The Post Christmas Clean Up – Thomas Cleaning Services Guest Post


Once Christmas has been and gone and you’re left withthe dreaded aftermath of taking down the tree and decorations, it is also thebest time to organise a post Christmas clean up! From clever storage solutionsto recycling opportunities; this article by Thomas Cleaning breaks down a simple post Christmas cleaningroutine for you to easily complete in time for the New Year.  

Motivate yourself

First things first, you need to actually find the motivation to have a good sort out and clean. What better way to do this than by putting on an inspiring playlist? You can also get help from family members by creating to-do lists and to make things a little more exciting – put a timer on for each task and see who can get their jobs finished first.

Another great tip to bear in mind before you take all of the decorations down is to take a picture of the layout so that you can easily recreate the look the following year.  

Recycle and Donate

Christmas offers the perfect opportunity to recycle unwanted items not only so you have more space, but also to help others in need. As you may have received many new presents, aim to donate one old item for every new item you have received, to a local charity. This way you’re not only making room for your new gifts, but you’re also giving away your old ones to a worthy cause.  

If you have a real Christmas tree don’t worry about having to dispose of it yourself, many places offer a free tree collection if you have purchased the tree from them, saving you time, hassle and stress! You can also recycle your tree for composting, be sure to check local garden centres and websites.

Fridges are often full to the brim over the festive period, so when it comes to having a good clear out, ensure you get rid of any items you are unlikely to use and give them to someone in need. You could donate a food parcel to a homeless person or a food bank meaning it won’t go to waste.

Choose Clever Storage Solutions

Finding a suitable place to store your Christmas decorations can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if you’re particularly limited on space, however little tips and tricks can certainly help. Use multifunctional items that can double up as storage such as suitcases that you rarely use, and store these under your bed with decorations in.

Also keep any gift bags and tissue paper using them to store baubles in until you can reuse the bags the following year. Another great idea is to keep shoeboxes and gift boxes from any presents you have received, and use them as extra storage instead of throwing them out.

Get the Place Gleaming!

Last but not least, you need to give everywhere a good clean; here are some key things to focus on:

  • Like most ovens at Christmas, yours will probably be well overdue a clean. Make sure to take all baking trays and shelving out so you can give it a thorough scrub removing any grease and grime
  • Get rid of any Christmas scented candles or air fresheners and replace them with clean, fresh scents
  • Wave goodbye to the Christmas-themed bedding and put some fresh sheets on
  • Make sure to hoover and then hoover again! Decorations gather a lot of dust (and glitter)
  • Take the sofa apart and hoover everywhere, pop the cushion covers in the wash and then replace
  • Move all furniture to clean under it – you’ll be surprised what you may find hiding behind cupboards after Christmas!
  • Tackle any tough Christmas stains on clothing or furniture immediately

Author Bio: Thomas Cleaning are a domestic and commercial cleaning company with over 26 years of experience, based in Chipping Norton. They offer a range of highly professional cleaning services catering to offices, schools, surgeries, personal homes and more.

Crime Scene and Accident Cleanups: The Grimmest Jobs in Cleaning

Crime Scene Yellow Ribbon

Blood splatter. Brain matter which had dried up and had become difficult to remove. Stomach-turning smells of a decomposed body. Heart-wrenching scenes of grief-stricken survivors processing the grisly scene before them. For many of us, these scenes are something we are lucky enough to see only on TV. But for many people who clean up crime scenes and accident sites for a living, the horror is a stark reality. But although the work can be difficult and heart-wrenching, it can also be interesting and sometimes, mundane. In this article, we’ll explore the secrets of one of the grimmest jobs in cleaning, the world of the crime scene and accident scene cleanups.

  1. Crime scene and accident site cleanup companies are a relatively new but rapidly growing and lucrative industry. Although crimes and accidents are mankind’s constant bedfellows since time immemorial, the difficult task of cleaning up the bloody mess had been the responsibility of the surviving family, building personnel, or the family’s domestic cleaners. In the event of vehicle accidents, for instance, it lies within the responsibility of the vehicle owner to reach out to experts like the ones at auto repair in Arvada to get the vehicle repaired and also seek guidance from lawyers for compensation. There are countless responsibilities that one has to take up after the accident has occurred. During the 1990s, a few enterprising individuals began to answer the public’s need for professional crime scene and accident site cleanups. Not only did this new brand of cleaners free grieving family members, building personnel, and domestic cleaning service providers from the task that they were unprepared and under-equipped to take on, they also helped secure the scene of the crime or accident from evidence tampering and contamination.

Despite the declining crime rate in the United States, crime scene and accident cleanups are still considered a lucrative business. Its profit has skyrocketed to $99 million, while its revenue has reached a whopping $375.5 million according to the market research group IBISWorld.

2. Cleaning up a scene of a crime or accident might look so simple, but it’s a complicated and difficult process. Remember that the police and other first responders do not clean up crime scenes. In the aftermath of a crime or an accident, it is the family or the building manager’s responsibility to arrange an appointment with a crime scene cleanup provider. The survivors will then need to have clearance from law enforcement before the actual cleanup can begin.

Once cleared, the cleanup will begin with an initial inspection. The technicians will determine what type of biohazard materials are present, and which disinfectants they should use to sanitize and decontaminate the area. The cleaners will do their best to restore the scene to the moment before the crime occurred. The process, however, can become difficult and dangerous if the blood, tissue, or other bodily fluids left behind in the crime scene contain pathogens.

3. Although a person doesn’t need a degree to become a crime scene or accident cleaner, prospective technicians need to receive special training conducted by the employers themselves. In-house training is provided by employers to ensure that their cleaners are familiar with proper cleaning and biohazard waste disposal methods, as well as to ensure that they comply with all OSHA and government safety regulations. Prospective technicians also do not need to be licensed or certified to work as a crime scene or accident cleaner. If they do not comply with the rules and regulations then they put themselves and others at risk for injury. If this does happen then professionals similar to an Arkansas personal injury lawyer or one within the injured person’s location, may be brought in to deal with the case if it goes to court.

4. Crime scene cleaners use regular cleaning materials but are also equipped with PPEs and other specialized equipment. Cleaning technicians are armed not only with an arsenal of conventional cleaning materials but also special clothing and equipment similar to this hazmat suit for sale. This is for their safety so that they are not exposed to dangerous scenes, health hazards, or strong chemicals as they perform their work.

Apart from being equipped with personal protective equipment, technicians also bring biohazard waste containers (such as thick plastic bags and heavy-duty containers). For complicated cleanup jobs (such as when the brain matter had dried or blood had coagulated), they are equipped with strong disinfectants, enzyme solvent, putty knives, shovels, foggers, and strong deodorizers. It is also normal for them to bring ladders, saws, sledgehammers, and other such equipment for very difficult cleanups. If there is a lot of debris that has accumulated at the scene, then they may need to have larger means of disposal which can come in the form of a skip bins for hire sydney company or one similar, to help with moving these large items away from the scene and disposing of them after they are checked.

5. The job can be physically demanding and emotionally draining, so it goes without saying that the turnover rate is higher compared to other industries. Cleaning up a place where someone committed suicide or was murdered is physically and psychologically draining, so it’s little wonder that many cleaners choose to leave the industry after several months or so. Although the business can be lucrative, many owners choose to leave the industry because of the psychological toll the situations can inflict upon them. Some companies arrange psychological counseling to help their employees compartmentalize and cope with the stress.

6. But for some people, the job can also be emotionally fulfilling. Witnessing the death of a loved one from a violent crime or an accident is one of the worst moments in a person’s life. Cleaning up a crime scene can sometimes only add to their trauma, that’s why cleaning technicians play a large role in easing the burden of the survivors by shielding them from the worst. Although the job is physically and emotionally exhausting, knowing that they had made a difference in the lives of the survivors and helping them cope with their grief can be emotionally fulfilling for many cleaners.

7. Depending on the difficulty of the cleanup and how hazardous the environment is, the service can sometimes be expensive. Some of the most difficult to clean sites are rooms where a decomposing body was discovered or where large sections were splattered with lots of blood, tissue, or other bodily fluids. A portion of the cost can be covered by insurance, but the family will still need to foot a portion of the bill.

8. Crime scene and accident cleanup providers also offer a host of other cleanup services. Crime scene and accident cleanups make up a small part of the business, that’s why some cleaning companies offer other cleanup services to supplement their income. Some companies provide animal waste disposal, basement or crawlspace cleanup, and even hoarding cleanup. Other providers even go as far as offer disease disinfection and contagious disease wipe downs for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities in the case of disease outbreaks or epidemics.

Voted 2018 NCJ Best Cleaning Service in Humboldt

We had a great time celebrating our accomplishment of being voted the Best Cleaning Service in Humboldt. We sure did miss the rest of the crew that couldn’t make it! To our customers, thank you for voting us the Best Of Humboldt.

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The Benefits of Window Cleaning

Eureka Window Washing Service

Image Credit: Pexels

Windows offer an artistic curb application of the property, but surfaces roofed in dirt and corrosion can harmfully influence the glance of these features and reduce the value, making cleaning the windows an important job that must be done, regardless of whether you have older windows or newer windows that have been recently installed by a firm like Sign Windows. It is harder to put up for sale a house with dirt-covered windows in contrast to surfaces that are spotless and wonderfully maintained. If you think you actually could do with replacing the window altogether, then consider austin window and doors.

Office spaces that fade away the dirt and dander to clear up on the outdoor develop an unenthusiastic customer and business colleague consciousness. It creates one of negligence or a lack of awareness that businesses definitely do not wish for to relate to the brand. It is easy and price effective to call on people known for managing window cleaning to maintain these structures correctly managed.

Window cleaning service is utilized both in commercial as well as housing properties. This exacting task needs expert and skilled window cleaners as the job has its risks. The apparatus needed for the cleaning contain a squeegee, water, and a water fed shaft system. Sideways from these tools, ladders and cherry pickers are used for solid to reach glass windows that require cleaning. Ladders are essentially utilized while cleaning home windows as the crest is typically accessible with the ladder. Window fitters and repairers are also faced with the same risks, as it is a very complex task. Click here to find a list of the different types of window repairs that could be needed.

How Often do we need Window Cleaning?

The easiest means to be familiar with you require professional cleaning is when the windows are obviously filthy. Of course, what’s dirty to one person may perhaps not be so awful to anymore. Determine your personal breaking tip by getting your windows appropriately cleaned, noting the date, and then bearing in mind how long it takes for you to desire them cleaned over again. The profession of window cleaning demands the ability of working safely at heights, which can be an issue for many people, showing just how difficult the job can actually be.

However keep in mind that there are reasons to have your windows cleaned frequently, even if the dust is not aggressively disturbing you. For instance, if you have a business, clean windows demonstrate that you worry about your space; for your home, the timeline is additional supple-but again, keeping your windows clean shows that you think about your home.

Benefits of Window Cleaning

Clean windows enhance your sight and defend your home asset. Over time mud and wreckage on windows can cause harm as well as decrease the pleasant appearance of your property. Keeping your windows sparkling and in fine mend not only boosts your frame of mind and lets the sunshine in.

Keep your Windows in Shape for Longer

Specialized window cleaning services keep environmental pollutants like acidic rain, tough water, and deterioration off of your window as a consequence that provide you for longer. By washing off these contaminants in the appropriate manner, using suitable cleaners and original WG-57 spray, you keep these acidic contaminants away from your glass, securing money by extending your windows’ life period.

Mold Prevention

Mold loves a damp, tepid place to call home and concentration in your windows can produce just the environment precarious mold needs to succeed. Mold can cause risky respiratory infections, create allergies poorer, and can be extremely complex to eliminate. It’s good to make contact with a window cleaning service to remove mold from your windows relatively than an effort to eradicate the fungi from yourself. Using particular chemicals and a power-washing process, a specialized window cleaning service can get free of the mold and demonstrate you ways you can maintain your windows dehydrated to avoid re-infestation.

Reduce Potential Dangers

To get better the health of your family and defend against allergens, pests, and additional dangers, window cleaning is necessary. Regular professional window cleaning can maintain your home in good health continual and provide you an enormous state of mind while enhancing the life of your windows at the similar time.

Summary

Hiring a cleaning service makes your glass a lot cleaner than you can achieve on your own through a rag and cleaning answer. That means clearer views, an improved looking, and additional welcoming structure outside, and enhanced lighting within-dirty windows can sift out natural light.

Five Second Rule Is a Myth?

Scary Things That Are In Your Carpet!

Allergens and Dust

You should know that the dust in your carpets is mostly made of flaked off dead skin cells? “In one year and average person can shed one million skins cells a day” . That’s like eight pounds of dead cells a year! In addition to dried skin cells, pollen’s in Humboldt County CA such as trees like Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia), weeds like Annual Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Coyotebrush Species Description, Rape (Brassica rapa), Silver Burr-Ragweed (Ambrosia chamissonis), and grasses such as Curly Blue Grass (Poa secunda)  cause lots of seasonal allergies for people in the area. All through the year these allergens are brought into your home by your shoes, pets, or the air.

Rotting Food (Five Second Rule is a Myth)

Your family drops their food on the carpet all the time, and probably some of your siblings or parents will pick it up and apply the five second rule, the rule states the following: A slice of pizza is dropped on the ground. The five-second rule suggests that if it is picked up within five seconds, it is safe to eat them. That me a great rule to save a great slice of pizza, however there are ramifications for your carpet. Over time your carpets in your home will accumulate tons of microscopic rotting food particles. Your carpet then becomes a habitat for lots of nasty organisms!

Dust Mites

Remember those dead skin cells mentioned earlier, well if your carpet has not been professionally cleaned, your carpet is filled with MILLIONS of microscopic organisms called dust mites that survive by eating dust (aka your dead skin cells). Your upholstery, mattress, and air ducts have them living in them also.

Pet Feces and Urine

You may think that because your Dog or Cat is trained to do their business outside this problem does not pertain to your carpets, however this is only affecting the amount of feces and urine that is in your carpets. Your creatures are tracking in these bacteria on their paws, especially Cats that use litter boxes. Just imagine sticking your foot in your toilet and then walking on your carpet!

 

Bacteria

And the winner is Bacteria! Carpets that are not professionally cleaned may have these most common bacteria found in them:

Escherichia Coli (E. Coli), Staphylococcus Aureus (STAPH), and Salmonellosis (Salmonella). E. Coli can cause stomach aches, diarrhea, and intestinal infections. E. Coli is found in the poop of mammals such as dogs, cats, and humans.

Staph which is a bacterium that lives on the skin of a lot of mammals. Staph can end up in carpet from skin cells, dirty hands/feet, or blood. Staph can be harmless or life threatening depending on the exact strain of the Staph bacteria.

Salmonella is transferred to carpet from feces from pets or people. Salmonella is particularly dangerous and causes: fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Salmonella can usually be treated by antibiotics but is particularly dangerous for children and senior citizens.

Never Fear A-1’s IICRC Carpet Techs Are Hear to Rescue Your Home From These Scary Things in Your Carpet!

Give us a call 442-3229 or click below to schedule your Humboldt County carpet cleaning appointment today!

 

Why You Should Have Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned On A Regular Basis

The frequency in which most people clean their carpet generally depends on factors such as how much foot traffic it gets and whether it’s being exposed to smokers and pets. Some people may need to get a company that offers carpet cleaning in Charleston once every two months whereas others will only need to get it once a year. It all depends on the homeowner’s lifestyle. When it comes to major carpet cleaning procedures, the general consensus is that it is needed at least once a year. Depending on your living situation however, you may need to consider getting something like Champion Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning even more often.

Improved Air Quality

Approximately one in every five adults suffers from asthma. Other breathing issues such as those related to allergies are also much more common than most realize. It is crucial for the homes of these people to have excellent air quality and keeping the carpeting clean plays a vital role in that. Uncleaned carpets harbor harmful pollen, mold, dust, dirt, and pet dander. It is just as important to clean carpets thoroughly even if no one in the house has any current breathing issues because poor air quality can easily develop over time.

Longer Lasting Carpeting

Home fixtures and furnishing are often quite expensive. Carpeting is no exception. It is only natural to want everything in your home to stay in good shape so that it will last longer. Keeping your carpet clean is the ideal way to maintain it so that you won’t have to replace it sooner than later. This is the reason why many landlords invest in carpet cleaning services in between tenancies; looking after the carpet can help protect their investment.

While many may try to put off the cost of cleaning, it’s often cheaper than replacing it entirely once the wear and tear of neglect has set in. Professional cleaning is an investment in the longevity of your carpet.

Be Sure To Vacuum Before Carpet Cleaning

Before having a carpet cleaner come in, you should vacuum to give the carpet a good once over. A lot of loose debris and dirt will be removed, allowing the cleaner to work its magic much more efficiently. Carpet cleaning procedures are more about a deep clean that gets down to the floor level fibers. Having too much crud built up on top can get in the way. Without a lot of dirt to work through on the surface, the deeper cleaning will also take less time, overall. Everyday dirt is one thing, however should your carpet ever be damaged through extraordinary circumstances, such as flooding, a more specialist carpet water damage restoration service may be required.

Everyone wants a clean and fresh smelling home. Professional carpet cleaning is only a small part of the solution, however. You have to do some general maintenance in between the deeper cleaning procedures to keep everything in proper shape.

Vacuum Regularly

Vacuuming is considered to be a fairly tedious chore for many people, but it really needs to be done regularly. Once a week will do a lot to keep your home smelling fresh. You will be sure to maintain good air quality this way, as well. You really should vacuum twice a week for areas that have a lot of traffic or regular exposure to pets and childre. Be as thorough as possible and you can be sure to have a great looking and healthy carpet all year around.

By maintaining your carpet with regular vacuuming and by having your carpets cleaned annually, you can extend the life and look of your carpet for many years to come.

R.S. Hall is the owner of several successful businesses and the publisher of the website MoldRemovalRescue.com which provides solutions for mold problems.

Sofa cleaning between appointments with the cleaning agency

Sofa cleaning between appointments with the cleaning agency (2)Sofas get dusty and food crumbs find their way into the deep corners and drinks inadvertently spill onto the upholstery. Fortunately, sofa cleaning is not a tough task if you have a bit of time and the right cleaning supplies. If you don’t want to call your local cleaning agency to clean up for you or you are simply looking at doing a quick clean before the next professional cleaning, our guide will take you through some simple and easy sofa cleaning steps.

  • It is important to know the sofa fabric

It is important to know the fabric type before you start cleaning. Look for the tag that tells you what material the sofa cover is made of. Most often these tags will provide instructions on which cleaning products can be used and which cannot be used.

  • Begin sofa cleaning by vacuuming

It is best to start by getting rid of any surface debris, dust and dirt from the sofa. For this you can use a dust-buster or a hose add-on of a vacuum cleaner to eliminate any dust particles. Use the long attachment of the vacuum cleaner to reach the crevices and don’t forget to vacuum the cushions. It is recommended that you start by vacuuming the cushions and then place them aside so that you can work on the sofa. In case you don’t have a vacuum cleaner and want to purchase it; you can visit websites such as omnihomeideas.com/appliances/best-quiet-shop-vac/ to get the relevant information about various vacuum cleaners.

  • Get rid of heavy dust

If there are spots on the sofa where dirt has been caked in, use a brush to break it loose and release the dirt. Ensure that you rub gently so that the fabric is not damaged.

  • Remove pet hair from sofa

Your vacuum cleaner will not be able to get rid of pet hair. To get rid of any fur, use a lint roller once you finish vacuuming the sofa. Work in a systematic pattern so that you don’t miss out on any hair.

  • Wipe clean

Use wipes to clean any hard surface, hand rests and any other exposed surfaces. Alternatively, you can use a cleaning product that is appropriate for wooden or other surfaces that you are cleaning. Keep an all-purpose surface cleaner handy so that you don’t have to scurry around looking for specific wipes. Use a leather cleaner for leather upholstered sofas.

  • Condition

Leather needs slightly different treatment to fabric. Water will dry it out, causing fading and cracks to appear, which is why only leather cleaner should be used. However, even leather cleaner will cause fading over time, so it’s important to use leather conditioner from somewhere like URAD.com to lock moisture back into it. Conditioner prevents cracking and leaves the leather silky smooth and soft. It will also give it a beautiful sheen, and should remove any of that “old leather” smell that can start to occur over time.

Fabric Pre-conditioner can be used to dissolve dirt and oil from the upholstery. Make sure that you spot test the preconditioner for discolouration on a spot that is not easily viewable.

  • Gentle wash

If you have removable sofa covers then it is best to toss them into the washing machine for a quick wash, especially if they are extremely soiled. Avoid washing them too often though or you will risk damaging the fabric.

It is recommended that every six months you get professional cleaners to clean your sofa. This will help maintain the original feel and look of the fabric. The domestic cleaning agency will use professional tools that don’t discolour or harm the fabric. Follow this up with regular cleaning before your next appoint with the cleaning company.

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