige and grey, just because they are good at hiding dirty handprints.

There are plenty of other options you can look at, as long as you stick to pale hues and midtones.

Colors like dark reds, purples and blues will show wear much more quickly than their lighter counterparts, burnishing in spots where your pets and children rub up against them.

Choose the Right Finish

With so many options to consider, choosing a paint finish can be overwhelming. If you are looking to get away from the shiny appearance of semi-gloss and hi-gloss enamel paint, eggshell is a durable and less reflective finish that is easy to clean.

With a flat surface and barely and sheen, eggshell holds up well against all the dirt and grime your children may coat it with.

Clean with the Eraser Sponge

Although we hope that your newly painted walls stay fresh for a long time, accidents do happen.

Whether it’s play dough stains, marker or beverage stains on the wall, the Eraser Sponge is tough enough to get the job done, but gentle enough not to damage your paint’s finish. Click here to learn more about cleaning your walls with the Eraser Sponge, then visit SpongeOutlet online to place your order.

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Cleaning and Organizing Your Home in the New Year

If you made a New Year’s resolution to get your home more organized as January begins, now is the perfect opportunity to make changes throughout your home, rearranging furniture, cleaning out cupboards and donating items you no longer use.

There is no better feeling than coming home to a clean, well-organized house and with these simple tips your place will look its best in no time.

Create a Landing Area

One of the biggest problems when it comes to organizing your home is dealing with the array of objects

  • Coats
  • Shoes
  • Purses
  • Backpacks
  • Mail
  • Keys

that come in the door when your family gets home in the evening.

Instead of allowing these items to be placed on the kitchen counter and piled on the backs of chairs, we recommend creating a landing area near the door.

Hang some hooks for your coats, lay down mats for shoes and boots, and add a hall table to your décor. The perfect place for keys, purses and mail to be placed, this new addition will also make getting out of the door easier every morning.

All you have to do is grab your pile of stuff and run.

Work Room by Room

The idea of cleaning your entire home is a big commitment and one that can scare off even the most determined individuals. Instead of looking at your New Year’s cleaning undertaking as one enormous project, break it down into a bunch of small assignments.

Focus on a different room of your home every week or month, creating a more organized and functional space as you go.

With a little time and elbow grease, your home will be sparkling clean by the time you are finished removing clutter and reorganizing each room.

As you are making these organizational changes to your home, do some cleaning along the way to create a fresh and glowing home for the new year.

Whether you are scrubbing the floors, cleaning the cabinets or wiping down the counters, SpongeOutlet has the cleaning products you need to get the job done.

Our Eraser Sponges and Melamine Floor Pads are tough on dirt and grime without compromising the surfaces of your home – just spot test an area before getting started. To place your order today, visit us online or give us a call at 877-776-6430.

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Getting Christmas Tree Sap Off Your Floors and Vehicle

remove tree sap from your vehicle

The smell of pine in the air, the dusting of snow on the ground and the joy in your children’s voices as you choose a Christmas tree.

These are some of the best parts of the holiday season.

While there are few things more beautiful than a live Christmas tree decorated and displayed in your front window during December, there is nothing more frustrating than getting tree sap on your vehicle and floors.

Although it seems easy enough to wipe away when wet, tree sap leaves a sticky reside and hardens quickly into a gooey and difficult-to-remove mess.

Not only can tree sap be a pain to get off your hardwood floors, it can also cause damage the paint on your vehicle.

There are many families that no longer get a live Christmas tree just for this reason. Instead of opting for an artificial tree and lighting pine scented candles around your home around your home, enjoy the fragrant scent and unique beauty of a live tree without worrying about the sticky sap.

SpongeOutlet has everything you need to keep your home and car sap-free throughout the holiday season.

Our Eraser Sponge is perfect for spot cleaning, and our Melamine Floor Pads are great for scrubbing the whole floor after you take down your tree in January.

Tough on dirt without damaging walls, floors or the surface of your vehicle, SpongeOutlet’s products are perfect for the post-holiday cleanups. Just remember to spot test a small area before getting to work.

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Tips for Cleaning Your Home for the Holidays

Now that December is here, your family is probably busy hanging decorations around the home, wrapping presents and preparing for guests to visit. Throughout this month, there is a lot of extra cleaning to do to and whether you are readying the guest room or wiping up the kitchen after making Christmas cookies, SpongeOutlet is here to help. Check out our holiday cleaning tips for an enjoyable and sparkly clean winter with your loved ones.

Do A Little Bit Every Day

Instead of panicking in the days leading up to your big holiday party, do a little bit of cleaning each day of the month to get your house ready for the holiday season. This way, you can just touch up areas like the bathroom and the living room on the morning of the festivities. Especially if you have a live tree or one covered in tinsel, we recommend quickly sweeping or vacuuming every evening to keep needles and sparkly strands of foil from ending up all over your home. This way, when it comes time to celebrate with your family and friends, you will be able to relax and enjoy your time together!

Brighten Walls and Surfaces

Looking to make every surface of your home sparkle and shine this holiday season? We recommend focusing on your walls, floors and countertops. The Eraser Sponge is perfect for cleaning scuffs and marks off of walls without compromising paint. It can also clean the toughest dirt and grime from your counters with ease, leaving you with plenty of time to build a snowman and bake your favorite holiday recipes.

Pay Special Attention to the Entryway

Make a great first impression this winter by sprucing up your entryway for guests. Organize coats and boots, scrub the walls with your Eraser Sponge and add a few holiday decorations to spread a little cheer. With a clean, cozy entryway, your loved ones are sure to feel welcome as they make their way in from the cold.

Visit SpongeOutlet to put in your Erase Sponge order today. Strong enough to use on nearly any grit, grime and dirt, the Eraser Sponge can be used anywhere without leaving a hazardous residue or chemical odor behind. For more information on our high-quality products, contact SpongeOutlet online or by calling 877-776-6430.

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Wash Your Windows Like the Professionals!

cleaning windowsWhile nobody really likes to do chores around the home, there are some that are admittedly easier than others.

  • Take out the trash? No problem.
  • Make the bed? Not bad.

But washing the windows? That can certainly be a pain.

Just think of all the times you sprayed window cleaner trying to clean it up and inhaled all those chemicals.

Not only does it not smell nice, there were often times fibers left behind from your paper towel!

Now that can be a pain!

However we have a method that is used by window cleaning professionals that will change how you clean your windows! This method will help get your windows completely clean.

Here is what you will need for window cleaning:

Here are the steps to cleaning your windows:

  • First, put a couple drops of the dish detergent into your container and add a few inches of water.
  • Dip the scrubby pad into the water and squeeze out.
  • Then, scrub the glass down.
    • Between the dawn and the scrubby pad, the dirt will come off and there will not be any residue.
  • Once you have scrubbed everything loose, use the squeegee on the window starting at the top.
  • Work your way down and wipe the squeegee off each time with your cloth.
    • The better quality your squeegee is, the less streaking there will be which will leave your windows looking cleaner.
  • You may need to wipe around the edges of the window in order to absorb leftover water and/or dirt.

You will see a noticeable difference with this method and your windows will come out much cleaner!

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Make Your Home Smell Great!

Tips for a fresh-smelling home. DIY

Nothing makes you smile quite like coming to a home that smells wonderful and inviting.

Luckily there are lots of simple DIY ways to achieve this that are inexpensive. Check out the do-it-yourself scent recipes below.  You may already have many of these item inside your home.

Taking just a little bit of time to improve the smell of your home can really do a lot for your mood!

See which of these options below works best for your home.

DIY Fresh Lemon Spray for Rooms and Home

A few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your house is all you need to do in order to give your home a great citrus scent. This simple DIY air freshener  is a fresh-smelling clean that doesn’t smell like harsh chemicals.

Directions: combine 1/8 cup of baking soda with 2 cups of hot water and ½ cup of lemon juice.

One you mix your ingredients, pour it into a spray bottle, shake well, and then spray the scent in the air.

Try Dried Lavender in a Jar to give your home a lasting pleasant smell

Combine equal amounts of dried lavender buds and baking soda into a jar.

  • Shake it up.
  • Add three drops (there will be 24 total) of lavender scented oil and then shake the jar.
  • Continue to do this until you reach 24 drops.

You can place the jar in a room to enjoy the scent, or you can add a lid with holes in it for a more subtle scent.

DIY Fridge De-Odorize – Oranges in the Fridge

Many people already have oranges that they buy- so why not use the peels?

  • Save any orange peels and place in a jar with salt.

The orange will give off a nice scent, while the salt will draw in the unpleasant ones. Use this inside your refrigerator to it smelling fresh.

Eucalyptus Leaves

Add a few sprigs of dried eucalyptus leaves in a vase or glass and place around the house. Not only will it smell nice, but it will look nice too!

Easy Lemon Trick for Destroying Foul Garbage Disposal Smells

Take the peels from three lemons and chop them up into small pieces.

  • Place them in an ice cube tray (2-3 pieces in each slot) along with 1 ½ cups of distilled white vinegar.
  • Place filled cube tray  into freezer.
  • Once your new garbage disposer cubes are frozen solid, transfer into a freezer bag and use whenever your garbage disposal needs a pick-me-up.

Not only will it smell good, but the ice helps sharpen the blades so it’s efficient, as well!

Consider the Season

Gather up some pine cones and drop in a few scents of your favorite essential oil.

To switch it up, think about the time of year. Cinnamon is great for fall, floral scents for spring, fruity scents for summer, and pine for winter- just to name a few.

Don’t Forget the Staples

For many, it’s easiest to go back to the basics.

Scented candles, incense, and reed diffusers are all very easy to use and all you have to do is pick them up at a store. Many of them even come in visually appealing options.

Find the Cause of the Smell

Your best bet is to figure out where the smell is coming from in the first place.

It something doesn’t smell quite right, there tends to be good reason for it!

Before adding additional smells into the home, take some time to assess where the bad smells are coming from. Sponge Outlet has many cleaning supplies that can help make it easier for you  to enjoy the better smells in life!

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A Guide for Cleaning Your Basement

Basements are notorious for being dark, damp, and sometimes even a little spooky.

But if you clean them up and organize them, you might find they aren’t quite so bad.

Here are some of the things that you will need to clean a basement:

  • Sponges- 1 regular sponge & 1 eraser sponge handy
  • White Vinegar
  • A Soft cloth
  • Dish-washing liquid
  • Bucket
  • Ammonia
  • Drop-Cloths
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Tools like vacuum, broom, dustpan, mop
  • Baking soda
  • Batteries
  • Clay cat litter and pan

Begin cleaning the basement by gathering up your materials and keeping them in one place.

Consider listening to some music while you work.

dirty basementThe first thing you should do is tackle anything that was covered up with dust covers.

Take them outside to get rid of the dust, and then throw them in the washing machine. Wipe down any items that were covered.

Next, wipe down the outside of the furnace and the hot water heater with either sudsy water or equal parts water and vinegar.

  • If you want to make sure that all of the dirt and debris are off, however, we suggest using an Eraser Sponge.

Then, mix together a gallon of warm water, a cup of ammonia, and a teaspoon of mild dish soap.

  • Put down a drop cloth near one of the walls and clean them using the mixture you just created.
  • If you happen to find mold, clean it with hot soapy water. Make sure it is thoroughly dried afterward! Do this to all the walls.

Once you have done that, clean the windows.

  • If you don’t wish to use a window cleaner, you can use a mix of 1 pint rubbing alcohol, 2 tablespoons ammonia, and 2 tablespoons of dish soap. Then, wash the windows.
  • Rinse them and buff them dry.

Next, move your attention to the floors.

  • You can use baking soda on hard floors and carpets. This will neutralize odors.
  • Once the area is covered, you can sweep it/vacuum it up, and then throw it out.

While you have your vacuum out, take a moment to gently vacuum the smoke detectors and get rid of any dust that might be on it.

  • This layer of dust could affect their sensitivity and how well they work.

To make your floors shine, mop them.

  • If you really want to detail clean it, scrub it by hand, starting on the outside of the wall going in toward the center of the room in small, circular patterns.
  • This is also an excellent time to use an Eraser Sponge!

What valuable tips have we left out? What do you do in order to clean your basement?

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