Many of us find that as we grow older, the roles change with our parents. Suddenly we become the caretakers (like a parent) and they need us more and more everyday. And if you are the caretaker, your well aware that it is quite a task. You will find old books/magazines, musty linens and clothes all while navigating through their clutter. And that’s just a start. You can only imagine what you will find in the refrigerator. The reason why it is so important to go through everything for them and de-clutter their home is because living in a chaotic environment provides major risks for aging adults. So when you are ready to tackle cleaning their home, here is a checklist of a few things you wont want to forget:
~ throw away any and all expired food in the freezer/refrigerator.
~ clear objects off of all stairways and walkways.
~ dispose of any outdated medications and expired cleaners/beauty products.
~ make sure all handrails are securely anchored to the walls, that all carpets are secured to the ground, and all the rugs lay flat on the floor.
~ wash or replace soiled bedding, mattress pads, and pillow covers.
~ clean any mold/mildew in bathroom.
~ Look for water damage and mold throughout the house.
~ wash or replace musty curtains, blinds and draperies.
~ check for dusty/moldy walls, ceilings and corners of rooms especially because they can cause respiratory problems along with dusty ventilation and ceiling fans.
Keep in mind that when you are doing this for your loved one, it is very important to include them in the process. As overwhelming as it is for you, its the same way for your loved one. The key to it all is to not put it off! Just about everyone who has been through this ordeal have all said the same thing, wished they would have started sooner!
The battle of donating/selling/tossing items versus keeping them will be tough. For your loved ones, it is more about the memories then the physical items. A good tip for this situation is to take a picture of them. It may be easier for them to donate once they realize the memory has been captured. You could even create a fun photo album for them with some old and new photos for memory’s sake. And for the pile of knick knacks that your loved ones swear will be worth millions in 20 years, try some elegant boxing/packing. Get sturdy boxes, carefully label the contents and relocate the prized items to a basement or storage unit. Nine times out of ten, they will never ask about or to see those items again, but they will feel reassured they are in a safe place. And as the saying goes, when mamma’s happy, everyone is happy!
There are many things to consider when choosing a cleaning service for your home or place of business. It is very important to be thorough and ask lots of questions especially since after all, your placing a lot of trust in the company. Some of the questions we recommend are:
How long has the company been in business?
Is it a privately owned company or a franchise?
Does the company have proper insurance and liability coverage?
How many cleaners per team and do they same cleaners come back to your home each time?
Do they complete background checks, drug testing, and reference checks on the staff?
Can they provide with a list of what is completed each clean?
What types of things are considered extra services? Are oven, refrigerators, and windows included? If not what are the costs of those things
Does they cleaning service provide the tools needed for the clean or does the customer provide them?
What forms of payment are accepted?
How is the schedule done? Do they give exact times? Do they do reminder/confirmation calls?
Always remember to never be afraid to ask any question. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Get the company’s references. Ask them to provide a proof of insurance, liability and bonding. This is your home/business and it is very important that you feel 100% comfortable with the company. Trust and communication are the keys to a successful relationship of any kind.
Did you know that Minch Professional Cleaning Services, LLC won Best of Bucks 2012 for Residential Cleaning? The readers of the Bucks County Courier Times voted and we won! We want to take a moment to THANK YOU for all your support! We greatly appreciate each and every one of you!
On a daily basis your home sees a constant flow of traffic, whether it is from your family, pets, or simply objects accumulating dust. When it comes to cleaning most people clean the obvious: floors, countertops, dusty TV’s, and bathrooms. What homeowners forget about is the little objects we use the most, but never think to clean.
First, there are light switches, which are used constantly, all day, and each time you walk into a room. Not many people think to clean light switches, because we are always cleaning a surface or object, not a fixture that is flush against the wall. Light switches don’t ever look dirty or dusty but think of all the times your hands were not clean and you’ve flipped that switch. Bacteria builds up on the switch plates from numerous people carrying all types of germs, which can easily make you ill. Another item similar to this is the remote control, which is also overlooked when cleaning. So, a great way to keep these objects clean and you healthy is to disinfect them every few weeks. You can simply spray disinfectant on the light switches or wipe it down with an anti-bacterial cloth.
Wondering where those foul odors are coming from? If it’s not the trash then what is it? Kitchen drains can build up past meals, grease, and oils. They have a tendency to capture the smell of old food particles and more, long after you are done cleaning. This is what causes unpleasant aromas to linger in your clean kitchen. Lucky for you getting rid of foul drain odors is easy to take care of. For those who have a garbage disposal, putting leftover foods down the drain is a great way to cut down on trash, but this also results in your drain smelling like your garbage. The solution for this is to cut up a lemon and drop it down the drain. Turn the disposal on and grind up those lemons for that fresh citrusy smell. However, for those who do not have a garbage disposal you are still in luck. Pouring hot water mixed with baking soda can fix the foul kitchen drain odors as well.
Another object people forget to clean are keyboards. The build up of bacteria can tend to have as much as the average toilet seat. The reason why this average occurs is because toilet seats are frequently cleaned, whereas keyboards can go years without a simple anti-bacterial swipe. So, highly consider cleaning your keyboard every once in a while. If you want to go to extremes consider using an air canister or vacuum to get rid of all the dusts and crumbs that may have fell in-between the keys.
Don’t just clean the obvious surfaces and objects anymore. Clean these forgotten items with these quick tips to help make your home a healthier and safer place to live!
If your cat, dog, or any animal you have pees on your carpets, removing the urine stain must be done immediately because not only will it stink, but it will most certainly leave a stain! Cat urine is the worst—its smell is very potent, and if you neglect to clean it up, the smell will linger for a while!
Removing a pet stain in your carpet works the best if you clean it up immediately! This way there will be less time for the urine to sink into the carpet causing permanent stains or damage to your carpet.
Immediately after noticing the stain and urine you should attempt to remove as much liquid and solids as possible with paper towels. Also, try not to spread the stain; you should work carefully from the edge to the center. You should take note that it is vital to not use any cleaner that has ammonia in it because most animals have a very strong sense of smell. Why is this important? Your pets may smell the ammonia (it smells like urine) and this could cause it to pee in the same vicinity all over again!
If you have a stain that has been soaking in your carpet for a few hours, these ones can be, and often are, incredibly hard to clean. However, white vinegar can be used to clean stains that have been lingering Also, carpets that have stain resistant finishes will give you more time to blot up the stain before it completely soaks into the carpet. However, don’t “over-wet” your carpet with water when you clean, use club soda (if you have it) for cleaning up the mess as quickly as possible (if it has been sitting.)
Most of the time, a marble floor needs very little maintenance. However, neglecting it will tarnish the way it looks even though neglecting it does not usually affect how long it lasts. Therefore, if you take care of your marble floor and perform habitual maintenance, any other type of flooring you may buy in the future will not compare to the radiance and timeless beauty of your well-maintained marble floor.
1—You should perform standard maintenance with a natural detergent in water
When it comes time to gathering your cleaning equipment it should include a mop or a floor polishing/scrubbing machine. If you want to use a machine, the pads should be of the synthetic type and never metal fibers, as splinters may disconnect and cause rust marks to show up on the surface of the marble floor.
2—A good approach to preserving marble floors is to make the use of a program similar to that of taking care of regular tile floors
When it comes to stripping, a conventional stripper is ideal. Any pads you use for stripping should be placid scrubbing pads. The black pad generally utilized for stripping may scratch marble surfaces.
Although not required, a sealer may be applied to protect the grout. The surface may then be finished with an acrylic polymer metal-linked polish. If your cleaning equipment includes a team of easily-applied products, you will save time, and when the floor finish is buffed/burnished, the maximum beauty of the marble floor will be there to enjoy.
3—For daily maintenance, a neutral type of cleaner should be used on the finish or the marble itself.
A polished marble floor can be gorgeous and long lasting, but only with suitable care and maintenance procedures.
Due to its level of acidity, white distilled vinegar can be used as a household cleanser. Also, white distilled vinegar is effective in killing most mold, bacteria, and germs because of its acidity.
Cleaning with white distilled vinegar can be considered an ingenious way to stay away from using harsh chemicals that could cause damage to your home amenities and your health. White distilled vinegar is also environmentally friendly and very economical.
Following are some tips and suggestions on how you can use white distilled vinegar as a cleaning agent within you home:
Make Your Own Window Cleaning Solution
Combine 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water.
Make Your Own Scouring Cleanser
Combine 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add “just enough” white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy consistency.
To Make An Economical And Environmentally-friendly Floor Cleaner
Blend together a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray it in moderation and mop for a fast clean-up.
Clean and Deodorize A Drain
Pour in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let the concoction rest for about five minutes and then pour hot water down the drain.
Deodorize the Toilet Bowl
Let 3 cups of hite distilled vinegar rest in your toilet bowl for about a half hour before you flush it.
Remove Some Carpet Stains
With a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the carpet stain and let it dry. Twenty-four hours later, vacuum up the residue the next day—this should help in removing the stain. (Make sure to always test on a hidden part of the carpet first)
Not only is dusting essential for you to have a clean home, but eradicating the dust produced from pet dander, pollen, and other substances can actually help to reduce the possibilities that you or a member of your family will have allergies. So, as you dust, remember this tip—left to right—top to bottom—no backtracking!
Dusting Tips
You can make the use of used fabric softener sheets for dusting as opposed to using the more expensive cloths. Remember to look up at the ceiling, in the corners and overhead light fixtures, and skylights for those irritating cobwebs that may sporadically come falling down when you have guests over! Also, don’t forget to dust you ceiling fans—lots of dust regularly accumulates on them!
On Fighting Hidden Dirt…
When it comes to dusting baseboards, you can put on old socks, spray a bit of cleaning fluid on them, and then slide your feet along the baseboard (sticking your toes into corners to get the hard-to-reach dust!) Besides cleaning, this method is also good for getting some exercise!
Pleated Shades, Miniblinds, and Louvered Doors…
To eradicate dust, wipe a new paintbrush over the slats vertically, then horizontally. After you are done, clean your brush.
Skylights…
Realistically, most of the time you cannot get your vacuum to reach these areas, so you can use a mop, broom handle, or a fishing pole and cover it with an old shirt to clean them.
Air vents…
Fuzzy dust and cobwebs stick to heating and air conditioning vents. Make sure that you vacuum carefully to suck up any dust.
Dishwasher…
Yup, the inside of your dishwasher gathers dirt, dust, and gook! To remedy this you can pour a cup (more or less) of household vinegar into the bottom and run the cycle to clean.
Finally, make sure to remember this vital tip before you start!
–Work left to right—top to bottom—no backtracking!-
Most of us feel an urge to deep clean our houses when spring rolls around. In fact, the “Spring Cleaning” custom is basically engraved into the minds of many of those who own a home.
But consider this spring cleaners…why use most of your time cleaning when the weather finally turns nice? Why not clean now, when you’re stuck inside all winter anyway?
Snow and rock salt is tracked indoors by your family every day, the heater is always running, and because your windows are closed—all that dust sits inside your home!
Having a thoroughly cleaned home can do wonders for your psyche, and doing your cleaning in the winter is a good change of pace for many people—mainly if you follow a set cleaning schedule every week. There are a number of ways to keep you home cleaned, but here are two ideas/tips to help get you started on your “winter cleaning.”
Check Your Furnace, Make Sure It Is Clean!
Make sure that you change your furnace filter every month. This action aids in making your home more energy efficient, and keeps your air much cleaner. Also, don’t forget to make sure your furnace is in good condition. If it is covered in soot and dust—or if there are dust bunnies moving around below it, make sure to clean it out immediately!
Be Wary Of Dust That Occupies Your Home
Due to the warm and dry air that circulates throughout your home during the winter, your home may get very dusty. To remedy this, you should dust surfaces from top to bottom to help manage the amount of dust circulating inside your home. Also, don’t neglect dusting your ceiling fan blades and the tops of window moldings (both of which are usually disregarded and can gather dust quickly) Lastly, if you clean your home’s air ducts, you will not only decrease the amount of dust, germs, and allergens circulating throughout your home, but it may also help your furnace in operating more efficiently.
