Category: Domestic Cleaning

The Importance of a Vacuum Cleaner

One definite requirement to cleaning the house is and always has been the vacuum cleaner.

Believe it or not, there is a more effective cleaning system than the same vacuum which has been around for so many years. It is the central vacuum cleaner and they are becoming common in a lot of homes. It has a stronger suction that provides a greater cleaning ability.

With the central vacuum, dust and debris is sucked into the unit because it is located in the central position of the house. The bag isn’t being carried around with the unit like the portable vacuum so this means there is no chance that dust will be re-circulated around the house.

You can buy a central vacuum with a Hepa filter so that the tiniest dust particles can be picked up and trapped. With the central vacuum all dust can be removed from the house. It is a fact that dust can be attached to the exterior of the house as well, this can also be removed as part of the process.

There is another system available which with the rotation of air inside the machine separates the dust and dirt and propels it into the bag. This system is called the cyclonic system.

Although this method is not as efficient as the Hepa filter because there is a small percentage of dust will not be picked up. An additional filter on the central vacuum system can help to remove dust that was left over.

Here are a few big differences in the portal vacuum and the central unit: the central unit has the convenience of not needing to be pulled around the house as you clean and it also has the power in which the great suction operates.

For those who may be suffering from an allergic reaction to dust mites, this central vacuum system is the best investment for your household.

Lets clean up our staircases!

Because they are awkward to clean, stairs and steps are often neglected. How you clean them depends on whether they are carpeted or bare and whether they are located inside or outside.

Carpeted Stairs
An excessively soiled carpet can hold up to one pound of dirt in each square yard. On carpeted stairs embedded dirt tend to be concentrated in the center and front of the tread where people walk. To suck up dirt and soil, the vacuum cleaner is the tool of choice, preferably one with a beater bar. For better results, Cleaning at least once a week is necessary. It is necessary to ensure that the carpet gets agitation so that dirt can vibrate its way to the top.
A small handheld vacuum cleaner with a beater bar is needed to suction dirt from the center as well as all the hills and valleys of a staircase. Use six to eight overlapping strokes against the nap of the carpet to vacuum high traffic areas and three to four overlapping strokes at the edges and risers, where dust ,pet hair and lint accumulate.

Outdoor stairs that are carpeted should be vacuumed or blown clean to remove leaves and debris. Always remember to move the dirt away from the house.

Uncarpeted Steps and Stairs

Unlike carpeted stairs, dirt tends to collect along the edges and corners on a hard-surface staircase, while the centers of the treads remain relatively clean. A canister vacuum is the most effective for reaching the dirt that’s trapped in all the cracks and crevices.

On out door steps sweep the steps clean from top bottom with a broom, then spray them with a garden hose to remove fine particles. Sweep at least once a week or more often in wet weather and dusty climates.

 

 

 

Mop and Shine gives you all the tips on matters professional cleaning

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Domestic Cleaning Or Commercial Cleaning, What Is the Difference?

Is there really a difference between domestic and commercial cleaning? In short the answer is yes; but there are various factors that make it so.

With commercial cleaning the work is considered a necessity for running the business so becomes a business expense. Business expenses are part of a budget therefore the cost of having the premises cleaned needs to fit into the allocated amount. This is not the case with domestic cleaning as it is purely a decision of the homeowner to clean their property themselves or pay to have it done.

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Domestic Cleaning

There are certain expectations of cleaning by property owners, but the kind carried out with commercial property does depend on the business. Any business handling food is meticulous about keeping the place hygienically clean. Health requirements are such that if they do not keep the properties as clean as the set Health Standards they could lose their licence to sell food. This is a great incentive for people to work hard at keeping up the standards. Usually the cleaning is done by the employed staff. It is part of the closing down ritual so they know when they arrive the following day there will be no contamination.

Should a building contain offices for professional consultants or financial institutions the requirements are not so strict. A thorough vacuum and the hygienic cleaning of all the bathrooms are usually sufficient. Because offices house many desks with computers most cleaners are not required to dust. They are expected to empty the rubbish bins, but vacuuming the floor is the main prerequisite.

Many commercial buildings, especially large city skyscrapers leased by various organisations, tender out their cleaning. This helps them cope with the annual cost and it is budgeted into their expenses. Sometimes the cheapest tender is chosen but this does not guarantee a thorough job.

For a commercial cleaning company to make a profit they must ensure that the number of worked hours they pay for are less than the money they receive for the work. Should they have underquoted to get the job, less time is spent cleaning on each floor making the quality of the clean not as diligent as it probably should be.

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Commercial Cleaning

There are thousands of commercial buildings and many areas that need to be cleaned and kept in pristine condition. Floors and bathrooms inside the buildings are a must for daily cleaning but the windows of the buildings also need a regular removal of dust both inside and out, especially if it is a shop front used for promotion of sales. Wooden or vinyl floors must be regularly polished to keep up the shine. All these jobs need to be carried out by professionals in those fields.

Because commercial cleaning is usually done by Cleaning Organisations the owners of the building will not meet the cleaners. If the job is not done well the lessees of the space will complain to the owner. This is unless the lessee has arranged the cleaning themselves. As cleaning in commercial property is usually done outside of business hours the cleaner is very rarely seen and in some cases it is not the same person doing the job each day.

To ensure the cleaning is kept up to standard, owners of commercial properties take out Contracts with Cleaning Companies. This is where the tendering becomes an advantage. The Contract is signed for a certain period of time, and at the end of that Contract the owners of the buildings can renegotiate their cleaning costs and requirements. If they are not happy with the kind of cleaning they are receiving they look elsewhere.

Commercial cleaning can be a lucrative business, but matching the quality with the charge is the difficult part and many commercial cleaners charge less than they should just to obtain the jobs. Once they have the Contract they sometimes ‘on sell’ these Contracts and make money from the new arrangement. Depending on how much the contract is worth, determines the amount of time that can be spent cleaning. Each cleaner is allocated a specific number of minutes to clean an area or floor and the work has to be finished in that time. Speed does not always combine with efficiency and quality is not always received.

The reduction of spending for cleaning, and the small profits to be made can cause many commercial cleaning jobs to be rushed and poorly administered.

Cleaning a home is different. To the homeowner their property is their castle. They will be much more fastidious about the results. They are paying for the cleaning out of their own pocket and they want to see some value in return for that expenditure. The work is more demanding than cleaning a commercial property.

The requirements of most homeowners are such that a reasonable cleaning job is not good enough. Expectations are high and on top of that they have all their personal things throughout the dwelling and allowing someone into their home to clean has security implications. The home owner needs to feel comfortable with the person doing the work and be sure the place will look as neat, clean and tidy as they expect after each clean.

Where do home owners go to find a cleaner? They don’t put out tenders as in the commercial world so who do they get to clean? Many people advertise for cleaners in their local papers, or they hire people who promote themselves as cleaners, also there are Cleaning Agencies who will charge a fee for finding the cleaner for them.

Homes are very rarely cleaned on a daily basis. If the home owner has a regular cleaner the dwelling is usually cleaned either weekly or fortnightly. Some home owners require their cleaner to do housework as well, so the time spent on the property can be quite long.

Just vacuuming the floors and cleaning the bathrooms is usually not enough when cleaning a home; especially as bathrooms are more than the toilets, urinals and basins. There is the shower and bath as well as the toilet and sink. Kitchens are larger with many cupboards and a stove top and probably a range hood, whereas in a commercial situation the kitchen is usually a small set of cupboards with a sink and microwave. Because the home is not cleaned daily there is also a build up of dust and dirt, and all horizontal surfaces need to be wiped.

In both cases Time is what the commercial property owner and the homeowner are paying for. With the Commercial situation a certain amount of money is allocated indicating the time allowed for the clean. In the Domestic world this situation is reversed. The homeowner pays for the Time it takes to clean their property. The size of the property and the area to be cleaned governs the Time it takes. The larger the building the more Time required. The smaller the property the Time will be less. Less Time spent, costs less, but if the property is large and the correct Time is not allocated the poorer the job.

For most commercial property owners as long as the basics are done they are happy, but with a home owner, the less work carried out means more cleaning for them to do themselves. This somewhat negates the whole idea of having a cleaner. They want their home to be pristine and clean when they return home after a long days work. To see areas that have been missed or not cleaned properly can make an expensive exercise.

So the biggest difference between commercial and domestic cleaning is the payment. The commercial world pays for their cleaning because it is a necessity. Whether the cleaning is done well or not is not really the issue, it is a cost that has to be paid and therefore an expense for the business. With the domestic situation the cost is a discretionary outlay. If people have the spare money they can afford it, if not they clean themselves and that is why they expect perfection.

Yes there is a difference between cleaning commercial property and domestic dwellings, but the kind of cleaning received is dependent on how much each is willing to pay.

House Cleaning Services – Advantages and Disadvantages

House cleaning services can cover a wide range of options, from basic tasks like dusting to the scrubbing down of every nook and cranny in your dwelling.

It can be difficult to decide whether you should actually hire someone to help you with your chore or do these things yourself. Many people might feel that it can be a waste of money having someone else clean their home. There are many pros and cons to hiring someone to help you.

One stressful time in your life might be when you have sold your residence and are moving out. Usually following a sale, you are required to clean up for the incoming owners. After you’ve just moved into a new one, the last thing on your mind is to clean the one you just left. Instead of wasting more time in a residence that is no longer yours, you can have the house cleaning company do it for you. And if the place you are moving into seems to need a little extra dusting up, you can have the same service help you here as well.

When it comes to house cleaning providers, not all of the companies out there offer the same type of services. Some only do certain tidying and others offer the rest. You should make a list of exactly what chores you need help with. You can then do some research in your local area to find the companies that can best meet your needs. This can be extremely beneficial for those with little time to spare.

As you can see there are many benefits to hiring someone to help you with your day-to-day chores. However, if you are worried that they are not going to do it the exact way you want, provide the company coming in with a list of the things that they may forget to do. Do interviews with the companies and ask as many questions as possible. You must understand that they are going to be taking care of your personal belongings and living spaces and if they are unable to live up to your expectations then it’s just going to be a waste of time for everyone.

Don’t find yourself wasting money on the companies who seem to be unable to do what you want. Find the right house cleaning company the first time so that you will be happy with the results and not end up redoing things yourself.

You can get professional cleaning services from Mop & Shine. Email us today for a free quote: info@mopnshine.com  or call us through: 0733 675 801

Tips for Cleaning Rexine Made Products

Rexine is a trademarked name for an imitation leather which is made by covering a woven surface with cellulose nitrate along with other things such as camphor oil or alcohol. This is also used as a material for the purpose of bookbinding as well as upholstery covering. Rexine is also used widely used for the purpose of upholstering and trimming all the interiors of motor vehicles that have continuously been produced by the British car manufacturers. Apart from motor vehicles, they are also used for railway carriages.

Artificial leather

Rexine is described as a brand of an artificial leather. It is particularly very durable which means that it is also a high- end product. This durability has ended up satisfying millions of users around the globe. You can also be one of these customers. There is a need of materials made with Rexine because of the high level of sophistication and comfort that they offer. Below are a few tips that you can follow while cleaning Rexine.

1. Don’t overdo it

This is the secret to cleaning cloth materials. You never have to overdo the cleaning because it can seriously damage the product. A minimum amount of cleaning can also go a long way.

2. Use appropriate agents and tools

Not every tool or agent will be good enough to clean the material appropriately. You need to make sure that the tools you use are appropriate enough. There should be no room for error as far as these tools are concerned.

3. Don’t clean often

Yes, Rexine materials do not require cleaning regularly. If you do it seldom, it is more than enough. This is the best thing that Rexine products and materials possess. They are easy to manage and use which means that are low- maintenance.

4. Don’t damage the leather

As you know that the leather is artificial. This means that you must take adequate care of this leather. Even a slight damage can cause problems in the long run.

If the above tips are followed without fail, you will be able to safeguard Rexine for a long period of time. This is exactly we require as users or customers and this is exactly what you will be able to get in the long run. It is one of the important things to remember.

Why Do Spots Reappear on Clean Carpets and How Do You Keep That From Happening?

We know it’s very frustrating when you have cleaned up a spill or a stain on a carpet and then like an annoying relative it keeps on coming back. This is particularly maddening when you have paid a professional carpet cleaner a good bit of money and then the stain comes back.

We are Mop and Shine, a professional cleaning company in Kenya, that has been in existence for now over 10 years. We understand the ins and outs of professional cleaning services and may be we can help you to understand what is happening when that stain comes back and what you can do about it.

There are two reasons why stains come back.

Residue- residue is what is left over after an incomplete cleaning attempt. This is usually a sticky alkaline cleaning agent that has been left in the carpet and soil is sticking to it. It would be like washing your hair and only rinsing half of the shampoo. Your hair will get dirty twice as fast. Usually what happens on carpets is the homeowner sprays too much alkaline cleaner on a spot and rubs it out. The spot disappears. The homeowner is happy, mission complete, except that a few days later that dirty spot reappears. Sometimes it could be that an alkaline cleaner has spilled on the carpets. Four year old Ciku is helping with the laundry and opens the cap and spills two cups of laundry soap on the carpets. There is going to be so much soap in the carpet that you are going to need some expert advice. Or, it has been known to happen that an inexperienced carpet cleaner has left residue in the carpets.

Whatever caused the problems, here are the solutions.

The small residue spot

When you are cleaning up a stain, rule number one is to use the proper cleaning solution. Using the wrong solution can at best be ineffective and at worst damage your carpet. On our website is a page with the best cleaning solutions for different kinds of stains.

When you use an alkaline stain remover, you need to either rinse extremely well or rinse and neutralize the area with an acidic solution to remove any residue. White vinegar in ½ cup to a quart of warm water mixture is a good acidic cleaning solution that will remove the residue. Pour some of the vinegar solution on the spot and blot dry.Use the vinegar after you have rinsed out the spot thoroughly.

The large volume soap spill

If you have spilled a large volume of an alkaline cleaning solution then you are going to need to get a little more aggressive.

Rent a portable steam cleaner. Make sure it has a hose attachment for cleaning upholstery. Using two cups of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water fill up the tank of the carpet cleaning machine. Spray down the “soapy” area and then extract with the machine. Do this over and over and over until there is no more “soap” coming out of the carpet. Be aware that because the soap foams up your machine will fill with foam quickly. If you suck up a little bit of straight vinegar every few times you extract, this will help to keep the foam down.

The carpet cleaner left residue

If a carpet cleaner leaves residue in your carpets then call them up and ask them to come and fix the problem. If not then you will either need to call a better professional or if you clean yourself then you can follow the same procedure shown above except you will be cleaning a bigger area. Use the vinegar or better yet purchase an acidic neutralizing solution from your local carpet cleaning supply store. Clean the carpets just as you would as if you had put an alkaline solution in the machine. You may have to go slow and be very thorough.

Wicking

The other and much more common cause of spots reappearing is called wicking. If a spill or stain goes down deep into the fibers and particularly if it goes through the backing to the padding under the carpet it is going to be really hard to clean that spot out. What you see as the stain on the top of the carpet is kind of like the tip of the iceberg. You can clean up that part visible on the surface but a part of the remaining hidden stain wicks up to take its place. This does not happen immediately, it takes hours or even days. The stain needs to be moist to do this, which why certain types of stains like oil stains will come back easily. One of the biggest headaches for professional carpet cleaners is when after deep cleaning a carpet, a stain that was in the backing and we did not even know was present wicks up to the surface after we leave. Any stain that is bigger than about the size of a hand is one that could sink down to the backing and wick back up later.

The answers to wicking

If you are cleaning a larger spill after you have gone through the cleaning process and while the spot is still damp, take a white cotton rag folded several times and place over the stain. Place a piece of plastic of the cloth and then stack several heavy hardcover books on this. The stain will wick up through the carpet fibers and into the white cloth. Then re-clean the remaining spot on the carpet surface. With large spots you may have to do this several times.

Large volume spills

Certain types of large volume spills or stains might require that you pull up the carpet and remove the padding. The padding is just a big sponge and without special professional carpet cleaning tools you will not be able to remove stains from the padding through the carpet. The easiest thing to do is to simply cut out the stained padding and replace it with new. If there is a stain also on the sub flooring you will need to clean that and then paint the floor with sealer paint like kilz.

The Water Claw

A professional carpet cleaner may have a tool called a Water Claw which is a tool that allows cleaners using van mount steam cleaning systems to extract many types of stains from the padding right through the carpets.

Encapsulation

A process that is helpful with wicking is called encapsulation. Encapsulation products create minute crystals that absorb the stain when it begins to wick up top the surface. These crystals dry to a fine invisible powder that you vacuum up during your next regular vacuuming.

You can ask your local carpet cleaning supply store about these products and how to use them.

I hope this article helps you if you find yourself having spots that reappear or get in touch with us today for professional cleaning services.