With temperatures on the rise as we move into the warmer months of the year, it’s important to remember your health when it comes to coping with the heat.

The term “heat stress” refers to the overall heat burden on the body from the combination of the body heat generated while working, environmental sources (air temperature, humidity etc) and clothing requirements.

Most people feel comfortable when the air temperature is between 20°C and 27°C and when relative humidity ranges from 35 to 60%. When air temperature or humidity is higher, people feel uncomfortable.

Such situations do not cause harm as long as the body can adjust and cope with the additional heat however very hot environments can overwhelm the body’s coping mechanisms leading to a variety of serious and possibly fatal conditions.

So what can you do to cope if you feel like you’re overheating while cleaning?

Cleaning is a very physical job and you can easily start to feel the effects of heat and humidity when you get stuck into a cleaning job.  If you know the weather conditions are going to be tough or you’re finding yourself struggling with the heat, here are some tips for keeping your cool:

1. If you haven’t already done so, open the windows or use air conditioning or fans while you go about the job.

2. Stay hydrated.  This means having a water bottle available and drinking water throughout the day.  Adding mint leaves, or orange, lemon or cucumber slices to your water makes it more refreshing.

3. And finally, wear lightweight, comfortable clothing that keeps you cool.

Although we recommend in many situations surfaces can be cleaned with little more than a damp microfiber cloth, here’s a guide to help provide other options if required:

Stainless Steel such as fridges, coffee machines, toasters, kettles, microwaves and ovens can all be cleaned using nothing more than soap and water.  Fingerprints can be removed using olive oil and white vinegar dabbed on a damp cloth will bring back the shine.

Ceramic toasters, kettles or cook tops should receive a good wipe with a soft, wet cotton cloth to maintain and keep clean.  Use dishwashing liquid for more stubborn stains.

Glass surfaces like those on some toasters and kettles can be cleaned with products like Windex, water and dishwashing liquid or vinegar and a soft cloth.

Plastic appliances including blenders, sandwich makers, telephones etc need little more than a good wipe with a soft, wet cotton cloth.  Use dishwashing liquid for the more stubborn stains.

Enamel should never be scrubbed with abrasive items such as scourers.  Enamel cook tops and slow cookers should be wiped over with soft cloth using mild detergent or dish soap and water.  Enamel can stain so it’s important to wipe up spills straight away.

Porcelain cook tops can be wiped with warm water and dishwashing detergent.  A paste of baking soda and water removes baked in stains.

Cleaning the microwave oven doesn’t require oven-scrubbing chemical solutions or spray-on foams. All you need is water and some white distilled vinegar, which will help cut grease.

Here’s what to do: Mix one-half cup of water with one-half cup of white distilled vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. (Use at least a four-cup bowl, otherwise you risk your water boiling over.) Microwave on high for several minutes, until the water comes to a rolling boil and the microwave window steams up. Let it cool for a few minutes before opening the door, then wipe the loosened food debris with a damp sponge and you’re done.

For a more pleasant scent, instead of using vinegar add a few slices of orange, lemon or lime to one cup of water and microwave until boiling.

Some people are blessed with an internal body clock that is surprisingly accurate whereas others consistently run late for just about every appointment.   Regardless of how well you think you keep the time, here is a fun game you can play to test that theory:

Every time you think of it, guess what time it is. Then check a clock or your watch to see how close you are. Make a conscious decision to say to yourself something like “I thought it was 10:20, but it’s actually 10:34. I was 14 minutes slow.” This is your time sense gap.

You can also make it a habit to do this every time you encounter a certain landmark or object such as a particular traffic light or every time you pass a bus stop.

Guess one hour intervals.  Check a clock and make note of the time. Then go about your regular life, attempting to guess every time one hour has passed. Check a clock on your guess, and make note of your time sense gap. As you get better, vary the time intervals you try to guess.

Find a pattern. Whenever you observe a time sense gap, write it down. You might notice a pattern, like that you tend to be about 15 minutes slow in the morning, and 30 minutes fast in the afternoon. Or, like most people, time will seem to pass slowly when you’re doing something monotonous or boring, and pass quickly when you’re keeping busy or having fun. As you continue matching your guesses with reality, your sense of time will noticeably improve.

It is worth noting though that stimulants (including caffeine) may cause you to overestimate time intervals, while depressants may do the opposite.  Nicotine cravings on the other hand can cause you to perceive time as passing more slowly than it really is!

We have drawn our winner for the ‘Win a Cleaner for a Year’ Facebook competition that was run during the month of September…

Congratulations to Nicole from NSW who has won!

Nicole is a very deserving winner who confirms this prize will “truly be a gift of greatness” to her and her son.

Nicole now looks forward to having a cleaner come to her home for 2hrs each week, helping relieve the burden of domestic chores and giving her the freedom to use this additional time for either herself or her family.

Thank you to everyone that entered our competition.  We received a terrific response and are thrilled to provide our lucky winner with a regular cleaning service from Clean Homes!

It’s no secret that we’re a huge fan of microfibre here at Clean Homes but did you know that microfiber actually dates back to the 1950s?  Made from 100% polyester or a blend of polyester and polyamide (nylon), it wasn’t until the 1960s that Japanese scientists found a suitable use for these ultra-fine fibers when Ultrasuede was introduced, an animal-product-free imitation suede that is cheaper and easier to clean and sew than real suede.

It then took until the early 1990s for microfibre to be recognized, in Sweden first, then Europe, and eventually in America when Rubbermaid began a line of microfiber products for American markets in 2007.

These days you’ll find microfiber fabric often used for athletic wear, such as cycling jerseys, because the material keeps moisture away from the body, and for undergarments because of its elasticity. It’s also used to make many accessories traditionally made from leather such as wallets, handbags, backpacks, shoes, mobile phone cases and coin purses. Microfiber fabric is lightweight, durable, and somewhat water repellent, so it makes a good substitute.

Another advantage of fabric (compared to leather) is that fabric can be coated with various finishes or can be treated with anti-bacterial chemicals. Fabric can also be printed with various designs, embroidered with colored thread, or heat-embossed to create interesting textures.

For these reasons, microfibre is a brilliant cleaning product. The polyester component is an ideal material for scrubbing, and polyamide fibers can absorb as much as seven times their weight in soil or liquid.  This means microfiber cloths not only pick up and hold the dust and dirt, they soak up large amounts of liquid and unlike cotton, leave no lint.

For microfiber to be most effective as a cleaning product, especially for water soluble soils and waxes, it should be a split microfiber. If microfiber isn’t split during manufacturing, it isn’t much more than a very soft cloth, duster, or mop.

A quick way to determine if the microfiber is split is to run the cloth lightly over the palm of your hand. If the cloth “grabs” the imperfections on your skin (you can actually both “hear” and feel it grab), then it’s split. Another way is to pour a small amount of water on a hard flat surface and take a towel or mop and try to push the water. If the water is pushed rather than being absorbed, it’s not split microfiber.

So if you’re yet to use microfiber, now’s the time to try.  We recommend having two cloths available at all times, a damp one to clean the surface and remove the grime and a dry one to buff it sparkling clean.  With no chemicals or sprays needed and a quick rinse under hot water to clean, why wouldn’t you swap to this cheap, efficient and environmentally friendly product!

This article from Woman’s Day provides a wonderful insight into some quick and simple ways your cleaning routine can be tweaked to adopt tips from fellow cleaning professionals who know all too well that having a process for cleaning a home is far easier than stumbling your way through a clean and hoping for the best.  Here’s what they had to say…

Follow these seven steps and the whole house will begin to sparkle before your very eyes:

The Plan of Attack: Top-to-bottom, left-to-right 

A good place to start is the upstairs bathroom if there is one.  For each task, start at the highest point in the room (if dusting, this might mean high shelves), and move from left to right across the room. This way, you don’t miss anything, and you won’t accidentally knock dust onto already-cleaned lower shelves.

Step 1: Dust
 Dust each room, including the topsides of all the furniture, undersides of shelves, and all handrails, as well as picture frames, TV screens and knickknacks. “When it’s possible to dry-dust, I do—getting something wet makes it harder,” says Lisa Romero, owner of Just Like New Cleaning in Colorado. To get rid of fingerprints, dampen a microfiber cloth with warm water. Pro tip: Look up top. “People don’t dust up on the very top of furniture, and that’s where all the dust collects and then falls off,” says Romero.

Step 2: Furniture Fabric 
Go through the house and strip and remake beds; neaten any pillows or furniture blankets. Brush furniture surfaces with a vacuum extension as needed.

Step 3: Mirrors and Glass 
Wipe down mirrors and windows throughout the house. Pro tip: Using one wet and one dry microfiber cloth won’t leave streaks.

Step 4: Surface Cleaning 
Wipe down all surfaces and counters throughout the house, disinfecting as necessary. Pro tip: Be sure to wipe down all places that fingers touch, like door handles, light switches, TV remotes and phones. Those are the places that people forget, and they really hold germs.

Step 5: Kitchen and Bathroom 
Walk through and spray cleaner on tubs, sinks and toilets. Return and scrub. Then, in the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, and cabinet and appliance doors.

Step 6: Floors
Sweep, then mop or scrub the bathroom and kitchen floors, and any other floor that needs it. Remember to clean often forgotten areas, like behind toilets, so you know they’re 100% disinfected.

Step 7: Vacuum 
Finally, finish with a thorough vacuum of the house.  “I vacuum my way out the bedrooms, down the stairs, through the living room and out of the house,” says Romero.

Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit

Here’s some more tips when it comes to products and equipment, especially useful for our one-off Cleaners and for homes requesting equipment supplied by you:

No pro cleaner likes to carry around too many supplies. Their five must-haves:

1. A 20-pack of microfiber towels (wash them as needed). “I’ve saved thousands of dollars on paper towels and window cleaner since I started using microfiber,” says Romero. Make sure to buy good-quality cloths, usually around $1 per cloth from a janitorial supply store, and never wash with dryer sheets or fabric softener. Pro tip: Before using a cleaning product for dusting, try just warm water and the microfiber. “It usually works,” says Romero.

2. A microfiber mop. On a tight budget, it’s cheaper and less wasteful than disposable mops. Pro tip: Great for picking up dust in high and low corners.

3. A nylon-bristle broom. “It doesn’t splatter walls or lose its bristles,” says Payne. Pro tip: Sweep your rug. It often works better than a vacuum.

4. A Shammy. A synthetic version of the traditional chamois cloth, this rubbery, hyper-absorbent towel is great for soaking up water and quickly buffing counters and furniture. Pro tip: Run a dry Shammy over a couch or floor to pick up pet hair.

5. A backpack vacuum. Professional cleaners love backpack-style vacuums because they’re gentle on back muscles and make it easy to move quickly from room to room. Pro tip: Look beyond the floor. It’s easy to quickly vacuum shelf surfaces, mantels, railings and inside drawers if you use lightweight hand extensions.

Sometimes we have to look back to the past to appreciate just how far we’ve come. And when it comes to cleaning the home, it’s incredible just how good we have it now.

Did you know…

Our new 3 day training workshop kicked off in Brisbane on the 20th May to a group of enthusiastic Cleaners keen to brush up on their housekeeping knowledge.  The training workshop has expanded our existing Orientation Day and is now held on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The workshop includes detailed information taken from the Certificate 3 course that was run last year.  This year the search was on to find a short but educational course we could offer new and existing Cleaners with it now being rolled out throughout Australia.

Training Manager Carol Snell said “a lot of work has gone into developing a comprehensive training program that covers all the essential information our cleaners need to get the most out of their job and the Agency.  I’m really proud of what we’ve rolled out and am looking forward to hearing how attendee’s put their newfound knowledge to good use”.

As well as customer service standards and detailed information about how the Agency runs, the new training workshop covers the following key topics:

It’s hard to believe that almost two decades have passed since the idea of Clean Homes was born. From humble beginnings the business has grown considerably to what it is today.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Clean Homes and as part of this significant milestone, our branding will be given a fresh update to coincide with the launch of our new and improved website. Our brochures and marketing material have also been updated to stay fresh and current in today’s competitive environment. We hope you love the new look and feel as much as we do!

Here at Clean Homes, we work hard to maintain our number one rating of Australia and New Zealand’s leading domestic cleaning agency. It’s through the hard work and dedication of our Cleaners, your Team Managers and the Agency that keeps us at the top of our game. Well done to everyone that has played a role in getting us to this tremendous milestone.