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Top 6 Reasons To Hire Home Cleaning Services

June 14, 2021 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Cleaning services have many benefits, but some homeowners may think they are unnecessary. However, hiring professionals to clean your home is not a luxury at all. Here we tell you some reasons that drove our clients to hire us. Maybe they sound familiar to you!

1. A busy schedule

Full-time workers know that cleaning services aren’t a luxury. Although cities in Illinois Valley may have a small-town vibe, many people here live on a tight schedule. Between a full-time job and active family life, little time is left to keep their home clean.

Our maintenance cleaning service works great for everyone looking to keep their homes neat and clean without spending all the afternoon cleaning. The best part is that you don’t have to be home while we work!

2. Struggles with cleaning duties

Cleaning duties are more of a challenge than most people think. Sure, wiping a surface may not be a big deal, but cleaning becomes tricky when tough stains or excessive dust appear. Besides, people suffering from a disease or an impairment may struggle to get their homes as clean as they want.

Also, you don’t have to be the best cleaner! Many people prefer to leave these tasks to professionals.

3. Cleaning supplies require investment

People often don’t realize that hiring a cleaning company means saving money on cleaning supplies. We are not only talking about all-purpose cleaners and stain removers here, but also the tools. Some of our clients hired us after doing the math!

Would you buy a costly device just to use it a few times a year? A clear example is the Pureguard technology we use when disinfecting a home. It does a better job than common household disinfectants, but most homeowners won’t buy it. You are better off just getting the service every few months!

4. Free time is valuable

What are the benefits of hiring professional cleaning services? The first one is a cleaner home, but another one equally important is freeing your time. Do you prefer to clean your home during the entire weekend or enjoy the amenities that Peru, La Salle, and all the areas in Illinois Valley have to offer you?

Cleaning takes time, and some of our clients simply don’t want to spend their precious time on household work.

5. Cleanliness = health

Everyone is well aware of how cleanliness can improve health. When a home needs to be extra clean for health reasons, a cleaning company becomes a necessary ally—for example, households with small children or allergy sufferers.

A clean home is a healthier environment. Dust and pollen can hide in carpet fibers or furniture fabrics—not to mention bacteria and viruses!

6. Not liking cleaning at all

People assume that they should like cleaning their own home, but that’s not entirely true. You might like living in a clean space, but that doesn’t mean you have to enjoy the cleaning process.

The truth is that some people like cleaning, while others don’t. There’s nothing wrong with hiring a cleaning service because you want to skip the chores.

Cleaning services in Illinois Valley

Illinois Valley Clean Team is a local cleaning company proudly delivering high-quality services. We reach the cities of Peru, La Salle, Spring Valley, and other surrounding communities. If you are familiar with one (or more) of these reasons to hire a cleaning service, request your estimate online!

The Best Vacuum Cleaners for Homes with Children

March 18, 2019 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Having kids and pets around the house means that you need more than your average, run-of-the-mill vacuum cleaner, since you’ll be picking up way more than just dust; try fur, bits and pieces of paper, large crumbs of food, dirt from the garden ,and who knows what else (children always find a way to bring in a surprise every week). Overall, vacuuming with kids can be summed up by this Pinterest quote: “Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos”.

Like we said, your old vacuum might have been better suited for the job back when there were only a couple of adults living in the house and leaving an adult-grade mess behind, but now you’ll need to find something that packs a little more punch (or suck). Each of these entries has its own pros and cons, but all should prove heavy-duty enough for you.

(Most of these names are a mouthful, so you might want to follow the Amazon links if you wanna check up on prices.)

Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS

Let’s begin with what might be a surprise entry for some. The Oreck Commercial might not figure in most of the “Best Vacuum Cleaners” lists out there, but it more than proves its worth by offering an above-average cleaning capability, inexpensive replaceable bags, and perhaps more importantly, its ability to withstand continued use near and by rough-playing toddlers. It might not be allergy-friendly, but using air filters when you’re vacuuming will more than offset this problem.

You can find the Amazon listing here.

Bissell Powerglide Deluxe Pet w/ Lift-Off Technology

Perhaps the vacuum with the best sucking power out of all the ones listed here, the Bissell Powerglide Deluxe is an impressive, compact little fellow that can work its way through pet fur, food bits both large and small, and even the odd small pebble (although we don’t recommend you steer towards one if you do spot it on the floor). It’s not the smoothest when it comes to maneuvering around, so you might want to reconsider your furniture plan a bit if you go for this model.

Check it out on Amazon here.

Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away (NV501PR)

One of the better all-around models for many reasons, the Shark Rotator will satisfy even the most demanding of cleaners and housekeepers. Offering great results with minimal effort, this upright vacuum has a large capacity dirt holder, great vacuuming power, long-reach cord, and a super-easy to clean filter that you can just throw into the wash with your mop heads. Perhaps the best, most distinguishing feature of this model is the hard floor tool that comes packaged with the vacuum, which makes it easier than ever to pick up hair and small-bits-filled toddler messes. The downside? It’s definitely a pricier option than any other entry on the list.

Look it up on Amazon here.

Hoover Air Pro Bagless Upright

While it might not be the best at sucking up crafting messes (such as large and small paper scraps), it’s definitely on par with the rest of our list when it comes to overall performance in every other aspect, including pieces of food, pet hair, and such. A very long and flat head means that it will easily go under couches, at least the part closer to the edges, where a lot of sneaky messes are formed, so that means no longer crouching next to every piece of furniture whenever you want to clean around them.

You can find it on Amazon here.

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy

Looking like a gizmo right out of a 50s sci-fi B-movie, this is actually an astoundingly powerful vacuum that will pick up even the largest chunks of discarded snacks and matted pet fur thanks to the strength of its hose. This literal oddball of a cleaning tool features no filters to wash or replace, promising instead that its design captures all the dust that usually clogs such things. It also has a tool that removes allergens from mattresses and upholstery, which is a nice extra. The downsides are its eye-widening price and how much heavier it is than other models.

Find it on Amazon right here.
All of these vacuums will offer you enough sucking power to get rid of most cleaning disasters caused by kids and pets alike, but you might want to consider a professional crew to pick up some of the slack if your hands are too full between work and parenting. It will lower your stress and leave your house tidy and fresh!

The Best Mops and Sweepers for Spring Cleaning

March 4, 2019 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

If you want a properly clean house, then you should invest in the best tools for the job. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options out there for both sweeping and mopping any type of floor. Prices vary, but you can be sure that you’re getting only the best in each area with any of these entries.

This list gives you the name and most notable features and characteristics of the best mops and sweepers we could find out there, but getting the best deal on them is up to you!

O-Cedar Microfiber Cloth Mop w/ Extendable Handle

A traditional floor mop can be a trusted ally precisely because it doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles since you can just pick it up and get to cleaning in seconds. This is also where the O-Cedar Microfiber Cloth Mop shines brighter than most mops since it’s suitable for all types of tile, but also hardwood, vinyl, and linoleum floors thanks to its very gentle head that can be washed up to 100 times. It’s also a really an affordable option, but don’t expect to use it for heavy-duty tasks.

Shark rechargeable floor and carpet sweeper

This cordless sweeper is very good at getting dust and debris out of carpets and makes the generally not-so-fun chore of sweeping into a very stress-free experience. With a container capacity of 1.8qt, it will take a few rounds of light cleaning before you have to empty the tank, which makes up for its 20-minute battery life. The design makes it very easy to sweep on both carpet and floors, and the edge-cleaning squeegee means that you won’t have any trouble picking up debris from the wall. The only real issue (and we mean that lightly) is that it’s just slightly heavier and louder than the average sweeper.

Twist & Shout Spin Mop

This mop is not only extremely popular and well-recommended mop, but it’s also an actual award-winning tool. Spin mops rotate their heads at high speed to, well, spin water out of them, usually activated through a hand lever; the T&S uses hand wringing action, however, which means there are fewer parts on the mop that can fail after prolonged use. Their absorbent, washable microfiber heads can be used for traditional mopping or for dry mopping, making it also one of the best dust cleaning products. The replacement heads are also very affordable.

SWSMAX Max Cordless Swivel Sweeper from OnTel Products

With brushes that spin at 4000 rpm, this cordless and rechargeable sweeper is a cleaning beast. First; the flat, low profile design makes it an excellent cleaner for those hard-to-reach areas under tables, couches and other furniture, meaning that you don’t have to turn the house upside down every time you sweep. Second; you can remove, clean and reuse the bristles, meaning that you don’t have to worry about cumbersome bags or tanks, and that you won’t have to replace the bristles for a long time.

Bissell 1940 Powerfresh Steam Mop

Both sturdier and finer than most steam mops, the Bissell 1940 more than makes up for its slightly higher price (around $88-$110) with its superior qualities and features. Aside from killing 99.9% of germs, viruses and bacteria without using harsh chemicals, it has a customizable steam control that lets you adjust the cleaning power. The tank is removable and easy to fill, and it includes Febreze fragrance discs that you can use (or not) to give your cleaning a little more punch with a fresh aroma. The Bissell 1940 is still one of the best mops for hardwood floors (if they’re properly sealed) because it prevents the scratching that can come from sweeping them.

LIGHT ‘N’ EASY Electronic Floor Sweeper

An ergonomic and reliable option, the double roller brushes are powerful, easy to use and run quietly, while the adjustable handle pole can be locked at different heights for comfort; this, along with its foot-controlled power button means that you can sweep from start to finish while standing upright. The dust container is magnetically held in place, meaning that emptying it is very easy to do, and a 40 minute of cordless sweeping in one charge means that, depending on how much you use it, you can probably squeeze two cleaning sessions out of it before needing a recharge. Without a doubt, the LIGHT ‘N’ EASY was made for comfort.

Mopping and sweeping are similar, but definitely not the same, and you have to be mindful of what tools you use for each depending on the type of floor or carpet you have if you want to keep it in good shape. The above options are all the all-around top choices in both fields, and will satisfy most people regardless of their cleaning needs, so it’s all a question of how convenient you want your housekeeping to be, since the most convenient option doesn’t even include you doing any sweeping.

5 Tips to Keep Your Car Clean and Fresh

February 4, 2019 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Chances are that, aside from your house and workplace, your car is the space where you spend most of the day, so it’s better keeping car clean and organized as it always clean and smelling fresh so that time will be as pleasant as can be, right?

The following car interior cleaning tips will help you get rid of bad smells and clutter inside your car, and most of them are little everyday actions that you can pick up and repeat easily. There are no more excuses for driving a messy car!

Use baking soda

Does your car have a persistent bad odor? Get rid of it by sprinkling the interior with baking soda, leaving it overnight and vacuuming it up the next day. The smell should be gone along with the baking soda.

Prevent bad smells with coffee

Not coffee, per se. Coffee beans in a mesh bag will not only make your car smell fantastic, but they will also absorb any bad smells. Just replace the beans inside the bag once in a while to keep the effect going.

Keep things out as much as possible

Remember that any trash you don’t take inside your car, is trash you don’t have to take out later. Start by giving your shoes a good knock every time you go in to keep mud and dirt outside, finish any drink you have with you that’s in a disposable container, etc.

Use a small trash container

Having a trashcan in your car is another good way of preventing waste from building up all over the interior. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple plastic bag or a travel waste bin, as long as it is a designated place to contain it all.

Clean your mats regularly

Most of the debris and spills inside our cars tend to find their way onto the mats, so it’s a good idea to vacuum and clean them regularly, so they don’t absorb any smells for too long.

Go for a drive with open windows

If the offending odor is not too strong, sometimes all you need is driving a few miles with your windows down, so the interior will get aired out, it works like a charm most of the time. It’s too simple to not give it a shot!

Clean the mess right when it happens

Except when you’re driving, of course, but you should clean up any mess that happens in your car without giving it too long to “settle in.” This way it’ll be easier to avoid stains in your seats and odors from being absorbed.

Eating in the car is a big no-no (or at least a solid no)

Of course, it would be easy to ban any food to be eaten in your car, but the ways of life are wildly unpredictable, and you might find yourself in a situation where you have to eat there. In such cases, it’s good to plan and bring a container that can catch crumbs, preferably one that can be sealed.

Use covers, prevent messes

There are handy covers that will make sure you won’t ever again drop crumbs, loose change, makeup or your phone by dropping it between the console and your seat. They’re made from neoprene and foam, so they’ll fit into the gaps of most cars. Buy a couple, set them in and say goodbye to searching under the seat for anything ever again.

Get those stains out of your seats

Upholstery fabric is frustratingly easy to stain, but this should do the trick. Spray your seats with carpet cleaner, scrub using a small scrub or toothbrush, and your stain is no longer there. You don’t even have to vacuum or rinse it at all, but maybe leave the windows open for a while after you’re done.

Some people think of their car as a second home, while others just like to keep their trips as short as possible. Whichever you are, we can all agree that no one enjoys driving around in a smelly, messy car, so these tips should prove useful to anyone. And now that your car is a tidy, clean space, why not let that spill over into your home?

How Much Time Should Your Kids Spend Online?: A Guide for Parents

January 7, 2019 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

The advantages that smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and other such devices give us are undeniable, especially for kids, who stay socially active and develop their motor skills through them, but it’s also true that they have some worrying drawbacks concerning the time kids are spending on them.

There are different types of “screen time,” which means how much screen time does the average child get to spend online depends on what they’re spending it on.

Take these four categories defined by the Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens:

Passive consumption: watching TV, reading, and listening to music
Interactive consumption: playing games and browsing the Internet
Communication: video-chatting and using social media
Content creation: using devices to make digital art or music

As you can see, different areas of their lives are affected directly by each category, so it stands to reason that not all of their online time should be seen as a single, monolithic block to be taken away altogether. Many studies show that it’s not necessarily the length of time kids spend online, but the nature of it, what really matters. The key is to find a balance between the different uses for their online presence with equally positive offline activities.

Being realistic is the first step towards finding this online-offline balance since many of the activities and life experiences that were common in our generation are now fairly different or have adapted to a permanently online world. Communication, then, is an absolute necessity, because your kids should understand that these limitations are implemented to foster a healthier development for them, instead of arbitrarily set by parents who “just don’t get it”.

1. Set realistic, clear limits

Depending on the age of your kids, their need for a laptop or a tablet for schoolwork might seem like an obstacle to setting clear online time limits, but that just means you have to monitor their usage more closely and to set more fluid conditions for internet usage.

Does it make any difference if you allow three periods of 20 minutes or 1 of an hour? Remember, it’s not so much the time, but the quality of it. Whatever time you allow, make sure your kids consume age-appropriate media always. You can start by making a schedule, which would in turn, allow you to better monitor your children’s online time.

For example, try this:

No screens before homework is done, then some free time, a screen-free dinner, some more free time, then chores, some family time, and they can’t take their screens to the bedroom.

There are no set times because, as we mentioned earlier, it’s better to be fluid when limiting such a common part of modern life. Mix their free time with homework and chores, or if you’re having someone over for cleaning, make it into a screen-free family outing.

2. Be a proper example

It will be hard for your kids to listen to you if you don’t practice what you preach. Just being an adult does not excuse us from using the internet responsibly. This does not mean, however, that you should hide every time you need to check your inbox, just make it clear that you have a purpose for picking the phone up: “Let’s check the weather for tomorrow,” “I need to order some groceries,” etc

If you make a habit out of these practices when they’re still young, that will help mold their expectations of how much online time is normal into a more realistic amount.

3. Teach them to prioritize

Future technologies will be more advanced than we can even imagine, so being thoroughly restrictive about screen time with our children might leave them at a disadvantage when they are adults. They should understand that breaking the rules carries along consequences and that you will enforce them, but merely taking the device away with a “because I say so” attitude won’t help your cause.

Help your children understand that, rather than just limiting their time, you want them to learn how to properly prioritize their own time, which will make their lives easier once they take on different responsibilities as they grow older.