Tuesday, December 16, 2008

How To Clean Marble Tile

More and more people are using marble tiles for home applications, but since marbles are considered soft stone, you need to take good care of it to maintain its spark and shine. It can be damaged by dirt and some acidic materials such as fruit juice, colas, wines, coffees and so on, but it doesn't made people to unused these materials for their homes. How To clean marble tiles and keep your marble sparkling?

To keep your marble sparkling, be sure to keep it free from routine dust and dirt. Cleaning marble tiles by sweeping the floor often with a soft bristled broom or vacuuming to pick up any loose dirt. If this can't be done every day, settle for two or three times a week.

Since there are plenty of people using marble tiles, the demand of products in cleaning it is increasing. It is best to keep a marble tile cleaner at hand so in case of accidental spillage of acidic materials or dirt, you can easily clean up right away. There are cases that your family and friends will walk around your home with dirt or sand in their shoes, so your marble tiles can gain dirt and scratches, so you have to clean them.

Occasionally wash marble surfaces with lukewarm water and wipe dry with a clean cloth. Wiping surface with a damp chamois will not leave streaks. Once or twice a year, depending on soil, wash with a mild detergent solution (hand dish-washing detergent and warm water), rinse and wipe dry.

A light coat of wax will protect the surface of marble but is not considered essential. Use colorless wax. Don't wax white marble as it may tend to yellow it. A marble sealer can be applied to clean marble, which will protect from staining and allow soil to be wiped off with a damp cloth.

Oil stains may include butter, hand cream or lotion. As soon as possible, spread surface with an absorbent fine powder such as whiting or even corn starch. After short time brush to remove and reapply more powder. Let stand 24 hours. To remove: Scrub with hot, sudsy (detergent) solution and stiff brush. Or wipe with ammonia-dampened cloth. In either case, then rinse and wipe dry. If these alkaline solutions don't remove all the oil, you can try a solvent. Make a poultice dampened with acetone or amyl acetate (available at drug stores), or with home dry cleaning fluid. Use good ventilation with windows open to remove fumes, do not use near spark or flame, and do not leave on too long.

Vinegar is helpful in cleaning lots of materials at home but not marble tiles. Vinegar can damage these types of tiles, so you have to put vinegar away from it. Do not use any type of detergents or soaps, it would be better to use warm water if you do not have cleaner.

One can install marble tiles over the existing floor provided that it is level, smooth and cleaned properly, if not, you have to remove the existing floor. Marble tiles should be cut properly to fit before you glue it to the floor. If you think you can't make this work done, you can hire a professional to do the work for you.

Seal and polish the tiles every few months is a good idea. The polish will help your floor to shine, while the sealant will protect the floors from everyday dirt and grime and make it easier for you to clean marble tiles on a regular basis. Your local home improvement emporium is sure to have plenty of options for marble tile cleaners, sealants and polishing agents.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Vacuum Cleaners: a Brief History

These days, vacuum cleaners are a familiar tool in any household cleaning arsenal, but this has not always been the case. In days gone by, cleaning was a job performed by using more primitive tools, like the trusty sweeping brush or broom. And while these tools were undoubtedly of enormous value to the house cleaner who had little else to work with, we have come a long way since then, and, in some ways, have come full circle.

It was the Industrial Revolution that set the cleaning world alight. Before that time, the sweeping brush was king, and really, it was probably quite adequate. But though the presence of heavy dust and grime increased during the revolution, as the cities in which many people lived became covered in soot and other industrial by-products, the dirt that was created was really not sufficient reason for housewives to become the queens of cleanliness they did. Around this time, though, a huge propaganda campaign was born that alarmed people with its prophecies. Health and lives were in mortal danger if dirt was not tamed, and cleaning products of all sorts witnessed an enormous jump in sales.

It was against this backdrop that the first vacuum cleaner came into being. Invented in Chicago in 1865, this hand pumped device lead the way in vacuum cleaner development. Followed by a range of similar devices, the design became more and more intricate as the years progressed, with the cleaners growing ever more ornate and multifunctional, being used as sideboards, among other things. However, requiring two people to operate it, this type of machine was less than user friendly.

The democratization of electricity availability opened new door in vacuum cleaner development. Emerging just after the turn of the twentieth century, the electric vacuum cleaner, made by brands such as Hoover, made housework easier for millions. Using a fan motor and a pillowcase as a dust collector, a man named Spangler began a trend. Soon after, William H. Hoover came aboard, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today we are eager to eliminate dirt from our lives as were our Industrial Revolution forefathers, and the choice of vacuum cleaners available today reflects this trend. And while housework can be a tiresome chore, it was this enthusiasm for cleanliness that brought the vacuum cleaner into our world, so that now, after a hundred years or so of technological development, we can rid our homes of dust and dirt in minutes.



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Dave is the owner of online-vacuum-cleaner-reviews.info a website providing information on vacuum cleaners.