Tag Archives: cleaning

Cleaning outdoors

Cleaning should not just be restricted to inside the house. Especially now that summer is upon us. We will want to spend more time enjoying ourselves in the open air, and so need to make sure that the equipment and furniture we need is clean, scrubbed and fit for purpose.

Of course, the best way to ensure your exterior looks tits best, but with minimal effort needed by you is to employ a domestic cleaning company with expertise in tackling outdoor jobs.

However, if you want to prepare, or even handle the whole job yourself, here are some tips.

Drains, gutters and wastepipes
This crucial job will help safeguard the structural integrity of your entire home. Clear out any rotting leaves, twigs and other visible debris first, using a sturdy ladder to reach the gutters. Then, pour soda crystals down the drain and leave for ten minutes before rinsing with boiling water. This will cut down on grease and blockages. Wash out with water and the garden hose.

Drives, patios and paving stones
Use a broom to sweep away leaves, twigs and other debris. Scrub with hot water or a proprietary cleaner to restore the area’s look and remove any mildew, pollen or fungus. Treat and unwanted moss or weeds with the appropriate spray.

Windows
Washing the inside of your windows is a good start, but to make them really shine you will need to look after the outside surfaces too. You can employ professional window cleaning companies to do this for you, or tackle the job yourself.

Always make sure you re using the right ladder(s) for the job and that you know how to put them up and use them safely. Start by removing any cobwebs or larger bits of dirt with a mob or soft broom. After that, wash the windows with a soft cloth and hot water mixed with a dash of vinegar. Dry them, then polish to a shine with a sheet of old newspaper.

Garden furniture
Always take time to store garden furniture properly at the end of the summer season. Use a multi-purpose outdoor cleaner to clean plastic and metal furniture. Don’t forget the cushions too. Clean plastic garden toys and equipment with hot water and a disinfectant and dry well before giving to a child.

Walls
You can hire power washers, or engage a professional cleaning company to use theirs if you want to really spruce up your home’s external appearance. These high-pressured machines will get rid of dirt you never even knew was there. Always make sure you read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the best results.

For indoor and outdoor cleaning service you require a professional cleaning company you can trust for your complete cleaning needs. Cheap Cleaning Services Ltd is a Surrey and London based Cleaning Agency specialising in complete cleaning services including end of tenancy cleaning, lease, domestic, office and complete residential and commercial cleaning services.

You may call them for free on 0800 689 8989 and request a free quote.

Working with landlords and real estate agents

Landlords, Letting Estate Agents and Your Tenancy

Renting out houses, flats and commercial premises can take up a lot of time, so being able to rely on trusted, top quality cleaning teams to carry out their work before and after tenancies is crucial.

There are plenty of cleaning companies around, however, choosing the wrong one can be even more time consuming than attempting to tackle the cleaning yourself.

There are several points to look out for when talking to potential end of tenancy and deep cleaning companies. These will let you know whether you can expect the right kind of commitment, quality of service and professional finish that you need as a landlord or estate agent handling rental properties.

Location is key. If you are based in London or Surrey, you will need a company that not only covers those areas, but is ideally based locally too. This is so that they can get to your premises easily for initial site assessments and client meetings, as well as recruit local workers who will have less distance to travel to work and will know the area better.

Experience with similar work is also a good indicator of an effective end of tenancy cleaning company for landlords and real estate agents. They will have dealt with clients with similarly exacting requirements, and will have done a good enough job to have been retained by them. Browse the testimonials page on the company’s website and ask to speak to some previous clients.

Professionalism and stamina will be required if you are to form a long-term relationship with a cleaning company. Tenants do not all treat properties in the same way.

Some will be perfectly neat and tidy, while others will leave it in almost unimaginable states. While a responsible cleaning company will, first and foremost, need to ensure the safety of its staff, it is a good sign if it remains undaunted by the harder tasks ands dirtier assignments out there. And they WILL be out there!

The personal touch. Landlords and real estate agents should expect to be offered a bespoke service, with task lists, hours and staff numbers agreed on an individual basis, according to the client’s requirements. Prices must be competitive and standards high.

Finally, if the cleaning company gets on well with its initial assignments, its working relationship with landlords and real estate agents will need to strengthen and develop with each new job. Personality in business should never be disregarded.

Magical metal cleaning tips

Magic Cleaning TipsMaids and Cleaners submitted cleaning tips.

There is nothing like having bright, shiny metal around to show that a home is lovingly cared for. Whether is it a buffed front door handle or sparkling cutlery, a little effort in this area really does reap rewards

1. Pick a dry day to clean outdoor brass. Polish door handles, knockers, locks and letterboxes until they are gleaming. Apply a layer of colourless nail varnish to help keep them shining for longer.

2. Another great tip for polishing brass is to use olive oil, polished on with a soft duster, then rinsed off with water and washing up liquid. Use a second clean duster to buff afterwards. Lemon juice will also help brighten and restore brass

3. Leave very dirty brass soaking in coca cola overnight to loosen the dirt.

4. Restore lacquered brass by removing the old lacquer with methylated spirits, then rinsing the item in warm water. Dry and clean with metal polish, before reapplying the lacquer.

5. Remove tarnish for in between the tines of silver forks by dipping a pipe cleaner in silver polish. Never leave silver standing in cleaning liquid for more than two minutes.

6. Use baking powder on a damp cloth to clean chrome and restore a shine.

7. Tear off a piece of silver foil and crumple it into a ball to clean chrome parts of a bicycle, or to tackle old, dirty or dull copper.

8. Copper can also be brightened up with an equal mix of vinegar and salt. Rub on, then rinse with warm water and polish with a soft cloth to a shiny finish.

Tips for freshening and cleaning the fireplace

Cleaning Fireplace

Cleaning your home or office fireplace is always a daunting task, not when you read these tips and tricks on how to best clean your home or office fireplace.

A fireplace adds hugely to the aesthetic appeal of a room, particularly if it is a working one. There’s nothing like the quiet crackle of a real fire on a cold winter’s evening to make a home feel really cosy.

Yet many are put off lighting fires, due to the ash, coal dust and mess left behind.

Not to mention the hassle of keeping the fireplace clean afterwards. Here are a few ideas to help.

1. Never put hot ash into a plastic dustbin. Collect in a metal bucket and allow it to cool thoroughly – preferably overnight before disposing of it. Or use it around the home – wood ash makes great rose fertilizer. Mix some with a little water and use it to clean fireplace glass doors. Or spread it on frosty paths outside to add traction when walking outside in icy weather.

2. Scrub glazed tiles around a fireplace with warm soapy water and dry well. Shine them with liquid silver polish afterwards to make the tiles stay shiny for longer.

3. Protect a fireplace made from kiln-dried bricks by painting it with an equal mixture of raw linseed oil and turpentine. This will give it a dirt-resistant finish.

4. Use a fire guard to stop sparks landing on a fireside rug. Sponge the rug occasionally with a water and alum solution to further prevent damage done by stray sparks.

5. Invest in a decent companion set or similar fireplace cleaning equipment and keep it separate from the rest of your cleaning stuff. Working fireplaces get very dirty very quickly, and you don’t want to spread the soot and ash further round the house. Wash your cleaning equipment regularly too.

6. Remove soot stains from a carpet by covering the area with salt. Brush with a stiff brush and repeat until the stain has disappeared. Never add water to a soot spillage.

7. Have your chimney swept regularly to prevent build-up of ash, soot or dirt. Modern sweeps use highly advanced equipment that will leave the chimney, fireplace and room extremely clean – and safe for many more fires to come.

8. If you have an electric fire instead, you can still keep it clean by brushing the artificial coal with a black shoe polish brush during your cleaning rounds.