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From the article:

It took me years to discover how to clean tile floors in a way that was easy and that didn’t harm my family, pets and the colored grout. I finally settled on using powdered oxygen bleach. Little did I know that this choice would put me way ahead of the current green movement.

Oxygen bleach is nontoxic, doesn’t produce harsh fumes, and is color- and fabric-safe. It removes all food and grease stains with no or minimal scrubbing. The oxygen ions attack the stain molecules, breaking them into pieces that rinse away with little effort.

To clean floor tiles, mix any high-quality oxygen bleach with warm water and stir it until it dissolves. Then pour the solution onto the floor tile so the grout lines are flooded with the solution. It’s best to apply the oxygen-bleach solution to dry grout so it soaks deeply. Let the solution sit on the grout for at least 15 minutes. If it completely soaks into the grout, add more solution, making sure there is always plenty of the cleaning liquid on the grout.

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SIDENOTE: Do you know all that vinegar can do for you? Checkout this article about all the uses of vinegar for busy parents that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-04-03/business/36802105_1_grout-oxygen-bleach-solution-oxygen-bleach

Regardless of what group you’re in this article will give you valuable information on why your air ducts need to be cleaned.

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Do you have smoke damage, fire damage, water damage, wind damage or even mold remediation issues in your home or business? Look no further! Guarantee Service Team of Professionals is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge smoke damage! Call us today at 225-224-3911 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is one concern that homeowners have when they decide to investigate air duct cleaning. In a typical six-room home, up to 40 pounds of dust is created annually through everyday living. Your heating and cooling system is the lungs of your home. The system taken air in and breathes air out.

Through normal occupation in a home, we generate a great deal of contaminants and air pollutants, such as dander, dust, and chemicals. These contaminants are pulled into the HVAC system and re-circulated 5 to 7 times per day, on average. Over time, this re-circulation causes a build-up of contaminants in the duct work.

While dirty ducts don’t necessarily mean unhealthy air in your home, school or workplace, they may be contributing to larger health issues or harboring contaminants that could cause serious problems for people with respiratory health conditions, autoimmune disorders or some environmental allergies.

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SIDENOTE: Still on the fence about having your air ducts cleaned? Checkout this article about air duct cleaning for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.nadca.com/en/why-clean-air-ducts

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From the article:

Clear the clutter

• Store your child’s outgrown clothes in large plastic bins and affix labels such as “0 to 3 months”, “6 to 9 months”, “9 to 12 months”, and so on. Once your child has grown out of a size, you can easily store the clothes, loan them to a friend, or take them to a consignment shop.
• Turn your hangers backward at the beginning of every season. Anything left hanging on a hanger that’s still turned backward at the end of the season hasn’t been worn — give it away!
• Get rid of one bag of clothes, toys, and books for every bag that comes into the house. It means less stuff to clean up.
• Label shelves in the linen closet so family members know where items like beach towels and guest room sheets belong.
• Open mail with the trash can nearby so junk mail and catalogs can be thrown out immediately. Even better, sign up with a free service for reducing junk mail like the National Do Not Mail list.

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SIDENOTE: Looking for family fun this summer without spending a lot of money? Checkout this article about cheap family fun for busy parents that could be of interest to you.
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Read all the ideas here: http://www.babycenter.com/0_life-fixes-50-ways-moms-keep-it-together_3638614.bc

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Do you have smoke damage, fire damage, water damage, wind damage or even mold remediation issues in your home or business? Look no further! Guarantee Service Team of Professionals is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge water damage! Call us today at 225-224-3911 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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Our in house air duct and HVAC specialist, Bob Rousseau, is also someone we are proud to have on our team, because of his lengthy past of industrial and residential air duct, and mold remediation experience. Check out his LinkedIn profile.

However, we are also certified by many other professional associations.

Info on the importance of getting air ducts cleaned and inspected.

• STOP Guarantee
• Air Duct Cleaning and Healthy Living

We found this article with a step by step guide to safely remove any toxic mold you have in your home.

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Do you have smoke damage, fire damage, water damage, wind damage or even mold remediation issues in your home or business? Look no further! Guarantee Service Team of Professionals is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge smoke damage! Call us today at 225-224-3911 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

Toxic molds and fungi are a significant source of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that create indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Toxic mold growth produces dangerous mycotoxins and infectious airborne mold spores which often cause serious health problems to residents and workers.
According to DangerBusters, eliminating and preventing toxic mold infestation should include these 25 steps:

1. Learn the techniques and procedures recommended for safe and successful toxic mold inspection, testing, and remediation – whether the property owner prefers “do it yourself” or to hire a Certified Mold Remediator (CMR). How? Read mold remediation self-help books and visit internet mold advice websites, plus get professional guidance.

2. Locate and fix all sources of mold-causing water intrusion such as recurring flooding, plumbing leaks, leaky roofs or siding, blocked air conditioning condensation drain lines, and high indoor humidity (e.g. above 50 to 60 percent).

3. Inspect and mold test inside, above, and below each water-penetrated ceiling, wall, and floor with a fiber optics inspection device, a hidden moisture meter, do-it-yourself mold test kits, or inspection by a Certified Mold Inspector (CMI), and by cutting out small core dry wall samples from the water-impacted surfaces. Look in the middle and back of each core for visible mold growth.

4. Find and locate all toxic mold infestations (visible and hidden) in the entire home or building by thorough, all-around mold inspection and mold testing (with mold laboratory analysis and mold species identification of collected mold samples).

5. Test the outward airflow from each heating/cooling duct register for elevated levels of airborne mold spores. If there is a serious toxic mold infestation anywhere in a building, airborne mold spores from such mold locations will usually enter and contaminate the heating/cooling equipment and ducts, as well as the rest of the building.

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SIDENOTE: Need more help with mold? Checkout this article about mold for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read all of the steps here: http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/2285/title/25-steps-for-effective-toxic-mold-removal.aspx

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Are you a busy parent that needs help maintaining your family’s home? Look no further! Guarantee Girls is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge cleaning companies! Call us today at 225-224-3909 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

My first task: Check out the online support program clutterdiet.com — sort of a Weight Watchers for pack rats and disorganized folk. I used diet plans to lose weight after each pregnancy, so I understand the metaphor. I don’t get that worried until I read site founder Lorie Marrero’s bio, which says she bought her first label maker in fourth grade; another staffer used to organize her Barbies’ gowns in rainbow order. I still don’t own a label maker; my Barbies were slobs. But Clutter Diet promises I’ll lose the piles of extra stuff, gain time, and reduce stress. Sign me up.

Right off, the site warns that a crash approach (purging) won’t work. “Unless you change the habits that got you disorganized in the first place,” it says, “you will soon find the space a mess again.” Good thing GH has asked me for a six-week commitment — long enough to see some results if I stick with it. The site offers how-to videos, articles, work sheets, and message boards, where, I notice, staffers respond to subscribers’ questions. While advice based on a digital photo of a messy room may not be the same as an in-person consultation (for which pro organizers charge anywhere from $50 to $125 an hour), at $15 a month, it’s not a bad substitute.

After touring the site, I’m ready to dig in. This week’s main dish: Look ahead to events that require advance planning — and plan them. The purpose is to help me manage my time better, since that’s one thing disorganized people tend to waste (who, me?). I check the calendar. My 39th birthday is in three weeks. I spend an hour creating a guest list, invites, and a menu. Either I just outsmarted this program or failed it spectacularly, but I’m having a party.

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SIDENOTE: Need more help on de-cluttering? Checkout this article about de-cluttering for busy parents that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire plan here: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/six-week-clutter-control-plan

We found this article from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality that we hope will help you if you find yourself in this situation.

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Do you have smoke damage, fire damage, water damage, wind damage or even mold remediation issues in your home or business? Look no further! Guarantee Service Team of Professionals is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge water damage! Call us today at 225-224-3911 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

Remember these steps to cleaning a former meth property:
1. Determine if the property was used for meth production.

2. Air out the property before and during cleanup.

3. Before entering the property to clean, put on personal protective equipment such as gloves, protective clothing, and eye protection. Respirators that offer protection against vapors are recommended.

4. Remove all unnecessary items and dispose of them properly.

5. Remove all visibly contaminated items or items that have an odor.

6. Clean all surfaces using proper household cleaning methods and proper personal protection.

7. Clean the ventilation system.

8. Leave plumbing cleanup to the experts.

9. Air out the property for three to five days.

10. If odor or staining remains, have your home evaluated by a professional.

11. Dispose of clothing, gloves, brushes and rags used during the cleaning process.

12. Review additional guidance on personal decontamination provided by local law enforcement.

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SIDENOTE: Have smoke damage and not sure how to clean it up? Checkout this article about smoke damage cleanup for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: https://www.deq.state.ok.us/lpdnew/MethLabs/meth.htm

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Are you a busy parent that needs help maintaining your family’s home? Look no further! Guarantee Girls is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge house cleaning! Call us today at 225-224-3909 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

• Stay in for a movie night – Plan a night in with one of your favorite movies. Or, surprise your spouse by renting the first movie you saw together when you were dating. Order a pizza or get take-out from your favorite restaurant, get into some comfortable clothes and relax on the couch after the kids are asleep.
• Sneak out on a lunch date – Consider scheduling a day off work together, or escape during your lunch hour to go on a lunch date while the kids are at school. Lunch dates are usually less expensive than dinner, and they’re a great way to fit some quality time into your busy schedule.
• Go for a joy ride – Sometimes it’s nice to drive though scenic parts of town with no particular destination in mind. Just make sure you stay safe on the road, and consider asking your insurance company for car insurance quotes on roadside assistance, in case you have car trouble and need to get back to the kids in a hurry.

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SIDENOTE: Need some help coming up with Valentine’s Day date ideas? Checkout this article with romantic Valentine’s Day ideasfor busy parents that could be of interest to you.
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Read all the date ideas here: http://www.somewhatsimple.com/six-date-ideas-for-busy-parents/

While searching for a clever way to store my make up collection, I found quite a few practical ways to save space all over the house. (I have also discovered that I turn to Pinterest to solve all challenges in life.)

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Are you a busy parent that needs help maintaining your family’s home? Look no further! Guarantee Girls is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge cleaning service! Call us today at 225-224-3909 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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Under my kitchen sink could definitely use some work, and this looks like a 5 minute job.

Need: Tension Rod. Simply hang spray bottles on the rod. Easy!

I know that coffee mugs take up a huge portion of my cabinet space because they aren’t always easy to stack. I might be just skilled enough to build a wooden frame, and attach hooks to hold the cups. This mug display looks pretty artsy!

And at last, what inspired my entire de-cluttering journey:

Attach magnets to the back of make up, and decorate a piece of aluminum (or other metal), the frame. The daily make up clean up will be fast, easy, and a little fun!

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SIDENOTE: Need more help organizing your life? Checkout this article about apps for organizing for busy parents that could be of interest to you.
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Need more de-cluttering and home organization inspiration?

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SPONSOR FOCUS: Do you have smoke damage, fire damage, water damage, wind damage or even mold remediation issues in your home or business? Look no further! Guarantee Service Team of Professionals is your #1 Choice for Baton Rouge duct cleaning! Call us today at 225-224-3911 for your FREE, No-Obligation quote!
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From the article:

If you have water damage on a part of your drywall–say, from a leaky roof over that spot or a plumbing problem–you don’t need to replace the whole wall. If the damaged area isn’t more than few square feet, you can cut it out and set in a replacement piece of drywall. It’s important to work off studs so the new section is solid, and you’ll need to plan on taping and sanding the seams over a few consecutive days.

Things You’ll Need

• Electronic studfinder
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Long level
• Razor knife
• Drywall saw
• Screwgun
• Drywall screws
• Piece of drywall the same thickness as the existing drywall
• Mesh drywalling tape
• Bucket of pre-mixed drywall compound
• Drywall application knife (looks like a very wide putty knife)
• Drywall sandpaper

1. Use your studfinder to locate the nearest studs on both sides of the damaged area. With your level, make two vertical pencil lines at the centers of each of the studs, with the lines running high enough and low enough to span the damaged area.
2. Use the level again to mark two level horizontal lines between the vertical lines, one above the damage, the other below it. You should now have a perfect square perimeter around the damaged area, with the vertical lines of the square centered on studs.
3. Use your screwgun to sink drywall screws along the vertical lines, half an inch outside the square and every 6 inches along the line.
4. With your drywall saw and razor knife, cut out the square at your pencil line. You should end up with a square hole in the wall, with half the widths of the studs visible on either vertical side, leaving the screws just outside the vertical sides to secure the nondamaged parts of the wall to the studs.
5. Cut your new piece of drywall an 1/8 inch smaller than the dimensions of the square. Set your level along your marks, running your razor knife along the edge of the level, then snapping the drywall at the line and cutting it away from behind.
6. Set the new piece of drywall in place in the hole. Use your screwgun to put screws along the vertical edges of the piece, into the studs.
7. Lay mesh drywalling tape over all four seams and spread drywall compound over the seams with your drywalling knife. Let it dry for a day, then hand-sand the drywall compound and apply a second, lighter coat of it along the seams. Repeat the process a third time, with the lightest coat, then give a final sanding and paint it.

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SIDENOTE: Wondering about water damage and homeowner’s insurance? Checkout this article and find out.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5164670_replace-drywall-water-damage.html