New Century Maids

Cleaning in the New Year

isabellencm — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:58:04 +0000

Well the New Year is just around the corner and many of us make lists for their new year resolutions. One item on my list is to have my home deep cleaned. What is a deep clean you ask? I will tell you, it is a cleaning of your home that is not just what we can see but cleaning in places that are not visible to us, that would be behind and under all furniture, inside cupboards under beds and inside our ovens and refrigerators. It is very important for the health and beauty of your home.

Start at the top and work down, this is the first rule of cleaning and is especially important for deep cleaning, because the dirt that you get off the floor will just be replaced by the dirt that comes from dusting and cleaning above. Deep cleaning means getting into the crevices and digging deeper than the typical once over that each room gets once or twice a week.

Under the sinks-these are places where the need for deep cleaning is the greatest. Take everything out and go through it, tossing out everything you don’t use or recognize. Then get out the bleach and scrub way in the back where you don’t usually reach (make sure there is good ventilation when working with bleach.) The other place for deep cleaning is the refrigerator; where you do basically the same thing as under the kitchen sink. Take all the drawers out of the fridge and leave them to soak outside with warm water and a capful of bleach. This is a good time to pull out appliances and clean behind and under them as well. Keep the back of all appliances dust bunny free in order to minimize the risk of fire, as frayed cords and thick lint can be a recipe for disaster, even though we don’t usually think about it.

You can move out some of your things from closets, vacuum the closet carpet and reorganize your clothes in the closet. Everything from the top to bottom and in between is scrubbed until it is free of dirt and dust and shines like new. Even the most-cared-for home needs an occasional deep-cleaning.

Household Bacteria

isabellencm — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:40:19 +0000

Biological pollutants like Bacteria are introduced continually into the home by people, food, water and pets. Ideal breeding grounds for Bacteria include your kitchen and bathroom. Most Bacteria won’t hurt you—it‘s the infectious kind you have to watch out for because it can make you sick, sometimes within hours of contact. Common illness-causing Bacteria include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and E. coli.
Things you can do
Clean your refrigerator out at least once every month
Clean sink drains twice a week with an antibacterial solution
Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly, rinsing them in warm water
Use pure cellulose sponges and sterilize them by running through the dishwasher
Rinse rags well and allow them to dry for several hours before using them again
Wash all undergarments in the same load and dry them using high heat
Regularly scrub down all bathroom fixtures
Wipe up surface spills immediately
Use stainless steel trash cans to dispose of waste
Clean cloth toys by putting them in the washing machine
Teach kids how to properly wash their hands
Wipe down phones weekly with hot water
Regularly wash cutting boards and cooking utensils

Thanksgiving !!!

isabellencm — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:46:49 +0000

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving.

in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts!

Canadian Thanksgiving – Official Holiday

For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was then, that November 6th was set aside as the official Thanksgiving holiday. But then on January 31, 1957, Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.” Thanksgiving was moved to the second Monday in October because after the World Wars, Remembrance Day (November 11th) and Thanksgiving kept falling in the same week.

Another reason for Canadian Thanksgiving arriving earlier than its American counterpart is that Canada is geographically further north than the United States, causing the Canadian harvest season to arrive earlier than the American harvest season. And since Thanksgiving for Canadians is more about giving thanks for the harvest season than the arrival of pilgrims, it makes sense to celebrate the holiday in October.

Must Have Cleaning Supplies

isabellencm — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:36:08 +0000

1.A 20-pack of microfiber towels (wash ’em as needed). “I’ve saved thousands of dollars on paper towels and window cleaner since I started using microfiber,” says Romero. Make sure to buy good-quality cloths, usually around $1 per cloth from a janitorial supply store, and never wash with dryer sheets or fabric softener. Before using a cleaning product for dusting, try just warm water and the microfiber. “It usually works,” says Romero.

2. A microfiber mop. On a tight budget, it’s cheaper and less wasteful than disposable mops.Great for picking up dust in high and low corners.

3. A nylon-bristle broom. “It doesn’t splatter walls or lose its bristles,” says Payne. Sweep your rug. It often works better than a vacuum.

4. A Shammy. A synthetic version of the traditional chamois cloth, this rubbery, hyper-absorbent towel is great for soaking up water and quickly buffing counters and furniture. Run a dry Shammy over a couch or floor to pick up pet hair.

5. A backpack vacuum. Professional cleaners love backpack-style vacuums because they’re gentle on back muscles and make it easy to move quickly from room to room. Look beyond the floor. It’s easy to quickly vacuum shelf surfaces, mantels, railings and inside drawers if you use lightweight hand extensions.

Oil Stain Removal

isabellencm — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:44:56 +0000

First things first: For food oil or grease stain removal, don’t be proud. If you are with family and/or friends, take care of matters as soon as possible. Few stains set as stubbornly as food oil or grease stains.

Get some hot water on that food oil or grease stain. Other stains demand cold or lukewarm water, but with grease, you want the water to be hot. You’re trying to sort of melt that grease right out of there. Sure, you have to be concerned with those colorfast issues, but with a good oil or grease stain, it won’t matter if you protect the colorfast qualify if you still have the stain.

Many dish washing liquids are known as grease-busters, so give them a try.

Or, maybe you’re more of the natural and organic type. Try treating with a combination of table salt and rubbing alcohol.

Pet Stain Removal

isabellencm — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:41:17 +0000

Pets make mistakes and it’s not always their fault if they make a mess but it’s up to you to promptly and effectively clean up after them to maintain a clean and healthy living environment.

Make a solution of 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish washing detergent in one cup of warm water. Don’t use laundry detergent, automatic dish washing detergent, or dish soap with lanolin or bleach in it. Spray or carefully spread the solution over the area affected.

Extract the solution using a shop-vac, plain white paper towels, or a white cotton cloth. Rinse the area with warm water, extract, the apply the detergent solution again. Repeat as long as there is improvement in the pet stains.

Then apply a solution of two tablespoons ammonia in a cup of water. Rinse, extract, and repeat. Blot or use a shop-vac until most of the moisture is out.

Lightly apply a solution of one cup white vinegar in two cups of water. Rinse and extract.

Dry the carpet completely by putting a layer of white paper towels over the spot and weighing them down with something that wont stain if it gets wet. Change paper towels until the carpet is dry.

Washing a Down Comforter

isabellencm — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:59:20 +0000

A gentle cleaning solution which is specially formulated for washing purpose must be used if you have planned to wash your comforter at home. Always remember that over washing can harm the down clusters, remove their natural oils and the worst of all it can cause the comforter to shrink or become distorted. When comforters are wet they become very heavy therefore a front-load washing machine which is used commercially can be a better option for washing the size and weight of the comforter. It cannot be washed in a domestic average sized washing machine. Any loose stitches must be repaired with the help of a matching thread before washing the comforter. Washing machine must be set to the most delicate setting and the water used should be lukewarm, never hot or cold. A mild detergent should be mixed thoroughly into the water before comforter is added to it.

Use a pair of clean, white canvas shoes, without laces, to help keep the comforter moving around in the washer, keeping the down equally distributed without letting lumps to form. Use an extra rinse cycle to be sure to remove all of the cleaner and gently pull some of the comforter from the machine to squeeze as much water out of each section as possible before running the spin cycle. The products made from down have a distinct smell. This odor disappears once the comforter is dry completely. Again, using the clean tennis shoes, or a few tennis balls placed inside clean socks, put the comforter in the dryer on the lowest configuration possible.

A distinct odor is natural in products made from down and should disappear once the comforter is totally dry. Again, using the clean tennis shoes, or a few tennis balls placed inside clean socks, put the comforter in the dryer on the lowest configuration possible. Fluff the comforter by taking it out carefully from the machine and ensure that all the areas are dry evenly. Make sure that they are free from lumps too.

Although a large down comforter takes approximately three hours to dry however the drying process can be sped up by hanging it in the sun on a breezy day.

Cleaning Leather Sofa

isabellencm — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:51:45 +0000

Moisturizing soap is often what is best to use on a leather couch. The more natural the soap is, meaning that it is free of oils, the better the soap will work on the furniture. It is important to first test a small area to make sure that the soap will not discolor the furniture. Once the soap has passed this test, it can then be used for the entire piece of leather furniture. The liquid soap should be placed into a wet washcloth, allowing for the gentle soap to penetrate into the wash cloth. The wash cloth should then be gently rubbed into the furniture, making sure that there is not an overwhelming amount of water that is used on the furniture. In doing so, this can greatly distort the furniture, especially if it is real leather. Once the leather furniture has been thoroughly clean, the excess soap should be wiped away from the furniture, making sure, once again, that there is no water that is being used to clean the leather. The leather furniture should then be dried off with a dry, absorbent towel, that will make sure that all of the soap has been discarded of.

For those that are looking for an additional shine after the couches have been cleaned, there are numerous leather polishing kits that can be used on the furniture. Many people like to use this to give their furniture a beautiful sheen and a polished look. As with the water, however, there should be caution when using the polish, as it can leave streaks behind on the leather, or it can possibly ruin the leather if the leather is not of high quality. Leather furniture that is of a substantial quality will not wither away from the polish, but will instead soak in all of the conditioners that are needed to keep the leather looking as fresh as the day that it was purchased.

History of Spring Cleaning

isabellencm — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:53:26 +0000

It has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian new year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of “khooneh tekouni” which literally means “shaking the house” just before the new year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture. A similar tradition is the Scottish “New Year’s cleaning” on Hogmanay (December 31), a practice now also widespread in Ireland, New Zealand, and to some extent North America.

Another possibility of the origin of spring cleaning can be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the spring-time holiday of Passover. In remembrance of the Jews’ hasty flight from Egypt following their captivity there, during the eight-day holiday there is a strict prohibition against eating anything which may have been leavened. Jews are not only supposed to refrain from leavened foodstuffs , they are expressly commanded to rid their homes of even small remnants of chametz for the length of the holiday (Exodus 12:15). Therefore, for the past 3,500 years, observant Jews have conducted a thorough “spring cleaning” of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for chametz crumbs by candlelight on the evening before the holiday begins.

In North America and northern Europe, the custom found an especial practical value due to those regions’ continental and wet climates. During the 19th century in America, prior to the advent of the vacuum cleaner, March was often the best time for dusting because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for insects to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. For the same reason, modern rural households often use the month of March for cleaning projects involving the use of chemical products which generate fumes.

In Greece, and other Orthodox nations, it is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of Great Lent, which is referred to as Clean Week. This also often corresponds with the Julian New Year, or April 1.

Washing Pillows

isabellencm — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:20:16 +0000

Your new pillow will come with care instructions on the package. Read them and tape them up inside your linen or laundry closet door as a reminder. Pillows are best protected from dust and dirt by using quality pillow protectors and pillowcases.

Many pillows can be washed at home in a washing machine with a few additional precautions. First, set your washer on a gentle wash cycle and press the “extra rinse” button if available. If not, then simply put the pillow through the final rinse cycle another time or two to fully rinse out any soap and bubbles. These additional rinses are necessary due to the thickness and density of pillows.

Next, use the spin dry feature of your washer at least twice to get as much moisture out of your pillow as possible. Then place in the dryer. Fluff and turn the pillows periodically during the drying cycle. Drying your pillow will probably take several drying cycles, and might take several hours, since the filling in the center may still be damp even when the outer layers are dry. If in doubt, hang the pillow in a dry location for a day or two to make certain it is completely dry before returning to your bed.