Uncategorized Archives - Page 8 of 15 - Illinois Valley House Cleaning Services

Top Five Places People Forget To Clean

July 17, 2017 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Top 10 places people forget to clean When people decide to clean, they often take a regimented approach. You make a list of what needs to be done and check them off. While the obvious places are always spotless, it’s easy to forget about the nooks and crannies. The places you may not see or even just gloss over while you’re doing your regular cleaning.

The Cabinets

You spent a lot of money on those cabinets, but how often do they get cleaned? Cabinets are large and in charge, but fade into the background of your kitchen when cleaning. You’ll wipe down countertops and ovens, but cabinets hardly receive care. Over time, they get dusty and dirty too and need a good wipe down. Use a damp cloth and then go over it with a dry towel to soak up all the moisture.

Small Appliances

You’ll spend plenty of time cleaning your stove top, but don’t give a second glance to the blender or toaster. Spills and copious amounts of “toaster leave-ins” can turn your small appliances into something nasty, and you may not even notice it. Take some time to wipe them down as well. Clean out the toaster pan regularly to keep the “toaster leave-ins” from proliferating.

Under the Furniture

Few people wake up in the morning and are thrilled with the idea of cleaning their home. The last thing people want to do is pick up and move furniture and vacuum or sweep underneath them. So instead, you vacuum and sweep, ignoring the dust bunnies under your chair because who is going to see it anyway. The bad thing about dust bunnies is they procreate like…rabbits. If left unchecked, they’ll spill out from under the furniture and into your main area.

Under the Bed

The bed deserves its own heading because if moving a chair or two is a pain, moving a bed can be a nightmare. The bed also accumulates far more than just dust bunnies. There can be clothes, food and who knows what hiding down there. It may not be the Boogieman, but the beasts under your bed can be pretty gnarly. Clear it out and vacuum under the bed. You don’t want to look under your bed and see something staring back at you.

On Top of Ceiling Fans

We’ve all had it happen to us. You haven’t had your ceiling fan on for months. One day you turn it on and dust comes shooting from the blades covering you and anything underneath it. It’s a dust dive bomb of our own creation. When you’re doing your spring cleaning, take the time to grab a duster and hit those fan blades. You’ll thank yourself later.

Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. is the area’s leading provider of home cleanings. If you’re tired of cleaning or just can’t find the time, then call us and let us do it for you.

The Art of Cleaning Delicate Art

June 27, 2017 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Cleaning Fine Art We all have those items in our house that are precious to us? Maybe it’s an heirloom painting that’s been passed down or a glass chandelier your spouse bought you for an anniversary present. These items often cost a lot of money and you want to take care of them. Many people are afraid to clean them for fear of damaging them, but there are ways to keep them clean without causing them hard.

Follow Instructions

Many new pieces will come with directions on how to properly clean them. While the tips that follow are for general cleaning of items that lack care instructions such as second hand items and antiques, if you have cleaning instructions that come from the manufacturer, then follow them.

Oil Paintings

Whether it’s an antique find or something unique from the local starving artist’s sale, oil paintings make a wonderful addition to any home décor. Unlike prints or other mass produced items, oil paintings are one of a kind. They are delicate and one mistake can ruin them. In fact, if the artwork is worth a lot of money, then have it cleaned by a professional. If you want to do it yourself, then use fine bristled brush like a paint brush to go over the painting. Given the delicate nature of the paint, you shouldn’t use any type of cleaning products or even water. If something gets on the painting, then take it to a professional to have it cleaned.

Crystal Chandeliers

Crystal is a material that screams class and sophistication. It’s also notoriously fragile. Glass and crystal chandeliers are beautiful and a focal point to any room. If you have never cleaned them before, then wipe down the chandelier with warm soapy water and wash cloth. Be gentle and don’t use anything abrasive or else you can scratch or break the crystal. Wipe each piece down with a damp cloth to make sure there’s no soap and then wipe it down with a drying cloth. Once the crystals are gleaming, all you need is the occasional dusting.

Marble

People love marble because it’s sturdy and beautiful. Marble floors, counter tops and statues adorn houses and businesses throughout the world. While the rock may seem indestructible, that’s not the case. Improper cleaning can break down the marble, scratch or even chip it. Once again, the key is soapy and warm water. Rather than a cloth, you can use a mop or a sponge. With marble, you can be firm, but be careful not to scratch the surface. Once that’s done, go over it more with a damp cloth or mop and follow that up with a drying towel.

Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. has many services from home cleaning to deck refinishing. If you’re looking for some work done to the inside and outside of your home, check out what we have to offer.

Independence Day BBQ – Is It Time For A Deep Clean?

June 12, 2017 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Fourth of July Deep Clean Everyone loves a good Fourth of July barbecue and if you’re the host, then you’ve already started planning. You’re cleaning off the grill and starting the guest list, but does your house need a deep clean before everyone comes for brats and hamburgers?

It’s Not Just the Backyard

While all the fun stuff happens in the backyard, it’s not the only place people will be. They’ll come through your home to get to the backyard. They’ll need to go to the bathroom and every now and then a few stragglers will head inside for the occasional conversation. The weather may not cooperate and soon the entire party has transitioned inside until it passes.

There are a million reasons why people would be inside your home during a barbecue, so you should be prepared with a home cleaning from Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc.

The Bare Essentials

What are two of the most common rooms people are going to be inside your home? If the beer and pop is flowing at your party, then the bathroom is a revolving door. You don’t want people seeing mildew in the bathtub and a dirty toilet bowl. It’s best to do a complete clean of the bathroom including the bathtub, toilet bowl, floor, sink and any cabinets. Replace the soaps and the towels with fresh ones and make sure there is plenty of toilet paper.

Now You’re Cooking

While burgers, brats and steaks are traditionally cooked on the grill, the sides and other aspects of the meal are wither prepared in the kitchen or brought by guests. Since no one wants salmonella poisoning from the potato salad, they’ll want to stick it in the fridge until it’s time to eat. There could be some items that need to finish cooking or be reheated. What it comes down to is people are going to be in the kitchen. Get all the appliances and counters wiped down and clean and take a mop to the floor. It may not end the night clean, but it can start that way.

The Living Room – The Room Where You Live

There’s a reason why they call it a living room and not the tangential place people rarely congregate. If you have any weather or wind problems, people will likely come inside. The floors should be vacuumed and tables wiped off.

If you don’t want to handle the deep clean before the big holiday, then let Illinois Valley Clean Team Inc. take care of it for you. We’re the area’s leading cleaning service with the customer satisfaction to prove it. Contact us today for a free quote.

How To Clean Electronics

May 24, 2017 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

Cleaning electronics Electronics are a permanent part of our lives from the video game console that doubles as our entertainment hub to the computers that we spend way too much time working at. The nature of electronics make them magnets for dust and because of their frailty need special cleaning techniques.

Game Consoles and DVD Players

If you can get the kids off the Xbox long enough to clean it, you’ll see plenty of dust on it. Depending on the machine, there may be buttons and knobs that can make it difficult to clean. Don’t spray any cleaners on it as that may damage it. Instead, get out your vacuum cleaners and attach the soft brush head. Use that to get all the nooks and crannies of dust from the machine without disturbing the wiring, etc.

Cell Phones

Don’t you hate it when you look down at your cell phone and it’s a mess of dust and fingerprints? While we treasure our phones, we also toss them in purses and pockets without thinking. The cases we use for protection are notorious for trapping dust and all that finger swiping is bound to leave a nice oily residue. The first thing to do is take off the case and use a cloth or cotton swab to clean out the crevices of the casing. Use an electronics wipe or cloth recommended by the cell phone company to wipe down the screen and the rest of the phone. Do not spray cleaner or water onto the phone.

Keyboards

Keyboards come in two varieties: keyboards with space between the keys and those that don’t. Many times laptop keyboards won’t have space between the keys for dust to get trapped. For these, use a cotton swab to get the dust. The ones with space can use a cloth over the keys and high pressure canned air to remove dust between and under the keys.

Televisions

Today’s televisions can be 60-inches or more and that’s a lot of dust build up. There are large microfiber cloths or wand dusters that will make short work of even the largest television screen.

Perhaps the most important aspect of cleaning electronics is not to get them wet. While some manufacturers may allow the use of alcohol wipes, it’s best to keep them dry. Electronics are sensitive to water and few drops in the wrong place could ruin it.

If you’d love someone to come to your house and do the cleaning for you, contact IV Clean Team Inc. today.

Do I Need To Clean Window Tracks?

May 24, 2017 by Illinois Valley Clean Team

window track cleaning It’s that time of year again when you start thinking about spring cleaning. You’ll clean almost every aspect of their home from sweeping under furniture to getting dust off ceiling fans. You’ll even clean the windows and get them sparkling so the spring and summer sun can enter, but few will remember the window tracks. Is it important to clean the window track? Yes, it is.

Clogging Up a Window Track

Odds are the window tracks have never been cleaned in the years you have lived in the home. It’s just not something people think about. In this day and age of high efficiency heating and cooling, windows aren’t open as much as they used to be. Over time, the tracks can get stuffed with everything from dirt and mold to insects and spider webs. You may notice the window getting more difficult to open and close as all that contamination gums up the works for your window. Dirt plus moisture equals mud, so humid days could spell disaster for your window.

Fresh Air Made Dirty

One of the main reasons to open windows is to let in fresh air and make the house a little less stuffy. How many people have sat in front of an open window and just enjoyed the fresh spring wind air as it mingled with fresh cut grass and spring’s natural scents to create a smell straight from heaven. When years of dirt, mold and desiccated insect husks build up, you might notice the spring air doesn’t smell so fresh. In fact, all that contamination can lead to allergies and congestion.

How to Clean Your Window Track

The first step is to put a clean towel on the floor in front of the window. You don’t want anything in there falling onto your floor. Take out the screens and use a vacuum to collect any loose dirt and insect bodies. If it’s been a while, then it could look like an insect graveyard, so be prepared. Dip a sponge in warm soapy water and clean the tracks thoroughly. Use a scrub brush to get any stubborn dirt and repeat with the sponge until clean. Once everything is done, take a clean towel and dry everything. You spent all that time cleaning, and don’t want mold to grow because you forgot to dry.

Windows can be a pain to clean, but it’s necessary. If you’re not in the mood for cleaning or don’t have the time, then call Illinois Valley Clean Team or get a free quote.

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