Take The Stress Out Of Cleaning

What better compliment can a person receive than being told their house looks and smells good. Keeping clean, organized living spaces will greatly reduce stress, not to mention the germ-free environment you are providing your family.

Keeping a house clean with a growing family can be challenging and stressful.  Below are some helpful tips to help you get organized and make the most of your valuable time.

Don’t Procrastinate–Get organized!

A place for everything and everything in its place. Clutter can be stressful and finding a space for everything can be a challenge. Minimize your anxiety about messy spaces by getting organized.  Invest in some totes or plastic storage bins as well as under-the-bed storage containers. These types of containers stack well. If you buy the clear ones, you will be able to see what is in each one. If you buy colorful ones, be sure to label them.

Other products available to help you get organized include large, vacuum-seal able bags that can store such things as quilts, blankets, winter coats, etc. They use about 1/3 the storage space.

Organize your thoughts and put like-things in the same container, for example, sweaters, shoes, boots, pantyhose & scarves, etc.  Picking up first will make the cleaning part easier – you won’t have the visual distraction of the mess to look at or clean around and you will feel good about getting started.

If you dont feel like doing it yourself you could always contact our Bond Cleaning Darwin and Bond Cleaning in the other capital cities teams to help you out.

Use Green Cleaning Practices

More and more people are realizing the importance of eco-friendly living and are getting involved in eco-practices to promote a healthier environment.

Today, there are more choices for “green” cleaning products than ever before.  Check out the cleaning supply isle at the supermarket. These products are very competitive in quality as well as pricing.  Laundry powder that will not kill wildlife, as well as herbal cleaners/disinfectants, will perform as well, if not better than other products. These product are gentler on you clothing, your skin and other personal belongings.

Kitchen Cleaning Tips

Cleaning the kitchen is always a challenge. It is the highest-traffic area in a house and it is where people congregate to eat and entertain. Cleaning the kitchen to ensure you have a sanitary, sterilized area for food preparation need not stress you if you follow some very simple steps.

• Start by getting organized. Start at one of the room and work your way around the room.
• Stay focused on finishing small tasks and the big task will take care of itself.
• Have your cleaning solutions and towels handy so you don’t have to look for them.
• Put up all foods in appropriate containers and store as recommended. Toss anything you know won’t be eaten immediately – it will only clutter the fridge.
• Clean out the refrigerator of outdated foods regularly to ensure no one gets sick.
• Wash and sterilize your hands if you’ve handled foods such as chicken to avoid cross-contamination.
• Any surfaces or kitchen utensils that have been in contact with raw chicken need special attention. Mix one part bleach to 3 parts water. Spray on the surfaces and rinse with clean water. This will kill salmonella as well as other germs.
• When cleaning counter and appliance surfaces, spray a clean rag with your cleaning solution and make sure you get the much-handled areas.
• Pick up any loose dust or dirt with your vacuum from the floor.
• Use warm water to prepare your cleaning solution; this will remove more dirt than cold water does.

Removing Carpet Stains

Having pets is like having more kids. The messes they create are impressive. Cleaning up after them need not set you back.  A few simple steps will help you deal with these issues and leave your carpet looking like new.

• Pet accidents: Spot clean the area with non-bleach cleaner immediately upon discovering the accident. Rinse with small amount of clean water. Pat dry with towel. Mix 1/3 white vinegar & 2/3 water. Spray lightly on the affected area. The vinegar will neutralize the acid from any pet urine and will leave your carpet odorless.
• Other incidents
  • Chocolate stains

• • • Clean the stain immediately to avoid permanent staining
    • With a damp sponge, blot the stain with a few drops of dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn or anything with enzymes, such as OxyClean. Do not use too much water, dab gently until the stain is removed.
    • Use a sponge with clean water to rinse; pat dry with a clean, dry cloth.

• Removing gum

• • • Place some ice in a zip lock bag.
    • Place bag of ice directly on gum-let stand for a few minutes to “freeze” the gum from the carpet.
    • You can sponge the gum stain directly a cleaning agent such as 409.

• Removing grass
  • The secret: do not to RUB, BLOT the stain.
  • Vacuum area with a suction tool; do not use the power beaters.
  • Blot the stain with a white cloth and water.
  • Use a mild dish soap, plain white vinegar, Tide liquid or powder detergent, rubbing alcohol, banana oil or Karo syrup to blot the stain.

Lingering Household Odors

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the house may not have the “clean” smell. Odors come from a variety of source. Here are a few tips to help get the house smelling spring fresh with little effort:

• Weather permitting, open all the windows and let the house “breathe”.
• Natural a cleanser: cut a lemon in half and place it in a discreet place.
• Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of trash cans.
• Mix baking soda and warm water to wash the fridge, wipe down tiles, cabinets, tubs, and toilet bowls. Pour the solution down the sink when done to freshen the drains. You can also grind citrus rinds in your disposal.
• Freshen the microwave: boil 2-1 vinegar/water.
• To remove burnt food smells, simmer ½ cup vinegar to 1 quart of water on the stove.

To get most odors out of carpets, upholstery and rugs, sprinkle liberally with baking soda, allow to sit for several hour, then vacuum