Quick things to keep your home cleaner

In this slowing economy, it is often hard for families to hire a company to come clean their home.
There are a few quick things you can do to keep things a little cleaner without much effort.
1. DOORMATS! I Know I say this all the time, but don't under-estimate the power of good doormats. One on the outside, rough and good for scraping dirt off shoes. Another inside, absorbent for those rainy or snowy days.
2. Even better, don't wear shoes in the house! The difference this can make is unbelievable.
3. Wash your hands! I know it sounds simple, but really it works. Especially with kids in the home, dirty hands track dirt all over the home. And of course this will cut down on illness in your home as well.
4. Change your air filters. Changing your filters will cut down on the dust around your abode.
5. Take 15 minutes a day (I prefer before bedtime) to just run around your home and pick things up. A tidy home will give the appearance of being clean, even if you haven't grabbed a sponge in a while.

And as always, if you are one of the lucky ones out there who can still afford a cleaning service, I'm still here! Frederick House Cleaning Services High quality, personalized services for many budgets and needs.
Sorry it has been a while since I have been able to blog. I've been really busy despite the lagging economy. Thanks to all my loyal customers for their support!.
And if you are a fan of twitter, feel free to send me a tweet
www.twitter.com/maythemaid

101 Cleaning Tips

As a house cleaning professional, cleaning tips make my day run smoothly and keep my home organized. So I thought I would share some of my favorite tips with you. Of course you can always check out my website for Frederick, MD house cleaning services

1. Instill a strict no shoes indoors policy.

2. Place a door mat on both sides of all exterior doors.

3. Use baking soda to clean and deodorize.

4. Use vinegar to clean and deodorize.

5. Use trash can liners in all trash cans.

6. Keep extra bags in bottom of trash cans.

7. Reuse shopping bags as liners for small trash cans

8. Put a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball and toss into the trash can to freshen a small area.

9. Put a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball and into your vacuum bag to freshen the air as you clean.

9. Use toothbrushes to get into small crevices.

10. Don't use pledge on high quality wood furniture!
11. Use microfibers to dust.

12. Use microfibers to clean glass.

13. No microfiber cloths? Use coffee filters or newspaper to clean glass.

14. Move furniture to clean underneath at least once a month.

15. Microwave a WET sponge to kill bacteria and loosen food stuck inside.

16. Throw your sponge in the dishwasher when you run it to get rid of the mildew smell.

17. Dust with the lights off and the windows open.

18. Get down to eye level after cleaning countertops to make sure everything is clean.

19. Use a flat microfiber mop to clean large areas of floor.

20. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to keep up with baseboard dusting.

21. Use the crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner to get under the edge of your cabinets.

22. Use hospital corners when making a bed. Helps make the bed look neater.

23. When your baking soda in the fridge needs changed, pour it in your garbage disposal. Let it run for a few seconds without water to clean away build up. Follow with a cup of vinegar.

24. Be careful with your vacuum, it can easily damage furniture and walls.

25. Always read the instructions on a cleaning product.

26. Never mix cleaning products.

27. Wear an apron so you can carry more with you.

28. Clean from top to bottom, dirt settles.

29. Clean from left to right so it is easy to know where you left off if you get distracted.
30. Wear gloves to protect your skin and your health.

31. Only use water as necessary. Letting the faucets run is a waste.

32. When cleaning a shower stall, place an old towel on the floor to prevent making a bigger mess.

33. Better be safe than sorry! Research before attempting to clean stones, wood and other surfaces.

34. Disinfect light switches.

35. Disinfect Door handles.

36. Disinfect keyboards and desks.

37. Consider going green.

38. If using chemicals in a bathroom, make sure to use the exhaust fan for air circulation.

39. Turn off Ionic air purifiers before cleaning.

40. Vacuum your window sills often. You can add this to your dusting routine.

41. Use a spray bottle of water with a little detergent as your all-purpose cleaner. (saves money and works just as well as the chemicals you pay $3 a bottle for)

42. Use hot water on Stainless Steel. It may take work removing residue from previous cleaners, but you will soon find water is a great streak free way to make stainless shine.

43.Wash out your trash cans regularly.

44. Use detergent and sponge to clean your sink. The detergent helps the sink dry without water spots.

45. Polish all fixtures.

46. Polish all faucets.

47. Use a duster on an extension pole to take care of cobwebs frequently.

48.Wash your hands regularly while cleaning.

49. Wash your hands regularly while going about your day to day life to avoid fingerprints on doors and such.

50. Keep scissors in your cleaning tool kit.

51. A step stool is a must have.

52. Use a hot iron and a paper sack (or old towel) to remove spilled wax. The paper or towel will absorb the melting wax.

53. Use grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil to make natural disinfectants.

54. User hydrogen peroxide to clean blood stains on carpet.

55. Use shaving cream to clean grout on tile floors.

56. Clean up spills immediately. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove.

57. Donate kids toys and clothes before a holiday or birthday occures.

58. Declutter 10 minutes a day to keep up on clutter.

59. Burn soy candles instead of parrafin. They burn cleaner.

60. Dry your shower after EVERY use. Especially if you have hard water.

61. Use a cleaning caddy to keep all of your tools and supplies in one place. Tote it with you as you clean. There is no need to have multiple bottles of products throughout your home.

62. Air out your mattress regularly. Vacuum as well to keep dust mites under control.

63. Buy new pillows annually.

64. Clean your air intakes regularly. Often these go unattended and the build up adds up fast.

65. Change your air filters regularly. This saves on electric costs and helps control dust as well.

66. Use cleaning methods that capture dirt and dont' just spread it! Use HEPA filters in vacuums and damp dusting stop dirt in its tracks!

67. Clean door mats regularly!

68. Keep your porches, sidewalks and such clean! This helps prevent tracking dirt in.

69. Wash dishes as they are used.

70. As my grandmother always taught me, everything has its place! If you have a homeless item perhaps it should be tossed!

71. Use a dry erase marker on top of permanent marker marks. They then wipe off easily. (hard surfaces only, not fabrics)

72. Decalcify your coffee pot regularly with vinegar.

73. Soak your shower head in CLR or LimeAway regularly.

74. If you have bad hard water problems, pour a bottle of CLR or LimeAway into your toilet tank to help control rings in the toilet.

75. When cleaning windows, use horizontal stokes on the inside and vertical on the outside. This makes it easy to fix any streaking problems.

76. Get a squeegee for cleaning outside windows.

77. Don't forget to clean the window tracts when cleaning the windows.

78. When cleaning bathrooms, spray everything down and then wipe. This gives the products a few minutes to do their work before your start yours.

79. Don't forget to clean the tops of picture frames!

80. Use Borax mixed with Lemon juice to remove tough bathroom stains.

81. Wash your shower curtains regularly. Throw them in the washer with your cleaning cloths to get them clean!.

82. Use WD-40 to get crayon off walls.

83. User Baking soda to get crayon off walls.

84.Use WD-40 to remove labels or sticky residues on hard surfaces.

85.Keep a few cleaning cloths in your kitchen and stashed in various places around your home for quick clean up of kid messes.

86. Use RainX on the inside of glass shower surrounds to make cleaning a breeze. This helps prevent soap scum and hard water build up.

87. Use car wax on faucets to keep them shining and make polishing a breeze!.

88. Leave stripping floors to a professional. Things c0an ge0t ugly quick!

89. Use a pumice stone to remove tough toilet rings.

90. Pour a bucket of water down the toilet to lower the water level and make cleaning easier.

91. Use a pumice stone to clean oven racks.

92. Make a baking soda paste to use cleaning the oven. Let stand overnight (or as long as possible) before cleaning. Vinegar helps remove and baking soda residue.

93.Use separate bins for dirty laundry. If you sort it as it is used, it makes laundry day a breeze.

94. Use baking soda in your laundry.

95. Use borax to whiten your whites.

96. Clean your garage floors regularly! A dirty garage makes an easy path for dirt into your home.

97. Use 1/3 cup liquid fabric softener in a spray bottle of water as an anti-static spray for your carpets.

98. Use the same formula above on a cloth to clean your TV screen.

99. Clean your lamp shades regularly! Easiest way is to vacuum with the soft bristle brush.

100. Don't be afraid to recycle, donate or toss unused items. Chances are you won't need it again like that little pack-rat voice in the back of your head tries to tell you.

101. Make a list and rotate amongst your chores to prevent them from building up.

Starting a cleaning business?

Hello everyone and Happy Holidays!

I just thought I would take a moment to share a fantastic resource for others just starting in the cleaning business. Tailored Maid in VA is an excellent resource for information and help. But even better, she offers FREE forms for house cleaning businesses!

There is plenty of dirt to go around, so friendly competition is always welcome. If anyone happens to be starting a house cleaning business in Frederick, MD feel free to contact me for local support.

Of course if you aren't looking to start a business but just want your home cleaned, head out to my main website at FrederickHouseCleaning.com


Happy New Year!

Are you a local small biz looking for more traffic?

If you are another Frederick, MD Cleaning business and need more leads, feel free to contact me.
There is more than enough dirt to go around so I am always glad to meet other local entrepreneurs. Only requirement is you must be legit, bonded insured and everything. I will also request a reference list.

Please check out my website Frederick, MD House Cleaning to see more information about my company and make sure we have similar standards. I set the bar pretty high with my premium cleaning services so I can't be sending people to poor quality cleaning services.

Happy Holidays!

Quick toilet cleaning tips!

I only have a few minutes but wanted to share a quick tip. Before starting to clean your toilet; make sure to pour a bucket of water in it first! This will make the water level drop so it is easier to clean. It will prevent water from splashing and diluting your cleanser of choice.
For cleaning toilets, I really like a mixture of Baking Soda, Borax and Clove Oil. Sometimes I use other oils depending on my client's aromatherapy requests. Smells great and works great too! Of course for the outside of the toilet I use a natural disinfectant.
When cleaning for someone else it also adds a little extra flare if you make the toilet paper into a triangle on the end :) This also helps if you are cleaning with 2 people so the other person can immediately see the bathroom has already been sanitized.
And as always if you don't have time to clean your toilets; you can check out my Premium Cleaning Services in Frederick, MD website. I do admit right now we do have a waiting list however. I highly recommend Kidwell Kleaning as well.

Top 10 Hazardous Household Chemicals

I just copied this from the consumer law page. I really like it and just had to share

TOP "10" HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS

By Richard Alexander

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AIR FRESHENERS: Most air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell by coating your nasal passages with an oil film, or by releasing a nerve deadening agent. Known toxic chemicals found in an air freshener: Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Phenol: When phenol touches your skin it can cause it to swell, burn, peel, and break out in hives. Can cause cold sweats,convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma and even death.

AMMONIA: It is a very volatile chemical, it is very damaging to your eyes, respiratory tract and skin.

BLEACH: It is a strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. WARNING: never mix bleach with ammonia it may cause fumes which can be DEADLY.

CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOO: Most formulas are designed to over power the stain itself, they accomplish the task but not without using highly toxic substances. Some include: Perchlorethylene: Known carcinogen damages liver, kidney and nervous system damage. Ammonium Hydroxide: Corrosive, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.

DISHWASHER DETERGENTS: Most products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated.# 1 cause of child poisonings, according to poison control centers.

DRAIN CLEANER: Most drain cleaners contain lye, hydrochloric acid or trichloroethane. Lye: Caustic, burns skin and eyes, if ingested will damage esophagus and stomach. Hydrochloric acid: Corrosive, eye and skin irritant, damages kidneys, liver and digestive tract. Trichloroethane: Eye and skin irritant, nervous system depressant; damages liver and kidneys.

FURNITURE POLISH: Petroleum Distillates: Highly flammable, can cause skin and lung cancer. Phenol: (see Air fresheners, Phenol.) Nitrobenzene: Easily absorbed through the skin, extremely toxic.

MOLD AND MILDEW CLEANERS: Chemicals contained are: Sodium hypochlorite: Corrosive, irritates or burns skin and eyes, causes fluid in the lungs which can lead to coma or death. Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Irritant to eyes, nose, throat, and skin. May cause nausea, headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and shortness of breath.

OVEN CLEANER: Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): Caustic, strong irritant, burns to both skin and eyes. Inhibits reflexes, will cause severe tissue damage if swallowed.

ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANERS: may contain: Triclosan: Absorption through the skin can be tied to liver damage.

LAUNDRY ROOM PRODUCTS: Sodium or calcium hypocrite: Highly corrosive, irritates or burns skin, eyes or respiratory tract. Linear alkylate sulfonate: Absorbed through the skin. Known liver damaging agent. Sodium Tripolyphosphate: Irritates skin and mucous membranes, causes vomiting. Easily absorbed through the skin from clothes.

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS: Hydrochloric acid: Highly corrosive, irritant to both skin and eyes. Damages kidneys and liver. Hypochlorite Bleach: Corrosive, irritates or burns eyes, skin and respiratory tract. May cause pulmonary edema, vomiting or coma if ingested. Contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes which may be fatal.

Of course most of my clients know I do not stock most of these. The few chemicals I do stock are rarely used, and only when I am desperate for quick results.

And of course if you are looking for Natural House Cleaning in Frederick, MD feel free to contact me.

Bye Bye Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner!

Have you purchased one of those fancy scrubbing bubbles "automatic" shower cleaners?
I have to admit when they came out I was just dying to get one myself. Now quite some time later; and having seen the effects of the chemicals on the average shower, I highly recommend ditching this gadget.
From what I have seen this product only leaves a filmy build up on the walls. This build up seems to be much tougher to remove than your average soap scum.
So my personal solution.... refill it with an eviromentally friendly, non-toxic solution. My favorite; mix vinegar with water and add some tea tree oil. Personally, I like 1:1 vinegar water ratio. For someone who can't handle the smell of the vinegar; I'm sure more water would work fine as well. The vinegar and tee tree oil will both prevent the nightmarish build up of mildew and disinfect. And this solution will not leave a filmy white build up like th1e intended refill. For instructions how to refill the container check out this site . OR an easier way.... pop a hole in the top and just pour in the mixture. Use a wine cork to close afterwards. Though I imagine this way there would be a little mildew on the cork.