Category: blog

The kitchen is the center and the heart of most homes. Unfortunately, that means the kitchen can be a collecting place for clutter from all over the house, and a final resting place for expired items that get shoved into corners and take up valuable space. Here are the 12 things that you can toss to clear the clutter in your kitchen:

1. Expired medicines and vitamins – Check expiration dates and get rid of anything that isn’t current. Many medications and supplements lose potency after their expiration date. Proper disposal information can be found at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/ensuringsafeuseofmedicine/safedisposalofmedicines/ucm186187.htm

2. Expired food in the pantry – Anything in your pantry that has been hanging around past its expiration date can be tossed – especially dry packaged goods that can grow mold the longer they sit around.

3. Take-out items – Utensil packets, piles of fast food napkins and drawers full of ketchup and duck sauce can all be tossed. If you were going to use them up, they wouldn’t be collecting and creating clutter.

4. Chipped or cracked dishes – Chipped and cracked dishes can potentially harbor bacteria and other gunk you don’t want your dinner exposed to.

5. Plastic without partners – Plastic containers with missing lids and solo lids with no corresponding container can be tossed in the recycling. Chances are good that their missing partners are MIA permanently.

6. Coupons and take-out menus – For grocery coupons, if you truly use them then it’s best to organize them and keep them in a handy coupon sorter in your purse or vehicle. Pizza coupons, take-out menus and other paper debris can go in the recycling. Most restaurants that offer take-out and pizza joints have their menus online along with any current coupons.

7. Plastic grocery bags – Remove receipts and bundle up plastic grocery sacks to return to the store. Many stores have receptacles for plastic grocery bag return or they can be returned at customer service desks. Turn over your volumes of plastic bags for recycling to the store and switch to reusable grocery sacks. Keep them in your truck so they’re handy when you stop to shop.

8. Receipts – If you need to keep the original, create a designated folder in your filing cabinet to store these. For the rest, you can toss them or if you might need to refer to them (at tax time, for example), take a picture and upload to an online storage site like Google Drive. With a digital copy set aside, you can toss the paper copy.

9. Rancid nuts – Nuts, flours and baking mixes can go rancid over time. Rancid items are no longer safe to eat and should be thrown away.

10. Fridge decorations and papers – Pack away meaningful items such as photos and your kids’ paintings in a safe place like a folder in your filing cabinet. Move bills and notices to your bill sorter. Discard anything unnecessary or old. This is also a good time to review your magnets and remove any that are not meaningful or functional for a cleaner clutter-free fridge door.

11. Non-kitchen items – Because the kitchen is the heart of the home for most families, items from other rooms tend to migrate to the kitchen and create clutter. Grab a box or basket and collect everything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen, then go through the house and put items back in their original homes.

12. Cleaning supplies or items you no longer use – Old rags, cleaners that didn’t work so well and supplies you simply just don’t use can all be discarded. For cleaning products, the packaging should have instructions for safe disposal.

When you get through this list of 12 things in your kitchen that just have to go, you might be surprised by how much clutter you’ve removed. The key is to keep up this process on an on-going basis over time so you’re removing these items right away before they can build up into piles of clutter.

As students head back to school, we’re reminded that autumn is just around the corner. Even here in the Myrtle Beach area, temperatures become cooler and we begin to prepare for the upcoming holidays. Cleaning for fall is all about preparing for holiday visitors and getting ready for the cooler weather of winter. Indoors, you’ll focus the majority of your efforts on the rooms used most during holiday entertaining such as the living room, dining room, kitchen and power room/guest bathroom. Let’s take a look at the list of seasonal cleaning tips to get your home clean and ready for fall.

1. Clean the oven. Whether your oven has a self-cleaning feature or requires manual cleaning, getting this task out of the way now means you are ready to cook up all of your family’s favorite holiday dishes.
2. Put away all countertop appliances you don’t use at least weekly. This will create more space for prepping and cooking meals.
3. Clean out refrigerator and freezer. Toss out expired condiments, dig out the science experiment left-overs from the way back and clean the inside and outside.
4. Clean light fixtures – particularly bowl-style fixtures that have collected dead bugs over the summer.
5. Vacuum furniture and draperies (or have them professionally cleaned).
6. Clean baseboards and window sills.
7. Check dryer vent lines for blockages and have them “blown out” or professionally cleaned as needed to avoid build-up that can cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.
8. Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected to check for creosote build-up that can cause chimney fires.
9. Clean your vacuum. Over time, hair and threads can build up on the vacuum roller and prevent it from rotating freely. Make sure to change your vacuum filter (if equipped).
10. Head outdoors and clean all windows from outside.
11. Winterize garden hoses and the sprinkler system when it’s no longer needed for the season.
12. Clean patio furniture and other outdoor summer-time items. Stow them away securely until spring.
13. Recaulk and/or replace weatherstripping around windows, doors and garage doors.
14. Swap out summer clothes and shoes for warmer fall and winter clothes and shoes. Be sure clothes are freshly washed before storing to deter pests. As you work through your summer wardrobe, set aside anything you haven’t worn to consider donating. When storing clothes, use plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes that are an open invitation for bugs. Store items in an unused closet – avoid the attic or basement because the lack of temperature control can cause mold growth.

 

Having a cleaning plan at the start of each new season helps you prepare for the activities of the season. Changing out clothing and shoes as needed each season gives you a chance to review what items you no longer use and should consider donating. You’ll be decluttering each new season and keeping your home clean and comfortable.  The Clean Up Club is here if you need help with all your seasonal cleaning!

Like it or not, cleanliness is one of the most important factors in getting good reviews from guests on your vacation rental property. Requiring guests to clean up at the end of their stay means leaving the first impression of your next guest in the hands of the previous guest. Considering that different people have different opinions of what clean really means, that is a big risk to take with your vacation rental. Let’s take a look at the benefits of hiring a cleaning company for your vacation rental.

1. You can charge a higher rate. Guests are on vacation. The last thing any guest wants is a long list of cleaning chores to do before they leave. Most guests are happy to pay a cleaning fee or a slightly higher rate to avoid the hassle.

2. Consistent and professional cleaning every time. You and your cleaning company will have an approved checklist of all cleaning tasks to be done between guests. When you know a professional team is handling your cleaning, you can feel confident that each new guest will have the same great impression of your sparkling clean vacation rental unit.

3. Avoid negative reviews. One of the worst reviews a vacation rental owner can receive is that the unit was dirty. Or even worse, that the guest felt they had to clean down the unit when they arrived to feel comfortable staying there. When potential guests see negative reviews about cleanliness, they keep scrolling and book elsewhere. A professional cleaning service is your best resource for avoiding these negative reviews.

4. Faster turn over of the property. Cleaning companies that specialize in cleaning vacation rentals know that fast and efficient turn over of your unit is essential. Their teams come in with the goal of the fastest yet most thorough clean possible.

5. Improve long-term maintenance of your unit. Dirt and grime can cause wear and tear over time, if not addressed properly. Professional cleaning prevents buildup of grime over time that can cause your vacation rental to fall into disrepair. The more well-kept your property is, the less frequently you’ll need to worry about the expense of major repairs.

When it comes to the competitive market of vacation rentals, you want to use every advantage you have to get as many bookings as possible. Building up a list of terrific reviews is a surefire way for your vacation rental to get top billing. With a good portion of negative reviews about cleanliness out there, you can jump to the head of the pack by partnering with a great cleaning company experienced with vacation rental cleaning.

Whether or not your business has customers or clients who use your restrooms, cleanliness of this space is vital for your business. Restroom cleanliness impacts employees as well. Dirty bathrooms increase the likelihood of spreading germs like salmonella, norovirus, E. coli and seasonal germs like flu virus to your employees. These germs can cause serious illness and result in more employees out sick at the same time – not a good thing for your company’s bottom line.

Studies show that having employees handle office cleaning duties, including restrooms, reduces productivity and is harmful to morale. If you have a commercial cleaning service who handles these duties, you’re a step ahead. However, it’s still a good idea to share the restroom cleaning checklist you have in place with your cleaning service with your employees. But why?

1. Sharing the restroom cleaning checklist with employees gives them peace of mind that proper measures are taken to disinfect restrooms and protect their health and wellbeing.

2. The restroom cleaning checklist is a guideline employees can use to alert you if they notice something being overlooked.

3. Having a clear understanding of the cleanliness standards for the restroom makes them more aware of their own practices.

4. Being transparent about the restroom cleaning checklist empowers employees to ask questions, voice concerns or let you know if they see an item missing from the list.

5. Employees who have access to checklists like the bathroom cleaning checklist are more likely to let you know when supplies are low or have run out, notice and notify you of issues such as leaks or broken equipment. They feel more comfortable reporting these kinds of issues without worry that they sound like they’re complaining.

When you have a commercial cleaning service taking care of your office and restrooms, it might seem unnecessary to talk about the restroom cleaning checklist with employees. As you can see from the points above, being transparent about restroom cleanliness standards empowers and engages employees to be more proactive about helping you ensure those standards are being maintained throughout working hours too. They’ll also have the peace of mind of knowing that proper disinfection is part of the protocol to protect them from illness.

Just when it seemed like the auto-ship of hand sanitizer for your office could be discontinued, the flu (strain B, this time) decides to make one final round through the Grand Strand. At least, everyone hopes this is the final round. Here is a quick refresher with 6 tips to decontaminating germs in your office and avoid the sharing of the gift of flu B between your employees.

1. Identify the “germ hot spots” in your office. In general, any common area is a potential germ hot spot in your workplace. Bathrooms, the break room and the water cooler are the biggest risk for germ spread.

2. In each germ hot spot, make note of every surface people touch, every handle they grab, every button they push and every knob they pull. Anything hands touch deserves a good thorough decontamination with disinfecting wipes. And we mean anything – microwave handles and buttons, fridge handles, backs of chairs, sink faucets, copier buttons, water cooler levers, light switches and don’t forget counter tops and table tops. Quick tip: empower the natural germ-a-phobes in your office by having plenty of handy disinfecting wipes visible and available in all hot spot areas.

3. Communicate with employees about helping prevent the spread of illness by having everyone participate in frequently wiping down office hot spots, but also disinfecting their own workspaces. They should regularly use disinfecting wipes to clean down desks, phones, keypads, keyboards, computer mice, drawer handles and headsets (if used). Again, anything hands touch. As employees touch door handles, shake hands with clients or touch various surfaces in common areas, their hands pick up germs that they take right back to their workspace with them.

4. Our hands are the biggest culprit in the spread of germs in the workplace. Encourage regular handwashing but also provide plenty of hand sanitizer. A good rule of thumb is to provide hand sanitizer for every individual workspace and a few bottles of hand sanitizer in every common area – including bathrooms. Quick tip: be sure to provide boxes of tissues in all of the same places hand sanitizer goes to prevent airborne germs as much as possible. By keeping tissue and sanitizer together, it reminds employees to use both items more frequently.

5. Make sure to notify your commercial cleaning provider when illness strikes your office. A good commercial cleaning company will have infection management protocols to use when cleaning your office or business to disinfect surfaces that are often overlooked and help you keep employees healthy.

6. Most importantly, foster a company culture that empowers employees to stay home when they are sick without guilt or negativity. One sick employee who stays home is less disruptive to business than one who comes to work despite being sick and spreads the illness to multiple other co-workers, leading to multiple absences at once that are much more difficult to manage. Also, showing employees that their health and wellness is important makes them feel valued and appreciated. Healthy and happy employees are always great for business.

Has your office already been side-swiped by flu B or another illness? Call Clean Up Club for a disinfecting scrub down that shuts down flu, colds and other germs.

When a friend stops by or an out-of-town visitor comes to stay, you want them to feel comfortable and at home. This can be a challenge if the things guests notice most in your home give a less-than-clean impression. Clean Up Club is here to help! Here are the top 7 things guests will always notice in your home so you can take care of any discomforting conditions.

1. Odor – The nose knows when something doesn’t smell right. Odors in the home can be caused by a number of factors, including pets, cooking smells or trash waiting to be taken out. If possible, open windows to create airflow to clear out odors, run an essential oil diffuser or even just boil a pan of water on the stove with orange and lemon peels in it.

2. Entryway mess – Tripping over piles of shoes or walking through a dirty mess right at the front door is not very welcoming. Put shoes away, shake loose dirt out of doormats outside, frequently sweep up debris from floors and create a clear space for visitors to put their coats, bags and shoes when they come in.

3. Clutter – Clutter is always a comfort-killer. Stow toys in handy large baskets to keep floors clear, move baskets of laundry waiting to be folded to a bedroom out of sight and have a designated tray or space for mail, papers and other common clutter items.

4. Pet hair – We all love our furry family, however, as we go about our normal routine, we can overlook things that even other pet owners would notice. For example, have you ever glanced into a corner of the room to see a collection of pet hair you didn’t notice building up? If you have carpeted rooms, the attachment for your vacuum cleaner can quickly clean hair from where the carpet meets the baseboards. Fur on the furniture? A pair of dry rubber dish gloves helps you sweep static-y clingy fur into an easily removable pile.

5. Grime on light switches and door handles – We rarely think about it but the oils from our skin build up on light switches, door handles, the fridge handle and drawer pulls. Then dust and dirt sticks to those oils until a grimey film of ick builds up. Just take a look at the light switch your family touches most or the refrigerator door handle. Yuck-o. Disinfecting wipes make quick work of cleaning those often-touched surfaces.

6. Sticky residue – This one is very common for those who have kids. Sticky hands pulling out kitchen chairs and sticky hands at the table leave sticky behind on those surfaces. Imagine going to pull a chair out to sit with a friend at her kitchen table and coming away with some unknown sticky substance on your hand. Your guests will notice that at your house too.

7. Bathroom grime – One of the biggest guest gross-outs everyone should be aware of is a dirty, scummy bathroom. Of course, clean down the vanity, sink and mirror, but the biggest ick factor is a filthy toilet. When you clean the toilet, make sure to also clean underneath the seat, around the base of the toilet, disinfect the handle and clean down the floor behind the toilet as well. While you’re looking at the floor, check out corners and along baseboards for dirt hiding in plain sight. Finish by putting out a freshly washed hand towel.

The best way to find grime that will gross out your guests is to think like a guest and look around the way a guest would. Sit in the places a guest would sit in your home and look around from their point of view to find every day dirt you might not have noticed before. When you’re ready for a deep clean or anytime you need some help sprucing up before guests arrive, the Clean Up Club can help you get your home prepped for even the most eagle-eyed guest.

As the warmer weather rolls in, the local flora prepare for spring by building up and releasing pollen, most notably the sticky yellow pollen of the plentiful pine trees along the Grand Strand. Pollen season doesn’t just make life miserable for the allergy sufferers in your home, but it also adds more dirt and grime to your cleaning chores. Now is the time to prep your cleaning routine for pollen season and get pollen-blocking habits in place before the yellow cloud of pollen dust hits.

• Adjust your regular cleaning schedule and stick to it throughout pollen season.
• Keep windows and doors closed to keep pollen blocked out, especially in the early morning and early evening hours.
• Vacuum several times per week (depending on traffic in and out from kids and pets) with a vacuum featuring a HEPA filter to trap pollen particles and other allergy-inducing grime. You can also invest in an automatic robotic vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter to make this chore faster and easier.
• For wood or laminate flooring, keep a dry sweeper handy for daily cleaning so you can save the deep clean for once per week.
• Curtains can be a magnet for pollen and other allergens. Switch to easily washable curtains for the season and wash weekly. A great alternative is switching over to blinds that can be easily wiped down a few times per week or as often as needed.
• Create a “shoes off zone” where shoes come off at the door to avoid tracking pollen and other grime through the house.
• Create a “pet wipe-down zone” stocked with pet-friendly fur and foot wipes (or use a warm, damp cloth) to wipe down paws, tails and fur when pets come in from playing outside. This keeps the puppers from transporting pollen through the house on their feet and coat.
• Don’t hang linens or clothes out to dry outdoors. Not only will your items pick up a yellow coating, you’ll be bringing a pollen bomb right into your home.
• Remember that pollen is just as likely to collect on your clothes and hair as your kids and pets. If you spend much time outdoors, change clothes first thing when you return to the house to avoid spreading pollen that has collected on your clothing. And be sure to wash your hair after being outside to avoid depositing pollen all over your sheets and pillow cases.
• Invest in an air purifier. Even with the best pollen control measures, those yellow grains can still slip into your home. An air purifier helps capture any pollen or other allergens that slip past your pollen season cleaning routine.

Preparing or switching over to your pollen season cleaning routine now helps you get ahead of the curve. Just in case someone in your home leaves a window open or you find yourself with a big yellow mess on your hands despite your best efforts, The Clean Up Club is just a phone call away! We can help you clean up any sticky (yellow pollen) situation and get your family back to breathing easy.

No need to wait for spring to develop some new cleaning habits that make your life easier and keep your home cleaner. Whether you have official cleaning resolutions in mind for this year or just a general goal, such as keeping the dishes caught up, we’ve got a list of cleaning resolutions you will actually keep in 2018. Here’s to a cleaner new year!

1. Choose a specific day each week to sort through the refrigerator. Toss those leftovers that got shoved into the back and forgotten, move items that have migrated from their normal space back where they belong, toss any condiments that have expired or appear spoiled and finish with a quick wipe-down of the fridge – including door handles (it is flu season, after all).

2. Use drawer organizers in kitchen and bathroom drawers. If finding what you need in your drawers is a bit too much like a treasure hunt, drawer organizers help you create a designated space for everything. Finding what you need will be faster and easier – with no digging or hunting needed.

3. Simplify and declutter closets. A good, ruthless closet purge to clear out and donate anything you haven’t worn for a year or more (yes, shoes included) creates space for you to organize the things you do wear and make getting ready faster and easier. You can organize by type of item or for an even faster morning routine, organize into sets of outfits you wear frequently and easily grab your entire ensemble without sorting for each piece of clothing.

4. Invest in an air purifier. Air purifiers remove dust, bacteria, pet dander, allergens and dirt particles from the air in your home. Not only does an air purifier help you breathe cleaner but also cuts down on the dust and grime that settles on surfaces in your home, keeping it cleaner for longer.

5. Invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Similar to an air purifier, a vacuum with a HEPA filter catches dirt, dust, pollen, dander, mites and other grime when you vacuum. This keeps your carpets and rugs cleaner but also prevents normal activities like walking through a room from stirring up grime that can resettle on surfaces.

6. Properly equip each floor and room for being clean. Make sure every room has a waste basket to avoid build-up of trash throughout the house. Also, if your home has more than one floor, have a complete set of cleaning supplies and tools on each floor (don’t forget the basement). Having a set of cleaning supplies handy on each floor eliminates the hassle (and procrastination) of lugging a bucket of cleaning supplies up and down flights of stairs.

7. Institute a nightly walk-through. Every evening, walk through the home to take care of quick cleaning and organizing tasks that would otherwise build up. Get the kids involved to help them build good cleaning habits too. Pop dirty dishes into the dishwasher, toss newspapers and junk mail in the recycling bin, hang up coats and towels, set up back-packs for morning and compile trash from the wastebaskets in each room into one bag. A nightly walk-through not only takes care of the day’s messes but waking up to an organized home makes morning routines far less stressful.

Life is busy! Our handy list of cleaning resolutions are so simple and practical, they’re easy to stick to and will help you make 2018 your cleanest and most organized year yet. And if your cleaning tasks do build up or you notice it’s time for a good deep cleaning, The Clean Up Club is here to help!

Hosting family and out-of-town guests for the holidays can be the best part of the whole season. However, when the holidays are over and guests have all gone home, you want to get your home back into every day shape quick and easy. Here are some quick tips to make quick work of post-holiday organizing and clean-up.

1. Clean and polish away smears, smudges and fingerprints from all stainless-steel surfaces in your home in one big round. Start in the kitchen with appliances and faucets, then move through each room of the house wiping down any stainless steel or metal surface as you go, including lamps, switch plates, door handles, bathroom hardware and drawer pulls.

2. Remove smudges and spills while conditioning to repair scrapes and scratches on all wooden furniture. Start in the dining room or eat-in kitchen area and move from room to room polishing down side tables, end tables, coffee tables and night stands.

3. Wash bedsheets and blankets from guest bedrooms, guest towels, tablecloths and other linens, keeping them clean and fresh for next use.

4. Store holiday light strands and garland by wrapping around an old hanger and securing the plug end to the hook with a twist tie to keep everything tangle-free and ready to go for next year.

5. Save gift bows, gift bags, and un-damaged pieces of gift wrap to reuse next year to save money and avoid sending usable gift decorations to the landfill. Flatten pieces of gift wrap and stack neatly into small piles of similar sizes and wrap around an empty wrapping paper cardboard tube for easy storage. Set aside the largest gift bag, refold smaller gift bags (remove and fold any savable tissue paper from inside) and then place folded gift bags, bows, and folded sheets of tissue into the largest gift bag and store away.

6. Create room for new gifts and avoid clutter by purging closets, toy bins and cabinets of rarely used items and donating them to a local charity. You’ll be passing along useable goods to families in need while creating space for the awesome new gifts you just received.

Our quick organizing tips for post-holiday cleaning will have your home back in tip-top shape fast. As a bonus, you’ll also be prepped and ready for next year’s holidays by organizing now for less hassle later.

The holidays are almost here – and so are holiday visitors! Cleaning for company is not like your everyday ordinary cleaning as less often areas of your home, like guest rooms and guest bathrooms, need to be fresh and sparkling to welcome your holiday guests. We’ve put together a handy checklist to help you clean for holiday company.

Overall Cleaning – Entire House

• Declutter each room by putting shoes, coats, bags, old piles of mail and other accumulated items in their proper places – or the recycling.
• Clean windows to make sure your holiday guests have a stunning view of the winter wonderland outside (or the beachy wonderland).
• Dust all surfaces, including less frequently dusted items such as ceiling fans and the tops of cabinets. Dusting isn’t just for the sake of appearances but also so any guests with allergies or asthma can breathe easy in your home.
• Clean all floors. Don’t forget to spot clean carpets and rugs to remove stains or refresh high traffic areas.
• Fluff throw pillows throughout the home for a welcoming touch.
• Disinfect all doorknobs, switches and handles throughout the home to avoid spreading winter-time germs with visitors.

Guest Bedrooms and Bathrooms

• Prep the day before guests arrive by putting freshly cleaned linens and blankets on guest beds.
• Fluff and plump bed pillows.
• Remember to clean window blinds, air vents, lampshades and other sneaky places dust can collect in spare rooms.
• Aside from traditional bathroom cleaning duties, such as toilet, tub or shower, counters, floors and mirrors, check drains for good water flow and remedy any blockages.
• Provide a generous stack of just-laundered towels and wash cloths, and put out any special soaps or toiletries you’d like your guests to enjoy.

Kitchen

• Empty all expired food, old leftovers and other items past their prime from the fridge and clean the inside.
• Wipe down all appliances (don’t forget the top of the fridge and the vent hood) and countertops.
• Dust cabinet doors, if needed.
• Run the cleaning cycle on your oven and remove debris when cool so it is ready to cook your holiday feast.
• The day before guests arrive, wash the good dinnerware, glassware, stemware and polish the heirloom silverware.

This handy cleaning for company checklist will help you ensure your home is ready for holiday guests. If you need a hand, The Clean Up Club is on stand-by to help with your holiday cleaning needs. Our cleaning professionals are trained to tackle any home cleaning needs you may have – even prepping for holiday visitors.  And, if you want to give the gift of clean, we have gift certificates available, too!