Clean the air conditioner filter
This is probably the most important item on this list. An air conditioner that is clogged up with dust and dirt won’t function as well or — even worse — could break and leave you seriously uncomfortable in the summer heat. Simply clean the filter with warm soapy water or with a vacuum cleaner.
Clean & reverse the fan
Dusty fans only enhance summer allergies and hay fever symptoms. Without proper cleaning, fans will continue to spread dust and pollen as they rotate. While you’re cleaning the fan, make sure you also change the direction of the blades to counterclockwise. This trick pushes the cold air down ultimately saving you money on energy costs by making your air conditioner more effective.
Wash the windows
Take advantage of the good weather and spend a morning cleaning your windows. Much better to do this now than in the middle of winter! If it’s been a while since you cleaned your windows, opt for soapy water and a sponge instead of just relying on window cleaner. You may need to really scrub to get the dirt out.
Get sudsy with the window screens
This is also a crucial step during the summer when your windows are open more and the humidity can encourage mold growth. Take the time to suds-up your window screens to keep your breathing easy and enjoy the fresh air.
Clean the fridge
In hotter climates, bacteria grow faster — even in the refrigerator. Take the time to clean out your fridge, rinsing down the surfaces with gentle antibacterial soap and throwing out anything expired or moldy. This is also important during the season of fruits and veggies – consider investing in a food-grade cleaner to wash your produce and avoid any of the nasty bacteria that could be lurking, like salmonella.
Make the patio a great place to spend the evenings
Patios are perfect for grilling and chilling with family and friends. But to make the patio a really enjoyable space, consider getting rid of moss and lichen with a quick spritz of a bleach/water mixture or soda crystals. Both natural methods will kill and dry out the lichen, leaving you with the quick task of raking the patio clear and enjoying your like-new outdoor space.
Clear out the freezer
This cleaning task is not only useful but also will keep you cool in the process! Save this for a very hot day. Empty all the ice cubes into the clean sink. Take all of the frozen items and put it in the sink, covered with ice, to keep them frosty while you chip the freezer clean. Remove the built-up frost with your car ice scraper and a little hot water. Clean up any slow-moving liquid spills. Now turn your attention to the frozen food. Throw out anything with obvious signs of freezer burn like grayish-brown spots and thick layers of frost. If anything is open, it’s probably best to ditch it.
Clean out the drain and garbage disposal
In the hot summer months, food rots more quickly, and smells tend to fester more easily. It’s important to clean out your drain and garbage disposal to make sure no food is stuck and causing unpleasant smells in the humidity of the summer. Naturally clean your drain without sticking your hands in the garbage disposal (!) by pouring baking soda followed by vinegar into your drain, letting it bubble for five minutes, and then following with boiling water. Repeat this as necessary, every two weeks or so to really ward off smells.
Sweep and clean counters DAILY
This is, unfortunately, the season for ants and all sorts of creepy crawlies. The warm, humid weather is the perfect environment for all sorts of bugs that you definitely don’t want to be inviting into your home. Cut the creepies off from their food source by cleaning the counters of crumbs and sweeping the floors every night. These small habits pay off big time by warding off the bugs that can be attracted by your messy leftovers.
Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
Over the past few months, many of us have become more proactive about cleaning, especially items that we touch a lot, including smartphones.
As with other electronic items, televisions can attract dust and get marred by blemishes, such as children’s fingerprints. Fortunately, cleaning your flat-screen TV is a straightforward process that doesn’t require any pricey special chemicals.
Another item that should get some regular attention: the remote controls you use with your TVs, cable boxes, and streaming players. These get handled much more than TVs, and are more likely to harbor pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19. We have advice for cleaning both TVs and remotes below.
When it comes to TVs, the current TV market is dominated by superbright, big-screen LCD (LED) and OLED TVs. However, many of us still have older sets, including plasma TVs, which companies stopped manufacturing in 2014, and even CRTVs—also called tube TVs—which started disappearing around 2008.
If you’re cleaning an older tube TV, you have a bit more flexibility because its screen is made of glass and can be cleaned like other glass items in your household. In this—and only this—instance, it’s okay to use a window cleaner, such as Windex.
LCD TVs are far more sensitive and need to be cleaned carefully to keep the screens from getting scratched or damaged. Plasma TVs also have glass screens, but manufacturers often applied a sensitive anti-glare coating, so they should be treated like an LCD TV rather than a CRTV set.
For both OLED TVs and LCD sets, the advice is the same, and it’s simple: Clean with a soft, dry cloth to avoid scratching the screen.
In all cases, turn off the TV—or even unplug it – It also gives the TV a chance to cool down.
If you have any doubts about which type of TV you have, you can always consult the owner’s manual. Most manuals and manufacturer websites have instructions for the best way to clean their sets. Doing something the owner’s manual forbids is a good way to void your warranty.
Here are all our tips for cleaning your flat-screen TV.
Start With a Dry, Soft Cloth
Screens can scratch easily, and even paper towels or tissues contain fibers that can do damage. “Your best bet is to use a soft, anti-static microfiber cloth—the kind used to clean eyeglasses and camera lenses—and wipe in a circular motion,” says John Walsh, who cleans more than 250 TVs a year in his role as a CR photographer. (Sometimes TV manufacturers will include a cloth for this purpose.) “Gently wipe the screen with a dry cloth to remove dust and other debris, but don’t press too hard,” he says.
You may also want to wipe down the TV’s cabinet, and make sure dust isn’t clogging the vents that help dissipate heat. If the TV is on a stand and not tethered to the wall, Walsh suggests cleaning with one hand while supporting the TV with the other to prevent the set from tipping over. However, CR strongly recommends anchoring all stand-mounted TVs using anti-tipping straps designed for this purpose.
If there are hard-to-remove stains, you can dampen the cloth slightly with distilled water, and gently clean the screen. Don’t spray water directly onto the screen, which could cause a shock or component failure if it seeps into the inner workings of the set.
For the most stubborn stains, you can try using a solution of very mild dish soap highly diluted with water, once again applied to the cloth and not to the TV itself. (As a guideline, Panasonic used to recommend a 100:1 ratio of water to soap.) LCD screens, in particular, are very sensitive to pressure and can scratch easily, so don’t press too hard.
If you do use a dampened cloth, go over the screen one more time with a dry one to remove any swirls or streaks.
Avoid Harmful Chemicals
Alcohol and ammonia, found in window cleaners such as Windex, can wreak havoc on your expensive flat-screen TV, so don’t use cleaners that have them. If you decide to use a packaged “screen cleaner”—which you don’t really need (see below)—choose one that doesn’t contain alcohol, ammonia, or acetone. Also, don’t use any cleaners that contain an abrasive that can scratch the screen.
Skip the Cleaning Kit
Some of these kits cost $15 to $20 for just a microfiber cloth and a small bottle of cleaning solution, which is probably mostly water. Instead, buy the cloth at an office supply store or online and use distilled water, or a solution of your own making per our advice above. If you opt for a kit, make sure it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals.
Don’t Forget the Remote Control
Remote controls can not only get dusty but also harbor a fair number of germs. (Think of how many fingers have pressed the buttons on that remote recently and whether all of them have been squeaky clean. Then there’s the issue of coughs and sneezes.)
Remove the batteries before you start cleaning. Then start by turning the remote upside down so that the buttons are facing downward, and tap the remote against your palm to dislodge any debris that might have fallen between the keys or buttons. Wipe down the entire remote with a soft cloth that has been sprayed with a tiny bit of alcohol diluted with water. The cloth should be damp, not wet.
To clean in and around the buttons, you can use a cotton swab dampened with the alcohol/water mix. More stubborn debris lodged deeper into the keys can be dislodged with a dry toothbrush or wooden toothpick.
Last, wipe down the whole remote once again with a dry, soft cloth and reinstall the batteries. That’s it!
Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
Smart cleaning starts before you pick up a scrub brush. Keep your shower walls and floor looking shinier longer by stocking the bath with glycerin- or vegetable oil-based soaps. These soaps rinse cleaner than traditional tallow-based soaps, which can leave white, gummy soap scum crusted on your shower walls
Shut off your phone
Distraction happens—even to professionals. Streamline your routine by removing as many distractions as possible: Set your phone to vibrate, shut down the computer, keep the TV off, and save detailed projects, like organizing the linen closet or packing away winter hats and scarves, for another time.
Do the easy stuff first
Start simple: Spiff up a few low-traffic rooms quickly and easily, so that you’re motivated to tackle bigger cleaning tasks in high-traffic areas like the kitchen and bathrooms. Depending on your household, the dining room, living room, or a home office are good places to start.
Develop a squeegee habit
Show of hands: Who enjoys cleaning the tub and shower? Thought so. The easiest way to reduce the frequency of this much-loathed chore is to buy a squeegee and encourage everyone in the house to use it after a shower or bath. Wipe the walls (top to bottom), the sides of the tub—even the floor itself (send the water straight toward the drain). Soap and shampoo residue will be washed away with the water, rather than evaporating and leaving a film on your porcelain or stone. Stick with this habit and you can get away with cleaning the tub and shower just once a month. You’re welcome.
Steam your microwave
Maybe you took a cleaning break to heat up some tea. Maybe you always check the microwave on your kitchen-cleaning circuit. Either way, you’ve opened the door and now it’s impossible to un-see the baked-on food splatters on the walls, ceiling, and floor of this appliance. Don’t stress; follow this tip: Fill a mug or measuring cup with water and microwave for 2-3 minutes, so it gets nice and steamy. The steam will soften the residue, making the wipe-down easier.
Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
There are certain things all homeowners need to do to keep their house clean. It’s important to make habits of doing these little daily cleaning tasks every day so that your house stays clean and in tip-top shape. This is everything you should be doing daily to keep your house clean. None of these house cleaning tasks will take too much time, but they are so worth it in the end.
Regular House Cleaning Tasks
• Empty and load the dishwasher (or wash the dishes and put them away)
• Squeegee the shower
• Wipe down countertop in bathroom
• Rinse out sink
• Wipe down countertop in kitchen
• Empty and wipe out the sink
• Put away loose items (papers, toys, blankets, and other things)
• Empty coffee maker into the garbage or compost
• Clean kitchen floor (sweep or vacuum)
• Make your bed
• Tidy up
Weekly Cleaning Checklist
Certain things need to happen every week. I used to hate this idea, but we always found that it was way easier to clean a house and keep it clean than it was to let it fall completely apart and clean it all again.
By keeping up with this weekly schedule, it will get easier and easier to keep your house clean all year long. It’s also a nice list to have if you decide to hire a cleaning service to take over this part. Get the weekly cleaning schedule we use; it’s a free printable too.
Bedroom Cleaning Checklist
Bedrooms are our most personal area, so it’s important that they get a good cleaning. We spend the most time in our bedrooms (albeit most of it we’re asleep), so it’s important that it’s clean and tidy. Make sure you keep your bedrooms clean with this weekly bedroom cleaning checklist. Some of these will only take a minute.
• Clean sheets
• Do laundry
• Wipe down mirrors
• Dust baseboards
• Dust and clean window ledges
Living Areas
• Tidy up remote controls, videos, and video games
• Empty fireplace (here is a way to clean your fireplace glass naturally)
• Dust lamps
• Put away all unused items
• Empty trash cans and take out the trash
• Vacuum and mop floors
• Clean windows
• Dust baseboards
• Dust furniture
• Clean and Dust window ledges
• Dust other surfaces
Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
The kitchen is the most used area in the house, and it is important to have a good kitchen cleaning checklist. These are the things you should be doing every day or at least weekly to keep your kitchen clean. We also have a kitchen cleaning checklist you can get if you want more detail.
• Wipe down kitchen appliances
• Disinfect countertops
• Clean stainless steel sink
• Wipe down refrigerator shelves
• Clean out microwave
• Empty trash cans and take out the trash
• Vacuum and mop floors
• Dust all surfaces
• Clean windows
• Dust baseboards
• Clean tap
• Wipe cabinet fronts
• Pantry clean and food off the floor
• Trash overdue food
• Wipe down inside your oven
• Dust and clean window ledges
Bathroom Cleaning Checklist
A clean bathroom should always be at the top of your cleaning list. It’s the one place in the house that your guests will snoop when you aren’t around. Make sure all of these items are on your weekly house cleaning list. Make sure to get our bathroom cleaning checklist for a more in-depth look.
• Clean towels
• Scrub and disinfect toilets (here’s a tip if you need to get rid of toilet ring )
• Clean mirrors and window sills
• Empty trash cans and take out the trash
• Mop floors
• Dust all surfaces
• Dust baseboards
• Spray the shower curtain liner with disinfectant to prevent mold
• Disinfect sink and countertop
• Clean the bathtub (here’s how to clean a bathtub with bleach)
Other Items
• Remove lint from the dryer filter
• Add rock salt to water softener
• Clean pet spaces
• Clean pet bowls
Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
Who’s ready for Spring!? With spring right around the corner – here is a great February checklist for items around the house to do for cleaning.
Clean Out the Linen Closet
February is a great time to clean out the linen closet. You’re stuck indoors a lot, so it’s probably not a challenge to get this done. Donate old towels and linens to a pet rescue center. Watch for February linen sales to replace what you had to get rid of. Label and organize everything to help keep the linen closet looking good.
Flip Your Mattress
No one remembers to flip the mattress on their bed, but it’s a good thing to do. While you’re doing this, take the opportunity to wash the bed sheets and thoroughly vacuum the mattress.
Replace the Furnace Filter
This may be something you do monthly or seasonally already. But if you’re one of the many people who forget more often than they remember, now is as good a time as any!
Thoroughly Dust Bookshelves
If you own your own library, this may take some time but it’s definitely something that needs doing. The easiest way to dust the bookshelves is to get out your vacuum and attachments. Don’t forget to run it along the spines and pages of your books, because they tend to collect a ton of dust.
Give Your Walls A Closer Look
Check your walls for scuffs and dirty hand prints. Spot clean them as necessary. Use a tube of nail hole filler to patch any nail holes you find.
Conquer Dust Bunnies
Pull each of your appliances away from the wall so you can dust the walls and vacuum the floors. You might be surprised at some of the things that find their way back there!
Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you get ready for Thanksgiving guests, contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
Super Bowl parties are great especially when you and your city is in them. Here are some great tips and tricks to cleaning your house after the big game and party.
Start With the Trash
Before you even touch a dirty dish or wipe a counter, clear out the trash. Grab a trash bag and do a sweep through the living room and kitchen—picking up the regular paper and food garbage as you go. Next, do another walk-through, this time picking up all the recyclable trash like beer bottles and soda cans.
Deal With the Leftovers
Wrap up leftovers that haven’t been sitting out too long and pop them in the fridge, before you start cleaning the kitchen. Worried about getting stuck with too much leftover food? Have a few disposable containers ready to hand out extra wings, pizza or nachos to guests before they leave. We love these eco-friendly clamshell containers with separated compartments—an easier solution than fussing with baggies or foil and paper plates.
Air Out the Room
A room full of excited, warm-bodied party guests can make for a stuffy house, even after everyone leaves. Get the air flowing or light a fresh-smelling candle or use essential oils in a diffuser. We love lavender and lemon for a subtle, clean scent. No candles or essential oils on hand? Make an easy, all-natural stove top air freshener: Fill a pot with water and add lemon slices, a few sprigs of rosemary and one drop of vanilla; then simmer.
Deep Clean the Slow Cooker
That spicy queso dip was a huge hit at the party, but now it’s time to deal with the mess. Here’s how to remove baked-on food residue from your slow cooker: Fill it with water and add 1/2 cup of vinegar, three tablespoons of baking soda and a few drops of dish soap. Turn the slow cooker on for an hour to let the cleaning mixture work its magic, then scrub with a dish brush and rinse.
Pretreat Stains
You usually can’t throw a party without at least one or two food or drink spills. If you notice any stains on the sofa or rug, spray with a pretreat product and let it sit while you continue cleaning up. Bissel’s pretreat for carpet and upholstery gets great reviews, or you can make your own by filling a spray bottle with a mixture of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide, along with a few drops of dish soap.
Clean the Guest Bathroom
There’s no doubt that your Super Bowl party guests will use your bathroom during the game. In fact, have you heard of The Big Flush? It’s when everyone across America takes a bathroom break at halftime. Supposedly, waste systems get overloaded.
Let’s hope that your guest bath isn’t among them, and that all you have to do afterward is a quick wipe down. Here’s our favorite speed clean routine: Add your favorite toilet cleaner to the toilet bowl and leave it to work its magic while you wipe down the vanity and mirror. Throw the hand towel in the dirty laundry, give the floor a quick mop, then return to scrub and flush the toilet. Voila!
Remove Rings From Wood Tables
Not all of your party guests used coasters? Don’t panic. As strange as it sounds, you can use toothpaste to remove a water ring stain from your wood coffee table. Squeeze a small amount of white (not gel) toothpaste onto a soft cloth and rub the stain gently. Finish by wiping the table with your favorite furniture polish.
Clean Floors Last
Remember to leave floors last on your cleaning list. As you wipe off counters, wash dishes and generally pick up, the floors will continue to take a beating. So wait until everything else is done before you bring out the broom, vacuum and mop.
If you need an extra hand and not mess with it – Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you get ready for Thanksgiving guests, contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.
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