5 Spring Cleaning Tips
It’s spring time. That means it’s time for spring cleaning. We’ve got 5 great spring cleaning tips for you in this article. We hope they help you make your house beautiful for spring.
- Organize your closets. Some say that organizing your closet is the first step to organizing your home. You should go through all your clothes and accessories and get rid of what you are no longer using or what doesn’t fit for whatever reason. A good suggestion is to organize what you currently wear by how you get dressed in the morning and by color. Not only will your closet look appealing but your everyday routine will be easier.
- Make your welcome mat truly welcoming. Shake it, wash it and swat it with a broom. Give the mat a thorough cleaning, the toughest it can take. Remember, the welcome mat is your home’s front line of defense against tracked-in dirt. You should always keep the mat clean enough to operate at peak efficiency.
- Clean your windows. Dirty panes of glass present no problem when you use rubber-edged squeegees. They are quicker and more effective than cloth or newspaper. They come in a variety of sizes and a screw-on extension will allow you to reach high spots without a problem. To begin, dip a sponge into a bucket of warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Wet window and rub dirt away. Dampen the squeegee, starting at an upper corner, then take it down the pane from top to bottom. Repeat and overlap strokes while wiping the rubber edge with a sponge after each stroke. Dry the windowsills with a cloth.
- Wash walls, cabinets, baseboards and woodwork. Use a sponge and a dish-washing detergent on these areas. Be careful not to mess with the paint. Wash the surface in sections. A sponge mop will make it easy to reach high spots. You should use two buckets to accomplish this task – one with the dish-washing solution and the other for wringing out you sponge. Dry the walls and other woodwork with a clean cloth.
- Wipe your blinds if you have them. Wipe wooden blinds with a few drops of gentle wood cleaner and an almost dry sponge. Aluminum blinds can be washed outside. Place them on a sheet on a slanted surface. Scrub with water and non-corrosive cleaner. You can use a hose to rinse well and then you should dry the blinds with a towel to prevent rust.
Of course, these are just a few spring cleaning tips that we can provide you with. We will have more in our blog next week. Until then, happy spring cleaning. Remember, you can call Garcia Green Cleaners to do your spring cleaning for you. Give us a call in Austin at 512-705-2812.
What to Look for in a Maid Service
Garcia Green Cleaners is very confident in its maid service. We are a good company with good cleaners. If you choose us, you won’t have to worry about receiving a good cleaning for a good value. However, what should you look for in a maid service? Here we give you some things to contemplate.
Are the maids bonded and insured?
You want to make sure that the maids have had a background check and, if something goes awry, you will be compensated. You want them to be insured in case they break something or get hurt in your home. That way you won’t have to use your homeowner’s insurance.
What types of services do you provide?
Some maid services don’t do windows or laundry. You should know that up front. Garcia Green Cleaners does indoor windows and laundry for an added fee. We put that on our web site at www.garciagreencleaners.com. Please contact us for services offered and to get a quick quote.
What are my payment options?
You should know if you are allowed to pay with cash or check or if you must use a credit card. Garcia Green Cleaners prefers credit card payments. We don’t charge you until the service is complete. Checks are accepted but for services that are under $100. Cash is accepted and it goes directly to the maid. Tips are also appreciated by our maids, but they are not mandatory.
Do the maids have their own supplies or will they be using mine?
Our maids have top of the line supplies like Method hardwood cleaner and Meyers glass cleaner. We use Dyson vacuum cleaners, and also soft head mops. You can also request for the maid to use your products by providing them yourself. We are happy to work with your products if that’s your preference. We do charge a $5 materials fee per maid so, if you’re using your own supplies, call the office at 512-705-2812 to see if you can get that waived. It shouldn’t be a problem.
Are your maids punctual and professional?
Yes, our maids are punctual and professional. They are on time and ready to work. They will leave your house very clean. Remember, the first one to two appointments should be longer than subsequent appointments because they’ll be more thoroughly cleaning your home. If you are not satisfied, remember that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
We hope that these questions have helped you decide to choose Garcia Green Cleaners as your maid service. We’d love to help you keep your home clean.
How do I Clean a Toilet?
In this article, we’ll teach you how to clean the toilet. No one likes to clean toilets, but it’s necessary. A clean toilet doesn’t smell bad and it prevents bacteria from spreading. To correctly clean the toilet you’ll need both a toilet cleaner and a disinfectant. In fact, we recommend the following materials:
- Gloves,
- Toilet brush,
- Toilet bowl cleaner,
- And disinfectant spray.
First, you should take everything on the toilet off. If you have pictures or books or tissue boxes on the top, take them off so you can clean the toilet. You can clean these items later before you put them back on. Keep them somewhere safe where they won’t get sprayed with the toilet cleaner and disinfectant or water while you’re cleaning the toilet.
Take the clean gloves and put them on. We suggest that you use a dedicated pair of gloves for the job. You don’t want the bacteria from the toilet being spread to other household cleaning tasks. If you must, buy your toilet-cleaning gloves in a different color than your other rubber gloves so they don’t get confused.
Next, you should wipe down the toilet with a damp sponge. Give it a once-over with hot water. You should wet with water and wipe around the tank, lid, seat, base and exterior of the bowl. This might be enough to remove the dirt without specialty cleaning products. If not, you can clean with a disinfectant or toilet bowl cleaner later on.
Now you can apply with a toilet cleaner to the inside of the bowl. Toilet cleaners help eliminate stains, rings and mineral deposits in your toilet. Squirt the cleaner on the inside rim of the toilet bowl, allowing it to drip down the sides of the bowl and in the water. Read the instructions on the cleaner because some cleaners require time to sit for maximum cleaning effect. If so, take a short break and then continue.
It’s time to scrub the bowl with a toilet brush. You should use a brush with firm bristles. Scrub the bowl thoroughly and pay attention to any mineral stains that have accumulated at water level or the back of the bowl. The more thoroughly and firmly you scrub the bowl, the cleaner it will get. To get the most out of your toilet bowl cleaner, dip the brush in the toilet water and grab some suds to clean the bowl. It will give you extra cleaning power.
Once the bowl is scrubbed and clean, you should flush. This rinses the bowl. You should continue to scrub as water drains from the toilet because the motion of the water alone might not be enough to rinse the dirt away. If you have persistent stains, repeat the process of applying toilet cleaner through rinsing the bowl. Do it as many times as you need to to clean the toilet bowl.
Now that the bowl is clean, you can clean the rest of the apparatus with disinfectant. Clean the bottom, the top and all around the toilet. Don’t forget the handle because it has bacteria on it too. Once it’s sparkling, wipe up the residue with a dry cloth and then you’re done.
All you need to do is clean the items that were on the toilet before you started cleaning and then put them back where they belong.
If you need help cleaning your toilet or don’t feel like doing it yourself, Garcia Green Cleaners can help. Give us a call in Austin at 512-705-2812. We’re happy to take care of this for you!