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Pets make your home more comfortable and welcoming, but, unfortunately, they also have the habit of making your home stinky. Even the most conscientious of pet owners sometimes notices a foul odor, and this odor becomes markedly worse for those who have accidents from time to time. Luckily, you do not have to live with this stench forever. There are plenty of steps that you can take to remove the pet odor from your home, and First Coast Home Pros can help.

The removal of pet smells begins with proper maintenance. Make a habit of bathing your dog regularly with an unscented shampoo. Pay special attention to the areas behind his ears and between his legs, as these areas tend to accumulate pheromones, dirt, grime and other smelly substances. Keeping him clean prevents him from leaving any additional foul odors throughout the home. If you notice a strong odor coming directly from your dog even after a thorough bath, consult your veterinarian. This could be a sign of a medical condition or food allergy.

Keeping the carpets clean is quite a challenge, especially for those homes that have pets or a lot of traffic. By keeping the carpet cleaned, it will improve its appearance, the health of all those who use it and increase the selling value of the property. Follow theses outlined carpet cleaning tips below to ensure your carpet is always looking its best.

Treat stains immediately when they occur. While the accident or spill is still wet, you want to absorb as much of the liquid as you can using a clean rag. Soak the area using a safe carpet cleaner. Wait for a few minutes to allow the cleaner to soak into the carpet. Absorb any excess moisture using a clean rag. Repeat the process until the stain is gone. Make sure the area stays wet until you are done with the carpet cleaning in  your Jacksonville, FL home. If the stain is allowed to dry, it will make it a lot more difficult, if not almost impossible, to try and clean it out later on.

If there is cigarette smoke in your residence and you are moving out (or moving in) it is very important to remove the smell first. Lingering cigarette smoke can cause you to lose your deposit or can bring down what you residence is worth.

A common mistake made by most people is to spray excessive amounts of air freshener and hope that it will rid the residence of cigarette smoke. This is good for an immediate fix, but it will not get rid of the cigarette smoke smell. Air fresheners will only cover up the smell and mask it for a brief period of time.

The holidays are over, and your bank account isn't the only thing that has suffered. Your carpets are covered in mulled wine, animal dander, and the muddy prints of children's boots. The carpet has seen a lot of wear, and you've decided it might be time for a cleaning. However, before you schedule that appointment, First Coast Home Pros recommends you take a moment to consider the signs that your carpet may be beyond help from even a professional cleaning.

Organic and environmentally-friendly cleaning products have become all the rage lately, and it isn't simply a matter of conscience. Green cleaning supplies are often cheaper than chemical products, are safer for your children and pets, and will often extend the lifespan of appliances, furniture, and fittings. To help encourage you to join the green movement, First Coast Home Pros presents you with the following recipes for homemade cleaning solutions that really work for a variety of Jacksonville, Florida house cleaning needs.

When your house is ship shape and looking its best, you enjoy arriving home. You just can’t help it! You catch yourself smiling every time you see your beautiful home and find yourself looking forward to your next return. Pressure washing the outside of your house is a great way to keep your home looking new and attractive.

If you choose to perform the laborious chore yourself, please take care, as you can potentially injure yourself and damage your property. The name itself, "pressure washer," is a clear indication that a lot of pressure is used. Should you spray your bare feet, you can seriously hurt yourself. And, if you have the setting too high, you can dig holes into your siding, deck, roof and even your driveway and sidewalks.

There are a few safety tips that you really should know prior to buying or renting a pressure washer.

Many of us have the same resolutions year after year, but, this year, here are a few things to get you away from the usual “lose weight” or “join a gym” resolutions. Jacksonville homeowners can get a lot accomplished in a new year, and, oftentimes, the momentum of a fresh start is all you will need to stay motivated. Practicing good housekeeping can help you decompress from the holidays and tie off loose ends in the new year!

Home Gardening

Doing some simple at-home gardening can help you to:

• Spend more time outside
• Eat healthier
• Save money

What more motivation do you need? Raised plant beds are a great option for gardening because you get to control the soil more easily than doing it in your lawn, you don't have to worry about weeds or pesticides, and you can more easily control the nutrients and water intake of your plants. In reality, all you need is some wood, a saw, a drill, and some elbow grease.

Here at First Coast Home Pros, we take the prevention of dryer fires very seriously. It’s important to sort fact from fiction where dryer fires are concerned. There is a lot of information on the Internet about dryer fires and their causes. Some of this information is undoubtedly true, while some is simply false.

It’s been said that the use of fabric softener sheets can cause the heating element in your dryer to fail and potentially cause a fire. There is no evidence that suggests fabric softener sheets can cause your dryer’s heating element to fail. It is, however, proven that the use of liquid fabric softener has been found to add to the flammability of fabrics such as cotton, terry cloth, or velour.

Another online claim states that the use of fabric softener sheets will create a buildup of invisible film on your dryer’s lint screen. This alleged buildup prevents the water from flowing through the lint screen properly and creates a backup, which can also lead to a dryer fire. The claim further states that dryer owners should remove the lint screen and brush clean with a soap and water solution at least every six months. A thorough cleaning is always a good idea. These claims, however, can be misleading, and, even though, they contain some useful tips, they are not entirely accurate.

Every homeowner knows that no matter how much you clean the outside of your home, over time, dirt will accumulate that you just can't remove on your own. Oil from vehicles and rust from machines or downspouts can stain your driveway. Dirt, mold and mildew can darken your siding and your roof. Decks can age from damage from the sun and rain. These things can make your home look old, tired and undermine your curb appeal. Now there's no doubt that you will have to deal with this, but many homeowners face the question of how?

A pressure washer is one of the best tools for jobs like this. If you've gone to one of those car washes where you hold the hose to rinse off your car, you've used a pressure washer before. Pressure washers used at home are usually gas-powered devices that pressurize water and send it through a hose to a wand with a trigger where the user can direct the spray. Sometimes the pressure washer has attachments that are used for adding detergents and many times there are a variety of nozzle tips and attachments to use on the end of the wand. The nozzle tips restrict the water flow making the pressurized water more or less powerful. Some end attachments can be used to pressure wash your driveway in Jacksonville. Used properly, they can clean driveways, siding and decks.

For a working mom, the job is never done. Once you leave the office it's time to pick up the kids, attend sports activities or practices, and then there is the cooking and house cleaning. It seems there is never enough time in our busy schedules to get everything done. Keeping the house clean and tidy is a job that is never complete, but here are a few tips to help make daily housekeeping a little easier.