Illinois Valley House Cleaning Services | IV Clean Team, Inc.

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Food for Thought: Cleaning and Organizing Your Refrigerator

December 27, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Cleaning out your refrigeratorIt’s only natural to clean the things we see on a regular basis. You don’t think twice about vacuuming your living room or mopping the kitchen, but when was last time you cleaned the refrigerator? If you look inside and see food from last Christmas or something moving that shouldn’t be alive then it’s time to take out Fridgenstein’s monster and clean it.

Food is perishable, so get rid of it

If it’s in the refrigerator, then it’s got a shelf life. We all put away leftovers thinking we’re going to eat it. We hate to waste food, so it only makes sense, but inevitably it ends up sitting in the fridge untouched. We have good intentions, but life’s busy and we’re forgetful. It’s time to toss it. If you have even the slightest worry that it might be a little past its time, then throw it away. Don’t be afraid to toss the cheap Tupperware it’s in as well. Sometimes there’s going to be casualties in World War Fridge.

Bins make organizing easier

Small bins you can get at most department stores are great for grouping together foods. If you need to make lunches for children or your significant other, then put lunch meats, cheeses, etc. in a bin and then just take out the bin when you need it. You can have a leftover bin, so there’s no looking behind bottles of ketchup and who knows what else. It also cuts down on leftovers getting lost. Did you cut onions and other vegetables and a have few left over…put them in a bin. Do you have snack food like cottage cheese or cheese sticks? You know where to put them. Bins are great for your kid’s toys, so why not use them in the fridge.

Keep expiration dates in view

One of the biggest problems with food in the fridge is expiring. You can’t wait to get some cottage cheese or drink milk, only to find out the milk has become the cottage cheese. YUCK! Everything that expires has a date on it. It’s the one you never look at until you’ve eaten half of it. Face the expiration date towards the front of the refrigerator. This way it’s the first thing you see. No one wants an expiration surprise, so keep an eye out.

Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. is dedicated to giving you the best home possible. If you need a little helping with cleaning or other chores, then contact us for a quote today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cleaning, home cleaning, refrigerator

Are You Ready For Holiday Cleaning?

December 7, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

christmas cleaningChristmas and New Years are two holidays designed around parties and family gatherings. You just got through Thanksgiving and now you have to decorate and get ready for who knows how many people coming over for parties, gift exchanges and holiday dinners. The question is…are you ready?

The Tree

The Christmas tree is an icon of the holiday and people are putting them up left and right in preparation good cheer and piles of presents. Perhaps the most important question to answer is real or fake tree? They both have their pros and cons. A real tree is more traditional and makes the room smell like pine. The downside is after two weeks it becomes a medieval torture device that sheds its pointy death bringers with every slight vibration. Anyone who has owned a real Christmas trees understands the pain of a pine needle in the foot.  A fake tree is easy to put up, but it lacks the feel and look that only comes from a real tree.

Decorations

Before the invention of LED lights, the lights that went up on the Christmas trees and the home were small regular colored light bulbs. They’d get so hot, that you wouldn’t need to turn the heat on in the living room if the Christmas lights were on. They would melt tinsel and create a fire hazard if you had them on the tree. I won’t even get into the frayed wiring. Today’s decorations are a million times safer and make clean up a snap. No more melted strands of garland or scorch marks on paper decorations.

Post Party Cleaning

All the decorations and the illuminated tree come together for the perfect atmosphere for your party or get-together. When it’s over, the house could be a mess. It doesn’t matter if it’s a reserved dinner party or a raucous rave complete with DJ and glitter bombs. Why not prepare in advance and call Illinois Valley Clean Team. We’ll get your home looking just like new.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: christmas party, holiday cleaning, holiday party

Organizing Your Spare Bedroom

November 16, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

decorating spare bedroomYou never know when Uncle Hank and Aunt Eileen might be driving through on their way to Florida…gotta love snow birds…so you better get that spare bedroom in shape just in case. Whether they’re expected or unexpected guests, your spare room is the go to place. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or gaudy, but it does need to be functional and organized.

Bare necessities

Baloo said it best and all you really need are the bare necessities of life when it comes to the spare room. While there can be other embellishments, these are the items that must be available in order to create a comfortable atmosphere. The last thing you want is for Uncle Hank to give you a one star review on Yelp. (He’ll do it too.)

The most obvious is the bed. It should be of a sufficient size to comfortably fit your guests. In our opinion, it should be a minimum of a full size, but preferably a queen. Even if you expect only to have a friend of your child or the occasional party guest who drank a little too much to drive home, you never know when you’ll need a bed big enough for two. There should be a complete bedding set as well as a spare in case Uncle Hank spills on the bed. There also needs to be a closet or dresser, night stand and lamp. If you want to make sure they get up in time for breakfast, then give them an alarm clock too.

Spare bedroom décor

The décor of the spare bedroom should mesh with the rest of the house. The bedroom is your sanctum and if you want to have a different décor for it then no problem, but the spare room is close to being a public area. It should match the rest of the house as much as possible. There are many people who turn the spare room into their fun room for décor. Maybe hubby has a huge Battlestar Galactica toy…excuse me…memorabilia collection and decked out the room as his version of a man cave.  That’s great until the in-laws sleep over and they live in constant fear of a Cylon attack.

If you need to get your spare room ready for the holidays, then contact IV Clean Team and schedule an appointment.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: decorating a spare room, home cleaning, spare room

Have You Ever Thought About Chalkboard Paint?

November 7, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

chalkboard paintWhen you’re looking to paint a room or piece of furniture, your primary concern is probably color. Does it go with the rest of the furniture? Does it fit with the décor? Chalkboard paint is a great alternative to standard paints that also create a surface that you can use.

What is chalkboard paint?

Remember when you were a kid and the teacher used chalkboards to teach classes? Maybe you had a small chalkboard of your own that you drew on. Chalkboard paint is just that. It’s a paint that transforms any surface into a chalkboard. It’s not just black either like the old chalkboards. Today, chalkboard paints come in different colors and textures. Once it’s applied and dried, all you need is some chalk and an eraser to create your at-home chalkboard. It looks great and is applied just like standard paint.

No more communication problems

People have painted refrigerators, tables and more so they can provide messages to family and friends. Put up a chore list and dole out the daily chores to each child. It provides a space for people to let others know where they are and when they leave without worrying about papers that might not be seen or fall from a refrigerator magnet. It’s the perfect tool for communication because it can be applied almost anywhere. There’s no looking for wall space, etc. It is the wall.

Art and drawing time

How many times have your children taken a crayon and drew on the walls. It’s just part of being a kid, but with chalkboard paint you can give them free reign to draw on walls, furniture, etc. Paint an entire wall of a playroom in chalkboard paint and they have a massive canvas to create and use their imaginations. There’s no coloring or construction paper wasted and cleanup is a simple wave of the eraser. It gives them a unique outlet for their creativity and will be the envy of all their friends.

For more tips and tricks for home decorating and cleaning, check out the rest of our blog posts. You’re guaranteed to find something interesting and worthwhile.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chalkboard paint, DIY, do it yourself

How to Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet And Remove Rust

October 3, 2016 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

cast iron skilletThe cast iron skillet is like the Swiss Army Knife of the Kitchen. It can cook just about everything on the stovetop and then go right in the oven for baking. Anyone that owns one knows that everything cooks and tastes a little better when it comes from a cast iron skillet. These pans can last forever if taken care of, but what’s the best way to clean cast iron?

General cleaning

The pan is made from iron. It’s not some space age material, but good old fashioned frontier technology. Settlers carried pans like these while they traversed the Wild West and many were passed down from generation to generation. There is only one problem with iron…it rusts. This has to be taken into consideration when cleaning.

Unless there is cooked on food, the best way to clean a skillet is with a damp cloth. but dry it thoroughly afterwards. If you’ve got food residue or cooked food still on it, then use something abrasive like coarse salt and elbow grease. They make special metal scrappers for cast iron skillets that look like chainmail and those work well. Do not use soap unless absolutely necessary. Soap breaks down the seasoning on the pan and it might make your food taste soapy for a while as the cast iron absorbs the soap.

Never let a pan soak or leave it wet after cleaning or else it may rust. Also, don’t let it sit out unclean for very long either. Wash it as soon as it cools down.

Getting rid of rust

Iron is very sensitive and sometimes rust happens. Maybe you didn’t dry it as well as you thought or you just had a few humid days and now there are a few spots on your otherwise pristine pan. Don’t worry, you don’t need to throw it out.

Once again, throw in some coarse salt and then rub it into the pan using a cut in half potato. With enough elbow grease, the rust spot should come out and the pan will be good as new. You will want to give it a good coat of oil or even re-season it. Do not cook in a rusty cast iron skillet as it will ruin the taste of the food.

We’re full of tips and tricks. If you need gutter cleaning, home cleaning or a multitude of other household chores done, then call Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. for a quote.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cast iron skillet, cleaning a cast iron skillet, illinois valley clean team

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