St Patrick's Day

Hi Guys, Diana here!

With Saint Patrick’s bank holiday weekend fast approaching; it’s time to spruce up my home in anticipation of my friends and family coming to visit! Cracking open the windows and feeling a rush of fresh clean spring air through my home, it’s therapeutic.  Crisp cool air instantly wakes my sleepy abode up after the long dark winter has ended.

However, these wonderfully longer days, bright sunshine and warmer air do highlight some odd cleaning jobs that I have neglected!

For example while I was having a coffee the other day admiring the sun beaming into my kitchen, my joy was quickly overshadowed by my less than clean windows and unknowingly grubby kitchen surfaces. This brilliant day light really knows how to make a housewife feel bad!

Here are my top tips to get your home ready for that glorious Spring Sunshine!

ü  Arm yourself with a bucket of hot soapy water, a cloth, some newspaper and some glass cleaner.  Wash those windows inside and out (yes all of them). Start by lathering up your cloth and wiping the stubborn dirt and grease away.  When you have scrubbed as much grime off your windows as possible polish them by spraying on glass cleaner and rubbing it off with newspaper in a circular motion until no streaks appear.

ü  Go web hunting; see where the spiders have left any webs and with a long handled duster remove them.

ü  Check all vents including electrical ones and then clean them (an old dry toothbrush is great for this)

ü  Clean the rubbish bin as the warm air moves it will only serve to heighten foul smells.

ü  Freshen carpets with a thorough clean and ensure they are well dried to avoid a smell of damp.

ü  Clean and de-scale all bathrooms especially shower doors, tiles and crevices prone to damp.

ü  Clean all marks and spots on walls, door frames and light switches with a damp (not wet) cloth.

ü  Polish all book shelves, end tables, clocks, wooden surfaces and ornaments the sunlight loves to show dust in all its glory!

If these tasks are not up your street they certainly are up mine, call me now on 1890 929988 and arrange a safe, high quality spring clean. Spring Clean Gift Vouchers now available. 

Spring is in the Air

Yes we are half way through February and days are getting longer. It’s time to think of brightening up your home with a little bit of extra cleaning, so I am going to give you some advice around the bathroom.

I assume that you are cleaning here regularly, whether you use microfiber cloths, dusters with a de-scaling cleaner or wipes this is one room in your home that needs daily attention. Just a quick wipe of the sink, showers, mirrors and floors not forgetting the toilet bowl will keep your bathroom fresh. If you are using wipes please do not flush then down the toilet – they can stick on the u bend of the toilet and your loo stops flushing. Worse still they do not decompose later so damage sewage systems.

Tooth Brush and Holder

·       Your toothbrush is exposed to all the germs in your mouth and also to any that may lurk in your bathroom so keeping it clean is essential. Let it soak in a cup of vinegar or lemon juice which will kill all those bacteria. You should in any event change you toothbrush regularly - every 3 months. Old ones have other cleaning uses.

• The toothbrush holder collects all the drips from you brushes so harbours possible germs. Wash it out regularly with hot water to remove tooth paste residue. Put it in your dishwasher now and again.

Shower Door Track

·        So you want to know what to do with that old tooth brush. It is the perfect tool to clean the track on the bottom of your shower door. Use with some vinegar or even bleach along with the old toothbrush to scrub along the rail and remove accumulated gunk. Then wash out with hot water. 

Stained Toilet Bowl

• First turn off the water from filling the cistern (just prop up the inflow mechanism). Then flush the toilet to drain away the water in the bowl. A plunger can help to push water round the bend.
• Initially scrub the stain with a toilet brush. Now soak some paper towel in either vinegar or a heavy duty descaler or even bleach. Place that soaked paper on the stain and leave to work for many hours.
• Next scrub the stained area with a nylon scrubbing pad or brush and flush, having released the water intake in the cistern.
• If the stain persists the I suggest you repeat the draining process as above but this time try using a pumice stone to gently rub that stained area. Pumice is a natural volcanic rock with gentle abrasion. Keep the pumice wet when rubbing. Then rinse off. 

Toilet Brush 

• Once you have finished cleaning the toilet bowl the brush that you have used needs to be cleaned, at least monthly. I suggest that you spray it with disinfectant and then let it sit for ten minutes. Next wash it out with the hottest water available, and then let it dry.  You can just prop it up over the toilet bowl.
• Before you put it back into its holder that too needs to be cleaned and dry.  A toilet brush sitting in the wet is a recipe for all sorts of bugs to grow. 

There are many uses for your bathroom so keep it clean. As a well know author said “I do like to read in bed, but because I have two kids I am often forced to read in the bathroom” Eoin Colfer

Pristine Home would love to help you with all or any of the above jobs, outside or inside your bathroom, and then ensure that your home is kept neat and tidy on a regular basis. Please call 1890 929 988 or info@pristine.ie  or visit our web site and avail of our many cleaning services to help you and to leave you the time for reading, even if it is in your bathroom.

Looking forward to hearing from you      

Diana     

New Year Resolutions

Hi and welcome to 2014 .

Now that all those New Years resolutions are tried, tested and discarded, I thought a few simple cleaning tips might just be the right antidote. But initially let me share the following thought which seems appropriate at this time of the year.

 “We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.”   Ellen Goodman

Back to a few quirky ideas on the home clean front and in no particular order:

1.     When cleaning out the fire place you know all that dust will just go everywhere. Fill a spray bottle with water and spray a mist over the ashes first.

2.     White Bread can be used to pick up those last shreds of broken glass that the pan and brush don’t collect. Simple press the bread over the broken glass to pick it up

3.     White bread can also be used to dust an oil painting. Gently rub the bread over the painting and frame to remove dust and grime

4.     If your hands smell of garlic, try rubbing them against stainless steel and then wash with soap. Yes your sink is probably stainless steel so use that.

5.     To make brass or copper shine consider rubbing with ketchup. Spread a little ketchup on a soft cloth and thoroughly rub your pots or pans and then rinse in warm water dry and buff for a sparkling shine.

6.     Talking about shining, try rubbing plant leaves with mayonnaise or milk on a paper towel.

7.     So you can’t get at the inside of a bottle or vase to remove that stain. Add some uncooked rice to a mixture of warm water and vinegar pour into the bottle and shake vigorously, rinse and dry.

Why not try one or two of the ideas above and see the results. Don’t forget there is always help to hand especially for the more difficult tasks. We here at Pristine Home would love to take on the task of cleaning your home and have it nice and fresh for you. Please see our website www.pristine.ie or contact Diana at Pristine Home on 1890 929 988 or info@pristine.ie

Until the next time,

Diana

Last Chance to Clean Outside

Hi Again,

The weather has changed, storms and rain are with us and the autumn leaves are everywhere. Outside your home needs some attention to ensure your gutters and drains are free of debris, outside furniture is winterised, patio and decking cleaned and free of algae and your windows are clean. Now you can relax and attend to the inside chores before the Christmas rush.

Outside

• Gather up all the fallen leaves and storm debris and put them in the compost
• Clean and power hose decking, patios and driveways
• Clean gutters and down pipes. Make sure all drains are free of debris
• Remove all cobwebs, dust and dirt from eaves and soffits
• Clean all exterior windows, window frames and window sills

Inside

• Clean out your kitchen presses, remove any out of date items left behind. dented or damaged tins and any unwanted items that are just taking up space.
• Vacuum your curtains and get rid of any cobwebs.
• Clean all of the mattresses in the house to keep dust mites under control. Vacuum the top of the mattress, move the mattress and vacuum base, Turn mattresses (do you remember which way you turned them last time?) and don't forget to vacuum the other side too.
• Your computer needs a clean too. Start by turning the keyboard upside down and shake out any dust or crumbs. Use compressed air to blow out any other bits, NOT a vacuum. Wipe keys and all other exterior surfaces with a damp cloth and then dry. No need to use special cleaner. If you dare to go inside do not use a vacuum. Just blow out the dust particles that you cannot remove with your fingers or a soft brush.
• Those smelly cloths or sponges also need a thorough washing. To disinfect smelly sponges, wash sponge thoroughly, then microwave it while it is wet, for a short period. Make sure there are no metal bits in the cloth or sponge. When you see steam from the sponge, the bacteria in the sponge will be dead. Remove carefully, it will be hot! Wash the sponge thoroughly before use

“Autumn is the perfect time to take account of what we've done, what we didn't do, and what we'd like to do next year”. ~Author Unknown

Pristine Home would love to help you with all or any of the above jobs, outside or inside your home, and then ensure that your home is kept neat and tidy on a regular basis. Please call 1890 929 988 or info@pristine.ie  or visit our web site and avail of our many cleaning services to help you and to leave you the time for yourself.

Looking forward to hearing from you      

Diana