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YOUR NEOHOME- Where do you go when you want to clean your NeoHome? How do you
get the blueberry and oyster ice cream out of your Kau print furniture? I have
found that there is no shop with cleaning supplies or the proper aids to help
you in your duties. I paid a visit to the housekeeping staff at the Neolodge and
I can tell you that they weren't very forthcoming with their trade secrets. I
also went to the Soup Faerie, thinking because she dresses like that because she
likes to clean. I can tell you that meeting did not go smoothly! So, after a fruitless
journey (of about 10 minutes... I got tired!) I decided to conduct my own research
into that little known subject (dramatic pause): domestic engineering!
We do have to set some ground rules before we start looking at products and
supplies. Anyone with a chocolate, jelly, white chocolate and cloud NeoHome
do not need to worry about the cleanliness factor of his or her lodging. These
types of NeoHomes do not lend themselves to proper cleaning. Jelly just absorbs
everything and sinks, sooner or later to the ground. This type of NeoHome is
recommended to the lazy Neopians out there. Cloud NeoHomes, while pretty, soon
become disaster areas when you start adding water or live in an especially dusty
area. The chocolate NeoHomes, if kept in a cool region, like Terror Mountain
or the Spooky woods, will maintain their shape and are easily swept. But woe
to the Neopian that builds a chocolate NeoHome in the Lost Desert! I will have
a section later further down on how to repair your chocolate NeoHome.
As well, people with dung, fungus and spooky furniture obviously want to live
in filth so this article does not apply to you. We will, however, cover maintenance
of homeowners with jelly, straw, cloud and furry furniture as these types of
furniture are easy to maintain with proper care.
I got started on my journey by investigating types of items that I would need
to clean my NeoHome. Broom, vacuum and duster easily came to mind but what about
cleaning products? I took a tour of the grooming store and perused the aisles,
looking here and there for any type of soapy product. I did come across some
Kougra shining soap, some Neopian soap and a bar of soap. Noting the usefulness
of these products, I put them in my basket. As I walked around the shop, I grabbed
a few towels, a blue toothbrush and paid for my purchases up front. I won't
go into every detail of what I bought so here is a list of necessary items on
the Neopian market which I deem necessary for you to clean your NeoHome:
Vacuumfish or Vacumatic 9000
Shovelfish or Spoonfish
long handled pan
feather tickler
Meerca squirt bottle
magic potion
pressurized water
dusty magic broom
I do believe everyone has a basic understanding of what goes into cleaning
any type of NeoHome. Our vacuuming aids will easily remove particles of dirt
and dust from the surfaces of your furniture and floors. I also got my hands
on some reading material, although there wasn't much to go on in the book market.
"Science is fun" was a book I read for the combination of items for our potent
potables.. "Antique furniture" was the next book read for the care of different
types of furniture in the NeoHome and of course "Sick of Spots" for all those
nasty stains that eventually develop over time. Having what I deemed an arsenal
for ridding my NeoHome of filth and grunge (before this, my NeoHome had not
been cleaned since I moved in with my Neopets), I started combining products
and using the tools at hand.
The feather tickler, while a weak weapon in the Battledome, was great for
reaching those spots where dust likes to collect. Just point and push the button
to activate the feather attached to the end. This feather tickler, in combination
with my trusty Vacumatic 9000 did the trick with the dust and dirt in my NeoHome.
My NeoHome is made of transparashield so it was an easy surface to vacuum. Next,
I emptied the Meerca squirt bottle (making sure to take the contents and dispose
of them in a safe manner... we don't want the younger Neopets to get a hold
of that!), grabbed the pressurized water and ventured to Mystery Island where
I asked Jhuidah for a favor. I threw both items into the mixing pot and voila!
I now had a super powered squirt bottle! Now this little baby made the act of
cleaning sticky spots on the floor a breeze! Just point and spray! I made short
order of my floors that day! Neopians with cardboard, straw, twig, bamboo and
wood NeoHomes should just stick with the dusty magic broom or a vacuuming aid.
You do not want to be shooting holes through your NeoHome just for the sake
of cleanliness! For your windows, use a towel and the magic potion. Streaks
are a thing of the past with this wonderful concoction of Kauvara's. Not only
that, but Magic potion works wonders for fruit stains on furniture.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you will clean your bathroom.
We all know that the bathroom is the last place anyone wants to clean, but what
kind of cleaning guide would this be if we didn't venture into the bathroom?
Take your morphed Meerca pressure bottle and squirt that toilet clean of all
ickyness! I will remind you to not do this on the dung toilet or the cloud toilet.
Bad thing will happen! Same warning applies to the sinks made of this material
as well. Our bathtubs needed a well deserved cleaning so I mixed the Neopian
soap with a bottle of sand. Any color will do. Now taking another towel, gently
clean away that ring of grime around the bathtub and there you have it, a clean
tub for you and your Neopets to bathe in again!
Here is Basic Furniture Care 101. Dust all the furniture pieces with your
feather tickler and when you are done with that, take the magic potion (it is
very versatile) and clean off the surfaces. I also got another tip from a fellow
Neopian (thanks Taz!) for all wooden elements of your NeoHome. Buy a tub of
cactopus cream and an orange, squeeze the juice out of the orange, take the
rind, separate the orange oil from the rest and mix this and the cactopus cream
together. It works great for shining all those great looking pieces of furniture
as well as leaves a refreshing smell! Of course, to properly take care of your
couches, loveseats and chairs, remove all the cushions and vacuum out the crumbs
and odd things that will eventually accumulate down there. When I did this,
I had enough Neopoints to fund another round of training school for my pets!
Amazing what you find in the recesses of a couch pocket!
Last but definitely not least is the section which I title "The Hard to Care
for NeoHome". If you have built with cloud, the best thing you can do is turn
your clouds over and hope the dirt settles to the ground where by removing all
uncleanness from your NeoHome. White and regular chocolate NeoHomes are a different
matter. Now, if you are anything like regular living beings, you will exude
heat and this is a detriment to your NeoHome. Not only that, but Neopets are
notorious for eating anything chocolate.
To repair nicks, gouges, bite marks and the odd item that is lodged into your
chocolate flooring or walls that needs to be dug out, you need to have on hand
some type of flame device, a long handled pan and any type of chocolate sold
in the candy store. Try to get the type that matches your walls and floors the
closest. Now put the piece of chocolate in the pan, heat with heating device
(a flaming torch works great!) underneath and melt the chocolate. Pour the melted
confection into the holes and allow the chocolate to cool until hardened.
Walls will need to have more work put into them. Get a brown paint brush, dip
into the heated chocolate and play the game of paint and let dry, paint and
let dry, paint... well, you get the hint. What was now unsightly is a beauty
to behold. I hope that helps all Neopians that have build shelter from chocolate!
Jelly, straw, cloud and furry pieces of furniture are problematic in the fact
that they either are not contained to one space or drop particulate all over
your nicely cleaned floors. I have come up with a solution for all those stricken
with these furniture purchases. The Neopian Times issue three is widely distributed
around Neopia. Just cut out shapes that resemble the bottoms of your furniture
pieces and what you have is a protectant for your floors. If you are feeling
creative, grab some wrapping supplies and surround your Neopian Times article
with cellophane wrap. I would recommend this so that you do not end up with
the words of that issue forever embedded into the floor! Once a month, repeat
this action and you will never have to worry about dirty floors again!
Standing in your NeoHome, you should have a certain gleam of satisfaction
of a job well done. Grab some flowers and distribute them around your NeoHome
for a fresh smell. I hope this article shed some light on the subject of NeoHome
care in Neopia. Next week, an article called, "Help! I buy dung furniture!"
Author's note: I am not writing an article for those of you that need help
with your questionable purchases. That is for you to discuss with your family
and Neopets. For all of you that detest dung furniture you may sign the petition
located at www.wehatedung.com and put an end to this abomination in fine furnishings!
Author's note part two: There is no www.wehatedung.com. I do not hold the
rights to that website and you may make the petition if you feel strongly on
the subject. Although I do hate dung furniture, every Neopian is entitled to
their own decorative tastes.
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