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Embrace a Healthier, Greener Approach to Cleaning with Safe Alternatives

Why switch from chemical cleaners to safer alternatives?

In today's environmentally conscious world, many people try to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals and adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle. One area where this shift is particularly beneficial is in our cleaning routines. Traditional chemical cleaning products often contain harsh ingredients that put your health and the environment at risk. That poses health risks to people and the environment. You can create a clean and healthy living environment by switching to safer alternatives without compromising effectiveness. Let's delve into why it's time to make the switch.

Section 1: The Hazards of Chemical Cleaners

Understanding the Risks

Chemical cleaners, while effective in their cleaning power, could pose a negative impact on your health and the environment. These products often contain toxic substances such as ammonia, bleach, and phthalates, which can cause respiratory problems, and skin irritations and even contribute to long-term health issues. Additionally, the chemicals in these cleaners can contaminate our water systems, harm aquatic life, and contribute to air pollution. A safer approach to cleaning is necessary.

Section 2: The Safest Way to Clean

Exploring Natural and Non-Toxic Alternatives

Fortunately, a wide array of safe and effective alternatives to chemical cleaning products can achieve the same level of cleanliness without the associated risks. Here are some options to consider:

Vinegar and Baking Soda: A Dynamic Duo

Vinegar and baking soda, when combined, create a powerful cleaning agent that can tackle various household cleaning tasks. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and deodoriser while baking soda helps scrub dirt and grime away. This dynamic duo proves its efficacy in maintaining a clean home, from kitchen surfaces to bathroom fixtures.

The Power of Citrus

Citrus fruits, such as lemons and oranges, possess natural cleaning properties. The acidic nature of citrus helps dissolve stains, remove grease, and freshen up surfaces. Mixing water and lemon juice is one of the best alternatives to commercial cleaners for stainless steel appliances, countertops, and cutting boards. They leave behind a refreshing scent.

Harnessing the Magic of Essential Oils

Essential oils not only provide pleasing aromas but also possess antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil are popular choices for natural cleaning. Adding drops of essential oil to water can create a refreshing and effective cleaning solution for floors, windows, and other surfaces.

Hydrogen Peroxide: An Oxidising Agent

Hydrogen peroxide is an effective alternative for disinfecting surfaces and removing stains. It has powerful antibacterial properties and can sanitise countertops, cutting boards, and bathroom fixtures. Mix a small amount of hydrogen peroxide with water in a spray bottle.

Natural Scrubbing Agents

Natural scrubbing agents such as salt, baking soda, and borax can be your allies for tough stains and grime. These abrasives help remove stubborn dirt without the need for harsh chemicals. Add baking soda or salt to the surface, scrub gently, and watch the grime disappear.

Section 3: Preventing Risk from Chemicals

How to Avoid or Minimise Exposure

While switching to safer cleaning alternatives is a great step, taking precautions to avoid or minimise exposure to harmful chemicals is also essential. Here are some additional tips to consider:

Choose Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

Opt for cleaning products that are labelled as environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable. Look for certifications like EcoLogo or Green Seal, ensuring the products meet specific environmental standards.

Make Your DIY Cleaners

Another way to avoid chemicals is by making your DIY cleaning solutions using simple ingredients in your pantry. For example, a mixture of vinegar, water, and drops of essential oil can help create an all-purpose cleaner for various surfaces in your home. Baking soda and water form a paste that can scrub sinks, tubs, and tiles. By making your cleaners, you have full control over the ingredients. It also allows you to customise the scents to your liking.

Practice Proper Dilution

When using concentrated cleaning products, following the instructions for dilution is crucial. Overusing or using products at higher concentrations than recommended can increase the risk of chemical exposure. Diluting the cleaning solutions appropriately ensures effective cleaning while minimising potential hazards.

Store Chemicals Safely

If you still have some chemical cleaning products at home, storing them properly is essential to prevent accidents and minimise exposure. Keep them on a high shelf or locked cabinet or a high shelf out of reach of children and pets. Ensure that the containers are tightly closed to avoid leaks or spills.

Use Protective Gear

When handling any cleaning products, including safer alternatives, wearing protective gear such as gloves and goggles is a good practice. So your kids and pets can't reach them. This provides an extra layer of protection against direct contact with the cleaning solutions and reduces the risk of skin irritation or eye damage.

Reduce Plastic Waste with Sustainable Cleaning Tools

In addition to switching to safer cleaning alternatives, it's essential to consider the tools and accessories you use during your cleaning routine. Many traditional cleaning tools, such as single-use wipes, plastic scrub brushes, and disposable mop heads, add to the ocean's and landfills' waste. By opting for sustainable alternatives, you can further minimise your environmental impact. Replace disposable wipes with washable microfiber cloths or reusable cotton cloths. Choose biodegradable or compostable scrub brushes from natural materials like bamboo or coconut fibres. Consider investing in a high-quality, reusable mop with washable pads. These sustainable choices reduce plastic waste and provide long-term cost savings.

By incorporating sustainable cleaning tools into your routine, you align your cleaning practices with an eco-friendly mindset, reducing the overall environmental footprint of your cleaning efforts.

By switching from chemical cleaners to safe alternatives, you protect your health and add to a cleaner and greener environment. Chemical cleaning products pose various risks to our well-being and the planet, from harmful health effects to water pollution. Fortunately, natural and non-toxic alternatives, such as vinegar, baking soda, citrus fruits, essential oils, and hydrogen peroxide, offer effective cleaning solutions without the associated hazards.

In addition to using these safe alternatives, it's important to take preventive measures to minimise exposure to chemicals. Choosing environmentally friendly cleaning products, making your DIY cleaners, practising proper dilution, storing chemicals safely, and using protective gear are all steps towards safer cleaning practices.

Take a step towards using safer alternatives today and experience the benefits of a healthier home and a cleaner environment. By embracing these alternatives, you can clean with confidence, knowing that you are safeguarding your well-being and playing your part in preserving the planet for future generations.

© FastKlean

Aggressive chemical-based cleaning products may have a negative effect on your health, and they are often really pricey. On the other hand, eco-friendly cleaning alternatives are safe and much more affordable. So whether you want to deep clean the house or a quick cleanup is on your agenda, try the methods below for a natural cleaning routine:

• Green clean the windows – if you haven’t cleaned the windows for a while, an eco-friendly vinegar-based cleaning mixture is what you should rely on. Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with half a cup of white vinegar, half a cup of rubbing alcohol and the same amount of water. After that, spritz the solution on the windows and wipe it clean with paper towels. This green cleaning hack can remove stains from any glass surface at home – the coffee table, the bathroom mirror, etc.

• Green clean the oven – for a naturally degreased oven, you must make an eco-friendly cleaning paste with water and baking soda. Mix both ingredients, spread the scrubbing paste in your oven’s interior and let the mixture sit overnight. On the following day, wipe clean with a damp sponge. To rest assured nasty germs have been wholly banished from the oven, you should spritz the surface with a natural mixture of equal amounts of white vinegar and water, allow the remedy to sit for half an hour, then wipe clean with a soft towel or a clean microfiber cloth.

• Green-clean the carpet – most housekeepers, are used to applying aggressive cleaning products on carpet stains, but you should realise eco-friendly ingredients can be just as powerful. Treat greasy carpet stains with baking soda or salt. Remove mud stains with only shaving cream. Get rid of pet messes with the help of white vinegar. Essential oils are natural weapons against bacteria and unpleasant smells trapped in the carpet. Use the same natural cleaning agents to eliminate stains or refresh upholstered furniture.

• Green clean the tiles – in the bathroom or the hallway, the grout between your tiles is prone to collecting lots of dirt. Keep tiled surfaces sparkly clean by mixing equal amounts of bubbly water and white vinegar in a spray bottle or a bucket, depending on the area you want to clean. Apply the mixture, wait for a couple of minutes, then scrub with a brush and rinse thoroughly. If you are dealing with stubborn dirt, boost your natural cleaner by adding baking soda. Spread the solution on the affected surface, let it sit for 15 minutes, scrub and rinse.

• Green clean the dishwasher – if you are no longer willing to invest in pricey chemical tabs to disinfect the dishwasher, replace them with white vinegar. Empty the machine and fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with white vinegar. Place the bowl on the top rack and run an empty cycle. As a result, unpleasant smells and dangerous bacteria will be banished entirely from the dishwasher.

• Green clean the microwave – food stains often affect the interior of the microwave; this is another surface you can effortlessly green clean. Slice a lemon in two, then fill a microwave-safe bowl with water. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl and microwave the mixture for about 5 minutes. Let the bowl sit in the appliance for another 15 minutes, as this time is necessary for the lemon steam to loosen up greasy stains. Once you have removed the bowl from the microwave, you must wipe the interior with a damp sponge. The greasy mess will come off in a flash.

Keeping the house ideally clean shouldn’t involve the application of dangerous chemicals. Try these green cleaning alternatives for a naturally disinfected, healthy home.

© FastKlean

Ever thought of what it will be like working in a greener and healthier space? Check out these green office cleaning tips to get started. Going to be lovely.

If you do a 9- 5 then it's safe to say you spend roughly half of your day in the office daily. This is most likely more than the time you spend at home if we put bedtime aside. With this knowledge, shouldn't the same energy (or even more) put into keeping the house clean and a safe space to live in also be put into keeping the office clean? Certainly! And, of course, green cleaning is the way to ensure a healthy environment for both humans and the planet. Plus a bonus at the end.

Here are 5 Green Office Cleaning Tips

1. Reduce waste

One of the significant causes of dirt in the office is waste. Try as much as possible to educate employees on why and how to reduce wastes that go into landfills. It could mean ditching plastic bottles for reusable cups. Also, when you finally achieve a minimal level of waste, ensuring proper disposal is essential. Tell cleaners where and how to dispose of garbage nicely. So they don't constitute a nuisance in the ecosystem.

1. Improve air quality

Maintaining good air quality in a place like an office with many people trooping in and out is very important. 

Good air quality can be achieved by opening windows to enjoy the natural fresh air and buying plants and flowers that help trap polluted air while releasing pure and fresh air for humans to breathe in. 

Having plants around has to be one of the perfect green cleaning office tips because they clean and purify the atmosphere. 

1. Use chemical-free products

Cleaning will take place at the same time employees will be at the office, except on weekends for companies that do not work on such days. Hence, you want to be sure their health and safety are in check while the cleaners do their job. So, be sure to check if the products your cleaners are using in your facility are chemical-free and void of causing harm to your properties, the planet, and people. 

1. Use natural air fresheners

There is a need for air fresheners to keep the office smelling nice and good. While at this, ensure you are not using air fresheners that contain additives. Instead, look for natural air fresheners that give you the dual benefit of good smell and safety. Lemon is a good air freshener option for your office. It provides a natural, good, fresh and non-toxic scent. 

1. Use green paper towels

Rather than using regular disposal towels for wiping the hands, use green paper towels made of more sustainable materials. This ensures germs are not being spread from one person to another. 

And for cleaning surfaces, the use of reusable towels should be employed. 

1. Patronize green cleaning companies

When choosing a cleaning company to handle the cleaning affairs of your organization, opt for a green cleaning company. Why? Green cleaning agencies will save you the stress of educating and telling them what to use and what not to use in your facility because they are already trained, and they know the right products and equipment to use that will ensure both the safety of every human and pets in your office and that of your properties too.

Get going with these green office cleaning tips and make your workplace a safe space to work in. Your office should be included in the green cleaning routine. It's a dwelling place like your home and should be treated as such. For more assistance, do not hesitate to contact us at Fastklean. We are here to help. 

©FastKlean

Anyone who feels passionate about green cleaning would agree that white distilled vinegar is one of the most effective eco-friendly cleaning ingredients with numerous applications around the house. From killing germs in the bathroom to eliminating carpet stains, white vinegar helps you to deal with many cleaning jobs healthily. Check on these amazing cleaning solutions based on white vinegar and try them at home for naturally cleaned surfaces:

Mix vinegar and water
Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients. That’s all – your eco-friendly multipurpose cleaning solution is ready. Spray the cleaner on the bathroom tiles to get rid of soap scum. Banish hard water stains with your mixture or use it to remove germs in the toilet bowl. You can take advantage of this vinegar cleaner in the kitchen to tackle greasy stains on the countertop or refresh the stovetop.

Try undiluted vinegar
Hard water deposits, as well as soap scum, could be difficult to remove, especially when it comes to old stains. If you are faced with this problem, just use white vinegar poured into a spray bottle without mixing it with water. Spray the affected surfaces and let the vinegar sit for at least 10 minutes. Then scrub with a stiff brush and rinse thoroughly with water. Try this eco-friendly cleaning hack to eliminate soap scum from the shower door and walls. If necessary, repeat several times until deposits vanish completely.

Upgrade with lemon juice
Another effective eco-friendly cleaning ingredient is lemon juice and you can add it to your 50/50 white vinegar and water solution to make it even more powerful. Mix two cups of water with one part white vinegar and one part lemon juice in a spray bottle. Apply this homemade cleaning remedy in the kitchen or in the bathroom to get rid of dangerous germs and bacteria.

Use for carpet cleaning
Carpeted floors are extremely prone to staining, that’s why you need a reliable cleaning solution to keep the carpets in outstanding condition. In a spray bottle, mix equal parts of water and white vinegar, but this time add a tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Spray the mixture on the stained area of the carpet and allow it to sit for a few minutes. After that, you should gently blot the residue with a sponge and let the carpet dry completely.

Clean the microwave

Greasy food stains in the microwave or food leaks in the oven can be green cleaned with a mixture of equal proportions of white vinegar and water. Pour both ingredients into an appropriate bowl and place it in the oven or the microwave – both appliances will get squeaky clean once the mixture starts to boil. Allow vinegar steam to loosen up tough stains and wipe clean with a clean damp towel. White vinegar will take care of not just stains in the appliances, but unpleasant odours will be eliminated too.

Unclog the drain
To unclog the drain naturally you can benefit from two of the most notorious ingredients used for green cleaning – white vinegar and baking soda. Start by pouring half a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by the same amount of white vinegar. The fizzing you will notice shouldn’t bother you, as this is a normal reaction to mixing these two ingredients. Once the fizzing stops, pour hot water down the drain or let the hot water from the faucet run for a minute or two. The combination of baking soda and white vinegar will banish the clog, together with unwanted smells and germs.

Cleaning with white vinegar is an essential part of the green cleaning concept. Make the most of these recipes for a sparkly clean home, free from toxic cleaning products.

© FastKlean

How often should you clean the server room? As a place that stores tons of important data, it is usually the least accessible place in the company. But this doesn’t mean it has to be dirty.

This is an often-neglected topic yet one of the recurring questions we get. So, we decided to address it for those concerned. While the server room is most likely the least accessible – for good reasons – it is important to understand it is still part of the office and it deserves to be kept as clean as any other room in the building.

That said, it is important to emphasise the need to hire specialists for this task. Whether you are good at cleaning your desk or your home, you will quickly find that cleaning a server room is very different. This has got to be one of the most important rooms in any business, therefore, it should be treated as such. We recommend hiring only professionals who possess the required know-how and equipment whenever you decide to clean the server room.

In addition to the occasional pro cleaning, check out the 5 Ways To Maintain A Clean Server Room. This will ensure the room is safe for your data and the employees working there.

Make it only accessible to trained personnel

First things first, the data server area should be accessible to authorised workers only. Additionally, the workers cleaning beneath the raised floor must be adequately trained and reminded that they should be cautious when cleaning near power transmission and distribution cables. This is because touching or pushing on these cables can cause a meltdown, necessitating the use of power cleaning equipment on raised floor tiles.
In the meantime, make sure that cleaning equipment is properly plugged into the allocated maintenance service wall sockets.

Keep the dirt out

To maintain a clean server room, you may want to install sticky carpets throughout the entrance and exit points to the raised floor to remove debris from the footwear of people going in and out. In the same way, every piece of cleaning equipment and accessories inside the data server room ought to be checked to be non-conductive.

Get a temporary spot

Designate a temporary location near the data server room for unloading and rearranging new or additional hardware rather than inside the data server room to avoid pollutants settling inside the underfloor plenum. A recently created or heavily used data server room, on the other hand, might as well be cleaned more frequently.

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Maintain good ventilation

Most server rooms are built with good ventilation systems, however, it's still a good idea to refresh your data server room regularly. In addition to that, be sure to vacuum the floor before mopping it with a not-too-wet mop. When cleaning vented hardware surfaces, avoid using a dry mop since it can drive dirt further into small openings and impede airflow, thus denying important electrical equipment essential airflow.

Get a construction room, if you need one

We advise against constructing power whips on anything that looks like a data server's raised floor. To keep a clean server room, you should consider setting aside a distinct area for construction or purchasing readymade power whips. Furthermore, it is important to avoid removing several floor tiles at once while cleaning beneath a raised floor because this can reduce the internal pressure beneath the raised floor. Needless to say that this is dangerous as it could cause the hardware to overheat in other parts of the data server’s raised flooring.

No food allowed

Neither quick snacks nor drinks should be permitted inside the data server room. This will go a long way to reduce the amount of dirt in the room. If you must clean, be sure to use only endorsed cleaning products. Consult a professional.

As an important part of the company, maintaining a clean server room should be handled with care. Although less accessible, dirt does accumulate in server rooms and poses harm to the data and employees working there. It is important to consult a specialist to help protect your server room.

© FastKlean

Gardening is a natural activity that most people enjoy doing during recreation. In gardening, we need to look for ways to reuse and recycle materials instead of discarding them. Gardeners need to be enlightened on how they can contribute positively to the environment by using eco-friendly materials. There are several ways to make the planet friendly, and one of such ways is by recycling materials and repurposing them for use in the garden. Before throwing materials into the bin, have you considered how they can be reused in the garden? Read on for some creative tips on converting your household waste materials into helpful garden pieces of equipment.

FastKlean, we don’t just help with the cleaning of your homes and offices. We help bring ideas that can contribute massively to healthy living. In addition, we also help with the collection of waste or rubbish from homes and offices. We firmly believe in safe waste disposal through recycling. Keep reading for comprehensive details on recycling materials for use in the garden.

Water bottle watering can

Plastic bottles have numerous uses when it comes to recycling them for garden use. One of the best uses is converting plastic bottles into a watering can. Watering plants will become a lot easier. All you need to do is pierce some holes in the bottle's lid and fill the bottle with water. In a small greenhouse, it makes the watering of vegetables and tomatoes simple.

Building of ponds

Instead of discarding bathtubs, building a pond should be considered a creative idea to put the bathtub to use. This can serve as a great way to teach the children about nature, or it can serve as a medium to conduct research in an eco-friendly manner. You need to dig a hole and sink the bathtub to the ground to make it look exactly like a pond. To keep the water in the pond neat, it will help if you can add pondweed. In addition, you can choose to cover it or make a small fence for it to prevent accidents from happening.

Use of discarded windows to make plant cold frames

The money used by most gardeners in purchasing a cold frame to protect their plants from extreme weather conditions can be saved for another purpose. As a gardener, instead of throwing out those windows, you can use them to make double-glazed glass tops to protect plants. It provides your tender plants protection from cold though it is much heavier to open. However, if you plan to replace your windows during summer without re-using them, don’t forget to reach out to Fastklean.co.uk. We clean and collect rubbish or plastic waste to encourage a safe environment.

Making of Mini-cloche from Plastic Bottles

A gardener needs to be creative. Instead of putting things away, please think of how to re-use them. You can cut off the bottom of plastic bottles and make an excellent cloche which can be used for the protection of seedlings from extreme weather conditions, slugs, and snails. The moment they grow to the extent of touching the sides of the cloche, the cloche should be removed. Don’t forget to leave the top of the bottle open to allow the plant to breathe and prevent mould.

CDs and DVDs bird scarier

CDs and DVDs can be gathered to be transformed into objects that can scare birds away. Attach strings to the DVDs and CDs and hang them across beds to keep off birds. Gardening should be a practice that encourages the sustainable conservation of resources. We can use several materials in our garden by reusing and recycling them.

We should always make good choices whenever we get a chance to. We need to promote biodiversity as well as protect wildlife for future generations. By using these tips, we can maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem. If the environment we live in is endangered, some animals will go into extinction, and the environment will be destroyed. Finally, if you see no use in re-using these materials, do well to reach out to FastKlean to help collect these waste materials. We believe in protecting the earth’s natural resources for the current and future generations.

We hope you like this video enough to share with loved ones. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel. In the comment section below, feel free to drop your questions or comment.

©FastKlean

Looking for amazing carpet cleaning tips to bring that old carpet back to life? Get in here, let's talk!

In addition to the comfy feeling and warmth they give to the feet, carpets have a unique way of improving the beauty and style of a home. However, maintaining them can be a herculean task sometimes.

People often lose interest in keeping carpets because of the much effort needed to keep them clean. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be a discouraging factor to miss out on all of the benefits of carpet flooring.

In this article, we put together 5 Expert Carpet Cleaning Tips You Need to Know. Of course, we will leave you with a bonus at the end of the article. So, stay glued. 

Remove stains immediately

One of the major reasons people often find cleaning carpets difficult is because they leave stains on them for a long period. And when it’s now time to clean, they scrub all their energy away, as it’s already stuck and wouldn’t be easy to get off. Therefore, a good maintenance habit is to ensure you remove every stain immediately.

Do not scrub first

Since we have said attending to stains immediately is one of the best carpet cleaning tips to apply, you also have to know how to attend to them appropriately.
A drink just spilt on the carpet and you are in haste to start scrubbing? Oh no! You would end up creating a bigger mess that may take a longer time to clean, or worse, stick with you forever.
Your kids spilt their favourite juice on your carpet? Take a deep breath, blot the affected area first before scrubbing to avoid spreading the stain deep into the carpet.

Apply heat on candle wax

The nice fragrance from burning candles can be so beautiful and therapeutic. Nonetheless, candle wax can cause a great mess on carpets. Of course, that’s not to say you should stop using candles. And no, you do not have to grunt whenever it’s time to clean your carpets. Whenever there’s a wax stain on your carpet, simply place a pressing iron over it so the heat can get it melted, and then you can now clean them out without stress. Easy right?

Use good cleaning products

The cleaning products you use go a long way in not just determining how good looking your carpets will be, and how easy cleaning will be for you, but it also determines how long it will last.

Baking soda, vinegar, and even shaving cream have all proven to be very effective in removing dirt and keeping carpets clean. You do not necessarily have to scrub out your hands to get them clean. Few drops of these cleaning agents ease a lot of stress. Carefully select cleaning agents to be sure they are not adding to your problem.

Ice it

This has to be one of the easiest DIY carpet cleaning tips every good cleaner should take advantage of.

The thought of having gum stains on your carpet alone is tiring. And when you try to remove them? It often leaves you frustrated. Typically, this is because of its adhesive nature.

Applying a little ice on gum stains does the magic. Take some ice cubes from the fridge, apply ice on the gum stain, and allow to stand for some minutes. This way, the gum becomes less sticky and can be easily cleaned.
Bonus tip

Seek professional help

After all, is said and done, we cannot rule out the importance of professional carpet cleaning services. Hiring professionals to clean your carpet on a routine is a very good way to enjoy them for a longer period.

You wouldn’t have to fuss whenever it’s time for cleaning if you know some of these carpet cleaning tips that make life a whole lot easier. Don’t have the time to spare? Don’t hesitate to book our professional carpet cleaning service at FastKlean. We are here to help!

© FastKlean

We all want a clean, fresh and well-ordered home to bring calm and peace of mind but to tell the truth, cleaning is hard work for many of us. And that's why despite its incomparable merits, many people still want to shy away from it. It requires a good knowledge about your overall home and the target areas you need to give close attention to when executing your cleaning task.

You probably want a spotless and squeaky clean home for yourself and have been trying your best to make your cleaning dream a reality. But it's not just as much as you want it to be. Don't worry; you're not alone as no one is perfect. Here are the basic areas of your home you should target to access the tidiness so that you can approach your cleaning like an expert and experience the sweetness of a super clean apartment.

Aura
Your home is filled with things that deal with all the sensory organs. We mean the eye, ear, nose and skin, each of which helps to detect sight, sound, smell, and feel, respectively. Even though it might look unbelievable, every home does have its own smell. Do you have any idea what your home smells like? You probably don't. You don't have to be surprised about that as it's a general condition. Rarely do we notice the scent in our household. This is because we're used to it, and we now have what's called nose blind, which prevents us from detecting the smell. However, it's one of the things that a guest can easily notice, especially when it's a professional cleaner. Inconsistent cleaning, sewages, pets, foods, spills and unnoticeable areas of the house are one of the major causes of unpleasant smells in the house. Therefore, you want to clear off any of the aforementioned and other things that can give out bad odour and fill your house with substances that freshens up the aura. These are what you should do to ensure that you get rid of bad odour and maintain a home that welcomes your guests with a nice scent.

Neglected Areas
By neglected areas, we mean those places that you seldom see or notice in your houses, like the hidden side of your appliances and those areas that are fast to get messy with buildups of specks of dirt like your sink counter, mirrors etc. Why are these parts important to your cleaning? When you have a small amount of dirt on these areas, you can easily apply a cleaner, leave for a few minutes and get them wiped off in no time. However, when the grime is accumulated, it becomes more tasking to get them off. You might even need to use some sophisticated equipment and products. Since those areas get dirty more frequently, it's better that you give them cleaning attention on a regular basis to free yourself from a more strenuous and time-consuming task. The best part is that you will also save the cost of purchasing sophisticated equipment and materials.

Walls
If any part of your home will get dirty, the walls are most probably not going to be an exception. We often give little consideration to the walls when cleaning our home. But in the long run, it counts among the factors that will determine how clean your home is, which is why you should pay attention to your walls as part of the areas you need to clean. You want to check your walls and other parts such as door handles, switches and points of contact for fingerprints and other specs of dirt. You may not have to clean your wall every week, but it deserves a cleaning attempt at some point in time.

Surfaces
These are the areas in your home that you don't normally give special attention like light fixtures, window sills, baseboards and others. Specks of dust on these items can be detected with a hand wipe on them or even with a bare sight. So, you want to give them some cleaning attention so as to have a more sparkling and aesthetically attractive home that soothes the owner and welcomes the guests with an appealing look.

Floors
Your floor is the widest surface in your house. Since every other item, including yourself, stays on it, it's exposed, getting dirty frequently from the spills, dust etc. And a dirty floor is easily noticeable to the extent that it can mean a dirty home. The colour and finishing of your floor determine how easily you can notice specs of dirt. A light coloured floor hides dirt more than a darker one. On the other hand, a floor with a shiny finish will show dirt easily. Whether glossy finishing, a dark or light coloured floor, giving your floor a regular cleaning touch will go a long way in maintaining a clean household.

In conclusion, knowing what, where and when to clean are the basic elements of cleaning tasks that differentiate the result you get. You should always pay attention to what your sensory organs are telling you about your home and ensure you do something whenever you get negative feedback. We hope you will start paying more attention to the basic areas you've discovered here today. If you want to get more cleaning tips, be sure to get in touch FastKlean.

© FastKlean

The bathroom is one of those rooms in your home that you should be particularly keen on keeping clean and germ-free. You visit there every single day and therefore should invest the time and effort to ensure everything is clean and disinfected. Of course, it is not just aesthetics that you should look into, but also guarantee that your bathroom is free of germs. 

There is no denying the fact that many dangerous viruses live on bathroom surfaces for a long time. It takes some prevention and a few clever tips to stay on top of the disinfection task. Here is what you can try out: 

• Always flush the toilet with the lid down – whenever you flush with an open toilet lid, you are letting bacteria land on the area all around. That is because water mist spreads in the room and can cover every surface there. Thankfully, it is not too difficult to change this and simply close the lid before you flush the toilet. It is a very hygienic habit, which you should teach your entire family. 
  
  
• Always be prepared – it is always best to be prepared with the right disinfection and cleaning tools and ingredients at the start of each season. Check what you have currently and make sure that it is not expired. Buy a new batch now and then, because you never know when you are going to need some emergency cleaning supplies in the bathroom. And make sure you have products that are packed with germ-fighting power because that is what you need in the bathroom. 
  
  
• Clean with gloves on your hands – if you have skin issues, like eczema, you always want to wear gloves when cleaning the bathroom. There is just no way you can touch surfaces around the bathroom without some protective gear. Wearing gloves is always a neat idea, no matter where you are cleaning. 
  
  
• Always disinfect everything – even if you are meticulous about closing the toilet lid when you flush, you should still disinfect every surface in the bathroom. This is especially the case if you have someone sick in your home. You never know what they have touched inside the room. Pay special attention to areas like the toilet flusher, the area around the toilet bowl, door handle and faucets. If there is any area of your bathroom that you are not typically cleaning, you should invest some time and see to it, because it is very likely that it is loaded with germs and bacteria. 
  
  
• Give some love to your toothbrushes – one of the best things you can do for your toothbrushes is to store them in an enclosed cupboard so that there is no contamination coming near them. And even then, you should know that toothbrush heads are usually very prone to germ and bacteria growth. Make sure you either replace them often enough or keep them cleaned. 
  
  
• Always ventilate the air inside – whenever you take a shower, you should ventilate the room properly. It is best to leave a window or door open for a few hours afterwards or run the fan continuously. The goal is to minimise moisture. Whenever there is moisture, there is mould and mildew growth and that is one issue you don’t want in your bathroom. 
  
  
• Deal with mould and mildew – if there are any mould and mildew issues in the bathroom, you can address them with the aid of baking soda and vinegar. There is no need to go with bleach because that is a dangerous chemical and it is always preferable to use eco-friendly methods. 
  
  

All of these cleaning tips will help you maintain a clean and well-sanitised bathroom. Make sure to use them. 

© FastKlean

One of how you can be more environmentally-friendly oriented is to employ better and greener home cleaning solutions. You don’t need to always rely on harsh chemicals, which contain questionable ingredients. You could just as easily clean with lemons. This citrus fruit holds a great many benefits, not just from a culinary perspective, but also a cleaning one. In this guide, you will find 10 things you can do with lemons, to make your home a cleaner and fresher place. Let’s begin: 

Remove the smell of vinegar – if you are an avid eco-friendly enthusiast, you probably know that vinegar is one of the most used cleaning solutions for this kind of approach. The only negative side is that it has a strong lingering smell. Good thing that lemons come to the rescue, by providing a fresh scent that you will love. Simply add some lemon juice to your vinegar solution when you are doing your cleaning rounds and you will feel the difference. 

Cleaning glass surfaces – when you mix lemon juice and vinegar, you get a fantastic solution for cleaning glass surfaces. This is a DIY solution, which you can get by mixing 1 tbsp. white vinegar, 2 tbsp. lemon juice and a cup of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on the glass, and use a squeegee to get a gleaming surface.

A degreaser solution – one of the best uses of lemon juice is to utilise its acidic properties for some degreasing action. The next time you want to address some pans, or your stovetop, mix half a cup of lemon juice and half a cup of vinegar. Spritz the mix onto the grease and watch it melt away.

Scrub your dishes – if you have had a feast in your home, and your dishes are all stained, you don’t need to bother with endless scrubbing. Instead, you can cut a lemon in half, dip it in some salt, and use that to scrub the mess away from the dishes. The added abrasiveness from the salt along with the acidic properties of the lemon will easily make short work of any accumulation of food debris. 

Clean the microwave oven – another great use of lemons lies with cleaning your microwave oven. If you have had an accident with food inside, or just want a nice routine clean, you can rely on a few lemons to get the job done. Slice two lemons in half, and toss them in a microwave-safe bowl of water. Heat it on a high setting and let it steam inside the oven for a few minutes. The steam will soften up the gunk. And while it cannot clean it on its own, you can easily wipe it with a sponge.

Deal away with stains – if you are looking for a natural bleaching agent, look no further than lime and lemon juice. It is a perfect ingredient for addressing stains. For example, if your favourite shirt has deodorant or sweat stains, you can launder it with some lemon juice in the tray. It also does well against rust stains. 

Deal with ants – if ants often find their way inside your kitchen, you can try lemon peels. Simply slice a few lemon peels and place them in a pot. Add vinegar until they are covered. Heat that mixture and leave it like that overnight. Once you have done that, you will strain the liquid and spray it in the areas ants are coming from. You likely won’t see them again. 

Lemons are a powerful ally in your eco-friendly cleaning arsenal, and you should use them whenever you can. 

© FastKlean

Going green is more than just recycling waste or using green cleaning products. Fastklean believes it is a lifestyle. It has to do with the mentality of saving the planet. Do you know that each choice you make as a person or a consumer can affect the world around you either positively or negatively? And in light of recent environmental events, there may not be a better time to become more environmentally friendly.

One of the commonest misconceptions about going green is the idea that it is expensive and time-consuming. This is not true; in fact, the opposite is the case. One of the most efficient ways to battle the damage done to the atmosphere is to use as many eco-friendly cleaning products as possible. This is because these products are biodegradable, non-toxic, and safe. Green cleaning can lessen air and water pollution, helping in the fight against ozone depletion and other climatic problems.

Fastklean may have mentioned a few benefits of eco-friendly cleaning but let us talk about the general benefits in more detail.

It promotes your health and that of the environment: Have you ever considered going green? If yes, then you are actually making the right choice for yourself, your family, and the environment. Not only will you rest easy knowing you are playing your role in the fight against the harm done by chemical-based products, but you are also contributing to the health and safety of yourself, your family, and the environment at large. That sounds like a win-win situation.

Eco-friendly products can always improve both indoor and outdoor air quality, reducing the chances of contracting illnesses and other health complications. Green products are also not corrosive, so there will be no problem regarding toxicity.

Eco-friendly products are not expensive: Contrary to what people believe, eco-friendly products are cheap and simple, at least compared to other traditional chemical-based products. Two of the commonly used eco-friendly products are vinegar and baking soda. There are other products like olive oil and citric products like lemon, which can be gotten at half the cost of their counterparts but are just as effective.

Even if you opt to purchase eco-friendly products from the stores, you will end up spending less money in the long run. Give it a try when next you go shopping. You will realize that green cleaning products are actually cheaper.

Green products get rid of smell: Air quality is important both indoors and outdoors. Chemical-based products are made of chemicals, as the name rightly implies, and these chemicals come with different smells that are harsh. Would you want your home to always smell of ammonia or bleach? The right answer would be NO. So you can do yourself a favour and skip all the chemical stink that comes with the traditional cleaning products, and start using green products today. Whether you are making them yourself or you are buying already made green cleaning products, eco-friendly products are sure to offer you more pleasant smells. Take the citric products, for instance.

Green products can help your items last longer: One effect green products have on different items is it helps your belongings stay longer in good conditions. Traditional cleaning products contain a lot of toxic chemicals that are sometimes harmful to the belongings, affecting their texture, appearance, and general life after a period of time. Also, the effects of these chemical-based products are not as long-lasting as that of green and eco-friendly products. You can always ensure the longevity of all your items when you use green cleaning products.

Green products guarantee general safety: If you have little children or senior citizens in the house, it would be nice to try using more eco-friendly products. These groups of people are usually susceptible to chemicals, and chemical poisoning is a thing. Making a transition from chemical-based products to eco-friendly products makes the environment safe enough for the very young and old alike. Another benefit would be that you will have the chance to teach the little children about eco-friendliness from a very young age.

In the end, eco-friendliness should be the way to go. These are the major benefits, and there are more which you can discover when you make the transition. Start cleaning green today and save yourself and the atmosphere from further damage.

Did you like this blog? If yes, contact FastKlean today. You can like and share it with friends and family. Also, drop your views and comments, subscribe to our channel, and join our Facebook community today.

© FastKlean

Welcome back to our blog! 

If you follow many of the eco-friendly cleaning tips published around, you should know by now that lemons are one of the most useful ingredients for this kind of cleaning. With a few citrus fruits by your side, you can keep your home fresh and clean at all times. 

In this guide, we will take a look at 10 things you can do with lemons. Some of these are simple cleaning solutions, others shed more light on things that you should never mix lemons with. Let’s get started: 

• Neutralising the smell of vinegar – if you are an avid eco-friendly cleaner, perhaps you regularly resort to vinegar. As good as vinegar is at various cleaning tasks, it does come with one big drawback – it leaves a rather strong smell, which not everyone likes. Thankfully, lemon juice can tone that down. Not only will it neutralise the smell, but also boost the cleaning power of vinegar. Lemon juice and vinegar make for a very potent combination of eco-friendly ingredients, which you should use in your home. 
  
  
• Clean glass – lemon juice mixed with vinegar presents a great tool for cleaning glass surfaces and windows in your home. What you will need for this DIY spray is 1bsp. of white vinegar, 2tbsp. lemon juice, 1 cup of hot water and a spray bottle to mix it all in. When you are done with creating the solution, simply spray on the glass surface and wipe. 
  
  
• Use lemon juice as a degreaser – another good thing you can use lemon juice and vinegar is to de-grease messy areas. The next time you have trouble with the stovetop, just go for half a cup of lemon juice and 2 cups of white vinegar mixed. Spritz the area and then wipe with a clean rag. 
  
  
• Scrub dishes with lemon juice – for dishes with stubborn stains, you will want to go with one rather simple solution, which doesn’t necessarily involve endless scrubbing with dishwashing soap. Slice a lemon in half and put salt on it. The acidic properties of the lemon plus the abrasiveness added by the salt will make short work of any mess. 
  
  
• Clean your microwave – one of the best things you can do with lemons is to clean your microwave like a pro. Pour half a cup of lemon juice into a microwave-safe container. Squeeze 2 lemon halves in the liquid and then toss them in there as well. Microwave this for about 3 minutes. When it is done, don’t be quick to take it out. Instead, let it release some steam inside for a few more minutes. It will soften any gunk and splatters, making it super easy to wipe with a damp cloth. 
  
  
• Remove stains naturally – did you know that lime and lemon juice is a perfect natural bleaching agent? This makes it perfect for removing stains. Sweat and deodorant marks don’t stand a chance against it. And it is also good against rust stains. Remember not to use it on any colourful fabrics, as there is the danger of it causing discolouration. 
  
  
• Repel ants with lemon peels – ants often find their way inside the home. One thing that can help you against this issue is lemon peels. The way you use them is by putting lemon peels in a pot, then adding enough vinegar till you cover them. Heat that mixture and then leave it overnight. Strain the liquid and spray it where the ants are coming in. You won’t see them again. 
  
  

All of these tips using lemons work fantastic, so don’t hesitate to give them a shot! 

© FastKlean

From your kitchen to your bathroom, cleaning with baking soda is a fantastic way to utilise an eco-friendly cleaning method, which works! 

Baking soda is an absolute kitchen essential ingredient, from helping you prepare delicious pancakes, to home-baked bread and cakes. But did you know it also works great for various cleaning tasks around your home? It is a gentle and non-toxic cleaner, when it comes to removing stains, cleaning toys and various other things around your home. Whether you are doing a spring cleaning marathon or just a small chore, you can try one of the following tips for perfect results: 

• Deodorise the trash can – you only have a small amount of baking soda in the trash can to absorb all of the unpleasant odours of the area. 
  
  
• Clean a stainless steel kitchen – mix baking soda and vinegar in a bowl and use that solution to clean a stainless steel sink. Cover the area and wipe with a sponge. The gentle scouring properties of the baking soda will make short work of any sink stains. 
  
  
• Clean the stovetop – if the stovetop is grimy, you need only put some baking soda on the area. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe with a damp sponge. Scrub gently as you work, and you will notice the mess disappearing. Wipe clean with a soft microfiber cloth afterwards and enjoy a shiny stovetop looking as good as new. 
  
  
• Clean the oven – while you are doing the stovetop, you may also want to consider cleaning the oven. This is one of the hardest working appliances in your kitchen, and it often falls victim to a mess. That is why it is so crucial to clean it up often, and not necessarily by using harsh chemicals. A baking soda paste made with water is ideal. Mix enough of both ingredients to get a consistent mixture, and then spread it inside the oven. Let it sit overnight and then wipe with a damp cloth. You will find the mess very easy to remove. 
  
  
• Deodorise the cutting board – sprinkle some baking soda on the item, scrub it well and rinse with water. That ought to do the trick. 
  
  
• Remove soap scum – get a wet rag or a sponge, and sprinkle some baking soda on it. Rub the sinks and any areas with baking soda and you will easily remove soap scum. 
• Clean the grout – you need lemon juice and baking soda. Make a paste of these two ingredients. Grab a toothbrush and start applying the paste on the grout lines. If you want a more potent mixture to clean grout with, try half a cup of bleach with ¾ cup of baking soda. Use the same manner of application. This second method is the one to go for when you have a serious problem, such as mouldy spots, whereas the other method is more of a routine cleaning option. 
  
  
• Freshen up your bedroom closet – if you are worried about musty smells, you can use baking soda to neutralise them. Place a box full of baking soda in the closet and it will absorb the unpleasant odours. 
  
  
• Deodorise the mattress – to remove any unpleasant scents from the mattress, you need only baking soda. Sprinkle a generous amount on the mattress. Then, vacuum it all over. You can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the baking soda, to introduce a fresh scent. 
  
  

As you can see, baking soda has so many uses around the home that it is a waste not to try it out! 

© FastKlean

Children are well known to cause all sorts of messes at home. Since young ones prefer learning by doing, creating a mess during all of the daily activities they engage in seems inevitable. The chaos that children create is proof that they are active and so you should not be too mad at them. Instead, try to handle the messes they create more effectively. 

Diverting your energy towards learning about and employing the best methods for dealing with children-created messes is the way to go. Here is what you can do in that regard: 

• Stickers – stickers impress children quite a lot and so they want to just place them anywhere they want. This means that stickers often end up outside of the area they are designed for. If it is a hard surface the sticker is one, soak it with some vegetable oil. Then, apply hairdryer to the area, which should loosen the adhesive. If there is sticky residue, apply hot soapy water. If it is a wall, scrape off as much as possible before you start, but be gentle – you don’t want to be chipping away the wall paint. An eraser should be fine to clean the residue off the wall. If there is still some left, use soapy water. 
  
  
• Gum – children are not known to turn down an offer for some gum. However, the chewy goodness may end up on the carpet, nicely tangled with the fibres there. If you find this, grab a plastic bag with a few ice cubes in it. Place it on the gum, and watch as it freezes the sticky substance. Once the gum has hardened, it will be easy to scrape it off the carpet fibres. Be very careful not to tear the fibres. If you see any remains of the gum, apply a spray-cleaner and dab a clean sponge/towel. That ought to remove the mess completely. 
  
  
• Permanent markers – if your children have made it so that the ink of a permanent marker ends up on an area that is not intended for it, you need to try out a very specific strategy. It involves an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, which you should apply on the markings. Use a paper towel for this task. Cover the whole area with the liquid. Leave it for a few minutes and then dab with a paper towel. If the stain persists, repeat the process. 
  
  
• Play-dough – this is a popular toy, because of the way the dough twists and assumes magical forms. Toddlers find it irresistible. Yet, when the dough ends on your carpet or the upholstered sofa, you will be less thrilled about it. The way to address the job is by allowing the dough to dry where it stands. Once that takes place, it is time to bust out the vacuum cleaner. Break down the pieces of the dough by using the brush attachment. The vacuum cleaner should be able to do the rest. 
  
  
• Milk – removing a milk stain is all about mixing 1-2 cups of water with some dish soap. The potency of the mixture is strong enough to address the milk stain. Apply it with a microfiber cloth. Make sure to blot the area and not rub it or scrub. The idea is that applying gentle pressure on it will lift the stain, instead of help it set within the fabric. 
  
  

Addressing all of these messes is now easier, thanks to the tips you have learned. Hopefully, the next time you encounter one such, you can keep your cool and address it like a pro. Get more tips and cleaning ideas from this page!

© FastKlean

At a time when our health is of utmost importance, taking the necessary steps to make your home greener and healthier is an absolute must. Thankfully, it is possible to do so with just a few changes that you can implement. Some of them are easy, while others may challenge your habits. In any case, it is worth it to consider every single one of them: 

• Control the amount of dust – dust is one of the main reasons people’s allergies get aggravated. Other than that, the contents are anything but harmless, since it has chemicals, retardants, and even pesticides. One thing you can do is to replace your wall-to-wall carpeting with solutions like hardwood, cork, tile or non-vinyl linoleum. Frequent vacuuming is still necessary, as is ensuring the vacuum bag and canister is empty of dust when you start – you don’t want to be spreading dust all over the rooms. 
  
  
• Don’t employ pesticides – if you have a problem with ants, mice or roaches, you will be tempted to employ pesticides. However, bear in mind that exposure to such dangerous compounds puts children at risk. Often you won’t even see the damage that such products are doing. You should be careful with cleaning detergents as well. Where possible, substitute them with eco-friendly alternatives. There are plenty of green recipes that you can employ. You can also employ such methods in your indoor and lawn pests.
   
• Filter tap water – when it comes to drinking water, you may want to filter tap water, instead of relying on bottled water. Research on some of the most popular brands of bottled water reveals that the liquid contains contaminants, which can be toxic. It is not that tap water is pristine either, but you can at least get a pitcher-style water filter to better the situation. You can also search for a filter that attaches to the faucet or the plumbing system itself, which acts to remove any trace of contaminants from the water that flows your taps. 
  
  
• Clean regularly – this may be easier said than done, but it is something you need to address. Cleaning your home removes contaminants from the air and the surfaces that are around. It is best to establish a cleaning routine and stick to it. Employ harmless cleaning solutions – you’d be surprised just how dangerous some of the conventional brands are. Don’t shy away from getting a professional deep clean from time to time as well. The pros can clean on a whole different level when it comes to thorough sanitation. Getting the carpet, curtains and upholstery deep cleaned will get rid of contaminants and allergens. It will refresh the air inside your home too. 
  
  
• Leave allergens at the door – another great practice you can employ is to leave your shoes at the door. You’d be surprised what amount of allergens they accumulate throughout the day. For all of it to stay outside and not enter your home, you should always leave the shoes at the door. You should also add a good quality mat outside, to wipe your feet at. 
  
  
• Ventilate all rooms – ventilating your rooms is a good way to remove volatile compounds and allergens from the air. Don’t forget to open doors and windows when the weather allows it. Even just a few minutes of air circulation frees the air of harmful compounds. 
  
  

Adopting these tips for your home will surely make the environment in it healthier and cater to your whole family’s wellbeing. 

© FastKlean

There are a lot of cleaning struggles to deal with in the house. And many of those cleaning woes sometimes do not have the easiest solutions. Under the bed is one area of your home that is hard to clean. Children may be scared to take a look under the bed because of monsters but for adults, what scares them most is the amount of dirt that they’ll find.

But don’t fret! If you are having problems trying to find a way to get to the hard to reach areas under your bed, there are some tips you can use to make cleaning under the bed a lot easier.

Duster With A Long Handle

Even though there are countless products in the market to help you make cleaning easier, but it seems like cleaning the pesky spots under your bed remains a struggle for many. Fortunately, you don’t need any fancy equipment to get rid of those pesky under the bed dust. All you need is a duster with an extendable handle, and you’ll get to clean every inch of space under your bed. Of course, be sure the duster and the handle are long enough to cover the actual size of your bed.

Use Your Vacuum’s Attachment

If you have a vacuum at home, you know very well that it comes with a set of tools, many of which you may not know how to. Each of these attachments has a purpose. For instance, you can use an extension wand for tight and hard to reach places or the mattress attachment to clean every side of your mattress. If you can’t find your attachments, there is one thing you can do. Flatten the vacuum and push it under your bed.

Try A Robot Vacuum

Vacuuming can be a good form of exercise. But if you don’t want to break a sweat then why don’t you consider purchasing a robot vacuum. From hard floors to carpets, you can pick out a robot vacuum that will make the most sense for your home. Set it up and then charge it and put it to work.

Use A Blower To Get Rid Of All Those Dust Bunnies

It may sound silly but you can actually use a blower to get rid of all those dust bunnies is a swift and effortless manner. Just be sure to keep your broom, duster, or vacuum close to you because you will need them once the dust comes out from under your bed.

Duct Tape Is Useful, too!

Even though you can use the end of a broom to clean the spot under your bed, the handle could be as effective if you try this simple trick. Wrap the handle with duct tape and use it to clean under your bed just like how you use a link roller. If the area is dusty, you may need to replace the tape with a new one and do a few passes for before it is thoroughly cleaned.

© FastKlean