That Darn Dust!

War against Dust Bunnies.

We the Wizards have an ongoing, daily fight against dust. It drives us nuts if after a three-four hour cleaning we go around your home for a last look to make sure everything is a 100% and we see dust speckles on your tv stand, end table or kitchen counter. We cleaned there!! We dusted it, we polished it, and here they are again!
So it is only fair to say that we hate those little flying bastards.
Here are some tips that we have learned, that make our war against dust easier:

*Feather Dusters are cute and sexy when you wear them with your French maid outfit. They are no use for actual dusting as they just spread dust around and shed the feathers too so you're just creating more work for yourself. We do recommend Swiffer Dusters for a quick weekly/daily dusting.

* Stuffed animals, throw pillows and blankets collect dust. Toss them in the dryer for 15 minutes to get rid of dust. If delicate materials, put it on "air fluff" cycle. If you're looking to kill dust mites, wash and dry with high heat.

* Damp is good!-Use a slightly moist cloth to attract and trap dust. Dry cloth just pushes it around. A little water works fine, even on wood.

*Furniture polish should be used at least once a month. It moisturizes and protects your furniture. Do not spray the furniture directly, spray the polishing cloth. This way you use less product and it's easier to polish. Make sure you remove all the smeary residue as it attracts more dust!!

*Clean paintbrush whisks dust from pleated lampshades, wood chairs, railings and picture frames. Use your vacuum's brush attachment  to clean a lamp shade that has not been dusted in a loooooonnngg time.

*Blow Dryer on "cool"  cleans books, knickknacks and plants (safe for even real plants!).

*Your upholstery is like a luxury hotel for dust mites so unless you want them to move in, take action! Use your vacuum's fabric attachment on all sides of the cushions as well as on the platform underneath (you'll find some change, pens and old candies as a reward )

Just a fact: 60% of household dust comes from outside, most significantly from shoes. Also, if your window is open all day after our visit and you come home to dusty surfaces, please don't shoot an angry email blaming your Wizard of being lazy and not doing her job. Try this: dust the dusty area and check again in a few hours. There's a big chance that the dust is back again. And now you're just another soldier in a war against dust.

We do promise to keep fighting and to keep looking for new ways to keep the dust away for good!

Give a gift of time off!

Giftgiving,-a real hard task that only so few of us have mastered. I happen to be a terrible gift giver. Maybe I am so ignorant that I never take the time to get to know you enough to know what you like or need. Maybe I just have terrible taste (probably the reason!).
Anyway, there's one gift that you can hardly go wrong with: gift card!

 In 2006, gift card was the 2nd most given gift in USA. It was the most wished for gift by women and 3rd most wished for gift by men. Don't ask what were the two most wished for gifts by men. Probably a sports car and a weekend at a golf resort?

Anyway, Wizard of Homes finally took the big step and started offering the gift cards! So if you know someone in NYC metro area that you don't know what to get for birthday, anniversary or "just because" then email us at info@wizardofhomesnyc.com
How it works? Should be easy: you email/call us and tell us what you know about the apartment that you're looking to get cleaned. How many bathrooms or bedrooms there are and where it's located is pretty much all we need to know (You don't need to know the exact address). Then we will figure out how you will get the gift card and how we get the payment. If you're local, we can just come to you. If you're out of the area, you can pay by paypal and we will deliver the gift card to the recipent. We will also gladly include fresh flowers or chocolates with our service to make your gift extra special.

Keep the flowers fresh!

We the Wizards are wishing all of you a very happy Valentine's day. Let's hope your Valentine will rememer to buy you some flowers! Here's how to keep them fresh longer:


*Fill the vase with lukewarm water and add the included flower food. Cut off the stems on an angle with a sharp knife to create more surface area for the water to absorb. Don't place the vase in a direct sunlight or right next to a radiator. Replace the water and retrim the stems every other day.
*If your flowers came without the flower food, fill the vase with half water, half lemon-lime soda-the sugar will feed the blooms while the acidity will keep flower-life-shortening bacteria at bay.
Or, put a crushed aspirin in the water before adding your flowers. Other household items that you can put in the water to extend the life of your flower arrangements include: a multivitamin, a teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of salt and baking soda, and even a copper penny.
Happy Valentine's day!

Keep your stainless steel stainless with proper care

 Stainless steel is one of the most durable materials available for a wide range of household and industrial uses. In the process of making stainless steel, a little chromium is added to form the hard oxide coating on the surface. This coating can keep your appliances looking new and shiny for a long time. But if you don't take proper care of it, your stainless steel with rust like a regular steel.


Here's a trick for old water stains that doesnt go out with regular cleaners and polishers: add a little mild dish detergent to your dishwashing sponge and very gently scrub the affected area (in the direction of the metal). Wipe off with soft cloth and clean as usual.
Make your sink look like new by polishing it with olive oil or baby oil.


We have tested a lot of stainless steel cleaners and have never been fully satisfied with any of them. Till we found Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish

Weiman leaves behind a shiny streak-free surface. This is something that all the other products claim to do as well but none of them delivers 100%. Weiman is very easy to use and you'll definitely notice the difference.;

Tips and Tricks

Feel free to add your opinions and tips-tricks in the comments!

Box of homeless items

* Be green-Keep a basket next to your printer for paper that still has one good side. Use that paper to print mapquest directions or cut it into pieces for little notes.
*Nap like a cat- take a powernap. An afternoon nap (no more than 15 minutes) can help relieve stress and give you that little boost to get through the rest of your day.
*Stop the static-Run your hands over a new dryer sheet and then lightly pat down the charged-up fabric
*Put the clutter in a box-Keep a basket or a decorated box in the most cluttered part of your home (hallway, livingroom) and throw the "temporarily homeless" items in there. Every day (ok busy bee, once a week) walk around the house and place these items where they really belong.

Smelly Kitchen Tips

Unless you’re an absolute clean-freak or you don’t keep food in your kitchen, you are bound to have some smelly situations from time-to-time. Here are a few tricks we’ve found do wonders with all kinds of stinks:

*Stinky Sink- What makes it smelly is the food scraps in the garbage disposer or pipes. First clean the disposer blades by grinding up some ice cubes. Thoroughly rinse the rubber gasket, if you have one (flip it up and get the underside, too).
Finally, even if you dont have a disposer, pour in half a cup of baking soda while running warm tap water.

* Cooking Fumes-Broiled fish yesterday? Burned popcorn? Try this: in a saucepan, mix 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1 cup of water and boil for several minutes. The acidic vinegar will neautralize the alkaline odors. Problem solved

* Treat your trash can-As soon as you get a whiff of a smelly trash can, empty the can and wipe it with a wet paper towel. Then spray the can with a disinfectant spray (Lysol works great!). Let it dry before you put the new bag in. Do this once a week.

*Spa day for appliances-If your dishwasher starts smelling like a seedy New York restaurant, it’s time to take action. Clean the filter (below bottom rack) by whisking out any particles with a paper towel. Then run a “rinse only” or “quick rinse” with the machine empty, this will wash away the debris. Make sure to leave the door open after the cycle ends, let it air out. For a smelly fridge and freezer, make sure to toss the leftovers. Face it: you are not going to eat the General Tso’s chicken from last week! From the freezer, make sure to dump the old ice cubes, they’re just collecting odor (you can grind them with your garbage disposal!). Clean the obvious spills with a sponge. Pour a thin layer of fresh baking soda into a few small, shallow dishes. Cover this with plastic wrap and punch holes in it. Distribute on shelves to keep the air fresh (up to three months!). You can also pick up a few ARM & HAMMERrefrigerator air filters.

*Oven spills-As soon as you see the spill in the oven, sprinkle a generous amount of salt on it. This will keep the burning “scent” at bay and will also make it easier to wipe off once the oven has cooled down.