Author Archives: Maid in Chicago

Top 10 Cell Phone Cleaning Tips

Research studies have found cell phones to be dirtier than toilet seats, and it turns out the warm devices are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. So how can you safely sterilize them to keep those nasty germs away from your face?

Last winter as our country was swept away by a flu epidemic, I was trying to seek an answer to that seemingly simple question. Popular Mechanics provided some great advice on how to clean cell phones and other electronic devices (Check out their article How to Clean Your 7 Favorite Gadgets), but I also decided to make an inquiry with customer service at HTC, the makers of the popular Android phones. They were stumped. The best recommendation a manager could provide was to use a soft rag. When I probed if isopropyl alcohol (or “rubbing alcohol”) is safe to use on the touch screens, she said “yes, but we can not recommend using any liquids because of the possibility of it getting inside of the phone.” Let’s sort this out a bit more.

Here are Maid in Chicago’s Top 10 Cell Phone Cleaning Tips:

1. Mix your own bottle of isopropyl alcohol solution. Popular Mechanics recommends using a 60/40 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. You can purchase a small-sized empty spray bottle at a drug store and mix your own solution.

2. Use a soft cleaning rag or T-shirt. We recommend micro fiber cleaning cloths or flour sack towels.  (Please see our posts Everything you always wanted to know about microfiber cleaning cloths and Cleaning Cloths 101). Lightly dampen the cleaning cloth with the isopropyl alcohol solution.

3. Apply only gentle pressure with your cleaning cloth.

4. Use a Q-tip to clean those hard to reach areas such as in between buttons.

5. Do not use paper towels. They can scratch the touch screens.

6. Do not spray any cleaner directly on your phone. Apply the cleaner to the cleaning cloth instead.

7. Do not use glass cleaners such as Windex. They may contain ammonia which can damage your screen.

8. Do not use disposable disinfecting wipes. The popular brands such as Clorox and Lysol contain bleach, which is unsafe for use on screens of electronics devices.

9. If you prefer a disposable product, use alcohol swaps or alcohol wipes. These inexpensive, generic products, which contain 70% isopropyl alcohol, can be found at your local drug
pictured above: Curad Sterile Alcohol Swabs

store.

10. Avoid using cleaning products which do not list the active ingredients. While it is probably safe to use lens cleaner, lens wipes, or cell phone wipes, the ingredients are often not listed on these products. It might be best to avoid them altogether.

    To schedule a cleaning or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit Maid in Chicago’s website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

Do It Yourself Dry Cleaning

Call me frugal, but I would rather not spend a lot of money on dry cleaning. And in this tight economy every dollar counts. That’s why I feel smart using a home dry cleaning system such as Dryel on a few of my dry-clean-only garments every now and then.

The vast majority of my dry cleaning requires ironing, so I’m more than happy to let the professionals handle all of my dress shirts and pants. What I have found out though is that these DIY home dry cleaning systems are ideal for freshening up garments in between visits to the dry cleaners and cleaning sweaters. I think of them as another way to stretch the family budget.

So this is how the Dryel system works. Remove any stains on your sweaters with a stain removal pen and blotter. Spray “cleaning booster” on collars and underarm areas. Put 1-4 garments in the Dryel dry cleaning bag along with one “moist cleaning cloth.” Zip the bag and put in your dryer on medium heat for 30 minutes. That’s it!

You can use Dryel on most of your dry-clean-only items, but garments with serious stains will require professional care. For more information, take a look at Dryel’s FAQs or read this detailed article on HowStuffWorks.com How Home Dry Cleaning Works.

Now it’s your turn. Have you tried DIY dry cleaning? Please leave a comment below.

To schedule a home cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600, or visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form. Yes, we can help you with your home dry cleaning, and we can even drop off or pick up your dry cleaning at your neighborhood dry cleaners too if it’s nearby. We are here to make your life easier.

Best Way to Store Christmas Ornaments

ornament.box.2

pictured above in foreground: “Sterilite Show Off Ornament Box Set” from Target

Christmas has passed and the New Year’s celebrations are over. It’s that sad time of year when the Christmas trees must come down. Last year we started using these “show off ornament boxes” to store our Christmas ornaments, and they really work super. Not only do they protect your precious ornaments and save you the trouble of individually wrapping them in newspaper or tissue paper, but they look great and save tons of space.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any great storage ideas for Christmas ornaments and other holiday decorations? Please leave a comment below.

Please also check out our post Cleaning Up Christmas Tree Needles.

If you need some help cleaning up after taking down your tree, give Maid in Chicago a call to schedule an appointment: (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form for a FREE quote.

How to Monitor Moisture in Your Home

This is another post in our series about mold. (See our other posts: How to Clean Moldy Caulking, Top 5 Tips to Prevent Mold in Showers, How to Clean a Moldy Shower Curtain, and How To Clean Mold in Your Home.)

What do you do if you have cleaned away mold but it keeps coming back? You may want to check to see what your relative humidity is in your home. It may be too high.

According to the CDC “controlling moisture in your home is the most critical factor for preventing mold growth.” You can monitor the level of humidity in your home with a simple electronic device called a hygrometer. They are inexpensive (the one below costs less than $20) and can be purchased online or at home improvement stores such as Lowe’s, The Home Depot, and Menards.


pictured on the left: Acu-Rite Home Comfort Monitor

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends a relative humidity level between 30%-50%. In the summer months, when you are running an air conditioner, the relative humidity should be between 40%-50% for optimal comfort. In the winter months, when you are running your heater, the relative humidity may need to be lower  than 40% (in the 30%-40% range) to prevent condensation on windows. Lower than 30% is too dry; higher than 50% is too moist.

If you discover your humidity level is too high (such as 62% in the picture above to the left) you need to do something to get to  the root cause of the moisture. Start by checking for any leaky pipes. Also make sure there is proper ventilation in your kitchen and especially in the bathroom.  Running a dehumidifier or regulating your humidistat will take the moisture out of the air. For more information on controlling moisture in your home, check out this article by the EPA.

For more information read Protect Yourself from Mold by The Centers for Disease Control. For serious mold problems, consult a mold remediation expert.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have moisture or mold problems in your home? Have you tried monitoring relative humdity? Please leave a comment below.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to Clean Mold in Your Home

This is a follow-up to our posts How to Clean Moldy Caulking, Top 5 Tips to Prevent Mold in Showers, and How to Clean a Moldy Shower Curtain, which dealt with mold in the bathroom.

Today I thought we would take a step back and talk about what cleaning products you use to clean mold. Walking down the cleaning aisle of your grocery store, you may be perplexed by the variety of cleaning products you see for mold and mildew. However, contrary to what you see on all of these product labels, the go to product for cleaning mold is simply bleach.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends cleaning mold with a bleach solution of no more than a cup of bleach to a gallon of water. This is the equivalent of filling a 32 fl.oz spray bottle with water and 2 oz. of bleach. Then simply spray some of the cleaner on a cleaning cloth, and wipe away the mold from the affected area.

When cleaning with bleach, always heed these warnings. First, make sure you properly ventilate the area you are cleaning. Second, never mix bleach and ammonia together. It causes a dangerous chemical reaction. Finally, make sure you wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands.

For more information read Protect Yourself from Mold by The CDC. For serious mold problems, consult a mold remediation expert.

Now it’s your turn. Have you ever battled mold in your home? Please leave a comment below.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

 

How to Clean Lamp Shades

It won’t be long before those 24-hour marathons of the holiday classic A Christmas Story begin running on TV. If you are lucky enough to be like “Old Man” in the movie, and win a “major prize”  such as a leg lamp, (you know–the kind that are shaped like a women’s leg wearing fishnet stockings) at some point you are going to wonder how to clean your piece of art.

Lamp shades are notoriously tricky to clean. Anything wet or damp can ruin them. It is better to dry dust them regularly; maintenance is key.

Tip: Gently whisk away the dust with a clean paint brush. Reserve it for use on lamp shades only.

So there you have it, a tip to maintain your pride and joy. We triple dog dare you not to try it out. Have a safe holiday season and try not to shoot your eye out!

Bonus tip: Did you know that tickets for A Christmas Story The Musical at The Chicago Theatre are now on sale?

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any works of art that you don’t know how to clean? Or perhaps you have some tips of your own to share. Please leave a comment below.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

Three Tips to Avoid TV Tip-overs in Your Home

The Chicago Tribune ran a good article about home safety titled TV tip-overs: Advocates call for the use of straps to prevent child deaths and injuries. Parents with small children especially should heed their advice.

Three Tips to Avoid TV Tip-overs in Your Home

  • Place TVs on sturdy furniture that is low and wide. Think media consoles (such as the one above), not tall dressers. Situate the TVs to the back of the stand, close to the wall.
  • Secure TVs to the stand or the wall with nylon straps.
  • The safest method is to use a mounting kit and bolt TVs directly to the wall.

What kinds of safety issues have you resolved in your home? Please share your tip in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

When to Change Air Conditioner Filters

While most of the country is enduring an extreme heat wave, this is a good time to point out that air filters need to be changed more often in summer in central air conditioning systems. A general rule of thumb is that they should be changed every 1-3 months. Follow these rules:

1. Inspect your air filter monthly and only change it if it looks dirty. See the photos below and compare.

1. Write down the dates when you change your filters, and you will get a better idea of what is normal for your home. You will notice that in spring and fall you can get by changing the filters less. Your filter will get dirtier if you have pets, live in a high pollution area, or like to keep the windows open. This includes your balcony window.

3. Avoid purchasing low-end filters. Instead, choose ones that have a higher MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). These high efficiency filters will do a better job, but will need to be replaced more often.

Also see our post Change Your Furnace Filter for a Cleaner Home

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher

No, we’re not kidding! Your dishwasher needs to be cleaned every now and then. Over a period of time soap scum, grease, and gunk from your dirty dishes gets stuck on the door, sides, bottom, and drain area. I find it really handy to grab one of those dish scrub brushes with a long handle to get into all of the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle some baking soda on the areas to be cleaned. You can also add a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Scrub with the brush, and then wipe with a wet sponge or dish rag. Also, check for and remove any debris that may be plugging the drain. This could save you a visit from the repairman.

When finished scrubbing, add a cup of vinegar to a dishwasher safe coffee cup and set it on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run the (almost) empty dishwasher through one cycle.

Hint: A little preventative maintenance goes a long way. Rinsing dishes, at least the worst offenders, will help keep the drain unclogged and the dishwasher cleaner.

Also see our post titled Quick Tip to Deodorize Dishwashers

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to Clean Moldy Caulking

Lately we’ve been discussing how to clean and maintain marble surfaces and grout. (“Don’t Take it for Granite. How to Avoid Damaging Fine Stone Surfaces.” How to Clean Marble Grout”, and “Top 5 Tips to Prevent Mold in Showers“)

Mold is clearly a concern that surfaces. In fact, Dan Lundstedt from Sir Grout cites mold as the number one reason people call his company. He  offered us some more tips, this time how to clean moldy caulking. His tips apply for caulking in any bathroom, whether there is marble or not.

Photos of Hotel Center 1, Rome
Photo above by TripAdvisor.com

Dan: Make a mild bleach solution by mixing one part bleach to five or more parts water. Wet a soft cleaning cloth with the solution and wipe the caulking. Let it set for a few minutes after application, then rinse.

Unfortunately moldy caulking turns into an uphill battle. Once mold forms on caulking it will generally keep reappearing until the caulking is replaced.  The more you clean it the more it gets compromised, and it is more susceptible to mold.

Never scrub caulking because it will break the seal, which may lead to water damage. Moldy caulking that will not come clean may need to be replaced. Caulking does break down over time and typically should be replaced every two years.

Maid in Chicago: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends cleaning mold with a bleach solution of no more than a cup of bleach to a gallon of water. This is the equivalent of filling a 32 fl.oz spray bottle with water and 2 oz. of bleach.

Caulking is a do-it-yourself project many home owners can tackle themselves. However, if you would prefer to have a professional handle it, contact Dan at Sir Grout:

Dan Lundstedt
Owner – Sir Grout and Tile Care
work: (847) 597-8171
cell: (847) 909-4479
e-mail: dan@sirgrout.com
sirgrout.com

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.