Blog Cleaning | Bredon Hill Cleaning Services

Home Interior Trends for Spring/Summer 2022

Home Interior Trends: Who’s ready for a mini house renovation just in time for the revival of nature and the exciting long summer days? You don’t have to have a huge budget to bring a positive change in your living space and make it feel amazing. Follow these super easy home interior trends for spring/summer 2022.

Live Plants

Honestly, there are so many benefits of growing green plants inside your home. First, the air quality will be elevated several times as they produce more oxygen. Then, you get the fulfilment of growing a living thing all by yourself. You will notice improved concentration, more energy during the day and better sleep at night. Furthermore, it seems to be one of the hottest trends of home decor for SS22. It is easy to start, not expensive and very satisfying practice that can turn into a long-term hobby.

Self Spaces

The past couple of years taught us how important it is to have a small area at home that is dedicated just to you. It could be your study room, a work/creative corner or a little sanctuary that you built within your bedroom or living room. Spending time with family and seeing their faces every day is great, however, it could be overwhelming at times. Therefore, creating self spaces has become a leading trend in home interior design this season. Pick up an area that you can make feel a bit more intimate and secluded with cushions, large house plants or other items. Then put your personal touches like photographs, planners, candles and so on.

Open Plan Kitchen

To get that done if you live in a traditional house, built many years ago, you will have to splash a bit more money for reconstruction. But you won’t regret it. Open plan kitchens make your place feel a lot more homely, they bring the family together and quite often improve the access of natural light to the dining/living area. Not to mention that this type of design makes cleaning much easier and speeds up the process.

Curves

Thinking of changing some of your furniture? Go for round shapes and a lot of curves. This trend dominates the interior design catalogues and magazines in spring/summer 2022. It makes you feel more connected with your home, as well as protected from outside factors.

Same-colour Skirting Boards

If you are looking to make your home feel more spacious, paint the walls and the skirting boards in the same colour. It creates the illusion of extremely long walls and a feeling of living in your own bubble. In terms of colours, you should probably go for pastel shades that promote calmness and resonate with the energy of rebirth.

Countryside Look

We absolutely love this trend! One of our favourite types of properties have always been cottages. It’s the countryside design that gives this warm feeling of being connected to your roots and nature. The 70s interior touches and colours are also making a comeback this season and we can’t wait to see more homes redesigned to fit those trends.

How do you imagine the perfect home? What changes would you make to yours to bring it one step closer to that incredible image?

Blog Cleaning
March 15, 2022
Should I Have a Cleaner Coming Home in the Midst of a Pandemic

Should I Have a Cleaner Coming Home in the Midst of a Pandemic

The UK is experiencing another, much more severe, wave of COVID infections with a new variant. That has a lot of people worried and unsure whether they are taking enough measures to protect themselves and their loved ones. We have been receiving questions from current and potential clients whether it is ok to get a cleaner in considering the current situation. That prompted us to write this blog post and shed some light on the issue.

Is it Safe to Have a Cleaner In?

Yes, it is absolutely safe to call your domestic cleaner in. Our team always wears the appropriate PPE and does regular lateral flow tests to protect our customers and others they have contact with. Furthermore, we follow strict procedures, established after specialist training for cleaners, covering cross-contamination and COVID safety. We are confident the efforts and systems we put in place are enough to minimise the risk of infection spread.

Is Cleaning Essential Work?

In the official government guidelines, domestic cleaners are not listed as essential workers, however, in practice professional cleaning is vital for the safe continuation of business and the protection of personal and public health. Our cleaners work with advanced virucidal and antibacterial cleaning products that are only available to professionals and cannot be used by untrained people. These solutions are strong enough to kill more than 99.9% of known viruses and bacteria, including coronaviruses. Regular cleaning and disinfection of your living environment is one of the best protective measures you can take for you and your family, along with testing frequently and keeping an appropriate distance when outside.

Can I still have my house cleaned if I tested positive and I am self isolated?

No. If you know you are currently infected with coronavirus or you have symptoms and are awaiting test results you should call and cancel or postpone your cleaning visit. We take the safety of our staff and others very seriously. We wouldn’t send a cleaner with symptoms to your home, so we kindly ask you to let us know as soon as you suspect you may have caught the virus. Your regular cleaning service can resume after your isolation period ends.

I’ve just had COVD, can I get my house cleaned and disinfected?

We strongly recommend booking a professional COVID decontamination service after you or someone who lives with you has had the virus and their isolation period has ended. This will ensure no trace of the virus is left in the property and also eliminate other germs that could be dangerous to a person who’s immune system had just been under attack.

If you have any other questions or concerns about your scheduled cleaning visits, please get in touch with the office. We are happy to explain our procedures in detail and reassure you we take all necessary measures to keep you safe, while using our service.

Blog Cleaning
February 9, 2022
Domestic Cleaning

How Does Domestic Cleaning Increase the Value of Your Property

There’s a lot of movement on the housing market right now. It makes sense as a lot of people have taken the decision to relocate since the pandemic began. If you too are looking to sell your property and move to another one, then keep reading this article. We may have a few tips on how to increase your property value by using professional cleaning services.

Regular Domestic Cleaning

Having a professional cleaner coming regularly to your home is beneficial not only to you and your family, but also the general condition of the house. Properties that are maintained appropriately have less wear and tear and catch the eye of a potential buyer much quicker. Their market value is logically higher than the value of properties that look unkept and worn out.

Regular Carpet Cleaning

Your carpets need to be cleaned every six months to extend their life and preserve their appearance. Spot treatment by non-professionals is never recommended as it leaves permanent marks on the carpet, which even experts cannot fix afterwards. To sell your property at a higher price you would need immaculately looking carpets. If they are stained you will either have to replace them or settle for a lower figure. Either way, it would cost you much more than a regular professional carpet cleaning.

End of Tenancy Cleaning

If you have already moved out of the property or you had tenants in, booking an end of tenancy cleaning service could make you much more money when you are selling the place. Once potential buyers visit they will be drawn to the appearance of the interior, especially if you also introduce home organising systems for furnished properties. If you are selling an unfurnished flat or a house, a properly clean, clutter-free and neat place will attract more property investors as they would be able to easily imagine exactly how they could transform the space.

External Cleaning

The facade of your house also plays a big role in the overall value of the property. Home owners who ignored that fact sold their houses at a lower price than their neighbours, who invested in professional external cleaning. High pressure washing is suitable for walls, patios, driveways and other parts of a property exterior. Even estate agents agree in recent reports that a clean and aesthetically pleasing outside look could add up to £20,000 on top of the original property value.

When you do the calculations, you see how much profit you can make with such little investment. So, professional cleaning services are not only there to provide you with comfort and more time, but they could also be a very good business tool to increase your profit on property sales.

Does your home need some freshening up? We can offer you domestic, end of tenancy and deep cleaning services. For carpet care and external building cleaning we can connect you with our trusted partners.

Blog Cleaning
February 1, 2022
How to Make Your Home a More Enjoyable Place

How to Make Your Home a More Enjoyable Place

Looks like we are in for more time spent at home again and this probably has you thinking how you can make your space a more enjoyable place. It’s important to feel comfortable and safe, but also energised and motivated to work. Believe it or not, your living environment has a lot to do with all of that. So, if you are about to stay home for a long time, here are some suggestions how you can make it a more enjoyable place.

Declutter and Deep Clean

Clutter is stressful. Take the time to go through your items and decide what needs to leave your house. It could be anything from old clothes and tiny souvenirs to large furniture pieces. By creating more physical space, you will be able to breathe more easily and that means better sleep, more energy and increased productivity. Deep cleaning will help make your rooms safer by eliminating allergens and germs and also look much more welcoming and pleasant.

Introducing Home Organising Systems

Home organisation systems can help a lot with transforming your space and making it a true paradise. They bring structure to each and every room. Thanks to that, you always know where to find everything you are looking for, it takes you less time to clean and tidy up and it is also aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, it helps when you host guests. An organised home is a joy to live in and visit.

Adding your Favourite Colours to the Interior

If you want to feel great at home, add some of your favourite colours to the interior. That will cheer you up when you feel down. You can also be intentional and tactical when you use colours to influence your mood. Spend some time reading about colour psychology and how each colour affects you mentally. For example, blue is meant to calm you down and help you relax. Orange stimulates intelligence and creativity and green brings energy and a feeling of revival.

Use Essential Oils and Scented Candles

Nothing makes a home cosier than a good quality diffuser with pure essential oils. Again, you can easily influence your mood by adding a few drops of different oils or creating your own blends. Citrus scents will give you the zing and lift you up. Lavender will help you wind down and have a good night's rest. Sage, marjoram and frankincense will balance your energy and relieve some body pain too. If you don’t want to use a diffuser and oils, you can always opt for scented candles. They create an even more homely atmosphere and are ideal for quiet nights with an interesting book in your hands.

Did you know we offer a home organising service? We can come to your house and arrange your rooms in a practical, aesthetical and neat way, so that every moment you spend in your own space feels amazing.

Blog Cleaning
January 16, 2022
Cleaning company

What it is Like to Run a Cleaning Company | Bredon Hill

If you know me at least a little and you’ve been following Bredon Hill Cleaning Services on social media, you will know that cleaning is not just my job. I truly put my heart and soul in this business and that’s probably why it has survived and thrived for over a decade. But staying on top of everything and being the best amongst competitors is not easy. The cleaning industry is a busy and competitive space, so you must always be on your A-game. I thought I’d share with you what it is like to run a cleaning company, especially in the trying times of a pandemic.

No work, employees to protect and keep

We are blessed to have kept the majority of our clients even during the several national lockdowns. But it is no secret to anyone that for some time we were not working at full capacity. That meant some of the cleaners weren’t getting enough hours of work and it impacted their lives. It was my job as their employer to figure out how to help if I wanted to keep them. And indeed, I did want to keep them as I knew tables would turn and good, reliable and loyal staff is really hard to come by, especially in our industry.

Lots of work and not enough workers

Like I said, a change did come not long after the third full national lockdown. The demand for cleaning services suddenly increased and our team was working tirelessly to satisfy our clients’ expectations. Some of my hard-working ladies had made the choice to move out of the country permanently, others wanted a career change. Recruitment has been extremely hard. If you speak to 10 cleaning companies in 10 different parts of the UK and ask them what’s their biggest challenge at the moment, I bet the answer will be the same: “recruitment”. For months, I had to cover many shifts daily to keep our clients happy.

The tough decisions

There’s only so much pressure one can take. After a long time spent side by side with the girls cleaning, I was at the brink of exhaustion. Something had to change. And this provoked one of the toughest business decisions I’ve ever had to take. I decided to stop offering one of my favourite cleaning services, namely housekeeping for holiday lets. It was just too hard to cope without enough reliable hands.

The joyous moments

Despite all the challenges I still say that this is one of the most rewarding businesses a person can run. For me personally, it is the happiness we bring in people’s homes and lives that gives me the most joy. Receiving positive feedback and feeling the gratitude in customer’s voices truly makes my day and I often forget how tired my body and mind are after a long day at work.

Having a cleaning business is not easy. It could squeeze the last drop of energy you have, but if you do it with a true passion, the reward you get in return is worth the sweat.

Blog Cleaning
December 20, 2021
New Closet: The Organisation Process, New Season

New Season, New Closet: The Organisation Process

New Year, new me. Ooops, it’s a little early for that. But we are just on time for the beginning of a new season - the most colourful of them all! As autumn has finally set in, it’s time to rework your closet. Not sure where to start from? We are here to explain the closet organisation process.

Take it All Out

Don’t attempt to simply exchange summer clothes with thicker and cosier items. A good closet organisation always starts with taking absolutely everything out and evaluating what you need or will need in the future. We know it is emotionally hard for many people to part with some of their favourite clothes. But truth be told, these are just material objects that shouldn’t have such a big impact on your life. Not to mention, many people are in need of clothing and they cannot afford to buy new pieces from the shops. Donating some of the clothes that don’t fit you any more or you feel are out of style to charity is a great act of kindness.

Summer Items Go at the Back

It’s tough to part with those lovely summer dresses even if it is just for a few months. But let’s be realistic, we live in a country where sweaters are a lot more popular and needed for the better part of the year. Carefully fold all your summer items and place them at the back of the closet. You can use storage boxes or chests for further protection.

Caution: Never put away slightly damp clothes. They can become completely ruined by mould or at the very least develop a repulsive scent. To keep them fresh, add closet fresheners, a small bag of dry herbs or flowers, or a small carton card sprinkled with a few drops of your essential oil.

Winter Garments Win the Show

Now your racks and shelves should have space to accommodate the chunkier and thicker winter clothes. Make your closet organisation exciting and order items by colour. It is also very helpful with the creation of different outfit combinations. That cream sweater would go so well with the mocha chino trousers. Or that dark green dress would look gorgeous with a thin brown belt and knee high brown boots.

Storage Systems

An essential part of closet organisation is creating storage systems. Unless you are blessed with a closet the size of an entire room, you will have to manage space. Look for different folding styles, sectioned boxes and vertical organisers. Each of these can accommodate a variety of items you would otherwise struggle to fit into a 3 or 4-wing wardrobe. Accessories are often trickiest to organise sensibly. Vertical systems work best for scarves, belts, hats or jewellery.

How about your closet? Is it looking good, or does it need a professional touch to get organised for the new season?

Blog Cleaning
December 9, 2021
cleaning tips

Living Room Cleaning Tips

Isn’t it nice to get home and enjoy a relaxing, welcoming and cosy atmosphere? That’s usually achieved best in a well maintained and tidy living room. It’s where you spend the special moments with your family and welcome guests. So, how can you turn any living area into an amazing sanctuary of joy, laughter and good vibrations? We have some great living room cleaning tips that can just do the trick.

Regularity is Key

Nothing beats regular cleaning of your living space. You know this is an area where a lot happens and therefore needs constant care. Open the windows every day for at least 30 minutes to improve the air quality and vacuum the floor every other day. Dusting furniture and spot cleaning the floor and glass surfaces once a week is a good idea.

Don’t Miss a Deep Clean

Your living room needs a deep clean at every change of season, no matter how diligent you are with your regular weekly and daily chores. Deep cleaning the living room ensures the environment is healthy, pest infestation is less likely to occur and your home benefits from a fresh new energy. During the process you will focus on more than what you usually do. Windows need to be cleaned, curtains, cushions and throws washed, skirting boards properly wiped and disted.

Declutter

Decluttering is an essential part of effectively cleaning the living room and turning it into a calm and inviting place. Unnecessary items stacked in different parts of the place make it look stuffy and uncomfortable. By creating more physical space in your living area, you also create space for growth in any aspect of your life.

The Carpets Need You

Living room carpets are often in need of TLC. Something gets spilt, someone brings dirt from outside or your pet has a little accident. But even if your carpet appears perfectly clean, know that you still need to have it professionally washed every 6 months. This is to protect yourself and your family from potential diseases and allergies.

Organise and Use Colours to Lift up Mood

Organisation systems in living rooms really make a difference in the way those spaces look and feel. There is plenty of inspiration you can find on Pinterest or in some of our Instagram posts. Colour therapy is also a good way to keep your spirit up when you spend a long time at home. See what’s trendy this season or simply choose the colours that make you happy and relaxed, and add them to your living room interior.

Bring Out the Essential Oil

Speaking of mood and vibes, nothing works better than essential oils. For the living space choose cheerful and vibrant scents like peppermint, lemon, grapefruit or cinnamon. You should also know that essential oils have many healing properties and can be used not only as natural air freshener, but also as health protectors and sanitisers.

Do you have plans to change the way your living room looks and feels this autumn? We’d love to hear all your ideas. And if we can help speed up the process with our professional domestic cleaning services, we will be simply over the moon!

Blog Cleaning
November 20, 2021
Cleaning

Preparing Your Home for Autumn

We are officially in the beginning of autumn. This means your home needs to go through a mini transformation to adjust and prepare for the new season. We have identified the essential steps you need to take or points to cover in this process.

1. Deep Cleaning

First and foremost your home needs a thorough deep clean. Any clutter and items that will no longer be in use for the next several months need to be removed. You may decide to store them in the garage, cellar or shed. Or you can simply donate those items if you feel you won’t need them anymore but someone else could make a good use of them. Deep cleaning includes working on hard to reach areas like ceilings, behind heavy furniture and inside cupboards. It will refresh the atmosphere at the property, but will also prevent pest infestation and ensure you start the flu season with a germ-free, safe and healthy living environment.

2. Carpet Cleaning

Carpets must be professionally cleaned twice a year as a bare minimum. The beginning of autumn is a great time to have one of those cleans. That’s to protect the appearance of your carpets, but also to make sure harmful bacteria, viruses and allergens are trapped inside. You will notice how much easier it is to breathe and sleep after the cleaning.

3. Pantry Editing

Remember you edited your pantry in time for summer? Well, you’ll have to do it again to get ready for autumn and winter this time. Bring forward the herbs, teas and heavy carb load. It is a good opportunity to check any items expiring soon and replenish supplies that are running low.

4. Closet Rearrangement

Just like the pantry, your closet needs a reset. Say goodbye to the summer dresses and light t-shirts. Bring in the cosy sweaters, jeans and scarves. Colour arrangement is always a good idea. Not only it helps you find the items you are looking for faster and easier, but it also puts you in a positive mood.

5. Window and Air Vents Cleaning

Early autumn is perfect for window and exterior cleaning. British summer is often wet, so give your windows a glossup to maximise the sunlight penetration for as long as we are blessed to have it. If you can, arrange for gutter cleaning before the heavy rain starts and the fallen leaves cause a blockage. Don’t forget the air vents either! They will need a thorough clean before the cold weather sets in and humidity encourages more mould growth.

6. Bug Proofing

Have you noticed the sudden increase of creepy crawlies in your garden and around the house? It’s party season for all of them. Take the necessary precautions to prevent them from joining you in your home rent-free. Deep cleaning, disinfection and decluttering will do most of the trick, but you may want to add some additional measures like window nets, filling cracks or spraying bug repellent close to the possible entrances.

7. Introducing Warm Colours to the Interior

Ok, this last step is not necessarily essential, but certainly very beneficial. Especially to your mental health and wellbeing. Although incredibly beautiful, autumn is not the most cheerful season. You can lift up your mood and feel truly at peace in your private residence by adding more warm colours to the interior. It could be small details like an orange throw or yellow cushions, new paintings, a bowl of fruits on the coffee table, strands of wheat in a vase or pumpkin decorations. It’s up to you. Use your imagination to create your very own autumn paradise.

Blog Cleaning
November 8, 2021
How to Clean the Nasty Places Effectively

How to Clean the Nasty Places Effectively

There are certain things and places at home no one really likes cleaning. But doing it regularly and efficiently is very important to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone who lives at the property. As professional cleaners we have seen everything and it hasn’t always been pleasant, to say the least. However, it is part of our job and we know exactly what to do to achieve the best results. Today we want to share with you how to clean the nasty places effectively.

The Kitchen Bin

Oh, that place can stink! Especially in households where recycling and food waste separation is not practiced appropriately, leaving the bin uncleaned for a couple of weeks could be disastrous. Not only will it smell bad, but there is a real chance of growing maggots and other nasties that can infest your entire house.

Wash your kitchen bin at least once a week. No matter how carefully you place the liners, spillage of liquids or food can happen and get stuck to the bin surface. Use warm water and dishwashing liquid to wipe and scrub any dirt from the bin. Then use disinfectant wipes or better yet spray with sanitiser. Let it air dry before you put a new liner or a bag inside. If a bad smell persists, throw in a few lemon slices inside the bin liner or sprinkle some essential oil.

The Toilet

Cleaning the toilet is a truly nasty job. As unpleasant as it can be, it is also vital for the household. You can start by applying a toilet cleaner solution to the edges of the bowl. It usually needs some development time, so you can combine this with other cleaning tasks in the bathroom. Once the solution has worked its magic you can use the toilet brush to scrub any spots or stains. Although toilet cleaners usually contain antibacterial agents, it is always worth applying sanitiser after the actual cleaning is done.

Now, let’s say a few words about the toilet brush and its holder as these two can be in a total mess. Firstly, never put the toilet brush in the holder if it has poop residue. It is absolutely nasty and also not safe. If you find yourself in a position where someone else did that and you have to clean up the mess, here’s what you do. Pour any liquid content from the holder in the toilet, then wash with hot water and soap. Spray disinfectant and add a few drops of tea tree essential oil. It has antiseptic properties. The brush can go through the same process.

Mould and Grime

Not only mould and grime look yucky, they are literally huge bacterial colonies. You can find plenty of cleaning products in supermarkets that deal effectively with this problem. If you are looking for eco options, vinegar should work great against mould. Prevention, however, is better than cure. Mould and grime grow in wet, damp places with poor air circulation. Always let the windows open for at least 30 min after shower, or make sure the air vent is working properly. Clean the tile joints and the bathtub and shower cabin edges at least once a week. This could help the prevention of grime appearance.

What’s a nasty place at home that you just don’t have the stomach to clean? How do you cope - let it be, man up and get on with it or call the professionals to do their job?

Blog Cleaning
November 6, 2021
Cleaning

How to Minimise Cleaning Effort at Home

Time is an issue for most busy families. We totally understand this and as professionals we want to give you some tips on how to minimise the cleaning effort at home.

Frequency is Key

There’s no better way to reduce your cleaning load than doing small bits daily. You can section your house and spend 10 minutes working on a specific area every day. Or, you can have the same amount of time simply dedicated to tidying up everywhere before you go to bed. Leaving dirt and clutter pile up for a couple of days or weeks will result in bad conditions that will require much more time and energy to deal with.

Hard Floors instead of Carpets

Soft flooring can be cosy but it requires a lot more maintenance than hard floors. If you have young children or pets, vacuuming becomes a daily task, stains happen way too often and you must have your carpet professionally cleaned at least twice a year. This is to avoid the development of any possible health conditions such as allergies, asthma or other respiratory diseases, associated with dirty carpets. Hard floors only need a quick mopping and disinfection.

Bathroom Sprays

Limescale and hard water buildup is such a pain to remove. It will take you at least half an hour of vigorous scrubbing if you clean your bathroom every week. Much longer if you do it less frequently. But what if we told you there’s a way to minimise all that effort? Use a descaling spray every time after you take a shower. Then simply wipe gently. It takes no more than 5 minutes and it saves you so much hassle.

Have a Laundry Schedule

Don’t let laundry pile up. It’s stressful for everyone in the house. Instead create a laundry schedule. It could mean you wash clothes every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Depending on the size of your family and your laundry needs, washing days may occur more or less frequently. We would say the best option for bigger families is always using a professional launderette with flexible and convenient service.

Opt for More Non-creasing Fabrics

There’s nothing more frustrating than freshly washed laundry that looks terribly squeezed. In such a scenario ironing is inevitable. You can choose to buy more clothes made from non-creasing fabrics. The downfall of these is that they are synthetic and not all skin types agree with continuous use of unnatural fibres such as cotton, silk or linen. If you prefer organic fabrics, then your next best solution to minimise effort is booking a professional ironing service. Not only would your clothes look outstanding, but you will also have a layer of protection from allergens and germs.

Just Call the Cleaning Lady

Sometimes, no matter how much you try to minimise the housework, it still becomes overwhelming. If you’ve reached that point, pick up the phone and organise domestic cleaning done by professionals. It’s the best investment for your physical and mental health, as well as the wellbeing of everyone who lives with you.

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Category : Blog Cleaning