House Cleaning Safety: 3 Time-Tested Tips

Every house has at least one thing in common, they all require regular maintenance. Whether you decide to handle the upkeep yourself or hire a Lacey, WA Maid Service to help is up to you, but all cleaning chores are similar. Safety during cleaning is one often overlooked aspect. The following text will cover some vital safety tips.

How do you stay safe while cleaning?

Whether you decide to scrub your bathroom or kitchen or tidy up your child’s room today, there are some vital dos and don’ts of home cleaning you should keep in mind. This applies to the aspect of safety as well.

Because most tasks are intuitive and products are easily obtainable, people tend to forget that not being careful can impact their health. The health of children and pets also comes into play here. The following list covers basic safety tips on how to stay safe when handling home maintenance chores.

How do you stay safe while cleaning

Always wear gloves

A good pair of good, high-quality rubber gloves is a must. It might feel strange wearing them at first, but you’re doing your skin a favor. They always come in various sizes, so just pick one that is fitting to avoid tears and things slipping from your hands. Lots of pretty colors and styles, you may as well make it fun. 

Some products contain harsh chemicals on their ingredient list. Exposure to them can seriously damage your skin. But even homemade cleaning solutions like those made of vinegar or baking soda can dry up your hands and nails and cause unnecessary problems. Caked on dirt, grime, and dust as well. Avoiding contact with all of this is always smart. Professional Cleaners always wear gloves for protection, you should too. 

Open windows while cleaning

It’s inevitable that the tidying up is going to make some dust and dirt rise up and float in the air. That’s why airing the space while you’re doing these chores is essential. Even more so if you plan to use chemical products. Evaporation of those can harm your skin, your eyes, and even your lungs if the air in the room is not changed even once.

This is trickier during the cold months, or during unpleasant weather conditions. While it’s ideal to keep all windows open while you clean, just doing so every once in a while to create a draft that’ll change the air will do.

What Lacey WA maid service should I hire for the best results

Safely store all supplies

For your own safety, but even more important if you have children or pets living with you, storage of cleaning products is crucial to safety. Both store-bought and homemade need to be stored properly to ensure they remain safe.

We’ll list some of the most important storage and safety tips:

  • Always keep chemical agents in the original packaging, as it’s designed for that specific product, plus the packaging has info written on it you could need.
  • Avoid leaving supplies in direct sunlight or close to heat sources since some of them are flammable and many lose their potency with heat. 
  • Never mix products, especially if one of them is bleach or contains bleach. There are too many unpredictable chemical reactions that could put you in harm’s way when using bleach.
  • Always read the instructions and expiration dates and stick to them. Even if they seem like they advise you to be too cautious, it’s better safe than sorry.
  • Store your supplies where children and pets cannot reach them, like high shelves or cabinets, or even under some kind of lock if possible.

What Lacey, WA maid service should I hire for the best results?

Keeping your house in pristine condition can be quite exhausting. It takes time and energy, and there are so many things to keep in mind related to it. If you have to fit home maintenance chores into your already busy schedule, even more so.

If you’d much rather spend an afternoon in nature at Long Lake Park than devote the whole afternoon to cleaning, American Maid Service of Olympia’s got you covered. Our Cleaning Professionals will handle your home with care and attention to detail, and can promise to leave you satisfied with the results.

How to Clean Your Child’s Room Like a Pro

Kids’ rooms are one of those places in the house where it’s hard to keep the space tidy at all times. Children don’t care about cleaning the way that we do unfortunately, so it’s not uncommon that their rooms look really chaotic from time to time (or all the time). And while you can always hire a maid service in Lacey, WA to help with house maintenance chores, ahead are some tips for cleaning your child’s room.

How should I clean my kid’s room?

Clutter, dust, dirt, and grime, no room in the house is immune to these. From a practical standpoint, cleaning your child’s room doesn’t differ much from doing so to any other room in the house. It’ll require decluttering, sorting, scrubbing, vacuuming, and wiping. 

That’s why the following advice focuses more on the aspects that are particular to the process when the room belongs to your child. The goal is to make it less intimidating and overwhelming for both you and the kids – especially the kids. 

How should I clean my kid's room

Include the kids in the process

When you want to tidy up your kids’ rooms, it might be tempting to do everything by yourself – it’s just sooo much faster!!. It’s true that you’ll most likely perform all tasks faster and with greater efficacy than the little ones. However, turning this into a teaching moment will help prepare them to do all these tasks independently in the future, or so we hope.

Cleaning together with your kids will teach them the key dos and don’ts of home maintenance, and doing it together might (we can only hope) help them overcome the aversion to cleaning tasks and help you bond – extra win. You can give them small tasks or patiently explain the steps of what you’re doing and they’re sure to be curious about it instead of discouraged.

Patience is key

You could be an extremely tidy adult who keeps their house squeaky clean and knows everything about the process down to the comprehensive history of cleaning products. You could be someone that doesn’t care that much about tidiness, and who tolerates some amount of clutter, dust, etc. Either way, you likely understand why you need to tidy your household.

Children often still don’t get this. Clothes piled around the laundry basket, windows full of fingerprint stains, and those smallest LEGO parts dangerously laying on the floor absolutely don’t bother most of them. If you’re the lucky parent whose kids like a clean space – celebrate, you are one LUCKY parent! Patience! We say it’s a virtue, but it sure is tough to practice when you get into your kids’ room. 

Try this –  explain why things should be done a certain way. Use practical examples and base your advice on safety and logic-based tips, not personal preferences. It will be challenging, but try to remember your child’s room is their space, where the goal is for them to feel the most comfortable.Let them choose where some stuff belongs, and be respectful of those choices – you may just end up with one of those tidy kid unicorns we’ve all dreamed of. 

Which reputable maid service in Lacey WA should I hire

Prioritize hygiene and safety

It’s hard to accept that your kids may just not be as focused on tidiness and cleanliness as you are, and may never be. There are simply people who prefer creative chaos and will stay that way even in adulthood. And that’s okay. However, hygiene and prevention of hoarding habits are important and something that should be taught.

When it comes to the way any of these chores are performed, health and safety should be the top priority. Follow all the health and safety tips for house cleaning. Avoid using harsh chemicals, as they could be a health hazard, no matter how effective. Open the windows to exchange the air and stick to mild products in your kids’ rooms.

Which reputable maid service in Lacey, WA should I hire?

Teaching your children how to keep their space organized and hygienic is an important lesson, but the action itself can often be a thing that you dread. Especially since there are more rooms to go through than just that one or a few.

We at American Maid Service of Olympia understand this. Our skilled and professional cleaners guarantee to thoroughly perform all the maintenance tasks you need. Feel free to reach out and leave the cleaning to us, while you enjoy an afternoon picnic with your family at Wonderwood Park. Doesn’t that sound nice??

7 Most Common Cleaning Mistakes

When you have your long-established routine, you probably don’t think it through every time you start tidying up. It has become your habit, so you just do the usual tasks. However, there’s probably at least one mistake in your routine that you’re not even aware of.  

One of the ways to make sure your home gets proper care is to opt for a reliable company that offers residential house cleaning in Olympia, WA. Whether you go for pros or not, it’s important to be aware of what you should avoid when tackling your chores. Let’s dive right in!

What should you not do when cleaning

What should you not do when cleaning?

No matter how tried-and-true your methods may be, chances are they’re not up to scratch. Check out these 7 mistakes and improve your routine:

  1. Hot water on stains

While this may seem counterintuitive, using hot water to remove a stain may help it set instead of lifting it. This is especially true for protein‐based stains such as blood. Next time you need to deal with one, make sure you use cold water. 

  1. Removing mold with bleach

Many commercial products for mold removal contain bleach and while it does remove surface mold, it doesn’t reach any deeper. It only decolorates fungi while they’re still lurking. What’s more, bleach can damage porous materials such as grout and help the mold spread even deeper. 

Instead of bleach, feel free to use white vinegar. It kills mold efficiently and it’s safer for porous materials.

  1. Leaving too little time for the job

When it comes to disinfectants, many people tend to spray a surface and wipe it off immediately. The truth is, every disinfecting product needs time to work. To get the best efficiency, the time required varies between products, so always check the label for instructions. 

  1. Insufficient ventilation

Making sure the room you’re tending to is properly ventilated is essential for your health. Products that contain ingredients such as bleach or ammonia release fumes that can irritate your airways, but also cause more severe health issues. To ensure proper airflow, open a window, leave the door open, or turn on the vent fan. 

  1. Going the opposite direction

Whichever area of your home you’re dealing with, always start from the top and work your way down to the bottom. If you go the other way round, dust, crumbs, and other debris will find their way to your freshly vacuumed floor and you’ll end up vacuuming twice instead of once. 

  1. Neglecting your vacuum

Keeping your vacuum in good condition ensures it works efficiently, but giving it a proper clean‐up is easy to forget. The best way to avoid neglecting it is to include this task in your checklist. Make sure you wash the filters and empty the canister at least once a month. If you have a model with a bag, replace the bag once it’s about two‐thirds full. 

  1. Dusting with a dry cloth

If you use a dry cloth to remove dust, you’ll simply spread it around, but you also risk scratching the surface. The most efficient way to remove dirt and dust is to slightly dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe down your surfaces. 

Who offers comprehensive residential house cleaning in Olympia

Who offers comprehensive residential house cleaning in Olympia, WA?

If you’re not sure how to schedule your tasks for best efficiency, or how often you should tackle different areas, feel free to reach out to American Maid Service of Olympia. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and give your home the treatment it deserves. Leave the chores to our skilled professionals while you take some time off by Capitol Lake. Call now 360-236-1337! 

How Often Should You Clean Your Home?

The optimum frequency of upkeep tasks depends on many factors such as whether you live alone, have a big family, or keep pets. However, there are certain guidelines you can follow and customize to the needs of your household. 

With many reliable companies in Olympia, Washington offering comprehensive house cleaning services, reaching out to one of them is a great way to ensure the regular care your home needs. However, modifying your routine to the exact frequency that works for you is essential to keep your environment healthy. Read on and find out how often to tackle different areas

How often should I clean different areas

How often should I clean different areas?

With the help of a good tasking schedule and the right frequency, your home will always be spick and span. Have a look at these guidelines and correct your routine accordingly:

Daily chores

While regular upkeep is essential, it doesn’t mean you need to repeat the entire schedule every single day. However, there are certain tasks you should do on a daily basis:

  • Make bed
  • Wipe down kitchen table
  • Wash dishes
  • Wipe down kitchen counters
  • Disinfect kitchen sink
  • Sweep kitchen floor
  • Mop up any spills 
  • Disinfect bathroom faucets
  • Disinfect toilet seat and handle
  • Wipe down coffee tables and dining room tables
  • Declutter counters, tables, and any other places where personal belongings, books, or mail tend to accumulate

Weekly chores

Wiping down the surfaces on a daily basis helps keep your home orderly and hygienic, but giving them a more intensive weekly treatment is necessary to control germs and bacteria. Here’s what to tackle every week:

  • Disinfect kitchen counters
  • Wipe down cupboard fronts
  • Throw away expired food from the fridge
  • Wipe down kitchen appliances
  • Clean the inside of microwave
  • Disinfect garbage disposal
  • Disinfect bathroom surfaces
  • Wipe down mirrors
  • Vacuum upholstery
  • Change bedding
  • Vacuum and mop floors
  • Disinfect doorknobs and light switches

Bi‐weekly chores

There are certain tasks you don’t need to do daily, but ignoring them altogether would be a mistake. Do the following at least twice a week:

  • Change towels
  • Vacuum high‐traffic areas if you have kids or pets
  • Mop high‐traffic areas
  • Vacuum entry mats

Monthly chores

The following actions should take place at least once a month, but if you have pets or suffer from allergies, you should consider repeating some of them more often:

  • Dust window screens and blinds
  • Vacuum air vents
  • Disinfect dryer and washing machine
  • Clean the inside the fridge
  • Vacuum mattress 
  • Wash duvet covers
  • Disinfect drains
  • Disinfect electronics such as monitors and keyboards

Annual chores

Depending on your own habits and the size of your family, there are also tasks that you should perform periodically:

  • Wash curtains
  • Thoroughly clean pantry
  • Rotate mattress
  • Clean gutters
  • Purge fireplace 
  • Wash carpets
  • Steam clean furniture

To sum up, how often you should follow your daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, depends on the activities of your family. If you’re away most of the day, you won’t have to do that much scrubbing, but if you stay at home with kids and pets, you’ll definitely need to do it more frequently. 

What companies in Olympia offer reliable house cleaning services

What companies in Olympia, Washington offer reliable house cleaning services?

Whether you’re not sure about your monthly chores, or just want to avoid any mistakes on your way, American Maid Service of Olympia is the team you need. Our efficient approach and highly professional staff make us stand out and ensure the satisfaction of our clients. Take a well-deserved rest and relax at the Watershed Park while we take care of your home. Give us a call now!