Blog - Illinois Valley House Cleaning Services

Surprising Places You’ll Find Germs In The Kitchen

July 9, 2018 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Germs in the kitchen When you cook, you probably take time to clean the countertop and the oven, but germs are everywhere in the kitchen. You may not know it, but your kitchen is like a level 4 bio-hazard lab and you should really wear one of those Outbreak suits. OK, so it may not be Ebola, but that doesn’t mean the germs lurking in the cracks and crevices can’t make you sick.

The Refrigerator

It’s cold. Germs can’t live in that, can they? Do you ever get a cold in the winter? ‘Nuff, said. The fridge isn’t freezing anything. It’s just keeping it at a cold temperature. Raw meat can be chock full of little nasties, but we still store it in the fridge. A little meat or blood spills in the meat drawer and it sits there growing until a nice little colony forms. They attach to neighboring foods and drinks until they’ve taken over your fridge like an invading army of creepy crawlies.

Vegetables are supposed to be good for you, but have you ever forgotten about carrots in the crisper? A few months go by and they’ve turned into a gelatinous goo that Bugs Bunny would run screaming from. Veggies have a tendency to break down fast and they can leave behind yeast, mold, salmonella and listeria. Clean your fridge regularly and use a disinfectant.

Rubber Sealed Containers

You love your Pyrex dishes with those rubber sealed containers that keep your food fresh for days. You can’t imagine life without them, but that seal could be harboring germs. Your leftover corn casserole could be a one-way ticket to the bathroom, and we all know how that ends.

You wash them, but it’s hard to get everything in the crevices of the seal. Make sure to take a little extra care with the seals to keep them clean and dry them thoroughly or else mold can grow. Penicillin is great an all, but no one wants to get it straight from the source.

Appliances

Blenders, can openers and other appliances that you use, but don’t clean every aspect of can harbor fugitive bacteria that escaped the food you prepared. When was the last time you clean and disinfected the can opener? It comes in contact with pizza sauces, soups and…ick…canned corn. The cutting blade often comes in contact with the liquid inside the cans. You also spill when releasing the can from the magnet.

Blenders are great, but it’s hard to get those blades completely clean without losing a finger. Bacteria and other nasties can grow in there and you end up drinking a salmonella smoothie.

If you’re worried about bacteria in your kitchen, then contact Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. and we can clean it for you.

Stay Safe While Cleaning In The Heat

June 29, 2018 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Be safe when cleaning in the heat Summer is in full swing and temperatures are reaching over 100 degrees without the heat index and that’s enough to cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke. While air conditioning is nice, many households either don’t have it or keep it off or on a high temperature to save money. If you’re doing any cleaning in the heat, indoors or out, make sure you stay safe.

Hydration is Key to Safe Cleaning

When you’re doing any type of physical activity in the heat, you’re going to sweat. If you’re focused on cleaning, you may not even notice how much until you start feeling light headed. When your body gets overheated, the primary way it cools itself is through sweating. Dehydration keeps your body from sweating effectively and sweating will dehydrate your body. It’s important to drink plenty of fluids, especially water or sports drinks with electrolytes, to maintain a healthy level of hydration. Do not drink caffeinated soda, energy drinks or alcohol. These can actually hasten dehydration and keep the body from regulating temperature properly.

Take Regular Breaks Throughout the Day

Once you start cleaning, it’s easy to lose track of time. It may seem like only a little time has passed, but hours have gone by. Heat plus activity is a recipe for heat exhaustion, so take breaks every now and then to help your body cool down. It’s also a good idea to wear light clothing to keep weight down. Additional weight means harder work and a more likely chance of overheating.

Don’t wait until your start feeling bad to take a break. Set an alarm to go off every half hour or 45 minutes, depending on the heat and the amount of effort. Take a 10 minute break and drink some water.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion

When your body can’t’ cool down as fast as it heats up, your body starts to develop heat exhaustion. If the heat is extreme and you don’t get help, then it can develop into a life threatening condition called heatstroke.

Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating and rapid pulse as your body tries to cool itself down. You might begin to feel faint and dizzy, develop a headache and possible muscle cramps. Stop what you’re doing right away if you experience any of these symptoms.

Illinois Valley Clean Team is very cognizant of your health and the health of our employees. If you want a hassle-free home cleaning, then contact us today for a free quote.

Teaching Kids To Cook Over The Summer

June 20, 2018 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Children cooking with parents School may be out, but the world doesn’t stop spinning just because junior’s got a three-month vacation. You can’t always be expected to clean and cook for them morning, noon and night, especially if you’re dealing with a full-time job. It’s important that children learn to cook and take care of themselves, so when they’re adults they’ll be able to survive on something besides Ramen and cardboard pizzas.

Avoid the Easy Path

Summer can be hectic. It’s hard enough to handle work and all the extracurricular activities let as well cook meals. You may think you don’t have the time to teach them to cook and end up filling the freezer with microwaveable food, cardboard pizzas and other items that can just be put in the oven and heated. The worst is just giving them money before you leave and let them order pizza. This is an unhealthy path and while it might make your life easier and the kids won’t complain, but it’s not teaching them anything except how to eat processed foods.

Teach Them When You Cook

The best time to teach them is when you’re already cooking something anyway. When you’re beginning, start out with them just watching a few times. Let them see how you cut vegetables, etc. They’ll start understanding the process of cooking and how things are prepared. After a while, let them help you with the cooking. Start small with preparation and then move on to the actual cooking. Make sure they have access to numerous dishes of various difficulties. Once they’ve everything a few times, let them go at it alone. If they can make a meatloaf, then they’ll have no problem making a ham sandwich or a few eggs for breakfast.

Give Them a Chance

Every bird needs the chance to fly alone and so do your children. Make sure they have all the groceries they need and leave the house with the understanding they’re on their own. They’ll surprise you, but one aspect they need to follow is the cleanup. Don’t let them cook and then leave all the dishes for you. They’ll need to clean up their own messes when they’re on their own. They won’t want to do it, but you don’t want to do it either…and it’s not your mess.

Illinois Valley Clean Team is the leading home cleaning service in La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and throughout the Illinois Valley. Contact us for a free quote today.

Schools Out For Summer: Keeping The House Clean When Kids Are Home

May 30, 2018 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Cleaning the house with kids home for the summer Every day for most of the year, the children came running through the door in the afternoon. You’ve got all day to do any cleaning without worrying about pattering feet, arguments and the inevitable “I need…” Suddenly, that’s all gone. They’re home to eat, drink and be demanding. How can you manage to keep the house clean when they’re determined to tear it up and keep you busy?

Keep Them Busy

Society knows the difficulty summer can be for stay-at-home parents and devised numerous ways to keep them busy throughout the day. Many towns have public pools and parks that they can go to for hours and have fun. Several groups host camps and libraries often have reading activities. There’s so much to do and all designed to keep them busy and give you time to get things done. Many of these require you to register ahead of time, so try to get it done as soon as possible. Remember, you’re not trying to get rid of them, you’re giving them the opportunity to have new experiences.

Get Them Involved

I remember one day, I had the children working on the living room. They had this amazing ability to use every dish available and leave them throughout the living room, so they had to clean it. When it was all done, the living room was cleaned and the dishes were done and put away. They were sweaty. If anyone tried to put a dish in the living room, they jumped on them like a puma on a wounded elk, telling them to get that dish back the sink…better yet…clean it. It lasted about three days, but then they had to clean it again. They weren’t happy, but it sure made the job easier.

Make is a mix of Work and Play

I joke about the kids being a pain over the summer, but it’s a great time to spend time with them and enjoy them while they’re still kids. It won’t be too long before their lives are just like yours, so let them learn responsibility, but also have fun. Have them work on something in the house and then everyone goes out for ice cream or play ball in the backyard. They’re not the only ones that deserves a little playtime.

Better yet, leave it all to us so you can enjoy the summer just as much as the kids. Contact us for a free estimate today.

Gearing Up For Spring Cleaning

May 17, 2018 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Gearing Up For Spring Cleaning Spring cleaning is here, and you’re probably not looking forward to it. It’s time consuming and life doesn’t stop because you’ve got dust bunnies to annihilate. When you can barely wake up in the morning, it’s difficult to spend hours on cleaning your house. You need a little push and pick-me-up before you embark on this epic cleaning journey.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Before you tackle the spring cleaning, make sure you’re well rested. You may only get six hours of sleep or less during the week, but if you’re going to do a major physical activity that’s going to last the whole day, then try to go for 8, but not much more. You’ll wake up with more energy and a little extra pep in your step. The job is still going to be difficult, but you’re heading into it with a good attitude and energy.

Eat a Good Breakfast

You’re going to need some fuel to burn while you’re running up and down the stairs with a vacuum cleaner. A good hearty breakfast filled with protein and a few carbs will keep you going until lunch. When I say a “good breakfast,” I don’t mean sugary cereal or pop tarts. I’m talking about eggs, sausage, fruit and orange juice. You know, real food. You need something that’s going to stay with you for a while and not just get burned up in the first hour or so.

Carbohydrates like bread and bagels will give you that initial burst of energy and the fruits and protein will let you keep that up for several hours. If you start feeling low on energy, then grab some peanuts or pecans for a snack.

Rock Your Cleaning World

When you work out or go to the gym to exercise, do you listen to music? Of course you do. It not only helps you pass the time, but also pumps you up to do the exercise. When you’re ready to start spring cleaning, grab your cell phone (or your Walkman if you’re old school) and crank up the dance party, hard rock or whatever music turns you into a cleaning machine. The hours will fly bye and you might even have fun. I think we’ve all had that moment when the vacuum or the duster becomes a microphone. We’ve all belted out Bon Jovi while cleaning, there’s no shame in it.

If you’re still unable to get yourself motivated for spring cleaning, then contact Illinois Valley Clean team Inc. and let us do it for you. Enjoy your spring and let us do all the hard work.