Did you know that sustainable practices are not only great for the environment but also beneficial for your well-being?
By Jessica Bree
A feature on green lifestyles from the World Economic Forum found that environmentally friendly and sustainable actions improve the feelings of wellness in people, regardless of socioeconomic status. Small actions such as reducing food waste, buying greener products, and donating money to environmental campaigns boost happiness.
The best thing about sustainable living is that it can start with minor actions — and what better way to begin than to make little impactful changes from the comforts of our home? Maryville University outlines that sustainable living is the practice of making conscious lifestyle choices that reduce your impact on the environment. Switching your diet from plant-based foods, for example, could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 84%. Aside from what you eat, you can make sustainable choices that keep your home cleaner and healthier to live in. Today, we’ll discuss some of the sustainable practices you can start doing to keep your home clean — without harming the environment
Avoid harmful cleaning products
The chemicals in most house cleaning products are not great for the planet and those living in the house. Air fresheners are popular because they claim to improve indoor air quality while making your rooms smell good. By law, however, air freshener companies are allowed to keep ingredients confidential as the US Food and Drug Administration deems them trade secrets, which keeps consumers from knowing the complete list of ingredients or chemicals used. While the ingredients used may not always seem directly harmful or toxic, they can create new substances when mixed with the ozone, called secondary pollutants. Some secondary pollutants include formaldehyde — a known carcinogen.
Instead of relying on harmful cleaning products, look into organic or healthier alternatives by researching common brands. Outside of products, you can also look into DIY practices. Instead of buying air fresheners, try opening your windows to air out rooms. Combined with regular cleaning, this prevents the buildup of dust and mold, which often cause seasonal allergies. We’ve previously written about allergies in our post ‘What’s an Allergy and How to Avoid Them’. We covered how ignoring symptoms of an allergy could potentially lead to conditions like asthma. By keeping your home clean with sustainable products, you can prevent the development of these health conditions.
Upcycle old items
If you’re looking into redecorating your home on top of deep cleaning, thinking twice about what you want to do with your old, unused furniture and other household items is essential to stay environmentally friendly. Upcycling can help you create one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and interior decor. Recycling your old furniture to repurpose or combine with other materials can result in aesthetically pleasing “new” furniture that is unique and all yours.
When decluttering, think creatively about other purposes for which you can use items in your junk pile. An old coffee table and a collection of jeans that no longer fit can make for an exciting sofa set if you don’t mind getting crafty. The possibilities are endless, and in doing so, you contribute less harmful waste to the environment — while being able to re-envision your living space.
Don’t buy disposable items, take the sustainable route
Finally, it’s essential to be an eco-conscious consumer, even when thinking of house cleaning. Avoiding harmful cleaning products is a great start, but you should assess if you’re using smaller purchases that may harm the environment in less obvious ways.
Opting for dish rags instead of disposable paper towels, for instance, can help reduce trash production. Other replaceable everyday items include disposable water bottles — why not get reusable ones that might look better too? Investing in reusable products helps save you money and protect the planet; moreover, you won’t need to store the many packs of paper towels or plastic utensils that clutter your house.
Remember that at Leticia’s First Class Cleaning we can give you help with green products to do our bit. Reach us and get a Free Estimate.
Today we’ll talk about the difference between cleaning, disinfecting and disinfecting so you’ll know which suits your needs best.
A common misconception is to think that cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing are the same thing, but nothing can be farther the truth. According to MedlinePlus, here are the differences:
Cleaning: Consists on removing dirt, dust, crumbs, and germs from surfaces or objects. It is done with soap or detergent and water. Removes some germs, but the most resistant and most likely the most dangerous can be ketp alive and spread infection.
Disinfecting: Is using chemicals to get rid of the germs on surfaces and objects. Between the most common disinfectants we can find bleach and alcohol solutions. You need to leave the disinfectant on the surfaces and objects for a certain period of time to kill the germs. However Disinfecting doesn’t mean to clean properly the surface.
Sanitizing: It means that you are lowering the number of germs to a safe level. What is considered a safe level depends on public health standards or requirements at a workplace, school, etc. This requirments depend on which kind of facility will require the procedure; for example, there are sanitizing procedures for restaurants and other facilities that prepare food. It requires both cleaning and disinfecting.
Choosing a cleaning service can be complicated if you’re not familiar with the definition of cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing.
After the COVID-19 pandemic everyone took special attention to these processes to avoid the spreadint of the virus and it’s a good habit to keep, However, there are some considerations when keeping the products needed to clean or disinfect. It’s important to follow these procedures to keep your family safe and sound. Make sure to read the labels on their boxes or bottles to prevent accidents.
If you need specialized and deep cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing, at Leticia’s First Class Cleaning we’re experts and have the credentials to prove it. Request an estimate today and stop worrying about germs.
Halloween is just around the corner and besides a good, deep cleaning, it’s important to keep these items on your Halloween party list to stop worrying at the 11th Hour and have a great time!
First of all, you need to define all the activities you want to do at your Halloween Party. Wanna play a drinking game? Wanna go Trick or Treatin’? Having a themed party? All those things need to be mapped for two main reasons: To know if you have all the materials required for the activity and if your place has all the infrastructure to host it. Remember: NEVER play Beer-Pong in a small apartment. Your neighbors and future you will be forever grateful.
As stated above, now you have mapped your party activities. Do you have all the decorations and consumables for your party? Let’s put it this way: If you’re going for a Vampire-themed Halloween party, some guests dressed as werewolves can kill the mood. Trust us on this one, we’ve read the Twilight Saga enough to know that.
Now, keep in mind that if you’re going to host a little soireé, you have to treat your guests with refreshers and appetizers. The bigger the party, the larger the service you’ll need. Maybe consider a B.Y.O.S (Bring your own stuff) approach. That doesn’t mean you’re being cheap, it really means that you want your guests to be as comfortable as they can be with their tastes and dietary requirements; just make sure to state it in your invitation.
Dietary requirements, that’s a spooky term you can avoid easily, just make sure to ask your guests away and plan accordingly. Request the allergy list or food restrictions to have a menu that keep your guests happy.
Learn to prepare a couple of drinks. Include cocktails and alcohol-free beverages to appeal to everyone’s taste. Try them in advance so you won’t miss the mark during your party; remember: ALWAYS drink responsibly. The guests’ safety lie upon the host, so you need to be alert at all times.
Lastly, make sure to have an SPOOKTACULAR time and enjoy yourself with your guests! Don’t worry of the post-party cleaning. You can always give us a call and we’ll make your home look as if you’ve never had a party.
*This blog post doesn’t contain ads nor sponsored content. We don’t receive any compensation for any purchase made on any external websites.
Every year we have a couple of seasons where allergies can be a drag, but… Do you know exactly what are allergies and how to avoid them?
When someone has a harmful reaction to some substances or agents that are harmless to most of us we can talk about allergies and these agents are called allergens. The most common allegergens can be pets, polen, ticks, mould and some food.
It’s important to know that every single substance can be a cause allergic reactions, in some cases physicians have documented allergies to jewelery made of gold, or blood itself, for example. Even though they’re incredibly uncommon.
Usually allergies can cause symptoms like:
Nose and/or eyes swelling.
Skin irritation.
Difficulty breathing, resulting in asthma.
Whenever the allergens enters the body, the reaction happens and they trigger an antibody response, realeasing histamine. Sometimes that reaction is way too severe and immediate medical action is required; but for mild allergic reactions we can consider medication such as nasal sprays or Antihistamines; but sometimes prevention is your best tool.
One of the most common allergies is related to dust-mites, so we highly suggest a deep cleaning at the very beginning of each season, specially during spring and fall, when some allergens are present in the environment.
If you want to learn more about allergies, you can check it out at the CDC website, and remember: Always make sure to take a physician’s opinion.
It’s not impossible to own a pet and having a clean home. You and your furry friends deserve a clean home and with these tips your home will look neat and tidy.
Brush your pet twice a week: This will decrease the amount of hair laying in the house. And it’ll be beneficial for both your family and your pets, especially cats.
Get mats for their bowls: We know that they can be messy while eating and drinking. A mat well placed under their bowl can help reduce all the spills.
Meet your new best friend, a hand vacuum: This item will come in handy whenever you see hair laying around.
Have toys all around your home: That will help your pets release their energy and avoid any chewing and scratches on your precious furniture, use this instead of repellent since it has a terrible odor and can leave stains.
Add shaving cream to your cleaning products: So… The inevitable happened and now you have a suspicious stain in your furniture or carpet. Shaving cream will help you in that emergency to get rid of those stains.
Train your pets: A simple, but effective way to keep your home clean is a little bit of training. Let them know where the litter or place to do their business is and be patient. Usually with a month or two to create a routine will do the trick.
Trim their claws and nails: Make sure that their nails are short to avoid unnecessary destruction and scratching. Avoid declawing at all costs, it’s painful and it can have terrible consequences on their behavior.
Wipe their paws: Particularly on dogs, after walking them, use wipes to clean their paws and have a special carpet to dry them.
We’re sure that they’re many other tips, but with these basics you’ll see an improvement in your home. Remember that we can help you with your deep cleaning to have a cozy home. Reach us for a free estimate.
Fall season is upon us and it’s a great time to get rid of the clutter with a good ol’ cleaning!
That’s why we created a 7-week plan to get your home cozy for this season. Learn how to get ready and let’s make this Autumn cleaning less of a chore.
Let’s start with the outside of your home:
Week 1 – Outside.
Clean the gutters.
Clean your Grill and your outside furniture.
Clean out your pool.
Remove all the clutter and junk on your yard.
Trim your trees and plants.
Week 2 – Garage.
This is where things start getting exciting inside your home. Let’s start with the garage. With these tips you can even organize a yard sale and earn a few extra bucks!
Take out all the decorations you’ll require for this season. Sort them and get rid of all that unwanted stuff.
Same as with your decoration, sort all the unwanted stuff you have on your garage. It’s important to make it a family activity so you can keep all the sentimental value things your loved ones possess.
Clean and dust your cabinets and boxes you they won’t have any funny smells.
Check out for any spilled oil and clean the floor.
Week 3 – Windows, curtains and blinds.
Now that your garage is clean and free of clutter, let’s go with your windows, curtains, and blinds.
Dust your window frames.
Wash your windows. You can do it with a glass cleaner or with a little bit of vinegar.
Wash your curtains or clean your blinds. Be sure to check the instructions to avoid ruining the garment. Remember that lace, linen, satin, and silk drapes and shades need to be sent to a professional cleaner.
Week 4 – Kitchen.
The kitchen is where many of us raise the white flag mainly because we want to have it all clean by the end of the day, or because the fridge may contain some… Dubious stuff. Remember to wear a mask to reduce the smell if necessary.
Start with all the surfaces on the kitchen, since we’ll need them clean to put all our stuff. Usually, a clean cloth and a multipurpose cleaner will do the trick. If mold is present, you can use a cleaning product to remove it, but make sure to leave that surface perfectly dry from now on.
Clean your stove and oven. This will take time. Be patient and prepared. If possible, disassemble as much as you can to reach everywhere.
Pull out your fridge and take out everything (and we really mean it). Dispose of everything that needs to be disposed of, such as food past their expiration date, old containers, the baking soda that probably is older than you. Everything. Wash it and rearrange your fridge.
Vacuum the back of your fridge.
Empty your cupboards and repeat the same same steps above.
If necessary, renew all your cleaning cloths.
Week 5 – Bathrooms.
Another room that can cause concern are the bathrooms. Don’t be afraid to clean them! We’ll start nice and easy:
Empty your cabinets and clean them thoroughly. Dispose of anything past their expiration date.
Wash down your bathtub, bathroom sink and toilet. Don’t mix cleaning products (that applies always, but specially in the bathroom since it’s almost certain that it’ll be enclosed).
Wash down the walls
Change your towels. Remember, they need to be changed at least twice a month.
Week 6 – Living Room.
We’re almost done! The living room is one of the easier rooms to clean, usually takes a good vacuum, dusting and, if you have carpet, the help of a professional always comes at hand.
Take a good look at the lighting fixtures and smoke detectors and be ready to change bulbs and batteries.
Week 7 – Bedrooms.
Same as the living room, even if they look daunting, it can be simple as 1-2-3 to have them clean. A good swipe, or vacuum and be ready to get rid of any unwanted stuff that takes too much space.
With these tips we’re sure you’ll be ready to welcome Fall season, and if you need special assistance, remember that we’re here to help you. Fill out our form and request a free estimate.
Remember, you name it, we clean it and disinfect it!
