Comprehensive Spring Cleaning Checklist

Despite Melbourne's current wave of hot days, we are already in the middle of Autumn and heading quickly towards Winter. This means more time spent under the heater or in front of the fire place, more time hiding under blankets and keeping windows closed to keep warm. What this also means is that your home may quickly start to become a haven for more dust to gather without the free flowing fresh air from opened windows, more muddy footprints and less motivation to do house cleaning in Melbourne.

The autumn months are a fantastic time to give your house a "spring clean" before the cold sets in so you get a head start to keeping your house clean in Melbourne during the winter months.

Over at Imperfect Homemaking we found a comprehensive spring cleaning checklist that will guide you through the key items that require spring cleaning in the home. We have provided this list for you below.

FOYER/ENTRY

1. Dust lighting fixtures.
2. Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards as needed.
3. Wash doors, handles and switch plates.
4. Wash and wipe down any furnishings
5. Empty out any closets and wash walls and floor, if needed.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 
6. Clean or replace entry mat.
7. Sweep and scrub floors.  
8. Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

BEDROOMS

1. Open windows
2. Dust furniture.
3. For each drawer: remove items, wash drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate Items you no longer need. 
4. Remove everything from cupboards. Sweep and wash closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.
5. Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed.  Try not to store things under bed.
6. Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up.
7. Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.
8. Dust lights and clean lamp shades
9. Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.
10. Wash switch plates.  Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards as required.
11. Wash mirrors or dust art.
12. Wash doors and doorknobs.
13. Wash floor vent covers
14. Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

BATHROOMS

1. Open windows
2. Empty all cabinets and vanity unit.  Wash inside, replace items neatly.  Discard expired medications and cosmetics.
3. Wash outside of cabinets and vanities
4. Clean tub and drain.
5. Clean toilet, inside and out.  Remove seat and clean around seat bolts.
6. Clean sink and drain.
7. Shine faucets.
8. Clean mirror and frame.
9. Dust light fixtures. 
10. Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.
11. Wash switch plates.  Eash walls, architraves and skirting boards.  Wash doors and door handles.
12. Wash floor vent covers.
13. Sweep and wash floors.  
14. Reseal grout lines if necessary.

KITCHEN

1. Open windows.
2. Remove and clean window coverings. 
3. For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate unneeded items.
4. Wash and sanitize cutting boards
5. Sharpen knives
6. Wash cabinet doors and handles, inside and out.
7. Clean and organise the pantry  Check food expiry dates.
8. Clean oven.
9. Clean stove top.  Remove elements and drip bowls, if applicable, wash and put back.
10. Clean and organise the fridge and freezer Defrost freezer, if necessary.  Check food expiry dates and discard anything old.
11. Clean under fridge and stove.
12. Vacuum refrigerator coils.
13. Clean the microwave inside and out
14. Clean crumbs out of toaster.
15. Clean and descale kettle.
16. Wipe down any other counter appliances
17. Wash counters and back splash.
18. Wash and shine the sink. Shine faucet. Clean drain.
19. Clean Dishwasher.
20. Dust light fixtures.
21. Wash windows and window sills.  Remove window screens and wash.
22. Wash switch plates.  
23. Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards. Be sure to wash skirtings underneath cupboards and near the sink as drips and spills may go un-noticed here.
24. Wash doors and door handles.
25. Wash floor  vent covers
26. Sweep and wash floor.  
27. Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

DINING ROOM

1. Open windows.
2. Wash curtains.
3. Wipe down table and chairs.
4. Wipe down or dust other furnishing.
5. Clean chair upholstery
6. Dust any displayed china or serving dishes.
7. Launder table linen
8. Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.
9. Wash switch plates
10. Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards
11. Wash doors and door handles
12. Wash floor vent covers.
13. Clean floors.

 LIVING ROOM/ FAMILY ROOM/ PLAYROOM

1. Open windows.
2. Vacuum sofas.
3. Spot clean sofas, if applicable.
4. Launder throw pillows and blankets.
5. Dust shelves, furniture and decor.
6. Clean lamps and lampshades.
7. Wash windows and window sills.
8. Take out and wash window screens.
9. Clean television screen.
10. Carefully dust electronics.
11. Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.
12. Sort through music and DVD collections.  Purge things that no longer suit your families interests.  Organise what is left in an attractive manner.
13. Sort books and magazines.  Donate or recycle ones that no longer suit your families interests.
14. Wash hard plastic children's toys with warm soapy water. Rinse and dry.  Launder stuffed toys.  Donate or store toys that your children have grown too old for.
15. Wash switch plates.
16. Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards
17. Wash doors and door handles
18. Wash floor vent covers.
19. Clean floors.

LAUNDRY ROOM

1. Open windows.
2. Wash windows and window sills.
3. Take out and wash window screens.
4. Wash cabinet doors.
5. Wash inside cabinets.
6. Wash laundry sink.  Shine faucet.  Clean drains.
7. Wash outside of washer and dryer.
8. Wash inside of washing machine.
9. Wash lint trap with soap and water to remove filmy build-up from laundry soaps and dryer sheets. Let air dry thoroughly before putting back in place.
10. Wash switch plates.
11. Wash walls, architraves and skirting boards
12. Wash doors and door handles
13. Wash floor vent covers.
14. Clean floors.
15. Reseal grout lines, if applicable. 

STAIRWELLS

1. Sweep/vacuum stairs
2. Spot clean walls.
3. Wipe down handrail.
4. Dust art and light fixtures.

OUTSIDE

1. Sweep porches and walkway.
2. Wash thresholds.
3. Wash exterior doors.  Give front door a fresh coat of paint, if necessary.
4. Wash exterior windows.
5. Clean or replace welcome mat.

REMEMBER TO:

• Clean blades of ceiling fans.
• Sort through and organize family photographs (digitally or into albums).
• Sort and clean any extra zones such as linen closets, utility closets and office spaces

If you require the services of a house cleaner to assist, please contact us for a great price on spring cleaning!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

When talking about natural, eco-friendly or green cleaning, lemons instantly spring to mind! Many people are familiar with the traditional uses for lemons - as a cooking ingredient, and also as a medicinal aide. However, lemons (in particular lemon juice) are powerful for house cleaning. Here are some fantastic uses we would recommend:

Remove Soap Scum - Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice onto your shower screen, leave it there for a few minutes, and wipe away with a scourer / sponge.

Remove Smells - Adding some lemon juice to your air humidifier will freshen the air and leave a pleasant scent.

Brighten White Clothes - Add 1/2 a cup of lemon juice to your white laundry load for brighter whites. The natural bleaching action of lemon juice will also remove stains and discoloration.

Naturally Kill Weeds - Pour lemon juice and boiling hot water onto weeds. Within a few days they will shrivel up and die.

Lemon Oil Furniture Polish - Lemon oil is a fantastic penetrating oil. Consider combining very well with beeswax and you have a great furniture polish.

Clean your Sink - Combine lemon juice and salt, mixing until the combination reaches the consistency of toothpaste. Apply this to brass, copper, or stainless-steel sinks and fixtures. Scrub gently, then rinse with water. This also removes rust stains.

Windows - Windows collect dust, grime, handprints and more. Combine 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 a cup of white vinegar and 250ml of water. Spray the solution onto your windows and wipe down for sparkling clear windows.

Clean a Stovetop - Create a paste of lemon juice, water and baking soda. Apply the paste liberally to the top of the stove and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub off, and then rinse with water and a sponge.

Microwave - Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a microwave dish with 250ml of water. Microwave the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the steam to condense on the interior of the microwave. Wipe down the microwave with a cloth.

Remove Garbage Bin Smells - Throw half a lemon into the garbage bin, and slightly squeeze some of the juice into it.

If you have any more tips, please feel free to share!

Love Your Pet but Hate Cleaning Pet Hair?

Firstly I'd like to take this opportunity to say I love my pets! They are not just animals we keep in the backyard, but are family members. In our home we have 2 large dogs (Great Danes at 70kg each) and 2 cats (regular house cats that were adopted due to being abandoned as kittens). Most of the time they are inside animals, except for when we are not home. This means shedding hair on the floor, leaving paw prints on the carpet, jumping on the bed (only when we let them!) and occasionally being lap dogs. Imagine a dopey 70kg Great Dane parking himself on your lap!

As you could guess, we spend a fair bit of time cleaning up after these gentle giants and our little furry feline friends. Over the years we have worked out some routines which help us stay on top of any mess, and want to share these with you!

1. Purchase a robot vacuum - The iRobot Roomba has been a blessing to our household! The dogs and cats shed a fair amount of hair daily, so we simply turn on the Roomba before we leave for work. Each evening we come home to a clean floors. Brilliant!

2. Leave windows open a notch - Our lovable friends get bathed weekly, however still tend to leave a distinct doggy 'scent' in the house. Leave a window open a notch in the rooms where they stay mostly to help air out the house.

3. Remove hair from wooden furniture - To remove pet hair from wooden furniture, use a soft cotton cloth sprayed with furniture polish or anti-static dusting spray. The spray will eliminate the electric charge, making removal easier and lessening the likelihood that the hair will re-stick.

4. Remove hair from upholstered surfaces and clothes - You can remove pet hair from upholstered surfaces or bed linens very easily. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and wet them a slightly. Then run your hand over the surface allowing the hair to stick to the glove. Rinse the glove and repeat. Alternative, you can use a sticky lint roller. These can be purchased fairly cheaply from most supermarkets or hardware stores.

5. Train your pets - This is one of the most effective methods to keeping the house clean with pets. While it does take time and effort, training your pet to understand that there are boundaries is very effective. You can train them that certain rooms in the house are specifically out of bounds, to stay off furnitre and even to notify you when they need to go to the toilet!. Everybody has different methods for dog training, however here is a starting point. 

Feel free to let us know if you have any other tips that have worked for you. In the mean time, check out this video of dog training gone slightly wrong. Enjoy!

House Cleaning On a Budget

Cleaning your house is not only a time consuming task, but also one that carries with it certain unavoidable costs. For example, purchasing cleaning supplies including all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, toilet block, sponges, cloths, floor cleaning detergent, dish wash detergent, and the list goes on!

A common technique to mitigate these costs is to hire a professional house cleaner on a regular basis. The regular costs of a cleaner generally add up to the costs of purchasing supplies and doing it yourself, and of course mean you have a little bit of spare time on your hands!

We all know that even if you hire the services of a professional house cleaner on a regular basis, the most used rooms of the house such as kitchen, lounge and bathrooms need to be kept clean and tidy in between visits. Therefore, here are some tips which we have gathered over the years to keep costs down and time spent cleaning to a minimum.

1. Purchase your cleaning chemicals in bulk - This is a tried a tested method to keep costs down. If you purchase your cleaning supplies from a store such as Bunnings, you can easily find 1L or 2L bottles of concentrated cleaning liquids. You simply mix these liquids with water in some empty spray bottles. As a result, you have approximately 3 months worth of supply for a fraction of the cost! Some examples are:
- Window and glass cleaner concentrate: $8.98 for 2L - will last up to 12 months
- All purpose disinfectant concentrate: $21.95 for 5L - will last easily for 6 months
- De-greaser concentrate: $24.95 for 5L - will last for 12 months
- Bleach: $6.98 for 4L - will last for 3 months
- Sugar soap concentrate - $1.98 for 1L - will last for 12 months

Add in a set of inexpensive spray bottles for $4.98, and the majority of your household cleaning chemicals can be purchased up front in bulk for less than $100 per year.

2. Consider making your own cleaning products - If you search the internet, you can find a tonne of websites and blogs explaining the benefits of using home made cleaning products. Whilst purpose made cleaning products are generally advocated, take a look at some examples in the website below:

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2007/12/housecleaning-on-budget.html

3. Purchase cleaning cloth in bulk - You can purchase a bag of rags for a little over $6. This will easily last an entire year, and probably more!. Alternatively if you wanted to save extra money you could easily cut up old clothing into an appropriate size and use those instead.

In addition to this, you can purchase scourers in bulk (less than $2 for 10) from most stores. These will last you 2-3 months quite easily. Try ebay for even greater discounts on larger purchases.

4. Purchase a vacuum cleaner without bags - The cost of vacuum cleaner bags is quite extensive. Professional cleaners will often prefer bagged vacuums as they generally have better performance. However for the purposes of cleaning in between house cleaning visits, a bag-less vacuum will do the trick. Bags generally cost anywhere from $10-$20 for 5 bags which can be filled up easily within a month. Therefore if you purchase a cheap bag-less vacuum (which can be had for less than $50), you will be saving within the first 3-6 months.

5. Don't over-use cleaning products - The mantra 'less is more' is what we are talking about here. There's no need to over apply cleaning products when doing a general tidy up. 2-3 sprays of all purpose cleaner on kitchen benches is sufficient. In the example of window cleaning, spraying too much window cleaner can actually result in unwanted streaking and foam marks.

6. Keep a cleaning schedule - In other posts such as our Weekly Cleaning Schedule we advocate the use of a cleaning schedule. This can be really beneficial in saving money. For example, wash all of the clothes on a weekly basis rather than every 2nd or 3rd day. Doing washing in bulk means you will save costs in terms of washing detergent, water and electricity.

The list above is not exhaustive, however will give you a good starting point to cut costs and save time when cleaning. Feel free to read through the other house cleaning tips on our website.

If you are interested in obtaining the services of a house cleaner, check out our house cleaning packages!

Thanks!

Tips to Maintain a Clean Kitchen

The kitchen; the focal point of almost any home! This is the most used room in any home (besides of course the bedroom where you are sleeping for many hours a night). Being the most used room in any home, it doesn't take very long to go from clean to dirty. However it definitely doesn't need to be this way!

Following on the theme from my previous posts (clean a little now, save a lot of time later), I'm going to share some easy yet essential points for keeping the kitchen tidy all the time!

1. Wash the dishes after every meal - wash and put away your dishes right after eating, or place them in the dishwasher. If you choose not to wash up right away, rinsing your dishes quickly will remove any stains that may be difficult to remove later such as tomato sauce or gravy!

2. Wipe any spills as soon as they occur - this ensures that there's no time for the spill to penetrate any of your surfaces leaving nasty looking marks. A great example is curry, which if left for too long will stain your bench top. Additionally, wipe down your stove once you've finished cooking. Cooking spills have a tendency to stake a claim on your stove top!

3. Don't leave any items lying around on the bench - It's easy to leave items such as empty cartons or food wrappers on the bench after finishing with them. Put these in the garbage straight away to avoid any clutter and build up of rubbish.

4. Wipe down bench tops daily - A quick wipe down after cooking / eating a meal, for example, will ensure table tops remain hygienic and clean.

5. Wash sponges / scrubbers regularly - Sponges can hold on to the dirt and grime after you have used them. Rinse them off after each use, or alternatively place them in the dishwasher!

6. Empty the garbage - As soon as required, empty the garbage into your outside garbage back. There's no need for any nasty smells lingering in the kitchen!

7. Change tea towels regularly - Similar to sponges, tea towels will absorb any germs or dirt that has been wiped. Replace your tea towels every time you leave the kitchen, and throw the old one into the washing basket or washing machine.

8. Wipe up crumbs daily - Under the kitchen table and in the corners where the floor meets the cupboards. Keep a broom or even a dustpan and brush handy.

As I've mentioned in my earlier posts, I prefer to do a few little things per day rather than letting the work build up during the week. If you stick to a similar routine, you can keep your kitchen looking tidy all the time and save you time later!

How do you keep your kitchen tidy? Do you have any ideas to add to the list?

For more cleaning tips please visit Squeaky Clean Maintenance Services - Professional Cleaning Tips page

40 Fantastic Cleaning Tips

Today's domestic cleaning advice blog is inspired by www.homelife.com.au, a fantastic Australian home ideas website. One of many great posts on their website discussed 40 best ever cleaning tips. We are going to pick some of our favourites!

To remove furniture indentations from pure wool carpet place a tea towel over the area and then press with a warm iron. The heat will lift the fibres. Do not attempt this with synthetic or a wool/synthetic mix carpet.

To stop drawers from sticking, rub a bar of soap across the runners to make them glide smoothly.

To clean the bottom of the iron, sprinkle salt on the ironing board and iron back and forth.

To leave a room smelling fresh after you have vacuumed, place a few drops of your favourite essential oil (such as lavender or peppermint) near the vent where the hot air is released. The air warms the oil and blows it into the room.

To clean a microwave oven, add four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside walls of the oven. Then wipe them with a soft cloth.

To remove fingerprints from stainless-steel appliances, place a small amount of baby oil on a napkin and wipe the affected areas. The fingerprints will just wipe away.

To remove cat and dog hair from clothes and furniture, rub them with damp rubber gloves.

To clean glass windows, add about one tablespoon of cornstarch to about one litre of lukewarm water. Wet and a rag or squeegee, remove excessive water and wipe down glass as if using regular glass cleaner. Dry with either a soft cloth or paper.

Clove oil (sold in chemists for toothaches) kills mould spores. Mix three drops in one litre of water and then use to wipe down areas susceptible to mould.

Vacuuming a mattress, particularly along piping and crevices, removes dead skin cells that attract dust mites.

You can view all 40 tips here!

Secrets to a Sparkling Clean Shower

Cleaning your shower is a very important part of maintaining your own personal hygiene and well being. The shower can be a difficult house cleaning job because it is notorious for harboring mould and bacteria, so this must be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. Squeaky Clean Maintenance Services is going to share our process for conducting a deep shower clean.

Remove Shower Contents

Remove soap, shampoo bottles, tooth brushes and so forth. You will be using chemicals such as bleach during this process which you do not want to come into contact with these items. Additionally, you need a clear working space.

Remove Dust

The shower frame can become very dusty on top over time as this is usually above eye level of most people and therefore can remain unseen. It's important to ensure to clean this off using a sponge / duster prior to commencing cleaning so you don't have to go back later.

Clean Shower Glass and Internal Walls Thoroughly

The shower class and internal walls are prone to a build up of soap scum, particularly in the lower areas. To clean this properly, apply some shower mist across these surfaces, and rub hard from top to bottom with a scourer sponge. For severe build up of soap scum, you can apply a liberal amount of cream cleanser such as Jif to the affected areas, and repeat the scrubbing process. Rinse thoroughly with a jug of clean water starting from the top of the glass / walls. Allow to dry.

The same process can be used for the outside of the shower.

Grout and Mould

The grout between tiles is prone to build up of mould, which is not only unsightly but dangerous for your family's health. To remove this, apply some strong bleach such as Domestos and a little bit of cream cleanser to the affected areas. Rub along the grout with a scourer or hard scrubbing brush. Leave the bleach to do its magic for 5-10 minutes and then rinse of thoroughly with a jug of clean water. Allow to dry.

The same approach can be taken for the corners / water sealed areas.

Note, bleach is harmful if it comes into contact with skin or is breathed in so always wear long armed gloves and ensure the room is well ventilated with the shower door open, windows open and bathroom fan switched on.

Shower Floor

Follow a similar method of cleaning as described for the shower glass.

Taps and Fixtures

Apply a liberal amount of shower spray and a dollop of cream cleanser to these areas. Scrub thoroughly from highest to lowest; i.e. starting from the shower head and working down to the taps / soap holders. Be sure to clean the intricate areas, such as all sections of the tap and underneath all items. If any fixtures are particularly dirty or grimy, use the hard scrubbing brush and some elbow grease to remove this. Rinse off with a jug of cold water, top to bottom. Allow to dry.

Final Touches

Continue your other work until the shower is dry. When you come back, go over any areas that may have been missed. Give the shower screen a final buff with a dry cloth to remove any water spots.