A Housekeeper's Guide to Bond Cleaning

Bond cleaning is often a daunting task, especially when it comes to ensuring you meet the standards required for getting your bond back or getting paid (if you’re the cleaner). But, with the right approach and the proper cleaning products, you can streamline the process and achieve exceptional results.

In this guide, we share some professional industry tips and recommend Hanleys products to help you through the task efficiently.

Pro Tip 1: WATCH

When it comes to effective bond cleaning and housekeeping, remember the acronym WATCH:

Water: the universal carrier – the vehicle for your chemical and the soil it removes.

Action: assists with dislodging the soil from the surface. Action also helps move fresh cleaning solution to the point needed.

Time: chemical solution needs time to penetrate the soil and take effect – this depends on the nature of the soil and the chemical used.

Chemical: you must select the correct type of chemical & dilution for the best results.

Heat: for every 10 degree increase in temperature, you double the efficiency of your chemical. Therefore, considering the surface and type of soil, increasing the temperature improves results.

Pro Tip 2: Colour Coding

One simple but effective strategy for efficient cleaning is colour coding. Use different coloured cloths and chemicals for specific areas to prevent cross-contamination and ensure hygiene standards are maintained. Read our Commercial Colour Coding Practices blog for more information.

Know your commercial colour codes:

Red = bathrooms

Blue = general cleaning

Green = kitchen areas

Yellow = infectious areas

White = operating theatres

How to Bond Clean

1. Kitchen:

Oven Cleaning: Start by applying Easy-Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner to the oven surfaces and racks. This alkaline-based cleaner is designed to break down baked-on food and tough grease, making it easier to wipe away. For a warm oven, you can leave Easy Off on for as little as 3 minutes. For a cold oven and deep clean, you can leave on for up to 12 hours – plenty of time for you take on the rest of the job.

Pro Tip: Oven cleaners like Easy Off and Solutions K9 Oven & Grill are caustic substances – meaning they are at the high alkaline end of the scale and should be used to clean baked on carbonised soils. Ensure to wear gloves when applying chemicals like K9.

Overall Kitchen Cleaning: While the oven cleaner works its magic, tackle protein, fat and grease using an alkaline product like Solutions GP3 Easy Clean General Purpose Cleaner with a green Oates microfibre cloth. To bring the shine back to stainless steel surfaces like appliances, sinks, stovetops and rangehoods, use 3M Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish.

Pro Tip: Alkaline products are particularly suitable for kitchen cleaning as they are capable of breaking down organic matter, oils, and fats commonly found in kitchen environments, ensuring a thorough and hygienic clean

2. Bathroom:

Shower and Toilet Cleaning: If the shower and toilet bowl are in need of good attention, you’ll want to hit them with a Solution like B3 Rejuvenator. It’s acidic properties and commercial quality ensure it melts away chalky scale, rust and layers of grime and soap scum. B3 restores your shower to its original, pristine form. Due to its highly acidic properties, ensure to wear gloves when applying B3, and use our flip cap 500ml bottle to squirt the concentrate onto your shower walls. Leave B3 on a surface for no longer than five minutes, and ensure to rinse thoroughly with water. Be careful using acids like B3 with metals – acid, alcohol, or solvent-based cleaners can ruin or discolour a brushed nickel finish.

General Bathroom Cleaning: For bathroom maintenance or a less intensive shower and bowl clean, our Solutions range product B2 Bathroom & Toilet or Lencia Bathroom Cleaner, are recommended for their effectiveness in dissolving bathroom scum and build-up. Lencia is designed to be sprayed and left on the surface where it will continue to act on bathroom grime, mould and mildew. Spraying daily dissolves bathroom scum, calcium build-up and prevents mould forming.

Whichever cleaner you choose, ensure you’ve got the right tool for the right surface to help you move and activate the product. For less build-up, use a light duty sponge and for heavy build-up on shower floor and wall tiles, opt for the Oates Eager Beaver hand tool with an abrasive floor pad is perfect for use on shower floor and wall tiles for tough build-up. For shower glass, opt for something like a red Oates Microfibre cloth with your chemical.

Pro Tip: Apply suitable acidic cleaning chemicals to thoroughly clean the shower and toilet bowl, targeting water and scale build-up. These chemicals are specifically formulated to dissolve mineral deposits and soap scum effectively, leaving surfaces sparkling clean.

3. Walls, Windows, Mirrors & Surfaces:

Wall Cleaning: Wipe down walls using a suitable cleaner to remove marks or stains. Depending on the marks or location of the walls, you’ll need a different product. GP3 is perfect for degreasing walls in the kitchen (grab that green cloth again). If you have scuff marks or dirt on your walls, something like a White Magic sponge is the ideal mark eraser. Pay special attention to areas prone to splashes or handprints.

Window, Mirror, and Surface Cleaning: Achieve streak-free shine on windows, mirrors, and other surfaces using the right products. Solutions W2 Clear View is the ideal window and mirror cleaner. It comes in a five-litre bottle – we recommend you purchase a screen printed W2 bottle with a spray trigger to move your solution. Halo Fast Dry Glass Cleaner is recommended for its quick-drying formula, leaving surfaces sparkling clean without streaks. Use W2 or Halo with a glass cleaning cloth for a streak-free finish.

For other general cleaning, Solutions GP4 Neutral Clean is suitable for various surfaces, ensuring a thorough and gentle clean. Use with a blue Oates microfibre cloth for a colour-coded clean.

Pro Tip: Window tracks, shutters and light shades are property managers biggest gripes. Use a grout brush on window tracks to remove dirt and dust, and a damp microfibre cloth for shutters or blinds. For those pesky bugs in the light fittings, ensure to remove the shade pre-floor cleaning and wipe out with a microfibre cloth and something like GP4 if you need a bit of chemical.

4. Carpets, Floors & Finishes:

Bed and Linen Cleaning: Strip beds and wash all washable linens to freshen up the space. This includes bed linens, pillowcases, and any other washable items in the property.

Floor Cleaning: Vacuum and mop floors to remove dust, dirt, and debris at the end of your clean. Use a suitable floor cleaner like Solutions GP4 Neutral Clean General Purpose Cleaner, which is pH neutral and gentle on surfaces. Check out our range of vacuums and floor mops. To finish of the job, use air freshener to add a refreshing touch to the space, ensuring it smells clean and inviting.