Archive for category: Tips

If you’d like to know how professional cleaners make cleaning a bathroom seem so easy and effortless, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re giving you some house cleaning tips on how to clean the bathroom and tricks that our cleaners use to clean our customer’s homes on a daily basis. They are very simple and easy and making cleaning a bathroom stress-free and enjoyable.

How to clean a bathroom

Start with the soaking

Soaking is one of the most important parts of bathroom cleaning, but many of us don’t feel we have time to wait to let cleaning solutions soak in and break up the dirt and grime. So, before you start any of the quicker cleaning tasks, soak everything that needs to be soaked. This will be the toilet (using toilet bleach), the bath and sink (a disinfectant bathroom cleaner is a good choice here), and glass shower surround if you have one (a limescale or disinfectant bathroom cleaner will work great here too). For taps, a limescale remover is ideal. Leave all those areas to soak as you begin other tasks.

Empty the bin, dust and put items away

While you’re waiting for the cleaning solutions to work, it is a great time to tackle the smaller tasks like putting shower gel and shampoos in their rightful places, emptying bins and dusting. It’s a good idea to give any shelving a quick wipe down as you’re doing this to ensure they are dust-free. You can simply damp a microfibre cloth to dust shelves or cabinets, and this also works great in the corners of the room and on skirting boards too.

Give mirrors a wipe

Cleaning mirrors is a bit scary for many of us, but it is fairly simple to get a streak-free shine on a mirror. Use glass cleaner on the cloth, not the mirror and don’t apply too much. Then, in a zig-zag motion, wipe the mirror from one of the top corners to the bottom. If the microfibre cloth is too wet, it will leave some streaks, so flip the cloth over and carry on wiping. That’s it; you’ll have streak-free mirrors that will be the focal point of your bathroom.

Clean the big stuff

Now that you’ve done all of the smaller tasks, it is time to tackle everything that you have soaked. Chances are the smaller cleaning tasks have taken you 10-20 minutes to complete, which is the perfect amount of time to leave the toilet, taps, bath and sink to soak. Unless you have heavily built up limescale or grime, you should now be able to simply wipe all of these surfaces, and they will come up looking great. Don’t forget to clean the toilet seat in this step and leave the toilet brush out of the holder to dry completely.

Leave the floor until last

Once your bathroom is looking amazing, it is time to finish it off by sweeping or vacuuming and mopping the floor. Leaving the floor of the bathroom until the end of your cleaning session means that dust or grime from the rest of the bathroom won’t get on the floor after it is clean.

And you’re finished! By following these bathroom cleaning tips, you can make light work of cleaning your bathroom and actually enjoy cleaning it too. However, if you’d like Cleaning Express’ cleaners to clean your bathroom instead, give us a call or message us on Facebook. Our professional cleaners are just a message away, we can provide deep cleaning or regular domestic cleaning services. Alternatively, we have every other cleaning service that you could ever need, and we can truly take the stress out of cleaning by cleaning your entire house for you!

If you have a problem with mould in your home, Cleaning Express can help. Today, we’re providing our cleaning customers with information about mould and how to get rid of it. First, though, we need to look at types of damp. You see, mould is caused by different types of damp. In order to get rid of mould, you need to know which type of damp you have in your home.

Different types of damp

Firstly, what is mould? Mould is a type of fungus. It grows on damp surfaces. This means that the mould in your home is present in nature too. It is formed when there is warm, moist air conditions because this is the ideal environment for mould. The types of conditions present when a property has damp, for example. Mould also loves to feed on dust, wood and carpets, so our homes make an ideal breeding ground for it.

Several types of damp can cause mould in your home. We can provide some get cleaning tips to get rid of the mould, but you do also need to solve the issue that is causing the damp. If you don’t, the mould will return. The types of damp that can cause mould in your home include:

Rising damp – this occurs when the damp proof course in your property is failing or is missing. This can mean that damp rises up through the wall of your home. Generally, the mould from rising damp will only be about a metre high on the ground level. That’s a good indication that you have rising damp.

Penetrating damp – this occurs when there are cracks in the mortar or brickwork on the outside wall of your home. The mould is likely to get worse after a storm because the wind pushes the rain on to the wall and forces it into the cracks.

Condensation – poor ventilation is the biggest cause of condensation. When moisture cannot escape, it lands on the nearest, coolest surface. This is typically why condensation is found in bathroom and kitchens where there is a lot of moisture and often poor ventilation.

There are DIY solutions to all of the types of damp that we mentioned above, and you can also find professionals to sort out your damp issues too. But how do you get rid of the mould that is caused by the damp?

Getting rid of mould in the home

There are ready-made chemical-based treatments for damp and mould that are widely available. However, you can also make your own. For mould on walls, a bleach solution is best. Just mix one-part of bleach to four parts of water. Spray it on the mould and scrub it with a brush. Clean the area with a damp cloth and make sure to dry the area fully.

If you don’t fancy using bleach or any of the commercial chemical-based mould cleaners available, you can use natural cleaning products too. White vinegar works great on mould. You can simply spray the vinegar on the mould, leave for an hour and give it a scrub. Or you can use bicarbonate of soda. Just dissolve a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a bottle of water, spray on the area and give it a scrub.

Whichever method you use to get rid of the mould in your home, do make sure the area is completely dry after you have finished. And make sure you wear gloves, eye protection and a mask that protects you from the mould. Mould can seriously affect your health. You also should make sure that the damp causing the mould is sorted out. Otherwise, the mould will return.

For Cleaning Express‘ help with your mould issues, please explore our website further. Our deep cleaning services are perfect for sorting out mould and getting a house ready to be a family home. Speak with one of the Cleaning Express staff today for more information and a free quote for all of our cleaning services or send us a message via website or Facebook.

We’ve all seen the flu and Covid adverts that show just how easily bacteria spreads on buses, trains and in other public spaces. Well, the same is true with bacteria in your home. If a member of your household has been ill recently, whether with the flu or Covid, bacteria could be all over your home. So, you need to know how to clean your home when someone is ill. By cleaning your home, you can get rid of the bacteria and minimise the risk of anyone else in the home getting sick. Here’s some simple cleaning tips to help you clean when someone at home is ill.

What should you clean after someone is ill?

Giving your home a good clean is really important, of course, as bacteria can survive on all surfaces. However, bacteria can survive for a lot longer on harder surfaces than softer ones. So, here are a few areas of the home to focus on:

The TV remote – if your family member has spent a lot of their time watching TV while they are ill, there could be many bacteria on the remote. So, make sure to disinfect the remote regularly while they are ill.

The bathroom – did you know that nearly half the taps in the UK have flu bacteria on them? This is because bacteria can survive on metal for many days. So, ensure that you disinfect your taps as well as the sink, toilet, shower, bath and the floor too.

Tables and countertops – just like any horizontal surface in your home can become cluttered, they are also very likely to collect bacteria too. So, pay attention to your kitchen counters, tables and any other horizontal surfaces in your home.

Linen – make sure that you regularly wash your bed linen, particularly if you are sharing a bed with someone with the flu or Covid. Stuffed animals, towels and any type of blanket or throw should also be washed as regularly as possible. If you notice any ‘fluids’ on mattresses or sofas, give that area a good cleaning too!

If you make sure that your whole family washes their hands regularly, and you maintain your regular cleaning regime using disinfectant wipes and sprays on surfaces and washing your linens and clothes on hotter cycles, you can rid your home of cold, flu and Covid bacteria. However, there is a better way!

Use a professional cleaning service

Cleaning Express does offer deep cleaning and antiviral disinfection cleaning services too. These cleaning services are perfect for when someone in your home is ill. Our expert team of cleaners can get rid of all of the bacteria in your home in just a few hours. If someone in your household has had Covid or the flu recently and you need an antiviral disinfection cleaning service, give Cleaning Express a call or send us a message via website or Facebook.

These cleaning tips will help minimise the risk of your family coming into contact with bacteria after someone at home is ill. For more cleaning tips, please explore the Cleaning Express website further. And learn more about our other cleaning services that we provide.

You may think that your washing machine cleans itself with each wash you put in it. However, each time you put washing in your machine, you are pushing dirt and grime through the system as well as fresh water. And if you’re similar to me, loads of mud from dog walks too! So, even though your washing machine is pumping clean water through itself each time you use it, once it mixes with your washing, it is no longer clean. So, how can you clean a washing machine? Well, we’re glad you asked. Cleaning a washing machine isn’t difficult and below we’re going to tell you exactly how to do it!

How to clean your washing machine

If you use your washing machine a lot, you should consider cleaning it once a month. If you don’t do too many loads of washing, you can get away with cleaning it every three to six months. However, the more you clean your washing machine, the better it will perform. Cleaning inside your washing machine is as simple as running two cycles:

Bicarbonate of soda – cycle one

With an empty washing machine, add a couple of cups of bicarbonate of soda into the drum of your washing machine. This will scrub the inside and take care of pesky smells left behind by clothes and cleaning products. Use a long, hot water cycle to aid the bicarbonate of soda. Your washing machine may have a self-clean function, you can use that if it does.

Vinegar – cycle two

Once the first cycle has finished, add a couple of cups of vinegar to the machine. You can use essential oils with the vinegar too. These not only help with the smell of the vinegar but can also take care of mineral deposits in the machine too. Run the same cycle as you did above.

A bit of elbow grease

After you have run both washing cycles, you can come in with a microfibre cloth and give the drum a wipe down to ensure it is lovely and clean. Make sure you pay attention to the rubber seal of the washing machine during this step as nasty stuff loves to hang around here.

Cleaning the dispenser tray

Most washing machines have removable dispenser trays. If yours does take it out and soak the tray in vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. You can do this while the washing machine is running those cycles. This means can you wipe the trays clean easily. If your washing machine doesn’t have removable trays, you can add a vinegar and bicarbonate of soda solution to the drawer. Let it soak in then use a toothbrush and a microfibre cloth to give it a good scrub.

That’s all you need to know about cleaning your washing machine. Cleaning a washing machine is nice and simple and doesn’t require too much elbow grease at all. For more information about cleaning and our cleaning services explore the Cleaning Express website further. For professional cleaning services, give Cleaning Express a call today or send us a message via website or Facebook.

Buying a leather sofa is a great idea. They are very durable, stylish and can last a lifetime as long as you take care of the leather. Taking care of a leather sofa isn’t too difficult, but it does require a few cleaning tricks and tips. That’s what we’re discussing today. How to clean your leather sofa and how to make it look new for as long as possible. To start with, here’s a quick leather sofa cleaning trick that will keep your sofa looking new for years. The best leather sofa cleaning tip in the world!

Regular cleaning

To ensure that your leather sofa continues to look stylish and beautiful for many years, you need to clean it regularly. For this, all you need to do is wipe your sofa down with a dry cloth or vacuum it every week or two weeks. This will take care of the leather and ensure that no dust stays in the creases long enough to do any damage. This is brilliant for maintaining your leather sofa, but it will still require a deep clean every three to six months. Here is a step by step guide on how to deep clean your leather sofa, don’t worry, it isn’t difficult.

A step by step guide on deep cleaning a leather sofa

• What you’ll need:
• A vacuum cleaner
• A couple of microfibre cloths
• Saddle soap (some people do use homemade leather cleaners, but these can be tough on delicate leathers. If you plan on using vinegar or bicarbonate of soda, for example, do check an inconspicuous area first).
• Leather cream

Step One: Your regular cleaning method

To start the deep clean of your leather sofa, you’ll need to remove any dirt and dust from the surface of your sofa. Your usual cleaning method (either vacuuming or using a dry cloth) will be fine for this step. This stops the dirt being moved around when you’re wiping down the sofa with a cleaning solution, which is the next step.

Bonus tip: if you have a soft brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner, use it here. Your vacuum cleaner may scratch your leather, which is, of course, the reverse of what we want. If you don’t have a soft brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner, or you’d prefer not to use it, a dry microfibre cloth is an ideal substitute.

Step Two: Test the Saddle Soap or Natural Cleaner

As we said above, we prefer using saddle soap (or a dedicated leather sofa cleaner) to clean leather sofas as they are designed for the job. However, you can use a natural cleaner if you wish. In either case, though, now is the time to test the cleaner on an area of the sofa that you won’t see. Just apply a small amount of the leather cleaner you intend to use on an area that isn’t highly visible. Let it dry and ensure that the results are what you want. Look for any darkening or discolouration. If there is any, you’ll want to change the leather cleaner you are using. It can help to look at reviews of commercial leather cleaners or search for the perfect natural leather cleaning solution to use. Still, do test them before committing to using them on your whole sofa.

See also: How to clean leather

Step Three: Cleaning Time

You’ll need two clean microfibre cloths for this step. One of these cloths will be used for cleaning the sofa with your choice of leather cleaner. The other one will be for drying the sofa, so put that to one side for now.

Apply some leather cleaner to the cloth. The cloth shouldn’t be soaking wet, just damp. Then work from the top of the sofa down, making sure you get into all of the creases and corners. Ensure to reapply the leather cleaner as you go, while making sure that the cloth is never heavily soaked in the solution. You can also rinse the cloth with warm water and wring it out if you notice any heavy dirt build-up.

Once you’re done, use the other microfibre cloth to dry the sofa as best as you can. You can begin to gently buff the sofa as you go to start the polishing process. You don’t need to rinse the solution out of the leather, as you haven’t used too much. Just ensure that the leather is nice and dry after this step. If you notice that the microfibre cloth is becoming very damp, you may need another cloth to finish this process.

Step Four: Apply a Leather Conditioner

Now that your leather sofa is clean and buffed out nicely, you need to apply a leather conditioner. If you don’t, your leather can crack and become brittle. Following the instruction of your chosen leather conditioner will ensure that it restores suppleness and moisture to the leather. This step is very important for maintaining a leather sofa and ensuring it looks wonderful for years. Your leather sofa should be conditioned at least once a year, but it should always be done after a deep clean.

Bonus Tip: What about spills?

Of course, many leather sofa owners are cleaning their sofa regularly already and perhaps are looking for cleaning tips to aide them when the worst happens. If you spill anything on a leather sofa, it can spell disaster if you don’t know how to tackle the spill.

To ensure that a stain doesn’t ruin your leather sofa, it is best to act quickly. Blot up the stain as soon as you can. This goes for water, oil, ink, wine or food. You need to do this before the stain has time to set. Rubbing alcohol can be used to carefully lift ink stains, and bicarbonate of soda works well on grease. Once you have lifted the stain, you can then repeat the deep cleaning method above to ensure that your leather sofa still looks brand new.

We hope this look at cleaning a leather sofa has been helpful. As we said, cleaning a leather sofa and keeping it looking new isn’t difficult. It requires a touch of elbow grease, but your sofa will look great for many years to come.  For more cleaning tips, please explore the Cleaning Express blog further. To find our more about our cleaning services from Cleaning Express, give us a call or send us a message via website or facebook. One of our excellent cleaning team can be with you as soon as tomorrow.