Tag Archives: cleaning

5 ideas to whip your home into shape before summer

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s a great time to whip your home into shape before the nice weather arrives. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1) Pull out your refrigerator and oven, and clean underneath them. Clean the coils on your refrigerator too. You can vacuum them using a crevice tool, or dust them with an extenstion duster.

2) Move couches, chairs, and other furntiture, and vacuum in those hard to reach areas.

3) Wipe down your baseboards.  

4) Wash your windows.

5) Clean the ceiling fans.

5) Declutter your home. Professional organizer Pooja Gugnani, founder and owner of Organizing with You in Chicago, wrote some great advice about changing your mindset about clutter in her article titled “Mind Over Clutter.” 

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.

green cleaning idea #2 – mild oven cleaner

 

Tired of putting on rubber gloves to protect your hands against caustic chemicals when cleaning your oven? Baking soda is a natural, mild abrasive that won’t scratch. Sprinkle some right out of the box on your stove-top or inside your oven, and scour with a damp 3M Scotch-Brite pad or sponge. You could also scrub your kitchen counters with it,  or use it in the bathroom on your tub or shower tiles.

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.

Product recommendation: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

We recently discovered a great product to take scuff marks and stains off of walls without damaging the paint. It is called Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It’s essentially a white sponge that you dampen with water. As you lightly scrub the wall, the eraser magically takes away the marks, and it eventually disintegrates into nothing. In addition to cleaning spots off of our office walls, it did wonders on a copy machine that had been become discolored over the years.

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.

wet mop brand recommendations

Here are some specific product recommendations for wet mop heads and handles, as well as where to purchase them. This is a follow-up to our post on how to clean hardwood floors.

We recommend these Quickie brand products, which can be purchased at Lowe’s. Our favorite mop head is the Quickie Wet Mop Refill With Microban (pictured to the left). The ends are stitched so they will not unravel or get tangled in the washing machine. Note that mop heads with Microban should be air dried, and not put in the dryer. They fit all Quickie 023 series mop handles, including the Quickie Clean Results Wet Mop With Microban (pictured below).

We also like the Rubbermaid Super Stitch Blend Mop Head which fits onto the Rubbermaid Value-Pro Mop Handle. However, they are difficult to find in smaller sizes in stores.  The large 24 oz. is sold at Home Depot and Office Depot, but they are  too big to use without a wringer.  The small (and medium) size is available online at cleaning and restaurant supply companies or at Amazon.com.

As we mentioned in our post about cleaning hardwood floors, we recommend using any string mop with a detachable head over a sponge mop or Swiffer. There are many other varieties of Quickie, Libman, and Rubbermaid brand mop heads and handles sold at grocery stores (Jewel, Dominick’s),drug chains (CVS, Walgreens), Home Depot, Target, Ace Hardware, Office Depot, etc. Most will be adequate. String mops do a great job and are cost effective because the detachable heads can be laundered in your washing machine and used over and over again.

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.

How to clean windows

Cleaning the insides of windows is time consuming, but it can be rather easy with the proper equipment. Do yourself a big favor and purchase a professional quality window squeegee from your local hardware store. Squeegees have been around since the advent of skyscrapers in Chicago, and they needed a streak-free way to clean the many windows. Ettore is the original and leading brand and available in stores everywhere.

Contrary to what you may think, you can clean your windows without a bottle of Windex or even a  single paper towel. You’ll need two buckets, a sponge, a soft cloth, some plain vinegar, and water. A simple solution of warm water and vinegar will cut  right through the dirt on windows and dissolve it.

Make a solution of 1 cup vingar and 1 cup warm water in a bucket. Fill up your other bucket with just plain water. Dip your sponge into the vingegar solution and wipe down the whole window.  Then starting at the top left hand corner of your window, move your squeegee from the top of the window to the bottom in one fluid motion. After each stroke, wipe the rubber edge of your squeegee with the soft rag. Return to the top and repeat, overlapping on the right side of the first stroke a bit. Continue to squeegee until you reach and finish the right edge of your window. Finally, draw the squeegee across the bottom of the window, and dry it with your cloth.

Clean your sponge off in your bucket of plain water and repeat steps for each window. Change your bucket of plain water frequently.

Enjoy your sparkling, clean windows!

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.

How to verify that your cleaning company is actually insured

If you choose to hire a person or company to clean your home, take the 1-2 days it takes to request and receive proof of insurance. Why?  If you are a home owner, it is especially important that your investment is protected. If you are a renter, you still may be liable for damage caused by an uninsured worker.

Maid in Chicago carries both general liability and workman’s compensation insurance. We can provide proof of insurance for our customers with a turn around time of one business day.  Our insurance company will either fax or mail this one or two page document directly to our customers.

Companies that balk when asked for proof of insurance are probably not insured. Once you receive proof of insurance, verify that the policy is in force. Certificates of insurance are worthless if premiums aren’t paid. The time to find out if a company is properly insured is prior to hiring them, not after something is damaged.

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.

Recommended cleaning supplies

(updated 10/10/12)

Whether you are cleaning your home yourself or hiring a service, you will need to have basic cleaning supplies. The following list will give you a general idea of items to have on hand. You don’t have to have everything, but it is a good idea to cover your bases. Tip: If you are pressed for storage space, store your cleaners in a milk crate under your kitchen sink. This will allow you to easily take them out and put them back.

equipment:
__ vacuum cleaner with attachments
__ vacuum cleaner bags
__ wet mop/hardwood floor mop (Quickie Wet Mop with Microban, Bona hardwood floor mop systems, etc. Please no sponge mops!)
__ bucket
__ broom
__ dust pan
__ step stool
__ dusters (feather, lambswool, or Swiffer disposable dusters)
__ scrub pads (3M Scotch-Brite, S.O.S.)
__ sponges
__ garbage bags
__ rubber gloves
__ cleaning cloths
__ paper towels
__ toilet bowl brush
__ empty spray bottles (Zep brand professional sprayers) 

cleaners:
__ vinegar (Heinz distilled white)
__ dishwashing liquid (Ivory, Dawn) and/or dishwasher detergent
__ Murphy Oil Soap (for wood floors)
__ all-purpose/general cleaner (Fantastic, Formula 409)
__ bathroom spray cleaner (Tilex, Comet Spray)
__ bathroom cleanser (Soft Scrub)
__ toilet bowl cleaner
__ glass cleaner (Windex or vinegar and water)
__ stainless steel cleaner
__ furniture polish (Pledge, Endust)
__ oven cleaner (Easy Off)

__ Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 

laundry supplies:
__ liquid / powder laundry detergent
__ fabric softener dry sheets (Bounce)
__ liquid bleach (Clorox)

Substitutions may be made for the brand names listed above.

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.

Keep ceiling fans clean

During the winter, your ceiling fan should be set to turn clockwise, which will draw the cooler air up and push the heated air down. Running a fan will help your furnace work less. This will reduce your heating bill because it is more energy efficient to run a fan than your furnace. It is a good idea to keeping your ceiling fan clean because the motor will expend less energy to turn the blades, and of course who wants chunks of dust floating down on top of them. 

First, to reach the fan you will need a step stool. Next, prepare a simple solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Then, dust off the blades with a Swiffer or feather duster. Finally, wipe them clean with a rag dipped in your cleaning solution.

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.