Common Winter Home Cleaning & Maintenance Issues

How to keep yourself and your family healthy through winter? 

Check out some health tips given by Auckland Regional Public Health Service & the Ministry of Social Development. They advise taking the influenza vaccination on time, washing your hands properly, taking healthy food, doing routine exercises, and reducing dampness in the house etc.

The website of the Health Service also says if you or your child is feeling unwell you can get free health advice from registered nurses by phoning Healthline on 0800 611 116. Read their full article with ten tips for staying well in winter.

Winter House Maintenance Issues 

Now let’s look at some maintenance tips for your house in winter.

Gutters and water leaks: 

Rain is usual in the winter. And if the gutters, downpipes and the drains are not clean, there can be blocks and water will leak into the house building structure. So, one must check the gutters before and during the winter to ensure free flow of water through the pipes and drains. 

Leaf guards on the gutters are to be checked and ensure that the cleaners you hire give quality service for them.

House insulation: 

As per the Building Code Clause H1, New Zealand houses should maintain proper insulation, ensuring the right level of thermal resistance (R-value) for their location. Adequate insulation is necessary for a healthier living condition and it also reduces your energy bills because the heat generated is effectively circulated inside the house.  

More insulation is needed for houses in colder climates. Recent studies in New Zealand clarified that there is a definite link between insulation and health. People living in well insulated houses reported visiting their GP less.

Ceiling and underfloor insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. New Zealand Govt’s tenancy, maintenance and inspections website states that the landlord must disclose whether there is insulation in the rental home, where it is, what type and what condition it is in, so tenants can make an informed decision. The tenancy laws also stipulate that a landlord who fails to comply with the insulation requirements as on 1^st July 2019 will be liable for a penalty of up to $4,000.

Before the start of the winter and also during the winter period, you should inspect the insulation so as to make sure that it hasn't become inadequate due to water damage, dampness or compression from storage boxes.   

Dampness and moisture: 

Everybody knows the signs of dampness in the house like mould growth and visible water stains on the walls, ceilings etc. There will also be the presence of damp, stale or musty smells caused by mould spores in the buildings affected by damp problems.

Mould spores in the air can cause sickness, so the areas affected by mould, especially the wardrobes, cupboards and the backs of curtains, are to be thoroughly cleaned. If you are not sure about completely removing the presence of mould, better hire an expert home cleaning service in New Zealand to do it professionally. 

Check and ensure that the extractor fans in the kitchens and bathrooms are working in good condition. Change the filters of the ventilation system once every year.

Prevention is better than cure:

A scheduled winter cleaning programme from Select Clean before the beginning of inclement weather can greatly reduce dampness and moisture related issues.

A freshly cleaned home is a delight to look at as everybody feels great in a clean atmosphere. Get more time for you and your kids by hiring Select Clean and you can spend your free time on the things you love to do. Protect your home in winter by joining hands with the most reliable and consistent home cleaning service in New Zealand.

How to Deal with Moisture & Mould Problems in Your Home

Surveys had revealed that many New Zealand homes are poorly insulated and cause health problems- latest survey being the HRV State of Home Survey which interviewed over 1400 New Zealanders, also found out that 56% of landlords refused to do anything about poor insulation when contacted by tenants. The survey was conducted by Buzz Channel in collaboration with a Professor of Sociology at Auckland University of Technology, on 20^th July, 2016.

The survey revealed that the presence of excess mould is a cause of worry in around 50% of the rented homes in New Zealand affecting the health of the tenants. And as a result, the renters take more sick leave than the national average, the survey said. 

Addressing the mould issue

You can find traces of mould behind the bed, in the bathroom or dotting the kitchen ceiling, and if not controlled, it’ll creep into every nook and cranny.

Being a responsible home cleaning service, Select Home Clean in New Zealand regularly publishes efficient mould removal methods on their blog site.

If you have rented a house, you should first check it thoroughly to ensure that there is no mould problem in the house. If you notice it later, landlords may not accept they're responsible for the mould because there is no clear-cut responsibility laid out in the law. And tenants will have to go through housing tribunals or the courts to prove their case.

If you see that there are leaky taps, broken gutters or windows that don't seal properly, immediately report the matter to the landlord and get it repaired. It’s also important to call professional home cleaners occasionally to perfectly clean your house so that the possibility of mould developing is avoided.

How to get rid of mould in your home

Mould is classified according to the place where it occurs, like non-porous, semi-porous and super-porous. If the mould has heavily infested a super-porous surface, such as a textile, carpet, clothing, cardboard or furniture, you may need to discard that item because the mould can't be removed completely.

First, vacuum up the mould with a vacuum cleaner that has appropriate filter for absorbing the mould spores. If the filter is not a good one, you may end up making the problem worse by spreading the spores and mould vapours around.

Next, remove all the left over traces of mould with the help of diluted vinegar.  Prepare a solution of vinegar and water in the proportion of 80:20 in a large container, and then pour it into three buckets. Dip a microfiber cloth in the first bucket and clean a patch of mould. Before using this cloth on another colony of mould, clean it in the second bucket and again in the third bucket also to remove all mould spores so as to avoid cross-contamination. This way, repeat the process till the mould presence has been completely removed.   

If the use of vinegar has left streaks on the cleaned surface, clean it further with bleach to remove discolouration.

When to call the mould removal experts

If the mould affected area is comparatively larger, it’ll be dangerous to your health, releasing toxic spores and vapours, possibly resulting in hypersensitivity or allergic reactions with itchy skin rashes, and asthma and flu-like symptoms. In such instances where the mould covers an area greater than three feet by three feet, it’s advisable to call professional home cleaners to deal with the mould problem.

Get a free house cleaning quote today by calling the Select Home Cleaners on 0800 000 907.

Easy Toilet Cleaning and Mould Removal Tips for Every Homeowner

There are lots of different methods to clean your toilet. Adopt the one that suits your interests and style.

Vinegar Toilet Cleaner

Take a quarter cup of white vinegar and pour it into the toilet bowl. Ensure that you are wearing gloves while doing it. Allow the vinegar to soften the stains for around 20 minutes. Then clean the toilet with a toilet brush and flush.

If you want total disinfection, then use chlorine bleach instead of vinegar. Another option is to use ¼ cup of Borax to clean the toilet. After scrubbing around the borax in the bowl, let it sit for at least half an hour before flushing.

Hard water scale on the toilet bowl can be removed using Oxalic acid. Sprinkle Oxalic acid powder or flakes into the toilet bowl. It’ll create a foam and interact with water scales and the dirt and stains around the spot. The chemistry here is that the alkaline hard water scales interact with the acid and get absorbed.  

Another Interesting Way to Clean the Toilet

You may be hearing it first time, but it’s a fact that Coca-Cola Coke can be used to clean your toilet. The mild phosphoric acid ingredient in the drink is very effective to remove hard water stains and other dirt. Pour the Coca-Cola in to the toilet bowl and let it rest there for an hour or so and then scrub with a toilet brush and flush to get a clean toilet!

Caution

Be cautious when you mix things that contain chemicals. There can be a problem with poisonous fumes! So, if you're going to mix things together for making a cleaner, ensure that it is safe. Uric acid consists of ammonia, and bleach has chlorine. When we mix them, it becomes ammonium chloride and it is toxic! So avoid pouring bleach into an unflushed toilet. We should always flush the toilet before using any of the above said tips. It’s also applicable for commercial cleaners!   

Cleaning and Decorating the Walls

The dirty walls can be cleaned with a mixture of lavender oil and water. Add five teaspoons of lavender oil into about five litres of water. Mix well and take the liquid as needed in a spray bottle and start lightly misting over the wall. Now scrub the dirt away using a pair of pantyhose.

 The walls can be decorated with the help of colourful fabric on canvases. As you know canvases are cheap, so it is an affordable method. Just cover the canvas with foam padding, and layer the fabric over the canvas and staple it down. You can get fabric off-cuts from most fabric stores; also try second-hand stores where it’ll be cheaper.

No More Worries About Slugs and Snails

Here’s a way to kill them, without creating a fuss:

Snails can be trapped by pouring beer into halved, hollowed out oranges and placing it where the snails appear. They love beer and get into the beer pool kept in the orange and eventually drown.For getting domestic bliss, and a clean, tidy and elegant house, you need to have the time, knowledge, and family support or the organisational skills. If you lack the above, then a reputed home cleaning service in New Zealand only can help you to have peace of mind.

Mould Removal

Moisture is the main cause of mould development in your house. A leaky roof, broken pipes, blocked drain, and water from a flood, all can cause excess moisture. Air drying of clothes indoors and using appliances such as stoves, washing machines and dishwashers with no exhaust systems and poor temperature control (causing condensation) are other causes of moisture generation.

Regular vacuuming and dusting can reduce mould formation because organic matter such as dust or dead skin cells promotes mould growth.

If you can reduce moisture in the house, especially in the kitchen and bathroom areas, you can prevent almost 90% chances of mould occurrence. This way you can avoid the use of expensive mould removal products.

First step is to vacuum up the mould if you have a vacuum cleaner equipped with appropriate filters.  Make sure not to spread the mould spores into other areas.

Second step is to apply diluted vinegar (80% vinegar and 20% water) at the affected surfaces. Clean the area using a microfiber cloth dipped in the liquid.  Cleaning with vinegar may sometimes leave streaks on surfaces – you can remove this discolouration by cleaning the area with bleach.

The Role of Professional Home Cleaners

However, if the mould attack is severe, and you noticed it late, it’s better to call house cleaning experts for professionally removing the mould. Otherwise serious health issues can arise such as hypersensitivity or allergic reactions, and asthma and flu-like symptoms.

Same thing is applicable for bathroom and toilet cleaning also. If you don't have the time and patience to do effective toilet cleaning, it's better to hire a home cleaning service in New Zealand for hygienic reasons.