When we first met Betty and Michael Minor it did not cross our minds that soon they would become such good friends.

Michael was this fun and sarcastic yet loving person that had a full, sincere enjoyment of the written word, both by reading it and creating it. 

In the three years that followed that very first meeting we had the opportunity to share memorable moments with Michael. We would have long conversations with him about just anything and everything and we both, Doug and I felt so lucky for having a friend like him.

Last time we all got together was last Sunday, when we had breakfast at 13 Coins before we dropped them off at the airport for their trip to Ireland. The so talked about trip. I still have the itinerary that Michael himself made sure to deliver us sticked to the board. He was so excited about the trip and all the places he wanted to visit.

The first edition of his IRISH GAZETTE as he called, arrived in my mailbox in the late evening of Tuesday.

I replyed and asked him what a Pillow Menu was and on Wednesday morning he answered:

Believe it or not, a pillow menu is a list of the kinds of pillows the hotel has to offer.  Soft, med, hard. Synthetic or goose down filling.  Now when Doug asks, you can say, “OMG, you poor man!  Every one knows what that is!!!

Michael died  of a massive heart attack on the next day, just as him and Betty headed back to hotel after a nice dinner out.

I am still trying to digest the reality as I realize he will not be coming back from Ireland. I just wish I could give Betty a hug and I hope she finds the strength to get through all the formalities she is inevitably having to face in Ireland before she can bring him back home.

The Junior League of Tacoma held their third annual Bib ‘n Bid auction and crab feed on Saturday March 7th at Bellarmine Preparatory School.

The Sweep Squad Cleaning Services donated a $285.00 worth Deep Cleaning to be auctioned at the event. The lucky winner was Leila Donley from Gig Harbor/WA.

The Bite:

We have been in the cleaning business for a good while now.  When we first started we had the same questions and concerns most business owners do.

Where do we start? How do we start? Where do we go from here?

After weeks of researching over the internet we came across this awesome website called SCORE. We scheduled a meeting and ever since then we have been using their website to get advice and also to take their online courses. These courses offer some of the best ever tips for a successfull business.

About SCORE

SCORE  is a nonprofit group of 10,500 volunteers across the country, being them retired business owners, executives and corporate leaders who share their wisdom and lessons learned in business offering free and confidential advice to small businesses through face-to-face counseling, online counseling, online workshops and more. ALL FREE OF CHARGE.

That’s it. No subscription or enrollment fees.  At many offices, consultants charge $100-$500 per hour, but SCORE offers its business consultations free of charge. Their volunteers donate their time and talent. As a nonprofit association, they bring Fortune 500 executives and successful entrepreneurs to their team as mentors.

Visit their website to learn more  and to get FREE ADVICE  for your business.

Now this one is simple!! Many of our clients ask us how to clean the microwave and/or get rid of smells.

Just follow the next steps!

First method using vinegar:

1. Fill a microwave safe glass or bowl half way with water with a table spoon of white vinegar and place inside the microwave. Turn on for 5 minutes. The idea here is to steam up the walls of the microwave and loosen the dried-on gunk.
2. When it is done, remove the glass container and wipe down the inside of microwave with a clean towel or paper towel.
3. The loose gunk should come off easily now, and the most important here: without chemical cleaners inside the microwave.
4. Take out the glass tray or turntable and wash it like a dish. You could even run it through the dishwasher if you have the time.

Alternative Method using lemon:

1. Cut a lemon in half and place both halves cut-side down on a mirowaveable plate with a tablespoon of water
2. Microwave for about 2 or 3 minutes or until the lemon is hot and the inside of the microwave is steamy.
3.  Leave the microwave closed for a few minutes afterward.
4. The lemon should prevent the water becoming super-heated, and leaving it undisturbed for a few minutes also helps to ensure you will not get scalded, as well as maximising the condensation which softens the dried on food spills.
5. Wipe the inside of the microwave with kitchen paper or a cleaning cloth and wash the plate as above.
6. (NB - now the lemon is hot and squishy it makes a great natural cleanser for a smelly garbage disposal, cut the halves into smaller pieces and flush through with plenty of water)

Both methods work great and are very efficient to clean as well as to get rid of unpleasant odors in your microwave.

A common mistake made by many people is to clean chrome, brass and enamel bathroom fixtures with a strong disinfectant cleaner. The best cleaner to use on these items is a neutral spray cleaner, which can be purchased at a janitorial supply house.

Showerheads need attention only when they get clogged with mineral deposits. The head must be removed from the downspout for cleaning. Place a layer of heavy cloth over the chrome of the showerhead to protect it from scratches, and gently remove it from the spout with an adjustable wrench.

Working from the side the water comes out of, poke any debris out of the holes with a wooden toothpick or needle, and rinse the entire head well with water. Using a brush or toothbrush and vinegar can also loosen sediment.

If the holes are encrusted with hard-water scale, soak the showerhead in white vinegar overnight. Dry and reassemble the next morning. Be sure to wrap plumber’s tape over the threads before screwing the showerhead back on to ensure a tighter seal.

Liquid dishwashing soap and water will remove small marks from chrome.

To remove scale from a chrome faucet or showerhead, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie the bag onto the faucet so it is submerged in the vinegar. When the scale is gone, rinse and buff.

Mix equal amounts of grapefruit juice and salt to make a cleanser to remove rust stains from faucets or showerheads, and use a washcloth to wipe off rust. The mixture provides a light acid and abrasive.

Remove a dirty ring around the base of a faucet with a damp toothbrush dipped in a soft cleanser. Just scrub around the base and wipe clean.

If using a commercial brass cleaner for the first time, read the label and test it first in a hidden area. Many cleaners leave a film on brass or gold plated hardware.

A lemon dipped in salt works well as a cleaner for brass faucets or showerheads. Just cut the lemon in half, pour a little bit of salt onto a plate, dip the lemon into it and rub it over the faucet. Buff the faucet with mineral oil when finished.

Another cleaner for brass is a paste made from equal parts vinegar, flour and salt. Rub on the fixture then buff with mineral oil.

The Febreze Fabric Refresher freshness you love is now available in a bottle that blends with your home décor. Leave it out for easy-to-reach fabric freshness, any time. You won’t be able to resist a quick spritz here and there.

The Febreze Décor Collection is available in a multi-scented three pack or available for individual sale in three scents:

Lavender Vanilla and Confort
Spring & Renewal
Meadows and Rain

Don’t throw out your yogurt cups, energy-bar wrappers, drink pouches, or soda bottles just yet, TerraCycle is willing to pay a charity of your choice good money (up to six cents per item), in a bid to eliminate the idea of waste.

The New Jersey-based company-which started out making organic liquid plant food, but has since branched out to offer a range of all-natural home and garden products-will be reusing your used yogurt cups as planting pots. Drink pouches and energy-bar wrappers will discover new life as tote bags, pencil cases, and other accessories, while soda bottles will be turned into packaging for a host of TerraCycle products. Visit the company’s Web site for more details.

TerraCycle

It has never been so easy to make saving our planet a part of your daily life.

With the help of companies commited to provide people with products that are not only safe for the enviroment but also safe for their health.

The products are natural, biodegrable, obtain materials from a wide range of renewable plant resources (like coconut and lemon oil and corn based ethanol)and since leave no harsh chemical fumes or residue they are safe to be used around kids, pets and even expectant women.

Better yet: the products are claimed to work just as well (if not better) than conventional and said harmful products.

We at The Sweep Squad have been making reasearches on those products and decided to do our part:

We are planning  to replace most of the conventional products we use to clean our customer homes for those  natural products.  

Because some of our customers have their very own preferences regarding cleaning products, we will still give them the option to choose either our Conventional Cleaning (using traditional cleaning products) or our EcoCleaning (using all natural and eco-friendly products).

Following are some links of resources to help you get started in “Going Green”: