SEASONAL CLEANING CREATES OPPORTUNITY

March 15, 2005

Seasonal cleaning means an all-out, deep-down attack on dust, dirt and clutter. But with busy lifestyles and often bigger homes, seasonal cleaning more often than not seems to be a hassle and sadly goes undone, creating everything from guilt to itchy eyes. Dirt and stress accumulate.

Rather than looking at seasonal cleaning as a chore, look on the bright side. Consider it an opportunity to find all those things you misplaced, a time to streamline your routine and an opportunity to get dust, dirt and allergens out of the house so you can breathe easier. Not only are you doing what it takes to protect your investment in your home, bask in the glow of a healthier home. Thanks to modern technology and innovation from the Oreck Corporation, the fear factor is taken out of seasonal cleaning.

David Oreck, who developed the lightweight, highly effective and efficient Oreck® XL21® Vacuum Cleaner, recommends his cleaning system for a healthier home that helps make cleaning stress free.

Oreck's Total Cleaning System™ works with these essential cleaning rules: organize, prioritize and streamline for a healthier home.

"Set realistic goals for seasonal cleaning," advises Oreck, who has more than 40 years of experience developing the most advanced, user friendly cleaning technology.

"Use the most effective cleaning tools that eliminate the need for physical stress and do more of the work for you," Oreck said.

Seasonal changes generate allergens and trap dirt and dust in closed-up homes. The need to clean increases especially for those with allergies and asthma. Outdoor allergens and dirt combine with indoor allergens, like dust mites and pet dander, to trigger sneezing, coughing and irritated eyes in anyone, not just those with allergies.

Most important, don't get discouraged or overwhelmed. Just take it one step at a time. For advice and help from cleaning experts, log on to www.oreck.com or go into one of 450 Oreck Clean Home Centers nationwide. They are staffed with Oreck-trained specialists who can help you plan a cleaning regime that suits your time, home and wallet.

For a cleaner, healthier home, David Oreck recommends:

Organize: Have a plan and stick to it. Clean one room or task at a time that is realistic for your schedule. Doing one room can give a sense of accomplishment and inspiration to move onto the next. A good place to start is the bedroom. Experts report we spend about one third of our time sleeping. You'll breathe easier in a cleaner bedroom and thus have more energy to clean the rest of the house! Clean from top to bottom. This method is most efficient.

Prioritize: Survey the total cleaning needs and determine an efficient order. Get down to details that are overlooked in regular cleaning such as under and behind furniture, closet floors, baseboards, behind the refrigerator, tops of kitchen cabinets and lamp shades. Be sure to vacuum the mattress and boxspring and all pillows as well as stuffed animals.

Streamline: Speed cleaning is a skill anyone can develop. One way to lighten the load is with highly efficient cleaning tools. Vacuums play a major role.

Instead of pushing and lugging a heavy vacuum, move at top speed with a lightweight, powerful machine, like the new Oreck XL21 Upright Vacuum Cleaner.

Unlike most vacuums, which weigh 26-28 lb., the advanced Oreck vacuum is engineered to weigh only eight pounds. This weight makes the Oreck vacuum user friendly. Constructed of top quality, durable, innovative materials, it features a compact, highly efficient, two-speed motor. Two speeds are essential when caring for different types of floor coverings. To save time and bending over, the Oreck vacuum automatically adjusts from hard to carpeted surfaces.

To lighten the load on the upright, vacuum tools are on a separate compact canister -- no need to lug and push tools around when not in use.

Create a Healthier Home: To thoroughly remove dirt and dust, which can harbor dust mites, other allergens, mold spores and bacteria, the proper vacuum must be used. Critical to effective cleaning is a bagged vacuum that retains the dirt until you are ready to dispose of it.

Bagless models can leak dirt and dust back into the air and can put dust back into the house when dirt cups are emptied.

To capture and remove the smallest particles of dust and allergens, theOreck XL21 Vacuum has a HEPA filtration system with seven layers of filtration, via a three-layer inner bag inside a four-layer hypo-allergenic outer bag. What's picked up by the vacuum stays in the vacuum until it is emptied.

This cleaning time-saver is accomplished by the advanced Oreck self-sealing inner vacuum bag. Bagless vacuums, in contrast, can actually spew dirt and dust back into the home and on the hands and face when the dirt container is emptied.

To capture dirt, dust and allergens all over the house, from ceiling corners to shelves, use vacuum tools that reach high and low and in other tricky spots. Use vacuum tools to suck in dust, not spread it around, like a dust cloth can. Moving into action wherever dust is spotted is easy with the separate Oreck tool canister. It's so light you can carry it or sling it over the shoulder with its shoulder strap.

Deep cleaning floors is part of a seasonal cleaning ritual. It's a smart step for a healthier home since particles can be embedded deep down. Use a multi-floor machine that dry cleans and deep cleans carpets and bare floors.

Another vital step for a healthier home: Keep an air purifier working 24/7 year round to trap airborne contaminants. You can breathe easier while the air purifier does the work.

Make an Oreck Total Cleaning System™ part of your weekly cleaning routine for less hassle and maximum results.