Category Archives for "articles"

0 Air Quality In Your Home

What many people don’t know is that the air we breathe every day is probably extremely polluted. Many allergies are caused by air pollution. It’s a very big problem, which is becoming increasingly popular with common consumers. It seems that the air we have at home can be more than twice more polluted than outdoors air. There are various ways to clean the air inside your home. I’ve suggested some of them.

First of all, it’s very important that you clean your home regularly. If there’s dust all over and mould and mildew, it will be a wonder if you don’t start having allergies.

If you have any kind of filters, cleaning your home will help them work easier, when they aren’t constantly clogged with dirt and debris.

If you want to make sure that the air in your home is clean, you can buy an air purifier. You can find many varieties of air purifiers, but not all of them work well. If you wish to buy one and have to decide on one out of many, look for:

• the HEPA filters – the air purifiers that have HEPA filters have most air cleaning power. These filters usually last for a year.
• activated charcoal – you need this if you want to remove odours from the air. Filters with activated charcoal need to be replaced once every 3-6 months.
• CADR – that is “Clean Air Delivery Rates”. This measures the amount of air that is filtered by the purifier. You would prefer one with higher CADR – 250 and above.

If you don’t want to buy such a machine, then you should consider the more natural alternative – house plants. There are a number of plants that help remove air pollutants.

Some of these plants are spider plants, Golden Pothos, ferns, Snake Plant, English Ivy, and some of the dracaena.

In places with much polluted air, you can use a fan-assisted plant. It’s a fan that draws the air through the dirt where it’s filtered and cleaned by the plants’ roots.

If you are experiencing unexplained symptoms and allergies, then it’s a good idea the get a home air quality check. It’s rather expensive, but it can help determine the source of the pollution and terminate it.

If your home air quality is awful, try contacting an air quality consultant who will help you tackle the problem. They will recommend the best plan of action.

0 Cleaning High Above The Ground

Today I was feeling great from the morning. I had this feeling that something good was going to happen.

It may sound crazy, but although I still live in the same society, driven by careerism and ambitions, I feel calm the recent weeks. I have a simple job of a cleaner, which is not prestigious and for which I have much lower payment than I had used to. But I am calm, because I am focused on the simple thing, I did not notice before.

When I got to the office this morning, I understand why I had this good feeling. My brother looked worried and when he saw me, he pointed out with his eyes at our daily schedule. I burst out laughing. It seemed that faint was making some kind of joke with us. Our whole day would be devoted to the windows of a big office building, which was really high. It was funny for me, because I knew that my brother was afraid of heights. He was so afraid of heights, as I was afraid of dead people. He looked at me confused as he was saying “Don’t you dare to say anything!”. But he could not stop me. As soon as we got in our van, I started joking with him.

When we got the address, he was already rather worried. I offered him to clean the inner side of the windows, while I was cleaning the outer side. He of course disagreed. So we decided us both to clean together the inside first. The work was monotonous, but we did it together, so we would have to finish it quick. I taught about the moment when we would have to go outside and to clean the windows, hanging in our metal cage dozens of feet above the ground. It would be interesting.

Then I taught that some of the people, I gave the biggest credits have offices right in this building. I wondered what would they think, if they see me washing their windows. But in fact I did not care at all. I was feeling fine and was doing a descent job.

Soon I found another advantage of the work as a cleaner. First I taught that I was fancying, but I think I was not. It seemed to me that when I was bending over to moisten the mob in the bucket, when I was stretching to get the highest angles of the window or when I was going to pour fresh water in the bucket, the women behind the desks looked at me with interest. I realised that these modern women working in offices are watching too much television. They may be fans of “Desperate housewives” or something like that, where women with carrier get attracted to hardworking men… Ha-ha-ha, who could guess what are women thinking at all!?

0 Second Day – Cleaning Gets Easier

The next morning I woke up just in time to prepare for work. While I was shaving, I realised that I think of all the things which happened to me the previous day. I remembered the look on my brother’s face when I did one silly thing after another. In fact it was funny. My new job was so different than my old one, so I did not take it seriously. I did not expect anything big from it either, so I felt no tension or stress.

While humming some song I put on one of my suits. “I have to buy some regular clothes” I taught and I went out in the rainy morning.

While I was walking, I taught why I really accepted this job. Was my wish to get closer to my brother a good enough reason? Anyway, I knew I did the right thing. After the collapse of my carrier and after my divorce the last thing I needed was sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself, drinking alcohol and staring at TV.

While my brother and I got up in the van, he said that that day I’d better watch how is he doing the cleaning  job. He taught I needed some more time for training, because otherwise I could cause damage to some expensive furniture or could injure myself again. I did not agree at all. I answered to my brother that if I am going to learn, I have to practice. I did not mind him to give me some advice, but I did not want to be idle. I promised to read every cleaning product’s label and to put my rubber gloves on.

My brother could not resist my persuasion for long and he let me work again. But I had to promise not to admit the same errors like yesterday.

I tried to be focused and paid attention to every word my brother said. And it worked. All day long I did much work without making any kind of trouble. My brother’s mood was getting better and he was satisfied with my work.

At the end of the day I suggested to him that we could drink some beers together. At first he told me he has to go home, but then smiled and said: “I am joking, of course I will come with you. The only problem is I don’ know bars where people with suits like yours go. But we’ll think of something.‘’

0 Unexpected Cleaning

A few months ago my husband and I started considering buying a new house as our old one was becoming too small for the family. After some searching, it seemed that we have found the right one. As our whole family liked it, we decided to buy it. However, when it was time to go there to clean a little and bring our stuff, it turned out the previous owners had left an unpleasant surprise for us.

Apparently, they have taken all of their furniture and belongings without paying any attention to what is left behind. While taking away the cupboards, they had totally ruined the wallpapers and, on top of that, the remnants of the wallpapers were spread all over the floors. Furthermore, after removing the carpets, the floors were left covered in a thick layer of dust. Also, there were much more not very nice scenes in the rooms.

We could do nothing but put up with the situation and do the cleaning. I started with the hoovering, while my teenage daughters were sweeping the areas that the vacuum cleaner could not reach. It was a tiring task but as we were a small team, it got accomplished quickly. In the meantime, my husband had managed to remove what was left from the wallpapers from the walls and threw it away. He had filled nearly five garbage bags with paper, my daughters and I have also filled two bags with some wooden blocks and bars that were left around the house, so the public trash bins in front of the house could not hold all of this rubbish and my husband had to drive to the dump.

While he was away, with the help of my girls, I managed to spotlessly polish the dirty kitchen floor and return its true colour. Although I am not a fan of the commercial chemical cleaning agents, I had to use one as the accumulated dirt could not be treated with water only. The sink in the kitchen also needed a lot of scrubbing with the scouring pad, so some time had to be spent there. The window panes needed to be cleaned as well, so we rolled our sleeves up and started. The microfiber towels we used performed miracles to the dull windows and they became as shiny as new.

When my husband got back, he started refreshing the walls which were previously covered in wallpapers. I have to admit that he is a really skilled man, so he quickly put on the new wallpapers.

It was a very long day and although we had to do a lot of unexpected cleaning, at the end of the day, we were feeling very satisfied, though exhausted, as our new house was bright and clean.

0 Myths About Cleaning

1. You can clean everything with vinegar – as it is true that it is a good disinfectant when some water is added to it, it is also true that vinegar can ruin a lot of surfaces. For example, the vinegar acid can damage hardwood floors or any porous surfaces.

2. Vacuum cleaner can damage your carpets – most people start worrying when they find a ball of the fabric of the carpet in the dust bag. Although the sight of it might be a cause for concern, I can guarantee that the damage to your carpet will not be so bad. It is much better to clean them regularly and cause some insignificant and unnoticeable damage than leave them dirty and prone to bacterial accumulation.

3. The more detergent you use, the better the results will be – if you follow this misleading advice, you risk getting problems much worse than a dirty home. Using too much cleaning agents might be the reason behind your allergies. Moreover, if you use too much soap and washing powder, you may then have a difficulty in washing it away.

4. The bleach is the best cleaning agent – in fact, the bleach is not a cleanser but rather a disinfectant. It can kill harmful germs or remove some stains but it will not remove impurities. Furthermore, the bleach can damage a lot of fabrics if overused. It can also be harmful to your health if you do not use it carefully.

5. The plants cannot breathe if there is dust on their leaves – it is partly true as the thick layers of dust on your plants may be an obstacle for the process of photosynthesis. However, this does not mean that you have to rub the leaves of your plant every single day. You only need to gently remove the dust with a damp cloth once a month and it will be enough for the wellbeing of your flowers.

6. I cannot clean my home thoroughly as there are too much things in it – this statement may turn out to be true in your case but the fault will be only yours. It is important that we get rid of unwanted clutter occasionally. Clearing out all of your wardrobes, cupboards and drawers twice a year will definitely help you get to the decision to throw away the stuff you have not used for years.

7. The wooden furniture has to be polished regularly – there are people who think that they need to polish their furniture every time they clean the room where they are placed. However, the effects of doing so might be different from expected. If you do not carefully choose the polishing agent, you may ruin the wooden surfaces. I would recommend that you only use a microfiber towel for cleaning wooden furniture.

0 The Benefits of Professional Cleaning

Having been a housewife for a long time, I only found out the advantages of professional cleaning services when I started working again. I was too busy to take care of our house, so I had to turn to a cleaning agency for help. Initially, I was a bit sceptical, but then my opinion changed.

First of all, I was surprised at the professionalism of the cleaning lady that was sent to my house. She was a well-mannered middle-aged lady who arrived just on time and cleaned every millimetre of my house.

The agency whose services I used provided its employees only with high quality cleaning products. I suppose they do not want to tarnish their reputation by using cheap and ineffective detergents. Truth to be told, I did not see what the brand of most of the products was but their efficiency was immediately obvious. As a further advantage, I would like to emphasize that all of the cleaning detergents are ecologically-sound and the company ensures that your health will not be affected in any negative way. Apart from cleaning the inside of your house, you can also order facade cleaning and even gardening services.

Furthermore, judging by the cleaning lady’s dexterity, she seemed to be very experienced. She cleaned our windows in no time while she only used her vacuum window cleaner. I have never seen such a device before but it appeared to be very useful. I can honestly say that these windows had never been cleaner. On top of that, she even managed to remove the old stains on the carpet in the living room which I used to hide under the coffee table.

Another benefit of professional cleaning services is their time-flexibility. You can arrange the cleaning of your house or office at any time that suits you. You do not even need to be at home when the cleaning person comes as the company guarantees the safety of your belongings. In addition to the regular services offered, you can also order cleaning for special occasion or after them. Imagine you have to throw an unexpected party but your house is a real mess, you do not need to worry anymore, as there is a service called emergency cleaning. They send a whole team in your house and make it spotless for an hour, the price is a bit higher, of course, but there is no doubt this can be an invaluable solution to problems of this kind.

In conclusion, I would like to say that professional cleaning services can save you a lot of time, especially if you are a full-time working person. Personally, I believe it is good value for money.

0 Cleaning A Hotel

Owning a hotel can be paying but it is also a huge responsibility. No matter if it is a big or a small place you are always responsible for many people – the staff and the guests of the hotel. When you offer certain services and you charge money for them you have to offer the clients the needed level of quality. Maintaining a hotel requires a lot of funding and labour force. The cleaning of a hotel includes certain technologies, sanitary requirements and rules. Every hotel should have a cleaning scheme and follow it strictly.

The most important thing about a hotel is maintaining good hygienic conditions. Clients will be pleased with the hotel’s services if they have received the desired comfort, cosiness and hygiene. The first thing that a client notices when entering a hotel room is its appearance. So you should make sure that the rooms are clean, tidy and arranged well. This is a job of the housekeepers.

The first thing a housekeeper should do is to knock at the door and see if the room is empty. When they go inside the room they check for missing or forgotten objects. Then, the room should be aired, the dust-bins should be emptied and if there is waste in the room it should be collected. After that, the balcony is cleaned up. The dirty linen is changed with clean linen and the bed is done in the defined way. Then the dust is wiped and cobwebs are removed if there are such. After that the floor should be wiped and washed and the furniture arranged in the fixed way. Finally, the door is closed and locked. The bathrooms should be cleaned and disinfected precisely. The dustbin should be emptied and then the floor, the sink, shower, bathtub, toilet and every other surface should be cleaned with the necessary products for that purpose. Then the room is ready for new guests. The hallways of the hotel should also be cleaned up with a vacuum or steam cleaner. The laundry should be done.

As far as the outside of the hotel is concerned, other staff is responsible for it. The swimming pool, the garden and the parking require special care and you should hire professionals about that job.

Everyone has a defined post and fulfils certain duty in the hotel. But the whole staff should be controlled and supervised by a manager who has to watch for the proper execution of duties.

Owning a hotel involves a lot of work and financial resources. Make sure you hire only professionals and that they do their jobs right so that you can respond to all the rules and regulations that are required in this field. In this way, your hotel will earn more guests, it will be preferred and therefore, profitable.

0 Cleaners Or Thieves?

Adam and Ryan came in the office in about an hour. They arrived at the same time which brought me to some doubt… Could it be possible that they really have stolen the money? May be they come together to support each other version…

When I told them about the situation Ryan said that behind the bar cleaned Adam. Adam was not worried at all. He calmly said that when he cleaned the bar, the drawer of the case where should be the money, was already opened. I taught that I caught him and I asked: “Why didn’t you call the restaurant manager to report for this?”. But he was not worried at all again. He answered that when they came in the pizzeria, the manager was still there and it was logical that she took the financial turnover for the day.

I still had doubts. I taught to call the police, but I didn’t want my company’s name to be involved in a scandal. I would check their version by myself. If they were guilty, I would pay Jessica all costs and would fire them both without making this incident public.

And I gave them a 2 hour lection about working ethics, about what does it mean to be professional and what consequences could have a little mistake. They listened to me indifferently. Their behaviour still worried me.

The office was silent. All the other workers were cleaning at different addresses. I decided to pursue an interrogation. I didn’t know how to do it, but I would use the things I saw in the crime movies.

I was the bad cup so far. It was time to perform the good one too. And I decided to improvise: “Come on guys, let’s go to a bar! I’ll buy the drinks!”

Years ago, when I used to work in other companies as an employee, I drank often with my colleagues. Every Friday night we were in some bar and I was the only one, who could go home rather sober at the end of the evening, although I was the one who drank the most pints of beer.

So now I taught: “I will buy drinks to Adam and Ryan until they become chatty. They will tell me everything…”

But soon I found that these guys are not what I thought they were. They did not drink beer, but scotch. And they not just drank it, it was like they poor the alcohol in their throats. I tried to follow their tempo, but only a half an hour later I felt dizzy and everything I saw was blurry.

Ryan said: “Boss, your phone makes a sound!” I looked at its screen. I had an e-mail from Jessica.  She wrote that she talked to the bartender and it turned out that he took the money to be sure that they are safe. She gave me thousand apologies and invited me and my wife in her restaurant as an excuse.

0 My First Week As A Cleaner

When my father found out that I was going to start work immediately after finishing school, he was rather disappointed. He must have known things were going this way, but I guess he was hoping for some kind of miracle which would help mi continue my education. When I told him I already committed to start in a particular company, he realised there is no way back. He was crushed. Unlike him I was feeling well and hopeful. Well, it was not the dream job for starting a career, but I was not dreaming for big professional heights. My aim was my father to work less, because he was growing old and supporting financially our family was getting harder for him.

My work was not so difficult or tough. My colleges in this Children’s Party Center were very nice and accepted me readily in the team. My obligations were simple. The only new things I had to learn were the specifics of different cleaning products.

I was very busy all day long. Children who came to our center were making a big mess, while having fun, but they are children – their job is to make a mess 🙂

My colleagues soon infected me with positive attitude. Man could not be gloomy or have negative taught when he is surrounded by little naughty joyful kids!

I was doing my job as a cleaner well. It was easy, because the atmosphere was friendly and I had desire to learn. I had some experience too. I helped my mom cleaning our house since I was 12.

I was very proud at the end of my first week of working in the Children’s Party Center. I was proud, because then I received my first pay check. Before coming home I ran to the local shop and bought some things to celebrate this. Well, I could not buy everything I wanted, but who can? Especially after only a week working…

That evening my family had a very good time. We had not done it for so long… This constant concern, which was floating in the air of our home was decreased. My brothers and my sister were making a big noise and were laughing out loud. My mother was looking happy. My father was proud too, but I saw him wipe a tear from time to time. It was still hard for him to accept that his little girl grows as an adult responsible person.

0 A Talkative Cleaner

John and I charged all the instruments and cleaning agents in our service van and we drove to the first object I would clean in my life. My mentor turned out to be the just the opposite of my idea of him. Despite his long floppy moustaches and his huge growth, he was not gloomy or scary at all. In fact he was really chatty. He asked me where do I come from, why I came in London etc. At the beginning I even expected him to start making fun of me, because I thought this happens to freshmen in any firm. Well, there were jokes, but I shall tell you about them later.

John and I fall in a traffic jam and the more we talked, the more I realised he is well-intentioned. We knew each other for half an hour and he already told me about his first failed marriage, about his daughter of my age and about his present wife. He even told me he is sure that his present wife is cheating on him with their neighbour, but he can’t catch them at the “crime scene”. The good thing for him was he cheated on his fife with the neighbour’s wife too. His neighbour however proved to be more watchful than him and managed to catch John kissing his wife. He does not talk to him since then.

We finally arrived at the place. John’s stories were curious, but were too much for me for such a short time. I hoped we will change the subject, but my hope did not last long. My college told me the freshmen receive the honor of cleaning the toilettes and bathrooms. He gave me some directions how to do it and continued with his stories.

He used to be best friend with his neighbour. Many years ago they even used to choose together the houses they rent– they wanted to be near to each other. They used to have fun together every evening: they drank beer, they watched football. Then John fell in love with his first wife and married her. They had a baby girl, but their marriage did not last long. His wife had an only defect – she murmured every time when he and his friend had a good time. She was so sour that one evening when both friends watched the game Leeds United v West Ham she packed her stuff and moved out.

Few years later his friend married and the next year he became a truck driver. He had to drive often and sometimes he did not come home for days. He told John to protect his wife.

John sweep up the furniture while telling me with a sad voice that one rainy night when he had some more drinks and his neighbour’s wife brought him some pudding, he “spit upon their friendship”.