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.

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....

Welcome to the Select Home Cleaning blog.

SelectCleaning provides home cleaning in NZ & Australia. All of our cleaners own their own businesses and are security cleared and trained.

They bring everything with them that they need to complete your home cleaning.

The service is based on an 80 point checklist that ensures your regular cleaning needs are met. We can also tailor a specification to suit any particular needs you might have.

From time to time we will post hints about cleaning and also suggest ways you can get the best out of your cleaners.