We didn’t manage to convey all the information that would prove useful to “spring cleaners” of the county, so we decided to creat a series of posts about “speed cleaning” techniques that will help not only with your annual spring clean, but every week cleans as well!

Wood flooring, especially hardwood can last up to 100 years. Its longevity will depend on the quality of the wood and more importantly on the way in which it was cared for. Caring for wood flooring is divided between preventative maintenance tips and suitable cleaning tips. If you are using a professional cleaning service, their methods are designed to preserve the wood which is often guaranteed in their quality control statement. If you are cleaning your own wood flooring, the following tips will help ensure a long usable service life.

Preventative Maintenance Tips:

1. Use furniture pads – These are essential aids which can help reduce scratches from furniture. They are cheap, effective and concealed from the eye.

2. Use area rugs – Area rugs are often used for interior design purposes, however they help protect the floor. Damage from high heels is very common and area rugs are the only feasible solution.

3. Avoid dragging objects – Even small amounts of dust can turn into bigger grains of dirt which with the right friction may scratch the floor. Dragging heavy objects on the floor, rather than lifting them produces enough friction to scratch the floor.

4. Quickly absorb liquids – Liquids can damage wood which is why you won’t see wood used in wet areas such as showers and bathrooms. When any liquid spills onto the floor, you should quickly absorb it with s soft cloth.

5. Follow recommended manufacturer’s guidelines – There are many brands of wood flooring and various quality. Wood flooring may need sanding / staining from time to time to keep the wood in great condition, so familiarise yourself with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Tips For Wood Flooring Care and Cleaning – Cleaning Tips:

6. Start by removing dust – Over time dust which has been allowed to harden will turn into dirt. This can cause damage to the wood, it will be harder to remove and not hygienic. To remove dust, you should start by sweeping the floor using a soft fine bristle broom every day.

7. Vacuum the floor – At least twice a week you should consider vacuuming the floor. Make sure to use a soft attachment which will not damage the wood and is useful to collect sand as well as dirt. Take extra care to vacuum area rugs if you placed any on the floor.

8. Mop the floor accordingly – By now you know that wood and water do not mix. When mopping wood floors never use a wet mop but a damp mop. If you are using a dedicated wood flooring cleaner, use cleaners that won’t leave a film or residue.

9. Buffing and waxing – These are useful solutions to extend the lifespan of the floor, but not all wood flooring will react well to this process. Follow steps 6 to 8 to reduce the need for flooring polish.

10. Have the floors professionally cleaned – To protect your investment, consider hiring a professional cleaning service once every three months. Such services are able to offer deeper cleaning using professional techniques and industry grade cleaners.

Article contributed by flooring company wood and beyond.

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.

Like any other business sector, there are a number of individuals, agencies and companies who are not doing all they can to protect the homes and families of their clients.

Many are unaware of the risks involved, did you know that individual cleaners have no legal requirement to provide liability insurance? Are you worried that the majority of cleaning companies do NOT check their staff via the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)?

If you dont have the inside knowledge its hard for you to figure out, the good from the bad. So we produced a guide to the industry which can help you make an informed decision about who you choose to clean your home.

Dont be fooled by cheap rates, know which questions to ask and how to get the best value service is all inside our report.

Extracts from this quide have been published in Live Ribble Valley Magazine, but you can get the full “inside track” in just a few clicks….

Dont take risks with your family or your home!

Get Your Free How to Avoid Rogue Cleaners Guide

Cleaning Ceramic Hobs – Made Easy

I have personally restored many unloved and abused oven tops to a gleaming shine and I’ll share my methods with you.  I have tried many products, including steam cleaners (rubbish for this) that are both expensive and ineffective. However, a product called “Hob Brite” (@ £2 UK) a bottle is both fantastic value and very effective.

I shudder when I read of “metal scrapers and razor blades” being recommended or used as they can easily damage the finish and you! A razer blade in a protective “sheath” such as those sold in DIY stores for scraping paint off windows etc., is the safest way to use a blade. but be CAREFUL!

Effective Ceramic Hob Cleaning

The method I prefer is to use Hob Brite with a pan scrub, you know, the yellow and green type? Sponge on one side, scrub on the other? Dont use Brillo pads or wire wool types, they’ll damage the finish.
Draw a small ring of hob brite cream around each of the “pan ” areas and work in circular motions with the green side of the scrub pad.
You may need to scrub the burnt on areas quite hard or even repeat the process a couple of times – but it will come off!

Flip your pad over to use the sponge side and lightly wipe the top down – dont try to take all the cream off yet, we’re just checking if any more work is required. If it is, you will still see those stubborn crusty burnt on areas; add a little more Hob Brite and repeat the scrubbing!
Once you have cleared the burnt on bits, rub off as much as you can with the sponge, then wipe down with an old tea towel. You might even need a splash of soapy water as the Hob Brite cream is “greasy”.

Low Cost Ceramic Hob Cleaning

The magic finishing touch is to polish off with a micro fibre cloth, possibly with a glass cleaning product for that ultimate shine – voila – a perfectly shiny ceramic hob for less than £3 and a little “elbow grease”.

One of our clients suggested we become a “Safe Trader” – which initially confused me, I have to confess. HomeMaid have always been “safe”, professionally insured and only use CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) cleared staff.

I went away to do some more research and it transpires that Trading Standards operate an approval scheme for local traders, funded by Lancashire County Council. The purpose of the scheme is to promote to Lancashire consumers reliable local traders with which to do business. This means you can support your local business community without worrying about cowboy or rogue traders.

Safe Trader Code of Practice

All traders who complete the approval process, must operate within the schemes “Code of Practice”, designed to minimise the risk to potential customers when purchasing goods and services.

You can read more on the Safe Trader website but a couple of things are worth highlighting quickly here.

Enhanced Listing

Clean Smells Promote Kindness

Is it because teenage boys live in smelly bedrooms, with the windows, doors and curtains closed that makes them grumpy and communicate in words of one syllable or less?! Well there could be some truth in that, Brigham Young University professor, Katie Liljentquist, led a study that found that clean scents lead to more ethical behaviour. Liljenquist said with a smile. “Could be that getting our kids to clean up their rooms might help them clean up their acts, too.”, although she gave no advice as to how we might get them to clean up anything.

In the trials, a citrus scent was used to create a fresh smell, whilst another room was left “normal”. The results were quite remarkable; both groups were given a quantity of money from a “mystery partner” They had to decide how much of it to either keep or return to their partners who had trusted them to divide it fairly. Subjects in clean-scented rooms were less likely to exploit the trust of their partners, returning a significantly higher share of the money.

Clean Smells Make You Charitable

A second test was set up where subjects were asked if they were willing to donate to a fictitious charity and those questioned in the citrus scented room were three times more likely to volunteer or donate!

Cleanliness & Morality

The report concluded that were are subconsciously  influenced and that morality and cleanliness can go hand-in-hand, the spaces we live and work in, influence how we behave. Clean and fresh smelling rooms make us more generous and honest.

Further studies are being conducted into how cleanliness influences how react to people and organisations. Time for that spring clean!

Read the full Science Daily Article here

Choosing A Cleaning Service

There are dozens of cleaning “companies” to choose from, search the web, pick up the local paper or ask a friend, there is no shortage of potential cleaning services. However would you know the implications of each service and how that might affect you, your family and your home?

Individuals As Cleaners

This can be the best solution for many, if you have a neighbour or friend who you get along with can help you out and it will always be cheaper than any company. However if you dont know them personally it can be  a real minefield of problems.

Insurance; Are You Protected?

Let me explain, whilst any registered company is legally required to have a minimum of Public Liability Insurance, however there is no such requirement for individuals and that’s just the start of the potential problems.

Your home insurance generally doesnt for accidents to employees, e.g. Mrs Bloggs, your cleaner falls downstairs and breaks her leg. Who is she going to pursue for compensation? It might concern you to know, that its you who will be sued and without insurance and legal protection, could be a financial disaster for your family.

Fidelity Bonding Explained

What happens if your cleaner is dishonest? Most companies and almost certainly no individuals will have the correct insurance cover to protect you. You need to ask if they have something called “Fidelity Bonding”, which is a specialist insurance for cleaning companies and the like. It protects you against misuse of phones, identity theft and so on. The number of companies with this added protection are surprisingly few. Just be sure to ask your prospective cleaner if they have this, or you might have a bigger bill than you ever imagined.

You, The Employer

If you employ an individual you then become the employer and responsible for filing details with HMRC, holiday pay, sick pay, health and safety amongst other things. Its around now you might be thinking that £11 an hour isn’t cheap any more?

Cleaning Products, The Hidden Costs

Most cleaning companies will include all the products used in their price, whereas individuals and most cleaning agencies provide the manpower and you provide the products. Its a massive hidden cost that most forget to factor in to their decision. Here at HomeMaid we buy in bulk from specialist suppliers and its vastly cheaper than buying from a supermarket. Still think £11 an hour is good value?

The Added Value

We at HomeMaid pride ourselves on going the extra mile both with the service but also the investment in technology; we routinely use HEPA-Flo filtered vacuums, a real boon for 25% of the population of allergy sufferers, but for those non-sufferers the knowledge that your home is hygienically cleaner. The comprehensive use of micro-fibre cloths helps reduce both the visible and invisible dirt (bacteria) and all of this, is part of the HomeMaid service.

The Price Per Hour

The hourly rate is only of interest when you compare the value and what you get for every pound spent. We’re not the cheapest but that was never the intention, there is always someone prepared to cut corners and cut the price. When you understand the hidden costs it makes hiring at £11 an hour not only quite expensive, but your are taking huge risks with your home and family. Failing to notify HMRC that you have employed someone is serious, whilst being uninsured in the event of an accident or dishonesty could be catastrophic for you.

We prefer the principals of quality, peace of mind for our clients and a loyal, happy band of customers. We are neither the cheapest, not the most expensive, but we are the most focused on customer satisfaction.

You can get a FREE HomeMaid Home Cleaning quote now!

A Nice Clean Bed?

Lets fast forward to bedtime, nicely relaxed after your favourite tipple and tired after a hard day, what could be better than a freshly made bed; crisp clean sheets and that fabulous clean fragrance. Folding back the duvet and slide in, absolute bliss.

Or is it? Who or what are you sharing your bed with?

What Lives in Your Bed?

If you suffer from asthma, eczema, atopic rhinitis or like me “hay fever” (it wasn’t but I’ll explain later) then what you share your bed with should be of concern. Why? let me explain.

Wherever there is a food source there will be something that feeds on it. In this case the food source is human skin and the ‘predator’ is the House Dust Mite. They live in their 10′s of ’000′s in our homes. However you wont meet one coming down the hall, you will probably never see one at all except on websites like this.

House Dust Mite Facts

The house dust mite is about 1/3rd the width of a human hair or .3 microns. Dont let the size fool you as these tiny creatures create a powerful allergen that is thought to be responsible for a massive surge in allergy sufferers.

• Allergens produced by house dust mites are among the most common triggers of asthma.
• Allergies affect as many as 10-15 million people in the UK, 20 – 25% of the population.
• From 1982-1994, asthma increased 84% overall, and 72% for children under 18.

The house dust mite is a prolific breeder and left unchecked can literally double the weight of a mattress in under ten years!

You can deal with these invaders although you shouldnt become obsessed in their irradication, sensible regular  cleaning can control their numbers and improve you and your familys health.

Controlling The House Dust Mite

The ideal environment for dust mites is warm and humid, so the first thing you can do is control the humidity. Where it doesnt pose a security risks, open windows, especially at night whilst your sleeping – you can lose 500ml of fluid in perspiration overnight – so let it escape.

Let Your Bed Breathe

In the morning roll back the sheets or duvet and leave the window open. If you have modern windows they usually have a “second” level opening allowing you to still lock the window but still allow fresh air in.

Weekly Hot Wash

Wash your sheets, mattress covers, pillow case etc., in 60 degrees every week. No need to use bleach (dust mite are unaffected by it) simply wash at a high temperature to kill them. If you can’t wash at such high temperatures you can use special treatments such as – Fabricleanse (~£12  for a 300ml bottle)- to remove allergens and denature the mites themselves.

Always Use a HEPA Vacuum Cleaner

If you dont have a HEPA filtered vacuum, consider upgrading as onlyt HEPA filters will stop the mites and their feaces escaping the vacuum and getting into the air and back into your home. If you use a cleaning company insist they use HEPA filtered vacuums, or move to one that does. Many good cleaning companies provide this as standard. We at HomeMaid changed ours about two years ago and without any price increase too!

You may also want to start with “a clean sheet” – forgive the pun – by calling in a specialist mattress cleaning company to cleanse your mattress first, then adopt the aforementioned strategies for control. You’ll need to repeat the process annually or more frequently if you have a severe allergy problem.

Always Seek Medical Advice

And finally, we’re not doctors nor are we qualified to advise on individual allergy issues, so if you’re having problems seek a qualified medical practitioner in the first instance. We can help you maintain healthier home and reduce your allergens only as part of complete control process.

Sleep well!

Ostrich Feather Dusters

Ostrich feather dusters are designed for dusting naturally; they are the most versatile duster in the world, which is why they are used by millions in the home and by quality professional cleaners like HomeMaid. They are fast and effective, halving dusting time, heaven!

Ostrich feathers come in three different grades. At HomeMaid we only use the products with the grade one feather as this is the very best, you’d expect nothing less from HomeMaid! Beware cheap imposters, they wont last as long, so its often false economy, believe me I know.

Our ‘commercial’ dusters come with extending aluminum handles as standard which means you can use them up to heights of 2m which improves the versatility, there’s no hiding place for cobwebs with these.

The feathers are very soft and gentle. Museums and Galleries nationwide use Ostrich feather dusters, it was an obvious progression for HomeMaid to use them too as we value our customers prized assets as much as the Louvre values the Mona Lisa!

How Do Ostrich Feather Dusters Work?

I’ve heard many people talk of oils and darker feathers are best, its all nonsense. Here’s how they work; Ostrich feathers have a plume of millions of separate, wispy filaments that collect the dust rather than just move it about. Its natures very own “microfibre” duster. The feathers have evolved as ostriches live in very dry areas and use dust baths to keep the feathers clean, During bathing the birds cover themselves with dust and then vigorously shake to remove the dust, taking dirt and parasites with them.

Although the feathers are soft and gentle they are extremely hard wearing. In the home environment you can expect years of efficient dusting. In commercial use we have found that most dusters last about a year (25 cleans a week!).

Ostriches can reach over 45mph; this duster is almost as quick! If you love dusting do not buy a feather duster because a good quality duster cuts dusting time by at least half (any cleaning company not using these is costing you extra time and money).

Static Free Dusting

Another feature of Ostrich feathers is they do not leave an electrostatic charge. Most dusters, especially man made fibers and wool, leave an electrostatic charge behind, which then attracts dust to the surface just dusted. This is why glass, TV screens and computer monitors, metal and plastic items stay dust free longer with Ostrich feather dusters.

Did you know all cars that are manufactured in the EU are dusted with ostrich feather before they are painted? The dusters ensure the surface is dust free before painting, essential for a good finish.

One other thing, caring for your duster is very simple. To release trapped dust, a quick shake is all it takes, hold it near the floor so you can vacuum up the debris afterwards. The feathers can be washed in warm soapy water, rinsed and dried with a hair-drier. This should only be necessary if the duster is dirty as opposed to dusty.

Fast, Effective Dusting

That’s about it; fast, effective, good for all dusting jobs and long lasting making them exceptional value, they really are amazing, you want one now don’t you………………or maybe you’d rather hire a professional to do it for you?