Vacuuming shouldn’t take any longer than it has to because it is a chore that can literally give you a headache from all of the noise.

The Hoover U5140-900 Tempo WidePath Bagged Upright Vacuum tries to change all of that by having a larger cleaning path, which means you are going to be able to more spend time having fun instead of cleaning.

Hoover Tempo WidePath Specifications:

• Type of Vacuum: Upright
• Motor: 1440 Watts
• Cleaning Path: 15 inches
• Filter: Allergen filtration system
• Included Attachments: Onboard dusting brush, crevice tool, furniture nozzle and 2 extension wands
• Warranty: One year

When buying a vacuum, you often have the choice between getting a good one and getting one that is going to be affordable. Hoover has finally made an affordable vacuum that is going to clean well (and quickly).
Read the rest

Popularity: 23% [?]

It’s bound to happen to most people every once in a while. I got a little crazy today, and decided to paint my living room, basically on a whim. I had a vague idea of what I was looking for, so I shot out to the paint store, came home, got on my old clothes, taped off the trim, and next thing I knew, a couple of hours later, I had a whole new beautiful color on my walls!

But, oops…..I had some of that same beautiful color on my trim, despite my very sincere efforts at carefully taping everything off and doing some precise edging. It always happens, doesn’t it? Oh, and did I mention there was a little bit of paint splattered on the hardwood floors? Not good. I despise sloppy work!

Since I was in a hurry to finish and needed to get things cleaned up before my husband got home and caught me in my (somewhat-deranged) do-it-yourself mode, I had to act rather fast. I was delighted to find out that a wet paper towel handled the splats on the floor. And, I discovered that something as simple as Windex actually took the almost-dried paint off of the trim, without damaging the trim paint. No touch up work needed there.

By the time my husband arrived home a little while later, I had a whole new room, all put back together with perfect trim! I was even left with plenty of time to sit back and admire my handiwork!

Popularity: 15% [?]

Electrolux machines are known to be built to last, and many people still have their Electroluxes that they have had for 10 or more years.

What you may not know is that Electrolux bought out Eureka so now the companies are under the same management. Since then, the Electrolux name has seen its better days.

The big question is whether or not the Aptitude is going to measure up to the Electrolux name.

Electrolux Aptitude Vacuum Specifications:

• Type of Cleaner: Upright
• Dirt Collection: Bag
• Motor: 1400 Watts
• Cleaning Path: 15 inch
• Filter: True HEPA 12 filtration
• Included Attachments: Extension wand, natural bristle floor and wall brush, crevice tool, upholstery nozzle and turbo nozzle
• Warranty: Two years

There are some people who don’t want a bagless vacuum because they are just a novelty. What they are looking for is a vacuum that is going to suck up dirt and dust well and clean their home.
Read the rest

Popularity: 23% [?]

Does your vacuum cleaner only clean carpet and rugs? If so, you might need to look into the Bissell 3990 Total Floors Velocity Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner, which is designed to clean floors of all types.

Priced at under $150, this is going to be an affordable all-around cleaning machine, but you may be wondering whether or not it is up to the challenge of deep cleaning and whether it is going to be durable or not.

Bissell Total Floors Velocity Vacuum Specifications:

• Dirt Collection: Bagless
• Motor: 1440 Watts
• Cleaning Path: 15 inch
• Filter: HEPA Media filter with clean filter indicator
• Included Attachments: Extension wand, dusting/upholstery tool, crevice tool, on-board TurboBrush
• Warranty: Limited one year

The main job of a vacuum is to suck. Not in the way that is bad, but to pick up the dirt and dust and little scraps of paper and food that are embedded in your carpet. The Total Floors Velocity by Bissell is going to do just that, and after just a couple of passes on your floors, you are going to see swirls of what used to be in the rug in the dirt canister.
Read the rest

Popularity: 47% [?]

My family recently got a new cat. She was a welcome addition to our household, she is lovable, cuddly, and a great companion. She also went through a bit of a “spell,” where she was urinating on the carpet consistently. The biggest problem with this was that I could smell it, but couldn’t find it.

That is, until it became a huge spot.

Did I mention that the carpet was brand new? Very frustrating. There’s nothing like being greeted by the smell of cat urine when you come home.

So, I got down to work…

First I scrubbed the spot with vinegar, then some heavy-duty cleaner. Had to try a few different ones, but eventually good old Pine Sol worked really well.

Then, I applied some natural deodorizer that I purchased from the veterinarian that neutralized the smell. Each of these steps helped, but I needed to repeat them several times for full effect. Then, for several weeks, I sprinkled a heavy layer of baking soda over the spot, let it sit overnight, and then vacuumed it up.

Luckily, my kitty eventually stopped confusing the family room carpet with the litter box and it’s no longer an issue. I never did figure out what the problem was stemming from, the vet gave her a clean bill of health.

And, finally, the smell seems to be gone for good! I do love my cat, but I don’t love that smell…..you know the one I’m talking about.

Do you have any other great ideas about removing pet odors from carpets? It’s a problem that a lot of people face! Share them below…

Popularity: 36% [?]

Are you thinking that it is time to try out a canister vacuum? Well, with four stars on Amazon.com and less than $75, the Panasonic MC-4620 Bagless Straight-Suction Canister Vacuum might be the best one to get without spending a ton of money.

If your upright has seen its better days and want to replace it, this Panasonic vacuum cleaner is going to be a good option for those who don’t want to commit with a more expensive machine.

Panasonic MC-4620 Bagless Canister Specifications

• Type of Cleaner: Canister
• Dirt Collection: Bagless
• Motor: 1320 Watts
• Cleaning Path: 12 inch
• Filter: 5-stage filter system with a filter maintenance device and a filter-check indicator
• Included Attachments: Extension wand, dusting brush and crevice tool
• Warranty: One year parts and labor

The main thing that you buy a vacuum for is to clean your floors. When you look around your house, what type of floors do you have? If the answer is “primarily hard floors”, the Panasonic Bagless Straight-Suction Canister Vacuum might be for you. It is going to be great on hard floors with the occasional area rug in there.
Read the rest

Popularity: 56% [?]

You’d think that with all of these tips to offer that I could actually get my kids to pick things up occasionally? Well, I can, if they are sufficiently motivated. Tonight I told my son to “Wow” me if he wanted the new book he has been begging for. A little motivation goes a long way. Think about these points:

1. Incentives matter. Offer kids some sort of allowance if you expect them to do chores around the house. One of the reasons you work is to get a salary, getting paid is highly motivating.
2. Have a fair plan. Set up a family meeting and have a discussion about who doesn’t mind doing which chores. You will get a whole lot farther if you can assign chores to family members somewhat based on their choice. If one kid prefers to take out the garbage and another one prefers to empty the dishwasher, then assign accordingly, rather than battle about getting those things done.
3. Make a contest out of it. Award some prize to the family member with the most innovative organization solution. The promise of opening night tickets to a hot movie led my daughter to set up a homework organization station, complete with all the items that the kids might need—neatly stored in a small set of plastic drawers. Simple and amazing at the same time!

Getting more help around the house just takes some patience, and some common sense. Making it everyone’s responsibility can make things happen more quickly, and everyone can enjoy having things be easily found when they are needed, not tripped over, and looking nice! Works for me!

Popularity: 43% [?]

If you are looking for the latest Kirby model out there, you are going to find that the Kirby Sentria is the machine that you want to look at. This machine is only available through Kirby’s door-to-door sales practice, which means that you can see how the Kirby is going to work in your own home.

The Kirby Sentria is going to clean your hard flooring, carpet and rugs. An added benefit to the Sentria is that it includes a shampooer that is going to give you professional results. The money that you save from professional cleanings over the course of a couple of years is going to pay for the machine many times. If you have a lot of hard floors, you are going to be able to buff and polish the floors.

The Sentria is such a versatile machine and comes with a ton of attachments to not only clean the floors but to also clean parts of your house that you never imagined you could clean with a vacuum cleaner.

Kirby Sentria Specifications:

• Type of Vacuum: Upright
• Filter: HEPA 11 filtration system
• Transmission: TechDrive power assist
• Warranty: 3 year limited warranty
• Included Attachments: Accessories caddy, portable shampooer attachment, carpet shampooer, crevice tool with removal brush, floor vacuum attachment,floor buffer, carpet fluffer, wall and ceiling brush, upholstery brush, suction control grip and extension tool

The best thing about the Kirby Sentria is that it is a lot lighter than the G-Series of vacuum cleaners. You won’t have to strain carrying it up and down the stairs. It is still made out of metal, so it is going to last for years and years without cracking or breaking like a lot of other vacuum cleaners are going to do. The vacuum weighs in at 17 pounds, which means that it is solidly built, but light enough to maneuver.
Read the rest

Popularity: unranked [?]

There are only seven must have cleaning products out there. Do you have them all?

Chances are, you spend a lot of money on cleaning products that you see on infomercials or in the bargain bin in a store because you think that they will save you a ton of time.

The question is, do any of these gimmicks make the list of the 7 must-have cleaning products?

Bring Out The Big Guns

You see a lot of ads for natural cleaners, but natural cleaners don’t clean as well as those with nasty chemicals. Sure, it is bad for the environment and you should be careful with traditional cleaners, but they are going to save you time and frustration.

The best bet: go with the easiest way to clean and get the chemicals.
Read the rest

Popularity: 62% [?]

It doesn’t matter how old your kids are, they make different messes at different ages. Whether your toddler is getting into cupboards or drawers, or your teenagers can’t seem to put away their sporting equipment, there’s just always stuff everywhere!

Here are a few helpful tips to get you and your kids on the same page. We are doing a little better with this at my house lately, but there’s always room for improvement:

1. Make sure that everything has a place.

If you expect it to get “put away,” then it should have somewhere to go. Milk crates, drawers, boxes, or plastic tubs can all be labeled to help kids sort out their stuff easily and keep it neat.

2. At least once a season, go through your kids’ clothes and toys.

Take out any clothes that are too small or too worn. And, make your kids make some decisions about what toys and “stuff” they can part with.

3. Encourage your kids to be charitable.

Anything that is still in good working order or good condition should be donated. Kids can definitely help with this process, and learn to feel good about helping others, too.

4. Put plenty of hooks in the hallway or bathroom.

Have a place for backpacks and jackets. Have a place for towels. Easy really.

5. Make a list of small chores that need to be done every day.

Kids can be expected to pick up their clothes, feed the pets, and keep their own belongings picked up on a daily basis.

Keeping your house neat and tidy takes a lot of effort—get your kids to help, and motivate them with a reward of a fun movie night or take-out dinner. You’ll save time and keep things more under control, too!

Popularity: 72% [?]