Tag Archives: cleaning tips

Preventing window condensation

5 Replies

It looks like the freezing temperatures have come to stay for some time. And with cold
weather comes one of the major problems we experienced in our homes during winter: window condensation. Let’s be honest, it is a problem that we will not be able to get rid of, but we can always put some ideas in practice to try and prevent it as much as possible.

Here are some tips that you can follow:

–Ventilation. We need to ventilate our homes at least once a day as well as open windows after having a shower/bath or while cooking, as bathroom and kitchen are the “moisture winners” of all the rooms in the house.

–Laundry. Try to hang your clothes to dry outside; if this is not possible then open a window while the clothes are drying.

–Extractor fan. You can put a fan in the kitchen and bathroom to create more ventilation.

–Dehumidifier. This will take excessive moisture from the air (though some people consider it to be quite noisy).

–Heating. Put the heating on on this winter season. The hotter the air inside the house, the more moisture it can absorb and the less condensation you will have on your windows.

Do you have any other tip to prevent condensation? Let us know!

Cleaning is a dangerous business

This week at www.amycleaning.co.uk we received a call from one of our domestic cleaners saying that she hurt her leg while moving a sofa in one of the client’s houses. This meant the need to allocate a new cleaner straight away and brought to us a common misconception: “Cleaning is an easy job… or is not?”.

I would say that, as the title suggest, cleaning can be dangerous sometimes. The use of strong chemicals and the need to move furniture to do deep cleaning, make this job not an easy one.

The use of chemicals imply the possibility of eye irritation (the fumes and odors can affect your eyes) and skin allergic reactions. To minimize the risk, make sure you ventilate the rooms, use gloves and don’t mix any chemicals as this can provoke breathing problems, specially if you suffer from asthma.

Strains and muscle problems can be caused by heavy lifting. So when you have to move that massive sofa or dining table, make sure you stretch your body beforehand and remember that it will always be easier if you have a pair of hands to help you out.

So before you start cleaning, don’t forget your safety check:

  1. Gloves, on
  2. Windows, open
  3. Mixtures prohibited, promise
  4. Labels, checked

Have you experienced any dangerous cleaning lately? Let us know your comments!

How to get your laundry smelling fresh

1 Reply

I love the smell of launderettes! Every time I pass by one my body shivers with envy; how can I get my clothes to smell like that when I do the laundry? I don’t have a tumble dryer and I suppose that makes it more difficult, specially in winter, when you hang the clothes to dry for days and days with no positive results. So I tried and I tried until I found a really good solution…

Would you like your clothes to smell nice and fresh as if they have been taken out of a launderette?

Put less detergent on your wash and add about half a cup of baking soda. What baking soda does is eliminate detergent residues and re-fresh the clothes, leaving them cleaner and smelling like new!

Do you have any other tips? Let us know!

A clean up recipe

1 Reply

Most people have a computer at home. Whether is a desktop or laptop they will need a regular clean up to avoid any “brain damage”. Build up of dust and grime can make your computer heat up, which slows the system and can generate computer failure.

So to avoid your computer heating up, here is a step by step recipe on how to clean it!

The ingredients. You will need:

– A can of compressed air

– Cotton swabs

– Soft cloth/e-cloth

– Rubbing alcohol

– Screwdriver

– Water

“Important: Turn your computer off before starting the cleaning!”

  1. Start with the case (you may need the screwdriver). Open it and with a cotton swab remove any debris or build up of dust. Use the can of compressed air to clean any excess dust, but be careful with it, do not blow it too strongly. Wipe the inside of the cover with a soft cloth and close the case again. Don’t forget to wipe the outside of the case with a soft damp cloth.
  2. The keyboard: turn it upside down and shake it to get rid of most of the debris and dust. Use the can of compressed air in between the keys and finish with a cotton swab dip in rubbing alcohol, cleaning the sides and top of the keys one by one.
  3. Clean the mouse with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol
  4. Clean your LCD monitor with an e-cloth (do not use kitchen towels as this can damage the surface). If you have a glass CRT monitor, you can use a glass cleaner (not alcohol as this can damage the surface).

This cleaning routine can be done every 6 months (or 3 months if you smoke or have pets at home).

How to keep your sponges clean as new

5 Replies

With the daily cleaning of counter tops, hobs and sinks our sponges and cloths in the kitchen tend to have a very short life span. And that is not even talking about the build up of germs, which makes them smell like something out of this world!

Do you want to leave your kitchen sponges and brushes clean and ready to use the following day?

Then put them on the top rack of your dishwasher when you run it. You will see the difference!

After Christmas cleaning

Leave a reply

glovesChristmas has come and gone and with this the time of cleaning up the mess we left on those festive days. While every person has a different way to organise the after Christmas cleaning, here are some essential tasks that will help you leave your home clean and tidy in no time:

Task 1.-

Organise the Christmas decorations and the tree. Don’t just toss them all in a big box and pray that next year they will be ready to use. It will be better to sort them out by colour/shape and keep them in clear plastic boxes, so you can see straight away what is inside.

Task 2.-

Hover your floors. Seeing a floor clean of paper or glitter will give you extra energy to continue cleaning!

Task 3.-

Clean the kitchen, most probably the room that has been used the most during Christmas. It will need a good turn around. Remember to start at the top and finish at the bottom.

Task 4.-

Don’t forget the oven! Most probably it’s still smelling of turkey and roast potatoes, so a good scrubbing will make it ready to use again.

Task 5.-

Clean bathroom/toilet. If you have been one of the “lucky” people to have guests at your home, then this is a must. Again, the same as with the kitchen: top to bottom.

Task 6.-

Do the laundry. Most probably you will have 3, 4,5 loads waiting on the basket already, so it is not something we can ignore.

Task 7.-

Instruct your children (if any). Children can help you sorting out decorations, laundry, cleaning their rooms…

Create mini-goals, this way you won’t get overwhelmed by the whole process. A little at a time and sooner than later you will be enjoying your “new house”!

Declutter your home and recycle

1 Reply

closet_clutter_monsterI think one of the best cleaning tips I’ve ever heard is to de-clutter your home. Getting rid of items that have been forgotten at the back of our wardrobe is as essential as the cleaning itself to freshen your house.

But then, what do we do with all that stuff? We empty our closets, we throw away old clothes, boxes, toys… and then we leave them to dust in the corner as if waiting for them to walk out the door by themselves.

Here is an original solution for your clutter agony:

www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm

This lovely website will give you ideas on how to reuse your clutter while having fun with the kids.

If you try any of these ideas, let us know!

What would be the cleaning product you can’t live without?

1 Reply

For us it has to be Kilrock descaler gel. It even comes with a small brush! Wipe it around tricky places, such as a shower head or the tip of a tap, leave it for some minutes et voila! magic! no more limescale.

It is OK to use on stainless steel, plastic and ceramic, but be careful with enamel.

Try it and let us know what you think or share with us your best ever cleaning product!

Professional carpet cleaning

2 Replies

We all know how important it is to keep our carpet clean at home. A carpet’s life can be reduced due to dirt, grit and oil residues, so prevention is essential to keep it nice.

Always remember to remove your shoes when arriving home; regular vacuuming is also important; as well as cleaning any stains as soon as they happen.

But eventhough we try our best to keep our carpet clean, we always need to think about cleaning it professionally on a regular basis. Here is a table to help you decide how often you need to call the professionals. Take it only as a reference and remember that every household is different:

How often should I clean my carpet: A house with:
Every  year 1 or 2 people

No pets

Non smokers
Every 9 months Children

or, Pets

or, Smokers
Every 6 months Children and Pets

or, Children and Smokers

or, Pets and Smokers
Every 3 months Children and Pets and Smokers

Baby safety

1 Reply

baby_sleepingThose with children will understand the need to keep our homes safe from hazardous chemicals when cleaning. The safety of our babies come as a priority on everything we do.  Many cleaning products contain ingredients that, if inhaled or ingested can cause serious problems. Chemicals such as bleach or air fresheners are the most dangerous ones and they have been linked to and increase on childhood asthma.

To keep your baby’s nursery (and your house!) up to standards you can always turn your head to the so called “green products” you have on your cupboard, that is vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil. But if you don’t have time enough to make magic concoctions then check on your local supermarket for non-toxic, bio-degradable chemicals.

I can think about some easy steps that you can follow to keep your baby’s room pristine:

– Check the crib/bed regularly: wash the bed clothing and wipe the waterproof mattress when changing sheets.

– Wash toys: warm soapy water will be enough to keep them clean and get rid of the grime.

– Air the room daily: about 10/15 minutes will do; the breeze coming in will get rid of any odours.

– Dust the room regularly: no chemicals needed, just a damp cloth; and you can use some drops of lavender oil to make the room smell lovely.

These are just a few examples of how to keep you home clean when there are babies around. Let us know if you have any other ideas!