Don't look now but it's coming!

The leaves will soon be changing from green to the colors of Autumn and, along with the changing landscape, comes the dreaded flu season.  So how can you avoid getting the flu? I'm glad you asked. Here are some tips to avoid contracting this terrible phenomenon:

1. Eat Healthy: Start by fueling your body with foods rich in vitamins and minerals and drink plenty of water. Colorful fruits and vegetables are jam packed with healthy nutrients our bodies need for healthy living.
2. Wash/Sanitize you hands!: Not only after using the restroom but wash/sanitize them after handling things that many others have handled as well. Such as: shopping cart handles, the ATM, door handles to public areas, etc. 
3. Avoid people who are sick: It may seem mean but the less contact you have with those who are ill, the less likely you are to catch it.
4. Don't touch your face: Keep you hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. 
5. Get your rest: Your body needs sleep to re-energize and fight any invading germs.
6. Exercise!: Yep, you read me right... get out there and exercise. Not only does Working out regularly helps build a strong immune system but getting a good sweat going helps your body release toxins through your sweat glands. 4
7. Last but not least, get your flu shot!

I hope these tips help keep you healthy this Fall!

Erica Jensen ~President, Clean Right Company (509) 534-3343

Making Time

Business, school, gym, eat & sleep. Get up the next day and do it all again!

In today's society our lives are filled to the brim with To Do's. It seems there is never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need to get done. So you take those tasks and put them on tomorrow's list of To Do's which creates a backlog of tasks that just never seem to get done. So what can we do to make time for those extra tasks and maybe a little time for ourselves?

Here are a few tips that I've found useful in my own, busy life:

1. Get up at least 30 minutes earlier: I find I can get so much done first thing in the morning. The phones haven't started ringing yet, staff isn't at services yet and the world seems to still be asleep. This is the time that I take to return emails, print things, make my list of tasks that need done that day, etc. 
2. Lists: I make a list for everything! I have a weekly To Do list and a daily To Do list. Once I have my list written out I make a plan on how to accomplish each task in the most efficient way. Example: I have to pick up supplies from Grainger, see my staff at a service in the valley and give an estimate on the south hill at 1pm. I start off seeing my staff in the valley, then go to Grainger on my way back into town, then hit the freeway and go to the South Hill. Not only does this save time it also saves gas.
3. Don't over-commit: Try not to commit yourself to things that are not that important or that you are not that interested in. Once you become over booked, you become over worked and the stress and anxiety will only make you feel even more out of control. It is very difficult to say no but, if there's one thing I've learned, you can't say yes to everyone. 
4. Go to bed at least 30 minutes later: I'm not saying deprive yourself of sleep because you must get your sleep in order to function properly but, if you can, try to stay up a little later so you can stretch your day a bit more. For example: Let's say you are use to going to bed at 9pm (like me!). Try to stay up till 9:30. This, coupled with the 30 minutes you gained from getting up earlier, gives you an entire extra hour. That's enough time to have dinner with a friend or family, go to the gym, or just take the time for yourself!
5. Don't try to do it all on your own!: Know when to ask for help. If you have a spouse or kids, ask them to chip in on the household chores like cleaning or cooking. If that doesn't work for you than hire a professional to take on some of your work load. You can hire someone to do just about anything for you. Lawn care service, personal assistant service, and of course house cleaning service! 

I hope my ideas are helpful in making more time for you in your busy life. Don't forget to take a breath and count your blessings. Today will soon be over and tomorrow is another day filled with promise... and things to do!

Erica Jensen President, Clean Right Company

www.cleanrightco.com

(509) 534-3343 phone

Kitchen Cleaning Tips and Tricks

The kitchen is another area of the home that most people are not too keen on cleaning. But, it doesn't have to be as big of a chore as it seems. Let me share some tips and tricks for getting, and keeping, your kitchen clean (even if you cook in it!!).

• The Microwave: Ever open your microwave to find, what looks like, a bomb has gone off in it? We come across this often in our industry in both commercial and residential settings. Because you use this appliance to cook food, you don't want to use a chemical cleaning agent to clean up the mess. So what can you do? Take a towel and get it damp, place it in the microwave and nuke it for 60 seconds. Once the dinger goes off, let it sit, with the door closed, for another 60 seconds. (You can use this down time to wipe the back splash and counter tops!) Now open the microwave and use that warm towel to wipe away the mess. What happens is you are creating a steam bath in your microwave that loosens the stuck on junk. Make sure you wait that second 60 seconds so you don't burn your hands on the hot towel!

• The Fridge: I've already done an extensive post on cleaning and organizing your fridge. Check it out!  http://cleanrightco.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-about-fridge.html

• The Oven: Yuk! The oven is one of the cleaning tasks everyone dreads. But, here are some tips to make it a job that isn't so bad. First, use the self cleaning mode, if you have one. Sure it's gonna heat your house up and, usually, stink it up too but, it sure beats scraping and scrubbing all that gunk from the bottom of the oven. Once the self cleaner ends, open the door and wipe out the ash. Any remaining gunk can be scraped out with a razor or scrubbed out with a piece of fine grade steel wool. If you aren't lucky enough to have a self cleaner or just don't want to use it, there are a couple choices you have. 1- use a chemical oven cleaner. Spray it in, let it sit, scrape up the gunk and scrub out the left overs with a piece of fine grade steel wool. 2 -if you don't want to use chemicals your are going to have to put some elbow grease into it. First, scrape out as much gunk as you can with a razor. Then put some water in an oven safe container and turn your oven on a low temp. Close the door and heat the water till it steams the inside of your oven. Let the steam work over the gunk for as long as you want but make sure you don't let it go so long that all the water evaporates and you end up cooking the gunk back on. Turn the oven off and let it cool. Once it has had a chance to cool down, wipe out the gunk. You may need to use a piece of steel wool to get any left overs. Another helpful tool for an oven is a pumice stone. Yes, a pumice stone. The inside of your oven is made of porcelain, just like your toilet, and a pumice stone will scour out those stubborn stains. Tip: Don't let your oven get out of control. Wipe out the spills and splashes as soon as you notice them. Of course, make sure your oven is cool before you do it!

• The Garbage Disposal: Oh my how these things can get stinky! Once a week you should sprinkle some baking soda down the disposal drain and then pour some vinegar down it till the foam fills the drain and comes through into your sink. Not only is it fun but it cleans out the drain! After that run HOT water down the drain for a minute or so. Once I do that I like to take half a lemon and grind it up in the disposal. Tip: When your dishwasher is draining, turn your disposal on while it does it. The water draining from your dishwasher is super heated (as long as you have that button selected on your dishwasher) and will help clean out the drain and blades of your disposal.

That's it for this week! Hope you've enjoyed ~Erica Jensen, President of Clean Right Company in Spokane, WA

Want a clean kitchen but would rather spend the time with friends and family? No problem! Give Clean Right Company a call and we'll do it for you (along with the rest of your house!) (509) 534-3343 or visit www.cleanrightco.com for more information on Clean Right Company and the cleaning services we offer.