Blog - Illinois Valley House Cleaning Services

How To Clean Grill Grates

March 28, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Is there anything better than the smell of steak cooking on an outside grill? Spring has sprung and grillers are getting out their gas and charcoal grills. They’re also finding the remnants of last year’s hot dog and hamburger fest that has sat idle for the past four months.

Cleaning a grill grate, especially when you forget before the winter, can be a difficult job. The grease, fat and general goo has become a concrete-like substance that’s keeping you from the ribeye of your dreams. It needs to be cleaned and cleaned thoroughly before you even think about putting that slab of heaven on it.

The Tools You Need

The first thing is a pair of sturdy rubber gloves. You don’t want to touch that nastiness with your bare skin. You’ll also need a wire grill brush. They’re not very expensive and do a great job of scraping the gunk off. In house, you’ll need dish soap that has a reputation for being tough on grease and a sponge or microfiber towel.

Cleaning the Grill

You need to heat the grill for a while to get the food deposits hot. It may mean sacrificing some charcoal, but having the goo warm makes it easier to get off. Don’t clean the grill when it hot. You may need a little elbow grease and you don’t want a third degree burn to your hands. Wait until the grill grate is warm and use the grill brush. It should make short work of the particles. They’ll fall down into the charcoal and may flair up a little if there’s grease in them.

The grill grate should be free of all particles and don’t forget to do both sides. Set the grill off to the side and empty the charcoal and ashes. Some may argue charcoal and ash removal isn’t necessary as it falls into the trap under the grill, but trust us, it is. The charcoal and ashes are covered in leftover food particles. This could end up making the food taste bad if used right after cleaning.

In the House

The grill may look great, but it’s best to error on the side of caution. There could be dangerous bacteria residing on it. Don’t start grill season started off with a salmonella outbreak. Take the grill inside the house and put it in the bathtub. (It won’t likely fit in the sink.)

Pour the dish soap over the grill and cover it in hot water. It should soak for a little while to let the soap and hot water break up any grease on the grill. Grab a sponge or washcloth and scrub down the grill from end to end. The hot water and soap should not only remove the grease, but also take care of any bacteria.

With the grill in perfect order, place the grate back on and season that ribeye. It’s grilling time.

Is your outdoor patio ready for grilling guests or does your deck need refinishing? Do you have a big party coming up and want the house spic and span? Contact us for a quote and we’ll take care of everything you need.

Spring Into Spring With Outdoor Projects

February 23, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

What’s that? Could the birds be chirping once again? Is the grass getting green and the temperatures rising? Spring is nearly here and that means it’s time to start working on the outside of your home. Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. is more than just a home cleaning service, we also offer a wide variety of outdoor services to make the outside of your home look as beautiful as the inside.

Window Cleaning

Snow may be white, but that doesn’t mean it’s crystal clear. Dirt and other contaminants can make your windows dirty and grimy after the big thaw. Don’t let Mother Nature turn your windows into an unsightly terror this spring. Our professional window cleaning services can get the months of dirt buildup from the winter off quickly. Your window will be streak free and sills, tracks and frames spotless. We use only professional grade tools and contractor grade ladders to keep your gutters, siding and windows from being damaged.

Gutter Cleaning

Gutters are easy to forget about because you don’t really see them on a day to day basis. Leaves and branches can clog up the gutters leading to pooling on your roof and poor drainage. Winter is about over and now is the perfect time to set up a gutter cleaning appointment. Spring rains will be here before you know it and you want to make sure your gutters are clean and water is freely flowing from your roof and into your gutter system.

House and Siding Washing

The same dirt and grime that accumulated on your windows also darkens and stains your siding. We don’t bombard your home with high pressure water that can cause damage and instead specialize in soft washing techniques. It makes your siding look like new without the potential dangers of high pressure washing. Our house and siding washing is second to none.

Concrete Cleaning

Time, weather, the sun and countless other problems can cause the luster and look of your concrete to change over time. While the damage doesn’t happen over a single winter, spring is still the perfect time to get concrete cleaning. The grass and leaves are green. The flowers are blooming and the last thing you want it to have the look of your home marred by ugly concrete. Our concrete cleaning process makes your concrete look good as new.

Deck and Fence Refinishing

With the temperature rising, you’ll likely be spending more time outside. Don’t spend your days drinking tea on an ugly porch. Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. specializes in deck and fence restoration and refinishing. You can lounge on the most attractive deck in the neighborhood. We’ll strip the wood, brighten it and then apply a quality stain that will keep it looking pristine for years to come.

How to Remove Salt From Floors and Carpets

January 15, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Each year state and city workers spread thousands of pounds of salt on roadways to melt ice and keep all of us safe. It’s obviously a necessity, but all the excess salt gets stuck on your car and clothes. By the end of the winter, you’ve got enough salt on your floors and carpets to take care of all your popcorn needs for a few millennia. This stuff can be a pain to get out, but Illinois Valley Clean Team has your hookup.

Why so hard to remove?

One thing people don’t realize is the salt used on roads is hard to clean. Salt has a high pH, making it a strong base that can interact with your flooring. This isn’t table salt (sodium chloride), but most likely calcium chloride (so don’t actually use it on your popcorn). The problem is before it can be clean, the pH has to be decreased to neutral levels or else it starts to dissolve the finish on your floors or just smear. If there’s a high enough concentration, then it can turn into a sticky mess.

Cleaning the Mess

If you have high pH, then you can neutralize it by adding a low pH i.e. an acid. There are many cleaning products that are acidic or you can use a couple ounces of vinegar per gallon of water. Once you have your acid, use a mop to mop up the salty mess. If there is a high concentration of salt, then you’ll want to let the vinegar set in for a little bit before mopping it up. If there’s some persistent streaking, then don’t be afraid to get s sponge soaked in the mixture and give it a little elbow grease.

Once the salt has been removed, you can dump out the vinegar mixture and fill up the bucket with warm soapy water. Run that over the area with the mop and then use with clean water to make sure all the salt is removed.

Salt in Carpets

It’s one thing if there’s salt on your hardwood floor, but salt on the carpet can be a real problem. People track in the wet slush. When it dries on your carpet, it leaves behind a crystalline stain. For this, mix a 1-1 mixture of vinegar and warm water into a spray bottle. Vacuum the area thoroughly and then spray the stain with the mixture. Let it soak for a little while and then rub the area with a cloth, according to howtocleanstuff.net. This should get rid of the salt crystals. If not, then repeat the procedure again. If you have a carpet cleaner or wet vac, then go over the area to remove as much moisture as you can or else let it dry on its own.

IV Clean Team is the Illinois Valley’s leading cleaning service. We offer a wide variety of services from home cleaning to concrete cleaning. Call today or get a free quote.

Foods You Can Use To Clean Your House

December 18, 2015 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

You’re tired, but you know it’s time to clean the house, so you head to the cabinet and discover you’re all out of cleaning supplies. Being a clever MacGyver-esque person (queue theme music), you head to the fridge to concoct your own cleaning products from common household foods. You don’t even have to worry about bombs on a timer or evil supervillains. These foods are great, all natural and good for the environment.

Lemons

Lemons have a high acidity and are not only good with cleaning, but also a naturally antiseptic. Most fruits have citric acid, which is why there are so many orange and lemon flavored cleaning agents. This is something people have known for centuries. Cut a lemon in half and use it to scrub out stains. Juice a few lemons and mix with water for cleaning countertops. Does your garbage disposal have an odor? Cut up a few lemons and use them in the garbage disposal. It cleans the blades and provides a wonderful citrus smell.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a lot like lemons when it comes to cleaning, but in a more natural liquid form. Its actual chemical name is acetic acid and along with making a great sauce for fish, is an amazing cleaning agent. Keep a 50-50 water/ vinegar mix on hand for spills in the fridge. You don’t want to use harsh chemicals where you store food. Got a dirty microwave? Pour ½ cup water and ½ cup of vinegar into a bowl and microwave until boiling. The vapor loosens stains and you can wipe them away without a problem.

Salt

We’ve always thought of salt as nature’s scouring pad. In its solid form, the crystals can be used to scrape dirt and other stains. When you mix it with water, you get a saline solution that is amazing at getting out food stains and even blood. As a side note, if you have a sore throat or sore in your mouth, use salt water to clear it up in a jiffy. (Yes, it tastes horrible, but gargling salt water is much better than living with pain. That’s what mom always said.) Do not use salt for cleaning pans with coatings as the abrasiveness can damage the coating.

Tea

Cleaning can be stressful, so many people reach for the chamomile tea to help them relax, but tea can also make your wood furniture and floors shine. Take six tea bags and place them in a microwave safe bowl and fill it with water. Place it into the microwave for about 8 minutes and let it cool. Dip a cloth in the cool tea and use it to make your wood surfaces shine like new, according to Huffington Post.

Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. is the area’s leading home cleaning service. If you’re looking for someone to help with your house cleaning, then contact us for a free quote.

Holiday Cleaning Tips: Advice From The Experts

November 13, 2015 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

If you’re hosting holiday parties for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you’re going to need to get your house looking great. It takes more than festive decorations and good cheer to get your house ready for friends and family. The specialists at Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. are here to give you a few tips and tricks to make the holiday cleaning go a little easier.

Do a walk through

The first step of holiday cleaning is to understand exactly what needs to be cleaned and to what extent. It’s important to do a thorough walk through of the home from the perspective of a guest. A guest doesn’t see your home like you do. You get used to the small imperfections and gloss over them, but a guest might notice the dead leaves in your houseplant or dust on the ceiling fan.

Make it a family affair

Holiday home cleaning isn’t just the job of one person. It’s a family effort. Recruit the kids and your spouse to fix up various areas of the house and make sure they do a good job. If one person is in control of all the cleaning, then that person might get tired and miss something. Assigning cleaning areas and having a plan can make a deep clean far easier.

Don’t forget the little places

Nooks and crannies are notorious for being dirty. These are places that you might not think about cleaning like the medicine cabinet. Yes, it’s intrusive, but people may look. You may have the laundry room door closed, but that doesn’t mean someone might not venture in there and see your mound of laundry lint. A deep clean means cleaning everywhere including polishing door knobs, placing fresh towels, etc. It’s from top to bottom.

Prepare the coat closet

It gets chilly this time of year and guests enter your home with many layers of clothing. The coat closet probably doesn’t get a lot of use and may even be used for storage. The last thing anyone wants is to open the coat closet and have a few bowling balls…it’s always bowling balls…come rolling out. Organize and clean out the coat closet, so there’s plenty of room for hats, scarves, coats, umbrellas and anything else they might bring.

Clean your rugs and don’t use them

Rugs take a beating, especially in heavy traffic flow areas. Launder your rugs and then put them away until the big day. This keeps them from being trampled and makes sure they smell fresh and look great for the holidays.

While cleaning is important, don’t forget about the real meaning of the holidays: family. It doesn’t matter what you celebrate as long as the people you love are a part of it. Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. would be proud to help with your cleaning needs this holiday season. Contact us today.

How To Clean Grill Grates

Spring Into Spring With Outdoor Projects

How to Remove Salt From Floors and Carpets

Foods You Can Use To Clean Your House

Holiday Cleaning Tips: Advice From The Experts

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