A-1 Cleaning Service, LLC.

Get The Job Done With A-1 <><

Tag: home hygiene

  • Your Home Is A Jungle: How Improper Cleaning Invites Creepy-crawlies Into The Home

    We tend to think of our homes as islands cut off from the rest of the world. Where nothing lives except ourselves and our loved ones. But in reality we share our home with millions of little creatures – and not just bacteria. Some of them even live on us and our pets.

    And while some of these creatures are a normal and natural presence in the house, others aren’t supposed to be there – instead, bad cleaning habits (or not cleaning at all) can “invite” them to come in and live in the house with us.

    All of these creatures – normal or not normal – can make us ill if we don’t clean properly enough. Because a dirty environment gives them the chance to multiply, and in large numbers we begin to “feel” their presence, such as through allergies or other means.

    For example, dirty swimming pool water can cause a slew of issues. If the water in a pool isn’t sparkling and clear, don’t even think about diving in. Not only does this condition imply poor maintenance, but the lack of visibility itself is also dangerous. It could become a breeding ground for a variety of bacteria, including E. coli, which could be lurking below. Furthermore, if the dirt keeps reappearing at the bottom of your pool after you’ve vacuumed it, your pool’s filter may be malfunctioning. Pool filters and leaking pipes frequently fail to function properly because they need proper cleaning or remodeling. In order to have a perfectly remodeled swimming pool in your backyard, all you have to do is look for swimming pool remodeling companies around the locations where you live. The experts can also help turn your ideas into reality and ensure that the project disrupts your life as little as possible.

    Let’s take a look at some of the creepy-crawlies that call our home theirs, and what we can do to get rid of them.

    Toxoplasma

    This parasite lives in the stomach-lining of cats and dogs, and its eggs drop out through feces. Litter-trays and dog poop is therefore a hotbed for infection. The eggs can even “stick” to the paws of your beloved pets, where they are transmitted easily throughout the house. The scary thing about this parasite is, it is a mind-altering parasite. It can infect the brain, where it subtlety influences our behaviour.

    It is important that you regularly and thoroughly clean up after your pets’ mess, and that you also clean their feet. Try to limit where they go in the house, and certainly discourage them from jumping up on the worktop (in the case of cats) or the couch. Wash your hands after touching your pet.

    Cryptosporidium

    It’s a bit of a mystery, where this microscopic spore comes from. But it has a nasty habit of infecting water – even chlorinated water. Usually, you will instinctively know if a source of water is infected with it, as it will generally be dirty or contaminated. A major source of contamination is shower water, or swimming pool water.

    Exposure can make you ill with stomach cramps and fever. This isn’t so much of a cleaning tip as a general awareness tip. If you have reason to suspect your water supply is contaminated with cryptosporidium, notify your water supplier.

    Crypto

    Face mites

    Mites live on your face. Yes, you read that correctly. At least two species, that aren’t even closely related to each other.

    And while it is normal to have thousands of microscopic mites moving about, breeding, and eating around your hair follicles, not cleaning properly can encourage a boom in their reproductive cycles.

    Too many face mites can cause acne and other skin conditions like rosacea; itching and hair loss. To get rid of them, use creams designed for oily skin in conjunction with tea tree oils and wipes, and try to wash your face several times a day. This should get down their numbers.

    Dust mites

    Up to 10 million of these tiny, microscopic spiders can inhabit an old mattress, where their excessive droppings can trigger allergies. It is estimated that nearly 1 in 5 people are sensitive to excessive dust mites.

    You can get rid of them by regular damp dusting; washing fabrics at 60 degrees Celsius, and swapping the feces-laden mattress every seven years for a new one. If you are in the stages of picking a new one now, you can Click here as well as go into a local mattress shop to see what is available so you can finally get rid of your old mattress.

    Mosquitoes

    These tiny terrors need no introduction. In the summertime, and particularly at dusk, they like to gather around light and water sources, and feast on whatever sweet skin they can get their hands on.

    If you have rising damp in the walls of your house, then it would attract a lot of mosquitoes. These insects thrive on moisture and warmth, which is why it is important to give your house a rising damp treatment. Not only would this protect your walls from rain damage, but it would also keep the mosquitoes from festering in your home.

    A lot of bites are avoidable and also stem from the condition of the garden. A rundown garden, with refuse or rubbish, open sources and long grass, can all encourage them to breed and hatch – and make their way inside through an open window. Reduce their numbers by cleaning and cutting the garden; clearing any debris away, and eliminating/covering any likely breeding grounds.

    Cockroaches

    These beasts are attracted to offal; crumps, leftover food and water, and live in cracks and crevices in old foundations. When they don’t get what they want, they leave “smear marks” that not only smell rotten but spread disease.

    The best way to fight against cockroaches is to not encourage them in, in the first place. Clean up after eating, and especially check to see if there aren’t crumbs lying about. Once an infestation is established, it may be time to call in an exterminator. Options such as roach control services from Expest or similar service providers should be considered immediately to prevent the cockroaches from multiplying and get rid of them altogether. Regular vacuuming will work well to clear away the eggs.

    Bedbugs

    Actually bedbugs are a sign of a clean home, as they love clean environments. They are actually common in affluent hotels and esteemed apartments – so think of the infestation as a sort of compliment (well, that’s one way to look at it anyway).

    Bedbugs owe their success to their eggs’ ability to survive in transportation for long periods of time. So if you’ve stayed in a room that’s not your own – and especially if you’ve been to a hotel – isolate your clothes and case and check for eggs. Vacuum them up if you see them. If your home is already infested, call an exterminator.

    Ticks

    Most ticks cannot survive for long inside – they are woodland creatures. Except for the Brown Dog Tick. If you’ve been on a long walk with your dog, and especially in a grassy or leafy area, give it a check for ticks. Like with mosquitoes, the garden is another culprit here. Keep your garden tick-unfriendly by pruning back any bushes and trees, and by trimming the grass short.

    It is understandable if you don’t have the time to manage your front lawn or garden. In all such situations, getting in touch with landscaping experts can solve most if not all of your garden management problems. That said, HOA landscape management personnel or other similarly trained teams may prove to be a worthwhile solution.

    Thus, a neat or well-maintained garden can prevent the tick population from getting out of hand, which means you and the pets can live a itch free life.

    Ticks Infographic

    This article was written by Neil Wright of Pure Freedom, a company that manufactures window cleaning systems for professional cleaners in the UK.

  • Cat Owners – Flea Season Is Coming Around

    For cat owners, as we come toward the back end of spring and into May it is worthwhile remembering that we are entering “Flea” season. As temperatures climb after winter, fleas and other such parasites commonly found on pets become a real issue. We have to be careful to take precautions to make sure our pets and houses don’t get invaded by these dirty little invaders.

    The season starts in May and runs through till September by which point frosty temperatures kill off fleas and end their life cycle. In the meantime our pets are usually spending more time outdoors in the better weather and are liable to accidentally pick up these parasites from long grass, hedges and from contact with other cats and dogs. This can be a huge problem as your cat might end up swallowing fleas infected with tapeworm eggs while grooming themselves. As a result, your cat can get a tapeworm infection that could deteriorate their health. You may then have to take them to your trusted Veterinarian who can treat the cat accordingly.

    However, you might need to understand the life cycle of a flea to properly treat them. The stages are – Eggs, Larvae (further divided into three stages), Pupae, and Adult. Flea takes nearly two weeks to reach an adult stage. It might be beneficial to start with some home remedies in the beginning to prevent or break the cycle. You might have to look for some signs like constant scratching, skin redness, scrabs, irritation, Dry skin, etc. (source: ehomeremedies.com)

    To reduce the risks of your cat or dog picking up fleas, now is the time to get a medicated collar on your pet or start administering drops – even if your animal hasn’t shown any signs of an infestation. If you prefer to use natural ingredients to treat cat fleas you could follow some of the tips given at Kittyinsight.com. If your pet is unlucky enough to pick up fleas then be very wary. If your pet spends time in your house and has a flea issue it won’t be long before the whole house is at risk and the problem becomes very difficult to resolve.

    Here are some simple precautions you can take around the house to minimise the chances of suffering a infestation and to reduce the duration of the problem if it arises:

    1. Regular Vacuuming

    The number one precaution you can take is to regularly vacuum your home and then empty the vacuum contents a distance away from your home – preferably as far as possible.

    Ideally you need to be vacuuming every three days at a minimum. The aim of this is to pick up any fleas brought in by your pet and get them out of the house as soon as possible.

    Fleas have a real short breeding cycle so it does not take long for any fleas on your pet to lay eggs. You want these eggs gone. Any that might fall off your pet need removal before hatching, if possible. More vacuuming is better than less if your pet shows signs of flea activity and spends time indoors.

    Dispose of the contents of the vacuum away from areas your pet might move through so as to avoid picking up the fleas and bringing them back in – hence get rid of the contents as far from your property as you can. Alternatively, you can hire professionals from firms that can provide preventative pest control services for homes and businesses. They can do the necessary treatment in and around your property that can remove the flea population.

    1. Wash Pet Bedding

    If you pet has a bed you need to pay particular attention to that item of bedding and it’s immediate surrounds as this is where most fleas and eggs are going to initially end up.

    You want to wash pet bedding with a good strong soap in a machine if possible. The fleas don’t like water and will try to escape the water if you soak the bedding in a tub. If you stick bedding in a machine the fleas and eggs will be washed down the drains. Fleas don’t necessarily drown straight off – they can survive for hours submerged. If they come round in the sewer that is better than coming around on your property.

    1. Setting Flea Traps Using Dish Soap

    Sounds like an old wives tale, right? Flea traps? These things actually work! Here is the skinny – fleas are attracted to light so you hang a light bulb or place a desk lamp at a spot and then under the light you place a shallow bowl filled with water and a bit of dish soap. The fleas come to investigate the light source and jump into the water. Only this time the water has soap in it that reduces surface tension so the fleas sink on landing and become engulfed in the water. At this stage the flea goes into a type of catatonic survival mode and looks dead – but fleas can survive underwater for hours! In the morning you need to flush them fleas down the drain so when they come to they are relocated well away from your place!

    Check out this youtube vid :

    https://youtu.be/FYKOkaZN9cU
    1. Consider Getting Carpets and Soft Furnishings Professionally Cleaned

    So you have identified a potential problem and taken action by treating your animal and getting the house treated with a fogger, what next? Get the place professionally cleaned to make sure any flea eggs are removed – as well as all the other benefits of having your carpets cleaned like removing toxins, molds, etc.

    Once you know you pet is clear of infestation nd you have removed the majority of fleas that might be in your home by vacuum, washing, traps and fogger then give it the once over by a professional carpet cleaner to remove the risk of infestation caused by the odd flea egg or surviving larvae.

    If you follow these basic tips hopefully your summer won’t become a battle to free your house of these dirty parasites!

  • A Clean Home is the Secret to a Healthier Life

    Have you ever noticed that after doing a deep clean of your home that you tend to feel a whole lot better afterwards?

    It’s a pretty common side effect.

    In fact, many people experience an uptick in their overall health when being in a clean space. It’s not unusual to feel better both physically and mentally. If cleaning isn’t your thing then it might be a good idea to check out a site like https://cleanhomeguide.co.uk/ to give you some helpful tips on what you can do to make cleaning easier.

    However, this spike in good feelings usually only lasts for several days or weeks and that energy boost from cleaning eventually fades away. You may want to chalk this up to the feeling of excitement from having a clean house diminishing, but there’s a lot more going on than that.

    The truth is your home environment has a large impact on your health, especially the air quality.

    Research has shown that indoor air pollution is two to five times worse than the air outside. How can that be? Because, there are so many types of contaminants that get trapped inside our homes and then have no way to escape unless we kept our windows and doors open all the time.

    The reason you feel so much better after cleaning your home is because as you clean you’re getting rid of a lot of these contaminants.

    As your house begins to accumulate more dust, dirt and other particles you’ll eventually start to feel less healthy because these pollutants start making their way into your lungs. The more polluted the air is inside a home, the worse you’ll feel. Some homeowners find that getting an air conditioning system could improve the air quality within their homes. Allergens and other issues often appear during the spring and summer months, so getting an air conditioner could help keep your home cool during the heat and ensure that indoor pollution is kept to a minimum. Thankfully, some services specialize in ac installations that could help to keep the air in your home fresh and allergen-free.

    If you want to stay as healthy as possible it’s important to keep up with a regular cleaning schedule so you can reduce the amount of indoor pollution. I hear that having an air purifier can help reduce indoor pollution as well. My friend tells me that reading Productexpert’s reviews gave them so more information on air purifiers. If cleaning isn’t your thing or you don’t have much time for it then a service like A-1 Cleaning Service, LLC can be a valuable investment for your health and home. Professional cleaning can ensure that your house is free of indoor contaminants.

    Here is a list of the most common indoor air pollutants that affect your health:

    • Dust, which accumulates every day and can’t be stopped. For example, if you have a white high gloss coffee table, it’s important to dust it as often as you can.
    • Dust mites, which feed off of dust
    • Pet dander, which animals shed year-round
    • Bacteria and viruses, which come from the outdoors and people inside the home
    • Mold, which travels through the air in the form of spores
    • Asbestos, which is inside many building and furniture products
    • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which come from air fresheners, cosmetics, glues, paints, furniture and carpeting
    • Formaldehyde, which is a form of VOC
    • Tobacco, cooking and wildfire smoke, which may or may not impact your home because of your lifestyle or where you live

    Here are the most common symptoms you’ll experience from bad indoor air quality. These issues can come out of nowhere, may be sporadic or be something you experience on a daily basis:

    • Sneezing
    • Coughing
    • Watery or itchy eyes
    • Fatigue
    • Dizziness
    • Headaches
    • Respiratory congestion

    The long-term effects of repeated exposure to high levels of indoor air pollution include:

    • Respiratory disease
    • Cancer
    • Death

    By making it a habit to clean your home on a regular basis, you can cut down on the amount of contaminants that linger indoors. You’ll also reduce your chances of experiencing the above health issues.

    Dusting and vacuuming are the two simplest measures you can take. Try to do this at least once every week or two at the most. Another thing you can do to improve the air quality inside your home is to use an air purifier. An air purifier is a device that creates fresh air indoors by removing airborne contaminants. This device sucks air into a filter, traps the particles, and pushes out clean air for you to breathe.

    Air purifiers come in many different sizes, colors and prices. There are also specially designed ones to combat particular problems you may have in the home, like pet dander, smoke, dust or odors. Over at Home Air Quality Guides, you can find out everything there is to know about these appliances. That site explains every feature, function and purpose behind air purifiers that you’d ever want to know.

    Adding an air purifier to rooms that you occupy the most, such as the living room and bedroom, is often all you need to see an improvement in your overall health. Most of us don’t spend as much time in other areas of the home, which makes them less of a concern. However, some air purifiers are powerful enough to cover an entire floor of a home. It just depends on what your needs are and how clean you want to be throughout the entire house.

    There’s an old saying that “a clean home is a healthy home” and now you know why. By making it a practice to clean often, and possibly invest in an air purifier, you can improve the quality of air you breathe indoors which is essential to living a healthy life.

  • 10 Cleaning Tips for Often-Missed Places

    Cleaning tips for places that you may often times forget.

    Cleaning-Tips-and-Tricks
    Sometimes when cleaning gets tedious, we tend to cut corners to shorten the time it takes us to get our chores done. I know I need to take some of the below cleaning tips more seriously in my own home. Since it’s flu season right now, it’s especially important to get the high-contact areas; this will make sure to keep your home germ free and flu free, too. It’s not only your home that needs to be clean during these times, but it goes for any public spaces too. For exceptional infection control, you can find companies who specialise in these commercial places and who offer services like Church, School or Office Cleaning services. Cleaning is important all round so you have to know how to do it properly. Here are some of the places where cleaning can be missed:

    Door Knobs
    Its FLU SEASON, are your knobs germ free? Door knobs are probably the dirtiest thing we can forget to clean. Countless people come into contact with them every day, leaving behind the oils from their hands, their germs, and who knows what else. Simply take a clorox wipe and wipe down your doorknobs daily to keep the grime at bay.

    Lamp Shades
    Lamp shades always seem to attract a massive amount of dust and pet hair, a simple and effective way to clean dirty lampshades are by running a lint roller over the shade. For more soiled plastic, fabric, or stitched shades, go ahead and fill up a tub with cool, mildly soapy, water, swirl, then rinse clean. Alternatively, if this doesn’t seem to be doing the trick of getting rid of any dirt or stains,y ou can always click here for Pagazzi’s selection of table lamps and purchase a new one.

    For paper and shades with glue water might not be a good idea for obvious reasons, your best bet is to vacuum them frequently with your dusting/upholstery attachment.

    Plant Leaves
    Use water and a very mild degreaser-if you absolutely must use chemicals to clean, although I’d only suggest water for LIVE house plants.

    Microwave
    Of course, wipe away all crumbs, then fill up a microwaveable safe bowl with about 1-2 cups of water, mixed with lemon juice (or a freshly cut lemon half, squeezed into the bowl) microwave until the water boils and let it sit for a few minutes to let the steam really penetrate, the steam will loosen any yucky dried on particles and the lemon will leave a nice smell, naturally. Wipe down the interior with a damp cloth, and wash the revolving tray like any normal dish. Wipe down the outside after spraying with your choice of kitchen surface cleaner. Also, don’t forget to microwave the rag or sponge you used for 45 seconds to kill any nasty bacteria it may have picked up.

    Base Boards
    As you sweep, take your broom and run it along the edges of your baseboard to knock off any dust that may have accumulated, then go over it with a Lysol or Clorox wipe, or your own favorite cleaning solution, to make them sparkly clean.

    TV/Computer Screens
    Here are some cleaning tips for a few different types of screens. Each type is a little different, but they should all be handled with care. If you’re not sure about something, refer to your owner’s manual for further cleaning tips and instructions. If you are getting glare off your screens and cleaning them hasn’t helped, you may need to look at glare reduction glasses from websites such as https://felixgray.com/glare-reduction to see if they can be more beneficial.

    Plasma- Use only a microfiber or 100% cotton cloth, to dry dust. If you absolutely need to damp your cloth using only water, however if you need a little more power in your punch, you can add a touch of vinegar

    LCD– Follow the steps for a plasma tv, but make sure to dry the surface quickly with a separate dry cloth, make sure your screen is dry before turning it on and never push on the screen, it can permanently damage your screen, and that would be a bummer.

    Projection- Projection televisions that have a special plastic screen over the actual television screen can be cleaned with a damp soft cloth. The screens can be damaged by paper towels and heavy duty cleaners. Projection televisions without a shielding screen will need special consideration, so refer to your owners manual.

    Conventional- While older televisions can usually be cleaned with glass cleaner and a paper towel, some newer models still have special coatings on the surface that could be scratched and damaged. If your not sure about your television, the best thing to do is use a soft dampened cloth.

    Books
    Books can get especially dusty, especially fast. Make sure your books are tightly closed, weather it be because you are holding it, or because they are packed on a shelf. Take your dusting/upholstery extension (the kind with bristles) on your vacuum and go to town.

    Kitchen/Bathroom Drawers and Carpets
    Every 2 to 4 months pull out your drawers and carpets can be give them a good wipe down with a Clorox wipe, or surface cleaner. This is also a good time to re-organize your junk drawers. However, if you have pets, it is possible that your carpets get stained more often and the Clorox wipe may not work well. You know, the pee and the furs stick longer. So, thoroughly cleaning the carpet might be a complicated task. You can contact professional carpet cleaning in Beaufort County (or where it is more local to you) to remove all the unwanted stains stuck inside your carpets.

    Front Door
    While your guests are waiting to be let in, they’re staring at your front door, think, is your covered with grime from seasons past? You can simply spray the door down with a hose, but for the more adventurous, an alternative solution–give the front door a makeover, painting it in a playful, fun color! We like RED! The outside of houses often gets forgotten when it comes to cleaning but it’s also important to clean your gutters, or at least get some gutter covers from MastershieldAtl to stop a build-up of leaves and other debris. If your door has seen better days and a clean-up is not doing as well as it should be, you may want to look into having it changed so that not only is it a lot cleaner but it is more protective for your home. Companies such as Doors Plus can help in these instances.

    Bonus Cleaning Tips:
    Since flu season is in full swing, and not letting up any time soon, go ahead and take your clorox wipe and attack any and all surfaces that come into contact with germs! To help get your mind rolling here are some suggestions, but make sure you’re wiping down anything that gets handled a lot, such as: the phone, keyboards and mice, doorknobs iPods and tablets, faucets, coffee pot handles, the steering wheel and gear shifts in your car, etc. If you’re wanting to give your car a once over detail to make it look like it’s near-new research into cleaning products on the likes of Australia’s leader in car cleaning and detailing products and see which could be the best products for you to make your car have a new sheen to it.

    Hopefully these cleaning tips will help you keep your home germ free this spring. And, as always, you can’t forget the most important thing–your carpets! Fresh, clean, carpets are inviting, and clean carpets say ‘I care about my home’!

    Call us today to schedule your carpet STEAM cleaning!