September 2017 – Emerita's House Cleaning Services

House Cleaning Tips

So you want to hire us, but you also want to keep your house cleaned in the time before we arrive to clean up again?

Look no further!

Our tips will have you not only saving time, but sanitizing the way the dirty mess was meant to be sanitized.

It’s Dirty in That Sink

Surprisingly, your kitchen sink has more bacteria than your toilet seat. Sanitizing it and removing the bacteria regularly will help you stay healthy. For quick (and healthy) sanitization, use a product that is labeled as an EPA disinfectant. To disinfect: (1) Clean your sink with soap & water. (2) Spray vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. (3) Let air dry.

If your sink happens to be stainless steel, buff the inside of it with mineral oil on a soft cloth. This will prevent buildup, which deters mold & keeps the sink clean longer.

Disinfect and Remove the Smells

To disinfect the garbage disposal, and to get rid of the odors, cut lemon and add some salt and a few ice cubes to the disposal. The lemon will deodorize, and the salt & ice will clean residue. Alternatively, you could use a disposal disinfectant like Disposer Care, which is specifically designed for doing just that.

The Clean as You Go Method

They say that if you clean for 10 minutes every day you’ll have less to do when clean time comes. Here are some more ‘clean as you go’ tips:

Fill your sink with hot soapy water and let the dishes soak as you start dinner. As dinner is cooking, wash the dishes or put them in the dishwasher. Wash the sponge in the dishwasher instead of buying new ones.
Tough stain on the linoleum? Spray it profusely with a disinfectant cleaning spray and let it sit for a while before trying to tackle scrubbing it.
Clean the toilet in a jiffy by dropping a bit of Tang Drink Mix in the bowl first. The citric acid in it acts like a super scrubber.

And Let Us Do The Rest!

Cleaning takes a long time to get it 100% done. Call us at (571) 235-0588 or visit us www.emeritashousecleaning.com and save yourself the hassle by hiring Emerita’s House Cleaning Services inHerndon VA!

10 Ways to Keep Your Children Organized

by cleaningtoday

1. To Do List: making a “To Do” list is the simplest way to organize and schedule all activities both in school and home. It is so easy that even children can make the list once they see an example. This list should be filled with school assignments, reminders, and materials for school. If there are extracurricular activities, children can write them down too. A To Do list is like a planner; crossing each completed item gives children sense of accomplishment.

2. Prepare For the Day Ahead: the best way to be ready for tomorrow is to finish today’s tasks. Before your child goes to bed, encourage them to pack every schoolwork and book in a bag. Clothes, shoes, socks, and other necessary accessories should be prepared as well. When you child wakes up in the morning, he/she does not need to get confused about school preparation because everything for today is ready to use.

3. Have a Designated Study Space: a designated study space does not always mean the child’s bedroom. It can be any room in the house where there is minimum distractions. In the same room, there should be some supplies including pencils, books, maps, ruler, etc.

4. Make a Fixed Study Time: have a discussion with your child to determine an agreed study time every day. Study time covers doing homework, assignments, reading, practicing, etc. If there is no homework, the time should be spent for other learning activities. The best time for studying varies depending on individual’s needs, but after-school is usually not the most ideal time because a child needs to get some rest too.

5. Organize Assignments: to make every homework or assignment more organized, tell your children to number them in order of completion requirement. The first assignment to complete is typically the most urgent one, but it is possible to arrange those assignments according to difficulty level as well.

6. Master Calendar: having a large wall-sized calendar allows your children to easily notice if there is any immediate events at school or home. A large calendar usually has room for writing notes to describe all marked dates.

7. Binders and Folders: binders or folders are great to organize paper based on subject. They allow for easier studying because children can review all their works and notes quickly. When approaching a test, such organizational system also provides quick access to all materials.

8. Weekly Cleanup: school assignments and papers from a week ago o even older should be kept in their own folders. It prevents clutters and confusion when finding references for future homework.

9. Check for Forgotten Items: sometimes, a child can forget some important thing, so parents need to do their roles to check for everything including completed assignments, homework, etc.

10. Keep on Reminding: parents provide guidance. However, they have to allow children to develop organizational system of their own. Parents help children, but they cannot let the boys and girls to become entirely dependant on parents helps.

Cleaning Tips

by cleaningtoday

If you are like most people in Herndon, VA., you probably forget to clean on a regular basis, or if you do clean, you probably aren’t getting everything you should. If you’d like to keep your home sparkling in between having our cleaning services performed in your home in Herndon, VA., keep reading for some stellar house cleaning tips!

Make That Sink Shine!

If you were given a test on which had more bacteria, would you guess a toilet seat is dirtier than your kitchen sink? Well, contrary to popular opinion, that is not true! Your kitchen sink has more germs and bacteria than your toilet seat, so sanitizing it and removing the harmful bacteria on a regular basis should be a priority. Keeping the germs down will also help you to be healthier. Here’s how you should disinfect the sink: 1. Clean with soap and water first. 2. Use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide all along the sink, don’t miss any spots. 3. Let the mixture sit and air dry. (Tip: If you have a stainless steel kitchen sink, use mineral oil on a soft cloth on the inside to prevent any buildup such as mold. This will also help make it shiny and clean for a longer amount of time.)

Say Goodbye to Odors!

If you find your garbage disposal is leaving a foul smell in the air, even when the debris is gone, something needs to be done. Take a bit of lemon, salt, and ice cubes and put them in the disposal. The citrus in the lemon will get rid of the bad smell plus the ice and salt combo will clean any leftover grime. You could also pick up a disposal disinfectant if you’d rather a simpler approach.

Use Quick Bursts of Cleaning

The best method is to keep up with it. Even if you only do 10 to 15 minutes at a time, there will be less of a mess later on if you get some of it out of the way. Don’t let those dishes overwhelm you, while you’re waiting on the microwave, wash a few! House cleaning doesn’t have to be such a huge chore when you take care of your home in between cleaning services. Keep up with the little things around the home and you’ll find it much easier to manage! It just takes a few minutes a day but will end up saving you a ton of time.

Emerita’s House Cleaning Services is a locally owned and operated professional Residential and Commercial cleaning services www.emeritashousecleaning.com

Who is Emerita?

by cleaningtoday

Welcome to our blog which will be a trusted source for cleaning services stuffs.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Emerita Merlos the owner of Emerita’s House Cleaning Services and we are in the cleaning services industry for over 20 years of cleaning experience.

In our time in this industry we’ve noticed how things could be done a lot better than they are. Sadly, this isn’t due to lack of advancement in chemicals or procedures but just a lot of bad practice and laziness!!

We’ll be sharing some of our stories, (never naming other companies) some good advice and many others things.

We will be happy to post anything e-mailed to us which has good original content regarding cleaning tips, good practices, industry changes, etc.

Anybody who needs to contact us can do so through our company website www.emeritashousecleaning.com

Emerita’s House Cleaning Services

by cleaningtoday

Let Emerita’s House Cleaning Service take the stress out of your housework . Getting the dirt out is what we do best!

We are a professional cleaning service and take pride in our work. Our cleaning employees are thoroughly trained in cleaning procedures, techniques and proper use of cleaning chemicals.

We clean all types of residential homes including single family, duplexes, apartments, condominiums town homes and small offices.

We offer a variety of cleaning packages to suit your needs : once a week, bi-weekly, once a month or a one time deep cleaning for that special occasion.Let us take the headaches and hassles out of keeping your home clean .

Our Basics Service Includes:

Wiping and disinfecting all kitchen surfaces including countertops , floors, sinks, tops and sides of appliances

Thorough bathroom cleaning – showers, tubs, countertops, sinks and floors

Vacuuming all carpets

Sweeping & cleaning hard wood surfaces

Dusting all furniture

Wiping down light switches , window sills

Cleaning all mirrored surfaces

Dusting of blinds

Waste baskets emptied

Cobwebs & dust bunnies removed

Getting that hidden dirt under sofas, couches, chairs and tables

Additional services we can provide:

Complete refrigerator cleaning

Complete clean of oven/stove cleaning

Wash windows inside & out

And many more

We are family own and operated

We can send you the same cleaning specialist every time

Call now 571-235-0588 for an appointment!

Cleaning For Pets!

by cleaningtoday

If you have cats or dogs (or both!), I hope for your sake you’ve got a leather sofa, because we all know that pet hair clings to stuff tighter than a squirrel with a nut in the dead of winter. Alas, leather furniture is expensive, so most of us are left on our hands and knees, with a roll of tape, going over every inch of each surface, and praying that — JUST THIS ONCE — we get it all. Here are a few tips and alternatives to preserve your sanity.

As we well know, pet hair clings to EVERYTHING. With allergies on the rise, we all want to keep our furniture pet-hair-free. We have some quick tips to maximize your clean between Emerita’s cleaning visits.

Furniture

With dampened dish gloves on, run your hands over any furniture with pet-hair. The hair sticks to the wet rubber. Rinse the gloves when you’re done and repeat.

To remove pet hair from wooden tables or blinds, use a wet paper towel or a dryer sheet. Both will reduce the effects of static cling and gather up stray hairs quickly.

Floors

Believe it or not, the pumice stone that keeps your feet smooth will keep your rugs and carpet pet-hair free too! Gently rub your carpet with a pumice stone, and the hair will gather in a clump. Just toss the clump when you’re done!

Once again, the dryer sheet comes to the rescue when gathering pet hair from hardwood or tiled floors. Just a once over in corners and under the couch will gather up hair quickly and easily.

Clothes

Obviously, you know that lint rollers exist, but we like to keep a roll of duct tape on hand too! Make a ring with the tape with the sticky side facing out and roll over your clothes for a quick pet-hair fix.

For larger quantities of hair, try throwing your clothes in the dryer. It’s a no-brainer, but that magic dryer sheet pulls hair away from the clothes. Be sure to clean out that lint trap, though. Hair and lint are fire hazards and can prevent your dryer from working properly.

Office Cleaning

by cleaningtoday

Office cleaning is a time-consuming chore that can quickly become a hassle. Many surfaces found in an office may require specialized care that you are too busy to perform yourself. Any workplace can benefit from the employment of a professional janitorial service. Expert Cleaning at Emerita’s offers the services of professional cleaners who have the skills to thoroughly clean a commercial office while treating delicate surfaces such as leather or expensive rugs appropriately. Let our licensed company give you peace of mind regarding the state of your office and take the bothersome work of cleaning off your hands.

A professional janitorial service is equipped to clean a variety of surfaces including carpet, marble, and tile. Each floor, rug or piece of furniture is efficiently cleaned using an appropriate and quality cleaning product that will leave it looking spotless and extend the life of the surface. Furniture covered with leather is an example of something that can easily be damaged by faulty cleaning techniques or even by lack of regular and proper maintenance. A professional cleaning company ensures that these types of pieces are treated with special consideration. Regular cleaning will also continually remove bacteria or dust particles from the air that may exacerbate allergies or breathing conditions of employees and customers.

Emerita’s cleaning will improve the appearance and atmosphere of your office. Instead of taking valuable time out of your schedule to maintain workplace cleanliness, trust a janitorial service that is dedicated to quality customer service and spotless results.

Emerita’s House Cleaning Services is a locally owned and operated professional Residential and Commercial cleaning services www.emeritashousecleaning.com