6 Tips to Protect the Things You Love Indoors and Out

Whether the family dog gets his muddy paws on the couch, an ice cream cone melts all over the backyard hammock or a sudden storm soaks your new patio cushions, life is filled with unexpected messes. There's no time like the present to plan ahead so you're ready for whatever mess life throws your way.

Here are some simple steps you can take to protect the things you love both indoors and out, so they last well beyond the season:

Indoors

Clean upholstery: Sofas and chairs are vulnerable to surface stains, so cleaning upholstery on a regular basis is important. Start by vacuuming the furniture to remove as much surface debris as possible. Then use a damp, soapy cloth to gently spot treat the fabric, allowing it to soak in, reaching dirt beneath the surface. Once dry, protect the material withScotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, which helps repel liquids and stains, preventing future messes.

Remove rug and carpet stains: Whether it's red wine, tomato sauce or berries, spills and dropped food can create unwanted stains, damaging your rugs and carpet. Tackle these messes as soon as they happen with a quick and easy DIY recipe. First, sprinkle the spot with baking soda, let it sit for 10 minutes and then vacuum. Mix a tablespoon of dish soap, a tablespoon of vinegar and two cups of warm water. Blot with a clean sponge until it disappears. 

Clean your curtains: After using your curtains as a barrier between the outdoors and your living space all summer long, they likely collected dust. Most curtains can be steam cleaned, but taking them down and putting them back up again can be a hassle. To limit this, dust or vacuum your curtains every week as part of your cleaning routine. You can also use a lint roller to remove embedded dirt and grime that the vacuum can't handle.

Outdoors

Waterproof outdoor fabrics: With cooler temperatures coming, winter elements are sure to make landfall in your backyard. Protect your favorite outdoor cushions with the Scotchgard Outdoor Water Shield – moisture and liquids just roll right off.

Protect your footwear: As you break out your suede boots to step out in style this season, keep them looking great by protecting them from salt stains and snow with a water- and oil-repelling leather protector.

Care for your car: From muddy boots to coffee spills, messes often make it to car seats and floor mats when we least expect it. To clean these surfaces, mix 2 tablespoons of dish soap with 2 tablespoons of hot water and baking soda. Use a cleaning brush to lightly work through the stain in a circular motion. Wipe the area with a cloth and let the space air dry. To help prevent future stains, use an auto interior fabric protector.

Clutter and Downsizing

When looking at moving on in life an individual needs to look at the clutter that surrounds them.

BALTIMORE, July 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- When looking at clutter and downsizing you have to remember that you're moving from your old life to a new one. Downsizing is one factor that many individuals need to take into account when looking at retirement and moving on with their life. Life is about moving and clutter removal is one of the first parts in moving in forward in regards to handling a wide variety of different issues that occur before possibly moving onto a new stage in your life.

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When sorting through your home and possessions it often is a long and difficult process. You want to decide which items to keep, which items junk, and which possessions to donate. This daunting tasking often taken on alone is often very trying for an individuals, since they may have emotional attachment to certain items that may have belonged to their loved ones that may no longer or friends who are no longer with them. This could include old pieces of clothing, children's toys, books, furniture, or a multitude of different items that could be considered clutter. This decision making process does not have to be handled alone a clutter cleanup company could certainly help.

A clutter cleanup company can help an individual sort through the clutter and find the treasured items that the individual in reality really wants to keep. These are trained professionals who are willing to helping a person sort through their past in order to better their future. They are trained in encouraging the individual to realize that they will not be losing memories, but adding room to create no ones. The past can always be remembered, but the items are presently taking up much more of an area than the memories themselves. 

Clutter cleaning can involve a company taking the items sorting, and disposing of them. When you think about the costs associated with it. It is not a bad scenarios, where you have professionals handling the disposal of items that you yourself you cannot dispose of upon your own account because of the decisions involve or the size of the items that need to be removed. Also, the items that you decide to keep can be sorted by them for storage, and this is a great time saver for those individuals who are looking to avoid a significant amount of time being wasted.

When dealing with the clutter of time a clutter clean up company can help you answer any clutter cleanup questions. They are professionally trained to deal with these variety of situations and certianly address them for you. Once again you do not have to handle downsizing your clutter alone a compassionate company is out there to help you. 

Taking Care Of Your Mattress

Often overlooked, taking care of your mattress and box spring will help to ensure lasting comfort and an optimal return on your mattress investment.

Follow these tips for mattress care.

1. Flip and Rotate: This is no old wives tale. It's important that a mattress be flipped and rotated at regular intervals throughout the year. McRoskey Mattress Company recommends flipping a mattress in the winter and summer (head end to foot end) and rotating it in spring and fall. A box spring requires once-a-year rotation.

2. Protect Your Mattress: Use mattress protector pads to keep your mattress clean, dry and free from stains. Introducing any liquid into the mattress can mat the filling materials inside, causing a depression, and possibly rusting the springs. Use either an all-cotton mattress protector pad alone or in combination with a waterproof mattress protector for maximum protection.

3. Cleaning Spills and Stains. As noted, the first defense against spills (and stains) is to use a mattress protector pad. If you didn't use a mattress protector pad follow these steps to clean a spill.

For liquid spills that soak into a mattress or box spring, use towels to blot. Apply gentle pressure to absorb the liquid. Do not press the liquid into the mattress.

Cleaning Stains: Use a mild soap with damp cloth, cold water solution or a spray carpet cleaner.

Let the mattress or box spring dry completely before dressing the bed.

4. Use Proper Support: Use a bedframe with rigid center support that supports the head, foot, sides and center of the mattress and box spring. If using bed slats with a mattress and box spring, use at least three rigid, no-sag slats.

5. Stay Ahead of Mildew: Be sure your mattress and box spring have good air circulation around and under the bed. Air the mattress and brush or vacuum the top when possible.

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