Shocking Cleaning Facts

A new study conducted by Mintel has revealed some shocking facts about the state of British homes. According to the study, three in ten (27%) households hardly ever clean their windows, almost a quarter (23%) rarely clean their oven and 28% of respondents admitted that their home is frequently messy.

•          Three in ten home use carpet shampoo
•          12% have paid for professional carpet and upholstery cleaners
•          One in 20 have previously used a professional cleaner
•          A third use window cleaner
•          14% admit to having problems with blocked sinks, drains, toilets or plugs
•          16% would consider buying a specialist cleaner or polish for their gadgets

Despite all this there are some households that regularly clean their home, with 24% saying that they spend two and a half hours cleaning on a daily basis and 75% care about possessing a clean and presentable home.

Richard Caines, Senior Household Care Analyst at Mintel, said: “For the most part, Brits are enthusiastic cleaners, but some jobs remain too much for even the most devoted cleaner.

“Cleaning the windows and oven top the least loved tasks, and the windows of more than a quarter of adults hardly ever get cleaned, suggesting the market for window cleaners is not realising its full potential.

“Carpet cleaners have been a star performer in the household cleaning products market, sales of carpet and upholstery cleaners did well between 2010 and 2011 boosted by product innovation seen from some major brands and an effort to look after carpets as opposed to buying new floor coverings.”

The research also discovered that:

•          The household cleaning market is valued at £1 billion
•          The household polishes and specialist cleaning products market was worth £171 million in 2011, showing an increase of 16% between 2006 and 2011
•          During the same time frame, furniture polish grew by 45% to £32 million
•          Floor polish sales decreased over the same period of time by a third (33%) to £8 million

Mr Caines said: “Strong increases in the value of sales of furniture polishes and carpet cleaners suggest that consumers are willing to spend more money on products that help to protect and maintain the look of household items that are expensive for them to replace.

“In contrast to the strong performance seen in furniture polishes, sales of floor polish have declined and those people with real wood floors that need polishing represent a small minority of households.”

So come on Britain, a lot of work needs to be done, but nothing can be more rewarding than sitting in a clean home. If you’re not too sure how to go about combating rust or cleaning grout take a look at out cleaning tips and advice, there are lots of useful guides to use that will help you tackle a messy home.

Dinner party cleaning essentials

Cleaning Essentials for a Dinner PartyWe all know the biggest cleaning job of a dinner party is the washing up. With glasses having to be refreshed and plates replaced to serve a different course, the washing up can mount up. So why not keep on top of the load by using a washing up liquid that offers glistening results every time? Keeping on top of things throughout the event, means you will have a relaxing night offering you the opportunity to reminisce about the dinner party.

If you’re searching for a top of the range washing up liquid, Click Cleaning can offer you one of the best liquids on the market today as well as an environmentally friendly alternative. Citrol Lemon Washing Up Liquid produces a long-lasting foam to combat greasy dishwashing problems, perfect for cleaning up baking trays used to roast vegetables. Whereas the Ecoforce Washing Up Liquid is a readily biodegradable neutral detergent that provides an effective finish, whilst being gentle on the skin.

Washing up by hand can be a green way of ensuring your crockery is kept sparkling clean as long as the sink is filled and no additional water is run. However, according to a study by the University of Bonn in Germany, a dishwasher can be more eco-friendly as it uses less water (up to 35% less). So if you will be running a dishwasher for your dinner party, we’re sure you’re going to love these products from Finish:

Finish Classic 3in1 Dishwasher Tablets

Finish Rinse Aid

Finish Special Salt

Finish Dishwasher TRIPLE PACK

However, there are many other cleaning jobs that need to be completed over the course of the day before the guests arrive, which makes this essential list one of the most useful guides around. Not only is there washing up to do, you also need to tidy and throw away all the food preparation waste and have stain removal products around you just in case there is an accidently spill! Here are the top products we believe you should have around the house ready for your dinner party:

Acorn Green Bin Liner Clear/Printed

Biodegradable Refuse Sacks

Prochem Spot Remover Kit 

The Reasons Why You Should Clean Your Carpets

When we think of cleaning our carpets, we tend to believe it’s to remove stains, odours and to enhance the carpet’s appearance. However, this is a common misconception as these reasons are often the least important. 

In fact, it’s our health that’s the most imperative of all. Unclean and dirty carpets can harbour a lot of organic and chemical ‘nasties’. These can include microscopic bugs, fungi, pollen and bacteria. When it comes to harmful chemicals in our carpets, the list can quadruple. Whether you come into contact with chemicals inside or out, they’re sure to travel onto your shoes and eventually onto your carpet.

The second reason you need to maintain a clean carpet is to improve its longevity. Carpeting your home can easily become one of the biggest investments you’ve made, so taking care of them should be one of your main priorities. What many people don’t realise is that dirt particles are often sharp and jagged, so when walking on the carpet it’s constantly being cut, the dirt actually shears parts of the pile at the base next to the weave.

Having a general clean once or twice a week will help improve the longevity of your carpet and your health, as well as providing you with an aesthetically pleasing carpet.

For all your carpet cleaning needs, you will find a great range of products at Click Cleaning.  You’ll find everything from detergents and protectors to carpet sanitisers and carpet stain removal products in this unique range.

Carpet Fact File

•    The first carpets were hand-knotted pile thought to originate from southern Central Asia, between the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE.
•    The earliest group of surviving knotted pile carpets (often referred to as Konya Carpets) were produced under Seljuk rule in the first half of the 13th century on the Anatolian peninsula.
•    The Pazyryk Carpet is the oldest surviving carpet in the world dating from the 5th-4th century BCE, discovered by Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko in 1949.
•    The Pazyryk Carpet is richly coloured, measures 200 x 183cm and is framed by a border of griffins.


Getting ready for Easter

Removing chocolateEaster is a messy time of year, but without doubt a great one. All that chocolate is a beautiful sight, but when children get their hands on it, it seems to get everywhere; all over their hands and mouths, and when you aren’t looking; they love to put their mucky hands all over the furniture. Wrappers are also a nightmare; children love to watch you find wrappers with melted chocolate in-between sofa cushions, stuck onto the carpet and in the most unlikely of places.

So what can you do?

Be prepared and on the lookout for what your children could be doing this Easter. If you are cautious over your carpets, Prochem Neutral Pro Spotter is what you need. It is a general stain remover that can tackle most food, drink and water based stains, but the best benefit of this product is that it is a WoolSafe approved maintenance product. 

When it comes to your sofas, spot clean by dabbing a little bit of water on the stain, but be careful not to come in contact with any zips, as this could result in rusting. If your furniture is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester, it should be easy to clean. However, if it is made out of more than 50% cotton or Haitian, then a professional clean will be needed. When it comes to cleaning a leather sofa, the best products for your to use are HG Deep Cleaner for leather and HG 4 in 1 for leather. For instructions on how to use these products, take a look at Leather Cleaning Tips on Click Cleaning’s Tips and Advice page.

The easiest part of the house for you to clean, are countertops and other surfaces a like; with the simple use of a multi-purpose spray; it will be gleaming with just one stroke (depending how long the chocolate has been there for).

However, the best precaution of them all is to make sure you have stocked up on refuse sacks and bin liners, you never know how much chocolate your children will receive and how much mess they will make with the wrappers. 

Whatever you are planning this Easter, have a fantastic one.