Your Ultimate GREEN Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring is here! Here come the flowers, bunnies and sunshine! It's also the time to open the windows and treating your home to deep spring cleaning.

Why do we emphasize the "GREEN?" It’s not because of the green grass we're going to start seeing as the snow melts and the grass grows. We're emphasizing "green" in because we encourage the use safe and natural cleaning products. Going green will clean your home naturally, while at the same time keeping you and your family safe without the use of chemicals. 

15 Green Spring Cleaning Tips

..But First: Open up the windows and let the fresh air come in!

1. Replace old pillows: Pillows that are over 2 years old can be composed of up to 10 percent dust mite feces and carcasses. 

2. Sprinkle baking soda on musty carpets: Instead of using chemical cleaners, baking soda will help get rid of odors. Let it sit for an hour or so and then vacuum it up.

3. Clean your windows with vinegar: Combine 2 teaspoons of vinegar with 1 quart of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth. 

4. Flip your mattress and sprinkle with baking soda: Just like carpet, you can sprinkle baking soda to absorb oils and odors. After absorbed, vacuum it up. 

5. Install a clothes line: Dry your clothes naturally when the weather permits!

6. Eliminate chemical fabric softeners: Instead, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to your washing machine's rinse cycle.

7. Leave coffee grounds in the fridge: Coffee grounds absorb funky odors that may linger in your refrigerator.

8. Polish wood with olive oil: Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to 1/4 cup of lemon juice for a non-toxic furniture polish that remove dust and make the wood shine.

9. Clean the dishwasher: Fill your dishwasher with 2 cups of vinegar. Run through on a hot cycle to clean and remove musty odors.

10. Clean the toilet: Pour 1 cup of baking soda in the toilet and let it sit for 1 hour. Pour in 1 cup of white vinegar, leave for 5 minutes and flush.

11. Natural Bleach: A mix of hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice creates a natural bleach. Use it in your bathroom, or even your laundry.

12. Help the refrigerator stay cool: Vacuum the coils about twice a year to remove any dust or dirt.

13. Bathtub and shower: Warm up white vinegar and spray it on shower walls once a week and let it sit for 5 minutes. Let the shower rinse it away, or wipe down.

14. Baseboards, door frames and walls: Scrub them down with a squirt of dishwashing liquid soap mixed with warm water (magic erasers work well).
15. Dust light fixtures: Use a microfiber cloth and lightly dampen your cloth with vinegar before wiping down.

GO GREEN! 

Check out this link to learn more about the harms of chemical household cleaning products.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/allergy-and-asthma/articles/2008/07/25/health-hazards-in-household-cleaners-exposed

Cleaned to Perfection will have your home spring and summer ready in no time!

Give us a call today and tell us about your spring cleaning needs. 631-941-4607

Reducing Allergens in Your Home

The month of May brings many things:  sun shining, flowers blooming, green grass, windows open, and lastly, those pesky allergies.  May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and a clean, dust free home is the first step to enjoying clean, fresh air. In the United States alone, 70 million people suffer from asthma or allergies.

Cleaned to Perfection has some helpful hints to keep the air your family breathes as clean as possible.  Dust in your household contains common allergens such as dust mites and animal dander. When these are disturbed from furniture, carpet, or a hard surface they become airborne and pollute the air you breathe.   Most common cleanings just recirculate the dust in the air, but with these simple cleaning tips, you can dramatically decrease the level of allergens in your home.

     

• While cleaning wear a mask to protect yourself from the recirculated dust.  After, it is recommended that you leave your home for a few hours to avoid the allergens. 
• When dusting hard surfaces, use a moist cloth or a special duster designed to trap and lock dust. 
• It is recommended in place of wall to wall carpeting,  using hardwood or linoleum floors, with just small, washable area rugs. 
• If not a viable option for your home, vacuum once or twice a week with a vacuum that has a high-efficiency air filter. As well as periodically, deep cleaning the carpet to remove stains, spills, and dust. 
• Instead of cloth, consider switching to leather furniture. 
• Wash bedding, linens, and curtains in hot water at least once a week. 
• Use double paned window if in colder climates, and inspect and clean the pollen and mold from window sills and frames. 
• Remove items that collect dust such as : knickknacks, ornaments, old magazines and books. 
• Store childrens toys in plastic bins. 
• To reduce pet dander, if you have an allergy, don't keep pets with feathers or fur.  If you are unable to find a home for your pet, make the bedrooms a no-go zone.
• Wash dishes frequently, do a deep cleaning of the sink, remember to wash the faucet, to remove any old debris and mold.  
• Store all food in a sealed plastic container (including pet food).  Wash pantry with soap and water, picking up any debris that may have fallen.
• At least twice a month, wash your fridge, wipe out any drippings, get rid of any old, expired food.
• Mop the kitchen floor at least once a week.
• In the bathroom, get rid of any wallpaper, using a mold resistant paint or tile in place. 
• Use a towel to dry the shower after every use.  Scrub to remove mold, and remove any mats or rugs that may have collected dust and mold.  
• Keep your entire house between 68 and 72 degrees, and the humidity no higher than 50 percent. 
• Don't allow smoking in your home. 
• Do a regular cleaning at least once a week, and a thorough deep cleaning in the home at least twice a month.

All of us at Cleaned to Perfection realize the amount of work that goes into a maintaining a clean, healthy, happy home. Hopefully, with these helpful hints this allergy season will be easier on you and your family. And as always, we are available to help you with your cleaning needs for this season, and those to come.  Call us for an estimate at 631-941-4607, or visit our website Cleaned to Perfection and fill out an estimate form and we will get back to you.

Simple & Easy Green Cleaning Resolutions

Did you make a resolution this year to keep up with housework? We commend you, but we also know it can be hard work, especially when you're already knee-deep in work, social life, and other distractions. Living in a clean house can make you feel so much happier, but it's not always feasible, especially if you plan to go the extra mile and clean the green way...or is it?

Here at Cleaned To Perfection, we believe that when it comes to home improvement and making positive changes in your life, anything is possible, and we're here to help. If you've got a green cleaning resolution for 2014, we're right behind you with cleaning supplies and rags in hand, and a plan for helping you achieve your goals. Starting with this: you need to break your cleaning up into small, discrete tasks for a few minutes each day, rather than trying to tackle the whole house once a week or at the end of the month.

If you keep up a steady momentum, all of the house will start to feel cleaner most of the time, and you'll have more room for special projects like scrubbing out the oven (which we can also do for you), finally cleaning the grout in the bathroom, and finding out exactly what's lurking under the fridge. Set up a cleaning schedule that works for you, and if you're lucky enough to have child labor...we mean, kids who want allowances...in the house, break up chores so many hands make light work.

Build larger cleaning projects into the overall schedule, so every potential problem area in the house gets hit on a regular schedule, instead of when your disgust reaches critical levels and you have to stop everything and clean. If the idea of getting your house whipped into shape is daunting, consider calling  Cleaned To Perfection to give the house a thorough going-over so you can start with a sparkling clean home and maintain it from there.