This is the time of year when people clean their carpets. Just remember that most of the dirt is where you first enter the room. Ditto for vacuuming. It doesn’t make sense to start at the farthest end of the room.

In order to keep the carpet clean longer, always remember to take off your shoes as soon as stepping in from outside. No matter what season, keep the dirt from coming into the house or business.

We did a floor job at Hose Master last month even though it was a little early for this kind of work. Normally floor jobs are done starting in April and throughout the summer. This ensures that the snow season is definitely over and the floors continue to look nice.

We were asked by Hose Master to do more work, stripping and waxing and spray-buffing floors in other areas. It is great to work in our hometown.

Awhile back, a post talked about bedbugs. Today, I saw an article in The Plain Dealer about a woman and her son have a business in detecting bedbugs in a person’s home. How do they do that? Easy! They have a Jack Russell/Beagle mix dog who does sniffing for the pests.

The dog takes you straight to where the bedbugs are holed up. This eliminates the need to have the whole house treated. The company is called Nip It Canine Bed Bug Detection Service. The only problem is that this company does not take care of exterminating the bugs. Read the whole article “Canine Sniffs Out Pesky Bedbugs” in www.cleveland.com.

I had seen dogs being used to sniff out bombs and drugs and search and rescue. But this takes the cake. Aren’t dogs amazing!

Besides the regular jobs that we do on the weekend, there is the Irish American Club East Side’s activities. They are having Irish Coffee Night this evening with entertainment by Two2Many. We have to clean the Hall tonight because there will be a Pancake Breakfast Sunday morning after the 9:00 A.M. Mass from 10:30 A.M. – 12:30 A.M.

People will come to the club after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for food and entertainment again provided by Two2Many and from Neal Jacobs. The place will be packed so there will also be cleaning need to be done Sunday night.

Last weekend I decided to clean the oven racks. They weren’t too dirty but I didn’t want to spend a long time scrubbing.

The last time I did this chore the racks were put in the stationary tub. Since they are wider then the tub, they could only be cleaned half way. What I did was to put in white vinegar (1/2 to a full gallon) and some water along with baking soda. I left them in for an hour or so. Then they were turned over. Again wait for the vinegar/baking soda to work. It was easy to get the dirt off.

This time I put them in the bathtub (lined with a couple of towels to prevent scratches). Both racks were laid down in the vinegar water mixed with baking soda and left for an hour. There was not a lot of scrubbing to get them clean. However, the towels soaked up the water. Next time I might put a piece of tarp or heavy plastic in the tub and lay the oven racks down to be cleaned.

I know, I know that it is a lot easier and less expensive to have a bagless vacuum. All you have to do is take the cup out, empty the dirt, and put the cup back in. But dust will fly if one is not careful.

I feel that it is better to contain the dirt in a bag. Windsor vacuum cleaners have a paper bag while Miele has a cloth-like bag. If there are pets in the house, put a flea collar in the bag. While vacuuming, flea eggs will get picked up and killed in the bag. With these vacuums no dirt will be left behind!

Today I am adding a post script to the bed bugs article. It is a good idea to regularly vacuum your mattress and living/family room furniture. Those are the areas where bed bugs hide. But if there is a bad infestation, they can be found behind the light switch, wall outlets, alarm clocks, lamps, or whatever is a dark environment.

Also, it is a good idea to not buy used furniture. If you do however, vacuum it thoroughly and spray with a professional strength spray for that purpose.

You have to have a good vacuum such as Windsor Sensor or Miele. These have superior suction. I prefer to use bags for the reason that if there are critters in the house there is no escape.

Yes, we will be busy cleaning this weekend. The Irish American Club East Side are hosting the Murphy Irish Dancers Friday and Saturday nights. It will be a full house each night.

I can hear their feet tapping the floor. The really young dancers will perform on Friday night. The older and more experienced dancers will follow on Saturday night.

It seems that people have to learn to be on the defensive when it comes to bedbugs. We have to because once they invade your home, it takes an expert to get rid of them. And it will cost a lot of money.

When traveling, DO NOT put your suitcase on the floor or in the closet. When my husband and I traveled to Nashville last summer, we didn’t even put our clothes in the drawers. If there isn’t a suitcase stand then set it on the table (all hotel rooms usually have a table and chairs).

At home, WASH YOUR SHEETS IN HOT WATER. And dry your them on HIGH HEAT. Only very high temperatures will kill bedbugs.

No matter how good you are keeping your driveway and sidewalks clean, there will always be dirt and salt (ice melt) getting tracked into the house. However, that wouldn’t happen if you have an outside mat in front of the entry and an inside mat in behind the entry door.

It also helps to keep boots and outdoor shoes in an stowed away from the Main Living Area/Office. Carpets and tile floors stay cleaner by following this procedure.