Our staff here at Emily’s Maids are often used as sources for house cleaning-related stories. We’re happy to help journalists and writers with their stories and thought we’d share a few of the ones we’ve been quoted in here.
4/1/2020 – What Kills Bacteria – And What Doesn’t
Does bleach kill bacteria and viruses?
It does—and it’s one of the best ways to do the job, says Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids, a house cleaning service in Dallas. In fact, your household bleach can be used as a disinfectant. According to a study published in Oncology Times, the active ingredient in bleach is hypochlorous acid—an ingredient that works in a similar manner to fevers. It unfolds the proteins in the bacteria, which is just one way that it kills all those germs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines (CDC), you should mix 1/3 cup bleach with one gallon of water, use it to clean non-porous surfaces, and leave it on for at least 1 minute so it can work its magic.
PressFrom.info
4/18/2020 – 15 Ways You’re Cleaning Your Bathroom, According To Experts
“The soap trap gets bit by bit, so every time you use soap, some residue is left behind,” explains Abe Navas, General manager of Dallas-based Emily’s maid. He says that the best bet to remove it is that the way you use it in the kitchen is an abusive one. And to try and stretch things in more ways, discover these 33 crazy cleaning tips that actually work.
NewsChant.com
4/29/2020 – 7 Coronavirus Laundry Tips You Need to Start Following
Set up a laundry basket at the entrance of your home.
If you have been outside, you could easily be bringing the virus into your home on your clothes. To help prevent your worn clothes from contaminating other things in your house, Abe Navas, general manager of Texas-based cleaning service Emily Maid’s, recommends setting up a laundry basket near your most-used entrance so you can shed them immediately.
BestLifeOnline.com
5/27/2020 – 6 Subtle Signs You Need to Replace Your Hand Sanitizer
If you accidentally leave your hand sanitizer open for an extended period of time, you could be weakening its potency, according to Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids, a cleaning service in Dallas, Texas.
“Alcohol evaporates quickly, so if you have a sanitizer that you forgot to close for a couple of days, you should worry about its effectiveness,” he says.
BestLifeOnline.com
5/29/2020 – 8 Ways You’re Secretly Ruining Your Disinfectants
Just like the sun’s rays can be damaging to your skin, they’re not good for your disinfectant either. A spray disinfectant left out in the hot sun will have a much shorter shelf life, says Abe Navas, the general manager of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, Texas. But that’s not the only thing you’ll need to worry about. “Alcohol-based cleaners, when heated to a certain temperature, can combust or become a fire hazard,” he points out. So be sure to keep your sanitizer in your purse rather than leaving it in a hot car as summer approaches.
BestLifeOnline.com
6/1/2020 – As coronavirus travel restrictions loosen, how do you know if your hotel room is really clean?
Look for the little things. Details matter, says Abe Navas, the general manager of Emily’s Maids, a housecleaning service in Dallas. “The basics are changing your sheets, dusting and general cleaning. Someone put in real effort when you see clean door handles and clean toilet buttons — the little details,” he says. “If your room doesn’t have any smudges or fingerprint marks, this is the way to know if it’s properly cleaned.”
Give it the sniff test. Navas has one final test. “Smell,” he says. “There is a certain smell that is not a chemical scent, but rather a nice aroma that comes when your room is properly cleaned.” He stresses it shouldn’t be a chemical smell. That means someone has applied too much bleach or cleaning solution.
The sniff test also works the other way around. When Valerie Smith smells smoke or mildew, she turns around and walks back to the front desk. “I ask for another room,” says Smith, a retired real estate agent from Shepherdstown, West Virginia. “This time, I inspect it before I accept it.”
And if that room’s also smelly? Now more than ever, it’s time to check out and find another place to stay.
Seattle Times
6/3/2020 – This Is the Best Time to Go Shopping, According to the CDC
That’s because businesses are typically more packed on the weekends when many people aren’t at work. So, on Monday, due to the weekend traffic, there’s a risk that employees “didn’t clean or disinfect well enough on Sunday evening” because they were rushed, says Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids, a cleaning service in Dallas, Texas. “Your golden days should be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, in the morning. The staff should have had time to disinfect the store properly and you should be safe,” Navas says.
BestLifeOnline.com
6/8/2020 – This Is the Worst Thing You Could Wear During Coronavirus
Abe Navas, general manger of Emily Maids, a cleaning service in Dallas, Texas, acknowledges that the probability of transmitting the coronavirus from your clothes is not high, but it’s also not impossible. Wearing fitted clothing can help, but he says the most important thing to do during the pandemic is to make sure you properly remove and clean the clothes you have worn in public—no matter the fit.
BestLifeOnline.com
9/5/2020 – How to Get That Burnt Smell Out of Your Microwave
The longer you ignore the burnt smell, the harder it will be for you to deal with it—so take action as soon as you have burned something,” says Cyrus Bedwyr, a kitchen appliances technician and cleaner at Fantastic Services.
Another cautionary note: Abe Navas, owner of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, wants to remind you to avoid using a metal sponge when cleaning a microwave. Not only could the metal scratch the inside of your appliance; leftover metal bits inside of the microwave could cause a fire when it’s in use.
ApartmentTherapy.com
9/7/2020 – 5 Clever Tricks to Make Your Most-Hated Household Chores Easier
Speed through dishes with a spritz of vodka.
According to a recent national survey, dishes are public enemy number one — the most-hated of all household chores! Luckily, there’s an easy way to speed through cleaning them, and it actually involves doing less work, promises Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, who says just soaking dishes in hot, soapy water for 15 minutes “super hydrates” stuck-on gunk, helping it lift right off. Pro tip: Add a splash of vodka to the dishwater to speed-clean greasy pots and pans — the alcohol absorbs grease particles, so dishes easily wipe clean.
Woman’s World
9/21/2020 – We Asked 5 Professional House Cleaners What They Use to Clean at Home — Here’s What They Had to Say
1. A high-quality microfiber cloth
Abe Navas, the general manager of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, swears by microfiber cloths as a multi-tool. “People underestimate how good they actually are for every surface — they trap dust and gunk like nothing else,” he says. Plus, unlike wasteful paper towels, microfiber cloths are reusable. Navas says you can hang on to them for years!
Of course, that’s only if you take care of your microfiber cloths. Clean them frequently, but also carefully. You can throw them in the wash with your normal laundry soap, but avoid tossing them in the dryer. Navas says heat exposure from the washer or dryer can quickly damage or even ruin a microfiber cloth.
TheKitchn.com
9/22//2020 – This Cleaning Mistake Could Be Ruining Your Home, Experts Say
That sponge’s metal scrubbing pad may be great for cleaning pots and pans, but using it to clean wooden furniture or trim work in your home can lead to disastrous results.
“Metal sponges are great for removing gunk, but on wood, will cause scratches and will ruin [those items],” says Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids.
BestLifeOnline.com
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