Professional Home Cleaning Reduces the Health Risk of Mould

A briefing paper for the Canterbury District Health Board, said: “The housing environment (in New Zealand) is a key setting with impacts on human health. Housing factors which contribute significantly to health outcomes include temperature, humidity and ventilation, overcrowding, affordability and fuel poverty.” 

The paper further said that direct effects of cold homes on health included excess mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disease amongst the elderly, increased respiratory problems in children, increased illnesses such as colds and flu, mental health problems and the exacerbation of conditions such as arthritis. 

Humidity level in your house is thus a decisive factor on human health. High humidity reduces indoor temperatures during winter, paving way for cold home conditions which adversely affect your health. The saturation of moisture content causes dampness, which leads to the over growth of mould and dust mites in your homes.

How to get rid of mould

Mould will grow in often neglected places such as wardrobes, under carpets, behind curtains and furniture in humid conditions. A quality home cleaning service will check these problematic areas and remove all traces of mould and mildew during the cleaning process. However, when you clean your home yourself, it is highly likely that you may overlook such matters.

Here’s a DIY method to kill visible mould: Apply methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) to the affected area, and let it remain there for half an hour. Repeat this process once more and see that signs of the mould have disappeared.  Finally, wipe the area with a clean cloth to completely remove mould spores. Throw away the cloth after use to prevent any leftover mould spores growing back.

Lemons and green home cleaning

Lemons can be used as a good natural cleaning substance, which will also leave your house smelling fresh. The citric acid in lemon makes it a strong disinfectant. It has also low pH and antibacterial properties. Harsh and toxic chemicals in many cleaning products will have negative effects on your health, so it’s good to resort to natural cleaners.

Stove cleaning: Stove gets dirty if you don’t clean it regularly. Take a lemon piece and rub it over the stove surface; then sprinkle some baking soda and using a soft sponge, begin to scrub. When hard stains are loosened, wipe the surface with a cotton cloth to get perfect clean.

Microwave cleaning: Take half cup of water into a microwave-safe bowl. Mix it with the juice of half of a lemon.  Place the bowl in the microwave and heat it for 3 minutes or until it boils. Now, let the boiled lemon water stay in the microwave for five to 10 minutes to kill all the bacteria and remove bad smell. The vapours will help to loosen up stubborn stains and any food particles stuck in the oven. Now open the microwave door and clean it with a damp cloth.

Residential cleaning

Till recently, the demand for house and apartment-cleaning services was most popular with people of higher than average wealth looking for a little more free time – especially in two-income households. Market research conducted a few years before said that married couples with college degrees, 45 years old or older, always depend on reputed home cleaning service in New Zealand.

However, the latest trend shows that people of all walks of life are inclined to avoid the cleaning chores in their daily routine because everybody can now afford reliable house cleaning services in New Zealand.

Select Home Cleaning provides professional home cleaning service in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch - dependable and affordable award winning home cleaning by fully trained owner operators. Call a home cleaner now on 0800 000 907 for a cleaning job or for a free quote on house cleaning.

Nine House Cleaning and Maintenance Tips That’ll Make You a Smart Homemaker

Too many tasks related to household chores and not enough time? Don’t worry, you’re not alone- this is the problem faced by most of the working parents.  Whether you do it alone or divide them up among family members, home cleaning & maintenance activity is a must-do daily/weekly routine you can’t afford to postpone. Of course, there is an easy solution: you can rely upon an affordable and trustworthy home cleaning service, thereby saving valuable time and getting peace of mind.

You may have a list of favourite home cleaning and maintenance tips you put into practice. Add the following into that list – it’ll make you a great homemaker.    

Trouble removing food particles left on stainless steel pan?

Pour a few drops of vinegar on to the pan and then sprinkle a little baking soda, and watch it bubbles for a minute. Now add some hot water as required and use a scrubber to completely clean the leftover food particles with much ease.

Getting rid of pantry moths

Add whole dried bay leaves to the corners of your pantry or cupboard or add them directly to your canister of flour, rice, or other dry food to Repel Bugs in Pantry such as beetles, weevils, flies, moths, cockroaches, and ants.

Keep your benchtop spotless

Place aluminium foil (or baking paper) on your benchtop when you peel vegetables or cut the raw fish. This will safeguard the benchtop from possible stains.  Once the peeling task is over you can put the aluminium foil or the paper into the garbage. You can save time cleaning the becnhtop after use. 

Avoid bad smells while cooking 

Are you getting trouble with bad cooking smells while preparing cauliflower or cabbage?

Putting out a saucer of cotton wool soaked up in vinegar will absorb the bad odour in the kitchen. 

Keep coffee accessories next to the machine 

How do you make coffee in the morning?

After getting up in the morning, walking to the pantry to get the coffee, then taking out the grinder from a lower cabinet to grind the beans, then walking across the kitchen to add the ingredients in the coffeemaker? Don’t you think this disturbs you in the morning and is also more time consuming?

What you can do is to keep your coffee beans, the grinder, sugar, spoon and mugs in one cabinet right above the coffeemaker, or somewhere close to it.  Try it and you will feel the advantage! This can be applied to your breakfast paraphernalia and other drinks makers too.

Keeping your microwave clean and sparkling

Steam can do wonders to loosen the oil, starch and other food debris stuck on the internal walls of your microwave. Make a ball out of a damp cloth and put it in the microwave, then heat it till it emits steam. Once the steam has fully spread inside the microwave, wait for one minute and open the door. Now wipe all the stubborn stains and food particles easily.

Fridge maintenance tip

Check your fridge daily or at least on a weekly basis to ensure that it is clean. Keep food away from the back wall of the fridge. This is to avoid food particles getting absorbed by the ice dews at the back of the fridge. This contaminated ice forms mouldy water when melts and becomes unclean and smelly.

How to make your sink smell better

Clean the sink with a mixture of ice and lemons or vinegar and baking soda to avoid stinking of the sink. While cleaning the sink, ensure to scrub the underside of the rubber gasket thoroughly with a scrub brush to remove mouldy, smelly food particles left over there.

Cleaning tips for silverware

Take a large container, line it with aluminium foil and put some cooking salt inside. Fill the container with water and dip all your silverware in the water. The aluminium foil and salt will react chemically to remove all persistent dirt on the silverware giving it extra shine and sheen.

Remember, there are some people who know all these tips and more: your trusted home cleaning service in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Christchurch and Wellington.

Tips & Solutions for Common House Cleaning Mistakes

Maintaining your house in perfect shape is a mammoth task, and we all make certain mistakes because of ignorance or lack of knowledge in house cleaning practice.

Let’s look into common house cleaning mistakes and their solutions.

Dish-washing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Dishwasher loading-mistakes can damage the appliance. If you overload the dishwasher or arrange the items improperly, every dish won’t get sprayed enough and cleaned well. Place the cups, glasses and bowls upside down in the top rack that’ll allow the sprayer arms to spray water inside for better cleaning.

There is a trick to know if the dishes have been cleaned. Put the dishwasher soap in the reservoir and close it when you start loading dirty dishes. Then you can assume that if the soap holder is closed, they are dirty; if it's open, they've been washed and are clean.

Add two cups each of borax and washing soda in a plastic bottle and shake well.  Your dishwasher soap is ready- drop 2 tablespoons to the dishwasher soap compartment and see the magic. 

Now, how to replace dish-washing powder or tablets with natural, homemade product? We need only white vinegar (quarter cup), cornstarch (one tablespoon) and warm water (two cups). Collect these ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well till the cornstarch is dissolved fully to form a thin liquid that can be sprayed onto plates or glass surfaces for perfect cleaning.

Sometimes all of us make the mistake of using too much laundry detergent or fabric softeners- they’ll do more harm than good. Check and stick to the specified quantity. If your plates have spots even after using the dishwasher, try adding one and a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse compartment of the automatic dishwasher before the wash cycle. This is the best natural rinsing agent you can get and forget about spotty dishes.

General Home Cleaning Guidelines

Dust the windows with a microfiber cloth before washing them; otherwise the dust on the sills along with the cleaning liquid will be dripping into the window frame.

Always use a microfiber cloth instead of a feather duster to clean dusty areas in your home. The feather duster will spread the dust from one place to another while the cloth will absorb the dust. 

Your remotes, mobile and computer keypads, etc. contain germ colonies. Forgetting to clean them regularly will spread the germs around family members. Apply a weekly disinfectant wipe to keep germs at bay.   Same is applicable to common touch points such as taps, handles, and door knobs.

Another mistake is ignoring to clean the vacuum cleaners, and the sponges you use in the kitchen. They are the germiest places because they daily handle loads of dust mites, germs etc.  Clean the vacuum as per the company instructions. The sponge can be cleaned by heating it in the microwave for one minute. First wet the sponge before putting it in a dish you use in the microwave. 

Quick Cleaning Tips

Ink stain: Pour cold water on the ink stain on your white cloth. Mix lemon juice and a little cream of tartar and apply the paste on the fabric one hour before washing.

Grease stain on polyester: Make a paste of cornstarch and water, and apply it on the fabric affected by oil or grease stain. Allow the paste to dry before brushing away the powder and grease.

Mould problems: Add a cup of borax to the soapy water you use to wash down the walls or other areas affected by mould. You can also use a mixture of borax (half cup), vinegar (half cup) and water (one cup) in a spray bottle to clean mould affected spots- spray the liquid and use a damp sponge to clean.

If you have doubts regarding any home cleaning task, ask the Select Cleaning specialists next time when they visit your home. 

Use Natural Cleaning Products When You Do DIY Home Cleaning

Important Household Items You Should Not Clean with Vinegar

When it comes to home cleaning our precious goods and belongings, we do not like harsh chemical cleaning products. They do more harm than good. Opting for natural ingredients are not only a smart choice but economical as well. 

When it comes to home cleaning, we have vinegar stored in our kitty. It is cheap and good at cleaning stubborn stains. However, most of us are not aware of the fact that vinegar is intensely acidic in nature. Using it at home everywhere is not a wise idea. 

Given below are some of the places where you should NOT use vinegar for your home cleaning needs:

• Marble and Granite Tops- The acid in vinegar etches natural stone. If you need to get rid of a stain or mark, use a gentle liquid dish detergent with lukewarm water.
• Floor tiles made of stone- Like marble and granite countertops, using vinegar on stone tiles is not a good idea. Its acidic content will mar the appearance of your stone tiles. When you are looking for home cleaners for floors made of stone tiles, avoid vinegar, lemon and ammonia at all costs. Check the cleaning agents you buy and ensure you invest in special soaps or dish detergents formulated for cleaning stone tiles on the floor all the time.
• Egg stains or spills- When you drop or spill egg on the floor, never clean the area with vinegar. The acidic content in vinegar will coagulate the egg making it hard to remove.
• Irons- Never use vinegar to clean your iron. It will damage its internal parts. Do not pour vinegar to clean or make your iron fresh. In order to keep your irons from clogging, you should completely empty them and follow all the cleaning instructions specified by its manufacturer.
• Floors made of hardwood- There is a huge debate on whether to use vinegar on hardwood floors or not. Some users claim that it works wonders on removing stains while some say it damages the finish. We advise you to only opt for hardwood floor cleaners available in the market. They are safe. If you still wish to take a risk with vinegar, try diluting it with water and test a spot before covering the whole room.
• Stubborn marks and stains- There are some stubborn marks and stains caused by ice-cream, grass, blood etc that never can be removed with vinegar. They do not respond well to the acid in the liquid. It is prudent for you to opt for special stain or mark removers intended for ice-cream, blood, grass etc when you need to tackle with them.

Some Other Handy Cleaning Tips

Red wine stains: Wonder how to remove red wine stains on your costly carpets? You can use salt effectively to clean all traces of red wine from the carpet. Sprinkle some salt over the wine spill and wait for a few minutes. The salt will absorb the wine easily; then dust off the salt with a brush or cotton cloth.

Pet hair: While you can't prevent the hair from sticking to surfaces, you can minimise the amount. Brush your pets regularly with a good grooming tool and catch shedding hair. You can also use rubber gloves to remove pet hair. Wear wet gloves and run your hands over the surface of the furniture and also on the floors to easily pick up the fallen pet hairs.

Call Professional Home Cleaners for Better Result

For very stubborn marks, stains and dirt, we are here to help you get great results. We are a professional cleaning company having services at Hamilton, Wellington Tauranga, Auckland and Christchurch. 

Bank on us for getting a clean and fresh home at affordable rates. Our cleaners are trained experts and have the experience to tackle any small or big home cleaning task with dedication. So, if you are looking for daily, weekly or monthly home cleaners, feel free to email us or call us now on 0800 000 907.

Home Cleaning: Tips, Precautions and Facts

After calling a home cleaning service in New Zealand, there are some necessary things you should do to make things favourable for you. On the day when the home cleaner is scheduled to come, clear away all clutter in your home, so that the cleaner will concentrate more on the actual cleaning job. It’s also good to give clear instructions to the cleaner if you want particular attention to be given to special areas of your choice.

Make some internet searching before hiring a home cleaning service to know if they are licensed and insured and whether there are any adverse online reviews about their house cleaning practice. If they have given contact references, you may also call them practically to know the authenticity of a cleaning service. Also ask them if their cleaning personnel are subjected to background checks and police verification.

Get Motivated to Clean Regularly with These Home Cleaning Tips

Declutter

First of all decluttering! Take three laundry baskets and walk across the master bedroom putting foreign objects (which don’t belong in the bedroom) into one of the baskets, donation items in the second basket and all garbage in the third.  All dirty laundry should go to the washing machine straightway. 

Now you’re ready for actual cleaning!

Dusting Made Simple

Easy and fast way to dusting is making sure that you start the task from the top to bottom and work your way from one side of the room to the other – never make the mistake of doing it haphazardly that’ll cause the dust falling on areas that you have already cleaned, and thus prolonging your cleaning time. 

Use a damp microfiber cloth for dusting the furniture, lamps, vents, above the door frames, light plates, etc. so that the dust won’t spread in the air. This is also applicable whenever you are cleaning a particularly dusty area- it’s recommended to mist the area with water before you start dusting out.

Master Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

Master bedroom often gets neglected as we tend to concentrate more on places more likely to be seen by a guest! What everybody actually needs is reality-based home cleaning and organizing methods to follow so that you can always maintain a certain degree of hygienic standards in your home.

Find below a few cleaning checklist for your master bedroom:

• Wipe down walls and ceilings and vacuum up any cobwebs. Wipe down the light fixtures, switch plates and ceiling fan.
• Clean the windows, window sills and window tracks – Spray a little bit of tea-tree oil on to the window sill area and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping down.
• Dust and clean all furniture (tops, sides and bottom), picture frames, lamps and knick knacks. Keep baseboards cleaner with the help of a fabric softener sheet.
• Wipe down the window blinds – clean your blinds thoroughly on both sides using a microfiber cloth and a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water.
• Once you finished dusting all the surfaces, including furniture, decorations, fixtures, etc., that dust will naturally settle down on the floors. Now clean that dust from the floors too. While vacuuming the floor, reach under beds, couches, dressers and into the corners as far as you can.
• Clean all bed linens, pillows & pillowcases, and comforter regularly. Fluff pillows daily to remove dust and dead skin cells. Also, ensure to air out the pillows often to freshen them up.
• Clean and rotate the mattress – for mattress rotation guidelines, read our previous blog posts.
• Declutter and organise your master closet – learn the art of getting rid of unwanted clothes and other stuff in your closet - try purging, sorting, donating, etc. so that your closet will look much organised. 

Know Your Home Cleaning Service

With Select Cleaning franchisees taking care of your home cleaning, we guarantee you complete peace of mind. Check out our website for the thanking messages from satisfied customers– you can see that our customers think we are the most affordable, quality home cleaning service in New Zealand.

So, whether you need a regular clean, a spring clean or specialised cleaning, get your free quote now by calling us on 1800 153 483. Or simply submit the form on our Website to receive a no-obligation free quote.

The Importance of Having a Clean Home

A recent survey that interviewed 500 New Zealanders says 46% people actively avoid cleaning the toilet, while 21% would rather have dinner with their in-laws than doing the toilet cleaning task.

Now listen carefully, about 50% of the people participated in the survey said they used to judge friends on the state of their toilet, and over half of the interviewees said they would rather hold on than using a dirty toilet, even at friends houses.

Now you know the importance of keeping your bathroom and toilets clean- it’s not only a matter of hygiene, but a social issue too.

The survey also found out that 86% of New Zealanders actually do a quick house cleaning before guests arrive. This shows that the Kiwis are still a house proud bunch giving due importance to cleanliness.

How to Avoid the Dust Menace and Allergy

Researchers have clarified that household dust contains harmful chemicals that can cause serious health hazards to your family members, such as cancer, developmental problems in babies, and, lung diseases and fertility issues in adults etc.

So, dust really isn't just a minor problem that we spend all week trying to put off. Here’s how to rid your home of these nasty chemicals and keep your family as healthy as you can.

Vacuum floors regularly, and ensure to wash your hands with plain soap and water. Cleaning the surfaces and furniture with a wet mop and dusting with a damp microfiber cloth will allow the dust to stick to the mop or cloth, rather than flying away and settling elsewhere.

At home, always try to use natural cleaning products as much as possible and avoid spraying poisons to kill unwanted insects and lawn weeds, and putting bleach down the toilet. This way we can keep the environment safe and healthy too.

How to Clean a Laminate Floor

Clean laminate flooring dry with a good quality microfiber mop- it shouldn't be wet-washed very often. At times when you wet wash laminate flooring, use only white vinegar or ammonia; avoid detergents, abrasives and wax-based products. Use doormats - longer mats inside and outside - and stick to shoes-outside policy.

Keeping Your House Clean with Pets

If you have two or more pets, it’s good to call a home cleaning service at least once in a month to do the heavy duty cleaning, taking into consideration the issues of fur, dirt, paw print, scratched sofa, dog drool, etc.

If you want you may also go with more pet-friendly upholstery, fewer rugs and less stuff generally on which pet hair can collect. Use a vacuum cleaner specifically designed to be powerful enough to deal with pet hair.

Help your dog do some outdoor activities and exercise, so it’ll not give you much trouble indoors like chewing your furniture or scratching the upholstery etc.  Also try giving the dog chewable alternatives such as a Kong chew toy stuffed with treats, when you leave it alone, so it’ll spare your furniture! And don’t forget to keep your coffee tables clear lest there are chances that the pets may knock over glasses and delicate objects.

Laundry Cleaning

Are you worried that some of your family members wanted unscented cleaners, but usually these cleaning products don't get odours out perfectly?

There is a way to keep things smelling fresh but not overpowered by artificial scents. Add one cup of white vinegar, which acts as an odour eliminator and a natural fabric softener, in the rinse cycle while doing laundry. This way you can eliminate any lingering smell of perfumes, but at the same time maintain proper cleaning standards.

Too tired or busy to clean your house? Call Select Home Cleaning Company today to get a professional heavy-duty specialised cleaning. Visit SelectCleaning website and check out what makes them much sought after home cleaners in New Zealand and Australia.

Regular House Cleaning Checklist with Select Cleaning Specifications

You can schedule regular cleaning every week or fortnightly based on your requirements. You may also decide to clean it yourself or call a home cleaning expert as the situation demands. If you go for the second option, always ensure that you call a reputed home cleaner in New Zealand or Australia to meet your unique needs.

Given below is a standard house cleaning checklist as per Select Cleaning Specifications which will ensure you are stepping into a clean house every time you come home!

Kitchen

• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom
• Clean around stove top
• Clean top and front of fridge & microwave
• Scrub around taps with toothbrush
• Clean plug hole with plug hole brush
• Wash out sink with cream scourers
• Vacuum floor
• Mop from back of room to front
• Check corners & edges
• Leave all surfaces dry

Dining Room

• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom
• Dust & spot clean anything in middle of room
• Vacuum floor
• Mop from back of room to front (if required)
• Check corners & edges

Lounge

• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom 20 Dust & spot clean anything in middle of room
• Vacuum floor
• Mop from back of room to front (if required)

Halls/Stairs

• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom 25 Dust & spot clean anything in middle of room
• Mop from back of room to front (if required)
• Vacuum floor

Bedrooms

• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom 30 Dust & spot clean anything in middle of room
• Mop from back of room to front (if required) 32 Vacuum floor
• Laundry
• Remove all cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working left to right & top to bottom
• Spot clean front of appliances
• Scrub around tapes with toothbrush
• Clean plug hole with plug hole brush
• Wash out sink with cream scourers
• Leave all surfaces dry
• Sweep/vacuum floor
• Mop floor
• Check corners & edges

Bathrooms & Toilets

• Put mats outside door
• Flush toilet & spray with disinfectant / cleaner
• Check bathroom for cobwebs
• Dust & spot clean working around room
• Clean mirror
• Clean around edges of tap and unit with toothbrush
• Clean plug hole with plug hole brush
• Clean top of vanity with disinfectant / cleaner
• Clean basin bowl with clean scourer & rinse
• Dry all of top including chrome taps
• Spot clean base of hand basin & cupboards
• With toilet brush fully scrub inside of toilet & S-bend
• Spray disinfectant / cleaner over entire toilet & floor area behind & to sides
• Wipe Cistern including back
• Wipe behind toilet and all pipes
• Wipe outside of bowl
• Leave toilet outside dry, especially seat
• Clean toilet brush holder
• Clean rubbish bin
• Clean scales
• Mop floor from back of room to front
• Check corners & edges & behind doors
• Scrub corners with Doodlebug

Showers/Baths

• Check base for mould & spray with bleach/punch
• Spray walls with zest & scrub with pad
• Clean chrome fittings & soap dish with toothbrush
• Spray glass walls/doors with zest & scrub with pad
• Use toothbrush to clean shower door tracks
• Wash down 4 walls with shower head or bucket & cup
• Squeegee walls dry & dry chrome fittings
• Clean base of shower / bath with cream scourer & pad –Clean drain
• Wash away scourer & dry floor / bath
• Clean outside glass as needed with glass cleaner
• Wipe outside ledge of shower base

Finish

• Straighten magazines
• Close doors
• Set Alarm
• Lock main door

Select Cleaning always want 100 percent quality output and customer satisfaction. They’ll provide you with a communication book to record any specific instructions or issues you want to notify the home cleaner. This is done for the cleaning company to check and improve the quality of their service.

You can call Select Cleaning now on 0800 000 907 for a free home cleaning quote in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton.

DIY Home Cleaning Tips and When to Call the Pros

It’s better to do cleaning and housekeeping works daily rather than saving everything for one big cleaning task. Get into a daily house cleaning routine: making the bed, doing the dishes after every meal or at least at the end of the day, and sweeping the kitchen floor. This will ensure that your house looks fresh and cleaner every day! 

Make Your Own Window Cleaner

You need not to use fancy window and mirror cleaning sprays- they are not only costly, but also inefficient for cleaning stubborn stains. Take one and a half cup of water, and one and half teaspoon each of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in a mug. Put three drops of peppermint essential oil into the mixture and fill it in a spray bottle. Your homemade cleaner is ready – now spray it on windows and wipe with a lint-free cloth such as a microfiber cloth.

To permanently remove the menace of water spots from glass shower door, rub it with lemon oil twice or thrice a month. The presence of lemon oil will cause the water to bead up and roll off, thereby keeping glass doors clear and shining.

Tea-Stain Your Fabric and Get Antique Creamy Look

You need not to throw badly stained kitchen towels. You can tea-dye them to get a new creamy brown colour and nice look. Take a metal bucket with boiled water and put five black tea bags in it for 10 minutes. Now take out the tea bags and put the stained linen in the tea mixture and stir gently.  Let it soak for 10 minutes or until you get the desired shade.

Now remove the fabric from the tea mixture and rinse well with warm water and dish soap. The approximate volume of water and the cloth size: 4 cups of water and 4 single cup tea bags will dye roughly 1 yard of fabric.

Wooden Furniture and Kitchen Cabinets

Use natural oils like lemon oil (Old English or Milsek) to revitalize the wood and continue to nourish and protect the wooden furniture and kitchen cabinets. The lemon oil will also help to remove wax build up along with water marks on the wood. Use a plain cloth to rub the oil into the wood and let it dry for 10 minutes or so.

Use flour-sack tea towels made of pure cotton in your kitchen for general cleaning. They are better than paper towels to dry glasses lint-free and to wipe down the stove.

Kitchen Sink

Sprinkle baking soda on the stains or on a damp rag and gently scrub to remove stains in sinks or to buff scuffs off floors. Another method is: make a paste of 1 cup borax and 1/4 cup lemon; apply it on a damp sponge to clean floor tiles and porcelain sinks.

You may not believe, but it's a fact that your dirty kitchen sink sometimes accommodates more bacteria than your toilet seat. That’s why we emphasise to call a quality house cleaner to thoroughly clean your kitchen and bathroom every weekly or fortnightly.

To disinfect the kitchen sink, first clean it with soap and water. Next, spray a mist of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide one after the other. Allow the sink to air-dry. Apply a few drops of mineral oil on a soft cloth and buff the stainless steel sink to avoid water build-up and mould growth. This will also make the sink looking clean and sparkling.

Calendar and Checklist for Yearly Special Cleaning

Ensure that you do the following cleaning tasks at least once a year: wash the windows inside and out; flip and vacuum your mattresses; deep-clean toilets, tub/shower, carpets, and the floors; change the furnace filter- it is better if you can do it twice a year.

These sophisticated cleaning tasks require expertise and hard work. It’s always good to get professional home cleaners to do the tough house cleaning chores. They will be doing it perfectly and so you need not to worry about hygiene and quality housekeeping. Also check with well known house cleaning companies for available cleaning packages that could save you some bucks too.

For your information, Select Home Cleaning provides dependable and affordable domestic house cleaning service that will leave your home looking great every time. This award winning home cleaner services Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington & Christchurch. Call them on 0800 000 907 for a free quote. 

Easy Cleaning Tips and Tricks That’ll Remove Many of Your Household Headaches

Did you know that most people collect tips and hints to save time and money and make everyday home cleaning and maintenance tasks fast and easy?

Here is one such useful tip to jot down in your kitchen notebook. As we are now in the middle of winter, it’s good to know how we can keep our windows and glass doors from frosting. Take one quart warm water and mix it with half a cup of rubbing alcohol. Apply this solution on the glass surface and clean with a soft cotton cloth to view beautiful scenes of nature outside. No more foggy windows and glass door during winter!

The following collection of tips and tricks will help you greatly in day to day home maintenance: 

1. Pencil erasers can be used to remove sticky price tags, and clean buttons and keys on your mobile, laptop and remote control. 

2. Mix one tablespoon each of baking powder and salt and then add one tablespoon of water into the paste. Your stove top cleaning product is ready. Now take a clean cloth and use a little bit of the mixture to smartly clean the stove. This newly made chemical compound can also be used to clean your outdoor grill.

3. Use ice cube to remove stubborn carpet dents left by heavy furniture. Use a picking tool to drop an ice cube on the carpet where it is dented. Wait for the ice cube to melt fully and then use a toothbrush to fluff the area and the carpet fibres will expand and regain the original position.

4. Same ice treatment can be used to remove chewing gum from your carpets. Put few ice cubes in a small plastic bag and place it on top of the stuck gum. Wait for 15 minutes and you can see that the gum has hardened. Now you can easily peel the gum off without breaking.

5. Wood ash is a desiccant, so it can be used to remove oil or grease stains from stone and cement surfaces in your garage or elsewhere. Just rub the wood ashes into the stained area with a cloth and then apply water to clean up the stain.

6. Deep toilet stains can be easily removed with a pumice stone if you have to urgently clean the toilet due to the arrival of a guest within short notice. Normally such cleaning task is to be given to professional home cleaners to do it hygienically.

7. Are there water spots on your wooden table or other wood surfaces? Don’t worry- it can be easily removed with the help of your hair dryer. Use the blow dryer at medium heat and focus it on the water stain keeping the dryer about two inches away. Normally the stain mark will disappear immediately, but if it persists, use a napkin to wipe out the stain while applying heat. Afterwards use two drops of olive oil to moisturise the wood.

8. Did you know that cooking spray is a soap scum buster? Spray some non-stick cooking spray into the soap scum and hard water spots on your glass shower door and tiles. Wait for 5 minutes and then wash the area with mild soapy water to see that all blemishes have gone! 

9. Mix dry tea leaves into the litter box to prevent it smelling badly. The tea leaves also have anti-bacterial quality which is an added advantage for hygienic purpose.

10. Stain marks on the walls can be easily removed using semi-stale white bread. The gluten in the bread helps to remove the stain. Remove the crusts from two bread loaves and make it a ball of bread and rub it on the stained area after cleaning the spot with a cloth. Bread is highly absorbent and gradually the stain marks disappear.  

11. Artificial Sweeteners can be used to remove stains like red wine, coffee and tea from a tablecloth. Put the sweetener over the stain and keep it overnight. Next day brush off the remaining sweetener and rinse the cloth in cold water.

Importance of Professional Home Cleaning

One significant point to mention that there is no shortcut to keeping your home hygienic. You’ll have to spend considerable time washing and disinfecting your home. Here comes the role of home cleaning companies. A clean and orderly house itself will help reduce lot of stress.

Save your weekends and relax while an affordable and trustworthy cleaning professional comes and do all the home cleaning tasks with minimum disruption. Do call Select Home Cleaning Company right now on 0800 000 907 to experience that pleasant feeling. 

DIF Tips to Clean Thermal Backed Curtains in Your Home

We all have faced problems associated with mould in our homes when there were lapses in our home cleaning and maintenance practices.  You might have noticed that mould attacks more during winter and rainy seasons. Mould is irritating and smelly and can cause serious health and respiratory problems for you and your family members.

If you happen to see mould build-up on your window curtains, don’t panic; we can show you how to remove it using simple home remedies. However, if you have allergies, asthma or related respiratory illnesses, never forget to wear a mask while cleaning mould affected curtains. If your health issues are complicated, we recommend calling professional house cleaners to remove the mould.

When You Can Clean the Curtain in a Washing Machine

You can use a delicate washing cycle in the washing machine if both your curtain and its thermal linings are fabric material. Add some soap powder or liquid soap into the warm water in the washing machine. When the soap fully dissolves, put your curtain in the washing machine and make a normal wash cycle without letting the machine to spin. Once the washing cycle is over, fill the laundry tub with water and rinse well.

Now take out the curtain and hang it straight on the clothesline, don’t fold. Don’t use clothespins to hang curtains, always use the curtain hooks. You should double check to ensure that the thermal lines are not touching each other. If there was more dirt in the first curtain piece you washed, then you’ll have to drain the washing machine and refill with fresh water. Otherwise use same water for two or three curtains till the water gets dirty.

When the Curtain Needs to Be Hand-washed for Mould Removal

Remember, if you use washing machine to clean your curtains which are thermally backed/patterned thermal fabric, be cautious, you could spoil the show and damage your curtains beyond repair. If you act carelessly, the thermal lining in the curtains can get stuck together and damage it. If you try to untangle the linings, they’ll just peel off. 

So, use the following cleaning methods to safeguard your curtain:

First vacuum the curtains, or try shaking the curtains to remove dust, dirt, and loose mould spores. You may use this opportunity to give the windows also a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth and plain water after you have removed the curtains. Ensure to wash the hooks, strings and other attachments before fitting the curtains back.

Condition 1

If you notice that the mould has affected only the base and corners of the curtain, then do the following.  Mix half a cup of white vinegar with one cup of warm water and pour it into a spray bottle. Mix well and spray the cleaning liquid on the traces of mould. Wait for 20 minutes and wipe the area with a plain cloth to remove the mould.

Condition 2

If mould is spotted at many areas of the curtain, get it hand washed perfectly. Put the curtain in a bathtub with water and 1 cup of vinegar. Wash it carefully without spoiling the thermal lines. If the wet thermal material (coating) starts to stick to itself, then it’s difficult to save your costly curtain.

Now, take out the curtain from the bathtub and hang it to dry in a straight position without folding. You may also spread it flat over a clothes horse. The drying should be done in a well ventilated area, and on a sunny breezy day, it’ll be quick to dry without getting damaged.   

Prevention is Better than Cure

Even after washing properly, you may find mild traces of mould stain in the curtain as it’s not possible to completely wash away the whole mould presence. However, you can be rest assured that the washing will ensure the mould spores are dead and won’t grow any further. Again, consider the saying that prevention is better than cure. Make sure that your windows don’t suffer from condensation and that the conditions for mould growth are always avoided.

Call professional house cleaners for weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or occasional home cleaning to get everything done efficiently and thoroughly. This will prevent cleaning issues such as mould and mildew, stains etc.