Five Advantages Of Office Cleaning Service In Chicago

A clean atmosphere will allow for a pleasant and healthy working environment.  Most people will tell you that a clean environment would certainly have a positive effect on their output, not to mention on their professional opinion of you and your business when they first come through the door. Have you ever walked into a place and gotten a fresh breath of air? There is no question about it, when clients, visitors and even employees walk in they will notice the level of cleanliness.  Hiring an office cleaning service will not only help your business to maintain the kind of image they are looking for, but will also aid in boosting employee morale.

1. First Impressions count and if that first impression is far from the best than that image or encounter will stick with you. Usually messy or dusty clutters gives off the impression of unprofessionalism which you wouldn’t want to give off to prospective clients or even staff. If their first impression isn’t a good one, the chances that they will do business with you is greatly diminished.

2. Extra time to focus and drive your business. Having a few extra hours goes a long way. Cleaning the office can be a monotonous activity, especially if you have more important work that is being put off so you can take care of the necessary cleaning. By hiring a professional Office Cleaning Service it will save you a lot of time which you can use to tend to other workloads. Recent studies have revealed that experienced and proficient office cleaners may tidy up the workplace three times faster than the average individual.

3. Hidden savings that add up throughout the year. If you hire an Office cleaning service you won’t have to hire a new employee therefore you won’t have to pay additional money for health insurance, paid vacations and sick days, unemployment and injuries on top of their wage. This amount adds up and in the long run and it ends up costing you more than if you hire an office cleaning service to take care of the maintenance and cleaning needs. When you hire a cleaning service they usually provide all the materials and labor.

4. Time required to properly train an employee on correct cleaning techniques and chemicals is a significant investment. Cleaning and Disinfecting are two different animals. Knowing the difference and knowing which cleaning chemicals to use is even more important. A professional janitorial or office cleaning company usually has in house training programs. Having an office cleaning service come in to clean on a regular basis will reduce any health issues that might have been previously caused by these bacteria from unsanitary conditions in the past.

5. Specialty tasks such as carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, and floor care can all be handled by a janitorial company. In many cases when we prepare a quote for janitorial service we also include cleaning services from upholstery cleaning to floor care. Having a company that knows how to properly take care of floors will save you money. One example is making the wax and shine on your floors last longer by using correct pH neutral cleaners that won’t wear away the floor finish. This in itself can save you several thousands of dollars over the course of a year or two.

How To Avoid The Hassles of Move In Cleaning Services in Chicago

Moving out and into a new home is hard work already, add to that the fact that you have to make sure your old place is left in the standard condition as mentioned in the lease when you moved in. To add to that your new home probably wasn’t left in the cleanest condition and now you have are worried because it’s a hassle to move from one location to the other and now this only adds fire to all your stress. No need to worry, just hire a Move in Cleaning Service in Chicago. Professional cleanings aren’t only for the upper class like many people think. It isn’t as expensive as many may think. It not only saves you time and stress it permits you to arrive to a spotless new home.

Our Chicago Move In Cleaning Services provides a very detailed and deep cleaning of everything from:

Bathroom

Shower and shower doors cleaned and disinfected

Tile walls and bathtubs cleaned and disinfected

Windows and window sills and ledges cleaned

Clean and disinfect toilet

Mirrors cleaned and shined

Sink and counters cleaned and disinfected

Floors vacuumed and mopped

Baseboards dusted and wiped down

Shine and clean chrome fixtures

Wipe down outside and inside cabinets and drawers

Cobwebs removed

General dusting

Living Area & Bedrooms

General dusting

Flat areas damp cloth dusted

Vacuum and mop all hard floor surfaces

Baseboards dusted and wiped down

Windows and window sills and ledges cleaned

Carpets vacuumed

Kitchen

Sinks cleaned and disinfected, chrome shined

Countertops and surfaces cleaned and disinfected

Clean exterior of large appliances

Clean inside refrigerator (if requested)

Clean inside oven (if requested)

Clean inside cabinets and drawers (if requested)

Trash emptied

Floors vacuumed and mopped

Clean small counter

Typical add on items clients request are inside cabinets and drawers. This is usually only done if they are empty. Inside refrigerator and inside the oven. Getting your carpet cleaned before you move in is usually a good idea. It makes it easier to get into every nook and cranny. Many times it’s hard to get a carpet cleaning scheduled last minute, but our Chicago Move In Cleaning Service also offer Host Extraction Carpet Cleaning. It is usually dry within the hour so it won’t delay the cleaning service or the most important thing of all, getting moved in.

Mold and Mildew Prevention from your Chicago Cleaning Services Provider

There are products on the market that help to prevent mold in your home like dehumidifiers, air filters, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter, vapor steam cleaners and mold resistant bedding. Unlike many Chicago Cleaning Services, Spotless Cleaning Chicago uses all of these. Personally, I use all of these in my home and office. Recently we have added Sierra Pro-Team vacuums to our tool kit.

Dehumidifiers will assist in drying out the moisture and humidity in the air. They can be useful in basements and areas of the house that may have previously flooded or areas that are prone to moisture. For small areas there is a product called Damprid. We deploy these during summer months when moisture is at it’s peak. Air filters and purifiers help to clean the spores out of the air thus preventing mold from growing. When your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter it sucks in the spores and impurities in the air, this makes the air cleaner for you to breathe. We only use Sebo and Sierra Pro-Team vacuums for the same reason.

Vapor steam cleaners clean, disinfect, deodorize and kill dust mites and mold. A vapor steam cleaner is great for allergy sufferers. Keep in mind that most of the steamers found on store shelves and TV past midnight won’t do the trick. Many of those products only generate heat of about 125 to 150 degrees. By the team the steam travels from the tank to the surface the steam is usually around 125 degrees tops. That is not enough heat to kill most bacteria.

Mold resistant bedding is commonly made of wool and latex which are natural mold resisters. Using mold resistant bedding will help to insure a clean bed to sleep in and help keep mold out of the bedroom area. All of the mold prevention items above can be helpful to use in your home. It helps to vacuum your mattress whenever you do a deep cleaning.

There are many cleaning products on the market today that claim they kill mold and mildew, but some of the claims are false. Our Chicago Cleaning Service has tried more products than we care to name. Bleach for instance is a common cleaner used to get rid of mold, but most of the time it just covers it up, so it ends up coming back. Keep in mind that in order for many products to truly kill bacteria they need to sit on the surface for at several minutes usually 5-10. Some other products that claim to help with the mold and mildew problem are Lime Away, Tilex, and Lysol cleaners. Whenever we clean bathrooms which tend to be prone to mold and mildew because of the moisture we pre-spray for about 10 minutes. This allows enough dwell time for the bacteria to be killed and softens up soap scum which makes it a tad bit easier and faster to clean.

The liquid cleaners on the market today may offer a temporary fix but most of the time the mold and mildew reappears. There is a natural substance that can be used to kill mold and mildew. Most people are not aware of alternative mold killer called tea tree oil which has natural properties that kill mold and mildew instantly and prevent them to reoccurring. Our Chicago Cleaning Services include eco-friendly products such as tea tree oil based cleaners. Using the natural alternative has many benefits it not only works well and kills the germs it is safer to use and it will not harm you or your family. Just keep in mind that while it kills mold and mildew, it won’t necessarily remove the stains. That is why our teams carry Tilex mold and mildew stain remover.

Mold and mildew can cause real problems in your home if it gets out of control. They can cause odor and can be detrimental to your health. If you follow the suggestions above and try some of the products mentioned you will be well on your way to mold and mildew prevention. And the best part of all your family and your home will be healthier in the process.

Spotless Cleaning Chicago Dehumidifier of Choice

Five Reasons To Hire A House Cleaning Service

In today’s society more likely than not our  lives  are a bit out of control due to busy work schedules  and family life, the last thing we want to do is go home after a long day and have to clean up the entire house, so you may want to consider hiring a cleaning service. Similarly, if you own a business you already have that immense responsibility of having to deal with the daily operations of running your business, then you certainly wouldn’t want to be bothered with cleaning and again, a cleaning service can assist you so that you can just relax for a bit.

Here are some of the reasons why people hire a cleaning service to clean their home or their office.

1. Saves Time: You only have so many hours in a day in which half of it is spent sleeping, working, or taking care of your family that it doesn’t leave you with much time for you to enjoy the things you like to do. Your time is very valuable and by hiring a cleaning service you get some of that time back to spend it with family, to do hobbies of your choice, or just to rest and catch up on some sleep.
2. Reduces Stress: You probably already have a million things you have to tend to. It could be school work, your job, your children, meetings/ conferences, etc.  that having to worry about one more thing might just topple you over. By hiring a cleaning service you reduce that extra headache and is one less thing you have to stress about.
3. Efficiency : A professional house cleaner offers you a great deal of experience in the cleaning industry as it is likely their employer has provided them with extensive training regarding how to use cleaning equipment and chemicals properly. A cleaning service uses professional-grade cleaning equipment that many homeowners do not possess. Such equipment enables a cleaning service to clean your home deeply and effectively in a reasonable amount of time, without sacrificing quality.
4. Maintain Cleanliness: When you hire a cleaning service to do all the cleaning for you, you always arrive at a clean home or office. Many cleaning services will custom design a cleaning schedule for you that best accommodates to your needs. Now you don’t have to trouble yourself over the dust and germ accumulation in your home or office due to lack of time to clean because the cleaning service will have it done for you.
5. As a Gift: With the holidays being around the corner what better way to show your appreciation to your mom, daughter, sister, or friend than by getting them a cleaning for their home or office space. During this time of year you just want to be able to spend time with family and friends and especially if you are having people over your home you don’t want to make a wrong impression, but instead make others feel at home and at ease.

Why House Cleaning Regularly Is Important

House Cleaning Services

A dirty house can contribute to the presence of a number of unpleasant elements such as allergens and dust mites in the air that can negatively affect the people living in the house and the areas around it. That’s why house cleaning in Chicago and everywhere else should be a regular task even when you might not have the time. There are cleaning companies that offer these services such as Spotless Cleaning Chicago, to eliminate one less headache for you.

When cleaning your house on a regular basis you reduce and even eliminate these unpleasant elements that can cause allergies. Especially, if there are children in the home. You would want to keep the home as free as possible from any germs, bacteria, and dust mites that might be lurking around in the air in your home, or even on the floors where they crawl and sit on. Breathing problems, episodes of swollen eyes, and throats are common around children who are most prone to diseases.

For most people it’s natural to focus on cleaning the surfaces from our home such as countertops, tables, and the exterior of appliances only because these are the most noticeable areas to others. It’s important to clean all areas of our homes as well to keep our children and ourselves free from sickness. The smaller items that are not as noticeable are usually the dirtiest. Vertical surfaces tend to be the cleanest and accumulate less dust. Light switch plates, remote controls, telephones, and the like tend to have the most bacteria and dirt.

We provide House Cleaning in Chicago and this consists of everything from dusting or hand washing (if preferred) of baseboards, windowsills, ceiling fans, underneath the bed, couches, and even under rugs. Those are areas that are usually skipped because they’re much more time consuming and aren’t as susceptible to the human eye as other surfaces are, but it’s essential to focus on all areas when cleaning your home. Have you looked at the top of your ceiling fans lately? How about those vents? When was the last time you looked under your bed? The amount of dust in these three little places usually is multiples more than all the dust found in the rest of your home.

Having a clean house produces a positive psychological feeling. If you keep your home clean on a regular basis not only does it make you feel better each morning when you wake up, it also provides a great relief. A relief of not having to worry about your house cleaning therefore allowing you to do your daily tasks. As the saying goes, a clean home is a clean mind.  If you have any questions or need a last minute House Cleaning Service in Chicago feel free to give us a ring at 312-488-1113.

Maid Service in Chicago is the first to test the IONATER EXP

ActiveIon Truly Green Cleaning

In search of a product that wouldn’t be of any harm to our customers while still being one of great effectiveness we came across the Ionater EXP.  Being a Maid Service in Chicago we have heard of and tested many other eco-friendly products, but this one caught our attention instantly. It doesn’t contain a chemical related warning label because it only uses one ingredient – tap water. This advanced technology allows it to convert tap water into ionized water.  No need to buy cleaner after cleaner which are probably dangerous and toxic to our health. All you need is the Ionater Exp to do the dirty work. It leaves no residue behind like many other products do. This device converts plain tap water into a powerful cleaner and sanitizer that kills 99.9% of germs while removing dirt.

As a Maid Service in Chicago that provides our own cleaning supplies and green products we have to make sure that the products we use are strictly eco-friendly and won’t damage or harm any of our customer’s homes and or their family members. Worried about germs? The Ionator EXP eliminates 99.9% of harmful germs including H1N1 and E Coli. Stumbling across this product was huge for us.  Not only will it help reduce our maintenance costs by saving us the expense of purchasing and managing vast amounts of chemical cleaners, it will also aid in increasing our employees productivity.  The Ionater Exp has been recognized by the GreenDot Award, the Kitchen Innovation Award, and the Healthy School Award.

So far we have done a few test runs with it and it has worked wonders, to say the least. It has worked well to clean soils, stains, dirt, dust, oils and sanitize the following surfaces:  sinks, mirrors, toilets, tubs, showers, tables, chairs, countertops, stone/marble/granite, stainless steel, wood floors/surfaces, tiles, windows, doors, plastics, and many more. It practically does it all. Even though the ActiveIon Ionater EXP is effective in removing natural greases and oils it is not a miracle product and it doesn’t generally remove burned-on grease. The Ionater doesn’t give off a smell at all and absence of scent is the true smell of clean. We are the first Maid Service in Chicago to use the Activeion Ionater Exp , but there are other facilities such as universities, schools , hospitals, restaurants, hotels and motels, stadiums, airports, convention centers, local government and many other locations that are already utilizing it. As always, feel free to give us a call at 312-488-1113 with any questions.

Cleaning Your Floors During Chicago Winters

Maintaining Clean and Pristine Floors

Muddy shoes are inevitable during harsh winter months in Chicago. The biggest issue that winter brings is in tracking rock salt and ice melt into our homes. Rock salt and snow damages hard wood floors and carpets, so the solution our Chicago Cleaning Service has contributed is to place matting 30 feet into main entranceways and 15 feet into secondary entranceways on hardwood floors and carpets.  Plastic mats are preferred during our winter months here in Chicago because these are easier to mop, less time consuming, and more affordable to purchase than it would be to have to replace your carpet or hardwood floors when the rock salt  starts eating through a finish or chewing up the concrete. It is important to keep these mats as clean and dry as possible by cleaning these on a regular basis.

I wish the practicality of removing your shoes at the front door was a culturally acceptable one here. Where we live, it would be of rude behavior to ask someone to remove their shoes. It is a level of intimacy and vulnerability that is out of the current, collective comfort zone. Just say that I purchased new furniture and I am having it delivered to my home how does one tell these men to take their shoes off before entering while they are carrying heavy items, you just don’t. Instead of having a visitor take off their shoes what you could do instead is learn about our Chicago Cleaning Service maintenance procedures to keep floors from being directly affected by winter weather.

An effective way to protect floors is by mopping frequently with a neutral floor cleaner. Floors are kept clear from any salt buildup and damage simply with the use of a neutral cleaner. If a facility starts to notice that their floors are getting dull or there seems to be a salt film, just increase your mopping or daily maintenance program and burnish with a good restorer to bring back the shine. Hardwood, tiles, and or vinyl floors are a little bit easier to clean during winter months than carpet is. Placing mats and area rugs is a better bet for carpet in the winter months but even then our Chicago Cleaning Service Professionals still suggest that a deep thorough carpet cleaning should be done at least in the most trafficked areas. Once dirt accumulates it becomes more and more prevalent as the months pass since the fibers from your carpet begin breaking down from the oils and dirt.

Here is an image of shoe covers, which might also be useful.

Shoe Covers used by Cleaning Professionals

Secret Mop Tip from your Chicago Maid

We all know that swiffers are expensive and a bit of a pain. You have to throw away the cleaning pad, but you constantly have to go out and purchase new ones when they run out. A traditional mop uses tons of water and creates a mess. Not only does it create a mess, but you end up spreading dirty water all over the floor. As a Chicago Maid service we have used quite a lot of different mop versions. One day we ran into the Starfiber mop, and our search was officially over.

The starfiber mop pad can be washed over 250 times before it completely wears out. Most of our chicago maid customers have either hardwood floors or other delicate flooring. Using regular mop and bucket mops just isn’t an option for us. Not only is it a hassle and slow, but more importantly it will damage the hardwood floors over time. Water is hardwood floors worst enemy. The starfiber mops are unique in that the microfiber cleans with very little water. We use spray bottles and quickly mop over the floors with a dry microfiber pad attached to the starfiber mops. All you need is to dampen the pad with water and then squirt a little bit of diluted vinegar on the floor or the pad and then mop away. We have our own proprietary floor cleaning solution, but the next best thing probably is the good old vinegar and water.

Our Chicago Maids actually think it is easier on them because it is lighter and covers a larger area. We have 18″ mops and 24″ mops for larger spaces. Maybe it’s all the fibers, but it definitely drags more than a wet swiffer or regular mop.The pad continues to absorb so it dries the floor as you mop. Rinse the pad as needed, but since it’s microfiber it can hold a lot dirt and water before it has to get rinsed out. And the best part? Somehow it doesn’t just push the dirt around, it really picks it up and locks it away. My only advice would be to use single sweeping motions.

What Is The Best Upholstery Cleaning Service in Chicago?

How do you even begin your quest for the best upholstery cleaning service? We all want to give our couches some TLC (Tender Loving Care). It’s a hard life for your furniture, pets, guests, relatives, and hung over friends all spend way too much time on your couch. Those poor couches need a deep cleaning and TLC. It’s hard to tell you which service offers the best upholstery cleaning service in Chicago. What we can tell you is that we can definitely help you remove stains and odors. We have experience in all types of fibers from wool, microfiber, silk, cotton, and you name it synthetics.

We have been offering our Chicago Cleaning Service clients maid services, carpet cleaning, and now upholstery cleaning. In the past we had been turning down requests for upholstery cleaning because we were focused on perfecting our maid service and carpet cleaning. We then took the time to research and learn as much as possible about upholstery cleaning before we decided to offer it to our Chicago clients. Before making your final decision make sure to check for a few key items:

1. Is the business insured? You have to make sure you are covered in case of an accident.
2. What form of payment do they take?
3. Payment terms?
4. This is the most important…. General reputation of the business.
5. Is it an established business that cares about providing quality or a fly by night operation?

Upholstery Cleaning Demonstration

Like always, if you have any questions. Feel free to give us a call at 312-488-1113 or feel free to browse our site to learn more about how Spotless Cleaning Chicago can help you with your Upholstery Cleaning.

Maid Services in Chicago Falsely Claiming to be Green

In our quest to find the best methods to provide our maid service clients in Chicago we do lots of research. From time to time I hire other maid services to clean my house. Why would I do such a thing when I can have my own crews do it for much less? The answer is simple. It allows me to compare methods and find new ones that might allow us to do a better job and save time.

One interesting thing I learned during these visits is that many of the maid services in Chicago truly are not using green cleaning products. This is the third time we run into this situation. During the last visit I walked over to the bathroom to make small talk and observe of course. The person used bleach on my shower floor. It’s a double bathroom with a shower tub and an all marble standing shower with a glass door. I asked the person, “you guys use bleach on the shower floor”. She said, “yes, it makes easier to clean and brighten up the grout lines”. Luckily I know how to refinish marble and restore the gloss, otherwise I would’ve had to pay someone else to fix it. Bleach will quickly erode the finish on your marble. That is problem number one. The other issue is that once the bleach mixes with Comet it starts to create fumes. Even when I was in the living room I had to cough twice because of the fumes coming out of the bathroom. Not quite sure how the cleaning lady was able to take those fumes in like a champ. Given we are also a Maid Service in Chicago we cannot disclose the names of the other providers privately or publicly, so please don’t ask. It would be bad karma to disclose that information.

A second question I asked was, “how do you clean the shower glass doors when they have a lot of soap scum build up when people neglect to clean the glass for a few months”. The answer, “well it’s tough to be honest… at times it won’t come off even when we use our strongest product”. I asked, “what is your strongest product and where would I be able to buy it for those times when I forget to clean my shower for a few months”. Luckily my house is one of the team’s cleaning schedule every week so I don’t run into that problem, but I was fishing for more information. The answer, “it’s this little bottle here which is just Acid”. Let’s keep in mind that in Chicago a good majority of glass shower doors are installed in Marble showers with marble flooring. Acid will almost instantly etch your marble if they were to come into contact. If the glass is tempered it can also ruin your glass shower doors. At this point the maid service that claims to be green has brought out Dawn soap, Bleach, Acid, and good old Windex which contains ammonia. They use comet as well, but so do we in some instances.

Let me take this time to clarify that our cleaning company, Spotless Cleaning Chicago does use Comet for the toilet bowl and in certain situations for the shower tub. If a client requests a 100% eco-friendly cleaning, then we will substitute the Comet for our Maid Naturally Soft Scrub. Comet is the only product we use that is not eco-friendly. The reason we use it is because even the eco-friendly products like Tub and Tile from Melaleuca tend to create fumes when it starts to break down the soap scum. Comet will break down the soap scum with some elbow grease without really creating any fumes that would be unpleasant to the cleaning team and our customers. Let me reiterate that the toilet bowl and shower floor are the only two places the teams will use comet. Everything else in the house is always cleaned with our eco-friendly product lineup. In homes where we clean on a weekly basis we are able to clean without using any comet because the soap scum doesn’t really build up if we are cleaning on a weekly basis.

How are we able to clean efficiently without using harsh chemicals like acid, bleach, and ammonia based products? The answer is we have tested many many many products and methods. One of the things we do is we sprinkle warm water and spray the surface with our green all purpose cleaner and let it soak in for at least 10 minutes while the team moves on to dusting and so forth. The warm water and the green cleaning agents combined will break down soap scum. After all, a hard soap bar will melt under heat and so will soap scum. We have learned from our window cleaning experts how to easily remove hard water stains and so forth using professional Unger tools and good old Seventh Generation eco-friendly soap in a flash. These are just some of the many tricks we have learned to avoid using harsh chemicals, save time, and deliver great results. If you have any questions while looking for a Maid Service in Chicago feel free to give us a call (888) 498-MAID. We will gladly answer any questions and help you find the best maid service, wethter that is us or someone else. Our goal is to make is a great resource for anyone looking for a cleaning service. Feel free to browse our main website at www.SpotlessCleaningChicago.com