Showing posts with label dusting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dusting. Show all posts

Monday, November 04, 2013

11 Dirtiest Areas In Your Home [guest blogger]



http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbamouse


11 Dirtiest Areas in Your Home

If you take pride in your home, you probably think that you know the key offending areas when it comes to dirt. In many cases though, you might be surprised!

Let’s take a look at the dirtiest areas in any home.

The kitchen


It’s no surprise that the kitchen is one of the dirtiest areas. One of the key problems here is that items such as clothes and sponges are used again and again without being cleaned.

Door knobs and handles


Regardless of where exactly in the home they are, knobs and handles are breeding grounds for germs and other nastiness.

Bathroom cabinets


Make-up brushes and applicators are notoriously dirty, and can harbor all kinds of dirt and grime. Make sure that you regularly change your brushes to avoid any health problems such as sore and infected eyes.

Office desk


If you regularly eat lunch at your desk, your keyboard could be one of the dirtiest areas in the whole home. It’s often neglected as homeowners simply don’t realize how bad it can get. You can find office cleaning in Wimbledon to Wembley if you feel that you can’t keep on top of things yourself!

Toilet flush


Most people know that the toilet needs to be cleaned regularly, but it’s easy to forget about the handle! It’s touched dozens of time each day with dirty hands, so requires some special attention.

Tiles


The grouting in between tiles can get really grubby if it isn't regularly cleaned. This applies to bathrooms, kitchens, and flooring.

Your toothbrush


Bacteria loves warm and moist areas, making your toothbrush the prime candidate for the spread of germs.

The fridge


Having lots of food in one place means that your fridge is a high-risk area. Try to make sure that the correct temperature is maintained at all times, and give it a regular wipe to get rid of germs.

Television remotes


Yet another one that people often forget about! Every member of the family touches remote controls, yet it’s rare that they get so much as a quick wipe.

The laundry basket


Even if you think you’re being super organised, keeping all your dirty laundry in one place means that it’s a concentrated area of dirt! Get into the habit of getting the washing done as soon as possible.

You!


Don’t forget that it’s usually human beings that spread dirt around! Always remember to wash your hands at regular intervals, especially while you’re doing the housework.


By taking action in these specific areas, you can be better placed for a cleaner home.



This article was brought to you by Ruth Smith on behalf of First Choice Cleaners, a professional company that provides domestic and commercial cleaning in London and further afield. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Four Tips for Keeping Your Bathroom Cleaner

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/designer-bathrooms#slide-1

A question I received yesterday was "How can I create a schedule to keep my bathroom cleaner?"  Really what you need are a few routines to cut down your actual cleaning time. Here are a few tips for the bathroom:
  • Swish the toilet every morning with your toilet brush. This will keep the bowl cleaner so you don't have to clean as often.
  • Use an "eco-sponge" in the shower while you are in it. The sponge uses the technology of friction to clean off soap scum. It's great for glass shower doors too.
  • "Dust" your bathroom every day with a dry microfiber cloth. This will keep the buildup to a minimum and make actual cleaning a cinch.
  • Keep a small battery operated vacuum in the bathroom and run it every day on the floors. This will keep the hair and lint to a minimum.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

A Review Of My Book By The Healthful Truth


Here is a review of my book by the Healthful Truth. Thanks Lily!

The Joy of Green Cleaning

Green Cleaning CoachI have a dream…that one day my home will be completely free of harsh chemicals! I was raised to use these toxic chemicals. My mother says “If you’re not using Clorox, it’s not clean!”. My mother even uses it in her dish water especially when someone gets sick in the home. I thought this was how it was done! (Sorry Mom!) Now I cringe when I smell bleach. Lysol All Purpose Cleaner gives me a raging headache.
What is my “why” when it comes to green cleaning? I didn’t actually start to make green, non-toxic changes until I became pregnant and started thinking about my daughter’s health. I thought about how she would be crawling on the floors absorbing toxic chemicals through her skin and mouth. They would be present on her clothes and inhaling these chemicals that kill brain cells, cause cancer, and irritate your skin. If you have kids you know that their skin is very sensitive and their guts are very permeable and these chemicals would quickly get in to her blood stream and wreck havoc. Not only did I think about the cleaners but also the baby products like shampoos and lotions. Another reason
why, is that we over do it when it comes to anti-bacterial products. We have been raised to think that killing all bacteria is good for us…WRONG. Most people don’t realize that there are good bacteria and bad bacteria. Antibacterial cleaners kill everything leaving the strongest bacterias to survive and get stronger. This results in the creation of super bacteria that become resistant to the antibacterial agents you use to kill them. You may actually be doing more harm to yourself by using these harsh chemicals to kill them then what the bad bacteria you are trying to kill may do to you.
So all this non-toxic talk brings me to my latest blog post which is really a book review of The Joy of Green Cleaning:) I absolutely love this recipe book! It’s a great handy resource book for green cleaning.  It was written by Leslie Reichert aka Green Cleaning Coach whose mission is to teach and encourage others in the art of home-keeping and green cleaning. In her book, Leslie explains what is the big deal about greening your cleaning. She says that most regular cleaning can be done without any toxic chemicals. It is true that you can clean with non-toxic items already in your pantry such as baking soda, vinegar, sea salt, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Dusting Tips on Martha Stewart Living Radio



If you missed Morning Living on Martha Stewart Living Radio today, this is what we discussed. 

Dusting or Polishing
There is a difference between dusting and polishing. Dusting is something that removes the dust from surfaces while polishing is actually treating the wood. We have tried to combine the two by using polishing sprays while we are dusting. What's happened is that we are doing a poor job of both.

picture from http://multimenage.webs.com/dusting.htm
Dusting should be done once a week with just a clean microfiber cloth and a touch of a light spray. I mix up my "light dusting spray" and put it into a spray bottle.(Never spray anything directly on the furniture). Then just go over the piece and remove the dust. This is easy and quick. The less oily polish you use the longer it will stay dust free. The oils collect dust and make it harder to remove it.

Polishing should be done every 3-6 months. This is a lot of work, but keeps the furniture looking new and also keeps the wood and finish moisturized. I use my recipe - Lemony Furniture Polish - when I'm going to polish the furniture. And make sure you use a high quality microfiber cloth.

How to dust
I always say to myself "top to bottom, back to front" because i always want to go to the dusty thing i see first. Instead, start as high up as you can reach and work you way down to the floor. Also work in a circle around the room and you'll never miss anything. Make sure you get the tops of door jambs and all the wood trim. You can use a feather duster to knock off some dust, but for flat surfaces - use a cloth. You can also use a lambswool duster - high quality ones are able to be washed in the sink with a touch of dish detergent

Other ways to dust
Removing dust from pillows - use your dryer
Removing dust from knick-knacks - use your dishwasher
Removing dust from tight places - use a stiff paint brush and a vacuum