Month: July 2022

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5 Tips to Spruce Up Your Home After a Good Cleaning

After spending the better part of an afternoon or a whole weekend cleaning your home, you are bound to find that the place looks and feels more livable. However, while you cleaned, you also emptied up more space and took the opportunity to notice things that could use some improvement. How do you go about sprucing up your home to make it look as great as it can? How can you make it feel more like home? Here are five tips on how to decorate your home after cleaning it.

1) Declutter and decorate

A decluttered home is a sign of a well-kept home. Not only does it look nicer, but it also helps you stay organized. Add some decorative organizers to your home to help keep the clutter at bay and your things in order. Invest in affordable organizers that can be used for multiple purposes. Magazine holders or baskets can be used for storage as well as decor. Other examples include bookshelves, and shelves in general, like shoe racks and so on. These organizers can truly double the decor by adding them to areas around your house. You can even get a fancy spice rack for your kitchen or a few jars for your bathroom necessities. Plus, these organizers are not only decorative but also functional. So while they make your space look a bit better, you will also feel more put together and enjoy convenience on a daily basis.

2) Update (or replace) light fixtures and lamps

A quick and easy way to change the feel of your home is to update light fixtures and lamps. This can be as simple as replacing an old, outdated light fixture with a new one. Or, you could invest in some new lamps for your home. Either way, this will help create a fresh, new look for your home. You can also spice up the space with LED lighting to add more color and have control over it. Did you know that you can even get LED lights that sync with your phone and flash to the beat of the music you play?

3) Add plants and flowers

There’s something about adding plants to your home that just makes it feel more alive. Not only do they add color and beauty, but they also help purify the air. If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your home after a good cleaning, adding plants and flowers is a great option. Go green! They come in a variety of sizes, colors, and of course – scents. Find flowers with a fun aroma, so that all of your senses can enjoy them. Look into small succulents or cactus plants as well, because they are low maintenance and trendy. Check out your local farmer’s market or home goods store for more options. Customize and take it a step further by looking for fancy pots and unique vases.

4) Play around with paint and other pops

A fresh coat of paint can really do wonders for a room. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even paint an accent wall. You can always experiment with color combinations and patterns when it comes to paint. Another way to add some pop to your home is by adding texture. This can be done by hanging new curtains or adding a few throw pillows to your couch. You could also try adding some unique rugs if you have the space for it.

5) Invest in art and antiques

Last but not least, spruce up your space with some new art or antiques. Visit a nearby gallery if you are looking to invest in some fancy decor. But arts and antiques do not have to be expensive. Check out your local thrift store or antique shop for unique pieces that will add character to your home. You can also opt to look into online shops like Etsy and Mercari, for more customizable and collectible options. This way, you can find the perfect painting, perfect photo frame, perfect trinket, and so on. But you can also feel good about where your money is going as you will be supporting a local business in your community or a small artist online.

Contact us!

After decorating your space, it is important to maintain cleanliness to ensure your new treasures and your home stay clean and taken care of. We offer weekly, biweekly, and monthly cleaning plans. Or you can just book on a one-time basis whenever you need it! We will ensure your newly decorated space is further elevated through a deep cleaning!

Plan: B Cleaning serves the Hamilton County area, including Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Fortville, and Geist. Call today to set up your cleaning service at (317) 572-8515 or visit our website at www.planbcleaning.com.

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A Guide to Cleaning Any Type of Flooring

There are many methods to choose from when it comes to cleaning floors, carpets, or tiles. You can use a mop, a broom, or a vacuum. You can scrub with a cloth or spray a detergent onto the surface and scrub with a rag. The options for cleaning floors are endless. Which one is best? Different types of materials for different cleaning methods largely depend on the type of floor you have to clean. This guide will introduce you to different floor cleaning methods and the materials they are best used with.

Different Types of Floors, Different Cleaning Methods

One of the toughest questions regarding floor care is “how do you clean different types of floors?” The answer to this question is not as simple as it may seem. While it is possible to clean most types of floors using the same or similar methods, some flooring requires special care. If you are moving to a new home or looking for a different cleaning method for your current home, it is important to consider the type of flooring you have. For example, wood, laminate, and tile flooring are durable flooring types that are easy to maintain.
Let’s get to learn more about the different types of floors and how you should clean them:

Wood Floors

While hardwood floors have bounced back in popularity, they can still be a pain to clean. One of the biggest turn-offs to having wood floors is the frequent need for maintenance. Dust, dirt, and debris can build up over time and cause scratching of the surface. And if you don’t have good vacuum cleaners or cleaning solutions, it’s easy to end up with dirty and scratched floors. Luckily, it’s not too complicated to clean your wood floors, and you don’t need any expensive cleaning products to do it.
The best way to clean wood floors is with a mild detergent and pH-neutral cleaner You can also use a cleaner like Bona Hardwood Cleaner which is created specifically for hardwood flooring. Read the instructions carefully. Make sure to clean all spills immediately, as that will prevent staining and discoloration. Use a towel or sponge to wipe up spills. If your wood floor looks dirty, use a mop and broom to remove dust. Make sure to mop the floor in the direction of the grain.

Marble Floors

Marble floors are a beautiful addition to any home, but they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Marble is a type of crystal composed of calcite and dolomite. It is generally white to pale gray. Marble is smooth and requires very little maintenance, but the downside is that it can easily stain. The cool thing about marble is that there are so many beautiful colors to choose from. So, how do you clean marble floors?
You can periodically buff up marble floors with a microfiber cloth and some cleaning solution, but marble is sensitive to acidic chemicals and abrasives. Just be careful not to overdo it with cleaning products since marble can react with acidic cleaners and strip the polish off. It is recommended to use a mild detergent and a pH-neutral cleaner to clean your marble flooring safely.

Ceramic Tile Floors

Tile floors are attractive and practical, but they’re not the easiest floor to clean. They can be difficult to keep clean, especially if you live in an apartment and have to share maintenance duties. Fortunately, there are many different ways to care for your tile floors.
However, ceramic floors are a tough material to maintain, and you may need a professional to come in and help with cleaning them. There are many different kinds of ceramic tiles, and not all are cleanable. You can clean the grout with a steam cleaner, but that is not recommended unless you have glazed and sealed tile. Glazed tiles are easy to clean, and sealed tiles will get dirty easily. Unsealed tiles should be sealed, but mopping them daily with a mild detergent and water should be enough.

Linoleum Floors

Linoleum Floors are old, but they are making a comeback. Homeowners are rediscovering the vintage look of these resilient floor coverings, and there are some big reasons you might consider having them in your home. One reason being is that they are very durable and can last for decades. They are also easy to clean and are resistant to water, stains, and bacteria.
If you have linoleum floors, you know just how tough they are. Linoleum flooring can withstand just about anything, from dog messes to spills, dirt, and even snow. The good news is that linoleum floors also tend to be easy to clean. You can vacuum the floors and then mop them. You can also disinfect the floors with a disinfecting solution and water.

Terrazzo Floors

Terrazzo floors are a beautiful floor option for many homes and offices today. They add a unique, luxurious touch to any space and are the perfect accent to almost any design. However, as a floor option, the upkeep of terrazzo floors can be a bit difficult.
Because terrazzo floors resist scratches and stains, they’re an attractive option for flooring in kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and other high-traffic areas. But like any other floor material, terrazzo accumulates dirt, grime, and scuff marks over time. Many homeowners clean terrazzo floors with mops, but the process can be time-consuming and ineffective. Instead, consider trying out an alternative method: terrazzo floor cleaning with vinegar.

Vinyl Floors

Floor cleaning is an important part of home maintenance. Vinyl floors are easy to clean in most cases, and a quick mop and sweep are usually all that’s needed.
Also, avoid using a steam mop on vinyl flooring since the steam and heat can warp the vinyl flooring. Vinyl floors don’t “wear out” like carpet or hardwood; they stay beautiful, shiny, and easy to clean for years. Vinyl floors can be damaged by even the best cleaning methods, so following the product’s manufacturer’s recommendations is very important.

Concrete Floors

Concrete flooring is an excellent option for many homes and buildings, providing a durable, attractive, and cost-effective alternative to other flooring materials, such as hardwood, carpet, or tile. These qualities make it a popular choice for flooring in high-traffic areas, but concrete surfaces also tend to harbor stains, dirt, and dust over time, making them harder to keep clean. Fortunately, these surfaces are not as difficult to clean as you might have imagined. You can:

  • Sweep the floor to remove any debris and loosen impediments.
  • Apply an appropriate cleaner for the floor (if necessary, mix the cleaning solution yourself).
  • Scrub the floor using cleaning pads or brushes.
  • Rinse the floor area with clean water, then dry it with a towel.
  • If needed, apply a sealer to the floor after it dries.

Whether you’re dealing with concrete on the street or in the home, cleaning it up can be a daunting task. Concrete is porous, making it perfect for mold and germs to grow, along with stains from dirt and spills. But, with the right cleaning supplies, it’s not impossible.

Hire a Professional

Clean floors are important to every single house, but almost all types of floors can gather dirt over time if not properly cared for. That is why if you are still not confident in handling floor cleaning, then hiring cleaning companies will be better. Professional cleaning companies like Plan: B Cleaning can provide a deeper floor cleaning that goes above and beyond what a homeowner can do.
Interested in a residential cleaning service to do the hard work for you? Call Plan: B Cleaning today at (317) 572-8515 or visit www.planbcleaning.com. Plan: B Cleaning serves the Fishers, Indiana area including Geist, Noblesville, Carmel, Fortville, and more!

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5 Best Smart Appliances for Your Home in 2022

smart home speaker voice activated with gamer playing console in living room

It’s almost Christmas so here are some things to add to your wish list! Just kidding – but our countdown to Christmas has already begun. Regardless, we wanted to share five of 2022’s best smart appliances for your home. These appliances are bound to make your daily life easier through their heightened effectiveness and efficiency, leaving you with more time to do the things you love and keep your home clean.

#1: Kitchen – Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6 Quart

The Instant Pot has been increasingly popular. It is great for couples making a quick meal, a large family, or a busy college student. Really, it is great for anyone. In case you are unfamiliar with it, The Instant Pot is an 8-in-1 cooking device that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer – the list goes on. The Instant Pot is versatile and easy to use, allowing you to cook a wide range of things with just one new appliance. Now, the Instant Pot Smart Wifi edition offers even more perks. Once you connect to the WiFi of this smart version, the pot and its paired app give you the benefits of cooking, scheduling, adjusting, and monitoring the progress of your meals on the go right from your smartphone. You can then make a list of your favorite one pot recipes like fried rice, soup, and so on to prepare. Cooking couldn’t get any easier!

#2: Bedroom – A Bedside Speaker

A bedside speaker is a must if you want to put away your phone but still enjoy some of its benefits – like an alarm clock. Our favorite models for the bedroom are the Amazon Echo Dot With Clock and the Google Nest Mini. They won’t crowd your nightstand, let you set alarms, play music, and so on. Plus, they encourage you to unplug from your screens and not just keep your phone under your pillow. But, you can still enjoy the perks, as these bedside speakers allow you to listen to music before bed and wake up with a modern alarm.

#3: Bathroom – Kohler Moxie Showerhead & Wireless Speaker

If you’re really looking to elevate your space, the bathroom is a great place to start feeling a little luxurious. One of our favorite investments is the Kohler Moxie Showerhead. Really, do your research and find any shower head that has the right upgrades for you. But, what makes this one special is its variety of advanced features: This ultimate showerhead and wireless speaker combo is a great way to really turn your shower into a personal concert. It is the full experience as it comes with not only the music or podcast, but also different water pressure settings to suit you. As they say, let superior sound wash over you!

Even better, the speaker is removable and easily transportable, so you can take it with you to the beach or pool.

#4: Living Room – Smart Vaccum

As for the living room, it was really hard to choose. Between a variety of smart TV’s, speakers, and LED lights, there are several options to take your living room to the next level. It truly comes down to personal preference and what you and your family enjoy most. However, one of our favorites that we wanted to share with you is actually a vacuum. Vacuums continue to get smarter and smarter but we absolutely love the Roborock robot. Our runner up was definitely the classic Roomba models, but this newer competitor is slowly taking the top spot among vacuum aficionados and even cleaners. The Roborock robot has so many amazing features that a few sentences would not really do it justice. So, pulling straight from their website, here is a list of just some of the cool things that it comes with and can do: ‘Fully Automated Empty Wash Fill Dock, 5100Pa High Power Suction, PreciSense™ LiDAR Navigation, ReactiveAI 2.0 Obstacle Avoidance, Off-Peak Charging Supported, Real-Time Video Call, Adaptive Route Algorithms, 3D Mapping Support, Automatic Room Recognition, Sonic Vibrating Mop, Intelligent Mop Lifting, Ultrasonic Carpet Recognition, ScratchSafe™ Wheels and Brushes, Work with Alexa & Google Home, Child Lock, Fast Charging”. In layman’s terms, this vacuum really does it all. It is able to map effectively and recognize the rooms of your home. It is able to connect with your other home speakers and devices, and even allows you to video call. It just gets better and better so we had to include it in the list.

#5: Outdoors – Ring Security Cameras

Security cameras can sometimes be controversial due to privacy concerns. However, if you are comfortable with it, ring security cameras make it so easy to monitor your surroundings. You can invest in the doorbell and camera combination to keep track of your front door. This is great to have footage of who all is entering, leaving packages, and so on. You can also invest in other outdoor cameras for your backyard and garage to secure all the fronts of your home. These are great if you have increasing concerns about the safety of your home while you are away at work or on vacation as well. Sometimes, they even capture cute memories and moments that you can replay and save for fun!

#6: Overall – Plan B Cleaners

After investing in your home and upgrading your appliances – or at least adding them to your wish list, you are ready for a deep clean. Treat yourself to assistance from a cleaning service to really get the dust, dirt, and grime out of your home.

Plan: B Cleaning serves the Hamilton County area, including Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Fortville, and Geist. We offer weekly, biweekly, and monthly cleaning plans. Or you can just book on a one-time basis whenever you need! Call today to set up your cleaning service at (317) 572-8515 or visit our website at www.planbcleaning.com.

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How to Declutter Your Life & Enjoy The Benefits of Cleaning on Mental Health and Well-being

Wondering how cleaning improves mental health and wellbeing? Several recent studies show that cleaning your space may help reduce your cortisol levels, reduce visual noise, and help you focus on the things you need to. Furthermore, even taking small steps to clean and organize, like making your bed in the morning or hanging up your clothes, can heighten your mood and productivity for the day. What may seem like a small task or chore really does have the ability to boost your well-being and impact your life positively.

At Plan: B Cleaning, we understand the benefits of cleaning and organizing both your space and mind, so we want to share them with you! We know that decluttering your life can be difficult, but one way to ease the process is by choosing our cleaning services as an ally to your mental health and wellbeing. Let’s take a look at some of the tips and tricks, as well as the positive effects cleaning has on your mind, body, and overall well-being.

Tips for getting started

Before you begin, decide if you’re going to start with what’s easiest for you – your workspace or your bedroom – or if you want to set a goal for how much cleaning you want to and can do. If your goal is something lofty, such as “I’m going to declutter my entire house!” – that might be overwhelming at first. Instead, break it down into smaller chunks – perhaps starting by tackling your desk area, then moving on to other areas as they become manageable. Setting goals can help keep you motivated, but don’t be afraid to take breaks when needed. It may take several days or even weeks before you feel comfortable getting rid of things in your home. Just remember: You just have to start somewhere! Then, you can always pick up where you left off.

Why decluttering and donating can improve your mood

Decluttering is one of the first steps to deep cleaning. By getting rid of old items that you no longer use, you are actively creating more space for yourself and new, positive thoughts. When you give away or throw out things that aren’t serving you, it can also help reduce feelings of stress. If a room is overflowing with objects you rarely use, give those objects away. Donating items gives them a new life with someone else who will use them and frees up space in your home. You will feel happy to help someone in need, and also an immediate sense of relief once your new, clean space is established. It’ll be like taking a breath of fresh air.

If you are wondering where to donate clothes and gently used items, check out this blog for places to donate near Indianapolis, Fisher, Carmel, and so on. Find a cause that speaks to you, whether it is donating to domestic abuse survivors, homeless folks, refugees, and so on.

Ways to eliminate clutter

One rule that works well when decluttering is that if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. If you have doubts about whether or not you’ll ever use an item again, consider donating it rather than putting it in storage. And remember: Don’t sweat your stuff. Try to avoid getting worked up over clutter by reminding yourself that material things are simply items. They don’t define you, but neither do they dictate your happiness. Be disciplined but forgiving with yourself if some items seem hard to part with—after all, we all have sentimental attachments to certain items.

Organizing your belongings is as important as throwing them out

A well-organized home helps combat stress by being more effective, easier to use, and ultimately healthier for your mental wellbeing. You’ll be able to find things when you need them, making it easier to make plans and follow through. You won’t have a panic attack every time you come home from work; instead, you can enjoy kicking off your shoes and relaxing in a calm environment. Having less stuff just laying around also gives you a greater sense of freedom as there will be fewer options for clutter throughout your living space. Here are some easy tips and item recommendations to get organized:

  • Invest in desk organizers. (Check out your local office supply store or order online!)
  • Closet organizers. I am a big fan of my hanging closet and shoe storage purchases. These come in different sizes and styles so you can find what works best for you.
  • Baskets, lots and lots of baskets. Baskets can go anywhere and are great for storing nearly anything as they also come in different shapes and sizes.
  • Utensil organizers … basically special baskets for your utensils. These make putting away dishes so much easier.

Freeing up space in your home can have positive effects

Sort everything into four piles: trash, recycle, donate, and keep. Clearing out clutter has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase feelings of happiness. As satisfying as it is for our brains, decluttering also has practical benefits; you’ll save money by avoiding purchases you don’t need or making better use of household resources. If you’re trying to get your finances in order or simply have too much stuff, start decluttering now!

Examine your relationships with possessions, both material and digital

Being careful with possessions is important because every object you own serves a purpose. Ask yourself why you have each possession in your life and whether or not it enriches your life or consumes it. It’s also important to examine your relationship with digital possessions, like emails. You can start by asking questions like: Why do I have so many emails? What use are they adding to my life? Do I ever really read them? And what do they do when they just sit there in my inbox, untouched? A lot of times, we collect items that we don’t even need but convince ourselves that we need them. These items aren’t helping us; instead, they are literally sucking our time away from us. Start by deleting any old apps on your phone or computer programs you no longer use. Declutter your inbox while you’re at it. You can do this by unsubscribing to any newsletters from stores you no longer shop at. This will also help you avoid impulse buying.

Decluttering leads to more time you can spend doing things you enjoy

Simply having less stuff around can reduce stress, but we know you want more than just that. Not only will there be less clutter around your home making things easier to find, but you’ll also save a lot of time by not searching through piles or looking for misplaced items. If you’re always running behind because you can never find anything, maybe it’s time to declutter. If you can find your contact lenses, a spoon for cereal, and a spoon for cereal – you will be out of the door in no time!

Next Steps

After decluttering and organizing, you are ready for a deep clean. Treat yourself to assistance from a cleaning service to really get the grime out of your newly organized space.

Call today to set up your cleaning service at (317) 572-8515 or visit www.planbcleaning.com. Plan: B Cleaning serves the Hamilton County area, including Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Fortville, and Geist.