Places in your home you should be cleaning, but aren’t

You may think your house is clean, but there are many commonly missed cleaning spots you might not have considered… until now. Grab the antibac – sneaky dirt traps, we’re coming to get you!

Underneath the fridge

A refuge for all those unstoppable rolling peas. GHI cleaning tip: Use a flat mop, (microfibre ones are especially flat) which will go all the way underneath or if it’s on castors pull it out and give the floor and a good wipe down – and don’t forget the wall behind too.

Underneath the sofa

Lifting it up can be such a hassle, it can be easier to just forget about the cleaning situation. But if you knew what was building up underneath you’d soon be reaching for the vacuum, especially if you have pets. GH cleaning tip: Use the nozzle for those hard-to-reach corners.

Down the side of the sofa

Strapped for cash? Just take a peak down the side of your sofa. Here you’re almost guaranteed to find loose change, along with other, less exciting things.This should be hoovered using a nozzle at least once a month.

Gap behind an open door

The triangular space behind your open door is often neglected – go around your home, close the doors and see what lies behind!

 

A Homemaker’s Ultimate Guide to Housekeeping

Housekeeping can be an overwhelming task. Sure, it’s straightforward enough when there are only two of you, but everything changes when that first crying potato bursts into your world.

I remember when I first transitioned into being home full time. I was nearing the end of my pregnancy and my husband took on a full time job in addition to full time school so that I could quit my job.

For the longest time, I just could NOT get it together. While I feel that my struggle is very relatable and all too common, it didn’t have to be that way! Does your home stress you, and leave you feeling like you have little time left for your family, and even less for yourself?

Do you feel overwhelmed with the demands of your role, and find yourself routinely saying, “I’m only ONE person; I just can’t do it ALL!” Or maybe you feel like you could keep up with the housework just fine IF you didn’t have a needy baby or clingy toddler-monkey glued to your body all day long.

Whatever your situation, I’m telling you right now… housekeeping DOESN’T have to be stressful, you CAN get everything done, and you DON’T have to spend hours upon hours in an endless daily loop of chores. And… you can love your job, too.

 

Room By Room Cleaning Guide

All Rooms and Common Areas

Purge, Organize and Dust:

Declutter each room, organize all your items and dust from top to bottom

Rearrange Furniture:

Move furniture to get to those hard-to-reach places that have been collecting dust all winter

Wash Window Treatments:

Steam clean curtains

Use a dryer sheet on mini blinds

Wash shades with warm water and microfiber cloths

Kitchen

Achieve “Like New” Status:

Give your kitchen cabinets and appliances TLC

Clean grimy stovetops, ovens and microwaves with baking soda, warm water and microfiber cloths

Make it “Eat-Off-The-Floor” Clean:

Move everything that touches the floor and vacuum to remove dust and debris

Use baking soda and warm water to make a paste for tough stains, scrubbing with a microfiber cloth

Bedrooms

Give Them a Five-Star Hotel Room Clean:

Use a duster or microfiber cloth for the headboard and bed frame

Vacuum every inch of the mattress

Reassemble a fresh, clean bed

Dust the Décor:

Run a microfiber cloth over and underneath every surface and décor item

Bathrooms

Deep Clean the Ins and Outs:

Clean out and wash vanity drawers or cabinets

Refresh the Light Fixtures:

Bring fixtures back to their “out-of-the-box” condition by removing dust and polish from fixtures with a microfiber cloth

 

The Ultimate Guide to Household Cleaning: What You Should Be Cleaning When

There’s nothing more calm-inducing than stepping into a spotless, tidy home. No matter what happened out in the world or what kind of day you’ve had, . Believe it or not, it’s possible to always have that Zen feeling with a bit of planning and .

secret weapon: the cleaning checklist. By breaking down housework into manageable tasks sorted by day, week, month, season, and year, you can pretty much put cleaning on autopilot. The best part? Just a few minutes here and there can make a huge difference when it comes to how great your home looks and feels—and it keeps messes at bay so that they don’t become bigger headaches down the road

Take those containers of leftovers you vowed to reinvent but never got around to, for example. It’s probably best to do an audit of that back row of  and toss them (and any other expired items) each week to prevent overcrowding and keep your fridge running optimally.

Research shows that the easiest habits to keep are the ones that are automatic, like glancing at these checklists. This way, you’ll never waste time wondering where to even begin or be caught off guard by a seasonal task that crept up on you

They take minimal time and energy but produce maximum results. For example, by making your bed every morning, you ensure that the focal point of your bedroom is tidy, which makes the entire room feel more orderly. (Plus, it puts you in a good mental state to tackle your day.)

 

Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Ultimate Guide

Welcome spring by giving your home a good deep clean. Our handy guide breaks down the must-do chores into a three-step system. First up are the spring cleaning checklist and to-dos, the once-a-year tasks perfectly suited for spring. Next, tackle exterior spring cleaning with tips on fix-ups and repairs for the outside of your home. Finally, room-by-room cleaning tips will help you declutter and tidy up specific must-hit areas.

Spring is the perfect time to  or embark on an apartment-cleaning marathon. Work these chores into your cleaning schedule this spring and get ready to face warmer days with a space that sparkles. Before you tackle your deep cleaning, make a cleaning checklist tailored to your home and needs.

Be sure to pick a cloudy day to . “If it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast and you’ll have streaks,” says . Water and a microfiber cloth will typically clean windows more effectively than chemicals. Otherwise, make your own glass cleaner solution with 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/3 cup vinegar, and distilled water.

Sliding glass door tracks probably aren’t the first spots you’d think to clean, but you’ll appreciate having done it before the outdoor entertaining season gets into full swing. Smallin suggests scrubbing the tracks with an old, dry toothbrush to loosen debris, then using your vacuum hose to remove it. Finish with a wet sponge.

Spring cleaning is an opportunity to address those surfaces you overlook on a daily basis. Once a year, give your baseboards, door frames, and . Wash them with a sponge and a squirt of dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water.

Move Out Cleaning Services

Schedule your move out cleaning together with a removals service or separately if you wish. We will provide you with a free no-obligation quote, which will include a breakdown of all the costs, based on your moving needs and assistance requests. On that note, the professional move out cleaning is charged per job, which means that the service is not limited by time. You can book your cleaning session for any day of the week, including public holidays.

Save time and money

We have designed a complete relocation package that can take care of every facet of your move. Depending on your individual circumstances, we can send packers and movers to wrap your possessions with quality materials, load, transport and deliver them to your new address

Getting your bond back

The professional cleaners who will handle your end of tenancy cleaning are familiar with the checklists used by letting agencies and landlords. In other words, they will make sure the priority areas are properly cleaned so the property can easily pass the check.

Complete solution

We will personalise your service to meet all your relocation needs. Whether you need furniture removals and storage or there is a load of old furniture or any other waste disposed of, or you require special packing and handling of antique items

There is nothing more stressful than losing your security deposit on top of packing, moving out and looking for a new place to rent. With our reliable, 72-hour guaranteed end of tenancy cleaning assistance, you can rest assured that the funds you’ve paid upfront will be returned in full so that you can secure more easily the rent for your next accommodation

 

Moving out of a Furnished Flat: Checklist – what you have to do

Your stay in your furnished flat is coming to an end? This is what you should arrange and plan in advance in order to make moving out as easy as possible.

Get in touch with the Landlord

Please arrange a day and time for the final inspection and, or the handover of the keys. If you should leave very early in the moring, please ask the owner if he or she would like to check the apartment before or after you have left.

You need to know:

where you should leave the keys

how you should leave the apartment (basically clean, will a professional cleaner come, can you do the final cleaning yourself, should you wash the bedlinen or towels… ?

discuss cleaning instructions with the landlord, if you are not sure how to get rid of a stain on a sofa, how to clean sensitive surfaces etc.

With some apartments, a professional final cleaning is obligatory. But in our opinion, you can never leave the apartment too clean. 😉 We have also had cases, when the tenants did a better final cleaning job than the professional cleaners, but with most cases, a professional cleaning IS necessary. But you can always save many, if you do as much as possible yourself. Therefore you should concentrate on the details!

Check the Apartment

You should, of course, always report if something is not working, if here are any damages etc. Even if you have not caused the problem. It is much easier fort he landlord to plan and conduct the mending if he or she knows in advance. If you are still in the apartment, you can explain the problem in detail, you can also explain that you did not use anything incorrectly.

 

The Insured and Guaranteed Move-out cleaning solution

SAVES YOU TIME

you will finally have time to take care of what’s most important for you

200% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

We guarantee you a clean home. If you are not happy with the cleaning, we’ll come again for free. If still you are not happy, we will refound your money.

SAFETY FIRST

We rigorously vet all of our Cleaners, and in case of damage we are covered by a 10 millions CHF insurance

CLEANING PRODUCTS INCLUDED

All our services include eco-friendly cleaning products, safe for the environment and the health of your beloved ones.

A SERVICE TAILORED FOR MOVE OUT CLEANINGS

Companies offering move out cleaning solution usually take care of “after renovation” cleanings, that require expensive and heavy machines. Why hire such a company when a cleaning lady trained

 

Tenant guide to moving out

Moving out of your rental property? Our advice: leave it as you found it! Essentially, you are responsible for leaving the property in the same condition as when you moved in, save for fair wear and tear. If you were given an inventory check-in document at the start of your tenancy, please re-read as this will help you to understand the original condition of the property and the standard of cleaning required.

Landlords accept that there will be an element of fair wear and tear during any normal residential tenancy. However, if it’s anything more than a reasonable amount, you could see deductions from your deposit. It is worth you spending the time bringing the property back to the same standard as specified in the inventory check-in. Please follow these guidelines to make moving out as simple as possible!

Refresh your memory

Have a read through your inventory check-in report and refresh your memory about the condition of the property when you first moved in

Rearrange

Be sure to return all items of furniture to the original room if they have been moved around – the inventory check-in report will also help with this if you can’t remember. This helps to avoid claims for missing items that are simply in a different room.

Clean up

All areas of the property need to be cleaned to the same standard they were in when you first moved in. Don’t forget the oven, fridge freezer (get defrosting) and windows – these are the areas most likely to be forgotten! Moving house is stressful enough, so consider calling in the professionals for an end of tenancy cleaning service. Ideally, arrange an overlap between your new and old tenancy of a day or two. That way you can get your possessions moved out, the cleaners called in, and minimise your stress.

 

Follow This Moving Out Checklist Before Tenants Leave

If you’ve ever been a renter, you’ve likely paid a security deposit. Deposits can be steep! You probably really wanted the entire amount returned. Now that you’re a landlord, you know you’re more than happy to give renters their security deposit back—so long as they left your property tidy and free of damage. A moving-out checklist ensures keeps both renters and landlords happy. (We’ve even got a moving-in checklist, so you can start on the right foot.

Procedures and checklists streamline everything. They make the process faster and more efficient. They prevent you from smacking your forehead and saying, “Darn it, I forgot to do a walk-thru inspection!” Here’s our recommended process for renter move-out and move-in.

What Landlords Must Do for Move-Out

Moving out doesn’t happen in a day. It can be a long process—so make sure you’re dotting your is and crossing your ts from the moment your tenant turns in notice.

One to two weeks before move-out

Schedule a preliminary walk-through. Afterwards, alert the tenant—in writing—to the issues that need to be resolved in order for the tenant to receive their deposit back in full. For example: Tenant must repaint walls back to their original color.

Send tenant a “cleaning checklist” that outlines the expectations of how clean the unit must be. (See below.)

Remind tenant that all their possessions must be removed by 12 p.m. on move-out day, or whatever time is specified on the lease. Schedule a time for the final walk-through of the unit, preferably at 12:00 noon or 1 p.m. on move-out day.

Arrange for a cleaning crew and a handyman to come to the unit on the afternoon of move-out day.

On moving day

Come to the walkthrough with two copies (to be signed in duplicate) of three forms:

The move-out inspection checklist

The final move-out form, which states that the tenant’s lease is over, all obligations are finished, and they will not be staying

A form for a forwarding address and phone number.

Bring a camera. Any issues with the unit must be documented.

Walkthrough the unit with your tenant, photographing any and all damage or uncleanliness.

Have tenant sign all three forms.

Email tenant any photos of damage.

After tenant leaves, instruct cleaning crew and handyman as necessary.

Cleaning Household Upholstery Furniture

The smell of new upholstery furniture is an absolute delight! Not to mention the look and feel of it too. It’s soft, comfortable and more importantly, 100% clean! But then the weeks and months roll by and your brand new upholstery now smells dusty, looks dingy and feels dirty. It’s true; upholstery ages quickly if not cleaned or maintained regularly; and when that happens, it makes the whole room look rather drab. No one wants that, so if your upholstery furniture needs cleaning, you’ve come to the right place!

Vacuum Upholstery Thoroughly

Dust is the enemy! Unless vacuumed properly, dust gets smeared across your sofa and cushions when cleaning, making a much bigger mess of things. Hence, it’s never a good idea to skip step 1 when cleaning upholstery furniture. Use a soft brush attachment (or a specially made upholstery cleaning attachment) to vacuum the entire couch, removing all surface dirt and dust. Be sure to vacuum between crevices or cracks for any hidden dirt or particles. Here’s a good tip for thoroughly cleaning these hard to reach spots: take an empty toilet roll and attach it to the vacuum nozzle; then flatten the other end of the roll and start vacuuming nooks and crannies!

Attack Obvious Stains First

If you find stains or patches of discolouration due to dirt and dust accumulation over time, spot clean these areas first. Much like the process of removing carpet stains, we’ve found vinegar to be quite effective; however, you can also purchase a special upholstery cleaning agent for stain removal. Remember to specify what type of material your upholstery is made of when purchasing a cleaner as certain types of material demand specially made cleaning agents. Also, before you use vinegar or any cleaning product on your upholstery, test it out on an inconspicuous area just to be on the safe side. Allow it dry completely before checking for any damage. Once you’ve got the all-clear signal, begin spot cleaning by pouring the cleaner onto a clean microfibre cloth and rub the stain away as gently as possible.

Let the Deep Cleansing Begin!

Again, you can purchase a suitable cleaning product for your upholstery material, or make your own cleaning solution using a mild laundry detergent mixed with warm water. Soak and wring a clean microfibre cloth in this solution and gently wipe the entire surface of the upholstery, allowing some of the soapy solution to penetrate the fabric for a deep cleanse. Be careful not to let too much water soak into the sofa; wring the cloth properly each time you dip it into the solution. You may require more than one microfibre cloth (Alternatively you can rinse the same one under running water and reuse it). It’s important that the cloth is clean at all times as you wipe so that no dirt from the cloth is transferred back onto the upholstery.

Drying Your Freshly Cleaned Upholstery

To dry your sofa out, get as much air into the room as you can. Open all the windows in the room, regulate the fan to top speed (push the sofa directly under the fan if it already isn’t) and leave it there until all the dampness has dried up. To speed up the process, you could also use a hairdryer but frankly speaking, air drying upholstery is the best option. You’re your upholstery dries up naturally, it allows the detergent smell to air our and fade just enough so that it isn’t overbearing when you sit down on the couch

 

Easily clean your car seats with these great tips!

How to Clean Car Seats with Household Products

Spills happen.  But when they happen, your car seats can become quite messy and stained.  So, to help you keep your car clean and mess-free, we have some useful and easy-to-do tips on how to clean car seats with household products. You’ll notice that the cleaning items needed are linked so that you can easily purchase them.

Cleaning Cloth Seats

Instead of taking your car in to a cleaning service, there are several ways that you can clean your cloth seats on your own

For instance:

Use club soda.  Lightly spray it on the stained area and use a brush to scrub away the stain, then wipe it away with a clean towel.

Use a baking soda solution.  Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with a cup of warm water, then use a light layer of the solution and a toothbrush to scrub away the stain.  If the stain is difficult, let the solution sit for around 30 minutes.

Use a vinegar mixture.  Mix a cup of vinegar, a few drops of dish soap and about a gallon of hot water in a bucket.  Then dab the mixture into the stain and use a brush to scrub it out of the seat, use clean water to rinse the seat off.

Use laundry detergent.  If you don’t have a specific upholstery detergent/cleaner, you mix some laundry detergent with hot water and dampen the stains with it.  Use a towel with cold water to rinse the detergent off the seat and scrub the stain away.

Cleaning Leather Seats

Leather seats need extra care compared to cloth upholstery because of the premium quality of the material.

To clean messes and stains off of leather, try one of these do-it-yourself ways:

Use nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol.  Blotting the stain with a cotton ball that dipped in the alcohol will slowly lift the mess from the leather.  And once the stain is lifted, clean the alcohol off the seat with warm water and dish soap.

Use a non-gel toothpaste.  A more unique technique, dab a bit of toothpaste on the stain and then use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub away the stain.

Use a lemon juice and cream of tartar paste.  Mix an equal portion of lemon juice and cream of tartar into a paste and apply to the stain.  It should sit for about 30 minutes and then you can wipe it away with a damp sponge.  The paste has a bleaching effect, so it should only be used on light-colored seats.

The vinegar mixture works on leather seats as well!

 

How To Clean Your Sofa

Couch potato or not, you need to clean your sofa – all the crumbs and chips from last year’s World Cup could be turning green in between the cracks and cushions. That coffee stain from last week is starting to look like an outbreak on the sofa, what would your friends say?

Keep your most frequently used furniture clean and hygienic to last many more movie nights. Although you should be getting your sofa professionally cleaned every 6-12 months, giving your sofa a good DIY clean in between can prevent stubborn build-ups that could potentially damage the upholstery material.

Vacuum All Over

Vacuum everything – the cushions, in between the cracks, and all over the surface of your sofa. Remove any large debris, coins, pens, paperclips, crayons or keys from the sofa (did we miss anything?). You can cover the vacuum nozzle with an old stocking or pantyhose and secure it with a rubberband to stop coins from being sucked up while you’re vacuuming.

Identify Your Fabric

Your sofa should come with a care tag that gives instructions about what to do and more importantly, what not to do! Read the cleaning instructions carefully and identify what cleaning products you should use for your fabric to avoid permanent damage

As a general guide, most tags would indicate this as:

“W”: It’s okay to use water to clean, or a water-based detergent if you’re using a steam vacuum

“S”: Use only a solvent-based cleaner or a dry-cleaning detergent

“SW or WS”: You can use either water or a solvent cleaner/dry-cleaning detergent

“O”: Indicates the material is ‘Organic’ (natural fibers) and should be washed with cold water

“X”: Only vacuum or use a brush to clean, get a professional upholstery cleaner if it needs shampooing

 

How to clean a sofa

Whether you ban food and drinks from your sofa or eat your dinner on it every evening, here’s some advice to keep it looking spick and span. We asked almost 2,000 Which? members how regularly they cleaned their sofas; a quarter of them cleaned their sofa once a month and the same number cleaned their sofa roughly once every few months.

If, despite your best cleaning efforts, your sofa is looking grey around the edges, it could be time for a new one. Head to the best sofa retailers page to find out which store tops the table for best customer service, value for money and range of sofas

The most common sofa stains

Sofa stains are incredibly annoying, especially if your sofa is covered in a light fabric. But what are the most common causes of stains? We asked our Which? members

Sofa cleaning tips

If disaster strikes and your sofa ends up splattered with red wine or curry sauce, attend to spills immediately using plain water first.  In the case of small spills on a fabric sofa, it’s important to avoid the instinct to rub at the stain. This only pushes the spillage deeper into the fabric, which of course makes it harder to clean.

Sofa protection

Prevention can be easier (and cheaper) than cure – top tips to keep your sofa looking showroom-fresh include:

To maintain your fabric sofa, it should be vacuumed or brushed weekly as dirt accumulating on it can lead to the upholstery wearing and its colour dulling.

To avoid fading, place furniture out of direct or prolonged periods of sunlight, and away from heat sources.

Avoid cosmetic products such as sun cream or body lotion coming into contact with your upholstery.

Beware of sharp objects like studs, belt buckles and toys snagging fabric. Velcro is also best avoided.

 

The Right Way to Clean Velvet Furniture

Choosing velvet furniture is choosing to make a bold style statement in your space—there’s no ignoring its soft sheen, rich color, and innate elegance. But velvet’s commanding presence also means that any discoloration or stains are that much more visible. No more hiding a dusty apartment…once the sunlight hits a velvet couch, there’s no hiding those annoying, allergy-inducing particles.

Anthropologie’s website has pages of swoon-worthy velvet sofas and chairs to peruse, so who better to ask for advice on how to clean velvet? According to Anne White, the brand’s head of home interiors personal styling, the first thing you should think about is actually completely unrelated to the furniture. “If you’ve opted for a bright, richly pigmented color, like navy or chartreuse, we recommend avoiding direct sunlight, which can cause the fabric to fade,” she says. “Consider window coverings substantial enough to protect your piece but lovely enough to catch the eye. The technology for window films, which block the sun’s rays without blocking your view, has improved and may be another avenue to explore.” Craving more velvet cleaning tips? Read on to learn how to clean velvet furniture and protect it from wear and tear and those inevitable spills.

Vacuum the fabric

Remember those pesky dust particles we were talking about? Well, in terms of regular maintenance, all you need to do to the item itself is give it a good dusting. “We recommend regular vacuuming,” says Anne. “A soft brush can also loosen surface dirt and brush it away.”

Tackle spills the right way

If a friend does happen to spill their cocktail on your couch, White suggests blotting the area immediately with a clean, dry absorbent cloth. We then recommend mandating said friend to a different spot in your home. No one likes a party foul.

Test cleaning products

If a dried stain is staring you in the face and you just can’t help but do something about it, test any cleaning product (even basic soap and water) on a hidden spot to ensure it doesn’t ruin the fabric. Mix soap and water to create a sudsy solution. Use a soft cloth to blot the stain with the suds, then let the fabric dry completely.

How to Choose a Home Cleaning Service

If the mess of your home stresses you out but you just don’t have the time or patience to keep it in order—you may want to consider hiring a home cleaning service to help lighten the load. Before you do, use these tips to hire the best home cleaning service for you and your home. A home warranty is another great investment to keep your home in top shape

How to choose a home cleaning service

The first thing to decide when choosing a home cleaning service is whether to hire an individual or a professional cleaning service.

Individual

An individual can provide a more personal touch—it may be easier to get to know them, give them specific directions about how you’d like your house cleaned, and you may feel more at ease when they’re in your home around valuables or breakable items.

Cleaning companies

A housekeeping company is a good choice if you’d like the work done quickly, as they usually send out several employees at once to clean your home. A company can often accommodate your specific schedule. There will always be back up employees, so it’s less likely a cleaning service will cancel or run late.

Choosing who to hire

Recommendations from friends and family can be the most helpful way to find a reputable cleaning service or individual.

 

How to Choose the Best House Cleaning Service

If you’re anything like me, you’ll know how boring house work can be. For the majority of home owners, maintaining your house can be an uphill battle especially when you’ve got so many other tasks to juggle at too. It’s true, hiring a home cleaner might be one of the best things you can do, not only will you save time but you’ll also get precious time back in your day to do things you actually enjoy.

Do They Suit Your Schedule?

Before you look at cleaning services, you need to decide how often you want a cleaner to come to your home. Firstly, how much do you need to clean? Secondly, and maybe more importantly, you need to make a decision on the frequency your home will be cleaned

Do They Understand Your Expectations?

A vital step in hiring a cleaning company is making your expectations clear. During an in-home or a phone consultation with a prospective cleaning service, communicate your concerns and expectations, so the company can provide you with a pricing and a cleaning scope that meets your specific demands.

Are They Responsive To You?

A good cleaning company will focus on the customer experience from the time you inquire about the services, until the time they complete the cleaning services. If you find that the company is responsive and takes the time to address all your concerns about the service, then it is most likely that you will have a great experience in hiring that company. This is because responsiveness is one of the first indicators of a cleaning company’s consistency, reliability and whether you can trust them

Do They Have Good Reviews?

Ask professional cleaning companies for any feedback from their previous customers who can vouch for the quality of their services. A good cleaning company will not hesitate to show you written recommendations and customer reviews because they know that these references reflect the customers’ trust.

 

Reasons Why Your Home Needs A Professional Home Deep Cleaning Service

With an increasingly hectic lifestyle, more and more people are realising that they do not have the luxury of time that the earlier generations had. Life is always on the run, and mundane everyday matters are being relegated to the background for lack of time and energy. Tasks such as home deep cleaning every day is now becoming cleaning the house every weekend. This is leading to build-up of dust, insects and germs in various spaces in the home. Though most people try to make an effort to clean the house thoroughly every weekend, the tremendous effort that this needs usually leaves them tired and drained at the end of the day. Moreover, they are hardly able to enjoy life in the weekend as they should.

It Saves You Time And Energy

We will not write much on this point, as it is an obvious benefit. Instead of you slogging away scrubbing the bathroom floor or cleaning the oily kitchen exhaust pipe every few months, these experts can do the work for you. You save the time and can spend it on more important matters like taking your kid out for a walk, finishing a task you like to do but have not had the time for it due to work.

It Saves You Money

Most people do not realise that hiring home deep cleaning professionals helps them save money. Let us forget for a moment the saying that ‘time is money’ and simply look at how these experts actually save money for you.

It Is Stress-free, Quick Service

When the question comes to home deep cleaning vs regular cleaning, this is perhaps the most important USP of professional services. The experts come to your house at a time that is convenient for you and help you by cleaning the areas that you cannot clean yourself. You only pay for the service you choose.

It Gives You A Clean, Hygienic Home

The professionals have specialised equipment and cleaning fluids that ensure the house is cleaned properly from top to bottom. Everything from the inaccessible places like the insides of the kitchen exhaust pipes, the top of the almirahs and the false ceiling to the places that attract more grime like the ceiling fans, the spaces underneath the kitchen drawers and bathroom cabinets, get focused treatment.

 

How to Choose the Right House Cleaning Service

The right housecleaning service can save you time and provide peace of mind. Here’s what you need to know about basic housecleaning costs and services.

What to expect for costs and services

Several factors influence the cost of cleaning, such as house location and size; the number of adults, children and pets in the home; the frequency of the service and the thoroughness of the cleaning required. A cleaning company will generally send a staff member to view your home and get a good understanding of your cleaning needs and then determine a rate. Average hourly rates often range from $16 to $25 dollars depending on the location of the business

Start with a trial run

Once you’ve found a housecleaner you want to try, start with a trial period that covers two to four cleanings. This allows time for the company to understand your expectations and gives you an opportunity to determine your cleaning requirements clearly

What to check after a housecleaning

First, do an overall assessment. Does the house look and smell neat and clean? It should be apparent that the carpets have been vacuumed but make sure to look in out-of-the-way places (such as under the beds and couch) to be sure that those areas have also been cleaned. Have the kitchen and bathroom floors been thoroughly washed or only quickly damp mopped?

If there’s a problem…

If you’re unhappy with the quality of the cleaning job, try to rectify it by speaking with the cleaner directly. The problem may be as simple as unclear instructions.

 

Criteria for Choosing the Perfect Home Cleaning Service for You!

Although it seems like a simple decision to make, there are, in fact, some very important factors to consider when choosing a maid service. This is because there are a lot of cleaning companies out there that care more about making a fast buck and less about providing a satisfactory service. Therefore, the home cleaning service you choose to hire must be one that you can trust wholeheartedly; depend on whenever, wherever; and provide quality service for your home and family.

Certified Cleaners

Unless the cleaning company you’re looking at works with certified cleaners, perhaps hiring them isn’t the best idea. You need to know that your home is in the right hands which means, certification in the cleaning industry and with the company is a must. This also ensures that the maids have been background checked and are worthy of working in the home cleaning business.

References

The reassurance of having past customers of a cleaning service vouch for the company plays a huge role in one’s decision to hire them. From online customer reviews, to written recommendations; ask the cleaning company in question for references before you decide to hire them

Insurance

Insurance is extremely important when hiring a maid service because it protects your family and home against injury and damage to your property. Therefore, if a cleaning company does not carry insurance, it’s advised that you do not consider hiring them. Having insured and bonded cleaners in your home gives you the peace of mind that your family and home are not at risk in any way.

Experience

Find out when the company was established and how long their cleaners have been working in the house cleaning industry to ensure that you are not leaving your home in inexperienced hands. The amount of training a cleaning staff has received also matters when looking to find a cleaning service that is 100% efficient and knowledgeable in going about home cleaning in a safe and timely manner. Ask for proof of their experience via certificates or cross-checks with past employers to be fully convinced of their abilities and work ethic.

Tips for Finding a Reliable Vacation Rental

Knowing what you want. Prioritize your rental. That’s the advice of Teresa Bell Kindred, a blogger and frequent home renter. “You are going to pay more for certain things. Decide what is really important to you,” she says. Her family loves the ocean, so they don’t mind paying more to be right on the beach. But if you don’t mind being a few blocks away from the water, you can save money. Be sure you stay within your budget. “If you spend all your money on rental property and can’t afford groceries you may get hungry before you get back home,” she warns

Timing your purchase. If you’re in town for a special event, like a sports tournament or festival, it’s never too soon to book a vacation rental. “Vacation rentals are more scarce than hotels and great vacation properties are even scarcer,” says Chris Brusznicki, the chief executive of GamedayHousing (www.gamedayhousing.com), a site that specializes in rentals for sports events. But if there’s no reason to be in town, you can run down the clock. One terrific new site that allows you to bid on “last-minute” vacation rentals is a site called PackLate.

Finding out what you’re renting. It probably goes without saying that you need to do your due diligence on a rental. “Do your homework,” says Sylvia Guarino, who owns a rental home on Sanibel Island, Fla. (one of my favorite places) and a member of Second Porch, a Facebook application that connects vacation rental owners and vacation guests. “Vacation rental guests sometimes get too focused on getting a deal, and not focused enough on getting the information that they need, or authenticating the property. “How do you authenticate a property? Look at every piece of information available to you, including the owner’s website, the vacation rental site, online reviews and what you find on social networking sites, like Facebook. Be sure the property is in good shape, is as represented and isn’t in foreclosure.

Finding out who you’re renting from. “Research the owner, not just the home,” says Kelly Hayes-Raitt, who owns a rental property in Santa Monica, Calif. She includes a link to her website and biography in every correspondence with potential guests, “not just so they realize they are supporting my work with refugees, but so they learn they are dealing with someone who has been active in her community for 30 years and not likely to cheat them,” she says. Not every owner is as forthcoming as Hayes-Raitt, but if someone is reclusive, it might be a warning sign

Determining if the rental is part of an association or destination. That can make a big difference, according to Jon Ervin, a spokesman for the Cottage Rental Agency in Seaside, Fla. “Imagine you rent from Mr. and Mrs. Jones — nice enough people, but what if your air conditioning quits or some other concern arises?” he asks. “You most likely are going to have to work through the issue for your entire stay.” Not if your rental is part of an association. There’s someone on call to help in situations like that. My family rented a home at the WaterColor Inn & Resort in nearby Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., during the Christmas holidays, and we found that to be good advice.

 

Why COVID-19 cleaning will be a top priority for vacation rentals

When the time comes for vacation rental hosts to welcome guests back with open arms, expectations in a post-COVID-19 world will be very different. The overall cleanliness of a property, how cleaning and disinfection is carried out between bookings and how this is explained to guests will become hugely important in order to secure bookings

It makes sense for hosts to be well informed about why COVID-19 is important and how to ensure it is done properly to give every guest peace of mind. The TravelNest team has reviewed the latest thinking on this topic, and here we summarise the best available information from trusted sources such as the NHS, the UK Government, Which and Airbnb.

Whilst it is unclear exactly how long the Coronavirus can survive on surfaces, The World Health Organization says that it could be anything from a few hours to a number of days and that survival depends on the type of surface e.g. hard/soft, humidity and temperature. The UK Government has confirmed that research on viruses in the same family as Coronavirus suggests that in most cases, the risk is likely to be significantly reduced after around 72 hours.

In the post-Coronavirus world, owners and guests will have new expectations about vacation rental cleaning standards. Owners should be prepared to share their changeover process and list of cleaning procedures to give guests peace of mind.

How should my property be cleaned to minimise the spread of COVID-19?

Start now by updating your existing cleaning protocols to ensure that the right measures are being followed to minimise the spread of Coronavirus (and other germs too.) If you use contract cleaners, ask them to tell you about the enhanced measures they are taking

 

Vacation Rental Business: A Guide to Earning a Big Return

Right now, in the United States alone, short-term vacation rentals are earning $18,026,000,000 in revenue. While $18 billion is a substantial amount, revenue is expected to continue growing at a rate of 2.5% each year for the next few years and beyond. What does this mean for you as a potential property owner? It means you chose the right business to be in for making money! While the thought of purchasing a cute little fixer-upper in a dream location and renting it out to dream vacationers is a fun one, what motivated you the most to begin this venture? It’s probably the thought of earning yourself a good income.

Open a Vacation Rental Business

Before you jump right in and buy a property to fix up and rent out, there is a lot of preparation that must be made in order to make it work. You must write up a vacation rental business plan, review and understand all the vacation rental rights and laws, go through a vacation rental property management checklist, and know how to prepare your house for rent.

Starting a Vacation Rental Business

Knowing how to start a vacation rental business in a way that almost guarantees success is indispensable knowledge. So whatever you do, don’t start your own property letting business without thoroughly understanding every step in this guide.

A Vacation Rental Property Business Plan

A short-term rental business plan gives yourself (and others on your team) a framework from which you’ll work

Vacation Rental Business Plan Template

To help ease your effort, follow a vacation rental business plan example

 

The Best Sites for Booking A Vacation Rental Property — And How To Use Them

If you’re looking for a little space on your next vacation, you probably need a reliable source for booking a vacation rental property. There are almost too many choices.

And for good reason. The worldwide vacation rental market is enormous. It’s expected to top an eye-popping $58 billion this year ($14 billion in the United States). The biggest vacation rental market? Gen Z, with 81% saying they’ve rented a home. Gen Xers come in second, at 38%, and Baby Boomers are last, with 20% saying they’ve stayed in a vacation rental.

Finding the best site for booking a vacation rental property is a snap

Renting a home doesn’t have to be confusing. Take it from someone who practically lives in vacation rentals.

What are some of the best strategies for booking a vacation rental property?

I checked with the experts to find out how they use this short list of vacation rental sites. (I’ll get to my strategies in a minute.) Here’s what they told me about their strategies for booking a vacation rental property.

Check vacation rentals and hotels — then do the math

That’s the advice of Katie Roberts, a consumer analyst with DealNews.com. “Be sure to check both hotel sites and those for vacation rentals,” she says. Sometimes a vacation rental is less expensive than a hotel — but sometimes, counterintuitively, it’s the other way around. Assume nothing.

 

Vacation Rental Cleaning Tips

One of the most critical aspects of managing vacation rental properties is ensuring they are properly cleaned and maintained between guests. The last thing you need is a guest finding your apartment dirty or in any way unfit to accommodate travelers and then publicizing this information in their review.

Cleanliness is extremely important to guests and any mention of the contrary in your reviews is enough to do serious harm to your occupancy rate. You must therefore prioritize cleaning tasks and ensure they are always done correctly and on time.

Get your staff organized

The first thing you should do is build an efficient workflow so that all of your cleaning personnel know exactly where to be and when. They should also know how long they have before the next guests arrive so they can time their tasks accordingly.

Make access easy

You don’t want to make a copy of each of your property’s keys for each and every one of your cleaning and maintenance staff members. Keys get lost and are difficult to keep organized

Consider outsourcing

Cleaning and maintenance are enormous undertakings and it might be simpler to outsource these tasks to a short-term rental cleaning service, many of whom use sophisticated vacation rentals cleaning software so you can easily provide them with checklists,  track their progress and even verify that they’ve performed their tasks appropriately by reviewing photos of the cleaned property

Timesaving Tips From Professional House Cleaners

Skip seldom-used rooms—this time around

For most households, says Brown, an every-other-week cleaning schedule is enough. “After all, you’re still going to wipe down counters after dinner every night, right?” she asks. But some chores need only be done monthly. Her team at Harmony Clean divides less-frequent tasks between the first and second clean of the month. They clean first-floor baseboards and ceilings in one visit, and tackle the second floor in the next. Likewise with seldom-used guest bedrooms or formal living rooms.

Give your vacuum a tune-up

Canister, upright, bagless, bagged—use whatever suits your preference and floor surface, but keep your vacuum well maintained for maximum suction power and efficiency. Every month, Brown suggests, change disposable bags, wipe the inside and bottom of the machine, and clean out the rotating brush (you know, the part that attracts and tangles hair). Then get it serviced by a professional yearly. “Once a year I drop off my vacuum at the local repair store before we go on vacation,” Brown says. “Then I pick it up when we get back.”

Shake crumbs on the floor

…and dust, and pet hair. Follow the top-to-bottom rule of cleaning every room, and knock dust and debris from curtains, bookshelves, lampshades and mantles onto the floor as you work your way down, says Reichert, then vacuum it up after. You’ll clean faster if you don’t have to worry where the dust goes, and as long as you have a good vacuum—preferably one with a HEPA filter—Reichert promises you’ll suck it all up in the end.

Steam your microwave

Maybe you took a cleaning break to heat up some tea. Maybe you always check the microwave on your kitchen-cleaning circuit. Either way, you’ve opened the door and now it’s impossible to un-see the baked-on food splatters on the walls, ceiling, and floor of this appliance. Don’t stress; follow Lane’s trick: Fill a mug or measuring cup with water and microwave for 2-3 minutes, so it gets nice and steamy. The steam will soften the residue, making the wipe-down easier. (Now go enjoy your Earl Grey.)

Develop a squeegee habit

Show of hands: Who enjoys cleaning the tub and shower? Thought so. The easiest way to reduce the frequency of this much-loathed chore is to buy a squeegee and encourage everyone in the house to use it after a shower or bath, says Lane. Wipe the walls (top to bottom), the sides of the tub—even the floor itself (send the water straight toward the drain). Soap and shampoo residue will be washed away with the water, rather than evaporating and leaving a film on your porcelain or stone. Stick with this habit and you can get away with cleaning the tub and shower just once a month. You’re welcome.

 

Clever Cleaning Hacks from Professional Housecleaners

Clean the toilet daily

If you swish your toilet every day with your cleaning brush, you’ll keep it relatively clean without a ton of hard labor. Use the water already in the toilet to swish the entire toilet bowl. Your bathroom probably gets dirtiest the fastest and is the hardest to clean. By the way, these everyday items are dirtier than your toilet seat!

Cleaning solutions

Want to know the secret to streak-free mirrors and windows? Well, it’s an easy at-home solution you can make yourself. According to Rapinchuk, all you need is:

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol

3 drops peppermint essential oil

Washing windows and mirrors is probably the least favorite cleaning tasks. These clever solutions will work for even the most annoying cleaning problems.

Use your dishwasher

Dishwashers are for so much more than just washing dishes. Reichert recommends using yours to dust off knickknacks like mason jars and glass candle globes. Pretty much anything glass or ceramic should be fine going in the dishwasher, but you do want to stay away from putting meltable plastics, and these eight objects in your dishwasher at all costs.

Create a cleaning plan

We all have those random cleaning bursts, but having a plan beforehand will make your cleaning process smoother. “Cleaning is really like a dance. You start high, work down and around, and carefully observe anything that needs attention,” says McGee. “As you move around, wipe light switches, door frames, baseboards, walls, working in a circle around a room and not back and forth from one thing across the room to another. Don’t get distracted, keep a smooth motion around your home.”

A pillowcase can be a cleaner

Obviously, you don’t want to use the pillowcase you sleep on every night, but using a pillowcase to clean your ceiling fans is a hack that you need to try ASAP. “The pillowcase holds the dust so it doesn’t fall on a table or bed,” says Reichert. “A very clean way to dust a fan.” Here are 11 brilliant cleaning shortcuts lazy people will appreciate.

 

Fast House Cleaning Tips

Make cleaning a group activity

Making cleaning a team effort is one of the best ways to clean a house fast. Schedule a time in advance with your family, and assign tasks to each person. Working together can add some fun to cleaning, and your house will be sparkling in no time.

Don’t forget to routinely wash your cleaning tools

An often overlooked part of cleaning the house is maintaining your cleaning tools. Using a dirty mop or a vacuum with a full bag is much less effective, and you’ll end up spending more time trying to clean.

Keep moving when you vacuum

Don’t worry about getting every nook and cranny when you vacuum. Just keep moving through the house, running the vacuum in every carpeted room in one pass through.

Sweep, then mop

Sweep the kitchen and bathroom floors. Start mopping from the farthest corner of the room and move backwards towards the doorway (that is, don’t mop yourself into a corner). Rinse the mop every time you complete a 4-by-4-foot area.

Focus on tubs, sinks and toilets

Spray cleaner on the kitchen sink then on bathroom sinks, tubs and toilets. Let it sit for a few minutes so the cleaner has time to dissolve dirt and stains. Then return to the kitchen and start scrubbing. Don’t forget to wipe down the inside of the microwave. Clean toilets last.

 

Natural Ways to Make Your Home Smell Amazing

Cranberry-Orange Stove-Top Potpourri

Pantry items can be used to make all sorts of stove-top potpourris. But this cranberry-orange potpourri with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and rosemary gives a cozy and warm Christmas scent.

Cinnamon-Orange Air Freshener

Not a fan of smoky candles? Then this cinnamon-orange air freshener is for you. Made with water-absorbing polymer, cinnamon oil, orange oil, and water, this air freshener will have your house smelling like fall in no time.

Plug-In Refill

Don’t throw out your empty plug-in air fresheners. Instead, save some money and reuse the glass plug-in container. All you’ll need is some essential oil and water.

Spring Simmering Pot Recipes

Simmering pot recipes are a natural way to add fragrance to your home. These premade spring simmering pot recipes are perfect for gift-giving. Or you could make some for yourself to have on hand.

Rosemary and Lavender Carpet Powder

Freshen your carpets naturally with this rosemary and lavender carpet powder. Just sprinkle the mixture of baking soda, dried rosemary, and lavender oil on your carpets, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, and vacuum it up for a fresh-smelling room.

 

Benefits of Hiring a Professional House Cleaning Service

Attracts New Customers

If you’re a landlord looking to put you houses on renting lists and attracting new customers, keeping a full tract record and cleaning every house manually isn’t beneficial for you at all.

You can try hiring a professional service of house cleaning in Denver and other surrounding areas by a reputable company to keep your houses cleaned. This will help you attract more customers, and you’ll be earning a lot more that expected due to the cleanliness of your houses. Well maintained houses also sell fast, and they often win a biggest price tag, because the buyer usually overestimates a well-maintained property and bids a high price. So, you better be hiring someone professional and well trained to take care of your property, and increase its value at the same time.

Less Insurance Disputes

Most of the landlords these days get their property completely insured before renting it to someone else, that is why if your make any mistake during the cleaning work, you might be paying him big bucks.

Professional cleaning service providers are usually well aware of these possibilities, and they are well trained to avoid them. However, if your cleaning provider dies any mistake to incur an insurance dispute, they’ll be fully responsible for that (but this must be mentioned in the contract to be viable).

Can Save You a Lot of Money

When you’re cleaning the house yourself, there are certain things that you’ll need to buy in the process, but they’re useless for you afterwards. That is where the cleaning service can save you a lot of money, because they usually have all the requisite material, machines and tools to finish the job neatly.

There is another area where these cleaning services can save you some bucks. If you’re moving out of a rental property, there’s a big chance that your landlord would inspect the quality and cleanliness of you home. He might hire a cleaning service himself, get the house cleaned and cut the charges from your advance deposit amount if he finds the house dirty. That is why it is advised to hire the service yourself and avoid the charges.

Get The Unreachable Places Cleaned

Most of the times when we decide to do the house cleaning job ourselves instead of hiring the professionals, we end up leaving the dirtiest parts of house that are often unreachable, or simply out of your eye sight.

A major benefit of the professional house cleaning services is that they know about those dirty unreachable areas, and have all the required equipment to clean them down to the last inch. So, you must hire a professional to clean the mentioned areas at least every three months to keep the environment hygienic.

Increases Your Productivity

Getting the cleaning responsibility out of the way gives you a mental clarity, and allows you to just focus on the things you need to take care of. Increased productivity enables you to focus on bigger goals and the things you want to accomplish in your life, rather than freaking out about smaller tasks as a cleaning service.

Getting this distraction out of the way and handling the work to some of the most trained and skillful professionals in the industry gives you the much-needed peace of mind, and focuses your mind on more significant tasks ahead.