Hello and welcome back to Dallas Maids! Like every year, we’re bringing you our updated Spring Cleaning guide for 2024.

Spring is just around the corner! This is such an exciting time of the year, especially in Dallas, TX. After a harsh winter, Spring always brings hot, sunny days to go out and enjoy Dallas.

Before we continue, don’t forget to check Dallas Maids! We offer professional cleaning services in Dallas, Frisco, Irving and other areas in DFW.

This time of the year is perfect to enjoy some quality time with our families. You have the Dallas Botanical Garden, the Klyde Warren Park or the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, among many other beautiful places.

That being said, if you want to tackle this on your own, let’s do it! Let’s make sure our home stays nice and clean for Spring.

Always Start Spring Cleaning With Decluttering

If you haven’t decluttered in a while, this is a great time.

First, completely empty your food storage area. Take a look at your items, and get rid of the expired stuff. Take of whatever’s expiring soon (in the next six months) and make sure to put it on the front to remember you need to use these items soon.

You can do the same for personal care items in your bathroom or makeup or makeup vanity.

In your living room, you might need to take down some décor and swap it with spring-themed items. This can go anywhere from frames and flower vases, to throw pillows and cushions.

You’re now transitioning your wardrobe from winter to spring and you may have old clothes. You also have drawers filled with random items that you don’t really use that often. and even a storage room or a garage that needs some organizing.

Wipe down your shelves with just a tiny spritz of water, a drop of dish soap, and white vinegar.

Related: The Connection Between a Clean Home and Mental Health

Organize Your Storage Areas

First things first in our spring cleaning guide: organize your storage areas. Storage areas are filled with dust and grime over time, especially in your kitchen and your bathroom. Besides, clutter creates visual noise and makes your home feel messy and dirty, even if it’s not.

A bit of decluttering and organizing is always helpful, at least once a quarter. We’re getting close to the end of March so this makes it the perfect opportunity to organize your pantry, your cleaning closet, your bathroom vanity and your bedroom closet.

Pro tip: put identical boxes with labels saying what goes inside. This way, everyone in your family knows the right location for your items and it helps you keep consistency.

Depending on your preferred strategy, you might want to clean first and then organize your items.

After Organizing, It’s Spring Cleaning Time!

Now that you’ve decluttered and organized your items. Gather all your cleaning products and start with your cleaning!

Pro tip: make sure you make a list of tasks for deep cleaning for areas where you normally don’t clean. Baseboards, bookshelves, ceiling fans, door frames.

Make sure you have a cleaning caddy ready with your cleaning products and supplies: microfiber cloths, floor cleaning tools (a broom, a mop, a bucket, and a vacuum cleaner).

Once your surfaces are clear, give them a good wipe-down. In this case, you can use a commercial multi-purpose cleaner to make everything sparkle. Eco-friendly cleaners are safe for most surfaces and decently effective against low-to-mid grime and dirt buildup.

Remember to start from the top. Wipe your open shelves, bookshelves, and upper kitchen cabinets. Then, your countertops, your dining table, TV stand, desks, side tables, and your bed.

Remember to Deep Clean Your Floors

Vacuuming is important for carpet floors. Do this on a zig-zag: walk to the opposite corner of the door of whatever room you’re in. Then, move forward with your vacuum cleaner, and then move backwards, but this time slide yourself to the right (or left) until you move half the width of your vacuum cleaner. Then, move forward again and repeat the process until you reach the door.

This way, you will vacuum the entire area twice and your floors will be nice and clean. Make sure you get into the corners and under the furniture as well.

If you haven’t deep cleaned your carpet floors (for 18 months or longer) consider hiring a professional cleaning service or renting an industrial carpet cleaner.

If you have tile floors, fill a bucket with warm, soapy water and use a rough brush to scrub everything away. Always follow the direction of the tile. If possible, use a steam cleaner to clean the grout as well and disinfect the area.

The Final Touch: A Spritz of Fragrance

With every year, our house cleaning tips change and it’s just not about actual cleaning anymore. Cleaning is also about having a tidy, pleasant space. For this Spring cleaning, let’s incorporate a nice fragrance into our homes!

Let’s improve air quality first. Opening windows is the best way to improve air circulation, but nowadays temperature is still extremely cold in many cities, such as Dallas and the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

If you can’t open windows right now, you can invest in an air purifier or a dehumidifier. Moisture often creates an unpleasant odor, especially around small, closed spaces like bathrooms and laundry areas. If this is the case in your home, you can get a dehumidifier to help balance out the excessive moisture.

An air purifier, on the other hand, absorbs the microbes and microscopic lint in the air. With fewer bacteria floating around, the smell in your home will improve as well.

Add some fragrant plants and flowers to your home! Spring is starting soon so this is the perfect time. They have long-lasting smells.

You can get a wax melter which is safer than scented candles.

Another route is potpourris. These are cheap, simple and easy to make. You just add as many dried herbs and citrus peels as you can find (e.g. orange peels, cinnamon, cloves, dried lavender…) to a pot filled with water. As long as it’s simmering, it will fill your kitchen and living area with a fresh, beautiful fragrance. Just remember to add water regularly and keep an eye on your stove.

If you plan to invite guests soon, these tips will be a huge plus. If you want more tricks, we recently collaborated in an Expert Roundup with Porch on tips to remove odors in your house before hosting a party, so feel free to check their article!

Conclusion

That’s it! Our favorite tips for this 2024 Spring Cleaning guide. We know everything has been said already but there’s always room for improvement and some bonus tips to give you a new perspective.

Again, remember to check our cleaning service in Dallas. You may need a deep cleaning service to start Spring on the right foot. You can also ask for our standard cleaning service to keep your home nice and tidy once or twice a month.

No matter the case, we hope you enjoy Spring and spend quality time with your family.

Remember to bookmark our blog. We’ll be back soon with more cleaning articles! Happy Spring!

The post Dallas Maids 2024 Spring Cleaning Guide appeared first on Dallas Maids® | Maid Service & House Cleaning Services Voted #1 for a Reason.

Hi! We’re back with another article and this time, we want to talk about something you guys have been asking frequently: how to clean stainless steel appliances. As a cleaning service in Dallas, we often get our clients to ask us what’s the secret to keeping their appliances looking shiny and spotless.

Well, today we’re giving you tips to maintain your fridge, oven, stovetop, and other stainless-steel appliances clean while avoiding common mistakes.

Stainless steel is a beautiful, timeless material, but every material has its pros and cons. In this guide, we’ll talk about the do’s and don’ts of cleaning this material, and the steps to do it properly. Let’s go!

What is Stainless Steel?

This material is an alloy of iron, a type of metal commonly used for cookware and accessories. It was created to be resistant to rusting and corrosion, which makes it perfect for items that are constantly near water and humidity.

This material looks beautiful and elegant, and it’s super easy to clean as well. If you take care of it properly, it can last for many years. Most modern appliances nowadays are made of stainless steel.

Stainless steel, however, is sensitive to permanent stains and marks if cleaned incorrectly. And, of course, many cooking appliances get food and grease stains over time. But don’t worry! Keep reading to find out how to -and not to- clean stainless steel.

How Not to Clean Stainless Steel

Before we jump into the cleaning instructions for your appliances, we want to talk about the common mistakes when choosing cleaning products and techniques.

Let’s start with cleaning products and tools. With stainless steel, you need to be careful with abrasive tools, such as steel wool.

You should avoid products that contain ammonia as well. Ammonia is an alkaline agent capable of cleaning, but it is not recommended for these types of surfaces.

Stainless steel appliances are coated in a layer of plastic. Ammonia can damage the protective coating and with that, the humidity will affect the surface, creating rusting with time.

The same goes for chlorine-based cleaning agents, such as bleach.

It’s important to avoid water as well, especially if you have hard water. If you live in Dallas, for example, your water is likely hard, meaning that it has a higher amount of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

With time, these microscopic minerals will scratch the surface. Besides, water itself will create streaks with time.

Another common mistake is to wipe in any direction. Like wood, steel also has a grain, but much smaller. When wiping or scrubbing your appliance, always wipe with the grain. This way, you will avoid streaks and scrub the dirt out of those microscopic crevices.

Last but not least, do not let your appliances air dry after cleaning. Although this is usually a good tip, air-drying stainless steel will cause streaks and spots. After cleaning use a dry microfiber cloth and buff the surface until it’s dry.

How to Clean Stainless Steel

After you’ve read about the improper cleaning techniques and products, it’s time to read what you should do when cleaning stainless steel. Here are some general instructions:

First, remove all large particles of dust and lint. This is the first step because, if you start scrubbing the surface with a cleaning agent, you will bring those small particles back and forth, and you might scratch the surface.

Of course, a specialized stainless-steel cleaner would be the ideal choice. Glass cleaners work great as well. You can wipe first with a stainless-steel cleaner to remove all the gunk and grime, and then a second pass with glass cleaner to get the residue.

But there are other homemade alternatives. For example, vinegar and olive oil is a popular combination, and these are both harmless, effective agents. Vinegar, does the cleaning job, while olive oil adds a protective coat and removes fingerprints and streaks.

If you don’t have olive oil, you can use orange essential oil. This works just as nicely, and it leaves a pleasant, fresh fragrance.

Baby oil is another option, which is just really scented mineral oil.

For any of these cleaning alternatives, remember to let them soak on the surface for 10 minutes before wiping, to ensure their effectiveness.

Always apply in a small, inconspicuous area first in case there is any negative reaction (staining, streaks). Make sure the surface is clean and dry. If you need to, remove big crumbs and stains first with a clean, slightly damp microfiber cloth with one or two drops of dish soap.

You don’t want the surface to be soapy, so make sure you use a small amount to pre-clean the surface. Many times, using plain dish soap will be more than enough, but it might not give you a spotless result.

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

By now, you know how to clean this material. But we think it’s important to add specific instructions to appliances. An oven has different cleaning needs than a fridge, for example.

Let’s read the best strategies for cleaning stainless steel appliances.

Clean Your Oven

Stainless steel ovens are meant to be cleaned as such on the outside, but on the inside, they require a different approach. This is because you also have to deal with baked-on grease and food.

The Oven is one of the most dreaded appliances to clean. This is because many people tend to postpone their oven cleaning for way longer than it should.

For cleaning your oven on the outside, follow the vinegar and olive oil trick.

You just need to apply around 1 tbsp. of white vinegar onto the microfiber cloth. Wipe with the grain and then repeat the steps, but this time with olive oil. Just apply a few drops on the other side of the cloth and repeat the process.

To clean the inside of your oven you have the traditional route which is to use an oven cleaner. Although effective, oven cleaners are known to be abrasive, and they release toxic fumes.

You can read the entire guide for cleaning your oven here.

Clean Your Fridge

Your fridge is pretty much a magnet for fingerprints and grease stains, so let’s make sure you keep it under control.

First, you need to prepare a cleaning solution for your fridge. The vinegar and olive oil solution will work perfectly for this. Just repeat the process you did with your oven.

A little rubbing alcohol is great too, and the smell goes away as soon as it evaporates, so it’s just a matter of seconds.

Clean Your Sink

The biggest challenge you will face with your sink is that, for obvious reasons, there’s always water running and this can cause water streaks, as well as hard-water deposits. As we mentioned earlier, hard water causes white, powdery residues that do not look good.  

Fortunately, sinks are created in a way that they are more resistant to more abrasive scrubbing. If your sink looks dull, stained, or decolored, like it has lost its shine, then follow these tips:

Use baking soda to remove large grease and food stains. Baking soda is abrasive enough to be effective, yet soft enough to avoid scratches.

Just sprinkle baking soda on the surface and wait for 15 minutes. Then, add a bit of hot water until you form a paste, and use a non-scratch scrubber to rub the surface. Rub in a circular motion with medium intensity.

If your sink has too many scratches, you can buy a scratch remover kit. These are kits with (usually) 3 or more types of sandpaper, a polishing agent, and a cloth.

Stainless-Steel Maintenance and Prevention Tips

Now that your items are clean and shiny, you must be thinking they are going to be full of fingerprints and watermarks soon. How can you avoid this?

First of all, get used to grabbing your kitchen appliances from their handles or a single corner. It might take you some time to get used to it, but you will notice the benefits soon. Fingerprints are going to happen sooner or later, but it will be easier to remove them if they are in a small area.

If you find any scratches, try using a microfiber cloth with distilled water first, and wait 10 minutes for it to dry. You can’t use tap water because hard water, as we mentioned earlier, will only make the problem worse.

If the previous trick didn’t work, use toothpaste to remove them. Just apply whitening toothpaste on a toothbrush, brushing softly. Remember to follow the direction of the grain. Wipe with a slightly damp microfiber cloth afterward.

Last but not least, remember to apply stainless steel polish about 4 times a year, to ensure it stays protected from rusting.

Conclusion

With these cleaning tips, your stainless-steel appliances will look and feel great! Remember to follow our kitchen cleaning tips as well. It’s important that the entire kitchen looks great, not just the appliances.

And don’t forget to visit our booking page, if you need a professional cleaning service in Dallas.

We hope you enjoyed this article and we’ll be back soon with more cleaning tips!

The post How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances appeared first on Dallas Maids® | Maid Service & House Cleaning Services Voted #1 for a Reason.

Spring is here in Dallas after a long winter. Finally! This is the perfect opportunity to take a step back, realize what needs some serious cleaning and organizing in your home, and get the job done!

If you haven’t hired a cleaning service before, they usually include a deep cleaning service which is a must every couple of months, or right before an event or holiday is coming soon and you want to impress your guests with a spotless home.

And if you want to tackle this on your own, don’t worry! With our spring cleaning guide, you will be able to handle great results. It will take some time and energy though! We’ve split this guide into two parts so it’s easier to read and go through it without burning or giving up first.

Now, here’s how you can do it:

First Step: Before Spring Cleaning, Assess the Situation

Whenever you have a spring cleaning coming soon, it’s important to think clearly about what you want to achieve and what is not a priority right now. Some people enjoy organizing their cleaning by room, while other prefer to organize by task.

Think about the last time you cleaned each big part of your home and think how long will it take for each task. Then, multiply that times 1.5x: if you estimated 2 hours, think of 3 hours instead. We always tend to be over-optimistic when calculating the time it requires to clean, and 2 hours go by faster than you think!

It’s easy to get frustrated or overwhelmed when that happens and you start to run behind the schedule. It’s better to calculate extra time.

Creating a schedule is not easy. You can check our 3-Hour Weekly Schedule, but that won’t do it for a spring cleaning. You may use it as a template and start adding areas or cleaning tasks.

Spring cleaning means that you will have to reach areas that you probably haven’t even seen in a while. Make sure you have all the essential tools and equipment to reach everywhere and remove all the grease, dirt, and dust.

Step Two: Grab all Your Spring Cleaning Supplies

We’re almost ready to get started! Now it’s time to choose all your tools, gadgets, and cleaning products. There are many great products for you to choose from, but if you don’t have any, we can talk about the most basic, natural ones you can find in your pantry.

You can check the entire guide for supplies for Spring Cleaning from Emily’s Maids if you want a more detailed guide.

Vinegar

As far as cleaning goes, vinegar (or acetic acid) is one of the most versatile cleaning agents in your home. It is one of our favorite cleaning products and you can use it on pretty much any surface. Everything from removing pet stains from your carpet to cleaning your oven, with white vinegar you can take care of pretty much every area of your home.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is another popular product, and for all the good reasons. In fact, it is one of the very few cleaning agents that can be safely mixed with bleach.

Soap

There are hundreds of options on the market. You should choose those with a smaller impact on the environment and on your own health: check if they are free of phosphates, ammonia, and/or artificial colors, as well as cruelty-free.

Microfiber Towels And Sponges

Microfiber towels and cloths work better than those made of cotton. They can absorb dirt and moisture better, which is why they’ve become popular over the years.

Your tools: A Steam Cleaner, a Mop, and a Vacuum Cleaner

It’s important to have good, reliable devices to help you get through this. A steam cleaner is a device that sprays steam, just hot water. But you will notice the difference when you start using it, as it can get through grease and dirt in an instant, especially for nook and crannies. If you haven’t got yourself one yet, look for a multi-purpose steam cleaner that works as a long-handled and handheld device.

Don’t worry about the price! You can get a standard, handheld steam cleaner for less than $30, or a steam mop with a detachable handheld unit for less than $70.

Of course, you will need a mop as well (unless you have carpet floors) and a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you replace the dirty water as you go, otherwise you’ll just be spreading the dirty water and going back to square one.

Special Products for Special Surfaces

You will need a specialized product if you have natural stone countertops (marble, granite, or quartz) and for glass-ceramic cooktops.

Last But Not Least: Take All the Safety Measures for Spring Cleaning

Since you’re spring cleaning, you’re going to be in contact with lint, dirt, and chemicals for a long time. Always wear safety gloves, goggles, and a mask.

Remember to open windows to let air flow, especially in small spaces like your bathroom.

It’s Time for Some Cleaning! Let’s Start with Your Kitchen

It’s a good idea to start with your kitchen for several reasons. Even if it’s not the biggest room of your home, it will probably take the longest to clean. You need to let your cleaning agents act for a while, and your kitchen is one of those areas with a lot to clean and organize.

Now that you’re in your kitchen, it’s not easy to decide which appliance or area to clean first. In most cases, it should be the oven, because the cleaning agents need some time to act on the surface.

Check our 5 Easy Tips for Cleaning Your Oven if you want to hear all the details!

Take Care of Your Pantry

If you have the time, remove everything from your pantry and leave your counters empty. Make some soapy water with 2 cups of warm water and ½ teaspoon of concentrated dish soap. Apply using a spray bottle inside your cabinets and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. You can use a 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup warm water mix too.

While you’re at it, organize and declutter your dishware and cookware. Think of your everyday needs and organize your items in a way that you have the most used items closer to you, and then go from there and place the less-used items in the upper and lower cabinets away from your reach.

Deep Cleaning Your Fridge

The same goes for your fridge: grab all your food and take it out, remove all the fridge shelves and drawers, and apply your cleaning mix. If it has liquid stains (e.g., tomato sauce, meat juice) you can use your steam cleaner to get rid of them.

Clean all your shelves and drawers using soapy water and a sponge while you let your cleaning mix act on the inside of your fridge and then wipe it out with a microfiber cloth.

If your fridge is particularly in serious cleaning issues, or if you have a secondary fridge that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, you can check our Refrigerator Renew article.

By now, you should have a few appliances and your stove waiting for your cleaning touch. For your microwave, you can try our tip on the article from Insider to get it looking -and smelling- like new.

Stovetops and Countertops

In the meantime, wipe any big crumbs or food residues with a dishcloth. Now, grab a bowl of hot soapy water and a clean sponge and start scrubbing! Use a spray bottle with clean water to rinse and wipe out the dirty soapy water with a microfiber cloth. You might need to repeat the process and swipe the cloth for a clean one a few times.

For glass-ceramic stovetops, you should use a specialized product. Remove any debris first, using a glass scraper and very carefully scraping the surface. If you want to play safe you can use a sponge, but it will take longer and you will need to let sit the cleaning product for a few minutes before starting to scrub.

Last but not least, remember to clean your countertops! This is saved for last because you’ve probably used them to place your food and ingredients on top while reorganizing your pantry and your fridge.

The type of cleaning will depend on the material. Vinegar is an excellent option for laminate countertops, but not so much for natural stone (granite, marble, quartz) because of its acidity, which may cause staining.

Now your kitchen should be squeaky clean! Next up, your bathrooms.

Spring Cleaning Step Three: Your Bathroom

Just like your kitchen, your bathroom might need some time to absorb all the cleaning properties from your products and tools. This is why you might want to start here (or in the kitchen) while doing other tasks in the meantime.

The big question is: where can you start? Well, if all your fixtures look more or less the same (i.e., none of them is dirtier than the others in a significant way) then you should start with your shower. It has the biggest surface of the usual fixtures (sink, toilet).

A really good strategy for your shower is to add some hot, soapy water with a spray bottle, and then sprinkle baking soda on your shower pan. After 15 minutes, scrub using a clean broom, and then use the steam cleaner to soften up every residue of soap scum or dirt on your tiles.

With your sink and toilet, you might want to use baking soda, let sit for 15 minutes and then spray white vinegar on the surface. Clean using either a toilet brush (toilet) or a sponge or an old toothbrush (sink).  

For your mirrors, you can spray rubbing alcohol and wipe with a microfiber cloth, using an “S” pattern. You might have to scrub a bit harder right after spraying if you have toothpaste or soap residues.  

You can check our guide on how to clean your bathroom if you need a more detailed approach.

Conclusion (Before Part II)

We still have so many areas that we need to take care of! Your living area, your bedroom, your office, and all floors!

Spring cleaning is an exciting activity, with a high chance of making you feel accomplished and happy. But that’s not the case for everyone: you need lots of free time, as well as mental and physical energy. If you’ve realized that it’s too much work, feel free to visit our booking page if you’d prefer a professional cleaning service.  

Keep reading our blog and wait next week for part II of this spring cleaning guide!

The post Spring Is Here In Dallas! Our Spring Cleaning Guide (Part I) appeared first on Dallas Maids® | Maid Service & House Cleaning Services Voted #1 for a Reason.

If you’re thinking about renovating your home, linoleum flooring seems to be a wonderful option to consider, but most people don’t know how to clean linoleum floors.

Although it has its detractors with memories of those ugly 70’s linoleum tiles, modern design has created much more attractive, stylish alternatives.

As always, every material has its own rules when it comes to cleaning and preserving them. Let’s read some strategies for you to get the best out of this durable, noble material.

What is Linoleum Flooring?

Linoleum is obtained through linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil. This makes the perfect replacement for wood. Scientific research deems it as “easy maintenance, recyclable, antibacterial, antistatic and hypoallergenic”.

This is combined with wood flour, cork, and pine resin to create a resistant yet flexible material. Linoleum can be found on the market in tiles or in rolls. Since it’s made out of wood, mostly, it’s sensitive to moisture.

Should You Install Linoleum in Your House?

Installing linoleum would be a great idea! It can last a long time, you have a ton of alternatives, and it’s safe for use in humid rooms such as the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or basement, because it’s resistant to bacteria, mold, and mildew.

Some areas like Texas can get extremely humid at certain times of the year, so linoleum will work great thanks to its great resistance to humidity.

How Should You Clean Linoleum Floors?

One of the main advantages of linoleum it’s its durability. Since it’s a combination of several materials, it’s treated in a way that it’s resistant to most types of cleaning products and common techniques. However, because it’s made of organic materials, they are somewhat susceptible, especially to water.

As always, a good installation saves a lot of trouble. This goes for pretty much every single floor material you can think of. If you install it correctly (yes, you can do it yourself!) and take good care of it, it can last for decades.

Linoleum floors will mostly require sweeping and mopping to stay clean and sanitized.

Sweeping Your Linoleum Floors

Having a linoleum floor will make your sweeping time a walk in the park. It doesn’t absorb dust or dirt, it repels it, hence the term “hypoallergenic”. Just apply your regular sweeping routine every day or every other day.

Using an anti-static broom will make it twice as easy. You can also use a dry microfiber mop.

Mopping Linoleum Floors

If you installed it properly, you’ll have no issues mopping your linoleum floors whenever you wish to. When mopping you can use straight white vinegar, mopping and then letting it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

This is what a “thorough” cleaning would look like, because regular cleaning will only require warm water. Make sure you dry the floor after mopping or any other time water is spilled.

Waxing Your Linoleum Floors to Keep Them Clean & Shiny

Wax will keep your linoleum floors nice and shiny over the years. You should apply wax at least twice a year, but once every quarter would be ideal.

Waxing is one of the few things in cleaning that should be done with proper, specialized products. Liquid acrylic floor wax is preferable over paste wax for this type of flooring.

Additional Care For Your Linoleum Flooring

Linoleum floors can turn into a yellowish color after a few years, especially when exposed to sunlight or because of spills. To fix this you can mix baking soda and lemon juice.

Just mix them until you form a paste and then scrub lightly using a toothbrush. Remember to rinse with water and dry afterward.

Mixing baking soda and bleach would be a good alternative. Usually, mixing bleach with any other product is not a good idea but baking soda is one of the few exceptions.

You can fix stains and spots by using a mild cloth and a neutral detergent (pH 6 to 8).  

Avoid ammonia or ammonia-based cleaning products. Also, be careful with pointed objects such as high heels because they may dent your floors.

Conclusion

Linoleum is an outstanding choice for your floors. Technology has allowed the creation of modern, elegant patterns, including imitations of classic floor choices such as wood, marble, and ceramics.

If you’re renovating on your own and you want to apply linoleum floors as a DIY project, remember to follow instructions carefully and look for advice from several sources before going in.

Keep in mind that water is your number one enemy for organic floors. Don’t let water sit for too long!

And remember, if you need to hire a cleaning service to use the right techniques for each type of surface, don’t hesitate to contact us!

The post How to Clean Linoleum Floors appeared first on Dallas Maids® | Maid Service & House Cleaning Services Voted #1 for a Reason.

How to clean your kitchen thoroughly

Knowing how to properly clean a kitchen is very important. After all, it’s one of the most commonly used rooms in the house, which means that it gets dirty every day.

In general, it’s best to do a light cleaning every day, and a more thorough one once a week.

Where to Start With Your Kitchen

This depends on the person’s preference, although it’s best to start with cupboards and other cabinets, followed by electrical appliances and assorted surfaces, like cooktops and counters.

Last, you should sweep and wash the floor. Make sure to always use gloves to protect your hands.

Cupboards and Cabinets:

These tend to gather crumbs and scraps of food, especially powders like sugar, salt, coffee, etc. Once a month, you should clean your cupboards and cabinets thoroughly to prevent insects from infesting your kitchen.

Empty them completely, remove the shelves (if possible), and scrub all surfaces with a damp washcloth. Rinse them and let them dry.

Make sure that everything is completely dry before replacing any items. While you do this, check all canned items for their expiration date. Discard any expired foods and clean those that are still fresh with a damp washcloth to prevent them from accumulating grease.

Also, make sure that the base of each container is fully dry before replacing it in the cupboard, to avoid damaging it with water.

Kitchen appliances:

To properly clean any kitchen, it’s necessary to clean all appliances, although particularly those that are used the most, like the refrigerator, stove, microwave, and even the oven.

Refrigerator:

First and foremost, remove all foods from the refrigerator. Once this is done, begin by cleaning the crisper drawer. Empty it and wash it thoroughly with warm, soapy water. Continue with the meat drawer, washing it in the same way as the crisper drawer.

If there are any other drawers in the fridge, remove them and wash them, as well. Finally, clean the freezer. In order to do this, turn off the refrigerator and let any ice remnants thaw out. Wash everything with warm water and soap.

Some extra tips: You can make an amazing cleaning solution out of water and baking soda; just mix a tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water. White vinegar is also a great alternative. Also, to keep bad odors at bay, you can put a wedge of lemon in a plate and place that in the fridge.

Stove:

The process of cleaning a stove can differ depending on the material its cooktop is made of. Usually, there are two kinds of cooktops; gas and glass-ceramic. 

For gas cooktops, remove the burners and their caps, and then clean the area thoroughly with a kitchen degreaser or warm water and soap. Make sure that the burners are cold before you do this. After cleaning everything, replace the burners. 

For glass-ceramic cooktops, you must use special cleaning products, which you can find at any supermarket or convenience store. Before applying any product, however, you must remove any debris from the ceramic surface with a special scraper.

Make sure that the cooktop is completely cold before cleaning it. Also, if you spill milk, sugar or similar substances onto the cooktop, remove them immediately with a scraper. Never let them settle.

Some extra tips: In some cases, you can clean glass-ceramic cooktops with ammonia or detergent. Let them rest on the ceramic surface for an hour, then rinse and dry with a washcloth.

Microwave:

Start by soaking a washcloth in warm water and soap, then scrub both the inside and the outside of the microwave with it.

If there are any hard-to-remove stains, use a solution of water and baking soda instead.

Some extra tips: You can soften grease spots by putting lemon juice in a container and heating it until it releases vapor.

Oven:

Make sure that the oven is completely cold before cleaning it, and remove all foods and debris from inside the appliance. Soften any scraps of food with a damp dishcloth and remove them.

Use paper towels to remove the accumulated grease. Finally, scrub the entire interior and the door with a cloth soaked in warm water and dish soap. Rinse until it shines and then dry.

Some extra tips: For a more ‘eco-friendly’ approach, use baking soda instead of a commercial cleaning solution. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water, and use a spray bottle to spread the solution out through the oven’s interior. Let it rest for 12 hours.

To remove the solution, use a sponge soaked in white vinegar. Then, rinse the oven’s interior with a damp washcloth and turn on the oven at a temperature of 302 ºF (150 ºC) for 15 minutes to dry it.

Other appliances:

In the case of blenders, food processors and the like, remove all detachable parts. Clean them as if you would any kitchen utensil; wash them with warm water and soap in the sink, rinse them, and let them dry in a rack.

Then, clean both the interior and exterior surfaces of the appliance, making sure not to touch the motor at any time.

In general, it’s best to clean these appliances soon after use, to avoid food scraps and debris from sticking to their surfaces.

Surfaces:

Kitchen surfaces consist mostly of counters and tables. It’s very important to clean them every day, because it’s these surfaces that accumulate the most bacteria.

While you can use an antibacterial cleaning product to clean them, warm water and soap will be more than enough. Remove all crumbs, food scraps and debris with a damp sponge, and then spray the entire surface with a multipurpose cleaner.

However, there are a few specific things that you have to keep in mind when cleaning a counter.

• Marble counters are very delicate and they have a porous surface, so you have to wash, rinse and dry them quickly, so that water does not penetrate them.
• Wood counters, which can be made of maple, teak or mahogany, must be cleaned once a year with teak or rapeseed oil, rubbing it along the grain of the wood.
• Plastic laminate counters can be cleaned with water and a teaspoon of baking soda, then rinsed and dried.

Floor:

Leaving the best for last, it’s time to clean your kitchen floor. Depending on the material that it’s made of, you will require different cleaning products.

Once you have purchased the most adequate cleaning product for your floor, you can begin. First, sweep the kitchen to remove all dust and scraps that might have fallen onto the floor after cleaning everything else.

Then, fill half a bucket with warm water and add the recommended amount of cleaner listed in the package. Scrub the floors with a cloth soaked in the cleaning solution, making long, oval-like movements.

Repeat this step until you have cleaned the entire floor surface. If the cleaning solution must be rinsed, empty the bucket, fill it with cold water and scrub the floor once more.

You have finished! Hopefully these tips will help you keep your kitchen spotless!

And as always, remember you can give us a call if you need a professional cleaning service to help you take care of your home. Bookmark our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay tuned with our news and cleaning hacks. We’ll be back soon!

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