Our last blog post shared how often you should clean your households, like your sheets, pillows, towels, curtains, carpet, & area rugs.  Today, we want to expand to include some items you may have forgotten about as you rush to and fro each day. 

Hair Brushes/Combs- It’s recommended that you wash your brushes and combs about every two months. First pull out stray hairs with a comb then swish the brush back and forth in a sink full of soapy water. Rinse and tap off excess water. Lay the brush bristle side down on a towel to dry or use a blow dryer to speed up the drying process.

Coffee Maker - After about 12 brews, you should clean your coffee pot.  Old coffee grounds and water deposits will alter the taste of your morning joe if you let it go too long.  The machine will function better and last longer if you clean it often.  To clean, run two parts vinegar to one part water through the machine.  Or you can run the machine through a full cycle twice with cold water, using a filter if your machine takes filters.

Washing Machine – According to Good Housekeeping, you should run the cleaning cycle monthly.   If your machine doesn’t have a “cleaning cycle”, “add liquid chlorine bleach to the dispenser and run a normal cycle with hot water.  If you have a front-loader, be sure to wipe the rubber gasket”.  For a “greener” option to bleach, run the washer through an entire hot water wash cycle with two cups of white vinegar.  Run the washer a second time on the shortest cycle possible with just water to rinse away any trace of vinegar.  Leave the lid or door open after to air out remaining moisture. Be sure to unclog the inlet hose filter too so water continues to flow adequately into the machine during the wash cycle.

Dryer – To help your dryer run efficiently, you should clean out the lint trap after every use and the dryer duct often.  In many homes the dryer exhaust is vented over long distances and include bends and turns where lint can easily accumulate. Cleaning out the vent will result in lower energy use, improved drying times, and lessen the chance of a fire.   Consider having a professional with the proper equipment and expertise service the appliance at least once a year.

Inside your refrigerator - The nationally recognized Clean out your Refrigerator day isn’t until November 15, 2012 but please don’t wait that long. You should be emptying and scrubbing the inside of your produce bins about every few months to keep the produce flavors fresh. Wipe down the rest of your refrigerator at the same time. We suggest using good old baking soda and warm water, avoiding any cleansers with chemicals of course.

Television Screens – Wipe these down every two to four weeks.  If you have little sticky hands that find their way to the screen, it could need a wipe down more frequently.  Use a soft, dry microfiber cloth.  If your screen is an LCD (glass) screen,  you could add a little water to the cloth.  Wipe the screen back and forth then up and down to avoid streaks. 

Air Ducts & Vents - Spring is the perfect time to clean your air vents.  HVAC systems are often overworked during the winter months. This can cause contaminants to build up, making the air duct system function less efficiently unless cleaned.  We found great information on do it yourself air duct cleaning on DIY Life and eHow Home.  If you decide to hire a professional to do it for you, try to get a recommendation from a reliable acquaintance or consult a review service like Angie’s List.

If you have any tips or recommendations for do it yourself Spring cleaning, we’d love to hear from you.  While you’re busy cleaning some or all of the items above, we’ll take the laundry off your hands.  Our 20% off Households limited time offer continues until May 25th, 2011 just in time to enjoy the long Holiday weekend with a clean home and closet.

•  The Old Northside 
•  St. Joseph
•  Chatham Arch & Mass Ave
•  Lockerbie Square
•  Holy Cross
•  The Downtown Condos
•  The IUPUI Area
•  Indiana Avenue
•  Canal Place
•  Fletcher Place
•  Fountain Square

With this free service, we provide you with large garment bags for pickup and return your crisp, clean garments neatly bagged and your family wash laundry in recyclable boxes. 

If you’re not at home, your clothes can be left on special hanger hooks (which we provide to slip over the top of your door), or, you may choose to give the driver access to hang your clothes in a front closet, mud room, or garage.

Whether you have one garment to clean or many bags of items, we are happy to stop by.  In fact, there is no obligation to have anything for us to pick up each time we visit. 

Our delivery days in the Downtown Indianapolis and surrounding neighborhood areas will be Mondays and Thursdays.

If you would like to make arrangements for Classic Cleaners to begin home delivery, please complete this form. Your information will be e-mailed to Classic Cleaners and someone will be in touch with you to confirm your request.

Do you ever wonder what’s “normal” or “average” for how often you should wash your sheets, pillows or towels?  Here’s a quick run down of when some of your household items need the once over.

Curtains - If your curtains are heavier weight, you can use the upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner each week when you vacuum your home.  If your window treatments are more delicate, then simply shake them out on occasion – probably right before you vacuum.  When washing your curtains, be sure to check the care label first.  Most washable curtains will need to be washed in cold water with a small amount of laundry detergent.   If you’re in doubt about your curtains, take them to a professional for dry cleaning.

Carpet -  How often you clean is based on how you treat the carpet, how many people live in the home and if you have pets.   If you take your shoes off, have no kids or pets, and vacuum frequently, then you can go two years easily without needing a professional.  But, if you are a family of 4 and neglect to always take off your shoes in the home, we advise you clean the carpets every season.  Dirt is an abrasive and if left alone, it will slowly grind away at your carpet and vacuuming is not enough to get all the dirt out.  Carpet also collects pollen, pollutants and fungus which can accumulate.  If you have pets and/or are prone to allergies, you may even want to have your carpets cleaned more frequently.

Area Rugs -
•    If the area rug is in the bathroom, it needs to be washed weekly if it’s a non rubber backing.  (Unfortunately, rubber backing rugs don’t do as well in warm/hot water so they should be washed every 3-4 weeks).  The rug gets damp many times (especially in kids bathrooms) and may not dry out all the way each day between uses.  Mold and mildew can grow easily if it’s not washed often.  Wash in warm water – maybe even hot water to ensure it gets really clean.  Let the rug  hang dry over the shower or outside on a line.  Only dry the rug in the dryer if it has a non-rubber backing. 

•    Other area rugs should be vacuumed regularly and rotated every 6 months.  If the rug is small enough to take outside and “beat”, we recommend doing that when you rotate the rug.  If not, you may want to call a professional to come pick it up and clean it for you.  Do not use the harsh chemicals that are sold for wall to wall carpeted rooms.  Area rug fibers are more delicate, colors can bleed and the excess moisture can ruin the floors underneath the rug. 

Sheets – You should wash your sheets every two weeks at a minimum and once a week is ideal.  You shed dead skin, oil, and sweat when you sleep and dust mites have a field day living, eating, and reproducing on your sheets.  For those who suffer from allergies, you could prevent them or lower them by simply washing your sheets more often.  Wash in hot soapy water and let them dry completely in the dryer.  Wash your bedding more often if there is reason to do so.

Duvet Covers – Depending on how you treat the duvet cover dictates how often you should wash it.  For example, if you have pets that lounge on your bed, you should wash the duvet cover weekly at a minimum.  In all other cases,  your duvet cover should be treated similarly to your sheets in terms of laundering.  If you sleep with a sheet between you and the duvet cover, you should wash the duvet cover monthly.  If you do not use a flat sheet and just sleep with the comforter covered with the duvet cover, you should wash the duvet cover weekly.  If you use a flat sheet, a blanket and then the duvet cover, you would be fine washing your duvet cover quarterly (four times a year) bearing there are no spills or stains incurred between washings. 

Pillows – Every six months you could throw your down or polyester pillows in the wash.  Washing them monthly could substantially cut down the dust mites and allergens.  Wash them two at a time with detergent on the gentle cycle then select the extra spin cycle to remove excess water.  Tumble dry low, fluffing the pillows every so often. 

Towels – Wash bathroom laundry towels every 3-5 uses.  Be sure the towel has time to dry off between uses to ward off mold and mildew.  If you use your towel more than 3-5 times before washing it, remember, each time you dry off (even though you’re clean) you are scraping off dead skin cells that collect in the fibers of your towel.  So you end up with 5 days worth of dead skin cells in your towel on that 6th use.  Yuck!

At Classic Cleaners, we are experts in cleaning your household items.  Check back with us May 7th, 2012 for our next Limited Time Offer where we are offering 20% off Households until May 26th, 2012.   We specialize in bed linens, down pillow rejuvenation, window treatments and table linen cleaning.   Count on us to help you clean large items like your comforters and duvet covers too!

We are unable to clean your area rugs but we can give you a great recommendation if you need assistance.

Many invitations will specify attire but if it’s not specified on the invitation look at the time of day, location, and the formality of the invitation as a guide.  Keep reading for our tips on what to wear to a wedding. 

INVITATION SPECIFIES ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

“Black Tie, Black Tie Preferred, Black Tie Invited or Black Tie Optional”: 
•  Men should rent and wear a tux if possible.  If a tux is not accessible, men should wear a very dark suit with a white shirt and black tie.
•  Women should wear a formal dress, usually to the floor.  Accessories include beaded bags, fancy wraps, formal jewelry, and maybe gloves. 

“Formal or Cocktail Attire”:
•  Men should wear a Dark suit and a tie, day or evening.
•  Women should wear a long or short cocktail dress that could include beading, formal jewelry & a wrap.

“Semi Formal”:
•  Men should wear a suit – light colored for day, dark suit with a tie if evening.
•  Women could wear a cocktail dress or a skirt and top.

“Casual”:
•  Men should wear a dress shirt and pants, possibly a Blazer/sports jacket for day and a suit for an evening wedding. 
•  Women should wear a summer sundress, skirt, or pants with a nice blouse;   everyday jewelry and accessories. 
*** Jeans, shorts and tank tops are not recommended.

“Beach Formal”:
•  Men should wear a summer suite and sandals.
•  Women could wear a more formal summer sundress with flat sandals. 
***Men and Women should assume an elegant beach wedding and dress to impress but be mindful of the sun, sand and water. 

INVITATION DOES NOT SPECIFY ATTIRE:  

Daytime Wedding – Morning or Afternoon:
•  Men should not wear a tuxedo during the day time, regardless of the formality of the event.  A light colored suit for summer or if it’s winter, slacks with a shirt & tie under a sweater.  Dress it up more with a Blazer. 
•  Women could wear a fun floral dress, a skirt and sweater set or even a light colored suit.  Business attire is also okay for this type of setting.  Hats or gloves are optional if it’s on wedding is on the formal side.  No black or sequins during the day time.

Evening Wedding:
•  Men cannot go wrong wearing a dark suit with a tie.
•  Women cannot go wrong with a little black dress.  But, women have a lot of options with color of dresses and even a dressy suit.  Stick to a sophisticated look and avoid too many sequins or beads.  Carry a small evening bag rather than a purse.

Whatever you wear, keep in mind that your attire reflects your respect for the Bride and Groom and you can rarely be over dressed.  Please don’t show up in jeans, anything too sexy or revealing, or anything torn or with holes.  And it’s probably a good idea to avoid wearing all white no matter what trendy fashion magazines may advise.