Crayons and carpets are an ugly combination in a home when there are children at play. Once a carpet is stained with crayon, it can be a mess getting it out. So where to start?

The first thing you will want to do is remove any excess crayon that is still left by using either your fingernail, or a knife with a dull blade.

WD-40 which is used as a car lubricant is also useful for removing stains of various kinds, so we will begin by adding a moderate amount to the stained area.

Allow this to sit in for at least 4-5 minutes. If the carpet has short fibers, then begin scrubbing the area with a bristle brush heavily.

A buildup will occur from the repeated scrubbing, so have a towel or some paper towels to clean up the excess.

Get a bucket and add a small amount of dish liquid soap to it. Apply the mixture with a rag or sponge to the area and scrub.

Again wipe the excess of foam built up over the area with a dry napkin or towel.

Examine how much of the stain has been eliminated. If it looks fine then you are ready to get a damp sponge or wet rag using water to blot the area until most of the spray and dirt are out.

If the area continues to look like it needs more scrubbing then repeat the process with WD-40 until the crayon stain has been removed.

Cleaning your dishes daily with the same sponge will cause it to start to smell sour. This is due to the fact that sponges are porous and can trap food particles within these pores easily which will cause bacteria to grow much sooner. If you do not want to be smearing bacterial sour smell on your dishes, it is best to clean your sponges thoroughly and allow them to dry before using again. Removing the smell is great, but preventing it is even better!

The main thing to remember when cleaning with a sponge is that you do not want to leave bits of food within the pores once you are done cleaning. Remove any visible pieces then ring out the sponge under hot running water to get most of the food particles out of the sponge. This will help to keep the sponge cleaner longer. This will not totally prevent sour smelling sponge, but it will help keep it smelling cleaner longer.

Deep cleaning the sponge can be done in several ways. Using diluted bleach, you could allow the sponge to soak for several minutes to help reduce the amount of bacteria left on the sponge after washing dishes. You can even soak the sponge in white vinegar to help kill off bacteria and remove sour odors. For very deep cleaning, you can leave the sponge in the dishwasher within the utensil rack to be steam cleaned, which research shows kills off 99.99% of bacteria on your sponges.

Another process involves your microwave oven. If you are careful enough, after cleaning the sponge regularly when finished washing dishes, ring out most of the water within the sponge. Leave a little bit of water in the sponge to allow the microwave to steam and boil the bacteria to death. This should only be done for about 2 minutes on the highest setting but never more than 5 minutes. If you see any smoke or smell burning materials, you will want to stop the microwave immediately. Never attempt this method with sponges that contain metal! Always remove the sponge with some tongs or allow it to cool completely before touching it!

Allowing your sponge to dry after each deep cleaning method also allows fewer bacteria to multiply. This helps to prevent sour sponge smell and can keep a sponge useable for much longer than it would with minimal care. If a sponge smells too sour, it is best not to try and salvage it but to throw it away and start off fresh!

A heavy amount of computer dust is dangerous for your PC and can cause overheating, plus it looks unattractive. To combat this you should consider a few methods that fight off excess dust inside your PC and around it. In fact, computer dust can actually pose a long term health risk because of the toxic build up. Unfortunately, many computers and electronics are dust magnets. They attract dust because of the negative ions, and it stays. Even if you wipe the surface, it comes right back. So how do you get rid of the computer dust?

First step is to open your PC tower if you can. Simply unscrewing the little screws and popping off the side panel will allow you have complete access to the inside of your PC tower. You will likely see a large amount of dust covering the fans and everything inside. Heat and negatively charged particles cause these to form, so you may want to consider an additional cooling fan if possible. A cool computer is a mostly dust free computer. Remember, dust can cause overheating because air doesn’t circulate properly. Keeping your computer dust free is extremely important for the longevity of your computer.

Next, buy a product similar to Dust Off. It is concentrated air that blows the dust away completely, leaving you with a clean dust free computer. It’s a simple answer, and the spray is cheap and easy to use. If you don’t have access to that kind of product, you can usually use a small vacuum to just suck off any dirt.

Last, you can try a simple yet effective home method. Using panty hose by the fan to block off but still allow the fan to cool the computer can work wonders. It prevents dust from entering and building up, and easily works as a cheap and very effective filter.

Pets are great to have around the house, but become difficult to manage when you notice their hair on every surface around your house. Some methods are temporarily, and some are permanent methods. Pet hair has a nasty tendency to get deeply embedded in carpet, and stick on doors. The follow methods are tested and proven to help you learn how to get rid of pet hair.

First of all, you may want to purchase a special vacuum designed to suck up pet hair. Many vacuums are not designed for pet hair removal and too much hair will eventually clog your vacuum or damage it permanently. Long haired animals are especially guilty of this problem, but short haired cats and dogs can cause issues as well. If you buy a special vacuum for getting rid of pet hair, you will see the results right away. Since they are powerful, they can suck out hair from the bottom of your carpet, where odors and problems begin to develop.

If that doesn’t get the job done, then you should always comb and brush your pet’s hair. Just like you brush your own hair on a regular basis, animals need their fur groomed as well. This will not only keep them health, but will minimize the amount of hair that they tend to shed onto your furniture and other home surfaces. Since dander is also a problem, brushing regularly will help reduce that too, and may even permanently get rid of the pet hair in your home.

If pet hair is a serious problem for your household, you can try trimming your animal’s hair short. Long haired animals are usually loved for their gorgeous coats, but if the fur is irritating your sinuses then it may be best to give your furry friend a shave. Little fur will fall out, and you won’t have such a mess to clean up. Training your pets to avoid furniture is also a good way to keep pet hair on the floor and not on couches or beds. Offering your pets an alternative to laying on your couch is also a good way to keep their fur off of your furniture surfaces.

In the end, getting rid of pet hair isn’t that easy, and can take a lot more effort than it is sometimes worth. If pet hair is an issue for you because of sinuses or conditions, then consider getting a hairless variety.