Did you know that the average American eats nearly four gallons of ice cream every year? Even though July is National Ice Cream Month, we can celebrate this sweet treat at BBQs all summer long!
BBQ and pool season is upon us. If it’s been a minute since you hosted a party, you might need to check a few boxes on your to-do list before the fun starts. House clean? Check. Food prepped? Check. Spill clean-up kit ready? Check. Ice machine working? Check. Freezer stocked with popsicles? Check. Sprayed for scorpions and other dangerous desert critters?????
In 2023, Banner Health Poison Control Center received 3,000 scorpion-related calls.
In that same timeframe, the Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center reported:
- 847 scorpion stings
- 175 rattlesnake bites
- 70 bee/wasp/hornet stings
- 46 black widow bites
- 21 fire ant bites
Even a rattlesnake sighting can ruin a party. So how can you keep your summer festivities safe and fun?
Be Summer-Ready
No matter the age of your guests or party style – grandkid sleepovers, back-from-college reunions, high school hangouts, or neighborhood BBQ’s – you can manifest your dream party with a bit of preparation.
As the designated party house this summer, here are a few things to deter desert critters – and keep your guests safe:
- Trim up landscape plants to remove hiding places for snakes
- Employ a pest control company to control scorpions and spiders – or do it yourself and spray insecticide around the foundation of your home and the perimeter fence line
- Buy a black light to find any scorpions in your home and yard
- Clean up any spills from cocktails or sugary drinks that can attract ants
- Power wash outdoor furniture to remove nesting spiders
- Place glue traps around the house to trap scorpions and spiders
- Add lighting around the pool and patio to illuminate pathways and deter creatures
As a host, you can be both fun and safe by keeping your home clean and uncluttered.
Piles of soggy pool towels not only attract scorpions, but also trap moisture on your floors – leaving dirt embedded in your flooring after the water evaporates. Make sure everyone hangs up their towels.
Sunscreens are a necessary evil – and can leave an extra layer of greasy goop on your furniture, door handles, flooring, and in your pool. Sunscreen is a big part of the $13.4 billion skincare industry. Everyone is interested in SPF and wearability, but very little attention is given to removing the residual products from your home. Use a degreaser like Dawn to remove the grime.
Renew recommends an immediate spot cleaning of any messes, followed by a deep extraction cleaning of more damaging agents to keep from permanently staining your floors.
Keep it Cool
Keeping your home cool enough for indoor/outdoor guests is a summer challenge.
Etsy has some really cute “shut the damned door” signs – reminiscent of your childhood where mom and dad had to roar that phrase a couple hundred times throughout the summer. You can probably find one that works with your style.
Perfectly clean windows are great invisible barriers to keep the cool air in – with minimal visual impact. You can watch our fabulous sunsets from the comfort of your living room!
But if you venture out and button up your home for summer, you should leave your AC set at no less than 85 degrees to keep your home furnishings, art, and flooring safe.
Daily Floor Maintenance
With more summertime obligations, daily floor maintenance may become tedious. It may be time to invest in a robotic vacuum like the iRobot Roomba S9+ if you don’t have one (or two!) already. This model has won favor with Consumer Reports.
Protect Your Home Investments
Deep cleaning of your patio furniture and hardscape is a great way to refresh your patio and remove any venomous insects hiding in the crevices. You can’t hide ground-in dirt and old stains with a few new throw pillows and you can’t wish away the bugs!
Some homeowners opt for a deep cleaning and sealing of natural stone and grout to protect their floors from pets, children, and high traffic. Sealing your tile may protect against the impact of wet feet pitter-pattering from the pool to the fridge for snacks – and back again.
While there is some controversy around “sealing” your tile – the tile manufacturers say it’s not necessary -many customers often ask either their tile installers or professional floor cleaners to add that service to the job.
But do you need to seal your grout?
It depends on your lifestyle and household traffic. For the more meticulous and low-impact homeowners, there is no need to seal your grout. But
But . . . sand and cement-based grout is porous and will absorb moisture and stains if left unprotected. You can minimize the absorption of staining agents by sealing your grout annually, or every 6 months for high-traffic or high-moisture areas. Epoxy-based grout does not need sealing.
Sealing grout yourself is a tedious process – often done on your hands and knees. If you only need to seal a small bathroom, you should be fine. But when you get into the 2,000 to 10,000 square foot range – that becomes intolerable, and it is better to hire that done.
If you are going the DIY route, plenty of residential-grade products are available. Just make sure your tile and grout is clean, fully dry, and you use a penetrating sealer. There are different types of sealers – whole surface or grout only. You want to avoid getting grout-only sealer on the surface of ceramic or porcelain tiles because sealers will leave a haze on the tile – and you will need a chemical-based cleaner to remove it.
Daily vacuuming and spot cleaning are the best ways to keep your floors pristine and party-ready.
Renew Your Home & Patio for Summer
Renew Cleaning Services is a Scottsdale-based company with over 28 years of cleaning experience. Renew can help prepare your home for a summer of high-traffic and fun-filled parties.
Our 100% satisfaction guarantee ensures that we can optimize your living spaces with a deep cleaning of your furniture, flooring, and windows. Our team is always working to make you look good and we know that cleanliness matters.
Contact Renew Cleaning Services today by calling (602) 619-0687 or using our free quote form to schedule your home and patio refresh today.