If you get a pan with burnt food at the bottom just soak it overnight with a little dish detergent, and scrub it in the morning using a used dryer sheet. It will also keep pesky mice away. Find out where they’re getting in and stuff dryer sheets in the hole. Mice can’t stand the fresh smell of dryer sheets. They will also keep deer from munching your flowers, or your vegetable plants. Cut them in strips, and tie them to the plant. Deer will stay away from any plant having a dryer sheet on it. They also work well as bug repellant. You can wipe a dryer sheet on your clothes, or tie one to your belt loop to keep mosquito’s away. Dryer sheets work great to remove the bugs who decide to commit suicide on your car windshield. Wet your car down with water, and soap. Use a dryer sheet that has already freshened your clothes in the dryer to get those dead bugs off your windshield. Cleaning soap scum off the walls of your shower can be easier using a dryer sheet on the wet surface. I hope these tips prove useful.

If you decide to buy some mats for your home don’t get them from your local big box store. The mats they have at their entrance are  a better quality than the ones they have for sale to the public. It’s a little surprising they won’t use the products they sell to you, but then the products used to clean the store after hours aren’t the same as the cleaners sold on their shelves either. You’ll need to look online, or find a local janitor supply company. This is where you’ll find high quality mats that will last you 15 to 20 years. Two great mat companies are Andersen Mats out of Georgia, and 3M out of Minneapolis. Mats come in standard sizes, and can often be custom cut. Try to make a standard size fit because a custom cut mat is a more expensive proposition. Standard sizes come in 2′x3′, 3′x5′, 4′x6′, and many others. You can also order a mat with your name, message, or logo for an additional charge. Many logo’s are already in their library. Logo’s like your college or branch of the service are readily available.You’ll want a scraper type mat for outside your door, and if it’s open to the elements make sure it’s an outdoor mat. The inside mat is usually more decor sensitive, but don’t let it’s good looks fool you. It’s job is to finish the job of getting the dirt, and moisture off your shoes. Now that you have your mats you have to take care of them. Periodically you’ll need to vacuum them or turn them over to empty them. If you don’t your mat will become loaded with dirt. In the event your mat becomes heavily soiled with grease, or mud you can wash them outside using a garden hose, mild dish detergent, and a soft brush. Care for your mats, and you will have them a long time. The foot traffic coming into your home is a fraction of what a public building experiences.

Upright vacuums have been around for a long time, and they’re still the most popular. They also are a less expensive option. If you only have carpet to vacuum these are the least expensive vacuums. A good upright vacuum like this should cost between $200 to $400. If you have hard surface flooring, and you want to use an upright the feature you want to look for is the ability to shut your brush roll off. This will be a switch up on the handle or down on the base of the unit that turns your brush roll off. If you have very plush or Frieze carpet make sure the vacuum also has a height adjustment. Self adjusting upright vacuums won’t work on these types of carpets. Make sure the brush roll has at least two rows of brushes on it, and three is best. Also a metal brush roll allows you to replace worn brush strips where wood or composite means you must replace the whole roller. If you find an upright vacuum with two motors these are the best because they combine the suction of a canister vacuum with the ease of use of an upright. A vacuum with two motors that is made in America with a five year warranty is the Riccar Brilliance, and the Radiance which carries a six year warranty. You also will never ever replace a broken belt again. They guarantee a lifetime warranty on the belt. Lastly I know a bag less  vacuum sounds great but in reality you’ll soon learn they clog easy because of the limited filter area. Filters are more expensive than the price of bags you’ll spend in a year, and are incredibly messy to empty. If you want to learn more about different types of vacuums along with their features click here to watch a short video.