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Cleaning with TLC: Your partner in sanitation during COVID-19

people with yellow rubber loves cleaning a surface with microfiber towels

In a recent blog post, we discussed the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. Now with COVID-19 having that information is even more critical. At TLC Cleaning, we have always practiced high-standards of safe practices while cleaning our clients’ homes and businesses.

Since the many ‘shelter in place’ orders across the country have gone into effect, we’ve taken that amount of safety to a whole new level. Here are all the ways we’re helping you, our clients, make it through this trying time with COVID-19.

Added precautions

Here are some new practices we’ve added to ensure safety and germ reduction at each appointment.

-Shoe protectors

We put on shoe covers at the client’s door to prevent tracking any dirt, grime, and germs into the home or business. After the job is completed, we remove the shoe covers and dispose of them immediately so as not to spread germs.

-Extra handwashing

While our staff is educated on safe sanitation and cleanliness practices, we’ve implemented extra handwashing upon arrival and departure of a job site. This practice helps prevent the spread of germs and bacteria during the outbreak of COVID-19.

-Sanitation

We’ve added more sanitation practices (personally and with our equipment) between clients for additional peace of mind during these difficult and uncertain times.

Cold and Flu Buster Package

a man wrapped in a blanket with a thermometer in his mouth because he is sick

During the COVID-19 situation, we are offering a special to our current customers to help you stay on top of your household and business cleaning during this challenging situation.

Our Twelve-Point Cold and Flu Buster Package is our latest “thank you” to our loyal customers. We will automatically add this service to your next appointment.

This Cold and Flu Buster Package is usually $50, but it’s our gift to you during this bizarre and changing time.

The Twelve-Point Cold and Flu Buster Package targets twelve particularly high-traffic or high-contact areas that are known to be germ spreaders. Here they are::

-Doorknobs
-Light switches
-The arms of chairs
-Faucets
-Toilets
-Countertops
-Remote controls
-Appliance handles

If you do not want this extra service added to your regularly scheduled cleaning, please notify us beforehand.

The cleaning products we use in our customers’ homes go above and beyond traditional industry standards. You can feel confident in the germ busting power of a twelve-point cold and flu clean.

In between your appointments with us, it is important you disinfect these areas as well, especially if members of your household still leave the house for work, errands, or to care for others.

We also recommend removing shoes before entry to your home and leaving them outside or in your garage to limit the spread of germs. We also recommend frequent handwashing.

If you’re feeling unwell, reschedule

Because we value the health and safety of our employees and their families, we have decided to waive the cancellation policy over the next couple of weeks.

If you are feeling ill or unwell, please cancel your appointment via phone or email penalty-free so we can help protect our community and loved ones.

We will be happy to reschedule your appointment for a day and time you are feeling better and symptom-free.

We’d love to clean your empty spaces

If your business closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we’d love for you to schedule us for a deep clean.

Now is the perfect time to have the office disinfected prior to all of your employees returning to work. Doing this will help mitigate the spread of bacteria or viruses that may remain during the closure of your business.

Another empty space we’d love to clean is your new construction. If you just had a house built or remodeled, let us come and clean thoroughly to make sure your new home is germ-free before your move-in day.

Cleaning empty buildings is a great way to make the most of these trying times we are facing, and ensure the safety of the people eventually coming back to your space.

Support small business

multiple gift cards made to look like a present

If you currently feel ill or feel uncomfortable having cleaners in your home during COVID-19, we suggest purchasing a gift card for use at a later date.

Because TLC Cleaning is a small business, the outbreak of COVID-19 has been especially difficult.

To help us keep our employees and bills paid, please consider purchasing a gift card now, to use later. You can do so by clicking here. For your convenience, you can even add a gratuity of your desired amount to the gift card ahead of time. We stand by our employees as well as our customers, no matter what.

You can also get your holiday shopping done extra early and buy all of your loved one’s gift certificates for TLC Cleaning. A clean house from a team of professionals makes a wonderful gift any time of year.

We appreciate you

a heart that says 'we love our customers'

At TLC Cleaning, we just want to say thank you to all of our loyal customers. We appreciate you, and we know we can make it through this together.

TLC Cleaning is proud to achieve incredible levels of cleaning and sanitization, and we look forward to continuing to provide that service to you while the world combats COVID.

What’s the Difference Between Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sanitizing?

a woman in apron and rubber gloves cleaning a kitchen counter

Did you know that cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing are not the same thing?

Picture this: You’ve got your hair tossed up in a bun with your favorite, upbeat cleaning playlist blaring. You’re tackling the house chores room by room, feeling proud of your craft.

By the time you’re through with your home, you feel 100% okay with the fact that your toddler may or may not eat spilled snacks directly off the floor later on. We see you, and we’re proud of you too. You are a wonder woman, but we also have to be honest with you.

That multi-purpose cleaner that you love? Sure, it may clean your home, but how well is it sanitizing or disinfecting your home (yes, there is a need for all three!) Can you be confident that you have sufficiently sprayed the germs away?

If you’re one of the many busy people out there wanting a worry-free clean, TLC Cleaning Fargo has your back. We offer a quality home cleaning that you can trust. Call TLC to schedule a recurring cleaning service to make sure everything is getting cleaned and sanitized correctly.

The catch-all phrase

someone wearing yellow rubber gloves and cleaning with spray and microfiber cloth

When you’re referring to ‘cleaning your home,’ it’s easy to think of these words as a tidying catch-all phrase. While using this phrase isn’t necessarily wrong, it also makes it easy to forget the types of cleaning your home may need.

If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty (see what I did there?), technically cleaning refers to just a surface level tidying. Think of this as your vacuuming, dusting, wiping surfaces of visible dust and debris, etc. There are so many great products to help you achieve a better clean, but not all of these products may disinfect or sanitize.

Cleaning your home merely removes the germs from the area you are tending to without killing them.

Disinfecting vs. sanitization

So little Suzie comes home with the sniffles and complains that her body hurts. Your mind automatically goes to every mom’s worst nightmare – the flu. Not today, Satan, you think to yourself as you bust out the sanitizing spray. Not in my household!

I get it. Spray away girlfriend, but I promised honesty, remember? While sanitizing is essential, you may be missing a lot of critical germs out there.

When you sanitize, it reduces the bacteria to a safe level and lowers the risk of it spreading. While you are helping to keep the bacteria and germs at bay, you aren’t eliminating them.

Enter disinfectant — the germ killer.

Disinfectant is the powerhouse that kills most germs and bacteria, while sanitization lowers the levels of them.

To disinfect or to sanitize? That is the question.

someone holding a bucket of cleaning tools and supplies

I know what you might be thinking. If sanitizing is the wimpier contender here, what’s the big deal with using it? It may be tempting to clean with just your surface-level products and douse your home in disinfectant, but let’s not get hasty.

Think of food prepping areas. That perfectly sliced chicken that you just cut up leaves some major bacteria behind, but we all can imagine that the next set of food to prep may not taste as delicious with a hint of disinfectant. In this instance, a gentler product will do the trick in keeping your prep area clean and safe.

Another example would be flooring. While disinfecting your floor is not required when mopping up your entryway, your bathroom would have a much greater need for a solid go around with a disinfectant.

Sanitizing comes to play for surfaces that aren’t usually in contact with heavy-hitting bacteria or areas where you may be in close contact with and not want powerful chemicals left behind.

Disinfectant, however, is excellent for bigger messes such as ones left behind in restrooms or after a medical blunder. I’ll spare you the flowery verbiage (hint hint: that flu you might be worried about or a nasty knee scrape).

Home clean routine

a couple laying back and relaxing on their couch in their clean home

In any case, always start with a standard good cleaning. This step isn’t going to eliminate pathogens that can cause illness, but it will help achieve a squeaky clean look, and it is essential before disinfecting or sanitizing your home.

Cleaning works with soap of choice to remove any grime from the surface area and preps the area for the real work. Once cleaned, determine your high-touch places or areas that may come in contact with bodily fluids. These may be the places you’d want to disinfect.

When using a disinfectant, be sure to follow the label directions, allowing for the proper time to pass before coming in contact with the area again.

A good sanitizer will be sufficient in most cases as it does help the spread of germs. Once using a sanitizing product, be sure to allow for the proper dry time before coming in contact with the area again.

Bleach makes for a great sanitizer and disinfectant depending on the quantities of bleach and water. For a sanitizing astringent, use one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water. For a disinfectant, bump the bleach amount up to ⅓ cup to one gallon of water. When sanitizing or disinfecting, allow areas to completely dry naturally for best results.

We have you covered

a woman with cleaning supplies and holding a broom making the 'okay' sign with her hand

Whether you’re needing a hunkered down disinfecting, a simpler sanitization, or even a tidying up, TLC has you covered. Call TLC to schedule a recurring cleaning service to make sure everything is getting cleaned and sanitized correctly. We offer different levels of surface catered to your specific wants and needs.

We understand your time is valuable, so let us save you the time to focus on what matters in your life, and we’ll focus on what matters when it comes to your cleaning needs. Call TLC Cleaning today!