Perfect Clean Home

The most obvious and lingering signs of smoking are the tar and nicotine stains on the skin and teeth. The most prominent discolorations usually appear on the lips and on the nails of the fingers. Some ex-smokers often find these to be rather stubborn, and some of the deep stains may last long after the person has stopped smoking. For people who continue to smoke, the months and years from this habit can be clearly seen in the lank and brittle hair, the yellowing nails, the dark brownish crusts under the fingernails, the blackened lips, the dark gums and the yellowing enamel of the teeth. The best recommendation for the permanent removal of these stains and discolorations is the permanent removal of the person's smoking habit.

However, for ex-smokers who want to remove their ugly marks of a former addiction, there are some very simple home remedies for cleaning nicotine stains and tar tarnishes on the skin.

\"cleaning Home\"

1. Lemons (or any citrus fruit) can help bleach the discolorations on the skin, especially on the lips. Simply slice a fresh fruit and have the person apply it on the lips daily, for 2 to 5 minutes at a time. This can also be used on the discoloration on the fingertips and under the nails. The person can scrub the freshly sliced citrus fruit and its pulp vigorously on the affected areas for 2 to 5 minutes, and then rinse with water afterwards. However, this treatment is done best on skin areas that have no breaks or external damages since citrus juice and pulp can sting. Vinegar may be substituted for lemons, as long as the product label indicated that the vinegar is naturally made and is not mixed with any other chemical or preservative.

2. Yellowish nails can be buffed, covered over with nail polish or allowed to grow out. Many people would prefer that the nails eventually grow out, revealing the natural pink health of the tissues under the nails. However, more immediate and temporary remedies include buffing the nails with a mineral buffer (will add shine to the nails but will not really hide the discoloration) and painting the nails with color and polish. Rubbing the nails with freshly grated garlic can help strengthen the nails and eliminate the yellowish tinge. However, this treatment should be used sparingly - about once a week only and only for less than 2 minutes at a time. Wash hands thoroughly after treatment with soap and water. Pat dry and allowed to stay that way (without putting on lotions or moisturizers) for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Only then can you moisturize the skin of the hands with Vitamin E enriched lotion or moisturizer.

3. This problem can also be tackled internally. Increasing one's intake of Vitamin C and E can help speed up the skin renewal process, making the underlying tissues under the skin and nails to come out looking more rejuvenated.

As for the yellowing teeth, it would be best if the person is to consult a dentist. Some home remedies and products may actually do more harm to the weakened enamel of smokers' (or ex-smoker') teeth, causing the gums to look blacker and the enamel more brownish looking.

April Kerr owns website End Smoking Tips which is all about tips on stopping smoking [http://endsmokingtips.com/quit-smoking/tips-on-stopping-smoking.html] and best ways to stop smoking [http://endsmokingtips.com/quit-smoking/best-ways-to-quit-smoking.html].

One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it's a blessing to make money doing something they love. I'm not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn't hate it.

How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.

Clean Home

Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.

1) Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.

Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won't do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.

2) Pricing your housecleaning service.

To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.

3) Workout startup costs.

For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.

Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).

Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.

Once you've gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.

4) Name your business.

Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, 'Maid Brigade', 'All Shine Cleaning', 'White Glove Cleaning Service'. Please avoid using 'Your Name Cleaning Services'. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.

5) Learn the zoning regulations of your community.

Check the city clerk's Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.

6) Do a few free cleaning jobs.

Well you're not actually doing them for free. You're doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.

7) Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.

Tell everyone you know that you've started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.

This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.

--

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. fayolap@yahoo.com

About The Author

Fayola Peters is the webmaster of housecleaning-tips.com. To find more information about a house business cleaning course check out her website at http://www.housecleaning-tips.com.

fayolap@yahoo.com