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Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is the time set aside for deep cleaning in the spring. It’s a time, after the winter, to get your home clean and ready for the year. Unless you happen to have hoarding tendencies, most people embrace the concept of spring cleaning to some degree. But do you ever stop to consider why we would want spring cleaning as part of our “yearly to-dos”?
The history of spring cleaning.
As J…ewish custom goes, Passover is an event for cleaning. Its purpose is to remember when the Jewish people left Egypt. In Egypt, the Jewish slaves were hurriedly given unleavened bread prior to their leaving. For Jewish people, Passover has since become a time to clean every nook and cranny of the home to remove any bread morsel according to their custom. Jewish custom considers leaving bread crumbs during Passover an insult to God. Therefore, some attribute the tradition of spring cleaning to Jewish culture.
Many other cultures also embrace the concept of spring cleaning. The Chinese and Iranian cultures also have a tradition. Homes are cleaned for the new year to keep bad luck away from the home and family. Good luck comes to people who obey this tradition. Additionally, Greece and many Orthodox countries clean the house completely during the first week of Great Lent. This week is referenced as Clean Week and often corresponds with Julian New Year, or April 1.
Maybe the winter makes us sleepy and lazy. Spring wakes us up and allows us to see the mess we’ve accumulated over the winter. So now it’s time to clean it all up and the sleepiness of winter is a perfect excuse for our homes not being in top shape.
Historical events and traditions aside, spring cleaning is simply about biology. Germs need to be removed. Order needs to happen. A clean home is a healthy home. A clean home is a safe home. And a clean home is a happy home.
How about your carpet and rugs? The soils tracked into your home are filled with soot, grease and sticky substances from the outside world. Weekly vacuuming doesn’t cut it. And of course, if you spilled or had a pet accident on your carpet or rug fibers, a handy bottle of spot remover or spot cleaning machine helps, but it’s not enough. Even if your carpet still looks good, carpet makers recommend yearly cleaning to remove this soil build up. If you wait until your carpet looks bad before you get it cleaned, you may already have some damage done to fibers.
How about those windows and Blinds? Your windows probally have become covered with dust and grime from the winter. Your blinds, probally the most neglected part of your home have become covered with dust also. Window companies recommend that you clean your windows at least once a year. If they become etched you might have to have them restored which could be costly. What about your glass shower door? How do they look? A Sparkling View, LLC can restore them back to new! Have A Sparkling View, LLC take those tasks away from you and clean those windows and blinds for you. As always all estimate are free, gvie us a call today!
Exercising in cold weather
If you exercise outdoors in cold weather, you need to take certain steps to stay safe, an expert advises.
The main issue is hypothermia, which is excessive loss of body heat, explained Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise.
Layers of clothing keep you warm and give you the ability to control your body heat while exercising. A hat or helmet is crucial, because you can lose about 50 percent of your body heat through your head when the temperature is at the freezing mark.
Wear gloves and warm footwear. It can be difficult to keep hands and feet warm when exercising in the cold. Lower air temperatures cause the body to shift blood away from the extremities to the center of the body to warm and protect the internal organs, Bryant said in a council news release.
While superficial warming of the hands will restore normal blood flow, this does not occur in the feet unless the temperature of the torso is normal or slightly higher than normal. This means that, to keep your hands and feet warm, you also have to keep the rest of your body warm at all times, Bryant explained.
Before you go outside to exercise, check the air temperature and wind chill factor. If your skin is properly covered, there is little danger when the temperature is 20 degrees Farenheit, even if there is a 30 miles-per-hour wind, according to National Safety Council data cited in the release.
However, exposed skin is in danger when the wind chill factor (a combination of air temperature and wind) falls below minus 20 degrees.
If you’re exercising in the danger zone for skin exposure, you should wear a scarf or mask over your nose and mouth, to warm the air before you inhale it, Bryant advised.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about cold weather hazards and safety.
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Blinds for high traffic areas
Let’s be honest, renters and children are generally hard on window blinds. But these aren’t the only situations. Blinds for high traffic areas generally take a lot of abuse, so, for your blinds for those high traffic areas, and for rental units or children’s playrooms, what are your best options?
The following are some suggested window blinds for high traffic areas, and some suggested blinds to avoid for those same areas:
Here are the DO’S:
* Vinyl Roller Shades – Vinyl roller shades are great blinds for high traffic areas, but be sure to get the clutch operated shades, as they work much better than the spring roller version. These are easy to care for, and easy to clean, so they are perfect for children’s rooms or rental properties. Just use a little mild detergent on a wash cloth and wipe it down, and it will look as good as new.
* Sun Control Shades – these are pretty much the same as the Vinyl Roller Shades, but they cost more. They cost more because you can see through them, so basically the price is a little higher but the ability to have your view while the shade is in the down position is well worth it, that is if you have a view worth seeing.
* 2″ Vinyl Blinds – These are great blinds for high traffic areas because the slats are made of a flexible vinyl and the ladder strings are braided polyester so they will withstand most any abuse. However, for the 2″ vinyl blinds you have a number of choices for style and design. It is important to remember that the smooth vinyl blinds are easier to clean than the embossed or textured vinyl blinds.
* 2″ faux wood Blinds – These clean a stand up just like the 2″ vinyl blinds but have a better quality look to them. So these are great for a child’s room that youstill want to have looking nice and upscale, but want the durability and ability to withstand the typical abuse a child’s blind may undergo.
* All PVC Vertical Blinds – These are all extremely durable, but once again, you want to choose a style that is going to be easy to clean, such as the smooth verticals as these will be easier to clean than the embossed PVC vertical, however both wear and clean really well.
Here are the DON’TS:
* Aluminum mini blinds – The metal slats, although spring tempered, will still bend when pushed too far. They can be a little tricky to dust too. So for children’s rooms, this is a horrible option as they will likely get bent and ruined quickly.
* Sheer verticals – This one doesn’t need much of an explanation. Any drapery or sheer type fabric that gets a stain in it means the whole window treatment needs taken down and professionally cleaned, this makes this a bad option for high traffic areas.
* Real wood Verticals – One of the most beautiful products you could put on a window OR door but not the best in areas that may take a beating. The price to replace slats can add up really fast, and why spend so much on something that won’t be valued as it should?
A Sparkling ViewLLC, carries all types of blinds, if you would like to see our sample books please give us a call at 845.988.5535 or visit us on the web at www.asparklingview.com.
Choosing the right window washing company.
In any building whether business or domestic window cleaning is a basic expense. This is due to the fact that most buildings are made of steel and glass. Glass under a considerable duration of time accumulates dirt which mandates the need to clean them. There are some traits of the cleaning service provider that you should consider when choosing one.
One trait is reliability of the company. Therefore, the company you go for should have experience in commercial and residential cleaning. You should companies that commonly send their trainee staff, because the risk of damages and losses are high. With that, you need to check the credentials of the company so as to get information on their experience. The need for an experienced company is because they usually use professional cleaning tools thus satisfactory results given.
Another trait is that the workers of the company should insured and bonded. If the firm’s employees are insured, this means that the employees are covered in the case of accidents or damages while working. If they are bonded this means that in the case of the workers stealing anything in your premises then company has covered you from this. The benefit of checking whether the service provider has these covers is that the company will be able to compensate you.
Thirdly, you should check on the trustworthiness of the service provider. Trust comes in because most people usually have their windows cleaned when they are not in their business premises or at home. Therefore, a trusted company should be hired so as to ensure that your property is safe. Even when you are around checking on them there is a high probability that you may leave for a couple of minutes and if you did not check on their trustworthy, you will end up being robbed.
Also check on a company’s cleaning equipments by checking whether they are well equipped. In the case, where they are working from inside, they should have shoe covers on. They should also have ladders to be able to reach hard to reach heights. This is in the case if you have very high windows that one needs to step on something to reach them.
The company’s cleanliness should be another trait you look at. Appearance should speak for the company’s effectiveness. If the company is dirty then how will they manage to clean at your place? Apart from checking their business premises also check on their vehicles. Check whether they are clean and labeled. It is ironical to hire a cleaning company that cannot clean its own premises.
The company should be reputable and recognizable. Therefore, the company should be active with local chamber of commerces. Also, by asking around you can easily check on the client feedback on the efficiency of the services. You will be able to get the reputation of the various companies and go for the one with the best reputation.
To sum it all up, choosing a window cleaning company is not an easy venture. You should always note that not all companies out there are genuine. Following the tips given above you will surely get the best cleaner for your needs.
Since 2008, we have established a reputation of providing excellent window and blind cleaning in the hudson valley. A Sparkling View LLC can handle any window cleaning job up to 4 story buildings. Please visit our website at www.asparklingview.com or give us a call and 845-988-5535.
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