The Air in Your Home Might Be Polluted – Condo Cleaning Service Toronto

You may not be aware that the air in your home might be polluted. In fact, the air inside your home could be 5 times more polluted than the air outside! With that said, neglecting the quality of the air in your home can lead to illness like allergies, headaches, asthma and more. But don’t be frightened, there are ways to neutralize the impurities. However, what are these pollutants and where do they come from? In this article, we’ll talk about common pollutants found in the home, where they’re coming from and the steps you can take to clean the air in you home.

How Does Home Air Become Polluted?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that contribute to poor air quality in your home. In fact, they are coming from things that you use everyday! Firstly, there are three categories of indoor pollutants. The good news is, that with a little awareness, regular home-cleaning and preventative measures in place, the air in your home will be cleaner in no time!

Combustion Pollutants

“Combustion pollutants” come in the form of gases or particles from burning materials. These gases could come from a space heater, a gas stove, a dryer or a fire place. However, these indoor pollutants will only become problematic when these appliances aren’t properly ventilated.

In fact, some of the most common indoor pollutants that come from gas-eating appliances include carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Unfortunately, these colorless and odorless gases are incredibly dangerous and easy to miss. This makes it even more important to ensure your appliances have been properly installed, enjoy regular maintenance and have good ventilation.

Volatile Organic Compound Pollution

Volatile Organic Compounds (also known as VOC’s) are found in commonly used products including: paints, varnishes, building materials, furnishings, pesticides, craft glues, adhesives, air fresheners, dry-cleaned clothing, carpets, caulking, vinyl and cosmetics. That’s right, check your labels! Unfortunately, all of these items have the potential to pollute the air in your home. For instance, they may be releasing toxins like acetone, benzene, ethylene, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride into your space.

Allergy & Asthma Triggers

We all know at least one person who suffers from asthma or allergies. But did you know that there are triggers in your home? Yep, things like dust mites, mold, pollen, second hand smoke and kitty dander can all be triggers for asthma and allergies.

Unfortunately, these triggers are found in almost every home. For instance, shower curtains have high potential to get moldy. And, there are definitely dust mites in your bedding and in the pet fur around your home. However, if you don’t have time to perform regular home cleanings to fight the dust, consider hiring a professional cleaning service to do it for you!

Purify the Air in Your Home!

No one wants the air in their home polluted. Nor do you probably feel like walking around your own home with a face mask on. Luckily, there are a few simple things you can incorporate into your lifestyle that will help to rid of and/or neutralize the indoor pollutants lurking in your air.

House Plants

As we mentioned in our article about indoor plants, keeping greens inside your home has a variety of benefits: including air purification! In fact, there are some plants that are great at detoxing significant amounts of formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from indoor air.

Plus, if you live in a condo you’ll have a much easier time purifying. Apparently, it takes at least one plant per 100 square feet of your home for effective air cleansing. Go small space living! Check out this list of 9 air-cleansing house-plants for some ideas!

Himalayan Salt Lamp

You’ve seen them in spiritual shops, but did you know that these Himalayan salt lamps actually have air cleansing powers? Yep, the 200-million old crystallized salt that has been turned into a lamp acts as a neutralizer for indoor pollutants. However, you won’t reap the benefits by just letting the lamp sit there. In fact, for the salt lamp to work you must to turn the small bulb on inside so that the salt becomes heated, releasing negative ions. These ions effectively cleanse the air in your home.

Bamboo Charcoal

You may have heard of the activated charcoal ice-cream craze sweeping North America. You might also know how charcoal can purify water and how it’s used in beauty products. But have you heard about how charcoal can purify the air in your home? Whichever way you decide to use it, charcoal removes toxins.

In fact, the porous structure of the charcoal helps to remove bacteria, allergens and other harmful indoor pollutants from the air by absorbing them. Intrigued? We found this great product by Moso, it’s an air cleansing linen-bag filled with high-density bamboo charcoal. The best part is, the bag is rejuvenating, meaning you can use it repeatedly! Simply recharge it by laying it out in the sunlight once a month!

It’s important to note that, breathing in high quality air is not a luxury like aromatherapy – it’s about your health. Perhaps you want to keep your status quo and employ these preventative measures. Whatever you choose, Maid4Condos will be here to help you in whatever way we can!

Hungry for more?

This post was brought to you by Maid4Condos, a top-rated residential cleaning service dedicated to the people of Toronto. Maid4Condos has been a committed partner to the Toronto cleaning and construction scene for years, and continues to provide exceptional cleaning services to clients. Get a FREE quote & book your cleaning today or follow this link to learn more of what we’re all about!

Get Social With Us:

Visit the Maid4Condos blog and follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram for more industry news, Toronto lifestyle guides and cleaning tips!

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 Clean T.O: The Secret to Cleaning Less – Downtown Toronto Maid Service

Many people have yet to realize that the secret to cleaning less is a hot trend sitting right under their noses. That’s right, we’re talking about minimalism! It’s not hard to understand, less stuff’ means less home cleaning. However, you’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of going minimalist- especially if you’re a maximalist. But guess what? If you live in a condo or apartment, you’re already halfway there!

The truth is, we all identify as a minimalist in some way- we just go about it differently. For instance, some practise minimalist downsizing and may sell their car or move into an apartment. For others, it could simply mean consciously removing the ‘excess’ from their home. If you identify more with the latter, you’ll want to go through your clothes closet, your kitchen drawers and all that clutter you’ve been living with! Assuming you’re not looking for any major lifestyle changes, we’re going to walk you through how to downsize the basics, to make your home cleaning much easier!

Downsizing (a.k.a Minimalism)

Contrary to popular belief, minimalism doesn’t mean giving up all your prized possessions. Nor does it have to be extreme like moving into a tiny house or owning only one shirt. However, minimalism does require that you take a step back and ask, “do I really need this right now?” In essence, evaluating whether you need an item in the present moment, versus ‘potentially in the future’ will help relieve your space of useless clutter. Ultimately, leaving you with less housework and more time to do what you love.

Let’s Get Started

Talking about minimalism is great, but actions speak louder than words. We know that starting the minimalist purge can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled a few tips that will help ease you into minimalism and leave you with less home cleaning! Though the simple method of purging will be used throughout the process, it’s how you purge that’s important.

Less Laundry

Face it, when you have a closet full of clothes you’re more likely to throw that pair of jeans you wore once into the hamper. But guess what? Your jeans don’t need to be washed after one use. In order to ease your laundry load, try purging your closet once. Then, do it again and make sure you’ve removed all superfluous items from your wardrobe. In due time, you’ll start to become more conscious of what you’re putting in your hamper. Plus, the internet has a lot of tips to help you get rid of clothes clutter if you get stuck.

Indeed, this advice is all well and fine if you’re a single bachelor or bachelorette. However, what if you live with a spouse or children? The truth is, each person really only needs one towel and one set of sheets. Not only will having one of each lighten the laundry load, you’ll eliminate all the time spent folding and organizing the linen closet! Furthermore, you’ll have free up space in your linen closet. Because, no rational condo dweller would deny some extra space! However, if you have small children it’s smart to keep an extra set of sheets handy. Because, accidents happen.

Less Dishes

Just like your laundry, it’s easy to throw dishes and cups into the sink after only one use. However, that’s exactly how you get an overwhelming pile up by the end of the day! Instead, consider this minimalist idea: fewer dishes will make you more conscious and motivated about cleaning up in your kitchen.

Ultimately, if you only own enough plates, cups and silverware to get each person in your home through one day- there is zero chance of superfluous pile up. Not to mention, you’ll have more motivation to clean to those dishes that are dirty. After all, you want clean dishes for the morning, don’t you? However, there’s nothing worse than bare cupboards when you have guests. So for hosting purposes, you should keep some spares. Intrigued? Take a tour of this minimalist kitchen!

General Clutter

For many people, the most exhausting and time-consuming part of home cleaning is figuring out where to put the clutter that has no home. If you haven’t noticed this, start paying attention to how many things you own that don’t have a designated spot.

Not only will having an assigned place result in less home cleaning, but will help you get into a clearer headspace. As minimalist theory tells us, clutter is not good for mental health! Ultimately, purging all your excess clothing, kitchen ware and clutter is the best way to start incorporating minimalism into your life and reaping the home cleaning rewards to come!

Hungry for more?

This post was brought to you by Maid4Condos, a top-rated residential cleaning service dedicated to the people of Toronto. Maid4Condos has been a committed partner to the Toronto cleaning and construction scene for years, and continues to provide exceptional cleaning services to clients. Get a FREE quote & book your cleaning today or follow this link to learn more of what we’re all about!

Get Social With Us:

Visit the Maid4Condos blog and follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram for more industry news, Toronto lifestyle guides and cleaning tips!

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Parenting Just Got Easier – Maid Service In Toronto

Raising a child is no joke, however we believe that parenting (and home cleaning) just got easier. The truth is, western culture dictates that adults clean up after kids. Which consequently, produces lazy teenagers and adults. By changing your home cleaning practises, not only you could help instill important life-skills in your child, but you could make your own life easier! Just check out our other article to learn how children benefit from cleaning up after themselves!

However, it’s going to be tricky to change the ingrained behavior of your family. But it’s far from impossible. So, whether you have a few teetering tots or elementary aged kids, consider these tips on how to reprogram your family when it comes to home cleaning!

Parenting Just Got Easier With These Tips

1. Change the Rules

Ultimately, it’s easier for children to learn things when they’re young. In other words, it’s harder to reprogram a child’s behavior than it is to teach a toddler from the get go. At the end of the day, older children will simply take more patience and discipline. First, sit down with them and explain that there will be some changes in the house. For example, “you can only start playing with a new toy after the old one has been put away” & “everyone needs to rinse their dishes and put them in the dishwasher after dinner”.

In addition, be sure to create consequences for breaking the new rules. For instance, perhaps your child will lose access to the specific toy they left out, or not receive dessert or a treat in their lunch the next day. However, only create punishments you will follow through with. For this to work, they need to take you seriously.

2. Be a Role Model

Adults can be pretty jaded when it comes to house home cleaning. However, be careful about how much you complain in front of your kids! Ultimately, the more you vocalize your cleaning frustrations, the more you kids will come to associate cleaning with negativity. Instead, paste on a cheery face while you’re doing your own home cleaning! Eventually, your kids will have positive associations with cleaning.

3. Make Clean-Up Fun!

Similar to modelling a happy attitude, there are ways to make clean-up more exciting for children. For instance, you could play a game like: how many blocks can you organize in 2 minutes? Furthermore, try playing fun & energizing music to keep their spirits up! Additionally, you can try diffusing some aromatherapy to create a fun, magical atmosphere that will help their little minds click in action!

4. Break Down the Clean-Up

Cleaning up after a whole afternoon of play time is overwhelming for anyone, let alone a small child. Remember, your child doesn’t have the all problem solving skills required to break down the job into tasks. However, you can help stoke their problem solving skills by suggesting different ways to go about clean up. For example, when cleaning up a game like monopoly, suggest that they sort all the money into piles first.

Furthermore, there is no harm in helping them clean! In fact, home cleaning with your kids will be much more fun and will make them feel less overwhelmed. Plus, they love spending the time with you. At the end of the day you’re not forcing your children to clean because you’re ‘mean’, you’re doing it for their development (and your sanity).

Convinced?

At the end of the day, wouldn’t you prefer to spend time with your kids vs. cleaning up after them? Though it may feel daunting to change the way your house operates, you’ll thank yourself in the long-run and so will your children.

However, it’s difficult to determine which home cleaning tasks are age-appropriate. Like anything, some kids will be ready for larger tasks before others- regardless of age. Don’t worry, there are no with rules. Ultimately, as long as your children are making some kind of progress, it’s safe to say they’re learning. Finally, you can stop worrying about how your kid will fare in college, you know you’ve taught them the right skills! And remember, Maid4Condos will be there  when the clean up is just too overwhelming.

Hungry for more?

This post was brought to you by Maid4Condos, a top-rated residential cleaning service dedicated to the people of Toronto. Maid4Condos has been a committed partner to the Toronto cleaning and construction scene for years, and continues to provide exceptional cleaning services to clients. Get a FREE quote & book your cleaning today or follow this link to learn more of what we’re all about!

Get Social With Us:

Visit the Maid4Condos blog and follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram for more industry news, Toronto lifestyle guides and cleaning tips!

See Maid4Condos Reviews:

Clean T.O: Stop Cleaning up After Your Kids

When you stop cleaning up for your kids, not only will you raise them into self-sufficient adults, but it will save you a whole lot of house-cleaning! Have you ever wondered how an adult could turn out to be such a slob? Well, it was probably because their parents didn’t make them lift a finger…

At the same time, if you have small children you know that asking for their help can just make the cleaning process longer. However, the payoff will be worth the wait! All you have to do is stop cleaning up after your kids. Alas, it’s going to be hard- but you have to stay strong. For the purposes of easing you into the ideas, let’s talk about all the amazing life-lessons and skills your child will learn from cleaning up after themselves…

Really, You Must Stop!

Ultimately, home is the best place to learn most things. And at the end of the day, if your kids aren’t learning things at home, they’re going to be learning it elsewhere- when they’re much older and on their own. For example, have you ever had a slovenly roommate? Sadly, it’s likely that their parents created an environment in which they never had to clean up after themselves.

With that said, you’re doing a disservice to your children by cleaning up their messes! As a matter of fact, you’re raising an adult. All in all, making your child cleans up after themselves, not only will you be relieved of certain cleaning tasks, you’ll be creating learning and growth opportunities for your child that will last a lifetime! So, perhaps it’s time to let your child experience…

1. Accountability

When you make it known to a child that they must clean up after themselves, you are instilling accountability. In reality, it makes sense that each person cleans up after themselves!  With that said, children are still learning the ropes of life, so it’s your job to ease them into cleaning. For instance, a two-year-old couldn’t handle washing their plate- but they may be able to bring it over to the sink! Just like walking and talking, cleaning will take baby steps.

2. Responsibility

When you give your child a chore or a task to complete, you have given them a responsibility. Similar to adults, when a child realizes they are being relied upon there is more chance they are more likely to get the job done! Ultimately, giving your children responsibility over a task will help to nurture their self-esteem and make them more confident in their abilities.

3. Work Ethic

The truth is, very few people are born loving mundane work like cleaning. However, by asking your child to help clean your home, you are helping them develop a work ethic. At some point, everyone needs to learn that there are some things that just need to get done. For this reason, it’s never too early to start learning!

4. Appreciation

Unfortunately, when you clean up your children’s mess without their help, they will never appreciate why messes are frustrating.  However, by asking your child to help clean up, they will start to gain an appreciation of cleanliness and the time it takes to do the job well. Once they see the results of their efforts, they are more likely to maintain a standard of clean- because they know what the consequences will be! Who knows, maybe one day you’ll find your angel of a child cleaning the kitty litter all on their own.

Convinced?

Remember, your child is a growing person that needs to be nourished in many different ways. In reality, the most important lessons we need to learn are never the most fun. However, by instilling traits like accountability, responsibility, work ethic and appreciation in your children there is no doubt they’ll grow up to be fine adults! Plus, your kiddos will benefit from the moral side-effects of being clean long after they’ve left the nest!

With a little patience and push, we know you can turn your house around. At the end of the day, one person shouldn’t be in charge of cleaning up after a pack. In other words, the burden shouldn’t just fall on you. With that said, there are some times when a cleaning service is essential! So when the time comes that you feel overwhelmed or just need a break, Maid4Condos will be there to help!

Hungry for more?

This post was brought to you by Maid4Condos, a top-rated residential cleaning service dedicated to the people of Toronto. Maid4Condos has been a committed partner to the Toronto cleaning and construction scene for years, and continues to provide exceptional cleaning services to clients. Get a FREE quote & book your cleaning today or follow this link to learn more of what we’re all about!

Visit the Maid4Condos blog and follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram for more industry news, Toronto lifestyle guides and cleaning tips!

Clean T.O: The Moral Side Effects of Being Clean

Do you know what healthy, successful and good people all have in common? Apparently, being clean actually has moral side-effects! According to researchers, people with the cleanest homes are the healthier, more successful and just kinder human beings in general! Crazy, right? Maybe not. In fact, there are a few reasons why a clean house will help make you a better person overall. Don’t worry, we’ll explain this phenomenon and how you can start living it.

The Smell of Morality

The connection between cleanliness and morality was popularized by the 2009 study from Brigham Young University that put some participants in a room that was freshly cleaned, and some in a room that could ‘use a wipe down’. Interestingly enough, researchers found that participants in the freshly cleaned room were more likely to volunteer their time and donate to charity. This compared to those in the ‘average’ room! Given the evidence, it was concluded that moral benefits of cleaning are tied to the smell and how we associate with it, cool!

In others words, the positive association with the smell of ‘clean’ triggers moral awareness! Fortunately, our culture has a positive association with the smell of cleaning. Furthermore, this symbiosis creates constant opportunity for you to take advantage of the benefits of being clean and organized. However, there may be an evolutionary reason why we prefer to live and work in clean spaces…

What’s the Deal?

Though it’s rarely spoken about, indoor air is actually more polluted than the air outdoors! Apparently, even spending just 90 minutes indoors gives your lungs the opportunity to breathe in dust mites, pet shedding, mold, bug skeletons, and pollen! This is bad news for the people of Toronto, whose winters are spent scurrying from building to building. Moreover, we can even breathe in toxins from intimate everyday items, like clothing and bed sheets. Wondering why you haven’t gotten sick? Unfortunately, you have. You just thought it was allergies.

Similarly, a study carried out by Havas worldwide found that the more consumeristic items we accumulate, the more depressed, anxious and joyless we feel. Therefore, it makes sense that clutter and materialism have high potential to lead to stress and anxiety. However, there is good news! Additionally, the study also that negative emotions like stress, anxiety and depression can be relieved through vigorous housework! No, we’re not trying to trick you! There’s lots of people that can back us up. For instance, check out this article to find out which five household chores reduce stress!

Your Health

So, keeping your home clean has mental health benefits, but did you know that living in cleanliness can actually improve the choices you make regarding your health? According to a study from Indiana University, participants who had clean homes were found to be the healthiest and most active. However, this connection is not new, in a quote articulated by medical pioneer Florence Nightingale, “The connection between health and the dwelling of the population is one of the most important that exists”. In other words, when you have a healthy home you are able to live a healthier life. And, what’s wrong with that? Not only will a clean home encourage a healthier lifestyle, the rhythmic and repetitive nature of cleaning tasks are quite meditative. Consequently, the act of home cleaning itself can be used an outlet for negative emotions.

Moreover, a study in the Psychological Science Journal found that keeping your home clean can also lead to healthier food choices! The study found those who worked in a clean space were more likely to choose to eat fruit over chocolate. This compared to those who worked in a cluttered room. In other words, when you’re perceive clutter and mess, your mind thinks more chaotically. As a result, you tend to overeat and your body will crave comfort food, like chocolate.

But Don’t Be a Monica…

However, it’s important to remember that being a “Monica” about cleaning is never healthy. You don’t want to increase your stress levels! As a matter of fact, being unaware of a cleaning obsession could lead to the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

For this reason, it’s important to remember that it’s not possible for everything to be 100% clean, 100% of the time.  At the end of the day, cleaning your house regularly once or twice a week you should be reaping all the benefits of being clean. Feel like your home isn’t getting the proper care and cleaning it needs? Check Maid4Condo’s services and start reaping the health benefits of being clean and organized!

Hungry for more?

This post was brought to you by Maid4Condos, a top-rated residential cleaning service dedicated to the people of Toronto. Maid4Condos has been a committed partner to the Toronto cleaning and construction scene for years, and continues to provide exceptional cleaning services to clients. Get a FREE quote & book your cleaning today or follow this link to learn more of what we’re all about!

Visit the Maid4Condos blog and follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram for more industry news, Toronto lifestyle guides and cleaning tips!