What should we be talking about..

I'm truly devastated over the lost of the innocent lives in Sandy Hook Conn.

The question out there is what we should be talking about right now, that question,I can't answer with absolute.  But I do know,and in my opinion, Is that no one is in the position where they have the right to point fingers at any one problem or a segment of people's,  but if we as a society look to home into ourselves, I think in some way we will discover that there is a total lack of respect for ourselves and for others, such as hate speech,road rage, racism,discriminating against the mentally challenge,spousal abuse, child abuse, hatred towards immigrants,etc,etc. we could go on for ever.  The hatred out there is totally indescribable.  Example, we just went through a very hate filled election process, we have radio shows that hate speak down our throats, knowing that they have listeners that hang onto every word,and some act upon.  We have Elective Officials that cannot speak civilly of or to one another, our politicians need to wake up and start setting an example.

I don't believe in censorship of any kind, and I don't believe in big government. But, I do believe in government over site, an enforcement of the laws on the books, and stricter gun control. In my opinion, I cannot see any positive in having a ownership 

Of a semi,or,full automatic weapon,sawed off shotguns,or high capacity clips. I don't believe that any of this will change, until the time comes where we as a society learn to have a respect for one another and their cultures and for ourselves, and will a lesson from this carnage ever be learnt, remains to be seen,but probably not,there has been too many horror stories already,and with likely than not, more to come.

But if everyone would take a moment to burn the images of the faces of the 20 baby's into the crevices of the minds to never forget. these children were baby's only 6 and 7 years old, who had dreams never to be fulfilled,that's our loss, they knew not of the wrath of hatred that came to visit them.  Burn their faces into your memory so that you will never forget,and when the next time you find yourself wishing ill will towards another,it's their face you will see and put you to shame ,and then and only then might we bring back civility into our lives. Then maybe we will someday say the 20 taught us all a lesson.

May they all rest in peace!

Fix-it Volunteers

I was reading an  article the other day by Joan Rattner Hellman. And I have to say I agree with her when she started the article with the statement: Wouldn't it be great to get your busted and torn stuff-everything from toasters to clothing - fixed for free? The Dutch do. Such a great word - Free.

So, she goes onto say in her article that they, the Dutch, take used things to one of the country's 40 Repair Cafes, where fix-it volunteers do repairs or show how to do it yourself. Now mind you, European country's are only the size or smaller than most of our states.

She goes on to say that the Cafes, started in 2009 by a journalist as a environmental initiative to reduce waste are supported by grants from the Dutch government,                                                    foundations, and individual donations. More cafes are in the works.

According to Joan Hellman, she believes the concept may soon cross borders. The Repair Cafe Foundation is fielding inquiries from groups from all over the world about setting up their own cafes.

I personally think this a fantastic idea, the only way you can begin to clean up the worlds environment is to start in your own little corner and let it spread outward.

For more information, go to repair cafe.org. So, go check it out. I don't know about you, but it's time for that coffee break...once again.

Until next time, today and everyday put comfort in your life. Ciao!

La Cucina..La Cuisine..Tin Kouzzina..The Kitchen

          Tools needed:
                   1) Vacuum
                   2) Wet mop and pail or the Sh-mop,depending on wood or tile floors
                   3) Fan duster brush with extension pole
                   4) Your carry-all bag or tray, that includes razor blade holder and
                        blades,  powder cleanser, all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner,bleach
                        cleaner, acid cleaner, scrub pad & sponge, tooth brushes, your
                        duster and cleaning cloths.
                    5) And I must admit I was amiss in not telling you about having a dump
                        bag, this is a bag that you will be putting your wet and dirty cleaning
                        cloths. Please don't use one of those plastic shopping bags.
                        Purchase yourself one of those re-usable bags you can pick up
                        at your favorite store. Once you've finished your cleaning day you
                        can take your dirty rags and bag to the washing machine and wash
                        them together, do not mix with clothes.

     After reading this segment you should be able to clean your kitchen quickly and
     efficiently. But, before we get started here, lets pick out our music to clean, to
     each his own, just pump it up and have fun. You're cleaning through another
     free concert.
   
     This may sound redundant, but I just have to say, as usual start  the room left to
     right, top to bottom. As you enter the kitchen check the ceiling corners for cob-
     webs and if your cabinets don't reach all the way to the ceiling,you have to
     address that space in between the ceiling and the top of the cabinets, it gets
     dustier than you would think. Use your fan duster and extension pole for the
     cobwebs in those hard to reach areas (the fan brush can be used for more than
     one purpose). Use your vacuum and attachments to reach above the cabinets if
     possible, if not use your duster here as well. Just be careful you don't want to
     put all that dust into the air(cough,cough). If you have a fan in your kitchen
     proceed to the fan.

     The kitchen is a room that is going to require a lot of picking up and putting        
     down and moving items back and forth, the movements will become easier with
     time. Because this room can be time consuming we're going to break away from
     the norm, because it will be easier and faster. So, let's begin. "The only way to
     eat an elephant is one bite at a time"

     1) Kitchen counter: Move the items that are on top of the counter forward,
     (toaster,blender,cookie jars,etc.).Wipe the counter clean behind them. Dust/
     wipe the items and replace them back. Use your all purpose cleaner and cloth,
     scrub pad, or scraper on counter. On a Granite counter top,bring it to a shine
     using your glass cleaner.

     2) Refrigerator: Using your all purpose cleaner to clean the outside,front and
     top. Open the the doors,clean door gaskets and air vents.

                                                                                                       
     Stainless steel refrigerators can be cleaned with Isopropyl alcohol, or white
     vinegar(spray these on the cloth,not directly onto the refrigerator). There are
     specific stainless steel cleaners out there that works really well.

                                                               

     3) Stove tops: Clean hood and filter. Work from the back to front using your all-
      purpose cleaner and cloth or white vinegar and cleanser with a white scrubber
      pad.
          A) Glass top stove cleaner made specifically for glass top stoves. Apply
              to surface, let dry, and wipe off.
                                                                   

                                                             

                                                                      

          B) Gas stove top: Set the left and right side grates on the counter. Clean middle

               and right and left side of stove top around the burners then replace the 

               grates.

          C) Electric stove top: Try cleaning around the burners with the rings in 

               place, if that fails, remove the burner and ring assembly, with a paper

               towel collect all of the debris and if any(grease),then throw away, 

               continue to clean area and replace burners.

             

             D) Stove front: use a tooth brush and all-purpose cleaner to clean

                  the knobs and around them. If that fails, remove them by pulling

                  towards you. Clean the knob, set it aside and clean area behind

                  them and then replace.  Continue on and wipe down the glass

                  oven door with your glass cleaner. 

       4)  Sink and Dishwasher: use your all-purpose cleaner and tooth brush

             to clean around the base of faucet and rim of the sink, use white

             vinegar on the faucet area to remove any hard water deposits.

             (white vinegar is a light acid that will help in removing the hard water

              deposits, without having to scrub with an abrasive cleanser and 

              end up scratching your faucets chrome or other finish)  

                  Sprinkle cleanser into into the bowl area of the sink and scrub with

                  your scrub pad, then rinse the sink, be sure to do a good job here,

                  other wise you'll leave a powdery substance behind (doesn't look good).

                  

                  You know that pinkish algae stain that you get around the sink drains.

                  Well, a client of mine gave me a most excellent idea. The "Bleach Pen"

                  just zip that around the drain and walk away. The next you turn on the

                  water, "zap" it's gone . Simple, but such a great idea! Talk about saving 

                  time, and you can do the same in the bathroom sinks as well with tub.

                                           

       5) Floor: Last of all, depending on the type of floor you have, tile or wood

            first vacuum then either wet mop or use the Sh-mop. You just finished

            the kitchen...I don't know about you, but it's coffee break time..So once

            again.

                Until next time, today and everyday put comfort in your life. Ciao!

                 

Things we tend to over look

Hello all,  Its been awhile since I've posted, but I'm still here.  I have been very busy with a lot of new clients and I've been testing some different products, homemade recipes and store bought. We can cover this at another time.  And I must be honest I got involved with Twitter as well and have become a tweet freak @ronzcompany.

Now, did you know as we go through our cleaning routines, we tend to take shortcuts. A list of those that we tend to overlook are:

    1.  Window sills and blinds
    2.  Base boards
    3.  Lamp shades and light bulbs
    4.  The ceiling fan and hanging lamps
    5.  Plants, artificial, and real
    6.  Chair backs and legs and under the table leg supports
    7.  Air vents, louvered shutters and closet doors
    8.  Top of the refrigerator and under the refrigerator
    9.  Top shelves and bottom shelves of book cases and cabinets, and
         of course the books themselves
   10.  Under the end tables and coffee tables
   11.  Top of drapes and curtains
   12.  That area where the electrical cord is laying on the floor, collecting
          all that circulating dust balls
All is solved with taking an hour and a duster and your dusting cloth, touching on all of the above mentioned areas once in awhile..... You're done.

Until next time, today, and every day, put comfort into your life.  Ciao!

The Bedroom

Bring along your cleaning tools because now we are going to enter the…BEDROOM! And we are going to enter this room in the same manner as all the other rooms – left to right, top to bottom.  We are going to use the same steps to clean the bedroom as the living room and the family room.

1. Using your dusting spray or polish, wipe down your furniture depending on what it is made of.  If you have a telephone in your bedroom or in any room for that matter, there is only one way to clean it and disinfect it at the same time. So, you say, “Ron, please tell me how. I just need to know.” Ok, I won’t keep you in suspense another minute longer. Rubbing alcohol and your glass cleaner. Spray your cloth and wipe down the phone, hand receiver, and the charger holder. 

2.  Vacuum the room. Don’t forget to vacuum under that bed.

IMPORTANT - Now we are going to touch upon a subject that you may not want to hear, but in the interest of your health, I am going to talk about what you need to do to have a healthy and clean bed, which can possibly lead to a healthier you.

Now unless your mattress and pillows are encased with an air tight plastic or polyester cover you need to do the following:

1. You should change your bedding, sheet, and pillow cases on a weekly basis.

2. You should vacuum your mattress, then with a damp cloth and white vinegar, wipe down your mattress and pillows to help keep them clean.

So, I told you I was going to tell you something that you may not want to hear, so here it goes. The human body eliminates 1,800,000 to 2,400,000 dead skin cells every hour, so billions fall off every minute and that’s not including pet dander.

You spend   1/3 of your life in bed and your dead skin cells are the primary food source for dust mites and bed bugs. A typical mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to millions of invisible mites. Now the cleaning solution I just told you will not kill the dust mites or bed bugs, but it will help to control the issue.  Oh yeah and that vacuum bag, throw it out after because mites love warm places. So, for those who suffer from allergies and those who may not, you may find it interesting to go to this website:  www. Ehso.com/ehshome/dustimes.php   

Whoa, hold your horses, we’re not done yet!! We still have the closet. Wipe down the rings you hang your clothes and any shelving that you may have. Vacuum the floor and top of the baseboards.

 And just as a side note folks, this is for our own personal satisfaction – You know all those wood hangers? They are excellent for your clothes and an absolute must as an organization tool for your closet. Hey, I didn’t tell you this, but there is a retail chain that is nation-wide that happens to carry this type of hanger. The name happens to slip my memory.  I don’t know something with a couple of (3) B’s. Do you catch my drift? Oh, you didn’t get it? Bed, Bath, and, Beyond!!! Maybe I shouldn’t quit my day job.

So we are done with bedroom. In the next entries, we will cover the dreaded bathroom and kitchen.  I have many handy tips to give you that will clean those two rooms effectively. Stay tuned.

Until next time, today, and every day, put comfort into your life. Ciao!

The Family Room

This is one room in the house that gets the most use – a place we go to relax and gather with family or friends and a place where we can unwind after a long day of work. When we have guests over, this will be the room where we congregate, so we want it to be clean and looking it best.

The tools needed to clean this room will be:

1. Vacuum

2. Carry all-bag

3. Ceiling fan brush and extension pole

4. Cleaning clothes

5. VERY IMPORTANT - Music. I find music always make cleaning a room a little more enjoyable. Let’s face it, people don’t like to clean, so why not make it fun with some of your favorite jams.  Blast that radio until the neighbors think a night club opened up next door (well maybe not that loud, because you don’t want the cops called on you…we are just cleaning a room.)  Maybe even put together a little cleaning mix! Tunes to help you tidy up!

As I have said in previous posts, at the beginning of cleaning any room, we are going to work from left to right, top to bottom.  All wall fixtures, pictures, and shelves will be cleaned with your duster and for your mirrors or other glass items you will use your glass cleaner. 

Use your ceiling fan brush and extension pole to clean the ceiling fan and move on.

As we move to your entertainment center (including your TV, CD player, DVD player, or game console) use your duster to do the back of your TV and your glass cleaner for the body and screen.  Be careful as to not spray directly onto the screen, but instead spray your cloth and lightly wipe down marks, such as fingerprints.  Use your duster to wipe down your DVD player, CD player, or game console and spray some all purpose cleaner on a cloth to remove any fingerprints or other dirt. To clean the entertainment center itself use your duster. If you need to remove fingerprints from surfaces, apply duster spray to your cloth and wipe away. Using your duster spray will protect the surface from scratching.

Next you need to clean your couch. Use your vacuum to clean fabric couches and wipe down your leather furniture with your all purpose cleaner. Spray your cleaning cloth and lightly wipe.

But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there because I have saved the best part for last…vacuuming the room!! I told you this would be fun.  Vacuuming the floor is pretty self-explanatory, but area rugs, throw rugs, scatter rugs, etc. need a little extra care.  Large area room rugs usually have enough weight to them that you would be able to use your upright vacuum as is, but scatter rugs are a different story. I have found that the beater brush on your vacuum can chew up your rug, so my advice would be to not use the beater brush.  So what do you do then? Standing on one end of the throw rug to help keep it in place, use your wand and hard floor vacuum brush to vacuum. Always vacuum away from where you are standing,  lift up the brush at the end of the stroke and start again, moving from left to right (remember we start everything from left to right.) Don’t use a back and forth motion. Now, come back to your starting point and start the process all over again going in the opposite direction.

You are finished!!! I don’t think so…well with this room anyways because we still have the elephants in the house – the kitchen and the bathroom. So get ready!

Until next time, today, and everyday put comfort in your life. Ciao!

That Little I Don't Know What the Hell to Do with Room - The Hallway

Ok, this is going to be a short post because, well, quite frankly…there is not too much to say about hallways. Whether they are small, large, short, or long, in the average home, they generally don’t require a great deal of time.

If you have a hallway in your house or apartment, start by doing the same as in any other room – start top to bottom, dusting and working both walls a section at a time as you work your way down. You don’t want to be retracing your steps here. Most likely you will only need two tools here – your duster for those pictures or mirrors and your vacuum for the floors.

Now what I am about to say next is a word of advice: If you are vacuuming with an upright vacuum or a canister vacuum with a wand that has a beater brush power head - especially if you are vacuuming between two different flooring materials (ex. carpet to wood) - don’t go over the edge of the carpet with your power head. Why, you ask? In time, the brush will pull up the edges of the carpet and most importantly it will scratch your wood floors. This is something we don’t EVEN want to think about!

 Until the next time, today, and everyday put comfort in your life....Ciao!

The Dining Room

Your dining room – a place where your family may assemble for dinner and for any and all special occasions. Regardless of how often it may get used, you want it clean and looking its best at all times. So how should we properly and efficiently clean it?

1. First, you will need the same tools that we used in the previous post to clean the living room.

2. Upon entering the room if there is a doorway, make sure to dust the molding above the entrance. Next, as always, approach the room from top to bottom and left to right - catching those ceiling corner cobwebs, wall fixtures, drapery tops, window shelves, etc.

Next, move to the center of the room, get your duster in hand and dust off that chandelier. Your duster should be sufficient, but if your chandelier is really dirty, I will cover that as a segment by itself later on.

3. Proceed to clean the furniture in the dining room. The process of cleaning the furniture follows the same as you would in the living room, except for the dining table and chairs. Different dining table tops require different cleaning methods. If you have an all glass top - use your glass cleaner, if you have an all wood table – use your furniture polish and polish cloth (if this table doesn’t get a lot of use you won’t need to use the furniture polish each time, you can just wipe it down with just the polish cloth with nothing added to it.)

You will save a lot of time if you clean or polish half of the table at a time, and then dust the chairs closest to you. Next, wipe the arms, rungs (area underneath the chair that joins the legs together),  legs of the chairs, and legs and or pedestal of the table.  Oh, and don’t forget to brush off the seats. Now, move over to the other side and repeat. Look, you just saved yourself a lot of time by not retracing your steps.

4. Finally, vacuum your floors and carpets and you’re done.

Until the next time, today, and everyday put comfort in your life....Ciao!

The Living Room

Tools needed:

                 1. Vacuum

                 2. Your carry-all bag
                 3. Ceiling fan brush w/extension pole

                 4. 8 cleaning cloths (It’s best to be prepared,
                     you’ll need them for each room)

                

Ok, I said we were going to go into each room, so let’s start with the living room! I’m not going to pretend to know what is in every room of your house, but I’ll try to cover every item that one would possibly find in each particular room. If it isn’t the same as yours, you can at least (hopefully) relate.

Remember what I said about addressing a room – you start from top to bottom, left to right. So what steps do we need to take to get this room clean?

1) Look up and check those ceiling corners for cobwebs. Use your ceiling fan brush on the extension pole to dust them away.  Take a quick turn around the room because you don’t want to be putting it down and picking it up more than once.  (Hey! If there’s any spiders, catch them and let them loose outside, “OM”.)

2) As you move around the room, dust everything just below the ceiling, but out of your normal reach (ex. top of the windows, door jams, blinds, and top of drapes.) Additionally, if you have any artificial plants, use your duster - top to bottom - and hold the leaves with one hand, as you dust with the other. Don’t forget to use a cleaning cloth to get the floor behind the plant where the vacuum can’t reach. Now, move to the center and get that ceiling fan.

3) Let’s move down the wall and get those mirrors and pictures. Use a dry cloth to wipe around those picture frames (wiping with one hand and holding the frame with the other because we don’t want any accidents, like falling picture frames or mirrors.)

Now, let’s clean those mirrors! Using your glass cleaner, spray your cleaning cloth, clean, and wipe until fully dry (slightly dry will leave streaks.) You can check if your work is done by looking at it from an angle (not straight on) because that is the only way you’ll see if you got all of the smudges, finger prints, etc.

4) Next, wipe down the door and door jams, along with the light switches and outlets with your all-purpose cleaner (or you can save that part for that rainy day we talked about earlier.) While you’re here, check the wall. Are there any smudges or finger prints? Because now is the time to wipe them away. While using the all-purpose cleaner, hold your cleaning cloth right beneath the mark, spray the cleaner onto the wall (the cloth is there to keep the liquid from running down the wall, besides you only want to clean the smudge not the whole wall), and wipe clean.

5) Time to clean the end tables and coffee tables! We will treat them both in the same manner, but we will start with the end tables first. First, clean above the table, the lamp shade, the light bulb, and the lamp itself with your duster. Unless you have young children that go around touching everything as they are playing, or you use your end tables and coffee tables for placing drinks, food, reading materials, etc, then the tables are rarely touched and you don’t have to use furniture polish or oil every time.  Instead, use your furniture polish cloth (nothing more added to it) and wipe down the table top and legs.

Now, when cleaning furniture such as end tables, coffee tables, etc., let’s remember to be careful because it takes less time to remove or pick up the items and clean under them, then it is to move things around and clean around them. With this word of advice, believe me – I learned the hard way, been there, done that, and it cost me! What’s the probability of something bad happening? It will, so just be careful!

If your furniture is on the carpet, use your dry cleaning toothbrush around the bottom of the legs. If it is on tile or wood floors use your duster. Reason – your vacuum just can’t get to that well enough and it will leave a dust ring.

Moving on to your couches and chairs. Now, depending on the fabric (cloth or leather) makes the decision on how you are going to clean it. Leather furniture just needs a wipe down – all around with a damp cloth, but may need to be vacuumed under the cushions. Fabric furniture requires a little more work.  Use the upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum and vacuum the whole area under the cushions. If you have pets and fur is a problem, a slightly damp cloth, wiped in one direction across the fabric will pick that hair right up with no problems.

If there is other furniture such as shelving units or a book case, use your duster to dust the tops and fronts of any books, the exposed edge of the shelves, and all other objects. If you have a fireplace, do not dust the fireplace because of the soot; instead use your all-purpose cleaner.

6) Now vacuum the floor using your hard surface brush attachment and wand, or if it’s carpet go ahead and use your upright vacuum as normal set on the carpet setting.

That’s it – the living room is clean!  

So, until next time, today, and everyday put comfort in your life....Ciao!

Blinds and Baseboards

Before we go into each room, we should address organization in your everyday life. I am not going to tell you how to wash your dishes or how to make your bed. These are everyday occurrences and to each his own, but a clean house starts with picking up the clutter. Once you have tackled this problem, your weekly cleaning will take no time at all and this is what you want. You will be totally surprised how much your attitude towards yourself and your surroundings will positively change once the clutter is out of your life.

Ok, now do me a favor and file this next idea aside. You can use it for a rainy, cold, or snowy day, one of those days where you just don’t want to go out of the house. Well have your morning coffee because this is the day you want to tackle (drum roll please) mini blinds, louver blinds, and base boards!!

So what tools will you need to complete this project:

1) Vacuum
2) 1 gal. Bucket of water
3) 1 cup white vinegar
4) 1/4 cup Dawn (blue)
5) Mix. The above together
6) 2 cleaning clothes
 
Step 1 – Get that vacuum ready because you will need to go around the room and clean off the base boards and those blinds.

Step 2 – Incorporate the ingredients into the bucket of water. Make sure the water is not sudsy because you want to clean them fast, not spend all day rinsing them off.

Step 3 – Ring out one of the clothes and proceed to wipe down each blade, one at a time. Make sure to have the second cloth on hand to wipe dry, just in case you got carried away and they are too wet.  Alright, blinds are clean and you are ready to tackle those base boards!

Step 4 – Wipe down all base boards, from the top rim, all through the house. Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s wipe down those electrical outlets and switch plates. And we are done!!!

Wait, wait, I’m sorry, don’t put the vacuum away just yet! While we are at it, if you have central AC, let’s clean the air return and vents. If you have a wall or window AC or a furnace you will have to clean or replace the filters every three to four months. Ok, now you’re done, at least with this until next month, or until next time it rains. Listen, dust is nothing more than the dirt you drag in from outside on your feet, your pet’s dander, and your dead skin cells. Keeping your filters clean, you will be cutting back on your dust exposure.
 
Until next time, today, and everyday put comfort in your life…Ciao!

Chemistry 101

In this entry, we will be covering what we will be cleaning with and why. As a side note, the spray nozzle on your spray bottles should be different colors. This will help you recognize just what cleaning fluid you’re reaching for by site, eliminating any chance of an accident, and using the wrong product for the job. Also, don’t buy or use (if you can) the type of spray nozzles that have the spring in the trigger mechanism because they will corrode. Instead, use the all plastic trigger mechanism.

Spray Bottle #1 – All Purpose Cleaner: The retail products are the likes of Fantastik, 409, Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Cleaner, Simple Green, and Fabuloso. I’ve used them all and they all have their pluses and minuses, but with these cleaners you have to take into account the damage they can do to you, your children, and your pets. For me, they literally ate the skin off my hands. I use something that’s much easier, cheaper, safer, and I haven’t had any problems with my hands since.  The solution: ¼ teaspoon of blue Dawn dish washing liquid added to 16 oz of water (distilled water works the best.) In my opinion, this has turned out to be the best of all purpose cleaners because you can use it everywhere – countertops of all materials (including granite), wood, cabinets, and those real tough toothpaste splashed mirrors. Just spray and wipe!

Spray Bottle #2 – Glass Cleaner:  There are products like Windex and others that supposedly clean your glass and mirrors. The problem is they include perfumes to mask the scent and this in turn leaves that smear of fog on your mirror (and you wonder why you can’t get them clean, duh!) So let’s keep it simple – Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and one or two drops of Dawn.  Use this to clean anything including glass, windows, mirrors, and chrome fixtures, as well as granite counter tops, where it leaves a very nice shine, with no dullness. On a side note, that’s why we use Dawn instead of something like vinegar because any acid is a granite counter tops worst enemy. On the other hand, if you don’t have granite you can use white vinegar (1/4 tsp) with alcohol. Your glass will shine and sparkle like diamonds.

Spray Bottle #3 – Bleach Cleaner: We can go in numerous directions using bleach and water or the retail product cleaner and bleach. But you really must be very careful as to what you mix with bleach because the chemical reaction can turn out to be a very bad mistake. I have found that a mixture of 1/3 cup of Tide detergent and 2/3 cup of bleach (use Clorox scented) mixed with 1 gallon of water (these mix very well together) works very effectively to kill mold in the bathroom and as a general cleaner for the tub, shower, and toilet bowl.  For those of you who want to clean “green” you can use hydrogen peroxide, but it just may take a little longer – spray it on, let it sit for 30 minutes, come back to the area, scrub, and rinse.

Spray Bottle #4 – Acid Cleaner: The retail products we know are: The Works, CLR, and Scrub Free. All of these have the same purpose, to clean through soap scum and hard water deposit. They are very toxic and will eat a hole through your skin if you allow it to stay on your hands without washing it off or if you don’t wear gloves. All of these products have sulfamic acid which can cause skin and eye irritation, so if you have existing respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, etc – DO NOT USE!  For my spray bottle, I use straight white vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of Dawn (blue) and you will have a very effective disinfectant and soap scum cleaner, which can be used for sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets.  I’m a firm believer in the power of white vinegar.

Spray bottle #5 – Basic Furniture Polish and Cleaner: The retail products are endless from your top end oil products for wood to your everyday Liquid Gold and Pledge.  There are some products I know that work very well such as Parker and Bailey’s Furniture Cream which is good for finished woods and the Swiffer Dust and Shine to use for a duster. The Swiffer is a good product that contains almond oil, but a word of caution – it is an aerosol, so those of you that suffer from allergies and COPD should not use it. What do I use? ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¾ cup of canola oil. You can also use ¼ cup of lemon juice along with ½ cup to ¾ cup of canola oil. These make excellent wood furniture cleaners. Spray the solution onto a soft cloth and wipe lightly.

Now that we have gone through our spray bottles, you will also need a good powder cleanser.  Baking soda is great! It is safe, non-toxic, doesn’t scratch, and it works well with a little elbow grease. I also use Bar Keepers Friend and find that it works far better than the rest of the retail products. As a mild abrasive with no pressure and little scrubbing, this product cleans stainless steel sinks, fiberglass, porcelain, tile, brass, copper, and glass cook tops. Just follow the directions on the container and you are good to go!

Ok, we have gotten through the basics, so let’s start having some fun. The time we spend will have a big pay-off – hours that will add up to days of you NOT cleaning the house.

Until next time, today, and everyday, put comfort in your life…Ciao!

Getting Started

So let’s get started! Cleaning a room, depending on the size , how much furniture, and what room it is (kitchen or bathroom compared to a living room or bedroom) on a weekly basis can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a half an hour.

I developed a way to clean a house using the right products and making every move count because everything comes down to time and effort.  We can’t be continuously re-doing our work if we expect to get out of the house.

I had a choice to test numerous products available on the market, both the everyday brand cleaners and the green cleaners.  It has been hard work and a very expensive lesson over the past 17 years.  In my opinion, most of these products are a health risk to you, your children, and your pets. Some of the most expensive ones are not really what they’re made out to be and personally they can eat the skin right off your hands, while others can do damage to your lungs. We haven’t even touched upon what they can do to your pets. The bottom line: I’m here looking out for you and to help you do the best cleaning in as little time as possible.

Now when cleaning an apartment or house, you have to look at it as art – each room is a new canvas and you are the artist. Your tools are no different than an artist. You wouldn’t use water colors to finish an oil painting, nor would you use pastels to do a charcoal drawing. So, you wouldn’t use bleach to clean a wood table, nor would you use oil to clean that mirror.

Getting started on organization:

-Without a doubt when you enter a room, you should start at the top (the ceiling fan and light fixtures) and you should always circle it, left to right. Got it! Believe me this helps in a major way and I’ll explain why later.

2) I should tell you to buy one of those small carpenter aprons, the ones with two pockets in front and a tool loop on each side, but let’s be real folks, you’re not professional and it would be a waste of time. You would get tired putting it on every time you clean, believe me!! I did it! Unless you really want the professional cleaning job, go for it, but for now we’re cleaning your home, so forget about it.

3) Honestly folks, if it isn’t dirty, don’t clean it! Think about it, you’re just creating extra work for yourself and wasting time.

4) Get yourself one of those oblong brushes that fit over the ceiling fan blades. It works and you’ll be glad you got it!

5) More time is wasted by not having the proper tools with you at the time to do the job  you’re on, so get yourself one of those little plastic carry-all caddy’s or a Sears Craftsman canvas tool carrier for 19.99. It holds everything you will need and that is what I use.

or

These are the tools of the trade. I will list them here now and will explain them later:

1) Toothbrush (3) – one for wet use, one for dry use, and one for use in the bathroom only - different color handles will help a lot.

2) Single edge razor-blades and holder.

3) Spray bottles (at least 5).

4) A 25 or 50 foot extension cord and cord caddy. This will depend on cleaning a large home or small apartment.

5) White scrub pad/sponge – do not use a green scrub pad because it scratches. I like the scotch-bright yellow Dobie nylon sponge that scours without scratching.

6) Tile brush – a large brush with stiff synthetic bristles.

7) Toilet brush

8) Pumice Stone

9) Rayon-fiber cord wet mop

10) Sh-mop – this mop uses a flat rubber surface (8x15 inches) covered with a removable, reusable, and washable terry clothe cover.

11) Multi-surface duster – I like the Pledge brand. There are others out there, so you should use whichever fits you best.

12) Bar Keepers Friend – this is a powder cleanser and polish. It doesn’t scratch your surface

13) Vacuum Cleaner – please use the one you already have, but if you need a new one I will recommend one later.

14) Cleaning clothes – the best are all cotton and all white only. The ones that work really great are the 14x17 inch white terry towels.

15) Plastic container (6) – Ex.40 oz Big Gulp. Use them in the bathroom to help rinse the tub or shower.  They are much safer than using the shower head. Use them as a holder for your sponges, tooth brushes, and tile brush.

A New Adventure

After leaving the corporate world, I spent a lot of time doing research on this new adventure that I was about to embark on. It was a bit scary at first, leaving everything you've known all your life behind to go out on your own without a safety net. To my surprise, it wasn't all that hard to accomplish once you put your mind to it. We can come back to this at a later time, because it is interesting and it can be educational to those who might be interested in starting your own business. It will be a lot easier and less pressure if you know in advance what to expect.

I decided that I would start a business that: 1) would not take up too much of my time and make me money as well. Hey, I was semi-retired! 2) be a business that would survive the bad times as well as the good times, a business that encompassed the idea that there is always someone that is willing to do something that someone else can not do or want to do.

For me, the cleaning business, both residential and commercial , needed to be different then everyone else out there. As a selling point, there are no teams of 2 or 3 people coming to your house, no buddy system - just ME. I sold the most important fact to my future clients: "Trust and Security" and my ability and guarantee that I could bring a shine to the worst of any condition.

Now cleaning someone's home or office, you have to do something that they don't have the time to do or want to do. Everyday is Spring Cleaning! I clean houses in Central Florida close to 1000 times a year.

Within 17 years, my residential and commercial cleaning business has grown into a Concierge Service Company that includes:

• Home Care Management
• Pet Care Management
• Errand Service
• Referral Service
• Personal Shopper Service

An evergreen, recession-resistant business that is and always in demand. My mission statement: "Doing what it takes to make your life comfortable."