Its been sometime since we found something worthy of adding to our tool kit of cleaning products and equipment. So we looked at what we can do from a slightly different perspective, such as improving the sanitisation element of cleaning.  That led us to trial some anti-bac products, measured against our existing sprays.

We already use micro-fibre cloths throughout, which whilst they improve the speed and efficiency with which we clean, they are also naturally anti-bacterial [see the post on micro fibre cloths], when compared with standard “cloth” types. We wanted to improve this even more, especially for kitchen areas, often the hub of any home.

It is alleged that having a sanitised environment can actually reduce immune systems, indeed if you were to live in a completely sterile home (impossible?) then indeed your immune system could be reduced. However, we only use this in kitchens, somewhere I am sure you’ll agree, its good to reduce the risk of infections as much as possible.

You maybe shocked to learn that your kitchen is far “dirtier” than your bathroom! Well at least from a bacteria perspective that is. A recent TV Programme (Invisible Worlds) found that a kitchen counter has TWICE as many bacteria than a toilet seat! Even more astonishing is that the kitchen floor has THREE times as many bacteria than the aforementioned toilet seat. Its worth noting that this was reported as an “average” kitchen, not a particularly dirty one, which I personally find quite scary.

Kitchens are where we prepare all our food (assuming you’re not a take-away addict), from breakfast through to supper for all the family. Poor hygiene here can result in an explosion of breeding bacteria and any infection or bacteria here will quickly spread through the family through food prepared there.  This is one area we feel could benefit from a regular ”anti-bac” treatment.

The use of anti-bacterial products either by a cleaning company or an individual at home, should not be seen as a reason to avoid good food handling practices though.  You should still observe good practices, cleaning surfaces and spills immediately. I recommend the daily replacement of any dish cloth or sponge; a future article will reveal the millions of reasons why……

You should always observe good hand cleanliness, washing with soap and water before preparing food. Fresh fruit & veg should always be washed to remove unwanted pesticides and herbicides. It should go without saying that the use of chopping boards and such like requires good practice, e.g. 1 for raw meat. However food hygiene is a whole different subject!

The use of an anti bacterial surface cleaner in the kitchen area would seem prudent in light of the vast wealth of research which tells us that its a breeding ground of bacteria. We only use a food safe product (unperfumed) so as not to taint any food prepared shortly after our clean.

I thinks its fair to say we’d all like the cleaning to easier and quicker to do, so we can get with something more fun!

As a professional cleaning company we’re always looking for ways to be more efficient and either maintain the standards or improve them. In June 2008 we trialled a commercial grade microfibre cloth having seen something on TV – probably on the shopping channel! Anyway, most things we test really don’t live up to the promise or expectation and usually end up in the recycling or gathering dust in my shed!

Micro Fibre – Miracle Cloth

Put aside your cynicism for a second, because I can tell you these things really do work! They are quicker than normal “stockinette” type cloths in practice and require little or no cleaning product. The only downside is that good ones are a bit pricey (£4 40cm X 40cm) compared to your 10 for £1.50 type cloths.

….But You’re Worth It

Invest in them as we have done, you’ll clean faster and more hygienically too, somethings are a good investment!

The Science….

Microfibre textiles were designed to allow cleaning on a microscopic scale, as long ago as the 1950′s, although it was a well kept secret used during and after the second world war to clean sensitive instruments and rid them of not only dust particles but bacteria too. Thus, according to tests, using microfiber materials to clean a surface leads to reducing the number of bacteria by 99% whereas a conventional cleaning material reduces this number only by 33%.

You simply have to have some of these in your cleaning kit and when we get the store online later this year, you can buy direct from the professionals!

The Growing Stainless Steel Trend

The Pro Stainless Steel Cleaner

Ceramic Hob Cleaners Tested

Having researched the products available we are going to trial four of the best. These products should be similar in the ‘end result’ but their prices range from £1.90 to a staggering £7.20, it doesn’t always follow that the more expensive is naturally the best but, always keen to get the best product, we’ll give it a go, we want to be able to provide the very best cleaning solution for our clients.

Ceramic Hob Trials

This was an interesting trial, all the products had some good points and some bad ones too, one didn’t work at all no matter how many times I read the instructions and used the cleaner exactly as instructed, this one went in the bin immediately!! Its worth noting having just fitted a lovely shiny ceramic hob at home, the initial trials were done in our own kitchen.

Ceramic Hobs Cleaned

The other three were pretty much on par.  After using all three on separate occassions it became clear that one was harder to remove the residue and left a white powdery smear on the ceramic, a lot of polishing with one of our Microfibre cloths did the trick but it was time consuming and hard work!

The Winner

So that left two and the clear winner was Hob Brite, it does exactly what it says on the tin, it can be used on ceramic, electric, halogen and induction hobs. Hob Brite is also recommended by some of the top brands such as Baumatic, Zannussi, Creda, Belling and Neff amongst others. I guess this should’ve have been our one and only choice, but hey, if you don’t try you don’t know for sure!

No wonder it is already billed as the UK’s No 1 hob cleaner, the powerful formula cuts through the toughest burnt on food leaving the hob sparkling clean. If used regularly it even builds up an invisible film that protects against staining.

There it is then if it’s good enough to be the UK’s No 1 then its good enough for HomeMaid’s clients!

Faster Dusting

Urban Myths About Feather Dusters

HomeMaid Upgrades To Ostrich Feather Dusters

We have always found that a cylinder vacuum cleaner is far more effective than an upright vacuum cleaner for HomeMaid’s purposes, being generally lighter and more maneuverable than an upright. However, one of the downsides is the actual floor brush itself, its generally just a flat inactive “slider” design which requires a lot of physical effort to make it work. Our cleaners found that for things like long hair, pet hair and threads the standard brush just didnt pick up even though the suction was still 100%. We needed something that didn’t need “Popeye” arms to make it work well!

Improved Carpet Cleaning Power

We found an alternative brush, the ‘Airo Brush’ that is widely advertised at being able to achieve the high standards that HomeMaid require.

The Airo Brush is described as ‘an exceptional floor nozzle developed to provide quick and efficient carpet care. It grooms the whole carpet and will allow power brush results where uprights can rarely go.’

Excellent Performance

We had excellent results for the Airo Brush in trials, fast, effective and easy to use, much improved performance and most importantly, improvements noticed by our customers! It picked up human hair and pet hair easily without losing any suction, whilst cotton thread etc just disappeared. The staff in the trials reported cleaning faster and easier over large areas. It was much less effort to use with a huge improvement in cleaning power. Perfect!

Insist on Airo Brushes

The Airo Brush by Numatic is a terrific product that will extend the capabilities of HomeMaids vacuum cleaners, and certainly closes the performance gap between cylinders and a good upright when it comes to vacuuming carpets. It’s a durable and well-engineered addition to HomeMaid’s toolkit, which gives outstanding results.

A truly high performance brush, make sure your cleaning service includes these in their kit list!

The scientists say that HEPA filters, by definition, remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3micrometers (µm) in diameter, who are we to argue! Infact we have been so impressed by the claims and information’ printed about these filters that we just had to trial them ourselves.

What is HEPA anyway?

Healthier Homes

HEPA-Flo Filters Help Asthma & Hay Fever

Insist on HEPA-Flo Filters