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There are a number of benefits to hiring a commercial cleaning service for your business both for you and your employees. Let’s take a look at the benefits you’ll get when you hire a pro for your office cleaning needs.

1. Higher quality cleaning – When you hire a cleaning service, you get a higher quality clean from professionals who know how to deep clean and sanitize your office space properly. For a proper, thorough clean, hire the pros.

2. Prevent sick days – Fall and winter are the seasons when it seems like employees pass germs back and forth like a tennis match. Stop the sickness cycle with professional cleaning services. They know how and where to disinfect to put a stop to the sick. A cleaner, disinfected work space means your employees get sick less and need fewer sick days.

3. Present a professional appearance – When clients or customers visit your office, cleanliness makes a big impression. Having a sparkling clean office gives a positive and professional impression that your clients will notice.

4. Keep office productivity up – A clean office is a productive office. Studies show that having a professional cleaning service handle your cleaning instead of your employees keeps productivity up for your business.

5. Save money on supplies – Cleaning services bring their own supplies. This means you save money and time by not having to buy and stock a bunch of cleaning supplies for your office.

6. Boost employee morale – Just like productivity, having a professionally cleaned office keeps employee morale boosted. Delegating cleaning tasks to employees is a major morale killer.

7. Peace of mind – Having a professional cleaning service for your business gives you peace of mind that everything is getting cleaned thoroughly and effectively. So, you can focus on running your business and being successful.

Take the cleaning off of your plate and off your mind so you can concentrate on running your business. Call the Clean Up Club to handle your office and business cleaning needs. We’ll clean it up and give you the peace of mind you deserve.

Deep cleaning isn’t just for springtime. Doing a deep clean on your home in the fall helps prep for any holiday guests you might have and gets your home sparkling clean ahead of the winter season when your home is closed up against the chill. Here are the tasks you’ll want to have on your fall deep cleaning checklist.

Throughout the Home

1. Wash windows, window sills and window grooves
2. Remove and rinse window screens
3. Clean baseboards
4. Clean doors, door knobs and light switch plates
5. Dust the tops of doors and door frames
6. Spot clean rugs and carpets
7. Clean under area rugs
8. Vacuum under beds and furniture
9. Condition leather furniture
10. Clean and condition wood furniture
11. Wash walls
12. Clean the washer and dryer
13. Wash curtains, drapes and blinds
14. Clean cobwebs from corners and along ceilings
15. Dust ceiling fans
16. Have fireplace/chimney professionally cleaned

Kitchen & Bathroom

1. Clean refrigerator coils
2. Clean inside and underneath refrigerator
3. Clean inside the dishwasher
4. Clean the oven
5. Clean grout in kitchen and bathroom
6. Clean and condition wooden cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen
7. Wash and disinfect all trash cans
8. Polish/seal granite countertops

Living Areas

1. Vacuum furniture and underneath it
2. Vacuum between and underneath furniture cushions
3. Clean and disinfect all keyboards and remote controls
4. Clean all screens and glass (TV, framed photos, etc)
5. Dust living plants leaves
6. Wash artificial plants

Bedrooms

1. Wash/refresh bedding materials that are rarely washed such as pillows and comforters
2. Vacuum and flip or rotate mattress (follow manufacturer instructions)
3. Switch to cold weather linens on beds
4. Swap out summer clothes for fall and winter attire

If you need a helping hand (or a few) with your fall deep cleaning checklist, the Clean Up Club is ready and waiting to assist you with your seasonal deep clean! We’ll help you scrub every nook and cranny until your home is gleaming and ready for fall and winter.

Cleaning floors is possibly one of everyone’s least favorite household cleaning chores. Using the right cleaning methods for your type of flooring can speed up the process and keep your floors looking gleaming clean. While most floors can be vacuumed, swept or dusted in between regular cleanings, those regular cleanings can be time consuming and tough if you aren’t using the right cleaning solution for your floor. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning your floor if available. If not, we have a handy list of cleaning tips for every type of flooring.

 

Cleaning Ceramic Tile Floors

Glazed ceramic is great for resisting stains, however, regular ceramic is porous so make sure your tile flooring is glazed or sealed with a commercial grade sealant. For ceramic tile floors, mop with an all purpose cleaner in water and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Avoid harsh abrasives, strong soaps or acidic cleaners on this flooring to avoid damaging the glaze or sealant.

 

Cleaning Linoleum Floors

Linoleum flooring is one of the easiest types of flooring to clean. You can mop with an all purpose cleaner mixed with warm water or you can use a one-step polishing cleaner for fast clean-ups. Just avoid letting water sit on the flooring, especially linoleum tiles or planks. Keep your mop damp but not soaking wet when cleaning these floors.

 

Cleaning Concrete Floors

Concrete is porous and absorbs stains easily. When used inside the home, it should be sealed with a commercial grade sealant to avoid staining. On indoor sealed concrete, it is best to use an all purpose cleaner with warm water to clean floors. Harsh cleansers can strip the sealant and leave the floor vulnerable to damage and staining. If a heavy-duty cleaner is required, it’s best to have the floor professionally resealed afterward.

 

Cleaning Marble Tile Floors

Marble tile is very porous and very easily stained and damaged. It’s best to have marble floors professionally sealed with commercial grade sealant to protect from damage and stains. Mop with clear water and all purpose cleaner. Go back over floors with a damp mop with just clear water to remove any residue from the cleaner and keep marble shiny and bright.

 

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Clean hardwood floors with a gentle cleaning solution of one gallon lukewarm water and a half cup of white vinegar. Make sure to wring the mop out and use a damp, not soaking wet, mop to clean floors. Avoid harsh cleansers that can strip wood of it’s shine.

 

Cleaning Vinyl Plank Floors

Create a solution of warm water, a squirt of regular dish soap and a half cup of white vinegar to clean floors. After cleaning, go back over floors with just clean regular water to remove any remaining soap residue. You can also vacuum vinyl plank floors with vacuums approved for this use (harsh bristle vacuums can scratch flooring). Avoid using a steam mop on vinyl plank floors. While they are versatile and can hold up to a lot of different cleaners, they aren’t made to withstand steam.

Cleaning floors is perhaps the most hated of household chores. With these cleaning tips for different floor types, your floors will be clean and gleaming. If you still hate cleaning floors, it’s time to call The Clean Up Club! We’ll clean up those dirty floors for you and leave the rest of your home sparkling clean too!

There are special items and areas that need cleaning and attention in the summer or more frequent cleaning and attention. Here’s how to tackle those summertime cleaning chores quickly and easily.

1. Gas grill grates – It’s important to clean your gas grill grates after every meal you cook to avoid cross-contamination between meals. For a quick and gentle clean, warm up the grill to get the grates hot and use a long handled fork to pierce a half lemon. Dip the lemon in salt and then use the salted lemon to quickly and easily clean the grates. For more stuck on grime, use a pumice stone made for grills. Avoid wire brushes as they can shed metal bristles that can end up in your food.

2. Outdoor spaces – You spend a lot more time in your outdoor spaces in the summer. Here’s a simple tip to keep them spruced up all summer long. Stash inexpensive brooms near porches, decks and patios. Use the brooms to clean away cobwebs or dirt from screens, ceilings, railings, mailboxes and window boxes. Use the brooms to regularly sweep away floor debris and dirt deposited by wind, rain and foot traffic.

3. Patio furniture – To clean patio furniture, start by giving it a thorough spray down with a hose equipped with a spray nozzle. Next, create a cleaning solution with 1/2 cup bleach and a gallon of water. Use a large sponge to clean the furniture with the bleach solution and leave wet for about 5 minutes. After that, simply spray away the bleach solution with the hose and let air dry. Note: It’s best to do this away from plants/gardens as the bleach run-off could harm the plants.

4. HVAC – Your HVAC is going to do a lot of work for you during the summer. Clean it up with a regular service appointment and these cleaning steps. Vacuum the air intakes, vents and registers to clear them of dust, pet hair and debris. If you have a reusable filter, clean it with hydrogen peroxide, rinse clean and let air dry before you put it back in. Otherwise, replace your filter monthly during the warmer months to keep clean and cool air moving throughout your house.

5. Bathroom – Bathrooms are already prone to mold and mildew and in our humid climate, summer can make the battle against mold even worse. Stay on top of mold with eraser sponges for stuck on gunk or vinegar and microfiber cloths for less stubborn grime. Hang wet towels, damp bath mats and other damp or wet items outside in the sun to dry instead of the bathroom.

6. Garage – Keep the garage tidy by decluttering and giving away old tools and items you no longer use. Install a pegboard on one wall to hang items like rakes and brooms to keep them up out of the way. You can also use the pegboard to hang up recreational items like boogie boards and yard games.

Summertime means fun in the sun but it also means you’ll be using items or spaces differently than you do the rest of the year. Keep them sparkling and clean with these helpful tips and tricks for a clean and fun summer!

Did you know that even appliances used to clean things, such as your dishwasher and clothes washer need to be cleaned periodically themselves? When is the last time you have cleaned your appliances? If it has been a while, read on for more details on what to clean and how often.

Dishwasher – Check and clean the drain in the bottom of the machine at least weekly to remove debris that has collected in the machine. Wipe down gaskets and door seals to keep everything sealing up tightly. Once per week, put a bowl of white vinegar on the top rack and run an empty cycle on the hottest setting. This will help disinfect and deodorize your dishwasher.

Washing Machine – Your washing machine’s job might be to wash other items but if you don’t wash your washing machine periodically, it can spread viruses and even fecal bacteria like E. coli between loads and also spread these nasties to your dryer – YUCK! At least once per week, run an empty cycle on the hottest setting and pour in one cup of bleach. This will keep your washing machine germ-free and smelling fresh.

Microwave – Your microwave can be a hotbed for germs! Food splatters are an invitation for growing microbes. Wipe down the handle with a disinfectant wipe daily. Once per week, fill a bowl with water and either 1 cup of white vinegar or a cut up lemon and boil the mixture for three to five minutes. Then let the steam work to dislodge stuck on gunk for a few minutes and wipe clean.

Stove – The stove is another place where food splatters provide a hospitable place for germs to grow and thrive. Wipe down the stove top after every use with an all-purpose cleaner and microfiber cloth. The oven should be cleaned inside at least once every three months.

Refrigerator – The fridge is another place where germs congregate. Clean the handles and seals daily with a disinfecting wipe. The inside should be cleaned and sanitized at least once per week. Many foods stored in the fridge can harbor listeria, a germ that can make you and your loved ones very sick. Listeria thrives in fridge temperatures and so does mold, another nasty you want to avoid in your fridge. Use a solution of half vinegar and half water to clean your fridge every week and make sure to clean up any spills immediately.

Coffee Maker – Your coffee maker can become clogged with minerals from your water. To rid your machine of these mineral deposits, run a solution of two parts water to one part vinegar through the coffee maker (be sure to include a coffee filter to catch debris. Afterward, run two full cycles of fresh water through the machine to avoid any lingering vinegar taste.

So, have you cleaned your appliances lately? If not, you could be harboring dangerous germs and viruses in your appliances that could make you or your family sick. Be sure to clean your appliances regularly to avoid spreading germs to people, clothing and other items. If you need help giving your appliances or your home a good deep clean, call the Clean Up Club!

We know you want to keep your home germ free and safe during the pandemic. To do so, we’ve put together some important facts and tips to help you avoid contaminating your home with COVID-19. COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus can live on most surfaces an average of 72 hours, and longer if the surfaces are moist or porous. Experts estimate that 42% of people do not clean surfaces in their home well enough to kill a virus like COVID-19. Plus when you do go out, places like the grocery store or gas station are potential sites of contamination that might be teeming with germs that you can end up bringing home on your clothes, your shoes, your phone and your bag. Here are our tips for helping keep your home free of contamination and help prevent COVID-19 in your home.

1. Disinfect things immediately when you get home. Remove shoes at the door, wipe down bags, open any packages and have a trash can in your entryway for any packaging materials.

2. Take off dirty clothes immediately. While it might make for more laundry, your clothes are a potential source of contamination so you want to change clothes as soon as you arrive home. Put clothes into a hamper or better yet, into a wash load as soon as you get home. Wash clothes on the warmest setting possible to kill germs.

3. Disinfect your hands and your phone right away. Wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect your phone with alcohol wipes or other disinfectant.

4. Disinfect high traffic/high touch surfaces in your home. Think of how often you and your family touch door knobs, light switches, counters, tables, remote controls, faucets, railings, cabinet pulls and handles. Disinfect these areas frequently – at least once per day or more.

5. Use the right cleaner. Not all cleaners can disinfect so you want to make sure to use a cleaner that is also a disinfectant. Disinfecting cleaners should be clearly labeled but if you aren’t sure, there is a list from the EPA you can check out <https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2>.

6. Use door mats and rugs in high traffic areas and vacuum at least daily.

When preventing COVID-19 disinfection, an abundance of caution isn’t out of line. While changing clothes and disinfecting your phone might sound extreme, the virus can live on those surfaces and contaminate you, your family and your home. The Clean Up Club cares about our community and we want you to be safe and healthy during this difficult time.

When you have the right tools, cleaning can be faster and easier than ever. Here are the tools you’ll want in your cleaning tool box to help you get your clean done quick.

 

1. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers – While this tool has been out for a while, there is still nothing quite like it for cleaning scuff marks off walls and tackling tough tub stains and soap scum.

2. Drill Brush Power Scrubbers – This tool consists of a set of scrubbing brush heads that work with your regular cordless drill. These nylon brushes clean deep but don’t scratch fiberglass, tubs, porcelain, tile, showers, sinks, shower doors, door tracks, baseboards and grout.

3. Squeegee – Another classic tool, this one is perfect for keeping mirrors and glass shower doors squeaky clean and dry.

4. OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush Set – A set of two brushes, the larger is great for grout and scrubbing larger areas. The smaller brush is great around fixtures and tight areas. The smaller one also has a special wiper blade that cleans small crevices and even drain openings.

5. Drain Snake (brands include Zip-It, Vastar Drain Snake and others) – This tool is a long, flat and flexible strip of plastic with barbs or “teeth” along each side. When you have a slow moving drain and need to clean it up, this is the tool that gets the job done. Hair and soap builds up inside your drain over time and can slow down waterflow. Work the snake down into the drain and twist it slightly as you slowly pull it out along with all the hair and muck that was gunking up your drains.

6. TubShroom – This tool is a flexible plastic drain piece that prevents hair and other debris from going down your drain in the first place. The TubShroom catches the hair and you simply pull it out after a shower or bath and remove the collected hair.

7. House Again Microfiber Cleaning and Buffing Cloths – These double-sided super absorbent cleaning and buffing microfiber cloths are great for any cleaning task from cleaning down wet surfaces to dusting around the house.

8. Pumice Cleaning Stone (Fine Grit) – This fine grit pumice stone comes with a super strong handle to help you clean a variety of surfaces safely and without scratching. Clean your toilet, tubs, sinks, tile, pool tile, porcelain, stone and steel. This tool gives you a pristine clean while removing stains, calcium, lime, rust and hard water stains.

When you think of making your cleaning faster and easier, you likely think of the cleaning solutions themselves. These cleaning tools help you make quick work of almost any cleaning job on your list.

This flu season has been brutal! When it hits someone in your household, how do you disinfect your home to keep the rest of the family from getting sick too? It’s all about disinfecting your home of the flu!

1. Designate a special area for the sick person – Designate which bedroom and bathroom the sick person will use and have them stick to those areas. This helps cut down on the area you need to disinfect and helps prevent spreading flu germs throughout the house.

2. Disinfect surfaces first – The flu virus can live on a hard surface for over 24 hours. Plenty of time for it to spread to other family members. Disinfect your countertops, tables, remote controls, computers, tablets, door knobs, light switches, faucet handles, cabinet pulls, sinks, tubs and toilet (seat and handle). Follow the directions for disinfection found on the back label of the cleaner you’re using. If you aren’t sure, a good rule of thumb is to apply enough cleaner for the item to be visibly wet for about four minutes and then let air dry.

3. Sanitize kid’s items – Sanitize toys, cups, dishes, nipples, bottles, teething rings and other kids items by washing thoroughly, then sanitizing in a solution of two teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water. Soak then rinse with warm water and let air dry.

4. Open windows to circulate fresh air – For a couple of minutes each day, open the windows to circulate out stale, germy air and let fresh air in.

5. Be careful with laundry – When you transport clothes and bedding from the sick person’s room to the laundry, remember those items have flu germs all over them. Carry them in a basket, wash your hands after handling and disinfect the basket when finished with it.

6. Use paper towels instead of cloth for drying hands – While you have the flu in your home, switch to paper towels to dry hands and throw them away immediately instead of cloth towels that can harbor germs.

7. Use disposable cups and dishes for the sick person – This will make it easy to just throw the germs away instead of trying to sanitize dishes.

8. Disinfect your mop and broom – After using your mop and broom to clean the floor, soak them in a solution of 1/2 cup bleach per gallon of water. Fully submerge and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Rinse with warm water and let air dry.

When the flu hits your household, you can prevent its spread by disinfecting your house of the flu germs. These top tips will help you sanitize and kill the germs in your home to prevent the flu from spreading.

Is there a cleaning chore you tend to put off and put off? Is it cleaning the kitchen cabinets? Many people procrastinate on cleaning kitchen cabinets or simply don’t know what to use to clean the different types of cabinets. While it’s true that different types of cabinet finishes have different cleaning requirements, none are hard to manage when you know the right solution for the job!

 

Stained Wood Cabinets

The most time consuming are stained wood cabinets because you have to clean them first and then oil them to maintain their finish. It’s best to do this at least once per year but it’s better if you do it every six months. Start by creating your cleaning solution. You’ll want to start with a few drops of dish soap, then make a solution that is 7/8 white distilled vinegar and 1/8 rubbing alcohol. For easy application, you can put the solution into a squirt bottle. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the solution off the cabinets and then rinse thoroughly with a separate microfiber cloth and warm water. Your final step after cabinets are dry is to polish them with a furniture oil containing beeswax to seal the finish.

 

White and Black Cabinets

Both white and black cabinets show every speck of dirt and dust they pick up. For these types of cabinets, it’s best to wipe them down weekly with a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water.

 

Painted Cabinets

For painted cabinets, you want to avoid harsh cleaners and chemicals because they can strip the paint or cause bubbling and chipping. To clean painted cabinets, fill a spray bottle with just distilled white vinegar (no rubbing alcohol in this one) and add a few drops of dish soap. Close the spray bottle and shake well. Spray the solution on the cabinets and wipe away with a clean damp microfiber cloth, following along with a dry microfiber cloth to prevent any streaks or spots.

 

Laminate Cabinets

If you have laminate cabinets, wiping them down once per week with a warm, damp microfiber cloth should be enough to keep them looking great. However, if you need a deep clean to remove stuck on food or grime, use the same solution you would for stained wood cabinets and wipe clean with a warm and damp microfiber cloth. We’re using microfiber cloths in all of these cleaning scenarios because they are the best for preventing water spots and streaks.

It’s also recommended that you remove your knobs and pulls to give them a deep clean and clean well around their holes in the cabinets to avoid build up of grime and grease.

Did you find that most types of cabinets are easier to keep clean than you thought? For many types, a quick weekly wipe down is enough to keep them looking fresh and new. When you have to put in a little more work, the payoff is worth it with beautifully clean cabinets.

Having cleaning supplies organized and handy makes it faster and easier to keep a clean home. When just finding the cleaner you need is a hassle, you’re more likely to leave the mess for later than to spend time searching for the cleaner you need. Here are some organization ideas that are affordable and help keep your clean easy.

Expandable Under Sink Rack
Limited space under the sink? No problem. Snatch up an under sink rack that expands to fit the space for around twenty bucks and you’ll double your storage space in a snap.

Tension Rod
Install a small tension rod under the sink to hang your spray bottles from. This keeps your spray cleaners handy so you can just grab and go.

Plastic Bag Dispenser
Most notably, the plastic bag dispenser by IKEA is a great way to store cleaning cloths, brushes, scrubbers, spray cleaners, gloves and more. And at only $3 each, you can get a few to keep all of your supplies neatly organized.

Shoe Organizer
Hang a clear shoe organizer on the inside of your pantry door (or linen closet door if you don’t have a pantry). The clear plastic pockets allow you to easily see each item and you can store a dozen or more cleaners, sprays, brushes, bottles, scrubbers, cleaning cloths and gloves in just one organizer. You can also use a shoe organizer that hangs on the rod and provides box-like cubbies to store paper towels, cleaning rags, extra toilet paper and other lightweight items.

Rolling Cart
A rolling cart is a great idea for cleaning chores where you need several cleaners or scrubbers or want to bring everything with you from room to room. Store supplies in a rolling cart you can move where you move as you clean your home. Hang hooks on the side for extra storage for brushes, scrubbers and towels.

Keeping your cleaning routine simple and easy is key to keeping up with it. The best way to keep it simple is with good organization so you can find what you need, when you need it in a flash and knock out any cleaning task with ease.