Tag Archives: safe

The number one question our customers ask us

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Caution-sign-cleaning-in-pr

Scrub less. Organize more.

Answering your questions about keeping hard to clean areas cleaner, longer.

 

The number one question we are asked is how to keep a tile and grout shower clean in between cleanings.

Today I will share with you our top three recipes for keeping that pain in the butt tile clean.

First, let’s start with some tips. The best tool you can invest in is a squeegee. It only takes a matter of seconds and, trust me, it’s worth it in the long run. Squeegee the glass shower door and your tile and the shower will stay cleaner longer.

Second, leave the light and fan running for as long as possible. Mold and mildew love a wet, humid, dark environment. By leaving the light and fan on for a few extra minutes, you are giving your bathroom time to dry. Don’t forget to pick up wet floor towels and hang them to dry.

Lastly, keep the bathroom clean by not letting it get dirty in the first place. Put things away. Do you leave your curling irons and straighteners on the counter to cool on your way to work? Install a hook and hang them so you have more space. After work, wrap them up and stick them under the sink.  Store all your make-up in one location. Get a basket to capture easy to reach items you use on a regular basis. Keep wipes under the sink for a quick countertop clean-up. By having all these items easily accessible, you’ll have no problem keeping everything in its place.

I am not saying you will never have to clean your bathroom ever again. I’d be out of a job! However, by keeping up with the mess, the globs of toothpaste in the sink, the pinkish colored grout that you were pretty sure was white when you moved in, your bathroom will stay cleaner longer.

When it gets time to do a heavy scrub down cleaning, here are three of our favorite, all-natural, homemade recipes.

1.)    Mix ½ cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice, ¼ cup vinegar in a spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Mix well. Spray throughout shower and let it sit for one hour. Respray, then use an old toothbrush or grout brush to scrub. Rinse shower with water and dry shower with a clean towel.

2.)    Mix 1 cup hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons lemon juice in a spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Be careful when spraying as hydrogen peroxide is a natural alternative to bleach and will stain fabrics. Spray mixture throughout shower. Scrub grout with an old toothbrush or grout brush. Rinse shower with water and dry shower with a clean towel.

3.)    Mix 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water in a spray bottle. Sprinkle your favorite abrasive (baking soda, Bon Ami) on your discolored areas. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Respray and you will notice a paste forming. Use this paste to scrub the grout clean with a brush. As with the other recipes, rinse shower with water and dry with a clean towel.

Another option to cleaning bathrooms is by cleaning with steam. Steam mops and accessories are becoming more popular as a natural bathroom cleaner. Water is heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; hot enough to kill germs and bacteria. Not only will your surfaces be cleaner, they will be disinfected and sanitized, too! This method is perfect for bathrooms, changing areas, fitness equipment, daycares, kitchens, and more.

To learn more about steam vapor cleaning, call us at 803-366-1766 to schedule a free estimate in your home or office.

Check out these before and after shower pictures. We used our steam vapor cleaner to get this shower looking good as new!

shower before and after peter

 

 

 

We can use the steam vapor cleaner on linoleum floors, too. Check it out!

Linoleum before and after

 

 

 

 

Look at this fridge! There is nothing we can’t clean! Not only is it clean, but it is also sanitized and disinfected!

fridge before and after

 

Call Kristin for your free estimate at 803-366-1766 or email us your questions at Kristin@miracleanonline.com . Don’t forget to like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

12 uses for hydrogen peroxide around your home

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Hydrogen peroxide is a wonderful ingredient for cleaning because it is naturally antibacterial. It is non-toxic to people, plants, household animals and the Earth. Basically, hydrogen peroxide is water with an extra oxygen molecule. It is inexpensive to buy and simplifies the number of different cleaning products you need to keep handy.

Remember, hydrogen peroxide is a natural alternative to bleach.

 

When mixing your own cleaning products, make sure you store any peroxide mixtures in a dark bottle. The light will breakdown the molecules, causing the peroxide to be ineffective.

 

Here are some great cleaning tips to use hydrogen peroxide as a natural cleaner in your home:

 

1.)                When washing a load of whites, add one cup hydrogen peroxide to brighten your threads.

2.)                Make a 50/50 solution using peroxide and water to use around your house. Spray it on countertops and cutting boards to disinfect. Use it as a bathroom cleaner to create a germ-free area. Hydrogen peroxide can also eliminate that “boy” smell from bathrooms.

3.)                Add ½ cup hydrogen peroxide to a sink full of water and use to wash fruit and veggies.

4.)                Got a sickling in your home? Use peroxide to wipe light switches, door handles, toys, or any other surface they may touch.

5.)                Soak your toothbrushes in a cup of peroxide to give them a good cleaning.

6.)                Add an ounce of peroxide to one cup water and spray house plants daily to help prevent fungus growth.

7.)                Gargle and rinse with peroxide as a mouthwash for brighter teeth and a breath freshener.

8.)                Use it to scrub stained grout in the bathroom.

9.)                Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater to stains. For example, it can be used to remove blood stains from clothes.

10.)            Combine half cup of peroxide with one gallon of hot water and start mopping. Because it is so mild, it is safe for any floor type and there is no need to rinse. Great for brightening dingy floors.

11.)            Use hydrogen peroxide to clean your mirrors for a streak-free shine, every time.

12.)            Try soaking dentures in a 50/50 peroxide and water solution. I’m not there yet, but reports say it is better than using those tablets, and cheaper!

 

 

Most stores sell the 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide. Some health food stores and pharmacies sell a higher percentage, usually 35%. Keep in mind that this is an alternative for bleach, so the higher the concentrate, the more likely it will stain your fabrics. Be careful!

 

Did I forget something? Let me know at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

 

Easy tips to help you in the garden

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Last week, we discussed the chemistry of vinegar. We discussed how it can be used as a cleaning product because it naturally deodorizes, disinfects and cuts grease. Click here to check it out!

 

Vinegar is such a versatile ingredient. Not only can it be used in food and cleaning recipes, it can also be used around your garden. Since the weather is getting warmer, try using these vinegar tips outside.

 

1.)    Remove berry stains from your hands by washing your hands with 1 cup vinegar.

  • Berry stains are organic. Organic stains, like blood and food, respond better to natural, acidic products like vinegar and lemon juice. It’s all about the chemical reaction between a base and an acid.

2.)    Keep rabbits from eating your plants. Put cotton balls soaked in white distilled vinegar in a 35mm film container. Poke a hole in the top and place in the garden.
*  Rabbits also dislike pepper, garlic, chili powder and mint. You could also plant some flowers and herbs that are natural deterrents like foxgloves, digitalis, aconitum, catnip plants, or lavender.

3.)    Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
*Rust forms when moisture on metal begins to oxidize. Even a small amount of moisture, such as sweat, can cause rust to form. Over time, rust will eat away at the metal deteriorating it beyond repair. Vinegar is naturally acidic and will dissolve the rust from the metal without harsh chemicals.

4.)    Clean a hummingbird feeder/bird bath with white distilled vinegar—soap or detergent can leave behind harmful residue.

  • Hummingbirds will starve themselves before eating spoiled food, so be sure to clean your feeders often. At least once a month, clean the feeder thoroughly with ¼ cup of vinegar to one gallon water. Soak for one hour, then clean with a bottle brush.

5.)    Make your own mosquito and moth repellant by combining 2 cups vinegar and 1 cup molasses in a tin can and hang from a tree branch or place on a picnic table.

  • Mosquitoes are a food source for bats, frogs, and birds; but they are also pests when you are trying to enjoy the outdoors. If you’ve got clogged gutters, uncovered rain barrels, bird baths, etc., you’ve got a nesting ground for these blood-suckers. But there is a solution! Mosquitoes hate strong smells like lemon, vinegar, lavender, citronella or geranium. That’s why the recipe mentioned above works so well. Another way to naturally keep mosquitoes at bay is to plant marigolds, basil, tansy and rosemary in your garden. The herbs and flowers give off a smell that helps ward off bugs without using insecticides.

6.)    Avoid skin problems after working in the garden by rinsing your hands with 1 cup vinegar.

* Harsh lotions can strip away your skin’s natural acidity. Vinegar can help restore the natural acidity, which can clear up skin problems like dryness, itching, flaking and acne. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic and antifungal, so it helps reduce and destroy harmful irritants and germs.

 

There you have it. A few ideas about how vinegar can help you outside. If you haven’t checked out our cleaning recipes posted last week, click here. Vinegar is such an amazing, versatile ingredient. Thank goodness they sell it cheap and by the gallon!

 

Do you have vinegar tips? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

 

 

 

 

 

Vinegar. Yes, it works! But WHY does it work?

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One main ingredient when making your own natural cleaners is distilled white vinegar. Vinegar is a deodorizer, disinfectant and cuts grease, but how and why does it work?

 

Vinegar is a mix of acetic acid and water. The pH of acetic acid is what makes vinegar an excellent cleaner. Think back to high school science class. The acid in vinegar crosses the cell membrane of bacteria and triggers a release of proteins, which causes the cell to die.

 

Basically, acetic acid is what gives vinegar its “power”. Acetic acid is measured in grains. For example, 10-grain vinegar means the vinegar is made up of 1% acetic acid and 99% water. The most common vinegar solution is 50-grain, which is 5% acetic acid and 95% water. Heinz has recently introduced a 6% acetic acid vinegar. They are calling it the “cleaning vinegar” and it is supposed to boost the strength of vinegar by 20% and still maintain a fast dry time with no smell.

 

Enough of the science.

 

Vinegar is able to clean and disinfect bacteria such as salmonella and E. Coli, but it takes a few seconds. Be sure that when you are cleaning with vinegar, you spray and let the vinegar sit on the surface for 30-45 seconds before wiping clean.

 

Here are some quick and easy recipes you can start using around your house today!

 

1.)    To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

2.)    To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

3.)    Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the machine and running it through a whole cycle. Run monthly.

4.)    Remove odors from a lunch box by placing inside a slice of bread that has been soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave overnight.

5.)    Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.

6.)    Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. It will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

7.)    To remove paint splatters from windows apply full-strength white distilled vinegar with a clean paintbrush.

8.)    Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

9.)    Get cleaner and brighter laundry! Add about 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

10.)                        Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

 

Do you use vinegar around the house? What are some of your secret recipes? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

 

 

 

 

My dryer is a sock thief!

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My dryer loves to eat socks.

I don’t know why. Maybe they taste good; but it seems like every time I wash a load of laundry I lose a sock.

What do you do with your misfit socks? I keep mine with my cleaning products and use them as dusting cloths around the house. They work pretty well, actually.

Last week, I used a few to clean mini-blinds and they were perfect for the job. (Thank you for the idea, Pinterest!) I thought that with spring in the air and thoughts of cleaning in the back of your minds, I would share my secret to clean blinds.

I’m sure if you are an avid reader of my blog, you’ve heard me mention my “everything” cleaner. I’m not lying. I really do use this stuff for everything!

My “everything” cleaner is fruit peels fermented in vinegar for two weeks. I know it sounds gross, but it is super easy to do and works on everything! (Place fruit peels in a mason jar. Fill the jar with vinegar. Tighten the lid and let it sit for two weeks.  Pour one cup of the solution in a spray bottle and fill the spray bottle with water.)

Back to my blind cleaning extravaganza.

I took an old sock and put it on my hand like I would a sock puppet.  Then, I sprayed the “everything” cleaner on what would be the sock puppets mouth. Take the sock puppets mouth and clean one blind at a time using the sock to clean both front and back of the blind. Start at the top and work your way down for beautiful shiny blinds. Check it out!

Photo: Does your dryer have a habit of eating socks? I know mine does! Next time you lose a pair of socks, don't throw the misfit away. Save it to use as a duster around your house. I used them to clean the top and bottom of the blinds, like this.

 

Is your kid the smelly kid in class?

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Do you smell?

 

I mean, do your clothes smell?

 

You may not notice, but washing machines have a tendency to smell bad due to their design. Water sits in certain components, which then become a breeding ground for mold and mildew causing unpleasant odors.

 

If you live in a humid climate, constant moisture in the air prevents the water from completely evaporating.

 

So, how do you fix it?

 

By cleaning your washing machine.

 

It makes sense. You use your washing machine to get your dirty clothes clean, so let’s talk about ways to make your washer more efficient.

 

TOP LOADING:

 

1.)                Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 4 cups of vinegar to the water and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.)                Add ½ cup baking soda and agitate washer for one minute.

3.)                Stop washer and allow it to sit for 30 minutes to one hour. Take this time to wipe the top of the washer, the knobs, and any dispensers.

4.)                Allow washing cycle to resume until the water begins draining.

5.)                Use a clean cloth to wipe the inside of the wash bin, the lid, and any other parts you did not get during the initial clean.

Remember to leave the lid open after each load, so the washing machine can dry completely.

 

FRONT LOADING:

 

1.)                Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 1 cup white vinegar to the water (via the dispenser) and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.)                Wipe down door gaskets, seals and door interior with a soft cloth soaked in a separate 50/50 vinegar and water solution after the wash cycle finishes.

3.)                Rinse the door gaskets and seals after cleaning them with the vinegar solution to prevent deterioration and damage of the seal.

4.)                Make sure doors, gaskets and seals are completely dry. Leave the door slightly open to allow the wash bin to air out.

 

There you have it. A safe way to clean the appliances that keep you clean.

 

Maybe you’re wondering… “I’ve never washed my washing machine and I’m fine.”

 

Maybe.

 

But as put by University of Arizona microbiology professor Charles Gerba, “There is about a tenth of a gram of poop in the average pair of underwear.”

 

Fecal matter can carry different germs like E. Coli and salmonella. Underwear and towels are the worst culprits.

 

The acidity of the vinegar helps dissolve soap residue in the wash bin and is helpful in dissolving lime deposits in pipes. Baking soda cleans soap scum and deodorizes.

 

Want to see before and after pics of my washing machine? Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

 

Don’t forget to ‘like’ our page while your there!

Behind the Scenes: The True Story of Miraclean

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Miraclean new logo

If you haven’t noticed through my Facebook, LinkedIn, and blog posts, I love helping people. I love being able to share little cleaning tid-bits with you all and hearing your feedback.

 

That’s how Miraclean got started.

 

I needed a job that was flexible with my schedule while I attended college. My mom had cleaned offices when I was a kid to get some extra cash, so my dad suggested I do the same. I could make my own schedule, pick my own clients, and make some money.

 

“Sure, why not?” I thought.

 

So I got few office jobs and went to work. I must have been doing something right because my office managers loved me! They wanted me to clean their house. At the time, I turned down the work because I thought homes were too much of a liability. It was too much to worry about breaking something.

 

One particular office manager wore me down, so I decided to only clean her house. Honestly, I told her I would dust her house like I dusted the office. Same thing, right? I didn’t even clean her master shower because there is no master shower in the office.

 

I had NO idea what I was doing. Needless to say she kept me (and I started cleaning the master shower…duh, Kristin.) She started to tell her neighbors and the word spread around town.

 

Once I took the leap and started cleaning houses, my business took off. I started researching different products, learning the industry, ‘experimenting’ methods, and seeing what worked best.

 

But, all my office work wasn’t a waste because little did I know, I had built a relationship with the office managers. When they found out I also cleaned houses, they wanted aboard. It’s amazing how fast word spread.

 

By this time, I was getting ready to graduate from Winthrop University.

 

Due to a conflict in my scheduling, I had to take 25 credit hours in one semester to graduate on time. Most seniors take as few hours as possible and their first class was NOT at 8 a.m. Monday thru Thursday.

 

Not this senior.

 

Oh, and did I mention I was also planning my wedding? Yep. So, everything was happening at once. (Side note: I learned that if I could survive this semester, I could do anything!)

 

Miraclean was growing and my life was headed in one million different directions. I had to turn down a lot of people and I hated it. I thought Miraclean was too small to have employees. I was also worried about the liability, pay, tax deductions, and could I really afford to make that step?

 

Instead of worrying, I had to ignore it. I had bought a house the prior year and the mortgage wasn’t going to pay itself. I decided to keep the customers I could fit into my schedule because they paid my bills and focus on graduating.

 

I survived! And graduated on time. I majored in mass communication with a concentration in journalism. I minored in business.

 

I dabbled in newspapers, working as a freelance reporter, but Miraclean always won. As we grew, I knew I needed help!

 

My dad joined part-time and helped expand Miraclean. Thanks to his work, we also offer carpet, upholstery, tile and grout and pressure washing services, using all-natural products.  We’ve become a one-stop cleaning shop.

 

I’ve hired a few amazing folks and we’ve got plenty of teams to help you clean, deodorize, sanitize and disinfect your ENTIRE home, top to bottom!

 

This is the true story of how Miraclean came to be what it is today. We use all-natural products that are safe to use around children and pets. We have the fastest dry-time method around! Your carpets will be 100% dry in less than one hour.

 

Don’t take my word on it. Check out our website for before and after pictures, referrals, and more information about us. If you would like tips on how to clean your home naturally, friend us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

before and after amy

 

If you are a customer, please know that we appreciate your business so much. If you have yet to work with us, please know that we will do everything we can to help give you peace of mind.  🙂