A step-by-step guide to spring cleaning your house in one weekend

Spring-cleaning: We dread it and we procrastinate for as long as we can until we finally give in. It’s no secret that spending an entire weekend cleaning sounds like an absolute nightmare – but with a little elbow grease and a lot of willpower, it’s easier than it sounds

Make a list

“Once you’ve figured how much you want to tackle, write down all the tasks you plan to handle,” she says. “If you are planning to clean over a weekend, break down the tasks day by day. Having a clear list of everything you need to clean will help you determine the supplies as well as your schedule (because you’ll definitely need to take breaks to relax!)”

Time yourself

“Decide on an interval (30 or 45 minutes is a good place to start), and set a timer,” she says. “Clean in a focused manner during that time, and when the timer goes off, treat yourself to a break.” Schedule backup. “Spring-cleaning is a daunting task,” she says. If some tasks that seem overwhelming or overly complicated, she suggests outsourcing part of the job – and claiming back your life.

Start with your closets

“Rid your closets of clothing, shoes, and accessories that you haven’t worn for a full season,” says, the founder and chief development officer of Everything But the House. “If you didn’t wear it over the winter, you are not going to wear it next winter.”

Edit your home office

“The home office is another space that should be addressed,” she says. “Once you’ve filed your taxes, file or shred that stack of paperwork and organise the pile of correspondence that has gathered.” This may also be a good time to organise your computer and make sure all your paperwork is filed digitally.

How to Keep a House Clean Every Day of the Week

Keeping your home tidy might seem like an impossible task—but it doesn’t have to be. We put together some of the best tips so you and your family can learn how to keep a house clean every day of the week

leaning their house, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Between work, errands, parenthood and the chaos of everyday life, learning how to keep a house clean can be one of the toughest lessons we learn. While it sometimes seems impossible to manage everything on your plate, there are some quick and easy tips to help you get your house (and your life) in order. Read on for everything you need to know about how to keep a house clean.

Put everything away after use.

This might seem like an obvious tip, but failing to put away your belongings is the main culprit of untidiness. As you move from one room to another, do a quick scan to see if there’s anything that you can take with you. Go out of your way to make sure that anything you wear, use or move ends up where it belongs. It’s easy to leave a pair of shoes near the front door, a few shirts on your bed and some dishes in the sink until tomorrow. Remember, those tiny piles can quickly turn into big messes.

If you’re lacking space, consider some DIY closet organization ideas like tension rods and shower curtain hooks. Use over-the-door organizers to extend existing spaces in your bedrooms, bathrooms and hall closets. Corral your smaller belongings with decorative baskets and organize your paper items with a mail sorter. And remember: it takes much less time to put away your belongings each time than to frantically run around looking for them when you need them again!

Do one room at a time.

The easiest way to keep your entire house clean is to tackle one room at a time. By splitting up the cleaning by room (and by day), you can accomplish a little bit at a time instead of tackling every task at once.

A Guide to House Cleaning Contracts

Get the most out of your house cleaning service by signing a contract.

Having a regular house cleaning service can add to your quality of life by ensuring that you live in a clean environment and allowing you more time to enjoy life. It’s estimated that a family who cleans their home daily gains back about 30 days per year when they hire a house cleaning service

Many of us choose to DIY our housecleaning however, if you are a parent, are working full time, have family members with severe allergies, or are physically unable to clean, consider hiring a professional cleaner. When hiring a cleaning service or person to keep your home clean and well-kept, you’ll want someone who is reliable and certified. To maintain order and make sure you’re receiving quality work under your terms, sign a contract with your housekeeper.

Average costs

The average cost of a house cleaning service can be around $200 a visit. The cost of hiring a maid or cleaning service can depend on various factors. The square footage of the home is the biggest influencer on cleaning costs, with the number of bedrooms and bathrooms being the largest cost differentiator. Having multiple floors or pets can also influence the cost, as will the overall scope of work like cleaning inside cabinets, making beds, or cleaning inside appliances

House cleaners base their pricing generally on the number of hours it will take to clean the home but might also charge more if you require specialized cleaning products or difficult cleaning tasks. A quality home cleaning service company will make an in-home estimate and walk through all the rooms with the homeowner to fully understand the level of cleaning expected.  If a team of 2 or 3 cleaners is involved the cost will increase but they may be able to complete the tasks faster than just one professional.

HOW TO TREAT YOUR HOUSEKEEPER

Hiring a housekeeper is an excellent way to not only keep your house looking great, but also to free up valuable time for you to engage in other events and activities. However, if you’ve never had a housekeeper inside your home before, you may not know how to act around them. It’s a new experience, and you aren’t alone in wondering how to make the experience pleasant for both you and your house cleaner.

Clean Up the Clutter Before Cleaning Day

Wait, what? You’re supposed to clean for the housekeeper? Well, not exactly, but there are a few courteous things that you can do to make it easier for them to do their job. For starters, gather up your mail; don’t have it scattered all over the place. The housekeeper will need to pick everything up and move it in order to clean the tables, so it’s better to have everything neatly piled or put away before the maid comes. Move pet toys out of the way so that it’s easier to vacuum, and clear up the clutter around night stands. Basically, move the little objects out of the way that might cause the housekeeper trouble while dusting and cleaning.

Open Dialogue with your House Cleaner

You like things a certain way. Certain rooms need more attention, and you may want certain objects cleaned in a specific way. If you don’t tell your housekeeper these preferences, then there’s no way for them to know. After all, they aren’t mind-readers. So make sure to engage in open dialogue with your maid and give them clear instructions.

Obviously, you don’t need to tell them how to clean everything. However, if you have specific preferences (maybe you like the vacuum lines in the carpet), or want objects put away in a specific fashion (such as plastic cups on the bottom shelf so it’s easier for kids to grab), then tell the housekeeper ahead of time. When you have the same maid coming every time, you probably won’t need to keep reiterating your instructions. With that said, many housekeepers have dozens of houses to clean every week, and everyone has their own instructions, so it may be a few visits before they’ve memorized your instructions. Leaving positive, helpful notes can help remind cleaners of your specifications — especially if you have rotating housekeepers.

Should I Tip my Maid?

Tipping is never required, but it is always appreciated.  Some customers leave a tip every time a maid cleans, and others tip occasionally or during the holidays. If you appreciate their efforts, consider leaving a tip. Or, simply leaving a note thanking them helps them know that they’re meeting your expectations.

Week schedule to a clean and organized house

Summer is over an school is back in session. That means that late summer sleep schedules and lazy, unplanned days have come to crashing halt. It also means that my unorganized summer ways have left my house in a dirty, unorganized mess! I’m kind of looking forward to some structure, and I’m going to kick it off by getting this place in shape. I’m going to focus on one space a day and try to get my life in order … I mean my house!

I’m a moderate minimalist. I don’t want our home to be sparse and bare, rather selective and edited. Living simply doesn’t exactly come easy to me, but I’m learning, and it’s making my family’s life easier.

Some positives I’m seeing from living a more minimal life:

Less mess to clean up.

Saves money not shopping for unneeded things.

Makes everyday life and trying to find things simpler.

Helps use available space to its full potential.

Feels peaceful in a clutter-free home.

Simply put, the less you have, the better it will fit into your home and the less organizing you will have to do. These are my personal guidelines for owning and editing the things at our house

Every thing needs it’s own spot to be put away.

A place for everything and everything in its place, as they say. Bills, bags, books — each item needs it’s own space. If there isn’t a specific spot for an item on a shelf or in a basket somewhere, it will never be put away, and be left to sit out

Try not to own more than one of something.

I understand this doesn’t work with everything, because we each have a passion or two that calls for extras. For example, my husband likes to cook and has, in my opinion, a knife or 10 more than we need. But I think he’d tell you I don’t need to keep 10 cans of paint sitting around in the garage for my projects. But when we were purging, we both agreed we didn’t need two weed wackers or five kinds of pasta strainers, etc. Ditch the duplicates

The ultimate guide to deep cleaning your house, with room-by-room checklist

Deep cleaning is all about the details. When you take the time to clean the things in your home that are a little harder to get to, you’ll notice how it makes your place feel more tidy and welcoming. To get started, create your cleaning schedule, pick a room, and make a quick run to the store. Then, get ready to tackle all of the details that are covered in our deep cleaning tips.

How often should you deep clean?

There are a few different ways you can begin to integrate deep cleaning into your home upkeep routine. If you’ve done any spring cleaning in the past, that’s great! Spring is the perfect time to declutter, clean, and organize, but you should also deep clean more frequently than one season a year. One schedule you can choose to follow is seasonal, or about one weekend deep clean every 3 months. Another option is to break down your deep cleaning checklist into smaller monthly or weekly tasks, tackling one room per month, or 1-2 tasks per week, so that you chip away on an ongoing basis.

What you’ll need

You don’t need fancy specialty cleaners to deep clean your house. Common products like white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, a scrub brush, and microfiber cleaning cloths are effective and easy to find.

Here’s a starter list to help you stock your cleaning cabinet or caddy:

Rubber gloves

All purpose cleaner (or homemade)

Glass cleaner

Baking soda

White vinegar

Dish soap

Sponge

Scrub brush

Detail brush or old toothbrush

Squeegee

Plastic bucket

Spray bottle

Microfiber cloths

Cleaning cloths (like dish towels or rags), or paper towels

Vacuum with attachments

Mop or steamer

Broom or vacuum with a hard flooring setting

Two simple homemade cleaning products

Baking soda paste and one to one vinegar spray are both used throughout our deep cleaning tips. To make the one to one baking soda paste, start with a cup of baking soda and add splashes of water until it forms a paste similar to the consistency of wet sand.

Tip: If you are sensitive to the scent of vinegar, you can add a few drops of any essential oil (like citrus or lavender) to temper the aroma. A squeeze of lemon is a simple fix if you can’t find essential oils.

Tip: Look for the gallon jug of white vinegar and the large bag of baking soda. Buying multiples of the regular sized boxes is perfectly fine but it is more cost effective if you can find the large bag at your local store.

The Ultimate Guide to Deep-Cleaning Your Home

A deep-clean of your house can quickly turn into a multiday affair that ruins your weekend. But it doesn’t have to be. Nor does it need to be an annual event that only happens during a fit of productivity in the spring. There’s no time like the present to tackle your to-do list—we swear it’ll be worth it and over in a flash. “Start at one end of the house and focus on one room at a time,

As you go from space to space, collect the items that don’t belong and either move them to their proper home or to the front door, where you can later recycle, toss, or donate them.

We’re talking your fridge and your cabinets, both of which you can clean with an all-purpose spray and a rag. “Not only is this a great time to clear out old condiments, but you should also pull everything out and wipe down each shelf and drawer,”

recommends simple dish soap and warm water for most surfaces, but you can DIY your own formula for countertops that stain easily, like linoleum. Her go-to: baking soda and warm water.

Don’t forget the details.

Specifically, the oft-overlooked garbage can. Rinse it with warm water, says and then wipe it down inside and out with an all-purpose cleaner.

Ultimate Deep Cleaning Guide

The thought of deep cleaning your house can be overwhelming, especially if its something you haven’t done in a while or if you don’t know where to start and what you should be focusing on. This Ultimate Deep Cleaning Guide

Why Bother Deep Cleaning Your Home?

Deep cleaning your entire home can be a time-consuming process that a lot of people would rather not do. Which is completely understandable, I mean who wants to spend their free time cleaning when there are a TON of other things to get done. But taking the time to clean your house from top to bottom has a lot of tangible benefits including

Reducing the symptoms of allergies and asthma

Reducing the spread of germs and bacteria (particularly helpful during cold and flu season)

Cuts down on the time you’ll need to spend keeping your house clean on a daily basis

Keeps bugs and other pests away

Makes it easier to find the things you need

There are also psychological benefits of having a clean house which include

Improved quality of sleep

Reduces feelings of stress and anxiety

Improves mood and decreases symptoms of depression

Increases productivity

Improves your ability to focus

How often should You be deep cleaning

You can get away with only doing one deep cleaning a year but I highly suggest doing it at least twice. Generally, I do one at the end of the summer and again in the spring. Doing a deep cleaning at the end of the summer helps me transition the house from summer to fall/winter and gets the house cleaned before the rush of the holiday season starts. Doing a deep cleaning in the springs helps me get the house cleaned after being closed up during the cold winter weather.

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DEEP CLEANING YOUR HOME

With summer upon us, and life for many of us slowly returning to normal, it can be a good time to do a deep clean of the home. With many of us having been home for the past few months, and now the summer in full swing, it can be a good time to make sure that our homes are clean and tidy, in an effort to help us all to be as healthy as possible. Whether you have had symptoms of COVID-19 or not, making sure that you are living somewhere free from germs is a good idea right about now, especially as we all start to go out and about more. But what is the difference between a deep clean of the home, and the normal maintenance that will happen through the year?

A regular cleaning routine for maintenance is a much lighter clean, and it helps to keep surfaces clean and clear, and helps you to keep your house in order each week. A deep clean, needed every so often, is a much deeper process and it is also much more detailed, to help to set you up for the summer (or whatever time of year you are looking at). Here are some tips and tricks to make sure that you are deep cleaning your home properly and really making the chance of deep cleaning count.

How to Deep Clean

One of the best things to do is to write yourself or set yourself a plan for how you want things to go. Then you can check off what you have done and when, and know what is next, and when you’ll be able to fit it all in. Starting off with making a list of rooms in the house is a really good idea, and then you can make a note of the tasks needed in each room. There is definitely something satisfying about ticking something off your list as you go, so get your plan and lists sorted! It might be best to give yourself plenty of time to get it all done, for instance, over a couple of weekends. Unless you have time off work and are ready to get it all done in a day or two. It will also depend how big your home is, as to how long this will all take.

If you’re not really sure where to start with all of this, then here are some ideas and prompts to help you to plan the cleaning out. It will vary, depending on your home, of course. But here are some of the things that you can do room by room in your home.

Bathrooms and kitchen

What are some of the tasks to do in the bathroom? Of course, there will be the usual bathtub cleaning and toilet cleaning that would happen each week anyway. But what is needed for a deeper clean?

Disinfect and dust door handles and light switches in the bathroom. Check any of the corners of the room for cobwebs too. Peppermint oil is a great essential oil to repel spiders, if you find that you have a recurring problem.

Clean the bathtub, shower, sinks, and toilets, as you would normally. It can be a good idea to go a little deeper though, and scrub the tiles, the grout, and the whole of the toilet, not just the inside. Germs can fester on the outside of the toilet too, as well as the seat.

If you have shower curtains that are looking quite moldy, then they can be taken off and washed. If not, they will need to be replaced. Shower screens will need to be cleaned with a limescale cleaner, and using a squeegee can be a good idea to make sure that you don’t get water marks on the glass when you’re rinsing it off.

Wash all of your bathroom towels and bathmats. A hot wash, without fabric conditioner is best.

Cleaning mirrors and disinfecting any of the surfaces in the room is a must. Some surfaces, especially corners, can get a little covered in mildew, so that is something to remember.

Clean the bathroom windows, and allow plenty of ventilation, especially if the bathroom is a little moldy.

How to Deep Clean Your House in 7 Days

Deep Cleaning Your Home

You have decided that it is time to get your house in order and to keep it clean. After you have followed my plan for decluttering your home, you are ready to give it a deep cleaning. If your housekeeping has been neglected for a while, or if you have just moved into a pre-owned house, this may be a big project. You may be able to knock it out in one weekend, but if not, follow my 7-day plan for deep cleaning your home.

Once you are done, you can follow my weekly cleaning schedule to keep it sparkling and beautiful. You will be amazed to discover how much a clean home positively affects your mood and those in your family.

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Your kitchen needs a general cleaning every night after supper. For the deep cleaning, you need to focus on the large appliances, as well as all kitchen surfaces

Here are some items that will need special attention:

Refrigerator: Starting at the top, take everything out, cleaning each shelf as you go. If a shelf is removable, take it out and clean it with warm soapy water. Most drawers are removable and should also be washed this way. Don’t forget the small shelves inside the door. Wipe down the outside of the fridge, paying special attention to the handles.

Oven: If you do not have a self-cleaning oven, use a cleaner such as Easy Off. For standard ovens, consider lining the bottom with aluminum foil for easier future cleaning. This will not work with convection ovens.

Microwave: Take out any removable trays and wash in warm, soapy water. Wipe out and scrub if necessary with an all-purpose cleaner.

Small appliances: Clean out all the crumbs in your toaster and toaster oven. Wipe down the surfaces of all small appliances.

Cabinets, shelves, drawers: Grab a damp rag and clean spots, spills and splatters with an all-purpose cleaner like Fantastic. This is a job kids can help with.

Counter-tops: Remove everything from the counters and wipe down with an all-purpose cleaner.

How to Deep Clean Your Bathrooms

Bathrooms can get pretty nasty if they have not been cleaned regularly. The problems areas will most likely be the tub and shower. Follow these tips for deep cleaning your bathrooms:

Showers/tubs: If you have a shower caddy, take it out and wash it. It may even need to be replaced. Clean the shower head with an old toothbrush and bathroom cleaner, like Soft Scrub. You may need some heavy duty cleaners for soap scum build-up or mildew stains. The toothbrush works well on tub jets and other small, hard-to-reach places.

Sinks and counter-tops: Take everything off of the counter and wipe down with a bathroom cleaner. Use a toothbrush to scrub away dirt around the drains and faucets.

Toilet: Squirt some cleaner into the toilet, swish it around with the toilet brush, and leave it to soak awhile to fight any stains.

Cabinets and drawers: Wipe down with an all-purpose cleaner.

Why Travelers Are Turning to Vacation Home Rentals for a Safe Getaway This Summer

Hotels have borne a large share of the burden from COVID-19-related cancellations, but home rental companies like Airbnb and Vrbo are continuing to see bookings, driven by families desperate for a change of scenery after being stuck at home and groups looking to vacation together while remaining in a self-contained bubble.

The stays are getting longer.

Extended stays are becoming increasingly more popular, said Sean Breuner, the CEO of short-term rental company AvantStay, as COVID-19 has made working from home both easier and oftentimes a necessity.

“Usually we average about three to four days per stay and now that has increased dramatically,” he said. “You might see four couples get together to work from home in Scottsdale for a month at a time… people looking for control versus going to a hotel.”

A (Secluded) Home Away From Home Offers Unique Appeal

Hotels across the country and throughout the world have implemented social distancing and cleaning procedures to reassure guests. Marriott International, for example, will utilize technology like electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectant. Hyatt will train a “Hygiene Manager” to oversee disinfection protocols, and Hilton will employ a “CleanStay Room Seal” to show the room has not been touched since it was last cleaned.

Staff said Getaway is inherently built for social distancing: you let yourself into the cabin, you don’t see a check-in desk, there is no restaurant. For now, the company is also limiting capacity to around 50 percent to ensure time can pass between guests leaving and staff entering.

New Vrbo Program Promises A Closer, Cleaner Vacation Rental

As the travel industry starts down a long road to recovery, companies are looking for new ways to reassure customers that their products are safe. Vrbo just introduced a new program to help its customers find a clean vacation rental closer to home. It includes cleanliness guidelines and new search filters that will guide customers to the right property.

New cleaning standards. These new guidelines combine information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Cristal International Standards. Homeowners and property managers now have “clear guidelines” for disinfecting high-touch surfaces, building in time between bookings to avoid back-to-back stays, and stocking antibacterial handwashes, cleaners and hand sanitizers for guests.

New property descriptions. Homeowners and property managers will be able to report if the property is being cleaned with disinfectant, if guests can check in and out without any person-to-person contact, and whether the property is unavailable for at least 24 hours between guests. Once property owners have supplied that information, Vrbo will add it to the property descriptions that travelers see on the site and app.

New search filters for flexibility and proximity. Vrbo’s internal polling suggests more than 75% of guests are more likely to choose accommodations with flexible cancellation policies when booking their next vacation home. So the company is adding new search filters that allow customers to find vacation homes that provide a full refund when canceling by a specific date. Vrbo will also highlight listings with the most relaxed cancellation policies, making it easier for people to find vacation homes that offer free cancellation closer to their check-in date. Vrbo is also adding a search function for proximity, so you can plan a driving vacation.

You’ve introduced some significant changes to your product today. What are you hoping to accomplish?

We know that when families decide they’re ready to travel again, they’re going to have new priorities when choosing a place to stay. Vacation homes already have the space and privacy away from crowds we know they’ll want, but there are other things we need to highlight for them, including cleanliness, flexibility, and places to stay close to home.

How to Turnover Your Vacation Rental Property

A fast turnover rate is valuable because more bookings equal more money. As a vacation rental owner, you want to organize your bookings to maximize profit. Organization and fast turnovers prepare your property for the next renter.

What Days Should Guests Checkout?

If you’ve vacationed before, guests are offered check-in and check-out dates. As the vacation rental owner, you have the power to decide what these dates are. This gives you the organization to schedule your turnover services, and prepare the rental.

Some rentals write, “Turnover any.” This means that guests have the power to pick any dates for check-in and check out. If you hire services with flexible schedules, you can also offer this. Keep in mind, that offering consistent dates makes managing your property and turnovers easier.

According to one article, the most popular booking dates are Saturday to Saturday. They found that 85% of renters left on Saturdays, making it the most popular turnover day.

Sunday follows with a 12% check out date. Friday was less popular at 2.2%. The rest of the weekdays tallied 1% as a check-in/check-out date.

Mistakes VRBO’s Often Make

Managing a vacation rental by owner property (VRBO) can be challenging.

There is so much involved in creating a profitable vacation rental business that getting it right from the start is tough — manageable but tough. It is more than learning from a few websites and hoping for the best; adopting a strategy for marketing and operating the business professionally from the outset can yield more income and occupancy than any ad-hoc approach.

Putting all your eggs in one basket

In an earlier blog post, one of the suggested mistakes was listing on too many sites. When I wrote that, there were dozens of wannabee listing sites vying to take business away from the fast-growing HomeAway family. Airbnb hadn’t appeared on the scene for whole-home rentals at that time. Since then, we’ve come full circle with HA and Airbnb dominating the market to the degree that many owners seem satisfied with listing with just one. I suggest you spread the risk by broadening a marketing strategy and of course, building a home site as well. There are a multitude of hyper-local listing sites popping up that could deliver quality reservations without the draconian measures the OTAs expect you to comply with.

Relying on listing sites alone

Following from #1, even if you decide to list on several sites, your property still becomes one of many – maybe thousands – competing for attention. The only way to stand out from the throngs is to create a website and use social media to drive traffic to it. It requires time and commitment but the results over time will speak for themselves.

Being unprepared for emergencies

A dripping tap might not rank highly as an emergency to you, but to a guest who has prepared for months for a much-longed-for vacation, it can be enough to tip them over the edge. And if it’s A/C or refrigeration that breaks down or a power outage in winter, lack of quick resolution can have severe repercussions. There are so many potential issues that can arise to disrupt a vacation, that not preparing for every eventuality is a huge mistake. Just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it won’t next week

Tips for Renting a Vacation House

If you’re looking to rent a vacation home but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Finding the perfect holiday getaway isn’t easy, but there are ways to set yourself apart from the herd and guarantee you get the residence you want without breaking your budget.

Start Your Search Early

Avoid some of the stress and excessive costs that can go with trying to secure a vacation home, particularly during peak season and on short notice, by thinking, researching and planning at least six months (but preferably a year) in advance. While this may seem excessive, keep in mind that vacation rentals – at least, the good ones—usually book up fast.

If you’re not sure where to start, your first goal should be to nail down your destination and the approximate timing of your trip. Once you’ve made these decisions, a real estate agent who specializes in your area can be helpful in finding a vacation home rental. Consider contacting popular brokerages that have a large presence or looking for individual agents that are known and respected in the area you are visiting.

Consult Multiple Sources

It’s very important to consult a variety of sources when vacation-house hunting. By shopping around and talking to many different people, you’ll not only learn more about the area you are visiting, but you may also find yourself a better deal. Leave your options open by talking to several real estate agents and consulting multiple websites.

Read the Whole Contract

Unfortunately, people are often so happy that they landed the vacation home they wanted and so eager to start having fun that they overlook the importance of the contract. But, this document should not be ignored. It explains what expenses you are on the hook for. It will outline not only your payment schedule but also your liability in case of damages or if extra cleaning is needed.

How to Find an Affordable Housecleaner

HIRING A REGULAR housecleaner was once considered a luxury for anyone but the ultra-rich. But today, especially with more dual-income or single-parent families stretched for time, outsourcing the scrubbing, dusting and sweeping can be real a sanity-saver

“Consumers are starting to wake up to how much their time is worth,” says Melissa Homer, chief cleaning officer for MaidPro, a Boston-based cleaning services company and franchise. The ability to spend an extra few hours each week on work, childcare or relaxation, she says, makes it worthwhile for many families to contract out regular cleaning tasks to the professionals.

Do your research. There are myriad places to start your search for a housecleaner. You can head online to Google, Angie’s List and other home services sites. Investigate the services and rates offered. Don’t forget to read online reviews for housecleaners on several different review websites. Why? “It’s easier on some sites than others to stuff the ballot box,” Homer says.

Ask questions. Make sure that you ask the potential housecleaner or cleaning company insightful questions to determine whether they’re the right fit for you

Note costs. The costs to hire a housecleaner vary widely, experts say, depending on the size of the house, the frequency of the visits, the level of dirtiness and the type of cleaning required. At Molly Maid, for example, the price may range from $100 to $140 for a houseclean once every two weeks, Roberts says, but those costs depend on the customer’s specific needs, services provided and even the region in which they live – the company needs to pay cleaning professionals higher wages in pricier parts of the country.

How To Find A Cleaning Lady You Can Trust

Anyone who has ever used a professional house cleaning company knows that it can be complicated finding cleaning professionals you can trust, and it’s even more challenging to hold onto them once you’ve found one. I owned my own cleaning company for 15 years, so from a cleaners point of view, I will tell you how to find a cleaning lady you or house cleaning company you can trust! I will give you all the trade secrets about how to keep your cleaner happy so she will be with you for years!

Who needs a cleaning lady?

Elderly customers who struggle to keep up with daily tasks

Professionals who work full time

People who have chronic pain or depression

People who have just compleated building work

New mums who struggle to find time to clean

People who dislike cleaning

People who are moving into or out of a property.

Landlords and end of tenancy.

Offices, shops and other commercial buildings.

The medical profession

Different types of cleaners.

Professional house cleaners are people who are paid to come and clean your house as often as you require.

They may be a  house cleaning professional run by an individual cleaning lady who cleans solo with no team members or staff, often referred to as a cleaning lady or cleaner.

They may be a house cleaning company who employs various team members who rotate your house clean often referred to as a crew.

They may offer end of tenancy cleans, post-construction cleans, move out cleans,  move in cleans, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly cleans.

There is a  difference between a cleaning service and a housekeeper so be sure you know which service you require before hiring! Housekeepers often live in and do jobs such as meals, laundry, beds, childcare and many other jobs a professional cleaner does not.

The benefits of having a solo cleaning lady.

It can be difficult to know how to find a cleaning lady but when you find a cleaner you can trust the benefit are huge:

The routine of having the same person cleaning your home is attractive to the elderly, people who have small children, and dogs, as the family get used to seeing a familiar face each week.

Working relationships between house cleaner and client often get stronger the longer, the cleaner works for the client.

Often clients say how they enjoy the convenience of having someone they are familiar with in their home as it allows them to feel relaxed.

Continuity of cleaning increases, the more times a cleaner cleans your property.

Flexibility from both client and  house cleaner increases as the solo cleaner becomes a valued member of the client’s circle

Solo cleaners often come via word of mouth and with personal recommendations.

Tips for Hiring a Cleaning Service

Cleaning companies may find themselves following a different method of deep cleaning when going into homes, home offices, and businesses during the COVID-19 panemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations on how to clean and disinfect multiple surface areas to help prevent the spread of the virus. Several states and provinces may be considering opening businesses or relaxing strict stay-at-home mandates as well. This may mean employers are finding ways to keep a clean environment for their employees if/when they come back to the office.

Research the company. Ask friends, family members, and neighbors to recommend a reputable cleaning business or individual.  It’s a good practice to interview at least three companies to get an estimate before selecting one to hire.  Check out the businesses through bbb.org to read reviews or complaints on them. Beware of businesses with poor reviews and multiple complaints, more importantly see how they address them.

Interview candidates. Interview multiple candidates to determine if you would prefer to hire a large cleaning business or an individual cleaning person. Request to meet with someone from the cleaning business, as well as with the person who will actually clean your home or office. During the interview process, determine if you would be comfortable with them since they will be in your home or office. Ask what type of cleaning products are used, especially if there are family or employees that may be sensitive to harsh chemicals.

Check credentials. Any individual or business that is considered for hire should be registered*, bonded and insured. This will protect your company and family in the event something is broken, stolen, or if someone gets injured on the job.  Whether you hire an individual or a business, request that the employees working in your home have a background check done, or you may want to complete one on them yourself for peace of mind.

Request references. Before making an offer, ask that the business or individual provide a list of references you may contact. When speaking with the references, look for a business or individual that has repeat satisfied customers. Ask the references about the services they use and if the business met expectations.

What to Know Before You Hire a Housekeeper

Finally hiring a housekeeper can bring such a sense of relief, but only if you’ve done your homework. It’s important to find someone who is trustworthy, particularly if they will be cleaning your home while you’re at work or running errands, and will take their time to do the job properly. Ask around for referrals and consider the ins and outs of using a sole proprietor or hiring a larger cleaning company before you commit to a housekeeper.

Independent Workers vs. Cleaning Companies

A number of housekeepers work as sole proprietors of their own business, but you might be more comfortable with a larger cleaning company that hires their own employees. There are pros and cons to both: A benefit to hiring a cleaning company is that they are responsible for screening the employees to ensure that a background check comes up clean. On the other hand, if you want the same person cleaning your house every week, you should choose a sole proprietor—turnover tends to be higher with cleaning companies, and they might send someone different each time.

Find a Referral

The best place to start looking for a great housekeeper is to ask your family and friends if they have a company or person that they use and love. One of the great things about using a cleaning service is that they have multiple people who might work out well for your needs. A lot of services will allow you to try out different housekeepers until you find one that is perfect for your needs.

Interview Candidates

Take some time to come up with real questions, and make sure that you’re thorough with the interview. Ask questions about what they enjoy about their work. Why did they choose housekeeping as a line of work? Check references, work history, and criminal history. A lot of services will do these things in advance, but be thorough and check out the results.

Decide on a flat fee or an hourly fee

When considering hiring a housekeeper, one of the things that you might have to decide is if you’re going to pay by the hour or pay a flat fee, though the housekeeper or company might have their own non-negotiable policies.

How Hiring a House Cleaner Made Me Happier, Healthier and More Productive

Sometimes you have to admit mom was right. When my husband and I moved into a behemoth old Victorian in need of some love, she shook her head. “You’ll never have any time to enjoy the house,” she warned us. “You’ll spend all your time cleaning.”

Enthralled with the acres of hardwood floors, fireplaces in every room, and gorgeous trim you only find in houses of a certain age (this one dates to 1890), I laughed it off. We had moved from a 900 square foot home that took a team effort of just 20 minutes to get it clean enough for company and I couldn’t envision spending any more time than that. We’d just get a Roomba, we figured.

We tried various approaches; one room a day, x number of minutes per day, refrigerator lists, apps, paper planners with chore lists. But when there was always more to be done it came to seem pointless to even make an effort. So we’d let it slide. Then something would spur us into action; family coming to visit, hosting friends, wasting half an hour looking for something we’d misplaced, and we’d lose an entire weekend to mopping, scrubbing and fervent proclamations that this time we’d get clean and organized and stay that way.

Between those frenzied bouts of cleaning I’d find myself in one of two untenable situations. Working from home I don’t get to leave dirty dishes or the mountain of laundry behind each day. So I had to either look at it all day, which left me feeling stressed and overwhelmed, unable to focus — or just deal with it myself, which ate away large chunks of my work day and left me feeling stressed and overwhelmed. You see where this is going.

We needed professional help. But I felt guilty at even the thought. What would people think? My own mom cleaned houses when I was a kid and I helped sometimes. We’re not one-percenters by a long stretch; I’m a freelance writer plus Airbnb host with a full-time rental on our home’s third floor, and my husband works in HR and is pretty much an eternal college student. We share a car and are more likely to shop consignment and thrift stores than luxury boutiques. Thoughts of a housecleaner conjured up fancy people with shiny jobs and paychecks to match. Who did we think we were?

Deep Cleaning Your House Easily and Efficiently

The biggest mistake people make is cleaning room by room (this is called “zone cleaning”). It’s much too slow! “You can either clean your kitchen in four hours, or clean your entire house top to bottom in four hours. “A lot of people get caught focusing on one area, doing a super job cleaning  the counters—and never get to the stove, let alone the next room. In reality, just wiping things down and moving on is quick and efficient.”

HOW TO CLEAN HOUSE FAST!

Start at the Top
No matter what room you’re cleaning, clean from the top down so that dirt and dust from higher surfaces falls on lower surfaces that haven’t yet been cleaned. Dust ceiling fans, then furniture wiping dirt directly on the floor. Clean all of the floors as your last step to remove the dirt and dust.

Bedrooms-6 minutes per bedroom

• Strip linens and remake beds. When making beds rather than hunch over tucking bottom sheets under the mattress use one hand to lift the cornerwhile tucking the sheet with the other.
• Clear all clutter, if you’re in a hurry gather clutter in a spare basket or bin for later organization and tuck out of sight in a closet.
• Wipe down furniture with a dusting spray and microfiber cloth, working top to bottom.

Bathrooms-7 minutes per bathroom

• I like to clean all of my bathrooms at once-make a quick trip around all the bathrooms in the house to clear counters and spray counters and tubs with cleaner or white vinegar, allow to sit while you clean toilets and wipe down the outer toilet surface.
• Go back and wipe down counters and rinse tub then clean mirrors.
• Come back to clean the floors when cleaning the kitchen floor.

Living/Dining Rooms-7 minutes

• Clear all clutter.
• Starting in one corner of the room and working around dust all surfaces top to bottom. (If you have blinds and/or ceiling fans, dust those first.)
• Use an upholstery attachment and vacuum upholstered furniture.
• Vacuum floors along with all house carpeting as last cleaning step.

Kitchen-12 minutes

• Load all dirty dishes in the dishwasher and fill sink with hot soapy water. If your stove top has removable burner pieces that need to be cleaned, place in water as well.
• Clear counters.
• Dunk sponge in hot water and squeeze out excess, wipe down cabinets, counters and other surfaces again working top to bottom. Rinse sponge in hot water as you clean-you’ll be amazed how much dirt comes off!
• Wipe down appliances. (When you have more time consider doing this trick for preventing fingerprints on stainless steel!)
• Finish cleaning any stove pieces and replace.
• Clean floors last along with all hard flooring surfaces in the house.

Floors-15 minutes whole house

• When vacuuming carpeted rooms work your way backwardsout of the room moving quickly and without too much overlap to save time. (I use this vacuum and have for 3 years now, it’s the best vacuum I’ve ever had, amazing at getting pet hair out of carpets, I highly recommend it!)
• Vacuum, don’t sweep hard floors-use an attachment to get corners where dust and pet hair can accumulate. This helps prevent kicking dust into the air that will quickly settle again and aggravating allergies.
• Steam mops or Hardwood Floor Cleaners (this is my favorite) also make cleaning hard surfaces much faster than traditional mops, so I highly recommend investing in one of those to keep your cleaning quick!

Tips :

1. If guests are going to spend more time in another area of your home, substitute it for the living area, and focus your time there.
2. Disposable cleaning wipes make a good quick helper, but you can also use an all-purpose spray and a cleaning cloth.
3. Once you’ve finsished your quick cleaning, and your guests arrive, don’t apologize for the state of your home. Guests come to see the host/hostess, not the house. Unexpected company, especially, will understand if everything isn’t perfect.
4. Enlist the help of children and/or spouse to make the quick cleanup go even faster. One silly thing my family does is to have “practice” sessions when we aren’t expecting anyone, to see if we can beat our best times.

Cleaning Supplies You Will Need

It will make your job simpler if you have quick access to everything you need. It is a good idea to use a storage caddy or a bucket with a handle so you can carry your supplies from room to room.

In your cleaning caddy you should have:

• Sponge (with a scrubby side)
• Cotton rags (I like cloth diapers or old terrycloth washcloths. Old t shirts make good rags too. If you use old towels or clothing, cut them up so it’s easy to tell that they have been retired.)
• Microfiber cloths
• Paper towels
• Bathroom cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Furniture polish
• Rubber gloves
• Floor cleaner and/or polish

The Best Ways to Make Your House Smell Good All the Time

Every home has a unique scent. Some houses — we hate to say it — smell better than others. While it may be tricky to keep day-to-day odors at bay, there are a number of ways that you can deodorize your space. Sure, some jobs like pet messes, musty mattresses, and overflowing trash bins require some elbow grease and patience. But generally speaking, it’s fairly easy to make your house smell good — especially if you follow these tried-and-tested tips from top interior designers.

• Clean your garbage disposal.
• Refresh carpets and rugs.
• Spruce up your trash can.
• Simmer herbs and fruit on the stove.
• Scatter candles throughout your house.
• Bring the outside in.
• Freshen up your air vents.
• Deodorize with dryer sheets.