Keeping your home clean requires (unfortunately) TIME and EFFORT. Now, the last thing we would want is your time and effort going to waste through self-defeat actions that, sadly enough, are quite common. Instead, wisen up with these tips from White Glove Elite founder Jim Ireland. Identify these 6 mistakes and their tried-and-tested solutions so you can beat the dirt instead of it of it beating your best intentions.
Mop & Bucket?: Even the most progressive homeowners are not in favor of the re-distribution of dirt, which is all you are doing as soon as you rinse that dirty mop in your bucket of cleaning solution. Solution: Dilute your floor cleaner in a spray-bottle and spray-mop, rinsing your mop frequently under running water in the nearest tub or sink.
“Washing” Baseboards: So many people take a bucket of water and a wet cloth or sponge to their baseboards. A wet cloth will cause dirt to settle into crevices, highlighting all your carpenter’s mistakes and making your baseboards look even dirtier than before. Solution: Vacuum baseboards with a brush attachment and save the washing for when baseboards are scuffed-up.
Steam-Cleaning Carpets: Ever spill liquid on a new carpet? If so, you found that the water beads-up before eventually soaking into the rug. This is because unwashed carpet has a natural seal from the production of the fabric in even many hand-woven rugs. Once you shampoo or steam-clean that carpet even just one time, the seal will be broken and your carpet will become a sponge for all future spills making stains harder to remove. Solution: Put off that first clean as long as you can stand it. Spot clean with seltzer water for as many years as you can take it. Once you do give in and steam-clean, you might want to buy that machine since your next cleaning will not be far behind.
Don’t Mop Post-Renovation Dust!: Most of that dust is from plaster and wetting it will turn it right back into plaster which, at best, will spread a film across your walls and floors which will not come off without hand-drying the surface. At worst, it will settle between floor-boards and in the grain of your floors, which, if you have dark floors, can be very unsightly. Solution: Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! Use a vacuum with hepa-filter and change the bags often. Use a brush attachment or Swiffer Dry mop for walls. When you feel confident you’ve effectively busted the dust, then mop to your heart’s content.
Toilet Pills Are Addictive!: Toilet pills in your tank leave residue which causes odors where clean water used to reside. These substances contain harsh chemicals which can cause your toilet’s internal organs to shut down prematurely. Withdrawal from these substances will leave a resin that will have your tank smelling worse than your bowl, sending you back to The Man for another fix. Solution: Say it with me…”Just say ‘no’ to pills!”
Smelly Sponges: I expect that a scientist could better explain this and I wish I could better-document this report with a rhyme or reason as to WHY this is true, but the day that you say goodbye to anti-bacterial dish soap and say hello to any brand of natural soap with no dyes or perfumes is the day you can also say goodbye to that stank-ass sponge! No more need for hacks like putting your sponge in the dishwasher or microwaving it to nuke odor-causing aliens. Solution: What seems like a sponge is actually vital to the diverse community of organisms in your kitchen. Be nice to the sponge in your system and protect it from the modern trend of chemical warfare. Trust me, this is not fake news!
We hope the knowledge on this blog helps you treat your home with care. However, sometimes it’s great to have help – otherwise we wouldn’t be in business. Book service online today or call us at 212-684-4460 to schedule an appointment with New York City’s top-tier housekeepers.
