Even low-maintenance vinyl siding requires a good cleaning at least once a year, more often if you live by a busy road or an open, dusty field. Develop a plan of action using a pressure washer to clean the exterior of your entire home in just one day. Before using the pressure washer, take a quick walk around the house to make sure that the siding is all intact and no pieces of vinyl have become loose. Check for cracks in the siding that water might penetrate and identify how the lengths of siding on long walls overlap. Make sure all of your windows are shut and check to see that caulking and glazing on those windows is in good condition so that water doesn’t seep in. Soaking the soil in the garden beds around the edge of your house will help to dilute any chemicals that are in the soap that you will use, so that they aren’t absorbed as easily by plants. Pour multi-use soap that is formulated for pressure washers into the reservoir. Check the packaging to make sure the soap is safe for siding, windows and sidewalks.

Install the soap tip to the end of your pressure washing wand. The soap tip provides a lower pressure blast at a wider angle (60-degrees), which will allow the volume of soap to be distributed with wider coverage across the vinyl siding. Turn on the pressure washer. As you begin to initiate the wand, avoid pointing up and refrain from directing the spray where the vinyl lengths overlap. If you stream water upwards or between the laps in siding, the water is likely to force behind the vinyl panels, penetrating the insulation. It is best to use a tall ladder when spraying. If water is trapped behind the siding, it doesn’t dry easily and leads to water damage. The same can be said when you target the spray into corners, be wary of how the water is impacting the crevices where the boards end. These areas will still get misted by off-spray as you clean surrounding areas, but plan to wipe them clean with a dry towel. Use the soapy spray to cover the vinyl siding, keeping the tip of the wand at a 45-degree angle to the window and trim.

Aiming the wand at that angle will help to lift and remove dirt from beneath more effectively than blasting it straight on. You will find that the soap may run low every few minutes. Keep an eye on its level so that you can turn off the pressure washer and refill periodically as you make your way around the perimeter of your home. Use the depleted reservoir on as an opportunity to switch nozzle tips (refer to step 5) and rinse the area that you just applied soap to before the soap dries on the siding. Turn off the pressure washer, and switch the tip on the wand to a general-use tip. A tip that delivers a 15-20 degree angle will provide a stronger pressure stream to effectively remove soap on the surface and dirt that has been loosened by the soap. Follow the same spray technique. Be careful not to blast upwards against the vinyl or into the corners, now that the pressure is stronger, the washer can do more damage. Use a dry towel to wipe down residue on the inner and outer corners of the siding.

This also helps to absorb extra moisture in those sensitive areas that are more susceptible to water damage.You know what I’m talking about – those whitish, grayish spots in corners, on the floor under furniture, maybe on your vinyl siding under the porch light. Call them spider droppings or spider “poop.” If you’ve ever tried to clean spider droppings off of a surface, you know that it’s formidable stuff.best vacuum cleaner for caravan Spiders excrete thick, liquid droppings from their anal opening which land on the surface below. air duct cleaning meaningSpider droppings are a combination of digested food (insects) and waste products. which best buy vacuum cleaner 2011The droppings look like pin head-size splats or drips in shades of white, gray, brown, or black.

You’ll find the droppings on surfaces below where you find spiders. Typical indoor sites are on interior walls or floor beneath corner webs, under pieces of furniture or large objects that are up off of the floor (like tables), in dark corners anywhere. In fact, one way to find spiders in a home is to first look for the droppings, then look straight above to find the spider in its web. If you get to the poop right after it’s excreted, it wipes up pretty easily. But once dried, it can be extremely difficult to get off of some surfaces. Even when removed, it can leave yellowish stains. It seems that waxed or glossy surfaces are easier to clean, although boat owners who are always waxing have a heck of a time with spider poop. So much so that there are entire Internet discussion sites for boaters on just how to get that stuff off. There are even commercial products just for boaters that claim to remove spider poop. What you use to clean the droppings will depend on the surface in question.

You don’t want to use a harsh cleanser on fine furniture. And be careful of rubbing alcohol or solvents since they could melt the finish. I haven’t actually tried any of these Internet home remedies for myself so I can’t say which works best. No matter which method you use, a lot of elbow grease will be involved. It should help if you can let the solution sit on the surface for a few minutes before scrubbing. (Note that I don’t endorse any of the commercial products mentioned): And here’s a good one. One guy who claims to be a professional cleaner says you should use urine. Pee on a rag or towel, he says, and rub the spots with that. I don’t think I want that guy cleaning my house. Here’s my best advice to get rid of spider droppings: contact Colonial Pest for a free quote, or call us right now at 1-800-525-8084! No more spiders, no more droppings. Photo credit: Accretion Disc / Foter / CC BYHow to clean anything Forget fancy sprays and cleaning chemicals, a new guide reveals simple ways to put the sparkle

back into your life - from using foil to make silver gleam to why you should never wet a scruffy carpet... Squeaky clean: Celebrity cleaners Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie * Vacuum fabric flowers to remove dust, or shake them in a paper bag with oats, cornmeal or salt. Perk up wilted specimens with steam from a kettle or iron. * Dry out a damp book by sprinkling the pages with cornstarch to absorb the moisture. Let it sit overnight then brush out the cornstarch. * To pick up cat hair put on a wet rubber dishwashing glove and wipe your hand over surfaces for an instant clean. * A quick way to dust picture frames, mouldings and doors is to wear an old sock on your hand. Discard or wash and re-use. * To remove stubborn price tags from dishes and glassware, use a cotton bud soaked in rubbing alcohol or nail-polish remover which dissolves the sticky glue instantly. * Piano keys are sensitive to moisture, so dust with a dry paintbrush. Deeper stains can be removed by grating a white vinyl eraser on a lemon zester and rubbing the powder into the keys.

Hoover up the residue. To make your loo sparkle, pop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the bowl. * When you’re washing narrow-necked glass vases and decanters pour in a teaspoon of uncooked rice and swill around to remove stubborn stains. * Clean lampshades with a vacuum cleaner. * A mouldy tent can be given a new lease of life by making a solution of bleach and water (1:20) in a spray bottle. Wearing old clothes, goggles and gloves, spray on to the affected areas and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse well with a garden hose and dry thoroughly. * Baby wipes are the ideal way to clean car dashboards and interiors. * Clean road grime from your windscreen using Coca Cola. One of the active ingredients in Coca Cola is phosphoric acid which, in its purest form, can eat through metal and dissolve concrete. Rinse to remove the sugar. * Clean wrought-iron or aluminum outdoor furniture with warm water and a mild dishwashing detergent. Rinse by hosing down.

To protect the shine on aluminium furniture, apply baby oil with a soft cloth every two to three months. Clean teak furniture using a soft scrubbing brush dampened with water and a mild, oil-based soap. * To clean a really grubby bath, fill with warm water, add a couple of cups of biological washing powder and leaveRinse and buff dry. * Remove limescale from shower doors and taps by polishing with white wine vinegar. Rinse thoroughly with lots of warm water to prevent smears. * To make your loo sparkle, pop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the bowl and leave overnight. Or make your own foaming loo cleaner by mixing vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. * Baby wipes are brilliant for quick surface clean-ups in kitchens and bathrooms. * Dusty houseplants can be gently polished with the inside of a banana skin. * Clean dusty blinds by closing them and wiping from left to right with a feather duster. To shift a heavy build up of dirt, put them in a bath of warm water and biological washing powder.

* To banish cigarette smells, soak a tea towel in warm water and white vinegar, rinse and wave around the room. * The best way to clean windows and glass is to use vinegar, which cuts grime and then evaporates, and polish with old newspapers which give a streak-free finish. * Polish furniture using homemade polish: three parts of olive oil to one part vinegar. Apply a dab on a soft cloth. * Dirty walls should be washed from bottom to top. It is easier to remove drips from freshly cleaned walls rather than dirty ones. * Dull, grey sheets can be brightened up by soaking overnight in a bath full of biological powder before finishing off with a hot wash. The right way to wash your jeans * Wash jeans in warm water with no bleach. Turn them inside out before washing to slow down fading. Air dry to keep them in mint condition but if you’re in a hurry you can tumble dry them on low. Don’t worry about shrinkage. Denim is resilient and most pairs have been pre-shrunk by washing before they go on sale.

* To camouflage scratches on a leather handbag, add a few drops of white vinegar to a piece of cheesecloth, then wipe over the bag. Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off any excess. Clear shoe cream or polish (not wax) applied every other month will provide a protective base but be sure to test it on the bottom of the bag first. HOW TO CLEAN A COMPUTER KEYBOARD Suck up dust and dirt from a computer keyboard using the smallest nozzle on your vacuum cleaner. Remove any single sticky keys by prising up with a flat-head screwdriver and then clean them with a cotton bud dipped in distilled water. * For an effortless way to clean tarnished silver line a baking pan or plastic bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up, and fill  with hot water, a small amount of salt and a mug of soda crystals. Immerse the silver, ensuring it is touching the foil. A chemical reaction between the foil and the silver will remove the stain. Dry with a rough cloth. * Copper is easy to clean using a homemade paste of one tablespoon salt, one tablespoon flour and one tablespoon vinegar.

Rub on then wash in hot soapy water. Rinse and buff for a shiny finish. A cut lemon dipped in salt also works well. * To clean gold jewellery, dip a clean rag into water and then into ash. Rub the surface of the jewellery, rinse and buff. The ash is made up of very fine particles that work like a non-scratch abrasive. * Never wet a dirty carpet – excessive wetting can cause the fabric backing to shrink. Instead, mix one cup of cornmeal with one cup of borax. Sprinkle on to the carpet and leave for one hour. Tough stains can be blotted with vinegar in soapy water. Do not scrub as this will damage the pile. Let mud dry out first before lifting as much as you can with a dull knife or the handle of a spoon and vacuum the rest. * 95 per cent of all the dirt found in your house comes from outside. A good quality entrance mat can capture as much as a pound of dirt per square foot. * Carpets act as filters for the entire house – all the particles in the air eventually settle in the carpet.