Posts Tagged ‘allergies’

The Air Inside

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

The Maids uses a system to clean more thoroughly than any other cleaning system by any other service. You can read about it on our website, or my past blogs. But if you want to magnify that cleaning power, here are some tips to keep the air you’re breathing inside your home as pure and fresh as possible, and may even help out with those allergies. I learned these tips in my certification class. Some are easy, some are hard to do, and I left out the ridiculous ones.

Keep walkways and porches clean. Since 87% of dirt comes in through the doors, use entry mats inside and outside the door. Reduce the wear of outdoor shoes inside the house-use slippers or socks instead.

Use quality vacuum equipment as good as what we use that can trap particles down to 1-2 microns. Normal paper vacuum bags are only good to 7 microns.
Vacuum more often, or pay us to come more often. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the temptation!)

Steam clean carpets semi-annually. Don’t forget to check our special project referral list, or just ask. I refer Deep Eddy Carpet Cleaners as I know about their dedication to quality and service.

Use high efficiency filters in your heating and cooling system.

Wash bed linens weekly in 130-degree hot water to kill dust mites.

Hope these are helpful to you!

Healthy, Healthy Cleaning

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

We have a Healthy Touch cleaning system.  Ever wonder what that means?  Homes today are built so air-tight that any air that gets in – good or bad – has a difficult time getting out, making your cleaning practices all the more important. Animal dander, a primary cause of indoor allergies and asthmatic reactions, is not limited to animal fur. Deep cleaning for pet owners is essential to ensure that all pet related allergens are efficiently removed from their homes.

First, the vacuum (made by ProTeam, a partner with American Lung Association, designed The Maids Home Services) helps pet owners breathe easier. It features a four-filtered, micro-filtration system, which captures particles down to 1/210th the diameter of a human hair or in other words, 99% of all particulates down to 0.3 microns.

Second, we never use feather dusters.  They do a great job at moving dust around and we prefer to take it out.  We dust with cotton cloths, microfiber cloths, or with the vacuum, which picks up dust and then we remove it from your home.  We’ll use these tools to clean virtually every available surface in every room on every visit, so you can rest assured your home has been detail cleaned. We clean places other service providers may miss like deep under beds and on top of refrigerators. We clean kitchen and bathroom floors on hands and knees – the surest way to know they are really clean – and use a grout brush to remove mold and mildew in the bathroom. We even brush clean the toilet seat hinges every visit. Our teams even disinfect and remove fingerprints from phone receivers, light switch plates and doorknobs to help stop the spread of germs.

Third, our products are environmentally preferable.  We want to make sure there are no toxic chemicals or fumes that are harmful to our people cleaning and to our customers.   We also want to be sure we’re not leaving any chemical residue behind either.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that we clean with safer products, better equipment, and are very thorough.  That’s what makes us a Healthy Touch company.

Living with Allergies and Cats

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

If you have allergies to cats and have cats, I’ve got some quick tips for minimizing cat dander, the microscopic flakes of dried saliva on cats’ skin which causes allergies.  Cajole a non-allergic housemate or friend to brush the cat daily and bathe him weekly. (This tip really makes my day, I need humor like this all the time).  Ask your veterinarian about a spray for Kitty’s coat that will minimize dander.  Replace curtains and drapes with solid blinds, carpeting and rugs with hardwood floors or tile.  Vacuum regularly with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a Hepa-level filter.  Did you know that we use Hepa-level filter vacuums?  Check it out here.  Save yourself a step and let us vacuum.  Then you can brush and bathe.  Invest in an air purification appliance.  Wipe down walls and flat surfaces regularly.  Keep your bedroom off-limits to the feline brigade.  Ask your allergist about making a serum from a sample of your cat’s hair.  If you don’t yet have a cat, consider a shorthair over longhair. They tend to have less dander.  (Maybe just get a dog)