Unilever Being Investigated by French Cleaning Authorities

February 27, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

French competition authorities are investigating Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser over price-fixing on household cleaning products.

The cleaning product makers are among nine international businesses caught up in a cartel investigation, which examines increases in price that were said to be agreed in 2005.

Unilever, whose brands include Cif cream cleaner and Domestos bleach, confirmed that it was co-operating with the French authorities over the investigation that began last year.

It is thought that SC Johnson, the US maker of Pledge furniture polish and Glade air fresheners, tipped of the French Authorities, according to Le Figaro newspaper.

If they’re found guilty, the companies risk fines of up to 10 per cent of their global sales.

Cleaning Those Things it’s Easy to Forget About!

February 18, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : Cleaning Advice, computer cleaning , add a comment

Cleaning your little items always helps, if you take a look around at all your personal belongings you will notice they will have gathered up some sort of dirt.

Cleaning your personal items will help to prevent the spread of germs and bad bacterial which can lead to illnesses.

If you didn’t clean your personal items and left them for a while you would start to notice a build up of dirt on them, such as the numbers on your phone or the handle on your brush. Another example is the build up of dirt on your mobile, the one thing we probably hold the most.

Other items which you may not notice need cleaning are your mouse and keyboard. After many months you will see your mouse and keyboard keys will start to gain a lot of dirt. This can be gained from a lot people using it and causes a spread of bacteria, sometimes leading to you catch an illness.

Making sure you clean up all your everyday personal items and office items can save the spread of bacteria. Cleaning as a whole will sometimes make you feel fresher and more comfortable when you’re at home or in the office.

PM Promises a £50m Deep Clean for Hospitals, But is it an Empty Gesture?

January 15, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

Cleaning contractors are concerned that Gordon Brown’s policy to spend £50m on deep cleaning hospitals, will be an “empty gesture”.

At a Labour conference in September the Prime Minister promised that all hospitals would undergo a deep clean, that would see hospitals as clean as the day they were new.

This is to be put in place in the fight against superbugs like MRSA.

Andrew Large of The Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) said: ”These deep cleans will be an empty gesture unless they are backed up with long-term investment in cleaning”.

He continues: “We will not make any progress in the fight against infections like MRSA, if we do these deep cleans and then let the situation go back to what it was. It will have been a futile exercise.”

The 1,500 hospitals in England have until the end of March to complete the deep clean programme.

Useful Everyday Cleaning Tips!

January 8, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : Cleaning Advice , add a comment

Here are some general tips for cleaning, because you never know…

I hope these tips come in useful to you!

Bosch in Trouble Over Dishwasher Claims!

January 3, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

A recent Bosch dishwasher advert has been taken off the TV because it implied their machine always used less water than washing up by hand.

A voiceover said:  ‘Did you know that washing up by hand uses up to three times more water than if you used a fully loaded Bosch dishwasher?’

The advert was not entirely accurate and Bosch was forced to stop the TV advert being shown in it’s current form.

The commercial did not make clear that in some cases washing up by hand could be more water-efficient than using a dishwasher, said the Advertising Standards Authority.

So it seems Bosch did not do their research properly, the research that was done, only used small samples and wasn’t enough to back up Bosch’s claims.

Watchdog said that in general, AAA-rated electric dishwashers used less water than washing up by hand, when the tap was left running.

But Bosch had not made this clear in the commercial and it’s implication was that it’s fully loaded dishwashers, always used less water than washing up manually.

Removing Those Christmas Party Stains

December 19, 2007 Posted by Administrator in : News, Cleaning Advice , add a comment

It’s Christmas party season, the time for office parties and soirees with the neighbours.  But it’s also time for post-party mess and those dreaded food stains on the furniture… Here is some advice to get rid of them easily and effectively.

Essential items that you should have at the ready during and after the party:

These items will ensure you are ready for any stain that may come your way.

Those nasty food stains:  Fristly don’t panic, sprinkle table salt on to the stain, this will prevent the stain from setting.  Remove all debris from the surface but do not rub it in, instead blot with a wash cloth or white paper towel.  When you have finished, layer the stain with sheets of paper towel topped with a heavy object and leave over night.  This will soak up the stain properly.

Remember to always be prepared, but most of all enjoy yourself it’s only a stain.

Merry Christmas!

Tips For Cleaning Your Work Desk!

December 13, 2007 Posted by Administrator in : News, Cleaning Advice , add a comment

So the chances are you are reading this whilst sitting at your wooden work desk… Now have a look, is it looking a bit dusty and a tad dirty, if so these tips are for you!

Wooden desks and other furniture require some special treatment. Take these tips on board to ensure cleaning, doesn’t ruin a good finish. 

To keep your desk dust free it is best to use lambs wool dusters or classic feather dusters.  However if you are unable to get hold of this type of duster then a dry, clean soft towel will be fine.  It is important to clean your wood from dust because it can cause scratches and abrasions. For sticky spots use soap and water, do not use cleaning sprays.

Furniture polish is a very good tool for cleaning wood, it make the surface slippery and less likely to catch dirt and dust. 

However if you choose to wax the surface, there are a lot of good waxes on the market.  Or alternatively a good homemade recipe for giving your wooden desk a deep clean, consists of equal parts olive oil, denatured alcohol, gum turpentine, and strained lemon juice. You should apply this with a soft cloth and gently buff.

Remember a clean desk environment maintains professionalism and makes yourselve and/or your company even more inviting.  So get the elbow grease going!

Key to MRSA is Targeted Cleaning?

December 5, 2007 Posted by Administrator in : News, Cleaning Advice , add a comment

An expert has said that targeted cleaning is the key to reducing hospital infections.  MRSA could be reduced if focus in on objects which people frequently touch rather than on “catch-all blitzes”.

Microbiologist Dr Stephanie Dancer found bed linen, gowns and tables were a common cause for the superbug, appose to floors. 

The MRSA rate has fallen in recent years with just 6,000 new cases in the last 12 months.  However hospital infections have not fallen fast enough for the government’s target to half MRSA rates by next year, according to 2004 figures.

Dr Stephanie Dancer emphasises the need to clean handled objects included Door handles, bed-rails, furniture and taps.  As these are all common causes.

She also claimed that the cleaning did not even need to be done with state-of-the-art cleaning agents, hot soapy water would do.

There we are then, hospitals have absolutely no excuses!

Infection Fear Due to Dirty Ambulances

November 26, 2007 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

It is feared that ambulances are spreading infection because they are not being cleaned properly.

The health union found that in some areas of the UK, ambulance workers are forced to give their vehicles a “quick mop out” because they don’t have dedicated cleaning staff.

Unison have called for cleanliness standards to be applied and monitored across trusts to improve standards.

Paramedics say they do not have the time to even check the vehicles, which are never deep cleaned.

On a more positive note London Ambulance Service have introduced on-site cleaners who work throughout the night to deep clean the fleet.

Clean the Eco-Friendly Way

November 19, 2007 Posted by Administrator in : News, Cleaning Advice, environment , add a comment

It’s safe to assume that we could all do a little more to help our environment, so here a few tips to help you be more eco-friendly when you clean:

White vinegar:  Is a natural disinfectant and a stain remover.  It’s a diluted ascetic acid and substitute for more powerful ammonia-based cleaners like window cleaner.  White wine vinegar is ok to use, but white distilled vinegar is less expensive. Do not use malt vinegar!

Sodium Bicarbonate:  When mixed with water it forms a slightly alkaline liquid, which goes through grease and dirt on almost all surface’s.  Used neat it’s slightly abrasive and can be used to scrub problem stains.  Often vinegar and soda are mixed, for max cleaning strength.

Olive Oil:  Is a great alternative to furniture polish. The most basic type of olive oil will work, so don’t worry about the fancy extra-virgin stuff.

Lemons:  The citric acid in lemon juice makes it ideal for bleaching, disinfecting, deodorising and getting rid of grease.  It’s an extremely natural and multi-purpose cleaning poduct, All households should have to hand.

Essential Oil:  Dab some essential oil on a light bulb.  Whilst on, the heat will diffuse the fragrance creating a nice smelling room at a very low cost.  This could save you so much on air-fresheners.

Now you’ve got the tips, search those cupboards for these everyday household items and get cleaning!