How to Quickly Clean a Cheap Mattress

Do you have a cheap mattress that needs a thorough cleaning? Just because it looks a bit dirty does not mean that you need to throw it out and replace it with a new one. In fact, if you are on a budget and are unable to afford the cost of a new mattress at this point, you can follow a few simple steps to get your mattress clean in no time. While it may seem like it is a whole lot of work for one person to do, the process of removing dirt and stains is a lot easier than most people even realize.

It is important to have a clean mattress to sleep on. If you are sleeping on something that is not clean, not only does it become unsanitary for you, but it can also trigger your allergies and cause you to feel quite sick. If you want to make sure your mattress is in great condition, you can follow these quick and easy steps to giving it a good cleaning that it needs.

Strip the Mattress

Before you can clean your mattress, you will need to strip it down by removing your pillows and the bed sheet. You can always throw your bed sheet and pillowcases in the washing machine with your laundry. Once you have stripped the mattress, you can focus on cleaning it from top to bottom on both sides. It may be easier for you to clean the mattress if you stand it up against a wall because then you can easily move it from one side to the next when you are ready to clean each side.

Spray It Down on Both Sides

Start the process of cleaning your mattress by spraying it down on both sides with hydrogen peroxide. You can fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and then spray a generous amount of it all over the mattress. It does not hurt to apply extra hydrogen peroxide to the mattress because this is what will help to remove any of those stains that you might have on it. Let the peroxide soak into the mattress for about 30 minutes before you come back to the mattress to start vacuuming it.

Use a Handheld Vacuum with an Upholstery Attachment

While the mattress is still slightly damp from the hydrogen peroxide, you can take a handheld vacuum that comes with an upholstery attachment, put the attachment on the vacuum cleaner, and then begin vacuuming the mattress while starting from the top and working your way right on down. Do not move the vacuum up and down too quickly because you want to make sure that you are picking up any dust or fuzz that may be left behind on your mattress. After you have vacuumed one side of the mattress, flip it over and start doing the other side. You should notice that the mattress immediately looks a lot cleaner than it did before you started this cleaning process.

Sprinkle Some Baking Soda on It

After vacuuming the mattress on both sides, sprinkle a handful of baking soda on each side. The baking soda helps to remove any of the odors that may linger around on the mattress. After all, you want to sleep on something that smells clean and fresh and not something that has a bit of a musky odor to it. Leave the baking soda on the mattress for at least 30 minutes before pulling your vacuum cleaner back out and then vacuuming both sides of the mattress all over again.

The step-by-step process is simple, easy to follow, and it is an extremely effective way to clean your mattress when it is dirty. If you do not want to pay for a replacement, you do not have to do so because you can follow these different steps to get your mattress as clean as you need it. Even if you do not have a lot of time to spend on cleaning it off, you can easily complete these different steps in less than 3 hours. The entire process does not require too much work or effort and will leave your cheap mattress looking as clean as possible for you.

With that being said you can also buy a cheap new mattress if the mattress really is to dirty to restore.

Computer Cleaning Tips for the Home or Office

Cleaning computers in the work place can be hard compared to at home. The first reason is just because you have so many, but another reason is because there are so many little parts, it can be very time consuming. It’s important to keep it as clean as possible though, in order to keep it running well.

Don’t forget peripherals when cleaning. That means the keyboard, mouse and speakers. The keyboard can be wiped down with ease but it is also good to turn it upside down to bang out the extra crumbs and dirt that get between the keys. These can keep it from working properly. A q-tip with Windex or cleaning solution can get the dirt out on the sides of keys.

Mice really just need a good wipe down, unless you are working with an old model that uses a tracking ball. You can easily remove this ball to clean the inside with yet another q-tip.

The outside of your computer may need cleaning, but so does the inside. Opening it up with a small screwdriver (there are kits made just for this) and using an air canister is the safest way to get dust out without damaging valuable, fragile parts.

Computer Cleaning for the Office

While having a cleaning service come in a couple of times of week is going to take care of the bulk of your office space, sometimes you need to have a good idea of how to take care of it yourself. Especially when it comes to your own personal work space. Cleaning computers is an easy thing to do but sometimes you have to be a bit more thorough than just wiping down the screen. Dust and dirt can ruin your computer and cause it to not work as well as it should.

When cleaning, always consider the crumbs that end up in the keyboard. We all eat around our computer (though it is not recommended) and those crumbs and bits of dirt can cause keys to stick and it to not work properly. Make sure to turn it upside down and shake to to really get as much out as you can.

If allowed, you should be able to open up your tower (if using a desktop) and use an air canister to get rid of excess dust. It can get caught in the fans, keeping them from cooling your unit properly. It can also get into the grooves of the motherboard, causing issues. It is always good to take this step if you can!

All of this can be done by a cleaning service as well,to help you save time.

Mini Office Cleaning Checklist

This mini guide is broken into two parts. The Breakroom and kitchen and part one and general office clenaing as part two.

Office and Breakroom

Maintaining the office break room and kitchen area are some of the most important things you can do. You want your employees to stay healthy and eat food in a clean environment. Ingesting bacteria is one of the quickest ways to get sick, so constant cleaning of the kitchen and break room area is important. It is also important that the chemicals used are safe so that they, too, don’t make people sick. Here’s a brief run down of what should be done:

  1. All dishes should be washed if a common sink is shared. This should really be done by employees as they use them.  Another way to avoid a pileup is to use disposable plates and utensils.
  2. The sink should be cleaned and disinfected. The sponge used to clean the sink and counters should be replaced every week or so.
  3. The microwave should be wiped down, inside and out. Bacteria can fester and thrive inside, contaminating any other food that goes in.
  4. The fridge should be cleaned out at least once a month. Employees should be notified of the tossing of food in case they want to save anything. It should be disinfected entirely and defrosted.

These sort of tasks can be performed to expert degree by an office cleaning service like Royal Cleaning Service. You can be sure to always have a clean kitchen.

General Office Cleaning

Whether your office cleaning service company takes on every bit of work in their own hands, or you supplement them by having your employees do some smaller cleaning jobs in the in between, cleaning checklists can be a huge help in organizing the workload. Of course the type of cleaning involved as well as the rooms being cleaned all are taken into account with checklists. For daily cleaning of the work space, this is what should be expected:

  1. Emptying of any trash receptacles and replacing their bags.
  2. Dusting all surfaces, from desks to chairs, computers, and other surfaces.
  3. Vacuuming of floors, especially carpet.
  4. Mopping of hard floors with disinfectant.
  5. Wiping down all internal glass and windows.
  6. Spot cleaning walls, if needed.
  7. Cleaning fingerprints and disinfecting light switches, door knobs and other areas likely to be touched often.

If you want to do the cleaning yourself or get your staff to do it. Watch this video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnzWBIFNAfs

All of these things are pretty standard when it comes to daily general cleaning. Keeping on top of them means a clean, organized, habitable work place. Beyond just the daily work though, there is also weekly cleaning tasks as well as other cleaning that needs to be done in shared kitchenette and bathroom spaces.

Those we will go over in the next couple of blog posts!

Outdoor Office Cleaning & Landscaping Tips

When you consider cleaning services for the office, are you just considering the interior? While having the interiors looking their best is important, the way a building looks on the outside is also of equal value. You have to consider the exterior and the landscaping around your building and how it amounts to not only aesthetics, but safety.

  1. Cleaning windows is part of the outdoor care of a building. Whether it’s the windows that people see as they are coming in the front door (which are susceptible to fingerprints) or the ones up on the 10th floor, they need to be properly cleaned to preserve their clear view.
  2. Landscaping is important. It’s not just about making the outside flora look great but it is also about cleaning up areas that couple be a potential hazard. That means cutting overgrown bushes and trees, and getting rid of any plants that could pose a hazard.
  3. Fixing broken concrete and steps outside is important too.  You don’t want people slipping because of a cracked step that could easily be filled in. Bigger problems will need a bigger company to be called in, but smaller projects can be done with ease and a smaller group of people.

How Often Should You Clean Your Oven?

Everyone knows that to clean your oven can be a big chore and it’s obviously one of the least desirable tasks on our home cleaning list.

It’s evident that the oven is used on a regular basis but it’s still the less often cleaned piece of kitchen equipment, and that’s not good enough. It’s very common for some stains to become baked in overtime, causing them to be a big deal to remove.

Even the little spills that aren’t addressed immediately can become a real challenge if you continue to use the oven afterward.

Sometimes we tend to console ourselves with the belief that the high temperature kills all microbes and bacteria, so, whether we grill or roast, we believe our delicious recipes are super safe to eat. This might be true, but you still need to clean it once in a while.

So, regardless of whether you have a self-cleaning or a standard oven be sure to give it a nice little touch as when due. Doing this will increase its functionality and effectiveness.

Why Is It Important to Clean Your Oven?

As we mentioned earlier, cleaning your oven as when due is very crucial to its overall functionality. Not cleaning your oven can reduce its efficiency at reaching certain temperatures and it may even stop working altogether if burnt food is left unattended.

It’s also noteworthy to mention that crusty buildup can impact the taste of your food. Also, while the high temperature can eliminate some bacteria, it’s still not a good spot to be cooking stuff that enters out bodies. Overall, cleaning your oven will increase its functionality and make it a healthier place to prepare tasty meals for your home.

Is It Time to Clean Your Oven?

The task of cleaning your oven should be done on a monthly basis or once every three to six months. However, be sure to wipe the oven glass or door at least once a week.

Remember, if you leave it for so long, you might need a pick ax to remove the built-up grime. In essence, the longer you leave the dirt unattended, the harder it will be to get back into good condition.

How to Clean Your Oven?

As we know, cleaning your oven is no easy task, but it’s essential. So if you don’t have a self-cleaning oven, you can follow these easy green cleaning steps.

Handy tip: Put a heat-resistant glass bowl of water mixed with a spoonful of baking soda in the oven. Turn the oven on high for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This little trick will help loosen most of the dried particles and make it easier for you to clean.

Oven Cleaning Steps:

  • Get baking soda and sprinkle on the base of the oven. Now spray vinegar directly over the soda until it produces a mild foam.
  • Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the messy areas on the sides of the oven, then spray with vinegar. Allow all you’ve applied to sit through the night and wipe clean in the morning.
  • Wash the oven racks in the sink using a spray bottle of alcohol and a quality sponge. Use the alcohol on the baked-on grease and allow to sit for 60 seconds. Now use the handy scrubbing sponge to remove or clean up any residue. You can repeat this process as needed.

Note: Be sure to keep a disposable aluminum tray beneath the oven to catch any accidental spills.

With these simple eco-friendly steps, you can have an oven that looks as good as new. So be sure to give your handy kitchen appliance the monthly touch it needs to perform at its best end deliver the best tasting, healthy food your family loves.

The Importance of Using Doormats, Not Just for Greeting Your Guests

Almost every time you walk into a business establishment you step across one. When visiting neighbors, friends, or loved ones, you’ve likely stood outside the door after ringing the bell and looked down upon the friendly and familiar “Welcome” mat under your feet. But do you know why using doormats are so important, aside from being the first greeting visitors receive?

There are many reasons why using doormats is essential for every home. The most obvious one is that they keep your floors clean. They serve other important purposes such as helping to prevent slips and falls, removing dirt and debris from footwear (or paws if you have pets), and even serve the function of adding an aesthetic appeal to your home.

The Reasons You Should Be Using Doormats:

Personalize Your Entrances

Today, personalized doormats have become increasingly popular, and many businesses choose to use them as a business card of sorts, while homeowners show their individual personality with a doormat adorned with the logo of their favorite sports team, or other quips that give visitors some insight into the homeowner’s character.

Durable

A good doormat is one that is durable and able to take a few licks while standing up to the weather. There are generally two main types of doormats that are most commonly used. The first is the kind of mat that is designed specifically to remove large clumps of dirt or mud. These mats employ rigid tufts that scrape the soles of a person’s shoes while they are walking or intentionally rubbing their feet back and forth across the mat.

The second variety of doormat is the finishing, or wiper style. These mats are designed using a flat layer of matting material that catches sand, dust, and moisture from the feet of people passing over it.

Protects Flooring 

Both types of mats, when made with quality materials utilize a rubber backing to prevent moisture seeping through onto the surface beneath. You may have noticed that some people use doormats outside their entryway and others who use them inside. There are people who use both, in addition to scattering more doormats throughout their home to serve other purposes.

Other uses for doormats can include:

  • Protecting flooring from spills under pet’s food and water dishes
  • A place to leave especially dirty or greasy work boots
  • Protecting high traffic areas such as thresholds of doorways and the seams between carpeting and hard flooring
  • Skid proofing otherwise slippery floor surfaces

When used in these locations, and regularly cleaned as any other part of the home, doormats help preserve the life cycle of both carpet and hard flooring materials. And if you hire a cleaning services to help clean your home the doormat will prevent dirt from coming inside so there will be less cleaning to do. So this can save you money in the long run.

By catching and removing grime and dirt from the feet of occupants and visitors, the wear and tear from the physical act of cleaning and the use of cleaning chemicals on the floors inside are reduced. In the long run, this saves homeowners money by not having to replace stained, soiled, or worn out floor coverings as often.

Doormats are taken for granted and often go overlooked, but they are an important part of keeping your home clean, safe, and well-maintained throughout the years.

For more information about keeping your home clean and healthy check out our blog on the importance of taking off your shoes indoors and these 10 tips of keeping dirt our of your home.

Should You Take Off Your Shoes Indoors?

The importance of taking your shoes off indoors is more than just keeping your home looking clean it is important to your health also.

Do you have the habit of wearing your shoes indoors? Maybe after returning home from a long day of work or the nearby grocery store? Well, if you do, we recommend you join us as we expand more on why it’s a habit you need to break.

Now the thing is you’re not alone on this as it happens to be so popular in the United States and most times, visitors also come into the house with shoes attached to their feet. In most cases, stepping into the house with your shoes on might seem OK, but it’s not and science has proven that you should take your shoes off.

The Importance of Taking Your Shoes Off Indoors:

Dirt

One of the primary importance of taking off your shoes indoors is that you’ll spend less time cleaning the house. It’s a no-brainer to know that shoes bring in dust and dirt into the house, and this means you’ll have to clean the house on a regular basis.

So how about keeping the shoes out for a change, that’s going to reduce your workload and the home will be cleaner. It’s more of a win-win situation.

Keeps Bacteria Out

It’s pretty obvious to know that your shoes are more likely to be a hot spot for bacteria. Taking off your sneakers is crucial because your shoes pick up those nasty bacteria which are inadvertently spread about the home. Now that’s yucky!

A study at Arizona extracted germs and microbes on footwear, and the researchers discovered up to 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe. So, we recommend you save yourself from unnecessary diseases and infection by adopting the proper habit of kicking off your shoes at the door.

Save the Floor from Wear and Tear

The more dirt and grime you track in, the more often you have to clean especially if you have hard floors or carpets. All of these excessive scrubbings on your flooring is sure to lead to more wear and tear on the surface, meaning that you’ll have to replace the damaged floor coverings.

Taking off your shoes indoors means you’ll spend less money on replacing the flooring in your home.

Happy Neighbors

If you happen to live in apartment buildings, kicking off those heels should do a lot of good to the neighbors. No one likes to be disturbed with annoying sound of shoes, so how about you do them a favor and keep the shoes off.

Bad Air Quality

You may not know, but all the dust and toxins you track into your home can affect the air quality.

For instance, the pesticides on your lawn or cleaning chemicals on public floors can be stuck on your sneakers and bringing it into your home will worsen the quality of the air. So, it’s important you kick off those shoes immediately and keep those toxins out.

Happy Feet

Besides all that has been mentioned, taking your shoes off  indoors also gives your feet the chance to feel happy. Irrespective of how comfortable your shoes are, you’ll feel more comfortable kicking them off once you get home and doing this is a healthy habit as you get to stretch, relax and get life back on your feet.

Going barefoot strengthen the muscles of the feet and even reduces the chances of getting flat feet. So, it’s essential you make a change and give your feet a chance to breathe!

So, there you have it. So far we have explored the importance of keeping the heels and sneakers outside the home, and we believe you must have learned why you should adopt this habit.

Taking your shoes off indoors is not only healthy for your home but also for your feet. So, make a change today and join the bandwagon of homes with the “no shoes policy” so your home can be a healthier and cleaner place to live in!