The Cleaning Advantage

What Is Lurking In The Air In Your Home?

Here Are The Facts:

Fact #1:  According to the American College of Allergies, 50% of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor air.

Fact #2:  Indoor air is 2 – 5 times more polluted than the air outdoors.

Fact #3:  The average American takes 9 out of 10 breaths indoors.

Fact #4:  The average American inhales about 2 tablespoons full of airborne particles each day.

Fact #5:  VOC’s in common cleaning products can cause allergic reactions and may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

Fact #6:  Children are more susceptible to the health risks of air pollution

Good News!

You can do something about the risk of indoor air pollution and its detrimental effects on your family.

Partnering with the right professional cleaning company is a step in the right direction. We can help you improve the indoor air quality in your home. How do we do it?

1. By using environmentally friendly cleaning products, which are safer for the environment and your family, and contain no VOC’s.
2. By using vacuums with closed containers that use HEPA filters, which don’t allow dust and harmful particles to become airborne.
3. By using cleaning cloths instead of feather dusters and static dusters, which simply move dust around and make it airborne.
4. By using color-coded cleaning cloths that eliminates cross contamination.

Avoid hiring an illegal contractor to save money.  You’re only hurting yourself and this country.

 The following is a post I found on Craigslist and thought I could not of said it better myself. Kudos to the owner of the post!

No, most people aren’t running for president. Most people aren’t even running for their local city council. But the fact is that the average consumer has a lot to lose by hiring an illegal contractor. Here are some points to consider when hiring a cleaning company.

. Make sure that the cleaning company is bonded, licensed and insured. The key word is insured. Insurance isn’t cheap. And that’s a good thing for a consumer. Being insured means that there is a policy in place in case of damage caused as a result of the housecleaning. If nothing else, it’s the first step in determining if a cleaning company is professional or amateur.

. Make sure that the cleaning company performs extensive background checks on their employees. A background check costs money. And a lot of companies don’t perform these checks for that very reason. But they are important. First off, hiring a convicted felon voids the surety bond. This means that if a theft occurs, then there is no policy in place to protect the victim. Secondly, a consumer needs to know that the strangers in their home have never been arrested for any type of violent crime or theft.

. Make sure that the cleaning company is really a company. A real cleaning company pays payroll taxes. A real cleaning company pays income taxes. And if they don’t, then it’s the consumer’s legal responsibility to do that for them. Because Uncle Sam wants a cut of the transaction. And if the consumer doesn’t do it for them, then the consumer is just as guilty as the cleaning company. Ask for the company to prove that all taxes are being paid.

. Make sure that the cleaning company has more than a handful of customers. Now this technique isn’t perfect. There are some quality individual housecleaners out there that follow the law. But the fact is that a cleaning business is easy to start. And the fact is that a lot of people use this to their advantage. They can start a cleaning business today. Make a little money tomorrow. And then quit the next day. Ask the cleaning company for references. Don’t let them dictate the names. Dictate the list. Ask for customers only in a certain zip code. The truth is that most cleaning companies have a standard list of references. They hand them out when someone asks for the list. And these three or four people say all sorts of good things about the company. Of course, it could be that the reference is the owner’s brother. Or the owner’s next door neighbor. That’s why it is important to predefine the parameters.

It may not seem important. But hiring an illegal contractor can cause serious legal and financial problems. Of course, an illegal contractor is typically cheaper than a legal contractor. But the reality is that no one is really saving any money. Because the penalty for hiring an illegal contractor can cost much more than just hiring the legal contractor in the first place.

Why do some homes appear cleaner than they actually are? 

You can have a clean home; countertops sparkling, furniture polished, rugs vacuumed, floors washed …..But no one is going to notice how clean these areas are if you can’t see them!  A home with minimal amounts of clutter will always look cleaner than it really is.

Here are some quick tips to help you keep up with the clutter, you will feel better and your house will look and feel cleaner.

If you make it a habit to do a quick pick up before going to bed each night, it’ll really help. Put dishes away, newspapers, toys, projects in progress and miscellaneous clothing.

Mail- Before the mail even enters the home; try to open it and sort through it.  Discard any junk/trash into recycle bins.  Only keep what you need and put it in a bin or folder to attend to at a later time.  Do as much electronically as you can to cut down on the paper piles.

 Clothes- Go through your closet and drawers every 6 months or so and give to charity what you haven’t worn the past season. Chances are you won’t wear it next season either. It’s a good idea to keep a box or bag in your front closet that you put clothes you don’t wear any more. This really helps freeing up space in your closet. When the box is full, simply drop it off at your local donation box or pantry.

Toys- If you notice the kids aren’t playing with some toys or games any longer, donate them to a friend   or charity. If they haven’t shown an interest lately it is likely they won’t develop an interest later. 

Magazines, Books and Newspapers- Nothing clutters up a room quicker than old news papers and magazines.  If you have read them and they aren’t a collector’s item recycle or give them to a friend. The Kindle is a great invention which means no more books cluttering up the book case.  You can even get magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Kindle.  I love it because you can adjust the font to a larger setting, less strain on the eyes.

Unused items- If you haven’t used that record player from 1978 or the broken camera, it might be safe to get rid of it or get it repaired.  You would be amazed at what you probably have in your home that you haven’t used for years and will never use.  Have a garage sale with your neighbors or split the cost of renting a dumpster with your neighbors.  You will be very surprised at how fast that dumpster fills up!-  Karen Bickford

We use environmentally-friendly cleaners. They’re healthier for you, Continue reading →

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