KNOW YOUR FLOOR TILES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THEM - "CERAMIC TILES"

CERAMIC TILES 

Ceramic tile is made up of sand, natural products, and clays and once it has been moulded into shape they are then fired in a kiln. When making ceramic tiles they can either be glazed or unglazed, but the majority of homeowners have glazed ceramic tiles in their home.

How To Maintain Glazed Ceramic Tiles
*  Sweep or vacuum your tiles floor regularly to clear every dirts and prevent them from setlling in them.
* Always use a mild cleaning solution and warm water to clean the surface using your soft mop after sweeping out dirts.
* Rinse the mop afterwards and get a clean and plain water
* Mop the tiles floor again with the plain water and your soft mop to dry.
* For stubborn stains, use your soft brush to scrub.
* Dry any liquid spills on the tiles immediately to prevent stains.

KNOW YOUR TILES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THEM - "PORCELAIN TILES"

Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles commonly used to cover floors and walls, with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent. They are built using natural clay, which are made by applying heat to refined the clay. Porcelain tiles is generally denser and can either be glazed or unglazed.  Porcelain tiles are also available in a range of colors, textures, and sizes.

 To ensure proper cleaning and maintenance of Porcelain tiles, the condition of the tiles must be put into consideration to determine if the tiles are polished, unpolished and textured.
Also Ensure regular cleaning of the tiles to prevent build-ups of dirt and stains.

To Clean and Maintain Polished Porcelain Tiles

1. Sweep or vacuum loose dirt and dust from the tiles with an untreated dry dust mop.
2. Mop the floor with a mild and small quantity of cleaning product and hot water.
3. Clean stubborn stains with soft nylon brush
4. Rinse the floor with clean and clear water to thoroughly remove the cleaning product.
5. Go over the clean porcelain tile floor with a damp mop.
6. Dry with a microfiber cloth or clean towel.

To Clean and Maintain Unpolished Porcelain Tiles

1. Sweep or vacuum the dirt from the floor.
2. Saturate the floor with cleaning product and hot water, stir and allow it to stand on the floor for 5 – 10 minutes. "Cleaning product must not dry on the tiles"
3. Scrub stubborn stains already saturated with cleaning product using a floor machine equipped with an abrasive pad or soft nylon-bristle brush or a soft scrub brush.
4. Clear the dirty cleaning product with a mop or wet vacuum, and rinse the porcelain tile with clean and clear water.
5. Allow time for drying.
6. You may need a strong cleaning method if the unpolished porcelain tile is heavily stained.

To Clean and Maintain Textured Porcelain Tiles

This type of Porcelain tiles condition requires some additional cleaning procedures  and frequent cleaning as a standard wet-mopping will not effectively clean its surface. Thus for this condition,
1. Thoroughly sweep or vacuum dust and debris from the tiles floor using a soft-bristle broom.
2. Saturate the surface with a neutral cleaning product in hot water and stir. 3. Allow the cleaning product to remain on the floor for 5 to 10 minutes, scrub with a brush thoroughly
4. Rinse the porcelain tile floor with clean, clear water to remove the cleaning product and dry with mop.

Caution!

1. Do not clean porcelain tile flooring with bleach or acidic cleaning product.
2. Do not use any oil-based detergents, wax cleaners, or sealants.
3. Do not use agents that contain any dyes or colors on unglazed porcelain tile.
4. Use floor door mats at outdoor entrances to prevent grit from being tracked onto the tile flooring.
5. Do not use steel wool pads, because the loose steel particles may cause rust stains in the grout.

KNOW YOUR FLOOR TILES AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THEM - "TRAVERTINE TILES"

TRAVERTINE TILES

Travertine tiles mostly used in the kitchen and restrooms, is a form of limestone gotten from the byproducts created by hot springs around the world. During the process of formation, minerals within travertine are combined, providing a unique pattern, character, and collection.

Travertine floors are easily damaged and must be  properly maintain and cleaned with care.
DIY ways of maintaining your Travertine floors;

• Vacuum, dust, and sweep your travertine tiles regularly.
• Remove dirt and debris from your floors with a dry dust mop
• Wash regularly with gentle and mild cleaning products
• Dry and polish with clean microfibre cloth
• Clean up any spills immediately 
• Squeegee and wipe down your shower after every use to clean off soap scum that can grow mildew and molds
• Routine thorough cleaning of your bathrooms is important, may be weekly.
• Use hot pads, placemats, and coasters on your kitchen countertops to protect your tiles from hot utensils and acidic spills
• Do not place your beauty / bathing  products directly on the counter instead look for a convenient container or tray to place it before leaving it on the counter.
• To remove stains from your tiles, use the right chemicals or contact a professional cleaning service provider to do that.

PESTS POSE REAL HEALTH THREATS

Pests indeed cause environmental  menace and threaten our health. Public health officials attribute our current, clean quality of living to three very important variables:
1. Top-notch vaccines and medications,
2. Vastly improved sanitation, and
3. High-quality pest control.

There are most common pests which are constantly seen in our midst and can cause a great threat to our health if not given attention. These pests are uninvited guests in our homes and environs because we don't want them and can't live with them but on the contrary, they were highly invited by our untidy, unclean, unwanted waste environment, and lack of routine pest control in our environs.

Some Common Pests And The Disease They Inflict;

• Rodents and Ticks, are capable of transferring terrible diseases such as rat bite fever, Leptospirosis, Salmonellosis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, monkeypox etc. 
• Mice and rats can carry Hantavirus, which can be fatal if passed on to a human. 
• Ticks carry Lyme disease, which comes with flu-like symptoms such as fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
• Mosquitoes are capable of carrying a host of different illnesses such as Malaria, West Nile Virus,  Zika Virus, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Chikungunya etc.

It is impossible to know if a pest is carrying a disease or not, which is why it is best to always be on the side of caution and play safe by doing the necessary.

A MUST HAVE BASIC SAFETY TOOLS "PPE" BY ALL CLEANING STAFFS / PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICE PROVIDERS

As a professional cleaning staff or service provider you are exposed to germs and effect of cleaning chemicals or active products due to the nature of your job, which is why you must not joke with your PPE while  you render your services to guarantee your safety.

A must PPE a cleaning provider must have are

1. Hand gloves
2. Eye goggles
3. Long Sleeves uniform
4. Nose covers
5. Safety shoes, must be a non slippery shoe

FOUR BASIC SAFETY RULES TO PREVENT HAZARDS FROM THE USE OF TOOLS

Four basic safety rules that can help prevent hazards associated with the use of hand and power tools by OSHA "Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

• Keep all tools in good condition with regular maintenance.
• Use the right tool for the job.
• Examine each tool for damage before use and do not use damaged tools.
• Operate tools according to the manufacturers' instructions.

OBSERVING SAFETY DURING HOUSE CLEANING

Maintaining a safe environment while you do your house chores or cleaning in your office is an important part of general cleaning that must not be neglected.

This method of cleaning is to ensure that every part of your house or cleaning area is neat, ordely, non slippery and free from dangerous waste. It is one thing to see your house is always clean and tidy but another and most important thing to ensure everything is in order, in its place, floors are not wet and waste bin treated and emptied properly for safety from hazardous substances.

When objects and things are always put in their place, you are saving yourself and your loved onces from the risk of tripping off due to imbalance, or objects falling on them.

FEW CLEANING SAFETY RULES IN HOUSEKEEPING

1. Always read the instructions on all cleaning products before use
2. Always dilute concentrated cleaning products before use
3. All cleaning products and tools must be kept away from the reach of children and pet.
4. Ventilate rooms before you clean and in the case of a dusty atmosphere, make use of your nose cover
5. Place a thick absorbing cloth while washing the floor to prevent slippery 
6. Ensure the floor is dry during or after cleaning before any movement is allowed
7. Put all house items in their place to avoid tripping
8. Do not use any chemicals you do not have knowledge of for any cleaning
9. If you must use any chemical, always wear rubber gloves to avoid direct contact
10. In the case a particular porting to be cleaned requires the use of chemical you are not familiar with, contact a professional cleaning service provider near you
11. Empty, wash and treat all waste bin properly.