Book in 60 Seconds

Author: Elio Mendoza

Elio Mendoza is the owner of 713 Cleaning, a residential and commercial cleaning company serving Houston and Katy, TX. He writes practical cleaning guides based on what his team sees in real Texas homes every week.

Clean Grout Without Damaging It: 4 Honest Rules

A walk-in shower floor of small square mosaic tiles with light grout lines around a round drain, framed by larger beige wall tiles.

To clean grout without damaging it, use a pH-neutral cleaner and a soft nylon brush, let it sit per its label, scrub along the line, and rinse. Keep vinegar and acids off cement grout, test bleach on colored grout first, and never use a wire brush — a line still dark after that is stained […]

Hard Water Stains on Shower Glass: 3 Honest Fixes

A framed glass shower door clouded with hard water spots, a shower pan with soap scum and dark buildup along its edges, and white subway tile behind it.

Hard water stains on shower glass are mineral deposits, not dirt, so soap won’t move them: use an acid-based descaler made for glass the way its label says, rinse, and dry the glass. Soap film comes off with mild detergent, and a haze that stays when the glass is wet is etching, which no cleaner […]

How to Deep Clean a Bathroom: The Honest 6-Step Order

A 713 Cleaning crew member, seen from behind, wipes down the light gray tile wall of a tub-shower combo.

How to deep clean a bathroom: work top to bottom, let the cleaners do the waiting, and leave the floor for last — start the shower and the toilet bowl soaking, dust the high surfaces dry, scrub the shower and tub, then the sink and mirror, then the toilet, then the floor. Bathrooms are one […]

Clean Inside the Oven and Fridge: 3 Honest Options

A cleaner in a navy shirt wipes the inside of an empty refrigerator with a green cloth, both doors open, in an empty kitchen with a step ladder.

To clean inside the oven and fridge, empty them, take out the racks, shelves and drawers to wash on their own, and wipe the interior — the fridge with hot, soapy water, the oven with a cleaner its manual allows. A regular or deep clean doesn’t include either; both are add-ons, and both are included […]

Degrease Kitchen Cabinets: The Honest 5-Step Method

A 713 Cleaning crew member wipes a stainless range under a white wall-mount hood, between white shaker cabinets and a patterned tile backsplash.

To degrease kitchen cabinets, start at the range hood: clean or replace its filter so less grease reaches the doors. Then test your finish on a hidden spot, wipe top to bottom with warm water and a few drops of dish soap on a wrung-out cloth, rinse with a plain damp cloth, and dry. We […]

How to Deep Clean a Kitchen: The Honest 7-Step Order

A 713 Cleaning crew member works at a back counter under a stainless range hood and dark wood cabinets, with stove grates set in the island sink in the foreground.

How to deep clean a kitchen: work top to bottom, dry before wet, and clean before you sanitize — high surfaces first, then cabinet fronts, appliances, the stovetop and backsplash, the counters and sink, and the floor last. Start the grates and a washable hood filter soaking at the beginning so they’re ready when you […]

Get Rid of Pet Odor: 4 Proven Fixes and What Cleaning Can’t

Freshly vacuumed beige carpet on an upstairs landing beside a white-and-black iron stair railing, white baseboards along the wall.

To get rid of pet odor, find the source before you clean anything: the pet and its bed, the litter box and bowls, a spot on the carpet, or the soft surfaces that have been holding the smell. Each has one fix. Spraying the room has none — and some smells are past what any […]

Get Pet Hair Off Furniture and Floors: 5 Proven Tools

Empty carpeted bedroom with fresh overlapping vacuum passes visible in the pile, white baseboards and two windows.

To get pet hair off furniture and floors, work in order: a damp rubber glove on the fabric, a rubber squeegee on the rugs and stairs, the vacuum’s upholstery tool over both, a damp microfiber on the hard floors, and a lint roller for the last pass on the seat. The order matters more than […]

House Cleaning With Pets: 6 Honest Habits for Hair and Odor

Living room with a beige fabric sofa and gray cushions on a patterned rug over a wood floor, a desk and tall windows behind it.

House cleaning with pets comes down to six habits: brush the pet, not the sofa; vacuum floors on a rhythm; keep a washable layer on the furniture; wash the beds hot; chase odor to its source; and clean the air path — the filter, the return grille, a damp cloth. For everyday hair and odor, […]

Cleaning Up After a Party: 7 Proven Steps, in Order

Kitchen island with a white quartz top and three navy upholstered bar stools, a dining table set behind it and a tiled floor meeting dark wood planks.

Cleaning up after a party goes fastest in this order: food and leftovers first, then trash, then dishes and glassware, then spills, then surfaces, then the bathroom, and floors last. Do the first four the same night; the rest can wait for coffee. I grill, my wife cooks, and with three small kids asleep upstairs […]