What is the Best Way to Keep Wooden Floors Clean?

Wooden floors look very beautiful when maintained properly and therefore, they are a popular choice for most of the people these days. Wooden floors need great cleaning care to keep them looking great for a long period of time. When it comes to wood, use of too much water for cleaning cannot be the right strategy as it can even ruin your beautiful floors. Moreover, excessive water patches can stain the wooden floor and can even result in expansion and deformation of the laid down wooden boards. The correct technique and appropriate usage of mop will increase the beauty and life of your wooden floors.

Following are the tips for cleaning wooden floors:

Use soft-bristled broom to sweep the floor: A soft-bristled broom removes large particles such as grit or sand that may scratch the floor if caught beneath a mop. Other way to sweep the wooden floor is to vacuum the floor. Hence, it is important to vacuum or sweep regularly to keep the floor free from scratching agents and dust.

Choose right cleaning agent: pH-neutral water based cleaner should be used for general cleaning. These cleaners are good for vinyl floors with an acrylic polish. Choose soaps, detergents, alkaline water-based cleaner or a bit of baking soda dissolved in water so as to dissolve the dirt and grease. Remember that alkaline solutions will make your wooden floor look dull over time. To dissolve mineral deposits or hard water, use an acidic water-based cleaner. Vinegar mixed with water is a good rinsing agent to be used for this purpose. Do not use abrasive cleaners, ammonia or bleach to clean wooden floor because these materials can damage the wood.

Dilute your cleaning agent: Dilute your chosen cleaning agent in a bucket containing water. You can also use distilled water to prevent hard-water stains. Dip the mop in the water and run it over the floor. Spot-clean tough areas with a cloth. Scrub the stains with wet cloth by applying greater directed pressure.

Rub the floor with dry cloth: Rubbing your wooden floor with a dry cloth will add a glistening shine to your floor and thereby enhance its grace.

Protect your floor by rolling out carpets: When guests are coming to your home, roll out a carpet runner over your wooden floor in the most travelled areas. These elegant rugs will protect your floor from the trauma of heavy shoes and high heels that could leave dents on it. This type of protection will not only pack the dust and dirt but will also keep your floor hygienic which is quite a need if you have toddlers at home. If you do not want to use runners, then install a door-mat near the entrance because it will catch most of the dirt that your guests may bring in.

Don’t skip the regular maintenance schedules of floors: Ask your flooring specialist if your wooden floor needs buffing or waxing. These procedures will keep your floors shiny and radiant. If you are looking for DIY opinion, make sure to always start buffing from one corner of the room working your way towards the exit in a circular motion. The same method applies to waxing. After completing the procedure, avoid walking on the floor for at least one hour.

Whatever you do is limited to your knowledge and know-how in the field of wooden floor cleaning. It is thus recommended to opt for floor cleaning services once in every month. This practice may seem a little costly but ultimately, you are going to save good bucks as such floors are likely to last longer which can thereby save your wood floor renovation expenses.

Tips on How to Keep the Floor Clean and Safe for Toddlers

With a baby at home, it’s already a big responsibility and perhaps, there’s no time in the day when you are not worried about your toddler getting harmed in any way.  Every mother wishes to prepare a safe and fun crawling environment for her baby but it’s possible that she might be time-bound.

Here are 7 quick house cleaning tips to help new mothers keep floor clean and safe for toddlers:

#1: Vacuuming

Start off in the morning with vacuuming of your place. When your toddler is in a wonderful dreamy sleep, you can collect the dust and minute particles at home with vacuum cleaning.

#2: Sweeping/Mopping

This part is based on personal preference. Many women would prefer actually sweeping the floor while getting down on their knees while some would prefer mopping. If it is not possible for you to clean the entire home, make sure to carefully wipe out the floor and other dirty surfaces where your baby toddles all day.

#3: Stopping Dirt

With a baby, you have to be extra careful in cleanliness. Footwear generally brings in dirt and frost which tends to carry dirt and infectious substances inside your home. So, it’s better to make it a rule to remove footwear outside and then come inside the house.

#4: Organize Your Home

What takes you more time to clean? If you have things accumulated on the floor, they are quite likely to catch dust and bacteria which adds to your cleaning schedule. Thus, organizing is rather a better alternative. Things that are not required should be kept off the floor and minimum cleaning items should be there in the room where your toddler crawls. This will make the house cleaning process easy.

#5: Spill Cleaning

Spills can occur frequently with a toddler at home. To cut down the cleaning part a little, you can simply spread well-cleaned plastic where you keep your toddlers water sipper. So, it is most likely that spills will not be a tough clean. If at all, the spills happen on your hardwood floor, sweep instantly with a dry towel to preserve the look of your floor.

#6: Carpet Cleaning

Carpets are the storehouse of dirt and thus, you need to be very cautious with their cleanliness. If at all you are unable to vacuum clean your carpet every day, remove it from your toddler’s play area.

#7: Seek House Cleaning Help

In the end if you feel too exhausted all day long running after your baby and fall short of time in cleaning your place, you can always take professional and affordable house cleaning help.

Motherhood is a precious experience. Don’t be so engrossed in other activities that you lose the glimpse of memorable moments of your baby’s firsts. Go easy where you feel stressed or overburdened and enjoy parenting!

Say Bye-bye to Window Frosting!

Do you want to become a perfect house cleaner?! – follow these easy quick tips and prevent window frosting!

It’s already winter - the exact time for the angry frost to hit your window glasses!Though the fog mist on your windows offers a beautiful sight, the after effects of it could be deadly, causing a big damage to your window frames and walls.

How to prevent frost will be anyone’s first thought during this season. You might look upon your neighbours and friends for some tips or research for a home cleaning service who can give you authentic guidelines. Being precautious will certainly help keeping window frosting at bay. Here are some simple tips that help say bye-bye to window frosting!

• Ensure your windows are sealed properly; especially places where the sashes meet the frame. Keeping the windows well insulated should be your prime concern. The best way to insulate your windows is to apply plastic cover on their insides. Another option is to seal them because this will help the air to penetrate inside through gaps
• Keeping your household warm should be your first concern. Using exhaust fans (both while bathing and cooking) help expel moisture. While using exhaust fans mind that they “blow out” and not blow into the loft space. Because venting inside will end up adding nearly a gallon of water per load
• Running a dehumidifier helps. Indoor heating will certainly increase the dryness, which in turn reduce the forming of frost
• Another option to warm your home is to place space heater in the rooms where frosts gather more often.
• Let air circulate - open the curtains and blinds. This will assist in controlling the condensation inside
• Use de-icer spray on the outsides of the window. Spraying this along the window opening will prevent windows from freezing shut. Though this option doesn’t last for a long period of time, most de-icer spray has immediate results. Remember, this should be sprayed not in the insides, but on the outsides. The chemical formula of this aerosol spray require ventilation and spraying it inside the window is strictly a “no, no”
• Make sure whether your clothes dryer is properly vented to the outside
  
• Ensure frost doesn’t sit on windows for a long time. The melted water will spoil wood, the wall, and floor. Placing absorbent clothes or some old towels on the window sills will help. Also use hair dryer to melt the ice and wipe away the water instantly
• Last but not the least, installing thermal efficient windows will avoid frosting. Little costly than the usual, but with them your home will not leak much

Keep calm and follow these quick tips so you can say bye-bye to frost hitting your windows. But if you’re confused at some stage, don’t hesitate to call a professional house cleaner.  This is also applicable to those who dread house cleaning or have no time to do it efficiently.

Out Beat the Winter Housekeeping Challenges with These Quick Tips!

Everybody has to face a lot of housekeeping challenges during the winter period! Well, this is rightly the season for you to roll up your sleeves and do a bit of winter cleaning too. Observe these quick tips that will help you tidy your cluttered mess and keep diseases away from your home!

• As we are into the middle of winter season, it’s good to declutter the house again. Make sure that the summer accessories that you have packed are kept oragnised- Are the labels intact? Do you see any accumulation of dust or mould?

• Concentrate more on the front door, after all that’s the threshold to your dwelling. Arrange a few bench/chair to relax. Might sound weird to some, but having a place to sit on while removing or wearing shoes will make things much better.

• How about opting also for some rugs at the front door? Sounds interesting, right? Leave alone the aesthetic part, rugs could also be for safety purposes - wipe melted snow off your shoes and prevent you from slipping/falling.

• With winter come hats, gloves, shoes, hats and scarves. Deciding a designated spot for these winter accessories will help you easily find them the next time you hunt.

• Now comes your next tip! It could be drawers, bins, racks, cubbies, baskets—pick anything that fancies you and store your hats, gloves, scarves, etc. To make it easier for you, go on labelling, like post on your hubby’s and children’s names across their bin for each type of accessory.

• Be clutter free! Get hold of hooks or a coat rack. This will obviously give you enough space to keep your coats and backpacks in order. Also hanging your coats this way will help your jackets breathe more air and avoid getting musty.

• After all those simple but effective decluttering ideas, here’s a lovely tip for you to refresh your mind.  Keep your windows frost-free by washing them witha mixture of one quart warm water and half a cup of rubbing alcohol.

Being mess and clutter free will certainly makes a healthy and a happy family. You don’t have to hunt for a missing glove nor should you be panicky of bacteria or fungi breeding your heaped up clothes. You won’t require a professional’s help if you follow these few winter tips! Get going now, take up the role of a trained and experienced home cleaner and ensure a non-toxic, safe family! 

Mould Growth in Your Home – Its Health Hazards and Cleaning Tips

Do you know that moulds known as Hyphomycetes, a group of fungi, can grow in your home interiors and cause health hazards to you and your family? 

Indoor water condensation is the main source of moisture that helps the growth of mould in your home. There are chances of severe health risks due to mycotoxins from some toxic moulds. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins for a longer period of time can cause neurological problems and even death in more serious cases.

Mould can affect all people. But more prone to its attack are the young, elderly or sick, and those with asthma and allergies. Asthma is made worse by the presence of mould. Around 50% of people who live in mouldy conditions can get affected by upper respiratory symptoms. Prolonged exposure to mould can also develop allergy.

In addition to health problems, mould can cause damage to fabrics, shoes, and discolour paint and wallpaper.

Mould growth can occur at poorly ventilated places in the house where there are dampness and darkness. Indoor condensation of humidity that comes from bathrooms and kitchens promotes conditions suitable for the growth of mould. Showers, hot bath, washing machines, clothes dryers, fridge drip trays, boiling kettle, and indoor plants are some sources which generate humidity. This water vapour easily travels to other areas of the house and when it comes in contact with cooler surfaces it gets condensed. In a house, condensation easily occurs at windows, corners of rooms and bedrooms. Cluttered storage, basement areas, flooded areas are also prone to mould growth.  If walls, carpet, wooden furniture and fabrics stay damp for long, mould will slowly grow there too.

Mould growth mainly depends on the type of interior finish in your house. Flat paints (compared to semi-gloss or gloss painted surfaces), plasters and untreated timbers have high percentage of moisture absorbency causing condensation of water vapour.

Mould has to be removed the moment traces are seen. It becomes difficult to clean the area affected by mould for longer periods. Avoid dry brushing the area because it could release spores that will help the mould spread further. It will also cause harm if you are allergic to it.  

Room heating, adequate ventilation, proper insulation of walls, ceiling and flooring, and physically removing the moulds are some of the possible methods of controlling condensation and mould. Cleaning affected areas using 80% white fermented vinegar solution can be more effective than applying bleach. It poses a cheap means of dispatching mould too.

In case of flooding, make sure to clean and dry the area thoroughly as early as possible. Water-damaged carpets, rugs and damp building materials are most affected by mould growth. If you are unsure about proper cleaning procedures after a flood, it is recommended that you take the services of a reputed cleaning contractor in your area.

The adage that says “prevention is better than cure” is also applicable to mould issues. Frequently clean the bathroom, window panes, evaporation trays in air conditioners, and refrigerators where there is a possibility of the occurrence of humidity. It does not only maintain the beauty of the house from the inside but also maintains your health and well-being.

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.

Add Value to Your Property by Observing Basic Home Cleaning Procedures

Are you preparing your home for auction and looking for a reliable home cleaning company who will impart a fresh outlook to the entire property? Or are you planning a major seasonal clean-up?

In both cases, once you have assigned the job to Select Home Cleaning service, we won’t be supplying just a normal cleaner; what we provide will be a well trained Select Cleaning Franchisee owner. And you know what difference it makes! As they own their business, they are sure to take more care about the quality they deliver.

The winter has already set in, but if you have not yet done the preparatory winter cleaning procedures, you can have a look at one of our blog articles here.   

Given below are some general tips for maintaining your home neat and clean throughout the year:

Ensure that your cleaning job is done using the most effective and Eco-friendly cleaning products so the best result is achieved without harming the environment.

During a major clean-up task, make sure that the cleaning staffs pay attention to generally neglected areas in the home which are to be given a smart clean. It’s also the ideal time for de-cluttering. Check the entire house, especially the bedrooms, and get rid of any unused items and junk where dust can easily accumulate.  Stash all kinds of living room and family room miscellany such as toys, hats, gloves, magazines etc. into a plastic pouch.

Make certain that gutters that may have been filled with leaves over autumn are thoroughly cleaned. Doing this could save you a considerable amount of money over time as water seeping through damaged gutter can badly affect the building structure.

It’s advisable to do the major home cleaning two times a year rather than making it a onetime complete clean-up. May be the second one can be six months after the spring cleaning. The advantage of cleaning twice is that your house will remain cleaned and more organised for a longer time. It will also be easier to properly maintain it that way. Selecting the springtime for cleaning is the best approach because you’ll be opening up the house after the winter period and every nook and corner then needs the attention. 

Always remember that what you pay for house cleaning will come back to you in double profits in the form of peace of mind and extra time during weekends! A tidy, sparkling and elegantly kept home helps to reduce stress and increases your productivity.

Phone us on 0800 000 907 to get your free quote now! Or submit a simple form given in the Select Cleaning website to receive the no-obligation free quote from your favourite home cleaning providers in New Zealand.