Read also: Why DIY Oven Cleaning Hacks Rarely Work (and What to Do Instead for a Sparkling Oven)

Take advantage of the fridge cleaning to throw away any expired food.

Fridge Cleaning: Conquering the Clutter, Stains, and Dirt

With summer upon us, keeping your fridge clean and well-functioning becomes crucial. We store more food during the warmer months, from barbeque leftovers to refreshing salads, and a clean, well-maintained fridge ensures everything stays delicious and safe to consume. Here’s what to do to sanitise and freshen up your fridge step-by-step:

1. The Great Food Eviction

Before tackling the nooks and crannies, it’s time for a complete fridge inventory. Grab a basket or two and remove everything – yes, everything! This is your chance to identify expired items (guilty of forgetting that jar of mystery chutney in the back?), conduct a food safety check (goodbye, wilted lettuce!), and mentally note what needs restocking.

2. Sorting and Storing

While the fridge is bare, sort through your food and discard anything past its prime. Place leftovers in airtight containers to prevent them from drying out or tainting other items. Group similar items together: fruits and vegetables in the crisper drawers, dairy products on higher shelves, and meats at the bottom (to prevent any drips from contaminating other items).

Check also: A Professional Cleaner’s Guide to a Spotless Extractor Hood

If you have to use bleach or other strong cleaners when cleaning a particularly dirty fridge, wear gloves to protect your hands. Image by yanalya on Freepik

3. Deep Fridge Cleaning

Now comes the fun part (well, almost!). Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two buckets (one for soapy water, one for rinsing)
• Microfibre cloths, scrubbing sponges
• Rubber gloves
• Baking soda
• White vinegar (optional)
• Spray bottle
• Dish soap
• Bleach (for the really messy situations)

First things first

Remove all shelves and drawers. Most fridge components are removable for a thorough cleaning. Wash them in warm, soapy water in your sink or the shower.

Pro tip: Avoid boiling hot water, which can warp some plastics.

For the fridge interior

Mix a solution of warm water and liquid dish soap in one bucket. Dip your microfibre cloth, wring it out well to avoid dripping, and wipe down all surfaces, including shelves, door shelves, walls, and the rubber door gasket (a breeding ground for bacteria!).

Tackling sticky stains

Baking soda is your secret weapon against stubborn grime. Apply baking soda and water paste to any sticky areas. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then scrub gently with a damp microfibre cloth.

Some types of food like fresh produce are in direct contact with the shelves. That’s why it’s so important to sanitise the fridge interior. Pic: Vadim Vasenin Deposit photos

Dealing with mouldy patches

Use equal parts white vinegar and water solution on mouldy spots, gaskets, corners, or drip pan. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.

Deep fridge sanitisation

Power cut while you were on vacation, and now your fridge is filled with spoiled food and rancid or rotten smell? We’ve been there! Everything will be okay, but the fridge needs sanitisation beyond dish soap and baking soda. Mix 1 litre of water with 4 tbsp bleach and wipe every part of the interior. Use gloves when doing this.

Side note from our experienced end of tenancy cleaners who regulalry deal with deep fridge cleaning: If you plan to use any other cleaning products to clean your fridge right after you clean it with bleach, make sure they don’t contain ammonia.

Rinse and Dry

Once you’ve finished cleaning the interior, empty the soapy water bucket and rinse everything down with clean water. Use a fresh microfibre cloth to wipe away any remaining moisture.  Leaving surfaces damp can lead to mould growth.

Read also: 4 Easy Steps to an Impeccably Clean Washing Machine

With glass cleaner, you can easily remove fingerprints and smears from the fridge door.

Exterior Fridge Cleaning

The fridge’s exterior also deserves some TLC:

• Wipe down the surface: Use a damp microfiber cloth to remove dust, fingerprints, and splashes. For stubborn stains, a diluted vinegar solution often works wonders.
• Tackling greasy splashes: If your fridge is near a cooker, you might find oil or food splashes on the outside. Baking soda paste, oven degreaser, or a solution of warm water with a few drops of dish soap can help remove these sticky messes.

Bonus Tip: Removing Children’s Art

We understand that little hands sometimes have a way of “decorating” appliances with stickers; some leave stubborn, sticky, adhesive residues. Here’s how to remove them without damaging the fridge surface:

• Heat it: A hairdryer set on low heat can loosen the adhesive on the sticker. Hold the hairdryer a few inches from the sticker and slowly peel off as the adhesive softens. Be careful not to overheat the surface, especially with stainless steel fridges.
• Treatment with oil: A little vegetable oil can go a long way. Apply a small amount to the edges of the sticker and leave it for a few minutes. The oil will help loosen the adhesive, allowing you to peel it off gently. Afterwards, clean the area with soapy water.
• The dental floss trick: Slide dental floss underneath the edge of the sticker and gently glide it back and forth. It can be a slow process, but it’s effective for removing stubborn stickers without leaving marks.

While these methods work well for existing artwork, a little prevention goes a long way. Consider using designated sticker areas on the fridge, like a small whiteboard section, to channel your little artist’s creativity.

Check also: Deep Cleaning vs Regular Home Cleaning: What You’re Actually Missing

A foul smell of spoiled food is a good reason to clean your fridge during the summer. Image by bearfotos on Freepik

Dealing with Fridge Funk

Here are the most common sources of foul odours in your fridge and how to deal with them:

• Expired food: This is the most likely culprit. Double-check for forgotten food items, especially behind condiments and crisper drawers.
• Spoiled spills: Clean up any spills promptly to prevent odours and stains.
• Strong-smelling foods: Wrap pungent foods like onions, cheese, and fish in airtight containers to neutralise them. Consider using baking soda as a natural odour absorber in a small open container.

Freshening Up: Beyond the Baking Soda

While baking soda does wonders for most odours, there are instances where it might not be enough. Here are some additional options:

• Coffee grounds: Place a small bowl of fresh coffee grounds in your fridge to absorb strong-smelling odours like fish or garlic. Discard and replace when the coffee grounds lose their potency.
• Lemon halves: Cut a lemon in half and place it on a shelf. The citric acid helps neutralise odours and leaves a pleasant, fresh scent. Replace the lemon halves every few days.

If your fridge smells like nail polish, you might have to call an appliance repair service.

The Mystery Stench

Sometimes, the culprit behind a smelly fridge isn’t a cleaning issue. Here are some additional tips to keep odours at bay: Here are some common culprits:

• Overflowing drip pan: the drip pan that collects condensation can start smelling mouldy or musky over time. Check your manual for its location and clean it regularly.
• Freon leak: If the interior of your appliance reeks of acetone or nail polish, you are most probably facing a more severe issue. Contact a qualified appliance repair technician immediately if you suspect a Freon leak. Freon is a refrigerant gas that can be toxic if inhaled.

Read also: 5 Things We Often Forget When Cleaning Our Home

Keeping fish and poultry in an open container is a recipe for stinky fridge. Image by freepik

Maintaining Fridge Freshness: A Long-Term Strategy

Now that your fridge is sparkling clean and odour-free, here are some habits to keep it that way:

• Don’t let spills become breeding grounds for bacteria and odours. Address them as soon as they happen.
• Use airtight containers for leftovers and strong-smelling foods. Wrap fruits and vegetables in breathable storage bags.
• Schedule a quick fridge inspection every week. Identify and discard expired food before it becomes a source of odours or potential foodborne illnesses.
• Aim for a thorough fridge clean every 3 months or more often if needed. Deep cleaning ensures a hygienic environment for your food and keeps your fridge functioning optimally.

KTMA Ltd.: Professional Expertise for Long-Lasting Freshness

Don’t have the time to clean? We can help! Our experienced domestic cleaners in London can do much more than tackle dirty appliances! Call us for a one-off cleanup or regular home cleaning. Let us take care of the cleaning so you can enjoy the summer with your family!

The post The Ultimate Guide to a Fresh and Clean Fridge appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

Check out also: End of Tenancy Cleaning London Prices.

What is Limescale?

First things first, before you tackle the beast, you need to know what it is. Limescale is a sneaky little thing. It’s a hard, chalky deposit, made up of mainly calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It often tends to build up in kettles, hot water boilers, and pipework, especially for hot water. Limescale builds up in places where “hard water” evaporates. After which, limescale usually turns a funny colour. The colours can vary from off-white through to a range of greys and pink or reddish browns. In addition to being hard to clean and not so pleasing to the eye, it can cause serious damage to plumbing and heating components.

How NOT to Remove Limescale

As always with cleaning methods, there are many cleaning myths out there. That’s why we have tried and tested those methods and we’re here to give you the results. Here are the two most popular limescale removal myths we’ve discovered:

1. Bleach – Common bleach is one of the best friends of the household. It can remove tough stains, brighten darkened surfaces, disinfect, and it kills basically everything. So it would be understandable as to why so many people think it works. The truth is that it doesn’t actually remove the limescale. It just brightens the discolouration. In this case, it makes the limescale more destructive, as you can’t see it and aren’t aware of the damage it’s doing.
2. Coca-Cola – According to this myth, pouring a bottle of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and leaving overnight will destroy the limescale. The idea is that the acid in the cola will get rid of the limescale. Our results on this test weren’t great. All we got was a cola-coloured limescale stain.

How to Remove Limescale From Your Toilet?

Ok, so now we’ve cleared up those little myths, we’ll tell you a few DIY ways of de-scaling your toilet. You will need:

• White vinegar
• Sandpaper

That’s it! Here are our two methods from limescale removal:

How to Remove Limescale with Vinegar:

1. Get 1 litre of undiluted white vinegar and pour it into the bowl. Make sure you get all sides of the toilet bowl.
2. Now, it’s waiting time. Give it at least 3 hours to sit.
3. Using a toilet brush or a scrubbing sponge with more white vinegar, scrub ot the toilet bowl.
4. Flush to remove all residue.
5. Repeat until your toilet is sparkling like new!

How to Remove Limescale with Sandpaper:

We recommend using 2 types of sandpaper for this job – medium-grain and fine-grain

1. Scrub the inside of the toilet starting with the medium-grain sandpaper.
2. Carry on until the majority of the limescale is gone and don’t apply to much pressure so as not to scratch the bowl.
3. Using the fine-grain start to buff the inside of the toilet until the stain is completely gone.
4. Flush the loo to get rid of any residue and clean the toilet as you usually would.

Need professional cleaning help? Check out our one-off cleaning service!

The post How to Remove Limescale From Your Toilet appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

Although people write their New Year’s resolutions in January, spring is actually the better season for new beginnings and new healthier habits. After the long and exhausting winter, we all are hungry for a change and for a fresh start! Spring is also the best time of the year to deep clean your home. However, before the actual cleaning begins you will need to spare some time to tidy up and organise your place.

Today, KTMA Ltd. experts share their ultimate list of more than 30 things you need to get rid off, right now, in order to start on a clean slate.

30 + Things You Need to Let Go This Spring

Spring-cleaning can be a time-consuming task, even if your home doesn’t need a de-cluttering. In order to deal with it easy and hassle-free you can spare a day before the actual cleaning and say goodbye to the following items:

Kitchen

• Tupperware – keep a few boxes you use the most and get rid of the rest.
• Plastic bags – everybody has a cabinet full of old shopping bags, be different!
• Expired spices and condiments – dry spices are good for as long as 18-24 months. Sauces last up to six months in the refrigerator.
• Single wrapped sauces and plastic cutlery – free a whole kitchen drawer by throwing away all the ‘takeout accessories’.
• Kitchen items that double – because nobody needs two potato peelers.
• Coffee and tea mugs – cups tend to pile up and over the years you might have acquired an impressive collection. Keep a few donate the rest.
• Single use kitchen utensils – the garlic press is quite handy, but unless you are a professional chef, the shrimp deveiner or the mango pitter just take up too much space in your kitchen drawers.

Related content: The Ultimate Kitchen Spring Cleaning Guide

Children’s room

• Small clothes – children are outgrowing their garments fast. Donate the ones that are in a good condition and throw away the rest.
• Stuffed animals & toys – keep the most favourite toys and donate the rest.
• Children’s art projects – it’s difficult to throw away your child’s art. However, spare a few hours for careful curation, keep the most precious drawings and projects, and say goodbye to the rest.

Read also: How to involve children in the housekeeping chores

Living room

• Old magazines – don’t be a hoarder! Remember that most of the content can be found online. Recycle the paper.
• Documents and bills – out-dated receipts, bills, and paychecks, manuals for old electronics – do you really have that much space at home?
• Gifts you don’t like – let yourself free from guilt and get rid of that ugly vase from your favourite aunt. The same applies for broken souvenirs.
• Books – keep only your favourite books and the classics. Your old textbooks are probably out-dated anyway.

Check also: Our Living Room Spring Cleaning List

Bedroom and Closet

• Worn out underwear – everybody has that one, ‘most comfortable’ bra, or a lucky pair of socks. However, when worn out these items are just making it more difficult to find what to wear in the morning.
• Old T-shirts – there are old favourite t-shirts reminding you of some nice trips and great concerts. However, these garments tend to pile up in your wardrobe. Wear everything that still fits you. Throw away the rest.
• Worn out towels and bed linens – The only reasonable way to reuse these items is to cut them in pieces, use them during your spring cleaning instead of rags, and then toss them for good.
• Damaged garments and shoes – don’t keep torn or broken clothing damaged beyond repair.
• Your wedding dress – it’s a gorgeous sentiment of a precious moment, however, wedding dresses take up too much space. Donate your dress to a charity and help someone else have their special day.
• Coat hangers – keep only wooden hangers of good quality. Get rid of the broken plastic and metal ones you get from your dry cleaners.

Read also: How to Spring Clean Your Bedroom

Cosmetics & Accessories

• Hair accessories – you don’t have any use of elastic bands that have lost their elasticity. Throw away or donate all out-of-fashion hair accessories.
• Broken jewellery – there’s no point of keeping broken pendants or single earrings.
• Old makeup – check the expiration dates of your cosmetics. Throw away everything older than 2 years, except you don’t insist on getting a strange rash.
• Bags, purses, and belts you don’t wear anymore – It is difficult to get rid of a purse, especially if it was pricey when you bought it. But these items take too much of your closet space.
• Expired medicine – using old pills and ointments is dangerous. Clean up your drug cabinet.

Check how to clean your silver jewellery at home

Technology & Random Gadgets

• Power cables – You get a power cord every time you purchase a gadget. There is no need to keep all of them, especially those for old technology, that you probably don’t even own anymore.
• Out-dated gadgets – all cameras and old cell phones piling up in your cabinets can help someone in need. Donate them.
• Paper memories – greeting cards, wedding invitations, plane tickets – we keep all these items as souvenirs, but in the end, we end up with a messy pile/box/drawer. Recycle the paper.

Garage & Garden

• Area rugs – do you keep an old rug in your garage just in case you need it again? If you haven’t used it for the last 2 years, then you probably wouldn’t the next 20.
• Old paint – Paint dries up fast once it’s opened. If you purchased the can more than 1 year ago, then you probably should get rid of it.
• Sports Equipment – keep only the sports gear you use on regular basis. Sell or donate the rest.
• Pots and Gardening tools – you haven’t planted a single plant for years, your tools are rusty, and half of the pots are already broken. Give away the items that still are in a good condition, throw away the others, free yourself some space in your garage.

Check also: 9 Easy and Efficient Tips to Help You Organise Your Garage

Need a hand with your Spring cleaning chores? Don’t hesitate to call us now and book a cleaner for a day to help you make your home shine!

The post 30 + Things You Need to Throw Away Before Spring Cleaning the House appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

We often share with various DIY recipes and methods to clean your home and all of work great. On our blog you can find tips on how to clean your upholstery (check here and here) and methods on cleaning different types of furniture (check our suede cleaning guide, or our leather sofa cleaning tips). We also share with you a lot of green cleaning recipes like – how to clean your home with grapefruits, or how to prepare your own cleaners from soapnuts and even – how to clean after your dog without using toxic products and many, many more.

But today, we want to share with you some thoughts on why hiring professional house cleaning company is a good thing and how it can benefit you in long-term perspective.

Top 7 Reasons to Hire Professional House Cleaners

Having a clean and tidy home is an important condition if you want your daily life to be running smoothly. However, if you have busy professional or social life, cleaning your home isn’t one of the most desirable activities. And this is what professional domestic cleaners are for – to make your home tidy, clean and cozy at minimal efforts on your side. If you still doubt whether to entrust the maintenance of your home to a professional company, read the top 10 advantages of hiring house cleaners.

1.Your Home is Always Impeccably Cleaned

When you hire experts to clean your house or apartment you can be sure that every task is handled professionally and your place is tidy and spotless when you come home from a busy day at work.

2.You Have a lot More Time for Other Things

The best part of hiring professional home cleaners is – no more exhausting hours of housework for you. Instead of washing the dishes, or dealing with stains you can focus on other tasks of your busy schedule, or just enjoy the evening at home with your family or just taking a rest with your favourite book.

3.The Perfect Solution if you are Unable to Clean

Sometimes, if you are preoccupied, or ill, it is impossible to clean by yourself. If you still want your home to be in a good condition, while you can’t spare the time to clean it – hiring professional cleaners is the best solution.

4.You can Arrange Regular Visits

Often, when maintaining your home by yourself, you clean when you have the time for it. This can result in long periods of chaos, piles of dirty dishes, laundry and dust everywhere around the house and etc. When you call professional domestic cleaners you can arrange regular visits, and services tailored to your specific requirements and needs, ensuring the cleanliness of your place all the time.

5.Home Cleaners Provide Experience and Expertise

Professionals have years of hand-on experience in the field and when hiring them they will provide you with the best possible service. Moreover their extensive training allows them to provide you with expertise – knowing how to deal immaculately with all kinds of dirt and stains.

6.Top-notch Cleaning Equipment & Products

On your request professional cleaners will bring their own equipment. They have powerful cleaning machines, which cannot be competed when it comes to deep cleaning your carpets and upholstery. Cleaning companies also use professional grade of cleaning products and solutions to deal with all types of stains. And the best part is, you can find cleaners that work with environmentally friendly products, which are safe for you and for the nature.

7.Hiring Professional Home Cleaners isn’t Expensive

Viva la competition! Nowadays there are a lot of cleaning companies offering types of services at affordable prices. A lot of professional cleaners often make exclusive seasonal offers or provide bulk of services at discount prices.

If you want quality services from ensured and certified company, don’t hesitate to book your cleaner now.

The post 7 Benefits of Hiring Professionals to Clean Your Home appeared first on KTMA Ltd..

Hallway

I personally prefer to start up clean up from here to prevent distributing the dust and dirt to other rooms.

1. Put all the shoes in the shoe cabinet, clothes and bags – on the coat hanger.
2. Throw away any old bills, empty bags and other stuff that usually get forgotten in the hallway.
3. Sweep/vacuum the floor.
4. If you have tiles in your hallway wipe them with a mop and warm water.
5. If you have a mirror there you can wipe it with rubbing alcohol to remove fingerprints and other spots from it.

Kitchen

Even if you don’t have the time to clean the kitchen impeccably these tips will help you make it more welcoming and pleasant to use.

1. Pick up all empty packages and food leftovers and throw them in the bin.
2. Put all the dirty dishes in the sink or directly into your dishwasher.
3. Sweep the floor and if needed – wipe it with moist mop soaked in hot water.
4. Wipe up all the surfaces with clean cloth, soaked in solution made from warm water and all-purpose cleaner. (You can check our green recipes for home made all-purpose cleaner.)

Bathroom & Toilet

One of the easiest things is to make your bathroom and toilet look clean and tidy. Follow these tips to deal with this area in 15 minutes – or even less.

1. Pour evenly a generous amount of disinfectant in the toilet bowl, the bathtub and in the sink and leave it like this for 10 minutes.
2. Wipe the floor with slightly moist mop.
3. Change the towels with clean ones and drop them in the laundry basket.
4. Rinse the disinfectant after you’re don with everything else.
5. Wipe the mirror with clean rag soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Living Area

This is the place everybody spent most time at home so it easily gets messy. Follow our tips to tidy up fast and make it look nice and clean.

1. Get all dirty cups and dishes from the coffee table and take them to the kitchen sink or directly to the dishwasher.
2. Collect all empty packages (chips, popcorn, plastic bottles etc.) and throw them in the trash bin.
3. Wipe the dust from TV stand and sound system – dust makes every room seem dirtier than it is.
4. Run a vacuum quickly onto the high traffic area – near the sofa and around coffee table.

Bedroom

This are is the one that gets dirty more slowly than the rest of the house so the clean up here should be very fast.

1. Collect all dirty clothes and take them to the laundry basket.
2. Fold the clean ones and put them away.
3. Run a vacuum if there’s need for that.
4. Make up the bed.
5. Open the windows for 5 minutes to ventilate the room.

Voila! Your home looks clean and tidy! If you keep up with this routine the thorough cleaning of the house will be a lot easier to do. You can leave that for the weekends or even consider hiring a cleaning team for a few hours every now and then – companies now offer are many different options suitable for regular or one-time cleaning. In case you missed our last article, here you can read about 5 green ways to clean a home carpet.

The post 5 Easy 15 Minute Clean Ups for Your Home appeared first on KTMA Ltd..