Author Archives: Penny

I was so shocked to do a walk though of a freshly cleaned 4 million dollar condo for sale that just needed a “touch up” (A realtors favorite line to use for hiring an Austin maid service). I had to take photos to convince the realtor that the new homeowner wouldn’t be thrilled once they discovered these things after unpacking.

The Austin Skyline is booming with views of every side of Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) that realtors are staying busy listing and marketing the newest view on the market.

However housekeepers see the homes in a more personal way than realtors do. Our heads are deep in cabinets vacuuming up the last homeowners dog food that got lodged in the crevices of the cabinet. Or removing the trapped hair in the shower filter that no one knew was there for years.

The top things that housekeepers discover when cleaning Austin residences for sale is the lack of care of filter cleanings.

After speaking to many of our current downtown austin cleaning service clients, they made us aware that they truly didn’t know a lot of these filters even existed. We also believe that a lot of other cleaning services that may not be familiar with a lot of the downtown Austin condo buildings are also unaware of these filters.

After 27 years of providing cleaning services in Austin we have learned a lot of details that need to be maintained in cleaning and I’m here to share a few shocking ones.

We use so many things to clean for us around our homes that we forget those appliances also have filters. In order for them to continue to work for us efficiently, we need to understand how to find and clean them routinely.

Here are the 4 Hidden Filters that get clogged and how we recommend to clean them easily.

How To Find and Clean The Dishwasher Filter

1. Google The type of dishwasher you have to find where the filter is located unless you still have the manual
2. Open the filter and remove any debris that is stuck that cannot go in the drain.
3. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and gently clean the wire filter
4. Clean the outer casings of the filter area before wiping and replacing .
5. Repeat monthly. Check out our Instagram showing how we clean our client’s dishwasher filters!

How To Find and Clean the Hidden Shower Drain Filter

If you have a newer modern shower then you most likely have instead of a small round drain, a long drain as shown in the video above or a small square drain. Did you know you are supposed to lift it and clean it? It may shock you when you do!

1. Use a flathead screwdriver or skinny sharp object to carefully lift and remove the filter cover.
2. Remove and clean the filter
3. Remove, clear and clean the hair trap filter inside
4. Scrub, rinse and replace the filters, covers, and drain area
5. Repeat monthly because this place builds up slime and grime that over time clogs and smells horribly! Check out our viral video on this tip.

How To Find/Clean The Washing Machine Filter

If your washer isn’t draining properly, there is most likely a clogged filter. We’ve seen something as small as a hairpin stop the flow of a washing machine. Here’s how to find and clear it.

1. Check your manual first or google the appliance you have to find where the filter is. This small door in the picture above is usually at the bottom of the machine that houses the filters.
2. Open/remove the door and grab a container to place under to fill all of the water.
3. Locate the small hose and release the water into the container. (This usually stinks!) Replace the cap on the hose and place back.
4. Once all the water is drained you can move to the filter and twist to pull out. Remove the debris, and grime to clean, rinse and replace.
5. Here’s a shocking video of how to find, clean and repeat this step monthly.

How To Find And Clean The Range top Filter.

This filter area is usually under the microwave or above your range top. When cooking we press this filter/fan on to remove grease and odor particles. If not cleaned often it just can’t work efficiently and will become blocked.

1. Google your appliance or read the manual on where to locate the filter.
2. Remove
3. Soak in a sink of hot sudsy amazing grease cutting dish soap like LemiShine or if it is too caked on we recommend the method in the above video.
4. You can also place these in the dishwasher monthly to clean
5. Repeat monthly if you cook often.

Purchasing a home is usually the biggest investment most of us make. We are overwhelmed with manuals when we first move in that we just shove them in a drawer. I would be honored to help you in any way personalize a routine hidden filter guide for your home. Feel free to email me and let me know how I may be of assistance to you for this.

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