VINEGAR
Vinegar is by far one of the most versatile cleaning agents. Use it to remove soap scum from the shower. Mix it with borax to get rid of hard-water rings in the toilet. Tape a bag of vinegar to your shower head and leave it overnight for an easy, sparkly clean; or add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to your dish soap to eliminate grease in the kitchen.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
You use your toothbrush to clean your teeth, but don’t forget about cleaning your toothbrush. Let it soak in hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes to get rid of any lingering germs. Hydrogen peroxide is also useful on many hard surfaces. Use it to scrub your toilet, trash cans, shower, mirrors and doorknob. You can even mix it with equal parts water for a safe and effective solution for mopping the bathroom and kitchen floors.
LEMONS
The acid in lemons makes them a great natural cleanser. The juice is great for disinfecting kitchen countertops and cutting boards. Cut a lemon in half and scrub your bath and shower to remove soap scum. And if your shaving cream has left a rusty ring in your bathtub, use your lemon half to scrub it away.
VODKA
Do you have a mold and mildew problem in the bathroom? Skip a trip to the store, and pull out some inexpensive vodka from the liquor cabinet. Spray it directly onto the mold and mildew, and wait 15 minutes. Then use a cloth or small scrubbing brush to wipe it clean. And don’t forget to save a little for an after-cleaning celebration!
TEA
More than a favorite beverage, brewed tea can be used to clean windows, mirrors and countertops. Spray on your bathroom surfaces just as you would any typical window or surface cleaner. Then, keep your bags to hide in the back of the fridge. They will actually work to deodorize it. And if you need to remove the scent of onion, garlic or fish from your hands, cut a bag open, and wash your hands with the leaves to remove the odor.
SALT
Remember that miracle lemon that cleaned the tub? If your dirt stains are particularly stubborn, add some salt to the lemon, and scrub the surface of your bathtub, sink or toilet. Once your salt solution has done the trick, just rinse off any pulp and leftover residue, leaving your bathroom perfectly clean with a lemon-fresh scent!
BAKING SODA
Perfect for cleaning counters, sinks, drains, the toilet bowl, soap scum, shower doors, shower heads, and well, pretty much anything in the kitchen and bathroom, baking soda is one cleaning agent you don’t want to be without. For most kitchen and bathroom surfaces, a simple paste made of baking soda and water will do the trick.
DRAIN CLEANER
Though it is not a natural cleaning solution, exactly, a drain snake is an eco-friendly way to clean out the main source of drain blockage: hair. And if you don’t have a drain snake, you can still avoid pouring harsh chemicals down the bathtub drain by unwinding a wire hanger, hooking the end, pushing it down the drain as far as it will go, and pulling up hair that is keeping the water from draining properly.
House Cleaning in Phoenix
It’s that time of year again in Phoenix, Arizona where many households are gearing up for a busy fall schedule. Kids are going to school, off to college, and work seems to always be demanding more and more time. It’s also that time of year where Phoenix experiences a lot of weather changes, from monsoons in August to the perfect weather in October. Essentials Cleaner is here to help with getting your cleaning schedule up and going to help easy the burden of your busy schedule.
Here are a few tips on building a schedule for House Cleaning in Phoenix
Home cleaning is a lot of work and it is easy to lose track and end up with a dirty home in only a matter of days. But house cleaning does not need to be difficult! If you plan out a clenaing schedule for your home, it will help you to keep the house clean without needing to put in those long cleaning Saturdays. With a cleaning routine, your house will not be perfect at once, but it will be clean most of the time. Keeping a clean home take time, repetition, and someone to complete the tasks. Here is a suggested cleaning schedule you can start with:
MONDAY [BATHROOMS]: Clean all your bathrooms. This includes cleaning the mirrors, counters, sinks, faucets, toilets, showers, and tubs. Make sure you wipe your way out of the bathroom to leave a clean floor.
TUESDAY [DUST]: Start at the top and dust your way down. It is usually best to use a microfiber cloth for the areas you can reach. For those higher surfaces, you may need an duster with an extension. Be sure to start at the top though! Otherwise, you will be creating more cleaning work for yourself.
WEDNESDAY [VACUUM]: Vacuum all the floors in your home. It can be quick and simple if you keep up on this task. Make sure you take the time to get all of the corners and crevices though.
THURSDAY [WASH FLOORS]: Wash all the floors in your home with a good product.
FRIDAY [SHEETS & TOWELS]: Wash all the sheets and towels. Put the sheets back on beds and put towels away. This will help keep your bathrooms and beds smelling clean and fresh.
SATURDAY [REAL CLEANING]: Find any areas that are “getting behind” and get to work. Saturday is often times a good day to catch up on any tasks you didn’t get a chance to complete.
SUNDAY [NOTHING]: Relax and enjoy your day.
Want an Alternative to a Cleaning? Maybe it’s time for a house cleaning service.
If you don’t have time to keep up with a cleaning schedule because of your own schedule, you can always book a cleaning online through our website or you can give us a call. You can be confident when booking with Essentials Cleaner because the cleaners are background checked, we have a 200% happiness guarantee, no contracts, no upselling, straight forward pricing, insured cleanings, instant online scheduling, easy online payment, and awesome customer service.
www.essentialscleaner.com/book
6 Things You Might Not Be Cleaning Often Enough
If you are like most people when it comes to house cleaning, the kitchen counters and the bathroom sinks get a lot of attention, but you are probably overlooking a few areas that could use a little more cleaning love.
To make sure all areas of your home are getting the attention they deserve, make sure to mix things up the next time you put the cleaning gloves on and give these six areas a good scrub
down:
1. Fridge
How Often: Clean it monthly!
The first step is to get rid of everything that is gross or questionable. If possible, keep everything else in a cool place while you scrub away, cleaning the inside of your fridge.
Remove the shelves and place them somewhere where they can warm up slowly. If you wash them too soon, while they are still very cold, hot water might crack them. While you are waiting for the shelves, start wiping down and scrubbing the inside walls.
Once the shelves are at a decent temperature, place them in warm water and scrub away. Dry the shelves thoroughly and then place them back in the fridge.
Now that your fridge is clean (and empty at the moment) this would be a good time to use your organizational skills when placing your food back in the fridge.
2. Door Knobs
How Often: Clean them weekly!
The door knobs in your home can be one of the dirtiest and most germ infested areas in your home. In addition to that, they are one of the most touched surfaces in your home, which increase the likelihood that any germs will be easily spread. Take an all-purpose disinfectant and spray the entire knob. Use the cloth to wipe away and remove the spray, dirt, and germs.
3. Ceilings
How Often: Clean them every 3 months!
Wait, what? Clean the ceiling? Yep! If you haven’t looked up at your ceiling in a while, take a few minutes to do so. If you see only a few cobwebs, take an extended duster and wipe them down. Don’t have a duster that extends? Take a broom and wrap it with an old t-shirt to get those webs.
If you have more than just a few cobwebs, you have to put a little more effort into you cleaning. Find a good all-purpose cleaner and a sponge. Test a spot on your ceiling to make sure the paint does not discolor with the cleaner you have selected. If you cannot get areas on your ceiling to come clean, it might be time to freshen it up with a coat of paint.
4. Shower Curtains
How Often: Clean them monthly!
Have you ever accidentally brushed up against your shower curtain while taking a shower? Did it feel slimy? That’s because your shower curtain is always working hard on building up a layer of soap scum.
If you have a cloth curtain, you can wash it in your regular laundry cleaning process. If you have a vinyl curtain, you might be able to still use your washing machine, but you likely need to put it in the wash by itself. Add one cup of white vinegar to the load and start the cycle on hot.
If your curtain is still gross after washing it, then toss it and get a new one.
5. Toothbrush Holders
How Often: Weekly
Oh boy, this can be one of the dirtiest places that rarely gets cleaned. You take care to make sure your toothbrush is clean, but what about the tooth brush holder? That area does a great job at catching all of the bacteria and sludge that come from your toothbrush. You can quickly and easily clean your holder by running it through the dishwasher or by hand scrubbing it with hot water and soap.
6. Pillows
How Often: At least every 6 months
Ah, pillows are great. But did you ever stop to think about how dirty they can get? If they are not cleaned occasionally, they become a paradise for bacteria to flourish. First, you need to check the label on your pillow to make sure you can run it through the washing machine. Also, be sure to toss two pillows in at a time, that way your machine will stay balanced during the cleaning cycle. Run your pillows through the rinse cycle at least two times, so that it get rid of any detergent residue.
Toss them into the dryer until they are dry.
5 Steps to De-clutter Your Dresser
HOW TO:
1. Start with a Clean Slate
Get started by clearing everything off from the dresser top. Often times this works best by placing everything in an empty laundry basket or box. All done? Awesome! You probably had more stuff on there than you thought! Take a look at all that stuff in your basket. Now you know what you’re working with and what needs to stay and what needs to go.
2. Dump the Trash
Take all of the stuff that belongs in the garbage and put it there! Do it quickly too, otherwise it might end up in a different spot in your home.
3. Dust, Clean, & Polish
Take a couple minutes to wipe down the dresser top and sides. Give some special attention to any areas that have built up dust or stains.
4. Return Items to Their Correct Place
Now look back in your basket and start putting things where they belong. Some of those items may need to be placed right back on your dresser, but this time they will stand free of the other junk that was originally there.
5. Make it a Habit
It will be easy to let your dresser get cluttered back up. Come up with a simple plan to keep clutter off your dresser! This can be done by having a “junk drawer” or a decorative dish that where you can place your smaller items such as keys, lip balm, etc.
Make a Simple House Cleaning Schedule
The simplest way to keep your home reliably clean is by sticking to a predetermined schedule. No worries, it’s not as hard as it sounds. A complete home cleaning schedule can help you to feel less stressed. By sticking to a cleaning schedule, it’s easier to get things cleaned, and quicker too. The trick to keeping your house cleaning while keeping it easy lies in making a realistic schedule that really works for you and your home.
Here is a cleaning checklist that you can use or customize to your liking!
Step 1: Prep Work
The first step is to get a good idea of exactly what must be done for you to have a clean home. To get started, grab a pen and paper and walk through your home, room by room, and make a list of the areas and tasks that will make up your schedule.
Step 2: List Your Rooms
Next, let’s break that list down into more specifics. List all of rooms and areas in your home that need regular cleaning, including the most commonly used areas such as stairs, halls, and entryways. Leave out the areas that you don’t often use, such as a guest or storage room, from this regular cleaning list. Instead, place them on a monthly or seasonal cleaning checklist.
Step 3: Identify Tasks
Make sure to look through each room on your schedule, one at a time. Take a couple minutes to list all the cleaning tasks you need to perform regularly in that room. When listing these items, order the items from top to bottom, meaning that you start with the ceiling and work you way down to the floor, as this will be the same order in which you will clean.
Step 4: Build From This List
To get your list started, here is a basic checklist that you can build on.
All Rooms
Dust light fixtures
Dust ceiling fan
Dust corner cobwebs
Clean door handles and
Dust doorframes
Dust window ledges and windowsills,
Dust blinds
Dust picture frames, lampshades and furniture
Dust knickknacks, books, etc.
Vacuum or shake out rugs
Sweep or vacuum floors
Mop floors
Add for Kitchen
Dust cabinet exteriors
Clean and sanitize counters
Clean and sanitize sink
Clean stove, oven, and range hood
Clean microwave inside and out
Wipe down appliances
Add for Bathrooms
Dust lights (while not hot)
Whip and clean mirrors
Clean and sanitize counters and sink
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Clean and sanitize toilet
Clean and sanitize shower, shower door,
Clean and sanitize tub
Vacuum and mop floor
Step 5. Select Frequency
Decide how often you want and need to clean each room. Most areas probably need a weekly or biweekly cleaning. When thinking about frequency, you should consider your lifestyle. Depending on your living style and who is in the home, the schedule for the cleaning the areas in your home may differ drastically.
Step 6: Practice Your Schedule
Schedule and start your round of cleaning. Limit the time spent in each room so that you do not over work yourself. The purpose is to find a happy balance of time and cleaning. By limiting your time, you will be able to reevaluate the schedule you created and make adjustments as needed.
Step 7: Stay On Schedule
Print out your task list so that you have it with you. It would be helpful to put a plastic sheet protector over it as well, so that it does not fall apart as you take it with you on your cleaning journeys.
Just like appointments with people, mark your cleaning appointments down on your calendar to make sure they become an automatic part of your routine.
If you can’t finish your cleaning tasks on a scheduled day, don’t worry about it. You can choose to complete a quick version of your cleaning tasks or reschedule. Just make sure you follow through.
Step 8: Reevaluate Your Schedule
After the practice month is over, take a few minutes to review how things went. During your review, think about what worked and what didn’t. Make adjustments with the things that didn’t work for the following month. Continue reevaluating monthly until you work out a schedule that works for you.
Step 9: Make It a Habit
Stick to your schedule and make it a habit. Once it’s a habit, the real time savings will start kicking in and you will have a clean house with minimal effort.
Stainless steel is a preferred material in kitchen appliances because of it resistance to corrosion. This popularity has also translated to it use in bathrooms. If you one stainless steel appliances you already know how well they can withstand time and use, this is of course as long as you give them the appropriate care and maintenance. Cleaning for stainless steel is pretty straight forward but we have a couple tips that will make sure your appliances look great.
If your appliances are in pretty good shape, it could be all you need is a little warm water and a clean cloth. This is by far the safest way to clean your stainless steel without the risk of ruining the finish. Just damo you cloth with warm water and clean the the steel following the grain of the finish. Once you’re done dry to the surface with a clean towel (microfiber works best) following the grain of the steel. Make sure to dry it right away as the minerals in the water can leave little water spots.
Let’s pretend for a second that your appliances are perhaps a little dirtier and you need a little extra cleaning power. For jobs like this, warm water and a mild detergent can go great ways. You can start with a little bit of detergent and gradually add more to the mix if needed. Just like with plain water make sure to rinse and dry right after you’re done; this again to avoid leaving any water marks.
One of the main concerns people have with their stainless steel appliances is how easy it is to leave fingerprints all over. When getting rid of these a little glass cleaner will do the magic. Spray a little glass cleaner on a microfiber cloth and gently scrub the fingerprints away. Alway try to follow the grain of the surface to avoid an off-looking finish.
In some cases, especially if there is scratching or staining, it is a good idea to use a stainless steel cleaner/polish. This type of products focus on accentuating that shine we relate to stainless steel. Like with any new product, make sure you go over the instructions before you apply anything on your appliances. It is important to clean the surface of the appliance before using any polish, this is to avoid scratching the finish. Just like before, make sure to use a clean microfiber cloth to absorb any excess product.
Whenever you are getting ready to try a new cleaning product or process it is always recommended to start with a small inconspicuous area, asses the results and if pleasing move on to the rest of the surface being cleaned. As with any “finished” surface it is always best to take your time and judge the quality of the cleaning job before moving on to the big stuff.
At the end the best way to keep your stainless steel looking great for longer is through cleanliness and maintenance; make sure you keep those two things constant and your appliances will keep that great look and feel you love.
North Texas-Dallas -DWF-Celina Providers
In search of the best house cleaning in Phoenix? Look no further. Our cleaning service pros are top of the line and to back them up, we offer 200 percent guaranteed they will deliver a house cleaning like no other. We understand how important convenience is to you, which is why we have an option for you to book your house cleaning service online.
Online booking is simple and easy. First, you give us all of the pertinent details about your home and what type of house cleaning you require. We provide several different custom cleaning options for you to choose from. Then, it’s time to enter your zip code and take a look at our handy online calendar to find a date and time that work best for your schedule.
From there, all you need to do is confirm your booking with our house cleaning service and you are ready to experience our quality cleaning service providers for yourself. Just sit back, put your feet up and they will take care of your house cleaning needs. Everyone could use some extra free time to take care of other important aspects of their life and we pride ourselves on providing it for you.
Our customer service is second to none. Every cleaner that we work with goes thorough a background check and the cleanings are insured. When it comes to house cleaning in Phoenix, we are always among the highest rated and our pricing structure is simple and easy to understand. We believe in providing flat rate pricing to all of our valued customers.
In the event that you are not totally satisfied with the cleaners we send and their ability to have your house looking its best, we are more than happy to send out a second cleaner to get the job done right, at no additional charge. Our services are available to a variety of Arizona residents. The service area we cater to not only includes Phoenix, but Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Paradise Valley.
The house cleaning services that we have available are all inclusive. A patron is able to get exactly what they are paying for, with our easy to understand flat rates. Our business is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, received an award from Angie’s List for superior service and is widely considered to be one of Arizona’s finest local businesses.
Essentials Cleaner delivers an unparalleled house cleaning experience, allowing you to relax and let the professionals take care of all of your house cleaning needs. There is no better house cleaning in Phoenix when it comes to easy booking and trustworthy cleaners. We hold our customer service representatives to a high standard of excellence. Your satisfaction is 200 percent guaranteed and we will do everything in our power to ensure your happiness.
Cleaning Your Home Makes You Healthier
When trying to avoid sickness cleanliness is basic. There is of course factors outside our homes that will inevitably lead to sickness a couple times a year, if not more. The fact of life is that you will get sick, and if you do not take the appropriate measures the rest of your family will get sick too. Getting sick may be inevitable, but you can always prevent disease from spreading by disinfecting surfaces and following healthy habits.
You probably already know that hand-washing is the single most efficient way to prevent the spreading of illnesses like the common cold. What you might be forgetting is that in most homes people use the same towels to dry everyone’s hands. Hand towels should be replaced as often as possible during this time to avoid spreading bugs around. Consider paper using paper towels as well; this is not a very ecologically friendly approach, but it is an option to be considered.
Our second recommendation would be to maintain a clean bathroom. After all that is where most of us will be washing our hands. Keep your sink handles and toilets clean to avoid more cross contamination. Another good idea would be to limit yourself to use one bathroom and avoid maintain this habit until everybody is feeling better.
If you have little ones that have fallen ill, a good thing to do would be to clean and disinfect toys and play areas. You may do this on a regular basis already, but it is especially important to maintain toys and common areas disinfected. Along with the idea of cleaning toys, make sure the “toys” of the older children are also clean. Of course we are talking electronics: Keyboards, TV remote, and video game controllers are great things to keep in mind.
If you are sick enough to miss work, you will probably spend a good time of your “time-off” stuck in bed. You need to make sure your sheets and pillow are clean and disinfected after your get better. You want eliminate the source of the illness altogether; you probably don’t want to sleep on dirty sheets anyways. While you’re at it you might also want to flip your mattress.
Another benefit of maintaining a clean home is the comfortable feeling you get walking into a tidy place. If you are already feeling down, the last thing you need is to feel even sick in the space that you are in. Nobody wants to clean while under the weather, but the feeling afterwards is totally worth it.
Cleaning your home is not a bulletproof way to stay healthy, there are external factors that will eventually get you sick. Cleaning will make sure that you are not spreading the bug around your family and hopefully will shorten the time you spend under the weather.
Tile flooring is easy to clean but definitely needs to be done daily. No one likes walking barefoot into a kitchen and feeling of the sticky or crumby tile beneath their feet, wishing they had put on socks. You have to stay on top of it! Here some basic cleaning suggestions, deep cleaning methods as well as a list of how to get rid of the build up in the grout to make your life easier.
Basic Care
-Vacuum or sweep daily
-Clean tile with a mild detergent and warm water, using a rag or chamois-type mop, rather than a sponge mop
-Exchange the water frequently throughout the process; this will increase the shine and glossy look of your floors
-For everyday simple clean up you may use a clean damp dust cloth
-Make sure to dry the floor with a dry mop whenever you use water wile cleaning; this will help prevent future dirt from building up
Deep Clean
-Mop the floor using a gallon of warm water and ½ cup of vinegar
-Rinse the floor with clean warm water afterwards
-Dry using a dry mop
Ways to get rid of Grout
-Use a #2 pencil eraser to remove dirt in small sections
-Use baking soda and water to make a paste, and then scrub with a toothbrush
-If either of these don’t do the trick, using bleach is always an option. Mix beach and water at a 1:3 ratio, then e a toothbrush or sponge to scrub
-After the stains are removed, wait until the grout is dry and then use a grout sealer to finish it off
Spring Cleaning is right around the corner! Don’t know how to begin your attack on all the house cleaning?
Here is a check list to make sure you cover all your bases and don’t miss a thing!
Kitchen
• De-clutter your counters and get rid of unnecessary kitchen utensils and tools
• Wipe down top and front of cabinets
• Wipe down backsplash
• Clean inside of oven
• Clean microwave and toaster oven
• Clean refrigerator
• Vacuum under all appliaces
• Clean out pantry and get rid of unwanted food
• Sweep
• Mop
Living Room
• De-clutter anything you don’t need, want or use
• Dust all cobwebs
• Vacuum couches
• Sweep/vacuum/mop/shampoo floors
• Wash curtains and blinds
Bedrooms
• De-clutter clothing, shoes and anything unneeded
• Wash all bedding
• Flip mattress
• Vacuum/sweep/mop/shampoo floors
Kids and Pets
• De-clutter broken toys
• Disinfect toys
• Bathe pets
• Wash water/food bowls
Bathrooms
• De-clutter toiletries, cabinets and drawers
• Wash Shower curtain
• Clean tub and toilet
• Sweep/mop floors
Laundry Room
• De-clutter cleaning supplies you don’t need
• Clean washer and dryer inside and outside
• Sweep/mop floors
All around the House
• Clean all ceiling fans
• Wash windows and mirrors
• Change batteries to smoke detectors
• Wipe down walls and baseboards
• Clean air vents
If this still isn’t motivating you to get it all done- Let us take it off your hands!