St Patricks's Day Cleanup

St. Patricks’s day marks the major clean up in various cities and towns. And when you think about this day, the first things that will come to your mind are people dressed in green, shamrock, parades and maybe packed pubs. If you can wake up very early in the morning, that is the morning after the night; you will notice that the streets are not normally a pretty sight. People drop glass bottles, food wrappers, vomit, cans, and even urine.

But what about the people whose job is to make sure that they do the clean up after St Patrick’s day, they have to ensure the streets are clean and make everything go back to normal. For street cleaners, this is the busiest day of the year.

This is the busiest day than any other day of the year. You will find that this day has over one hundred and fifty cleaning shifts compared to the other days of the year. Therefore, the street cleaners do not have time for their families during this time.

The night before the parade, there is a night crew which is normally assigned to begin the cleanup. And many are the times when more workers are shifted from other areas to the city; this is because this day, extra staff is normally needed due to the increased workload.

Those working on night shift might begin working at 10 pm and finish at 6 am which is tiresome. And the morning after, there is a wash crew which is supposed to ensure that there is nothing on the road that should not be stepped on. If there are any kinds of an offensive poster, they are also responsible for taking it off.

Some of the messiest St Patricks’ days are normally when the sun shines. This is because people normally tend to make the day out of good weather like sunny weather. This might require the cleaners to clean at least three times that day. The most surprising thing is that even after cleaning it three times, there will still be some rubbish and bottles around the streets at night. And that is why there is a night crew for that; on top of that, there is also a 4 am crew which is supposed to deal with early morning rubbish.

Councils doing cleanup after St. Patrick's Day have reported of cleaning up to 20 tons of rubbish compared to the normal weekends which they only clean up to 5 tons of rubbish.

The most important thing is health and safety, that why the council normally ensures that the cleaners are placed in crews, this is to avoid the instances of someone working alone. And by doing this, they will be in a position to work as they enjoy themselves; hence they will be very happy as they work. They also avoid walking into a group that they think might cause trouble; they, therefore, opt to clean that area later when the group is already gone.

Hiring Professional Cleaners for Retail

A busy retail establishment can have thousands of people moving in and out on a daily basis necessitating high levels of cleaning which might be overwhelming to you. Lack of thoroughness in cleaning can turn away customers, making you lose on revenue or make you incur litigation costs from suits. You require to hire professionals to help you accomplish the task professionally and efficiently. Professional cleaners can handle a range of your cleaning needs such as mopping, dusting, carpet cleaning, floor polishing, window cleaning, and other minor cleaning tasks arising from time to time. Hiring cleaning services for retail stores has the following benefits:

Cleaning Companies are Professionals

Having your staff clean crucial parts of your retail establishment such as toilets and the carpeted area can result in substandard work since they lack the skills required to accomplish the task satisfactorily. Cleaning companies will conduct a thorough job in such sensitive areas capable of influencing a customer’s opinion about your store. The companies have the right tools and expertise to get the job done and instill confidence in your shoppers. You will have cleaning tasks done right without having to repeat. Cleaning companies do not just clean; they also offer you useful suggestions on how you can maintain the surfaces that require cleaning to ensure their quality does not deteriorate.

Risk Mitigation

Floor cleaning poses a danger to persons doing the job and others due to using off chemicals and wet floors on walkways. Cleaning companies’ staff are trained in safe working procedures to ensure the safety of other people in their working environment. Also, hiring cleaning services for your retail store transfers third-party liability form you to them. Cleaning companies are insured against risks that may occur in their workplaces which is a good thing to you when medical bills and compensation suits arise.

High Traffic Protection

Retail store premises have a lot of activities that can cause damage to the floors and walls such as pulling of loaded carts and dragging of heavy merchandise. The floor requires regular re-waxing and polishing to prevent discoloration on walkways. Do it yourself cleaning is incapable of maintaining your floor which will cost you more to repair and overhaul. Hiring the cleaning services ensures your floor is well taken care of thus saving on capital investment allocated to depreciation.

Equipment

Cleaning companies have specialized equipment for commercial cleaning that will enable them to cover the vast area in a shorter time thus reducing business interruptions. Cleaning companies also possess expert knowledge about the various chemicals that are best suited to give you good results from their years of experience.

Cleaning Services

Time is money. Spending valuable time cleaning your retail outlet or engaging staff in cleaning makes you lose resources in the form of time, productivity, and revenues. Your staff becomes demotivated from having to perform a task they know little about and were neither hired to accomplish. Hire professionals to clean your store and support your staff to deliver on your business objective. An adequately cleaned working environment reduces the chance for your staff to contract respiratory diseases which increases absenteeism rate thus negatively impacting on productivity.

How To Prevent Restaurant Health Code Violations Through Cleaning

Preparing and maintaining a regular cleaning schedule that covers all the areas in your restaurant is the best way to avoid health code violations. Most health code violations originate from the most unlikely places and equipment that are usually overlooked during cleaning. Health inspectors understand this and will try to make you pay dearly for your shortcomings in cleaning these spots. Maintaining these red-flagged areas and items spotless is the most effective defense you can put against dismal hygiene performance during surprise inspections. You should categorize cleaning tasks to be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Daily Cleaning Tasks

Many food establishments fail to meet health regulations on cleanliness due to failures in daily cleaning tasks. Tasks in this category are sensitive and failing to execute them compounds the resulting mess. Areas that come into direct contact with dirt should be cleaned on a daily basis. Some of these areas will require to be cleaned more than once in a day when they become dirty. Daily cleaning tasks include:

• Wiping down the walls to clear them of splashes
• Floors.
• Countertops
• Disinfecting food preparation areas
• Wiping the electronic appliances to remove spills from food and prevent accumulation of dirt.
• Cleaning beverage dispenser heads and bottle openers.
• Wash the crockery and utensils and leave them to dry.
• Clean rags, aprons, towels, and uniforms.
• Replenish the soap dispensers and paper towel rolls.
• Remove waste material and recycled products from the kitchen store.
• Disinfect the waste disposal area and the waste bins

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

Areas that do not require daily cleaning but are exposed to a considerable amount of soiling should be cleaned once in a week. The cleaning work includes:

• Cleaning the ovens.
• De-liming the faucets and sinks
• Disinfect walk-in freezers and refrigerators
• Cleaning of mats
• Cleaning the floor drains
• Monthly Cleaning Tasks
• Remove grim on electrical appliances in the kitchen
• Clean and disinfect the cold store
• Dust the refrigerator coils
• Wash vent hoods
• Empty the grease traps
• Clean and sanitize the freezer
• Wash walls and the ceiling to get rid of grease build-up
• Replace pest traps.

Personal hygiene must also be incorporated into your restaurant cleaning habits. Food handlers must wash their hands and ensure to work with clean equipment. Hand washing sinks must be within reach when preparing food. Dishwashers must be maintained at the right temperature, and cleaned utensils let to dry and not be wiped. Finally, chemicals and other cleaning materials must be stored away from food items to avoid contamination.

You should ensure that your restaurant cleaning can pass internal inspections to have the assurance that you will not be held in contravention of health codes. Having some cleaning schedules that run concurrently is vital to have an overlooked spot be remedied when you still have time and also put in place measures to avoid the shortcoming in future. Entrenching proper cleaning habits among your employees in your establishment might take time, but the benefits far outweigh the long wait. Maintaining a fool-proof cleaning schedule is vital for the good health of your staff, customers and business growth.

Tips on how to extend the life of your Vacuum Cleaner

When it comes to the topic of vacuum cleaner maintenance, my workmate at my old job stands out of the mind. During her usual morning cleaning exercise, I remember her calling the vacuum cleaner supplier amidst a heated protestation that the machine had stopped working.

It was barely a month old. So the supplier sent a technician who looked perplexed and couldn’t believe the device had broken down in such a short time. It turned out that she had been misusing the cleaner, sucking sand from the ground. She would even use it suck cigarette butts and bits of plastic. I remember our boss threatening her with a mandatory leave. The main point here is that a vacuum cleaner isn't designed to pick all sorts of debris on the floor. How you manage, it can have a profound impact on its life. Here is how to extend the life of your vacuum cleaner.

1. Have a look at the surface before firing up your vacuum cleaner - It is a good practice to inspect the area you want to clean before embarking on carpet cleaning (see our carpet cleaning services for Grass Valley). Look out for items such as coins, plastic toys, bobby pins, paper clips and other similarly hazardous objects that can get lodged inside the cleaner and ruin it.
2. Clean your machine - You need to clean the vacuum cleaner periodically to remove dirt that accumulates in its parts. When the bag and the filter of the vacuum cleaner are clogged, the rate of airflow tends to reduce. In the long run, your vacuum cleaner will be ineffective. Prevent this predicament by opening it periodically and removing the dirt.
3. Strategize your vacuuming - You need to be tactical to add more years to your vacuum cleaner’s life. While house cleaning, spend more time and much of your effort vacuuming heavily trafficked sections of your house and less time and energy in periphery areas.
4. Use attachments - Don’t pick up your vacuum cleaner and begin vacuuming steps and stairs. Instead, make use of a wand complete with a proper wand attachment.
5. Inspect the brush - Your vacuum’s brush is often the second component to get dirty after the bag. Spare some time to inspect it and remove lodged dust and dirt.
6. Change the bags - You should change the bag once it feels ½ full. There are a lot of bad things that can happen to your vacuum cleaner if you continue using it while the bag is full. For instance, you may make a big mess or even end up damaging it. How do you tell when the bag is full? Other than getting close and inspecting it, you will realize that the surface acquires new types of dirt shortly after the brush has passed there. The reason is that the bag is full to the brim and has nowhere else to dispose of the dirt other than your carpet. Also, if the strength of the suction has dropped over the days, then you should probably think of emptying the bag.
7. Inspect the bottom of your vacuum cleaner - Ensure that the connectors are tight and all connections are properly connected. Remove dust and hair from the compartment.

Conclusion

If you follow these tips, your vacuum will last longer. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s directions at all times. Be nice to the vac, it may return the favor!

Cabinet Cleaning tips

The cabinet is one area that you often overlook when you are cleaning your house. When you have got a sink filled with dishes, pieces of furniture dirtied with pet hair, and a pile of laundry, your cabinets are possibly the last item on your head.

However, cabinets can quickly become covered with layers of grime, grease, and dirt from constant use. 

We have compiled a few of the best methods for tackling grime and grease buildup on your cabinets. We recommend trying out these to find out what works best to keep your cabinets clean.

1. Exterior regular cleaning - A majority of cabinet types, including plastic laminate, metal, vinyl and wood cabinets, can be cleaned with a solution of warm water and liquid dish soap. This mild and simple solution is sufficient to get the mild grease, dust, food smudges build-up on your cabinets. Aside from working as a degreaser, dish soap can even get rid of some tough dirt on the exterior. Do not forget the sides and edges of your cabinets. Rinse carefully with another cloth, before wiping with a final piece cloth. You do not want your cabinets to be left a lot of water which can damage and discolor them. You can also use an all-purpose cleaner to clean cabinets too; however, it is of the essence to test cleaners on a hidden spot to ensure that they will not damage the finish of your cabinet.
2. Exterior heavy duty cleaning - For heavy dust and grease build-ups, commercial cleaners should be your best bet. It is designed to be used for cleaning wood cabinets. These cleaners have a way of getting rid of the thick grease that tends to accumulate on the surfaces of cabinets. Make sure to go through the instructions before using, and test it in a hidden spot first. Start at the top, working your way down every cabinet. You can spray straight onto the surface of tough cabinets that are empty, else, spray onto a cloth, then wipe them down.
3. Interior cleaning - Clear each cabinet, starting with the uppermost one. If necessary, remove any discolored or torn shelf lining. If your the interior of your cabinets have a lot of residue and crumbs, it might be a great idea to vacuum out the cabinets once they have been emptied, before you wipe them down. Clean the interiors using a mild detergent and warm water. Rinse with a clean damp cloth and then wipe dry using a new cloth to ensure no water is left to harm the surfaces of the cabinet. Repeat the process with every additional cabinet.
4. Cleaning the contents of the cabinet - Wipe down dusty containers and cans with dish soap and warm water on a dampened cloth. Remove any expired items. Dry items well before placing them back in the cabinets. The cabinets should be left open for 2-3 hours to dry thoroughly, before putting the contents back in the cabinet.
5. Removing thick grease buildup - Sometimes the grease buildup in your cabinet gets so thick that it cannot easily be removed despite seeing it easily. If a thick yellowish or orange sticky substance appears to be glued to your cabinet, you know what we are talking about. Using an orange oil cleaner can significantly help, more so if it is allowed to penetrate the grease after sitting for 2-4 minutes. You may need to repeat this several times, and you can also use baking soda, water paste, and a soft bristled brush to scrub the area gently. A magic eraser may be a great option depending on your cabinets’ finish. However, you need to test the magic eraser on a hidden spot on your cabinet as they can scrub out the finish of surfaces. Don’t scrape away the grime since this raises the likelihood that you will permanently damage the cabinets’ finish.

Conclusion

Now that understand how to clean cabinets, ensure to keep them protected from future dirt and stains. Mix vegetable vinegar and oil in equal portions and spray it lightly on the surfaces of your cabinets. Rub it in with a soft, clean cloth. Buff until it shines. This is way, your cabinets will always be clean and sparkling.  If you would like regular cleaning, contact us for regular house cleaning today.