Tag Archives: deep cleaning

Bed bugs

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1038456_roach“Good Night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is a saying that has become so common in our evening routines. Bed bugs have been around for thousands and thousands of years. Previously on a strict diet of body fluids of animals they have recently found another target – us.

Normally bed bugs are found in places where overall cleanliness is not of a high standard. However, it is a common problem everywhere and probably each and every one of us will have to face it sometime. Getting even a couple of these visitors can complicate things enormously as one bug can reproduce 3 times during its life laying 500 eggs at the rate of 5 eggs per day. It is therefore very important to know how to avoid them and how to act if they have already made a home in your bed.

Keep the room clean and well dusted at all times. Wash with a proper floor cleaner regularly. Change your bed linen often and meticulously clean rugs and mattresses. Consider buying mattresses and pillow covers that are bed bug proof. Inspect. Look for brown, rusty looking spots of bug excrement on your mattresses or bed boards and if you spot any, act immediately!

Prepare the area

• If the infestation is severe, things like stuffed animals, soft toys or blankets or even laptops should be removed, cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, and bagged for a couple of days.
• Where possible dismantle bed frames. By doing so you can expose additional bedbug hiding sites.
• Remove drawers from desks and dressers, to inspect and clean all hiding spots.
Inspect
• Look in any place that is dark and isolated. Inspect adjoining rooms where an infestation is found.
• Most popular hiding places for these bugs are cracks and crevices in head and foot boards and attached side railings and supports. They can also hide in tears on mattress.
• Stand up the box spring and shine a flashlight through the gauze fabric to expose bed bugs.

Treat

• Vacuum along baseboards, nearby furniture, bed stands, rails, headboards, footboards, bed seams, tufts, buttons, edges of the bedding as well as the edges of the carpets(particularly along the tack strips).
• Scrub infested surfaces with a stiff brush to remove all eggs.
• Discard vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed plastic bag when finished.
• Seal all holes where pipes and wires penetrate walls and floor, and fill cracks around baseboards and moldings to further reduce harborages.
• Caulk cracks and crevices in the building exterior as much as possible as those can also become alternate hosts for bed bugs.
• Garments and bed linen can’t be treated with insecticide therefore they will need to be laundered in hot water (120°F minimum).
• Spray affected areas with insecticide sprays

Be aware that most of bed bug sprays will need more than one application so do not punch the air in celebrations if you do not seem to find them after first treatment. It will take more than that to get rid of them fully.

Spring cleaning checklist

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901029_mopSpring has arrived and there is no better time for deep cleaning your home than now. Everyone knows the term “spring clean”. For most it means torture, for few it means joy or for the lucky ones it may mean few extra pounds for experienced, agency trained cleaner who will carry out all the hard work for you.

To help you or your cleaner out we have set up an “Amy Cleaning checklist for spring clean”.
Before starting, you must remember that spring clean is all about reaching out for those places that you would normally miss on a regular clean so keep your eyes wide open and roll your sleeves up.

Kitchen: Defrost and thoroughly clean fridge and freezer. Place a dish of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge to remove odors. Clean oven and microwave. Reach out not only inside but also the top of your kitchen cabinets. Clean surface of your kettle and descale it; get rid of breadcrumbs in your toaster.
Bedroom: Strip the bed and launder winter bedding ready for storing; vacuum and flip the mattress. It would be ideal if you would give your bed a preventative treatment against bed bugs to avoid any possible future problems. Reorganize and de-clutter your wardrobes; store winter clothes; shine and protect wood furniture.
Living room: Declutter and organize your shelves; clean fireplace and electronics.
Bathroom: Throw out expired hygiene and cosmetic products, wipe surfaces and frames of mirrors; give a thorough clean to bath tub, toilet basin, sink. Make sure you reach out hidden sides and behind where possible.

Clean windows and cob webs everywhere. For eco friendly window cleaner, fill an old spray bottle with half vinegar and half water. Clean and change ventilation filters, wipe down dirt from doors, light switches, pendants and shades.

Open all windows to allow spring air in and save your air fresheners. Essential oils such as tea tree or eucalyptus are great for purifying the air too and also act as a natural disinfectant. Dab some on a piece of tissue and leave it in the bottom of your rubbish bin.
Donate your clutter and help others too or if that cleaner is charging extra for spring clean why not sell all the unnecessary things in car boot sale?

A cleaner house will give you a boost of positivity even when those rainy days will come back.

How to burn calories while cleaning

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1241736_fun_steakWith Christmas around the corner and dining tables covered with succulent turkeys and cakes it is easy to forget what your daily calorie intake should be or what is the meaning of the word calorie in general. To top that bloated next morning feeling, it is more than likely that you will have to wake up to a house full of dirt, leftovers and unwashed dishes. Don’t despair, you can make your house spotless and burn calories at the same time.

Begin cleaning from bathroom. Scrub the tiles with long sweeping motions. Exaggerate the movement up and down until you feel the burn. When scrubbing the bath get into the squat position and hold it. Keep yourself suspended to burn more calories. Get on your knees to scrub the tub, and use long motions back and forth to work the arms and shoulders. Shake the rugs outside up and down several times. Use round circular movements with your arms to clean toilet bowl and sink. Swing the mop out way in front of you making sure that your knees are bent to protect your back when sweeping the floor.
Hover taking long swift moves. If you feel even more festive, you can even do some dance moves while cleaning your carpets. Hover can be brilliant dancing partner, just don’t let your neighbors see you. Use circular motions for all the furniture when dusting and don’t be afraid to put some pressure where possible. This is great for firming the arms. When bending down to reach hidden places, take some time to do deep knee bends. Step up to the cob webs. Stretch on your toes or use a small ladder. Get the duster and step up, dust, step down and repeat.

Remember that half an hour session of hovering will burn between 75 and 125 calories, mopping floor-112 , cooking and food preparation-100 calories per hour, making beds-70.

So don’t rely on Brussel sprouts to get you through Christmas dinner, but explore the hidden gym in your house and you will be amazed at the results.

Winter cleaning

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We are all familiar with term “spring clean” and surely everyone will agree that a deep clean is a must in each household at least annually. But how about preparing your house for winter?

Living in a region with changing seasons, like Britain where winters get cold, it is very likely that your home will be closed up all winter long therefore winter clean is just as important as spring clean. First reason is of course health. The second reason is because with the holiday season, you will most probably be a host to lots of parties. Last but not least, for most people Christmas season brings more stuff into the house; presents as well as dirt and germs. Clean now to prepare for these unwelcome additions and keep your mind at rest.

We have listed a few of the “musts ” for winter deep cleaning.

1. Clean your skirting boards. We always vacuum, steam clean our carpets, sweep and mop floors, scrub tiles…but often neglect the skirting boards. It is easy enough. First vacuum the area with your attachment, or rather the hose, then use a mild solution to wipe them down.

2. Clean the air vents. Those will give you unnecessary dust if neglected. Unscrew them from the wall if you can, remove, clean them well and put them back on. Makes a big difference. Remember you will have a sealed house for the winter and the heat on almost constantly.

3. Dust ceiling and freestanding fans. Dirty fans will blow dust around once heated so please pay attention to them. Turn the ceiling fan off, stand on a chair or small ladder, and wipe the blades down with whatever solution is appropriate for the material the fan is made of. Wipe the top of the blade, and not just the edges. Take apart a freestanding fan by unscrewing the cage around the fan if needed. Reassemble and resume use after cleaning carefully.

4. Vacuum your upholstery. If you have pets, perhaps you do this regularly, but for those of us who don’t, we sometimes neglect this. Take the cushions off after you vacuum those, and clean underneath.

5. Sanitize the trash cans. Scrub and rinse them inside and out. Doing this outside with the hose works well, if you’re still able to go outside and not freeze your fingers!

6.Twice a year (summer and winter), you should clean all of the mattresses in the house to keep dust mites under control. Vacuum the top of the mattress, move the mattress and vacuum the box springs, then flip the mattress and vacuum the new top of the mattress. For further protection add an allergenic mattress pad and wash your sheets in hot water.

Pay extra attention to humidity of your house. Perhaps it’s worth investing in humidifier now or using alternative methods such as bowl of boiled water. The air will get very dry with your windows shut through the winter and that heating on.

How to do an “after Christmas” kitchen cleaning

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We have finished with our Christmas season and we are back to normal life. It is now when we realize that having a 10kg turkey and roasted vegetables and pudding and ice cream… has paid off, not only on us but on our kitchen also!

Do not worry! Doing a deep clean of the kitchen after your Christmas fun it is not at all difficult.

First of all, make sure you have everything that you need, chemicals, cloths and so on. Have them ready on top of the table, so you do not waste time looking for the oven cleaner when you are half way through the cleaning process.

Secondly, make a list of what you have to do. This way you can make sure that you tick all the boxes when you finish your job.

When you think about doing a deep clean it is important that you think “top to bottom” and “left to right”. This means that you will need to start, for example, dusting the ceiling and will need to finish moping the floor.  If you follow a structured work, it will be easier and quicker to finish with the cleaning.

Here is a check list to help you with your deep cleaning:

  1. Dust ceiling and corners of wall.
  2. Dust ceiling fan.
  3. Clean windows inside and out.
  4. Wipe all wooden works: wooden door frames and window ledges.
  5. Clean all walls.
  6. Clean in/outside all kitchen cupboards and drawers.
  7. Clean in/outside microwave, oven and fridge/freezer.
  8. Clean washing machine, tumble drier, dish washer, kettle, toaster, mixer.
  9. Remove all grease and grime from worktops.
  10. Wash and de-scale sink and taps.
  11. Wash worktops.
  12. Dust and clean chairs, table.
  13. Sweep, mop, vacuum underneath movable furniture.
  14. Sweep, mop, vacuum floor.
  15. Empty and wash bin.

This list can be longer if your kitchen needs it. Be flexible with it and feel free to add new tasks, such as deep clean of the fan, if you feel strong enough!

The last advice we can give you: Get your music up! Listening to your favorite songs while you clean will put you in the mood and the time will pass by.