Archive for category: Tips

Cleaning your carpet is probably a job that many of us overlook. After all, you probably hoover it weekly, and this generally does a decent enough job of keeping it clean. However, regular carpet shampooing is important to remove deep-seated dirt and allergens.

So, how often should you clean your carpet? This is what we’ll look at below, including specific considerations for pets, allergies, and high-traffic areas.

How Often Should You Shampoo Your Carpet?

Generally speaking, you should clean your carpet with shampoo and a wet vacuum, or similar setup, at least once a year. This is a minimum standard for all carpets to keep them fresh and free from allergens. However, high-traffic areas will need cleaning more regularly.

Carpets benefit from being shampooed alongside regular vacuuming because it helps to lift dirt, grime, odours and allergens far more effectively. Think about it this way: If you dry shampoo your hair, it’s sort of clean, but nowhere near as clean as properly washing and shampooing it. The same logic applies to your carpet.

How Much Does it Cost to Clean a Carpet

The cost of cleaning a carpet depends on several factors, such as the tools and products you plan to use, whether you rent or buy them, and even where you live. You can buy a carpet steam cleaner for about £100, but this isn’t as effective as a proper shampooer.

These will set you back several hundred pounds if you want to buy one (which isn’t really necessary). Instead, look to hire a cleaning local company. Carpet cleaning can range from £25 to £250 depending on how much carpet your home has.

More cost-effective options include dry products, such as odour-eliminating powders. You sprinkle these on and then vacuum them out. They’re never as effective as proper shampooing but are better than nothing if you’re on a tight budget.

How to Wash a Carpet

If you’ve decided to rent (or buy) a carpet cleaner, here are the general steps for how to wash a carpet. Bear in mind that these might differ depending on the product you’re using, so check if the supplier has specific instructions.

1. Prep the Area

First, make sure your carpet is ready to be washed. Start by removing as much furniture as you can from the room so you’ve got a nice open space to shampoo. Most carpet cleaners have fairly small heads, but you’ll want to make good use of the cleaner while you have it.

2. Vacuum Thoroughly

Next, you need to thoroughly vacuum the carpet. The easiest way to do this is to use the hose without any attachments, and get down on your hands and knees and give it a really good going over.

Make a couple of passes over the carpet from different angles to remove as much dust and debris as you can. Although the carpet cleaner will pick up anything you’ve missed, getting it clean reduces the risk of you clogging up the machine.

3. Spot Clean Problem Areas

For best results, you’ll want to pre-treat any stained areas, just as you would with laundry. You can buy spot treatment products online easily, or the place you rented your carpet cleaner from might stock them. Simply follow the instructions on the bottle.

4. Get Your Cleaner Ready

Typically, a carpet shampooer has a clean water tank and a dirty water tank. You need to fill the clean water tank before you start and add the required amount of cleaning solution. There are different types available, such as odour eliminating, pet-specific ones, and more. Make sure you pick the right one for your needs.

5. Work Slowly Across the Room

For best results, work in strips along the room. Press the cleaner’s trigger to inject water into the carpet. Move forwards in a line and then work your way back to thoroughly suck up the dirty water.

Repeat this process by moving the cleaner to a new line, pushing forwards and then pulling back. This is pretty much how you use a carpet cleaner!

6. Rinse the Carpet

This is an optional step that can help to remove any remaining dirt or cleaning solution. Once you’ve cleaned the room, refill the clean water tank just with water. Make another pass over the room as normal to inject clean water into the carpet.

7. Leave it to Dry

Finally, just let the carpet dry. If possible, open windows and put the heating on, as this’ll help the carpet to dry more quickly. You should expect it to take at least 4-6 hours, but it can take a day or two in colder or more humid conditions.

Remember that the longer it stays wet, the more likely it is to develop a damp smell. If necessary, set up a dehumidifier to speed up the process.

How Often Should You Clean Carpets? Allergy Sufferers

For normal carpets in homes where no one suffers from allergies, cleaning them once a year is enough. But if you have allergies, particularly seasonal ones, cleaning your carpets up to 4 times a year can be beneficial.

This ultimately depends on the type of allergies you suffer from. For example, if you have hayfever or other seasonal allergies, clean at the beginning and end of the problem season. But if you suffer from allergies related to dust and mould, 4 times a year can be helpful.

The process is no different for allergy carpet cleaning. Rent or buy a carpet cleaner and follow the instructions above. However, a steam cleaner could work fine for this, as it’ll do a decent job of lifting the problem debris from the carpet.

How Often Should You Shampoo Your Carpets If You Have Pets?

If you have pets, you should probably shampoo your carpets up to 4 times a year. This depends on factors such as how heavily your pet sheds and whether they have accidents in the house. For the latter, immediate spot treatment is necessary.

A carpet cleaner will do a much better job of lifting pet hair than a vacuum cleaner. However, make sure you only use pet-safe products, as you can never be too careful. Bear in mind that residual cleaning solution could be transferred to their paws and into their mouth.

If you want to learn more, please read our article about how to remove pet hair from carpets.

How Often Should You Wash Your Carpet? High Traffic Areas

High traffic areas are those that receive a lot of footfall, such as a living room, hallway, landing, stairwell, etc. These need cleaning more often because there will be more dirt and the carpet fibres will be pressed down more regularly. For these areas, 2-3 times a year should be enough. Regularly cleaning high-traffic areas will also help keep the carpet in good condition, extending its lifespan by a surprising amount.

How Long to Wait Before Vacuuming New Carpet?

You don’t have to wait before vacuuming a new carpet – you can theoretically hoover it as soon as it’s laid. Doing so helps to remove loose fibres that might have popped out while it was being laid. Assuming it’s been laid properly and is sufficiently tight, there’s no reason why it can’t be vacuumed immediately.

Final Thoughts

How often should you clean your carpet ultimately depends on where in the house it is, how much traffic it sees, and whether you have pets or allergies. At least once a year is enough, but doing it more often can help to keep it in good condition.

Of course, you need to also factor in the time required to do so as well as the cost of getting the equipment and cleaning products. But keeping your carpet properly clean will help to extend its lifespan and ensure your home looks clean and smells fresh.

You also hire a carpet cleaning service to clean your carpets without the added stress of cleaning, effort and time.

Many of us find cleaning our homes to be a chore (quite literally!). Whether we find it boring, time-consuming, or simply don’t have enough hours in the day, it can be helpful to find new ways to approach it.

Well, this is where the 20-minute rule comes in. Below, we’ll cover what it means and how it can benefit busy people or those who just don’t enjoy cleaning. Read on to find out.

What exactly is the 20 Minute Rule in Cleaning?

The 20-minute rule in cleaning is where you take on a cleaning task for 20 minutes and then have a break. It’s as simple as that! Also known as the 20/10 rule, it’s recommended that you take a 10-minute break after your cleaning blast.

Although it’s unlikely you’ll finish most jobs in the first 20 minutes, the point is to break them down into manageable pieces so they don’t feel as daunting. Plus, it means you can chip away at things when you have some spare time rather than setting aside a whole day of your precious weekend!

Who Should Use the 20 Minute Cleaning Rule?

In theory, anyone can use the 20-minute cleaning rule. But it’s probably best for:

• Busy people – especially those who have to handle all the household cleaning on their own
• Families – having kids means more mess and a lot less time

Of course, it’s also ideal for anyone who just doesn’t enjoy cleaning because it makes it more manageable. So, if you’re someone who puts off many cleaning jobs, try the 20/10 rule and see if it’ll make things easier.

How Does the 20 Minute Rule Work?

The basics of the 20/10 rule are pretty simple. As mentioned, you clean for 20 minutes and then take a break or move on to something else. But to really take advantage of it, you should try to break larger tasks down into smaller parts, as this gives you a clearer sense of achievement.

For example, let’s say you need to clean the bathroom. The overall job involves cleaning the toilet, the shower, and the sink, along with emptying the bin, wiping down surfaces, etc. Combined, all this could take a good few hours if you need to do a deep clean.

So, break the jobs down. Spend 20 minutes cleaning the toilet, then take a break. Repeat with the shower, the sink, and so on. While you might not get everything done on the same day, you could get bits done between other jobs.

What Are the Benefits of the 20 Minute Cleaning Rule?

The benefits of the 20-minute cleaning rule should be fairly obvious. It basically all comes down to shifting your perspective of how (and when) cleaning is done. Breaking larger jobs down into their smaller parts makes them feel more manageable, in turn reducing the workload and associated feelings of stress.

Another important part is the knowledge that you’ll have a break after you’ve finished your 20-minute spurt. This helps keep motivation high, as you know you’ll be rewarded for the job after. What you do with your 10-minute break is up to you, but consider using it as an excuse to have a quick relax.

With a bit of practice, you should find you can get a lot done in 20 minutes. It might not seem like much time, but you should end up adjusting your cleaning speed to the timeframe.

Final Thoughts

The 20-minute rule is definitely worth trying if you’re busy, have a family to care for, or simply just don’t enjoy cleaning. Breaking jobs down into quick bursts can help you feel like you’ve achieved a lot in a very short space of time.

But if you still have a lot of cleaning to do, even with the 20-minute rule, get in touch with Cleaning Express. Our domestic cleaning services in London can help take the load off, freeing you up to concentrate on things you enjoy.

Wondering if you have the budget for a cleaning service? Read our article on How much does a cleaner cost?

We have loads of highly-trained, fully insured cleaners who can help get your home sparkling again while taking the burden of cleaning out of your weekly routine. If you live in London and would like to know more, reach out to see how we can help.

Also read: what can a cleaner do in 2 hours?

Housekeepers can be a vital addition to your home if you don’t have the time to do daily chores. Unlike a cleaner, a housekeeper helps with other chores, such as cooking, organising, and even childcare.

But what’s the process of finding a suitable housekeeper, considering they’ll become such an integral part of your life? Well, that’s what we’ll discuss here.

Read on to discover how to find a housekeeper and the different types available.

How to Find a Housekeeper – Deciding What You Need

The first step is to decide what kind of help you need. As mentioned, a housekeeper can help with the following jobs:

• Cleaning
• Organising
• Shopping
• Running errands
• Childcare

Bear in mind, though, that not all housekeepers will do all these things. So, start by working out your needs and using this to narrow down your selection pool.

Types of Housekeepers

Generally, the biggest factor in deciding the type of housekeeper you need is whether you need childcare. This would mean you’d need a nanny housekeeper – someone who is trained to care for kids but can also handle other chores.

If childcare isn’t a priority, you’ll likely have more choice. Housekeeper nannies may have training in childcare and will usually need different insurance and security checks.

Another type worth mentioning is a live-in housekeeper. This should be fairly self-explanatory: it’s a housekeeper that lives in your home. They’ll still work normal hours rather than 24/7, but you’ll provide them with free accommodation during their employment.

When it comes to how to find a live-in housekeeper, you might be slightly more limited again. But then it’s not a particularly common type of housekeeper, so it balances out in the end.

Wondering if a housekeeper is right for you? Read our article on types of cleaning services.

Housekeepers’ Working Hours

Once you’ve decided on the type of housekeeper you need, you’ll need to figure out how often you want them to come. The 2 main options are full-time and part-time.

A nanny, for example, may be full-time if you need childcare while you work. But if you only work part-time, you’ll probably only need a part-time nanny.

The options for how to find a daily housekeeper (full-time) and how to find a part-time housekeeper are pretty much the same. Contact an agency in your local area and see who they have available.

You may find it easier to source a part-time housekeeper, as this gives them more flexibility in their own lives – they may have another job, kids, etc. However, based on UK employment law, part-time work can be up to 34 hours a week, so you’ve got a lot of flexibility.

Working out how many hours your housekeeper should work won’t be too difficult, especially if you already know what you want them to do. For example, if you have a very large house or like your home to be very clean, you might want a daily housekeeper. The same is true if you have lots of errands to run.

On the other hand, if you only want your home cleaned once a week, or you don’t need the cooking or errands done every day, a part-time housekeeper should be fine. If you’re unsure, speak to your chosen agency and they should be able to give you some advice.

How to Find a Housekeeper UK – Cost

Another important factor in hiring a housekeeper is figuring out your budget. Your location will have an impact on how much a housekeeper charges, as will their experience and qualifications.

We’ve got a full article on how much it costs to hire a housekeeper, so check that out for more information.

How to Find a Good Housekeeper

Now we get down to the important part: how to find a good housekeeper. After all, this is someone you’re letting into your home and trusting with your kids, house keys, etc., so they’ve got to be reputable.

Well, the best place to start is by speaking to a well-known housekeeping agency. Ensure they have the correct insurance and qualifications if needed, and check out their customer reviews. If you want extra confirmation, see if you can speak to some of their previous or existing clients.

From there, it’s a case of seeing who they have available and conducting interviews. You’ll know when you get matched with the right person.

Final Thoughts

You should now know how to find a housekeeper in the UK. If you’re looking for housekeeping services in London, get in touch with Cleaning Express. We only work with the most qualified professionals, so you know your home is safe with us.

Hiring a cleaner is a great way to take off some of the pressure of keeping your house tidy. Although it might seem like a straightforward thing, hiring a cleaner can lead to a few questions that are worth knowing the answers to.

One such question is, do cleaners use their own products? This is what we’ll answer below.

Will cleaners bring their own products?

Generally, cleaners will bring their own products to a domestic cleaning job. You might find that some cleaners bring their own equipment too, such as hoover, mop, etc., but this isn’t as common.

There are a couple of reasons why cleaners bring their own products to a domestic job. First, bringing their own products means cleaners know they have everything needed to get the job done well. It’s probably no surprise, but a lot of people won’t have a great range of cleaning products in their homes, and this would prevent a cleaner from doing their job properly.

The second reason is that cleaners will be trained in how to use their products properly. While you might not think there’s much to know about cleaning products, some specialist ones use chemicals that require safe handling. Similarly, it’s important to know what products shouldn’t come into contact, which can be difficult if you’re using random things found in a client’s home.

Want to learn more about regular cleaners? Read our article on what a cleaner can do in 2 hours

Do Clients Have to Provide Cleaning Equipment?

As mentioned, some cleaners will bring their own equipment. However, this depends on factors such as how they’re travelling and what equipment they actually need. Most people will have the basics, such as a vacuum cleaner, which can allow cleaners to be more flexible with how they travel and how much stuff they bring.

Of course, you can expect a cleaner to bring smaller equipment with them, such as a duster or cleaning cloths. Similarly, cleaners will usually bring their own rubber gloves, bin bags, etc. The easiest rule to go by is that if it can fit in a bag or caddy, you can assume a cleaner will probably bring it with them.

You should generally assume you’ll need to provide basic large cleaning equipment for a cleaner. Don’t expect to provide more specialist tools (like a carpet cleaner), as these aren’t needed very often. You’ll usually need to book these services separately from regular domestic cleaning anyway.

The easiest thing to do is to speak to the cleaner or cleaning company before they come round for the first time. Tell them what you have and what they might need to bring. However, you may have to pay a bit extra if you need them to bring their own hoover and other large equipment.

What Does Cleaning Express Provide?

As part of our domestic cleaning service, we provide our cleaners with all the cleaning products they’ll need for the job. Specifically, we make sure our cleaners are equipped with all the cleaning solutions they could need for pretty much every job around your home.

However, we don’t provide cleaning equipment as standard, such as hoovers, mops and buckets, etc. This is because our cleaners travel by public transport, as most people do in London. As you can probably imagine, it’d be difficult to bring a vacuum cleaner on the Underground every day!

We can supply equipment if it’s needed, but please be aware that we’ll charge an extra fee. We can discuss this with you as part of the initial consultation.

Cleaning Express Domestic Cleaning Services

Cleaning Express offers high-quality domestic cleaning services in London. We’ll tackle any job around your home, from the bedroom and living room to bathroom and kitchen. You can also choose from regular cleaning or one-off services like end of tenancy cleaning.

Our regular services can be daily, weekly, or fortnightly. Please get in touch to learn more and to discuss your needs. We’ll be more than happy to help get your home sparkling.