I have never understood the people who always postpone unpleasant tasks until the last possible moment. As if it doesn’t add to the anxiety of doing something you do not enjoy, not to mention Murphy’s Law or Watson’s Law for cleaning – you are just looking for trouble or instant karma. Let me give you a fresh example.

A couple of weeks ago, on a slow Tuesday, we received a quote request from a Belsize Park tenant. He said he was moving out by the end of the week and needed the end-of-lease cleaning done by Saturday afternoon. No problem whatsoever, on the contrary – that gave us three days to schedule and execute the procedure, which is more than enough. We checked the address, and it turned out it was less than 200 yards away from the Belsize Park Tube station – things were getting better and better. We booked the service for Friday, early afternoon. Just another typical case, no hassle at all. That’s before everything went bonkers.

I was having a final tenancy cleaning checkup with a customer and her tenant near the Globe Lawn Tennis Club when my phone started ringing. I usually don’t pick up when I am with customers, but the phone kept buzzing incessantly. “This could be some emergency”, I thought and finally answered. To my surprise, it was our Friday booking. I immediately sensed that he was frantic because something had not gone according to his plans. As it turned out, his landlady had pushed the deadline to Friday, not Sunday afternoon, or he would lose his security deposit. The guy pleaded with me to push the appointment a few hours earlier to finish the job on time.

Something in that whole story sounded terribly fishy. I have been in the end of tenancy cleaning business for over a decade, and I’ve never heard of a landlord changing the deadline on a whim. Besides, why would you be so prickly about a couple or even a single day? I told the guy I would see what we could do about it and hung up the phone.

I vaguely remembered the address he had given us, and after a quick check in our system, it turned out I was less than a ten-minute walk from the place. He had also said that his landlady was living in the same building – across the hall, actually – so I put on my Sherlock cap and went digging for the truth.

When I rang her doorbell, the sweetest lady imaginable answered the door. She was small, neat, and very polite, a talkative woman in her late sixties who immediately invited me for a cup of tea. She didn’t lose her polite smile even when I explained the reason for my visit. “Oh, Nick is hopeless”, she sighed when I mentioned his version of the story.

She said he had already moved out ten days ago, assuring her that he would do the tenancy cleaning any day now. The building was located in the very heart of Belsize Park, with restaurants and cafes and great local businesses in the immediate vicinity – a prime location, as an estate agent would say. She already had inquiries about the apartment but couldn’t invite the people because she wanted it sparkling clean.

As this great lady who reminded me so much of my grandma was telling me all this, I could feel the anger boiling in me. I can’t stand liars, but I literally hate blame deflectors. Unfortunately, my customer was both – but we were going to do the job to the best of our ability as quickly as possible.

We had a free slot at 10 AM on Friday, and I booked it for the appointment. The crew did a fantastic job on the cleaning front, and the landlady was gleaming with satisfaction when she visited the apartment shortly after noon. “I will call the couple that wanted to see the apartment right away!”, she exclaimed, clapped her hands and pushed a paper bag of freshly baked cookies in my backpack. “For your team”, she winked and wished me a great day.

I admit we did all that without a word of consultation with our customer. When we finished, I notified him by email that we had done the job and had already consulted with his landlady, who had expressed her satisfaction. He could visit to receive his security deposit. The tone of the email could leave little doubt about my attitude towards his side of the story.

Is there some moral to that story? I am not sure – but I would rather do ten tenancy cleaning jobs for the lovely lady than book another appointment with Mr Blame Deflector.

No matter how well you clean the house, mould can ruin your furniture and clothes, and there is a real health risk. Mould can cause sinusitis, asthma, fungal infections, headaches, fatigue, depression, skin and respiratory diseases and joint pain. It is toxic, and you should take care immediately. 

Your first thought will be to go to the local supermarket and stock up on mould killers, but the bad news is that they won’t work. And I’ll tell you why. 

Mould or mildew – what is it? 

Mould is a type of fungus, and mildew is a type of mould. Mould is what can appear on surfaces such as wood, wool, leather, silk, cotton and linen) and is almost ubiquitous and needs only moisture to begin to spread. 

Mould and mildew love warm, humid, sometimes dark spaces – so it’s important to regularly ventilate areas such as garages and basements (especially after rain). 

Mould and mildew spores can be everywhere. But to observe growth, excessive humidity in the room is needed. Most often in the kitchens, where cooking inevitably forms moisture. Especially on winter days, as the windows open less frequently. Mould and mildew cover a diverse group of fungi. They are neither plants nor animals. Mould spreads by releasing millions of spores into the air. These disputes can be practically everywhere. They develop and form black spots (mycelium) if there are suitable conditions. That is the visible part where we recognise that there is mould. Small pieces of mycelium can create new colonies. And so, at some point, it turns out that the whole wall is in mould. It most often forms in the inner surfaces of exterior walls, corners and sills. Its presence means having suitable conditions for mould growth in the home. Namely: 

• High relative humidity in the room – over 75-80%; 
• Relatively low wall temperature; 
• Lack of air movement – not ventilated enough; 
• Nutrient environment that is abundant in a home. 

Unfortunately, mould is seen more as a cosmetic and aesthetic problem than causing health problems among occupants. 

Things you can do to prevent mould

• Make sure you have excellent and practical ventilation, leaving doors and windows open on dry days. 
• Open the curtains and windows to let the sun in (remember that mould loves dark spaces). 
• After a rainstorm, check the roof for leaks and accumulation. 
• Dry all wet areas. 
• Clean houseplants of dust and extra water. 
• Wipe off condensation. 
• Use a dehumidifier – set it to less than 55% humidity. 

Condensation as a prerequisite for the formation of mould 

Condensation forms when we have a surface whose temperature is much lower than the air temperature. It’s like every time you take a bottle out of the fridge. Drops of moisture condensed from the air immediately appear on its surface. However, condensation does not form on the bottle when it is at the room’s temperature. The reason is that there is no difference between the temperature of its surface and that of the room. 

To fight condensation, you must raise the temperature of the wall surface, which is done by laying internal or external insulation. 

How to get rid of mould? 

To do this, you must dry your home and remove any moisture. 

Do you have to get rid of the mould if you live in rented accommodation? 

You must tell your landlord, as he must keep the home in good condition, without mould. 

The easiest and most practical way to deal with mould is to prevent it from forming, and if it does appear, treat it in time. 

In the bathroom 

It creates excellent climatic conditions for growing mould – moisture, heat and lack of good ventilation. Tile joints and silicone seals are favourite places for mould to form. Bleach is the best way to fight it. More surfaces in the bathroom can withstand its aggression. 

To avoid bleach splashes:

1. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and apply a generous amount of bleach on the affected areas.
2. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes.
3. Rub vigorously with an old toothbrush and rinse thoroughly. 

Tip: To prevent mould from taking power in the constantly wet areas of the bathroom, you can spray periodically with a solution of bleach and water in a ratio of 1: 4. It can always be on hand with the detergents in the bathroom. 

On the walls 

There is no way to deal with the spotted plague while you have a wet wall. No matter how many cosmetic exercises to remove mould you do, it is unlikely to help in the long run. Eliminate the cause by isolating the wall from the invasion of moisture. Ensuring good ventilation is a crucial factor in combating spores. 

Tip: If you have large windows in the room, keep them from sweating too much. The moisture retained will certainly help the mould slide quickly on the windows and walls near the window. 

In most cases, mould removers irritate the respiratory system and cause allergies. Try to deal with the problem by using tea tree essential oil. Dissolve 20 drops of it in 1 cup of water. Pour it into a spray bottle, and spray the mouldy surface. Allow absorbing and dry. Wipe with a damp cloth, then dry well. 

The most important measures that we must take if there is mould in the home: 

• Increase ventilation and remove moist air in rooms with more plants, aquariums or other sources of moisture 
• Waterproof the connections with the walls of your newly replaced joinery. 
• In the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, where moisture is higher, ventilate frequently. 
• When you are not at home, leave the dry room doors open. The goal is to achieve natural air circulation throughout the house. 
• If you are doing repairs, plan it in the warmer months of the year so that the moisture from the walls can come out and not stay in the house. 
• It is good to maintain a constant temperature in the rooms – about 22 degrees around the clock, and often ventilate them. It is best to open two opposite windows to allow air movement. 
• When arranging the furniture, keep in mind at least a 5-10 cm distance from the wall so that the air circulates behind them and does not form mould. 

Agreed. Moving Out Can be Stressful

In a lot of cases, moving can be a somewhat fraught time for children. After all, this may be the first time that they’ve ever left the cosy familiarity of all they’ve ever known to go somewhere new. Well, it could be the first time since they left the womb, and you know how much crying and screaming that involved on their part. In a lot of cases, it can be a lot easier to get the kids to go and stay with Grandma or Uncle Jason for a few days while the process is going on. However, there are times that this might not be possible, particularly if Uncle Jason is coming to help you move house.

For slightly older children (I’m talking about those aged five and over), helping with the move and with the end of tenancy cleaning can be part of the leaving process and can help them come to terms with it. You can use the time spent packing and cleaning to talk about the new house that’s coming up and build excitement.

Of course, children, especially small ones, can’t do the best job in the world of cleaning and you have to be prepared for a few meltdowns and emotional moments at times. It might be wise to call in a professional end of tenancy cleaning company to make sure that everything is just the way it should be so that you get the deposit back from the landlord. But they can still help a bit, especially with a bit of encouragement and motivation. In the case of teenagers, the promise of pizza usually is sufficient.

We’ve come up with a few ideas that can help young children get motivated to help with the moving out cleaning and find the process fun. Who knows – perhaps your child might enjoy the process of cleaning so much and have such a happy memory of it that they might decide to become a professional cleaner one day!

Idea #1: Let Them Do Something They’re Not Usually Allowed To Do

Everything’s changed so this is where some of the rules can change as well, especially if “breaking the rules” will help you clean up. Perhaps you can get them to pull all the cushions off the sofa and couch to search for “buried treasure” down there (and suck all the mess up with the vacuum cleaner). Perhaps they can crawl right into the kitchen cupboards (again with a vacuum cleaner). Pouring water onto the kitchen floor so it can be scrubbed and mopped (if you give them the container to pour so things don’t get flooded) is also quite satisfying. Even eating a meal in an empty bedroom can have a fun rule-breaking feel to it.

Idea #2: Give Them Responsibility For Something

It’s easy to feel in the way and unimportant if you’re six years old and all the adults are busy focussing on other things while the only home you’ve known is in chaos. However, if one of those adults trusts you enough to have a job and be part of the process, you feel a bit more important and valued, even though things are still chaotic and unsettling. Dusting skirting boards is something that is probably easier for children to do than adults (they’re lower down), so this is a task you can delegate to a small child. A reasonably competent child sitting on the shoulders of an adult can also reach high things like ceiling fans and dust the top of them. This may also give them the thrill of doing something that they wouldn’t normally be allowed to do as well as feeling responsible and special.

Idea #3: Super Magic Cleaning Spray

Issue your child with a squirt bottle of “magic potion” or a water pistol with “super germ killer spray” (tailor to your child’s interest). They can use this to squirt the bathroom walls or the windows and the inside of the cupboards. Make super magic cleaning spray by mixing white vinegar with water plus a few drops of essential oil or even cheap fragrant oils (let your child choose the fragrance), then shake it up well. Super magic cleaning spray made from vinegar and water is safe for your child’s skin. It becomes even more fun in the bathroom if you’ve put down some baking soda paste on the tiles or around the taps or on the inside of the bath first, because it fizzes when the vinegar hits it.

Idea #4: The Human Floor Polisher

Once you’ve swept hard floors yourself and mopped them or possibly even polish them, it’s time to buff them up… with the human floor polisher. There are two ways to do this but both will require your child to wear old clothes. The first way is best done with small children. This involves your pre-schooler grabbing onto a long, sturdy stick (turn the broom upside down, possibly). An adult can then push them around and around on the floor and give them “rides” on that clear expanse of floor. Fun for the child, a little tiring for the adult and the floor really does get buffed. The second way is better for older children with good balance. This involves putting on ratty old socks and scooting about on the floor in them. Music helps set the mood for this. Note that you will have to get into the corners yourself to buff or dry them properly, as these tend to get missed.

Idea #5: The Dirty Rag Competition

If you’ve got more than one child, issue each of them with a set of cleaning rags. Then challenge them to see who can get their set of rags the dirtiest and blackest. Winner gets to pick the pizza flavour for that night. Taking the rags outside into the mud is cheating! Adding a touch of competition like this will see your children scrambling into all sorts of dark corners to find dirt and wipe it up to get their cleaning rags really filthy. Don’t blame me if the adults want to get in on the competition as well.

Idea #6: The Checklist

Checklists may be the way that professionals tackle end of tenancy cleaning but they’re just as good for small children as well. This is because lists work. Breaking a massive task like end of tenancy cleaning down into small individual jobs makes it less overwhelming, and also means that you can keep track of what has and hasn’t been done. Draw up this list with your child – and let him or her do some of the ticking off. Even if your child gets sick of the moving out cleaning before the job is over (this is quite likely to happen even if you try some of the tricks in this post – moving out cleaning is a big job!), he or she can be put in charge of the list and can do the job of ticking the boxes or crossing things off the list.

Idea #7: Audiobooks

Music is often a good way to make the process of cleaning a bit more enjoyable, but in the case of a long job, listening to a story can be even better. There are tons of audiobooks out there on Spotify and other apps such as Audible (even YouTube has some stories). Let your children choose a story they’d like to listen to while doing a task like scrubbing the bathroom grout with a toothbrush. Even if they can’t complete the task fully and it all gets too much, having a story to listen to may help keep your children entertained… and you’ll find yourself enjoying it while you clean as well!