Sparkling Windows Without The Streaks

    I am often asked by customers: how do you make my windows so sparkling and without any streaks? We have had many satisfied customers over the years who adore the way we leave their windows. And yes we do have a very specific technique to the way we do it. I have personally created this procedure by years of trial and error. I tried so many products and none of them were to my satisfaction. In fact, many of them left the dreaded, well known streaks. So I have decided to share my tried, tested, and approved way to clean windows to a sparkling finish.

To prepare you will need the following:

• Water
• Microfiber cloth (sold by Deb's Sparkling Home Services)
• Window cloth 
• Sparkle Window Cleaner
• Optional: squeegee

If doing window tracks:

• vacuum
• grout brush or q tips if you're a perfectionist and have patience

Tips:

• It's best to do this on an overcast day if possible. This will not only be more comfortable to keep yourself out of the heat, but it will also prevent the windows from drying to quickly and not getting a proper clean. If you are doing it in direct sunlight on a hot day, I suggest using a very wet cloth and maybe even wipe down the glass a couple times.

    I like to do the window tracks the same time I'm doing the windows. It helps keep them nicer longer. My suggestion is to clean them every 6 months. It will help prevent mold, mildew and moss to grow in the tracks. This can cause discoloration over time and will make your windows look older. Follow the steps below in order for the best results.

Step 1: Vacuum out window tracks. 

    This is so important so you're not dealing with excess dirt, bugs, and of course spiders. You can use a regular household upright vacuum for this. No special vacuum needed. You can use attachments if preferred to get deeper in the track.

Step 2: Clean the Frame

    Wipe down the frame of the window, including the track, getting into all the crevices. I use a grout brush, toothbrush, or Q-tip to get into all the tiny spaces and loosen the dirt. Then you can take your microfiber and push it into the tiny spaces and wipe clean. Depending on the buildup in your track, this could take a bit more than a few minutes and possibly multiple cloths.

Step 3: Clean Glass

    This is the most important step for preventing streaks on the glass! Take a clean, wet microfiber cloth. Wipe down the glass throughly, getting all dirt, stuck on bits and buildup. I suggest going over it a couple times with a clean side of the cloth. If you want to be really detailed you can use an old credit card to peel up any paint that has been splattered on your window from a previous paint job.

Step 4: Use Window Cleaner

    Spray the Sparkle Window Cleaner. This is a product formulated for best results and no streaking. I would not suggest most name brand products, as they cause streaking. If you would like to purchase a bottle from us they are currently $6 and come in a reusable glass bottle. We will refill at a discount if you are local.

Step 5: Buff the Glass

    You can use a squeegee to wipe the window cleaner off the window, then buff, especially the edges with your window cloth. If you don't have a squeegee, no problem! It's not necessary. You can actually just take the window cloth and buff the window until dry. It works magic! The Sparkle Window Cleaner is designed to evaporate quickly so as not to leave any left on the glass.

    I hope this gives you some motivation to keep your windows sparkling. It makes the home feel clean and refreshing when the windows sparkle! 

Follow us for more tips on keeping a home healthy, inviting and relaxing! Leave comments below on how it works for you and what other tips you'd like to hear from us on our next post.

If you don't have time to do this, you can book a cleaning with us at Deb's Sparkling Home Services! 

Email: debssparklinghomeservices@gmail.com

Phone: 541-324-8892

Choosing the Best Cleaning Company

 Choosing the Best

Cleaning Company

How to choose a cleaning company? Finding a cleaning company that is right for you can be a challenge. There are thousands of people out there who clean and hundreds of companies. Each one is unique in their own way. There are specific things you can look at when making a decision on who to hire to clean your personal or business areas. Below you will find 5 important elements of cleaning companies to help you decide which company can be best suited to your needs. 

1. Dependable

One of the first things you should look for is dependability. If your cleaning company cannot show up for the job regularly, then they are of no use to you. Not only should they be faithful, but their cleaning should also stay consistent. Are new hires being trained properly? Is there a standard of cleaning across the entire company? Be assertive with talking with your cleaning company about problems that arise so that they can be addressed immediately. If you don’t feel that you can depend on them for regularity, then choose a company that you feel is reliable.

2. Clean not Disguise

This is the second thing that I personally look at. It is so essential that the cleaning company that you use is cleaning to pristine. There are so many cleaners who are trained to make things look good. “Make things sparkle” is what they are told. Tidy the room, fluff the pillow and wipe surfaces. Some companies even spray a chemical air freshener to make things smell clean. Ok that’s great to come home to a nice looking house that smells “good.” And maybe that’s what some people prefer to pay for. I personally do not want extra chemicals in my air and I want more than surfaces wiped down. When it comes to a house cleaning company, they should be doing more than you do. Sure you probably wipe down the counters already, so what is it that you don’t do that you’re paying them to clean? Look for things in the kitchen like are they cleaning appliances, canisters on the counter, and the glass bottles of cooking oils? Are they getting into nooks and crannies, lifting items to clean under and to clean the item itself? Are they getting behind toilets and wiping down soap dispensers? Do they notice marks on the cupboards or doors to wipe down? Even getting on top of your kitchen cupboards where dust and grease collect! The cleaning companies that are best for residential homes will do more than surface, eye level cleaning.

3. Flexible with requests

Is a cleaning company flexible and attentive to requests that you make? Many companies stick to only specific duties like bathrooms, kitchen, dusting, and floors. You’ll see this more with the larger companies. This is not bad at all, and some people prefer this. But for those of you who want help with other tasks at times, it can be so rewarding to have a very versatile cleaning company. When you need them to clean out underneath your sink or clean up the sticky spill in your refrigerator, they can help with things that can throw off your day. One of our core values with Deb's Sparkling Home Services is simplifying your life. We hold this as one of our three main values because it is so important to us that we are simplifying your life. We are not just the cleaners who do the weekly cleaning, but also clean what may have come up as important that week.

4. Can do multiple duties

Yes, you read that correctly. A cleaning company that can do more than just basic cleaning can help you save time and energy. You will not have to spend time searching, calling and trying out different companies. You know and trust this company and they can do more for you. There are companies out there that can do things from deep cleaning your home to cleaning up your yard! Deb's Sparkling Home Services offers residential cleaning, commercial cleaning, window cleaning, waste pickup, basic yard services, and gutter cleaning. It saves time and effort when you can just add on services to your normal cleaning.

5. Highly Praised

    My go to for anything is Google. Whatever pops up first seems like a good choice right? Wrong. Businesses pay extra to have their ads and business name at the top of the list. This shows that they are either a large company or that they are forking out the extra to become noticed. Sometimes they can be amazing and other times they are just popular by default. If a cleaning company or even a single cleaner is highly praised then they should be able to market by word of mouth. When searching on google it helps to hit the top rated. This will bring the companies to the surface that may be small but have customers who love them. Smaller companies can include more attention to detail, be more flexible, and are at times easier to maintain long term relationships with.

When you are on the hunt for a great cleaning service, take into account these 5 categories. Look at the reviews and you will find the answers to a lot of above elements. You can also dive into their website, or social media pages to learn more about their business, what they offer, and what their core values are. Deb's Sparkling Home Services is here to answer questions you may have about cleaning services and what is available to you.