Did you know there is a new recycling list for Ireland? Do you know what’s on it? If you are like most of our clients, here at McCreery Cleaning Solutions, the new legislation is a little confusing. Never fear; we’re here to clear it up! (Pun intended!)

Most of us do our best to separate out the plastics and paper from the regular household waste and don’t give a second thought to what happens to any of it once the collection agency has picked it up.

Recycled waste is actually big business! The Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA) reports a combined turnover, of its members, of €645 million annually, the bulk of this waste is recycling.

Ireland sells recycled materials such as paper, cardboard and plastic on the global market. China and India are our best customers. You might remember earlier this year when 160 containers of Irish recycled waste, bound for a paper mill in China, was rejected as it was contaminated. To get the best value the materials need to be cleaned and sorted.

What goes in the recycle bin?

The Easter mid-term break has started. For parents across Ireland that means playdates, Easter camps and generally trying to keep the children entertained for next two weeks. Whilst we all look forward to a bit of family time over the Bank Holiday Weekend, Easter can be messy!

We’re sharing our top-five cleaning hacks to help parents survive the Easter break and keep their homes sparkling clean.

Chocolate Staines

It’s bound to happen – little chocolate fingers on clothes, curtains and sofas! Here’s how to handle it. Scrape off any hard chocolate. (Pop the fabric into the freezer to harden the chocolate if needed.) Rinse with cold water then with a stain remover or washing up liquid rub the stain in a circular motion. After 10 minutes rinse again.

Sticky Situation

Most children love sticker books however usually the stickers end up everywhere but the book! Use a fragrant essential oil to loosen the glue and peel the stickers right off. This leaves your surface clean and sweet smelling too.

The much anticipated stretch in the evenings has arrived. Spring is here. Our homes are the hub of daily family life and this time of year thoughts turn to the annual spring clean. Here’s our ultimate Spring Clean checklist for creating the biggest impact on the home this spring.

Organise, declutter and refresh

Spring is the ideal time of year to start planning for the warmer months ahead. You can now put those cosy woollens, extra thick blankets and heavy overcoats away!

While packing away the winter garb, look at each item of clothing and ask yourself, ‘Does it suit me? Does it fit? Do I love it?’

If the answer is no, it’s time to part ways. This applies to worn or drab bedding, towels and kitchen linen too. Shred old paperwork and file those documents that you need to keep. Ask the children to fill a box each of toys and games that they no longer play with. Cast a critical eye across your ornaments and crockery. Charity shops will appreciate the contribution.

You’ll instantly feel lighter with less ‘stuff’. This will make a great starting point to commence your spring clean.

Window Cleaning – Let there be light!

Now that spring is here, we want light to flood our homes with the gorgeous warm glow of springtime. You’ll be stunned how much brighter and lighter your home will feel with sunshine streaming through streak-free window panes. Gleaming windows will give such a lift to the exterior of your home too.

A study just published says that regularly using regular ‘off the shelf’ cleaning products can be as bad for you as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

The researchers said the chemicals in the cleaning agents can damage the lungs in the same way as cigarette smoke. Their conclusion came at the end of a 20-year study. It involved 6,000 people that either worked as professional cleaners or else regularly used chemical products in their homes.

The study was carried out by the University of Bergen and was published in a leading American medical journal. Here in Ireland, it was reported upon by the Irish Independent.

McCreery Contract Cleaning is proud to announce its support of James Stephens GAA, sponsoring the girls and boys teams sliotars and hurleys.

“We are thrilled to support the GAA and James Stephens girls and boys teams. The GAA and those involved have always been so supportive of our business and it’s great to give something back and to support the passion of the young players for the sport” said Jennifer McCreery of McCreery Contract Cleaning.

Having been a participant of the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce awards for many years, McCreery Contract Cleaning is also excited to announce its sponsorship of the Emerging New Business Award category for the first time. Having seen a significant increase in business over the past 12 months, the company provides a range of cleaning services to business customers and to homes.

Headquartered in Kilkenny, McCreery Contract Cleaning is the only training company for cleaners in the South-East.

Photography by Vicky Comerford

You clean your home regularly, making sure the dishes are done, the bathroom is clean and the laundry isn't piling up too much, but even the cleanest people can overlook the little things without realising it. If some spots - think light switches and TV remotes, are missing from your cleaning routine.

McCreery Contract Cleaning is here to give you a little reminder to thoroughly clean house, and some help on how to tackle them properly.

Light Switches

Light switches and wall plates are some of the dirtiest spots in your home - you're always touching them and getting bacteria on them, but they're often overlooked in the cleaning process.

You can use disinfecting wipes or a paper towel with rubbing alcohol (or your preferred household cleaner) to rid your light switches and plates of germs and grime.

Bins