Cleaning News, Views and Tips Blog

A perfectionist will be well worn out carrying out general household cleaning. A home that is uncluttered with a regular clean is much better for you than spending so much time on cleaning perfectly. You will be left tired irritable and usually unable to accomplish all the task need.

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For home cleaning service Chiswick W4, domestic cleaning Hammersmith W6 plus cleaning service Kensington.

A small amount of time spent each day with the dishes done, the bathroom reasonably clean, and the floors quickly gone over with the vacuum, other things will usually go unnoticed.

If you are one who insists on perfection, you will either need to spend all your waking hours cleaning or hire someone to help.

If finances don’t allow weekly help, consider hiring someone for a specific task such as cleaning out the refrigerator, cleaning the blinds, or cleaning the oven.

When more than one person lives in the home, delegation and job assignments are a must. Each person needs to contribute to the general household cleaning.

Job charts are a dime a dozen. Find one that works for you. Some prefer a job chart where each person takes turns in a task while others find doing the same chores repeatedly works the best.

If possible, save big jobs to do as a group. Washing the windows takes much less time with one person inside and one person outside than doing the same job alone. Arrange a time when everyone can be at home for a given block of time to accomplish the tasks needed.

Finding the right household cleaning equipment is well worth the search. Each person will have their favourites but among them should be an excellent vacuum that can easily convert from cleaning carpets to tile and cushions, a window cleaner and paper towels under each bathroom sink makes a quick bathroom cleaning a breeze, a good dusting brush for a quick dusting job, and paper towels in the kitchen for spills, shining chrome and surface wiping.

Whenever possible, transfer information from work, newsletters, invitations, and other appointments from paper to your computer or a wall calendar.

Many charity stores will be grateful for your donations and you will be glad for an uncluttered house.

“Little and often” are the golden words to keep you on track to a clean and healthy home.

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For home cleaning service Holland Park W11  plus domestic cleaner Notting Hill W11.

Stove spills are tough to clean after they have burnt and hardened in comparison to a spill on the stove that is wiped off as soon as it has cooled.

Taking the extra few seconds to put a plastic bag in each trash can after emptying is well worth the time as anyone who has spent hours scrubbing dirty trash cans can attest to.Leaving dishes undone for the next day can make a molehill truly a mountain.

If you really don’t have the time to do them, at least rinse quickly or submerge in water in the sink for easy rinse and cleaning later.

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If you do not procrastinate it will not only save you time, but will also assist in your energy level and
desire to keep up your household. The dirtier and more cluttered a home becomes, the less desire one has to keep it up.

A week or two worth of dirty laundry can be overwhelming and rob you of any desire to do it. A load of laundry a day, taking the extra minutes to fold and put away, is much more bearable and gives you the ‘I can do it’  feeling. Walking in to a cluttered family room when you awaken each morning will take from you valuable energy that you could use elsewhere.

Taking the three to five minutes each evening before retiring to pick up the family room thus making waking up and seeing it the next morning refreshing and satisfying is well worth the time spent. Nothing can sabotage your energy levels easier than overwhelming household tasks.

Make a list of time consuming household tasks that need to be done during the year. This could include tasks such as washing windows and blinds, cleaning the oven, washing walls, cleaning light fixtures, and painting. Decide how many times a year the task needs to be done. Calendar these tasks just as you do other appointments.

Granted you will need to be flexible but force yourself to do the task within the month assigned. This is another area where not procrastinating will be well worth the discipline you exhibit to accomplish the task.

Next Week: Home Cleaning Service Tips Stop Procrastination - Part 3

General household cleaning can be managed by stopping procrastination and not being a perfectionist. Housekeeping is necessary. It is possible to keep a clean home. Keeping a household clean and uncluttered is possible. Granted there are times when a home will be cleaner than at other times, but it can stay manageable. The key is to stop procrastination and discontinue any perfectionist notions.

Procrastination is the thief of keeping up on general household cleaning. The desire to put off what needs to be done today, can be the downfall of household cleaning. A small spill of something, let’s say jelly, will take about fifteen seconds to wipe up with a damp paper towel. That same small spill left to dry, smear, and collect dust, dirt, and other objects for a few days will take one to five minutes and a lot of frustration.

The principle of seizing the moment and not procrastinating when it comes to general household cleaning can be applied to almost any task. Let me give you some examples:

A bathroom mirror left unattended for a few weeks is much harder to clean than a mirror that has had the bad water spots wiped daily with a paper towel. Paper towels and window cleaner can be kept easily under the bathroom sink for quick bathroom cleaning.

Getting rid of leftovers in the refrigerator every couple of days and placing empty containers in the dishwasher is much less time consuming than waiting until mold is growing inside every container in the refrigerator and it takes a few hours to clean it out. Spills in the refrigerator that are wiped out as soon as they happen take a fraction of the time to clean as spills left to harden for weeks.

Next Week: Stop Procrastination - Part 2

You have a beautiful clean home but does your kitchen look a mess an organisational mess that is? You know in the cabinets and in the drawers.

If you waste a lot of time looking for a certain items and eventually find them in a different place from the last place you thought you left it.

Let’s me help with making life in the kitchen easier - reorganisation is the key.

I’ll take you through the kitchen cabinets and drawers and maybe you can get some ideas.

To the left of my double sink there are two cabinets. On the top shelf I would keep all of my glasses and also all of my coffee cups. On the bottom shelf I would keep the dinner plates, salad places, saucers for coffee cups and cereal bowls. When I have used these and washed and dried them I would put them back in their original place.

To the left of this cabinet, I have two shelves, six doors opening into these cabinets. On the top shelf I keep my microwave dishes and my pie keeper, the dish rags, cloth napkins, and dish towels, also the accessories to my mixer which consists of the grinder, etc. and the instruction manuals for each appliance attachment.

On the bottom shelf I keep a container that has round lids and another container which has square or oblong lids, then next to them are the plastic containers for these lids.

I keep my cheese grater and also my food processor.

On the bottom set of cabinets with six doors I also have two shelves.

On the top shelf I keep my canned soups and vegetables and cans of various foods and I keep this in individual groups.

For example all cans of soup are together. All cans of peas are together, etc. My cans of juices such as tomato juice in another part of the shelf as these are large cans.

On the bottom shelf are more cans and these are all in sections also as I stock up on cans whenever they are on sale on items I know that I will use within a few months.

I can look at the cans, for instance, of peas and know that I am low or that I have lots and don’t need to buy at this time.

These cans are separated so that a glance I can tell what is in stock.

Next time: Cleaning tips - Procrastination is your worst enemy.

Cleaning and organizing go hand in hand, here how I organize my kitchen.

I have cabinets under my countertop stove and on the top shelf in these cabinets are my pots and pans, and on the bottom shelf I have some of my small appliances, such as the rice cooker, electric knife, etc. and I always put them back in the same position after use so I can find them when needed.

Above the stove I have two sets of cabinet with only one shelf. On this shelf I have the cans of coffee, regular and decaf, coffee filters and thermos equipment for coffee also.

Above my refrigerator I have two cabinets, in these cabinets I have first aid items and light bulbs and miscellaneous items.

I have three cabinets near my wall oven, in these cabinets I have all of my baking items, such as flour, sugar, dates, raisins, coconut, anything associated with baking and also I have my stock of dried beans and pasta products such as spaghetti.

I also have an island with cabinets around each of four sides. In these I have my baking pans, salad spinner, tortilla warmers and various other items. There are also four drawers in this island, one is for flatware or silverware, one is for large ladles, spoons, can opener, measuring cups and spoons. The third drawer has lots of various items, lids for jars, other utensils for cooking and the fourth drawer is for tin foil, baggies, sandwich bags, etc.

I do hope this will help you to organize your kitchen where you have immediate access to all of the items you need for cooking or serving.

Next time: Learn how to wax all types of wood.

Do you know how often you should clean your bathroom? Many people hate this inevitable task. Cleaning the bathroom doesn’t have to be such hard work, if you do it effectivly.

Ahh, the bathroom is dirty. This is one of the most hated tasks to undertake within the household. Scrubbing toilets and showers is really no one’s idea of a great time, but nevertheless it has to be done.

Cleaning the bathroom doesn’t have to be all that much work if it is done right. If you wait until your bathroom is totally dirty, yes it will take you longer than if you do it regularly.

To get started, you should do a thorough cleaning of your bathroom. When finished, all that will be necessary is regular upkeep and a good thourogh cleaning once a month or so. Follow these simple steps to get you on your way to a cleaner bathroom. Have cleansers suited to clean the bathroom on hand and nearby. It is a good idea to have all the products you use in one central area so that you can get it from there and bring it with you through the house.

Start by cleaning up all the laundry in the bathroom. This would include dirty towels, clothes, and rugs. If you want to wash your shower curtain, take that out of the bathroom as well. Wash rugs in washer and let air dry, same for the shower curtain.

The next thing to do is pick up any trash and sweep the floor. Save mopping for the last task. Clean your counter tops and any mirrors next. Use a cleanser as it works best for mirrors and avoids streaking. Use an antibacterial cleaner for your countertops. Then clean the sink or sinks with antibacterial cleaner as well. This will insure that you get rid of any bacteria that may be lingering in the area . Shine the chrome of the faucets with a soft rag.

Clean the toilet next. Take bleach or pine oil and pour a cup or two into the basin of the toilet, and let it sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile you can clean around the toilet. Start with the tank and spray antibacterial cleaner wiping clean. Work your way down, cleaning the lid, the seat, under the seat, and around the outside of the toilet. After you are finished with that, take your toilet brush and scrub in and around the basin to clean. Flush.

Cleaning the bathtub or shower can be quite daunting. Depending on how dirty it is, spray a heavy duty cleanser and let sit for a while. Go back and scrub the residue, whether it be mildew, soap scum, or just dirt, until it comes clean. Once this is done, you can buy a cleanser that you spray after every use of the shower or bath to maintain freshness. Shine chrome with a soft rag. If you have a hairy drain, use a cotton swap to clean it out.

Wipe down the walls and cabinets with a damp sponge and don’t forget the door handles. It is a good idea to give the whole bathroom a once over with a disinfectant spray to kill any final germs. Lastly, mop the floor. When it is dry and your rugs are dry as well, you can lie them back down. Replace your shower curtain, too. Remember to replace the toilet paper roll and keep a stock under the counter.

This may seem a lot of work, however, if you maintain this every few days and do a thorough once over every month, it will seem easy.

To maintain; wipe down sinks after every use. Replace the toilet paper as and when needed. If the toilet looks dirty, wipe it down with a paper towel and some cleanser. Rinse the tub after a bath and pick up laundry right away.

These simple steps can save you a lot of time and headaches. You’ll thank yourself for doing it.

Next time: Cleaning tips for the kitchen.

If you have hired a cleaner who has not been trained properly you may find that accidents and or damage have happened. It is important to check your cleaner has home cleaning insurance in place. Else what seamed as a good idea to hire a cheap cleaner can become a very expensive.

Do NOT use any other kind of cleaner before using an enzyme cleaner. The ingredients in regular cleaners may react negatively with an enzyme cleaner preventing it from being effective. Before you use any kind of cleaner, always do a test spot on the material to be cleaned (some cleaners will stain). Thoroughly soak the soiled area with the enzyme cleaner.

It’s very important to thoroughly saturate the area! Let the product soak for a few minutes, then blot up any excess cleaner with a clean cloth. Let the spot dry completely before allowing your pet back in the area. It is during the drying process that the bacteria in the urine will be broken down and the odor removed. Once the area is dry, do a smell check. If you still smell urine, treat the area again.

Sometimes it can be difficult to locate the source of the urine smell, especially when dealing with old stains. In this case a black light can be your key to finding the source of the smell. Urine stains that can’t be seen by the naked eye will fluoresce under a black light.

The same process can be used to remove the odors left behind from faeces. Remove all faeces from the soiled area using just water. Soak the affected area with an enzyme cleaner and allow to dry.

If the smell has been removed, but a stain still exists after using an enzyme cleaner, then a regular cleaner can be used. Avoid cleaners that are highly acidic, or that leave a residual ammonia odour. These two types of cleaners can mimic the smells of urine and actually encourage your pet to once again relieve himself in the soiled area.

A great neutral cleaner is plain white vinegar. It can be used full strength, or diluted 50/50 with hot water. It can be used to scrub carpets, upholstery, or to mop floors and will also help neutralize odours. Other neutral detergents or cleaners can also be used.

Next time: Procrastination. The enemy of home cleaning.

Fido or Felix has an accident on the rug and not only do we need to get rid of the stain, we also need to get rid of the smell! This can be a difficult home cleaning task.

It has happened to all of us who own pets: Feix or Fido has an accident on the floor and no matter what we do, we just can’t get rid of the smell! To understand how to remove pet odours, it’s important to first understand why they are so difficult to get rid of.

Animal urine in particular is very pungent. Urine is actually a very weak acid that also contains a lot of bacteria and salts, excreted from your pet’s body. Regular spray cleaners, detergents, or other scented cleaners will not remove the source of the problem. At best, they will only temporarily mask the smell from us, but not from your pet!

If your pet can still smell residual urine it will continue to “mark” that spot and you will be fighting a never ending battle. The only way to truly clean a soiled area and remove the smell is to attack the stain on a bio-chemical level.

There are many anti-pet odour products on the market that clean by using helpful bacteria and/or enzymes to naturally speed the decomposition of a pet stain. These products work by naturally breaking down the acid and bacteria in urine.
If you catch your pet in the act, immediately use a clean paper towel or cloth to absorb as much of the urine as possible. Gently blot the area, being careful not to force the urine down further into the fibers of the carpet and the padding underneath (if on a wood or other hard surface wipe up all the urine, then give the area a once over with a cloth dampened with water).

Continued in Part 2

WAXING WOOD

MATERIALS - Liquid wax, Clean rags (or brush or 0000 grade steel wool), Soft cloth and Buffing machine or fine steel wool pads or polishing pads (optional).

STEP ONE

Using a soft cloth, brush, or steel wool pad (which will not damage the surface of the finish), apply wax directly to the surface of the wood using light, circular motions. Apply sparingly, using just enough to coat the wood. Wax should be applied going against the grain. You can apply wax in hard-to-reach areas (like spindles, carved areas, and etc.) using cut-up rags, specialty pads, foam paint brushes, or smaller pieces of 0000 grade steel wool.

STEP TWO

Allow waxed wood to set naturally. Wax should remain on furniture or other wood for a minimum of 5-7 minutes. Many waxes can remain on wood for up to 75-minutes, if need be.

STEP THREE

Buff wood using a clean, soft cloth. On carved or detailed areas of furniture, you may need to use furniture brush or similar object to buff the area.

STEP FOUR

Apply a second coat of wax with a soft, clean rag, this time working with the grain of the wood. Again, use circular motions and apply only a thin layer of wax, making sure all areas are covered equally.

STEP FIVE

Allow wax to set for 60-75 minutes. 

STEP SIX

Buff wood with a clean rag (or similar object previously mentioned). Once buffing is done, allow wood to sit overnight.

STEP SEVEN

Using a clean rag, buff wood once more, paying special attention to corners, hard-to-reach areas and blemishes.

Note: The more layers of wax that are applied and buffed, the more glossy your furniture’s finish will become. Many feel that 3-coats is a sufficient amount of wax to protect tables, cupboards, desks, and bedroom furniture. You may wish to coat chairs (and other furniture which receives heavy use) a fourth time.

TIPS AND TRICKS

NEVER pour wood wax directly on to wood. Always use a clean rag.
MINOR blemishes, cracks, and crevices in wood can be repaired with soft wax filler sticks.
CRACKS in dark woods can be covered by first applying a colored/pigmented wax, followed by a coating of clear wax.

Next home cleaning tip: Cleaning up after pets.