Clean & Tidy

We all love it when the weather starts to warm up and we can spend more time outdoors, but when the sun does shine there is one part of your home that you’ll instantly need to clean – the windows. Why? When the sun shines through your windows every bit if dirt and grime is revealed for all to see, but worry not, cleaning your windows is easy if you know how.

Cleaning the windows might seem like an easy job, but it’s really hard to get a professional finish. Often when you’ve cleaned the windows grubby marks or streaks will still be present, so how do you get them sparkling clean?

If the windows are really dirty, it’s a good idea to start with a bowl of soapy water. Wash the windows using a rag, concentrating first on the window panes themselves, then wash the frames and the sills – the frames and sills get dirty too! When you’ve done with one window, wipe it clean using a dry rag. You can then spray on a proprietary window cleaning solution and buff clean using paper towels.

It might take a little longer to do it this way than just using the window spray alone, but you’ll only get rid of all the dirt if the windows are washed properly first.

A house clean is not complete unless the skirting boards are sparkling. And it’s never enough to give the skirting boards a brush over with the extendible hose on your vacuum cleaner either, if you are going to do a job you may as well do it properly.

People tend to skip the job of cleaning their skirting boards because they are often really hard to clean. And we don’t just mean to remove the dirt. It can be a back-breaking job cleaning all the skirting boards, especially if you have to move furniture out of the way first.

If you are going to clean your skirting boards properly the first thing to do is suck up all the sitting dust and dirt using a vacuum, if you like you can use a duster for this step. Then using some warm soapy water you need to use a fresh rag and wipe the skirting boards over thoroughly, concentrating on any really dirty areas whilst making sure you don’t soak the delicate paintwork or wallpaper just above the skirtings. It’s also important to pay attention to the profile of the skirting, any odd shapes and indents in the skirting should be paid particular attention to remove grime.

When the boards have been washed clean, you can use a new rag to wipe over the skirtings to remove any soap residue and bring them up to a shiny finish.

A new robotic vacuum device has just been launched by electronics giant Sharp, which promises to clean your carpets while giving you a low-down on how it’s getting along.

Cocorobo can communicate in three languages and has around 30 phrases which it can use to keep you updated on its progress. The robot also features a small integral camera so can take pictures and give you a live-streaming view of your floor and room, which it can beam directly to your mobile device.

Sharp’s new vacuuming robot uses infra-red sensors so it doesn’t bump into things while vacuuming and when it’s running low on battery it can make its own way back to its docking station to recharge its batteries.

The mobile app which works alongside Cocorobo shows the user things such as the distance travelled by the robot, now much charge it has left and the temperature of the room.

Having a nifty gadget which can help with the cleaning chores is a great idea, but when you really need to do a deep clean there’s nothing that can match the services of a professional house cleaning company.

After a busy day trading, the last thing a shop owner wants is to start cleaning their premises. And if the premises are a large retail outlet, it might be completely unrealistic to clean the shop from top to bottom nonetheless.

First impressions make all the difference to sales. If a shop is grubby it will put potential buyers off, to the contrary if a shop is spotlessly clean, the shoppers will feel relaxed and will be happy making purchases from the shop.

If you own a shop which sells consumable goods the cleanliness of the premises is even more important. Regulations state that these types of premises need to be hygienically clean at all times, something which may be difficult to keep on top of if you are already running the shop yourself.

Experienced shop cleaners in London take all the hard work out of shop cleaning. They have qualified staff who can complete those laborious cleaning tasks for you, in half the time it would take to do the job yourself. And their experience of working within a range of different industries helps them to understand your specific requirements.

A builder’s clean is an essential part of a home’s preparation before it is released onto the general market. For new builds’ this is especially important, as many trades will have been working in the home for a period of time and a great deal of builder’s mess can be created.

Building work can create a significant amount of dust, and not just directly where the work is taking place. The dust, dirt and debris can work its way through the entire home. Even if the work area is cordoned off and only a small building job is completed, the mess generated can mean the whole house will require cleaning.

Builders cleaning services can be slightly different to standard domestic services. The cleaners may have to enter a building site, so may have to follow certain rules and regulations, and may even have to wear safety clothing to work on site. The cleaning job may also be ‘dirtier’ than standard domestic cleaning and specialist equipment may be required.

If standard cleaning isn’t enough to remove the dust and debris after a building job has been completed, it’s worth taking a look at specialist building cleaning services. Builders cleaning in London is the best way to get your home looking great after completion of a building project.

There are two reasons why a client may require end of tenancy cleaning. It might be that the person moving out of their rental home or apartment wants to make sure they get their deposit back. Or it might be that the property owner wants to get the property in a liveable condition ready for new tenants.

House cleaning before moving out

If you rent a property it’s important, before your tenancy agreement expires, that the home is in a spotless condition so your rental deposit is returned. It’s easy to let your rental accommodation become a little grubby over the course of your let; but it’s also easy to get it ship-shape so that when you walk through the door for the last time it looks perfect.

House cleaning before moving in

When you’ve been letting a property for a period of time it can get a little grubby around the edges. The perfect time to clean a property thoroughly is between letting periods, hence before a new tenant moves in. The best way to get a tenant to fill the property quickly is to let them view it in a good clean condition.

Following on from Part 1 of this article we continue with the most efficient way to clean a living room.
If you have an entertainment system, make sure that it is dusted and lifted from its stand so that every part of it can be cleaned. Even if it means removing cables from the system, it’s worth cleaning it properly now. There is no excuse for dust behind the TV, under the DVD player or under the TV unit.

Windows are the next thing to be cleaned. Clean window frames with a damp cloth and then clean the glass to a sparkling finish. Any plants you have can also be dusted carefully to remove dust settled on the leaves. A good idea is to give them a quick spray with cold water using a misting gun; this can refresh them and also make dust easier to remove.

All other surfaces can then be wiped down including furniture fronts and backs, window sills and any fireplace hearths. Make sure you don’t forget the door handles as these can really get grubby and are a haven for germs.

Last but not least you can use a vacuum to suck up debris from the carpet or other floor covering. Make sure you do behind all the furniture before pushing it back and concentrating on the centre of the room. If you have a tiled floor this can be mopped or if you have a hardwood floor you can clean this with hardwood floor cleaner or wipes.

It can be hard to find the time to clean a home thoroughly, but if you tackle one room at a time you can separate out your cleaning into manageable portions so you can tackle the jobs easily.

If you are going to clean just one room it’s important that it’s done thoroughly because it might not be done for some time again.

Cleaning a living room

The first place to start when you are cleaning a living room is the dusting. Make sure all surfaces are dusted thoroughly. If you have a bookcase or a mantle piece, remove everything from the surfaces and wipe them all down with a damp cloth. Make sure you do on top of items which are hard to reach. If you have pictures or mirrors on the walls take them down and wipe their frames. Clean the mirror glass or the picture fronts with a glass cleaning agent and then re-hang them.

Dust and wipe all the ornaments, removing grubby marks. If you have dado rails these need to be cleaned next. Wipe them over with a damp cloth to remove any settled dust. You can then move any furniture to the centre of the room and do the same cleaning job on the skirting boards.

Continued in the next article

In the last article we started our synopsis about kitchen cleaning. In this article we will continue in the same vein.

Cutting boards

Your cutting boards should always be washed with an anti-bacterial soap after they have been used. You should also make sure you use separate boards for cutting raw meat and vegetables or cooked products.

Kitchen bin

With recycling being heavily promoted, most homes now have a waste food bin alongside the general rubbish bin. If possible you should use compostable bags in the food waste bin, which can be tied and thrown into the recyclable waste when full. This will reduce the chance of any lingering smells in the recycling receptacle.

Microwave ovens

In a similar manner to standard ovens, microwaves often get forgotten about where cleaning is concerned, as when their door is shut, the contents within can be forgotten. Incidentally, if you microwave a cup of water with a dash of vinegar and a slice of lemon for a couple of minutes, any food debris on the sides of the oven will wipe away with ease.

A professional home cleaning service in London will of course be able to help you out if you need a cleaner on a regular basis.

When you’ve been cooking in the kitchen it can take ages for the smells or odours to dissipate. Kitchen smells can really put you off your food and can be cause for concern that your cleaning regime might not be up to scratch. Some quick kitchen cleaning tips include:

Oven

If you are using your oven to cook on a regular basis you’ll need to make sure you clean it on a regular basis too. The oven is one part of the kitchen which can easily fall into neglect, as when the door is shut the horrors inside can be hidden away. If you use a proprietary cleaning agent, make sure it does not damage the oven surface; always test an inconspicuous location first.

Refrigerator

Regular refrigerator cleaning is vital to get rid of those lingering smells. You should empty your fridge on a weekly basis and dispose of anything which is past its use by date. When you do this it’s easy to wipe out the fridge with a soapy cloth.

Sink

Sinks can become really smelly if they aren’t cleaned on a regular basis, and this doesn’t just mean giving them a wipe over with a damp cloth. A hot water/bleach mix should be poured down the sink on a regularly to remove any food debris which may be accumulating.

Continued in the next article