The Secret is Out! Vinegar cleans and disinfects!

I have finally decided to reveal the final super ingredient that we use for house cleaning. The secret is out!

The grand thing about vinegar is that it goes so nicely with all of our other products. You can make a cocktail with dish soap and water. Put a little Bon Ami on a sponge, and no worries! You don't get any toxic fumes like you do when you mix other products. For some jobs, we spray vinegar directly onto the surface or on our sponge. Vinegar has acidic properties that are useful for cutting through grease, lime, and vinegar also disinfects and kills harmful bacteria. We mix vinegar with essence of lemon to make it more fragrant. Click on the following link for 1001 uses of vinegar.

How to communicate to your Hispanic house cleaners

Here are some very important Spanish words:

sigame = follow me
pon = put
limpia = clean
sucio = dirty
talla = scrub
otra vez = again
con cuidado = carefully

Ways to reward your maids or house cleaners
You can say:

good job = buen trabajo
excellent = excelente
fabulous = fabuloso
incredible = increible

What you can buy:

sweet bread = pan dulce
Mexican hot chocolate = champurrado
Mexican cornbread stuffed with meat = tamales

I hope you can use this!

My Maid Uses Liquid Bleach and Won't Stop

If you have asked your house cleaners to stop using Bleach and they continue to use Bleach, you need to be assertive. There are a lot of cleaners that think that they need chemicals to clean. They are WRONG! Especially when it comes to everyday cleaning. I have worked with house cleaning "professionals" that clean everything first with a multipurpose spray or degreaser, then Comet or Ajax, then Bleach, and finally Fabuloso.

Why do all this cleaning with three different chemicals when you can do the same job with just dish soap. Just put a dab of soap on a Scotch -Bright sponge, spread the soap around, then rinse it with water or wipe it down with a cloth. For those tough jobs, use Bon Ami and a scrub brush. You can clean anything with this combination. 

Think to yourself, what's more important, the safety of my family, or having a chemically cleaned home. If your cleaners persist on using chemicals, you need to tell them, that it is NOT ok! If they persist, then you can call Aloha. We use mostly natural biodegradable products. Say goodbye to bleach and hello to clean and safe! Say hello to Aloha!

How to be a Green House Cleaner

How to go GREEN

Most jobs can be handled with dish soap and a scotch bright sponge. For more difficult jobs, you will need brushes. The more brushes you have the better. When we go to clean a house, we always fill our buckets with soap for all our basic cleaning needs. We prefer Dawn, because it smells nice, and also works well on windows. We also carry Bon Ami. Bon Ami is a non chemical scrubbing agent that has been around for over a century and has very similar qualities as Ajax and Comet. More important, we always carry brushes.

Here is how you clean the dirtiest of stains. For every job, you want to start with degreaser and a scotch bright sponge. If that doesn't work, you have to scrub. Just apply the Bon Ami on the mark or stain, and then scrub with a brush. This has worked for centuries. I know that their are many chemicals that will give you the same results, but consider the consequences. 

In the same time that you wait for chemicals to do the work for you, you can scrub out stains much faster. You will benefit from the exercise, and you will also be safe from breathing in deadly chemicals such as chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. This works on all surfaces and any room. 

How to choose a home fragrance soap

HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS
EYE CONTACT: Causes eye irritation on direct contact.
SKIN CONTACT: May cause skin irritation on prolonged or repeated contact.
INGESTION: May be harmful if swallowed in large quantities. 
                                
INHALATION: Overexposure may cause respiratory tract irritation. 

Have you ever asked yourself why the smell of Fabuloso is so strong? The same people who clean with bleach also like the toxic cover- up, Fabuloso. Fabuloso is the only chemical that can cover the toxic stench that is left behind when you use bleach. We don't recommend fabuloso. If you want a fragrance cleaner, there are plenty of non toxic biodegradable fragrance cleaners.

We like Festival products. They are cheap, environmental friendly, and they offer a variety of aromas. There are many other fragrance soap products, but the others are much more expensive. You can by over a gallon of Festival at home depot for less than $7.

How to use:

1. Add a small portion of Festival heavily diluted with water
2. Use your mop to mix fragrance soap with water
3. We recommend using a deck mop, or traditional cotton 4ply yarn mop
4. Can also be used as a final touch up on the bath tub, toilet, or shower.

Why you shouldn't use bleach to clean your house!

Bleach STINKS!

Almost every house I have gone into has stains on the carpet. They always come from either their pets, or house cleaners who are carrying their equipment from one bathroom to another. Most often, the culprit is Bleach. Bleach always has a way of finding its way out of bottles and onto the floor. 

Bleach has left it's mark in many places, including the minds of the stubborn and insane. Did you know that Bleach has poisoned more children than any other household chemical? 

Some people are addicted to bleach. Maybe it's the strong fumes that have killed their brain cells. With the many products out there, why would anyone in their right mind choose bleach?

What's amazing about the cleaning industry, is everyone seems to think that the answer for keeping your house clean is a magic potion. The truth is, even with bleach, you still need to scrub, you still need to wipe, and you still need to search for dirt in hidden places.

My alternative is this, a Scotch Bright sponge, some dish soap, some brushes, cloths, and to scrub those marks and stains, I recommend, Bona Mi. With this combination, you can clean dirt, dust, bacteria, and mold, and you don't even have to STINK!

How to find the perfect mop

The Traditional Mop

When I started this business, I thought the best thing that I had bought was the Bona mop. I did a ton of advertising telling the world that we had the world's best mop. The Bona mop cost me $50. It misted as I mopped. I thought I had the best floor cleaner in the country. The problem was, everyone told me it wasn't cleaning their floors.

After many complaints, I listened to one of my clients. She said, the best mops are the traditional mops with the twisted cotton threads.

Here's why. When you mop with other mops, you are told it is best to push back and forth, like a vacuum. When you push back and forth, you are just pressing dirt further into the floor. With the traditional mop, it is best used if you sweep it from side as you walk backwards.

I usually make a figure eight, in order to ensure that I am collecting all the dust particles and hairs. While I am moving the mop from side to side, it absorbs dirt. The dirt becomes caught in the threading while pressing soap into and along the surface of the floor. This mop is not to be lifted, but instead pulled. With the traditional mop, you can reach under furniture. It is difficult to handle at first, but it is the best way to clean the floor. Here is how to use the mop.

1. First, sweep the floor really well
2. Fill a bucket with water and soap. If you floor is really dirty, you will need a degreaser. We like Dawn dish soap. For fragrance, we like Festival Caribbean Breeze All Purpose Cleaner
3. Press the mop inside the bucket 
4. Ring the mop with both hands
5. Walk backwards as you pass the mop from side to side. Start from one side of the room and work towards the other.

Now your floors should be all nice and clean. For Wood floors, try to ring the water out of the mop as best as you can. Too much water can cause the wood to swell. Use a mop that is soft and has no metal or plastic parts, because hard parts can scratch wood flooring.

How to clean your windows with soap and a squeegie

How to Clean your Windows with Dish Soap and a Squeegie

Aloha! My name Wyatt, owner of Aloha House Cleaning. Whatever you do, do not try to clean your windows with Windex. Windex is best for small jobs. Professionals use soap. I like Dawn dish soap. It's bio degradable, it smells nice, and when you pass your squeegee with Dawn, it slides nicely, and it dissolves without leaving a trace. Are you ready to clean your windows?

Here's what you need:

• A Scotch- Bright sponge
• Dawn Dish Soap
• A coffee cup
• Some terry cloths or small beach towls
• A medium sized squeegee

Here's how you wash your windows:

1. Wash your hands well with the dish soap
2. Put a dab of soap and the rest water in your coffee cup
3. Dip your sponge into the cup
4. Swirl the soap across your window from top to bottom using the soft yellow side of the sponge
5. Trace along the edges or sides of the glass with a terry cloth
6. Use the squeegee and work from side to side, or top to bottom
7. Make sure that after tracing a line with your squeegee that you dry it really well with a fresh clean cloth

The reason that most people leave streaks is that their hands, squeegee, or cloth are not completely cleaned. Follow these steps, and you will leave clean and shiny windows.

How to get out carpet stains and save money

Aloha, I am Wyatt, The Man Maid, and owner of Aloha House Cleaning in Newport Beach. Have you ever had a carpet stain that seemed impossible to remove? Try using Oxi Clean. The trick with Oxi Clean is that you have to add hot water.

Directions for Use

1. Always best to use in a small part of the carpet first.
2. First put a small amount of Oxi Clean on the carpet stain
3. Boil water with a tea kettle
4. Poor boiling hot water on top of the stain
5. If the stain isn't gone, use a terry cloth to rub and remove the stain. 

What is Oxi Clean?

The main ingredients for Oxi Clean is sodium percarbonate, soda ash and detergents. 

How to Find the Perfect Vacuum

Bagged or bagless, that is the question. Most professional house cleaners use bagged vacuums, and this is why.

• Bagless vacuums are big and clumsy
• They make a mess each time you empty them
• You have to empty them out side the house
• They have extra filters that are expensive to replace
• Bagged vacuums are manufactured better
• They can be removed inside or outside a house without making a mess
• Newer bagged vacuums have 3 ply cloth which is impossible for dust to penetrate
• Baggless vacuums have rubber seals that need to be replaced often

Most professional house cleaners like bagged vacuums. The bagged commercial vacuums are the best. They are cheaper, but they most often have to be ordered online.

Here are some examples of vacuums that we like. The Miele vacuums are easy to handle, they have great suction, and have good filtration. The carpet pro heavy duty also has great suction, it's a little heavy, but can be found for less than $100 dollars. The eureka hand vacuum is an awesome vacuum for stairs, sofas, and carpet edges. .

The Miele Tango is light, and has a strong motor. 

+Pros, easy to use, quiet, efficient, and light. 

-Cons, the Miele is an elite vacuum and usually costs $500 or more

The Carpet Pro has many of the same advantages as the Sanitaire. 

+Pros: very powerful vacuum. It has actual bags that are easy to replace.

-Cons, the carpet pro with onboard attachments is a little heavy and the light vacuum is made with cheap plastic part.

The Eureka Hand Vacuum is perfect for cleaning stairs, sofas, and carpet corners and edges. This vacuum is compact, and light. 

+Pros: light, easy to carry and still powerful.

Cons: The filter is hard to clean, and the cartridge fills up quite easily

How to Clean a Toilet without Chemicals

How to clean your toilet without chemicals. You probably already know the ingredients, same as always, use a Scotch- bright sponge, a coffee cup, dish soap, and a terry cloth. If you don't want to get your hands wet, you will also need a toilet brush. Make sure that your brush has plastic all the way down to the bristle. Metal can stain ceramic.

1. First squirt the dish soap around the edge of the bowl
2. Use the toilet brush to scrub around the bowl
3. You can also use the toilet brush to get around the edges.
4. If there are stains around the bowl, you may need to grind them with pumice stone
5. Now take the wet Scotch- Bright sponge and swirl dish soap all around the toilet, start from the top and work your way down
6. Use a terry cloth to dry off the soap suds
7. As you wipe the toilet down, the oils and dirt will be absorbed by the cloth, no need to rinse.

Look, no more chemicals ever again!

How to clean granite

How to Clean Granite Countertops

Aloha, I am The Man Maid, owner of Aloha House Cleaning in Newport Beach. We are going to learn the easiest way to clean granite counter tops. What do you think people used before all of the fancy chemicals? They used dish soap, a Scotch- Bright sponge, a terry cloth, and a bit of water.

1. First, put a dab of dish soap in coffee cup
2. Fill it with water
3. Dunk the sponge in water
4. Use the soft yellow side of the sponge. Only use the green to remove sticky film.
5. Rub the counter top in round motions. Start from one side and go to the other.
6. Wipe the counter top with a dry terry cloth
7. Remove all the soap suds by pressing firmly

Don't worry if you miss some of the suds. The good thing about dish soap is that it dissolves. Now you see, sparkly clean again!

Better than the Magic Eraser

Cheaper and Better version of the Magic Eraser

What is so magic about the magic eraser?
When you use it often, eventually, it disappears, and Mr. Clean sells you another one.

What did people use before the magic eraser? A Scotch Bright sponge, water, and a little dish soap. Say you have a mark or grease stain on the wall.

• First, fill a coffee cup with a dab of dish soap and water
• Dip your sponge into the dish soap
• Rub gently, slowly adding more pressure to remove stains
• Use a terry or microfiber cloth to dry

*If you have colored walls, just use a terry cloth with dish soap so that you do not remove the color from the walls.

How to hire the perfect house cleaner

How to hire the perfect house ceaner

How to hire a house cleaner
First you need to call and interview the house cleaner. Then you need to check references and testimonials.

What to avoid:

• House cleaners that charge hourly--most first time "Deep Cleans, take between 2-4 hours depending on the size of your house and how many people will be cleaning.

• House cleaners that use the "bait and switch" technique. If someone quotes you a price on the phone, and it seems too low to be true, you most likely will be getting the "bait and switch." That is, they will charge extra for services that should already be included in their price package.

• Avoid house cleaners that are cleaning large quantities of houses and that carry poor equipment. I like to call them "machine gun maids." They clean many places quickly without aim. Many house cleaners are paid daily other than hourly, so they rush through your house. They don't pay attention to detail. And if the equipment looks like it is not clean, then more than likely, it won't clean your house.

• House cleaners that don't speak English

• Choose Aloha House Cleaning. We only schedule a few houses a day. We pay our maids hourly, and provide them with training and support, and we only use the very best equipment. (949) 310- 1892

How to dust your house with microfiber towels

How to dust your house with microfiber

Do you want to clean your house like a professional house cleaner? You don't need a feather duster, multipurpose spray, or a swifter. All that stuff is just a waste of money. For about $20 you can get a huge bag full of microfiber cloth from the car washing equipment section at Costco.

The trick is you first clean all the pictures, computer, and television monitors with a dry cloth. Sweep your cloth from side to side, to bring the dust down. Start from the top and move down. When your finished cleaning all of the glass surfaces, you can get the same cloth a little damp with a little water and use it to clean the rest of your furniture. You can also use the cloth to clean baseboards, and wood surfaces. You need to use a different cloth when you apply polishes.

How do I know if I need to change my house cleaners?

How do I know if I need to change house cleaners?

10 Signs That You Need a New House Cleaner

1. There are scratches on your mirror that were not there before.
2. Your house cleaner broke something and did not say anything to you.
3. Your house cleaners scratched your TV.
4. Your house cleaners always seem like they are in a rush.
5. You’re cleaning up after your house cleaners.
6. Your house smells like toxic chemicals after each cleaning.
7. You have cobwebs on the ceiling and your baseboards are dirty.
8. Even after your house cleaners finish cleaning your house, there is still dirt or food particles around and under the stove, hair on the floor, and scum around your faucets and drains.
9. Your house cleaners always show up late, or don't show up at all
10. Your house cleaners have stolen or broken precious items from your house.

If this is you, you are not getting the quality you deserve. For the best quality house cleaning call Aloha House Cleaning (949) 310- 1892

We promise to focus on cleaning all the important details in your house. We will ensure that nothing is broken or stolen. And we promise the best customer service. www.aloha-ca.com