Aloe Vera

Placing an Aloe plant in your home will benefit you in more ways than one.  While the plant purifies the air, the gel between the plant's leaves serves as an excellent healing substance.  Aloe grows best in lots of sunlight, so the windowsill in your kitchen is a perfect placement for it, and puts it in close proximity if you accidentally touch the stove and find yourself with a burn.  In this case, simply tear off and split open a leaf and rub the gel on the effected area.  Don't worry, the leaf will close up and continue to grow where severed.

Peace Lily

Although small, Peace Lillies perform fantastically as air purifiers.  Better yet, while detoxing the air behind the scenes, Peace Lillies emit a delightful aroma to any room they're in while they are in bloom during the summer months.  Keep these low-maintenance plants in moist soil and in shady areas of your home.

 Snake Plant

Another low-maintenance plant on the list, Snake Plants, don't need much as far as light or water.  Placing this plant as an accent in a corner of your home is a great option, as they can grow to decent sizes and can take up some "empty space".  Snake Plants are tough to kill, and make an excellent choice for those just beginning to take on tending to plants.

Bamboo Palm

Bamboo Palms thrive in indirect sunlight and need decent watering, but keeping this plant alive in your home will benefit you in more ways than aesthetically.  The Bamboo Palm received an amazing 8.4 purifying rating from NASA,  meaning it does a great job at clearing out not only carbon dioxide, but benzene and trichloroethylene as well.

Spider Plant

The Spider Plant is one of the most common household pants, and not surprisingly so, as it is another perfect candidate for a first-time plant owner.  This plant, named for its long, erratically-growing leaves, shares NASA's "Best Plants for Cleaner Air Indoors" list with the Bamboo Palm.  These decorative plants call for bright areas of a home and for soil to reach total dryness between waterings.

Daracena

Let your creative juices flow if you're choosing a Daracena! This plant has over 40 variations, so take advantage of this factor when using this plant as a decorative element.  While this plant can do wonders for your air purity, beware the fact that it is toxic to cats and dogs and may do more harm than good if you're an animal lover.

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It's no secret that a hardwood floor in a home is an attractive option when it comes to floor covering.  Aesthetically pleasing and durable, it's more common than not to see homes with hardwood floors.  Although very popular, many people aren't aware of the proper practices and insider tips to ensure that their beautiful hardwood floors don't take a beating during the brutal winter months.  Keep reading below to learn our best tips for keeping your hardwood in mint condition.

Hardwood Floor Protection tip #1: Take off your shoes

You should always be taking your shoes off before entering your home regardless of the season.  It always preserves the cleanliness of your home by keeping out bacteria from the outside world.  It always protects your flooring by preventing abrasions from shoe soles.  However, in the winter time, it is twice as important.  In the wintertime, it's almost impossible to avoid tracking in mud, dirt, snow, and salt when you wear your shoes indoors.  Do yourself a favor and be diligent about keeping your shoes and their outdoor contaminants outdoors.

Hardwood Floor Protection tip #2: Mat near the door

If you don't have a mudroom, and don't want to keep your shoes outside or in your garage, invest in a durable, waterproof mat, such as this one, to lay near your entrance.  This will make a wold of difference in your home.  Ensure all family members comply with this practice, and don't be shy about asking your guests to remove their shoes as well

Hardwood Floor Protection tip #3: Wipe pet's paws

After your family members and guests do their part in helping protect the home's floors, next is your pets.  This step can be a bit more challenging as it isn't as easy to ask your pets to kindly wipe their paws dry before taking off inside.  If possible, try to control your dog's entrance into the home during the snowy months to ensure that you have a moment to quickly dry off their paws.  Keep a rag or two in a nearby closet or storage for quick access.

Hardwood Floor Protection tip #4:  Monitor Heat and Humidity

We're all familiar with static cling on your hair, clothes, and pretty much everything else during the winter time.  Fireplaces, space heaters, and general low humidity during this time of year can quickly dry out floors and lead to warped or cracked boards.  By not cranking your heat up TOO high, and by running a humidifier in your home, your floors should stay in much better condition.  You will most likely be more comfortable with a bit of moisture in the air, too!  On the same note, while warping and cracking is an issue, don't pay too much mind to spaces between the floorboards.  This is common, and as the seasons change you should find these spaces will appear or disappear, too.

By following these guidelines, your floors should still be in great shape come the springtime.  However, if you feel your hardwood floors need a great clean once the seasons change, feel free to give us a call.  As long as your floors are sealed in all places, we can clean your hardwood floors and restore their original shine.

The post How to Protect Hardwood Floor During the Winter appeared first on JoeCleans.

The creation and implementation of a building maintenance plan, especially one that focuses on preventative maintenance, is one of the most important tasks in ensuring smooth operations of any public or commercial facility.  Below, you can find a snapshot of the major areas you should pay attention to when creating your building maintenance plan.  Adherence to the points listed below will reduce the need for emergency repair calls and surprise equipment failures.  In other words, everything should be running smoothly.

Roofing Maintenance Plan

• Inspect roofing at least twice yearly, especially after any major storms.  It is good practice to have the twice yearly checkups after the major heating and cooling seasons.

• Ensure all shingles remain attached

• Check for any ponding or leaks in roofing material

• Clear out gutter and drainage systems of leaves or other debris

Exterior Building Maintenance Plan

• Be sure to have scheduled landscaping/exterior maintenance services for spring, summer, and fall months

• Be sure to have scheduled snow and ice removal services for the winter months, for both parking areas and walkways

• Parking areas and exterior walkways should remain well-maintained and in good condition

• Check for adequate outdoor lighting

• Clean all windows from the outside at least twice yearly

Interior Building Maintenance Plan

• Make sure that all fire extinguishers are up-to-date and accessible

• If the building has a sprinkler system, check sprinkler heads quarterly

• Be sure that all emergency exits and backup emergency lights are working

• Clean all windows from the inside at least twice yearly

Flooring Maintenance Plan

• Ensure all surfaces are completely sealed

• Schedule carpet cleaning at least once or twice yearly

• Schedule the stripping and waxing of all VCT at least once or twice yearly

• Keep "Wet Floor" signs in the vicinity

Electrical Maintenance Plan

• Test alarm systems

• Check all electrical panels on the interior and exterior of the building.  Be sure that they pass all safety codes, wires are well-secured, and circuits labeled.

• Make sure there are no exposed wires

HVAC Maintenance Plan

• Inspect all systems monthly

• Schedule seasonal tune-ups

• Clear vents of dust or any other debris

• Inspect regularly for energy efficiency

Plumbing Maintenance Plan

• Thorough inspection annually

• Monthly check of sump and sewage pumps

• Investigate any leaks or noises coming from plumbing system

• Ensure public restrooms maintain cleanliness. Recommended daily or weekly cleaning, depending on their use

Lighting Maintenance Plan

• For smaller facilities, replace lights as they go out.  For larger facilities, plan on creating a "group re-lamping" schedule based on light bulb life and usage.

• Dust lamps and lights regularly to ensure peak lighting performance

• Finally, maintain a backup inventory of light bulbs and other lighting mechanisms so that when lights to burn out, they can be replaced.

The post How to Create a Preventative Building Maintenance Plan appeared first on JoeCleans.

Winter months don't have to mean that homeowners will be better off postponing their carpet cleaning until next season.  Below, check out a handful of our explanations about why you should schedule your carpet cleaning over this winter.

Winter Carpet Cleaning Mythbusters

The Winter Hiatus

Let's begin by clearing up a couple of myths.  First, many believe carpet cleaning companies throughout New England must take a temporary hiatus during the winter months.  They assume that once the temps dip below freezing, frozen hoses prevent them from completing their jobs.  The truth is quite the contrary.  All truck-mounted cleaning systems are well-heated.  Also, their hoses are well-insulated.   These safeguards ensure that cold temperatures won't hinder a job well done.

Frigid Drafts

Another common misconception is that wide-open doors, to allow hoses to enter the house, will let in the winter chill during a carpet cleaning session.  The truth of the matter is, your door will only be open up to a few inches, at most.  We also fit your doorway with insulated blankets to keep the heat in and the cold gusts out.  Homes should be expected to suffer very little heat loss while carpets are being cleaned by a responsible company.

Mess-prone season

Also, people often assume it's inevitable that mud and salt will be tracked into the home during the winter months.  Thus, making it entirely pointless to spend time and money on carpet cleaning that time of year.  There's a quick fix to this general write-off.  A simple household rule of taking outdoor shoes off in the garage, mudroom, or just inside the doorway should preserve carpet's cleanliness.  In fact, adopting a rule such as this year-round can help improve the general condition of your carpets.

Benefits of Winter Carpet Cleaning

Protect your Investment

Now - let's get on to how you can most enjoy a winter carpet cleaning session in your home.  First, if it's easy to notice soiled areas on your carpets, DO NOT feel like you have to wait until the springtime to have them cleaned in order to benefit from the situation.  By allowing your investment to remain soiled for an extra 4-5 months, you are only causing more damage.  As the particulates are repeatedly ground into your carpet fibers, you will erase years off the carpet's life.  Don't wait!

Quick Dry Times

Another benefit of winter carpet cleaning is the shortened drying time.  On average, it takes anywhere from 4-6 hours for your carpets to dry in a natural setting with no fans and average humidity.  The lower humidity levels allow for much quicker drying times during the winter season.  It's completely harmless to walk on your carpets immediately after cleaning, but many find a greater advantage to quicker drying times.

Preservation of cleanliness

Contrary to popular belief, homes are cleaner during the winter months as opposed to the warmer seasons. Once the warm weather rolls around, we find our windows and screen doors open far more often.  With this, we let in pollutants, pollen, and other allergens into our homes.  During the winter, we lock up our doors and windows tight.  As a result, the cleanliness you will achieve after a thorough carpet cleaning will last you well into the spring and summertime. Just be sure you are diligent with removing shoes in a garage, mudroom, or just inside the doorway.

Nesting Season

Last but not least, have you noticed that we rarely see the insides of our homes during the summer months?  People spend the most time inside their home during the winter.  In that case, why not enjoy a cozy, CLEAN home?    There's no major sense in postponing a needed cleaning to a busier time of year when you won't even get to enjoy it.  Go ahead, cozy up near the fireplace this winter in a clean and refreshing home.

The post The Truth about Winter Carpet Cleaning appeared first on JoeCleans.

One common task listed on every janitorial agreement today was never included when we started in the cleaning business – empty the recyclable items. There was no recycling back in the day. How about emptying and cleaning ashtrays in the lobbies and at workers’ desks? Use to be an everyday item… now, it is preferred that workers do not smoke while within the county.

I was reminiscing recently about an incident which arose from Robin and my limited vocabulary and taking directions from clients, back in the day, to get to their houses. I recall it was a crisp, sunny morning and I was trying to locate a customer’s house in a rural farm area off Windy Road. I drove to the end and back of the road but had no success. Unlike today, there was no cellphone back-up plan and to avoid having to drive back into town to look for a payphone to call Robin in the office or our eager client directly, I chose to drive to the end and back twice more. No luck. It all got resolved in the end when it was realized that there was no Windy Road. Part of the directions related to a “winding” road not a “windy” road. (If I had only paid more attention to Beatles lyrics.)

Today there are almost no directions needed… “just give me the street address for the GPS.” We’ll get there – no worries.

Ciao and God bless, joe

The post I’ll pass on the directions, thank you… appeared first on JoeCleans.

Below, we've accumulated a list of the most important winter-prep tasks for you to follow when it is finally time to accept the fact that the days have significantly shortened and the temperatures have undoubtedly dropped.  Use this checklist to ensure that your home will be in its best shape heading into this winter season.

Winter Prep

• Replace batteries in smoke detectors
• Service HVAC/Change air filters
• Check caulking/weather stripping on windows
• Wash windows
• Clean gutters
• Inspect foundation for low-soil areas
• Inspect roof for loose shingles
• Inspect/clean chimney
• Aerate, fertilize and seed lawn
• Test snowblower, purchase ice melt
• Prepare lawnmower and other gas-powered yard tools for storage by nearly filling their gas tanks

So, does that last one sound a bit off to you?  It turns out, times have changed from the days when homeowners were accustomed to preparing for the winter by emptying their lawn mower's gas tank.  Read more about WHY in the interesting post below from our friend James Kennedy at OnePull Lawnmower Shop.

The post How To Prepare a Home For the Winter Months appeared first on JoeCleans.

Below are a few ways a carpet cleaning company can help you spruce up a home a real estate agent is trying to sell:

Traffic marks.

Life happens. That's why the carpets in family homes, often those with children, can accumulate dark traffic areas. Fortunately, these types of cleans are no-brainers for professional carpet cleaning companies. Homeowners often become blind to the traffic areas in their homes.  Politely pointing out that a great connection of yours can quickly get the job done will be a major win for everyone. The homeowner will be very grateful that they have a considerate agent with their best interest in mind. The agent will be one step closer to getting the sale.

Pet stains and odors

We all love our pets, regardless of the fact that they may leave our homes with a vague, musty odor. Professional carpet cleaning companies often have specialized cleaning detergents to tackle both pet stains and odors. Every home has a unique "smell" that outsiders immediately notice before entering a home. The last thing a real estate agent wants is their prospective buyer to be turned off by the home as soon as they enter and their nose wrinkles from a funky smell. The same goes for pet stains.  Unsightly stains on carpets can leave prospective buyers uneasy about the sale.  However, both of these issues can be easily fixed with a visit from your local carpet cleaner.

Tile & grout

In the case of soiled grout lines, it often becomes difficult to recognize the original grout color save from far corners of the floors. Believe it or not, some white grout lines end up black and no one bats an eye.  That is, until they come to the realization of "that's not supposed to look like that....". Soiled grout lines are a daunting task as the common solution for a homeowner is often a Saturday afternoon spent on their hands and knees scrubbing with a toothbrush. Agents don't have to let this image get into their prospective buyers' heads.  Carpet cleaners often offer tile & grout cleaning services that produce results that are second to none.

Creating a strong relationship with a carpet cleaning company can give you a leg-up on your competition. This relationship can give you quick, last-minute, and often after-hour cleanings that may end up making your deal. In addition, if your relationship becomes strong enough to where you are exclusively referring each other to your networks, you may be able to get a new sale or two out of the relationship as well.

For more information, give us a call at 877-HIRE-JOE.

The post Real Estate Agents: Carpet Cleaners Can Be Your Best Ally appeared first on JoeCleans.

With the daily hustle and bustle of today's world, it may sometimes be difficult to keep office cleaning and tidiness on track.  Without a doubt, a clean office space provides many benefits to employees and clients alike.  These benefits include, but are not limited to: a focused mindset, improved health (less sneezing or congestion), and heightened company morale.  In order to keep your office in great shape and spirits, consider following our comprehensive cleaning guide that should be sure to keep you on track.

Daily Office Cleaning

• Empty trash bins, replace liners
• Vacuum carpeted surfaces
• Disinfect tile/hard floors
• Clean entryway mats
• Wipe down glass faces
• Wipe down all reflective surfaces
• Clean doorknobs and light switches
• Sanitize bathroom toilets/sinks

Weekly Office Cleaning

• Polish hardwood surfaces like floors and conference room tables
• Wipe down computer screens
• Empty and disinfect break room refrigerators
• Clean walls and cabinets
• Replace hand soap in bathroom
• Replace towels/paper towels in bathroom
• Test hand dryers

Monthly Office Cleaning

• Vacuum all fabric furniture
• Vacuum vents
• Dust computers and desks, printers, fax machines, etc
• Wash windows (interior and exterior)
• Test smoke detectors

By regularly following these general guidelines, your office space should be in great condition.  If these tasks seem too daunting for you or your workforce, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to take the load off of you.  To learn more, click here.

The post Office Cleaning: The Comprehensive Guide appeared first on JoeCleans.

First and foremost, a few tips: as with all surfaces in your home, regular cleaning is key.  Be sure to sweep or vacuum your laminate floor at least once weekly.  When sweeping or vacuuming, do so in the direction that the flooring panels have been laid.  By doing this, you will be able to collect and remove all of the soil between the grooves of the laminate instead of trapping it there.

In addition, if a spill does take place, clean it up immediately.  If you allow time for moisture to seep in between your flooring, it can warp the laminate over time.  Once your core-board soaks up liquid and becomes warped, the only remedy would be replacement, so avoid this situation as best as possible.

Follow our steps below to ensure you've sufficiently cleaned your laminate floors in the best way:

• As stated above, always make sure to dry mop, sweep, or vacuum the floor (often).  This should always be your beginning step.
• Dampen a microfiber cleaning pad with warm water and the cleaning solution of your choice.  Always dampen the cloth you will be using to clean as opposed to dampening the floor.  You do not want to give the liquid time to seep into the flooring as you are cleaning another area.  Using a microfiber cloth is important as string mops and sponge mops have the tendency to leave streaks on your floor, and also carry a lot of water that you don't want soaking into your core-board.
• Clean your floor with the lightly dampened mop.  Again - make sure this is done in the direction the laminate is laid.
• Naturally, as you use your microfiber cloth to clean, it will become increasingly soiled.  To remedy this, simply rinse out and replace the cloth.  Once you have completely finished, throw the cloth in the washing machine so it is completely fresh for your next clean.

A few more important things to keep in mind:  Of course, laminate flooring is not wood, so refrain from using any cleaning products geared toward wood - anything with wax, polish, oils, soaps, varnish, or chemicals that promote shine.
If you follow this regimen often, you will be taking the most effective steps toward protecting your investment.

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