Deep cleaning 101: When to hire professional cleaners
MANILA, Philippines – With all the demands of daily life including work and caring for one’s family, the task of cleaning up has become more of a chore than ever. A quick vacuuming session every other day might keep the dust at bay but sometimes a full reset is needed.
Deep cleaning one’s home is a long and tedious process which can consume entire weekends. Fortunately, there are professional cleaning services one can contact to do more than just the heavy lifting. The more established ones have equipment that their staff can use to vacuum, shampoo and dry mattresses in a short time.
Businessman Mike Gamez has been in the cleaning business for well over a decade, first as an agent for an uncle selling vacuum machines and other appliances before striking out on his own. Since he knew how to properly operate the different equipment to their maximum capacity — he would conduct product demos for potential clients — it seemed like a natural progression.
Gamez put up Cleeneco in 2014 offering services that now include general deep cleaning and post-construction cleaning as well as itemized shampooing and car interior detailing. He also distributed imported vacuum machines but three years ago, he started offering machines bearing his own brand.
“We service both residential and corporate accounts but the bulk of our work is 75% homes,” he told Philstar.com. “Many of them are clients who are time-poor and want to spend whatever downtime they have doing something they enjoy with their loved ones, not cleaning.”
His team of over two dozen is trained to clean walls, high ceilings, and hard-to-reach spaces but deep cleaning beds might be their forte. They follow a five-step process that starts out with vacuuming followed by shampooing. Next is the water spray extraction system that rinses the mattress of any residual detergent. The mattress is then dry-steamed before it is propped up against a wall with an industrial blower aimed at it.
“If you or a family member suffers from allergic rhinitis, it’s really important to have the mattress cleaned on a regular basis. When it’s done properly, it rids it of tiny dust mites that feed on flakes of naturally-shed skin particles. It isn’t the dust mites themselves but their poop that can trigger allergic rhinitis,” Gamez said.
Another common complaint of clients is the presence of mold in their homes that appears as white patches on walls and furniture. “Mold is normal and can be found in bread but there is mold that can prove detrimental to one’s health.”
Regular cleaning can help keep mold at bay but he recommends sunlight and proper ventilation. “Draw back the curtains or blinds and open your windows and doors. This promotes cross ventilation,” Gamez said.
The businessman in him is set to innovate in the next few days with subscription-based plans.
“Instead of waiting for clients to contact us when they require deep cleaning of their homes, we will offer them plans where they can have their places cleaned quarterly or every six months,” he said.
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