Green Cleaning

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!

Top 10 Things A Maid Service Guarantees That Independant Cleaners Can’t

by Jennifer | No Comments Friday, January 27, 2012

Having someone clean your home is a wonderful thing to do for yourself and your family. But the hard part is, who do you hire? Your neighbor’s housekeeper that she found through another friend, or a service with great online reviews? Fact of the matter is, and individual can almost always offer a greatly reduced price, but the important question is how are they able to offer this reduced price?  To help you make an informed decision, here are just a few of many reasons why it is worth it to hire a service.

10) Legitimacy

When you hire a reputable service, you are going with a business that pays into all required, county, state and federal tax agencies. This means that you don’t have to worry about providing 1099 forms for your individual housekeeper and the IRS won’t come knocking on your door to collect for things you didn’t know you were supposed to pay.

9) Quality Assurance

Nobody is perfect. It is important to know that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. But when you use a service, you know that you have full support with your cleaning needs, and any issues will be addressed and fixed to your satisfaction.

8) Consistency

The great thing about using a service, is that they have a staff that is familiar with your home and with your needs, so if your usual cleaner is sick or can’t come in for some reason, there will be someone to help out. This way, you always know that someone will be there to clean your home on the date you request, so that say for instance you have a cleaning scheduled the day of a party at your home, you won’t be left with a whole house to clean on top of everything else you need to do.

7) Communication

However, life does happen sometimes and things do need to change. Maybe your cleaner needs to come in the afternoon instead of morning? Or maybe they are at your home and have a question about where the dog treats are for your furry friend. Someone will promptly contact you with anything that needs to be communicated between you and your cleaner, so you have the peace of mind of knowing that you have all possible information.

6) Extensive And Constantly Updated Training

Each person hired into a service undergo thorough training to ensure they are providing the same quality service as everyone else. And as information in the industry is updated, training is refreshed as needed. This means that your cleaner knows exactly how to handle every surface in your home, and since everyone is trained the same, you know that if someone different comes to your home you will receive the same service.

5) Professionalism

With a service comes the great feeling of being a star! Your business is important, and you will be treated with the respect you deserve. It’s like having a VIP pass, the service is there to meet your needs, and will maintain a level of professionalism that will make you feel great about having them in your home.

4) Access To Information About The Business

Any reputable service will have a website with extensive information about their service and anything you need to know about them. And with that website and location comes access to reviews from other people about the business, which can be very helpful in making your decision. And if you’re not sure about something, simply call and ask! Someone should be available to answer any questions you have.

3) Bonded and Insured

Before you let anyone into your home to clean, you want to make sure they are bonded. This means that if anything gets broken or stolen from your home, that you are covered. We have had many clients switch to our service because their previous cleaner stole a great deal from them and disappeared, leaving them short of whatever was taken. A service does not anticipate theft, however it is taken very seriously and every precaution is taken to ensure that you, the client, are not responsible for anything that happens.

2) Background Checks

This is also an important thing to make sure of before letting anyone in to clean your home. You want to have the peace of mind of knowing that you can trust whomever you let into your home, whether you are there or not. If you talk to anyone about cleaning your home and they do not run background checks, hang up the phone and move on.

1) The Bragging Rights!

If anything, you will have the right to say “my service…” and see how your friends’ eyes light up! In reality, you chose a maid service because of the safety and security for you and your family, along with the peace of mind of knowing that your home is in good quality hands. But they don’t have to know that!

 

 

Keeping Chemicals Out Of Your Drains

by Jennifer | No Comments Monday, January 16, 2012

When you flush something down the toilet, pour something down the sink, or take a shower, the waste goes from your home to a water treatment plant. While the plants are very effective at giving us safe drinking water, they may not be able to erradicate all chemicals, potentially making the water hazardous to others and the environment. Everyone should know by now that is is dangerous to flush medication, but it can be easy to forget another culprit: cleaning supplies. Products such as toilet and drain cleaners may be cheap and convenient, but there are equally inexpensive (and often cheaper)environmentally sound alternatives to consider.

Toilet Cleaner

To clean and sanitize your toilet bowl, As Explained Here, simply pour 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet and let sit for 15 minutes. Then scrub with a toilet brush and flush. And since you should know by now that vinegar is our favorite all purpose, use Our Formula to clean and sanitize the outside of the toilet and the seat as well.

Unclogging A Drain

We all have to deal with this from time to time, whether it be hair in the shower drain or food backing up the sink. But with just baking soda, vinegar, and water, this problem can be easily fixed. Go Here For The Details.

Doing Your Dishes

Making your own dish detergent is easier than you think, and a whole lot cheaper than store bought cleaners. The only downside is you need to make sure everyone rinses their dishes before loading them. For the Recipe, Check Out This Link. Also, about once a month or so you will want to run your diswasher empty on a short cycle with 1 cup of vinegar to keep the system fresh and void of foul odors.

Laundry Detergent

In the amazing recipe Given Here, this green option is just as effective as regular detergent, and much cheaper. It is also so easy that it won’t take much time out of your life. What have you got to lose?

Yard Care

Going organic on your yard care is not only great for your lawn, but it keeps pesticides and other chemicals from ending up in the sewer. For more information and resources, try Organic Lawn Care 101.

Your Shower

It’s easy to think you’re not really getting clean until you’re covered in foamy lather, but the truth is you don’t need it. Those bubbles are typically a chemical called sodium laurel sulfate, and are only added because they make a the lather and a cheap detergent. They can actually be harmful to you over time, leaving a residue on your vital organs. Go to Environmental Enthusiasts’s Blog for more information, as well as easy to find product alternatives that will get you just as clean and fresh. Or if you have the time, Click Here  if you want to really go 100% natural (which will save you a great deal of money as well!)

Check out our other blog on making you own Ultimate Green House Cleaning Kit as well to keep your home sparkling without any chemicals!

Simplifying Your Life: Starting At Home

by Jennifer | No Comments Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Life can be just plain hard sometimes. With so many things going on at once, it can be hard to remember to do the little things, which quickly turn to big things that you can’t find the time for. Here are a few tips for keeping your life simpler so you can focus on what’s really important.

Cutting Down on Laundry.

Instead of doing a little bit of laundry every day, consider cutting it down to only when you have large loads. It will save water and it won’t be a daily chore. Also, if it doesn’t smell or look dirty, don’t be afraid to wear it again! Nobody will know but you. This should go without saying, but certain articles of, ahem, personal items do not apply.

Get Rid Of Furniture You Don’t Need.

Do you keep bumping your shin on that second coffee table in the living room that really only collects clutter? Do you really need it? There are charity organizations, such as The Salvation Army that will come pick up unwanted items from your house if you just give them a call.

Clean Out Home Decor.

If a decorative item sits out long enough, eventually it will just fade into the background of your home and you can forget it’s there. A cluttered home can make you feel stressed even if you have no reason to be, so get rid of items and art that don’t mean enough to you to keep out on display.

Alton Brown Had The Best Rule For The Kitchen:

Avoid buying anything for the kitchen that only has one use. Those oh-so-brilliant infomercial items take up a lot of space, and can completely derail the look of your kitchen, so be practical with the things you keep in the kitchen and get rid of anything you don’t use regularly.

Hire A House Cleaner!

Just think of how wonderful it would feel to come home from a hard day at work and not have to worry about the state of your home. Sounds pretty nice, right?

The Ultimate Green House Cleaning Kit

by Jennifer | 1 Comment Thursday, August 25, 2011

It’s easy to clutter your cabinets with cleaning products of all kinds, usually with specific purposes, and often with harsh chemicals that can be harmful to your family and pets. The good news is that you don’t need much to keep your house clean, and you don’t need a lot of money to do it. Going green has never been easier! Follow these guidelines, and you will have everything you need to keep your home fresh and clean.

Tools:

-A small or medium sized bucket to keep everything together, organized, and portable.
-One toilet brush for every bathroom.
-An extendable duster (Like this, for example,) for ceiling fans and cobwebs.
-A broom.
-A mop, such as the Sh-mop or a steam mop such as this one.
-Rags.
-Microfiber cloths.
-Magic Erasers for the stubborn grease, soapscum, and grime.
-1 spray bottle.

Products:

-White distilled vinegar.
-Essential oil of choice. We recommend peppermint or tea tree oil.
-Baby oil for stainless steel if you have it. To see how it works, click here.
-If you have hardwood floors, we recommend Bona.
-If you have granite, marble, or other natural stone countertops or floors, we recommend Method Daily Granite Polish.
-Also, for the natural stone surfaces, you don’t want to apply any vinegar to them, so keep Clorox Green Works Wipes handy in case raw meat or other potentially harmful substance gets on the counter/floor.

To make your all-purpose cleaner, simply add two tablespoons of vinegar with two or three drops of essential oil to a spray bottle, and fill to the top with water. Label properly, and keep refridgerated. Discard any unused product after 6 months. This all-purpose solution will be your go-to product for almost everything, and is also a natural disinfectant, so it is ideal to clean counters, laminate or tile floors, and even toilets.