Robot vacuums not best bet for dust, pet fur

I have two large dogs that shed. There is nothing wrong with them; it is part of their breed. Fur is everywhere, and I am constantly vacuuming. I am wondering what you think of the robot vacuums on the market. I am interested in purchasing the Pet Series vacuum. Do you think this will solve my problem?

Robot vacuums are a good idea for homes with limited fur, hair, dust and debris. And they are a chore to clean. It can take as long to properly clean the vacuum as it does to just vacuum the floor yourself. Add to that, the parts wear out and you will need to reorder them often, especially if you are vacuuming pet fur. In my opinion, central vacuums or high-quality canister vacuums are still the most effective options for daily vacuuming. We have aluminum blinds on our patio doors and I plan to place them in the bathtub to clean. What detergent should I use to clean them?

On a weekly basis it is wise to put the brush attachment onto your vacuum nozzle and vacuum your blinds. If you prefer not to use the vacuum, put a clean, old sock on your hand and wipe the slats of the drapes with a damp cloth and a small amount of shampoo. When the time comes for a thorough cleaning, remove the blinds from the window. Either lay them on the lawn and spray them with a hose, or place them in your bathtub and spray with cheap shampoo and water. Or run the jets in your jet tub to get the blinds clean. Rinse with water and re-hang. After the blinds are dry, wipe each slat with a fabric softener sheet. We have a smooth-top range and while the burner was hot, a microfibre tea towel dropped onto it. It melted and left a smeary mess all over the burner that won’t come off. Any hints on how to remove it? I tried using a Scrunge sponge while the burner was cool or slightly warm, as well as the paste cleaner recommended for these types of stove tops, but no luck.

Head to a store where appliances are sold, and ask for a razor blade scraper (as the name suggests, it looks like a razor blade). This little gadget will not damage the surface, but it will save you time and effort in cleaning the stove top each time you use it (especially now). A little dish soap, water and the razor tool is all that I would use. Another possibility is to squeeze grapefruit onto the stove and sprinkle it with baking soda. Scrub the area until clean. I put foil on the bottom of my new wall oven to catch grease from pork chops, not realizing the heating element is below the surface. Now the tinfoil is melted and “fused” to the bottom. I have tried soaking it, using vinegar and baking soda, but to no avail. Any suggestions you may have to restore my oven would be greatly appreciated.

I am assuming that you are talking about a self-cleaning oven. While there isn’t any safe way to quickly remove the foil without damaging the porcelain finish of the oven, you can use a plastic scrub pad, some liquid dish soap and a plastic scraper to remove loose pieces. This is best done when the oven is warm (be careful not to burn yourself). When you are wiping out the oven, periodically use a plastic scrub pad, and each time more will come off. The great news is that the self-cleaning oven feature will eventually remove the foil; but it may take several cleaning cycles and a bunch of patience. i enjoy your questions and tips — keep them coming. Can’t remember a solution? Follow me on twitter and check out my website at reena.ca