Tuesday 28 June 2016

Home Cleaning and Maintenance Tips from the Professionals


Routine Home Maintenance Checks
You should remember that there are some home maintenance tasks that may cause bigger trouble or even worse, cost you big money, if you don’t check them in a timely manner.

  • Sump Pump – If they are not routinely checked (at least every six months) for their functionality, you may face frequent flooding in your basement.
  • Water Pressure gauge - Check for high water pressure in your house water pipe lines. If it’s more, fixtures and appliances may get affected.  
  • Weep holes - Check and clean window weep holes at times. If they are clogged, rainwater will enter your house.
  • Heaters -Routinely drain sediment from your water heater, if there is a provision.
  • Garage - Lubricate the garage door-springs occasionally for smooth functioning.

Daily Home Organising Tasks
Here are 5 things you should do every day to keep your house clean, organized and germ-free.

1. Effective decluttering: Put things in order as and when you see them strewn all over the place. Keep bins, baskets and cubbies at convenient places so that everything in your house has a proper place.  

When children and others in the house come to know that everything has a place to go and you do replace them regularly, they will also have a tendency to place things back to its place.

2. Properly arranging the paperworks: Proper handling of all physical mails such as forms, letters, bills, reports etc. - if done efficiently, you won’t face the issue of getting them accumulated on the countertops, bedroom tables etc.

3. Keep countertops neat & clean: You should ensure that all the sinks and countertops are wiped down at least once daily- the ones in the kitchen may require frequent cleaning as the need arises. This will avoid any crusty gunk accumulating around the edges of the sink, behind the faucets, and in or around the drain. This gets rid of colonies of germs settling in your kitchen.

If you can manage washing the dishes daily, it’ll be a great advantage. Washed dishes, clean countertops and sinks all create a good feel of cleanliness everywhere.

4. Take out the trash: Make it a habit to take out the kitchen trash every night. This will not only keeps harmful bacteria and bad smell away, but also makes your house seem cleaner in the next day morning...

Good to try this to have a fresh smell near the trash: drop a dryer sheet into the bottom of the empty can before you put in the new bag.

5. Sweep the floors: A clean floor is what adds up to the overall cleanliness of your home.  You need not to vacuum daily, but dust out and sweep the floor whenever you can.

It’s good to add two more points to those daily things to do: Always make your bed and keep a clean kitchen sink. You may not have much time to clean but these tips give the appearance of an orderly, clean home.

Bathroom Cleaning
Use clever tricks to remove soap scum from your bath area.  It’s not that easy to get rid of soap scum if you don’t follow instructions from an expert home cleaner.  Soap scum forms a tough film on tiles in tub and showers and won’t get removed by rubbing alone. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the scum when the surface is dry. If you are okay, you may use synthetic soaps which don’t form scum.

Cleaning and Maintaining Stone Floors
Natural stone surfaces are delicate and porous too. Marble is softer than granite, and so it is very easily etched by acids and citric juices. Even water drops left after mopping can cause water stains on marble.

If a spill occurred, quickly blot the spill to minimise their absorption into the stone’s inner layers. Place doormats at all entrances to minimise dirt and other particles lingering to the stone floors. Also ensure to dry up marble floors with a towel after cleaning. If you leave the floors to air dry, there are chances that the marble may get water spots and stains.

Never use strong detergents for cleaning marble or other natural stone floors. The chemical content in the detergent could harm the stone and also dull the polished surface. Always use the gentlest methods to clean marble and other delicate stone surfaces. Consult a stone restoration specialist or a reliable home cleaning company in New Zealand for tips to maintain stone floors and counters.

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Quick Home Cleaning Checklist and DIY Cleaning Tips


While cleaning our homes, we have a tendency to leave those hard-to-reach areas, thinking we’ll look at it later. But the problem is that we normally fail to come back to clean those dusty spots! Professional home cleaners have appropriate tools and equipment for cleaning inaccessible places such as ceiling fans, walls and ceiling, place under the bed, and so on. 

Making a cleaning schedule for your home is a great idea. Manage the cleaning works efficiently one day at a time with some useful daily and weekly tips we will give you in this article. Once these tasks are executed in a timely manner, you can freely enjoy the weekends with your beloved family. 

Daily Cleaning Chores:
  • Do dishes
  • Collect all trash
  • Wipe down all hard surfaces like wood or natural stone
  • Do a quick pick up

Weekly Cleaning Tasks:

  • Sweep, mop and dust
  • Do laundry
  • Clean stoves and microwave
  • Scrub shower and tubs

If you do all those cleaning chores not in an orderly manner, it’ll consume more time and energy. Cleaning as per the given schedule is so much easier and don’t need more than half an hour daily to finish the cleaning task- the main advantage here is that the weekends are free for relaxing and family get together! 

However, setting the house cleaning schedule is entirely up to you as per your special needs. In addition to the daily and weekly schedule mentioned, there are spacialised cleaning (like oven cleaning, fridge cleaning, BBQ cleaning etc.) and seasonal cleaning to keep your home spick-and-span.   Keeping your refrigerator, dishwasher and oven pristine, hygienic and sweet smelling is the foremost thing in kitchen cleaning. 


DIY Home Cleaning & Maintenance Tips

Rather than purchasing costly bathroom cleaners, think about natural home products. Warm a cup of vinegar and mix it with a cup of dish soap. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and you can use this excellent cleaner on tiles and shower doors. Better result can be achieved if you can allow the solution to sit on the tiles overnight, and then clean the next day morning. 

Remove pet hair out of the carpets with a rubber squeegee. It’s more effective and an energy saver method as you need not to run the vacuum cleaner.  

How many times we lost our temper untangling mixed cords and cables! Just cut the coil cords and cables into shorter lengths, and place those into rolls (to keep them separated) made out of finished paper towel, aluminium foil and plastic wrap rolls.  

You can make enough magazine-holder style containers from empty cereal boxes. Use those handy containers now on the study desk of your children, or as your bill holders! 

How to save the cleaning time for your microwave? Heat a small bowl of vinegar in your microwave oven for 5 minutes. Now switch off the microwave and clean it efficiently. The steam of vinegar loosens grime and dry food particles for easy clean up. 

Here’s an easy way to remove static cling from newly washed clothes. Use a couple of dryer balls of aluminium foil to prevent static in laundry. Comparatively they’re much cheaper than dryer sheets.
Use an old toothbrush to brush out dirty spots around spa bath button displays, taps or hinges on toilets etc. 


Professional Home Cleaning

For professional cleaning, you need to choose a standard cleaning package that best suits your requirements. For this, consult with the best home cleaners in New Zealand. 

Common laundry detergents contain fillers that are left behind on your clothes. You may be facing problems with hard water causing lime and calcium deposits on kitchen and bathroom sinks and fixtures. Rust is another issue- it’ll create stains on taps, drains and tiles. To prevent these issues, always use quality cleaning products made with natural ingredients and recommended by professional home cleaning specialists. 

Regarding environment protection, Select Home Cleaning Company doesn’t pretend to be perfect, but they do their best by reviewing procedures and choosing the most appropriate products. Once you ordered a home cleaning task, they’ll come up on time with all the tools, equipment and quality cleaning products – so, it’s no botheration for you and you may even go for shopping or picnic while these security-checked professionals clean your home exceeding your expectations.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Minor Home Maintenance Tasks You Need to Do to Avoid Costly Repairs Later


If you give a little care, you can hear and see signs of potential problems your house gives out as and when some problem occurs. Attend to minor repairs then and there, and avoid the costly repairs later on. For example, serious water damage to your house can be avoided by finding out and repairing clogged gutters and drains, and water leaks anywhere in the house. Same way the life of your appliances and systems can be extended through timely maintenance.

Home Maintenance Checklist - Indoors
If you notice peeling of paints in a room wall, take it seriously. It may be caused by a steamy bathroom or a leaking gutter. If you’re not a technical kind of person, better to call a home cleaning or plumbing expert to check and rectify the problem.   

Does your house creak and groan at night? Creak and groan sounds can be heard as the whole house is cooling down and everything is quiet at night. These mild sounds caused due to temperature fluctuations and with changes in levels of humidity can be ignored. However, if a creaky floor is really disturbing, apply some talcum powder into the seams where hardwood floor boards rub together. The powder acts as lubricant and reduces the noise.

Flush out the water heater to remove all the sediment. Bleed radiators in the hot-water heating system (ensure that the water is not hot when you do it). Vacuum and clean refrigerator coils.

Check for any leaks in the kitchen and bath fixtures and cabinets. Do regrouting and recaulking shower and kitchen tiles in time to avoid water damage. The cracked grout lines on your kitchen counters also should be redone.  Change the washer of leaky water taps whenever you see it.

Outdoors Home Maintenance Tasks
Thoroughly clean the windows, balcony doors and the patio furniture, and seal them with weatherstripping.  Check the caulk on the outside window frame and replace seals and weatherstripping, if required. The patio and balcony furniture are to be stored during the harsh weather.

Check roof, chimney and around vents for leaks. Ensure that the vents are not blocked by pests.  There may be pests hiding in the chimney also, so clean it professionally. Also check for bricks and mortar falling apart inside the chimney.

Your patio can become a spreadsheet of stains and dirt! First declutter the area. Then remove weeds using a garden knife; you may also use weed killer sprays. Clean and reseal outdoor stone tiles at least once in a year, and for the timber surfaces apply sanding and recoating in every one and half years.  Use pressure washing if the patio is too dirty with stubborn stains. Remember to consult professionals because different cleaning solutions are to be used for stone and concrete patios.

Yard and garden cleanups: Prune and maintain trees and shrubs closer than 3 inches from your house. The garden tools are to be cleaned and stored during the winter period. You can prevent rusting of the tools by putting them in a bucket of sand.

Properly clean gutters and downpipes, removing leaves, twigs and dirt. Debris has to be removed before and after winter season. Leaks and backed up water from debris will cause corrosion, leading to costly repairs afterwards. Use a ladder in good condition to reach the roof and be very cautious of slippery roof while you go for cleaning or inspection.

How to Get Reliable Home Maintenance Professionals
You can take the services of local contractors to do outdoor cleaning. Select Home Cleaning Company can refer trustworthy, prescreened contractors in your area if you come within our home cleaning service areas in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton. Stay tuned to the Select Cleaning website for homeowners’ indoor and outdoor maintenance and cleaning guidelines. This will help you to keep your home in tip-top shape.

Thursday 9 June 2016

Importance of Seasonal Home Cleaning and Maintenance


With the arrival of chilly weather, there sure will be the spread of winter germs in your home. So, what should you do to escape from this menace?!

Prevention is better than cure! In addition to regular cleaning, proper home maintenance should also be ensured on a seasonal basis. You may be finding it difficult to combine household chores and home maintenance works.   

Get your home in great shape with professional home maintenance practice. This includes taking the services of experts such as home cleaners, plumbers etc.  occasionally so as to avoid something major goes wrong in your home.

Did you know that there are less chances of catching colds and flu if your home is well cleaned and kept hygienic during the winter?! 


Tips for Keeping Your Home Germs Free
Your dishwasher can be a source of fungi and black yeast. So don’t believe the myth that dishwasher need not to be cleaned because it’s a Washer!  Thoroughly clean the inside of a dishwasher by running it empty with a cup of vinegar on the top rack -  Clean it like this at least once in a month to decrease the presence of germs.  

If you use gloves for cleaning, remember that they can be very unhygienic if proper care is not given. Change the gloves frequently and ensure that they are kept clean and dry when not in use. Cleaning can be done by putting the gloves in a basin with vinegar and detergent.  This is to make sure that bacteria growth in the gloves is well under control.

If you have gas heating, and not yet serviced the gas hot water and gas heater during autumn, do it now on an urgent basis. This is to prevent gas leakages in the heater, and ensure its smooth functioning throughout the winter when you need it the most.  Take the services of a licensed plumber during summer for maintenance checks so that there will be fewer issues in winter. Release the hot water system valves to reduce pressure and inspect the sacrificial anode rod and replace it if required during summer checks. If you had done these summer checks and servicing on your hot water supply, then there won’t be any further problems in winter.

It doesn’t matter whether you use a wooden or a plastic cutting board- provided it’s cleaned regularly. Plastic boards can be washed in a dishwasher set to approx. 60°C. Bacteria growth in wooden boards is very less, so normal cleaning will suffice.

The most used and frequently touched  items in the house such as door knobs,  light switches, and electronic items like computer keyboards, mouse and TV remote, etc. are to be wiped clean twice or thrice in a month.  Some studies have proved that these items contain more harmful micro organisms than the toilet seat.

Also, don’t use the same bath towel repeatedly without properly cleaning it. Germs easily grow and multiply in a damp towel. Frequent cleaning, and drying after every use, can keep the towels dry and free from harmful bacteria. 

Go for Affordable and Quality Home Cleaners 
Select Home Cleaning Service delivers affordable, first class home cleaning in New Zealand and Australia. After our foolproof cleaning, you’ll feel great to come back from office to a perfectly clean home that smells great. Available now in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton in New Zealand, and many other regions in Australia. Call us now on 0800 000 907 to get your free quote! 

Regular professional home cleaning  in each season means you are always on track of home maintenance cycle and thus you minimise the risk of illness ad other related issues in your family. 

Do you want the freedom and profitability possible through owning your own home cleaning business?! Join SelectFrachise, part of NZ's multi-award winning Home Services System, which has around 200 Franchisees in its fold.