Author Archives: Publisher M

Safe Computer Cleaning During Your Home Cleaning

Keeping Your Computer CleanHaving dust in the house is not just an unattractive proposition, but it can also damage the parts of your PC.

You will have to perform regular computer cleaning to maintain it in good condition and avoid expensive and undesirable repairs.

You need to clean the casing and monitor the sides as well to avoid the build-up of dust. Dust is the number one enemy of your PC. You may use an anti-static cloth for dusting off the casing but keep away from furniture cleaners and strong solvents for the purpose.

Keyboard cleaning

Dust, food, and other similar particles tend to get stuck below the keys of your PC. This eventually leads to the computer not working properly. Let’s look at some fundamental tips for helping you keep the keyboard clean.

Unplug the PC from the USB ports and PS2. Shut it down before unplugging them. Your keyboard will have to be turned upside down to remove all the dirt and dust. You may use compressed air to clean between all those keyboard keys. After this, you can utilize a cleaning cloth with alcohol or a paper towel to clean your keytops. Remember not to pour any type of liquid over the keys. After it is dry, you may reconnect the keyboard to your PC.

Monitor cleaning

Several things, such as dirt, fingerprints, and dust, can cause the computer screen impossible to decipher. However, it is not too difficult to clean the computer monitor whenever required. You may get certain monitor cleaning kits from the market. However, remember to utilize the proper cleaner depending on the screen surface. One of the better ways of doing this is with a clean and soft cloth and water.

Keep in mind not to use a glass cleaner for monitor cleaning. Many screens come with an anti-glare coating, and this can get damaged by using glass cleaners. Turn off your pc and also unplug it from the mains. You can use a clean and soft moistened cloth to wipe the screen clean. Never spray any liquid on the monitor because it is likely to leak within the monitor and damage the inner parts of the PC.

Deal with the spills

If there is a spill of some liquid over the keyboard, you need to shut down the PC immediately and also disconnect it from the keyboard. After this, move the keyboard upside down to allow the liquid to drain completely. If the liquid is too sticky, you will have to hold it under running water to rinse it away. Now maintain the keyboard turned upside down for a couple of days before you can reconnect it. The keyboard will be beyond repair by this time; however, it is the most effective way of dealing with this issue. The best thing to do is keep all your drinks away from the area where your PC is located.

Never try to restrict the airflow near the PC. With the computer generating a lot of heat, the casing comes with fans to prevent overheating. Avoid all stacks of paper, books, and other items close to the machine. In case you reside in Clearwater, FL area and you are looking to hire professionals for home cleaning together with computer cleaning, get in touch with Finest European Maids for expert help.

Picture Credit: Freepik

Posted in Cleaning Tips, Home Cleaning, Maid Service, Maid Service Tampa, Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ways Of Ceramic Tile Cleaning

Some tile cleaning and grout cleaning tips for achieving clean flooringCeramic tile flooring is an extremely popular flooring alternative. This kind of flooring is durable however, similar to all types of floors it also requires cleaning and care. In this article, we will see some tile cleaning and grout cleaning tips for achieving clean flooring.

Vacuum or sweep the flooring

Vacuum or sweep the tile flooring every couple of times a week. Grit and sand are capable of scratching and dulling the surface. After you have removed all the dirt you need to do the mopping. Mix hot water with a mild detergent and apply it by using a chamois or rag rather than using a sponge mop. The sponge mop puts dirty water inside the grout and soils it. You need to keep on changing the cleaning solution within the bucket often so that there isn’t a dirty mop leaving films of dirt on the floors. But, in case you end up with a cloudy film on the flooring containing dirt, you can remove it by using all-purpose cleaners. Ensure that it is non-abrasive and will not scratch the flooring. It is also possible to prepare cleaner by yourself by mixing vinegar or lemon juice with hot water. Apply this solution to the flooring and then buff-dry it by using a clean cloth. It is possible to use a towel that may be pushed over the flooring by using your feet.

Grout Cleaning

One of the more significant things while cleaning tile flooring is, knowing how to keep dirty grout away. Dirty grout means you have dingy-looking floors. Grout is generally porous and it absorbs dirt easily along with grease and other similar material. Spray this grout by using commercially made grout cleaners. You may also use mild bleach solutions for this. But, keep in mind to wear gloves while using these kinds of products. When you have deep stains let the cleaner sit on the tile flooring for ten minutes. Then you can use a toothbrush or similar small scrub brush for scrubbing away the grout. After this mop the flooring and rinse it thoroughly and then wipe it dry.

Deeper Tile Cleaning

When you are looking for deeper tile cleaning, you need to scrub ceramic tile flooring by using a polisher scrubber or an electric floor washer. This thorough cleaning action provided by this equipment is certain to brighten up joints and tiles. You can use a solution containing 1/4th cup of low-sudsing detergent or 1/2 tablespoon of either tri-sodium phosphate or washing soda or commercial flooring cleaning powder together with one gallon of water. You need to rinse well.

Ceramic Tile Cleaning For Stains

For stains that originated from tea, coffee, or juice, you can wash the flooring surface by using a mixture of detergent and hot water. After this, blot the surface by using hydrogen peroxide. For grease stains, you may use water and club soda or even a commercial flooring cleaner. If you have ink stains, you will need to use a cloth soaked in diluted bleach and place it on top of the ink stain. Keep the cloth lying there till the stain has vanished and rinse it completely after it.

If you have stubborn stains it may be a good idea to use a paste of water and baking soda. Apply the mixture to the stains and keep it there for the night. In the morning scrub it by using a nylon brush.

Being aware of ways of cleaning tile floors correctly will help in keeping them appearing beautiful and improve in service of it last for years. If you would rather have professionals doing this for you and you live in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, or Pinellas County, FL, get in touch with European Maids Cleaning Service.

Picture Credit: Freepik

Posted in Bathroom Cleaning, Cleaning Products, Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Cleaning Service Tampa, Cleaning Tips, Floor Cleaning, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service, Maid Service Tampa, Palm Harbor, Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Tile Cleaning, Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sprucing Up Your Guest Room For The Holiday Company

Home Cleaning Thoroughly Before Arrival of GuestsThe guestroom in your home usually sees maximal use all through the holiday season starting from Thanksgiving till New Year. You get a good opportunity to entertain your guests-family members and friends when they visit you to join you in your festivities. Though the celebrations and merry-making will be a tad muted and restrained this year owing to the pandemic, you’ll still find many reasons to play the enthusiastic host.

Below we have discussed some practical tips on how to spruce up your guest room for the forthcoming holiday season. These tips will stand you in good stead when it comes to tidying up the guest room to accessorizing the space, letting your guests feel perfectly at home.

Home Cleaning Thoroughly Before Arrival of Guests

You have probably forgotten the last time you cleaned up the spare bedroom for entertaining a close relative or friend of yours. More often than not you use the guestroom in your home as a hobby room, art room, or home office. Make sure you relocate or clear away personal stuff from the guestroom as much as you can well in advance for the holiday company.

The idea is to make your visitors or guests feel as comfortable as possible rather than giving them the impression that they’re being intrusive. After all, you’d want your near and dear ones visiting you to strongly believe that they’re welcome. Start home cleaning by dusting the entire room using a clean dry cloth or a microfiber duster beginning from upper surfaces.

If you have a carpeted floor, then use a vacuum cleaner for sucking up deep-seated dirt and grime from the carpet. On the other hand, brush off ceramic and hardwood floors using a high-quality floor cleaner and a mop with a reusable microfiber pad. You must have changed the bed linens and bedcovers following the departure of your visitors towards the end of the holiday season.

In case you haven’t, then make sure you do so before the arrival of your new guests or visitors. Do up the bed by spreading a recently laundered bedcover, and place cozy pillows, blankets, or duvets on one side. Layering the bed with a duvet or bedspread minimizes contact with pet dander, dust, microbes, and other potential allergens.

If your guest or visitor is particularly sensitive to scented or aromatic laundry detergent then using fragrance-free natural soap powder demonstrates that you care for your visitors’ wellbeing. And if the weather stays cool and sunny then make it a point to keep the entrance and windows open to let in enough sunshine and fresh air. This will ensure that the guestroom remains airy, clean, and free of moisture.

Also, see to it that there is sufficient space in the room for allowing your guests to put away their luggage and belongings. At the same time make sure that the closet or wardrobe has plenty of space and spare hangers for your guests’ clothes.

Keeping Your Guestroom Cozy and Snug for Holiday Company

It does not bear emphasis that your close guests (though they’re an extension of your family) may feel a bit discomfited staying in your home even if briefly. So, it is up to you to make your visitors feel fully relaxed and at ease. You can do the following to make your guests feel comfortable and remain calm and content during the holiday company: –

  • Place a bedside desk or counter close to the bed for keeping eyeglasses, phone, books, and a water bottle handy during sleep.
  • Keep spare pillows and blankets on the bed so that they have the option of choosing those which make them feel comfy.
  • A desk lamp is very handy, it enables your guests to find their way back to the bed from the bathroom after they’ve switched off the lights.
  • Placing a small card mentioning your Wi-Fi network’s name and password on the bedside desk helps your guests to stay in touch.
  • Chances are that your visitors will be carrying their smartphone that also doubles up as an alarm clock. However, it’d be a good gesture on your part if you already keep a charging dock with an alarm clock in the guest room.
  • The last thing your guests would want after getting up in the morning is to wake you up for their daily caffeine dose. And the best way to spare your visitors from the embarrassment is to install an electric kettle or coffeemaker with some disposable cups.
  • There’s no gainsaying that everybody needs to stay hydrated during the cold and harsh winter season. Hence ensure that you keep a good number of water bottles or a pitcher. Also, keep snacks, including biscuits, crackers, wafers, and granola bars that your guests’ can have with their tea or coffee.

You can contact European Maids in Clearwater, FL if you are looking for professional help. They provide experienced professionals equipped with modern tools to clean your house effectively.

Picture Credit: Crello

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Cleaning Service Tampa, Cleaning Tips, Clearwater, Holidays, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service, Maid Service Tampa, Pinellas County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Useful Internet Safety Tips For Kids And Teens

How To Stay Safe OnlineWith the increased usage of computers and smartphones, more children are getting exposed to the online world. Hence online security becomes an important concern for kids and teens. Being a parent, you need to safeguard your kids from the world by implementing ideas that ensure they are safe and hacks that could help them deal with uncomfortable online situations. Below we have discussed some best ways of safeguarding teens, tweens, and in-betweens who remain online consistently.

Never Allow Your Children to Post Personal Pictures or Information

Keeping your personal life out of the public eye is challenging with increased exposure to social media. Unknowingly kids share their images at home or other places that tell the world about the location they are at. When you take a picture using a GPS-enabled smartphone, it includes metadata along with additional information embedded in the image. Such information can be easily used to track location your location.

As per a survey by Common Sense Media, over 53% of American children aged below 11 and 84% of American teens owned smartphones. Strangers can take advantage of such information for accessing and locating minors through image tracking. To counter this, you can disable location settings for the camera to eliminate metadata. Both Android and iOS devices support disabling location settings. For computer-saved images, you can upload them to data-stripping free software for Linux, Mac, and Windows Operating Systems.

Prevent Your Kids or Young Adults From Sharing Their Password

Protecting your personal information online is important to prevent the chances of being hacked. Sharing passwords with friends online exposes your children to data breaches that can have dire consequences. Even if you share such information with a trusted family member online, everything leaves a digital trail. Information transmitted through messaging systems or emails is there to stay forever irrespective of the fact you try hard to erase them. It is possible to retrieve and use deleted data without your knowledge.

Experts also warn about another issue related to passwords. They advise you to not use the same password for multiple websites and accounts. Professionals call it password repetition and it is a common reason for identity theft. CIS (Center of Internet Security) recommends protecting passwords by securely noting in a notebook and not on any computer.

Stay Informed With Whom Your Children are Chatting Online

Although it seems impossible to track each person your child speaks with online, you need to be diligent about their involvement online. There are a number of both free and paid apps that allow you to secretly monitor your kid’s online security such as Pocket Guardian, VISR, and Bark.

You can keep your communication open and honest in case you are concerned about invading your child’s privacy. Kids surfing the web should know that not everyone they come across online saying who they are the has right intentions. You should start this vital conversation the moment you know your child has an online presence. Having a normalized conversation about online safety with your child is the best way of mitigating any possible problems that may occur.

Ensure Your Child Takes Permission Before Download Any Game or App

Internet games are a major attraction through which children usually start their online interaction. There are websites promoting ads encouraging children to download unknown programs or games based on recent searches. In case someone downloads unauthorized data, it might infect your computer with malware or malicious spyware that often makes you vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

Both Apple’s App Store and Google PlayStore offer you parental controls for better internet safety for kids allowing you to prevent unauthorized app downloads. You may also use apps like Boomerang that encourage your children to take permission before downloading.

Set-up Your System in a Central Location

Your children should be informed that both computers and the internet keep a lasting record of online activity. Ensure their online behavior is not be different from how they act in person. Like they should never walk up and hold a conversation with a stranger, they should do the same online.

If you looking for a service provider offering organizational and home cleaning services in Clearwater, FL, contact European Maids. They offer a wide range of useful services through their licensed and trained employees.

Picture Credit: Crello

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Cleaning Service Tampa, Clearwater, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service, Maid Service Tampa, Palm Harbor, Pinellas County | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Regular Home Cleaning Has Therapeutic Effects

Benefits of Regular Home Cleaning and Organizing Do regular house cleaning and a well-organized home bring more happiness and internal stability? Although most people might not consider cleaning and organizing things as a reliable solution to deal with mental health issues, recent research indicates that a clean house or an organized home brings serious psychological benefits.

If you remove extra clutter, dirt, debris, and dust inside your house, you will experience several benefits besides physical health benefits such as better indoor air quality. Below we have discussed some important benefits of organizing your house and keeping it clean.

Benefits of Regular Home Cleaning and Organizing

Our environment has a remarkable effect on our identity. Having a cluttered interior living space with misplaced items, garbage or unwashed dishes affects the way we see ourselves. Most of us have observed this and a study published in Psychological Science had confirmed that both order and disorder have a measurable impact on our preferences, behavior, and choices.

The research concludes that people living in a clean and orderly space were highly likely to choose healthy snacks, do charity, and prefer options labeled as traditional or classic. On the other hand, disorderly rooms experience a boost in creativity and unconventional thinking but could not choose a healthier and conscientious living.

Another research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin indicated that homes instilled with positive words like restful or restorative were less likely of being stressed or exhausted compared to cluttered homes. Women are likely to be more negatively impacted when they have stressful home scores tested using high levels of cortisol and increased depressed mood during the day.

Psychology of House Cleaning

Despite your preference of having little chaos in your living environment, house cleaning is an important part of homeownership and daily well-being. But why cleaning the house is so important for our psyches? Explanations vary where some research believes that having a clean house motivates you to seek new experiences and explore. Such ideas help in managing the negative feelings.

As per a study conducted by Indiana University, St. Louis, locals reported high levels of physical activity when they lived in a clean house. The research also concluded that interior cleanliness was an important predictor for physical activity even if all other factors were taken into consideration.

Another study published in the Journal of Neuroscience stated that living in a clean environment boosts concentration levels and improves focus. It happens because the brain processes debris and clutters as a distraction while you try to correct the situation. Although we don’t usually realize this, our subconscious uses up mental resources for processing the clutter in our work or home environment and takes up valuable bandwidth of other tasks.

With our hectic schedules and a host of other things to manage, we usually have limited time to do regular household cleaning. Hence, to ensure your house remains clean, you may contact European Maids. The company offers professional cleaning staff to perform house cleaning and keep your home in the best condition. Their services can be availed across Clearwater and Pinellas County, FL.

Picture Credit: Crello

 

Posted in Cleaning Service, Cleaning Service Clearwater, Cleaning Service Tampa, Cleaning Tips, Home Cleaning, House Cleaning, Maid Service, Maid Service Tampa, Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment