Franchising New Zealand 2017 Survey and Some Highlights of Select Franchise

A research team from Massey University Business School and Griffith University’s Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence conducted the ‘Franchising New Zealand 2017 Survey’ from April to May this year.

This business-related survey confirmed that New Zealand is the most franchised country per capita in the world as it had one franchised unit for every 124 people during the survey period, a report published by World Franchise Associates on 2^nd August said.

The survey revealed that there are an estimated 631 different franchise systems (business format franchisors) in New Zealand in 2017, compared with 446 in 2012. The total number of franchise units around the country stands at 37,000, an increase of 14,600 since 2012.

Sales and service sector turnover has increased substantially in the past five years with further growth forecast into 2018 and 2019. Franchising offers employment opportunities for increasing numbers of people, and full-time positions have risen.

The survey clarified that the turnover of the franchise sector has shown robust growth (about 84 percent), with an overall turnover of $27.6 billion compared to $15 billion turnover in 2012. This indicates the strong, experienced New Zealand franchise sector is riding the wave of an upbeat national economy.

And now coming to Select Home Cleaning Franchise, it has helped many people attain financial freedom through business ownership with over 190 Franchisees in its fold in the home cleaning sector. It had also once bagged the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Award for the best franchise system in the home services area.  

Select Cleaning effectively deploys their core systems and business processes that enabled their franchisees to deliver and maintain consistent quality cleaning to their customers at a cost effective price. As Select Cleaning Franchisees own their businesses, they really care about the cleaning quality they provide and are trained professionally to delight their customers.

Select Cleaning Franchisees get quality training, which covers everything one needs to know from how to mix chemicals through to how to build positive and lasting relationships with clients. The training has been provided in several different ways such as face to face training with dedicated trainers, video training, operational manuals and onsite training, and more.

Quick home maintenance tips for the week 

How to replace a sink pop-up stopper: Fixing a bathroom sink pop-up stopper is not a difficult task if you have the willingness to do it.  You only need some common tools like a slip joint pliers, an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver to replace the stopper.

First, remove all items from under the sink. Using torchlight, you can locate the horizontal pivot rod that connects to the sink drain, and see where the rod threads through the clevis (vertical plate).

Unscrew the clevis screw and the pivot nut where the rod slips into the drainpipe. Now pull out the rod enough to insert the new pop-up stopper into the drain.  Slide the clevis over the stopper rod and carefully insert the horizontal pivot rod into the drainpipe and check to ensure everything is properly aligned.

Next, tighten the pivot nut just enough so the stopper doesn't slide down, and tighten the clevis screw also on the other end. If you feel that the stopper doesn't move freely, slightly loosen the nut till it is working fine. Check for leaks under the sink before you finish the job.

For a free home cleaning quote, use our New Zealand wide phone number 0800 000 907, and a trained office staff will promptly attend to your queries. You may also contact us via email; all you need to do is fill in your name, suburb and phone numbers on our Select Cleaning website. While visiting the Select Home Cleaning website you can also read customer reviews about our dedicated home cleaning service. 

Quick, Easy and Eco-friendly House Cleaning Ideas

Several years of experience in the home cleaning sector combined with the willingness to employ new technologies only can make a cleaning service reliable and efficient. Double check the details before booking your house clean.

Today we’re providing you some home cleaning tips and tricks which will help you a lot in daily housekeeping routines.

Cleaning your floors and bathroom

Firstly, sprinkle some cleaning powder over the tile surface so that it covers all the grimy grout. Take white vinegar and water in fifty-fifty proportion in a spray bottle and spray over the tile floor. Now scrub the surface with a wet cleaning brush to form a paste on the tile and grout.

The powder, spray solution, and water will combine to loosen all dirt and grime. Wipe down the surface after 5-10 minutes to see that your dingy tile and grout have attained a new look. This method can also be used to clean counters, cabinet fronts and soap scum in the shower.

While cleaning granite, marble or other natural stone countertops, never use a cleaning solution, which contains vinegar, bleach, or acidic substances like lemon and orange. These substances will break down the countertop's sealant and make it vulnerable to stains.

Toilet cleaning

Pour two cups of coca cola into the toilet bowl and around the rim of the bowl, and leave it overnight to get the best cleaning result. The carbonic, citric, and phosphoric acids in the coke can break down the built-up stains.

Finally, you can finish up the toilet cleaning with a spray and wipe down with undiluted hydrogen peroxide.

Mould menace

Minimise mould formation in your house with the help of clove oil.  Take one litre of water in a bucket and add three drops of clove oil. Use this solution to wipe down mould affected areas and get rid of the menace as clove oil destroys mould spores.

Oven cleaning – make your own natural oven cleaner

Baking soda can be effectively used to clean your oven in a safe, natural way. Spray the whole oven down with a water bottle so that it is damp, and pour on a thick layer of baking soda, especially on the bottom, until there is about a quarter inch layer of baking soda paste on the bottom.

Make sure that the oven is off during this cleaning process. Let the baking soda paste remain like that for a few hours to loosen the grime in the oven. You can engage yourself in other works during that time. Now when you come back, wipe up the paste with a cloth and all the grime comes with it. Sometimes you may need to repeat the entire process for a really dirty oven with stubborn grime. Ensure that no traces of baking soda are left inside the oven once your cleaning is over.

Handy home tips

• The tops and creases of Roman blinds can be effectively cleaned using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
• Remove dead skin cells from mattress by vacuuming it, giving special attention to piping and crevices. This will prevent dust mite infestation.
• Does the smell of garlic stick around on your hands? Remove the smell completely by first rubbing your hands against a stainless steel sink and then washing with soap.
• Apply a dab of nail varnish on the top thread or onto the stem of the thread of a button on your dress and leave to dry. This way you can prevent the buttons from becoming loose or undone.

Select your home cleaner wisely 

Select Cleaning (serving New Zealand & Australia) also do spring cleaning and moving cleans, but don’t do steam cleaning, carpet cleaning, ceiling cleaning, and window cleaning. They can arrange to have these special tasks done for you by quality cleaners who are known to them.

Select home cleaners in New Zealand use their own product and equipment to ensure that you’re least disturbed during the cleaning process. Also, your house will be looking and smelling far better with Select Cleaning compared to the result achieved by DIY cleaning.

Call the most reliable Select Cleaning service on 0800 000 907 to get affordable quality cleaning New Zealand- now available in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton.

Concern on Cleaning Industry Standard and Some Quick Home Cleaning Tips

Recent figures released by NZQA show that cleaners in New Zealand have been getting inadequate training for a long time. Out of the estimated 30,000 people employed in the cleaning sector across New Zealand, a very low percentage of cleaners had received an NZQA qualification suitable for undertaking a commercial cleaning job, including following basic levels of infection control precautions, the NZQA release said.

Actually there needs to be a National Standard for the home cleaning sector and the $1 billion commercial cleaning industry.Poor standards of cleaning affect New Zealand businesses as well as individual residences. People are falling sick because of unhygienic cleaning procedures.

We can assure you that SelectCleaning invests time and money to ensure their home cleaners have clear-cut knowledge about various surfaces such as wooden, stone, ceramic etc. They have been appropriately trained in the “SelectCleaning way” to ensure consistent high-quality cleaning. Naturally, they know the best cleaning method to be adopted professionally for all areas in your home and they do it in the most hygienic and efficient manner conforming to all quality standards.

The Select Cleaning home cleaners are chosen after conducting proper selection processes and security checks to ensure that they are honest and capable of undertaking your cleaning in a professional manner. Additionally, they are not just normal cleaners, but they are SelectCleaning Franchisee owners who really care about the quality they provide.

How to clean your house pretty fast

Allot a small amount of time each day to keep your home looking and smelling fresh. Knowing some quick cleaning tips will go a long way in accomplishing this and it will also save you hours of cleaning on the weekends or when a guest arrives with short notice.

Here are some easy cleaning tips, which will soon become a habit, if you practise them regularly:

First of all switch on some music when you do the cleaning. It’ll give inspiration and energy to do the task without boring you.  

Bedroom - ensure to make your bed each morning, and tidy up clothes and other items on the floorrather than creating piles of clutter accumulating each day.  It may take only a few minutes to do them, but will make a world of difference in your daily life.

Toilet & Bathroom – clean the toilet every few days so it won’t accumulate much dirt. Apply disposable wipes on the surfaces, including the toilet seat and handle, and use an effectivebowl cleaner.

It’s ideal to clean the bathroom everyday as you use it. For example, do a quick wipe on the bench and sink after brushing the teeth. Don’t forget to quickly sweep the floor after washing your hair.

Kitchen – never allow your kitchen to become a storehouse of dirty dishes. Here also follow the clean after use procedure. Wash or stack dirty dishes in the dishwasher immediately after everybody finishes eating. Also give a quick wipe on benchtops and tabletops after each meal. Similarly, remember to clean the stove top and sink regularly after cooking.

Weekly and fortnightly cleaning schedule - Vacuuming, dusting, and mopping the floor can be done on a weekly basis without fail. If you do it sincerely every week, it won’t take more than 30 minutes to complete the whole thing.

And strictly follow these fortnightly cleaning tasks too: wipe down the windows and mirrors. Wash commonly used surfaces such as door handles, remotes and the bin. Allot sufficient time for cleaning your refrigerator properly to wipe out all germs.

Call a SelectCleaning Franchisee owner today on 0800 000 907. Currently they service Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch.

Useful Housekeeping Tips for Busy Moms and Dads

Keep your bathroom & toilet germ free

Following some clever and easy cleaning techniques can restrict the spread of germs and avoid mould and mildew growing in the bathroom area.

Always close the toilet lid before flushing in order to prevent germs spreading onto other surfaces. It’s highly likely that your toothbrush and other personal items may get contaminated when germs are likely to splash onto them if toilet is flushed with open lid.    

While cleaning the toilet, also give particular attention to the toilet handle, toilet seat, taps, and door handles, which have large colonies of harmful bacteria and can easily spread the germs as these surfaces are frequently touched. If you have kept your showerheads out of use for some time and want to use it now, remember there can be large accumulation of germs there. Flush all the germs out by running the shower on full power with hot water.

Prevention of the growth of mould and mildew: bathroom surfaces are to be kept dry and the room well-ventilated. Any water leaks are to be immediately attended to.

Not carpets, but hard flooring like wood or stone is advised for bathrooms because of easiness to clean. Carpets also have a tendency to collect debris and encourage mould growth when wet.

Use of eucalyptus oil in home cleaning

Eucalyptus oil is an ideal natural freshener and also a cleaning agent (due to disinfectant and antiseptic properties) for your kitchen, bathroom and toilet. It can also be used for cleaning hard surface floors. The Eucalyptus oil helps to easily remove grease and stains from bathroom and toilet. As such it’s environment friendly too.

The oil can also be effectively used for mildewed wardrobes, stinking shoes, and smoky rooms (for clearing stale smoke fumes).

How to manage home cleaning with kids

It’s advisable to give a weekly cleaning chart to kids and thus their cleaning chores can be scheduled. It will make them more responsible kids and help to develop self confidence and habit of cleanliness in their young minds. For this you’ll have to decide which jobs children can do, and allot one or two jobs to each kid. Before proceeding you need to teach them how to do it for the first time.

Always praise the kids for their little contribution in helping you to clean the home. This will encourage them and slowly they’ll start doing the chores perfectly.

Necessity of hiring a home cleaning service

Everyone knows it’s very difficult to find some free time in today’s busy world. The time constraint of everyday life mostly affects home cleaning and maintenance. Hiring a house cleaning service is the best option to maintain cleanliness and home organisation.

A professional home cleaner is trained to do his/her job and uses the best equipment and products so the quality of work will always be better than what a homeowner does. Once you pick up a habit of hiring a home cleaner, there is no need to worry about hygiene and health issues. However if you don’t call cleaners, there are chances that your bathrooms may be left dirty and microwave soiled and germ affected for several days. 

Hiring a home cleaner means you’ll have sufficient free time to look after your kids and enjoy the life, unwinding the pressures of office job.

The first thing you want to do after coming home may be to kick back and relax, but the reality is that you’ll have to address a messy house. Attending to dirty dishes in the sink and smelly laundry everywhere will drain all your energy.

Get the peace of mind and relaxation you truly deserve in life by appointing a home cleaner in New Zealand to do general or schedule cleaning and other specialised tasks such as bathroom cleaning, oven cleaning, refrigerator cleaning etc.

Expert Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Home in a Spick and Span Condition

With an aging society, and majority of younger generations unwilling to do DIY jobs, we have more consumers calling the professionals to do home cleaning and maintenance jobs for them.

This trend, known as Do-It-For-Me (DIFM) as against DIY, is now gaining momentum in the modern day society.

While you’re going to enjoy the autumn season, here are some tips to remember before winter sets in after three months:

Gutter cleaning:

Leaves and dirt might have got stuck in your gutters during the summer season. This will cause the blocked water to back up against the house, inflicting damage to the roof and weather protection materials. Gutters and drains, if not allowing the water to flow smoothly, can affect the functioning of the drainage system, which will lead to leaks in your home.

Avoid air leakage through windows & doors:

During winter period, it’s good to keep the entire volume of inside warm air in the house. Inspect the windows and doors to ensure that they don't have any cracks. In case of air leaks, take help from professional service providers who’ll use caulk to seal any cracks between each door frame and weather-stripping to efficiently seal the air leakage.  

Reverse the rotation of your ceiling fan:

During the winter period, you could increase the performance efficiency of the ceiling fans and save on energy bills by reversing the direction of rotation. When the fan’s rotation is reversed, it will send all the warm air near the ceiling to your living space as the warmer air naturally stays near the ceiling. This will help to ease reliance on running other home heating appliances (you can turn the thermostat down a couple degrees!).

Simple points to keep in mind while dusting, and vacuuming:

When you dust your home, it’s good to start the task from one corner of the room, working top-to-bottom and back-to-front. This is to allow the dust to fall onto the floor. Similarly, while vacuuming, you can begin the task from a back corner and continue vacuuming your way out the door, using long firm strokes. And when you vacuum the carpet, remember to run the machine over each strip of the carpet only once and not twice, to save time.

Before you hire a home cleaner in New Zealand, have a thorough internet search: 

• Check their credentials (work ethics, reliability and quality of work) by contacting their references, if possible. If you couldn’t get in touch with references, gather information by checking customer reviews about the company in Google or other independent social media sites other than their own website. 
• Ask if the home cleaning company has experience in doing the particular cleaning task you require; if your work is being subcontracted, know in advance who can be contacted in case of any difficulties. 
• You also need to look at the price the home cleaning companies are asking for. Never go for cheap contractors who may compromise the quality of work. 
• Check if the house cleaners are insured, and police verified. Also peruse their guarantee terms and conditions.

If you’re going to call Select Clean home cleaners who service Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch in New Zealand, you are at zero risk regarding security, reliability, dedication and quality of work. Check it out on their Website or get your free quote now by calling them on 0800 000 907.

New Zealand Home Cleaning Statistics and Christmas Cleaning Checklist

  

A recent survey by Gleedon, a French website for married and unfaithful people, shows that women are more likely to cheat on men who don’t contribute to housework department from cleaning the toilet to emptying the washing machine. Some 73 % of women subscribers to Gleedon expect their men to help them doing dishes and the vacuum cleaning. They have interviewed over 10,000 women participants to reach this conclusion.

The Gleedon which has its presence in several countries further said that recent data from the UK showed white British males do 31% (and 40% by black British men) house cleaning works such as cooking, cleaning washing, and ironing. This amounts to six hours compared to 14 hours spend on home cleaning chores by women.

Earlier surveys conducted in New Zealand by consumer research company Canstar Blue  said 58% of women do all of the vacuuming in their household, compared to 41% of men. However, men are more likely to do the vacuuming when guests are coming over. In total, about 15% of New Zealanders feel bitter that their partners don’t do their share of household chores. The survey affirmed the Kiwis’ general inclination towards DIY house cleaning practice and their reluctance to hire a cleaning service.

But, the survey also clarified that the home cleaning market continued to grow through the recession and is now gaining much popularity. As our lifestyles are becoming busier & busier, more people find it hard to get sufficient time for household cleaning and related activities.

Get Organised for Christmas

Prepare a pre-Christmas, during Christmas and a post-Christmas cleaning checklist, and follow it while you do your daily cleaning works. A thorough clean before Christmas, possibly by a home cleaning service in New Zealand, is an ideal option to maintain the high degree of cleaning you require throughout the Christmas time.  This is a must as you’ll face time constraints for managing the cleaning up when you need to attend to guests and parties for the festival season.

Adhering to some basic cleaning practice will ensure that you can handle the extra dirt and germs associated with the presence of lots of children playing around. Try to clean up as soon as you notice dirty footprints, and small spills on floors, countertops etc. Also attend to sticky fingerprints on glassware in a timely manner.  

Get your oven neat and germ free for preparing your Christmas roasts, and add a magic touch of sparkling clean to your microwave too with the tips given in our previous articles on Select Home Cleaning blog articles.

The Select Cleaning Advantage

Now you can stop stressing over the housework and leave it to NZ's multi award winning Home Services System for ensuring hassle-free smart cleaning. They have a strong focus on exceeding customer expectations and can deliver a consistent high-quality clean at a cost effective price. This is achieved by providing you SelectCleaning franchisee owner-operators, not just a normal cleaner. 

Select Cleaning Company appoints its cleaners after an intensive selection process and security check, so you need not to worry about privacy, safety and security. 

Get your free quote now by calling SelectClean office on 0800 000 907. Check out deals and discounts for Christmas cleaning packages.

Cleaning and Organising Your Home with a Professional Touch

It’s a fact that the demand for domestic cleaning services is increasing every year as people look to outsource their home cleaning. Long working hours affect a significant number of New Zealand families, and one thing working parents find it extremely difficult is to manage their home cleaning task. The home cleaning companies in New Zealand nowadays possess costly modern equipment and their cleaning technicians have necessary skills and qualifications. So, getting a reliable, professional home cleaner is quite easy now.

Seven Cleaning Tips to Make You Smarter

1. Worried about mould problems? Clove oil destroys persistent mould spores. Add four drops of clove oil into one litre of water and rinse well. Use this solution to clean the affected areas and you’ll see that moulds won’t reappear.

2. Homemade cleaner for your glass windows: Take one litre of warm water in a bucket or a glass jar, and mix it with a tablespoon of cornstarch. Your glass cleaner is ready. Use it to clean the window with the help of a squeegee or rag. After the clean, dry the window glass with a soft cloth to see it sparkling.

3. How to keep ice and frost away from your car windows during winter? Believe us, many people don’t know this; perhaps you’re the first one in your locale!  Fill a spray bottle with vinegar (3 parts) and water (one part) and spray on to the car window when you need to park it outside overnight. 

4. Did you know that the water you remove from an aquarium while cleaning, can be used for watering the plants? It has nutrients to fertilise your vegetable garden. 

5. Body or hair oil stains on collars and cuffs of coloured shirts and blouses can be easily removed by rubbing hair shampoo on the stained spot. As the stain loosens, rinse it with water and then wash the clothes to see that the sticking disclouration has gone.

6. Many people get stung by spiders, and even snake bites occur from the shoes kept outside. Keep these creatures out from your gardening shoes or work boots by placing old stockings that closely fit over the top of them.

7. Everybody use candles at home. If it’s a costly one, you can prolong its life by placing it in the freezer for a day and night before lighting. Use a plastic bag to cover the candles before placing them in the freezer.  

How to Get Affordable, Quality Home Cleaning

Are you searching for an affordable and expert home cleaner? SelectCleaning now takes bookings for house cleaning in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton. You pay for your cleaning service only after the job has been completed to your full satisfaction. We can assure you that there are absolutely no hidden charges as you might have faced with other home cleaners in your locality! Simply tell us where and when you need the service, and we’ll send a home cleaner right over. Get absolutely spotless clean!

We do full home cleaning services - regular cleaning of your home, including bathrooms, kitchens, vacuuming & dusting. The kitchen and bathroom, two areas that need more attention, will be cleaned thoroughly beyond your expectations. Your house will have a fresh look and wonderful smell. We also do spring cleans, move in/out cleans, and special occasion cleans. For other cleaning services such as window cleaning, ceiling cleaning, exterior house washing, water blasting driveways & paths, we can arrange to have them done for you with known and trusted home cleaners.

Booking a home clean has never been easier- just dial 0800 000 907 or email us your cleaning requirement using the form given on the Select Home Cleaning website.

Cleaning and General Maintenance Tips to Get the Entire House Neat & Organised

As a respectable homeowner, you’ll have to keep in touch with a reputed house cleaning company for professional home cleaning tasks such as removing stubborn stains on countertops/floors, effectively cleaning bathrooms and kitchen, and more. However, it’s also a must to have some cleaning tips at your fingertips for a clean, tidy, and good smelling home.

Easy Home Cleaning Tips

Kitchen Area

Save your kitchen marble countertop from staining by burnishing it with a quality car polish. The thin layer of the polish will prevent accidental spills from staining the costly stone surface. 

To effortlessly clean burnt saucepans, first soak it in hot water to loosen and lift off any burnt on food particles sticking to the surface. While pouring hot water add two teaspoons of dishwashing detergent and let it soak overnight. Next day it’ll be easy to remove the burnt marks using a quality cleaning product as recommended by professional home cleaners. Afterwards if there are stubborn stains of grease left with, then apply a paste of baking soda and water and keep it for an hour. Finally scrub off the baking soda paste with soft sponge or cloth. It’s not advisable to forcibly scrub a stainless steel pan with steel wool trying to remove the burnt marks.

When cleaning out your fireplace, sprinkle damp coffee grounds over the ashes to prevent them from spreading in the area. If coffee grounds are not available, spray some water to prevent ash from flying everywhere.

Simple way to rid your house of bad smells: When you feel nasty odours in the kitchen, burn some coffee beans and its smell will sweep over the other bad odours. 

Bathroom Cleaning Tips

Occasionally rub the bathroom mirror with a bar soap and then clean it with a cloth to keep mirrors from fogging up with steam. 

Save some bucks: Collecting bits of soap left over in the bathrooms is a boring task – Now you can make it a nice job by using those bits to prepare your homemade liquid soap! Mix the soap bits with glycerine and some warm water, and pour it into an empty liquid soap bottle; that’s it! 

Maintenance Tips Related to Clothes and Carpets

Blood stains from clothes can be removed by adding a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and brushing it. Wash the area with soapy water to see the blood stains gone. 

Suppose a few drops of oil accidentally fell on your silk clothing, don’t get upset. Sprinkle cornflour into the affected area and gently brush off. Put more cornflour to fully cover the oil stained area and keep it for two hours. Now shake off the cornflour and clean the clothing to see that oil marks are disappeared.  

Sometimes we see the bottom of the iron accumulates dirt from burned fabric. You can remove it neatly by sprinkling salt on the ironing board and ironing back and forth. 

When you notice your wool carpet has furniture indentations, place a clean cotton cloth over the area and press with a warm iron. This will lift the wool fibres.  Never attempt this on synthetic carpets as it could spoil fibres. 

General House Cleaning Tips

Spray a mixture of vinegar and water (3:1 ratio) on your car windows to prevent ice and frost formation when left outside overnight in winter.

Gummy residue left by shop stickers can be easily removed by applying eucalyptus oil.

It’s not a rare sight that a glass vase falls to the ground, breaking into pieces... After removing the pieces that can be easily picked, rest of the minute glass dust can be removed by pressing a piece of bread onto the floor.

Next time when you think of throwing the water from your aquarium to replenish it, try using it for watering your garden plants. It’s a good fertiliser with full of nutrients.

Know Your Cleaning Company

These cleaning tips are shared by our professional home cleaners at Select Home Cleaning Company who have a wealth of experience in keeping your home clean and organised. We provide full housekeeping services or a customised particular cleaning service to suit your requirement. Generally we provide: Weekly/Fortnightly Cleaning | Spring Cleaning | Move-out/Move-in Cleaning.

Available now in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton, you can contact us on Phone 0800 000 907 for a free home cleaning quote.   

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.