Category: Cleaning

A Message From Us

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At Cleaning Buddy our first priority is the health and safety of our clients, employees and community. We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure we are doing to help combat the spread of the virus.

Protect yourself and reduce your risk of COVID-19 by doing the following:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your mouth, noses, eyes and face
  • Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you are outside of your home
  • Avoid crowds and gatherings
If you have any symptoms such as:
  • cough
  • fever
  • difficulty breathing

Stay home and call your health care provider. If you develop urgent symptoms that feel significant, call 911 and inform them that you may have COVID-19.

Please refer to https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html for more information.

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Q&A: Cleaning Bathtubs

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Q: How often should I clean my bathtub?

It depends. If the bathtub is being used regularly, you should clean it once a week and a deep clean once a month.

Q: How long does it take to clean?

Again, it depends. If you never cleaned your bathtub before, it can take more than 30 minutes to wait for the solution to break down the grime and scrub afterwards. Usually, it would take less than 15 minutes to spray, scrub and wash.

Q: What equipment and materials do I need?

You would need a sponge, cleaning cloth, bath scrubber and all-purpose cleaner or tub cleaner.

Q: Any tips on how to start?

Remove everything from the tub, spray all-purpose cleaner on the ledge and wipe with clothing cloth/sponge.

Q: How do I prevent soap scum from building up?

Towel dry your bathtub after every use. Also, keeping your bathtub dry prevents mold and mildew which grows when moisture are collected on surfaces.

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Last Minute Bathroom Clean

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Remember to wash your hands and use gloves before starting.

  1. Mirror

Remove any noticeable stain on the mirror by soaking rubbing alcohol to a cotton pad and dabbing the stain. Continue to scrub till the stain is removed. Spray the mirror with glass cleaner, fold your microfiber cloth in half and wipe the mirror from top to bottom in a zig zag motion.

Supplies needed: glass cleaner, rubbing alcohol, cotton pad and microfiber cloth

  1. Sink

Wipe any hair off the sink with paper towels and throw away in the trash. For toothpaste scrum, add a little bit of water to the scrubber and go over the area. Finally, spray your sink area with all-purpose cleaner and either wipe with paper towel or microfiber cloth.

Supplies needed: all-purpose cleaner, scrubber, paper towel or microfiber cloth

  1. Toilet

Apply toilet cleaner to the bowl and scrub using the toilet bowl brush. Next, spray the exterior of the toilet with all-purpose disinfectant and clean with paper towel. Option: disinfectant wipes are great to use and easy to throw out.

Supplies needed: toilet  bowl brush, toilet bowl cleaner, all-purpose disinfectant and paper towel

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3 Tips to Cleaning Your Fridge

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1. Prepare the Basic Cleaning Essentials.

Be prepared to clean your fridge by having gloves, sponge/cloth, warm water, vinegar and baking soda ready. This will eliminate the need to procrastinate since supplies are readily available. Also, scheduling the time to clean your fridge will hold you accountable to completing the task.

2. Remove Everything.

Remove everything from your shelves and drawers. This may take a little bit of time but it will give you a chance to throw out anything expired and re-organize your fridge. This is also your chance to change your dietary habits to a healthier one.

3. Start Wiping and Scrubbing.

Fill a bucket with warm water, take your sponge/cloth and start wiping the shelves and inside surfaces of your fridge. Optional: Use 1 part vinegar, 1 part water to eliminate bacteria. Afterwards, use a small amount of baking soda with tiny amount of water to create a paste and apply it on for 15-30 minutes to remove any tough stains. The baking soda breaks down the particles and absorbs odor.

Lastly, don’t forget to clean the exterior!

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How to Clean Granite Countertop

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Unlike stovetops, exposing granite to acidic chemicals damages countertop. Minerals that makes up granite is porous, it may not be as impenetrable as stainless steel but granite is very easy to clean and maintain. Putting a seal on top of granite countertop keeps it shiny and eliminates bacteria from seeping into its surface.  Maintaining a granite countertop can be easy with these 3 steps:

  1. Get a paper towel or dish cloth with water and wipe down the countertop. You can use gentle dish soap as well.
  2. Once your counter is wiped, use a microfiber cloth to dry it and prevent streaks
  3. To shine and disinfect the counter, make a 50:50 solution of water and isopropyl alcohol and allow the solution to sit for 3-5 minutes. You will dry the surface again with a microfiber cloth.

Using harsh cleaners such as lemon juice, bleach or vinegar will damage the granite stone by breaking its seal. If the sealant wears off, the countertop will be susceptible to staining and discolouration. Another tip is not to use abrasive cleaners or heavy-duty scrubs because it will be too harsh and break the sealed granite. Overall, maintaining your granite countertop is easy and you can save money by not having to re-seal the surface as often.

 

References:

How Sanitary are Granite Countertops?. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.granitegold.com/are-granite-counters-sanitary/

This Easy Homemade Cleaner Makes Granite Countertops Sparkle. (2017).Retrieved from https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/homemade-granite-cleaner/

Bold, Cambria. (2014). Retrieved by https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-and-disinfect-granite-countertops-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202159

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How to Clean Your Stovetop (The Easy Way)

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When cooking a meal, it’s inevitable for the stove top to become dirty with burned water marks and grease. Instead of buying expensive products to clean your stove top, a cheaper method with few ingredients can be found in your pantry and will get the job done.

Start by wiping your stove top with white vinegar. White vinegar is a good household cleaning agent because of its acidic composition. The acidic nature of white vinegar dissolves mineral deposits on glass and smooth surfaces so it’s great to remove grime.

Next, cover the stove top with baking soda for 15 – 30 minutes depending on the dirtiness. Baking soda helps breakdown grit and grime and makes the scrubbing effective without scratching the glass.

Afterwards, dampen a towel with hot water and cover the stove with it for 15 minutes. Covering the stove top with the towel will soak and loosen the crud that has accumulated.

Lastly, scrub until there is no baking soda left on the stove.

 

Sources:

Telkamp, Mick. How to Clean a Glass Top Stove With All-Natural Ingredients. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/cleaning/how-to-clean-a-glass-top-stove

Doman, Erin. 11 Easy Ways to Clean Your Stove & Cooktop. (2015). Retrieved from https://learn.compactappliance.com/easily-clean-your-stovetop/

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Part II Answers to Common Bedbugs Question

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How do I know if I have bedbugs?

Bedbugs are not easy to spot since they are very small and hide away in plain sight. You can look for signs of droppings that look like tiny black dots or red smears around the bed frame, headboard, mattress, pillows and around the bed. Surprisingly, bedbugs can attach to clothing so it’s best to check your closet as well. The biggest giveaway of bedbugs is feeling itchy around your body which leads to the second question.

Do bedbugs bite?

The answer is yes. Bedbugs are active at night and usually bite people while they are asleep because the bugs feed on blood as their only source of nutrition. For many people, a bite can inflict a burning sensation and then develops red bumps, known as papules or wheals (rash). It is important to keep the bites clean and not to scratch because it can lead to secondary infection. Individuals with weak immune systems, children and elderly may develop secondary infection that can cause further swelling and bleeding. Most bites heal within one to two weeks of appearing or longer.

How do I get rid of bedbugs?

The best way to get rid of bedbugs is to call in the professionals. Pest control companies do a good job of inspecting and treating them. The progress of the treatment may be intensive and you may be asked to throw away furniture and mattress from your home. The disadvantage of calling in a professional is initially the cost but it may be the safest and may actually save you more money.

 

Source:

Bed Bugs. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/bedbugs-infestation#1

When Bed Bugs Bite. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/bed-bug-bites#locating-bedbugs

Bed Bug Extermination Cost: Inspection and Treatment Costs. (2018). Retrieved from https://pestkilled.com/bed-bug-extermination-costs/

Bed Bug Bites. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.orkin.com/other/bed-bugs/bedbug-bites/

How Long Do Bed Bug Bites Last?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.terminix.com/blog/bug-facts/how-long-do-bed-bug-bites-last/

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Part I: Answers to Common Bedbugs Question

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What are bedbugs?

Bedbugs are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and animal while they sleep. These little critters are nocturnally active and they can release unpleasant odors when disturbed. Even though bedbugs do not carry diseases, they can cause itchiness and allergic reactions to humans. The damage that bedbugs inflict is largely psychological since getting rid of them is difficult. Besides, who wants bedbugs on their mattress.

What do bedbugs look like?

Most bedbugs are the size of an apple seed or small as a head of a pin. When fed, they are round and reddish otherwise flattened and brown. Looking for bedbugs itself is difficult, but you can look for trails of fecal spots to detect bedbug’s infestation.

Is there a chance that I can bring bedbugs home?

The answer is yes. A good example is traveling far away from home or sleeping at a friend’s house across the street can seem harmless but your designated sleeping area might be bug-infested.  We tend to leave dirty laundry around the room and pack our dirty clothes into our luggage for convenience. According to The Scientific Reports, there is twice as many bugs that get attracted to dirty clothes as to clean ones. Bedbugs can easily climb onto your clothes and stow away in your laundry and luggage where it gets the chance to live in your home. It can be the other way around where your guests are visiting and may be carrying bedbugs in their luggage that can hop onto your bed.  

 

Sources:

Shultz, David. Bed bugs love your stinky laundry. Here’s how to keep them away. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/bed-bugs-love-your-stinky-laundry-here-s-how-keep-them-away/

Wong, Kate. Bed Bug Confidential: An Expert Explains How to Defend against the Dreaded Pests. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bed-bug-expert-explains-defend-yourself/

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The Benefits of Hiring a Cleaning Company for Your Office

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There is a lot of things that need to be cleaned at the office. Tasks such as cleaning the public washroom, vacuuming the hallway carpet, trash removal from each cubicle, or remove dust from your desk. Hiring a professional cleaner makes your life easier and actually saves you money and time. Here are a few benefits to why you should think to hire a cleaning team for your business.

Professional cleaners bring their own cleaning supplies such as vacuum cleaner, mope, and cleaning solutions. Your office doesn’t need a designated space for heavy cleaning equipment nor do you need to invest in one. On top of bringing their supplies, they know how to clean efficiently and in a timely manner. Professional cleaners are trained properly on sanitizing your work area.

It is cost-effective to bring in a professional team than redirect the employee’s time from their job. A thorough clean work environment reduces the cost of employee sick day and boost productivity. And let’s be honest, the professionals will spend less time doing an excellent job than you will anyway. Daily cleaning at the office will reduce costs of having to replace carpets and furnishings by extending fabric life.

Lastly, most cleaning companies are affordable. If you are small business, you can get a cleaning team once a week for a few hours that wouldn’t make a dent in your pocket. A bigger business with more employees would definitely need a cleaner coming in several times a week. A good rule of thumb is the more employees sharing a common space, the greater the need for the cleaners to come in.

In conclusion, leave it to the professional cleaners while you prepare for your next business meeting.

 

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Tips to Reduce Dust in the Office

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Dust may look harmless but can be harmful to your respiratory health. A study by Epidemiology has shown that thorough cleaning reduces the airborne dust in offices, and can also reduce mucosal symptoms and nasal congestion. There were also reports of a correlation between office dust and eye complaints such as “dry eyes” and “eye irritation”. These tips will help you prevent and remove dust from the air in the office.

Tip #1: Investing in Air Purifiers

Investing in an air purifier for your office space may be the best solution if you also have allergies. Having an effective HEPA filters around you can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles. Air purifiers are great at removing indoor pollutant coming from construction debris and mold spores from the ceiling. Most air purifiers not only remove dusts but also eliminate odor in the air.

Tip #2: Minimize Dust by Using a Duster

Dusters are an excellent tool to use when dust is on hard to reach places such as file cabinets and ceiling fans. Most people believe that dusters remove dust just by wiping the surface with it but unfortunately, it does not eliminate dust. It merely just moves the dust from one place to another. After dusting, use a vacuum cleaner.  A good vacuum cleaner can collect dust from your desk, monitors, small objects and carpet at your office.

Overall, reducing dust at the office isn’t as hard as it seems. You just need to change the filter from the air purifiers once in a while and vacuum once a week.

 

Sources:

How Do You Reduce Dust When It’s Everywhere?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.airpurifiers.com/pages/air-purifiers-reduce-dust-in-your-home

Skulberg, Knut R.*; Skyberg, Knut*; Kruse, Kristian*; Eduard, Wijnand*; Djupesland, Per†; Levy, Finn†; Kjuus, Helge. (2004). The Effect of Cleaning on Dust and the Health of Office Workers: An Intervention Study. Epidemiology, 15(1), 71-78. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/epidem/fulltext/2004/01000/the_effect_of_cleaning_on_dust_and_the_health_of.12.aspx

 

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