Top Tips for the New Year
The holiday season is over and a new decade has arrived, and with it a wave of New Year resolutions. The new year is also a great time to focus on organization and cleaning, a proverbial "out with the old, in with the new." Here are a few tips from Agent Clean for making the most out of your New Year resolutions.
Cleaning Tips for 2022
Clean the Closets. Throughout the year, closets are common places for clutter and untouched dirt. A great starting point for your 2022 cleaning and organizing is your closets. Cleaning up and clearing space in your closets also provides potential storage for when you organize other areas of your home.
Pro tip: collect your cleaning supplies such as dusters, disinfectant, dust pan and hand broom in a bucket. Then when you clean the closets, you have all of your supplies at hand and a bucket for dirt or trash.
Dust the Drawers. Another culprit for collecting clutter are cabinets and drawers. They're easy to toss knick knacks into, and over time can fill up with junk or misplaced belongings. Dust also tend to accumulate. Empty the drawers and use a basic cleaner or vacuum to remove dirt and grime. With the drawers empty you can organize items into proper places, as well as dispose of any trash or junk.
Finish the Floors. Vacuuming and carpet cleaning is best done after you've finished cleaning your closets, cabinets, and drawers, as dust tends to become airborne as you clean out other spaces. Vacuum your floors, and clean the edges. You may opt to mop hard floors to remove dirt or grime that has stuck on, as well as disinfect.
Pro tip: Do one more once over with a duster after you vacuum, as dust tends to settle on furniture afterwards.
Schedule Spring Cleaning. The New Year is also a great time to schedule yearly spring cleaning for the exterior of your home. Gutters, concrete, and windows are common areas on the exterior of your home that tend to need a yearly or bi-yearly cleaning. Agent Clean offers custom cleaning service packages with "while we're there" pricing. Find a location near you and call for a free estimate.
Are your Windows Ready for Fall?
With summer winding down and fall and winter just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about getting your home ready for cooler temperatures. While heat loss can occur from bad insulation, through an attic or roof, and other areas, windows are a leading source of heat loss in the winter. It’s a good idea to have them checked out and maintained before going into the cold seasons. Here are a few tips for getting your windows ready for fall.
1) Checking the Window Seals
One of the first steps to ensuring your windows are ready for cooler temps is to check for drafts and air leaks around your windows. Silicon seals can break down over time, so if you feel a draft near a window it may be time to have them sealed and caulked. You can DIY or higher a company to do it for you.
2) Window Cleaning Service
When you’re checking all of your windows anyway, it’s a great time to clean them up before fall. You may not have time or proper weather to do it later, so grab a roll of paper towels or micro fiber rag and some window solution and clean them up. If you don’t have time or have some hard to reach windows, consider hiring a company like Agent Clean to do a window cleaning service on your home or business.
3) Insulating Windows
One of the best ways to reduce heat escaping from windows is to insulate them. Installing multi-pane windows with insulation is the best, but if you do not have high efficiency windows you can follow a few steps to insulate your old windows.
One common method is to use a plastic film insulation. This insulation creates an air buffer between your interior and your window. Air actually makes a fantastic insulation buffer. These inexpensive window covers are easy to install and work very efficiently. Additionally, you can buy insulating blinds or curtains that provide a level of insulation by being heavy enough to prevent air escaping through the window.
4) Damaged Windows
During the course of insulating and cleaning your windows, you might discover some moderate to severe damage, either in the silicon lining, the window sill or frame, or the glass itself. If you do discover damaged windows, it might be a good idea to higher a company to replace the entire window and frame if necessary.
Drafty windows are a major culprit to energy efficiency in the winter. But a little elbow grease and some proper insulation will help you save energy and money over the fall and winter seasons.