Home Cleaning and Maintenance Diary for Every Household- Tips, FAQs and More!

Keeping your house well maintained can be related to the servicing of your car- if not done at regular intervals, you’ll have to face costly repairs in both cases!

If possible, keep a house maintenance calendar at home where you can write down easy maintenance works for scheduled tasks such as weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning. Another option is to call a house cleaning service provider for professionally doing such scheduled tasks.

Three Things to Remember for Proper Home Maintenance:

• Test the functioning of your water heater’s temperature and pressure relief valve once in a while. This can minimise the chance of a leak caused by mineral and corrosion build up in the water heater.  This way the water heater will run more efficiently, decreasing your energy bills.
• One point people often forget is about changing the batteries in smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. This can cost you dearly in case of an accident. So replace the batteries every six months and make a note of it in your home maintenance diary.
• Another important point to remember is to vacuum your refrigerator coils if you’re using the older versions. Only a good refrigerator mechanic will tell you this because many are unaware of the fact that dusty coils will not radiate heat easily and thus the machine will use more electricity to cool your stuff.

FAQs on Home Cleaning, and Replies by Select Cleaning Professionals

Here are a few frequently asked questions by clients and our answers... If some of your questions haven't been covered here, send us an email, or call us to get your doubts cleared. 

How can I get a quote or book for a home cleaning service?

You can get your free quote by calling us on 0800 000 907 or by simply submitting a form on our website with relevant details for a no-obligation free quote. We’ll revert back the same day. We guarantee a spick-and-span kitchen, living room or bath area after our professional house cleaning service.

Do you clean in my area?

We provide house cleaning services in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington & Christchurch, New Zealand.

If you live outside of the above places and still would like to get Select Cleaning standards, we may still be able to help you directly or can get the work done by some reputable house cleaning services in your local area.

Should I provide cleaning equipments and products to my cleaner?

You need not to- we are a well established home cleaning company in New Zealand and have all the state-of-the-art cleaning equipment and quality products.

What services do you offer and what not?

At Select Cleaning, we do normal regular inside cleaning of homes.  We also do spring cleaning and moving cleans but do not do steam cleaning, carpet cleaning, ceiling cleaning, and window cleaning.  Those cleaning works they don’t do, they can arrange to have them done for you.

Are your home cleaners pet-friendly?

Yes of course. Our cleaning professionals are pet friendly as they have been given adequate training on how to treat dogs, cats and other pets in your home. We give the care, love and respect your pets need. However, if any of your pet is aggressive and may obstruct the cleaner’s work, please inform us in advance and ensure that the pet is well secured and kept away from the cleaning area.

Suppose if there is additional job other than specified, would you do it?

Sure, we can help. Please inform us the requirement and we’ll give you an extra quote for it and the cleaner will do the needful.

Do I need to be at home while you clean? Can I trust the cleaner you send?

You need not to be available in the cleaning location. You may go out for a walk or go for a weekend picnic while our responsible cleaners manage the house cleaning task. It's thus your choice to stay around or not.  From our side we can give guarantee that our expert home cleaners are security checked and police verified and so there won’t be any security or safety issues.

Do you have any guarantee for the home cleaning task? What happens if we’re not happy with the home cleaning you provided?

Please contact your cleaner immediately if you have any concerns about the quality of the cleaning. They’ll guarantee to fix any problems on the next visit or you will get the next clean for free.

Visit Select Home Cleaning website or talk to their office executives or cleaning professionals on 0800 000 907 for clearing any queries or for obtaining an obligation free home cleaning quotation. 

More Tips on Autumn House Cleaning and Gardening Activities

Falling autumn leaves can create havoc in your home drainage system. Autumn water blocks and related issues can be solved if you take gutter cleaning seriously- timely inspection of gutters and roof is important, need not to spend much time for this. If the gutters and drains are blocked, and roofs show signs of wear and tear, it can cause water to seep into your house foundation, wall cavities etc., affecting the security of the concrete structure. Installing gutter guards is highly recommended.

Check your fireplace thoroughly and get it cleaned and repaired by experts to prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. This can happen with wood-burning fireplace.

Rearrange your furniture and bookshelves etc. to allow or restrict more air into your home by blocking or freeing windows and air passages as per the outside temperature. While re-ordering, take some time to dust out the furniture and bookshelves.

Autumn Window Cleaning

Here is a nice DIY window cleaning method. Use a bucket half filled with water. Pour a cup of methylated spirits into the bucket and stir well. Take some of this mixture into a spray bottle and spray on windows while wiping with a squeegee. Once cleaned, polish the windows with a paper towel. Using newspapers for cleaning is not advisable as the printing ink has a latex base which may make smear marks on the window glass.

Shape Up and Organise Your Wardrobe

An autumn clean is exactly the right time to organise your wardrobe, all the way streamlining your huge clothing storage. Remove less used garments. Think of charity or some garage sale or Kidspot Market to dispose of staunchly unworn clothing that belongs to you, the children or other members of the family. Do the same process to your linen cupboard also. Keep the most used items on shelves at eye-level for easy pick up, and move the rest to higher shelves.

Put Your Bathroom Cabinet in Order

De-clutter the cabinet- check out the cosmetics, soap, oil etc. and remove those items which are untouched for long.  If you call professional bathroom cleaners on a regular basis then there won’t be much to do for autumn cleaning too! Otherwise it could be a Herculean task ahead.

Make Your Kitchen Neat and Tidy

Have the kitchen cleaned out and the cupboards washed inside out for autumn by a home cleaning company. The refrigerator, ovens, dishwasher etc. also should get some professional cleaning by skilled technicians.  

Gardening and Outdoor Cleaning Tips

Autumn is the best time to keep your outdoor area well maintained!

Before winter peeps in, it’s necessary to do a few seasonal extras to your cleaning list to prepare your home exterior for the winter. Drain and store garden hoses, lest they get spoiled in winter. Give a close look to the painting and do the touch up wherever required. Drain the pool and close it up after seeking advice from experts.

Clean all outdoor furniture and garage, in addition to drains and gutter cleaning. And have a closer look into the garden! If you grow lot of vegetables, clean up is required in Autumn. Remove all piled up green waste and garden rubbish, and replant the winter crops after cleaning tubs and planters and refreshing and conditioning the soil. Grow new plants from stem cutting as Autumn is the best time for tip cuttings from your favourite shrubs.

Trim the hedges, shrubs and wall-trained bushes to shape. Cut off dead branches of trees in order to avoid them falling during a winter storm and causing damage.

Spray the weed killers on your lawn. Use a garden fork to aerate the lawn and sprinkle some lime over it to sweeten the soil. Give suitable autumn feeding in tired lawns so as to prepare them for the winter months.

Call Only Well Known House Cleaners

We are daily watching many media reports about unlicensed home cleaners with poor workmanship and unscrupulous behaviour. You can avoid this experience by depending only on reputed cleaning companies. Also search the internet for reliable home cleaners in your locality and visit their websites to read testimonials and also to have a feel of their work culture and quality.

Removing Blood Stains from Clothes, Carpet and Upholstery- DIY Tips

Blood Stains on Fabric: 

What would you do if blood stain occurred on costly clothing?

If the stain is fresh and wet, soak the cloth in cold water and apply some soap. Rub the stained area gently with the soap and wash properly. If the stain doesn’t go completely, put some hydrogen peroxide on the stained area and wash the cloth with a brush applying slight pressure. If the blood stain has already dried when you saw it, first brush the area to remove the surface deposit. Then soak the affected area with some quality stain removal product. Lastly, apply diluted ammonia on the stain and wash the cloth.

On Carpets:

People have a general tendency to immediately rub the stain as soon as it happens! Never do it as it’ll cause the stain to spread further. What you should do is to blot/sponge the stain with a clean white cloth.  The right way is to press down the cloth on to the stain and remove as much blood as possible.

When you see that the stain has spread to a larger area, start blotting from the edges first and move towards the centre to avoid the stain keep spreading.

If the stain is not fresh, use a toothbrush to dust out the outer layer of dried blood. Soak the area with two cups of cold water mixed with one spoon of dishwashing detergent. Use a white cloth to blot the stain. Switch on a fan and allow the strong airflow to dry the carpet.

On Upholstery:

Your guests’ looks always fall on the upholstery whether you like it or not! Even a slight trace of stains will be noticed as upholstery forms elegant decor piece in your home. Try the following method to keep your upholstery in good shape and quality, free from blood stains.

If you see blood stains on the upholstery, never rub it as it’ll only help to spread the stain deep into the fabric. If the stain is fresh and wet, blot or sponge the stain with a pure white cloth. As said earlier, try to blot the stain first from its periphery and slowly get into the centre.

If the stain happened to be old and dry, first scratch it gently with a brush and then do the steps mentioned below.

After removing the initial traces of stain, more thorough cleaning is required. Soak the stained spot with a cup of cold water mixed with half a spoon club soda. Again blot the stained area using a clean, white cloth. Continue blotting the surface till last traces of blood have come out.

Now to lighten the stain further, do the following. Prepare a mixture of 80% water, 10% glycerin, and 10% laundry detergent in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well. Apply this mixture on the stained spot and gently scrub in a circular motion.

Once the stain has been completely removed, pour cold water onto the area, and pat dry with a towel. The mixture of glycerine you just prepared will remain in good condition for a longer time, so preserve it for future blood stain removal.

There are chances that rough methods of blood stain removal by inexperienced hands may damage or discolour your clothes, carpet, or upholstery. Always consult a carpet cleaning specialist if you’re not sure about the stain removal process.

You can also contact Select Home Cleaning Company who can arrange professionals from their friends’ circles to help you out. They are affordable and reputed home cleaners you can trust. Also get your home sparkle clean with Select Cleaning service. Their cleaners consider their client’s home as their own and extend high quality approach to each customer. That’s why Select Cleaning Company has a full customers’ satisfaction guarantee whereby they don’t stop cleaning till you are satisfied.

Must Know Facts about Home Maintenance and Organising

Home maintenance issues - Let’s discuss some common house maintenance problems and their solutions, and preventative checks one should do from subfloor to rooftop.  You should know whether the maintenance issue can be solved by yourself or there is the need for calling a professional home cleaner, plumber or electrician. Call a reputed house cleaning company in New Zealand to find out if the issue can be fixed by DIY tactics or there is need to call a pro.

Being a responsible family person, one should also know how to properly deal with emergencies at home such as a water pipe burst or electric fire.

Water leaks – dripping from the ceiling or running down the walls, these leaks can be caused either by corroded water pipelines or bursting of pipes due to freezing. For water leaks, it’s better to call an expert because DIY methods could further complicate the issue.

Stains or mould on wooden flooring – excessive wet cleaning is one of the reasons which can lead to mould build-up. Call only reliable house cleaning companies in New Zealand, not cheap service providers who’ll eventually spoil the property. If water leaks or subfloor dampness is the cause, you may call a plumber.

Peeling of paint from exterior walls – check the rain gutters. If the gutters are not cleaned regularly, they may overflow or leak from damaged corner joints. A steamy bathroom can also cause this issue. Find out if there is some problem with the way you clean the bathroom. If everything is ok, then you may have to put a ventilation fan to remove the extra moisture.

Mould formation: detailed study on health hazards and preventive measures - water leak above the ceiling, bad drainage, faulty plumbing & corroded pipes, poor ventilation, etc. can cause mould and mildew in your home interiors. Indoor water condensation is the main source of moisture that helps the growth of mould. 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 serious neurological problems.

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 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. Sealing the windows, doors and walls with caulk, stripping and other sealants can prevent mould spores from entering your home. Cleaning affected areas using 80% white fermented vinegar solution can be more effective than applying bleach.

Prevention is better than cure- 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.

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 professional home cleaner.

Quick tips for organising your home – if you find your flat surfaces filling with clutter, you should know that it’s time to organise your home. Placing everything in its proper place is the best way to organise your home. This way the rooms will look more spacious and healthy. When every item in the kitchen or other rooms has its designated place, you no more need to waste time and energy searching for things.

Never keep dishes piled at random on counter tops. Also avoid stuffing kitchen cabinets with unwanted items. Have a closer look and remove the things that you don’t use anymore. 

Is your home entryway covered with coats, backpacks, shoes etc.? You must rearrange the things there to have the best first impression!

Speed Cleaning Your Home- Quick Tips!

Let’s look at a 10-minute quick house cleaning procedure you can follow if you hear that some guests are coming within a short notice. First of all clean those areas they most likely will see.

Grab a laundry basket and collect all loose items strewn around in the main living space. Next, go to the bathroom and clean the sink and wash basin with liquid soap and dry it with a clean cloth. Mildly spray some cleaner on the mirror and wipe it out. Take a wipe and clean the exterior of the toilet seat and sprinkle some toilet cleaner inside. 

Same way do some quick cleaning around the kitchen too. Collect all loose items on a laundry basket and hide them somewhere! And put all the unclean dishes in the dishwasher. Spray a cleaner on the countertop and wipe it out with a rag to make it glittering. And finally dust and wipe the surfaces if you have the time- wet rag dusting will be fine to save time.

How about keeping a home cleaning kit? 

Anytime the requirement may come to wipe down quickly. Include bottles of all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, a disinfectant, and a collection of cleaning items like sponge, roll of disposable cleaning cloths, paper towel, microfiber cloth, and even used toothbrush etc. in the cleaner tray or basket. You may also a use a cleaner’s caddy to store these things nicely. Keep the cleaning kit thus prepared at some convenient place safely away from toddlers.

Take this cleaning kit with you as you move around starting from one end of the house and clean room to room.

Putting things in their proper place

Make it a daily practice, and include your family members too. Guide the children where all the scattered things will go. When all are contributing to put the things in their places in the hall and other rooms, it’ll be pretty quick to complete the home cleaning task.

Bathrooms

Use a cleaning liquid made out of dish soap & white vinegar and rub down the tub, countertops and shower. Afterwards clean everything with fresh water and wipe down. 

Kitchen cleaning

Greasy residue and soap scum in the kitchen area can be cleaned with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol. Any number of repeated scrubbing and scouring greasy kitchen splatters won’t clean it perfectly unless you use rubbing alcohol.

Spray the bench tops and stovetop with suitable cleaners and wipe down. And for the microwave, do the following: Add about 1cm each of vinegar and water into a coffee cup and put it into the microwave and turn on for 2 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cup and give the microwave a wipe. The trick here is that the vinegar steam will have lifted off any gunk and made the cleaning easy. 

However, for thorough cleaning of your house in a hygienic way, you need to go for a deep scrub of everything, and even more! Things like dusting the skirting boards, cleaning out under the fridge, removing stains from floor tiles etc. have to be done occasionally to keep your home germ free. For this, remember, there are no shortcuts to practical and perfect house cleaning.  No other way to do it than calling professional home cleaners in New Zealand who are affordable and customer-friendly.

Contact Select Cleaning now and escape from the tiring work of weekly or fortnightly home cleaning you would normally do. Main home cleaning works done by Select Cleaning are:

• Vacuuming all floors
• Dusting surfaces
• Spot cleaning marks around doors & switches
• Washing all hard floors
• Cleaning all kitchen surfaces
• Completely cleaning bathrooms and toilets
• Additional works can be done like cleaning inside the fridge or oven. 

Their professional and affordable house cleaning service is available now in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton. Call them on 0800 000 907 and get your free quote now!

Home Maintenance Checklist for Autumn Months

The weather is now excellent in this autumn season as temperatures are a little cooler than summer. Here are a few home maintenance activities for March to May autumn months. Never use cleaning materials that are harmful to plants and animals. Make sure that the home cleaners use mostly Eco-Friendly products.

March:

Caulking and weather-stripping - Check for worn caulking and weather-stripping around doors and windows. They are the ones that reduce entry of cold air into the home during winter. Cracked or worn weather stripping should be replaced with new stripping. Same way, worn and ragged caulking has to be removed and re-caulked with branded products. Properly weather-stripping the gaps will seal all air leaks and thus pay for itself in terms of energy savings.

Get rid of the clutter – Cluttered homes generally create tension and bring in negative energy. De-clutter your home efficiently. Never keep too many furniture in the living room. Magazines and newspapers are not to be piled up in the bedroom or living area, they have to be kept in the storeroom. Don’t pile up things on the coffee table! Clear, unimpeded traffic flow will keep your mind free and fresh, that’s why clutter shouldn’t be allowed at any place.

Neat and clean exterior - Remove piles of leaves and dirt in the courtyard and garden and prune back trees, shrubs & vines. Trees should not obstruct light from entering into your living room.

April:

External surfaces - In addition to routine home cleaning and maintenance, give attention to clean the outside of the house in the month of April - Wash down all external surfaces including windows, driveways, and fencing etc.

Fire Alarms - Check all smoke and fire alarms when turning the clock ahead for Daylight Savings. Change the batteries of the alarms if necessary.

Tree-planting - After thoroughly cleaning the garden, make sure to plant seeds & bulbs for spring and summer fruiting. April is the ideal time to do that.

May:

Clean gutters - Replace old or damaged gutters with new ones. Better to purchase gutters with built-in leaf guards. Never compromise on quality regarding gutters, and drains etc. as there are plenty of cheap varieties available in the market. Take only the good quality products.

Clean fireplace & wood burners - In the fall, it’s advised to have your chimney inspected by a home cleaning expert and give it a professional cleaning. Ensure that all the ash from the fireplace and any stuck on stuff on the walls and the bottom of the fireplace are completely removed. Once the cleaning is over, inspect it for yourself and see to it that everything is sparkling clean.

Clear autumn leaves & dead wood - Rather than calling a landscaper or a house cleaning company to do the fall leaf cleanup, it’s recommended to do the task by the DIY route! The reason is cleaning of the autumn leaves and dead wood is not a onetime process. As leaves will be falling regularly covering a longer period of time, the cleaning has to be done two or three times. With proper tools and a well thought-out plan, leaf cleanup won’t be a difficult task for you and the family members.

 
Select Cleaning offers fantastic home cleaning job- extremely honest and reliable service. Security is never a problem with Select Cleaning Company as all their professionals are police checked and verified. The advantage here is that you get a high-quality cleanup at a cost effective price. Their home cleaners in New Zealand and Australia are continuously trained with the latest technology in the field. Each of their cleaning professional is a SelectCleaning Franchisee owner who takes pride in doing the home cleaning perfectly every time conforming to the SelectCleaning standards! Call them now on 0800 000 907 for an obligation-free home cleaning quote to experience it for yourself.

Follow the Stipulated Hygiene Standards for Your Healthy Home

As we spend over 80% of our time indoors, we should make it a point to reduce the presence of a wide variety of micro-organisms in our home. The air we breathe should be fresh and oxygen rich without harmful germs. Frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and then drying by a clean towel is necessary when you’re working in the kitchen or spending too much time indoors.

For strictly adhering to the hygiene standards of healthy living, let’s look into different areas in the home where you need to concentrate more. 

Doormats

The doormat placed outside the main door harbours bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. which can cause infectious diseases. These germs can easily enter your living area from the doormats in many ways. Keeping your shoes outside can prevent the free flow of germs to a great extent.  Nylon yard or polypropylene mats have the quality to collect most of the dust particles from the shoes.

It’s thus clear that more attention should be given to doormats while cleaning the house. Inculcate good hygiene practice by vacuuming the mats weekly and washing them neatly on a monthly basis.  Use a standard disinfectant spray while cleaning the mats.

Kitchen Dish Towels and Germs

A new study reveals that kitchen dish towels contain more bacteria than any other place in our homes. Damp dish towels, even those cute embroidered ones, are breeding grounds for germs.  People working in the kitchen have the tendency to touch the towel too often and that too sometimes even before washing the hands after handling raw meat. This causes the towel to be contaminated with bacteria.

Replace kitchen dish towels daily or at least on those days you cook. This is to avoid bacteria in an area in your home that needs to be the most hygienic place.  Stock up on alcohol wipes could also cut down on bacteria.

Cell Phone Usage in the Kitchen

It’s advisable to keep your smart phone out of the kitchen. People have a tendency to grab the mobile while cooking. Bacteria are sure to infest your phone and you’ll transfer them to all the places you and your phone move!

Kitchen Sink

Don’t get surprised if some tests by microbiologists prove that your kitchen sink is dirtier than even the toilet seat as far as harmful microorganisms are concerned! Some studies said around 500,000 bacteria per square inch can be found in a kitchen sink. A sink, where raw meat, dairy products or other things contaminated with bacteria are handled, easily becomes breeding ground for large colonies of the bacteria and poses a health risk.

Because dirty dishes are rinsed and washed frequently, there will be higher levels of moisture in the kitchen sink. This creates ideal conditions for heavy bacteria buildup.  So make it a point to wipe down your kitchen sink frequently.  

Water Filters

Not all types of bacteria are harmful. Many organisms, including some varieties of bacteria, are found in drinking water. They normally pose no health concern. But you have to be careful about E.coli, Coliform Bacteria, Salmonella & and other such disease causing microbes. 

A free-standing ceramic filter can be used on a countertop or under the sink filter housing. Some standard water filters use four-stage purification to cleans the water of bacteria and viruses.

Floors

Know where harmful bacteria lurk in your home. Floors occupy most of the space and face maxium foot traffic in your home, so they naturally contain large colonies of bacteria.  Vacuum the floor regularly and sweep it at least once in a week with a good disinfectant cleaner. 

Pets

If you have pets, learn the safety precautions and special cleaning procedures to follow so that you can control the levels of bacteria and fungi inside the house.

Bedding and Carpets

Wash your bedding on a weekly basis and vacuum the carpets regularly. Maintain a routine cleaning timetable for the carpets and beddings as they harbour dust-mites and other allergens.

Occasionally call a professional home cleaning company in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington & Christchurch to safeguard the well being and healthful life of your family members.