Autumn Chores to Put on Your Cleaning List

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Gone are those blissful hot Summer days spent holidaying with the family, creating everlasting memories as you drank pina coladas by the pool of some fancy, hoity-toity getaway. Doesn’t sound like your summer? Nor mine, still we can dream and there is plenty more time for us to dream as the seasons roll past. Just think, summer is with us again in just 7 months!

Now, as the leaves begin to fall, the days get shorter and temperatures plummet, we find ourselves in the midst of Autumn, hurtling our way towards another cold, bleak Winter that Melbourne is renowned for. Sounds awful doesn’t it? Not for me though, I’m one of those people who love the seasons that Melbourne has to offer.

What we should do at this time of the year is prepare ourselves for the cooler months and so here I’ve devised for us yet more chores we can add to our endless array of cleaning lists:

  • Clean and Maintain Gutters – should be cleaned at least twice a year. The job can be dangerous so it may be wise to call in the gutter cleaning professionals
  • Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows
  • Store away outdoor furniture
  • Sweep and inspect the chimney. Again a task that may be left to the professionals
  • Steam clean the carpets if needed
  • Clean your PC
  • Clean any marks on the walls
  • Wash all windows
  • Now may be a good time to rotate the mattress
  • Clear out your shed

And don’t forget, while you prepare for the coming Winter make sure you take some time out to enjoy the beauty of Autumn.

 

Hillson Cleaning Pinterest Site

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Explore Hillson Cleaning’s hand-picked collection of Pins about Cleaning Tips by visiting our very own Pinterest site. For a wide range of cleaning tips and solutions be sure to visit the following site: http://www.pinterest.com/hillsoncleaning/cleaning-tips/

 

Make sure you keep coming back for more tantilising cleaning tips as we’ll be constantly updating our pinboards.

Clean Office Means Higher Productivity

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My calculator, I’m sure I had it here somewhere. Where did I put the Penske file? Has anybody taken my USB stick? That Productivity Report was here on my desk last night, I’m sure it was, underneath all this mess, wasn’t it?

Seems to me if you or your staff can relate to the above then time is being wasted, productivity is being stifled, tensions are raised and money is lost. Hardly a work environment that management would advocate.

Business is always looking for ways to improve productivity, because let’s face it, the more productive the workforce the more effective and profitable that workplace will become. The basics are often overlooked and a clean working environment can achieve more productive minds enabling them to concentrate on the most important task at hand. So let me suggest some pointers likely to bring about a more highly productive office.

Let us start by setting aside time in your work day to start afresh. Depending on how messy and disorganised the workplace is will determine the length of time it will take. Let’s not be half hearted about this, when bad habits need changing it is best done by starting with a clean slate.

Strip bare your desktop and drawers. Have a rubbish bin nearby to dispose of any unessential items. Many people have a propensity to accumulate large quantities of unusable items that can only be described as ‘stuff’. Fearing the what if, they find it difficult to dispose of such items. Get tough on yourself, if it is unlikely it will be used then out it goes. File away all documents and files.

Personalising the workspace is common practice amongst workers however this often becomes excessive. Having an oversupply of photo frames, colections of stuffed toys and other inanimate objects often adorn a desk leading to not only a cluttered environment but can also be intrusive on others. Keep personal objects at a minimum.

Once all clutter is removed it’s time to give your desk a thorough clean, inside and out. It will probably be some time since many areas have seen the light of day so get yourself a rag and disinfectant and with some elbow grease clean every inch. Don’t forget the drawers.

Make sure your PC is clean. A microfiber cloth comes in handy here. Used in conjunction with a window cleaner can bring it up like brand new. Note that you lightly spray the cloth, don’t spray directly onto the screen.

Sigh… That’s it, deep breath. You’re well on your way to a cleaner, neater work environment.

Design and implement how your desk will best suit your working needs. These days we often require items such as iPads and iPhones. Arrange these chargers for easy access on your desk, preferably with a holder that stores them upright. A cordless keyboard and a cordless mouse are a big advantage. Whilst on designing, make sure you get yourself an ergonomic chair and you also have the proper lighting in place.

Get yourself a desktop organiser to store the necessary items used on a frequent basis. For the not so frequently used but necessary items, an organiser in the draw is the perfect place for them. An IN and OUT tray will help keep you organised throughout the day.

Refrain from replacing clutter, the hard work has been done, don’t ruin that by returning unnecessary items. Develop a routine of tidying your desk, one suggestion is at the end of each work day file all documents you have finished working on so the next day you start with a clean slate.

So there you go, job done. A clean working environment to encourage a productive mind. Now, back to work!

Happy New Year!

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Ten!  Nine! … Three!  Two!  One!  Happy New Year Everybody!  Yes, it’s the countdown that signals the end of another year.

To all our clients, may the new year shower you with new opportunities, success at every step and several reasons to celebrate.

Thankyou to our staff for all your hard work and effort throughout the year.

Cheers to a happy and healthy 2014!

Commercial Cleaning Tips

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No one should have to work in a pigsty and as you would expect, hiring a commercial cleaning company goes a long way in providing a clean and hygienic workplace. A team effort however is required to leave your office free of clutter and tidy till the next time your cleaners visit. The benefits can be enormous, not the least of which is increased productivity. Use the following helpful tips to set you on the right path.  

Encourage staff to keep their desks tidy. One way to do this is by avoiding a buildup of paperwork on the desk. Paperwork should be organised daily. When this is done at the end of the day it not only has the effect of allowing cleaners to clean desks more thoroughly but also provides a clean slate for your staff to begin the next business day.

‘A place for everything and everything in its place.’ Never a truer word said. Everything in the office should have a place to be stored and should be tidily returned there when not in use. This will inevitably lead to a reduction of clutter around the office.

In the interests of reducing dust and bacteria, provide staff with microfiber cloths and disinfectant wipes. Encourage them to keep their desks, phones, computer screens and keyboards clean. Make use of coasters for coffee cups and clean up any spillages.

Finally, disposing of drinks and food stuffs in the office bin leads to bad odours throughout the office. Use the appropriate rubbish bins for disposal.

Have your staff follow each of the above commercial cleaning tips to help ensure that your workplace is kept neat and tidy in between visits from your regular cleaners. It will also assist in providing an organised workplace where your employees can deliver the best quality of work.

Time to Spring into Action – Let’s Clean

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This time of year you’ll notice Melbourne arising from its winter slumber. Gone are those frost bitten mornings and short lived days. Nature has revealed to us new life, growth, colours and perfumes. Spring is here.

To truly experience springtime in Melbourne one can simply smell the roses, immerse oneself in Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival, suffer from bouts of hay fever, as I do, or you could always commence that often long postponed spring clean.

With this in mind, let me share a few tricks of the cleaning trade to help make that spring clean successful and bring light to your home.

Where to start? I like to begin by de-cluttering. Target the closets, bookcases, cupboards. This task can be immense on its own, so try not to get overwhelmed by doing to much at once. Do one room at a time.

When cleaning it is best to work from the top down and inside to outside. This avoids the common mistake of getting what you have just cleaned dirty again. Remember one room at a time and once you have completed that room and see the finished results you are bound to be emboldened and ready for the next task at hand.

Be sure to dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor. We tend to use extendable lambswool dusters to assist in those hard to reach places. Household rags are very useful to spray and wipe surfaces.

Get rid of those ugly marks on the walls and cabinets, use sugar soap in a bucket of clean water and wash them down with a cloth before wiping dry. Walls free from marks gives the house a terrific lift and may even delay you that inevitable trip to the paint shop.

Steam cleaning your carpet and upholstery is essential at least once per year. If getting the professionals in is not in your budget then DIY by renting the equipment from your local supermarket.

One last tip, do yourself a favour and invest in a pair of good rubber gloves to protect your skin and nails. Now it’s time to get cracking and dare I say it, happy cleaning!

Invest in a Professional Cleaning Service

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Chances are if you’re looking at this site then either your current cleaners have let you down once too often or you are taking the leap from having your own staff clean your premises to delegating that task to a professional cleaning service.

With this in mind here a few reasons you should consider Hillson Cleaning as your cleaning service provider:

We believe in plain speaking, by that I mean no bull. It’s our job to not only clean your premises but keep it spotless… no excuses. It’s our endeavour to surpass all your expectations.

We understand that trust and reliability are essential ingredients in building a strong working relationship with our clients. At Hillson we will go to great lengths to earn that trust.

We have over 10 years’ experience in managing the cleaning needs of clients from a wide range of industries, from commercial office cleaning, to retail and hospitality cleaning. We’ve seen it all and we’ve got it covered, confident in the knowledge that we will satisfy our customers’ needs.

Phone Kev on 0438-401-459 for a friendly chat, where you can discuss your needs and organise a no obligation quote.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your business having a quality cleaning service. Give us a call today.

Microfibre Cleaning Cloths the Product of Choice

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People in the commercial cleaning industry have their own secrets, shortcuts and techniques to enable them to clean their clients’ premises with a minimum of fuss and with maximum results. One product we like to employ when cleaning is the use of microfibre cleaning cloths.
What is a microfibre cloth? It is a cloth with a blend of 20% nylon/80% polyester that comes in a variety of weaves and textures for use on different cleaning purposes such as dusting, cleaning windows and mirrors, floors and computer screens.
Why use microfibre? One of the major benefits of the microfibre cloth is that it leaves no lint behind, unlike when using other type cloths or paper towels. It also allows for quick drying and leaves behind no tell-tale streaks.
The added advantage of the microfibre cloth is that it washes easily for reuse. With literally hundreds of times that it can be reused, this single product can last years making it extremely cost effective and efficient.What’s the best way to clean microfibre? Your microfibre cloth can be rinsed clean and wrung out as your using it. For best results launder it with detergent (never use fabric softener).

You can purchase microfibre cloths in packs, as I do. They come in a variety of colours which can be designated different colours for rooms or tasks.  For the uninitiated, I recommend you use microfibre, whether it be for commercial cleaning or just around the home, it’s the product of choice of the experts.

It’s Time to Bring In the Cleaners

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Federal politics in Australia is in ugly disarray these days. Dirty laundry is being aired ad nauseam, there’s trash talk by the bucket load, muckraking, mudslinging, political careers dishevelled, leadership spills and most recently a political assassination resulting in blood on the floor… yet again! Sadly, Canberra is in an utter mess.

What do we have to do to bring order to this place? To end these toxic times?

As a cleaner with considerable experience in the cleaning industry, it is my humble opinion that we need to begin by throwing out the political garbage. To regain trust in our political institutions, we need to reset the political landscape and this can only be done by bringing on an election and wiping clean the slate.

 

Cleaners Controlling Infection in the Workplace

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Our cleaners are continually confronted with varying degrees of biohazards and play a major role in infection control in the commercial properties we clean. This applies not just to our customers in the medical industry but also includes our customers in the hospitality industry and through to our commercial office customers.

The level of bugs and germs we encounter relies heavily on the particular cleaning task we are performing. Coughs, sneezing or the neglect of washing hands thoroughly can cause the spread of viruses and bacteria throughout the workplace. When cleaning medical facilities or washrooms in any establishment, our staff are frequently exposed to and trained to manage Biological Hazards in the form of body fluids such as blood, vomit, urine or faeces and discarded needles.

It is our practice to pay special attention to areas that people touch which spread those dastardly bugs and germs throughout the workplace. Such as cleaning in the toilet – the flushers; toilet seats, handles, taps, light switches. It’s by focusing on the detail that our cleaners can maintain a clean and healthy working environment for our customers.

Our cleaning staff, armed with protective gloves for their own personal protection, are supplied with the appropriate cleaning equipment (colour coded to minimise cross contamination), disinfectants (Safety Data Sheets are provided) and training to control and eliminate the spread of viruses and bacteria.

Finally, in the interests of personal protection and hygiene, we recommend to our customers that they encourage their staff to practice good hygiene by washing hands thoroughly, ideally with a sanitising gel.