Author Archives: startm

1. Laundry tips

   September 21, 2016 4:56 pm Leave a Comment

   Here are a few of our favorite tips to make laundry day a breeze.
   

   These tips are pretty basic, but sometimes when you have had a long day, it’s pretty easy to make  a few mistakes in the laundry room. At Just Blue we are all about making things easy, but right. So our first tip would be to make yourself a washing sheet. Print it out and put it in a frame on the laundry wall or simply blu tac it inside of a cupboard, and refer to it when in doubt!

   

   Hot tips….

   • Attend to stains ASAP so you have more of a chance of the stain being removed
   • Have baskets to separate colours / dry cleaning and ironing to make the job easier
   • Always separate your loads of washing, I know sometimes we forget but treating your clothes well means they will last longer. Turn your pants inside out and button them up, it keeps them in their original shape for longer
   • Adding a tablespoon of salt to your washing will keep your colours brighter for longer
   • Always check your labels.
   • Throw a dry towel in your dryer. It will absorb the water from your drying clothes making them dry faster!
   • Clean out the lint constantly and wash out the container in warm soapy water
   • Clean out the detergent container so there is no build up of washing powder
   • I always like to put my powder in a container so you always know how much you have left, and it looks nicer!
   • Don’t forget to maintain your dryer and washer for longevity. Get it checked every few years, if you hear an odd noise; investigate!
   • Ironing with a sheet of aluminium foil under your ironing board cover will cut the ironing time in half.
   • Try and keep on top of the washing ironing so that it doesn’t mount up. But of course, it does! Need to get out a few wrinkles? Use your hairdryer to steam them out
   • Keep your iron clean as to not transfer nasty stains on to your clothes
   • Make sure you have a clean ironing board cover and enough padding to make ironing easier
   • Ironing damp clothes will save on drying time and give you a crisper finish

   DIY Linen Spray

   What you’ll need…

   • 30 drops of essential oil
   • 1.5 cups distilled water
   • 3 oz. vodka
   • spray bottle
   • funnel

   Directions:

   1. Mix 30 drops of essential oils and vodka in a glass, 15 drops each.
   2. Add 1.5 cups of distilled water to the mixture
   3. Pour in spray bottle
   4. Shake bottle before each use.

2. Homemade dish washing tablets

   September 19, 2016 3:20 pm Leave a Comment

   Homemade dish washer tablets

   

   What you will need to make Homemade Dish Tablets:

   1 Cup Baking Soda

   1/4 Cup Citric Acid

   1 Tablespoon Dish Liquid (any brand will do)

   Silicone Ice Cube Tray

   Airtight Jar or Container

   Method

   Start by adding one cup of baking soda to a large bowl.

   Add 1/4 cup of citric acid.

   Add 1 tablespoon of dish washing liquid.

   Mix well using a spoon or you can use your hands.

   Push the mixture into silicone ice cube molds. You will probably need to trays.

   Wait about 10 minutes and level them off with your hand. They expand just a little bit, Once you level them off, they shouldn’t expand much more.

   Let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. They will harden like store bought dish tablets. Now just flip your molds over and push the tabs out.

   They are ready to use! Use one tablet per load of dishes. Just place directly in your dishwasher and run a normal washing cycle.

   Easy as, and will save heaps of money!!

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions.

3. Golden rules of organising

   September 7, 2016 3:44 pm Leave a Comment

   Have you been scrolling through Pinterest when a perfectly organised linen closet, practically jumps out of the screen and makes you feel like your living in an episode of Hoarders! Well, you are not alone, the Just Blue team have come up with some great tips that will make you so organised that even Martha Stewart would be jealous!

   1-Keep on top of things

   If you do at least one house hold job per day you will be sure to stay on top of things, in commercial breaks, do the dishes, vacuum, put papers away.

   Have your kids do a quick 10 minute clean up of their rooms before they go to sleep. A little bit each day will help keep you organised.

   2-Let go

   Don’t be afraid to throw things out! Try not to become to emotionally attached to things, the less things you have the less time you will spend organising and cleaning it.

   3-Spend your time wisely

   If you see something that needs to be cleaned, do it straight away.

   Don’t over book your self! Try not to volunteer for every school function and extra curricular activity. You don’t have to say no to everything, just control how much you do so that it doesn’t take over your life.

   Try to limit your time on the computer and T.V.

   4-Use rooms correctly

   Eat in your dining room or at the kitchen bench, not in bed or at the computer, Don’t let your dishes pile up somewhere.

   Fold your laundry straight after you take it out of the dryer in the laundry room.

   Make sure your kids get changed in their bedrooms not in the family room or where ever they want!

   5-Attitude

   Stop dreading getting organised! Just do it! Think of how good it feels when you are done.

   6-Don’t give up

   Don’t give up on your kids and husband if they aren’t very good at putting dishes in the dish washer or putting things away. It may take a while for these things to become habits but it will be sure to help if everyone does their little bit.

   The same goes for you, if being organised doesn’t come easily to you, keep at it and eventually you will create a new productive habit!

   7-Never procrastinate

   If you see things that need to be done, just do it straight away, if you notice soup tins knocked over when putting the grocery’s away just re stack them! It takes about 2 seconds.

   8-Think ahead

   plan your meals, sign any papers that need to be signed, prepare your clothes for the next day.

   9- Stop making messes 

   When you are cooking wash the spoon straight away don’t just rest it on the bench. Put rubbish bins in each room. Put dirty clothes straight in the dirty clothes bin or hang them up if they are clean.

   And the most important…

   10- NEVER stop picking up

   Every room you walk into, pick up shoes and put them where they belong, pick up toys and clothes. Doing this is a great help in order to help keep your house clean.

   Good luck in organising your life, staying organised is a great way to relieve stress.

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions.

    

4. How to keep your pantry organised.

   August 31, 2016 4:13 pm Leave a Comment

   There’s one area where almost everyone has the same products and the same storage problems – the kitchen pantry.

   It’s pretty safe to assume that most people have the usual things in their kitchen cupboards; cans, bottles, boxes and packets.Considering this list is rather short and very standard, it’s amazing how quickly a clean pantry can slide into chaos if left unattended.

   Here a few ways you can keep your pantry organised.

   Start by removing everything from your pantry and throw away anything that is expired or inedible. Place the remaining items on your kitchen bench or table. Give your shelves a good dust and wipe them down with a damp cloth. Then divide your pantry items into the following categories.

   • Cans
   • Cereals
   • Baking goods
   • Snacks
   • Spreads
   • Sauces and oils
   • hardly used items
   • Frequently used items

   Similar items should be stored together for convenience.

   Invest in storage drawers

   Buy clear plastic drawers so you can see what’s stored inside and use them for organising snacks, baked goods and even bottles and cans.

   Boxes can become  a dumping ground for items that don’t have a place of their own and are easy to over fill, which defeats the purpose of them in the first place.

   Kmart, Big W, and Howards storage world all sell clear plastic storage containers.

   Consider a Lazy Susan

   One reason why kitchen cupboards can become messy is because it’s often difficult to find items you’re looking for. We also tend to forget what’s in our kitchen cupboard and we can create a lot of chaos looking for items that aren’t there.

   You simply spin the Lazy Susan to get a full view of whatever you have in your cupboard rather than constantly scrambling around to find what you’re looking for.

   ‘Stack’ your pantry items

   If a Lazy Susan isn’t your style you could try creating fake shelves inside your pantry. If you place a large rectangular plastic container upside down on your cupboard shelf, you can stack cans in front of it and on top of it to create ‘stacks’ where you can see everything at a glance. This minimizes the need to create chaos in your pantry every time you need to look for something.

   Store dry goods in labelled jars

   This system can take a little while to set up but once you have it will revolutionise your pantry organisation. For example if you frequently use desiccated coconut and you store your coconut in a labelled jar, it’s very easy to see when you run out of this product and when you need to buy more.

   Good luck! We hope you find out organising tips helpful!

   Here are a few of our favorite pantry’s.

    

   

   

   

   

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions.

    

5. Cleaning mistakes you might be making

   August 25, 2016 7:20 pm Leave a Comment

   1.  Stacking Utensils in the Dish Washer Incorrectly

   When loading the dish washer, place all your cutlery the right way up but facing different ways. If you put them all the same way they will end up sticking together and you will have to rewash them. Always make sure you put your forks up the right way so the prongs don’t bend.

   2.  Spraying Solution Directly On A Surface

   A lot of people spray the cleaning product directly onto a surface and you end up using a lot more product than necessary. Instead, spray the product on a microfiber cloth and then wipe the surface that needs attention.  Only spray directly on surfaces for big clean up jobs requiring more cleaning solution.

   3.  Washing Windows On A Sunny Day

   It’s almost impossible to wash windows effectively when the sun is beating on the glass.  Cleaning in direct sunlight results in alot streaking.  The best time of day to wash your windows is in the late afternoon or early evening, or when the skies are overcast.

   4.  Considering A Rinsed Sponge A Clean Sponge

   Sponges may look clean, but they can hold a lot of tiny bacteria.  The best way to prevent cross contamination is to regularly clean your sponge.  Use one of two methods:  place in the upper rack of your dishwasher once a week or microwave on high for two minutes.

   5.  Treating Liquid Stains Improperly

   Scrubbing stains like pet urine, red wine, and coffee aren’t that effective in the long-term. Unless you remove fresh carpet spills at the deepest level, they may resurface. Use a deep cleaning carpet method like using Soda water to soak out the stain.

   6.  Not Using Your Vacuum Attachments

   Vacuum attachments are there for a reason.  Using your wand will help to collect fur and other things that might otherwise be missed.  Using the proper attachment for furniture ensures you get all fur off the furniture instead of allowing it to remain stuck.

   7.  Putting a Toilet Brush Right Back Into the Holder

   Cleaning the toilet with a toilet brush and putting directly back into the holder is just gross.  Even if you do take the time to rinse the brush and sanitize it, the moisture left on the brush will just grow bacteria as it’s left in the holder.

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions

6. Make your home smell like magic

   August 24, 2016 3:40 pm Leave a Comment

   Who doesn’t love when their house smells amazing? I know I do, but I don’t always love scented candles. They run out quickly and can cost a fortune! So we have come up with some easy ways to make your home smell beautiful using everyday items you most likely have at home!

   1-  Sea salt and citrus

   Scoop out the insides of lemons and limes with a knife or spoon, and fill halves with sea salt. For extra smell-good fragrance power, add cloves or fresh herbs like basil and mint and place in an area where it can soak up bad odors.

   

   2- Apple cinnamon and citrus

   Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add Cinnamon sticks Apple peels Orange rinds
   Whole cloves, continue to boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Add water as needed, usually every 30 minutes or so.

   

   3- Coffee and Vanilla candles

   Place a vanilla scented candle in a candle holder or vase, poor coffee beans around. The warmth of the candle will heat up the coffee, and make your house smell like French vanilla coffee.

   

   4- Make your house smell like Christmas

   Combine all the ingredients 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, 3 tangerines, halved, 3 whole cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise (optional) gives a strong black licorice smell. 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1 inch piece fresh ginger, 1 vanilla bean + 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 small branch fresh pine, 1 cup apple cider, pomegranate or cranberry juice and water in a medium size sauce pot. Fill the pot with water until it reaches 3/4 the way full. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer

   

   5- Spring scents for your home

   You need a small pot filled about 2/3 full with water. 1 lemon, sliced, and a few sprigs of rosemary  then add 1-2 tsp of vanilla. Top up water as needed. A beautiful scent to fill your home for 1 – 2 days.

   

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions

7. Cleaning up after your pets

   August 18, 2016 3:36 pm Leave a Comment

   While having pets can be the best thing in the world and we absolutely love them,  it can be a nightmare to clean up after them if you don’t know all the tips and tricks. So we have compiled a few tips to make cleaning a breeze.

   Cleaning up Pet Hair

   If you own a cat or dog, shedding hair is an inevitable reality. This problem can be twice as bad if your pet has a long coat. Brushing your animal regularly will cut down on shedding, and will protect your cat from hairballs. But even with the most rigorous grooming routine, your home is still likely to have hair scattered around it from time to time.

    

   Hair on Furniture

   Animal hair sticks to absolutely everything, while a little dog hair never hurt anybody, its not the greatest look to have your lounge covered in dog hair. One of the best solutions to this problem is a portable vacuum cleaner. this means you can clean up hair quickly without having to drag a huge vacuum around.

   If you want to remove pet hair from wooden furniture, using a soft cotton cloth with some furniture polish will remove the static so that the hair won’t re-stick, making it a breeze to clean away.

    

   Hair on Carpets and Floors

   Pet hair can become a nightmare when it starts building up on your carpets and floors. It’s not only ugly, but can also hold allergens and dust that can be harmful to your family. When vacuuming up after your pet, you’ll find that often normal vacuums are not that effective because they don’t have enough lift. Try to find a vacuum that is specially designed to pick up hair either through a brush roll or beater brush.

   Hair on Clothes

   Anyone who owns a dog or cat knows the struggle of constantly being covered in hair! You wash them and its still there! The hair can actually get embedded into the clothing fibre, which is why normal lint brushes aren’t very good at removing it. Sticky lint rollers are usually your best bet when tackling hair and they’re usually available in most leading supermarkets.

   But, if you’re looking to save some money or don’t have time to go out and buy one, you can wrap masking tape or transparent adhesive tape to your palm and dab it on your clothing. Be careful not to use duct tape though as it will leave a sticky residue.

    

   Urine and Feces

   The most important thing to remember when cleaning up urine is to do it as quickly as possible when it’s still damp. While leaving the mess for another time may be tempting, this will give the stain and odour time to be absorbed, which you really don’t want. The first thing you need to do is dab the area with a paper towel to absorb as much of the urine as possible. Do not rub the carpet.

   It’s also important to use a cleaning product that is formulated for removing ammonia. The ammonia in urine is what causes animals to keep going back to the same place. This is because they are effectively ‘marking their territory’. By using a product that gets rid of this smell while at the same time deodorizing makes it difficult for them to track the scent. Once your carpet is dry, you can vacuum the area to restore the texture of the carpet. 

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions.

8. How often should you clean items around your home

   August 14, 2016 4:31 pm Leave a Comment

   How often should you clean these household items that get used on an every day basis. Many of us will forget or just think the job is to big to tackle. But if you stay on top of these jobs it is never a big task.

   Bed Sheets-

   Your sheets need to be washed a lot more than most of us do, with some of us stripping the sheets every 10 – 14 days and the rest of us only washing the bed linen once every 3 – 4 weeks. Do  your selves a huge favour and start washing them once a week on a hot cycle and this will help remove any dust, germs, debris and sweat. This will help with any allergies you may have and leave you refreshed when you wake up.

   Cars-

   washing your car every 1 to 3 weeks is a good idea. If you live near the ocean, a place with extreme weather conditions or even just parking your car outside every day and night, washing more regularly will help protect the finish.

   Jeans-

   Washing your jeans every 4- 5 wears is plenty as long as they aren’t stained or smelly. Washing jeans to often can cause them to wear out prematurely.

   Window screens-

   Once a year, when summer starts its time to tackle the window screens and let the fresh air in. This can be a big job so considering a professional might make the task seem a little less daunting.

   Mattress-

   Cleaning you mattress may seem like an impossible, but in fact its probably one of the easiest things to clean. You will need to do this every 6 months to keep your mattress fresh and dust mite free.

   -Vacuum the top of the mattress with an upholstery attachment.

   -wipe away any stains with a damp cloth, using cold water and upholstery shampoo. Be careful not to completely soak the mattress as to much water can cause mold and damage.

    

   Windows-

   Washing your windows is a must in order for your home to look squeaky clean! If you wash them inside and out twice a year using a squeegee you will get the best results.

   Oven-

   Not all ovens are self cleaning so if your isn’t, giving it a clean every 6 months is a great way to extend the life of your oven and will help stop your house from getting smoky when cooking.

   Pots and pans-

   Pots and pans get a lot of use but not enough attention in the cleaning department. Spills and food get cooked onto the pan are almost impossible to get off when doing the washing up. Spraying them with oven cleaner and leaving them for a few hours will work off the food build up.

   carpets-

   We have all experienced the horror of rearranging the furniture only to find a pristine piece of carpet that sticks out like a sore thumb. At this stage it is probably time to deep clean the carpets. To help avoid a patchy carpet!

   wood-

   Polishing any wooden furniture you have once a year will keep it looking like new and will extend the life of your furniture.

   Dishwasher-

   I know it kind of sounds silly cleaning the thing that is supposed to keep your dishes, but they can grow fungi and yeast. So give your dishwasher a clean by pouring vinegar into a cup and placing it upright into the dishwasher and run a full cycle.

   Bed pillows-

   Pillows harbour a lot of fungi and dust mites that can cause allergy’s so to ensure you are sleeping on a clean pillow give them a wash every 3 – 6 months.

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions.

9. How to do your own Bond cleaning

   August 3, 2016 7:19 pm Leave a Comment

   If you are a renter and are about to face the impossible task of completing a bond clean, then continue reading! We know that real estate agents hold an incredibly high standard that are almost impossible to reach, but with the help of the Tailored Cleaning Solutions team, bond cleans are about to get a little bit easier.

   Usually you will be advised to have your property cleaned to “professional standards” which will mean, steamed carpets, perfectly scrubbed toilets, mold free showers, spotless draws and sparkling appliances, depending on the size of your home it may be easier to hire a professional bond cleaner. If you think you can handle it alone prepare to use a little elbow grease.

   Areas to focus on

   Carpets-

   Carpets are a sure way to show wear and tear on the home, it is best to invest a little money and have your carpets professionally cleaned, vacuuming just won cut it.

   Walls and Doors-

   You will be expected to have perfectly clean walls and the best way to do this is with sugar soap and a sponge. Also make sure to cover any nicks and dents.

   Windows-

   Make sure to clean windows both inside and out, be sure not to forget the tracks as this always has a lot of dust build up.

   Skirting boards-

   These wont take too long but will definitely be noticed if you forget.

   Cupboards and sinks-

   A great way to make cleaning cupboards easier when moving out is to put shelf protectors in when you first move in, you could use anything for this but my favourite way is to use beautiful wrapping paper.

   Bathroom and Laundry-

   Cleaning any bathroom can take a lot of work, so use a good disinfectant and bleach to make sure you remove and mold and soap scum, to leave it sparkling clean.

   BOND CLEANING COMMANDMENTS

   -Refer to the condition report that you received when you moved in, this will help establish what damage you have made and what you will need to have fixed.

   -Remove anything hanging on the wall to find out if any damage has been made.

   -Start checking for damage a few weeks before handing the keys back so you will have plenty of time to have things fixed.

   -Hire a skip bin or make a few trips to the dump to make sure no rubbish is left on the premises, any rubbish left will be an instant fee.

   -Look up- make sure you check for cobwebs and clean out any light fixtures.

   -Clean your oven! Most renters forget about this, but this can be an automatic deduction from your bond.

   -If you are running out of time don’t stress as a Professional bond cleaner is only a phone call away.

   Tailored Cleaning Solutions 

   Our professionally trained cleaners are equipped with all the tools and equipment to deliver a high quality clean that is needed to meet real estate agents standards.

   If you are feeling overwhelmed by cleaning, give the Tailored Cleaning Solutions team a call today.

    

10. Making cleaning easy

    August 2, 2016 11:19 am Leave a Comment

    If cleaning is not your thing don’t worry, you are definitely not the only one! Some people are just naturally messy and some people are naturally super clean. If  you fall into the first category, your home can still be as clean as those who are super clean. It all comes down to being prepared and organised.

    As your family grows or your, house gets larger, or you have kids toys everywhere, one thing is clear: successfully keeping your home clean and tidy, all comes down to how organised you are. We have come up with a few tips to help you along the way.

    Define your goals

    Clearly defining what your goals are in your house will allow you to create a priorities list for what the most important things are each day. Once you have these goals and priorities written down it’s so much easier to move throughout your day knowing when it’s time to clean and when it’s time to hang out with your family.

    Get rid of clutter 

    If you have moved recently, you will know how great it is to pack up all of your things and throw out all the things you don’t use any more. Or you have boxes that you haven’t unpacked in months and don’t miss anything in them.  So, everyone it’s time to throw out anything you haven’t touched with in the last 6 – 12 months. Having less stuff around the home will definitely help your house stay tidier.

    Daily habits 

    This can be an important part of keeping your house organised : knowing what tasks need to be done each day. From making breakfast to loading the dishwasher to staying on top of the laundry pile, there are things that we need to keep on top of or our house will be drowning in mess.

    Be flexible

    Some days you will need to change your cleaning schedule to go with what’s happening in your every day life. So if your dog gets muddy then runs through the house, it’s easy to clean it up straight away. It will take 5 minutes and your house will stay clean, rather than leaving it until your Sunday cleaning when its only Monday. Or if your kids just want you to hang out with you, its important to spend time with your family and not be too crazy about the housework!

    Tailored Cleaning Solutions.