House Cleaning Blog
How to Get Rid of Unpleasant Odors From Your Workout Clothes and Sneakers
Are you having a hard time trying to eliminate stinky odors from your gym clothes and sneakers? If so, follow these simple steps to get rid of them:
Smelly Sneakers
If your sneakers are smelly, simply sprinkle some baking soda inside them. Baking soda can get rid of unpleasant odors. Make sure you remove the baking soda before you wear your sneakers again!
Stinky Workout Clothes
- The key to eliminate unpleasant odors from your gym clothes is to wash them as soon as possible.
- Never store your workout clothes in closed up gym bags, lockers, or hampers.
- A lot of sweat , oils, and bacteria will accumulate on the inside of your clothes. To wash your athletic clothes properly, turn them inside out before placing them in your washing machine.
- To make sure your clothes will smell fresh, wash them with a sport detergent. Make sure you use only the recommended amount of detergent and never cram too many clothes in one load.
Pick The Right House Cleaning Services According To Your Needs And Budget
House cleaning companies offer a plethora of cleaning services. Before you hire a house cleaning company, it can be helpful to know which services are appropriate for your needs and budget. This blog describes some of the most common house cleaning services to help you select the ones that are most convenient for you.
REGULAR CLEANING SERVICES
Regular cleaning services are offered weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks, and monthly. Weekly and bi-weekly services are cost effective and are appropriate for busy families. Regular cleaning services hired every three weeks or once per month are less cost effective on the per-visit basis. These services are appropriate for smaller families, homeowners without children, and homeowners who are able to maintain their homes relatively clean. Regular cleaning services include:
Bathrooms
Remove cobwebs
Clean and polish mirrors and chrome fixtures
Clean and sanitize vanities, backsplashes, toilets, and glass doors
Scrub, wash, and sanitize showers, tubs, and sinks
Neatly fold towels
Sweep and mop floors
Empty wastebaskets
Deodorize
Bedrooms
Remove cobwebs
Dust fans, blinds, shelves, lamps, picture frames, furniture, and baseboards
Vacuum floors, carpets, and furniture
Mop floors
Empty wastebaskets
Kitchen
Dust exposed surfaces of cabinets
Scrub, wash, and sanitize sinks
Clean and sanitize countertops and backsplashes
Clean exposed surfaces of appliances
Clean microwave inside and out
Vacuum and mop floors
Empty wastebaskets
For any other areas within your home, such as dining rooms, laundry rooms, living rooms, and offices, the same tasks as listed under bedrooms are performed.
SPECIAL CLEANING SERVICES
Special cleaning services are offered at the frequency you require them. Most homeowners hire these services one time or once per year. Special cleaning services include deep cleaning,
spring cleaning, move-in/move-out cleaning, appliance cleaning, and cabinet cleaning:
Deep House Cleaning
Deep cleaning services are great for homeowners who need their home to be cleaned in a detailed manner. Deep cleaning service includes cabinet cleaning, appliance cleaning, baseboard cleaning, and inside window cleaning. Most customers choose deep house cleaning services for their first cleaning.
Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning
This service is great when you are buying, selling, or renting a house. This service includes the detailed cleaning of all your rooms, bathrooms, and kitchen. It includes oven cleaning, refrigerator cleaning, baseboard cleaning, and window cleaning.
Appliance Cleaning
Appliance cleaning service includes the cleaning of your ovens and refrigerators. This service includes the cleaning of the exterior surfaces of your appliances. In addition, it includes the degrease and cleaning of the interior of your ovens. The interior of your refrigerators get cleaned and sanitized after the disposal of spoiled food. In addition, the remaining edibles get neatly arranged.
Cabinet Cleaning
Cabinet cleaning service includes the cleaning and polishing of the exterior surfaces of your cabinets. It also includes the cleaning of the interior of your cabinets and the proper arrangement of the items within them.
How To Keep Your Produce Fresh
Whether you buy produce in bulks for a big family or single quantities for small families, you need to know how to keep your produce fresher for a longer period of time. By keeping your fruits and vegetables fresher for a longer period of time, you will save money and preserve the fresh flavors and textures on every serving. Here is a list of vegetables and fruits and how you can store them.
How to store your fruits and vegetables:
Parsley, Coriander, Basil, and Cilantro
Put them by the bunch in a cup filled with water and cover them with small zipper storage bags.
Leek, Sweet Pepper, Carrots, and Beetroot
Store them in plastic bags.
Cucumbers, Celery, Cauliflower, and Broccoli
Store individually in plastic wrappers.
Bananas, Apples, Lemons, Garlic, Potatoes, Onions, and Tomatoes
Store unwrapped.
Where to store your fruits and vegetables:
Counter Tops
Bananas, Apples, Tomatoes, and Basil
Darkest Place of the Pantry
Potatoes and Garlic
Refrigerator Shelf
Coriander, Cilantro, Sweet pepper, Parsley, Lemons, Apples, and Beetroot
Refrigerator Drawer
Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Leek, and Cucumbers
What To Avoid When Cleaning Your Gadgets
Like our houses, our computers and gadgets are bound to get dirty. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and guidelines when cleaning your electronics. In this blog we will show you what not to do when cleaning your gadgets.
Chemicals You Should Avoid
Never use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide, and abrasives.
Towels/Clothes To Avoid
Many manufacturers recommend not using abrasive clothes, towels, and paper towels. Apple, for example, recommends using a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to clean the iPhone.
Cleaning Practices You Should Avoid
When cleaning your devices always keep liquids away and never get moisture into any openings. Never clean your gadgets while they are turned on or connected to electrical outlets. Never spray cleaners directly onto your electronics.
Don’t Forget To Disinfect Your Kitchen Sponges!
A wet kitchen sponge can provide a good medium for bacteria to multiply. If you want to avoid spreading bacteria in your house the next time you use your kitchen sponges, disinfect them in any of these 4 ways:
Bleach Soak
Mix 3/4 cups of bleach and 1 gallon of water. Soak your kitchen sponges in this solution for 5 minutes.
Vinegar Soak
Place your sponge in a container and pour 6 ounces of vinegar. Let your sponge soak for 5 minutes.
Microwave
First rinse your sponge. Then place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Make sure your sponge is wet. Dry sponges can caught on fire in the microwave.
Dishwasher
To kill the bacteria in your kitchen sponges, place them in the dishwasher along with your dishes.
5 Ways To Save Money When You Hire A House Cleaning Company
Before you hire a house cleaning company, read these 5 tips to save money:
Frequency
House cleaning companies tend to offer different prices for the same services based on how frequent you require their services. Getting your house cleaned twice per month, for example, may be cheaper on the per “visit basis” than once per month. For busy families, saving money on the “per visit” basis can be very convenient.
Customization
Some house cleaning companies can customize their services to suit your needs. You can use this feature to save money. For example, you may be able to reduce the cost of your cleaning services by requesting your house cleaning company not to clean areas in your house you do not use. Alternately, you can also save money by asking your house cleaning company to clean those areas every other time you get house cleaning services.
Referrals
House cleaning companies are always looking for new customers. Some cleaning companies offer a discount to their existing customers when they refer a new customer.
Royalties
Unlike national franchises, independent house cleaning companies do not pay royalties to a franchisor. Therefore, independent house cleaning companies may offer you a cheaper price for cleaning services, while offering you all the benefits offered by national franchises.
Coupons
A lot of house cleaning companies offer coupons to new customers. However, most of these coupons apply on the second and subsequent cleaning services. Other coupons, for example coupons for deep cleaning services, may be used immediately. Also be aware that most house cleaning companies have special offers on holidays.
Learn How to Remove Stains and Food Odors From Your Plastic Containers
Have you wash your plastic containers time and again and the food odors and stains don’t go away? Well, you have reached the right blog. Here we give you 5 tips to remove odors and stains from your plastic containers:
Wash Them Soon
The key to avoid food odors and stains from your plastic containers is to wash them with dish soap and water as soon as you finish using them.
Store Them With Salt
If your containers have food odors even after washing them, you can store them with a pinch of salt. Don’t forget to dispose the salt before using your containers!
Expose Them to Sunlight
Another way to remove unwanted odors is to expose your containers to sunlight and air.
Rinse them With Vinegar
After washing your containers with dish soap and water, fill them with vinegar. Let the vinegar sit for at leas 3 minutes. Then pour the vinegar out and wash your containers again. Vinegar will remove odors.
Baking Soda Removes Stains
Baking soda can remove stains and odors from your plastic containers. Simply make a thick paste of baking soda and water and rub it onto the inside of your containers. Let the paste sit for one day. Then wash your containers with dish soap and water.
5 Natural Ways to Make Your Home Smell Wonderful
There is nothing worst than arriving to your home after a busy day at work only to be welcomed by a plethora of funky odors. A temporary solution to this problem is to spray your entire house with one of those commercial air fresheners. However, they can be dangerous. Many of the labels of these air fresheners state not only that they can be flammable or can irritate your eyes, but also that they are hazardous to humans and animals. Here we give you 5 natural alternatives to commercial air fresheners:
Clean With Vinegar
A solution of water and vinegar can be used as an organic multipurpose cleaner. This biodegradable solution not only removes dirt, but also leaves a wonderful odor of freshness. To prepare this solution, simply mix equal parts white vinegar and water in an empty spray bottle.
Simmer Pot Air Freshener
For a long-lasting fresh aroma, prepare a simmer pot air freshener. This is what you need:
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
Add all these ingredients to a medium pot and fill it with water halfway. Turn the burner on to low and let this simmer all day. Periodically check the water level and add water as needed. Wonderful odors will permeate your entire home.
Don’t Forget To Change Your Air Filter
A dirty home air filter not only can damage your home heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, but also can make the air you breath full of allergens and odor-causing bacteria.
Prepare Your Own Freshener
To kill bad odors create your own freshener. This is what you need:
- ½ cup of baking soda
- 6 drops of your favorite essential oil
- A small glass jar with lid
Mix these ingredients in the small glass jar. To allow the essential oil odor to be released, poke holes in the lid using a nail and a hammer. To refresh the mixture, add more essential oil every few weeks.
Natural Carpet Refresher
To make your carpet smell terrific, prepare your own carpet refresher. These are the ingredients you will need:
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
Mix these two ingredients well. Sprinkle this mixture on your carpets and let it stand for 30-60 minutes. Vacuum as usual. Your carpets will smell clean and fresh!
Cleaning Products You Should Never Mix
If you want to avoid wasting your time or getting seriously injured, never mix the following cleaning products:
Bleach + Vinegar= Chlorine Gas
Chlorine gas is released when you mix bleach and vinegar. Chlorine gas can irritate and burn your eyes and lungs. According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC), exposure to chlorine gas can cause blurred vision, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fluid in the lungs, nausea, vomiting, watery eyes, wheezing, and burning sensation in the nose, throat, and eyes.
Bleach + Rubbing Alcohol= Chloroform
The reaction between bleach and rubbing alcohol creates chloroform, among other products. According to the CDC, chloroform, if absorbed through the skin, can cause irritation, dizziness, loss of judgment, loss of consciousness, among other problems.
Bleach + Ammonia= Chloramine Gases
According to the Washington State Department of Health, exposure to chloramine gases can cause coughing, nausea, shortness of breath, watery eyes, chest pain, wheezing, fluid in the lungs, and irritation to throat, nose, and eyes.
Vinegar + Hydrogen Peroxide= Paracetic Acid
With a low pH of 2.8, paracetic acid can irritate the membranes in your lungs, skin, and eyes.
Vinegar + Baking Soda= Ineffective Cleaning Solution
Although this mixture is often recommended in different blogs, it is ineffective. The reaction between vinegar and baking soda produces mainly water and a bit of sodium acetate. Sodium acetate is what is added to chips to give them a flavor of vinegar with salt. Considering that this mixture produces mainly water, it is preferable to use vinegar and baking soda separately.
In summary, when it comes to cleaning products, the best thing you can do is to use them for their intended purposes and never mix them.
Hiring The Right House Cleaning Company
Nowadays it is very simple to find a house cleaning company that services your area. All you have to do is a Google search and in less than a second you get tons of potential companies. However, comparing all these companies can be time consuming. Here we consider three important factors on which you can concentrate to facilitate your selection of a cleaning company:
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is the most important of these factors. After all, you will be allowing unknown cleaners to enter your home. A good house cleaning company will develop a trustworthy relationship with its customers. This relationship starts with one fundamental principle: all employees must respect the customer and the customer’s property.
There are many ways this relationship can be developed. For example, employee screening is an excellent way a housekeeping company can ensure that its employees will act ethically while working. Being bonded and insured can also construct this relationship. In the event that a house cleaner damages your property, you know that a bonded and insured company will compensate you for any damage. Another way is to offer guarantees. For example, some companies offer a 24-hour guarantee on their services to ensure that all your demands are met.
Quality
Nothing can predict service quality better than customer satisfaction. Before you hire a housekeeping company, it is important to read its customers’ reviews. If a company has mainly positive reviews, it is likely because it offers quality services.
Keep in mind that a good company will offer great quality on a consistent basis. There are a lot of house cleaning companies that offer great quality on their first cleaning services, but not subsequently. Know that companies that offer no contracts will strive to provide quality services consistently because they can only keep your business if you are satisfied!
It is important to know that service quality is related to service customization. A good company will customize its services to satisfy your needs and provide you with the quality you deserve.
Price
If you have found more than one trustworthy company offering quality services and you are unsure which one to select, it is a good idea to compare their prices. For example, both national franchises and independent companies can be trustworthy and can offer quality services, but independent companies tend to offer lower prices for their services. This is because independent companies have lower operating costs and do not have to pay royalties.
Service price by itself should not be a deciding factor. Trustworthiness and quality should always be your priority. For example, there are many independent cleaners that will charge very little for their cleaning services, and some might even offer quality services, but the majority are not bonded and insured and do not offer guarantees on their services. If an accident happens, an independent cleaner might not be able to compensate you for damages.