How to clean your dishwasher

Besides your home itself, the largest household investment you will likely make is in large appliances such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, oven and washer and dryer. But do you know how to protect that investment by properly taking care of pricey appliances?

My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency which works with only the best housekeepers in the business. Based in LaVerne, California, we offer professional housecleaning services all along the 210 corridor in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. And we’d love to share some expert hints about how to clean and care for your large home appliances. This week, we’ll focus on one of the most important appliances in your kitchen…your dishwasher.

One great way to care for your dishwasher is to use it regularly. Running it frequently will prevent food and other debris from building, which will, ironically, reduce the need to clean it.

Another great way to keep your dishwasher in good working order is to empty it completely after every load. Here are some other great dishwasher cleaning tips:

• Make sure you run the garbage disposal every time you start your dishwasher. This will prevent waste from being pulled into the dishwasher.
• Check spinning arms. Clear debris out of the holes under spinning arms.
• Make sure holes are open so that water can run freely through them. To reach small holes, use needle-nose pliers, a toothpick or a straight pin. Take care not to scratch the interior of your machine in the process.
• Don’t forget to wipe the edges of the door around the gasket. This space goes untouched during the dishwasher cycle. Use a damp cloth, an old toothbrush or a soft household brush.
• Wipe under the bottom of the door, which is a spot where water and debris can accumulate.
• On the surface of the dishwasher, use a brush or a cloth to loosen and remove hard water deposits.
• To remove hard water deposits or scale, run your dishwasher when it is empty.  A “light” or short cycle should suffice. Place powders into the detergent cup. Place liquids in a bowl in the top rack. Use a rinsing agent to keep stains from accumulating on glassware. If you have a water softener, don’t use a rinse agent.
• Other mild (somewhat surprising) cleaning agents—powdered orange drink (such as Tang), lemon juice, distilled white vinegar, commercial dishwasher cleaning product.
• If you notice the presence of mildew or mold, remove with bleach. Don’t mix bleach with other cleaners or dishwasher detergent. If problems with mold and mildew persist, leave the dishwasher open loosely following each cycle in order to allow it to dry out.
• If your dishwasher is stainless steel, avoid the use of bleach.
• To clean the controls on your dishwasher, spray the front of it with a mild spray cleaner of your choice, then wipe with a sponge or soft cloth.
• For water conservation, run only full loads. And don’t pack dishes too tightly. Water needs to be able to reach dishes to clean them.

If your commitment to keeping a clean home extends beyond your household mirrors, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services. My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners. Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.MyCleaningLady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator

Besides your home itself, the largest household investment you will likely make is in large appliances such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, oven and washer and dryer. But do you know how to protect that investment by properly taking care of pricey appliances?

My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency which works with only the best housekeepers in the business. Based in LaVerne, California, we offer professional housecleaning services all along the 210 corridor in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. And we’d love to share some expert hints about how to clean and care for your large home appliances. This week, we’ll focus on the largest appliance in your kitchen…your fridge.

Refrigerator—Avoid using harsh chemicals on the delicate exterior surface of your fridge or inside where chemicals could come in contact with your food. Instead, rely on food-safe cleansers such as baking soda and vinegar. For a thorough periodic cleaning, remove all of the shelves and drawers. Wash them in a sink filled with dish soap and hot water and wipe the entire inside of the fridge with a non-abrasive all-purpose cleaner.

If jelly jars or syrup bottles have tipped over and left sticky spots, resist the urge to scrape the shelves with a metal or hard plastic surface. Instead, boil some water and pour it over sticky spots to loosen residue.

After removing expired food and cleaning every single surface with baking soda and water, use baking soda to remove residual odors. If odors remain despite these efforts, try lining a cookie sheet with a thin layer of baking soda. Place this on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator for 24 hours so the baking soda can absorb lingering odors. To keep the refrigerator odor-free, clean it regularly and place a new open box of baking soda on one of the shelves. But be sure to replace it every three months.

To keep your refrigerator running in tip-top shape and eliminating costly repairs, take these extra steps:

1. Clean condenser coils.
2. Don’t forget the drain hole and drip pan.
3. Check and clean the gaskets.
4. Wipe down rubber door seals to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
5. Change the water filter, if necessary.
6. Make sure your refrigerator is level.

If your commitment to keeping a clean home extends beyond your household mirrors, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services. My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners. Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.MyCleaningLady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall: who has the cleanest mirror of all?

Although you probably spend less time in front of it than the evil queen from Snow White, your mirror is a household item that you likely use each and every day. So how can keep this important tool clean and clear so it provides a smear-free reflection? Since mirrors are routinely exposed to steam from showers and aerosol products such as hairspray, deodorant and perfumes, it takes a bit of doing to keep them clean.

My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency which works with only the best housekeepers in the business. Based in LaVerne, California, we offer professional housecleaning services all along the 210 corridor in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. And we’d love to share some expert hints about how to clean the mirrors in your home:

• First, clean the mirror to remove heavy dirt or marks. Use plain water for pre-cleaning. Then, use a tightly-woven cloth, which is softer and less abrasive than a paper towel.
• Although there’s virtually no way to save the silver if it’s wearing off of your mirror, if the surface is spotted but not destroyed, you can remove streaks by applying a 50/50 solution of distilled white household vinegar and tap water.
• Does a murky film form on your mirrors after you clean them? If the surface of your mirrors resembles the steam-covered film that forms after you shower, avoid traditional cleansers such as ammonia and window cleaner. Instead, apply a crumpled newspaper to the mirror’s surface along with a diluted mixture of ordinary dish soap and water and it will shine. Go over the wet areas with a dry portion of newspaper. This will leave the mirror dry and keep drip marks from drying onto the surface. For more details about this method, check out our instructional window-cleaning video.

[Please note: some newspapers use soy-based ink instead of traditional inks which contain lead. If your newspapers smear the surface instead of cleaning it, you might have to change newspaper subscriptions or use another cleaning method for windows and mirrors.]

• If dust is on the surface of the mirror, use diluted dish soap or rubbing alcohol to remove the residue. Or dry with a lint-free cloth or paper towel that won’t leave fibers behind.
• To prevent hard-water staining, stuff some paper towels under the sides of the mirror while you’re cleaning to catch excess drips to prevent them from running between the mirror surface and the silver on the mirror back.
• Another inexpensive option is to use coffee filters with a mixture of plain white vinegar and a dash of baking soda, which will clean the surface of the mirror without leaving streaks.

If your commitment to keeping a clean home extends beyond your household mirrors, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services. My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners. Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

How to Clean Your Laundry Room

Is your laundry room a mess? Don’t know where to begin to clean things up? Whether you have a large dedicated laundry room or just a small corner of the garage with a stackable washing machine and dryer, with just a few simple steps, you can regain control of the space.

1. Catch up on laundry. Nothing spells disorganization more than clothes strewn all over the floor. To take control of your laundry room, start by putting away clean clothes. Hang anything that belongs in your closet. Fold towels. Organize undergarments and haul everything to the room where it belongs. Wash dirty clothes and put those away, too.
2. Clear away unnecessary items. This is particularly important if your laundry room doubles as office space, mud room, pet area or storage spot. Even if you have a dedicated laundry room, the space will be more comfortable to spend time in if you clear the clutter.
3. Dispose of extra bottles and boxes. If you store cleaning supplies in the laundry room, safely dispose of outdated items, especially if you don’t use them anymore or if the container is ripped or dented. To dispose of household chemicals, contact your city about proper disposal procedures.
4. Organize. Place remaining items on shelves or in cabinets and bins so that the items you use most are close at hand but out of sight.
5. Dust walls and cabinets. Lint in laundry rooms can wreak havoc on walls. You can take care of this unsightly lint build-up with a long-handled duster or mop.
6. Clean appliance surfaces. Wipe the outsides of your washer and dryer with a mild, diluted spray cleaner and a rag or sponge.
7. Scrub counter tops and wipe out the laundry sink, if necessary. Laundry sinks often end up getting the messiest jobs, like rinsing paint brushes and muddy shoes or serving as doggie baths. So don’t worry if it doesn’t look like it did in the store. Just clean the worst of it and move on.
8. Clean your dryer vent once a year. While blockages aren’t visible, they pose fire hazards and reduce dryer efficiency. A clogged vent could also contribute to dust in your home, which may trigger allergies. To keep a handle on dryer lint and maximize appliance performance, clean the lint trap after every load.
9. Sweep and mop or vacuum the floor. Also, shake out area rugs and mats.
10. Run an empty load with vinegar to keep your machine clean. The acid will help dissolve minerals.

If you are committed to keeping a clean home, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services. My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners. Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

The Ugly Facts about Dust Mites

How to eliminate them from your home

Microscopic insects referred to by entomologists as “skin-eaters,” Dust Mites are common residents on floors and surfaces in homes of every kind. They live where human beings reside, when the humidity is optimal for their life cycle. Dust mites are known for causing allergies, hay fever, eczema, and asthma attacks in millions who react to mite droppings on floors and furniture in homes…even in houses that appear on the surface to be clean.

One of the barriers to the identification of house dust mites is the fact that the tiny creatures are invisible to the naked eye. Measuring a mere 1/100^th of an inch, what they lack in size they make up for in sheer numbers. According to DustMites.org, densities of dust mites in the typical used mattress can range from 100,000 to ten million individual mites. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin.

House dust mites survive in every climate, even at high altitude. They thrive in the indoor environment provided by homes, specifically in bedrooms and kitchens, hiding out in mattresses, carpets, furniture and bedding. Since experts agree the best treatment for allergies is avoidance of dust mites and their allergens altogether, the experts at the domestic referral agency, My Cleaning Lady, would like to advise you about how to keep your house spic and span to eliminate or at least reduce the presence of dust mites in your home.

The environment commonly found in bedding is optimal for most dust mites. And comparative studies have shown that the density of dust mites in mattresses to be on average greater than 2500/gram of dust. Cleaning beds with most vacuum cleaners will not remove dust mite allergens, but actually throw them into the air, thereby increasing their volatility.

So how can you combat this creepy creature?

• Some polyethylene bedding is beneficial as it makes the environment difficult for the dust mites.
• Bedding should be breathable and able to withstand frequent washings.
• Proper, thorough sweeping and mopping of hard floors as well as carpet are critical. (Wall-to-wall carpet and upholstered surfaces can be reduced or replaced with hard surfaces that are easier to clean.) Since dust mites absorb water through contact with their environment, they cannot survive long on hard surfaces because they dehydrate.
• Carpets that get damp on a regular basis should be replaced with hard surfaces. If you cannot replace carpeting, have it steam cleaned at least once a year in the spring.
• The vacuum cleaner is one of the most important tools for managing house dust mites and their minute droppings. Vacuums which incorporate very efficient Certified HEPA or ULPA filters in completely sealed systems are optimal.
• Do not scatter dust. Instead, dust with a damp cloth rather than dry dusting. Spraying furniture polish/dusting liquid directly on surface reduces airborne particles by 93 percent compared with dry dusting.
• Having carpets professional cleaned with superheated steam will effectively killing dust mites in them.
• Wash all bedding weekly. Research shows laundering with detergent in warm water (77 degrees F) removes nearly all dust mites from bedding. If you cannot launder blankets, dry clean them once a year.
• Use air cleaners.

If you are committed to keeping a clean, dust-mite free home, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services.  My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners.  Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

Should you leave your shoes at the door to keep your house clean?

Is it okay for you to ask visitors to leave their shoes at the door?

In Japanese homes, it is considered disrespectful to leave your shoes on as you enter someone’s home. Guests remove their shoes and either slip into soft booties or socks provided by the host or go barefoot. And the practice is not just relegated to the Far East. Other countries observing this custom include Thailand, the Czech Republic and Sweden.

On the other hand, in the United States, the practice of requesting shoe-removal is somewhat controversial. In fact, in some cases, asking folks to leave their shoes at the door is considered tantamount to requesting that visitors take off their shirts. But the custom not only helps keep homes cleaner, it helps make them healthier.

After all, think about where your shoes have been. If you stop at a gas station to fill up the car on your way home, you likely track petroleum and grease on your feet. If you’ve walked on a freshly treated lawn, you could track toxic pesticides, manure or chemical fertilizers onto the floor your baby crawls across or drops her pacifier. What’s more, seemingly benign dirt can even contain traces of lead.
The professional cleaning industry estimates that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes from the outside on our shoes or on the paws of our pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that shoes remain outside the house.

According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust found inside of homes. The study revealed that wiping shoes on a mat and/or removing them at the door cuts lead-dust by 60 percent. The study also explained that limiting the amount of dust and track-in may also help reduce exposure to lawn and garden pesticides, wood smoke and industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites and allergens.

Wiping our shoes off as we enter the home reduces the amount of contaminated dirt tracked in. Large mats will ensure that even those who refuse to wipe will leave most of the dirt on their shoes on the mat rather than on your carpet.

Experts agree the BEST solution is to take off your shoes as you enter your home. If you like the idea of keeping outside dirt outside your door, you could provide your guests with slippers or socks in a basket by the door. Not only will your tile floors stay clean and wood floors protected from scratches, but removing shoes effectively keeps dirt and toxic threats from being tracked onto carpets and area rugs.

 

If you are committed to keeping a clean home, you could benefit from professional housecleaning services.  My Cleaning Lady is a domestic referral agency that only works with experienced cleaners.  Our house cleaners offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service.

My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

12 Ways to Organize Your Bathroom in 2012

Chances are, your busy schedule won’t allow for a top-to-bottom cleaning of your entire home, you can probably find a few minutes here or there to tackle one area of your house at a time.

In an effort to help, the experts at My Cleaning Lady would like to share some tips for helping you tackle the job one area at a time. This week, we’ll focus on the area of your home that is imperative to keep clean and organized.

How to Organize Your Bathroom:

1. Countertop Clutter—Purchase a plastic tub with a handle. Place your accessories (including necessities like hair spray and hand lotion) in the tub and stash it all under the bathroom counter. Take the tub out when you are ready to use it and put it back under the counter as soon as you are finished with it.
2. Bathtub/Shower— Place soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner in shower caddies. Different types of organizers are available at discount and department stores— including those that hang from the shower head pipe and others that have shelves.
3. Shower Doors—buy an inexpensive squeegee and stow it in the shower. When you are done showering, wipe down the doors with the squeegee for a shower door that glistens. In between uses, use a chamois to clear away bubbles and water and prevent the growth of soap scum. Hang the squeegee inside the shower.
4. Medicine Cabinet—install a magnetic strip in your cabinet and hang tweezers, nail clippers and scissors from it.
5. Medications—throw away expired or unused makeup, lotions, dull razors, sunscreen and perfume. Don’t toss old medications (including prescriptions). Instead, deliver to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
6. Reading Material—store in a decorative rack. As you add new magazines, recycle or give away old issues to keep the rack from overflowing.
7. Towels—if storage space is limited, roll towels and display them in a decorative basket.
8. Robes—Hang hooks on the wall or the back of your bathroom door for towels and robes.
9. Makeup—use drawer organizers for makeup, jewelry, ponytail holders and other loose items. Consider using egg cartons or divided storage containers available at discount stores.
10. Additional Storage—place shelves or etageres above the toilet for extra towels, washcloths and other accessories.
11. Cleaning Supplies—keep sponges, cleanser and paper towels under your counter for easy cleanup in a hurry.
12. Call My Cleaning Lady–We can take care of your bathroom as well as the rest of your house for a complete clean.

My Cleaning Lady offers complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service. My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

Post-Holiday Cleaning List

How to Clean Up After the Party is Over

How to Clean Up After the Holidays

The rush of the holiday season and New Year’s celebrations can wreak havoc on hearth and home. So it’s important that you clean your house so you can focus on getting back to a normal work and personal life. We’d like to share some expert tips on cleaning up after the holidays to help you start 2012 with a pristine house and neatly organized life.

Deep clean the kitchen:

• Remove stray crumbs from Christmas cookies. Vacuum inside cabinets and behind the refrigerator to clean up every last scrap of food.
• Scrub greasy stains from frying Hanukkah latkes. Use a vinegar solution to wipe your stovetop and backsplash to clean grease without streaks.
• Wipe candy cane fingerprints from cabinets. Dishwashing detergent is very useful for cleaning cabinets since it cuts through grease.

Christmas tree cleanup:

• Perform a thorough vacuuming to grab all of those pesky pine needles and flocking.
• Dispose of your tree or replant live varieties in your backyard.
• Wipe the floor to remove scuff marks from the tree stand.
• Dust the ornaments before placing them back in storage.

Additional cleaning tips:

• Carefully wash and store special plates or glassware used for houseguests. Use a mild detergent and rinse in a water and vinegar solution to remove streaks instead of loading into a dishwasher.
• Go through your refrigerator to spot spills and moldy food. Take the time to remove every item from your refrigerator and clean behind baskets and trays.

Post New Year’s party cleaning:

• Attack stains immediately. Red wine on your new carpet can be a disaster if not handled quickly. Remember to blot instead of rubbing!
• Open the windows to remove lingering odors like celebratory cigar smells.
• Wipe countertops and surfaces with antibacterial solution.

Tackle guest bedrooms:

• Strip the beds and wash all of the linens on a hot cycle.
• Vacuum closets and under beds to prepare for the next round of guests.
• Clean the windows using a vinegar solution so future guests can enjoy crystal clear views.

Is “keeping a cleaner house” one of your resolutions for 2012? That’s one that will be easy to keep if you rely on the services of trained professionals. Give My Cleaning Lady a call to setup regular appointments so every room in your home can shine all year round.

My Cleaning Lady offers complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service. My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

How To Hoover–Vacuuming the Right Way

Do You Know How To Choose The Perfect Vacuum?

Vacuuming is like any task. If it’s done the wrong way, you won’t get quality results. If you follow the following expert tips about how to properly vacuum as well as the way to select the perfect machine, the floors in your home will be the cleanest floors in town.

Your vacuum is more versatile than you might imagine. You can vacuum many areas beyond just the floors—including kitchen drawers, light fixtures, drapes and ceiling fans.

Proper Vacuuming Technique:

• For hardwood floors, you will want to turn off spinning brushes that could scratch the wood. First, try out new equipment in an inconspicuous area.

• On carpets, you will want to move forward and backwards over the same path before moving onto other areas. This is also the most effective way to get those cool “I just vacuumed marks.”

• Use proper attachments to vacuum baseboards. Dirt and dust is naturally pushed to the corners. So you will need to scoop right up to it. In fact, you might need special attachments in order to reach the corners and area directly below baseboards.

• Vacuum in horizontal and vertical paths for hardwood floors in order to get debris out of the cracks between boards.

Using a Steam-Cleaning Vacuum:

• First, clean the carpet with a homemade solution made of water, baking soda and vinegar. Rub it into a paste and then vacuum it up with the steam cleaner.

• Test the machine on a small piece of carpet to be sure the machine doesn’t pull threads or stain.

• Watch the color of the water going back into the machine. Once it runs clear, that section is clean and you can move on to another section of carpet.

• Blast the carpet with fans after you finish so they dry quickly and won’t develop a musty smell.

Important Tips for Vacuuming like a Pro:

• Be sure the bag is not full. Vacuums don’t work properly if air can’t flow into the bag.

• Check the filter and clean or replace it per the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Don’t neglect your ceiling! Use the crevice tool to reach ceiling corners in order to clear cobwebs.

• Vacuuming can be good workout. Use your hand to pull the vacuum in order to improve coordination and build strength.

• Use the brush attachment to vacuum furniture and air vents, which tend to collect dust.

• Read the user manual of your vacuum. Higher end machines cost $300 and up. So it’s worth your time to ensure they are well maintained.

Picking the Right Machine:

• Research. There are thousands of vacuums. Some are for commercial use. Others are more suited to a small family. If you have pets, make sure you find a machine that picks up dander and hair. If you have allergies, consider investing in a machine that features HEPA filtration. HEPA filters are important to improve air quality and eliminate pet dander, dust mites and other allergens.

• No matter your situation, invest in a quality machine that will last a long time.

• Deep pile carpets require a vacuum with considerable suction force that is capable of moving dirt through all of those sticky fibers.

Don’t have the time or energy to “Hoover” around your house? Let the experts at My Cleaning Lady use powerful yet gentle vacuum cleaners to get every speck of dirt and dust! We offer complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service. My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Duarte, Ontario, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Montclair, Claremont, Phillips Ranch, Upland, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Sierra Madre. Visit www.MyCleaningLady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.

How to Clean Your Bathroom The Right Way

For people who like things to be clean and germ-free, the bathroom is often a concern. After all, it is the place your whole family goes to in order to get cleaner—so it needs to sparkle.

The sink is a hot bed of germs. Consider the fact you touch the water handles before you lather with soap. So you can transfer bacteria from your hands to the faucet. Thoroughly cleaning the sink can reduce the risk of spreading germs.

Hints to Help You Clean Your Bathroom—

• Use white vinegar directly on faucet handles to restore shine to chrome and remove germs.
• Reach for the baking soda to clean countertop grout.
• Spray vinegar and water cleaner behind the faucet and let it soak in. This area is a mix of standing water, dirt, and soap scum, which makes it an ideal habitat for germs. Cleaners need a certain “soak time” to work properly. So let the vinegar do its work!
• While cleaning, you can also do some drain maintenance by pouring very warm water in the drain or adding vinegar to baking soda to produce a foaming reaction which will clean pipes.

The toilet is another area where germs collect:

• Clean the top and bottom of the toilet lid with a disinfecting agent.
• It’s especially important to thoroughly clean the floor in a three-foot radius around the toilet. Families with small children know that the “aim” of little ones is not always perfect, so accidents will happen. Neglecting this area can lead to subtle staining over time.
• You can clean your own toilet bowl  with one cup of bleach mixed with lemon juice. Simply work it into a very thick paste. Flush the toilet and scrub the paste inside the bowl. Let it sit for a few hours for a sparkling bowl without toxic fumes.
• Rust stains on older toilets might require steel wool or fine sandpaper for removal. Elbow grease is more effective than chemical cleaners.

Showers and Tubs:

• Water spots on glass showers can be eliminated through judicious use of a squeegee. Start at the top of the glass and move water to the center for a streak-free shine.
• Mildew loves a warm and wet environment. So your shower is the perfect spot for it to thrive. Simply drying the shower walls with a towel after each shower can greatly reduce mildew.
• If mildew stains are already present, you can use a toothbrush dipped in water and bleach solution to scrub away even the most deeply-embedded stains. Make sure you rinse the shower thoroughly with cold water before taking your evening bath.
• You also want to wipe down your shower curtain to remove slimy residue.
• Older porcelain tubs must be cleaned with non-abrasive products in order to retain unbeatable shine.

If scrubbing the toilet, squeegee-ing the shower and wiping the sink take up too much of your limited time, you may need some expert assistance. The staff at My Cleaning Lady knows how to get every bit of mildew, toilet bowl ring, and hard water stains from every bathroom surface.

My Cleaning Lady offers complete home cleaning services including thorough dusting at reasonable prices. Currently offered cleaning specials include one hour free of cleaning with the purchase of five hours of one-time service, and a 15 percent discount off one-year prepayment of recurring housecleaning service. My Cleaning Lady proudly serves residents in the following California cities; Arcadia, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Covina, Duarte, Fontana, Glendora, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, North Fontana, Ontario, Phillips Ranch, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, San Dimas, Sierra Madre, Upland and West Covina. Visit www.mycleaninglady.com or call (909) 593-6690 for more information or to arrange a free estimate.