Typically €15.36 inc VAT per hour
Facebook Badge
In line with the recent increase on the VAT rate by Revenue we have increased our hourly rate. The new hourly rate is €15.36 inc VAT, Insurance cover is now included in this price also.
We look forward to working with you throughout 2012 in providing an affordable home cleaning service to you.
Call us on 01 406 5426 to discuss your home cleaning requirements further.
Simple & Quick Oven Cleaning Tip
Here is a really simple tip to make cleaning your grimy oven so much easier. Just after you remove your cooked meal, simply fill a deep pan with water pop into your hot oven, as it heats up the steam will soften all the grime and its just a quick & simple wipe to the inside of your oven & its job done…! Thanks to Helen in Blackrock, Co. Dublin for this tip.
Do you have pets at home? If so removing animal hair from sofas, carpets and stairs can be very frustrating, especially when your pet is moulting. The best way to collect and remove the hair from the furniture is to use rubber gloves. Put them on and wipe your hand across the hair. The pet hair will then begin to clump together and form bundles in places. This makes it easier for you to pick the hair up in bunches and put in the bin.
Getting the sparkle back in your kitchen sink…
Cleaning the sink is one of those jobs that most people dislike, especially after the children have done their best to ensure it is constantly piled with dirty plates, mugs and dishes. It is also one of those household tasks that after a long day at work its the last thing you want to do when you come. Also the kitchen sink if cleared and left sparkling will automatically make your kitchen look better.
This is an easy and fast task, empty the sink of the days used crockery, remove any of the heavier grime with hot water. To make sure that the sink sparkles, shake baking soda on to a sponge and rub the sink gently all around. Rinse the sink after this has been done and watch your sink sparkle back at you. There you go – you are now a domestic cleaning God or Godess!
The BIG Freeze…will be followed by the BIG Thaw…!
I know the kids in all of us enjoyed the heaviest snowfall in a while but I think we are getting a little fed up of it now, its very very difficult to even walk on the streets probably more difficult then driving !
The harsh freezing weather will cause problems in many homes in particular freezing water pipes which when they thaw are very likely to burst and if they go unnoticed for any period of time the water will cause untold damage to your house, causing ceilings to collapse, destroying carpets, water running down your walls etc which will then lead you to have an insurance claim & it doesnt end there because next year when your policy comes up for renewal just watch the increased insurance premium…!
So how can you be prepared for the worst?
- Firstly in case of water leaks, you MUST know how to turn your water supply off! Ensure you have the appropriate tools nearby if needed in an emergency. Also have basins & buckets at the ready.
- Make sure you have your step ladder at hand in the event you need to get into the attic quickly!
- Have your insurance company contact details at hand, check their web site for emergency numbers, they often have contact details for approved Plumbers & tradespeople that are available on a 24hr basis. Save these numbers on your mobile phone.
- Its a good idea to leave your attic door open to allow heat rise and prevent pipes freezing, even leaving a light on in your attic can help.
- If you are away or you are responsible for a vacant property make sure the heat is on a timer.
- Try to have a family member or friend or even arrange a house sitter to keep a close watch on your home.
Some advice if pipes are frozen or burst:
- Switch off water supply, electricity & gas
- Try to limit the damage by moving as much furniture etc away from the affected area
- Be sure that any electrical items near to the leak are unplugged
Once you have the leak under control:
- Do not use any electrical item unltill you are satisfied that the leak is repaired
- Raise any floor covering and dry slowly, they may not need to be replaced
- If you are going to make a claim dont throw anything away as the claims assessor will need to view the damage.
If you feel I have missed any important point please be sure to post your comments….
A Cleaning Pro’s Stain Busting Secrets
At the beginning, I said professional cleaners had their trade secrets and I would come clean by showing you how a few cheap ingredients, some practical hints and brushing up your cleaning skills can make your home look, feel and smell better.
Water contains minerals depending on the geology of where your water supply originates.
Brown or black stains – your water has traces of manganese and calcium that form lime scale.
Treatments include:
- Applying a paste of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide
- A solution of one teaspoon of water softener to a gallon of water
- Applying a paste of white vinegar and baking soda
Green or blue stains – these stains come from copper or acid in your water. The tell tale sign is green or blue stains around your plumbing fittings.
Remove with a proprietary acid cleaner or treat with white vinegar or lemon juice.
These stains on enamel baths come from dripping taps. Change the tap washer to solve the problem, then clean the stain away.
Red or brown stains – iron in your water causes these stains, which are effectively rust. Different treatments work in different areas, depending on the proportion of iron in the water. Try:
-
A paste of lemon juice and borax powder left to dry on the stain then rinsed off
-
Oxalic acid is a rust remover. A solution of one part oxalic acid to 10 parts water is recommended
- A paste of scouring powder, cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide takes about 30 minutes to clear the staining.
Here’s my A-Z of stain removal tips
But don’t forget one of the most important tip of all is never rub a stain or mark. Only dab, because eventually the stain will go. I learned that tip the hard way. Here are the rest:
Ballpoint ink
Dab off with a white cloth soaked in methylated spirit.
Beetroot juice
Rinse with cold water. Soak coloureds in a borax solution for 15 minutes. For whites, sprinkle borax on the fabric and wash off with hot water.
Then wash the fabric with a biological detergent.
Bird droppings
Scrape off the excess. Sponge with a borax solution or biological detergent. If the stain persists, soak whites in chlorine bleach or coloureds/synthetics but not nylon in hydrogen peroxide.
Blood
Soak stains in heavily salted water or detergent.
Blu Tac Get more blue tac and dab it on the mark you want to remove.
Candle wax
Scrape off any excess. Place a paper kitchen towel over the remnants and press with a barely warm iron until the paper absorbs the wax.
Dab any persistent staining with methylated spirit.
Chewing gum
Get a bag of ice and freeze the gum hard, then scrape the gum away with a knife.
Coffee and tea
Flush with cold water and spot clean with a solution of detergent but not soap.
If the stain persists, soak in a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water or a borax solution.
Contact adhesive and glue
Dab with nail polish remover.
Cooking fat
Spread a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water over the stain. Leave for 30 minutes and wash in a biological detergent.
Crayon
Scrape away excess before dabbing with methylated spirits.
Dried fruit
Place the garment stain side down on a kitchen towel and dampen with lemon juice. Dab with hot water and wash.
Fresh fruit
Dip in a borax solution for 15 minutes and then wash, or cover the stain with salt and wash.
Grass
Detergent will remove grass stains. Dab any persistent staining with methylated spirit.
Ink on coloured fabric
Soak immediately in slightly warm milk then wash.
Ink and felt tip pen
Dab with an absorbent cloth dipped in methylated spirit.
Lipstick
Rub fabric against fabric with soap or a little washing up liquid then wash. Dab with methylated spirit if the fabric is not washable.
Mildew
Mildew on different materials requires differing treatments:
-
Dried mildew – Rub with damp salt or lemon and leave in the sun for 12 hours
-
Mildew on shower curtains – Sponge or soak in diluted bleach and machine wash with detergent
-
Mildew on white cotton or linen – Soak in diluted bleach then thoroughly rinse and wash
-
Mildew on white synthetics – Soak in one part of hydrogen peroxide to nine parts water. Rinse and wash
Paint
-
Emulsion or water based – Sponge immediately with warm water. Dried paint can be scraped or picked off, but is difficult to wash away.
- Gloss or solvent based – Dab with white spirit
Perspiration
Dab with white vinegar or lemon juice
Pollen
Lift away the pollen with sticky tape or a vacuum cleaner, but don’t rub.
Red wine
Dab with bicarbonate of soda or soda water and wash. Don’t pour white wine over a red wine stain; you’ll probably do more harm than good.
Shoe polish
Dab with white spirit and wash
Battling Bacteria in the Bathroom
Keeping the bathroom clean and fresh not only makes the room look good, but also avoids creating a breeding place for germs and bacteria.
Cleaning methods for basins, bidets and baths depends on the material they are made from:
-
Acrylic – rinse and dry with a soft cloth after your bath, especially if you relaxed with a bubble bath that leaves a film on the acrylic. If you need to give the bath a good clean, rub in a non-abrasive cream cleaner, rinse and buff. Scratches are easily removed by rubbing gently with a metal cleaner.
-
Glass fibre – clean with a neutral detergent and take care not to scratch as the colour is often just a thin surface coating. Do not scrub with abrasive or metal cleaners, as they will eventually scour the surface away.
-
Vitreous or porcelain enamel – do not use abrasives as they will dull the sheen. Try white spirit on stubborn surface marks and tidemarks. Wash the white spirit off straight away with a neutral detergent.
Assaulting mouldy sealant
Get to grips with mouldy bath sealant with bleach on an old toothbrush. Rinse when clean then treat with a fungicidal wash to deter the mould returning.
Top tips for taps
Just like baths, the cleaning method depends on what the taps are made from:
-
Chrome taps need a wipe with a damp cloth and buffing dry. Grease comes off with a neutral detergent and more serious stains are removed with a nonabrasive liquid metal cleaner.
-
Gold-plated taps need wiping with a soft cloth while they are still damp to stop marks.
If the tap has lime scale on the spout, fill a small container with white vinegar and tape the container to the tap, so the spout is in the vinegar to dissolve the lime scale. An hour soaking is generally long enough, but if the scale remains, try for another hour.
Clean plugs and overflows with a bottlebrush. Pour some bleach down the plug and rinse after a minute or two to kill smells.
Turpentine will bring the shine back to rubber plugs.
Magic with the mirror
Rub a little liquid soap on the mirror, then dry off with kitchen roll to eliminate steaming up when you run a bath or shower.
Cleaning with a lavatory cleaner weekly will keep the bowl clean. Hold off the bleach as it damages the glaze and makes the bowl harder to keep clean. Where lime scale stains inside the bowl, you will first need to remove the water with a small, disposable container then apply a descaler. Don’t mix and match chemical cleaners as they may give off dangerous fumes. Wash the lavatory brush in hot, soap water and rinse in cold water containing a few drops of disinfectant to stiffen the bristles. Wash and disinfect the holder as well. Wipe the lavatory seat on top and underneath with a germicidal solution. Dry with kitchen paper.
Always keep any cloths for the bathroom separate from others to prevent cross contamination.
Tip: Use different colour cloths for your bathroom to those you use in the rest of the house.
Scrub any non-slip rubber mats with a brush and neutral detergent. Rinse well so they remain non-slip
Clean the shower cubicle according to the hints above for tiles, taps and baths. Methods for descaling shower heads depends whether they are metal or plastic. The formula for a shower head descaling solution is one part white vinegar to two parts water. Make up the same solution for both types of shower heads – using warm on metal and cold on plastic. If you can detach the shower head, make the solution in a small saucepan from half a litre of white vinegar to a litre of water. Bring to the boil and submerge a metal shower head for about 15 minutes. Allow the solution to cool for plastic shower heads. If the shower head is not removable, let the solution cool, pour in to a plastic bag, tape to the shower head and leave overnight.
Getting In To Bed With The Enemy !
I’m sure you have been reading about the invasion of bed bugs in some of New Yorks finest hotels recently well many people do not understand the dangers of the enemy that lurks within their beds – the dust mite.
These microscopic creepy-crawlies, that are invisible to the naked eye, feed on skin flakes we shed in bed as we sleep. It is not so much the mite but what the mite excretes that is the problem.
A typical dust mite lives for up to 150 days and excretes 200 times its body weight in that time the excrement includes a compound called guanine, that is associated with asthma, bronchitis, red itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, headaches, depression and a lot more allergic reactions.
A bed can have between 100,000 and 10 million microscopic mites living in the fabrics. Mattresses also contain:
-
Sweat and body fats – in one night a person can lose up to a pint of sweat and body fats
-
Bacteria and viruses
-
Skin – the average family will shed up to 1.5 kilos of skin in a year. Up to 10% of the weight of an old pillow is probably dead skin.
Keep your dust mite population down by airing your bedroom frequently. Low temperatures discourage breeding. Vacuum clean often to remove mite excrement and debris.
If you have children put their soft toys in the freezer for 24 hours every now and then – the cold will kill dust mites.
If you have asthma or breathing difficulties, only vacuum with a ‘Hepa filtered’ vacuum cleaner and many people recommend keeping carpet instead of laying hardwood floors. Carpets trap and hold allergens that you can vacuum up, but they do not settle on a hard floor and tend to stay in the air causing more stress to allergy sufferers.
I know this is not one of the more pleasant posts we have done, but as you have read about the ‘invasions’ in New York they do exist & can be a very unpleasant visitor!
Down and Dirty In the Kitchen !
If you really have to do this job, I always advise calling in an expert. Out of all the cleaning jobs in the home, this is one of the worst. If you have to do the job yourself, apply a strong paste made up with water and bicarbonate of soda to the oven walls and shelving. Heat the oven for 20 minutes and allow to cool. Finish by washing the oven out with soap and water.
For safety, always unplug a microwave from the mains before cleaning. Avoid spray cleaners as the liquid can seep through gaps to electrical parts. Abrasives and wire wool can seriously damage the coated surfaces of a microwave.
White vinegar is the magic ingredient that will keep your dishwasher ’squeaky clean’ and free from lime scale. Pour a cup of white vinegar in to the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run through the wash and rinse cycles.
Solutions for Common Home Cleaning Problems
Over the years, professional cleaners have learned short cuts, tips and tricks that save time and money.
Here are a few of the common cleaning problems and their solutions:
Most people will clean a hard wood or tiled floor with some sort of wet cleaner that includes soap or detergent.
The problem is when the cleaning solution dries out, the soap or detergent is left as a sticky residue on the surface. As soon as someone walks across the floor, they transfer the residue to the nearest carpet where the stickiness acts like a dirt magnet.
In a perfect world, floors are vacuumed every day to cut down the amount of dirt and grit in carpets and on hard floors. The trouble is few us live in a perfect world and have to rush the vacuum round once a week or so.
Cheap vacuums generally have less powerful motors that give less suction and poorer filtering systems than the more expensive models.
This can mean that they blow out ‘dirty’ air laden with pollen, hair, dirt and house mites as exhaust, making rooms dusty again.
Most of the dirt in a carpet is trapped, dry soil. Hanging the carpet outside for a good beating is the best way to clear the pile of dirt.
Unfortunately, this isn’t possible with a fitted carpet, so vacuuming is the next best cleaning method, but won’t remove all the dirt and grime. Lots of people try a wet cleaning system – like hiring a machine from the local DIY – but this makes the dirt muddy and difficult to clean up. Beware. These machines are not necessarily good for every carpet because some shrink if they become too wet. Even professional cleaning firms sometimes have to call in experts who have the special equipment to do certain jobs effectively – like carpet and oven cleaning.
The best time to wash the outside of your windows is on an overcast day. Sunshine makes them dry too quickly and leaves streaks.
Add a couple of teaspoons of white vinegar to a gallon of cool water. Wash the windows with horizontal, side to side, strokes on the outside and vertical, up and down, strokes on the inside. This way you can tell which side any streaks are on.
Here’s an insider tip most professional cleaners would rather you didn’t know – washing all the doors, including your front door gives the illusion of a bright, clean and friendly home.