Winter cleaning

With the dropping temperatures and rain over most of the country we are starting to see winter closing in. This means more time inside and darker days.

There are a few things you can look at now that will brighten up the house for winter and also spread some of the deep cleaning you need to do each year out a bit.

• Give all your lights a good clean - there will be a build up of dust on some of them so now is a good time to clean this up and let the light shine. If you can take shades off them soak them in warm soapy water before wiping down and drying thoroughly. If you cannot take the shades off the use a damp microfibre cloth dipped in warm soapy water to clean the fittings. Be sure to not use too much water and make sure the lights are off......you do not want to get any water around the electrical fittings. If you have intricate chandeliers or such then you may need to call in an expert - talk to the guys at the shop you purchased the light from.
• Wash all your inside windows and frames. Winter is when you can get a build up of mold and gunk. Getting rid of any build up at the beginning of winter can help keep the build up down.  A good tool for the frames is a denture brush - these are often bigger and stiffer than a toothbrush and have an angled head on the top. They are great for getting right into the corners.
• Have  alook at all the high places in the kitchen inclusing the ceiling. In winter you are more likely to be cooking with the windows shut so you are going to get more residues on the ceiling and top of cupboards etc.  This stuff needs to be cleaned of 2 or 3 times a year and winter is a great time to do one of these cleans. Keep on top of this and you will have an easier job.

Of course if you have a home cleaning service now is a good time to get them to give you a price to do all of this. They will have all the right equipment and will get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Remember also that you should be talking to your cleaner regularly - if you think they are not doing the right things tell them.  I do not come across too many cleaner who do not want to please the customer. So make sure you are talking to them regularly.  If your cleaner will not listen then you have the wrong cleaner and you should either talk to the cleaning company and ask for a replacement or seek a new cleaning company.

Your relationship with the person cleaning your home is really important. be prepared to work on this but also realise that if you cannot get this running smoothly within the first 6 - 8 cleans then you won't be able to and you should look for alternatives.