Don't Fall For These Foolish Cleaning Myths

 

When it comes to keeping your home clean, it can take a lot of work. And nothing is worse than doing more harm to your house than good due to misinformation. There are many common cleaning myths that homeowners fall for every year, but we're here to make sure you never let another one of these slip by again. So, here are some cleansing folk tales to be made aware of this season.

 

Myth #1: Bleach Cleans Everything

Bleach is a go-to item for helping to get tough stains out and whitening items, but it shouldn't be utilized for every home surface. It can't tackle grease, grime, and dirt particles. It's better used for stains, mold or mildew, and keeping surfaces disinfected.

 

Myth #2: It's Okay to Wash Your Sheets Every Two Weeks

We're sorry to break it to you, but you should be washing your sheets weekly! Many people tend to sweat while they sleep, allowing many nights of skin and oil to build upon their sheets. Two weeks is pushing it.

 

Myth #3: Your Appliances Clean Themselves

Sure, your dishwasher and laundry machines are designed to clean items. The thing is, that doesn't necessarily mean they are any cleaner than other appliances. From food bits to dirt from clothes, this debris can accumulate and sit. It's best to go in every once in a while and clean these appliances yourself!

 

Myth #4: Air Fresheners Clean the Air

Sure, after a spray, the area will smell very nice. However, no cleaning materials are coming from your mist — it's merely acting as a perfume for the room. If you find that after the smooth lavender or sweet dessert scent fades, there's still a strong odor lingering, you could be dealing with water damage issues or an unclean air duct, attic, or crawlspace.

 

Get In Touch With Us For All Your Cleaning and Restoration Needs

Cleaning and organizing your home can be challenging to deal with, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your ducts, attics, crawl spaces, and water damage needs.

Your Spring Cleaning Checklist for 2022

 

Spring is finally in the air! And for many, it’s time to start their annual spring cleaning routine. This season is the perfect period to take advantage of the longer days and start feeling more rejuvenated and motivated every day. With a clean, bright space, this is possible! So, here are some ideas to add to your spring cleaning checklist this year and why they are beneficial.

 

Clean Your Windows

With warmer weather comes more sunshine, and you’re going to want to open up those blinds and let that light shine through your windows. But, before you can do that, you’ll need to give your windows a good clean. They probably haven’t been used for months now — trust us, they’ll need a little extra shine!

 

Make Time to Dust

Dust can build up in homes easily and often in spots we can’t always easily see. Try to take some time to dust now and then, which can help lessen any allergy or asthma symptoms. When cleaning, it’s recommended to start from the top (e.g., a high place like your ceiling fans) and then work your way down. It’s pointless dusting off your side table if the debris from your light fixture is just going to fall on it afterward.

 

Wash All Throw Pillows and Blankets

A blanket is winter’s best friend, but now that spring is here, you might as well make sure all your blankets and throw pillows are cleaned for the new season, especially if they were used a lot to keep you warm and comfortable on snowy nights!

Purge Your Closet

When was the last time you gave your closet a deep cleanse? You probably have items and clothes that are collecting dust and haven’t been used in years. Now is the time to go through all those objects and throw away or donate them. Otherwise, they’ll just sit in there until next spring.

 

Invest in Professional Cleaning Services

You’ve got a lot on your plate, and sometimes a full spring cleaning checklist is a lot to handle. So, if you’re looking for ways to make your home cleaner easier, get in touch with the professionals here at Greenpro Cleaning and Restoration!

We can help by cleaning your air ducts just in time before your AC will need to be kicked up. We’ll remove any dust or debris that found a home in your air ducts during the winter season to help protect those with allergies or asthma.

We can also offer cleaning services for your attic or crawlspace! Our Free Inspection will involve a thorough examination of your attic or crawlspace, both inside and out. We will explain the causes of your attic or crawlspace problems, what can be done to correct them permanently, and provide you with a written estimate. Our goal is to solve your specific situation in the most cost-effective, non-intrusive way possible.

And finally, we’re the go-to team to trust for any water damage problems. Spring is known for heavy rains, but you won’t have to worry about the consequences when you’ve got us by your side.

Get In Touch With Us For All Your Cleaning and Restoration Needs

Cleaning and organizing your home can be challenging to deal with, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your ducts, attics, crawl spaces, and water damage needs.

The Most Common Places People Forget to Clean in Their Homes

The time for spring cleaning has come! Whether you have your spring cleaning routine down perfectly or have no idea where to start, make sure that you don’t forget to tidy up these often-forgotten places in your home.

Coffee Maker

It’s not at all pleasant to think about, but if your coffee maker isn’t cleaned frequently enough, it can start to accumulate mold. What’s worse, that mold ends up in the coffee you drink and can make you sick.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• To deep clean: instead of simply running water through the machine, run a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar through it. This will help because white vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Just make sure you run a water-only cycle through the machine afterward.

Curtains, Shades, and Blinds

As time goes on, your window coverings accumulate dust and other debris from indoors (like dander, pet fur, and mold). If you tend to leave your windows open frequently, your curtains will also collect debris from outside, including pollen, even if you use a window screen.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• If your curtains are machine washable, toss them in the machine for the quickest cleaning.
• If machine washing isn’t an option, you may be able to vacuum them using the fabric attachment--or just use a lint roller.

Ceiling Fans

Considering that the blades of your ceiling fans push air around your rooms, the last thing you want is for them to spread additional dust with the air they push. You may not be able to see the top of the blades, but trust us--if you haven’t dusted there before, there will be a fine collection of dust waiting for you.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• There are dusters specifically shaped for ceiling fans that also have the extra reach that you may need when cleaning them.
• If you’re able to reach your ceiling fan from a sturdy surface, you can sheathe the blades one at a time in an old pillowcase and wipe them down.

Lampshades

Like any other exposed surface in your home, lampshades can acquire quite a bit of dust over time, but they are seldom cleaned.

Cleaning Suggestions:

• Roll a lint roller over the inside and outside of the lampshade, and use a hairdryer to blow out any dust that is hiding in the creases or pleats.
• You can also use a dry dust cloth if the shape of the lampshade will not lend itself to lint-rolling.

Washing Machine

Don’t forget this one! After all, how can a washing machine properly wash your clothes if the machine itself isn’t clean?

Cleaning Suggestions:

• If your machine comes with a self-wash cycle, simply use it following the instructions in the appliance’s manual. You’ll know if your machine has this because there will be a button or dial setting labeled something like “self-wash.”
• If your machine does not self-wash, put in a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar in the machine on a cycle with hot water.
• To keep your machine from getting musty, leave its lid open after each wash.

Don’t Forget These Critical Places During Spring Cleaning

Now that Spring is almost here, it's time for spring cleaning! While this is usually the time when people do a big clean, it's easy to forget some areas. In order to do a full deep-cleaning of your house, you want to make sure you remember to clean these areas, as well as the other ones!

Tops of Cabinets and Appliances
You want to make sure you wash the tops of cabinets and appliances because they can easily collect dust and dirt. Leaving these can actually make your allergies flare up and keep germs trapped.

Fans and Lights
It's also really important to clean all your fans and lights. Having dirty and dusty fans can fling this debris into the room and let it stay in the air, which can get allergies riled up. As far as lights go, you want to make sure you get the debris off so they can stay bright. You also don't want to have guests look up and see a disgusting light.

Baseboards
Baseboards collect a lot of dirt and germs since they are all around the floors. Even if you vacuum and shampoo, that only gets the dirt up out of the carpets. Another issue is when you shampoo the scrubbing brushes can fling up dirt onto the baseboards. You want to make sure you wash these when you wash the walls so there isn't a huge color difference and so there isn't dirt left on either area.

Mattresses
Since your mattress collect things such as sweat, bacteria, and dead skin cells, you want to make sure you clean or flip your mattress. Not only will this help you sleep better because you won't have all of this going into your mouth and nose, but you have the chance of getting sick less because those germs won't still be circulating.

Throw Pillows
Throw pillows are another thing that is regularly forgotten with spring cleaning. Since they usually sit on couches and chairs, that means that multiple different people are leaning against them and you never know what they might have on them. Cleaning them will make them look better, as well as help keep everyone healthy.

Washer and Dryer
Throughout the year, your washer and dryer takes a lot of beating up. They can easily get dirt build up from the clothes so you want to make sure you wash and sanitize them. The last thing you want is to put a load of laundry in just to pull them out and see that they have dirt, grease, or other things from the washer or dryer stuck on them.

Trash Cans
Trash cans keep all your nasty and old trash so you want to make sure you clean these. Not only can this prevent mold from growing, but it can also make everything smell better.

If you are gearing up for Spring cleaning and you need a little bit of help, don't hesitate to call GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration. They will be able to help you with any of your cleaning needs and they will get the job done right!

Don't Forget These Places When Spring Cleaning

Break out your brooms and dustpans, because it's time for a little bit of spring cleaning. Before you get started on your checklist, make sure you aren't neglecting these often-forgotten places.

Your Air Conditioner

Dirty air filters and coils can reduce your air conditioner's performance, energy efficiency, and lifespan. Take the time to clean them this spring so that your unit operates at peak capacity all summer long, or schedule a tune up with a local HVAC service and they will do it for you.

Your Gutters

Leaves, twigs, and other debris can accumulate in your gutters over the winter months. If you don't clean them now, the upcoming spring showers can cause roof leaks, basement flooding, mold growth, and more.

Your Crawl Space

When was the last time you cleaned your crawl space? Now is the perfect time to check for signs of pest invasions, mold, and cracks in your foundation. If it's been a while since you've last been down there, it may be too tough of a job to tackle alone. Look for a professional crawl space cleaning service in your area.

Your HVAC Ducts

Did you know that the average three-bedroom house generates more than 40 pounds of dust per year? Much of this dust collects in your air ducts, where it can circulate throughout your entire home. Other contaminates that may be hiding in your air ducts include pet dander, mold, and pollen. Duct cleaning isn't a DIY job – experts recommend hiring a professional service every 3-5 years.

Spring cleaning your Long Island home? Let GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration give you a hand! We offer specialty cleaning services to Nassau and Suffolk counties including air duct cleaning, crawl space and attic cleaning, mold removal, water damage restoration, and more. Visit our website or call us at (631) 940-8100 for more information.