How to Break Bad Housekeeping Habits Efficiently

Regular maintenance will keep your home working well and looking good longer. Two golden rules for keeping your home clean are: allot a place for everything and constantly rid yourself of unwanted stuff. Once you inculcate the habit of designating a spot for everything coming into your home, you can see that the clutter will automatically disappear.

Let’s now discuss some bad housekeeping habits to avoid

• Wearing shoes inside: Shoes scuff floors, stain your lovely carpets, and deliver dust, dander and even diseases into your home. A research paper published by University of Houston states that 39% of shoes contained Clostridium difficile (C. Diff), a type of bacteria which causes a potentially life-threatening infection. A good idea is to place comfy slippers at the entry door for you and the guests to use inside your home.
• Putting cleaning tablets in the flush tanks of toilets: you may find it a handy shortcut to clean your toilet, but these tablets contain chemicals that will slowly corrode the plastic parts in the flush mechanism. Read Select Cleaning blog to get easy home tricks to keep your toilet clean and hygienic.
• Using closets to hide clutter: Clutter makes your house less organised and messy. You need to break bad habits such as letting the mails accumulate, keeping clothes you no longer require, old magazines you won't read again, and dishes you don’t need any more. Learn easy storage tricks that will make even the smallest closet in your home, a well organized and functional space.
• Neglecting small maintenance issues: A continuous musty smell in the bathroom area or basement could mean mould is growing. Hiring professional home cleaners occasionally can prevent mould growth in your house. However, if you avoid such warning symptoms in the beginning, things may complicate further, forcing you to go for major repairs.

Environment-friendly home cleaning tips for 2017

Add one tbsp of cornstarch to a litre of lukewarm water and your glass cleaner is ready. Now spray this liquid and wipe with newspaper, cloth or a squeegee to get your windows sparky clean. Remember to dampen the squeegee before cleaning and use it from the top down, wiping its edge after every stroke.

Naturally clean your window traps with vinegar. Dip a cotton bud in distilled white vinegar and run it along the filthy cobweb- and dust-ridden frames to perfectly clean the window traps.

Vinegar can also be used to deodorize your garbage bins and eliminate odours. Spray the bin inside and out with white vinegar. Scrub the bin with a toilet brush or other convenient long-handled brush before rinsing out with a hose. Allow the can to air dry and you’ll find that the terrible smell has gone.  

Do you dust the floor before vacuuming? If not, make it a habit because this way you can suck up any dirt and debris that you dislodge.

Remove rust stains from your tiled countertops or floor tiles with the help of a tomato. Acid elements contained in the tomato work with the rust stain and loosen it. Rub a cut piece of tomato onto the stain, add a little rock salt and use a toothbrush to clean the rust completely. Another method to remove rust is using bleach: smear a little bleach on the rust cylinder stain on your floor tiles, and after 15 minutes, sprinkle a little water and brush it away to get a clean surface.

Leave odour removers, such as a bowl of oats, a cup of distilled white vinegar, baking soda, charcoal briquettes, or a dish of dried coffee grounds, open in your fridge and they will suck in all the bad smells.

Call Select Cleaning verified home cleaners today on 0800 000 907. Your home cleaning tasks in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch are carried out by local, dedicated owner operators of Select Cleaning who bring all the cleaning materials, tools and equipment for the job.

Home Design Trends and the House Cleaning Industry

Our homes not only give us shelter but provide happiness and the joy of living as we look at it as sanctuaries- places where we feel safe and nurtured.

Interior experts say there will be more people renovating, decorating and beautifying their houses in the coming years, turning them into passionate and stylish homes. This makes the home cleaning task more sophisticated and burdensome for the home owners, and so there will be more work for professional cleaning services.

Modern day kitchens have evolved into social hubs and are considered as the nerve centre of the home, even more so than the living rooms.  From cooking and entertaining to planning and socialising, most of our daily activities are happening in and around the kitchen. It is thus clear that all latest design trends and new appliances are first coming into the kitchen.    

Even though the home cleaning industry as a whole suffered revenue loss during the recession period, it has bounced back since 2015 as unemployment and office vacancy rates saw steady declining trends. The cleaning service will further expand its horizon as strong economic growth (boosted by job growth) is predicted for the next 5 years, by economic analysts.

However, there is high risk in the cleaning industry as cleaning companies in general lose up to 55% of their customer base every year due to poor service. That’s why Select Clean makes it mandatory for its cleaners to be 100% quality oriented. During the training process, we advise every cleaner that the cleaning activities they do sincerely and perfectly may go unnoticed for years, but a single bad job will get reported instantly and affect their reputation.

Home cleaning tips

Cherry wood kitchen cabinets can be nicely cleaned with any standard dish soap. You should clean them once in a month or even fortnightly as the dirt accumulation is directly proportional to the number of times you cook and how often you use your kitchen.  Sometimes it’s OK to clean the cabinets once a season. The key point here is to check how grimy your wooden cabinets are getting.

If you have laminate flooring and stone flooring, remember that both need separate cleaning procedures. Avoid wet-washing the laminate ones frequently.  When they are wet-washed, use either white vinegar or ammonia only, not soap, abrasives or wax-based products.

To get rid of ink stains on cloths or rugs, try rubbing alcohol on the ink stains. For ink stains on carpets, apply a paste of cornstarch and milk to lift the stains.

Tired and bored of cleaning the household chores? Try tricking your children into home cleaning! Show them different cleaning products such as gloves, face masks etc. and some hands on activity on cleaning equipment under your supervision. If you can cleverly and properly manage it, it’ll be fun!

Stubborn stains on your carpets or rugs can be removed by brushing the spots with a toothbrush sprayed with a good quality stain-removing spray. 

If you have pets, house cleaning assumes great significance due to hygienic issues. Allergy and other problems can be caused due to the presence of fur, flakes of skin, dirt, dog drool, pet urine etc. In such a situation, it is a must that you should maintain your home germ-free and perfectly clean.  Only a reputed home cleaning service in New Zealand can ensure that you can enjoy life with pets without any health issues. Also use more pet-friendly upholstery and fewer rugs in your home interior decor.

Need some help with cleaning your home efficiently?

Call Select Clean now on 0800 000 907 for a free home cleaning quote. They provide reliable domestic house cleaning service in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch.

Looking for a House Cleaning Company in New Zealand? - Know the Importance of Checking Its Credentials

Everyone loves to keep their homes neat; however, your time or schedule may not permit you to clean the house yourself. You are busy with your work and on holidays you just want to relax. It is here that you need the services of a reliable home cleaning company for shouldering the responsibility.

How to Choose the Right House Cleaner in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga & Hamilton

With the aid of the right house cleaning company, you are able to devise the right cleaning plan and schedule with the house cleaners. If you are based in New Zealand or elsewhere, it is very important for you to conduct some research before you finally enlist a good house cleaning company to do the job for you.

References-Service Delivery Quality

Remember, when you are looking for house cleaning companies in New Zealand or Australia, you will find that not all of them provide the same service delivery quality. You should never rush with your choice. 

When you are looking for the right house cleaning service, you must check for a company that has several references. These references will tell you if the house cleaning service is satisfactory or not. When you are contacting the specific references, you should ask them for how many years they are using the company. Check if they have had complaints and whether the house cleaning company has any service quality issues or bad reviews. You should also check if these references will recommend the cleaner services to other people or not. You should also check for how long the house cleaning company has been in business and whether their professionals are police checked or not. 

You can get all the above details by visiting a home cleaning company’s website and its social media accounts such as Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn etc. If the company’s credentials are not good, you’re sure to find some bad reviews and references by social media users.

Ascertain Personal Needs & Check for Custom Work Plans

This is one of the most important aspects of house cleaning. Good cleaning companies will first meet you to discuss the house cleaning process. The custom work plan will include the details as to how you want them to clean your home and how frequently you wish them to keep your home clean. At the same time, you should also guide them on the specific areas you would want them to concentrate more.

Home Cleaning Budget-Request for a Price Quote

Last but not the least; your budget will be one of the main factors that will influence you in choosing the right home cleaning service in New Zealand. It is important for you to request a price quote from the house cleaning company before the work starts. In this manner, you will be within your budget and do not have to go overboard with expenses.

It is thus clear that if you are looking for the right house cleaners, you should invest in the best by proper selection!

Select Cleaning- Professional House Cleaners in New Zealand

If you are based in New Zealand and looking for police checked and high quality house cleaners at affordable rates, choose Select Home Cleaning professionals. Their friendly and trained house cleaners will come over to your place, inspect it and devise a custom home cleaning plan to give you a neat and hygienic home. For more details and assistance, please visit website.

Clean Dirty Basements with the Help of Select Home Cleaning Professionals

Dirty basements always are a homeowner’s nightmare. They are always the most vulnerable areas of your home for dirt or even floods because they exist underneath the surface of the ground. Even if you make an earnest attempt to clear out the dirt on your own, you will always find inches of filth still remaining in the basement. The only way out of this dirt is to invest in home cleaning professional services in Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch, Hamilton and Auckland that will come in and start taking action immediately in an efficient manner.

Cleaning dirty basements hygienically is no DIY task

When you have a dirty basement, you should never make the mistake of attempting to clean it by yourself- it is no Do-It-Yourself task! If you have a basement susceptible to floods, it is mandatory for you to keep it dry and safe. Cleaning basements require the right cleaning materials and equipment. Professional home cleaners have them ready and they use the latest techniques to suck up the dirt and leave your basement fresh and clean. The entire cleaning process is an exhaustive one and it takes certified and dedicated professionals to do the task easily for you.

Affordable basement cleaning by Select Home Cleaning

Select Home Cleaning is a premium home cleaning company in New Zealand. It specialises in all kinds of home cleaning projects in and around the nation. When it comes to basement cleaning, the Company is aware that people cannot go deep down into the cleaning process to keep the area free from dirt and germs. Moreover, after the region is flooded and flood restoration companies have done their bit, these professionals are ever-ready to step in and ensure the area is sparkling clean. 

Most homeowners do not set aside monthly funds for cleaning basements. They only call professionals when there are floods or when the area is very dirty. Homeowners must understand the need for cleaning the basement on a regular basis.  The costs are affordable and the area remains safe and clean.

The necessity for cleaning the basement regularly

Cleaning dirty basements in no easy task and you should never postpone its cleaning because it can cause diseases. The estimates for cleaning the basement depend on the nature of the task at hand. Select Home Cleaning professionals will come over to your home and inspect the area before they give you an estimate on how much the cleaning process will cost. As mentioned above, it is crucial for you to regularly clean the basement so that like all the other areas of your home, it is fresh and germ-free.

Find ideal House Cleaning Professionals dedicated to their workThe home cleaning professionals you hire for making the area sparkling clean should be sincere and passionately dedicated to the task. The Select Home Cleaning professionals in this instance are experts in scrubbing out the dirt and filth in the area with precision. They ensure the place is sanitised and smells fresh after the task is done. Select Home Cleaning professionals mainly serve the regions of Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch, Hamilton and Auckland. They wipe out minute specks of dirt to give you a decently clean basement in a professional way.  

Visit Select Home Cleaning company Website or contact them on 0800 000 907 for a free quote.

Affordable and Hygienic Home Cleaning Service in Your City

Home cleaning is not an easy affair. The premises you clean should be free from dirt and the contamination of germs. For you, life is busy and work constraints prevent you from devoting time in cleaning your precious home. Your home’s accumulated dirt and dust give rise to the birth of germs that infect your family with diseases. What you desperately need here are the services of a devoted home cleaner who will take the onus of removing every inch of dirt and dust from your house in a hygienic and safe manner.

The Importance of Hygienic Home Cleaning

It is important for you, as a house owner, to prevent the spreading of infections at home with the aid of good hygiene. Many people make the grave mistake of thinking that the chances of getting an infection at home are low.  They prolong house cleaning and believe the root of all illness and disease are brought from outside. This is wrong. Many modern medical and healthcare workers are of the opinion that home cleanliness is the most important thing you should keep in mind to prevent infections and diseases. Good hygiene means less patients and antibiotics. House cleaning is crucial and should be done regularly. Even if you do not have time to clean your home in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington or Christchurch, it is wise to call in daily or weekly home cleaners to do the work for you.

House Cleaning Services in New Zealand

If you live in New Zealand and are looking for professional home cleaning services, you will find that there are many service providers. However, just opting for the first service provider that comes your way is surely not a wise decision. Credentials, job license and safety are some basic protocols you should take into consideration when you are conducting research for home cleaning companies. The sanctity and security of your home is another factor you have to take into account when you are hiring strangers to clean the home for you. The cleaning service company must have good track records and reliable experts for you to trust. On top of this, the home cleaners you select should not cost you a fortune. Service and price comparison on the Internet will give you the names of affordable home cleaning companies in and around your home.

Choose Select Home Cleaning in New Zealand for Unique Cleaning Needs

Home cleaning is made easier if you bank on dedicated specialists like Select Home Cleaning. This affordable team of experienced home cleaners provides regular services to Hamilton, Christchurch, Wellington, Tauranga and Auckland. The professionals are trained in the latest cleaning methods. They deploy state-of-the-art tools and equipment to quickly free the area from dirt, dust and grease. Their experts are verified and they come from credible backgrounds. With them, your lovely home and its premises are safe and free from dirt.  The Select Home Cleaning experts also guide and counsel you on how to maintain the cleanliness of your home. The products they use are non-toxic and safe for pets, children and elderly people. To contact them, please visit the Select Cleaning website. 

Get Rid of Cobwebs from Your House Completely As You Prepare for Christmas

There is nothing else that makes your home look more old and creepy than cobwebs! They dangle from the ceiling and make the room look dingy.  You will often find the presence of cobwebs around window beams and corners. If you have a textured ceiling, you will find many cobwebs there too. It is hard to get rid of them most of the time. In most houses, cobwebs are found in places that are difficult to reach and clean. Any attempt to clean them can risk an accident. It is here that you need to resort to a professional home cleaner that will use the right equipment and materials to get rid of these messy eye sores.

What is a Cobweb? How's It Different from a Spider Web?

There are many people who are not aware of what a cobweb precisely means and how they are different from fresh spider webs. They mistake it to be just a spider web. This is true only to some extent. A cobweb is the remnants of a spider web that is no longer used by the spider. The cobweb stays after the spider dies or shifts to a more fly filled locale. The web attracts dust and other debris. The web disintegrates and dangles from the ceiling hanging making them look ugly and creepy. The cobwebs that are generally cleaned by professionals are not light like the fresh webs made by the spider. They are thicker and have a deep tangled look. The fresh spider webs are woven with the intention to catch flies and bugs for the spider to eat. They have elaborate patterns as they are like a home to the spider. Fresh webs are light and not sticky in comparison to old cobwebs.  If you take a look at the two, you will find a clear difference. However, as a home and business premises owner, no one would like these cobwebs to be around. This is why professional cleaners are called in to destroy them and keep your home clean.

Opt for Professional Home Cleaners to Remove Cobwebs

From the above, it is evident that as a home or business centre owner, it is not possible for you to safely and completely clean cobwebs on your own. You may be in a position to clean cobwebs on walls that are within your reach but trying to destroy them on ceilings and corners is a risky affair. You have to climb on ladders or chairs. The broom or brush has to be right for the area to be cleaned. In case, you are not an expert home cleaner, you face the risk of falling down and injuring yourself.

Call in the Experts…

Therefore, if you are looking for a clean and cobweb-free home this Christmas season, it is prudent to call in the experts for the job. There are affordable home cleaning services in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington & Christchurch area that are willing to come over and make your home free from cobwebs. For example, the Select Home Cleaning is an affordable and very professional service provider. This means you can call them regularly and get a clean home without burning a hole in your pocket! 

When guests come to visit you for Christmas parties this year, they’ll be happy to see a brighter home than last year, and so they are sure to appreciate your sense of cleanliness. Warm Christmas greetings to you!

Home Cleaning - Make It Fun, Organized, and Easy!

Cleaning your house can be overwhelming, and so many people do not even know where to start. Guests are expected to show up without informing, and you have to be ready for this surprise. Home cleaning can be very simple and easy if you observe the following tips and tricks.

Plan Your Cleaning Job

Before starting your house cleaning, always make a plan on how you wish things to progress, and stick to it. It’s advisable to write down a timetable of what must be cleaned, and moreover when. This will spread out the work evenly and make the trade easier, concentrating on one segment of the house at a time and eventually cleaning up the whole house in an efficient manner. Setting up things like this way also makes it certain that the house is regularly looked after, and the untidiness does not get out of hand. You should look at the interior of your home, spot by spot, and decide what requires to be done foremost and how frequently.

Clean Every Corner & Remove All Unwanted Things

It is essential that you clean every corner of your home and keep away all the messy and unwanted things. You can do this by removing or rearranging all the dumped up things such as clothes, unused chairs, tools, and other unwanted things. This can help you to make adequate space in that particular area and maintain a regular cleaning habit. This heap of unused items can be disposed off or donated to people who are in need. They will use all this stuff in a much better way. You can be happy that you are supporting a great cause as your old things have become helpful to others.  

Organize Everything Properly

Many times people waste a lot of time searching and running for equipment and other materials while the cleaning process is on. To avoid this unnecessary struggle, you should keep all the tools and equipment in an organized way in their proper place. It can also make it much handier for you to carry them from one place to another. Organising everything like this will help you to focus on the cleaning business without distractions.

Top Up Essential Cleaning Supplies

Make sure that you have all the supplies readily available before starting the house cleaning work. Try to get rid of things that will distract you from getting your work done in a proper manner. Better to keep you kids away and put off your mobile phone while doing the house cleaning. Turn on your music system to refresh your mind if needed. This can make it more fun and faster. Take house cleaning as a useful exercise which will help you to burn some calories!

By better organizing yourself and getting into the task effectively, you are sure to enjoy the house cleaning job just like any other daily chores. Make house cleaning a priority and you can always opt for professional home cleaning services when there is no time to spare. There is affordable home cleaning service available in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton. Selecting a home cleaning company will allow you to enjoy more time with your friends and family. 

Must-Know Cleaning Tips for Every Household

Here are some important house cleaning tips you should keep in mind before venturing out to clean it all by yourself. These must-know facts will keep you safe, and also save you time and energy while doing a home cleaning task.

Cleaning Preparation

Before starting the house cleaning task, prepare all the cleaning materials, tools and accessories (clean rags, paper towels, rubbish bag for emptying wastebaskets, etc.) together in a cleaning trolley. This way you can save time and energy running around the house for taking right tools and other items during the cleaning process. 

Cleaning an entire house

Start cleaning from the top floor and move your way down. This will avoid passing through the area you have already cleaned.

Cleaning a room

First do the cleaning works around the ceiling area, for example, clean the fans, lights, cobwebs on the wall etc. Then clean windows and wall hangings; next work on furniture and lastly the floor. This method has the advantage that any dust shaken loose from high up does not settle on something you've already cleaned below. Same way clean the windows and mirrors from top to bottom as the cleaning liquid drips down carrying dirt from top to bottom.

General House Cleaning Tips

First do the dry cleaning methods such as dusting, sweeping and vacuuming, and then proceed to wet cleaning. This makes the job easy as most of the dust particles are removed which otherwise would have stuck to the wet surface. 

It’s much easier to clean up spills and stains as and when they happen rather than delaying it for another day. The spills slowly seep into the inner layers of carpets or stone surfaces and then set down permanently making it very difficult to remove later.

Good to get organised well and do the cleaning job in a time saving and wise way. It is advisable firstly to spray cleaning chemicals on the objects and then do another easy job while the cleaner fully soaks in to the surface. This way you get the area cleaned well without the need for heavy scrubbing.

Using Cleaning Products or Chemicals

Manufacturer’s instructions or tips for cleaning are to be strictly followed for everything from toasters to silk blouses and quilts to blinds. When you purchase a new appliance, rug or other household item, keep the cleaning procedures safely and refer to it for periodical cleaning.

Some cleaning liquids when sprayed directly on a computer screen or a framed artwork can cause damage. The liquid dripping into your electronics or cleaner soaking the mount of a painting can be harmful. It would be safe to spray the cleaning liquid on a cloth and then use it to clean the electronics items or framed photographs.

The chemical ingredients of all cleaning products are by large harmful to human being - it can affect the skin, eyes, lungs etc. So, if you are not taking the services of a professional cleaner, make sure that you have all the protective items before starting a house cleaning work. Use aprons, head scarf, rubber gloves and protective safety glasses while you attempt the house cleaning. Also ensure that the room you’re cleaning is properly ventilated.

House cleaning tasks are often boring and tedious, but we shouldn’t forget the great satisfaction that one gets from living in a clean home. The cleaning tips provided above will make your work safer and simpler.

The Rise Of Household Help

Have you ever noticed that we seem to be getting more and more of our regular work around the house done by outside services? 

Did it ever occur to you that maybe this was nothing new?

It seems to me that 150 years ago it was common for people - especially the middle & upper classes - to have servants who did all the daily chores - like cleaning, cooking, washing, serving, driving, car cleaning etc. In fact I have been surprised when looking at our family who migrated to NZ, Australia & US in the mid to late 1800s at how many traveled with one or two servants.  And most of those families would not have been considered wealthy.

With the changes that went on around and after the first world war the use of servants dropped off for many and it became normal since then for most families (apart from the wealthy) to do most of those day to day chores themselves.  Maybe that was what drove the development of the automatic washing machine!

However, if you look at what has happened in most large cities over the last 30 years you will note the growth of businesses that are offering the services that were once provided by servants - home cleaning, lawn mowing, window cleaning, oven cleaning, car cleaning etc etc.

Have a look around the people you know and count how many are now using a service that would once have been provided by a servant -  I think you will be surprised by the number who are.  The shear growth in these businesses gives testament to the call for these services.

We may have all the "mod cons' but the one thing we are still short of is time. So rather than having a servant who "lives in" we have people coming in regularly to do the work.  We have a lawn mowing guy who mows the lawn every 2 - 3 weeks, we have a cleaner who cleans our house every 2 weeks, we take our cars to a car valet service every month for full detailing, we have the house washed once a year and so forth....

So maybe the day of the servant has not gone....just transformed.

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.

Autume home cleaning

As we head into Autumn now is a good time to be looking at a few extra things you can do in your home to set the house up for winter.  We have had a great summer so why not take advantage of the good weather to get some of theses extra chores done?

Here are a few extra things to might want to think about (assuming that your home is being cleaned regularly):

• Move heavy furniture and clean under and behind (don't forget the cobwebs on the back of the chest of drawers!)
• Turn all the mattresses in the house - end to end and front to back. This will help to even out wear.
• Wash all the bed coverings - duvets, blankets, pillows etc
• Get the carpet cleaned while the weather is still fine and the carpet will dry quickly. You should think about doing this twice a year - it will help to make the carpet last longer.
• Clean all light fittings - if the coverings will come off take them down and wash them in warm soapy water.
• Clean out kitchen cupboards - move everything out and wash down the shelves.  If you have some sort of shelf protector replace the worn ones.
• Move the stove and fridge out and clean behind & under them.
• Clean out the lint etc from the dryer (if you use one)
• De-clutter - get rid of the "stuff" you are not using. Either put it in storage or get rid of it altogether.  You will be amazed at how much you can get rid of and how much easier the normal cleaning of your home will be.
• Clean out the pantry - through out all old food.

Okay - too much! Sure but remember - it's all about planning. Don't try to do it all at once. Work out a plan on what you will do over the next two or three weeks then break it down into daily tasks. I would suggest no more than 1 hour at a time.  You will be surprised how much you can get through in small spurts.

Have fun....

Of course the other option is to prepare a plan with your cleaner and get them to do it....maybe a whole lot less stress this way!

Some simple cleaning ideas

We are always looking at the best ways to clean a house. Over the years we have found a few simple things make all the difference.  Whether you are doing you cleaning yourself or using a service like ours I think the following ideas may be useful:

1. Always work from top to bottom and left to right - start in the same place in each room and try to only go round once and then do everything in the middle.  A systematic approach to cleaning means you can do it quicker and still not miss anything.
2. Think carefully about using wet cloths.  If you find this easier then you must go over a cleaned area with a dry cloth to make sure no water marks are left.  Better, I think, to use a slightly damp cloth and only go over the area once....saves time!
3. Glass (showers & mirrors etc) are really hard to get right. When you have finished make sure you look at the surfaces from different angles so you can see anything you might have missed.
4. Use your eyes to work our whether a surface is dirty - only clean what is dirty. There is no point in wiping a door if there are only marks around the handle.  BUT this takes practice.  You must get this right otherwise it is just an excuse to cut corners
5. Make sure you take everything with you that you need to clean a room. Use your cleaning apron and have plenty of spare cloths as well as white pads etc.  Again, not having to return to your cleaning bucket saves you time.
6. Try to look at the job from the point of view of someone who has come in to check the job (E.G. The Customer!). What do they see when they first enter the room?  What will the lady of the house see when she is sitting on the toilet?  The "visuals" are really important.
7. When you have finished the job walk around the house in the opposite direction that you cleaned in looking for anything that does not look right. Take a cloth with you.  Clean anything that is missed. Pick up any bits of fluff etc that stand out on the floors.

Have a go and see what time you can save by following the above - you might be surprised.

Getting along with your cleaner

They come, they clean and then they go......so how should you be dealing with your cleaner? Over the years we have found that home cleaning customers sometimes struggle to get the relationship running smoothly so here are  a few ideas to think about

I guess the first thing to remember is that the cleaner is there to do a job for you so be prepared to give them feedback regularly....and then think about the following:

1. Be professional - your relationship should be similar to one you would have with an employee. Treat the cleaner with the same respect you would someone in your work place. Try not to get too chatty or personal as this can get in the way of the cleaning work. Try not to be too bossy.
2. Call them by their names - this is a normal courtesy.
3. Try not to watch every move they make - a watched kettle never boils!  You know how things always go wrong when someone is watching.  Show them around your home when they start then try to keep out of their way.  If you are at home when the cleaners come(most people like to go out), try to keep out of their way and let them get on with it.
4. Cleaning issues - if you think your cleaner is not doing the job properly or not to your liking tell them as quickly as possible - the longer you leave it the harder it becomes to resolve the issue.  If you are a SelectCleaning customer leave a friendly note in the communication book explaining how you would like things done. If you feel up to it see the cleaners before a clean and show them what you mean. This can be hard but it is worth trying - in my experience most cleaners we see now are migrants and they rely on your feedback. Equally, if they are doing a great job - let them know.  If you get to the stage where you do not think you can get them to do what you want then the advantage of using  a system like SelectCleaning is that you can always contact head office and ask for their help.
5. Serious problems - never accuse your cleaner of a serious crime unless you have solid proof. I have seen many times in various businesses where a contractor has been blamed for stealing something only to find that someone else has moved the item.
6. Recognise good service - if your cleaner is doing  a great job it is okay to give them a small gift or a bonus at Christmas. If your cleaner does something out of the ordinary thank them.

The key, I believe, to building a good working relationship with your cleaner is to be specific about what you want, be prepared to talk to the cleaner about any issues and to treat them with respect and courtesy.  Get this right and you will have every chance of having a long term cleaner dedicated to your service who understands what you want.

Good luck

Here we ago again heading into Christmas....far too early again!

I don't know about you but every year Christmas seems to come earlier & earlier.  And I never seem to be fully ready!

One of the things that often causes a lot of stress is getting the house ready for all the family that descend at this time of the year.

Many of us are now using some sort of home cleaning service - normally because no one has the time for this sort of thing any more.  If you do have  a cleaner coming in regularly then now is a great time to be making extra use of them.  Every year part of my budget is to cover the cleaner (on the ESSENTIAL side of the list!).  When I go on holiday I normally do not get Mike & Kim in but I still budget a yearly amount because I get them to do a few extra things around this time - in the weeks leading up to Christmas they will clean the oven & the fridge inside.  I also get them to sweep out the garage because that is where I try to shunt my sisters husband so no one has to speak to him.....

For Mike & Kim this is a great bit of extra income to cover the 2 weeks they do not clean for me while I am away.  For me it is a few extra things I do not have to worry about.

So, my suggestion at this time of the year is to see your cleaners as stress relievers not cleaners - get them involved in making your life a little easier.

Now, where was that bottle of wine....