Family and the Holidays

Getting the home ready for the holidays can be a trying task on your own. Sparkle can help clean carpets, dust, clean the kitchen/living room, etc. so that your family can focus on all the things that they're thankful for, and we can focus on what we can do for you! (215-757-4014)

Holiday Party Season

Is your friend having a party this holiday season? Are they super stressed out about it? Sparkle Professional Cleaning Corp. can help! We can be reached at 215-757-4014 for our professional butler service, where we'll assist in preparation, serve, and clean, so your friend can slow down, and breathe easy once again.

November is over already?

We can't believe that it's the end of November already! 

Pressed for time, and need that perfect gift? A gift certificate from Sparkle Professional Cleaning is just what you need! It's super thoughtful, and all you need to do is make a call. No mall crowds for you! (215-757-4014)

What do you have to be thankful for?

What do you have to be thankful for? A clean home? A clear mind? None of the above? 

No worries, Sparkle can help! Please call us at 215-757-4014, and we'll help bring peace to your home once again. We offer one time cleanings, weekly cleanings, and monthly cleanings. We'll arrange our schedule to fit you in, because we understand how hectic things can get, and nothing makes us feel better than making sure our customers are happy.

Achoo! What Your Floors Are Doing to Your Allergies

Ever heard the statement that people with asthma should remove their carpets to reduce allergens in their environment? Well, this may not necessarily be true. It would seem logical that carpets can trap and carry more dust, dander, pollen, mites, and other allergens than a hardwood floor. But a recent study suggests that homes with carpets and homes with other flooring are essentially equal in terms of allergen control.

In an article from the Housekeeping Channel, a study (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) on children and families with asthma and allergies is described. The study touched on factors such as flooring type, presence of pets, rats or mice, and if there were any smokers in the home. They targeted an intervention group for families who tested positive on an allergy skin test for three or more factors. These families were provided with HEPA-filter vacuums and educated on removing allergens from the home. After the intervention was complete, a evaluation study was done on these families.

“The study found that children in the intervention group missed fewer days of school, slept through the night more, and made fewer trips to the emergency room. Contrary to researchers' expectations, children with carpet in their bedrooms improved as much and did just as well as children who had hard surface floors.”

Contrary to what we may believe about carpets holding more allergens than other floor types, this study found “no difference in allergen reduction between homes with carpets and those without carpeting.”

There are a few things we can take from this study. Number one, don’t always believe hear-say about cleaning your home! Number two, using a quality vacuum and replacing the filter when necessary will aid in the reduction of allergens from your home. Hardwood floors need to be swept weekly and mopped at least once a month to prevent allergens securing themselves in between the panels. Using a crevasse cleaner on your vacuum will work best for cleaning edges and underneath cabinets. Finally, number three is to have your child or family member tested for their allergies! You will not know what you need to rid your house of if you do not know what is causing the asthma or sickening allergy.

If you suffer from asthma, definitely look into this study, which was published by the New England Journal of Medicine. You may be changing your mind about tossing those cozy carpets you have in your home!

Do you need help keeping up with monthly house cleaning? Give us a call! We are more than happy to take a tour of your home and give you a free estimate, with no obligation to hire us. We service Lower Bucks County and surrounding areas of PA and NJ. We hope to hear from you! 215.757.4014.

Have a safe and allergen-free June!  J

Source: Housekeeping Channel Online. The New England Journal of Medicine: No Difference in Allergen Levels in Carpeted vs. Uncarpeted Homes.

Local Food Drive to Benefit Penndel Food Pantry

ReACT: 10 Things Your Cleaning Lady Doesn’t Want You to Know (TLC)

When we see something that makes us stop and say, “Is that right?” I think that’s good enough cause to make it clear to the web readers of the world that you have a reaction worth noting. That’s the reasoning behind our ReACT blog entries, for your future reference. It will give us a chance to comment on the words being shared in our industry and take part in the controversy or argument. Today’s topic is less of an argument than it is just plain feedback from individuals who have used a cleaning service in the past. It’s good to hear the truth about your experiences with people who you hire, but in this case, the act of generalization is hindering the truth.

TLC online released a “10 Things…” last week which claimed to be a collection of things your cleaning lady (or service of any kind) doesn’t want you to know. Let’s review what this article had to say:

10. She Doesn't Know Much More about Cleaning Than You Do

Claim: Average cleaning professionals never receive formal training.

Reaction: This may be true, but usually if you go with a professional cleaning company they will claim out right that their staff has been trained on correct products to use and other cleaning techniques that have made the company successful for its lifespan. Also, in the original quote, you can state what products you want used in your home or office, so the technicians are directed to use exactly what you request and nothing else.

9. She Brought Other People's Dirt and Germs into Your House

Claim: Cleaning professionals go to site to site and get dirtier as they go.

Reaction: Not going to lie to you here- cleaning is dirty work! But if your cleaning service is not using fresh towels and dusters for each location, it’s probably an aim to cut corners and is certainly not professional.

8. She's Working Faster but Not Necessarily Better

Claim: Your maid service is cutting corners to go home early.

Reaction: This is how cleaning companies make their money. It’s the honest truth – if your service quotes your cleaning job for 4 hours and it takes the staff 3 hours and 45 minutes, they’re ahead of the game and have made the company some money. But the issue is not that your cleaners are cutting corners; they are more likely just learning the best way to work the job location and be more efficient. If you see that things aren’t shining like they used to when your service comes to clean, tell your company right away!

7. She May Pull a Bait and Switch

Claim: Your cleaning service underestimated the work and now you’re paying up charges because it’s taking them longer to clean.

Reaction: Any professional cleaning company should handle this the right way – if your technician goes over the allotted amount of time on a job, it gets deducted from their pay for the week.

6. The Service May Send Someone Else

Claim: If your usual cleaning technician is not available, the company will send someone else in her place.

Reaction: This may happen at some point. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust them to do just as super of a job as your regular cleaner. They should follow the same checklist and have the same training and most importantly – go through the same background check and random drug testing.

5. You Got a Cheap Rate Because She's Not Insured or Bonded

Reaction: This is so important in this industry. General rule of thumb to follow – always hire a cleaning service that is bonded and insured. This will protect you from loss or injury in the home or office. If you rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy you’ll most likely be paying a much higher premium.

4. She Has a Spotless Record but Her Boyfriend Doesn't, and She Tells Him Everything

Claim: You can trust your cleaning technician but you can’t trust who she knows who knows someone else. Once the word gets out about your valuables and schedule, you can’t control how far that will go.

Reaction: True, you cannot trust everyone. But again, with a professional cleaning service, they should require their employees to sign a waiver saying they will not discuss client information outside of the work environment.

3. She Filled Out Her Checklist Before She Arrived

Reaction: Cleaning services should terminate those employees who deliberately do this with their checklists. I can’t tell you how many signs we have up around here that reminds employees to complete their checklists at the job site. I personally cannot imagine doing a job that big and not needing every task written out on that checklist!

2. She May Have Light Fingers

Claim: Your cleaning technician is swiping things from your home when you’re not looking.

Reaction: The cleaning people get blamed for everything. It’s unfortunate but true. We are the first source for people to blame when something goes missing or damaged. That is why employees are screened and randomly drug tested to make sure we are hiring people that are trustworthy and responsible individuals. Any act of theft is a deadly influence on the company, so any smart hiring manager will ensure their employees will reflect properly on the company’s name.

                                   1. The Tax Man May Think She's Your Employee
Claim: “Paying an independent worker $1,400 or more a year in wages can get you into trouble with the IRS.”

Reaction: Easiest solution… Hire a professional cleaning company that is bonded, insured and pays taxes for their business!

If you have any questions about these topics of interest please feel free to comment or give us a call! 215-757-4014. We’d love to talk to you about what you should be expecting from a cleaning service, and what you can expect from Sparkle Professional Cleaning!



How to Clean Your Computer without a Short Circuit

As I sit here in front of my well-loved computer, I start to notice some dust collection here, snack crumbles there, spots on my screen and all sorts of fun little “who-knows” within my keyboard. We know how dirty they must be, but the concept of cleaning such an expensive and necessary piece of equipment can be frightening. So I did my research, and here’s what I found:

Cleaning the Computer Screen

According to How To Clean Anything…

What you may need: soft cloth, anti-static cloth, water, screen cleaner (such as Falcon screen cleaner)

How to tackle the task:

1. Check your computer manual. It may advise you to only clean your screen with a damp cloth, as many computer screens have an anti-glare coating that you risk damaging if you use a harsh household cleaner. (HTCA) Avoid traditional window cleaners – they can easily damage a sensitive computer screen. 

2. If you are using just a damp cloth to wipe the computer screen, be sure to dry the screen off afterwards to prevent streaking.

3. If advised by the manual to use a soft or anti-static cloth with cleaner, be sure to spray onto the cloth and not the equipment!

Cleaning the CPU

 (Aka the big box aka the “brain” of the computer)

What you need: Soft cloth, compressed air, pre-treated computer wipes, vacuum cleaner, and special cleaning attachments, soft bristle brush.

How to tackle the task:

• General Rule of Thumb for CPU cleaning is to use a compressed air can first and blow the dust free, then use your vacuum with attachments to clean it up.
• These guys explain it best: E-How
• Great tip for using the compressed air: use short bursts so your air does not get too cold and harm the “insides” of your CPU.

Cleaning the Keyboard

What you need: compressed air, clean microfiber cloth or towel, pre-treated computer wipes, vacuum and special attachments.

How to Tackle the Task:

• Unplug keyboard from computer.
• Shake out any loose dust, crumbs and “who-knows,” as I call them.
• Spray in between keys with compressed air, using short bursts and keeping can upright.
• Using your vacuum and special attachment(s), get any remaining dirt loosened with the compressed air can.
• Wipe down the keyboard with a soft cloth dampened with plain water. Use your pre-treated computer wipes and wipe down the keyboard. Then, dry with clean towel or cloth.
• Use a Q-tip or cotton ball to clean between and around the keys.
• Should you spill coffee or soda in your keyboard, unplug immediately, turn upside down and allow to dry on a towel.  HTCA has a good suggestion for severely injured keyboards due to drink spills.

Remember to keep your office space clean and free of dust and other allergens. You’ll feel more awake and clear-headed while at work if you take some time each week to clean your work station. And if your company doesn’t have a cleaner or cleaning service yet, Sparkle is always here to help!