How To Breeze through the Cleaning When the Kids are at Home

The chaos has started.  We are now heading straight into the abyss that is known as the ‘School Summer Holidays’.  Some of us may emerge unscathed, others who are new to the process may be scarred for life.  It’s not that we don’t love our kids and want to spend as much time as possible with them, it’s just that six or seven weeks of back-to-back entertainment and never getting any of our own work done is sometimes just too much.

How, for example, do we get those every-day, household chores done when we have a small child in one ear requesting re-runs of SpongeBob with a snack plate provided and another larger version fully wellied-up and waiting by the front door for a trip to the park even though the rest of the house is still in pyjamas?

Well, there might just be a few tricks you can employ to keep the kids safely entertained whilst ensuring the house is clean and tidy enough for those unexpected summer visitors.  Here are our top 3 tactics for you to try:

1. The Well-Organised Approach – if you are organised enough you might just pull this one off.  By planning a busy morning of activities – think trip to the park, walking the dog, marathon shopping trip, a few rounds of ten-pin bowling or a quick dip in the local swimming pool – you can take the afternoon to complete your cleaning chores whilst your little darlings amuse themselves on their various gadgets and screens.
2. The Sharing Approach – if you think your little ones could be coerced into a little cleaning frenzy or duped against their will into a spot of spring cleaning then this tactic is for you.  Simply make the cleaning fun by either offering a reward at the end of the project, inciting a race to see who can clean their bedroom first or hiding some sweets in strategic locations around the house that only moving the ornaments to dust or plumping up the cushions will reveal.
3. The Last Minute Approach – if all else fails you will have to employ superhuman, last minute cleaning techniques when the kids either fall asleep or go into a trance in front of the television.  This approach requires a lot of energy and being able to lay your hands on dusters, polish, bathroom cleaner and a feather duster at minute’s notice.  Go, go, go and don’t look back until you can see your own reflection in the mirror!

If you’re tired just reading this, or are worried that controlling your tribe to the extent you can actually contemplate your cleaning approach will be near-on impossible, then there is a fourth alternative. Calling in the experts.

At Maid2Clean we offer a wide range of cleaning services at times to suit you.  We can fit in with your busy lifestyle, taking away the pressure of regular house cleaning and giving you back more time to relax with the family.  If you’re interested in finding out more about our services please call us on 0800 5677 455 or visit our website.  

How You Can Get Into the Cleaning Mood

Sometimes there is nothing worse than having a long, hard day at work and then coming home to find the house in a right state.  The likelihood of it is that you will just want to jump into comfy clothes, sit down with a cuppa and watch your favourite soap on the television.  Putting off the cleaning can become a bad habit, and the chores will soon build up – which is why you should try and establish a cleaning routine.

Top Tips

Getting into that cleaning frame of mind, can help you blitz your way through the house.  The following tips may also be of help:

·         If you have older children, or live with friends or a partner, putting together a cleaning schedule on allocated and agreed tasks can help take some of the burden away

·         Tackle one room at a time, so you don’t send yourself into a cleaning frenzy all too quickly

·         Use appropriate cleaning products for bedrooms, bathrooms and the kitchen

·         Put some music on to help get you going – there is nothing better than a bit of musical motivation

Having a Routine

Sticking to a simple routine can help you to prioritise certain tasks. Having a clean home will make you feel better about yourself too.  The quicker you start to get into a habit of handling regular tasks within the home, the more you will be able to relax and put your feet up, without having the thought of that mess lingering and hiding away in all areas of the house.

Keep Those Germs Away

Not only is a clean house nice to look at – but it also helps to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.  Without realising, these can build up pretty quickly so it’s better to stay on top of it.  It is also wise to use different sponges and cleaning materials for certain surfaces.  Disinfecting these after they have been used is also a good idea, as it will keep the sponge’s germ free.

A Cleaning Company Can Help

If you are looking for a cleaner in Trowbridge or Salisbury to help you with your chores, then you could take advantage of our one off clean services.  These can be arranged at a suitable time, to lend you that helping hand.  So if you find that you just simply don’t have the time, or you just don’t fancy cleaning at all, a cleaning company would be the right place to turn to.

Maid2Clean in Salisbury and Trowbridge are able to provide one off cleans, to help get your home sparkling and germ free.  For more information, you can give them a call on 0800 5677 455.

Our favourite Top 3 cleaning blogs

As Spring is fast approaching, it’s that time of year where we can get our rubber gloves on, and dig deep and far into our homes, for the ultimate Spring clean.  After having your house locked up in every way possible to keep the cold air out during the harsh winter months; you have probably had to deal with a lot more smells, and a sense of ‘stuffiness’ from keeping your windows and doors closed.  As Spring is nearing, finding the time to give your house a deep clean may seem daunting, but don’t panic at the thought of the chores, because we have pulled out some of our best top 3 cleaning blogs; which we have created over the last few months to help you on your way to mastering the art of the perfect Spring clean.

Top Spring Cleaning Tips

Here you will find a list of some helpful tips, which will give that extra shine and sparkle to your house. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to spring cleaning at any time of the year, but following these top spring cleaning tips will give you all you need to know about cleaning your curtains, and how to tackle each room, and de-clutter all the mess that has been building up over the last few months.  Learn how its best to remove those stubborn stickers the kids have stuck on the wooden furniture, and bring your house back into shape.

A Cheats Guide to Kitchen Cleaning

Every day without fail you will go in and out of your kitchen, this is one of the places where everything seems to end up. Cleaning pots and pans on top of your usual kitchen cleaning routine can be an added headache, but with this cheats guide to cleaning the kitchen you will soon learn how to save time, and get all the necessary things done like washing the pots and pans, and giving that deep clean which your kitchen needs to get rid of any pesky germs and bacteria that may be growing without you even realising.

How to Get Rid of Household Smells

Having your windows and doors shut in the cold weather can sometimes be a relief, as you can keep the warmth in and the cold out – but what about those smells that seem to linger for absolutely ages in the halls, and rooms of your house? You will soon learn how to keep your house smelling clean and fresh, even in the coldest of months, so that you don’t have to wait for a Spring clean before you can re-open your windows for that much longed for fresh air.  You will be able to find out how an extractor fan placed in your bathroom can really help to keep the air circulating, and get work towards getting rid of any unwanted smells. The house may smell musty - but use this post to keep you calm during the colder months, as it will offer you advice on how to keep your house smelling well aired, and fresh.

We have many handy hints and tips on how to help keep your house clean and tidy, but don’t forget that if you simply don’t have the time or the inclination, here at Maid2Clean we’d be happy to help.  Our team of expert cleaners can get your home spick and span in no time.

Simple Cleaning Tips to Help Make Your Daily Chores Easier

For many homeowners, household cleaning and tidying can seem to take up a lot of time each day, particularly if there are children living in the household. However, just making the effort to keep a house tidy can help to make life much easier when it comes to cleaning, so by keeping surfaces clear and storing toys and games in boxes to keep rooms clutter free can make a big difference.

Sometimes it is the smallest cleaning tasks that can make the biggest change to the appearance of a room. Here we look at some simple cleaning tips for your home that can have a big impact.

1 – Cleaning your bathroom mirror – By rubbing a standard bar of soap over the surface of your mirror and then buffing it gently with a clean cloth, you can prevent the mirror from steaming up when you bathe or shower. This can help your mirror to stay gleaming and prevent you from needing to buff it clean every time you shower.

2 – Removing sticky finger marks from steel appliances – By simply adding a drop of baby oil to a piece of kitchen roll, you can gently wipe away sticky finger marks left by your children.

3- Cola toilet cleaner – If you are left with half a bottle of flat Cola, rather than pour it away down the sink drain, pour it down your toilet and leave overnight. This helps to dissolve any limescale, leaving your toilet clean.

4 – Removing sticky marks – As well as sticky finger marks, children often leave sticky marks on surfaces should they rip off stickers. A small amount of Eucalyptus oil can completely remove the marks left by children’s stickers with minimal effort.

5 – Cleaning the inside of your microwave – It is important to clean the inside of your microwave on a regular basis in order to help increase its lifespan. By adding around 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to a bowl of water and then microwaving it at a high heat for around 5 minutes, the inner walls of the microwave can then simply be wiped clean afterwards. As the lemon juice evaporates, it helps to break down even tough food stains.

These 5 tips are designed to help make your daily household cleaning tasks a little quicker and easier. You could further look to reduce the amount of time you need to spend cleaning each day by looking to hire professional cleaners in Salisbury to give your home a thorough clean once a week or more. By allowing professional cleaners to do the bulk of your cleaning work, you can then hugely cut down the amount of time that you have to spend on house work per day.

Maid2Clean can provide a wide range of cleaning services in Salisbury and surrounding areas, including one off full house cleans, as well as weekly, fortnightly or monthly cleans, depending on how often their services are required. To find out more, you can visit www.maid2clean.co.uk.

Autumn Cleaning Tips from our Salisbury Cleaners

At Maid2Clean we are passionate about cleaning and keeping our customers houses as neat, tidy and germ free as possible but it has to be said that doing this becomes more of a challenge in the cold wet weather.  As dirty foot and paw prints are factored into the equation, keeping the floors clean is a mission in itself but with a little hard work and some great tips from our Salisbury cleaners you too can have a clean house this autumn.

Here’s what we recommend:

Wash your windows – the best way to clean your windows is using a glass cleaner and a microfibre cloth.  TOP TIP – clean windows on a cloudy day as it is will be easier to spot the streaks!

Wipe down cupboards – it’s amazing how dirty the kitchen cupboards can become simply from being opened lots of times by grubby hands.  Autumn is a great time to carry out a deep clean and wiping down your kitchen cupboards should be at the top of the list.  You can go one step further by emptying your cupboards and cleaning the inside before replacing items. You might find things you don’t need any longer and can thus gain some extra space inside your cupboards ready to restock with Christmas goodies.

Clean the carpets – the colder, wetter weather heralds the coming of dirty footprints and paw prints too if you have pets.  Getting the carpets cleaned now is a great way to get rid of all of the current grime and dirt so that your rooms look cleaner and brighter.  Spring is the next ideal time to get the carpets cleaned, to wash away the winter grime.

Clean light fittings – it’s easy to ignore dust and cobwebs when it is above the eye line but these are exactly the places where dust and dirt collect.  Take some time this autumn to dust down your ceiling and wall mounted light fittings ready to bring out the sparkle in your home this Christmas.

Tidy up your PC – Whilst we are not saying you should necessarily wait until the autumn to do this, it does provide the perfect opportunity to de-crumb your keyboard, dust down your computer and clean the monitor using a specialist screen cleaner.

Remove winter clothing from storage – many of us don’t have the luxury of a wardrobe which is large enough to contain clothing for every season, so storing winter clothing away in the summer and vice versa is the only option.  In preparation for the winter weather, now is a great time to get your winter clothes and bedding out of storage to give it an airing ready for when you need it.

Test your alarms – you should be doing this regularly already but if you get to the end of this list make sure you also tick off checking the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm (or install them if you haven’t already done so).

Happy autumn cleaning and stay tuned for more top cleaning tips very soon.

If you need a helping hand with your home cleaning why not find out more about Maid2Clean services in Salisbury and Trowbridge?

How To Get Rid Of Household Smells

You might spend a couple of hours each day cleaning your home, but sometimes, especially during the winter months when the windows are kept closed, you might find your house can still smell a little bit musty.  Houses which are also homes to our furry friends such as dogs and cats or perhaps smokers may be more susceptible to having a bit of a whiff about them, so these handy tips on how to keep your home smelling fresh may come in useful:

·         Even during the winter, try to open windows for even a few minutes a day.  The best time to do this is in the morning once everyone is washed and dressed – open all of the bedroom windows plus the kitchen window to help to eliminate stale smells and to freshen the overall smell of the house.

·         Bathrooms inevitably become a little pongy at times, so if your bathroom doesn’t have a window, make sure you install an extractor fan.  Not only will this help to get rid of any smells, it will also help to extract excess moisture from the air.  Be sure to open the window or use the fan after bathing or showering, as mould and mildew can easily form in damp areas.  Be sure to wash towels and bath mats regularly, as consistently leaving damp towels lying around can also contribute to a musty smell in the bathroom.

·         If your fridge doesn’t smell as fresh as you would like it to, simply leave a small box of bicarbonate of soda at the back of the fridge.  This will absorb any strong smells and leave your fridge smelling nice and fresh.

·         Bicarbonate of soda is useful for absorbing all sorts of smells – if your carpet needs a refresh, simply sprinkle some bicarb onto the affected area, leave for as long as possible (a couple of days would be best) and then vacuum up.  Of course, this may not be possible if you have pets, but even just an hour or so could help to reduce the odour.

·         Even if you empty your kitchen bin on a regular basis, it can still become a little smelly after a time.  Remove the bin liner and clean with hot, soapy water.  Pour some white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray the inside of the bin.  Leave for a few minutes and then wipe clean with paper towels.  The vinegar will help to soak up any odours.  Add a new bin liner and the bin is ready to use.

It can be tempting to use aerosol air fresheners to make your home smell sweeter, but these will simply mask any smells rather than eliminate them.  The best two methods of getting rid of household smells are simply fresh air and bicarbonate of soda.  These are probably two of the cheapest things to use, too!

For more help and advice on cleaning your home, or to find out about a professional cleaning service, feel free to visit the Maid2Clean website. 

A Cheat’s Guide To Kitchen Cleaning

Most of us would love to have an immaculately clean house, but let’s face it, unless you are lucky enough to employ a professional cleaner or you have all the time in the world to spend scrubbing and mopping, most of us are happy with pushing the vacuum round a couple of times a week and wiping the bathroom over as and when necessary.

Here are a few tips to keeping your kitchen super clean whilst using the minimum amount of effort:

·         When cooking your evening meal, fill the sink up with some hot, soapy water.  Add the pots and pans as you finish using them, so they’ll be soaking whilst you eat your dinner.  They will then be ready for either a quick scrub or to be placed in the dishwasher with the rest of the crockery.

·         Use a non-stick oven liner on the floor of your oven.  This will catch any drips and crumbs and can simply be placed in the dishwasher as and when required.

·         Keep your dishwasher clean by adding some bicarbonate of soda to a damp cloth and wipe around the edges of the machine.  This will help to kill harmful bacteria such as E.coli.

·         Be sure to soak your sponges and clothes in a solution of bleach, washing up liquid and hot water every night.  You can also wash your cloths in the washing machine regularly to keep them looking clean.

·         If you’re feeling a bit more energetic, it is important to deep clean your kitchen now and again.  Start on the right hand side of your oven and work clockwise around the room.  This way you’ll clean the oven last, which is usually the grubbiest part of the room. 

·         Some people find it easy but others don’t, but multi-tasking is a great way of getting jobs done!  If you’ve a phone call to make, sweep the floor or give the inside of your windows a quick clean -  you’ll be so busy concentrating on your phone call that you’ll be surprised at how many little cleaning tasks you can achieve during a short space of time!

These kitchen cleaning tips should help you to keep your kitchen looking spotlessly clean whilst using only a small amount of effort – perfect.

For more cleaning tips or if you wish to hire some professional cleaning help, why not visit the Maid2Clean website?