David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com (Family Features) Cooler fall temperatures mean you’re likely to spend more time indoors. Taking time to spruce up inside and out can make you more comfortable and give you peace of mind that your home is tidy, clean and prepared to weather the months ahead. Tidy Outdoor Spaces Before stashing your lawn care equipment, give your home and landscape some end-of-season attention. Use a power washer to clean lawn furniture and store it away from the elements or use covers to protect it. Clean out gutters and remove debris from flower beds to encourage proper drainage. Check for Repair Projects Give your home a thorough inspection to identify any problems that need attention before cold weather sets in. Look for concerns like loose shutters or siding, cracked or loose shingles, cracks and gaps around doors and windows that may allow moisture or cold air to creep in. Severe weather and cycles of freezing and thawing can exacerbate these problem...

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Between dishwashers and store-bought cleaners, modern cleaning tools and solutions have made the task easier than ever before. These five old-fashioned cleaning tips are useful even in the modern world and won’t go out of style anytime soon. Remove Water Rings on Furniture Water rings on wood furniture have been the bane of homeowners through the ages. Thankfully, this decades-old trick is effective. Simply cover the ring with a layer of mayonnaise, let it sit for a few minutes and scrub the surface.  Use Newspaper to Keep Windows Sparkling For a streak-free shine, don’t opt for paper towels that will leave lint behind. Instead, take a page from Grandma’s book and use a newspaper. With a similar streak-free shine to modern microfiber cloths, reuse Sunday’s paper to get your windows sparkling. Get Stains Out With Sunshine Don’t want to use a chemical bleach to get a stain out of your white clothing or sheets? Use the sunshine to natur...

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Spring cleaning isn’t just about purging dirt and grime. It’s also the perfect opportunity to take inventory of items around your home. As you tackle this season’s cleaning, look for ways to improve your overall living space, from getting rid of things you no longer need to adding items that can work harder for you. Consider these five ways to tackle your home inside and out this spring. Make organizing easier.  As you clean each space, look for easy ways to reduce unsightly messes and improve organization. If your entryway always becomes a jumbled pile of shoes and coats, consider adding a storage bench and hooks to bring some order to the area. If the kids’ toys always accumulate in the living room, add a storage chest or large baskets to store them when not in use. If tools and equipment make the garage unusable, install shelving units to keep everything in place. Eliminate the excess.  Spring cleaning is also an opportunity ...

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Did you know you can clean your home with toothpaste? How about ketchup? Whether you want to avoid using harsh chemicals, ran out of cleaner and don’t want to take a trip to the store, or are just looking to get creative with what you have, below are five strange items you can clean your home with. Toothpaste .  Do you notice hard water stains on the exterior of your home or car windows? A little toothpaste can take care of that. Choose a non-gel variety, squirt a bit of paste onto a clean, damp rag, and rub in a circular motion to remove the stains. Wipe down with a clean, wet sponge or cloth to remove paste residue. Ketchup.  America’s favorite condiment also makes a terrific cleaner for brass, jewelry and silver. Why? The tomatoes in ketchup up its acetic acid content to around 4 percent. Olive oil.  Is your coffee or dining room table riddled with rings from cold or warm beverages? Buff it out with a mixture of olive oi...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Many home cleaning products can be expensive and include harmful chemicals. With just a little extra elbow grease, you can save money by using some natural cleaning products you may already have around the house. Here are some common and cheap items that are free of artificial ingredients and can make house cleaning simpler: Baking Soda Baking soda can be used for many other things than refreshing the smell of a refrigerator. For a dollar or so, a small box of baking soda can go a long way in cleaning up spills. For a carpet stain, cover it with baking soda and spray it with a mixture of half white vinegar and half water. The baking soda will foam up, then let it set for three hours before scrubbing. Let it dry overnight and vacuum the baking soda up the next day. Baking soda can also be used to help clean dirty pans; deodorize musty upholstery, pet beds and other things; and remove mildew from bathrooms. Distilled White Vinegar This can be use...

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com By  Stephanie Booth Old house smell: Those three dreaded words evoke something rather frightening and repellent to most homeowners. You know what we're talking about, right? It's that musty odor that creeps up and greets you the instant you set foot inside an older home. What is this mysterious stench, anyway? And most importantly: Is there a way to get rid of it? What causes that old house smell “Three things that musty old houses have in common: little ventilation, high humidity, and darkness,” says  Bill Carroll Jr. , an adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University. That makes these places the perfect petri dish for mold to flourish, which happens to be the main purveyor of that "old house smell." That said, that musty smell isn't mold per se. "What you're smelling are called MVOCs: mold volatile organic compounds," explains Carroll. "These are chemicals associated with a certain stage in th...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com By Zoe Eisenberg Whether it's those slots in your wooden table or the gap between the counter and stove, some spaces are really difficult to clean. Consider the following to really detail every spot in your home: Paint stick . Wrap a microfiber cloth around a clean (or at least dry) paint stick and slide it into your tight space to swipe up dust and debris. A clean sock can do the trick, too. Wire hanger . Similar to the paint stick but for even smaller space, wrap a cloth or paper towel around a wire hanger and use it to gently remove grime from the smallest of crannies. Compressed air . An eco-friendly can of compressed air can help blow debris out of small spaces - like the slots in your knife block - that seem impossible to access. Vacuum accessories . Don't forget those handy brush accessories that came with your vacuum. Use them to get in to dust your fridge fan, that crack behind the couch, and more. www....

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com The holidays are a special time of year for most, filled with merry festivities, time spent with friends and family, time off and travel. What’s not to love? The clean-up, that’s what! When it’s finally time to confront taking down the decorations, here are a few ways to simplify the task, preserve your holiday decor, and stay safe in the process, courtesy of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. Enlist the whole family. The onus for ‘de-decorating’ shouldn’t be placed on the shoulders of one person. Get the whole family involved with age-appropriate tasks, with one person removing ornaments from the tree and carefully packaging them, another taking down lights, and someone else gathering miscellaneous items, like garlands and trinkets. Start at the bottom. When taking ornaments off the tree, start at the bottom and work your way up to avoid knocking ornaments off in the process. Handle broken ornaments safely. If you do encounter a b...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com From an abundance of people traipsing through your house to party-food spills in your living room, although festive, the holidays are messy! But fear not: with the right supplies you can tackle cleaning challenges with ease and save your home from permanent scars. Follow these suggestions from Real Simple: A rubber broom. You won’t believe how effective the rubber bristles are at collecting pine needles from the floor and pet hair from carpets. A must for the holidays...and year-round! Pan scrapers. This inexpensive little tool will become the most valuable item in your kitchen. Use it to scrape stubborn remnants off pans and dishes, like baked-on bits of pie crust and casseroles. It’s squarish design is especially effective for getting stubborn debris dislodged from corners. Usually made from nylon, they’re safe for your non-stick surfaces. Specialized stain removers . ’Tis the time of year when you’ll want to order specific s...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com When it comes to housework, it’s not all fun and games. In fact, cleaning chores are a source of conflict for many Americans, according to recent research. The results of a survey from TaskRabbit conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research revealed that 46 percent of Americans have gotten into an argument with a roommate, friend, family member or significant other over "the right way" to clean things - and a whopping 78 percent have had a fight about household chores in general. The findings also highlighted that basic household chores are onerous for many Americans. Among the worst offenders? Laundry (31 percent), vacuuming (31 percent), and changing a light bulb (23 percent). Most surprising, however, was how often we’re arguing about the best way to do things: 27 percent report heated debates about the right way to assemble furniture, and 23 percent are struggling over the best way to fold laundry. Of course,...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com By John Voket The transition period between summer and fall is the perfect time to begin planning priority chores around the house before buttoning down for winter. There is no shortage of advice on what to do, and how to accomplish the most important "September shortlist" things around the house and yard. According to Clean-Organized-Family-Home.com, chores to keep you on track this month include:  - Cleaning heat ducts and registers, and replacing air filters. - Patio furniture cleaning before you bring it inside and store it for the winter. - Line up chimney sweep cleaning services now before they’re all booked. - Order firewood and stack it away from the house to prevent pest infestation. Over at mrhandyman.com, homeowners are directed to accomplish energy-saving items, including: - Insulating your hot water heater with a new or replacement fiberglass insulation blanket.. - Preventing energy leaks from ...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com When it comes to housework, it’s not all fun and games. In fact, cleaning chores are a source of conflict for many Americans, according to recent research. The results of a survey from TaskRabbit conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research revealed that 46 percent of Americans have gotten into an argument with a roommate, friend, family member or significant other over "the right way" to clean things - and a whopping 78 percent have had a fight about household chores in general. The findings also highlighted that basic household chores are onerous for many Americans. Among the worst offenders? Laundry (31 percent), vacuuming (31 percent), and changing a light bulb (23 percent). Most surprising, however, was how often we’re arguing about the best way to do things: 27 percent report heated debates about the right way to assemble furniture, and 23 percent are struggling over the best way to fold laundry. Of course,...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com By Zoe Eisenberg Love a sparkling clean bathroom but scant on time? While you should do a deep bathroom clean every other week (or more, depending on the size of your family), the following tips can help you keep the space sparkling throughout the week until your next thorough scrub. Keep a rag in the shower . Hang a cleaning rag in the shower to wipe down the surfaces after you bathe. At the end of the week, toss the rag in the wash to keep it clean. Time that toilet bowl clean . Headed to the bathroom to wash up? Add some toilet bowl cleaner to your toilet, tackle a 2-3 minute task like brushing your teeth, then scrub the bowl before you hop in the shower. Clean your shower head . It's easy for residue to cake over shower heads over time. To fix this, grab a plastic bag (check for holes first!), fill it with vinegar, tie the bag over the shower head and secure with a rubber band. Head off to work, and when you return, y...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Whether you’re putting your home on the market, or just want it in sparkling shape for the upcoming season, a thorough cleaning of the exterior is a project worth embarking on. Here’s how to break the job down into manageable pieces and accomplish the task without too much stress. 1. Your home . Power washing your home must be done with great care in order to avoid damaging paint finishes or making situations like wood rot or crumbling stucco worse. Be sure to use the right nozzle and the proper amount of pressure for your home. Set the nozzle to a wide angle, as the wider the angle of the spray, the less damage it will do. Experts also recommend staying at least six inches away from the surface as you spray to avoid damage. 2. Decks and porches . Start by using a leaf blower or broom to get rid of any leaves and twigs. You’ll need to use a putty knife to get in between the crevices, as debris left there can cause decay. Next, use ...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Many of us have a cleaning strategy we employ when it's time to wash our space. Unfortunately, this kind of strategic method can mean certain areas of your home go overlooked for months, or even years. To help, the Cleaning Authority has put together the ultimate spring cleaning guide to help homeowners clean the forgotten and more difficult areas around the home: Baseboards The quickest method for removing dust from baseboards is to use the brush attachment on your vacuum. To remove any scuff marks, gently scrub the baseboards with a cleaning sponge like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Curtains A simple way to freshen up curtains in between washes is to use a vacuum. Use the vacuum's brush extension to remove any dust or debris from the curtains. Blinds Grab a pair of tongs, wrap two microfiber cloths around them and fasten with rubber bands. Clasp the tongs around each blind and drag across to remove dust. Ceiling Fan I...