Here’s a Few of All Clean Maids Favorite Cleaning Tips

Here are a few of our favorite house cleaning tips to help keep your home fresh and clean.

Ceramic Tile Floors
There’s no need to wax. Just sweep and mop on a regular basis and they stay clean and shiny. Mop floors with clear water or add just a dash of liquid dish soap. Be sure to change the water often or as soon as it gets cloudy. Too much soap or dirty water will make floors dull or sticky. Don't use scrub pads on ceramic tile floors or you might scratch them.
 
Grout
For mildewed grout in tubs or showers, use a grout brush with a 1 to 5 solution of chlorine bleach and water. Never use bleach in combination with any ammonia-based product and be sure the area is well-ventilated. When you've finished cleaning, rinse the area well to remove all traces of bleach. A heavy-duty cleaner and a grout brush is what you’ll need to clean colored grout, but don't use bleach because this may remove the color from the grout. Never, never use a bleaching solution on colored grout. A masonry sealer can be applied to clean, colored grout to prevent future stains.

Hard Water Spots
Hard-water deposits are alkaline, so you need an acid-based cleaner to get them really clean. Phosphoric acid works well and is safe for most surfaces. You can go to the grocery store and find cleansers with 4-6% phosphoric acid. You can also purchase lime scale removers from any janitorial supply store. The commercial cleaners will contain 8%-12% acid and that will get the job done faster. A higher concentration of acid is safe on most household surfaces, as long as you rinse the surface to remove all traces of the acid after the cleaning is complete. You should always let the acid sit for a few minutes after you apply it to let it do the work for you. If you have tough hard-water deposits it may take more than one application to get it clean. Scrub the applied areas with a white, nylon scrub sponge. Always read any manufacturer's warnings and instructions before applying phosphoric acid solutions to any surface in your home.

Mini-Blinds
Wipe down mini-blinds with a damp fabric softener sheet. This will eliminate the static that causes dust to be attracted to your blinds. The same trick works for TV and monitor screens.

Pet Hair Removal from Upholstery and Carpets
To remove pet hair from fabric or upholstery, try a pet rake, velour brush, tape roller or even masking tape wrapped around your hand. Use light, even strokes to remove the hair. Another option is to use a slightly dampened sponge (as long as the dampness won't harm the upholstery)or a damp wash cloth. A damp wash cloth works wonders getting the hair out of the crevices in your carpeted stairs. Another option for both upholstery and carpets - especially at the edges where pet hair tends to collect and vacuums have a hard time reaching - is a "pet sponge." These sponges, which are used dry, are available at pet supply stores.

Soap Scum in Tubs and Showers
Since preventing soap scum build-up is a lot easier than cleaning it, squeegee water off shower walls and doors after every use or wipe them down with a towel. Apply a light coating of lemon oil periodically to help prevent build-up on your tile walls and on shower doors. You can also apply a light coat of boat or car wax to the sides (but never the bottom) of your porcelain tub.
 
Toilet Bowl Ring Removal
The earlier you attack this problem, the easier it will be to remove the ring. A thorough cleaning with a commercial acid-based bowl cleaner may do the trick. If the bowl cleaner doesn't work, try using a green, nylon scrub sponge along with the acid. For an old ring, use a pumice stone. You must keep the stone wet with the water in the bowl and rub it on the ring. Keep the stone wet the entire time you're scrubbing or it will scratch the surface. Pumice stones should only be used on vitreous china toilets - never on colored, enamel or plastic fixtures. Once you've gotten rid of a ring, regular cleanings with an acidic toilet bowl cleaner should keep it from coming back.