(619) 634-5141

info@cleanfreakcleaningservices.com

Clean Freak

Cleaning Maintenance Tips from Our San Diego Housekeepers

Maintaining a clean home can be a chore no matter where you live. But, when you live in San Diego the thought of staying inside to clean while you could be out enjoying the beautiful weather and numerous activities of America’s Finest City can be downright depressing. Many times the key to staying on top of your cleaning is maintenance.

Clean Freak Cleaning Services, which offers housekeeping and home detailing services in San Diego County, is providing some cleaning tips and a house cleaning checklist to help you tackle the task of cleaning your house. Hopefully this advice will help you whether you do all of your own housekeeping yourself or you are between cleaning services.

Cleaning Tips

Every home has trouble areas, but we have found that many people have issues with floor and carpet cleaning, cleaning windows, and removing stains. Before we give you cleaning tips for those specific issues, we want to share an overall piece of cleaning wisdom. New dirt is much easier to clean than old dirt.

The longer you let a stain, dirt, or even clutter sit, the more difficult it becomes to clean. A stain that has had time to set in the fabric is typically much more difficult to remove. As old dirt sits untouched, it grows a layer of new dirt. The thicker the dust and grime, the harder it can become to clean. The same goes for clutter; it is easier to quickly put away one pair of shoes than various pairs strewn throughout the house. So, the best cleaning tip we can give you is, when you first see it, clean it (or put it away). Small doses of cleaning maintenance are much easier to handle than an entire day off devoted to cleaning.

Floor and Carpet Cleaning

Especially in highly-trafficked areas of your home, your floor can get dirty and scuffed pretty quickly. Here are some floor and carpet cleaning tips:

  • If you are looking for a quick fix for a shiny wood floor, place a piece of wax paper under your dust mop. Dust will cling to the dust mop and the wax paper will give your floor a quick shine.
  • Heel marks and many other scuffs from shoes on hard-surfaced floors can be rubbed off with a simple pencil eraser. (To make it easier, we recommend using a larger eraser – not one on the top of a pencil.)
  • If your carpet has trapped odors, leave baking soda on the carpet overnight and vacuum in the morning to remove the smell.
  • If you spill wax on your carpet, place a brown paper bag over the dried wax and iron it. The heat from the iron will cause the bag to absorb the wax. If the wax got on your wood floors, soften the wax with a hairdryer and remove it with paper towels. A vinegar and water solution can be used to clean the spot afterwards.

Window Cleaning

Many people state that they “don’t do windows.” This phenomenon may have developed because windows can be difficult to properly clean and not leave streaks. Here are some cleaning tips to help you get your windows clean and streak free:

  • Before using a liquid cleaner, remove excess dust from the window and its sill to keep a mud-like film from developing. (A clean, dry paint brush works well for this.)
  • Timing is everything. Cleaning windows in direct sunlight will cause the cleaning solution to dry too quickly and could lead to streaks. Wait until the sun is not pouring through your windows.
  • Use a professional cleaning squeegee (not one from the grocery store) to clean the windows. The professional-grade squeegees will last longer, which is important since even one nick in the squeegee blade can cause streaking. Start your stroke in a dry spot and be sure to wipe the squeegee dry between strokes.
  • If you don’t have a squeegee, dry your freshly-washed windows with newspaper. Newsprint will leave less fibers and residue than paper towels or a cloth.

Stain Removal

Many detergent commercials will clean dried blood out of fabrics to demonstrate the power of the product. Blood can be difficult to remove from fabrics, but these cleaning tips should help you remove the stain:

  • Cornstarch, cornmeal, or talcum powder can be mixed with water to make a paste to place on fresh spots of blood. Once the paste dries, you should be able to brush it, and the stain, away.
  • Another solution, which can also work for dried blood stains, is to cover the stain with meat tenderizer and cool water. In less than 30 minutes you should be able to wipe the stain away with a sponge of cool water.
  • Fresh blood can be removed from leather by using hydrogen peroxide. Dab some on the fresh stain and it will bubble. When the bubbling stops, you can wipe it off, along with the blood.

Other General Cleaning Tips

Here are a few other general cleaning tips that should help you with your cleaning maintenance:

  • Clean from top to bottom. Dust first and vacuum last.
  • Be sure to clean in areas. Don’t start in one part of the room, jump to another part of the house, and then come back. Tackle a room or area completely before moving onto the next.
  • Make house cleaning checklists and schedules and then stick to them.
  • Get everyone involved. If you live with other people divide the chores, so no one person is responsible for cleaning up after everyone.
  • Reduce your clutter and not just the stuff that happens to be out of place. If you are a packrat, pare down the endless supply of trinkets you seem to keep collecting, the clothes that you “might” fit in “someday,” and the boxes of junk that were never emptied from when you moved in. If you haven’t used it in a year, you don’t need it.

House Cleaning Checklist

You should have a house cleaning checklist for each room. The checklists below are here to get you started. You should tailor each of these to your own home.

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

  • Wash the dishes/empty the dishwasher
  • Wipe down counters
  • Clean out the refrigerator and pantry regularly
  • Sweep and mop the floor
  • Empty trash and recyclables

Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

  • Clean the mirrors (using window cleaning tips above)
  • Remove soap scum from the shower and bath tub
  • Clean the toilet – including the bowl
  • Wipe down the sink area
  • Sweep and mop the floor

Living Room Cleaning Checklist

  • Dust and polish the furniture
  • Vacuum the floors
  • Dust the mantle
  • Organize the entertainment center and CDs/DVDs
  • Clean the window treatments

Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

  • Make the bed
  • Put dirty clothes in the hamper and clean clothes in dresser/closet
  • Clean the cleaning fan
  • Dust the furniture
  • Vacuum the floor
  • Remove old clothes and other clutter from the closet

Schedule a Professional House Cleaning with Clean Freak

Even following these cleaning tips and house cleaning checklists, it can be difficult to both maintain a clean house and find free time to enjoy yourself. The professional housekeepers at Clean Freak Cleaning Services provide cleaning services throughout San Diego County. Let us worry about your cleaning maintenance. Go out and enjoy the sunshine of Southern California while we make your home sparkle. Get a house cleaning quote or schedule one of our residential cleaning services. You’ll be glad you did.