Many people forget to clean their gutters regularly. Let’s face it, most people forget to clean their gutters period. We drive by homes all the time and see twigs and leaves peeking over the edge, letting us know that those gutters are full. With winter only a few months away and the leaves turning already, now is the ideal time to get those gutters clean.

1. Weight of Leaves

Leaves are already turning and soon they’ll be adding their weight to your already full gutters. When it rains, those twigs and branches soak up the water and add even more weight. This can damage the gutters, bending them and if the weight gets too heavy, then pull them off the house.

2. Prevent damage to the home

When you’ve got gutters filled to the brim with leaves and other debris, then you’ve got a problem with drainage. The whole point of a gutter system is to take water from the roof and safely take it to the ground. If the gutters are full, then the water can pool on the roof and cause damage. With winter coming and all that snow falling on your roof, drainage is even more important come spring.

3. Easier job now

Many people are wondering why they should clean their gutters now and not wait until spring. The leaves that fall this season compound the problem and add to existing leaves. When you get around to cleaning them in spring, you’ll find the job considerably harder because the leaves have piled up and may be weighed down by water from melted snow. Ideally, a person cleans the gutters twice a year: once in the fall and once in the spring.

4. Check other problems

Winter snow can wreak havoc on a roof. When you’re up cleaning the gutters, you’ve got a good view of the roof and can check for other problems. If you see problems such as loose or missing shingles, then you’ve still got time to take care of it before winter arrives.

5. We have openings

A great reason to clean gutters now is the expert gutter cleaners of I.V. Clean Team Inc. are available to take care of it. We’re ready to begin estimates now and we’ll schedule the cleaning once the leaves have fallen. You’ll go into winter with squeaky clean gutters. We offer an affordable alternative to climbing ladders and lugging bags of debris from your roof.

If you’re interested in getting your gutters cleaned, then contact us  and get it take care of before the leaves start to fall.

You remember sleep. It’s that thing you did before having a baby. The baggy eyes and constant yawning may be annoying, but it’s worth it to have that little bundle of joy in your life. It can be difficult to safely clean the house with a newborn, but dust bunnies and thrown spaghetti aren’t going to clean themselves just because your future president doesn’t feel like taking a nap.

Safety First

Safe cleaning with newborns isn’t just keeping the chemicals out of reach. It’s about being mindful of a baby’s natural curiosity, being attentive to their needs while cleaning and making sure everything you use won’t harm or negatively impact the baby. It can be daunting for a new mom or dad adjusting to life with a baby and trying to keep the day-to-day chores of the home under control. Luckily, there are ways to keep baby safe and your house clean.

Baby Safe Cleaning Products

Babies are sensitive to smells and chemicals, which is why many baby safe products are made with “all natural” ingredients. While there are no federal guidelines for what makes a cleaning product safe for babies, they tend to be hypoallergenic and made with no fragrances, etc. Still, it’s best to keep cleaning supplies away from the child even if they are baby safe. Make sure to wipe every surface down after using the product to eliminate any residue. Here at IV Clean Team Inc., we use Better Life Products such as Whatever, Oak-YDokey and Simply Floored that are plant based and safe for pets and children.

Curiosity can be Dangerous

Babies are like vacuum cleaners with legs. A child may not be mobile yet, but anything within arm’s reach will end up in its mouth. Keep this in mind when you’re cleaning. It’s important to not only keep cleaning products away from baby, but also rags, sponges, etc. that you might be using. Also, anything that might be covered in solution should be cleaned off or removed. A spray bottle often hits more than just the main spray area, so be watchful.

Taking Care of Baby

Parents must keep a watchful eye on the baby when cleaning. It’s easy to let the baby sleep and keep the baby monitor on, but what if you’re running the vacuum cleaner? The papoose was the best invention ever for safe cleaning with baby. The baby is strapped to you, so you can vacuum and mop and still know if the baby is hungry, crying, etc. If you don’t like the papoose option, then think about getting a portable bassinet or stroller to put baby in while you clean. This way you can keep baby near and do the cleaning.

Don’t have time to clean with baby or just too exhausted? Call IV Clean Team Inc. and let us come and take care of the house for you. Visit here to get a free quote.

Everyone loves stainless steel appliances because they’re beautiful. It seems every television family and celebrity shows off their stainless steel refrigerators, etc., but we’re guessing they’re not the ones that clean them. We can’t see Justin Timberlake scrubbing his fridge while singing “Bringing Luster Back.” It’s totally stuck in your head now isn’t it?

For the rest of us, cleaning stainless steel is a necessity if you want to keep it looking good and resisting rust and staining. It may be durable, but it’s a very sensitive material, so here are some tips and what to do and what not to do.

What Not To Use

Stainless steel can take a beating, but the wrong chemical cleaner can cause serious damage and even lead to rust. Do not use oven cleaners, chlorine based bleach, steel wool or abrasive scrubbing pads, abrasive cleaners or hard water.

Hard water can leave spots and stains. Abrasive cleaners and pads leads to scratching and steel wool leaves small particles behind that may rust. When it comes to stainless steel, simple is always better.

Simple Cleaning

If you’re looking to just wipe down the metal or give it a quick clean, then mixing a few drops dishwashing liquid and warm water will do the trick. Wash the surface of the appliance and then go over it again with a wet washcloth that has no soap. This makes sure all the soap is off the surface of the metal. Leftover soap leaves stains and spotting. When done rinsing, go over it with a dry towel to get all the water otherwise it can leave water spots.

Fingerprints

Little hands leave fingerprints on stainless steel appliances…sometimes big hands too. Fingerprints are unsightly and can ruin the beauty of the appliance. Spray glass cleaner into a wash cloth and wipe it down. Do not spray the cleaner directly on the surface because it leads to dripping and spots. Wipe it down with a dry towel afterwards.

Bringing Back The Shine

Time takes its toll on everything including your stainless steel appliances. One of their draws is the shine, but months of grabby hands, food and other environmental issues causes that shine to fade. No one wants s dull appliance, so liven it up with stainless steel cleaner.

This is a product designed just for stainless steel and not only provides a good cleaning, but also helps with scratches and polishing. We use Weiman, which is available at Target and Walmart. It even comes in wipes, so you just wipe down your stainless steel and then buff it with a microfiber cloth for the ultimate shine.

You’re in the bathroom, ready to take a shower and suddenly realize your loofa is sitting in a pile of nasty soap scum. ICK! Toss the loofa, and get ready to use a little elbow grease because it’s time to show that soap scum who’s the boss…and it’s not Tony Danza.

What is Soap Scum?

When you use a bar of soap in the shower and then set it on the bathtub, parts of the bar, called talc, run onto the surface. Over time, the talc, mildew, mineral deposits from the water and body oils congeal into a slimy disgusting mess. If it goes unchecked, then it can actually harden into soap scum concrete that is difficult to remove.

Getting Rid of Soap Scum

As you might guess, soap and water won’t do much against this. The mildew sludge or brick is impervious to many cleaners. The best items to use are baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda on a wash cloth, get it wet and scrub the sludge. If the sludge has hardened into a brick, then use vinegar and baking soda to create a paste. The acidity of vinegar loosens the scum, and the baking soda helps scrub it away.

Preventing Soap Scum

The best way to clean up soap scum is to avoid the problem altogether. Prevention is the best defense against this nasty glob of goo. Switching to a liquid soap is the easiest way to prevent it. A body wash stays in the bottle and doesn’t congeal on your tub surface. If you can’t give up the bar, then make sure to wipe down the area after you shower. Soap scum accumulates over time. Before you know it, you’re dealing with a soap scum brick.

Illinois Valley Clean Team knows all the little tips and tricks for getting soap scum and other nuisances out of your house. Call us at 815-228-5273 and let us take care of your cleaning needs.