Quick Bathroom Cleaning Tips
Among the many household chores, bathrooms always fall to the bottom of the list. Why? It’s a yucky job, but someone has to do it. Here are some quick bathroom cleaning tips that you can incorporate into your daily routine. More importantly, your family can help make it even easier for you.
* Take all of the trash out of the bathroom and put it in the garbage can.
* Put all of the dirty clothes in the hamper
* Use disinfectant to clean the sink, tub and counter.
* Use a bathroom cleanser and your shower spray to clean the tile inside the shower stall.
* Scrub the inside and outside of the toilet bowl with cleaner and brush.
* Clean the outside of the toilet bowl with disinfectant.
* Use glass spray to clean the mirrors.
* Sweep then mop the floor.
You’re done! Great job! Now let’s discuss how you can keep your bathroom at this level of cleanliness. After each shower, wash down the tiles with the shower hose, and use the disinfectant to clean the tub, sink, toilet bowl and counter. Ask your spouse to do the same, as well as your older children, if applicable. Ensure that the pail in the bathroom is lined with a plastic bag. This will make it easier for you to remove the trash.
Keep the cabinet under the sink tidy. Arrange the items so that you can easily retrieve them. Add hooks for your hair dryer, and any other appliance used. Buy a plastic box in your local dollar store, and put all of the small items in it such as, curlers, pins, hair ties, and do the same for other items you may keep in there. Line the cabinet with Con-Tac to enable you to simply wash it down when necessary.
HomeMade Cleaners
It has often been said that the toilet seat is one of the cleanest spots in the house. If you would like the rest of your bathroom to be as clean, it just takes a few homemade, eco-friendly cleaners to make that happen.
Hydrogen peroxide, a known germicidal agent, is considered one of the safest sanitizers you will ever find. It is composed of oxygen and water, and when it attacks organic materials, it breaks back down into its base components.
Everyone knows how effective hydrogen peroxide is in cleaning out a wound. That same bubbling action kills bacteria and viruses. So, if you are worried about bacteria or viruses in your shower, spray down the shower with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide as you exit it.
To keep your bathroom counters germ-free, keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide where it’s easily accessible. After you’re finished cleaning, spray the counter tops to disinfect them.
Besides a water and hydrogen peroxide mixture, you can also use two common kitchen items – vinegar and baking soda, either combined or separate. By mixing together one-fourth cup baking soda in one-half gallon water, then adding one-half cup vinegar, you’ve made a great all-purpose cleaner. Use this immediately to clean any surface you would clean with a product like 409®.
Have you ever had a hair clog in the shower or the bathroom sink? If you have you can pour one-half cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow the baking soda with about one cup of vinegar. Step back because the mixture will fizz like a child’s volcano experiment. After a couple of minutes, add a mixture of boiling water and salt. The clog should go away, but you may have to repeat.
To clean your toilet bowl, sprinkle baking soda into the toilet and let it sit for a few minutes. Use your scrub your toilet with a toilet brush as usual. You can also pour a little distilled white vinegar into the toilet and letting it set for a few minutes before attacking the toilet with a toilet brush.
Have the tub and tiles in your bathroom or shower got you down? Clean them with a mixture of one and one-third cup baking soda, one-half cup liquid soap, one-half cup water, and two tablespoons of vinegar. Just rub the mixture on, use a little elbow grease to clean, and rinse well with plenty of warm water.
These are but a few of the basic, homemade, eco-friendly cleaners you can make to keep your bathroom clean and healthy for your family. Just remember that if you make one of these cleansers please be sure to clearly mark the container that holds the cleaner.
Source: http://debiijoy.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/bathroom-cleaning-tips/
by: Mary Williams
If you are the one who is really worry about your carpet, here is some simple guide for treating stains and maintaining carpets and upholstery.
1. Always clean up spills quickly to avoid staining. Start by removing any solid debris. Clean the spill using clean, cold water and blotting with white paper towels or cloths. Never scrub or brush the spill as it will damage fibers and possibly set the stain. Only if this method does not work should you move on to harsher treatments.
2. Regular vacuuming and spot treatment will improve the quality and life span of your carpets and upholstery.
3. Since chemicals are hard on the fibers of carpets and upholstery, you should always start with the weakest solution before moving on. Start with clean water and move onto a mild solution of liquid soap (never use laundry detergent) or an oxygen based cleaner which usually works well on organic stains (food, animal, blood) before using chemical spot removers.
Carpet spot removal products are made with some of the most dangerous chemicals and should always be applied when wearing gloves and in an area with good ventilation.
4. Test the cleaning products for carpets or upholstery in a hidden spot to make certain it won’t stain. Place a white paper towel or cloth on the tested area to check for color transfer. If the cleaner is safe apply a small amount of spot removal product to a clean, white cloth and work your way from the OUTSIDE of the stain inwards. Keep at it only using a stronger solution when you are no longer getting results with water or mild detergent.
Upholstery stains can also be treated with a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution that can be left on and dabbed. You do not need to rinse. Hydrogen Peroxide works equally well on vinyl furniture.
5. When the stain is removed rinse with clean water and blot the excess out. Replace towels when they are too wet to absorb anymore water. Be careful to avoid over wetting as it can also damage your carpet or cause mildew in your carpet or upholstered furniture.
Taking the time to treat spills before they’re stains will go a long way in keeping your carpets and upholstery looking as good as new!
About The Author
Mary Williams
Mary Williams maintains many rug websites, including http://www.braidedrugsguide.info, http://www.carpetrug.info, and http://www.discountrug.info. Please visit her websites and read more interesting articles about rugs.
Later this week, I have some guests arriving and am spending some time making sure the house is in tip-top shape as they are our first overnight guests in the new house. Cleaning at our house is anything but the toxic mess found in so many modern cleaners. If you’re new to cleaning with all natural cleaners consider the following:
Cream of Tartar- makes an excellent porcelain cleaner. Simply sprinkle some onto a damp cloth and rub any stained porcelain until clean, then rinse. This works great on toilets and porcelain sinks if you have hard water and get those orangey colors in the pores.
Vinegar - Vinegar is a great all-around cleaning product in my experience. Diluted it makes a great cleaner for windows, hardwood floors, bath tubs, showers, and much more. White distilled vinegar seems to the best vinegar for cleaning and is an extremely frugal choice.
Baking Soda- Baking soda is a great way to deodorize carpets. Sprinkle some on the carpet, allow to sit for a while then vacuum as usual.
Vegetable Oil – 1/4 Cup vegetable oil combined with 1 teaspoon lemon juice makes a great all natural wood polish for all your furniture.
How about you, how do you clean your home naturally?
Source: http://womennotdabbling.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/natural-home-cleaning/
The bathroom or shower door is undoubtedly among the most important areas in the house. There is a constant need to maintain the cleanliness of the area. Shower rooms that are not regularly cleaned usually accumulate dirt that in time gets harder to clean or wipe out. The shower door should be given particular attention because usually, home keepers forget to take care of the fixtures.
When you clean the shower room, you usually focus on cleaning the tiles, the walls and the toilet. The door is usually neglected. It is time you change your bathroom cleaning habits. The door is not really hard to clean but there are still certain and specific techniques that will make the effort easier and effective.
Before you clean your shower door, it would be advisable if you would be able to identify shower door parts. Fortunately, there are just a few of them. Knowing more about the materials used and functions of shower door parts will be truly helpful in making the cleaning activity worthwhile and effective. Here are some recommended tips that will help you get on with the task.
Shower door parts and how to clean them
The door surface is the most visible of all the shower door parts. This is the part that you actually see and hold. The surface gets wet when you take a shower. Other than being soaked with water, other liquid and greasy substances touch the door surface, like shampoo, soap, detergents, lotions and others. In time, you may notice that some dirt-like stains form appearing like actual stains. Mildew formation is also not ruled out.
Cleaning this shower door part is easy. At times, all you need to do is to wipe it with clean and dry cotton cloth. However, if stain and dirt formation gets worse, you need to do other alternative and effective measures. Not known to many, lemon juice can be a good cleaning agent especially for tidying the shower door surface. Put the juice into old newspapers and wipe the door surface with it. In no time-you will notice that streaks present will be removed. Air-drying the door surface after the cleaning act will be advisable.
The knob
Among shower door parts, the knob is the most handled. Some shower doors do not have handles or knobs, but most traditional ones do have them. If your bathroom door has a knob, do not fret about cleaning the part.
Usually, any type of knobs can be cleaned and maintained by using machine oil. The grease provided by oil is sufficient in making the knob always functional and useable. There is a need to apply oil into the knob at least once every six months to make sure rust formation and roughness can be reduced if not totally eliminated. Alternatively, vinegar can be used as well as an agent to wipe clean the shower door knob.
Other shower door parts
The door surface and knob are the two most obvious and easily visible shower door parts. However, there are other components and parts that may be concealed from the eye. When you open the door, you will see those hidden shower door parts.
Such shower door parts include bi-fold pivots, guide rods, brackets, hinges, track rollers and door catch. You may proceed to clean them the way you clean the knob, because most of these shower door parts are also made of aluminum or metal. Cleaning these parts is also recommended at least once every six months to prevent rust and dirt accumulation.
Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/home_improvement.php/97914
About Author Mike L. :
Mike L. provides best and reliable information about bathroom products including shower door parts and seals. http://www.technologylk.com/catalog/81/Glass-and-Plastics-Cutters-Tools-and-Accessories/ http://www.technologylk.com/catalog/2245/Shower-and-Tub-Enclosure-Hardware-Kits-and-Accessories/
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-A-House-Cleaning-Business-In-7-Simple-Steps&id=13869
One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it’s a blessing to make money doing something they love. I’m not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn’t hate it.
How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.
Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.
1) Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.
Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won’t do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.
2) Pricing your housecleaning service.
To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.
3) Workout startup costs.
For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.
Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).
Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.
Once you’ve gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.
4) Name your business.
Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, ‘Maid Brigade’, ‘All Shine Cleaning’, ‘White Glove Cleaning Service’. Please avoid using ‘Your Name Cleaning Services’. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.
5) Learn the zoning regulations of your community.
Check the city clerk’s Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.
6) Do a few free cleaning jobs.
Well you’re not actually doing them for free. You’re doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.
7) Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.
Tell everyone you know that you’ve started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.
This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.
–by ayola Peters
About The Author
Fayola Peters is the webmaster of housecleaning-tips.com. To find more information about a house business cleaning course check out her website at http://www.housecleaning-tips.com
–
Another posting in Cleaning Tips blog are:
Learn how to start a profitable house cleaning business
Today’s workers and families are overworked and stressed. After a 12-hour workday, feeding and putting the children to bed, the last thing anyone wants to worry is cleaning the house. Weekends are spent running errands and spending quality time with friends and family members. Therefore, many families are looking for outside assistance with housekeeping. In the past, housekeepers were thought of as the “hired help” and were thus treated like 18th century scullery maids. This is no longer the case. Housekeepers have reached a well-deserved level of respectability for their much-appreciated services. Starting a house cleaning business is do-able for most people because there is very little start up cost involved. To help you get started, I’ve outlined a step-by-step set of instructions to send you on your way to engaging in this highly profitable business!
The first thing that you need to do before seeking out your clientele is to develop a business plan and policy. For starters, you need a name. Choose a name that denotes an air of sophistication. You don’t want a name like, Sally’s Cleaning Service or A-1 Cleaners. Those names are a dime a dozen and do not reflect any sort of professionalism. Try something like, Homestead Helpers. Such a name stands out from the many fly-by-night and unreliable services. Once you’ve chosen a name for your business, the next important step to take is to insure your business. As a house cleaner you are a sole-proprietor. This entitles you to the status of an independent contractor. This means that your profession is no different than that of a plumber, electrician, or a freelance writer.
Insurance is a must have. For one, it eases the minds of your future clientele. Think of yourself –would you want an uninsured person coming into your home, handling your personal articles, and perhaps doing so while unattended in your home? Probably not. Having insurance will put you on top of the list for jobs, as most house cleaners do not carry insurance. The insurance will also give you piece of mind. You will not have to worry about your personal assets being seized in a lawsuit because someone accused you of stealing a family heirloom. Unfortunately, as with many service professions, dishonest people have tarnished the respectability of independent contractors, so you’ll want to cover yourself. Liability insurance (for damage that you are accused of) is very inexpensive. Just about any insurance agency offers liability insurance to contractors. Depending on where you live, the cost is usually less than $300.00 a year.
Once you’ve got your insurance policy, the next thing to do is to get a copy of your background check and police record; and, hopefully you won’t have one. Depending on which state you live in, you can pick up the application at the State Trooper Barracks, City Hall or the Police Station. This is a simple form that takes less than 5 minutes to fill out. The fee is generally between $3 and $15.00. You mail it in, and within 2 weeks the form is mailed back to you with an official stamp which states “No record.” Make photocopies of this form, as you’ll need to give this to prospective clientele with your information packet. The information packet is the next step, and it is what makes your business professional.
The information packet should contain a professional printout or photocopy of your policy and procedures, insurance and background check, references and a sample work order. In terms of your policy, you will need to establish how you want to operate your business. Do you want to work Mondays-Fridays, no weekends? From 6 am to 5pm? Will you work in a house that has a dog? Will you be bringing your own trusted supplies or will the client supply his/her own cleaning products? Do you want to be paid by cash, check or money order? How much will you charge? Per hour? Per job? All of these issues become your policy and they need to be spelled out in black and white for the clients. Also, you should include a sample work order. For example, in cleaning a bedroom, what is to be done? You might write:
*Ceiling fan will be dusted
*Trinkets dusted
*Bedroom furniture dusted
*Sheets changed and bed made
*Carpet vacuumed.
If a client wants something done that is not on the work order, then you can custom create a work order especially for that client. Each time you clean that client’s home you can leave a copy of the work order with the items checked off, so both you and the client will have a copy of what was done. This is will alleviate any confusion over “I said” and, “She said” as well as the bad habit of having notes left for you that read, “By the way, why you are at it, could you scrub the kitty litter pan?” Do only what has formerly been agreed to, thus, what appears on the work order. Also, in your packet of information you should include at least 2 references. References can be tough to come by when you are just starting out. A good way to combat this is to volunteer to clean a friend or a neighbor’s home for free in exchange for a reference. Quite often community organizations or churches will welcome a free cleaning, and would be more than happy to provide a reference for a job well done.
The best way to advertise a cleaning service is not by posting flyers. Posting flyers may appeal to clients who are looking for high school people to help with summer yard work, but certainly not to a person wanting to hire a professional house cleaner. You can choose to have business cards professionally printed, or you can purchase a business card program at an office supply store and print your own cards from your home computer. On your business cards have the name of the business printed (be sure that the name denotes that it is a cleaning service), your name with the title of Proprietor, and your telephone number. Don’t put anything gimmicky on the cards, such as FREE ESTIMATES or CHEAP. You want to present yourself as a person offering a professional service, not someone selling a car wash. Business cards can be placed on bulletin boards in supermarkets, libraries, or community centers. Also, you can run a display ad in your local newspaper using your business card. This saves you money on graphics and design. A business card display ad catches the eye far quicker than a worded classified ad.
Given the independent contractor status, and depending on the tax laws of your state, you are eligible for various tax deductions. For example if you own your own home, you can set up a small office space and take deductions for the square footage of the space, utilities, a computer, office supplies, phone calls, and cleaning supplies that you might purchase. Also, advertising and insurance costs are tax deductible. Many of the same deductions can be used for people who rent their home or apartment. Check with your local state’s laws of taxation to see which deductions you can use. House cleaning is highly profitable, with some house cleaners making $15-17 an hour, so be sure to report all of your income to the IRS. As an independent contractor, you can open an IRA account and start saving toward your retirement!
Source: http://www.essortment.com/all/howtostartho_pub.htm
–
Another posting in Cleaning Tips blog are:
Cleaning house is one of those things that needs doing again… and again… and again! How can you make it less of a burden?
When I taught time management classes, one of the things I loved to teach was the 80-20 rule. It’’s best explained by examples. Eighty percent of the time, you wear twenty percent of your wardrobe. Eighty percent of the phone calls you get come from twenty percent of your friends. Eighty percent of the dirt is on twenty percent of the floor. Twenty percent of salespeople make eighty percent of sales. Okay, sometimes it’’s 90-10 and sometimes it’’s 70-30 but you get the idea.
Eighty percent of the dirt is on twenty percent of the floor? Hmm, what does that suggest about cleaning your house? Often a quick pass through the parts of your house that really need it will make cleaning house much easier. If you are in a hurry, let the dust behind the sofa and under the table alone and just clean a swath through the heavy traffic areas. Sooner or later, you”ll get to them as well — or hire someone else to do a thorough cleaning occasionally.
You can probably make up lots of examples of the 80-20 rule that apply to your own ways of cleaning house and of keeping things picked up. Perhaps eighty percent of the dirty dishes left lying around come from one person. Perhaps eighty percent of your frustration with how your house looks could be solved by doing twenty percent of what you think you should.
Rosana Hart tries to put eighty percent of her work time into the twenty percent of activities that will be most effective. She tells you about the opportunities for cleaning houses and offices for a living at her website, http://infoandhelp.com. There are also more tips there for cleaning houses (your own or anyone’’s).’, 160, ‘Cleaning House and the 80-20 Rule, Home-Improvement, Home-Improvement articles, Home-Improvement information, about Home-Improvement, what is Home-Improvement, Home Improvement Information’, ‘Cleaning House and the 80-20 Rule plus articles and information on Home-Improvement.
Source: http://houserenovating.blogspot.com/2008/09/cleaning-house-and-80-20-rule_25.html
House cleaning is in big demand at the moment and it will continue to be in demand over the coming years. The reason being is that peoples’ lifestyles have changed and more and more people are turning to house cleaning services to help free up some of their time.
Why not get in on the act now, take advantage of this demand, and start profiting from your own home-based house cleaning business.
Below are the main points you need to know to start-up as an Independent Cleaner.
Choose a Business Name
For advertising purposes you really should give your cleaning service a name. It could just be your own name, i.e. ‘Joan Walter’s House Cleaning’ or you could give it a more generic name i.e. ‘Your Sparkly House’. Well, you get the idea anyway!
Having a business name forms an identity for your business. If you are serious about making a profit and an income from this, then you need to take your little business seriously and it all starts with a name.
Choose Your Territory & Customers
You need to know who your customers are going to be and where they live. You might not have your own transport, so this will have to be taken into consideration. If you have a car then you will be able to travel further a field and be able to do more cleans per day.
No transport? Don’t worry. Target people who live near you. But you will also need to identify if the people in your area have the money to pay for a cleaner.
It’s very important to find out who can afford a cleaning service. You also need to know if there are enough of these premium customers within a certain proximity of each other? Ideally you would want as many customers as close to each other as possible. This way you can do more cleans per day and not lose too much time traveling from one customer to another.
Set-Up Costs
As an Independent Cleaner, there is very little you need to buy when starting a home business. Most Independent Cleaners tend to use the cleaning products and equipment of their customers. So you won’t need to buy any cleaning products. This is the main reason why you will make a healthy profit!
The following are what you will probably have to spend some money on:
o A tabard/apron
o Advertising
o Travelling costs
Pricing
You need to set yourself a price structure. The best way to do this is to ring around the local cleaners in your Yellow Pages and find out what they are charging. You can also get this information from your local job center.
You can then set your hourly rate in proportion with your competitors. Whether you choose to undercut them, charge the same, or set your prices slightly higher is totally up to you.
Advertising
If you don’t carry out advertising activities, then know one will know about your cleaning service. The best and cheapest way to do this is to create small flyers and to put them directly into your potential customers’ mailbox.
Simply type up your flyer in a word processing document, or get somebody to do this for you. Try and put at least two flyers on one page. Take these your local library or wherever has a photocopier. Get them copied as many times as you can afford.
Put your flyers out by the hundreds if you can. You will be surprised at how quickly this actually takes. You could even have your first phone call by the time you get back home.
In addition to flyers, depending on your budget, advertise your cleaning service in the Yellow Pages. If you cannot afford this from the onset, once you start making some money you can then think about placing an advert then.
Expanding
Once you are well on your way of having a full, jam-packed diary you might want to think about expanding your cleaning business. By now you will be beaming with confidence of what you have accomplished all by yourself. So thinking about hiring a cleaner to help you expand should not be too daunting.
Put an ad in your local newspaper advertising for a cleaner. Once you have chosen a satisfactory candidate take him/her with you on your cleaning rounds for him/her to get used to your cleaning methods and techniques.
Once you are happy and confident that he/she can go and clean on their own, you can then either have some free time to yourself or double your customer base.
Once you are totally confident with managing cleaning staff there is no reason why you can’t hire more cleaners.
Source: http://www.stayathomejobsforu.com/blog/working-from-home/47-starting-a-house-cleaning-business-for-top-profits
Another posting in Cleaning Tips blog are:
Newer Posts »