What's your time worth?

I'd like to talk about an economics term- 'Opportunity Costs'.
What this term relates to is the cost/loss are you suffering from choosing to do one thing over another with your time.

Let's relate this to cleaning...

For instance:
If I choose to clean my own home versus hiring a professional cleaning service to do it, what costs/losses are associated with the time I spend doing this?
I don't mean the cost of the cleaning supplies and equipment but rather, what am I not doing, that I could be doing, if I wasn't cleaning my home?

Now I know hiring a service to clean your home costs money but it costs you more than just dollars, it costs you time. So let's take a look at what we could be doing instead of cleaning and the potential costs/losses associated with it.

1. I could be cleaning someone else's home, which actually makes me money! So if I clean my own home instead of working, I am losing those dollars. Example: Let's say it costs $90 to have my house cleaned and, while having my house cleaned, I clean someone else's house for $120. I just made a $30 profit and have a clean home too!
2. I could be selling/marketing/blogging, which doesn't make me money but does increase my chance to gain clients so again, I am losing the opportunity to make money. Example: Again, it costs me $90 to have my house cleaned but I get 3 calls from the marketing campaign I worked on while my house was getting cleaned and I actually sell 1 of those clients for a $120 recurring cleaning service. 
3. I could be spending time with my family. This doesn't make me money but it makes me, and my family happy!  
4. I could be exercising! Oh shoot, I just found time to exercise!?!? And what's more important, a clean home or a clean bill of health? Example: It costs me $90 to have my house cleaned but I choose to do it myself thus not having the time to exercise. Not exercising leads to muscle loss which leads to a lower back issue which I have to go to the doctor for. The doctor send me to a specialist who needs to do some expensive procedure which costs me way more than that $90 maid service.
5. I could be just plain ole relaxing! In this hectic life style we've created, taking time just to relax is a must for your sanity! 

It all boils down to what is your time worth? For me, it's worth much more than what I would pay to have my house cleaned and I'm sure you feel the same. You would be greatly surprised just how affordable a cleaning service for your home is especially after you factor in the Opportunity Cost associated with your time.

So I ask you, what is your time worth? 

Get your FREE maid service estimate by visiting our website at www.cleanrightco.com or calling (509) 534-3343

Erica Jensen -President

Clean Right Company

(509) 534-3343

Servicing Spokane, WA and surrounding areas.

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.

A clean bathroom doesn't have to be a chore

One of the most dreaded areas in a home to clean is the bathroom. Many people hate to think about the scrubbing and scouring associated with cleaning your tub and toilet. Here is the way we, here at Clean Right Company, clean a bathroom. It streamlines the process so you are using less energy and letting the cleaning agents do most of the work for you.



First, here's a list of supplies you are going to need:

1. Abrasive cleaner with a bleaching agent -something like Comet.
2. Disinfecting cleaner
3. Glass cleaner
4. Tub and tile cleaner
5. Your favorite cleaning towels -we use terry cloth
6. A white/light duty scouring pad -to be used in your sink and tub. Choose one that won't scratch your shower's surround, especially if it is a plastic surround.
7. A green/medium duty scouring pad -to be used in your toilet
8. A pumice stone -for those rings in your toilet (if you have them) 

Step 1: Prep your bathroom for cleaning. You do this by taking out all the rugs, clearing off your counter tops and putting everything away. Get a basket or something that you can put everything from your shower in. This makes it easier to do the scrubbing needed without knocking things around. 

Step 2: Spray the shower with Tub and Tile Cleaner. A tip here is to get your shower walls wet first. This helps spread the tub and tile cleaner evenly over your shower walls. Make sure you read the directions and warnings on the bottle, wear gloves and open a window for ventilation. Tub and tile cleaners are acidic and may cause irritation to your skin. 

Step 3: Sprinkle the Abrasive Cleaner in your sink and toilet. No special tricks here!

Step 4: Dust the light above your mirror. I just take a dry towel and remove the dust from my lights. If it has been a while since you've done this, you may need to put more effort into it. If you do, then turn off your lights and lightly spray your towel with the glass cleaner. Make sure your lights are off and are not hot.

Step 5: Scrub the sink and toilet and rinse. Take your white/light duty scouring pad and scrub your sink. Take the scrubber to the faucet and handles as well. If you have hard water build up, you may need to put more effort into it but be sure not to scratch your finishes. Use warm water to rinse the abrasive cleaner down the drain. Use the green/medium scouring pad to scrub the inside of your toilet. You may also need to use the pumice stone to remove any hard water and rings. When you are done, flush the toilet to rinse.

Step 6: Wipe down and polish the sink and toilet areas. Spray your towel with glass cleaner and clean the mirror above your sink. Then use the disinfectant to clean your counter tops and to polish your sink and faucet. Now us disinfectant to clean the rest of your toilet including the top, seat, bowl, front and sides all the way down to where it bolts to the floor. I take the opportunity to wipe the floor around my toilet at this time while I'm down there. 

Step 7: The shower! The shower is the most difficult area to clean in any bathroom. You have already sprayed the shower walls with the tub and tile cleaner. It has had time to break down soap scum and hard water so now all you have to do is use the white/light duty scouring pad to scrub the walls. If the shower walls are dry, get the pad wet and scrub away. Make sure you are scrubbing real good in the areas where the water actually hits you walls when you shower as well as in, under and around the soap holder. Once you are happy with the walls, rinse them with warm water. After rinsing the walls, sprinkle your abrasive cleaner in the tub and use the same white/light duty pad to scrub your tub. Once scrubbed, rinse with warm water. Now use a clean, dry towel to dry your shower walls, polish the faucet, shower head and handles and to dry the tub. 

Step 8: Last but not least, the bathroom floor. You can use whatever you like to clean the floor but I find it easiest just to wipe it down with my disinfectant and a towel on my hands and knees. Of course if you have a huge bathroom you may want to use something that will be more convenient for you. 

Now that you have a nice clean bathroom you can put your items back in your shower, on your counter and put clean towels and rugs out. 

I suggest you give your bathroom a good cleaning at least every other week. 

Not sounding like a good time? Then 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 us online at www.cleanrightco.com

What about the fridge?

Now that we have a beautifully organized kitchen, thanks to the tips and tricks in last week's post -Let's Tackle that Kitchen http://cleanrightco.blogspot.com/2012/08/lets-tackle-that-kitchen.html, there is one more kitchen item that we dread to even look in.....

The refrigerator......

I love a neat and tidy refrigerator. When you open the door you can see everything it holds, at a glance. But in my years as a cleaning professional I have opened many a fridge that looks like a bomb went off in it. Therefore, I would like to share some tips and tricks that I use to keeping my fridge neat and clean.

1. Put larger items towards the back and smaller items toward the front. This way, you can see everything your fridge holds without wading through it all. This will also ensure that some food items don't get "lost" at the back of the fridge which is a waste of money and would lead to a smelly situation.
2. Keep like items together. I like to keep my dairy together, condiments together, etc.
3. Put all condiments and sauces in the fridge doors.   Group your sauces, dressings and condiments and put them in separate areas of the door to your fridge.
4. Use see through containers. By using containers you can see into, you will know what is in it without having to open the container. 
5. Stack items.  Take the time to put like items together and stack them properly. This will also make it easier to find the items you need, when you need them.
6. Clean it out often. Cleaning the fridge can be a chore if you don't do it often. I take a moment to wipe each shelf, crisper and cubbie just before I load my groceries into the fridge. I also go through and dispose of any expired items so I don't stack my fresh groceries on top of old. This keeps your fridge clean and you shouldn't need to do a 'deep clean' on it. If something gets spilled, wipe it up immediately  Waiting will only make it harder to clean.

Written by Erica Jensen, President of Clean Right Company, www.cleanrightco.com

The way to a tidy home....

I have been asked many a time, over the years, what a home owner can do to get their home ready for cleaning service. A cleaning service is based on the time it takes to clean a home and having to stop to pick up before you can clean a surface is distracting and time consuming. Therefore I tell my clients that the more they can pick up and put things in their places, the better clean they will receive. Our company has a 'Pick Up Policy' which states that: our crews reserve the right to skip over or clean around areas that have not been picked up. To ensure a more thorough cleaning please be sure all areas that you want to have cleaned are free and clear so our crew may have free access to those areas.

That being said, I would like to give some advice on how to tidy up and organize the different rooms in a home in this, and my upcoming blogs.

Today's focus will be one of the more difficult rooms in a family's home:

The Kid's Rooms!!!

Children's rooms can be difficult to keep neat and tidy because of the large amount of content they usually have. Not only do our kid's rooms have the practical and necessary furnishings of any bedroom, but they also contain toys, games, art supplies, dress up attire, etc. Here is a great article on Easy-To-Clean Kid's Spaces that I thought would be helpful when deciding what to do in your kid's rooms. 

http://www.hgtv.com/kids-rooms/easy-to-clean-kids-spaces/pictures/index.html

Did you smell that smell?

Smell is a very powerful sense. It invokes memories, emotions, cravings & behaviors. Our sense of smell is also 70%-75% responsible for the way things taste and impacts us 24 hours a day. We take 26,000 breathes a day and are able to distinguish over 10,000 different aromas. In the cleaning industry smell is a very important part of our job. The first experience a customer has when they walk in their home or office after a cleaning is the smell. 


Aromatherapy, the practice of using essential oils taken from plants, flowers, roots, seeds, etc., in healing,  is meant for psychological and physical well being. Though aromatherapy has been practiced for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians and the Vedic culture of India, where plant extracts and medicinal plants were widely used, there is much more scientific research being done for both fields today. ~serendip

Aromatherapy is being used to:

• Promote relaxation and reduce stress
• Improve work performance
• Elevate mood and reduce depression
• Modify sleep and dreams
• Enhance self-image
• Retrieve memories
• Enhance sexuality
• Improve social relationships

What smells do you associate with clean?

Clean laundry is associated with a bright floral scent including a faint smell of bleach perhaps. Or maybe you enjoy a citrus-y scent or a slightly spicy smell. Whatever the scent, we associate clean with scents including bleach, lemon/citrus, lavender and pine. There is an ever growing market of cleaning agents with different fragrances to choose from so you can customize your aroma-therapeutic environment. 

Citing:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1887

Hiring an Independent Cleaner versus a Professional Cleaning Service.... What's the difference?

When most people consider hiring a cleaning service for their home, the most common questions they have include; What price am I willing to pay for the service? What areas of my home do I want cleaned? and How often do I want service? 

What most people are not aware of are the differences between hiring an Independent Cleaner and a Professional Cleaning Service. This is one of the more complicated, and possibly dangerous, things to consider. There are numerous laws, both state and federal, surrounding employment, worker's compensation, taxes, and payroll that you would have to research and follow if you didn't have Clean Right Company as your home cleaning service.

Below are three legal facts you should know before hiring an independent cleaning service.

FACT 1. If you pay more than $1700 per year to an independent housecleaner, you must sign up for an Employer ID Number with the IRS. You are required to pay Social Security and Medicare (also known as FICA) and Federal Unemployment Tax. You may also be liable for Federal Income Tax withholding, state taxes and disability taxes. These taxes become part of your personal tax liability and must be reported on your Form 1040. Penalties for non-payment include interest penalties and fines.
(For the entire list of forms to be completed, see this page on the IRS website .)

FACT 2. You must verify that the person is legally allowed to work in the United States by having them complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form. Penalties for hiring illegal aliens range from $250 to $10,000. You should keep a signed W-4 form on file for each employee; you may also want to keep a photocopy of each employee's Social Security card. (For the entire list of forms to be completed, see this page on the IRS website .

FACT 3. Make sure that your homeowners' insurance includes a liability clause in case your employee gets injured at your home. At least $300,000 in liability protection is recommended, but up to $1 million in an umbrella or excess liability policy may be needed to protect you. You also may be liable for workers' compensation payments that would not be covered by your homeowner's insurance. See this page for workers compensation laws in your state.

If you hire a professional home cleaning service, like Clean Right Company, all of these concerns will be taken care of for you. We are the employer, so you don't have to worry about filing with the IRS for an employer ID number. We also verify that each employee is legally allowed to work in the U.S. and we have all of the insurance that covers any accident that happens in your home. Not only that but Clean Right Company diligently screen each of our staff members to ensure we are hiring honest, dependable and hard working individuals. Once hired, each of our team members are put through a rigorous training program teaching them Clean Right Company's unique cleaning system which has been developed to provide a thorough, quality clean each and every time. 

How important are chores to the development of my child?

Over the years my partner Nick and I have met hundreds of young people that don't know the basics in cleaning and work in general. They don't know how to clean a toilet properly, how to scrub a tub, they don't even know how to use a washer and dryer.

But its not just that they don't know how to clean. Young people don't know the importance of coming to work on-time, doing a good job at what they do, that things don't come for free and that getting a job is going to consist of actually working.....

Not teaching our children the basics and importance of household upkeep is creating a generation of young adults that do not know how to take care of themselves or their homes and do not understand the importance of chipping in and helping the family unit to function.

Giving our children chores not only teaches them basic life skills but it also teaches them some very important life lessons such as:

• Responsibility - Assigning chores gives your child a sense of responsibility for the functioning of the home. 
• Discipline - Children learn that doing their chores comes before fun. Just like with homework, chores are a responsibility that need to be accomplished before video games or playing with friends.
• Time Management - When assigned chores are required to be done before play, children learn how to manage their time in order to accomplish their responsibilities and still make time to play hide-and-seek with the neighbors.
• Work Ethic - At a young age, children can be taught that working is a vital part of life and that if you want something (allowance, fun, etc.) you need to work for it.
• Team Work - Assigning kids chores gives them a sense of being part of the 'team'. They begin to see that they play a significant role in the family unit.   
• Self-Esteem -When your child completes a chore (even if they grumble and gripe before, during and after) it gives them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. 

So as you can see, teaching your child the importance of completing an assigned chore in an efficient, effective and timely manner will not only help the family in the present, but will also assist your child in their older years when they begin school and then work. They will already understand the importance of completing their assigned tasks (homework or job) and that their teacher or employer is relying on them to accomplish what is assigned.

So make a chore chart, get smiley face stickers and start teaching your kids how to do chores around the house. Trust me, their Teachers and Employers will thank you!

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Sanitizer versus Disinfectant, is there a difference?

Hand sanitizers are everywhere nowadays from wipes for your shopping cart handle to bottles of hand sanitzers on every desk. But did you know that a sanitizer is not a disinfectant and does not kill viruses and fungi?

A sanitizer is a chemical that reduces the number of microorganisms to a safe level. It doesn't need to eliminate 100 percent of all organisms to be effective and, as stated above, does not kill viruses or fungi. So basically, a sanitzer just reduces the number of organisms on a surface and does not completely remove them.

A disinfectant, on the other hand, is a chemical that completely destroys all organisms listed on its label. The organisms it kills are disease-causing bacteria and pathogens, and it may or may not kill viruses and fungi, depending on the type of disinfectant used.

So to make a long, scientific story short - a sanitizer is fine for surfaces like blinds and cabinets, but you need a disinfectant for germier spots, like the kitchen sink and bathtub, which may harbor disease-causing bugs such as salmonella and e. coli. And if you are trying to not get the flu bug, using a sanitizer will not protect you.