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.

Don’t Make Life Complicated with Home Cleaning- Life Is Supposed to Make You Feel Good!

Your time is precious and it need not be stressed over the housework, but in our case, home cleaning is our profession and we love to do it to get your home looking just the way you like it.

Follow these steps to make your home smell good: 

• You’ll get sweet smell in your home by simmering water in a saucepan with citrus slices and herbs, such as lavender or mint. 
• If you face a stink near the kitchen sink, put a small lump of lemon-scented dish soap, a lemon piece, or a few lime rinds down into the garbage disposal, then run the water, and turn it on. Sometimes the smell may not have been fully removed, so try pouring in half a cup of baking soda and run warm water. 
• Place sweet smelling candles (without burning them) in the linen closet, or any other place where you have fabrics stored. The lovely fragrance of the candles will be slowly absorbed by the fabrics, giving you a rush of sweet smell every time you open the door. The added advantage is that the linens will also carry the scent with them wherever you use them. 
• Try to grow at suitable locations in your home indoor plants such as geraniums, corsage orchids, eucalyptus, Arabian jasmine, gardenias, or Cuban oregano, etc., which will purify the air in your home in addition to emitting nice fragrances. 
• Prepare something in the oven if you have guests at home. The welcoming aroma of fresh baked items fills the house with yummy smells to everyone’s liking. 

How to clean windows and glass effectively

Select Home cleaning service doesn’t provide windows cleaning. However, they have some good tricks and DIY tips to make your windows and glass surfaces sparkle.

Select Home Cleaners recommend natural solutions to give you the best cleaning, without any health hazards to the kids and elderly people. They also take steps to reduce the negative impact on our environment from petrochemicals and solvents. Natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and borax are good cleaning agents, so you can rest assured that better results can be obtained without chemical cleaners.

While you can use vinegar to remove built-up water stains on glass, you need some soap which acts as an emulsifier to clean up a bit of dirt and dust on exterior windows or sliding doors. Natural toilet cleaners designed for lime and rust deposits also can be used to remove hard water spots on the outside of windows.

After spraying down the mirrors with cleaning solution, you can use a newspaper to perfectly clean the glass and windows. Finally, use a microfiber cloth to get rid of any last streaks from the glass surface.

Advantages of professional home cleaning

Every nook and cranny of your house needs utmost care when the house cleaning is done. The professionals know which places are to be cleaned thoroughly and which places need less care - less time working on the easier places gives them more time to focus on important areas in the house.

So, whether you’re looking for a regular home cleaning, a spring clean or some specialised jobs such as oven cleaning, refrigerator cleaning etc., Select Clean is there to take the hassle away. Get a quick quote now by visiting their Website or by calling them on 0800 000 907. They service Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch- affordable, security checked and award winning home cleaning service.

Expert Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Home in a Spick and Span Condition

With an aging society, and majority of younger generations unwilling to do DIY jobs, we have more consumers calling the professionals to do home cleaning and maintenance jobs for them.

This trend, known as Do-It-For-Me (DIFM) as against DIY, is now gaining momentum in the modern day society.

While you’re going to enjoy the autumn season, here are some tips to remember before winter sets in after three months:

Gutter cleaning:

Leaves and dirt might have got stuck in your gutters during the summer season. This will cause the blocked water to back up against the house, inflicting damage to the roof and weather protection materials. Gutters and drains, if not allowing the water to flow smoothly, can affect the functioning of the drainage system, which will lead to leaks in your home.

Avoid air leakage through windows & doors:

During winter period, it’s good to keep the entire volume of inside warm air in the house. Inspect the windows and doors to ensure that they don't have any cracks. In case of air leaks, take help from professional service providers who’ll use caulk to seal any cracks between each door frame and weather-stripping to efficiently seal the air leakage.  

Reverse the rotation of your ceiling fan:

During the winter period, you could increase the performance efficiency of the ceiling fans and save on energy bills by reversing the direction of rotation. When the fan’s rotation is reversed, it will send all the warm air near the ceiling to your living space as the warmer air naturally stays near the ceiling. This will help to ease reliance on running other home heating appliances (you can turn the thermostat down a couple degrees!).

Simple points to keep in mind while dusting, and vacuuming:

When you dust your home, it’s good to start the task from one corner of the room, working top-to-bottom and back-to-front. This is to allow the dust to fall onto the floor. Similarly, while vacuuming, you can begin the task from a back corner and continue vacuuming your way out the door, using long firm strokes. And when you vacuum the carpet, remember to run the machine over each strip of the carpet only once and not twice, to save time.

Before you hire a home cleaner in New Zealand, have a thorough internet search: 

• Check their credentials (work ethics, reliability and quality of work) by contacting their references, if possible. If you couldn’t get in touch with references, gather information by checking customer reviews about the company in Google or other independent social media sites other than their own website. 
• Ask if the home cleaning company has experience in doing the particular cleaning task you require; if your work is being subcontracted, know in advance who can be contacted in case of any difficulties. 
• You also need to look at the price the home cleaning companies are asking for. Never go for cheap contractors who may compromise the quality of work. 
• Check if the house cleaners are insured, and police verified. Also peruse their guarantee terms and conditions.

If you’re going to call Select Clean home cleaners who service Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch in New Zealand, you are at zero risk regarding security, reliability, dedication and quality of work. Check it out on their Website or get your free quote now by calling them on 0800 000 907.

Speed-Cleaning Ideas to Get Your Home Ready for Short-Notice Guests

Quick clean guidelines

Plan your house cleaning task in advance, get all equipment and cleaning products ready and set the clock. First, declutter the entire house before you start cleaning.  Collect all the bathroom floor towels and bed linen and put them in the washing machine. Same way, load the dishes into dishwasher.  This will clear the space for you to move quickly during the cleaning process.

Now begin cleaning the rooms one by one. Don’t spend more than 10 minutes on an average in any room, even though there are exceptions. For example, your time together with guests is limited to some particular spots in the house, so spend more time there giving attention to details. These important locations can be the kitchen, lounge room, one bathroom and other areas you think the visitor may use.

Kitchen and bathroom cleaning

It’s advisable to first give your full attention onto the difficult areas that take more time to clean and make the area spic-and-span, like the bathroom and kitchen.   

Kitchen: 

Do a quick scanning of the kitchen, collect all loose items and put them in their correct place. Anything placed on the benchtop and other surfaces will go to the cabinets and refrigerator respectively. Your kitchen will look cleaner once all the clutter, including the dishes, has gone into proper place.  

First clean the sink thoroughly then wipe down the stove, microwave, and refrigerator. Walls and other hard surfaces need to be cleaned from top to bottom in order to avoid any debris dripping into already cleaned areas.  

Quick bathroom cleaning:  
Remove hair and dust by giving a quick run of the vacuum cleaner on the floor and bath mats.

Spray the shower, bath, vanity and sink with a quality cleaner, and leave it there to work for some time. 

In the mean time, you can wipe down the walls, and scrub the toilet using a brush and all purpose cleaner. Flush the toilet after brushing, and then wipe down the outside of the toilet and tank. Remember to clean under the seat and all other nooks and crannies of the toilet. Use a disinfectant spray while wiping down the toilet. 

Clean the mirror and any glass panels using glass cleaner and a squeegee. Spray the cleaner on the glass and wipe in a circular motion starting from the top corner. Give the shower and bath a quick wipe-down giving particular attention to edges and grouting. A full scrub is not required if the guests are coming within short notice.  Wipe down the vanity top and basin and also give the sink a quick wash and rinse. Lastly mop the tiles. 

Do everything swiftly, keep moving constantly once you have started the house cleaning task. Arrange the cleaning paraphernalia in such a way that you can avoid going back to rooms that you have already cleaned. This will save you time and energy running back and forth. 

Tips & Testimonials  

Marble benchtop or floor tiles can get easily stained. For removing these stains on natural stone, try cleaning them with a piece of lemon dipped in salt powder. Once the stain mark is gone, quickly clean all traces of lemon because the acid in lemon can again damage the marble surface.  

Microwave cleaning: Mix 3 table spoons of lemon juice with one and a half cup of water. Pour this lemon water into a microwave-safe bowl and run the microwave on high for 8 minutes then wipe the oven to sparkling clean.  

Use environment friendly home cleaning products which should also be kid and pet friendly. While keeping your house green using homemade cleaning products, remember one thing: there are certain cleaning ingredients that you should never mix together. 

Read all the testimonials at Select Clean website 

Here’s one from a happy customer:

Siane Ormsby wrote to us: “Just had the most amazing cleaning experience and I've been getting a bit of help from a few companies at the moment and the Hamilton crew (of Select Home Cleaning) Ray and his partner were just awesome!! They were professional, friendly, fast and left me with a huge smile and beautifully cleaned ceilings. Thank you so much, I will be recommending you to everyone I know!”

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.

New Trends and Attitude in Household Cleaning and Home Care Products

The year 2016 saw the use of fragrance enhancing products as a key trend in home care sector in New Zealand, a Nielsen Global Home Care Report 2016 said. Very many varieties of fragrances were introduced in premium and blended category to mask chemical odours or add value to cleaning and beauty products. In Asia-Pacific region, respondents were also more inclined to say they’re looking for Eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners, the survey report added. Around 46% of respondents in the region said they seek environmentally friendly products, whereas it stood 40% on a global average.

Large retail chains are popular self-reported places to shop for household-cleaning products, and e-commerce is showing promise, the report further said.

New housing boom is a key growth driver in the home care industry in New Zealand. Retail volume growth of home care industry including home cleaning and other services is said to be moving in upward scale in the coming years as a new housing boom is expected, especially in Auckland, the Auckland Build 2016 Expo revealed. Its estimate says about 80,000 new homes will be built in Auckland itself by 2020.

Unilever New Zealand continued to lead laundry care and dish-washing products in 2015 and 2016, with 35 to 38% share of retail value sales, a Euromonitor study said. Persil brand topped laundry care products with an 18% share of retail value sales. Their slogan “dirt is good” along with ads related to sports like football and rugby gained popularity in every household. Their cleaning products are available in powder and liquid formats.

The consumers generally preferred the incorporation of laundry aids in laundry detergents. The surveys said that it would enable time-poor consumers to rely on an all-in-one product to clean, soften, brighten and remove stains in one wash cycle. This will help the consumers to save money by not buying a number of particular task oriented cleaning products.

However, it’s not advisable to wholly depend on all-in-one products for your home cleaning. To improve the health and hygiene of family members, it’s necessary to call in reputable home cleaners at least on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Select Home Cleaning Service New Zealand

Choose Select Cleaning’s regular weekly or fortnightly home cleaning service to suit your cleaning requirements and your budget.

Some of the home-cleaning tasks they perform are as follows:

• Vacuuming all the floors
• Dusting the surfaces
• Spot cleaning marks
• Washing all hard floors
• Clean all kitchen surfaces
• Complete cleaning of bathrooms, floor tiles and countertops
• Also do little extra cleaning such as cleaning inside the fridge and oven though they will be separate tasks for thorough cleaning 

You’ll be happy to know that all the SelectClean home cleaners have passed strict selection process and police verification. We also have an up to date training programme on latest techniques of home cleaning.

The cleaners of Select Home Cleaning Company are owner-operators and so you can rest assured that you house, the family members, the pets and plants, all are in caring, responsible hands.

There will be discounts for regular customers in their home cleaning list. Select Clean service can give you quality work output and they have competitive price because they already clean for customers in your area. Their cleaning service mainly concentrates on cities such as Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch. Contact their friendly staff today on 0800 000 907.

Tips to Keep Your Home Clean and Healthy

How to avoid bathroom slips and falls 

It seems all are aware of the risk of falls in the bathroom, but time and again accidents happen, causing serious injuries. Medical reports say that 28 to 35 percent people over 65 fall each year, mainly in the bathroom. And as the age increases, the rate of falls also increases with around 40% people affected in the 70 years or older category. Interestingly, the rates of falls among women exceed those of men for all age groups.

Fall prevention:

• Liquids on the floor can cause slips - mop up spills or splashes as and when they occur.
• Bathroom floors become slippery when they’re not properly cleaned. Find time to do a thorough cleaning to remove all traces of oil, soap and grease from the floor and wall tiles.
• Place slip resistant bath mat on the floor, and in the bath/shower.
• Never use smooth vinyl floor coverings; go for non-slip material.
• Use honed marble flooring instead of polished one.
• Avoid alcohol misuse and wearing of inappropriate shoes.
• Additional safety measures like grab rails and non-slip surface coating may be used. 

How to handle dampness in your home 

A damp home is an unhealthy home, there’s no doubt in that! But there is more than that - you need to spend more money as the damp air takes more energy to get heated up in the winter. Also note that moisture and dirt are the main factors which cause premature deterioration of fixtures and fittings inside the house.  

Blocked drainage and gutters, cracked or leaky downpipe, and other plumbing issues can lead to water seepage and dampness in your house. If moisture is not controlled, it’ll cause mould growth on the walls and ceiling.

Mould can cause health issues too such as asthma, lung infection, inflammation and allergy etc.

Use exhaust fans while showering, bathing, drying clothes, and cooking so that water vapours will not get accumulated indoors. If possible dry the clothes outside because drying clothes indoors creates about six litres of moisture per load.

If dampness still persists, try using a dehumidifier at places where there is more moisture and less airflow. 

Stop borer and other pests eating your home  

• Borers can weaken the timber and affect the wooden structures of your home.
• Watch out for small flight holes on wooden surfaces and presence of fine saw dust. These signs indicate that there are mice/rats and other woodworms grinding away your doors, furniture or other timber structures.
• Proper wood treatment is to be applied for preventing borer attack. All untreated wooden surfaces are vulnerable to pest infesting. Application of long-term penetrating treatment with insecticide or preservative can control the borers. Make sure that the product used for pest control treatment is environment-friendly, long lasting, and not harmful to humans.
• If you’re worried about getting an affordable and reliable pest control service in New Zealand, Select Home Cleaning Company can arrange to have it done by experts known to us in your locality.
• The basic thing to remember is to keep your home well maintained and perfectly cleaned to avoid infestation of rodents, termites, beetles etc. Clean up the places they like to nest such as bundles of old newspapers, unclean cupboards, unattended spare rooms, basement etc. 

Select Home cleaners do perfect house cleaning (from vacuuming and wiping to all other cleaning activities) - everything from bedrooms to bathrooms and the kitchen, they beautify your home with affordable hourly rate. 

Contact Select Clean now for a free quote:

Website: click here. 

Free call: 0800 000 907.