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House Cleaning Tips

Summer Cleaning Tips: How to Keep Your Home Fresh and Cool

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Maintaining a fresh and cool home during the hot summer months can be a challenge, but with the right cleaning and maintenance tips, you can create a comfortable oasis away from the sweltering heat. In this guide, we’ll explore essential summer cleaning tips, from air conditioner maintenance to dusting fans and decluttering. Follow these expert tips from Go 2 Girls Professional Home Cleaning Services to ensure your home stays clean, fresh, and cool all summer long.

The Importance of Summer Cleaning

Summer brings with it longer days, more sunlight, and higher temperatures. While these can be enjoyable, they also mean more dust, allergens, and the potential for an uncomfortable indoor environment. A thorough summer cleaning routine can help you:

  • Improve indoor air quality
  • Reduce allergens and dust buildup
  • Maintain efficient cooling systems
  • Create a more inviting and pleasant home environment

Air Conditioner Maintenance

One of the most crucial aspects of keeping your home cool in summer is ensuring your air conditioner is running efficiently. Here are some maintenance tips:

  • Clean or Replace Filters: Dirty filters can restrict airflow and reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner. Check the filters monthly and clean or replace them as needed.
  • Inspect the Unit: Look for any visible dirt or debris on the air conditioner unit and clean it off. Make sure the area around the unit is clear to allow for proper airflow.
  • Check the Thermostat: Ensure your thermostat is functioning correctly. Consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat to better control your home’s temperature and save energy.
  • Professional Maintenance: Schedule a professional maintenance check-up before the summer season to ensure your air conditioner is in top shape. A professional can identify and fix any potential issues before they become major problems.

Dusting and Cleaning Fans

Ceiling fans and portable fans are essential for circulating air and keeping your home cool. However, they can also accumulate dust and allergens, which can negatively impact air quality.

  • Dust Regularly: Use a microfiber cloth or duster to clean the blades of your ceiling fans and the grills of portable fans. Regular dusting can prevent the buildup of allergens.
  • Deep Clean Seasonally: At the start of the summer, give your fans a thorough cleaning. Remove the blades if possible and wash them with warm, soapy water. For portable fans, take apart the grill and clean the blades inside.

Decluttering for Better Airflow

Clutter not only makes your home look untidy but can also impede airflow and make it harder to keep your home cool.

  • Organize and Declutter: Go through each room and get rid of items you no longer need. Donate or recycle what you can, and store away items you won’t use until cooler seasons.
  • Optimize Furniture Placement: Ensure your furniture is not blocking vents or airflow paths. Arrange your furniture to promote better circulation of cool air throughout your home.

Seasonal Deep Cleaning Tasks

Summer is an excellent time to tackle some deep cleaning tasks that can help keep your home fresh and cool.

  • Clean Windows and Window Treatments: Dirty windows and blinds can block natural light and reduce the efficiency of your cooling efforts. Clean your windows inside and out, and wash or dust your blinds and curtains.
  • Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning: Carpets and upholstered furniture can trap dust and allergens. Consider having them professionally cleaned at the start of the summer to reduce allergens and improve indoor air quality.
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Maintenance: These areas can become breeding grounds for bacteria and mold, especially in the heat. Clean and disinfect your kitchen and bathroom thoroughly, paying extra attention to sinks, countertops, and tiles.

Outdoor Cleaning Tasks

Don’t forget about your home’s exterior. A clean and well-maintained exterior can help keep the inside cool and fresh.

  • Clean Gutters: Clogged gutters can lead to water damage and reduce the efficiency of your cooling systems. Clear out any debris to ensure proper drainage.
  • Patio and Outdoor Furniture: Clean your patio and outdoor furniture to create a pleasant outdoor space. Use a pressure washer to clean patios and a mild detergent for furniture.
  • Shade Your Home: Consider installing awnings or shade sails to block out some of the intense summer sun, which can help keep your home cooler.

Routine Cleaning Tips for a Fresh Home

Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule is key to keeping your home fresh all summer long.

  • Daily Tidying: Spend a few minutes each day tidying up. Put away clutter, wipe down surfaces, and take out the trash to prevent odors.
  • Weekly Cleaning: Set aside time each week for more thorough cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming, mopping, and dusting.
  • Monthly Maintenance: Schedule monthly maintenance tasks, like checking air conditioner filters, cleaning out the refrigerator, and deep-cleaning bathrooms.

Benefits of a Clean and Cool Home

Keeping your home clean and cool during the summer months offers numerous benefits:

  • Improved Comfort: A clean and cool home is more comfortable to live in, making it easier to relax and enjoy your summer.
    Better Health: Reducing dust, allergens, and bacteria can improve indoor air quality and contribute to better overall health.
  • Energy Savings: Efficient cooling systems and good airflow can help reduce energy consumption and lower your utility bills.
  • Enhanced Aesthetics: A clean and well-maintained home is more visually appealing and creates a positive environment.

By following these summer cleaning tips, you can keep your home fresh and cool throughout the hottest months of the year. Regular maintenance of your air conditioner, diligent dusting of fans, decluttering, and deep cleaning can make a significant difference in your home’s comfort and air quality. Embrace these practices to create a refreshing oasis that you and your family can enjoy all summer long. And remember, if you need help, give us a call and one of our professional cleaners will be happy to give you a hand!

Family-Friendly Valentine’s Day Cleaning Tips

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Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, not just for couples but for families too. It’s a day to cherish the love within the home, making it a cozy and welcoming space for everyone. Go 2 Girls, a professional residential cleaning service, offers family-friendly Valentine’s Day cleaning tips to help you celebrate love in a clean, organized home. Let’s dive into some practical, heartwarming cleaning tips that involve the whole family, turning chores into a celebration of love.

1. Declutter to Delight – A Family Affair: Kick off your Valentine’s preparations by decluttering together. Make it a fun family activity by setting a timer and seeing who can organize their space the fastest. A clutter-free home not only looks welcoming but also makes room for activities and decorations that bring joy and love into focus.

2. Engage All Senses for a Loving Atmosphere: A clean home is pleasing to the eyes and the nose! Use gentle, natural cleaners to freshen up your space, choosing scents that are calming and welcoming, like lavender or vanilla. Soft, freshly laundered throws and pillows invite cuddling and ensure comfort for movie nights or storytime.

3. Decorate with Love: After cleaning, it’s time to decorate! Let everyone in the family contribute by making homemade decorations or setting up a Valentine’s Day craft corner. Clean surfaces become the perfect canvas for heart-shaped crafts, photos of loved ones, and handmade valentines, adding a personal touch to your home’s ambiance.

4. Kitchen Clean-Up: Cooking Up Love: Involve the whole family in preparing a special Valentine’s meal or treats. A clean and organized kitchen invites participation. Assign tasks based on age and skill level, from stirring batter to setting the table. A family meal prepared in a clean kitchen is a labor of love and a delicious way to bond.

5. Sweet Dreams – Preparing Bedrooms for Cozy Nights: Ensure everyone’s bedroom is a cozy retreat by tidying up and adding special Valentine’s touches, like heart-shaped pillows or red and pink bedding. A well-organized and clean bedroom promotes peaceful sleep and sweet dreams of love and togetherness.

A Clean Home is the Heart of Family Celebrations: This Valentine’s Day, let the love you share as a family reflect in the cleanliness and warmth of your home. Engaging in cleaning and decorating together not only prepares your space for the day’s celebrations but also strengthens the bonds of love and cooperation among family members. Remember, Go 2 Girls is here to help make your home a beacon of love and warmth, where family memories are made and cherished.

Looking for more tips on maintaining a clean and happy home or need a helping hand? Reach out to us at Go 2 Girls for expert cleaning services that bring families together in clean, joyous homes.

Make Back To School Cleaning and Organizing Easy with These Tips and Tricks

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Back to school is already here, and it’s time to start preparing for the upcoming school year. One of the most important tasks to do at this time of year is to clean and organize your home to ensure a smooth and productive school year. While it may seem overwhelming, especially for working moms and busy homemakers, it is an important task that must be done to create a clutter-free environment fit for learning. Here are some cleaning and organizing tips and tricks to help you get started on back-to-school preparations.

Declutter Your Home: Before you start deep cleaning your house, it is essential to declutter all the clutter that accumulated over the summer. This includes clothes that do not fit, old toys, and school supplies from the previous year. Sort through all your belongings and donate or sell what you do not need. Make space for new items, like school supplies, lunch boxes, and backpacks.

Create a Command Center: Set up a command center in your home to help you and your family stay organized. The command center should include a family calendar, a whiteboard, and a bulletin board. Use the calendar to schedule events, appointments, and deadlines. The whiteboard can be used to write daily to-do lists and notes, and the bulletin board can hold important paperwork, like school permission slips and report cards.

Encourage Your Kids to Help: Involving your kids in the back to school cleaning and organizing process can help them develop essential life skills, like responsibility, accountability, and self-discipline. Encourage them to help with simple tasks like sorting their clothes, organizing their closets, and packing their school bags. You can also make a game of it by setting a timer and seeing how much you can accomplish in fifteen minutes.

Simplify Your Morning Routine: Mornings can be incredibly hectic when you have kids going to school, and you need to get everyone out the door on time. Simplify your morning routine by prepping breakfast and packing lunches the night before. Encourage your kids to pick out their clothes and pack their school bags before going to bed. This will help reduce stress and ensure a smooth start to the day.

Deep Clean Your Home: Once you have decluttered your home and created a command center, it’s time to deep clean. Start with the high traffic areas first, like the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Dust and wipe surfaces, vacuum the floors, and deep clean appliances like the oven and refrigerator. This will help create a clean and refreshing environment to start the school year, and if you need a hand with the deep cleaning, give us a call at 919-909-8093.

In conclusion, back to school cleaning and organizing can be a daunting task, but with these tips and tricks, it can be an enjoyable and stress-free experience. Decluttering your home, creating a command center, involving your kids, simplifying your morning routine, and deep cleaning your home are easy ways to make back-to-school preparations a breeze. Get started on your cleaning and organizing now, and enjoy the start of a productive and successful school year!

The Unbelievable Places Where Dust Can Hide

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Cleaning is a non-ending cycle for moms and homemakers. The dust that gathers in our homes cannot be avoided. No matter how frequently you vacuum and dust, it keeps appearing. Dust accumulates in the most unexpected places, and it is sometimes difficult to detect and deal with it. Therefore, it is essential to have essential home cleaning hacks and tips that can simplify the process for you.

Air Ducts:

Most people inflict damage to their HVAC system when they forget to replace their air filters. Air ducts that are not regularly cleaned collect dust, which is then blown into the house by the HVAC system, spreading dust throughout your home. It is recommended that you replace your HVAC filters every three months and have regular professional maintenance done to prevent this.

Electronics Accumulate Dust:

Dust accumulates in the ports of your electronic devices as time goes by. The heat from these devices is drawn in, causing dust to get sucked into the ports. It can obstruct the fan and trigger your computer to overheat, resulting in a shorter lifespan. To keep the ports clean, use a soft-bristled brush and a compressed air duster regularly to clean them out.

Lampshades, Chandeliers, & Other Light Fixtures:

Light fixtures are one of the most overlooked areas of a home filled with dust, as they are out of our reach most of the time. Dust accumulates on top of lampshades, chandeliers, and light fixtures over time. Not cleaning them might not only affect the longevity of the light fixtures, but also reduce the lighting in your home. Use a soft-bristled brush, a microfiber cloth, or a soft sponge to dust them, or use a ladder and clean them with a damp cloth.

Carpets, Rugs, &  Upholstery:

A simple vacuum does not always get all the dust out of your carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Most of the time, the most dust-collecting spots are hidden deep within the fibers. Steam cleaning your carpets, will keep them fresh and dust free.  If you have pets, you may want to consider steam cleaning 2-4 times per year.

Houseplants:

Having indoor plants is an easy way to add a touch of nature to your home. However, this doesn’t mean that they don´t need maintenance. Plants gather dust over time, which can harm them and cause some health issues for you and your family. You may keep the plants looking fresh and clean by wiping the leaves and stems with a damp cloth or spraying them with water. Moreover, it is important to repot the houseplants every two years to promote optimum growth.

Dust has always been pervasive and impossible to completely remove. However, by using our home cleaning hacks and tips, you’ll be able to significantly reduce the amount of dust that accumulates in your home. Having a clean home is not only crucial for your family’s health, but it also reduces stress and makes you feel good. Start cleaning out all those crazy places where dust can hide or call Go 2 Girls for a Deep Clean and you’ll quickly see how much your home has improved.

9 Home Cleaning Tips From The Professionals At Go-2-Girls

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Maintaining a clean and tidy home takes a lot of effort, but with the right tools and strategies in place, it can become a manageable task. As the professionals at Go-2-Girls, we’re sharing our top 9 home cleaning tips that we swear by to keep our clients’ homes looking spotless. From reducing clutter to establishing routines, these tips will not only save you time but also help you create a clean and organized home you can be proud of.

1. Create A Cleaning Schedule – One of our favorite tips is to establish a cleaning schedule. This means breaking up tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning routines. This helps in maximizing efficiency and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed with cleaning tasks.

2. Declutter Regularly – Regular decluttering is important in keeping your home organized. Make it a habit to declutter and get rid of unwanted items on a regular basis. You can start in one area of your house such as a specific closet or shelf, and then work your way through the whole space.

3. Use The Right Cleaning Products – Using the right cleaning products is crucial in keeping your home clean and tidy. Look for green and eco-friendly products that are gentle on your surfaces and the environment. It’s also worth investing in quality cleaning tools such as microfiber cloths and scrub brushes.

4. Work From Top To Bottom – When cleaning a room, always begin from top to bottom. This means dusting first before vacuuming or sweeping the floors. This prevents dust and debris from falling on already-clean areas.

5. Don’t Neglect The Little Things – Don’t overlook the small details when cleaning. Be sure to wipe down light switches and doorknobs, as these are areas that accumulate dirt and grime.

6. Invest In Organizational Tools – Investing in organizational tools such as containers, baskets, and labels is a great way to keep your home clutter-free. Use them to categorize and store items like toys, clothing, and pantry goods.

7. Clean As You Go – To minimize clutter, try the cleaning-as-you-go approach. This means cleaning up as you go along in your daily activities. This helps in reducing the need for a massive clean-up at the end of the day.

8. Prioritize Your Tasks – Prioritize your cleaning tasks by focusing on the most important areas first. For instance, you may want to prioritize the kitchen and the bathroom as these are the areas that easily get dirty and harbor germs.

9. Enlist Help – Lastly, if you’re short on time or energy, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Enlist family members to pitch in with cleaning tasks, or consider hiring a professional cleaning service like Go-2-Girls for a deep clean, bi-weekly or monthly cleaning.

Keeping a home clean and tidy requires a bit of time and effort, but with these simple tips from the professionals at Go-2-Girls, you can make the job easier. By creating a cleaning schedule, decluttering regularly, using the right cleaning products, and organizing your belongings, you can maintain a clean and healthy home that you’ll love coming home to every day.

Happy cleaning!

How to Keep Your House Clean with Kids

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As a mom, it’s tough to keep your house clean when your little ones are running around! From toy clutter to fingerprints and crumbs, it seems like a never-ending cycle of cleaning. But don’t worry – keeping your home clean with kids isn’t impossible. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with some helpful tips and tricks for keeping your house clean while still enjoying quality time with your family.

Create a cleaning schedule

One of the best ways to keep your house clean with kids is to create a cleaning schedule. It might seem difficult to stick to a schedule, but it’s essential if you want to maintain a clean home. Create a list of tasks that need to be done daily, weekly, and monthly. Make sure that the chores are age-appropriate for your kids, and assign them tasks that they can help with. For example, young kids can help with dusting while older ones can vacuum and mop.

Encourage your kids to clean up after themselves

As a parent, it’s important to teach your kids the value of cleaning up after themselves. Encourage your children to put their toys away after playtime, clean up their dishes after eating, and tidy up their bedrooms before bedtime. Start by making it a fun activity and praising them when they do a good job. Make it a habit, and soon enough, it will become second nature to them.

Use storage solutions

Toys and clutter can easily take over your house when there are kids around. A great way to combat this is to invest in storage solutions like baskets, bins, and shelves. You can designate specific areas in your home for different toys, books, and games. This not only helps keep your house organized but also makes it easier for your kids to find what they need and put them away when they’re done.

Have a daily cleanup time

Another effective way to keep your home clean with kids is to have a daily cleanup time. Pick a time of the day when everyone in the family can tidy up the house together. This routine will teach your kids responsibility and help keep your house in order. Make it a fun family activity, play some music, and set a timer for 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much can get accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Consider hiring a cleaning service

Lastly, if you find it challenging to keep up with cleaning your house with kids around, consider hiring a cleaning service like Go-2-Girls. Having a professional come in once a week or bi-weekly can dramatically reduce your stress levels. You can use the time to spend quality time with your family without worrying about the cleaning tasks. Give us a call (919)909-8093 or request a quote.

Keeping your house clean with kids requires a little bit of patience and planning. By creating a cleaning schedule, encouraging your kids to clean up after themselves, investing in storage solutions, having a daily cleanup time, and considering hiring a cleaning service, you can keep your home clean and organized while bonding with your family. Remember, it’s not about having a perfectly clean house all the time. It’s about creating a functional, inviting space for your family to call home.

Enjoy your weekends again and leave the cleaning to Go 2 Girls!

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