baseboards

How To Deep Clean Your Bedroom In 8 Steps

by Jennifer | No Comments Thursday, March 15, 2012

It can be easy to skip out on deep cleaning your bedroom. After all, it’s not a kitchen or bathroom, right? Ok, maybe it’s not as intensive as deep cleaning one of those, but you spend more time in it than any other room, so it deserves some TLC here and there. If you are cleaning your home on your own, we recommend doing this deep clean quarterly, then keeping it up with dusting and spot cleaning in between. For this deep cleaning, we recommend opening your windows a little to keep the air circulating, so there will be minimum resettling of dust.

1. Use An Extendable Duster To Clean The Ceiling

Before you do anything else, dust the ceiling fan, crown moulding, and remove any cobwebs with an extendable duster. This way, everything will fall onto surfaces and your bed before they are clean.

2. Clean Your Bed

Strip your sheets and bedskirt, and throw in the washer. If anything is dry-clean only, take it a day or two in advance so that it will be ready today, and use your backup linens/comforter in the meantime. Take a spray bottle with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of baking soda filled to the top with water and spray on your mattress and pillows until slightly damp. This will remove unsightly odors and freshen up everything. You can add a little scent to the baking soda mix if you like, but if you are sensitive, just leave it as is. Make your bed at the very end of your deep clean, making sure the mattress and pillows are completely dry.

3. Clean Blinds, Windows, and Sills

Carefully dust your blinds and window sills with a microfiber rag, to minimize tossing dust up in the air. With a clean rag and a spray bottle with 2 tablespoons vinegar, a few drops of essential oil of your choice (optional) filled to the top with water, remove any spots from your blinds, windows, and sills.

4.  Doors, Door Frames and Switchplates

With the Vinegar solution, go around and clean all door frames, doors, door handles, and switchplates. These are commonly touched areas that can harbor viruses and bacteria. Vinegar is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, so it will not only make those areas look sparkling, but will sanitize them as well.

5. Dust Wall Decor

With a microfiber rag, dust every item on your wall carefully. If possible, gently pull the decor away from the wall and dust behind it.

6. Dust Furniture

A good trick is to take every item off of your dresser and tables first. This way, when you put everything back, you are less likely to put everything back as clutter, and find a new home for everything you don’t need sitting out. Go around with a microfiber cloth and dust every piece of furniture, including the sides and any detail work. Don’t forget the headboard and footboard! As you put all decor and necessities back on your furniture, dust each item as well.

7. Wash Your Basebaords

Using the vinegar mixture and a rag, wash all basebaords. Move furniture away from the wall if possible.

8. Vacuum/Sweep And Mop Floors

If you have carpet, use the hose attachment of your vacuum to go around all edges, corners, and underneath all furniture before doing the main area. If you are sweeping and mopping, be sure and get every possible nook and cranny.

Cleaning Your Bathroom In 5 Easy Steps

by Jennifer | 1 Comment Friday, February 3, 2012

Cleaning and maintaining your bathroom is not as hard as you might think. When you think of doing it, do hours of sweaty and nasty hard labor pop into your head? Well, the good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow these steps in this order (to keep things sanitary and easy) and you will find that it’s really a piece of cake! All you need is a few clean rags, microfiber cloths (to help with lint and streaks,) a broom, mop, magic erasers, and cleaner. And don’t forget to go green! If you need help deciding what products to use, check out Our Blog On Creating Your Own House Cleaning Kit!

1. Mirrors

You always want to start with the mirrors with a fresh, clean rag for the best result, and spray the product directly on the mirror, followed by a dry microfiber cloth to ensure a clean finish. If you use a rag that has already been used elsewhere, you will likely have problems with streaking and smudging.

2. Counters

Using a fresh rag with the cleaning product of your choice, clean your countertops and sinks. Make sure you get underneath all items on the counters, as well as wiping off the items. Also, spot check the cabinets and clean as needed.

3. Tub and or Shower

Whether it’s a standing shower or combination tub/shower, you want to begin with the walls and work your way down. Spray down the walls and use a magic eraser if necessary to remove any soap scum, then wipe down again with a rag to smooth out. Then clean out the tub with the eraser and rags, and making sure the fixtures are clean as well.

4. Toilet

If you are using a homemade vinegar solution, you can pour or spray some in the bowl first and let sit to disinfect. Start with the tank, the sides, outside of the bowl, and the area between the tank and toilet seat. Then lift the lid and clean the seat and rim. Finish by scrubbing the toilet bowl with a brush and flush.

5. Clean The Floor

If you have carpet, simply vacuum, and use the hose attachment to go around the areas the vacuum can’t reach and over the baseboards. If you need to sweep and mop, sweep first, going over the baseboards as well. If your mop does not reach behind the toilet, use a rag to clean that area, then mop the rest of the floor. Let dry for 10 minutes and voila! Your bathroom is clean and sparkling!

A Room To Room Guide On The Uses Of Magic Erasers

by Jennifer | No Comments Friday, August 12, 2011

In our previous blog, we talked about What A Magic Eraser Is Made Of, and here we are going to give you some helpful tips on getting the most out of this handy product. They cut cleaning time to a minimum, and are especially useful for the big jobs. We especially love that they are safe to use on almost every surface you can think of.

In the Bathroom:

We love how easily an eraser can remove soap scum. For mild buildup, simply get it wet and rub over the surface until clean. For heavy jobs, spray everything down with Scrubbing Bubbles or your favorite bathroom cleaner, and scrub until everything is gone, then wipe over with a damp cloth to finish. It is also effective on counters and sinks. If there are spots on your mirror that won’t come off without scraping, simply wipe them away with a dry eraser.

Kitchen:

Magic erasers will clean your stovetop with ease, getting all the grease and stuck on food. For cleaning an especially dirty microwave, spray it down with your favorite all purpose cleaner, let sit a few minutes, and simply wipe away with a damp eraser. It will also help get the grime out of the sink, counters, and spots on the cabinets and floors. It is safe to use on walls, so you can remove cooking spots from the backsplash.

Living/Dining/Bed Rooms:

If there are spots on the blinds, they can be removed with a damp eraser. They are also great at removing any grime or buildup on your baseboards. Furniture can often leave grey or black marks on the wall, and gently going over them with a damp eraser will take it off. Lastly, they will remove and smudges from doors and switch plates.

The uses for Magic Erasers are endless. We are constantly discovering new ways to get the most out of them. Here’s a few more Uses To Consider. Just be careful, the product can be mildly abrasive, so for big jobs it is best to wear gloves to protect your skin. And if you are ever unsure about using it on a surface, do a spot test first. Happy cleaning from all of us at Bit A Bliss!

At Bit a Bliss we are dedicated to providing extraordinary maid service in Plano, Frisco, Dallas and the surrounding area.  Everyone deserves a Bit a Bliss!  www.bitabliss.com

 

What You Should Expect From Your House Cleaner Every Time

by Jennifer | No Comments Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Hiring a house cleaner can take a lot of stress out of your life and save you precious time. Most people don’t check every little thing the cleaner does every time, as it is already expected it will be done. However, there are a few things you should check from time to time to make sure you are always getting what you are paying for. Some things are to keep the overall look of your home sparkling clean, while some can be hazardous to your health and safety if not done regularly. Also, if you have not hired a service yet, make sure they know that these things are necessary, to avoid any miscommunication in the future.

You want to make sure your baseboards are being properly taken care of.

Typically, the first time a service comes to your home, they will hand-wash all of them, and every time after, touch them up and dust as needed to keep them in good condition. It is amazing how something so simple as having clean baseboards can change the look of every room.

Keeping your ceiling and room corners free of cobwebs.

This needs to be checked for and taken care of regularly. They can build up over time and create a negative feel to your home. Make sure your house cleaner is equipped with some sort of extendable duster, for the higher up areas.

Do you see any streaks, lint, or residue on any surfaces?

These are issues typically associated with an inexperienced cleaner, but it can be seen with anyone who is not being very thorough, and is a good indication of the quality of work throughout your home. All surfaces and mirrors should be free of any particulates or streaks, otherwise they will not look very clean, even though you know they have been. But keep in mind that if your home accumulates a lot of dust, some minor resettling may occur.

If you have an electric stove, the drip pans should be wiped out.

While there’s not much that can be done about burned in food, your drip pans should be free of all loose crumbs, which can easily catch fire when you are cooking. At the very least, it creates that unpleasant burning smell that can set off your fire alarms.

Your microwave should be kept in the best condition possible.

Most people don’t think much about this, but it can be a serious hazard to let the microwave build up food splatters over time. The food can catch fire, rendering the microwave useless, or even cause major damage to your kitchen or entire home.

Keeping the light switches and doorknobs clean.

Not only does it look bad to have switches and knobs grimy and filthy, but letting them go makes them major players in spreading sickness and harmful bacteria, since they are constantly being touched. Make sure your service provider’s all purpose cleaner has disinfecting properties, and that they are looking well taken care of.

Every home is different, and you may notice that there are other things you want from your cleanings. Make a list, and make sure those things are being done. And don’t be afraid to speak up if you notice things being overlooked or not done at all. Often, the issue can be handled quickly and peacefully. Click here to view our list of services, and see what you should expect with every cleaning!

At Bit a Bliss we are dedicated to providing extraordinary maid service in Plano, Frisco, Dallas and the surrounding area.  Everyone deserves a Bit a Bliss!  www.bitabliss.com