Category: Cleaning Tips

When Do You Replace Your HVAC Filter?

With household dust as the theme for this month’s blog posts, we wanted to address one important thing you can do to reduce dust in your home. It’s the air filter in your furnace/air conditioner.

The filter you use for your heating and cooling unit is important. The basic filters are cheap, but they do little to remove dust and allergens from the air. Consider a higher quality filter with a higher MERV rating https://www.bobvila.com/articles/merv-ratings/. These ratings go from 1-16, with the higher rating allowing fewer airborne particles through. Be sure to read the article from Bob Vila’s website for details on getting the right MERV rating for your system. Highest is not always best!

Most furnace manufacturers recommend replacing your air filter once a month. Not only will this help reduce dust, but a clean air filter is easier on your furnace and air conditioner. If you have pets, it’s super important to change your filters regularly because of the dander and fur they produce.

Be sure to also have your furnace and air conditioner maintained on an annual basis. These units collect dust inside that you will most certainly smell when you first turn on your furnace in the fall. The accumulation can make for a stinky start to the heating season!

Just like regular cleaning of you home, regular replacement of the air filter, will help keep your home and the air in it, fresher and healthier. To make it easy to remember, we always replace ours on the same day each month!

The Effects of Dust in Your Carpet

Dust. Everyone has it and no one wants it!

It seems like a never-ending battle to eliminate dust.

What is Dust?

Dust is made of small particles from the ground, from fabric, and from your skin and the skin of pets. Gross, right? Mammals like us are constantly shedding little bits of skin, which is why dust is a constant problem.

What are Dust Mites?

Dust attracts dust mites and helps them grow. Dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed off of the skin particles in the dust. They live in carpet, bedding and other places where the dust settles.

I’ve read that carpet can accumulate up to 40 pounds of dirt in a year. If even a tiny bit of that is skin flakes and dander, dust mites are sure to be present in your carpet. Plus, little pieces of sand and dirt can be sharp and begin to break down your carpet’s fibers, which creates more dust.

Why Eliminating Dust is Important

Some people are very sensitive to the waste that dust mites produce. An allergy to dust mites https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dust-mites/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352178 makes vacuuming and dusting unpleasant. However, with regular cleaning, dust and dust mites can be reduced. It’s a catch 22 if you have a dust mite allergy, because cleaning can make you sick, but leaving the dust mites is bad, too.

Avoid the accumulation of dust and dander in your home and carpet with regular cleaning. Our vacuum cleaners have HEPA filters that clean without spreading dust and dust mite waste through the air. And we also dust surfaces using products that pick up the dust rather than letting it become airborne and re-settle on your carpet and other surfaces.

Contact us for a free estimate on regular cleaning. We dust and vacuum every time we visit your home so we can keep dust to a minimum. It’s important to have a healthy home for you and your family!

Watch this blog for more information about filters for vacuums and for your home.

Three Reasons to Clean Your Screens

An important part of cleaning your windows is cleaning the window screens. It does not do much good to have nice clean windows if your screens are full of dirt! Here are three reasons we clean screens anytime we clean windows in a home or business.


1. Window screens act as a filter to keep the dirt, pollen, cottonwood fluff and anything else floating in the air out of your home. Dirt is everywhere—especially now, during construction season in Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha!

2. When it rains, all the debris on your screens sticks to your screens and windows, which makes your windows dirty.

3. Cleaning your screens prolongs the life of your screens. Letting dirt, pollen, and grime sit on your screens in hot, cold and wet weather breaks down the material. This may mean that you have to replace your screens in 10 years versus 20 years. The cost of replacing screens can be up to $20 per screen. Plus, you have the inconvenience of dropping them off and picking them up from the hardware store and being without screens for a week or so.

There’s no need to worry about this if you don’t have the time or the right equipment to clean your windows. Be safe and get the windows and screens cleaned thoroughly when you choose

7 Reasons To Get Your Windows Cleaned Professionally

7 Reasons to Get Your Windows Cleaned Professionally

When you’re trying to boost curb appeal and sell your home, clean windows are a no-brainer. However, some people will skip the window cleaning expense, potentially losing out on great offers and a quicker sale. It doesn’t make sense!

Here are 7 reasons to get your windows cleaned.

1. It gives your home more curb appeal. Your clean windows sparkle and shine in the sunlight, giving a brighter feeling to your home—inside and out!

2. Clean windows allow the sunshine though, allowing warmth and light to come in. This literally puts your home in its best light.

3. Window cleaning is a simple maintenance that makes your home look well kept.

4. Cleaning protects your investment. Not cleaning your windows on a regular basis can damage the glass. Dirt, dust and grime can etch into glass, in turn scratching your windows. If that happens, it can cost you a great deal of money. You will have to hire a professional to come resurface the glass. They will use a high power buffing machine and a special compound. It’s more cost-effective to hire JJ Cleaning to clean your windows and protect your investment in windows.

5. Having clean windows can lift your mood, especially after a long, drawn-out winter. You’ll have a crystal clear view of your pool and the pool boy!

6. Hiring a professional window cleaner is safer for you. Falls are the #1 reason for injuries at home. When you hire it out, you don’t have to get on a ladder and risk a fall.

7. Hiring a professional is more effective then you doing it yourself. We are equipped to handle the job and leave a streak-free finish. Hiring JJ Cleaning to clean your windows can give you time to spend with your friends and family.

You’ll love the results of having more light and clean windows to improve your view!

Why You Should Have a Professional Clean Your Home Before Selling

When you are about to put your home on the market, it is important to remember that a clean home is more appealing to buyers. It also shows buyers you care about your home and that you took good care of it.

Here are a few reasons why you should have your home professionally cleaned prior to selling it.

1. First of all, it takes the stress off of you and saves you time. You have better things to do than scrub those corners, clean windows or polish baseboards!

2. Second, think of the first impression people will have when they drive up and walk in. When a potential buyer walks into your home, it will feel fresh and clean. People actions are always basted on feelings, so you need to make your home feel clean and tidy. This will help them envision their furniture, pictures and paint on the wall. They can see themselves living in your home. Spending a few extra dollars to clean your home will be worth it in the long run.

3. When selling your home, you have to be ready for buyers to stop over and look at your home with little notice. When they do, potential buyers will notice layers of dust, build up on the baseboards and dirty doors and light switches. Those little things make the buyers wonder what else you haven?t taken care of.

4. Cleaning the windows is also important. Believe it or not, clean windows are noticeable at the curb as well as inside. They let the sun shine in, making your home bright and warm. A clean home shows pride in yourself and your home.

Here are a few simple tips to enhance the appearance of your home when selling:

– Load the dishwasher (do not leave dirty dishes out)

– Declutter countertops

– Declutter shelves and closets (potential buyers will look in them!

– Place unused or seasonal clothes and shoes in a storage container

– Remove personal items, such as family pictures and knickknacks

– Make bed

– Keep the home tidy

JJ Cleaning will help you sell your home faster by presenting it at its very best. Our professional team will give you an honest recommendation on what needs to be done. From wiping down walls to cleaning windows, JJ Cleaning offers all the cleaning services you need to get your home on the market.