Clean The Deck And Make It Look Shiny

Yes, we may have watched Moana this past weekend. But it inspired us to spend some time outdoors and inspired us to tidy up outside. Outdoor living spaces can be very important, not only to keep your home looking in tip-top shape but for your psychological state. It doesn’t matter if you have a huge deck, or the smallest of patios, even the front doorstep of an apartment can be spruced up and cleaned up.

Summer is here and we’d love to share a few cleaning tips to apply to your deck or outdoor living space. 

Cleaning Wood Surfaces

If you have a pressure washer this is a great time to use it. If not an all-purpose deck cleaners are great for wood surfaces. Clear the surface of your deck and sweep thoroughly. Dampen the area and apply cleaning solution in sections, using a pump sprayer or soft, non-abrasive brush. Allow 5-10 minutes for the solution to loosen soils. But do not allow the solution to dry on the surface of your deck. Scrub visibly dirty areas and rinse areas well. 

Cleaning Faux Wood Surfaces 

Dampen the area, and spray deck with a gentle soap, then follow by gently scrubbing each deck board with a soft bristle brush. Spray/rinse each individual deck board using a fan tip no closer than 8" from the decking surface. Rinse area. If dirty water from cleaning is left to dry, this will cause a film to remain on the decking surface, so if you are working with a larger surface area you should work in sections. 

Cleaning Concrete Deck Surfaces

We use the following recipe for our concrete surface deck areas.

1/2 cup baking soda to one gallon of water for a gentle cleaning solution. 
Add 1/8 cup of liquid dish detergent. 

Spray on the patio and let sit for at least 30 minutes, then scrub with a firm brush and rinse. 

Not up for the task? Give us a call we can help! 

Did You Know You Need To Clean Your Dishwasher?

“Eww, what’s that smell in the kitchen?” 

Let’s be honest. How long has it been since you last cleaned your dishwasher? I’m talking about a deep clean, the kind that gets all of those nasty, smelly food particles out of the nooks and crannies of your kitchen’s workhorse. 

Been that long, huh?

The dishwasher IS a clean machine so it often gets overlooked for long periods of time, or, forever! I’ve even had friends tell me that they never knew that they needed to clean their dishwasher. “Doesn’t it clean itself,” they asked?

The short answer is No. Your dishwasher still needs some love of its own, even after it’s added the shine to your glassware. Not only will it help your dishwasher smell better, it can increase the efficiency of your dishwasher, which is the real goal of regular cleanings. And according to experts (us), you should be deep cleaning your dishwasher once a month to keep it in prime condition. 

So how do you clean it?

It’s more than just running a cycle with an empty load, but it’s still pretty easy. Just grab:

• one cup of vinegar

• one cup of baking soda

• dish soap

• a toothbrush

First, check out the drain at the bottom of your dishwasher. Make sure to remove any foreign objects, food particles, chunks of glass, etc. These can clog your drain if left unattended. 

Next, wash the filter by removing it and soaking in dish soap and water for at least 10 - 15 minutes. 

With the filter replaced, run a cycle with plain white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a dishwasher safe cup on the top rack of the dishwasher. The vinegar is great for breaking through those musty smells and getting rid of the grease build-up. 

Next, run a short cycle, this time with baking soda sprinkled around the bottom of the dishwasher. The baking soda helps with disinfecting and removing stains. 

Almost done! Take the toothbrush and scrub out any stains that remain. Presto!! You’ve got a clean dishwasher ready to tackle the next load of dishes.

Rubio's Cleaning is offering Deep Cleaning and Sanitizing

Is your home sanitized and ready for summer? Let us help.

Rubio's Cleaning is offering Deep Cleaning and Sanitizing (with bleach and disinfectants) known to kill COVID-19. 

Rubio's Cleaning has always practiced safe and sanitary measures well beyond the industry standard. However in a COVID-19 environment we understand that extra precautious can be taken to provide additional protection to all. We are currently acting with care in our day-to-day operations with preventative safety measures following the guidance set forth by the U.S. Federal Government, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) including:

• We always wear gloves and throw away and replace them as often as needed while cleaning your home

• Cleaning hands with soap often, for at least 20 seconds

• Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available

• Keeping the recommended 6 feet from people

• Cleaning frequently touched surfaces in our vans

• All of our employees/cleaners wear COVID-19 approved masks throughout their shift

• We also clean with bleach (when appropriate)

Meet the team serving your needs during these crazy times. Say hello to: Fernanda, Queta, Esmeralda, and Lucero. 

As a part of our Deep Cleaning and Sanitizing Cleaning Visits

• Our team uses a sanitizing solution to wipe down light switches, doorknobs, bathroom surfaces, and other commonly touched areas

• We clean and sanitize your home using products that include certain Environmental Protection Association (EPA) registered disinfecting products and specific cleaning methods, such as mopping with microfiber mops, which have demonstrated a 99% reduction in bacteria

• We are telling our team members to switch out all cleaning cloths and mopheads between homes and thoroughly launder them between usage

• Our teams always wash their hands with soap and water and use antibacterial hand sanitizer between homes

• We are closely monitoring national, state and local health agencies for the most recent developments and following the guidance of government and public health officials

Call and book an appointment with us today.

Quarantine is the Time to Clean

Many of us are home under quarantine orders giving some of us more time to dive into those deep cleaning projects most people often don’t have time to do! We have written a few deep cleaning posts that may help you to get started: 

Visitors Cleaning List

Simple Daily Cleaning List

Spring Cleaning For Houseplants 

Three Simple Cleaning Tips

Aside from these great lists above a few additional house projects that we suggest tackling while your at home during this strange time are: 

1. Clean windows inside and out and don’t forget the sills -- now is also a great time to clean blinds if you have them or throw your curtains into the gentle wash cycle to remove allergens and other particles you might not be able to see (but are likely there)

2. Regrout your Bathroom tile or reseal those shower and sink crevices

3. Take all those books off your bookshelf and wipe them down (perhaps give them a read or send an old favorite to a friend!) 

4. Dust behind electronics and appliances 

5. Clean your dishwasher and washing machine -- here’s a few tips

Also check out our segment on Good Day Sacramento showing you two cleaning tips and the products that we use to tackle them!  

However there is a large portion of society that are still working, now at home with children, animals, or other responsibilities that they usually receive outside help with. For those of you struggling to keep your home clean -- We Are Here to Help!

We’re offering $25.00 off to Health Care Workers throughout May, just mention this blog post. And thank you for your service!