General

How often do you vacuum your lovable pooch? Yes, you read right, my darling dog was a rescue and her previous owner would vacuum her.

It is a hoot to see her scamper over to me when I bring the portable vacuum out. The first time she did this I didn’t know what to make of it. She would lie on her side waiting for me to start. When, I figured out what she was wanting, I open the hose to release some of the suction, put on the furniture attachment so not to injury her. This has become a routine with us every time I vacuum.

The advantages I have found are two fold, for the dog she is more comfortable less scratching and her bedding is cleaner. She is not sneezing from the loose hair and dirt in her coat.

For me it is having a home with a lot less dog hair and less dust. This has prompted me to vacuum and clean her bedding on a regular basis, not just when I can’t stand it anymore.

I have found we still have those not so wonderful days when she runs through the mud puddles with glee and arrives at the door looking like a dog that has been dipped in chocolate. My cure for that is giving her a bath with Watkins Botanical Pet Shampoo, I love the ingredients of aloe vera, lemon oil and vitamin E, and it leaves her coat shiny and smelling great, not like wet dog, yuck.

Mary Ellen

Associate #364297

Is it time for your annual spring cleaning? Ah spring, think of how wonderful you and your family will feel to be able to open the windows again and let in the fresh air! Take a few minutes to make a spring cleaning list of what you’ll need to do. Here are some suggestions for you but feel free to change this list to suit your own needs.

• Windows - take down the drapes or curtains and dust the blinds. Wash the windows inside and out, don’t forget the frames and casings. Next, wash the curtains, iron if needed and rehang.
• Walls - wash the walls, start at the bottom and work your way up to-wards the ceiling, this will prevent the water and cleaner from dripping down making clean streaks or lines.
• Ceilings - dust for cobwebs and then wash.
• Floors - move all the furniture in each room so you can clean the floors behind and underneath everything to evict the dust bunnies and other things hiding there. Vacuum the carpets, sweep and mop hard floor surfaces. Take area rugs outdoors and give them a good shake.
• Furniture - wipe hard furniture like coffee tables, book shelves, dressers etc with a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt. Spot clean upholstery, and launder removable covers.
• Kitchen - wash the outside of your kitchen cabinets and appliances with a degreaser cleaner to cut through the dust and cooking grease that accumulated over the winter months.

You shouldn’t need many extra cleaning supplies to do your spring cleaning, here’s a list of basic cleaning supplies:

• Multi-purpose cleaner for walls, ceilings, floors, and general cleaning.
• Window and glass cleaner to polish mirrors, chrome, stainless steel and for sparkling windows too.
• Bathroom cleaner for tackling mineral buildup, hard water stains and soap scum.
• A sturdy pail or bucket.
• Cleaning cloths for dusting and scrubbing.
• A vacuum, a broom, a dust pan, a mop and a scrub brush.

Get the entire family involved in spring cleaning then reward yourselves with a fun family activity when you are done!

You want your home to smell good, but do you also want a better alternative to expensive synthetic air fresheners which can be unhealthy? Aerosol air fresheners and room sprays can cause breathing problems in children and people with asthma. The manufacturers of these air fresheners keep the chemical composition a closely-guarded secret. Isn’t that a scarey fact. They are designed to mask or cover up odors rather than remove the odor. It’s better to remove odor from the source than try to cover it up.

Here are some safe and easy ideas to make your home smell great during the holidays and anytime of the year.

Choose non-aerosol room sprays made with all natural essential oils, they are safer and the natural scents will make your home smell nice, clean and fresh. Try an energizing citrus, a warming spice, exhilarating mint or pine scent to enhance the ambience of your home. Watkins offers you all these wonderful natural room fresheners.

Tip: Just before your guests arrive, spray one or two pumps in your entry way or the first room they enter. After one has been exposed to a scent for a while it become less noticable, that’s why you can’t smell your own perfume later in the day when everyone else can. You just need to make first impression for your guest’s.

Give your home a wonderful appealing smell by simmering cloves and cinnamon in water. It will smell like you’ve been baking. You can vary the scent by adding vanilla, orange or lemon peel. Raid your pantry and spice cupboard for these natural scents. Use a special potpourri simmering pot, mini crock pot or just a regular pot on your stove.

Scented candles are another alternative, choose environmentally friendly soy based candles with a lead-free wick as they burn cleaner. Never leave a buring candle unattended or near anything that could catch fire. Watkins Orange Citrus Candle pictured here burns for 40 hours, and is has a delightful orange scent.

Tip: Light a scented candle half an hour before your guests arrive so your home will smell nice when they enter, then extinguish it, the lovely scent will linger. It’s more frugal to burn a candle for a short period of time too.

You’ll find a wide variety of products to safely make your home smell good at WatkinsOnline.

The holidays are coming and that usually means more company as family and friends visit more this time of year. And company means it’s time to do a little extra cleaning, after all you want your home to look it’s best! So here are some quick cleaning tips for the holidays.

1. Plan ahead and don’t leave all your cleaning projects till the last minute. If you do a bit every day it won’t be overwhelming.
2. Look around each room and see what really needs cleaning the most. Focus on those areas first, this way if you don’t get everything done you’ll will have the most noticeable stuff done.
3. You can tackle each room cleaning from top to bottom or work on a specific area, for example all the windows, floors, walls through out your home. Find the method that works best for you and your family.
4. Spot clean, if the whole thing isn’t dirty just clean the spots that are. Wipe finger prints off lightswitch plates rather than wash the entire wall. Dust for cob webs rather than wash all the walls and ceilings.
5. Don’t forget to delegate! When you get the whole family involved you’ll be less stressed and they will be more likey to keep the house clean when they have been involved in the work.
6. Purge, it’s easier to clean and keep your home looking neat and tidy if you get rid of excess things. Now’s a great time to purge before more “things” come into your home.
7. Use a multi purpose cleaner to save time and money.

And last but not least, remember your guests are coming to see you and your family so relax, enjoy the wonderful company and have a safe and happy holiday.

The holidays will soon be upon us. That generally means entertaining and all the preparations that follow. I want every part of my home to sparkle just like my event.

One of the areas that usually is last on my weekly cleaning list is my rug. Thank goodness for Watkins Pro-Stain Rug Cleaner. I add 1-2 tbsps to 3-4 cups of water and tackle any spots. You know those spots such as coffee, cola, food, a pet’s dirty paw print etc.that just didn’t get noticed immediately. Using Watkins Pro-Stain Rug Cleaner full strength on those other unexpected problems such as vomit, blood and/ or urine will remove all traces of the stain and odor.It’s amazing how cleaning those few carpet and/or upholstery spots can spruce up an entire room and save you time.

I recently assisted my daughter with a move into an apartment in Minneapolis. The apartment Manager warned us that there were a few stains on the carpet that the professional carpet cleaner just couldn’t remove. Luckily, I had taken my Watkins Pro-Stain Rug Cleaner, along. We had no idea what those spots were from but in no time at all that carpet was totally spot free. The same concentrations of this terrifc rug cleaner work great on those new microfiber or upholstered sofas/chairs.

You guessed it, the Watkins Pro-Stain Rug Cleaner stayed with my daughter in her new apartment. It’s reputation is rippling through the apartment complex.

Lorraine Cenatiempo

We are pet lovers, as are millions of other North Americans. Keeping your house clean with a pet or two in the family can be a challenge. Pet hair, dirt, muddy paws and accidents are all a fact of life when you are a pet owner. Here are a few ideas to simplify keeping house with pets.

Only allow your pet into certain rooms of your home to contain dirt and hair to a small area rather than let them roam freely. My parents didn’t allow our dogs into the carpeted areas of our house. This kept the carpets clean much longer. Our dogs were well trained and knew they were not allowed on the carpet. They were happy to have the run of the rest of the house. My friend only allows her dogs into the mud room which makes the daily sweeping quick and easy. We keep the door closed to the spare bedroom to keep the cat out, she loves to sleep on that bed when we aren’t looking and leaves dirt and hair behind.

Another solution is to have your dog’s bed near the door so if he or she comes indoors with dirty paws they can curl up on their bed until they are dried off and cleaner. Our dogs go directly to their bed when they come inside so any dirt and hair is contained in their bedding. Depending on the weather their bedding needs a quick shake outdoors regularly and washing every few weeks or so. You can also use an old towel to wipe muddy paws at the door. If paws are really muddy rinse them in a small bucket of warm water and dry them with an old towel.

If your dog or cat prefers to sleep on your bed or upholstered furniture cover their favorite nap location with a towel or small blanket that can be easily washed.

For smaller pets like hamsters place their cage inside a low sided box to contain shavings they kick out of their cage when playing.

Our feathered friends seem to love to spread their seeds and feathers everywhere. Place their food dish as low as possible in their cage. A pretty fabric enclosure will help keep the flying debris inside the cage.

Oops, accidents do happen when you have pets!
To remove any unpleasant odors left behind when your pet has an accident use Watkins Pet Odor Eliminator, it works wonders. This safe, natural based bacterial digestant attacks odors at the source. Just spray on the accident scene to permanently eliminate odors. Great for eliminating cat urine odors indoors and out.

For accidents on carpets use Watkins Stain Pro Rug Cleaner, it’s safe for use on any rug or carpet, even “stain-resistant” carpets. The anionic surfactants and cultivated bacterial strains dissolve and digest tough stains and odors left by food and other organic sources such as pet urine, vomit or feces. We use Watkins rug cleaner when training our puppies to prevent them from returning to the same spot to do their business.

Pets are part of the family but they don’t have to cause you a lot of extra house work. They’ll be happy to stay in their place, love them and enjoy them!

There are thousands of cleaning products, supplies and tools available theses days but really only a few basics are required to keep your home clean. The same basics that have been used by homemakers for years.

• A broom and dust pan to sweep floors or a vaccum.
• If you have carpet, you’ll need a vaccum cleaner. A vaccum maybe used on most any floor surface so you can skip the broom and dust pan if you like.
• Rags, cotton works best. I like old cotton T-shirts or cotton towels. You can purchase these at thrift or second hand stores very inexpensively.
• A bucket or pail. Reuse an ice cream type pail if you like.
• A multipurpose organic cleaner
• A mop. You can use a rag to wash floors but a mop makes it easier if you have a large area of floor to wash.

You may need a few special cleaners for particular jobs but for the most part a good multipurpose cleaner can be used for all the regular weekly cleaning jobs around your home. A mixing bottle with a trigger sprayer can speed application for spray and wipe tasks like mirrors, appliances, counter tops and dusting.

The less products and tools you have to deal with the simpler your life will be. You will save money and it is friendlier for our environment too because you’ll be adding less waste into the eco-system.