Tales from The Clean Team

Cleaning on a Budget

2008-12-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

These are tough times for a lot of us. Finding clever ways to save money cleaning can make a difference in your monthly budget. After years of Clean Team rules designed to help you save time, we have come up with a few economically friendly cleaning ideas to help save you money.

Buy in concentrate: If you purchase cleaning solutions, detergents and even juices in concentrate you’ll save cash with each purchase. Manufacturers spend less money on packaging and shipping waterless concentrate formulas and pass the savings onto you!

Use more “All-Purpose” cleaners: Instead of using a variety of cleaners for specific job, use an all-purpose cleaner for most of your cleaning jobs, and keep only a few specialty cleaners on hand for specific problems like mineral deposits or heavy soap scum.

Make your own cleaners: You can use vinegar and water for glass and mirrors, sprinkle baking soda on carpets to freshen them, use rubbing alcohol as a gunk remover and bleach and water as a inexpensive disinfectant.

Use cloths instead of paper towels: Reusable is both budget and environmentally friendly. Save paper towels for quick pick ups and use cleaning cloths for your heavy duty cleaning.

Save on Energy Costs: Sweep instead of vacuuming. You may not be able to sweep everytime, but if you rate sweeping with vacuuming, you’ll save money on electricity. Plus, if your vacuum takes bags – you’ll be putting money in your pocket by having to replace them less often.

Use Pump Sprays instead of Aerosols: Not only are many aerosol sprays terrible for the environment, they are also bad for your budget. Aerosols work by suspending liquid in air, creating a fine mist as you spray. This means that half the can is filled with air. Also, if you have ever been so unlucky to discover that if you expel the air from the can faster than the liquid inside, the can becomes unusable, creating a waste of product. Stick with pump-style sprayers. At least if the pump sprayer breaks, you can still open the top and use its contents!

Refer to rule 8 of Speed Cleaning: Keep your tools in impeccable shape – the better care you take of them the longer they’ll last.

Cheap doesn’t always mean inexpensive: Cleaning cloths start out more expensive than paper towels, but are money savers in the long haul. Chicken feathers just spread the dust around while ostrich down feathers actually attract dust and help you get the cleaning over with faster.

Get the most out of your Dishwasher per load: Fill it to the brim! If you rinse your dishes before loading them, you’ll need less detergent per load. Save by rinsing your dishes in a quarter full sink of hot soapy water instead of using gallons of running water. Adding a dish brush to the mix will only lessen your workload – and they last longer than sponges!

Clean your Refrigerator Coils and Dryer Vents: Once or twice a year is all it takes to help make these appliances run more efficiently on less electricity.

We hope this ideas help save you money! Tell us how you save money, please share us your Cheap Cleaning tips!

Going Green

2008-10-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

It is great to be living in a time when environmental awareness is becoming less of a trend and more a part of the larger social conscious. This movement is good for the environment but it places an additional responsibility on us, the consumer to be more educated and informed about the products we are using. The term green is a bit over-used these days and has a broad meaning. Going “green” can be as simple as using products that are non-toxic and biodegradable but can stretch all the way to having a complete existence that is benign to the environment. Living green, though, is much more than just buying products that promise to be environmentally safe. It is about becoming consciously aware that everything we do– from the cleaning products we use, the cars we drive and even the food we eat all have a substantial impact on this world and future generations to come. There are several efforts you can make that cost little or no money and require little effort to make your life a little greener. The first thing you can do is to use green products.

So, what makes a product green? This is the million-dollar question that seems to have no one right answer. Start with the basic understanding that you want to use products that are Biodegradable. What makes something biodegradable? Biodegradable defines something, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organisms and returned to the earth by decomposition. Importance should not just be placed on the fact that that product is biodegradable, but you must also ask how long does the biodegrading process take? Paper products only take 10-20 years to decompose, whereas aluminum and plastic bottles take hundreds of years. So, it wouldn’t make sense to place a plastic bottle in a landfill and wait several hundred years for the biodegrading process to be complete. Instead, you would want to recycle that plastic bottle and reuse it as many times as possible before throwing it away. This brings us to the next step in greening your life – Recycling.

Recycling has been a common practice throughout human history, as it gives new life to what would otherwise be waste. Taking a product or material at the end of its useful life and turning it into a usable raw material to make another product is a great way to both reduce landfill space and eliminate waste. Community curbside recycling programs serve over half the US and offer basic collection of aluminum, glass, paper, plastic and tin. E-waste, or electronic waste, is the latest of consumer waste to clog up landfill space. These items often contain hazardous ingredients like lead and mercury, so awareness of the correct disposal method for these items is necessary. Taking part in donation programs for old cell phones, computers and televisions is a great way to be “e-green”.

The next step in creating a greener existence for yourself and your family would be to reduce the amount of things you use. Reduction in consumption is a key ingredient in going green. Being a responsible consumer is not only about what you use, but how much you use. Did you know the average US consumer produces 4.39 pounds of trash per day? That means each one of us produces an astonishing 1600 pounds of trash per year. Times that by the 300 million or so of us living in the US, this makes for a lot of waste. If we reduce our waste by half, it would have a very positive effect on future generation– perhaps they wouldn’t be living on a giant landfill! Simple changes in your daily life– like using cotton cloths instead of paper towels, reducing the amount of cleaning solution you use or replacing disposable diapers with cloth ones can make all the difference in the amount of waste being produced by each one of us.

Realistically, no one product can be “green” by itself. Being green is ultimately not just the responsibility of a product, but also the person who purchases it. We agree that the term “green” then should define a collaborative effort of consumers, products, and manufacturers. A good example would be for a manufacturer to produce a product that is biodegradable and packaged in recyclable materials. If the consumers also take part in a community recycling program, reduce the amount of product they use and reuse whatever they can of the product, then the impact of the green product would be greener.

Simple changes in your daily life can make a huge impact on waste production, energy consumption and your bank account. Here are 10 simple ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and even save money:

1. Save energy – Turn off everything! Instead of only switching ordinary light bulbs to CFL’s– also turn them off! Turn off your computers at night instead of putting them in sleep mode – both of these combined can save you up to an average of ¢8 a day – that’s $29.20 per year!

2. Don't Rinse Plates - Skip rinsing your plates under running water before putting them into the dishwasher. Try plugging the sink with a small amount of water and brushing off excess food with a good dish brush (such as our Dish Demon Brush) By doing this, on average you will save 15 gallons of water per load, saving you money. Plus, you will save time – which is what we’re all about (besides being green of course!)

3. Hang Washables Outside to Dry - Get a cloths line or rack to dry your clothes, cleaning cloths and Sh-Wipes. Your things will last longer and you will save average ¢10 per load

4. Don't buy bottled water - You can purchase a filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water. To use a home filtration system, including the cost of replacement filters will cost around $50 per year, whereas bottled water, drinking an average of 2 per day at about ¢25 per bottle run over twice the cost at $182.50 per year – plus a whole lot of wasted bottles.

5. Claim your unclaimed cash – recycling bottles and cans is not only great for the environment, but if you take them to a local center you will get your deposit back. In California, the redemption value is ¢5 per 24 ounces and ¢10 over 24 ounces on soda cans and water bottles. Check your state’s recycling program for more details.

6. Use Concentrates – Using concentrate cleaners, such as Red Juice and Blue Juice save money and packaging. Each bottle is the equivalent to 20 bottles of cleaner. By reusing the same spray bottles you are creating less waste.

7. Use Cleaning Cloths instead of Paper Towels. Paper towels create over 3,000 tons of landfill space a day and they aren’t budget friendly. Cotton cleaning cloths are made from natural material and last much longer.

8. Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.

9. Increase the efficiency of your electric appliances. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time and use a dryer vent brush to keep the exhaust clear which will save electricity. You can also use a refrigerator coil brush to keep your refrigerator coils clean, which will keep your refrigerator from constantly running.

10. Walk or Bike whenever possible. Besides being a very healthy alternative, you’ll save lots of money on fuel costs. When you have to drive, you should carpool if possible

Please share with us your going green tips! We’d love to hear your ideas on what it means to be green!

Economy Cleaning

2008-06-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

With soaring gas prices and the cost of living at an all time high, budgeting time and money is one way to fight back. Speed Cleaning helps you save time; and more efficient cleaning uses smaller amounts of cleaning supplies. Our goal is to be able to provide you with higher quality, safer products than store-bought brands at about the same cost. Even after the cost of shipping, a budget-friendly 16oz. spray bottle of Red Juice is still only 99¢ when you mix it from our convenient 32oz. concentrate formula.

2008-06-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Clutter Control: Getting organized

Once you have eliminated your clutter, you will need to keep your things organized to maintain a harmonious living space. Here are some helpful Clean Team tips you can use to better organize your space. Be cautious not to let your new found organization as a cheap or lazy excuse to accumulate ever more stuff!

Cupboards

To help you arrange cupboards so you can see the items stored in the back of the shelves, install tiered shelves, like the one pictured. To make finding a particular spice easier, install shelves the height and depth of one spice container so each spice is visible. Arrange the spices alphabetically. The best place to mount this special spice shelf is on the inside of a cupboard door at eye level, if possible. Another alternative is a lazy Susan or double turntable shelf made specifically for this type of storage.

Drawers

Use drawer organizers to divide sections in drawers to keep things and organized and separated. Drawer organizers can be found in many shapes and sizes.

Showers

A simple shower caddy will hold soaps, several bottles of shampoo and conditioner and a washcloth. Shower caddies come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are made to accommodate just about any shower. Whichever one you choose, make sure it provides a spot to hang your Clean Team Shower Wiper so you can wipe down the shower walls once a day to prevent soap scum and hard-water build up.

Closets

Closets can be organized with relative ease and just a few minor adjustments. You can add a second pole beneath the existing one to hang a second level of shirt-or jacket-length clothing. It does require a bit of measuring and hardware store shopping but is worth the effort. You can also use stackable plastic storages boxes or open basket drawers instead of a second pole, or in addition to it. This will add even more space for folded clothes, shoes and socks. Put up hooks or purchase accessory hangers for belts, scarves and hats. Add additional shelves if you have wasted storage above existing shelves. One extra high shelf is great for storing Christmas decorations and seasonal clothing.

General Household Storage

Fabric tote boxes are great for kid’s toys, art supplies, sewing supplies or other small items. For less than $30, they last indefinitely and come in a variety of styles and sizes, making them easy to incorporate with your décor.

Countertops

The kitchen counter has to be the most often abused space for clutter. Mail is often the number one offender. Stand over the garbage or recycling bin to sort and eliminate most of your junk mail immediately. A nice decorative basket is always good for storing the mail items and coupons you want to save. A great alternative to a basket is a hanging mail and key rack, which will help to further eliminate countertop clutter.

Old Cards

Tossing old cards can be hard to do when they remind you of special occasions or are sentimental. A good way to enjoy such cards for a period of time before tossing them out is a Card Tree. Use it to hang cards for a period of time, before retiring them to the garbage. If the cards are particularly sentimental, you can always purchase a greeting card organizer, which allows you to file and neatly store them for a lifetime.

Setting up a filing system

Old documents, paid and unpaid bills and other loose papers can overrun your home office space in no time at all. The key to maintaining an organized home office area is a good filing system. Portable plastic filing bins are a great place to file your important documents and revolving accounts, but are too small for many of us. In that case, a two-or three-drawer filing cabinet is a good investment. Each drawer should be alphabetized or prioritized. To file in order or frequency of use and importance is often the most convenient choice for home filing systems . Subcategorize sections into specific accounts and names. Under Banking, for example you might have sub categories like Checking, Savings, Credit Cards and Retirement Funds. These would then be further categorized into the specific accounts where you would file all the related documents for that account. Setting up a filing system is easy enough, but the key is maintaining it. Don’t fall victim to procrastination, which leads to disorganization. Try implementing the “touch it once” rule. When bills or paperwork arrive, follow through right then. File it in its proper place. Also, don’t pay a bill and let it sit around to be filed later. This is how the vicious cycle of clutter starts.

Electronic Organization

This is the computer age and many of us live paperless – or at least attempt to do so. Photos, music, bills and many other aspects to our life are stored on our computers. Before long, an unorganized computer will perform slower and make it more difficult for you to find the information you need. So, how long should you keep old files on your hard drive? It's kind of like cleaning out a closet—if you haven't used a particular file (or sweater) in a year, you're pretty safe storing it somewhere else. How can you tell how old a file is? Rest your mouse cursor over the file name, right-click, and choose Properties. You can see when the file was created, last modified it, and most recently accessed. If a file is old, not important, and hasn't been accessed in more than 6 months, it might be time to clear it out. You should also have a system for weeding out and organizing your old e-mail messages. When answering e-mails, rename any messages you save so that subject lines clearly convey the contents (no more “Re: Re: Fwd: Fwd:”).

Digital Photos

The best thing about a digital camera is that it's easy to take thousands of pictures. That's also the worst thing about digital cameras. Digital cameras have eliminated the need for negatives and so the storage of digital pictures can be quite easy, you just have to keep up on it. Creating specific folders on your computer is the best way to organize groups of pictures, and the ‘My Pictures’ folder is a great place to start. In your My Pictures folder, create a subfolder for each year: 2006, 2007, 2008, and so on. You can subcategorize those folders into specific event names or dates. Arranging pictures by year is also helpful if you're scanning older photos stored in shoeboxes or albums that you took before owning a digital camera. Scanning old photos is a great way to eliminate extra boxes of cluttered photographs. You should back up your photos on disks or other storage device. Printed photos can be stored in neatly in photo books or boxes.

DVD and CD’s

CD’s and DVD’s can be neatly organized by purchasing a shelf or rack made specifically for their storage. These racks are easy to dust and allow for the easy organization and alphabetizing of your music and movies. For a house that has limited space or for the frequent downloader, a great alternative is storing your movie and music discs in albums. These are great space savers and one album can hold up to 320 discs.

Do you have an organization or cleaning tip you want to share? If so you could win a free autographed copy of Clutter Control by Jeff Campbell! Email your tips to sarah@thecleanteam.com to enter your chance to win!

** Many of the items mentioned and pictured in this article can be found at The Container Store http://www.containerstore.com/

The Psychology of Clutter

2008-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

We are all guilty of some form of hoarding. How many things do you see that you haven’t used in a year or more? How many hours a day do you waste searching for things lost in a pile of rubble? Are you continually hindered just trying to complete your everyday day tasks? Some tasks, such as cleaning the house, can be too overwhelming to deal with when there is clutter in every corner. Uninvited guests might make you want to close the shades and hide out in embarrassment due to the state of disorder in your home. Clutter can be a reminder of how out of control your life seems and your failure to maintain a clean, organized home. Clutter is a monster that, when let loose in your home, can start a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

True hoarders may have extreme habits, but we all know someone who holds onto items of little to no function. Look around your house. How many things do you see that serve no useful purpose? Are your closets filled with outfits that you keep only in the vain hope of fitting into them again? Do you have piles of magazines and books that have never read? While these things may add ambience and security to your home, they may be costing you more time and space then they are worth. Think of all the time and effort it takes to dust small knick-knacks and all the space you could save yourself by thinning your wardrobe of outdated clothes that no longer fit. This sounds easy enough, but for some, the thought of letting go of their belongings is terrifying.

The urge to collect comes from the need to store supplies such as food and other necessities—a drive so primal it begins in the subcortical portion of the brain. But it doesn't end there. We use our prefrontal cortex, the portion of the brain involved in decision-making, information processing and behavioral organization, to determine just what things are worth hoarding. The theories surrounding this “biological” urge to accumulate clutter borrow themselves from evolutionary history. Today abundance surrounds us. However, our ancestors were hunters and gatherers who lived a much harsher existence. Food and supplies weren’t nearly as accessible 10,000 years ago like they are today. Our brains have been genetically pre-programmed to save anything that could be materially useful. This biological predisposition transformed itself around the time of the industrial revolution from a biological urge to save for survival sake to the desire to acquire and collect things. This is the thought evolution of ‘need’ into ‘want’. What was once food and supplies has become ornaments and trinkets of every variety. Thus the clutter phenomenon was born.

Americans love for consumption could be one more reason for the problem. The clutter often seen in American homes reflects how many Americans feel these days: overwhelmed, disorganized and compulsive. With nearly continual media doing it’s best to convince us we need this or that, it’s no wonder that many of us fall prey acquiring more than we need. This blend of consumer fear and consumption in large part is reason for our overstuffed homes. So much in America is large and overstocked. 40 years ago an average corner market was only a few thousand square feet and stocked with less that 1,000 items. Today, your local Wal-Mart Super Center covers a little under a quarter million square feet and stocks over 130,000 products. The American clutter epidemic is fueled by multiple opportunities to buy unneeded stuff at what we are convinced are rock bottom prices.

To help with your clutter Jeff Campbell and The Clean Team have created useful rules for uncluttering your home and life. Here are a few of these rules in abbreviated versions:

Rule 1: When in doubt, throw it out! No other advice we can give will have such a liberating effect on your life. Keeping things in your home costs money and time. Don’t use the old excuse “It’s too nice to throw away”. If it is so nice, then give it to someone who will use and appreciate the item. If no one wants it then you must come to terms with the items real value and part ways with it. If it’s broken, fix it now or toss it. If it is ripped have it mended or discard it.

Rule 2: Use it or lose it. This rule is particularly helpful when you are attempting to implement Rule 1 and are getting ready to get rid of some of your stuff. How do you decide what to keep and what to toss? Sensible advice for this rule is if you’re not using something, then get rid of it. Keep in mind future time does not apply to this rule. Use it refers to here and now. It doesn’t mean sometime in the future.

Rule 3: Efficiency counts, so store things accordingly. Efficient storage reduces clutter by making it easier to find things and to replace things after each use. If it’s easier it’s more likely to happen. Efficient storage also means that things you use most are stored in most easily accessible places.

Rule 4: Handle some things once. This rule is necessary because of those famous last words “I’ll put this here for now”. This phrase should be forbidden to a known clutterer. Once you say “for now” you are admitting that you are going to have to handle whatever it is more than once. That decision doubles your workload and increases clutter. What you are really doing is putting off making a decision about it right then and there. Don’t be lazy. From now on, when the mail arrives, instead of piling it on the counter “for now”, tackle it head on, toss the junk pieces and file the bills to be paid in their designated area.

Rule 5: Recycle it. Help yourself declutter and help the environment at the same time. We’re not just talking about aluminum, glass and plastic. Recycle clothes and other household items to those who need them. Can’t think of anyone who needs those old books? Consider your local library - which is most likely under funded and short of books - or a retirement home. Used cell phones can be donated to multiple charities, as well as computers and almost any other e-waste item. You will be making a difference in your life as well as someone else’s.

** Our next blog will address the how to of cleaning and managing your clutter! For further reading, check out Clutter Control by Jeff Campbell and The Clean Team!

Avoid the Pitfalls of Cleaning

2008-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

If you put off your housecleaning until the last moment, you’re not alone. The world is full of procrastinating cleaners. We all have different reasons for putting off our housecleaning. We are busy with work, kids and life in general. Some of us enjoy a clean house but don’t enjoy the amount of work that goes along with it. If we don’t have the proper tools as well, housework can be a complicated task. Those of us who have tried to sweep rugs instead of vacuum them due to a broken vacuum understand just how important having the right tool is! So what is your procrastination excuse?

Excuse #1 - I don’t have time! Yes, you do! Make time by cutting corners where you can and apply Speed Cleaning Rules to your entire life. Remember, Speed Cleaning isn’t about rushing through it, but rather about managing your time and motions in a way that maximizes results in as little time as possible. Do you wander aimlessly up and down the grocery store isles instead of making a list? Is a lack of household organization holding you back? Small changes in your life can lead to dramatic results in time management ability. Applying Speed Cleaning principles to your life as well as your cleaning virtually guarantees you to have enough time to clean with time left over to enjoy yourself.

Excuse #2 – I don’t always have the right tools. This is the perfect excuse, right? If you don’t have laundry soap, you can forgo the wash. Vacuum broke? Just ignore the crumbs on the carpets. Only, when you are down to your last clean outfit and the dust bunny colony has taken over your floors you begin realize this may not have been the best excuse. Give your vacuum needed maintenance and repairs – you’ll thank yourself in the long run. No need to stock up on every cleaner in the store to be well prepared. Figure out which tools and cleaners work for you and make sure you have them on hand. Don’t be afraid to improvise if needed – but you’re better apt to be prepared than to let this excuse drive your house into cleaning’s worst nightmare.

Excuse #3 – I just don’t like to clean! Whether you love it or hate it - it has got to get done! Cleaning is a state of mind. The more you dread it, put it off and harbor ill feelings toward it, the more of a challenge it is going to be. Here are a few simple things you can do to help motivate you when it comes to cleaning:

Visualization: Your house is a mess. Dishes are piled up, stuff is scattered everywhere. It is hard to find motivation with such a mess in front of you. At this point, as you find your will to clean about to give up, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Imagine your house, sparkling clean and how good it makes you feel. Tell yourself how easy it was to get there and how fast you accomplished it. Positive thinking is always the best route when facing a challenge.

Talk to Yourself: As you clean, tell yourself what you are going to do. Affirming actions in an upbeat manner can get you revved up for action. Tell yourself, “I am going to tackle these dishes” with gusto and you’ll find yourself geared up for success!

Challenge Yourself: Follow Speed Cleaning Rule 11: ‘Keep track of your time’. Give yourself little rewards for beating your fastest time. Trying to beat your best time creates energy and motivation.

Turn On Some Music: Dust off your CD player and put on some motivating music. Upbeat, happy and fun music can lift your mood while you clean. You can gear yourself up by creating a cleaning play list on your MP3 or ipod player. Burn a CD of songs you know get your motor running and ready for cleaning.

Exercise: With sedate day jobs and a hectic life little is left in our schedule for exercise. Instead of wasting gas money and membership fees on the gym, make your cleaning routine your exercise routine. Cleaning up burns calories and upping the pace of your cleaning can serve as a great cardio workout. Instead of spending aimless time walking on a treadmill, burn the same amount of calories straightening up your space!

Make it a group effort: Cleaning as a family is a healthy way to come together as a team. You’ll reap the benefits of teaching your children that messes may be easy to make but not as easy to clean up, serving as encouragement to be tidier.

Need more motivation? Call us at 800-717-2532 and we'll help you solve all your cleaning dilemmas!

Mold: A "Growing" Problem

2008-04-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mold and mildew are terms generally used to describe a distinct group of living organisms that appear as black, gray, green and even red growth. Mold thrives in areas of high humidity. It grows on organic materials such as paper, textiles, grease, dirt and soap scum. Mold spores float throughout the house, forming new colonies where they land. Mold and mildew are actually different members of the fungus family but can be used interchangeably for our purposes.

Mold grows on surfaces in masses of branching threads that resemble dense cobwebs, and individually these threads can produce hundreds of thousands of spores in four to nine days. These spores then move about in air currents or by adhering to insects or animals or water. Although omnipresent and able to form new colonies wherever they land, spores of different mold species seem actually to be quite fussy about where they will and will not grow. The green mold that grows on an orange peel, for instance, will not grow on an apple or a damp carpet or in a human lung. Active mold can be any color, depending on its species and the substance on which it is growing.

The quantity of mold fragments and spores needed to cause health problems varies from person to person. Besides inhalation, people can become exposed to mold through skin contact and eating moldy food. Toxic molds can produce several toxic chemicals called mycotoxins that can damage your health. About 15 million Americans are allergic to mold. The most common reactions are flu-like symptoms and asthma. In high concentrations, mold fragments, spores, and mycotoxins can trigger symptoms even in individuals who have no allergies. Those with chronic lung or immune problems are at risk for more serious reactions like fever, lung infections and a pneumonia-like illness. When mold grows indoors in moist organic materials, building occupants may begin to notice odors and suffer a variety of health problems associated with mold exposure.

The U.S. Government's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and government standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established.

Molds aren’t just a nuisance or a health hazard; they actually serve an important role in nature by helping to break down organic matter. Mold and mildew can grow anywhere–indoors or outdoors–wherever there is enough moisture and oxygen to keep them alive. Since you can’t eliminate oxygen, the best way to control indoor mold or mildew is to reduce indoor moisture.

Homes, apartment buildings, schools and commercial buildings are all much more energy-efficient than they were 20 years ago because they are better sealed against outside elements. Just as they seal the weather out, they seal in whatever moisture is generated inside, whether it's from water leaks, condensation from air conditioning or steam from the shower and stovetop.

Mold requires 3 basic elements to grow- moisture, warm air, and a food source. Depriving mold of any of these three items will limit, and in some cases prevent it from growing entirely. Places with excess air moisture like laundry rooms; bathrooms and basements are served well by keeping them ventilated or using a dehumidifier. The best way to control mold growth is to reduce moisture levels throught the house by repairing any plumbing, roof or window leaks or drips. When water leaks or spills occur indoors, act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow. Keep air conditioning and refrigerator drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly. Cobwebs and dust act like spore traps. Airborne mold spores get caught in them and can begin to grow. Vacuum and clean regularly to remove possible sources of mold growth, especially behind refrigerator and other appliances that are not always included in routine vacuuming. Do not store materials such as paper, books, clothes, or other possible sources of food for mold in humid parts of your home.

If mold is on hard, non-porous materials like tile or floors, the surface can be washed with a household detergent or disinfectant, then treated with bleach to kill any remaining mold or mildew, rinsed and dried thoroughly. A mixture of 1 part of chlorine bleach to 4 parts water can be used. Bleach should only be used in well-ventilated areas. Greener cleaners for removing mold include a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. Once the surface has been removed of mold, you can keep the surface clean with Red Juice. Regular cleaning of a surface with Red Juice helps prevent the growth of mold spores, even on your fruits and vegetables. Mold on porous surfaces such as wallboard, drywall and particleboard are difficult to clean. These moldy materials are good hosts for mold. Particle board contains bonding agents with sugars in them--a preferred meal for mold; and the paper on dry wall will quickly fuel mold growth with the slightest moisture. These materials usually need to be discarded rather than cleaned.

The “Dirt” on Disinfectants

2008-04-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Living with Germs in Harmony

Right now in your home, several colonies of tiny microorganisms, bacteria, viruses , mold spores and fungus are thriving in communities of their own. They live everywhere in your house - from toilets to sinks, door knobs to desktops. If this makes you cringe and gives you the urge to sanitize every inch of you home, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The truth of the matter is most microbes around us are harmless. Bacteria naturally thrive on our skin, in our digestive tract and in the world around us helping maintain a harmonious balance. Some microorganisms are beneficial to our health, like those cultures found in yogurt. They are marketed as “Probiotic” which is defined as ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.’

Is “Germ” the New Buzzword for Advertisers?

Many cleaning product manufactures cash in on our somewhat unnecessary fear of germs and feed into it. Did you know that nearly 75% of all liquid soaps contain some form of bacteria killing chemicals? It doesn’t stop there. The CDC cites over 700 products available on the market as “antibacterial”. Everyday products like toothbrushes, dishwashing detergents, hand lotions and cutting boards are now being laced with germ killing chemicals.

While some of these products do kill (and overkill) bacteria, buyer beware, some products do nothing at all. The EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have reprimanded and fined several manufacturers of antibacterial products for falsely implying that their products can kill bacteria.

Chemical and Environmental Dangers

Antibacterial products are not just poisonous to germs; they are poisonous to you and the environment as well. The EPA cites 275 different active ingredients in antimicrobial products that are classified as pesticides.

Because of potential health risks and environmental impact, antibacterial agents and disinfectants should be reserved for hospitals and home care of patients with suppressed immune systems. If there is an outbreak of a communicable disease in your home, things to disinfect would be shared items like door handles, telephones, keyboards and utensils. Even then, keep in mind that normal, everyday boring soap will kill about 99.4% of the bacteria on your skin. Antibacterial soaps increase it to only about 99.6% (for triclosan soap).

The Risk of Resistance

Just like regular antibiotics used to treat infection, the overuse of antibacterial cleaning products can lead to resistance and mutation. This can be serious widespread health risk that when otherwise treatable bacterial infections no longer respond readily to the drugs.

Recent news media has reported on the outbreaks of drug resistant MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA was one of the first germs to outwit all but the most powerful drugs. Staph bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they often cause only minor skin problems in healthy people. But in older adults, small children and people who are ill or have weakened immune systems, ordinary staph infections can cause serious illness or death.

Scientific studies have also shown correlation between homes that are over cleaned with antibacterial products and increased allergies in children. These studies suggest that overuse of antibacterial products may affect the immune system negatively. Bacteria and viruses serve to strengthen our immune systems. Children exposed to germs have strong, fully developed immune systems.

The overuse of antibacterial products on the skin may even cause more cases of some skin diseases. Some dermatologists point out that too much antibacterial soap can dry the skin and dry skin often results in a susceptibility to open sores. The open sores leave skin vulnerable to bacteria. If regular, rather than antibacterial, soap and cleaners are used, the problem could likely be avoided.

The 15 Second Rule

According to the Harvard Health Letter, washing your hands with soap and water for just 15 seconds kills 90% of bacteria. No Antibacterial products necessary. That’s right. Time tested thorough cleaning of your hands (or any surface area) for 15 seconds or more is sufficient enough to rid of bacteria and viruses.

Antibacterial Alternatives

Clean surfaces are naturally a hostile environment for bacteria and viruses. By simply keeping the surfaces in your home clean you eliminate their ability to thrive. Bleach is an effective agent against mold, mildew and bacteria. A solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach to 16 ounces of water is extremely effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Eco-friendly alternatives like hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are also effective and inexpensive to use.

Red Juice: Effective, Safe and Green

It is no accident that The Clean Team formulated Red Juice to be environmentally and personally safe. Without getting too much into to the doldrums of chemistry, Red Juice is basically a unique blend of surfactants, which is a fancy way of describing a compound that reduces the surface tension of the dirt clinging to the surface area. The surfactants in Red Juice break surface tension and allow the dirt to just float away. These surfactants in Red Juice are derived from sea kelp, soybeans and palm kernels among other natural ingredients. Most importantly, Red Juice lacks the surfactant found in most major retail cleaning solutions –something called Butyl Cellosolve. Formulated 25 to 30 years ago, Butyl Cellosolve is listed as a chemical contaminant, in accordance with California law. It can injure the kidneys, liver, nervous system and mucous membranes.

Red Juice has the USDA’s highest approval classification (A-1), meaning it can be used on and around food manufacturing equipment, in dairy processing plants and most importantly, your kitchen. It is non-toxic, odorless and quickly biodegrades..

Now, despite the scare tactics many manufactures are using today to sell more products, Red Juice is not a disinfectant. We don’t want to use a poison day in and day out. It lacks “killability” (thank goodness). Unfortunately as a society, we have been utterly frightened into washing our children and homes with antibacterial this, and disinfectant that in fear of germs (gasp!). But allow me to reason with this fear for just one exhaustive moment of your time. I want to avoid getting into the scientific evidence that has pointed to the fact that the overuse of antibacterial products and disinfectants are creating new, stronger viruses and bacteria to which we have no defenses against (think MSRA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and get to the real issue here. Antibacterial and disinfectant products KILL living cells on contact. That’s right I said KILL! As much as murdering those cold germs and preventing the umpteeth rinovirus breakout in your house this year is comforting, you needn’t kill them to prevent illness.

Outside of the fact that good old thorough hand washing (without antibacterial soap) has prevented illness and infection for almost a hundred years, you simply need a cleaner that cleans well. Red Juice cleans so well that bacteria and fungi are left with nothing to feed on, so the microbe count after cleaning a surface with Red Juice is close to zero. Add to that the act of wiping away the last few stragglers left behind, you have a bacteria free surface without the use of poison!

Spring Cleaning Essentials

2008-03-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

The flowers are in bloom, the bees and birds are abound and it’s time once again for Spring Cleaning. Look around your home and assess the situation. A year’s worth of build-up is hiding in the corners and cracks waiting to be scrubbed clean.

In today’s blog we are going to talk about Spring Cleaning’s essential duties and the tools you’ll need to get these jobs done quick and efficiently. Spring Cleaning duties are often more strenuous than your every day housecleaning so thankfully, you only have to tackle them once a year or so. We are going to focus on four Spring Cleaning tasks: washing windows, cleaning miniblinds and ceiling fans and washing walls.

Window Washing. First things first - we are going to let you in on the secret to easy window washing – a squeegee and scrubber! The ideal squeegee has a firm, flexible blade and pivots from side to side, allowing access to hard to reach spots. The scrubber should have a soft, machine washable lambs wool cover. You will also need a double bucket. Double buckets are the ultimate choice for window washing as the divided sections allow you to separate the cleaning solution from the squeegee and scrubber. The bucket doesn’t need to be large enough for you to submerge your scrubber. Submerging the entire scrubber will only make a wet mess of things (mainly your arms). You only need to dip each end of the scrubber, and then squeeze off the excess water. Pro Tip: A major squeegee secret is that the squeegee blade must be dry and must be started on a dry surface each and every stroke.

Cascade makes a dandy window cleaner. Dishwashing detergent has “sheeting action” that allows the water to rinse of clean with out streaking and spotting. It also evaporates from the windows surface a bit slower than ammonia-based cleaning solutions, so you have more time to work. Start with 1 tablespoon (liquid or powder) per bucket of water or, if you are using a double bucket, reduce it down to ½ a tablespoon per one side of water. Pro Tip: Wash windows on a cooler, rather than warmer day. Also, don’t wash windows in direct sunlight. The sun evaporates your cleaner much too quickly.

Cleaning Miniblinds. There is much more surface area on these blinds than one imagines when innocently contemplating the cleaning thereof. Every square inch on every slat must be carefully washed to remove dirt and often, just as carefully, dried to avoid streaks. There are two methods for hand-cleaning miniblinds: Cleaning them in place or removing them to clean them.

In-Place Cleaning Method: If you have only one or two miniblinds, consider yourself lucky. You can clean them in place. Cover the windowsill with Cleaning Cloths or towels to catch drips and spray. Or, you can ignore the over-spray and wash the window and frame when you're done with the miniblinds. Starting from the top, spray the miniblinds dripping wet with a Clear Ammonia solution (up to one part ammonia to three parts water) or Chandelier Cleaner (available from our online catalog). Then turn the slats to expose their other side and spray again so both sides are dripping wet. Unless you have very soft water, or unless you use chandelier cleaner, you must wipe each slat dry to avoid streaks and/or water spots. Use cleaning cloths or paper towels to dry them, also working from the top down. When finished, if you’re not worn out yet, this is a good time to clean the frame and then the window behind the blinds.

Remove and Clean Method: If you have a number of blinds, it's easier to remove them and make a single big mess elsewhere. The best place if the weather is accommodating, is outside, mounted against something. It's even better if there is concrete or grass below so you can use the hose without creating a swamp. The perfect spot is to hang them in front of the door or wall of a garage. Use wire or rope to hang them fully extended. Better yet, use our Mini-Blinds Brackets (available from our online catalog). They will make the job much easier.

In this case, it's easier to put the ammonia solution in a bucket and use a soft-bristle brush to scrub the blinds instead of spraying the blinds with the cleaning solution. First turn the slats to the down position and gently scrub. Then turn the blinds around and repeat the process to clean the backside. Now use a hose to rinse if you can do so without making a muddy mess underfoot. If the water is hard in your area, let the blinds drip for a few minutes and then wipe each slat dry to avoid spots and streaks. Another choice is to rinse with distilled water. This will allow you to air-dry the blinds with only minimal spotting.
If you don't have such a site available, hang the blinds inside the shower and clean as described above. Using a Speed Rinser (available from our online catalog) makes cleaning in the shower much easier.

Ceiling Fans: If the fan hasn't been cleaned in some time and the blades are as dusty as we suspect, it's best to rise to their level. Trying to clean very dirty ceiling fans from the floor is exasperating and ineffective. Obviously, a ladder is needed in most cases, but once there, the cleaning itself is easy enough. Position the ladder once, and then turn the fan blades to clean each one in turn. Use Cleaning Cloths and Red Juice, or other heavy-duty cleaner. Spray the cloth or the blade (it's easier and safer to spray the cloth) and wipe. Use one cloth to make the first wipe. This cloth will soon be a mess, but it will remove most of the dirt. Use a second Red-Juice-dampened cloth for a second and final wipe.

Once you get the fan blades clean, keep them that way with regular maintenance cleaning. This can be done from the relative safety of terra firma. Use a flexible duster on an Extension Pole. The one we use is called a Rabbit-Ear Duster (available from our online catalog). It has a bendable, double-loop wire frame head that looks like it has ears, hence the name. The "ears" are covered with a thick 100% cotton yarn head and are mounted on an extension pole. The tool allows you to clean out-of-reach fans, and you can bend and shape the "ears" to match the contours of the fan. Use the Rabbit-Ear Duster dry.

Washing Walls. Never before has the task of wall washing become easier. Make no mistake; washing walls is a big undertaking. Have you ever just started out just spot cleaning a smudge on a wall only to discover that the new clean spot on the wall is more obvious than the smudge ever was? You are left with a big obvious clean spot on an otherwise dingy surface. Most people re-paint their walls before they get around to washing them. But with a Sh-Mop and Red Juice and your walls and even your ceiling can look as good as new!

Thankfully the only walls you normally need to wash are in the kitchen and bathroom. These rooms are usually covered with gloss or semi-gloss paint that should respond well to cleaning. Often there are just a few streaks over a kitchen countertop, or a few lines on bathroom walls caused by condensation. Just wipe these areas with Red Juice and a Cleaning Cloth when you're doing your weekly normal cleaning. That's usually all that's needed to keep them relatively spotless. The idea is to spot clean when you can get away with it. If the wall is beyond spot cleaning, proceed with full washing.

Washing your walls with a Sh-Mop is faster than with a sponge because the Sh-Mop base is 8" by 15". It can cover a lot of territory very quickly, unlike even a large sponge! Just dip the Sh-wipe in your cleaning solution, wring it out to almost dripping wet, replace on the Sh-Mop and you are ready to go. You should keep your Red Juice on hand so you can spray those extra dingy spots as needed. The Sh-Mop base swivels 360° and allows you to reach the top of the walls and even most ceilings without a ladder.

Happily, Spring Cleaning comes only once a year, and it is a great way to take advantage of winter moving on and to clean up all the accumulated dust and dirt that came with it. A thrifty way to give your house a face-lift is by cleaning the areas we have mentioned here. You will be amazed at how just washing your windows or walls gives new life to a drab room.

** All products mentioned in the post can be found at thecleanteam.com online catalog. For further reading, check out Spring Cleaning by Jeff Campbell **

The Clean Team Guide to Vacuums

2008-03-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Vacuums: A Brief History

One of the greatest household engineering achievements of the twentieth century is the vacuum. Before its invention people cleaned floors with mops, brushes, and brooms. Twig brooms were used as far back as 2300 B.C. by cave dwellers.
The first vacuum was patented in 1901 by a British civil engineer named H. Cecil Booth in 1901. His inspiration came from observing railroad seats being cleaned by a device that blew compressed air at the fabric to force out dust. He decided sucking at the fabric would be more effective measure of cleaning and so the first modern vacuum cleaner was born. Booth created a large device, known as ‘Puffing Billy’, driven first by an oil engine, and later by an electric motor. It was wagon mounted and drawn by horses and parked outside the building to be cleaned.
Thankfully vacuum technology has come a long was since Puffing Billy. A series of inventive engineers, such as P.A Fisker (modern day Nilfisk-Advance), Walter Griffiths (created the first domestic vacuum-cleaning device to resemble the modern vacuum cleaner) and W.H. Hoover (among his other engineering innovations was The Hoover Constellation, the first hovercraft vacuum that actually floated on air rather than using wheels) were responsible for revolutionizing the vacuum manufacturing industry.

Canister VS. Upright? : That is the question

There has long been a debate on which style vacuum is better – canister or upright? There are some distinct differences between the two that you should consider before making a decision.
Canister vacuums are easily maneuvered because you are only pushing a lightweight head rather than the whole vacuum. They reach under furniture with ease because of a low profile head. You cannot only vacuum your floors, but upholstered furniture and stairs as well. Also, with canister vacuums there is a wide array of attachments you may not get with an upright (bare floor heads, stair and upholstery attachments). Over all, canister vacuums are lighter, smaller and easier to store.
Uprights do offer their conveniences too. There is broad selection of bagless models. Uprights that do have bags are often much bigger than ones used in canisters so you don’t have to change them as often. For single story houses with open floor plans, multiple hallways and large carpeted areas an upright is easy to use.
There are cost and maintenance differences between the two styles as well. Canisters tend to cost a bit more than uprights, however, canisters tend to be easier to fix since their design is simpler.

What to look for in a Vacuum: Suction Power!

When choosing your vacuum you want to go with what feels best for you. Maneuverability, design and comfort level are all qualities to look for. Vacuums are one of the most important household helpers and it pays to invest in something that works well for you and is made to last. By far the most important quality in a vacuum is suction power – after all, that’s its primary job.
Despite being told the contrary, amps are not a good measure of a vacuum cleaner's performance. The amp rating tells you how strong the motor is, not necessarily how strong the suction power is. Suction power is actually measured by "inches of water lift." Water lift measures, under test conditions, how high a vacuum can pull water up a tube. The best advice we can offer when inquiring about vacuums is to ask about the water-lift measurement of the vacuum. It should be listed in the vacuum's specifications. A good vacuum should be rated at 75 inches or more

The Big Vac: Why We Love It!

Cleaning house for a living is hard work. You had better believe that a vacuum is not only the best friend of a housecleaner but it should also be a fine piece of cleaning equipment that has to be built to make housecleaning easier. The Clean Team has gone through quite a few vacuums since 1979, and we've tried a number of major brands. Here are some of the features the Big Vac offers that we think are key to its superior operation.

- Its the canister type
- It has 91 inches of "water lift" (a measure of suction power)
- Its comfortable to hold and use
- Its able to vacuum most furniture (and under it too)
- It doesn’t tip over when yanked by the hose
- Its hose never twists during use
- It has handle for easy lifting
- Its light enough to spare your back
- It has a paper dust bag that's large enough to last for weeks, Its pleated filter traps particles down to 0.5 micron

Simplify Your Bathroom Cleaning

2008-03-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

The results of our first poll are in! Cleaning the bathroom ranks as the least favored chore among our readers. Here are some hints and tips you can use along with your Speed Cleaning technique to make your weekly bathroom cleaning a cinch. No matter what the problem areas are in your bathroom, we have come up with some solutions to make this weekly chore more manageable and enjoyable (yes, we said it)! The keys to getting this job done quick are regularly scheduled maintenance cleaning, prevention and organization.

Let’s tackle the shower first, which by the end of the week for most of us is a soap scum sanctuary. If you aren’t biding your time battling hard water stains, maybe you are trying to tackle a mold and mildew infestation. No matter the case lets review some things we can do to prevent this little weekly chore from becoming cleanings worst nightmare.

Prevent water spots by using a shower wiper. When you are finished up in the shower, dedicating a few routine minutes to squeegee the shower walls will all but eliminate unsightly water spots. Fitting in these few extra minutes squeegeeing after each shower will equal less time scrubbing at the end of the week. Pro Tip: Make sure your squeegee blade is white instead of black. Black blades can leave scuffmarks on hot shower walls. Be choosy when picking out your new shower accessory. Be sure to purchase a squeegee made especially for showers. The blade should be slightly firm and flexible. (We sell an excellent shower wiper that we have personally tested and scrutinized for quality).

Clean the shower while you shower. The mother of all multi-tasks. It takes just a few moments daily during your shower. Have handy a tile brush or white pad so you can scrub down the shower walls while you are conditioning your hair. If water conservation is on your mind, simply turn off the faucet while you complete the task. Pro Tip: Use a handy Speed Rinser that connects to your showerhead. This practical device makes rinsing walls (and your hair!) a snap.

Use a dehumidifier. Small bathrooms, especially those without windows or exhaust fans can have massive amounts of condensation build up. Condensation over time can lead to mold and mildew problems. A dehumidifier can help control the bathroom atmosphere that will help control the growth of fungus, mold and mildew, bacteria as well as control odors.

If you're tired of fighting soap scum buildup, try switching to liquid soap or natural soap. The talc in most bar soaps causes most of that annoying buildup. Changing soap might help eliminate the buildup. The choice of liquid body wash or bar soap (and which brand of either to use) has long been a subject of discussion at The Clean Team. Some members think one is easier to clean, but the next person says the opposite. We just don't know for sure. No matter what brand of soap you’re using, regular maintenance here is the key.

Unsightly mold and mildew spots on your shower curtain? Try a Mildew-Proof Shower Curtain Liner! Shower curtains and liners are a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Since they are continually exposed to warmth and water it doesn’t take long for a new shower curtain to become dingy and worn. Prevention is the key here. Specially treated curtain liners are a great line of defense. We offer a shower curtain liner that won’t ever mildew thanks to its exclusive anti-bacterial treatment. And since we like timesaving convenience, it is machine washable for optimum cleaning efficiency. Pro Tip: For mold and mildew problems try using a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. It is just as effective as bleach but won’t harm your lungs or the environment.

Shower caddies not only offer organization and space saving efficiency, but they actually make your shower easier to clean. Leaving soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles on hard shower surfaces create rings that need to be scrubbed away. Keeping these bottles in a caddie eliminates this problem. Shower caddies come in a variety of styles, from over the showerhead to suction shelves to corner caddies. Once every couple of weeks just rinse down your caddie (with your helpful Speed Rinser perhaps) and contents and you are ready to go! Pro Tip: For extra dingy caddies just pop in a dishwasher for easy clean up.

Now that we have covered time saving shower cleaning tactics, lets move on to the dreaded toilet area….

Ring around your toilet? Use a pumice stick, an all-natural green way to eliminate unsightly rings. Toilet rings, which are caused by water evaporating and leaving behind tenacious mineral deposits, can cause permanent damage if ignored for long periods of time.

Inexpensive U-shaped rugs that fit against the toilet base are great to have “laying around”. They catch most of the misses and near misses that happen around the toilet. Weekly maintenance is a breeze; just throw them in the washer and dryer. You can maintain throughout the week simply by light vacuuming or shaking off outside.

Keep your toilet bowl sparkling in between regular cleanings by dropping a few
denture cleaning tablets in the bowl and let the bubbles do all the work! This tactic along with regularly scheduled cleanings using products like all-natural Red Juice or Pro Scrub will keep your toilet looking tip-top.

Moving onto the sinks, fixtures and mirrors….

Rinse out the sinks after each use. Keep a cleaning cloth handy underneath the cabinet or in a near by drawer to quickly wipe down the sink after using it. Swiftly polish up the fixtures after activities (like brushing teeth) that leave small splatter marks that dry making weekly cleaning more tedious. Pro Tip: A small, handy toothbrush will make all the difference in your bathroom cleaning. It makes small, tight, hard to reach spaces easy to clean. Our pro toothbrush is designed to outwit hiding grime and outlast your ordinary toothbrush.

Mirror Splatter, fingerprints and rogue droplets can all be pretty much eliminated by adhering to Clean Team Rule 10: Pay Attention! Are you a careless brusher? By simply tilting your head right (or left) while brushing your teeth takes bathroom mirrors and fixtures out of the line of fire. Do you blast water from the faucet while washing hands? Just a slow dribble should do for hand washing. This keeps soapy, messy stray splatter at bay!

Where kids are concerned…

We know cleaning is upped the ante where kids are concerned. Here are a few quick bathroom-cleaning tips to help you manage the cleaning chaos that comes with having kids.

-Use hooks for hanging towels instead of bars. They are easier for smaller children to use.

-Have a hamper available for soiled and dirty items. This will help piles from accumulating

-Net hangers for bath toys not only keeps toys organized but it also keeps them from growing mold by helping them drip dry faster.

-Use a little food coloring instead of bubbles in the bath. Three or four drops of blue or green food coloring makes the water a fun color without the left over soap scum and slippery mess.

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it! We hope these tips and tricks help you enjoy your weekly bathroom cleaning a little more and most importantly we hope it saves you time! If you have any time saving tips you’d like to share with us feel free to post them in the comments section!

*Red Juice, Pro Scrub, Pro Toothbrush, Speed Rinser, Pumice Sticks, Mildew-Proof Shower Curtain and Shower Wiper as well as a variety of superior cleaning products all available excellently priced and quality guaranteed at http://www.thecleanteam.com/

The Rules of Speed Cleaning

2008-03-10T10:30:00.001-07:00

Free Yourself From The Weekly Grind of Housecleaning

Speed Cleaning allows you to systematically clean your house and get it over as soon as possible. No lingering, fussing, dawdling or dwelling. We've set up rules in order to help you avoid the pitfalls of cleaning and make “getting it over with quickly” possible. So here they are, one more time for the record, the rules that make it all possible:

1. Make every move count. The most important rule in our system. No more running marathons in your living room, hunting down paper towels, spray bottles and scattered tools. It stops here. No more wasting steps and repeating yourself. Quit making those extra moves – it wastes time.

2. Use the right tools. Put down that robot vacuum; let go of the electric duster! We are well aware that cleaning has accumulated more silly gadgets than serious tools. So we have come up with some serious tools to help you in your weekly housecleaning quest. What kind of tools you ask? Well, we like to call them 'grime fighters', our trusted legion of dirt busters! You’ll need a scraper, razor blade and beefed up version of a toothbrush. Where will you put them, you ask? Your apron! That’s right, we said it, YOUR APRON! What this tool lacks in modern fashion couture it well makes up for with time saving style! We’d also like to think that we have cornered the fashion market with the first ever aprons that are as stylish as they are functional.

3. Work from top to bottom. Centuries of common wisdom can’t be wrong. You can’t defy gravity so why try? Some things are eternal and this is one of them. Always, always work from top to bottom.

4. If it isn’t dirty, don’t clean it. Don't take cleaning angst out on a surface that doesn’t deserve it! Reserve your scrubbing power for surfaces that require it. When approaching a refrigerator door, for example, size it up, spot-clean the fingerprints and be done with it.

5. Don’t rinse or wipe a surface before it’s clean. Teach yourself to “see through” the dirt and grunge to know when a surface is clean. Well, most often your not actually “seeing” through but “feeling” though it. This is a process of self-discipline; to control the urge to wipe away the gooey mess until the surface your scrubbing is clean. Once you have mastered this rule, you are well on your way to being a Speed Cleaning aficionado.

6. Don’t keep working after it’s clean. (Or “Enough! Enough already!”). The point is simple: If you’re paying attention to what you’re doing, you are going to detect when you have hit ground zero more quickly.

7. If what you’re doing isn’t going to work, shift to a more heavy-duty tool or cleaner. You will finish fastest by shifting tools or cleaners as early as possible in the cleaning process.

8. Keep your tools in impeccable shape. Store your cleaning supplies coherently and always in the same place. Don’t let your razor get rusty or your toothbrush dingy. After all, would superman just leave his cape on the floor in a heap? Dull razors scratch; clogged spray bottles just create frustration. Treat your tools like you would an old friend and they in turn will last a long time and do a great job for you.

9. Repetition makes for smoother moves. Always put your tools and cleaning supplies back in the same predictable place. You don’t want to fumble around in a tizzy wondering where you left your scraper when you need it most. If you leave your tools lying round in alien places you’ll just create frustration for yourself.

10. Pay attention. Don’t loose your train of thought and get sucked into anything else. Stay focused at the task on hand. Don’t let yourself get sucked up into the music you are listening to and start doing the cha-cha in the middle of your vacuuming routine.

11. Keep track of your time. Watch yourself become the speed queen or king of clean. Once you get really good at your routine you can challenge friends and family to a cleaning duel.

12. Use both hands. Why not use what you’ve got? Don’t let one hand hang around while the other does all the work. Besides wasting half your work force, it just isn’t fair to the hand that has to do all the work!

13. If there is more than one of you, work as a team. Things will get done twice as fast!

Speed Cleaning requires practice but the reward is time and energy saved so you can have back your weekends and free yourself from the weekly grind of endless housecleaning! In no time at all with our tools, cleaners and methods you'll be a mean, green Speed Cleaning machine!

*For further reading check out Speed Cleaning written by Jeff Campbell, available at http://www.thecleanteam.com/

We're Official!

2008-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the official Clean Team blog! Whether you landed here because you are a loyal Speed Cleaning student or you happened upon us by accident, we are glad you stopped by. For those of you who have purchased Clean Team products, you know we sell safe, effective household cleaning items at great prices. We also offer a free cleaning advice hotline for those stuck in a cleaning rut. We are just starting our blog which will feature advice, methods and techniques from the pros – all to help inspire you to keep a neat and tidy home with time left over to enjoy it.