Author Archives: owner

DIY Tips: How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Posted on June 12, 2012 by owner

Hardwood floors are low maintenance but certainly not zero maintenance, like any surface that is part of your home cleaning they will of course need regular cleaning to get up dirt and spills and every now and again they may need more extensive maintenance.

A hardwood floor that comes with a finish on it or has been waxed is especially easy to clean and wipe with a cloth or mop or sweep. The finish stops dirt getting ingrained but the surface itself needs looking after and is in many ways more fragile than the wood it protects.

If a hardwood floor comes with a finish don’t add wax or other treatments to it, until the original finish really is past it. Also be careful what cleaners you use, they should be non abrasive and if possible PH neutral or slightly acidic, in which case it is important to wipe residue away afterwards.

The best thing however for hardwood floor cleaning is to sweep regularly wipe with a simple wet cloth or mop as soon as any spills have been made. This way dirt won’t have a chance to get walked in which can not only stick and make a floor look dirty but damage the surface through scratching away the finish.

With varnished wood the varnish itself will eventually wear down but is easy to reapply so you shouldn’t need to worry too much; wax is better at protecting the wood from moisture but can be slightly more tacky and mean dirt sticks and the wax itself starts to look dirty.

You could of course simply leave your wood bare or stained, yes wood can get damaged and wooden floors are expensive but if you have proper wooden floors, and not veneers, then any damage can be got rid of by sanding or stripping down the boards.

With harder woods especially though the wood shouldn’t get damaged easily and will age with time in such a way that it will develop character, especially with a wood like oak that will also age through darkening.

If your hardwood floor does need cleaning more thoroughly to remove trodden in dirt and stains then use a specific hardwood floor cleaner, these are formulated to leave your floor looking not just clean but add to the luster while some floor products, especially those containing ammonia, may dull wooden floors.

The main thing that can cause serious damage to wooden floors is water, the effect on plain hardwood floors is more that water can stain, water has more of an effect though on soft wood such as pine and on stained and varnished floors where these can be damaged themselves. Do make sure that if you use water to clean a floor dry it up and it is better to use a damp cloth rather than more water; if you do spill water accidentally then do clean it up.

Hardwood floors should make your home cleaning easier overall but it is easy to ignore them, remember that if you do ignore the needs of your wooden floors you may have more work long term.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service | Tagged DYI, Tips | Comments Off

House cleaning for summer time

Posted on May 21, 2012 by owner

As long as the weather’s nice you won’t want to be indoors much at all let alone doing your house cleaning while the rest of your family and friends play outside or go to the beach in summer.

Here are a few tips to make sure that your house stays reasonably clean and tidy but you still don’t get to Autumn and find the Summer’s over and you never got round to enjoying the weather as much as you planned.

First of all prepare, if you are going to spring clean leave it until towards the end of the spring so less will build up by the time summer starts. Clean and dust as well as getting your oven, fridge and other appliances clean.

If you have children they are likely to spend a lot of the summer outside and so bedrooms may have a chance of staying a little more tidy, but start tidy and there’s a better chance they won’t just dump things as they come in and out. Also before the summer comes pack away winter things, things you don’t use in summer including clothes just get in the way and create more work for you.

One of the biggest summer cleaning jobs is keeping floors clean, with people coming in and out a lot and bringing in dust, dirt and grass floors can suffer. Choose one main way in and out of your home and get people to stick to it. By doing this you will have less floors to clean, ideally it will be the way in closest to your kitchen and a bathroom, which are the main things people come in for. You may want to get out summer toys and games for the garden though and keep them close by the door or in a shed to make them more easily accessible without people having to traipse around the house.

Doormats are good but you’ll have to be strict to make sure people use them. If you are having a lot of people over you could have a runner going from the door to the garden to the bathroom and kitchen to keep carpets clean, this could even be old cardboard that you throw out at the end of the day: this is especially important if you have a pool and will have wet people coming in and out as well.

Think about what parts of your home will see the most use during the summer too, it may be easier to move objects likely to get dirty or damaged out of the way until the summer is over.

Then of course if this still seems too much you can take your family for days out: as long as there’s no one at home they can’t make mess meaning you don’t have to chase after them and keep things tidy. Days at the beach or at a park are great and if friends invite you to garden parties accept: you could even take it in turns with friends to have each other’s children over so they can only make a mess at one place at a time.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning | Tagged Supper cleaning | Comments Off

Keeping hard floors cleaner and cleaning more efficiently

Posted on May 8, 2012 by owner

With house cleaning there are some jobs you can’t get away from and can’t really make easier, dust will always end up settling on surfaces and men will never learn to lift the toilet seat it seems. With other jobs though you can save yourself a lot of work by planning ahead and through how you clean. One of these house cleaning time saving opportunities is your hardwood floors.

Hardwood floors are a big job within anyone’s house cleaning regime and so there is a lot of potential time to be saved.

One obvious option is to have a no shoes policy, this isn’t always practical and with dogs and children especially it may have little effect, dogs especially bring in dirt on their paws normally but children aren’t perfect.

Rather than a no shoes policy a clean shoes, and paws, policy may be more practical. Make sure you have floor mats at every door, don’t forget your back door. Not all mats are the same though and some are great at soaking up moisture, others good at brushing off dried on mud and dirt. The best option is to have a brush mat outside each door on the doorstep to get the worst off shoes and then another mat to soak up moisture on the inside. Then of course you have to make sure people use both: this can be tricky with dogs though.

The moisture soaking doormat will help if your dog doesn’t just leap over it, keep a towel by the door though and try to get up the worst of the dirt and dog scented moisture as possible to make all of your house cleaning and not just the hardwood floors much cleaner.

Other ways to stop your dog bringing in as much dirt includes trimming the fur on their legs that soaks up mud, water and also grass burs and other organic matter that then gets strewned around your home. Also trim your dog’s nails often to stop getting scratches on your floors that then allow in dirt to the unprotected wood.

When it actually comes to cleaning your floors within your house cleaning routine start with sweeping and vacuuming, sweeping makes vacuuming easier and better at getting up the little bits of dust and dirt with any larger bits and pieces gone.

After vacuuming clean any remaining marks and dirt, this may seem nonsensical to do it this way round but if you try to wipe up marks when the vacuuming isn’t done you can actually make matters worse by getting dry dirt damp that would just vacuum up otherwise.

You may not even need to clean up any extra dirt after sweeping and vacuuming, if you do then a quick damp cloth may work, don’t forget though that a lot of spills will mop up much more easily if done sooner rather than later. Rather than try and clear up a mess while the rest of the floor is still dirty though if possible bring forward the hard floor part of you’re your house cleaning so you can do the job properly straight away.

Posted in Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Palm Harbor, St. Petersburg | Comments Off

House cleaning health benefits

Posted on April 23, 2012 by owner

If you suffer from allergies such as Hayfever the temptation may be to shut yourself up indoors to keep out the pollen, insects and other causes of your allergies. Sometimes though the causes of allergies can be inside your home and opening up your windows and letting in some fresh air may be the best thing for you: to make your home a safe haven you must clean and clean while thinking specifically about getting rid of causes of allergy symptoms.

Changing how you go about your house cleaning may take a little getting used to but will be worth the effort if it leaves you feeling better and lets you relax symptom free in your own home. You may well also find you sleep a lot better and if you snore this too could be caused by allergens in your home causing swelling and dryness in your mouth and throat as you sleep or excess mucus.

If you have really bad allergy problems you may even want to consider taking some really drastic actions in your house cleaning and removing those things that are difficult to clean and which attract dust and dirt. This could mean getting rid of your carpets even, perhaps only in the bedroom to begin with, even if you use rugs instead these are much easier to keep clean.

You may though get away with simply hovering though, when you clean any rooms start by dusting from the top down so dust eventually ends up on the floor, now afterwards you should of course vacuum but leave the room for a half hour to an hour before doing this: it lets the dust that is swept up into the air when you dust float down on to the floor ready to be vacuumed up.

Some dust gets deep down into your carpet as do spores and pollen from outside and also other dirt such as bits of food, which give off a nasty odor and mold spores. A steam clean should be done at least every six months as part of your house cleaning to keep your carpets clean of allergens and other nasties that may cause you problems.

Another thing that you may not have thought of is the furnace in your home if you have one, this will usually have a filter to collect the soot and dirt created but after a short time this won’t work as efficiently. If you have no allergies you can change this less frequently and not notice anything but if you or your family do have allergies you should change this filter much more often than recommended: maybe every six months or less if you start having problems again.

We can tell you to dust and vacuum every day and have a regular regime for your house cleaning but that is not always possible and especially hard to get to surfaces may have to be done less often. In that case though you should try this tip for your house cleaning to stop dust ever settling: use either alcohol, mixed 50:50 with water, or diluted fabric conditioner on glass surfaces to actually repel rather than attract dust: the alcohol option can even be used on your TV screen and can get off any dirty marks in the process.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Clearwater, House Cleaning, Palm Harbor | Comments Off

Cleaning your home every day takes only 19 minutes

Posted on April 12, 2012 by owner

Can house cleaning really be done in 19 minutes? If you have children you will know they can make it messy again in much less time so why not?

Professional house cleaners and hotel maids use similar systems to this to get cleaning done quickly but importantly with the most important things never missed. If your home hasn’t been cleaned for sometime then house cleaning will take longer than 19 minutes unfortunately, what the following guide will help you do is to keep a house clean in 19 minutes when you do it every day. Overall though 19 minutes house cleaning every day will mean you spend far less time than if you leave most of your home to be cleaned once a week or even less often. For a start dirt and mess that can be wiped away easily if it has been there for less than 24 hours will become stubborn and ingrained if left for longer and may even stain.

No where is this point on wiping the case more clear than with sinks and baths; limescale deposits, grease and soap scum, sometimes when wiping down everyday you won’t even notice you are wiping these up but they will quickly build up if left leaving sparkling sinks and baths looking a dulled mess.

The kitchen is a room that should take you only 4 and a half minutes to clean per day if you follow the following check list: wipe down the sink and draining board straight after doing dishes, keeping it constantly clean with about 30 seconds work. Wipe down counters and your stove as soon as you have cooked, it will take a minute for each including rinsing the cloth as food won’t have dried on. Then sweep or vacuum your kitchen floor taking two minutes and preventing the need to mop by stopping dirt getting trodden into the floor.

The kitchen is the most time consuming part of house cleaning normally followed by your bathroom, that though need only take 2 minutes. When you wash your hands wash the sink too, use a wipe or even just a sheet of toilet tissue to remove any dirt that has come off of your hands. There’s then no reason why you can’t also wipe over some other items. Wiping your bath, toilet rim, shower screen and mirror will take around a minute. You may also want to use a mist spray and a squeegee on your shower screen and mirror to remove any deposits from water or other mess such as toothpaste specks.

The other rooms on your house cleaning list are then a doddle, make a bed in about two minutes, usually less, fold or hang any clothes that have been left out, or put them in the laundry in a further four minutes. Then go through each room dusting, simply dust on to the floor as next you will need to vacuum. While dusting though straighten out any items such as ornaments, magazines, coasters etc as you go. Lastly on your house cleaning list is vacuuming, if you think vacuuming is time consuming try doing it every day with no built up balls of fluff or trodden in dirt for a pleasant surprise.

Posted in House Cleaning | Comments Off

10 Tips To Make Spring Home Cleaning Easy And Quick

Posted on March 28, 2012 by owner

Plan and set goals, and include breaks

Plan what you want to get done in detail but be sensible with the goals you set. Also remember that some jobs don’t need doing every year, lofts and sheds for example may need a clear out every two or three years; other rooms may be in need of a de-clutter every year, especially if you have children.

When you schedule home cleaning tasks allow adequate time and allow time for breaks,

Spring cleaning can be back breaking work and resting before aches and pains become a problem will mean you actually get much more done.

Plan what you need and then head to the shops

Think carefully about every home cleaning task and plan what you will need. Remember cleaning products such as sprays, polish and creams but also supplies including clothes, brushes and gloves. Once you have a list head to the shops and try and get everything in one go to save time; if you need a lot it may be worth going to a specialist store with more choice and better prices.

Choose a day when you will remain undisturbed

If you can plan to do your cleaning on days when you will remain undisturbed. If you have children wait until they are at school or if they are younger get someone such as a grandparent to look after them. Having time to yourself to do home cleaning at your own pace can actually be quite relaxing if you rarely get time to yourself.

Work from the top down

In each room start at the top and work down; though you may also want to start at the top of your house a d work down, often leaving your kitchen to last. In each room though during your home cleaning starting at the top means that all cobwebs, dust and dirt that falls will eventually get down to the carpet where it can then be vacuumed up.

Tidy items away first

Tidy away any items not in their places before starting, if things are in the wrong rooms or out of place put them away.

Don’t be afraid to throw items away

Don’t be afraid to throw items away, if in doubt put it aside and then go through everything later. Once something has been taken out and put to be thrown you are less likely to want to put it back into your newly clean and tidy room: unless you really do want it.

Move items out of the way first

In each room where objects will get in your way such as rugs, furniture and ornaments clear them away first rather than as you go to give your self a clean run with your home cleaning.

Entertain yourself as you go

Home cleaning can get boring but keep some form of entertainment with you: it could be an MP3 player with a great playlist loaded on to it or perhaps a laptop with a favorite DVD in which you can take with you around the house.

Avoid using more chemicals than you need to

Using lots of chemical based cleaning products, they can leave you feeling unwell and make eyes and skin sting after prolonged use: choose products with natural ingredients if possible and avoid bleach especially.

In future keep on top of things with a weekly schedule

Once finished you will want to keep your home looking tidy; create a schedule to keep it tidy and try and get other members of your household to do their part as well.

Posted in Home Cleaning, House Cleaning | Tagged 10 tips | Leave a comment

Guide to cleaning products for your home

Posted on March 15, 2012 by owner

Cleaning your home is a balance between different requirements and this will effect the products you choose and how you use them. Some people make the mistake of using the wrong products at the wrong time or using two few products. Whether you are doing your own cleaning or have a home cleaning service you need to make sure that the right products are used.

With a home cleaning service they will often bring their own cleaning products but you may want to check what these are before hand and may even want to provide your own or specify how different products are used.

Some cleaning products are ideal for removing dirt and grime, other stains and tarnish. There are then of course products for killing bacteria and germs and leaving your home safe for you and your family. At the same time some products stain and damage certain materials and surfaces so should be used with caution, often diluted to a very exact degree or simply not used. Other products let off fumes and so you may not want them used at all or may want to only use these or have them used by your home cleaning service when your family are not in the house and the weather allows for your home to be aired afterwards.

When it comes to removing dirt and grime what is often needed is a lifting action, this includes using baking soda which is also natural and harmless, you might use other commercial products with chemicals in though, especially for burnt on food in an oven.

While products with a lifting action may need to be left, abrasives may need some hard work to make the most of, you may use sandpaper or wire brushes but also products may contain silica or similar to make cleaning products, often including cream cleaners, gritty.

Stains and tarnishing are different though and need different products. Vinegar and lemon juice are both acidic and can remove tarnish from products such as silver and other metals including sinks and also soap scum from sinks and baths. Stronger acidic products may work more quickly and be better for tough stains on toilets and rust stains that can be very difficult to remove but it may be better to use lemon juice and vinegar and leave them to get to work as these are less harmful and are much less likely to stain: though you should be careful with varnished wood and worktops made or marble or similar.

Bleach is a product that many people don’t like the smell of and it can cause damage but at the same time it does get rid of stains, though doesn’t actually remove very much dirt but makes it less visible. Let your home cleaning service know your preference for use of bleach and be clear what surfaces you do not want it used on.

There are then anti-bacterial products, most of these are not natural and can actually be quite harsh chemicals; there is also the argument that a house that is too clean is actually bad for children who need to naturally be exposed to some bacteria to build up their immune systems. Some people prefer to use natural anti bacterial products such as lavender oil, make sure again your home cleaning service knows your preference.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning | Tagged Cleaning products | Leave a comment

Finest European Maids Spring Cleaning Special – March 1 through March 31 2012

Posted on March 2, 2012 by owner

Spring Cleaning Special from European Maids till the end of March.

Clearwater cleaning service

$40/hour (2 hour minimum)
10% off for first time customers

Satisfaction Guaranteed

…………………………………………………..

Weekly and Biweekly rates available.

Call for a quote at (727) 539-7292

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service, Residential Cleaning | Tagged Spring Special | Leave a comment

Locating the Best Cleaning Service Clearwater Has to Offer

Posted on February 29, 2012 by owner

When looking to hire a cleaning service, it’s essential that you look at the company’s track record. Have they worked with many clients? Do they have good reviews? Are their prices comparable to the competition in the area? You get the idea.

But you also have to think about what is available within your local community. When searching for the best cleaning service Clearwater, FL has within city limits, you’re going to want to find a company that has a stellar reputation and that isn’t afraid to go above and beyond to please their clients. It should also have been in the area for a while and have a long-standing record of serving the community.

Beyond these basic things, you also need to make sure the company has all of the appropriate certifications and insurance. Liability insurance is vital, especially since they will be coming into your home to clean. Make sure they are covered in case something of yours gets broken or damaged. The individual workers should also have been with the company for a long time and have a good track record of performing outstanding work.

When trying to find the best cleaning service Clearwater has, it’s a good idea to ask your friends and family. What cleaning service do they use? What would they recommend? Put a few feelers out there to get some information about the companies in your area. You might just be pleasantly surprised to find a number of options. Or, you might find that there is one stand out company among the pack that would be an obvious choice.

Your next resource is to check out the Better Business Bureau. You should never hire a company without first checking out their record with the BBB. If they have received a number of complaints and have a history of client problems, you’re likely better off going with a different company.

At the end of the day, you just have to trust your own judgment. Does the company seem reputable? Is the customer service staff friendly and helpful? Have you been able to find positive reviews of the company online? All of these factors will come into play when looking for the best cleaning service Clearwater has to offer. Doing any less than this and you run the risk of hiring an unqualified company that could wreck your home at worst or just not do a very good job at best.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning | Leave a comment

Tips for Clearwater residents, get ready for Spring Cleaning

Posted on February 14, 2012 by owner

Whether you are a housewife, househusband and especially if you work as well as having to do housework you can save a lot of time with a little preparation for spring cleaning.

It may be tempting to just get in a Clearwater cleaning service company but you can do a lot of the work yourself if you plan and get organized. First of all you need to be honest about how much time you really will find and how much work there is to do. Make a list of jobs and look at which will take the most time. You will be most likely to find time for lots of smaller jobs so take a look at bigger jobs and also any jobs that could be done better with better equipment than you have available.

These kind of jobs are likely to include carpet cleaning and steam cleaning and you may want to get in a local Clearwater cleaning service for these to save you time and to do a better job with professional equipment. If these jobs need to be done before or after other jobs make sure you plan when they will be done and plan everything else around them; you may want to look up Clearwater cleaning services online or in your local Yellow Pages and book someone as soon as possible to ensure they will be available.

One of the first jobs you will want to do is to de-clutter and tidy, this will leave it clear for all other jobs. You can though save a lot of time by simply putting things away rather than simply dropping them around the place in the weeks running up to your cleaning and get your family members or housemates to do the same. This may also include tidying away things that have been in the wrong place for some time by picking things up as you go between rooms while going about your daily routine.

Getting in the right supplies is of course very important, if you do use a local Clearwater cleaning service for some of the cleaning they will bring a wide selection of cleaning products but you will need supplies for the parts of your spring clean you plan to complete. The easiest thing is to get items when you are doing a weekly shop but this means planning ahead so list what you will need for each task.

Even after all of this planning you may want to put off your spring clean or get in a Clearwater cleaning services company to do it instead: the trick is to try and make the cleaning as enjoyable as possible. This could mean promising yourself a treat when the job is done but also setting up some entertainment while you are working. Set up music on a MP3 player with the right kind of upbeat music to listen to as you work or if you have a tablet computer you could even load a favourite movie or TV show to move around with you as you clean your home so you are never without entertainment, even when reorganising your loft.

Posted in Cleaning Service, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Residential Cleaning | Tagged Clearwater | Leave a comment