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Spring cleaning is a hassle, especially if you aren’t a “Holly Housekeeper” type of person. The good news is you don’t have to love cleaning to take advantage of these top 7 spring cleaning hacks to help your seasonal chores go fast.

1. Hack: Knock out showerhead grime with vinegar – Grimy showerheads can be impossible to get clean with all the tiny holes. Knock this task out by filling a quart size storage bag with enough white distilled vinegar to completely submerge the showerhead. Tie it on tight and leave it overnight. The next day, simply rinse and wipe any leftover grime away. The vinegar does all the work for you.

2. Hack: Use your bathtub for scrubbing – Cleaning some things in your home one by one can take forever. Things like dusty vent covers, dirty window blinds, grimy oven racks and dirty toys are much easier to clean if you take them all down or off at one time and scrub them all in the tub. When you’re done, clean the tub down with a solution of vinegar and a little bit of dish soap to disinfect and ready your tub for regular use.

3. Hack: Use flip flops to sweep up pet hair – Pet hair does a great job of sticking to rubber. Wear a pair of rubber-soled flip flops to use your feet to sweep up stubborn pet hair from rugs, tile and wood floors. Use a pair of rubber gloves to tackle the pet hair on your sofa and other furniture. Just remove the hair when it begins to collect so you can keep collecting fur for the trash. Wear rubber flip flops around the house regularly and avoid pet hair build up in the first place.

4. Hack: Steam the microwave – Got a dirty, grimy microwave? No problem. Put water, lemon and white vinegar in a bowl and heat in the microwave until it has a good rolling boil. Let the microwave sit closed for a minute or two to let the steam work. Then use a rag dampened with warm water to wipe away the built-up gunk easily.

5. Hack: Dust ceilings and fans with a paint roller – If you have very high ceilings that traditional cleaning wands don’t reach, just grab that extended handle paint roller from the garage. Attach your duster to the roller end or you can even just use a fresh clean paint roller cover. This makes quick work of reaching high areas like ceiling fans, tops of bookshelves, tops of door frames and high walls or ceilings without climbing ladders.

6. Hack: Wash pillows with vinegar and baking soda – Remove tough odors, freshen and clean pillows by tossing them in the washer with vinegar and baking soda, instead of detergent. The vinegar and baking soda mixture cleans tough odors better than almost anything else.

7. Hack: Hire someone – Perhaps the best spring cleaning hack of all is to hire someone else to do it. Avoid the hassle and get a deeper, more thorough clean by hiring a cleaning service for a deep clean of your home. Get the sparkling fresh clean without the effort, time and hassle!

These top 7 spring cleaning hacks are great if you plan to DIY your spring cleaning checklist. If you don’t have the time or energy for spring cleaning (and really, who does these days?) then hack number 7 is the one you need. When you are ready for your seasonal deep clean, call The Clean Up Club and we’ll help you clean it up!

When you manage properties or vacation rentals, you need a cleaning partner that knows how to create an inviting and spotless space for your guests and renters. The Clean Up Club is your thorough and experienced partner in creating that welcome for your guests and ensuring your unit or units are turned over and perfectly set up for the next guests. You save on stress and hassle while watching the great reviews roll in. Here are The Clean Up Club benefits for property management and vacation rentals.

Vacation Rental Cleaning

The Clean Up Club cleans and thoroughly inspects your vacation rental property and ensures a fresh clean between guests so you can have peace of mind and a spotless rental unit. Our cleaning and inspection includes:

• Cleaning all bedrooms, checking closets, under beds, under and in drawers for any items left behind or trash. We also change out the bed linens and put fresh clean linens on the bed, expertly made, to impress your most discerning guests.
• Clean and sanitize the bathrooms, including restocking any provided toiletries and putting out fresh clean towels and bathroom linens for your next renters.
• Clean and sanitize the kitchen including running and emptying the dishwasher and setting the kitchen up for the next guests.
• Clean and inspect all living areas, take out all trash, report any maintenance issues and create an inviting, spotless space for your next vacation rental customers.

Linen Services

The Clean Up Club also provides linen rental services for your beach house, vacation rental, condo or house. We have linens and bedding for beds of all sizes and we manage all of our linen cleaning and rental services right out of our Garden City location so you get the freshest clean linens in town. We also offer towel and bathroom linen rentals as well. We can change out the bedding for your vacation rental and provide fresh clean towels every time we turn over the unit so you can be sure your guests are getting the best comfort and the cleanest stay at your property.

We can set up regularly scheduled weekly or monthly cleans for your vacation rental properties so you always have peace of mind that your property is fresh and clean for each new guest. To get started, just give us a call and we’ll be ready to help you clean it up!

There are a number of cleaning tasks many of us overlook or simply don’t pay attention to. Now that it’s coming time for spring cleaning, make sure you have these top 10 most neglected cleaning tasks on your list.

1. Dust doors and door frames – This is a very overlooked cleaning task but dust builds up on doors and door frames just like it builds up on furniture. A damp microfiber cloth should make quick work of dusting your doors and door frames.

2. Vacuum lampshades – Lampshades are a magnet for dust and should be vacuumed with the dusting vacuum attachment. Follow up with a lint roller to capture anything the vacuum left behind.

3. Clean shower curtains and liners – Most fabric shower curtains can be laundered. For shower curtain liners, clean with a mixture of warm water and white vinegar. If the liner has mold or mildew build up, it’s best to replace the liner instead of trying to clean it.

4. Disinfect base of toilets – While seats, lids and bowls are cleaned frequently, many people overlook the base or pedestal of the toilet. This is often teeming with fecal germs and a hospitable place for mold to grow. Also it can be covered with dust and urine. Yuck!

5. Vacuum cabinets and drawers – Dust, dirt, hair, crumbs and other debris can build up in cabinets and drawers. Empty everything out (a good opportunity to get rid of things you no longer need) and vacuum out cabinets and drawers. Follow up with a damp rag and let dry before replacing items.

6. Wash the washing machine – Your washing machine isn’t self cleaning. Germs from clothes can build up in your machine and soil new loads with nasty germs. Run an empty cycle on hot and add white vinegar to disinfect and freshen your machine. Don’t forget to wipe out rubber folds along the doors as mold can grow there easily.

7. Clean curtains – When is the last time you cleaned your curtains? If you’re like most people, it’s been a while. If they can be laundered, wash them or vacuum if they are dry clean only (dry cleaning releases fumes that negatively impact air quality) to remove built up dust, pet hair and pet dander.

8. Clean behind the TV – Many people are great about cleaning the front and sides of the TV but not so many clean the back and behind the TV. Dust, dirt, hair, pet hair and other debris can build up behind your TV and can hinder it from working properly.

9. Clean showerhead and hoses – Clean showerhead by soaking in a solution of warm water and white vinegar. Use a similar solution to clean the hose, checking the braiding of the hose carefully for mold as you go.

10. Vacuum and mop under major appliances – If you’re like most people, you don’t often or never clean under and behind your major appliances. Dust, dirt, hair and other debris can collect under and behind your stove, refrigerator and other appliances. Pull them out and vacuum underneath and behind (don’t forget the refrigerator coils) and follow up by mopping with a warm water and vinegar solution. Let dry before you push them back into place.

How many of these top 10 most neglected cleaning tasks have you been neglecting? Most people would say most or all of them. That’s okay, now that you are aware of them, you can put them on your to-do list. Too much cleaning on your plate? Call The Clean Up Club and we’ll help you clean it up!

There are a number of benefits to having regular home cleaning services to clean your home. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these benefits.

1. A professionally cleaned house – Especially if you are often on-the-go, you might have very limited time for cleaning and maintaining your home. What little time you do have might barely scratch the surface of the cleaning that is necessary. When you hire a regular home cleaning service, your home gets a professional-level top to bottom clean down with no cutting corners. You get a thorough and professional clean.

2. Save on cleaning supplies – Cleaning services bring their own supplies with them so you can save on cleaning supplies you might normally buy.

3. More sanitary living space – When you and your family are out and about, you encounter a lot of germs that eventually make their way back to your home on your hands, shoes and clothes. Professional house cleaning services sanitize and kill germs on door handles, cabinet pulls, light switches and even your remote. This reduces the germs that build up in your home and lessens your chances of becoming sick.

4. Reduce pet odors – Professional house cleaning services have cleaning products that help neutralize pet odors, leaving your home smelling fresh and clean. They tackle the tough pet odors so you can have confidence that visitors will just smell clean and not wet dog when they stop by.

5. Healthier indoor air – Your indoor air can be five to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. What is it polluted with? Dust, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, pollen and other fine particles. Regular cleaning services clean away those pollutants from surfaces, floors and more so they have less chance of ending up in the air you breathe. So, your professional cleaning service helps you breathe cleaner too.

6. Clean nooks and crannies – Professional cleaning services get into the nooks and crannies to deliver a thorough clean. Many people don’t have time for the small details when cleaning and often leave the nooks and crannies or say, the baseboards, for another time and another time and another time. Professional cleaning services get into the small details and make sure your house is truly clean.

7. Frees up your time – Time you would have normally spent cleaning is now freed up for family events, work, errands or just plain relaxing.

There are a number of benefits to having a regular home cleaning service professionally clean your home. You save time, money on cleaning products and hassle. Meanwhile, you gain a clean, sanitized and fresh smelling home that you can be proud to show off. When you’re ready to reap the benefits yourself, call The Clean Up Club and we’ll be there to clean it up!

Cleaning your kitchen counters might seem like a simple task. However, there are common mistakes many people make that can damage your counters or perhaps not leave them as clean as you think they are. Are you making these kitchen counter cleaning mistakes?

1. Not sealing stone counters regularly – Stone countertops, such as granite, need to be sealed on a regular basis with a sealing spray and a good buffing with a microfiber cloth. How can you tell if your counters need to be sealed? Try the water test. Put a few drops of water on the countertop. If the water soaks in, it’s time to reseal. If the water beads up and stays on the surface, your sealant is working fine. Granite and other forms of stone are porous so keeping them sealed protects them from damage from cleaners and also microbial damage.

2. Not drying the counters – Leaving the counters wet after cleaning not only causes unsightly streaks and water marks, it can also allow bacteria to begin re-growing on the surface you just cleaned (bacteria loves water/moisture). After cleaning counters, dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth for a streak free and germ free clean.

3. Using acidic or bleach cleaner on stone counters – Remember we mentioned that natural stone, such as granite, is porous? That means acidic cleaners or strong base cleaners like bleach can strip the sealant and get into those pores in the stone. Avoid vinegar and citric acid-containing cleaners as they can leave your counter looking dull and also begin stripping away the sealant. Bleach is a base rather than an acid but impacts the stone in the same way. Your best bet is water and dish soap or a special cleaner made for cleaning granite or stone counters.

4. Not following contact time – If you look on the back of the container, your cleaner should list a contact time for proper disinfection. This is the amount of time your counter needs to be wet with that product for proper disinfection to take place. Leave it on less than that time and you could be leaving dangerous germs like Salmonella behind on your counters. Always read the instructions and follow the contact time listed on the product.

5. Not cleaning underneath appliances and counter items – All of us have appliances such as toasters and coffee pots that live on our counters. It’s important to move everything off the counters at least once per week and clean underneath everything. Crumbs, water stains and spills can collect under or around these items if you never pick them up and clean underneath, leaving dirt and grime behind even after you’ve cleaned your counters.

Cleaning the kitchen counter isn’t complicated but simple mistakes can leave the counter not as clean as you think or can even damage the material your counter is made from. These are the top 5 most common kitchen counter cleaning mistakes. Have you been making these mistakes? If you don’t have time to clean or need help with a good deep clean, call The Clean Up Club and we’ll be there to help you clean it up!

When you’re doing a move-out clean, most of the time it’s to get a security deposit back or to prepare your home for sale. When going about a move out clean, your goal is to clean as quickly and efficiently as possible while still being thorough enough to get your deposit back

1. Prep and clean things you’ll be taking with you as you pack them up. This way they’ll already be clean when you unpack them in your new home.

2. Don’t start your move out clean until all of your belongings have been packed and moved out of the home. A move out cleaning is much easier to accomplish with a totally vacant house or apartment.

3. Clean down one room at a time and then close it off. You can also move through one task at a time but this has the potential to feel overwhelming and as if things aren’t getting done quickly enough so most pros go at it one room at a time.

4. Clean from top to bottom and from back to front. This moves dirt and grime from the farthest and hardest to reach places downward and toward the door or exit of the house or apartment.

5. Complete “dry” cleaning tasks before “wet” cleaning tasks. For example, you want to dust, sweep and vacuum before you start mopping or using wet cleaners that will clump up dry dirt and gunk up your broom or other cleaning equipment.

6. Clean up the walls. Even if you aren’t going to paint, it’s important to remove hooks, nails and screws from the walls and to also clean away smudges and dirty spots. Use a cleaner that is safe for paint or an eraser sponge to make quick work of smudges and grime on the walls.

7. Use bleach to kill mold but not for general cleaning. Bleach fumes can be toxic so it’s important to only use bleach where and when you need it most. Bleach-based cleaners are great at killing and removing mold so save them for that task to avoid causing breathing issues from bleach fumes.

8. Don’t forget to clean the exterior, if applicable. The exterior of the house should be power washed and leaves/debris raked up and disposed of. Also power wash decks and driveways if they are dirty and in need of a good clean. This is more applicable to houses than to most apartments or condos.

When going about a move out clean, your goal is to clean as quickly and efficiently as possible while still being thorough enough to get your deposit back or ready your home for selling. If you need back-up for your move out clean or you’re just too tired from moving to do it, call the Clean Up Club! We’ll take care of your move out clean and help you get as much of your deposit back as possible.

Whether you’ve remodeled part of your home or your whole home is a new construction, cleaning up after any construction project can be a big job. So what does a post-construction cleaning project entail?

1. Remove construction trash – Oftentimes, there is a lot of debris that gets left behind on a construction site. That’s where any good construction clean-up starts – removing the debris. Things like bits of lumber, chunks of drywall, plastic tarp, tape, drop cloths, nails, screws, bolts and staples can be left behind. Cleaning up the big pieces of debris is the first step.

2. Clean walls and baseboards – Walls and baseboards really take a hit during construction, getting dirty and scuffed. The first thing is to clean dirt off walls and baseboards. Next, touch up any scrapes and scuffs with a magic eraser pencil.

3. Clean and polish hard floors – Hard flooring gets a lot of caked on dirt during a construction project. Cleaning hard floors after a construction project requires mopping, waxing, polishing and buffing the floors to a brilliantly clean state.

4. Clean carpets – With construction comes a lot of dust, much of which can be trapped in carpet along with bits of wood and other construction debris. Cleaning carpet after a construction project requires an industrial shop vacuum to get all of the dust and trapped debris out of the carpet and get it totally clean.

5. Clean mirrors and windows – For many construction projects, windows and mirrors get a thick layer of dingy grime on them. This requires a heavy duty glass cleaning product to strip the grime off the windows and mirrors and bring them back to a brilliant shine.

6. Clean out cabinets, closets and drawers – During a construction project, dust collects everywhere. This includes dust build up in cabinets, closets, pantries and drawers. A thorough clean requires a good vacuuming with an industrial shop vacuum followed by a thorough cleaning and polishing for shelves, floors, inside drawers and of door and drawer fronts.

If this sounds like a lot of work, have no fear. The Clean Up Club can handle that post-construction cleaning for you. We have the equipment and supplies to make a post-construction clean a quick and efficient job. Don’t tackle the grime yourself when you have the Clean Up Club ready to clean it up!

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!