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Preparing for Late Summer Adventures: How a Clean Home Can Help

Are you ready to make your home a comfort zone for your grand finale of summer?

As summer draws to a close, the desire for one last adventure grows stronger. Yet, the thought of returning to a messy home can dampen even the most exciting plans. A clean home provides peace of mind and happiness but also sets the stage. By focusing on essential cleaning tasks, individuals can create a comfortable environment to return to after their final warm-weather outings.

For those seeking the Top luxury cleaning services in Snohomish County, maintaining a clean environment is crucial for complete comfort and readiness for new experiences. From organizing key areas to establishing a cleaning schedule, readers will discover how to create a pristine home with summer fun, ensuring they’re fully prepared to make the most of the season’s final days.

The Clean Home Affects Mental Health

How Cleanliness Affects Mental Well-being

A clean and organized living space has a significant impact on mental health. Research shows that individuals with cleaner homes report greater levels of health compared to those with cluttered spaces. Cleaning your surroundings can be a form of stress relief. It provides a sense of control and has a calming effect by engaging cognitive capacity in repetitive activities.

The Role of Order in Reducing Stress

Order and structure in the outer environment help manage internal emotional states. A 2017 study found that clutter was linked to procrastination, feeling overwhelmed, and lower quality of life in young adults. Clearing away clutter allows the brain to focus on tasks one at a time, reducing overstimulation from too many visual stimuli. This increased ability to concentrate can lead to improved mental health.

Clean Spaces as Motivation for Adventure

A tidy living environment can serve as a motivator for new experiences and adventures. By creating a clean and organized space, individuals prepare themselves mentally for upcoming activities. A clutter-free home provides a sense of readiness and reduces the stress associated with returning to a messy environment after an outing. This psychological preparation can enhance the enjoyment of late summer adventures and make the transition back home more pleasant.

For those in need of Premier home cleaning in Everett or Professional cleaning services near me in Lynnwood, focusing on essential areas will help create a welcoming atmosphere.

The entryway serves as the first impression of a home and often becomes a dumping ground for various items. To prepare for late summer adventures, it’s crucial to organize this space 

Essential Areas to Focus on for Late Summer Cleaning

Entryway Organization Effectively. A well-organized entryway creates a welcoming atmosphere and reduces stress upon returning home.

To achieve this, consider implementing the following:

  • Install a credenza, console, or long table for storage and aesthetic appeal.
  • Use baskets for storing shoes, sunglasses, and other small items.
  • Place a designated catch-all plate or bowl for keys and wallets.
  • Add hooks for hanging coats, hats, and bags.
  • Utilize under-cabinet space for additional storage.

For families, consider assigning individual storage spaces, such as lockers or sturdy bins, to keep everyone’s belongings separate and easily accessible.

Kitchen and Dining Area Refresh

A clean and organized kitchen is important for enjoying late summer activities. Here are some of the cleaning tasks that you can do:

  • Clean as you go while cooking to maintain tidiness.
  • Wipe down cabinets, counters, and appliances weekly.
  • Organize kitchen drawers and cabinets regularly.
  • Create designated zones for different activities (e.g., prep, coffee, cooking).
  • Incorporate fresh flowers and herbs to bring summer indoors.
  • Setting up a breakfast station can make mornings more enjoyable for family and guests, allowing for leisurely starts to summer days.

Bedroom and Bathroom Overhaul

A refreshing room creates a relaxing atmosphere for winding down after summer adventures. Here are some of the cleaning tasks that you can do in your room:

  • Bedroom:
    • Rearrange furniture to create a fresh look.
    • Introduce summer-themed pillows and throws.
    • Use low-maintenance plants for a touch of nature.
  • Bathroom:
    • Create vignettes using decorative items on tub surrounds or small tables.
    • Incorporate white linens for a crisp summer feel.
    • Add scented candles and luxurious bath products.
    • Use a mix of fresh, dried, and faux flowers for decoration.

For those looking for Trusted cleaners in Bothell or High-end residential cleaning in Woodinville, focusing on these essential areas will help ensure a cleaner, more inviting home.

Balancing Home Cleanliness with Summer Fun

Maintaining a clean home during summer doesn’t have to interfere with enjoying the season. By implementing efficient strategies and involving family members, individuals can strike a balance between cleanliness and summer activities.

Quick Cleaning Hacks

Homeowners can employ a “clean as you go” strategy to maintain housekeeping without sacrificing leisure time. This includes routinely cleaning kitchen appliances, mopping countertops, and organizing living areas. Maintaining order and creating a comfortable environment to wake up to every morning can be achieved with a nightly routine that includes giving the house a quick once-over, picking up stray items, and fluffing pillows.

Involving Family Members in Cleaning Tasks

To maintain a clean house over the summer needs a team cleaning strategy. Parents can help their children with age-appropriate chores like dusting, cleaning windows, and mirrors. This helps kids learn responsibility and a sense of ownership over their home environment in addition to distributing the burden. Using chore charts or creating a cleaning plan might assist family members in knowing their duties without the need for continuous reminders.

Creating Clean Areas for Relaxation

Designating specific areas as “sanitized areas” can provide spaces for relaxation amidst summer activities. These zones can be maintained with minimal effort, such as keeping outdoor cushions and pillows clean and bringing them inside during inclement weather. By focusing on these areas, families can enjoy clean, comfortable spaces for relaxation without feeling overwhelmed by constant cleaning demands.

Conclusion

A clean and organized home has a significant impact on our mental well-being and readiness for late summer adventures. By focusing on key areas like the entryway, kitchen, and bedrooms, we can create a welcoming space that sets the stage for enjoyable outings. This approach not only reduces stress but also makes the transition back home more pleasant, allowing us to fully savor the final days of summer.

Balancing home cleanliness with summer fun is achievable through quick cleaning hacks, involving family members, and creating clean zones for relaxation. These strategies help maintain a clean living environment without sacrificing your time to relax. By adopting these practices and considering professional assistance from services like Top luxury cleaning services in Snohomish County or High-end residential cleaning in Woodinville, we can enjoy a happier, cleaner home that enhances our late summer experiences and leaves us feeling refreshed and ready to embrace new adventures.

 

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CLEANING TIPS GREEN HOUSEKEEPING IN THE BATHROOM

Easy Green Bathroom Cleaning Tips

So many of our customers prefer green cleaning products, and we completely understand why. We like green cleaning products for everyday cleaning because they tend to be gentler on your skin and lungs, without the harsh smells and chemicals of more conventional products. However, sometimes green products don’t seem to work as well. In the bathroom especially, you want to know that you’re doing a thorough cleaning job and getting rid of germs. So we’ve put together this helpful list of some of our favorite green bathroom cleaning tips so you can keep your bathroom clean, green, and healthy. Most of these tips can be accomplished with simple household items–the big three being vinegar, baking soda, and dish soap.

Preventive maintenance green cleaning of sink and shower drains

Maintenance cleaning is your best friend in general, but especially when it comes to green bathroom cleaning. Once a week, pour ½ cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let sit for 20 minutes and then flush the drain with hot (preferably close to boiling) water.

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Green cleaning process for tub and shower walls

Spraying the whole shower with vinegar and letting it sit can help loosen stubborn stains, soap scum and grime.

  • Fiberglass: Clean using a paste made from dish soap and baking soda, wiping with a sponge. 
  • Porcelain: To remove stains from porcelain using only green products, try spraying them with lemon juice and then sprinkling with alum powder. Work into the stain and let sit overnight. The next morning, add a little more lemon juice and scrub the stains off. 
  • Non-skid strips and appliques: Apply baking soda to wet or damp appliques. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and then scrub and rinse. 
  • Marble/stone showers: Many homeowners opt for natural stone or marble in their bathrooms because of the way it looks. Check with your manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning products before applying anything to your marble or stone shower. These materials can be etched or stained by certain acidic or alkaline compounds–even all-natural ones! Even water can eventually wear away and dissolve marble and other natural materials. We like to use a mild, green dish soap on marble for green bathroom cleaning, because it is gentle and pH neutral.
  • Bonus tip: if you take a lot of baths, putting 2 tablespoons of baking soda in your bathwater can help prevent a ring from forming around the tub.

Green cleaning solutions for grout

Baking soda is your go-to yet again for brightening up dingy bathroom grout. Make a paste of baking soda and dishwasher soap and scrub it into the grout. Then all you need to do is rinse it off. Our technicians love their toothbrush scrub brushes for detailed work like grout and the rings around drains.

Weekly process for toilets

Pour half a cup of vinegar into the toilet and let sit for half an hour. Sprinkle baking soda onto your toilet brush and then scrub the toilet.

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Let the Professionals Help!

Let Clean and Simple Cleaning™ help! We are firm believers in using the best tools for every project (meaning that sometimes we’ll pull out the heavy-duty stuff when the situation calls for it!). However, our standard cleaning process is largely green. We even offer exclusive green cleaning services for our customers who prefer it–at no extra cost! 

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CLEANING TIPS IN THE BATHROOM

Bathroom Tile Cleaning Tips: How to Get a Deep, Sparkling Clean

Cleaning bathroom tile is no easy task. And you certainly don’t want to spend hours and hours discovering the best way to clean bathroom floor tiles, or scrubbing and scrubbing to get your bathroom tile to a dazzling shine. 

You’d much rather spend time with your family in Mukilteo, picnicking and beachcombing at Lighthouse Park, than you would in the bathroom, on your hands and knees, cleaning bathroom tile. Who can blame you? Cleaning bathrooms is tough work.

So what is the best way to clean bathroom tile? Let’s eliminate unnecessary time scrubbing, by discussing the best techniques to get your tile to sparkle, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

How to Clean Bathroom Floor Tiles

All kinds of things get tracked into your bathroom and onto the floor. Dirt and bacteria accumulate quickly, and if you’re getting ready in the bathroom, hairspray can just cement it all onto the floor.

The more you think about how gross the floor of a bathroom can be, the more you will want to clean it. How can you get your floor sanitized, hairspray-free, and looking its best? Let’s take a look at the proper steps: how to clean bathroom tile floor.

–  Clear the floor of all obstacles like bath mats or rugs, and the trash can. Then, get rid of dirt and dust by sweeping or vacuuming. This is a great time to toss your bathroom rug in the wash, too! If you plan to vacuum your floors, make sure the vacuum is on a setting suitable for hard flooring.

–  A mop is the best way to clean a tile floor, but if you have a small space and/or extremely tight corners to clean, you may want to use a rag instead.

–  Fill a bucket with warm water and a good floor cleaner. Here are some of the very best available. Or you can also try this remedy, using a gallon of hot water and a cup of vinegar, if you don’t want to use harsh chemicals.

–  Dip your mop or rag into the cleaning solution, and wring out most of the water. Too much liquid can leave you with a bigger mess, and even damage some kinds of flooring.

–  Starting at the far end of the bathroom and working your way towards the door, mop the floor. You may need to dunk and wring out the mop a few more times as you go.

–  To clean your grout if it’s still not looking the way it should, you can use a special antifungal grout cleaner or bleach-based cleaner, testing it in a small area first. Apply the cleaner, let it sit for at least 10 minutes, and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush. Don’t forget that bleach-based sprays and solutions should never be used on marble tile.

How to Clean Shower Tile

Grime on your shower tile is different from the grime on other tile surfaces in your bathroom, and it presents its own set of challenges if you’re hoping for a sparkling clean shower. 

Hard water, soap scum, and dirt and grime build-up and leave your shower tile looking less than its best, and this combination can seem next to impossible to remove. And how to clean bathroom tile stains? If you’re wondering how to clean shower tile so it’s free of this buildup, you’re not alone.

To restore your shower back to its former glory, here’s the best way to tackle the buildup of water, soap, and grime.

-Start by running the shower with hot, hot water for 10 minutes (or just clean it after you’ve showered). The hot water opens the tile’s pores, which will make it easier to clean.

-Mix equal parts water and vinegar and fill a spray bottle.

-Spray the solution onto the tile spraying more of it in the dirtier areas and in between the tiles, where the grout is.

-Let the solution set for at least 5 minutes to loosen soap scum. If your shower is particularly grimy, you may need to let the solution sit for as long as 30 minutes to really loosen everything up.

-Scrub the soap scum with a stiff brush to further loosen the buildup.

-Rinse everything away with warm water.

-Mix 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water in a bowl -it should be thick, like toothpaste- to really deep clean the tiles. If there are especially difficult stains, you can substitute half the water for hydrogen peroxide. (If you don’t want to make your own mixture, or have a tile cleaner you prefer instead, you can use a tile cleaner instead of this at-home remedy.)

-Apply this paste with a sponge, applying it more generously to the grout and the areas that need attention.

-Spray the paste with more of the vinegar-water solution. The baking soda and the vinegar will react, making it bubble, and the vinegar will help continue to break down the soap scum.

-Scrub everything down again with a stiff brush, and rinse with warm water.

-Dry the tiles off with a towel.

You can repeat these steps as necessary to get a sparkling clean shine, and to remove all the tougher buildup that may remain after your first cleaning.

You deserve a clean bathroom, floor to ceiling. And if you’d rather spend your time enjoying your family, enjoying time exploring the outdoors, or if your commute from Mukilteo to Seattle and back is taking up too much of your time, let Clean & Simple Cleaning take care of your bathroom tile -and the rest of your home- for you. 

We offer exceptional house cleaning services right here in Mukilteo, and we’ve got the happy clients and clean homes to back up our offer. From regular maintenance cleaning to deep-cleaning, to move-in and move-out cleaning assistance, and even green, eco-friendly cleaning, we offer all kinds of services to clean your home with as much care as if it were our own.

Clean and Simple Cleaning™’s goal is the same as it was when the company was created years ago: to provide top-quality, affordable house cleaning services so you don’t have to spend your weekends cleaning your home. Instead, you can focus on what matters most to you. Your time is precious. Our time is affordable. Let us help you with your bathroom tile, your home, and your time!

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CLEANING TIPS IN THE BATHROOM

Effective Mold Removal: Top Solutions for a Safe, Clean Home

It’s unsightly, smells, and can make you sick. Mold is the last thing you want to find in your Seattle home. If caught quickly, however, it should be easy to remove by yourself. No matter where you find mold in your home, there are safe, effective ways to remove it from a variety of household materials and to prevent it from coming back. 

All you need are some basic household supplies and a general understanding of what mold is and what kills mold to get your house back to its original mold-free condition. 

What Is Mold?

First of all, what is this nasty household infestation called mold? Mold is a fungus made up of minuscule living organisms that thrive in moist environments like your damp bathroom or basement. Mold and its spores are everywhere. There are over 100,000 types of mold, and every homeowner finds at least one type in their home at some point. 

Many types of mold are harmless, even useful–others are dangerous. Either way, you don’t want it in your home. Mold breaks down matter, triggers allergies, and can make people sick. It also looks like soil build-up. 

Because mold is a living organism, the best methods for getting rid of it involve killing and removing the mold; otherwise, it will come back quickly. As long as household mold is contained to a small area, you should be able to do this yourself. 

What Kills Mold: Bleach vs Vinegar

Uh oh, you found mold. What do you do? Most homeowners’ response is to douse it in bleach or another cleaning chemical. Unfortunately, while these cleaners are toxic to you and your family, they don’t do much to mold. The real mold killer is vinegar. 

How does vinegar kill mold when harsh chemicals can’t? Well, bleach can clean off surface mold, but its chemical structure prevents it from permeating porous materials where mold spores have dug in deep and built a protective membrane. It just can’t get to the root of the problem.

Vinegar, on the other hand, can penetrate porous materials and attack the mold membrane with its acidity, effectively killing the entire mold colony so no surviving spores can reproduce and grow back. Bleach might clean a moldy surface temporarily, but vinegar can wipe it out completely.

How to Get Rid of Mold with Vinegar and Other All-natural Solutions

So now that you know bleach doesn’t work, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of mold with vinegar and if that’s the only solution.

Good questions! Vinegar is very easy to use on mold, and there are other equally easy and effective non-toxic mold killers you can try as well. Here are the best all-natural ways to get rid of mold in your Seattle home: 

Vinegar: Simply put some vinegar in a spray bottle and generously spray the moldy surface. Let the vinegar sit for at least an hour while it works its magic. Finally, wipe the area with water and a cloth or paper towels and let air dry. That’s it!

Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is an antifungal that works similarly to vinegar on hard surfaces. Pour 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle, soak the moldy surface, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub off the mold and wipe everything down to remove any residue. 

Baking soda: This mild ingredient has the right pH to effectively kill mold without being dangerous to pets and people. Just mix a quarter of a tablespoon of baking soda in a spray bottle of water and spray the moldy area. Scrub the area and rinse with water. Then spray the area again and let it dry. If any residue remains, wipe it off with a damp cloth. 

Tea tree oil: You may not have this in your cupboard, but you can find tea tree oil at health food stores or online. It is a very effective fungicide that can be used to kill mold. Mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil with two cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray the mold and let it sit for 24 hours. Clean off the dead mold. 

 

 

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When to Call the Professionals

Most mold infestations Seattle residents experience are minor enough to handle yourself with the above solutions. Some die-hard DIY-ers can even tackle larger infestations themselves if they take appropriate precautions. However, some mold problems do require the experts. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency offers some guidelines for when mold is too dangerous to remove yourself. They discourage homeowners from attempting mold removal if the affected area is larger than 10 square feet. You should also not attempt major mold removal if you do not have the proper protective gear or fumigation equipment. If you are not confident in your skills of recognizing mold, repairing mold damage, or safely removing mold, do not try to do it yourself. 

How to Prevent Mold

After removing mold, you may wonder how to prevent it from coming back. Remember, mold loves damp surfaces, so controlling moisture and humidity in your home is key. You can do this with proper ventilation in steamy rooms or around appliances that produce moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other places where water seeps into your home, like foundation cracks.

You should also avoid letting water collect and stand. Redirect rainwater away from your foundation, clean and repair roof gutters, and dry spills or flooding immediately. Use a dehumidifier and fans to dry wet spots. Launder wet clothing and bedding immediately. The fewer wet surfaces in your Seattle home, the less attractive it will be to mold spores.

Luckily, most mold can be managed by keeping a clean house. Having a clean house has never been easier for Seattle families who hire the expert cleaning services of Clean and Simple. Our highly rated services discourage mold and catch those occasional infestations while they’re still small. 

If you want to have a perfectly clean and mold-free Seattle home week after week, get started today with a free quote from Clean and Simple!

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IN THE BATHROOM

12 Easy and Affordable DIY Bathroom Makeover Ideas

There are some truly gorgeous bathroom makeovers out there.  I can lose an hour just scrolling through before and after pictures on Pinterest.  Of course, the price tag on a lot of those makeovers is enormous, which is why I like finding simple DIY projects to tide me over in the meantime.  I look for projects that are affordable, functional, and produce results I know I’ll love.

Here’s a list of some of my favorites:

  1. Towel rack made out of a ladder: exactly as it says on the label. Find an old wooden ladder, sand and repaint or varnish, prop it up against your bathroom wall and you have a fun, vintage-y towel rack.
  2. Repurpose wooden drawers for storage: wooden drawers from filing cabinets or dressers can be easily repurposed by gluing a scrap of patterned fabric cut to fit the front of the drawer, and then used for storage (think washcloths and toiletries: all those difficult-to-corral odds and ends).
  3. Reuse old glass jars as bathroom organization. This is a step above easy for me (there are power tools involved), but it makes use of non-mason jars (i.e., the kind you most likely have on hand at any given moment, like empty pickle jars) for a cute and functional organizational item.
  4. Coil rug. This is a simple project that yields professional-looking results: a standard coil rug made out of braided polypropylene rope, all you need in addition to the rope is a pair of scissors and some duct tape.  Start coiling your rope into a flat coil, using duct tape to hold it in place.  Once you’ve coiled the length of the rope, put on another layer of duct tape.  Flip it over and admire your finished rug!
  5. Add a frame to your mirror. The difference this one change makes is so surprising, and it’s not too difficult of a project.
  6. Repaint your existing vanity and update with new pulls and hardware. Why buy a whole new vanity when you can transform the current one with about $20?
  7. Hanging storage baskets. Easy and practical.
  8. Reclaimed wood art (also includes directions for a towel rack). Ok, this is another one that overshoots the “easy” mark by a little bit.  But I love the look of some of these pieces, enough to think the extra work is worth it.
  9. DIY shell candles. These break a little with my “functionality” criteria, but they’re irresistibly whimsical.
  10. Hanging air plants. Also not exactly functional, but for a unique and easy infusion of green into your bathroom, this project really can’t be beat.
  11. Bathroom cabinet organization. This one checks all my boxes – it’s easy, it’s practical, it’s cheap, and it provides seriously satisfying results (the magnet idea for bobby pins is genius).
  12. Rolling crate storage. This project might look a bit intimidating at first (the power tools make a reappearance), but the directions are clear and easy to follow, and the result is totally impressive.

What are your favorite easy DIY projects?  Or how about your dream bathroom makeover?