Gratitude for A Happy Home

Can you change your attitude towards cleaning to help make it a more enjoyable chore? One way is to approach the task with an attitude of gratitude. The way to do this is to focus on how having a roof over your head, the convenience of electricity and running water and furnishings, accessories and adornments of beauty are a privilege to be grateful for. Sure you may have to clean your home but it sure beats living on a park bench sleeping under a newspaper. The world over there are many, many people who do not have a place to call home and most certainly do not have a nice comfy sofa and flat screen TV.

Think of housekeeping as showing your gratitude for your home and its contents and that might go quite a long way to making it feel like less of a chore and more of a celebration of what you are able to have.

For those who are able to afford a housekeeper or maid service there is even more reason to be grateful and one way to honor that it to remember to think about your gratitude when you walk into your freshly cleaned home that smells of lemon or lavender.

Climbing Ladders Can Be A House Cleaning Hazard

What are some of the more hazardous house cleaning tasks?

1. Climbing Ladders: Cleaning tasks such as cleaning windows, the tops of ceiling fans or high shelves require the climbing of ladders which can potentially result in a fall. If you are hiring a maid service do not provide them with a ladder to use. If the bring their own ladder make sure they are insured and bonded before allowing them to use it in your home.
2. Cleaning Up Toxic or Hazardous Materials: The most obvious example of this is mold but chemical spills and human or medical waste are best left to professionals who deal with these cleaning tasks specifically. There are companies that specialize in these types of cleaning jobs.
3. Lifting Heavy Items: Moving the baby grand to clean the rug under it is not something you should be asking your maid to do as the risk of injury is high when lifting heavy pieces of furniture.

When hiring a house cleaning company or independent maid service keep in mind that you should not make unusual requests of them which could result in injury unless you are certain that they are licensed, bonded and insured. If you have a housekeeper who works regularly in your home and you provide her with a list of tasks to complete as well as the cleaning or other equipment to complete those tasks you should be aware that you will most be liable for worker’s compensation and may be financially and legally liable in the case of injury.

New York Dreaming

Custom-designed by popular HGTV designer Vern Yip, the living room is a celebration of city life in muted tones with an eclectic collection of unique accessories and art pieces. As with most homes in NYC the use of space often needs to fulfill multiple functions so the kitchen can accommodate the usual meal preparation but also accommodates a home office. A welcoming entrance and bedroom retreat complete the apartment.

If you want to get a first hand look at the apartment watch the HGTV Urban Oasis 2010 special on Monday, September 6, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The website opened today for entries and until October 20 you can enter twice per day, once at HGTV.com and once at HGTV’s FrontDoor.com.

If you’re lucky you just may be able to live in NYC or at the very least have a big apple getaway whenever you feel like it.

Cleaning Up Myths About Green Cleaning

1. Myth: Green cleaning products don’t work as well as more-toxic cleaning products.
   While there are many cleaning products making claims of being green there is also a great deal of green washing. There are also legitimately green products which do not deliver when it comes to cleaning power. When making your choice diligently check ingredients and then narrow down your choice based on reviews that rate the products’ effectiveness. Sometimes different products from different brands are required for particular tasks. It is not always possible to choose a favorite brand and then just stick with their range. For example, after trying many we found our favorite dishwasher tab based on performance was the Ecover Dish Tabs but when it comes to our general multi-purpose cleaner and scouring product we like Clearly Essential’s natural range.
2. Myth: The stronger the smell, the cleaner the clean.
   We have all become accustomed to the strong chemical odor of the major brand cleaning products and associate that strong lemon scent with clean but when it comes to green cleaning products we do not need to sacrifice a pleasant odor we just need to adjust our expectations to allow for the subtler scents like tea tree oil, lavender and cinnamon. Essential oils which are an important adjunct to most natural cleaning products do add a pleasant odor and in part, such as in the case of tea tree oil, increase the effectiveness of the cleaner.
3. Myth: Modern products are more effective.
   When it comes to cleaning the old tried and true methods used by generations of home makers are still valid and effective. Good old soap and hot water are still effective ways to clean and sanitize your hands, cutting boards, sinks, kitchen counters and stove tops. If a little more grease cutting action is required the essential oil of Eucalyptus does a great job and the pantry staple cornstarch absorbs grease very well. There are many traditional pantry items which can be put to work around the house as part of a cleaning caddy.
4. Myth: Green Cleaning does not have sufficient germ fighting power.
   It is important to remember that certain bacteria are very useful to use. There bacteria live on our hands, in our mouths and form part of our gut. The indiscriminate use of anti-bactrial products seems to have done more harm than good. Eliminating all bacteria should not be the goal of your cleaning regime but rather to limit or remove the ones which can cause illness. There are natural and biodegradable options such as tea tree oil which is a good broad spectrum germicide, fungicide, and bacteriacide. Other options include vinegar and borax.

Bidmycleaning.com providers who are able to or who exclusively use natural cleaning products can be selected using a special filter in our marketplace bid request or by using our special green cleaning calculator located in our Eco-Friendly section.

July 4th Party Clean Up

The number one party cleaning catastrophe is usually an unwanted stain from a careless ketchup spill or some red wine splashed onto a rug. Be sure to keep a emergency stain kit handy with your favorite go-to stain removal product and some rags but you may need a carpet or upholstery cleaning service to really eradicate the stain.

The easiest way for you to find and schedule a maid service is to visit Bidmycleaning.com and while you are there you can schedule a carpet cleaning too. Bidmycleaning is the only online marketplace for house cleaning services where you can get instant bids and schedule service on maid service, carpet and window cleaning all in one place.

Green Cleaning For Your Kitchen

Today we’ll share a few tips about how to attack some common household kitchen cleaning tasks using natural cleaning methods:

1. To clean your microwave oven place 1/4 cup of baking soda mixed with one cup of water inside the oven and heat until steam fills the inside of your microwave. Then remove the dish and wipe down the oven.
2. To clean your coffee machine just run a regular cycle using one cup of vinegar followed by two cycles of clean water to rinse the vinegar out.
3. For a kettle a 1/4 cup of baking soda mixed with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and allow to sit overnight. Rinse well the next morning to remove any baking soda residue.
4. To remove burnt residue from a pot or pan sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda over the burn area then add some water and place on the stove to hear. Let the baking soda sit overnight and then scrub to remove.
5. To clean fresh produce use a sponge sprinkled with baking soda to wipe the fruit and/or vegetables before rinsing under running water. For produce that will not withstand wiping dip into a baking soda solution and then rinse well.

These are just some of the ways you can use baking soda and vinegar in your kitchen. They also have many useful applications in cleaning your bathroom and other parts of your home.

Visit Bidmycleaning.com’s Eco-Friendly Cleaning information page to learn more about green cleaning in your home or to find a maid service or house cleaning provider that can perform and eco-friendly cleaning service.

House Cleaning Service Hit Lits

1. A clean home - a good cleaning service will clean your home better than you would do yourself. If you come home to find that there is still dust on surfaces or dirt on your floors you will be disappointed. However, an important part of receiving the service you want is to communicate clear expectations to the service. In the event that you are not 100% satisfied with the cleaning any good cleaning service would want you to let them know and give them an opportunity to improve on the cleaning. Again, it is important to communicate clearly exactly what did not meet your standards and what is required to get there. Most cleaning companies understand that wowing the customer will lead to repeat business and favorable word of mouth. At Bidmycleaning.com we have a built in review service to ensure that cleaners who do a good job can be rewarded for that with a positive customer review but also that services that do not deliver can be called out for poor service.

2. Reliability – a service that arrives on the appointed day and the appointed time is important. House cleaners that show up as expected are more likely to be invited back for further cleanings or even be put on a regular schedule. At Bidmycleaning.com you select that date and time segment for your cleaning and then our service automatically sends out reminders prior to the appointment.

3. Safety - you want to know that the person or team that will be working in your home have been checked out. Background checks are a standard part of the application process for a service provider to be listed in the Bidmycleaning.com house cleaning service marketplace. Hiring someone from Craigslist or from a flyer posted on your mailbox does not guarantee you that they have been screened. In addition, at Bidmycleaning.com you can choose to only view bids from providers that are insured and bonded.

4. A fair price – you want to pay a price for your maid service that gets you the best service for your budget. At Bidmycleaning.com we make it easy to find out what maid service in your local neighborhood will cost because, based on your requirements, you can can view instant bids from various companies to compare pricing. You definitely don’t want to pay too much but in some cases you probably don’t want to pay too little either. If price is the only factor in your decision you can choose a provider that is not necessarily insured & bonded and may therefore be able to charge a little less. However, if for whatever reason you need or want a provider that is insured & bonded that option is available to you.

Green, Sustainable Cleaning

Wonder Tablitz have a different strategy – their focus is on sustainability and their method is to reduce the packing needed to deliver their cleaning products. Their cleaning products are sold as effervescent tablets which are mixed with water. Their unique packaging is a refillable bottle but what’s unique about it is that it has a built-in spot for storing replacement tablets.

In designing their product, the Schultz family, former owners of the Gonzo line of household cleaning products, focused on addressing what they thought consumers were looking for in a household cleaning product ie. a product that works well, is environmentally responsible and offers a great value. In order to be environmentally responsible they had to omit harmful ingredients and for the Schultz family the extra step was to provide sustainable packaging which requires using less energy, reduces utilization of natural resources and reduces the amount of waste.

The product range

• Glass And Multi-surface Cleaner
• All Purpose Cleaner w/Bleach
• Citrus All Purpose Cleaner
• Fabric Refresher and Odor Eliminator
• The Wonder Multi-Purpose Spray Bottle
• The Wonder Plant & Garden Spray Bottle

From online reviews of the products it seems that more than one application is required to get a really good clean. We have not tested the product ourselves but if you’re interested in trying something new and like the concept of the refillable bottle with built in refills, learn more about the products or where you can purchase them at http://www.wondertablitz.com/

House Cleaning - Refrigerator

When it comes to food storage it is important to remember that there can be health risks of not maintaining a clean, spill free environment. Bacteria can flourish in spills and leaks from packages of raw meat or chicken can contaminate foods which are eaten raw like fruits, vegetables and cheeses.

The task of cleaning the refrigerator can seem quite daunting – one has to first remove everything. This does of course mean that it is an opportunity to get rid of those moldy cheeses or shriveled fruits and to organize everything that is to be put back in again. As you remove each item check the use-by dates, do the sniff test and check for wilting. Put all the items that are to be returned into a cooler to preserve their freshness.

Here are some tips for cleaning your refrigerator:

1. First unplug the refrigerator
2. Remove all the drawers, shelves and racks and stack them by your kitchen sink
3. One by one spray them with a disinfectant cleaning solution – bleach is commonly used but we prefer an eco-friendly alternative
4. Using a sponge or rag wash down the inside cabinet, the door and all the shelves or compartments which could not be removed
5. Using fresh water rinse the cleaned areas and then leave to dry or dry with an absorbent rag or towel
6. Use an old toothbrush or other small cleaning brush to clean in joins and to clean all around the rubber door seal
7. Don’t forget the face plate to the vented air exchange at the bottom of the fridge – this can be removed and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner before washing in the sink
8. Remember to plug the fridge back into the power supply and then wait until the display shows that it has reached the required temperature
9. Finally replace all the items that were stored in coolers putting them into the correct organizational drawers, crispers etc.

This task will seem less daunting if you do it a little more regularly than once or twice a year so find a schedule that works for you and try to stick with it. If you don’t feel like tackling the task yourself visit Bidmycleaning.com and select it as an add-on to your regular maid service or as part of a deep cleaning.