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. 

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.

How to Solve Your Home Cleaning Headaches

If you can devote some time daily for house cleaning, the task may not pile up to become a massive cleaning project for you! Schedule your home cleaning task on a daily to weekly basis as per the checklist given below-

A better plan is to do the cleaning process from room to room. Cut the work done on the cleaning list as you finish cleaning each room. You can also delegate the cleaning task to members of the family including children to give them some responsibility in the overall house cleaning process. As you detail one room for each family member, your cleaning task will also get quickly finished.

Daily Vacuum the Areas that Have More Traffic

You need to daily vacuum only the common areas, not every room in the house. The living room, and the dining and kitchen area where most of the members spend more time has to be vacuumed every day to keep the area clean and hygienic.  Floor carpets also need daily cleaning especially when there are children and pets around.

Here’s a Weekly Task List for Your Home Cleaning

The checklist for weekly cleaning will contain a long list of tasks. Here you’ll have to take a decision whether to do it yourself or call a home cleaning service provider. If you have the time and inclination to do it, well and good; just follow the procedures mentioned in the following paragraphs. However, if you want to relax on a nice weekend going for a picnic or visiting some friends, you can detail the task to a responsible home cleaner in New Zealand and see a fresh and glittering home when you come back!

Some of the important weekly home cleaning tasks are given below:

1. Vacuuming All the Areas in the House

Vacuum clean all carpet, wooden or stone floors, rugs and their underside, your curtains, and wherever you can do the vacuuming. When you vacuum wooden floors or curtains ensure to use appropriate attachments to the machine so that it’ll work properly. Vacuuming curtains is followed by many people as it’ll remove some dirt and dust, by which you can prolong the washing cycle.  

2. Cleaning the Toilet

Not the kind of job for everybody, but if you don’t particularly dislike it you can manage it with a quality cleaning product. Apply the cleaner to the toilet bowl, its sides and under the rim, and wait for sometime before cleaning it. Use a strong toilet brush to remove stains. Use separate brushes for toilet bowl cleaning and the floor cleaning. Remove stubborn stains from floor and wall tiles using separate cleaner if required.

If you hate toilet cleaning, you can assign this particular task to a home cleaning company in New Zealand. Remember, a professional cleaner can do it the best way in a hygienic manner!

Same points are applicable for cleaning the bath and showers too. Here you’ll encounter soap scum and mould build-ups in addition to stubborn stains.                                                

3. Refrigerator Cleaning

Regularly remove any food items or vegetables that are past their ‘use by’ date- Now you may ask how to identify it? Of course, you can manage it by smelling and seeing! Take out anything that is getting musty, anything that smells bad, or anything that’s visibly rotten. This will save you enough space and also make the inside of the fridge healthy and hygienic.

Everybody will agree that house cleaning is a very tedious task. It can take away your precious time and energy even if you’re not employed. You can solve this issue by calling a professional house cleaner occasionally for full cleaning, and regularly for particular cleaning tasks such as kitchen cleaning, oven cleaning, toilet cleaning etc.