Home Cleaning Services Cost

2015-02-23

Price is often a factor when a potential customer is deciding what cleaning company to book. When comparing the prices that cleaning companies charge, many people have difficulty understanding why the price from one cleaning company can vary drastically compared to the prices charged by another cleaning company. This is to be expected as most people do not deal with cleaning companies often and do not know what criteria a cleaning company uses to determine the rates.

A good rule of thumb is, as with any product or service, you get what you pay for. A properly operating, professional cleaning company should not be able to put a two-person cleaning crew with equipment and cleaning supplies for $40 per hour. At these rates, the company would be operating profitless and could not afford to stay in business. Companies may probably charge additional fees certain supplies, surcharges in order to compensate.

A harder working, more experienced crew can usually complete a professional cleaning in less time and with better quality than a less experienced crew with substandard work ethic. For this reason a cleaning company charging lower rates could end up costing the customer more than a cleaning company that charges higher rates. Disreputable cleaning companies often advertise low rates in order to attract customers. Then when the crew arrives on cleaning day, they purposely prolong the job to make more money. This allows them to bring in the same revenue as the ethical company but with very little overhead in comparison.

Often, companies offering low prices are cutting corners somewhere in order to still be able to profit. This can be through the quality of the cleaners they hire. Poorly paid workers do not usually reflect the same work ethic as well paid workers.

The largest noticeable price differences are usually between legitimate, licensed cleaning companies and illegitimate, 'fly-by-night' companies. This is because the illegitimate cleaners do not have to worry about the same overhead that a legitimate company must absorb.

Some of these costs include:
business registration
BBB (Better Business Bureau) registration
business phone lines
accounting
employee bonding
payroll deductions (CPP, EI, taxes)
WCB
vacation / holiday / overtime pay
proper equipment
proper tools and supplies
office equipment / expenses
proper vehicle maintenance
advertising / marketing
uniforms
many other related costs

Easy appointment booking.

2014-11-25

Some time ago we had a strange case that I wanted to tell about. One day we received a phone call from a customer named Mike and he ordered cleaning service for the next day. When our team showed up next day at the address, a young girl opened the door, she wasn't aware of anything about cleaning but she let them in and told them that they can start cleaning. Shortly after the girl went to sleep. Our cleaning team wasn't surprised, we had cases before that someone ordered cleaning service and forgot to notify other family members about it. An hour and a half later, our employees wanted to clarify some details about the cleaning so I called the customer. A man replied on the phone that he wasn't Mike and he didn't order any cleaning services. The man's voice on the phone was remarkably similar to the voice that made an order so I assumed that it was the same guy. I was shocked I didn't know what to tell him. So what happened is that this guy that was denying that he's Mike called me before, around the same time when I received the order and I accidentally wrote down his phone number instead.

We have an online quote form now. Our customers usually use it to book cleaning service it helps a lot from preventing mistakes and situations like this.

Happy Halloween!

2014-10-29

Halloween Is Here, So Be Sure To Have Candy When The Ghouls Knock At Your Door, It’ll Come In Handy. Happy Halloween!Tips for Cleaning your House Before, During, and After Your Party

Economical cleaning for the penny-wise.

2014-10-21

When it comes to your home, you may not feel like you should be spending huge amounts on cleaning. You will no doubt understand the prices involved in replacing products week in week out, and the way in which these products never last as long as you seem to think they should. There are ways in which to look at the process in a different way however, that can make your cleaning regime a lot cheaper, and in the same breath, a lot better for the environment. You should concentrate on making your cleaning less of a regularly updated thing, and more of a constant onwards process, with no need to replace things over time. You may even find that this way of doing things works better in a sense of cleaning ability, as the methods involved can be very effective.

First off, look at the ‘tools’ that you use for cleaning. How cost effective are these items? You will no doubt be in possession of a mop, bucket, dustpan and brush, various cloths, sponges and lots of cleaning products. it is common that almost all of these things are made from plastics that break easily and are not particularly sustainable in terms of the environment.It can be good to replace these things as they get worn out with more eco-friendly and longer lasting items like wooden cleaning instruments, that will stand the text of time, and not be cracking or splitting on you as you try to get things done.

Cleaning products are expensive and need replacing rather often, so you need to find a suitable replacement. Vinegar, lemon, and baking powder are all amazing ingredients that will cut through the same dirt and grime that a chemical cleaner would. These products are always a lot friendlier on the skin and your airways, as they have no strong or harmful chemicals in them. They will also rarely come in thick plastic containers like regular cleaning products do, which means that they are better for the environment in various ways as well.

If these sorts of methods are not for you, then give some thought to steam cleaners. You may have to drop a fair old amount of money in the first place, as they can be fairly expensive, but after that, all you will need is water, which you tend to pay for anyway. The heat and moisture in steam breaks down the adhesive qualities of dirt and will give you wipe clean surfaces. You should however consider that you will likely need a small one for surfaces and a large one for floors, as the different sizes are not compatible with the varying jobs in the home.

Give some thought to how much water you use in your home. Water may seem like it is in high abundance, but it is in fact becoming scarce in many areas of the world, and over using it can also run your water bill up! For this reason you should never leave the tap running, as it is a massive waste of such a precious commodity. Fill up a basin for the washing up, and let the cleaning solutions that you use do their job for a while before rinsing them off, as this will make the cleaning more effective, and you will only have to do it once!

There are many ways to reduce the cost of cleaning, so look for further tips and good luck!

Remove and replace old silicone caulk.

2014-10-18

Nothing looks worse in a bathroom than old, moldy and discolored silicone. Black spots of mildew in the silicone sealant are unsightly and impossible to clean.

The good news is that we can to remove old silicone and update with a new waterproof silicone sealant. Employing the right sealant will help hold back those moldy black spots coming back. It is important to completely remove old silicone. This is because an established mold colony in the old sealant can grow through your new sealant, even if your new sealant has mold inhibitors to prevent this from happening.

How to Clean Window Blinds

2014-10-04

We recommend wipe wooden blinds with gentle cleaner once or twice a year.Aluminium blinds can be washed outside.Scrub aluminium blinds with water and all-purpose cleaner, rinse well. You can use a hose to rinse well. Dry the blinds with a towel.

How to Spot a Rip-Off Cleaning Company

2014-08-19

Given the current economic woes Britain faces, it’s no surprise that many people are specifically seeking out cheaper options when it comes to goods, works and services these days. Even if you’re not necessarily feeling the pinch, it’s only natural to want to get the best value for your money you possibly can. You can of course be forgiven for feeling the seductive effects of very low prices – but you should be wary of rates that look suspiciously low when it comes to cleaning services. Odds are there are some great, reputable cleaning companies in your area – in fact, it’s a fair bet they far outweigh and outnumber the amount of cowboys in the field. What’s more, many of these reputable cleaners may offer cheap prices on cleaning services. However, there will always be charlatans claiming to be professional cleaners who are out to make a quick buck, so you should know what to look out for. Operate on the basis that if a price looks too good to be true, it almost definitely is. What some companies do is offer you a very low starting price, and then add extras during the clean without telling you – like Ryan Air! The best cleaning contractors will agree a set price with you before they start cleaning, and will notify you if a particular cleaning solution you request on the day is going to cost you extra. Remember – a price is what you pay, and value is what you get! Transparent pricing is something the best cleaning agencies believe in!

Don’t be enticed by companies who boast about their cleaning technology, either. Whilst good cleaners will have specialist tools to get their job done, technology on its own really isn’t enough. It’s just as crucial that a house or carpet clean contractor has staff which is properly trained and can use this machinery to a professional standard. For instance, truly professional carpet cleaners may use steam cleaners and the like in order to enhance their expertise in the area. When you approach a cleaner, make sure you ask a few technical questions. If they hesitate on the answers, or say they’ll get back to you, run a mile!

It’s also important to be wary of particular specialist cleaning techniques being touted as the ‘cure’ for your cleaning needs. As there are so many cleaning firms in the same cleaning fields – for instance, there are a lot of domestic cleaning providers out there – some cleaners feel the need to talk up a new-fangled cleaning technique as the ultimate remedy for dirt, grime and uncleanliness. Often, these alleged innovations are either untested or simply mundane cleaning services dressed up to sound that little bit special. If the cleaning approach is untested, it could damage your home – and if it’s an unexceptional technique, then don’t pay over the odds for it!

This guide to cleaning companies should help you discern between the swindlers and the movers and shakers in the cleaning industry. Don’t be disheartened when you learn that there are some con artists in the field – every type of service attracts less than reputable characters. Find a cleaning agency that has been in the marketplace for a long time, and has a long and illustrious record of making their customers very happy. Whether they are providing you with home cleaning or carpet cleaning or one-off cleaning or any kind of clean service, you will be able to find a cleaning company that can serve your needs professionally and expertly!

Ensuring that you are getting the best from your cleaning equipment

2014-08-12

With the domestic cleaning taking up so much of your time, it is pretty important that you are ensuring that you are not taking longer than you need to on the job. You will often find that the amount of time that your job takes corresponds directly to a few things, from your concentration levels, to the amount of dirt that has built up between cleans, to the efficiency of the things that you use to clean with. You will find that getting your cleaning tools up to their best standards will reduce the amount of work that you have to do in order to get the house cleaning done well. It is essential that you are able to look in to these things every now and again, as many people are reluctant to think too much about it, simply because the home cleaning is such a boring thing to think about! Even if you are using a cleaning service or a contract cleaner for the office cleaning, you will find that it is your responsibility to ensure that the tools that they use are working well.

For a start, think about your larger bits of machinery . The most common cleaning machine that people have is the vacuum cleaner. If your vacuum cleaner loses suction, then you will find that it can be a lot else useful, and it will take you a lot longer to get the job done. This basically means that you will be pushing the thing about unnecessarily. If you feel like the vacuum cleaner is behaving strangely, then you should check the filters, the bag and for blockages in the hoses. If you don’t find anything, or if nothing improves when you replace these things, then you should either look online for further help, or get a service engineer round to sort it out. If your vacuum cleaner is ancient, then it may be worth getting a new one.

When it comes to the more basic parts of your cleaning tool kit, you will find that things need to still have an eye kept on them. For instance, a bucket that is made out of flimsy plastic will often warp under the weight of a full load of water, and this will be disastrous if you are trying to move it around the house in a hurry. Spilling soapy water everywhere may not be exactly what you had in mind for the floor cleaning, especially if it is a carpet... The same goes for the crack in the dust pan, or the clogged up hairs of the brushes that you use to sweep the place. You will find that these little inadequacies will lead to real problems in the long run, what with the crack spilling dust, and the brush missing it, the job will only take longer every time.

There is a lot to be said for avoiding materials that break easily. You will find that plastic items are often cheaply made and cheaply sold, but the result is that they don’t really work that well in the long run. If you are concerned that you have been taking longer with the cleaning than you really need to, then it is well worth looking in to buying products made of more hardy materials, like metal or wood. A solid metal bucket will be a lot more sturdy, whilst a metal dustpan is not going to crack.

Where do cobwebs most often gather?

2014-08-04

When it comes to getting your house professionally cleaned, one of the first things to be taken care of is usually the cobwebs. These things are old spider webs which have accumulated dust and dirt to the degree that they have ceased to be useful to the spider and are abandoned. As such, they usually remain around difficult corners and can pass unnoticed for a great length of time. Getting rid of cobwebs can make a big difference though, even if you are just cleaning your own house. To get the expert cleaning solution type service without having to call in the professionals every time, having the courage to take on the cobwebs could be a big part of it. But where are the cobwebs most likely to gather?

The first place to check should always be in those difficult and hard to reach ceiling corners. If you live in a home with high ceilings or one with anything other than simple, square shaped rooms, these corners can be easily forgotten about. That means that they become prime candidates for cobwebs and can quickly fill up while you are not paying attention. This can become a particularly difficult problem is you find it difficult to reach the corner because of furniture placement or height. Getting a long broom can be a makeshift attempt to deal with the problem, but be careful not to mark or scuff the wall during the process. Similar, standing on furniture or a step ladder could help, but caution is advised at all times.

One of the places which people rarely consider, let alone check when it comes to cobwebs is behind a boiler. If your boiler is located in an airing cupboard or an out of the way place, then it is likely that webs and dust have been gathering for some time. When you want to get a really, properly thorough house cleaning solution, making sure to check behind here might not make that big a difference but it will certainly give you peace of mind and you can sleep easy in the knowledge that you are doing your best to banish cobwebs from your home, no matter how hidden they might be.

Whereas behind the boiler might not be obvious, those who have a garage or loft will know only too well how easily cobwebs can build up in these locations. Taking the proper care and attention to attend to these areas gives any cleaning operation a real spring clean feel, and can also mean that you are more prepared to store items in these freshly clean and tidied environments, freeing up space in the rest of the home. While a garage might be large and difficult to reach into the corners, a loft can present the opposite problem, with people who might not find much space to manoeuvre. In either case, take extra care. Whether you are using a stepladder or have your head just under the roof, use this time to think about how much easier it might have been to hire in the professionals.

One of the more obvious places for cobwebs is usually dismissed because people feel that there is likely no chance that they could accumulate in such a place. Behind furniture might seem like a strange place for a spider to hand a web, but this means that it is all the more likely to get covered in dust and all the more likely to turn into a cobweb. When moving items which have not been moved in years prepare yourself not only for the cobwebs, but for the dust as well
all part of the joys of expert cleaning services.

Spotless and Sanitary: Tips for Refrigerator Cleaning

2014-07-29

You may spend many hours each week polishing, vacuuming, wiping and more just your abode looks presentable but this isn’t necessarily the main goal. You do all of this work in order to ensure you abode is sanitary and a safe place to be. Mess can cause germs, hazards and more that are detrimental to your life. You wash away so that everything is safe to use and you can relax in your home.

All of this applies heavily when it comes to the kitchen. If this room is dirty then germs will spread and they can find their way into the food and drink you ingest. This can cause many problems, from making your food ill tasting to causing health problems. The most important aspect of kitchen cleaning is your refrigerator because, if it is dirty, then all of your food will be spoiled. To learn the best way of fighting germs and dirt in your fridge read on for useful advice and tips.

It can be tough keeping your refrigerator clan because it is so easy for it to get messy. Food and drink will spill and leak in here, so crumbs, milk, jam, butter, will seep out, and leaving it can cause odors, stains and things to go rotten. It can be easy to manage all of this though, starting with arranging things carefully. Paling items so that they are upright, are at nor risk of falling and are not squashed tougher will stop things from spilling out or leaking. Arranging items properly also makes it easier to access what is needed so things are less likely to be knocked over or pushed around.

Acting quickly will help keep your refrigerator clean, as removing any sort of mess as it occurs will prevent stains or things from exacerbating. Having some cloths or paper towels at hand will enable you to always do this, so wipe or soak up any mess the moment it occurs. The smooth materials of the fridge should make it easy to wipe and you can dampen the cloth if necessary or use several so that the stain is banished.

Managing the contents of your fridge is also important to keeping it spotless and safe. Do not overstock it as it can cause things to spill in each other, packaging to break, etc. You should separate different foods types from each other to ensure the best result. Keep leftovers in airtight containers, use plastic bags to keep items fresh and to stop them from spilling and remove any items past their use-by date as soon as possible.

Wiping the fridge should be done regularly, even if there are no apparent stains, to keep it clean and hygienic. At least once a week you should wipe the insides of the fridge with a damp cloth, making sure you get into all the dents, niches, etc. It can be beneficial to give it thorough clean every now again to ensure that there are not stains. Switch off the power, empty the contents, and wash every inch of the refrigerator, including shelves, trays and drawers. Don’t forget to often clean the outside of the fridge especially the doors, often as well, as these can easily become dirty.

To eliminate smells in your refrigerator, you should place particularly odious food into plastic bags or containers to seal the scent. If there are any lingering smells in your fridge leave a bowl of vinegar or coffee inside the fridge overnight and it will remove the stink, with any odor from the vinegar or coffee likely to leave quickly over time.

House cleaning, bike and car cleaning - how to make your own soda blaster

2014-07-24

While a soda blaster sounds like a pretty complex heavy duty device, the way in which it works is very simple. Through simply relying on baking soda and compressed air, you can make up your own device with a pressure-air, or air-blow gun head, like that of a dust gun. These are air compressor devices.

When it comes to house cleaning and treating rust-prone metal surfaces in particular, few means are more vigilant in removing any corrosion, residue and dirt stains than a soda blaster. Likewise, soda blasting works wonders on the exterior of your car since it removes rust from such things as door handles. Got rusty bike spokes? The same science of bicarbonate , or simply baking soda, and compressed air will have a profound effect.

Simply go down to your local hardware store and ask for an air-blow gun head and they will show you a range of hand-size devices that might otherwise be called handles since they are so easy to use. The good thing is that they aren't attached to any complicated cords or hoses, unlike other cleaning devices of a similar nature.

In fact, the only thing of length you will need is a transparent plastic hose, which is easy to attach to the air-blow gun head. Also ask for one of these at your nearest hardware shop. Consult the remaining few items of our complete check list below and you are ready to follow the ensuing steps.

Complete check list

A respiratory mask
Air-blow gun handle
A ruler
A marker pen
A clean cheese knife
Reliable Duct tape
A plastic transparent hose
A tub of baking soda, ideally a bulk 5 kg tub of baking soda

*Almost all of these things can be bought from the local hardware store, with the exception of the cheese knife and baking soda. But ask for those as well to save on time.

Before we commence, it's important to acknowledge that compressed air is a gas. This is the reason it's crucial to wear a respiratory mask whenever you use the air-blow gun, also available at that same local hardware store.

Step 1 - Make an incision in the plastic hose

Begin by taking your ruler, measuring 3 centimetres from one of the ends of the plastic hose before marking the spot with your marker pen. It doesn't matter which end since they are identical.

Proceed to take your cheese knife arcing it up slightly in order to take advantage of the raised twin blades characteristic and unique to the cheese knife.

In short, the raised twin blade tip allows you to then slowly make an incision through running it along from the spot you just marked to another 4 centimetres along the hose. So basically you make a hole of 4 cm, 3cm in from the end.

Step 2 - Insert the lance of the air-blow gun

The lance is the long protruding probe-like thing sticking out from the gun. It maximises the compressed air content.
Ensuring it’s attached to the air-blow gun handle, gently slide the lance into the plastic hose, inserting it around 5 cm in. Allow at least two centimetres of 'breathing space' between the end of lance and the end of your hose. This helps you direct the device later on.

Step 3 - Tape everything together tightly

Once the lance has been inserted, proceed to wrap duct tape firmly around it and the part of the hose where you made the incision, covering the hole in order to prevent air escaping.

Step 4 - Put your respiratory mask on

Before you even attempt to test the compressed air device, make sure you put on the respiratory mask properly. Since respiratory masks aren't typically necessary in home cleaning, be sure to have one on hand in advance.

Step 5 - Test the device

Make sure your open tub of baking soda is at hand. Proceed to cut across the other end of the hose diagonally. This will assist suction.
Don't immerse this end into the baking soda. Instead, have it hovering 2 centimetres above and to one side of the bucket. Tilt the hose in favour of making the diagonal incision more horizontal. This will aid suction too.

Use the device on any infected steel surface, like the rusted door handle of your car. Obviously move the bucket with you as you move around since it won't be connected to the bucket - it will simply suck up baking soda from it when the rear end of the hose hovers over. Ideally perform soda blasting on a calm afternoon since wind can affect performance.

Upon applying your device, you should notice strong whitening happening on otherwise dirty metals. If not, re-consult the steps above.

Summer Cleaning Tips

2014-07-11

With the summer sun blazing in the sky, most of us prefer to enjoy the quite embrace of the sea breeze, than to deal with cleaning our homes, but unfortunately someone has to get the job done eventually. Humid summers can really bring about a number of hidden problems in a household, more specifically mold and mildew as some of the most persistent ones. The following tips will point out some ways you can clean your home during the summer in order to avoid such issues. Let's start with the first one:

• Cleaning your grill is one of the things most of us only do when things get out of hand, but that really doesn't have to be that way. You have to remove the grates from the grill itself and then clean it up with an oven cleaner for its supposed amount of time. Once that is done, you will need to wash things off with some warm, soapy water.

• You can also focus on cleaning the mats on your doors as well. There will be significantly more traffic and dust during the summer , so you will need to deal with that extra dust being tracked in through the door.

• You can also flip your mattress as well as it needs to be cleaned at least twice a year, once during the summer and once during the winter. You can simply use a soft brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner to get the job done. Run it on top of the mattress a few times in each location to ensure you have cleaned and gone through as much of it as you can. You will then need to remove the mattress and vacuum the box spring as well. Flip the mattress and vacuum the other side as well.

• If you have to travel during the summer, then this means you will have to live out of your luggage for a while. You will need to vacuum the inside and outside of all your luggage and travel bags. You can also use a combination of water and vinegar to remove any musty smells left behind from storing them for too long. If you have to store them again, then do so with some baking soda around, as it will absorb the moisture and odor.

• Focus on cleaning the screens and windows of your home, so you can let the sunlight in. Take the screens and use a quarter cup of all-purpose cleaner in a bucket, then scrub the screen by laying it down on a flat surface. Spray the cleaner and remove the excess water, then put it back in its place so it can dry out. Never forget to wash the windows once the screens are down.

• Another thing you need to do is maintain the air conditioning system often enough to keep it clean. Replace your filters often enough to keep the dust from building up and choking the vents. This will help keep allergies under control as well, so it's a necessary step.

Emergency Cleaning Service Tips

2014-07-03

There are times in our lives when a sudden situation forces us to kick it into high gear, cleaning our homes for an emergency we could not have foreseen. Your home/office may look like a disaster, but you can work on fixing things quickly and effectively, as long as you keep your focus and you figure things out. You can handle the situation in two ways – one is to get the job done by yourself, the other is to call upon the services of a professional emergency cleaning company, which will turn out on short notice. The following tips will cover the latter solution:

• Whatever you do, make sure you avoid panicking due to the small amount of time you have available to work with. Panic leads to wasting more precious time and imagining the worst, so focus on a more practical solution to your problems – check the web and local listings for cleaning companies you can work with.

• You must work with a referred service if you want to have someone that gets the job done quickly and effectively. You may be worried about the safety of your personal belongings and your home, so you must look for a company that has good references. You may want to give a quick call to your coworkers, neighbors or family for anyone they can recommend off the bat. Keep doing your research, but remember time is of the essence here, so don't go too far.

• You must do a small interview on the phone before everything else, as most cleaning companies will let you know about their prices and they may come for an estimate of the services they must render. Before you do this however, you should ask the relevant questions and how fast they can do their job, after all this is an emergency situation and you want them to get things done fast. You will also need to be aware of other things, such as whether they are licensed and bonded in case of damages or theft.

• Now comes the part where you must ask yourself whether you should hire a company or an individual. Individuals often give more attention to personal details. They may even fold your clothes, make your bed and do things beyond the regular cleaning efforts. On the other hand, they may not always be around if you need emergency help due to being indisposed or taking a vacation. Also, insurance and bonding may not be quite as high for an individual as they may be for a company.

• Hiring a company on the other hand means working with a good team of people, so you will likely not have problems with finding someone to address issues. A team of people will mean faster work, but on the other hand likely less attention to smaller detail, depending on the way the company works.

Grease Cleaning Tips and Tricks

2014-06-30

Cooking with grease may be very tasty, but cleaning after can be one truly annoying chore. The mess left behind after spilt grease can be terrible to deal with. It sticks to everything and it gets really hard to clean, ruining clothes completely, staining carpets and making a mess out of things. There is a great deal of cleaners, out there on the market, who specialize in cleaning grease. You may not always have them in hand however, so you will need to improvise. The following tips will provide you with more information on things you can use around your home instead:

• You can use flour to clean grease fairly effectively, but only when it comes to cleaning fresh grease spills. They will help coagulate the grease into a form that would be easier to clean. Using flour will allow you to keep the grease from becoming sticky, but only if you act fast. If it’s already dried out into a sticky mess, then you will need to move on to the next step.

• Water and baking soda made into a paste can also work well when it comes to cleaning. If you happen to know how great baking soda can be when cleaning, then you may already know about this. You can use it for tarnishing off metal surface and for removing stains from your countertops and cups as well. Because of its alkaline properties, baking soda has an easier time cutting into grease and dissolving it.

• Another thing you can also use is liquid soap. Depending on the size and location of the greasy spot, you can work on cleaning it with just good old dish soap. Just rub it on the affect place and let the soap soak into it if possible. You won't really need a strong degreaser when it comes to most spots, so you can simply focus on cleaning with soap.

• You can also use rubbing alcohol and salt, especially for cases where you can't simply wash the spot out completely. This is especially relevant when it comes to cushions, rugs and carpets that would take far too much to clean otherwise. Just use a mixture of salt and rubbing alcohol in 1:4 of ratio to clean them. Rub it onto a greasy spot with force and it will help lift it. Once you're done you can use a vacuum to remove the salt crystals that remain once the alcohol evaporates.

• There is also something else you can use for tougher spots with grease that was caked-on, such as the one hiding in your cooking area or stove. All you have to do is spray vinegar on the affected spot and let it work for a few minutes before you move on to fixing it. Although that won't dissolve the grease entirely, it will still work well on it. You can also boil vinegar in your pans so grease won't stick to them as it would otherwise.

Using washing up liquid around the house

2014-06-23

There seems to be a need to buy thousands of different cleaning products for different purposes around the house these days. The prevalence of different brands, making different products for different jobs, means that it can sometimes be hard to know exactly how to go about cleaning certain parts of the house, unless you have a completely certified cleaning product for that part of the house. You would hardly ever use bathroom cleaner in the kitchen, despite the fact that it uses very similar ingredients, and has a very similar purpose! Essentially, this feeling that all things need to be treated differently can get in the way of some decent savings, and is also a bit strange if you think about it. Most of the time, people’s fears about using the wrong things for cleaning various surfaces come down to worries surrounding the chemical structures of the cleaning products, and how that reacts with the surface in question. What most surfaces need is a cleaning product that is not too acidic, nor too alkali, and this basically means that it needs to be pH neutral, just to be safe. The same goes for a variety of surfaces, new and old, expensive or standard. If the cleaning product is PH neutral, then it can be used on marble as well as most textiles! So what on earth could be such a universal cleaner? Well, you may be surprised to hear, but you can use normal household detergent for pretty much anything - washing up liquid is your best friend!

Whilst some cleaning products are indeed tailored for their specific uses, you may well find that you can use washing up liquid just as well on their designated counterparts. You will find that a scrubbing brush and some washing up liquid can get a bathroom looking shiny, and will be useful in removing stains from the carpet if you are in a pickle! Many people will be loathed to risk covering their carpet with the stuff, but in essence, it is a similar product to carpet shampoo, as it simply lathers up when scrubbed, and you need only to rinse it out and brush or hoover up the residue when it is done. Knowing this can bring you a fair bit of freedom in the house when it comes to cleaning. You will no longer be dashing out to buy bathroom cleaner anymore, because you can do it quickly with the washing up liquid. The very same can be used for greasy surfaces in other areas of the house, as the detergent is great for tackling oily mess, just as it does when you are using it on the pots and pans in the sink. Be sure to arm yourself with a decent rough sponge or brush, so that you can cut through built up stains, and give the detergent a vessel to be applied with. You can even use detergent to clean your floor. Just add a couple of squirts to your mop bucket, then wring the mop well and get to work. No matter what your floor is made from, washing up liquid will do you well. You can always rely on a PH neutral soap cleaner to give you good results, without fear of any chemicals getting the surfaces looking anything other than nice and clean. Form windows to walls, kitchens to bathrooms, it is all part of the same, and simple detergent is all you really need.

Important considerations for patio cleaning

2014-06-16

When it comes to gardening and gardening services, many people only ever consider the effects and the care of the lawn and the grass which makes up your back yard. However, there are many elements which should be addressed when it comes to making sure that your home looks at its best and one of these is the patio. By investing the correct time and effort into caring and cleaning your patio, you can make sure that the outside areas of your home are always in the best possible condition and that they are secured for the future in such a condition. But when it comes to caring for things such as your patio and making sure that you treat everything in the correct manner, what are some important considerations which should be taken into account for your patio cleaning?

The first consideration is perhaps one which should go without saying. The patio will need to be cleaned, despite the fact than it is one of the areas which many people instantly forget about. As it is likely made of stone and hard substances, people can often forget to clean it in the correct manner and this can lead to the area getting dirty and grimy in no time at all. This is particularly true in the autumn, winter and spring months, as wind and rain can leave a lasting impact on the patio >. When it comes to making sure that your garden looks at its best, remembering to clean the patio can be a hugely important aspect and the awareness of this fact means that you are making a good start when it comes to getting everything looking great.

When it comes to caring for the patio, it is true that the hard substances are often long lasting. However, they are not without their individual concerns. Scratches and marks can be highly visible and can be caused by incorrect cleaning techniques. The decision to use sharp metal objects in and around the patio when cleaning can often mean that you do long lasting damage and end up making the patio look far worse than it did before. Instead, one of the best ways in which to clean the areas is to use a combination of hot water and a thick bristled brush. Rather than the indoors equivalent, a good outdoors brush will have strong bristles which are perfect for scrubbing away the dirt and grime which builds up and when used in combination with some hot water can lead to a clean and nice looking patio is done regularly. However, there can be a temptation to use cleaning products in order to speed up the job. This should be treated with caution, however. While some cleaning products are specially designed, the bleach which is found in many cleaning products is not advised by gardening professional when it comes to cleaning your patio and should be treated with caution. If in doubt, don’t risk the damage which can be done.

One of the most important considerations will depend on the level of care and expertise which you require. If you have found that your patio has reached a stage where you are unable to do any of the cleaning yourself, it might well be time to turn to expert help. Patio care can be a part of the service provided by many gardeners and can mean that you are able to get your home looking back to its best quickly and easily. If you are worried about the patio cleaning, then hiring in experts can be the best solution.

How much organization should you bring to home cleaning?

2014-06-10

For many people, large home cleaning – or deep cleaning – solutions often seem inconceivable. This is why many chose to elect a cleaning service to handle all of their solutions and can then take it easy while the professional take care of everything. However, with the correct time and planning, a thorough clean – while perhaps not of the same standard – is available to everyone. Taking the time to correctly map out and determine what and when you need to clean is something from which many people could benefit, but how much organisation do you need to bring to cleaning your home?

For many people, cleaning can be an entirely reactionary system. This means that when something needs to be cleaned, then that is the time to clean it. If your shower has become dirty, clean it. If you have spilled something on the kitchen floor, clean it. If you have discovered muddy footprints on the hallway carpet, clean it. This approach seems like it is all about saving time and means that you do not necessarily have to set aside specific times in which to clean. However there are draw backs. By following this method, you run the risk of allowing hidden issues to build up without being addressed. If so, when it does come time to clean them, then you will inevitably have to spend more time and exert more effort. Similarly, because you are only using reactionary time, there is never any time specifically for cleaning. This means that when something does become an issue and needs addressing, then you will likely be interfering with something else which you had planned. As such, in the long run, reactionary and unplanned cleaning can often cause a huge amount of delay, take far longer and demand that you put more effort into cleaning.

Planning ahead, however can be far more helpful. By having a good idea of what needs cleaning and how often, all that you are required to plan beyond the initial list is which days and times to set aside in order to clean. What you get done will obviously depend on your home and your lifestyle. Finding the time to address those pressing problems and ongoing issues will allow you to focus your efforts in certain places, addressing, for example, the shower one week and the cupboards the next. This means that nothing runs the risk of building up to becoming a far bigger problem and you can keep any required cleaning duties under control. The planning system is flexible as well. If you find that one thing does not need cleaning as much and one needs cleaning more, then you can simply adjust in order to find out what works best for you. On top of this, when the cleaning has been correctly planned and carried out, you greatly reduce the risk of it disturbing your regular schedule and impacting on other things which you might have had planned.
When it comes to figuring out what needs cleaning in your home, clearly you will be the person who is in the best position to determine this. As such, you should always be in charge of the creation and the altering of the cleaning plan. However, whilst the plan itself can change, the commitment to the cleaning and the plan for the cleaning should never diminish. By remaining committed to the very best cleaning around, you ensure that not only is your home as clean as possible, but that the process of keeping it clean can be far, far easier.

The pros and cons of independent cleaning service

2014-06-02

When you are looking for a new cleaner, you will likely realize quite quickly that there are two sides to the story. The cleaning agency will have a few cleaners on their books, and you will deal with someone other than the cleaner when you are sorting out things like bookings, payment and disputes. With an independent service, you will deal with one person, and that person will be the one who cleans your house. Here, a look will be taken at how you should measure up the independent cleaner for size, with a run-down of the pros and cons of how they do things, and how those elements affects your time whilst using them. Essentially you can use this as a guide sheet to the issues and benefits that you may encounter through using an independent cleaner.

PRO

An independent cleaner will rely on their client base, as they do not have anyone above them pulling in jobs for them. You can expect them to be very loyal to you, and to be punctual and resilient. The hope is that you will find a cleaner who feels the need to impress you with what they can do, and to ensure that you are always in need of them, and this is very much conducive to working hard. You will be able to develop a friendly working relationship, what means that the cleaning person will want to do you a good job on a personal level as well as a business one, which is a lot stronger than the traditional boss and worker situation. At any rate, having someone who you get on with around the house is a lot more relaxing than a complete stranger, or someone who feels intimidated by your presence. It is nice to have a chat with someone sometimes, and if that is the kind of thing that you are looking for, you are much more likely to develop a friendly partnership with an independent cleaner. As their own boss, the cleaner will get all of the money that you pay them, and can do you discount for loyalty or as a friendly gesture, you will rarely find this form a cleaning company.

CON

An independent cleaner may well get on with you better on a personal level, but that is because they do not have a manager breathing down their neck, and ensuring that they do a good job. If your cleaner has you onside, then they know what they can and cannot get away with, and you may well be blinded to a slack cleaning job because you enjoy having that person around the house. Should you decide to take issue with something like this, then it will be up to you to talk to them about it, and that can be really difficult. No one really likes being heavy handed with an employee over work, and it can be stressful having to tell someone that they are not doing a good enough job or even firing them, but that is how it needs to be if you are going down the independent route. If you were concerned about security, a cleaner who feels the need to steal is far less traceable form an independent standpoint than an agency one would be, as you will not have any contact addresses on them, whereas an agency certainly would do. Addresses are much harder to fake than phone numbers, as SIM cards are very cheap.

Get your house cleaned up after the builders leave

2014-05-26

1. Attack the dusting form the top downwards. Building work will always leave behind dust. Almost every part of building work creates dust, and no amount of cleaning can get rid of it all in one go, as the process of cleaning up the dust itself, will knock some of the dust in to the air, and you will end up with dust settling later on. This basically means that you will probably have to go around the house and do a couple of once overs with the duster, to ensure that you are getting rid of it all before things are properly back to normal. Working from the top of each room downwards will reduce the risk of having to re-clean areas, as the dust falls downwards, settling on areas that you have not yet cleaned, until you finally vacuum the room. You will find that using a duster, you will get thick deposits of the stuff left on the cloth, and will need to remove it fairly regularly in order to really get rid of it, and keep the dusting cloth usable. Do this by hand in to the bin. In order to get the higher parts of the house cleaned effectively, you should probably use a ladder and a duster, or even a lengthily extended vacuum nozzle! Either way, a feather duster is not going to cut an industrial amount of dust form building work.

2. Look in to having the carpets cleaned in the room that the work went on in. Even new carpets may need a decent seeing to with the vacuum cleaner, due to all of the dust settling, but an older carpet will likely need a vacuum as well as a scrub. The new look of the room after the building work has transformed it, may well warrant a proper dry clean or steam clean for your carpet , to bring it up to scratch with the rest of the room. You will find that the effects of such process are marvelously good, and that the results will ensure that you are not at risk of leaving any dust behind you! The fact of the matter is that you need to ensure that the room looks completely revamped, and carpets can hold a lot of dust and dirt, so be sure to clean it effectively!

3. Hard floors may well also need to be cleaned properly, as there can be a lot of scratches and paint splatters that are left after a large building job. Whilst dust sheets will indeed protect in some ways, there are often cracks in them caused by moving around on them as the builders work, and this is where the problem comes. You should be able to mop the floor clean if the only problem is dust, but scraping up paint stains is a bigger job. Should you find any more permanent looking stains, the best thing to do is ensure that the builders will pay for it to be sorted, and have it professionally done. If they are a result of your own DIY and you can’t really afford a professional clean, then it may well be best to look at scraping up the paint carefully, and then re-staining the floor yourself to cover up any marks that are left behind by the process. You can use espresso to re-stain dark wood flooring that has been scratched badly, as it will bring it back to a similar color to the rest of the wood.

Stain busting throughout the house

2014-05-19

When you are trying to maintain a sense of clean and calm throughout your home, the presence of a stain can be really bothersome. No matter how small or out of the way it is, it will be there as a blot on the fresh landscape that you want your home to be, which is the last thing that any proud home owner wants! Fortunately, there are plenty of stain removal tips and tricks that can be employed to ensure that you are not at risk of leaving these stains in place and allowing them to ruin your clean home goals. Whilst many people have various techniques that they swear by, the following ideas come from a few different sources, so that you are getting a niece ross section of different ideas.

For a start, liquid stains like red wine, vinegar and juice should be treated as soon as possible. You will find that there are plenty of stain removal products on the market, and these will be great for many stains, including this type. If you do not have the right stain removal items to hand, then be sure to simultaneously remove as much excess spill as possible to prevent the stain form spreading, whilst also keeping the core of the stain wet, to prevent the pigments in the stain setting in to the fibers of the carpet or clothing that you are cleaning. If you don’t have a stain removal product, then you can make your own from equal parts baking soda and salt, with a little water added. The paste should be spread across the affected area and left for half an hour until it is pretty dried out. The baking soda will fizz away at the stain, drawing the liquid form the fibers, and the salt will soak the color up, keeping it from setting. If the first round has not worked, then you should try a second application, which should do the trick.

Thicker liquid stains like marmite and tar should be treated similarly, but a little more carefully, as they are rather more sticky. You will likely need a scraping tool of some sort to lift the residue off the carpet, which will mean that you can then get right to the core of the stain, ensuring that you are cleaning the issue, rather than spreading the rest of the spillage around! If the past method does not work because the stain is too thick, you may need to look into a little detergent and water, scrubbing the mixture in thoroughly, but minding not to ruin the carpet or clothing by damaging the fibers. If this does not seem to do the trick, then you may have to use rubbing alcohol, but test it out on a less conspicuous area of the material first, to ensure that it does not remove the color.

With hardened stains like wax or chewing gum, use ice in a bag to ensure that it is solid, and then peele the top layer away. You will usually be able to get the rest out with the rubbing alcohol or even WD-40, but again, test the alcohol solvent out on a different area of the carpet, or you may discover too late, that there is a much more significant mark left in place of the one that you were trying to get rid of, which will make for an even worse mess!

Keeping a book shelf clean

2014-05-12

A book shelf can be one of the most treasured centrepieces of any home, but finding ways to keep it as clean as possible can be a challenge. As the standard depositing ground for any and all of your books, the regularity with which each individual item is removed and used is often fairly low. Unless you are constantly returning to and reading the same books, it can be easy for the shelf to go undisturbed for long periods of time and, as such, to build up a great deal of dust and other dirt during this time. Depending on the home, it might well be that the book shelf is hidden away in a corner and gets very little attention. But by following the below hints and tips, you can do your best to ensure that the most amount of attention as possible is provided during any deep cleaning which you choose to embark upon.

The first thing you should do when approaching any cleaning is to clear an area surrounding your book shelf. Make sure that this is not an area which you have just cleaned as you might find that you create a lot of surrounding dust and cleaners who follow the wrong order for things might often find that they end up cleaning the same area twice as a result. When you have cleared the surrounding area and found yourself some space, the next step is to remove your books. The amount of space which you have cleared will obviously depend on the amount of books which you possess, so those with especially large collections will often find themselves having to clear a very large area.

With all of your book removed and placed to the side, you will find yourself with an empty and exposed bookcase . Due to the nature of this piece of furnishing, there is often very little which will present you with an issue, and all that is required for the best possible cleaning a dry cloth and some wood polish. The use of wood polish will certainly depend on the type of material which has been used to create your shelves, but regardless of this, this process is designed to remove as much dirt and dust as possible.
For those who suffer from asthma, or anyone who is worried about irritating their breathing system with the kicking up of a large amount of dust, it might be advisable to cover your mouth with a cloth or a mask. This will prevent the dust and attendant materials from getting into your throat and lungs and causing an issue.

As you polish and dust, be sure to check into the corner and the joints which are often found in pieces of wooden furniture, making sure that you have covered as much area as possible. As the shelves are typically just flat pieces of space, the cleaning process should not take long. In order to reach the higher shelves and to clean them to a reasonable standard, you might be required to use a step ladder or something to stand on. Make sure this is placed on firm footing when used.

When the shelving unit is clear, it is time to return the books. You can use this time to arrange them in an order if you wish – perhaps alphabetical or a system with those you read more often being more accessible – but the best thing to do during the process of returning the books is to make sure that you run your duster over each book. Rather than putting dusty books back on the clean shelves, make sure that the books themselves are equally as clean.

How To Get Value For Money From A Cleaner

2014-05-08

In Japan, scientists are very close to finalising cleaning robots. These robots will, when completed, herald a revolution in home maintenance and cleanliness. They will clean homes and offices and pretty much anywhere to the highest possible standards in half the time a human being could do the same job in! However, in scientific terms, ‘very close’ can mean many years away. In the mean time, whilst we wait for this technological innovation, we will have to rely on professional cleaners and cleaning companies. However, that’s not to say that we can’t make these cleaning contractors work extra hard for their fee. This guide will show you how to ensure you get optimal value for money from your cleaning services provider.

For a start, it’s imperative you make the right choice of cleaner. We recommend you research companies that offer cleaning services in your area thoroughly before you decide to hire a single one of them. Ask your friends whether they can recommend anyone, and also spend a few hours online researching cleaning agencies in your area. However, don’t be fooled by snazzy websites – you should always seek to speak with a firm directly before making a decision. You don’t know whether they really can deliver on their promises, and whether they have experience in working with your particular cleaning needs. From the word go on the phone, you should be making mental notes – are they friendly, do they sound confident and would you trust them in your home or office? These things really matter! It’s best practice to have a few questions noted down before you begin. Depending on the type of cleaning services you’re in the interest of commissioning, write up different questions – for instance, you expect different things from a housecleaner to a carpet cleaner, so enquire accordingly!

If you hire a professional cleaner (as in the singular), chances are you’ll have to provide cleaning products and accessories – be sure to clarify this point, because neither you nor your cleaning person benefit if time is wasted unnecessarily. Imagine how much of a blunder it’d be if they turned up on their first day of cleaning service and didn’t have the tools to do the job properly, and you didn’t either! Should you hire a cleaning agency, they should provide a comprehensive arsenal of cleaning tools, accessories and products. In fact, if a cleaning company doesn’t offer you these things, then think twice about hiring them! It’s that simple!

Here are some sample questions to assist you:
How long have you been a cleaning contractor? How many years and/or months?
How regularly will my cleaners visit my property?
Will I be assigned my own team, or will the cleaner visiting vary each time?
What happens if a member of staff damages or breaks my property?
The first time your cleaner conducts their cleaning work at your home or office, it’s best practice to be there whilst they work. This is a chance to say hello and get to know them a bit better, but also assess their performance on the go. You can also give them some hands on guidance and advise them as to what you’re expecting, what you want them to focus on, etcetera – and gauge how long the whole process will take them overall! If you would like to establish clear parameters and do’s and don’ts, now’s the time to do it! Investing the time now will pay dividends in future and ensure there are no misunderstandings.

Tips on Cleaning With Kids

2014-04-24

One of the things all parents are aware of is how difficult it may be to have our kids clean their rooms. It’s not necessarily because they are lazy, but mostly because this is a chore that even we rarely liked doing when we were teens or little kids. We see our kids whine, get easily distracted and sidetracked or dawdle just so they can avoid dealing with the mess in their room. You can remind them many times and in the end the situation will get more and more tiresome for both you and them. As parents we have a natural inclination toward order in our household in most cases, but kids often want to have their rooms as they see fit, running about or simply not understanding the importance of said orderliness. Very often our kids will do just enough to get us off their case so we won't bother them, but they will rarely develop some innate desire for cleaning or order. We can improve the situation with a few tips:

• You need to set a good example for your kids, who make the first step, the most important one. Since kids are very sensitive to what we say and do and they quickly learn from it, then this means we must be extra careful around them when it comes to orderliness. If you have a nice, positive attitude toward cleaning tasks from their early age, then they will learn to accept it for what it is. This will usually make them a whole lot more receptive to the idea of cleaning without any issues.

• Express pride in their work when they get cleaning done. Allow your kids to feel your approval, but don't do so in a condescending way as it will not only be counterproductive, but also hurtful. You will need to find ways to let them control what their room looks like, so you can have them help with rearranging small pieces of furniture or even paint something. Have them choose what sheets they want for their bed, wallpaper and other aspects of how their room looks like.

• Defining what it is to have a clean room is also something you must work on. A small, but useful checklist can go a long way toward improving the way they see their personal space. They will need to learn to make their beds, put their laundry away, hang up their own clothes, put toys and sports equipment away and vacuum their floor.

• There is a place for everything in a room and your kids need to learn that. It will help greatly if they already have a system ingrained in their minds that allows them to stick to certain rules. This will make cleaning a whole lot easier.

• Do chores together at first, so they will have an easier time getting used to the idea of cleaning. You should keep your expectations within reasonable limits until they know how things are done and get used to it. If you think things will be boring, you can add some energy to the chores by putting up some good music.

How to get the most out of your dishwasher

2014-04-13

Lots of people don’t bother to clean or maintain their dishwasher, and this can cause lots of problems in your home! If you don’t properly maintain your dishwasher then not only will it not last as long as it could, but you might also find that it’s not doing as thorough a job as it should! If you often find yourself having to rewash your cutlery or plates after cleaning them in your dishwasher, then it’s probably time for you to make some changes in your kitchen. Make sure that you get the absolute most from your dishwasher by following these handy tips and tricks!

 Start by inspecting your dishwasher when it’s been recently used. Make sure there are not plates, pots or cutlery lurking around so that you know you’re doing a thorough job! Check all of the mechanisms (including the spinning arms) and remove any clogged up grime or food particles. The spinning arms should have no blockages so that clean and fresh water can run through them without any problems!

 Check the drain of your dishwasher for any clogs. The drain is where dirty water and small bits of food waste travel through, and just like your kitchen sink, it’s easy for this area to become blocked! For a thorough job, turn off your dishwasher at the wall and disassemble the piping below the drain. Remove any gunk you might find and rinse the pipes through thoroughly. Consult your dishwasher manual for more information on this, as it can vary from dishwasher to dishwasher.

 Try wiping down the exterior of your dishwasher with a cloth and antibacterial spray. You might also want to do this with the area in which you place your dishwasher tablets, to ensure that there’s no build-up of product here.

 One of the most unclean places of your dishwasher can be found at the base of the door. This is where you’re likely to find build-up of bacteria and germs, as well as stains, spills and food leftovers. Wipe this thoroughly with an antibacterial agent to avoid any problems!

 The basket you use in your dishwasher to store your cutlery while being washed also needs a thorough and regular clean. You don’t need to use any specific products for this – washing up liquid and a scrubbing brush will more than suffice!

 Try purchasing a drain unblocker or other rinse-cleaning product specifically designed for dishwasher. This will need to be placed into your dishwasher, which must be run on a cycle whilst still being empty. The instructions of products such as these can vary, so make sure you fully understand the directions before attempting this!

 If you have problems with hard water in your home then try emptying your dishwasher and running it with a bowl of white vinegar or lemon juice sitting on the top rack. This will help to wash away any dirt or grime that your cleaning might have missed!

If you take proper care of your dishwasher then you’re sure to find it doing a much better job of your cleaning. Try to work cleaning your dishwasher into your weekly cleaning routine to ensure that you’re getting the cleanest job possible when you put your dirty and stained cutlery and crockery in to wash!

How to make sure you always have the right cleaning tools in the home

2014-04-01

Cleaning your home can often come down to having the right tools at your disposal. As professional cleaners, we are well versed in each and every instrument involved in our trade, meaning that we can learn the intricacies of everything needed to get every job done. But outside of a professional cleaning service, what tools should you have around the home in order to make sure that you can keep up with the cleaning at all times and focus on making sure that you can enjoy a clean home thanks to your knowledge of the right tools for the right jobs.

One of the most important things to have around the house at all times is the right selection of cleaning products. Whilst it might seem tempting to apply the anti-bacterial spray to every surface throughout the home, this can be counter-productive. Certain surfaces can react in different manners and you should always consider the material from which the surface is constructed before applying any cleaning solution. For example, when attempting to clean certain wooden surfaces, you could actually end up doing damage to the materials by using chemicals other than wood polish or other specifically designed solutions. While it may not seem detrimental at first, over a prolonged period of cleaning, this can build and build and eventually lead to a degradation of the quality of the surface. As such, keeping a range of chemical suitable for everything in your home which will need cleaning will prevent the need for damaging crossovers.

One such chemical which is worth mentioning specifically is a stain removing agent. For those with carpeted floors or upholstery which is at risk, having something which can remove stains can be vital. As with many such products, it is often a case of you not requiring its use for a long period of time until suddenly you are rushing to search for it after something has been spilled. In these instances, having the stain removal agent already in your home means that you don’t have to worry about long lasting effects of the stains and that you are able to deal with the issue in a quick and timely manner. It is important to find the suitable agent for whatever is at risk: if you have, for example, an item of woollen upholstery, this may require a special chemical and will not play nicely with alternative. As the scouts say, ‘always be prepared’.

One of the things which it is always worth having around in order to provide a quick fix when you need it most is an air freshener or an odour remover. These are available in a variety of forms, be it an aerosol spray, a scented candle, or a plug-in fragrance distributor. While these devices might not address a deep lying issue or be suitable for continued long term issues, they can be incredibly helpful when it comes to fleeting scent issues or when you just need a quick fix, say before a visitor arrives. With the ability to cover up all manner of terrible smells and leave the rooms feeling far fresher, these can be incredibly helpful.

As well as the above, it is always helpful to have a full array of hardware ready and waiting. A selection of brushes, mops and buckets to hand means that you are fully prepared for any cleaning issue which might arise, as well as being able to provide an ongoing cleaning regime throughout your home. And as with most of these things, it pays to ensure quality by perhaps paying a higher price.

Home cleaning - how to remove chocolate stains from upholstery

2014-03-28

Since chocolate indulgence is best done in private, chocoholics don't mess around in grabbing their favourite set of tiles from the kitchen before making a swift getaway, escaping censure from detracting house mates in doing so.
But any pride at not messing around in retrieving your chocolate is undone if you make a mess elsewhere, since it leaves you open to later criticism from fellow tenants.

Our discussion here will concern spilling chocolate on upholstery since we are most likely to be sat on sofas, kitchen table chairs or bedroom mattresses when we spill the food so commonly associated with indulgence and laziness. In other words, don't freak out if you fall asleep in front of the TV on a humid summer's night, only to wake up and discover chocolate smeared all over your favourite sofa. The following home cleaning technique works wonders and will restore those comfy seats in no time.
So, take the following upholstery cleaning information on board, as well as that chocolate with you into the living room late at night:

How to remove chocolate from upholstery:
Pre-clean check list:
a small container
liquid dish soap
a clean cloth x 3
dry cleaning fluid
corn starch
warm water
cold water
plastic spoon
a paper towel
vacuum cleaner

1 - Remove all remaining chocolate
Use a plastic spoon to remove any chocolate left over from the spill, wiping it on a paper towel. So basically recover as much as you can of the spill. Obviously that which is at the bottom will have sunk into your upholstery, but not to worry since we will address that shortly.
2 - Make up your cleaning mix
Fill up the small container with two cups of cold water before applying one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Now, dampen a clean cloth into the newly mixed solution.
3 - Remove the chocolate with cloth
Once you're cloth is immersed enough in liquid soap solution, proceed to blot it on the upholstery chocolate stain.
4 - Rinse area
Run a second clean cloth under hot tap water before rinsing the area you just blotted.
5 - Apply dry cleaning solvent
Spray 2-3 drops of dry cleaning solvent directly on the stained area.
6 - Blot with a third fresh cloth
Grab your third fresh cloth and proceed to blot firmly until the chocolate stain is completely gone.
7 - Use absorbent corn starch to soak up residue
If the stain persists, apply corn starch over the whole area before using your index finger to smooth it around evenly. This will absorb the stain, including any leftover moisture.
8 - Let the corn starch sit for 10 minutes
Do something else for 10 minutes while the corn starch sits. Understand that it is gradually working its magic through slowly absorbing the most stubborn dyes and solids of the chocolate stain.
9 - Vacuum up the corn starch
Since the area is now dry, proceed to vacuum up the corn starch with a clean vacuum cleaner. Comb over slowly until all the corn starch is gone and the upholstery is smooth.
Repeat any of the above steps if you deem it necessary. Once you've applied this useful method, sofa cleaning won't ever seem like a chore again.

Finding a new cleaning person or company

2014-03-16

Domestic cleaning is tough, especially when you are on a busy schedule, so no one will begrudge you getting a cleaning service in. However, getting a new cleaner or company can be quite a lot of work, as you need to be sure that you are getting the right service, for the right price, from a trustworthy source! Whilst this can be a lot of work, a few guidelines as to how to go about it all will ensure that you are able to find the right service for you without breaking too much of a sweat! If you can remember the three priorities when it comes to cleaners then you will be in good stead
you need the person to be personable and trustworthy, they need to be giving you a good cleaning service, and you need to be able to afford it! Whilst this sounds obvious, getting all three right can be tricky, so keep the others in mind even as you focus on one of them!

For a start, how do you ensure that you get along with a cleaner >, and that you trust them to be in your home when you might be out? Having to be at home when the cleaner is will not make things particularly easy on you, so it can be essential that you have someone that you know and trust! Well, it all comes down to how you look at the relationship. An agency or cleaning company will have various cleaners on their books, and will send you whoever is available. However, this way the cleaner may change weekly, and that means that you can’t develop a relationship with the person who is in your home every week! An independent cleaner will be easier to get to know, but of course won’t have the security of being tied to an agency, which is obviously quite a big thing. So, if you feel like you can find a way to keep tabs on an independent cleaner then that might be one way to go, but if you can ensure that you’ll have the same individual each time form an agency, then that could also work. Be aware that with an agency, not all of your money will always go to the cleaner themselves, as the agency will be taking a cut.

As far as service and affordability go, you are looking for value for money above all else. You can only really gauge this by doing trial runs with different cleaners, to work out how long each cleaning service will take to do the whole house to a standard that you are happy with. Most cleaning services charge by the hour, so depending on whether you are looking for a thorough or quick job, it is worth trying out a few different options. Once the trial shift is over, have a few different spots throughout the house to check, to see how thorough they have been. Have a look in these places after each different option has done a trial, and you will be able to make a note of who has performed the best, based on which services cleaned those hidden areas best. When totting up this element with that of the price, you will find that it is much easier to make a decision as to who to go for, as you will be able to directly compare ability to price!

This article was written on behalf of:

Cleaning your living room in a few simple steps

2014-03-05

It is said that you can clean any room to a presentable standard in fifteen minutes. If you keep these fifteen minute bursts of cleaning up, then you will be able to ensure that your cleaning is always being done to a great effect, as the regularity will ensure that each fifteen minute burst will get rid of all the dust and dirt that can accumulate over the week. Many people shirk away from cleaning too regularly believing that the cleaning takes ages and gets in the way of life. In fact, the cleaning will get in the way a lot less if you are clever about doing it more often, and will become much more of a casual thing that you do every now and again, rather than the massive pain in the neck that it tends to be normally.

The living room is a good example of how you can use step by step methods to get a place thoroughly clean, and the use of positive distractions will focus your mind on the cleaning steps, rather than what you would rather be doing at that moment in time!

Step 1. Put a favorite album on. This is important, if you love music it could be an album, or if you prefer other things then radio documentaries, plays, audio books will all work in the same way. Giving yourself something singular to focus on will ensure that you can get the job done without your mind wandering elsewhere. It may even make the process a little more enjoyable, and you can start to look forward to the next installment of the book, or the next new album you have bought!

Step 2. Roughly tidy up. You need to remove all things from the floor and sofa, return books and magazines to their places, put mugs and crockery back in the kitchen. This means that you are free to clean the rest of the room without having to leave the room again. Tidiness is key to cleanliness, and the tidied room will make it feel like you are halfway there already!

Step 3. Dust. Start high and work your way down, to ensure that you don’t push dust from one place to another that you have already cleaned. Using a feather duster for the higher places, and a hand held duster for the others, you should find that upping the regularity with which you dust rooms prevents the job from being too long winded. If you are having to shift large amounts of the stuff, then the whole thing can be a little difficult, which is not what you need!

Step 4. Polish. Door knobs, wooden surfaces, all need a wipe down with a cloth and the appropriate polish.

Step 5. Lift all the cushions off the sofas and arm chairs and beat them over the rub so that all crumbs etc. are removed. Leave the cushions off, and hoover down the inside of the sofas and chairs, to get rid of anything left in the cracks etc. Then return the cleaned cushions to the chairs, and vacuum the floor, which should have all the dust from the room in general on it!

Step 6. If you have a wooden floor, now is the time to mop it. Mopping after vacuuming is essential, as otherwise the mop can scratch the crumbs and dirt into the floor, ruining the finish. This should be the last step, as then you have knocked everything from the room onto the floor and then removed it!

How to make sure that your kitchen cleaning nightmares are solved easily

2014-02-13

With certain parts of the house, the cleaning always seems to be a bit of a pain. It may be because the use of the room is such that it invites more dirt, or it may be because you neglect it more often, because the dirt is out of sight, and therefore less of a pressing issue. In the case of the kitchen, both of these things are true. When you cook, much of the process will lead to mess, from food being slopped about on surfaces, as well as high heat on oils and fats, that creates a greasy evaporation, that tends to settle in interesting and hard to reach places. With regard to the idea of mess being hidden and therefore ignored
have you looked inside your oven recently? If you are the kind of person who is fastidious about these sorts of things, then ignore all of this, but if you are not, then a few hints and tips on the processes involved min cleaning the kitchen may well be useful!

First off, you need to maintain a decent level of cleanliness in your kitchen at all times. It is all too easy to let these things slip, but if you are more attentive with keeping your kitchen nice, then there is no reason why you can’t ensure that everything retains a state of clean that keeps the kitchen an easily managed place. This simply means wiping up spills when you see them, washing up the dishes as soon as you can after use, putting food and packets away when you are done, simply so that there is no more mess and dirt about than there needs to be. Leaving things out in the first place can lead to pests like rats and insects taking up residency in your kitchen, which is obviously a disgusting health hazard !

If your kitchen cleaning is a regular thing, then you can focus on the tougher spots separately. Every few weeks it is worth cleaning the oven and the fridge, to ensure that you are not letting the mess within them get too bad. Failure to do this fairly regularly will only lead to a situation where you have an extremely dirty oven or fridge, but don’t want to tackle it, because it will take such a lot of work to clean! The methods for cleaning both are the same, but the fridge is a lighter version of the oven clean. First, remove the shelving or racks from whichever you are cleaning, and leave them in a sink full of the cleaning product of your choice. There are oven cleaners specifically made for the job, but for the fridge you will likely only need anti-bacterial surface cleaner, or washing up liquid and hot water! Ensure that the racks and shelves are submerged, and leave them so whilst you are dealing with the main unit of the appliances. Spray or wipe down the entire interior of either unit, and ensure that absolutely all of the nooks and crannies are covered. You should then leave the lather in place for a while. With the fridge, you can come back to it after five minutes, but with the oven, the level of tough, burnt on grease will be more in need of chemical breakdown. After twenty minutes or so, get the tough scrubbing brush out and really get to work on the oven. For a fridge, a rough sponge will probably do the trick! Once all of the dirt is gone, wipe down the inside of the unit with a regularly rinsed flannel or cloth to get rid of the residue. Remember to wear gloves for the oven, as the cleaners can be pretty toxic!

Finding a domestic cleaning service

2014-02-07

When it comes to finding the right cleaning service for you, you need to think carefully about who is going to do your house cleaning. A cleaning company can be good, as they will be reliable, or you could go with an independent cleaner who acts alone. There are pros and cons for both types of cleaner, so that you are able to get a good job, no matter how you choose. In some situations, you want to spend a little time ensuring that you get the right person for the job, as otherwise you can end up having some serious problems, and the whole thing can get a bit expensive. Have a look over the following tips for finding the right cleaning company for your home needs.

First off, ignoring the differences between a domestic cleaning company and an independent cleaner, you will want to ask around your friends and family for ideas as to who they use. Be sure to only ask people who live in a similar area to you, as this will ensure that the cleaners can get to your house easily. There is a lot to be said for using a cleaner that is used by a friend or relative, as the cleaning service will be sure to be concerned as to how well they appear in front of both clients, as they will know that you will talk about the service that you receive, and this will ensure that you get a good clean from them every time. Some cleaners do not advertise that much and this means that word of mouth is pretty essential in ensuring that you get a good cleaner without the hassle of trying to decode websites and reviews for a cleaning team who will just give you a straight up good service for a good price.

So, if you are looking at using an independent cleaner, then you can have all of the benefits of building a relationship with that cleaning person, and this will mean that you trust them well, and can leave them in the house and the like without any concern as to how they will be treating your home. Obviously it takes a little time to get this trust built up however, but having a loyal cleaner who will always be on hand to get the job at a moment’s notice can be invaluable. You will also be completely sure that your money goes directly into their pocket in full, as well as the fact that given that they have to find their customers themselves, a private cleaner will be sure to want to impress to retain your business.

A cleaning company will be able to get you a different cleaner whenever you need one, and whilst this means that you may find it difficult to build up a rapport with an individual, it also means that there is no problem with getting hold of someone, and no chance of your regular cleaner being ill or unable to make it over. The cleaners used at a cleaning company may just be temps however, who are less dedicated to the job, so you need to keep an eye on them when they first come round, so that you know that you are getting your money’s worth. A cleaning company will actually pay the cleaner less than you pay them as well, so if you have concerns about how much your cleaner is making, you will need to look into how they are paid, and where your money gets siphoned off to!

Cleaning tips and tricks to get you through the tedium

2014-01-23

When you think about it, cleaning is not that difficult. It tends to be a series of wiping motions, or pushing around a vacuum cleaner or a mop
not exactly mining for diamonds or working out quantum physics. However, everyone seems to hate cleaning! Why would it be so, if it takes so little skill? Well, there are a number of reasons, and they all culminate in a sense, with boredom. First off, is the amount of time it takes to clean. People hate taking time out of their day to get the cleaning done, as they could either be getting other things sorted, or just relaxing. There is a certain amount of fiddling around that comes with cleaning as well, and this can be extremely frustrating. Grappling with vacuum cleaner cables and sloshing mop and bucket around can be a nuisance and get in the way of what should be a simple process. Certain jobs, like cleaning the oven are rather more tiring than others, and can wear you out, so people tend to avoid them, which of course makes the issue worse. There is also the boredom that comes with performing a task that is not difficult, as the brain switches off and starts to wonder what is taking so long, which makes the individual impatient and restless. All of these things can be combatted, simply by thinking a little on them, and working out what it is exactly that you would like to be removing from the equation of things that you do not want to be dealing with.

For a start, cleaning more regularly will reduce the time that it takes to clean. Getting rid of the build up of dirt will ensure that you are not tackling loads of it at any one time. You will obviously thing that regular cleaning will simply offset the workload, but dividing it all up across the week into smaller tasks that are not difficult at all is a lot better than having to deal with it all over the course of a Saturday is it not? As the tasks get done more often, they will become quicker and easier, until it is not even something that you will need to think about. Working the cleaning into your routine is pretty easy as well, just work out when you are sitting around, and clean things then! If this becomes a regular thing then you will hardly have to worry about the cleaning.

Tackling the annoying nature of cleaning comes with looking at the tools that you are using. Is your dustpan up to the job? Does your hoover have a knotted up flex? is your mop head a bit ragged? If yes, then replace or fix such things with high quality tools that will ensure that you are as efficient at cleaning as you can possibly be. Reducing the stress involved in cleaning is essential, as it is this that prevents you from wanting to get up and sort it out
given that it is such a chore!

Reducing the boredom is easy as well
you simply put something on to listen to! Having something on in the background will ensure that you are able to focus on something more fun and interesting whilst cleaning, as well as getting the job done effectively. Try an audio book if you aren’t into music, it will mean that you may even look forward to cleaning, in order to hear about the next installment of the novel you are listening to!

Make a cleaning schedule for the best results

2013-12-12

If you are paying too much for a cleaner, or feel like you can never get the cleaning done without it taking up your whole weekend, then perhaps you should look in to the ways in which you clean, and when you do it. Simply making your cleaning more regular will ensure that you are getting your house looking amazing without having to worry about it taking up all of your spare time. In using certain periods of time throughout your week that may otherwise have been ‘off’ time, where you don’t get a huge amount done anyway, you can reduce the impact that the cleaning has on your proper relaxation time. Of course, this means that you need to clean more regularly, which sounds like you are creating another problem for yourself, but in actual fact it makes a lot more sense than it sounds like it does. Have a look over the following pointers to see how you could revolutionize your cleaning schedule to get your house looking amazing without breaking a sweat.

So, most of the time people do not want to clean because it takes ages, and they are worried about how long they are going to spend doing something so boring. This is a perfectly natural worry, and it is not surprising that people are so quick to get a cleaner in. There would be a lot of money saved if people were as quick to think about how they could make their cleaning easier for themselves. You will find that if you clean more regularly, the dust does not build up as much between cleans. This is pretty obvious. However, the less dust and dirt, the quicker the clean, which means that you are not likely to spend as much time cleaning, which means that you transfer the effort involved in cleaning rarely, into cleaning more regularly. So, if the cleaning takes less time each time you do it, you can get each task done in five to ten minutes. If you divide these tasks up and fit them into the spare five or ten minute periods that you have during the day, you may well find that you actually have a lot of time for cleaning within your schedule.

People usually treat those periods between other things as unusable time, as no one can really get much done then. If you are keen on it, and aware of how long things take, then there is no reason why you can’t wipe down the whole kitchen in the time it takes to boil the kettle! If you are always thinking in this way, then you may notice that you always have about ten minutes between being ready and leaving for work in the morning. Why not take the vacuum cleaner round the house during this time? Or perhaps mop the kitchen? When you get in from work, there is often a period where you are simply sitting around, perhaps watching TV. Why not get ten minutes of cleaning done before you do this? It is hugely unlikely that you are going to feel like you have missed out on anything, as the TV you would have watched would not have been enough for a whole program! The list is endless, but there will no doubt be times throughout the day where you can be getting cleaning stuff done without it affecting your real relaxation time that should come at the weekend. NO one is suggesting that you don’t relax during the week, but you can clean as well!

Up your cleaning efficiency with a few tips and tricks

2013-12-02

There are many ways in which you can just fall in to a routine with things. Ease, comfort and not really thinking that hard about things often lead to people just getting on with things in the way that they have always done them, despite the stress and strain that they may come up against when they are actually doing them. This can apply to anything from Work stuff, to gardening, but is particularly relevant when you are cleaning your home. Settling into a routine is a good thing, but if you find yourself annoyed by the vacuum cleaner, or struggling to get certain things clean, then you may need to look at how you are doing things. Simply looking at the way in which you get your cleaning done can be the first step in the right direction, as far as reinventing your cleaning habits goes. It often takes little consideration to work out what you need to do to make things easier or more efficient, but people rarely give cleaning much thought, simply because it is so dull! Have a look through these tips to see if there is anything that could help you make changes for the better in your cleaning habits.

Firstly, how good is your equipment? Do you find yourself getting stressed because the vacuum cleaner will not fit beneath the coffee table? Or is your mop annoying because it doesn’t hold much water? You need to have a real think about what it is that makes your cleaning less efficient, and ensure that you are doing what you can to change these things. You will no doubt find that improving the arsenal with which you attack your housework will make things quicker, easier and generally less stressful, which will be worth the investment in new gear. Buy things that last longer as well, as then you will not have to pay for new ones all the time! Think about how your home is, do you have a lot of stairs or tight spaces? You need instruments that adapt to these situations, lightweight and portable, or large and industrial for large spaces.

Clean more regularly, and you should find that there is a lot less dirt to get off each time. The regularity with which you clean will lead to a great deal less stress each time, and the jobs will become faster and faster, taking less time out of your day. You will no doubt be able to fit these quick little jobs in to spaces between more important tasks like work, cooking and relaxing. Try listening to something if you are bored by the cleaning work
it will distract you from the mundane nature of getting things clean, and you will no doubt find that you can focus more on the enjoyable nature of whatever you are listening to. If you are not a massive music fan, then listening to an interesting radio program may be what you want, or even the news. An audio book is the perfect cleaning companion, as it is a little like watching television
you can switch off and enjoy the book whilst getting your cleaning done!

All of these things are small ideas that can make a world of difference. Hopefully thinking about your cleaning in this way will help you to see how you can improve your cleaning habits, making everything faster, more effective and less stressful
good luck!

Carpet Cleaning Tips

2013-11-15

Carpets require regular care and attention if we want them to remain neat and clean at all times. Let's admit it, there is hardly anything more annoying than stepping on dirty, mucky carpets and rugs and side-stepping stains. The following article aims to give you some tips on what you can do to get the cleaning done with ease and effectiveness.

The first thing we do is vacuum to clean and maintain our carpets. This has to be done once a week ideally and even more so in places where the traffic is heavy. This will help prevent the slow buildup of grit like pieces of sand or other hard particles that may even cut through the fibers. Make sure you use the proper tools to also clean the hard-to-reach spots around your home for a more effective job. You can do a better job by dividing the entire carpet into sections you can clean at a time. This will give you a chance to get things done in a more organized fashion. Take your time during cleaning and avoid doing a quick job of cleaning as this will only make things more messy in the end. Deep cleaning is necessary for a thorough result, so use a strong vacuum cleaner and repeat your movements over a single spot multiple times to get the best results. High-traffic areas need more attention, so they need to be treated with overlapping or crossing strokes for a better cleaning overall.

You can apply a soil retardant to a newly cleaned carpet, which will help them be more resilient to staining and it will also help keep dirt and grime away from sneaking between the fibers. If you want to fight unpleasant odors in your vacuum after a cleaning remember to add some baking soda to the bag if it works with one.

Next come spills, spots and other problems on a carpet. The first thing we have to remember when it comes to these problems on a carpet is that they have to be addressed right away top minimize the damage done. The best chance to clean a spot is right away when its fresh as this will not allow the muck to seep into the fibers, making it easy to deal with. When it comes to spills and spots it would be wise to remember and follow these tips:
• Blot or scrape out the spot and absorb as much of it as possible before cleaning. This will let you clean faster and more efficiently than you would otherwise.

• Before you apply the cleaner, make sure you test it out on a small part of the carpet to ensure it won't damage the fibers. Discoloration would be a bad thing to experience given the efforts you would put into cleaning.

• Avoid rubbing the spill as this can only make things worse as it spreads into the carpet itself.

• Work from the outside to the inside to avoid spreading the spot around. This will also allow you to concentrate your efforts in the smallest possible margin for maximum results.

New app HomeStars Ping

2013-10-16

Yesterday I had an opportunity to meet with Homestars founder Nancy Peterson and her team.
Homestars helping businesses to optimize online word of mouth. Business owners have an opportunity to leverage an online reputation by asking clients to write a review. These reviews helping homeowners to find an honest contractor with the best reputation.
Homestars vice president Ryan D'Souza has introduced a new app HomeStars Ping.
I am very impressed. New mobile app is great and can make responding to leads and projects easier and faster. This application putting homeowners and contractors together. We are a house cleaning service provider in Coquitlam and we believe this app will help us to expand our business.

Thank you guys