Bio-One Of Oceanside decontamination and biohazard cleaning services

Spring Cleaning Made Simple: Easy Ways to Clean Your Space

Whether or not you’ve actually done it, spring cleaning is backed up by centuries of tradition. Many cultures bring a spring cleaning period into their yearly rhythms. For all cultures, the kickoff for spring cleaning is marked by longer days and more sun. 

As sunlight hours increase, our bodies produce less melatonin, helping us feel more awake after months of cozy winter slowness. We also have more daylight to accomplish tasks we’ve been putting off. 

Even if spring cleaning isn’t part of your personal yearly traditions, you can start now. 

With so many blogs, books, and shows promoting organization, resources with ideas are everywhere. Keep reading to learn about our favorite spring cleaning strategies. 

Basic First Steps

Figure out what needs the most help 

The most important step is knowing where to start. Take a walk around your house and decide what needs attention first. 

If you’re a list-maker, you can write down your plan of attack. (Or you can just follow the messy vibes.) Knowing your focus makes it easier to jump in and get the work done. 

You can also make a list of which days you want to accomplish certain tasks. Choosing just one room, drawer, or cupboard that you want to clean each day can make the entire process less overwhelming. The important thing is that you are moving forward!

Gather needed supplies

It’s hard to clean when you don’t have what you need. 

Make sure any cleaning tools or chemicals you need are in an easy-to-find place. It can be helpful to have a caddy or bucket that you can bring from room to room. 

Make sure you have what you need, but don’t go overboard. It’s easy to turn a need for supplies into a shopping trip or a reason to procrastinate. 

Don’t fall into that trap! 

If you don’t have what you need to deep clean today, you don’t have to wait to get started. You can still put items away or, better yet, find items to get rid of.

Set a timer 

Most of us don’t have the time or the desire to go on a cleaning rampage. We have limited time and many responsibilities. (But if you’re a person who works well by focusing and cleaning all day, more power to you!)

For the rest of us, setting a timer can be an effective way to get your spring cleaning done, a little bit at a time. Choose an area to clean and a set amount of time (we suggest starting with just 15-20 minutes). Get your timer going and then work hard until it goes off. 

Go back to the same area each day with your same timer strategy until it’s clean. Only then is it time to move on to the next part of your home. 

Bit by bit, the mess will disappear. 

Reward yourself 

Having a clean home is its own reward, but building some kind of treat into the process always helps. Here are some ways to treat yourself: 

  • Make the actual cleaning process more enjoyable by creating a cleaning playlist or listening to an audiobook. 
  • Enjoy a favorite activity once you’ve done your cleaning for the day—watching a show, going for a walk, playing a game, or going out to eat with a friend are all great motivators. 
  • Keep a favorite treat on hand. Once you’ve finished your cleaning, you get that piece of chocolate (or cup of coffee, or cookie, or large soda—whatever motivates you!). 

Just be cautious about buying yourself something as a cleaning reward. 

Often, having too much stuff is the reason our homes get out of hand in the first place. Try to find some other way to pat yourself on the back. 

Take It Up a Notch

Scientific research shows that making our dreaded tasks into games can help us be more productive and motivated. There are many apps available that reward users for their accomplishments by letting them progress in a game or giving them a virtual gold star. 

You don’t need an app to gamify your spring cleaning, however. There are dozens of analog ways to make cleaning into a fun challenge. Here are a few of our favorites.

Create Your Own Cleaning Playoffs

Brackets are everywhere in the spring, and you can use them to motivate yourself even after the March Madness finals. Download a bracket and fill it out. There are a number of ways you could apply this to spring cleaning:

  • Find 16 (or 8) spaces in your home. Time yourself to see which ones you can clean the fastest. Whichever space winds up winning earns a little reward, like a new candle or picture frame. 
  • If you live with someone (or multiple someones—this is a great challenge to do with kids), divvy up the spaces that need to be cleaned. Whoever completes their tasks first or fastest wins. 

The ultimate challenge winner gets to decide where everyone goes out for dinner or a treat. 

The 4-Box Technique

Sometimes, we have so much stuff it’s hard to know where to put it or keep our spaces clean. With the 4-Box Technique, you’ll take four boxes into a room and label them: 

  1. Keep
  2. Donate
  3. Store
  4. Trash 

Go through the space and categorize all the items that don’t belong in that space (the ones that do belong can be put away immediately). 

The trick here is to make sure you deal with your four boxes right away. Don’t let boxes pile up in your home. 

Put the stuff you’re keeping in the right place:

  • Donations in your car
  • Things you’re storing in the garage or attic
  • The trash in the trash

The 21-Item Toss

For days when you’re overwhelmed or short on time, the 21-Item Toss is the perfect way to get a little bit of decluttering done in as little as 5 minutes. 

Grab a garbage bag—or one of the plastic grocery bags so many of us stow under the sink. Walk through your home and find 21 things to throw away. You can gamify it by timing yourself. 

Don’t think too hard—if you don’t use it or need it, out it goes!

Need more help?

If you feel like you can’t deal with your home situation on your own, Bio-One has your back. Our discreet team of compassionate, expert cleaners can help you with your home situation—no mess is too big. 

Call us today for a consultation. 

Spring Cleaning - 4 Tips for Renovating Homes This Season! - Bio-One of Oceanside.

Flowers blooming, bright blue skies, the enthusiastic sound of birds singing, and the temperature rising! These are just some of the changes that introduce us to the spring season. Along with that, there should be a proper spring cleaning!

Renovating your house by doing a thorough cleaning has been a yearly tradition for many families now. It’s about preparing your home for this season. It’s the perfect time to put away winter coats, clothing, and bedding. Time to clean up the grill area and get ready for some joyful time outside! 

However, spring cleaning can be challenging and overwhelming for some people. Here at Bio-One, we’re sharing four tips for renovating your home during spring cleaning. We are following the guidelines from CDC on how to remediate these areas successfully.

With the season change, mold is one of the many issues we usually encounter while cleaning our homes. Also, rodent droppings are a common issue because of the cold weather we’re coming out from! These two issues, in particular, might result in serious health problems for you and your loved ones. Our team of professionals is ready to help you remediate them as efficiently and as safely as possible.

Look out for rodent droppings in the kitchen and grill area!

Rodents are carriers of many dangerous diseases. From Salmonellosis to Hemorrhagic Fever, rodents can infest your home, and the remediation process should be approached with the most delicate protocols. Here are some recommendations to keep your kitchen and grill area free from rodent droppings and urine. When cleaning these areas:

  • Keep food in resistant plastic, metal, or glass containers with tight lids, and avoid spilling in the storage area.
  • If you have pets, ensure their food and other supplies are properly stored. As for their eating area, avoid leaving food and water bowls out overnight, especially if it’s closed dark spaces. 
  • Clean up after cooking and using these areas. The key to maintaining rodents away from your home is a clean, disinfected space at all times. 
  • Use a resistant, thick plastic or metal can with a tight lid. Make sure to dispose of trash regularly, regardless of the disposable material! Rodents can nest in plastic, paperboard, and even wood. 

If you are facing a rodent droppings infestation during the spring cleaning, let Bio-One properly disinfect and decontaminate your house! Even after dry and longstanding, rodent droppings can carry bacteria and parasites that would result in diseases like leptospirosis. We use professional PPE (Protective Personal Equipment) and EPA-Listed chemicals safe for your family, children, and pets. 

Keep a close eye on mold spores on walls, kitchen, and bathroom areas.

As hard as it might seem to believe, mold infections are related to many diseases in humans. Headaches, diarrhea, and flu-like pathologies are caused directly by black mold and other fungi. Based on CDC Guidelines, here are some recommendations to treat and mitigate the presence of mold inside your House:

  • Promptly fix any water leak issues: windows, roof, and pipes. 
  • After flooding, be careful to thoroughly clean spaces and make sure all areas are as dry as you possibly can.
  • Make sure your house has enough ventilation: Consider adding exhaust fans in areas where moisture can persist. These areas can be the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room.  
  • Keep humidity levels as low as possible: With the help of an air conditioner, or dehumidifier, you can control the humidity levels. The correct way to keep an eye on humidity is by using a hygrometer.

It’s important to mention that once an item is infected with mold, the only way to correct the damage is by removal and replacement. This applies to any part of your house: carpet, flooring, ceiling tiles, drywall, or wallboard. 

Bio-One is the best option to remediate and disinfect your home from mold damage properly. Our Team of Specialists is prepared to contain any area infected with mold, discarding any item that might be irretrievably damaged by it.

Hygiene is key, especially if you have pets in the house!

Pets are an undeniable part of the family. They get us through difficult times and deserve the recognition and love we feel toward them. That’s why practicing good hygiene is part of loving and caring for our pets. CDC shared some recommendations for households with dogs, cats, and other domestic pets. These resume in the following:

  • Make sure Pets have their own space for feeding and relieving: These spaces must be separated from our Kitchen and eating spaces. Have their food and supplies in an area that is easily accessible and easy to disinfect.
  • Disinfect your pets’ supplies and items outside your home. For example, when cleaning your cat’s litter box, make sure to do it in an open space that is ventilated enough and possibly far away from any place that involves food preparation. Also, make sure to disinfect these supplies daily.
  • Dog and cat feces contain parasites and bacteria that can result in serious diseases for humans, be sure to use a bag when disposing of their droppings, and do it in appropriate areas.
  • Children 5 years of age and under should always be supervised when interacting with animals. Teach them to wash their hands after playing with them and avoid touching their faces when doing so. Don’t leave your children near the pet’s environment (Litter box, food bowls, bed, etc.). 

Bio-One has assisted many people in cases where animal feces/urine has become a threat and represents a bio-hazardous element for the household involved. Disinfecting and sanitizing a house that has been contaminated by animal feces/urine requires professional assistance. Bio-One specializes in decontaminating areas infected by these wastes, ensuring the place is safe and habitable again.

Clean up your house… Room by room!

The whole idea of Spring cleaning is to organize your belongings and get rid of clutter. It’s a good opportunity to get everyone in the family together and involved in the process of organizing the house. Here are some elements to consider when you start cleaning and decluttering your house:

  • A good method, shared by the spruce, is the 4-Container Method. Organize your belongings in four categories: Trash, giveaway, store, or put away. Make your way through each room, and you’ll notice the difference when decluttering each space!
  • Spring cleanup is an opportunity to get everyone in the household involved… even children! It will help them understand the importance of keeping the essentials and giving away things that might be in good shape and can also help someone who needs them more! 
  • Set a goal for yourself when organizing: Tackle the most difficult areas in your house, like the attic, the garage, the basement, etc. Although cleaning and decluttering your home is not a task that will be executed in one hour, you can set a goal of cleaning at least one or two of the most difficult areas in your house. 

If you’re ready to start with your Spring cleaning, Bio-One can help!

We have helped many customers get their lives back on track. Proud of our motto, “Help First, Business Second!” our goal is to assist you in your greatest time of need. Bio-One offers hoarding remediation and Junk Removal services, approaching the situation with care and compassion, ensuring that, if this task is overwhelming and too stressful, you can promptly count on us to remediate any problem.

Apartment spring cleaning - Bio-One of Oceanside.
Apartment spring cleaning - Bio-One of Oceanside.

Independently Owned & Operated!

Bio-One of Oceanside is the  #1 Disinfection, Sanitation, and Decontamination Company in North San Diego County, providing professional, industry standards services in all kinds of extreme scenarios:

Recovery Services

  • Crime scene cleanup services
  • Trauma scene cleaning services
  • Blood and biohazard cleaning services
  • Undiscovered or unattended death cleaning services
  • Homicide/Suicide cleaning services
  • Feces and bodily fluids cleaning services
  • Mold remediation services
  • Water damage restoration services
  • Emergency vehicle decontamination services
  • Fentanyl cleanup services
  • Medical waste disposal services
  • Tear gas cleaning services
  • Sewage backup cleaning services

Hoarding cleanup services

  • Hoarding cleanup
  • Animal hoarding cleanup
  • Gross filth cleanup
  • Deep clean
  • Junk removal
  • Homeless encampment clean-out
  • Hazardous waste disposal
  • Nicotine stain/odor removal
  • Odor removal

HELP FIRST, BUSINESS SECOND!

Bio-One of Oceanside springs into action to assist survivors when a traumatic event occurs. We work with local law enforcement, emergency responders, victim advocacy organizations, hoarding task forces, apartment communities, and insurance companies to ensure that you receive the greatest service feasible.

We have been an independently owned and operated business since August 2020 to help our community through difficult and unexpected situations. Our certified technicians are caring, compassionate, and discreet, and we are ready to help you in your most significant time of need.

We are proudly serving North San Diego and surrounding communities! 

Bio-One is a proud member of the Southern California Rental Housing Association and Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Vista Chambers of Commerce. Bio-One serves all of San Diego County and neighboring regions, including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Fallbrook, Escondido, San Marcos, and Bonsall.

We also serve the Southern Orange County cities: San Clemente, Dana Point, Rancho Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Ladera Ranch, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita, Irvine, and Costa Mesa.

Our services are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Give us a call at 760-429-0729.