3 Tips for a Clean Home Office

Working from home is a growing trend due to the number of benefits it offers not just the employee, but also the employer. A home office is often required so that you can focus your attention on your task despite being at home. Keep your home office free from distractions and clutter when you follow these tips:

Clean your electronics
Fortunately, it’s a simple fix. Head to your local office supply store, pick up some wipes that are specifically made for electronics, and make it a point to wipe down your keyboard and monitor daily. Not only will it keep dust and debris from gumming up your computer, but it also helps keep germs at bay. Source: Home.HowStuffWorks

Pick three things and throw them out
We’ll start our home office organization with something easy just to get you in the mood and clear some space. There’s probably a lot more than just three things either on your desk or scattered around your home office that can go from your workspace right to the trash or recycling bin.

Come on, look closely. Do you really need those old magazines? That pen that doesn’t work? Those used snack pudding containers?

Yeesh! Get rid of them!

Feels good, doesn’t it? You don’t need to stop at just three things. If you see more obvious candidates for the trash, throw them out, too. Source: TheBalance

Refrain from displaying things you don’t need
Your home office will be at the peak of organization if you not only tidy what is in your office, but also remember what you should keep out. Follow this simple rule: if it’s not current, store it somewhere else in your home. You home office should only before for projects happening right now, and bills and papers that are of this year. Source: StyleAtHome

Focus your time on your work and leave the cleaning chores to us! Call us today.

 

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4 Stay-at-Home Date Night Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Since this year’s Valentine’s Day is on a weekday, an elaborate vacation or night-out might not fit in your schedule. Nevertheless, you can still have a special celebration with your beloved right in the comfort of your home. Here are some ideas you could try:

Indoor picnic
If it’s too cold to actually go outside, throw down a blanket and have a romantic picnic in your bedroom. Make finger sandwiches and yummy dessert, then pack them up in a basket. If you want a dose of nature, flip on NatGeo and listen to birds chirping. It’s all the fun of an actual picnic, minus the bugs crawling in your food. Source: Seventeen

Board games with a twist
Pick up a couple of board games and some booze, and you’re good to go. If Scrabble bores you, then feel free to raise the stakes by throwing in a more risqué element. Source: EliteDaily

 Netflix and chill
There might not be anything more true than a good movie night for varying reasons. Might as well get your #netflixandchill on with the one you love most. Pick a movie you’ve both been wanting to see or even one that has mutual significance in your relationship. It could be the movie you saw on your first date, maybe even the one you saw before he told you he loved you. Source: TheSpruce

Wine or liquor tasting night
Pick a poison of choice and set up a mini-tasting night at home. Whisky, tequila, wines, vodka, they all work. You’ll need a variety of them, plus glasses, room temperature spring water and unsalted crackers. If you’re very adventurous, try pairing them with appropriate canapés.

Find the tasting notes for your particular brands and work your way through your varietals together getting all philosophical about the top notes and your palates. Source: AskMen

Your home won’t have a romantic feel if it’s dirty or cluttered. While you’re busy preparing for Valentine’s Day, we can help you clean up. Call us today!

 

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Important Care Tips for Hardwood Floors

Depending on the type of wood you use, hardwood can be quite an expensive flooring option. However, when taken care of, it can last quite a long time. If you have it at home, make sure that you do the following maintenance tips:

Vacuum weekly
You probably do this already, but it always bears repeating. The reason: Underfoot, the fine grit in dust is just like sandpaper and will slowly but surely wear through your wood floor’s finish. So a good vacuuming protects the finish as well as keeps up its appearance. Use an attachment with a brush or a felt surface that runs along the floor. Attachments with rotating brushes or a beater bar can scratch the finish. Disengage the beater bar on an upright. If you don’t feel like hauling out the vacuum, a dust mop or one of the newer microfiber sweepers (such as Swiffer) will work just as well.  Source: RD

Cover high-traffic areas
Put down protective rugs and mats. Mats can drastically reduce the amount of dirt and debris that gets on your floor. Position them inside and outside your home’s exterior doors. Encourage visitors and family members to wipe their feet on them. Place additional mats in other high-traffic areas, such as in front of the kitchen sink and down frequently used hallways. A floor mat should also be placed in any area where water might be splashed, like by the kitchen sink.

• Be sure to use floor mats that are made specifically for hardwood floors. Other types of mats, such as rubber-backed and non-ventilated mats, can trap moisture and debris underneath, causing surface damage to the floor.
• Shake the mats out regularly to prevent debris build-up. Source: WikiHow

Take care of spills right away
Spills will happen, but if you let them dry on the floor they’ll dull the finish and attract additional dirt. Blot spills immediately with an absorbent cloth. “The worst thing you can do is let water puddle on the floor,” says Forte. Follow up with a damp paper towel to remove any residue and buff dry. Source: GoodHousekeeping

Your lack of time to clean may lead to worse problems that might require expensive repairs. Have a professional team routinely clean your home for you. Call us today!

 

Contact:
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Tips on Cleaning Upholstery

When it’s cold outside, it’s always better to stay at home bundled up in a warm blanket with a hot coffee in hand while watching Netflix or reading a book. However, this won’t be as nice of an experience if you’re lying on a filthy couch. Here are some ways to clean up your upholstered furniture:

Vacuum
Use a hand vacuum or the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean debris and dirt from the sofa surface. Be sure to clean the crevices where pet hair, food crumbs, and dirt accumulate. If the cushions are not attached, remove them and vacuum both sides. If there’s a lot of pet hair, use a lint roller to remove hair the vacuum can’t get. Source: DIYNetwork

Identify the stain
Food, dirt, pee or poop (from little ones or pets), wine, coffee and other stains respond well to steam cleaning. More stubborn spots may need more than one treatment. For oil-based or other hard-to-lift stains, chemical-based cleaners are required.

Follow manufacturer’s instruction
Before you use upholstery cleaner on your furniture, check cushions for fabric care tags or instructions — they’ll tell you what cleaning solutions to use. If you can’t find the tag, check the furniture manufacturer’s website. It’s also a good idea to spot check a small, hidden section of the fabric with the cleaner to test for damage and color-fastness. Source: AngiesList

Spot clean
For spot-cleaning, you’ll have to make sure you’re using the right solution for the fabric. (Again, check the codes on your fabric tag!) However, even for fabrics that can handle a variety of cleaners, it’s sometimes best to start off with a clean rag and some simple dish soap when tackling a stain. Blotting (rather than wiping) seems to be a technique that most people favor when it comes to spot-cleaning, too.

Another important thing to remember is that some stubborn stains might actually take two or three passes before they completely come out. So even if you’re not seeing immediate results, keep going. Let your spot dry completely, then try again. Source: HGTV

Don’t have the time to clean up? We can help you out. Call us!

 

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Things You Have To Start Throwing Away This Upcoming New Year

Removing all the unnecessary items in your home can help clear your mind. This can lead you to focus more on achieving all the goals you’ve set for the new year. You can start by decluttering just a small corner, but don’t forget to dispose of the following:

Unnecessary receipts
A lot of us accumulate a ton of these little things, from restaurants, coffee shops, groceries, etc. But which of them do you really need to keep? As discussed earlier, unless they’re receipts for important purchases you may claim a warranty on, or receipts for reimbursement or expense records, you’re better off tossing them. Source: Business.Inquirer

Electronics cords
Ah, that tangle of mysterious cords most of us have hidden somewhere. If it’s growing into a giant, bizarre and wiry creature, it’s time to get organised. Chances are, many of these cords go to electronics you no longer have. Source: MSN

Gift accessories
Shopping bags, crinkled gift ribbon, and ripped wrapping paper: Toss it all. Nothing psychologically prevents you from enjoying a fresh start like Christmas-themed trash sticking around and cluttering up your home. Move onward!

Expired prescriptions
Take the new year as an opportunity to clean shop in your medicine cabinet. Get rid of prescriptions and over-the-counter pills that have expired or that you haven’t used in months, since it’s also unsafe to keep expired medicine around. Source: MyDomaine

Cosmetics
Listen, folks: Spoiled, flaky makeup ain’t cute. In fact, cosmetics that have gone over can present a real health hazard, especially when it comes to eye products. According to Allure, the item you’ll want to toss most often is mascara, which has a shelf life of just two to three months. In fact, most eye products should be replaced within three months.

Cream foundations and lipsticks can last up to a year, while powders can hang around for up to two years (with the exception of powdered eye shadows, of course). Nail polish is trickier to pin down. It’s not going to spoil, but throw it out if the lacquer gets dry or clumpy. Source: DealNews

Hiring a professional to organize your home is a huge help for those who don’t have the time. Call us today!

 

Contact:
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(604) 475-5683

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3 Reasons to Switch to Green Cleaning

This new year, revamp your home cleaning game by switching to green products. There are so many benefits you can get from them and here are just a few:

Environmentally friendly
When you use many cleaning products, “harmful chemicals are being released into the environment,” says Reichert. Not great for you and the people around you to breathe in.

Changing to greener methods, “helps reduce pollution to our waterways and the air and it minimizes your impact on ozone depletion and global climate change with fewer smog-producing chemicals,” advises Snow. Many green products also use recyclable packaging which minimizes waste. Source: Care

Safer for the whole family
Warning! Flammable! Toxic! With labels like these on some conventional cleaning products, you get a pretty good idea that they aren’t really that safe. Many chemicals (e.g., chlorine and ammonia) when mixed together can be downright dangerous. Small children and pets are especially vulnerable due to higher exposure levels because of their size. Plus, household cleaning supplies are one of the top five substance classes accounting for calls to the National Poison Control Center according to its 2010 annual report. So, minimize your risk with green cleaning products that aren’t toxic or as dangerous! Source: TheSpruce

Cheaper
Natural cleaning solutions can also help save money by reducing a dependence on an expensive array of cleaning products, each of which are targeted to clean only one type of surface in our homes. A number of the key ingredients for natural cleaning are items commonly found in our kitchen cupboards. Lemon juice, baking soda and white vinegar are all ingredients that are used in green cleaning. These items are cheap to buy and can be used in cooking as well as cleaning so they also have multiple purposes! To add a splash of fragrance, add a small dose of essential oils to products – such a little amount is needed in the preparation that the cost works out very low and you can change the smell as and when you want to. Source: Inhabitat

You can keep your home clean even if you don’t have the time to do the chores. We can help you out! Plus, we only use organic cleaning products that are safe even for your pets. Call us today!

 

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3 Cleaning Resolutions for the New Year

It’s the perfect time to give your house it’s much needed update, because what better way to welcome the New Year than with a clean home? The following tips can help give you a head start:

Put multiple liners on your trashcans
Apply this kitchen trick to every bathroom, office, or other areas with a wastebasket. Line the bin with four or five bags in one go, so the task of taking out the trash is exactly that. When you notice any one receptacle getting full, you can snatch the top bag on your way out of the room without needing to dig through the pantry for a replacement. Source: RealSimple

Clear the clutter
One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear it of clutter.

Each year most of us acquire a mountain of stuff. Without some regular purging, cabinets and drawers get jam-packed and it becomes hard to find the things you use and enjoy the most. (All that clutter also makes your house look dated and dirty, designers say.)

This year resolve to go room-by-room periodically clearing anything that you don’t use, wear or love and donate it to charity. After that, think twice about what you bring in, says Antoinette Nue, an Atlanta consultant who specializes in helping people simplify and go green.

“Fill your home with the things that raise your energy level and make you feel good, and get rid of the things that drain your energy or are broken,” she says. Source: HGTV

Clean the bathroom once a week
“Scrubbing the bathroom isn’t high on most people’s chore list, but trust me, cleaning it regularly makes the job so much less gross—and so much less time-consuming,” Kerr says. Steady maintenance helps keep mildew, mold, bacteria, and soap-scum from building up, so regular cleaning is quick, easy, and much less daunting. Source: People

We can clean your home so you won’t have to. Call us today!

 

Contact:
Cleaning With Love
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