Summer Cleaning Tips Everyone Should Know

Summer Cleaning Tips Everyone Should Know

The spring season is typically associated with cleaning, but that doesn’t mean you can forget your household chores when summer breaks roll around. The heat, humidity, mold, and rain can take a toll on your home, which is why keeping clean is so important in the summer!

Follow these simple summer cleaning tips to keep your home tidy and fresh all season long:

Keep Odors Away
Trash never smells good, but it can start to smell extremely bad during the summer season. This is because heat and humidity create the perfect environment for bacteria growth, which is what creates the unpleasant smell inside your trash cans. The problem becomes even worse when the humid summer air captures these bad smells and keeps them around for longer than usual.

Prevent this problem by sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of your trash cans. Baking soda will absorb the bad odors before they spread throughout your home and ruin your summer.

Dust More Often
Letting the sun shine through your windows will fill your home with beautiful, natural light. Unfortunately, it can also fill your home with dust! Being around dust can trigger an allergic reaction, which can prevent you from enjoying the summer. To avoid this problem, make an effort to dust more regularly during the summer.

Prevent Mildew and Mold Growth
Mold and mildew grow faster in humid summer weather, especially in areas of your home that are already humid, such as the washing machine. Keep mold and mildew out of your laundry room by leaving the washing machine door open when it is not in use. This will dry out the machine and lower the humidity level so mold and mildew do not grow.

Whether it’s your children and their friends or relatives visiting from out of town, it’s likely that you will welcome visitors into your home at some point this summer. Make sure your home is presentable with these three house cleaning tips:

Use Essential Oils
If you’re planning on having company, it’s important to keep your bathroom smelling fresh at all times. Skip the strong air fresheners and use non-toxic essential oils instead. Be sure to read about the benefits of each scent before choosing one for your home. For example, lavender essential oil is ideal for promoting rest and relaxation, whereas lemongrass essential oil purifies the air. Keep these benefits in mind when deciding which scent is right for your home.

Remove Water Rings
Did someone forget to use a coaster? Don’t panic if you see a white-colored water ring on your wood furniture. Lay a cotton towel, cloth, or t-shirt on top of the ring and grab an iron from your laundry room. Empty the water from the iron, then plug it in and allow it to heat up. Next, place the iron on top of the cotton fabric for a few seconds before removing it. If the ring is still visible, repeat this process as many times as needed until it has disappeared.

Clean the Microwave
The microwave is used to heat snacks all summer long. The snacks are quickly devoured, but the smells can linger around inside the microwave for weeks. Slice a lemon in half and place both halves in a small bowl filled with water. Place this bowl in the microwave and heat it up for three minutes. The zesty smell of the lemon will mask the smells inside your microwave. Plus, the lemon can be tossed into the garbage disposal when you’re done so it can freshen up your drain as well!

Your free time is precious. For an extra hand around the home to help with all your spring cleaning – our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – 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.

POST-HALLOWEEN PARTY CLEANING TIPS

POST-HALLOWEEN PARTY CLEANING TIPS

What’s not to love about Halloween? If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thinking about when to plan your trip to the pumpkin patch, what costume you’ll be wearing and (most importantly) what movies you’ll be watching throughout the spooky season well before October 31st rolls around. When it’s finally time to unleash the Halloween fun, there’s another very important thing that we mustn’t forget – the party! If you’ve put your hand up to host this year’s Halloween soiree, be prepared to put in a little elbow grease when the dust (glitter? fake blood?) has settled. The below tips will help to guide you along while cleaning up any aftermath of your ghoulish gathering:

CANDY
Not just a delicious treat! Did you know that candy also doubles as a sticky mess of a ‘decorative’ item? If the candy you’ve left out has made its way to walls, furniture or floors, you’ll need to get to it ASAP to avoid any potential stains. First, mix a dash of dish soap and a cup of warm water and blot the stain with a clean cloth. If that doesn’t work, mix one-third vinegar and two-thirds warm water – blot once again and then scrape off any remains.

PUMPKIN
Did you leave your pumpkin to sit outside or in the window for a litle longer than it should have? Jack-o’-lantern guts is one of the easier Halloween messes to get rid of. Just get a spoon and scrape up as much as you can, then get out the trusty dish soap and water mixture once again and give the rest a good scrub.

TRICK OR TREAT!! (AND THEY WENT WITH TRICK)
Were you terrorized by a gang of 4-feet tall mischief makers in costume? Toilet Paper in the trees? Easy. Just wrap the end of a stick in duct tape and go to town – just do it before it rains or you’re going to have some serious papier-mache on your hands. Victim of a good old-fashioned egging? Just pick up any egg-shells before hosing off cars or porches and remove any leftover residue by resting a cloth soaked in half-water, half-vinegar on the mark for 15 minutes before wiping it down with a second clean cloth. Good as new.

GLITTER
There’s a saying about two things being certain in life – death and taxes. This is incorrect. It clearly fails to mention life’s third certainty, that is, you will absolutely be finding glitter in places you never thought possible for months, years and maybe even decades after you use it. Use a vacuum to get as much of it out of the way as possible, and life hack: a ball of play dough, lint-rollers or a bundle of tape will work a charm in picking up any sparkles that won’t budge from your floors.

Depending on what your guests decided to dress up as (and how they decided to behave), the list could go on and on. A roaring party can have an aftermath that isn’t too dissimilar to a horror movie, and even the mellowest of Halloween parties aren’t safe from a little wine spillage. But like any type of cleaning, the sooner you do it, the sooner your place will be back to its sparkling best.

Having said that, if relaxing after a busy Halloween is more your style, our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – 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.

Steps to cleaning a ceiling fan and when to do it

Steps to cleaning a ceiling fan and when to do it

Ceiling fans are great for cooling down a room, but they also gather dust like crazy.

How to clean ceiling fans without a ladder

The easiest method is to use an extendable fan blade duster.

  1. Microfiber Ceiling and Fan Duster

–> The fluffy part slips over each blade and cleans both sides at the same time.

  1. EverSprout 5-to-14 Foot Flexible Microfiber Ceiling & Fan Duster

–> The microfiber part of this fan cleaner can change positions to lie flat against the top of the ceiling fan. Choose between lengths of 14 feet, 20 feet or 26 feet.

The microfiber part of this fan cleaner can change positions to lie flat against the top of the ceiling fan. Choose between lengths of 14 feet, 20 feet or 26 feet.

How to clean ceiling fans without making a mess

The other method involves climbing a ladder. It’s harder, but you can take care of several chores while you’re up there: cleaning the blades, the motor, the fan’s direction, light bulbs and glass shades. But, of those, the only chore you need to do weekly is dust. The others can be done two or three times a year or as needed. Here’s what to do:

Before turning off the fan, notice if it’s spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise. If you haven’t done so already, switch the direction the fan spins to accommodate the season. Clockwise warms a room; counter-clockwise cools it. (The more you know!)

Slip a pillow case over the blade, then use the case to wipe the dust off the sides, top and bottom. That way, all the dust stays on the pillow case — instead of going everywhere! Repeat for each blade and remember to press lightly or you’ll damage the blade. (When you’ve come down from the ladder, take the pillow case outside, turn it inside-out and give it a good shake so that the dust comes off on the lawn instead of your floor. Then simply launder the pillowcase as usual.) To reduce future dust buildup, Vila recommends using a dust-repelling spray like Endust (or a DIY version: one-part liquid fabric softener to four parts water). Spray it on a microfiber cloth and wipe both sides of the blade.

Motor: Wipe the pull chain and the motor housing with a clean cloth. Spray motor housing with compressed air to remove interior dust.

Light bulbs: Change light bulbs as needed. If bulbs are still working, wipe them with a dry microfiber cloth to remove dust. According to cleaning expert Donna Smallin Kuper, author of “Cleaning Plain and Simple,” a clean bulb shines at least 20 percent brighter than a dirty one.

Glass globe or shades: Remove and wash in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry completely before replacing. Make sure the mounting screws are tight so the glass won’t rattle or shake while the fan is on.

For extremely dirty blades or kitchen fan blades that are caked with grease, wipe with a damp cloth first to remove dust and dirt. Then apply an all-purpose cleaner, or whatever cleaner is recommended by the fan manufacturer, to a sponge or cloth and wipe each blade to remove grease. Rinse cloth after cleaning each blade and repeat as needed. Then wipe each blade dry.

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.

Spring Time Cleaning Ideas

Spring Time Cleaning Ideas

Cleaning Every Room

Every room in the house has baseboards, yet they are often among the most overlooked areas of the home. However, when left uncleaned they can get pretty dirty and grimy.

You’ll want clean walls to match your clean baseboards as well. However, you need to keep in mind what type of paint is on the wall, as that, plus the quality, can affect how easily dirt will come off.

Curtains and drapes can really make any room in your house pop. They can also collect dust and grime. A routine clean will spruce them up nice for spring.

Don’t stop at the curtains and drapes though. Your blinds collect a lot of dust as well, along with pet fur and dander. Don’t be like others and forget to give your blinds some love and care.

While you’re at the window, you should go ahead and clean all the dirt and smudge marks off the glass. Then that area will really be looking good.

Cleaning the Kitchen

Shiny and clean cabinets can really make a kitchen look good. The oil slick that can build up on your cabinets is a combination of food smears, kitchen grease, lotion and oil. All-purpose cleaners aren’t often equal to the challenge.

If you own a self-cleaning oven, there are some things you need to know before firing it up.

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day is in the fall, but not a bad thing to do in the spring time as well.

Cleaning the Living Room

Not only are fabric sofas fashionable, but they can also be very cozy. However, spills are going to happen from time to time and dirt and dust can collect on 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.

Spring Break Cleaning Checklist

Spring Break Cleaning Checklist

Get the most out of your spring cleaning by using our spring cleaning checklist. Tackle every room in your house – from bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen to the living room.

Every Room

  • Wash Baseboards, door ceilings, window sills, doors, and walls.
  • Vacuum and wash vents.
  • Wash window treatments (drapes, etc.).
  • Dust blinds.
  • Wash Windows – inside and out
  • Dust and shine overhead lights – replace burnt light bulbs.
  • Dust and/or vacuum light fixtures and lamp shades.

Kitchen

  • Clean out pantry.
  • Wash kitchen cabinets.
  • Deep clean oven.
  • Move fridge – vacuum and mop behind it.
  • Vacuum coils on fridge.
  • Deep clean fridge inside – wash outside.

Living Room

  • Dust and wash any and all mirrors, frames, and decorative items.
  • Vacuum all upholstery.
  • Vacuum all lamp shades.
  • Dust furniture and fixtures.
  • Wash all throw pillows and blankets (use steam).
  • Dust and polish furniture.
  • Vacuum and shampoo carpets – mop and wax if necessary.

Bedroom

  • Wash all bedding.
  • Wash all bed and throw pillows.
  • Flip Mattress – if using pillow top, rotate mattress.
  • Purge anything stored under bed you don’t want anymore.

Home

  • Change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Check all electronics, make sure they are plugged in, cords are untangled and everything is plugged into a surge protector.
  • Check expiration date on fire extinguisher.
  • Sweep front porch and back deck.
  • Store all winter items, clothes, and decorations.
  • Disinfect all computer keyboards and mouse – Use compressed air to remove crumbs, dust and other particulates. Use a dampened microfiber cloth and wipe the keys down. Use dry microfiber to remove any leftover moisture. Disinfectant wipes are okay to use as well.

Bathroom

  • Clean and disinfect tub and shower.
  • Wash bathmats.
  • Dust and replace decorative items.
  • Wash and/or replace shower liners and shower curtains.

Other

  • Discard old and expired makeup. Clean your makeup holders
  • Update all your house first aid kits. Toss expired medication while sorting other medication.
  • Dry clean any necessary winter clothing or items. Store all winter items for next year.
  • Donate any unused clothes items to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or other local community organizations.

Do you need more details to help you check those items off your list? We’ve got you covered.   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.

Cleaning Hacks for the New Year

Cleaning Hacks for the New Year

1. Toss Out Old Sponges
Did you know that kitchen sponges are one of the dirtiest items in your home? Often tucked in a warm and moist corner of your sink, these sponges easily can keep germs and bacteria that may cause food poisoning.

Be sure to replace your sponges every 2 to 4 weeks for good hygiene.

2. Let the Blender Clean Itself
Tired of picking around sharp blades to wash away sticky residue? Here’s a tip: fill your blender with a small amount of dishwashing soap, warm water and some drops of lemon juice for a fresh scent. Turn it on for about 5 to 10 seconds, and then rinse out the suds until the water runs clear. No easier way to get your blender sparkling clean!

3. Clean Your Microwave Naturally
To remove leftover food smells in the microwave, fill a microwave-safe bowl with water, baking soda and a quick squeeze of lemon juice. Heat it in the microwave at maximum power for 1 minute.

4. Give Your Dishwasher a Wash
Over time, large food particles may clog up the dishwasher’s filter. Wash it under running water once a month to remove deposits. From how to load your dishwasher to choosing the right wash programs, follow these 8 tips to help your dishwasher run better!

5. Keep the Shine On
Stainless steel appliances are a stylish addition to many homes, but keeping the luster on over time requires a bit of work. In most cases, you only need to gently buff over the fingerprints and dirty areas with a soft microfiber cloth. Add a few drops of conditioning oil to build up a protective layer against scuffs and marks. To give your appliance extra shine, find the steel grain that runs either horizontally or vertically, and wipe in the same direction.

If you need an extra hand and want to treat yourself – 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.