Cabin Maids for You

One of the biggest questions to a modern housewife is about the chaos at home and the ways to deal with it, especially if there are children in the picture. And understandably so – this could be a challenge of huge proportions. Items can embezzle you and furniture can take on all the room at your home. You feel like you cannot breathe and as if you are powerless against it. What to do in a situation like this and how to turn your home back in the place that once offered you comfort? You can always call a professional cleaning company like House Cleaning For Less. Or you can try and do it yourself. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that.

Clean up in portions. The ambitious task to put everything in order in just one single day is, quite frankly, impossible to complete. Therefore, you should take on little sections one at a time – a room by room, a corner by corner. Spend no more than an hour a day to clean, so that you do not get too exhausted with it. This way it will be more effective and more pleasant for you.

Clean up the trash. Throw away everything that you do not really need or love. Keep only the items you cannot live without – everything else just takes up room, conquering your territory. And you do not have to throw things in the trash – there is a lot you can give to a friend, a relative or to charity. You can even sell some stuff to finance your plans and ideas. Little things such as decorative pillows, picture frames, souvenirs from who knows where – do you really need all of them? If you do not do such a thing, soon enough you will find yourself surrounded by useless junk, looking like someone from that terrifying TV show on the TLC channel.

Know your territory. Unfortunately, your home is limited in space and cannot fit more than it was built for. Still, there must be enough room for everybody who lives there. That’s why you should not let useless things take on necessary space. Try to make the most of small areas that can fit a lot of things, such as corners of rooms, or the top of the shelf. A cabinet in the hallway or above a door will give you another storing option that will not take on living space.

If you do not have a big enough place to have a separate “laundry room” you should at least make a “laundry corner”. This is a place, usually around the washing machine, where you can store all your cleaning equipment. It is terrible to keep toxic cleaning products in the kitchen, where children can mistake them for sweet candy.

Get the most out of log home stain and seal by properly cleaning before application.  Be sure to read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions of the product to be used.

Here are a few simple ways to clean logs before applying the stain and seal to ensure a long lasting finish.

Use a medium bristle brush or even a broom to brush off all dust, dirt and pollen.

If you need to wash the logs use as little water as possible.  Some people like to hose down or power wash their logs – I do not recommend this.  Generally the idea is to keep water off of your logs as much as possible.  Hosing down and especially power-washing can do more damage than good.

There are people that promote power-washing and prey on uniformed log home owners and are more than happy to take your money. Power-washing is neither wise nor safe.  The likely damage, both visible and hidden, can cost you dearly for years.  Power-washing can damage chinking be it synthetic or mortar based, damage or rip out caulking, and force water at high velocities into checks, cracks and other areas it should not be. I will address the dangers of power washing in a separate article. Suffice it to say that power-washing a log home promotes rot. Don’t do it.

If you really need to spray down a large area quickly use a spray bottle or simple hand pump garden sprayer and then get the area wiped down quickly.

Treat your logs as you would fine furniture. You certainly would not power-wash an antique dining room table. Be gentle.

Clean warm water applied with a damp cloth should take care of most dirt.  Wipe down the area with a damp cloth and let dry.  If you need to use a cleaner I suggest using a mild detergent in warm water and a damp cloth. After cleaning rinse the area with a clean damp cloth and let dry.

For stubborn areas I’ll mix a solution of TSP in warm water and spot wash the log.   To make the mix  use 1/2 cup of TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) in a bucket with 2 gallons of warm water.

If there is a stubborn stain or or I want to brighten the wood I’ll use about a 1/2 cup Cascade powdered dishwasher soap in a 1/2 gallon of warm water.   Apply the mixture to the area liberally with a clean cloth and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off with clean warm water and a clean cloth.  Sometimes I’ll use a medium bristle brush to scrub the area with the Cascade mixture.

Cascade will brighten the wood.  It does not raise the grain like some cleaners do.

If I have a particularly bad stain I’ll make a thick poultice or paste of Cascade and warm water, apply and let sit for a few minutes.  Rinse and then wipe off the area with a damp cloth.

To remove sap stains one reader has suggested using Pine Sol which they have used to effectively clean sap from saw blades.

If the logs have become a bit gray and weathered a light sanding should remove the gray.  After lightly sanding I’ll clean with just a damp cloth or one of the methods suggested above and let dry.

No matter what method you use to clean your logs sure that they are thorougly dry before you apply your log cabin stain and seal finish. Providing a clean dry surface will provide better results.