Laundry Rules

Laundry is a must in most households, a mixed-together frenzy for fashion or health reasons both. Everyone in your family counts on a clean supply of clothes, bedding and towels each week. Here are some little laundry room rules to live by.

How Much Water:  The amount of water you need is directly related to the size of the load. Don’t crowd the washer completely because the water has to be able to flow freely in order to clean stains and rinse away suds.

Hard or Soft:  Water comes in two types; hard and soft. Hard water has more mineral deposits than soft water which affects your laundry because it may take just a little more detergent to wash in hard water. You can convert hard water into soft water with the help of a machine called a water softener or by purchasing a softening powder.

Hot or Cold: Water temperature is another big factor. Remember, Hot water removes the stains from the most heavily soiled items and helps kill germs, however it may fade coloured clothes and wrinkle some fabrics. Warm is safe for most colours but can only handle a lighter stain. Cold water needs a cold water detergent to get the clothes properly clean.

Light or Dark:  Separate and colour test your clothes before washing. If you wash whites with your colours, the colours may fade and run. Always keep white clothes together to maintain their brightness.

Soap or Detergent:  One of the main differences between soap and detergent is that soap doesn’t rinse well in hard water and may leave behind a greyish film.  You can choose to use detergent in liquid or powder form. Measure carefully; too many suds will not rinse clean and too few won’t get the job done. Keep in mind that delicate fabrics may require a gentler soap.

A Clean Workplace = Happy Employees

The health of your company depends largely on the productivity and happiness of your employees. So how do you make sure that everyone is putting their best foot forward in representation of your business? Providing them a well taken care of and consistently clean workplace is a great start. When you hire a professional to aid in the maintenance of your office building, you will know you are getting the best for your money when the following areas have been covered.

RESTROOM: Toilets will be wiped down including the top of the seat, under the rim, around the bowl and the back of the tank. Seats will be left up after cleaning. Mirrors, faucets and stainless steal soap dispensers should be wiped down, usually with a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner. There should be no visible spots or streaks.

TRASH: You should find no trash in or around trash cans or under the desks. Receptacles should be returned to their proper places with new liners in them and all chairs will be pushed up to the desks. Keep in mind that unless you have specifically marked something as trash it will be untouched.

MOPPING: All areas should be well mopped. This is usually done by starting with the edges of the room first and then using a figure-eight pattern to fill in the rest of the open area. Wet Floor signs should be placed appropriately.

VACCUMING:  All carpets should be vacuumed starting from the furthest corner of the room and working toward the door. Wet floor signs may be placed if there was any spot cleaner used on the carpet. All cloth furniture will have been given a once-over with the vacuum’s hand tool, special attention being paid to the corners.

EXTRAS: All furniture should have been dusted using furniture polish and a special cloth. As well you can expect that all door handles, light switches and telephone handsets have been disinfected.

Get a Green Clean

Concern about climate change and its effect on the environment has everyone wondering how they can do their part. Though it may seem like a worldwide issue, too widespread to take on alone, the fact is that every little contribution is going in the right direction. Consider a common cleaning routine:  a few tweaks, and you will find yourself reducing, reusing and recycling for a better future.

REDUCE: The best thing you could ever do for Mother Nature is make it a priority to reduce or even eliminate the amount of chemicals and waste you generate by tidying up. Not only are the chemicals in your cleaning products harmful for the environment, they could be harmful for your friends and family as well. There are over 17,000 chemical cleaners available for home use, however it’s surprisingly easy and cost effective to mix up your own home made cleaning supplies that really work without any consequences to your health! Ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol and Coca Cola can do anything from disinfecting to unclogging.

REUSE: When doing the daily clean- up it can sometimes feel like you’re making more trash than you’re throwing away. Simple tips like using washable cloths, switching to reusable air fresheners, going back to the broom or even employing old toothbrushes to scrub grout are great eco friendly solutions.

RECYCLE: A good recycling program should be the backbone of any household, business or community; this is because with some organization and a little imagination, almost anything you have can be recycled for the good of the environment. Sure you already collect your old cans and newspaper, but there’s even more you can do including composting your food for use in a future garden,  recycling your electronics via a collection program, and disposing of toxic cleaning products the right way.