 There are many new mops in town, and everyone that mops is searching for that perfect one to do the job swiftly and efficiently. Lately, I became a proponent of BONA because I loved the microfiber re-useable pads and found the cleaning solution to work well. However, most recently, I have been better informed by several veteran housekeepers who do it the ole fashion way. So I tried it.
Here is what you need:
· Broom/Vacuum
· Gloves
· Bucket
· Good cleaning solution
· Sponge mop that swivels
· Terry cloths the size of a hand towel
Here are the steps:
1. Sweep/vacuum area to pick up excess debris
2. Run very hot water into a clean bucket and put on those gloves to protect your hands and nails
3. Pour a good cleaning solution for the type of floor you are cleaning
4. Submerge a terry cloth in the bucket, wring tightly and then wrap it around the sponge mop
5. Scrub vigorously and then put cloth back into the bucket and wring it again
6. Do small sections at a time
7. Have several other terry cloths available so that you do not re-use a dirty one
8. With very dirty floors, you will need to change the water several times
9. Go over floor again if necessary
10. Finally dry the floor with a buff cloth.
Happy moping!
http://www.martaperrone.com
 Bed Bugs seem to never go away. Phillip M. Tierno, Jr. a clinical microbiologist tells us that there are "countless intruders" with us every night. This should be enough to make you pay special attention to how you care for your sheets. So here are some tips:
When should you change the sheets? - Once a week is standard and anything beyond that is simply inviting more unwanted critters. For those who are actively involved with others, changing them more regularly would be more sanitary. You will also be safer from breathing in the debris that accumulates.
What causes this debris? Human skin cells become food for dust mites. That is one of the biggest problems associated with bedding. Mites accumulate along with their feces. Then there is animal hair, dander, fungal mold, fungal spores, bodily secretions and bacteria. Then there is lint, fibers, insect parts, pollen, soil, sand and cosmetics. Now that is enough to make me want to change them daily. For those of you who like to eat in bed and sleep with your animals, I suggest you either re-think this, or begin to change those sheets more readily.
How does this debris affect my health? Apparently all of this is mainly a threat to your respiratory tracts. If you have any allergies or asthma, this can exacerbate it. If you don't have an allergy, it can bring one on.
What is the ideal way to wash sheets? The water should be 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit, typically on a hot water cycle and dry the sheets using a hot drying cycle. This actually kills lot of vegetative materials. You can also use bleach since it serves as an excellent germicide, but use low concentrations of it. You can also use a cold-water non-bleaches use peroxide which also serves as a germicidal.
What about the mattress and pillows? To protect your mattress, use an outer cover. Everything collects there and is absorbed into its core. Outer covers are made of pliable, plastic vinyl. Pillows should also be in covers.It is a good idea to take a small vacuum attachment and use it on the entire bed frame and mattress before putting on the cover.
Attending properly to your sheets isn't just about housekeeping rules, it is about your health.
http://www.MartaPerrone.com
 Most companies that produce cleaning products want their own "green" version to compete. Manufacturers like "Method" have great packaging that is very appealing, but still costly. For those watching their budget, they turn to home-made remedies by using Baking Soda, Vinegar and Water. Here are some ways to concoct your own arsenal of cleaning supplies: OVEN CLEANER1 cup baking soda (or more, as needed) Water A couple squirts liquid detergent Spray water generously on the oven bottom, then sprinkle with enough baking soda so the surface is entirely white. Spray on more water and let it sit overnight. Grime and grease will be loose by then and you can easily wipe it off (a spatula works well). Then put some soap on a damp sponge to scrub off the remaining residue. ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER 1/2 cup vinegar 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) 1/2 gallon water Store and use indefinitely. Good for removing water deposit stains in showers, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, mirrors. FURNITURE POLISH For varnished wood 1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive or jojoba 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice Mix ingredients in a glass jar. If it’s closed tightly it will last indefinitely. To use, dab a soft rag into the solution and rub on wood surfaces. For unvarnished wood 2 teaspoons each of olive oil and lemon juice Mix and apply a small amount to a soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth to distribute the oil evenly and wipe with broad strokes. LIME DEPOSITSFrom bathroom fixtures Squeeze lemon juice directly onto affected areas and let sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping with a wet cloth. METAL CLEANERS AND POLISHES Silver: Line a pan with aluminum foil and fill with water. Add a teaspoon each of baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil and immerse silver. Polish with a soft cloth. Brass or bronze: Mix equal parts lemon and baking soda, or equal parts vinegar and salt. Polish with a soft cloth. Rub a dab of ketchup on tough tarnish spots. Copper: Boil a pot of water and add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar. Using a cloth, apply to copper while the liquid is hot; let it cool and then wipe. For tougher jobs, sprinkle baking soda or lemon juice on a soft cloth, then wipe. Rub a dab of ketchup on tarnished spots. Aluminum: Make a solution of equal parts cream of tartar and water. Rub with a soft cloth. MOLD KILLERS “Tea Tree Treasure” 2 teaspoons tea tree oil 2 cups water Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend and spray on mold. Do not rinse. The strong smell of tea tree oil will dissipate in a few days. MICROWAVE OVEN CLEANER 1 part lemon juice 2 parts water Mix the ingredients in a microwave safe mug or bowl and heat until steam fills the oven, about 10 minutes. Let it sit until the oven cools before wiping it out. The steam kills the microbes and the lemon leaves a clean fragrance. CARPET STAINS Use equal parts white vinegar and water. Mix in spray bottle. Spray directly on stain and let it sit for several minutes. Then, scrub with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water. For fresh grease spots, sprinkle corn starch onto the spot and wait 30 minutes before vacuuming. For heavy duty stains 1/4 cup salt 1/4 cup borax 1/4 cup vinegar Stir into a paste to rub into the stain. Let it sit for at least 3 hours and vacuum. VINYL AND LINOLEUM FLOOR CLEANER 1 cup vinegar A few drops baby oil 1 gallon warm water For tough jobs add 1/4 cup borax (but use it sparingly on linoleum.) WOOD FLOORS Equal parts Murphy's Oil and water Add a few drops of peppermint oil (optional) Mix for damp mopping. SOFT SCOURING POWDERFor stove tops, refrigerators and other surfaces that shouldn’t be scratched, apply baking soda directly with a damp sponge. TOILET BOWL CLEANER 1/4 cup baking soda 1 cup vinegar Pour into the basin and after about 15 minutes scrub with a brush and flush. Use a pamas stone for those rings around the toilet. GLASS CLEANER 2 teaspoons vinegar 1 quart warm water Mix in a spray bottle and shake it. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Don’t clean windows if the sun is on them or if they are warm because, if you do, streaks will appear when it dries. TUB AND TILE CLEANINGFor simple cleaning, sprinkle the surface with baking soda, scrub with a damp sponge or cloth and rinse with water. For tougher jobs spray surfaces with vinegar first, and follow by scrubbing with baking soda. Avoid grout if using vinegar. Sources include: Annie B. Bond; eartheasy.com Read more: http://host.madison.com/lifestyles/home_and_garden/vinegar-baking-soda-key-ingredients-in-cleaning-green/article_fbff009e-5285-56b3-8526-ab71a8f5e5f0.html#ixzz1qsZa9GYChttp://www.MartaPerrone
 LONDON: Attention, job seekers! Wanted: A housekeeper for the British Monarch. Place of work: Buckingham Palace. Salary: 14,200 pounds a year. Perk: To rub shoulders with the Queen and Prince Philip. Yes, the Buckingham Palace is seeking to appoint a housekeeping assistant, one of whose jobs will be to put in the plug, turn on the tap and check the temperature of the water when the bath is full. The successful candidate for the 14,200 pounds-a-year post will be "committed to achieving exceptional standards of service provision", the 'Daily Mail' reported. Apart from looking after the royal bath, he or she will pack and unpack for guests of the Royal Household, iron their clothes, help them dress, look after their jewellery and also arrange for tea and breakfast to be brought to their room. The 40-hour-a-week job advertisement, which appears on the Royal Household website, says the post holder "will have contact with Members of the Royal Family, guests and all levels of Royal Household staff". The new recruit will join a department of more than 250 people, including cooks, footmen, butlers and valets. Although based at Buckingham Palace, whoever is hired will also work at other royal residences, such as Balmoral and Sandringham, for up to three months each year and play a role in hospitality for official banquets and private entertaining by the Royals. The job requires someone with a "friendly, polite and approachable disposition and an ability to be discrete and maintain confidentiality". Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-02-13/news/31055493_1_approachable-disposition-british-queen-british-monarch
Latinos make up 15% of the total labor force in the United States. Their share of selected occupations and industries are 22% in Hotel and Food Services and 17% in Private Service (Home and Health Services). Many Latinos got slammed by the recession which wiped out about 2 million construction jobs. As the economic recovery improves, Latinos are scoring more gains than most other demographic groups. They are the only demographic group that whose employment numbers have returned to pre-recession levels. The reasons experts say that Latinos are faring better than other groups is thaty are willing to take low-wage, temporary jobs. They believe that part time work can lead to full time employment - which in many cases in the private service industry is true. They also tend to be more mobile and willing to do what it takes to get the job, even if it means moving from one county to another. However, due to the decrease of jobs, less Latinos have moved to the U.S. and more have moved back home.
Latinos are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population and especially visible in California Texas and Florida as well as Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio. Not only the economy but also immigration issues have affected the Latino's decision to remain in the U.S. The administration has increased deportations of undocumented immigrants. Their biggest concern is "jobs".
My professional development classes are primarily filled with Latino women, and the emphasis is to provide them with the tools they need to prepare themselves as presentable, qualified, trained household professionals. Just ask yourself this one question: "If there are only 10 jobs and 50 applicants, who will be the ones chosen to work?"
http://www.Martaperrone.com
 _If you hire a Housekeeper, you now have an employee and must pay household employment taxes. Here is some sound advice from Kathy Webb of Home Work Solutions, Inc. - a leading household tax company. Do you have a regular person who comes to your home to provide housekeeping, maid or cleaning services? Do you know that this individual is probably your employee under common law and the Internal Revenue Code? Any individual whom you employ to provide services in your home whom you pay directly AND whose total payments in the calendar year meets the IRS household employment threshold ($1700 in 2011 and $1800 in 2012) must receive a W-2 from the employer (family) and the employer must pay the payroll taxes. Household employment taxes - known as the "nanny taxes" - include: - Social Security & Medicare Taxes (13.3% of Gross Wages - employer may collect 5.65% from the employee via deductions.)
- State Unemployment Taxes where required.
- Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) where required.
The employer is legally obligated to pay (remit) both employee and employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes. Should the employer fail to collect this tax from the employee via periodic payroll deductions, the employer remains responsible to remit or pay the tax to the IRS. The household employee CANNOT remit their share of Social Security and Medicare tax independent of the employer. Many families try to classify their weekly (bi-weekly, monthly) cleaning ladies as independent contractors. In the vast majority of circumstances, this is a total legal fiction. This usually only works if the worker is properly incorporated, bonded and licensed in the trade and maintains "corporate formalities." If you wish to avoid this obligation, we recommend that you engage a cleaning service. The service will decide who to send to your home to do the cleaning, and you will avoid any payroll tax obligations. When you hire a service, you make your payments to Cleaning Services Inc. or Cleaning Services LLC - and not to Mary Jones. http://www.MartaPerrone.com
Part of what I do these days is to travel around the country providing training for housekeepers, household managers and nannies. Sometimes I am asked to do some private in home trainings for those sponsoring the training event. Today was one of those days when I had the opportunity to meet with a housekeeper who has been working in the same house for more than 10 years. It is a learning experience for all parties, but what I wanted to share here most of all was the issues that came up during the training: 1) Laundry Room - an issue that always seems disturbing to most clients is that housekeepers tend to forget what they left in the dryer, or forget to wash the rags or leave clothes unfolded and not ironed. If you work 5 days per week and every day is a day for laundry, then each day before you leave, the laundry room should be left immaculate and free of anything left to do. Laundry can be a daily chore especially with a large family. Students may go to school and require that their uniforms are cleaned and pressed. Laundry can pile up easily and should be attended daily. Rags used daily must be cleaned separately after the day is over. 2) Organization - while you clean, a housekeeper must organize every room, drawer and cabinet. A good way to do this is to always maintain attention to detail. which means multi-tasking when putting laundry away and cleaning a room. One thing is to clean under the sofa chairs and cushions, another is to organize the cushions and pillows properly so that they look orderly.You may need to put away silverware in a drawer, but while you there, why not make sure that everything in the drawer is neatly put away. Sometimes you may need to quickly remove everything and clean the drawer itself. 3) Cleaning Thoroughly - it is one thing to say "yes, I cleaned the counter", but it is another to actually do it properly by removing everything off the counter, cleaning from corner to corner and cleaning every accessory item individually and putting it back exactly where you found it. Always remember to use clean cloths, sponges and have others ready to dry where you have used a damp cloth. Always choose appropriate cleaning products for each surface and object. 4) Making beds - this can be a pet peeve for most employers. They want to see their beds made exactly the way they like it each and every time. A good way to be sure that you do it right each time is to take a photograph and keep it handy in your "household manual" so that you can refer to it each time. Speaking of household manuals. 5) Making a schedule - the best way to be organized with every duty that you must do in a household is to separate these functions into a daily/week/monthly and semi-annual schedule so that every aspect of the home is attended to in its own time frame so that nothing gets overlooked. Household Manuals are great for this and every home and housekeeper must have one to be efficient.6) Keeping up with Lists - there are many lists that a household needs to stay on top of everything needed such as: cleaning products, paper goods, pantry and food items, things that have broken and need replacing, school items for the children and on and on and on. It may be the responsibility of both the housekeeper, nanny and maybe even personal assistant to maintain good lists and keep them handy. An expert list maker will also separate lists in terms of stores where you can get the best prices for each item.7) Doing one final check before ending the workday - every housekeeper should finish the day by reviewing each room that they completed to make sure that everything is in its place and nothing is left behind such as: cleaning products that need to be put away, cleaning rags, laundry or other clothing items that need organizing, a spec of dust on the floor, a corner that may need a good wipe to complete the job, a glass or newspaper that can be put away, a mirror that might have a smudge or two still there.http://www.MartaPerrone.com
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