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?

Our Tips For Creating A Useful Home Cleaning Planner

We know what it’s like, you start off with good intentions on keeping your newly decorated room looking immaculate, but six months down the line it’s starting to look a bit battered and grubby again.  Well, have no fear, as this blog post will run through a brief home cleaning planner to help you to keep on top of your home. 

First of all, let’s have a look at the tasks which you should ideally be carrying out at least once a week.  Vacuuming and mopping the floors is the most obvious task, particularly in those rooms which have heavy traffic such as the hallway, the kitchen and the living room.  You may find that the bedrooms only need vacuuming once a week, but ideally you need to vacuum the downstairs every couple of days.  Using a feather duster to flick over your skirting boards and furniture will prevent large amounts of dust building up, and try to use a suitable furniture polish to keep your wooden furniture in good condition.

Inevitably, the kitchen and bathroom will need a wipe over every day, with a thorough clean using disinfectant once a week.  The bins should be emptied weekly and be sure to spend some time just tidying things away, such as filing important letters and putting the toys back in the toy box.

Ideally once a month you’ll need to get your hands dirty, as the oven will need a good clean and the microwave will need a wipe out.  Clean the inside of your windows using a vinegar solution and newspaper, as this will help them to sparkle as well as removing those pesky sticky finger marks.  Give the door handles and cupboard fronts a clean with a disinfectant and use a mild detergent and water to wipe away any marks on the walls.

Every six months be sure to turn your mattress and whilst you’re there, give it a vacuum as well.  Try to move the furniture in each of the rooms if possible to allow you to vacuum and dust behind them.  If you don’t have a regular window cleaner, try to clean the outside of your windows in the spring and then again in autumn.  Give the frames a good clean too with some warm, soapy water.

Once a year, spend a day de-cluttering.  Go through all of your drawers and cupboards and throw away anything which you don’t need.  Wipe the cupboards out with a mild detergent, but be sure the cupboard is dry before refilling it.  You may like to have your carpets and rugs cleaned professionally, as well as taking your pillows and duvets to the dry cleaners. 

Reading this home cleaning planner may seem a bit daunting, but if you follow the suggestions then it will help you to keep your home clean and inviting.  Happy cleaning!

For more cleaning tips or for help carrying out regular or ad hoc cleaning why not visit the Maid2Clean website.

Our Top Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring is in the air, and what better to time to start deep cleaning the house than when the sun is shining and the spring flowers are spreading colour throughout the garden?  Inevitably many of us let our housework habits slide a little bit during the winter as the weather is cold and dark, but once the sun starts to shine it shows up the finger marks on the windows and the dust on the television screen!  For our first blog post we’re going to share a few of our top spring cleaning tips with you.

First of all, work on a room at a time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of work which needs to be done to get your home looking spick and span, so it’s much more manageable to simply work on one room at a time.  Start by decluttering – having lots of mess will make the room much harder to clean.  Clear out cupboards and drawers and try to create clear space on your shelves and mantel piece.  Use your vacuum soft brush attachment to remove dust from your skirting boards and light fittings and be sure to move the furniture if you can in order to clean behind it all. 

If you find the kids have put their stickers on the wooden furniture, soak a paper towel in some white vinegar and place it over the sticker.  Leave it for around five minutes, after which you should be able to peel the sticker off!

Take down the curtains in each room and either pack them off to the dry cleaners or if you can wash them yourself, do so.  You may find it easier to hang them up afterwards when they are still slightly damp, and if you have a reservoir steam iron you will be able to iron them vertically to allow the creases to drop out.  If you have wooden slatted blinds, put on a pair soft cotton gloves, rub a little furniture polish onto your fingers and you can easily clean the slats with your hands!

Giving the windows a good clean inside and out always makes a room look brighter.  You can clean the outside using water and a drop of washing up liquid, give the window and uPVC frame a good scrub with a sponge before using a squeegee to remove the excess water.  Dry with a chamois leather to avoid any water marks.  You can clean the inside with a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts warm water.  Using newspaper instead of a cloth will also help to avoid streaks.

Wiping light bulbs with a cloth which has a drop of your favourite essential oil is a lovely way of scenting a room.  When the light is on, it will warm the essential oil which will release its fragrance into the room – just be sure to only wipe the light bulb when it is cold!

Once you’ve worked your way around the house, try to keep on top of everything by spending a small amount of time cleaning and tidying each day.  This way the cleaning will seem less daunting and you can spend more time enjoying your home with your family and friends.

If you would like to find out if our professional cleaning service could help you with your spring clean, feel free to visit the Maid2Clean website for further information.