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Cleaning Tips

How to Deep Clean for a Spotlessly Clean Bathroom

clean bathroom

In a recent survey, American households admitted that they despise cleaning the bathroom more than any other area of the home. Yet it is still the most cleaned area of a property. So how do you manage to do a thorough and efficient job?

One way is by following our guide. Read on as we discuss how to get a perfectly clean bathroom in your home. 

Remove the Clutter

The first step in your bathroom deep cleaning schedule is to remove the clutter. This will make the larger tasks much easier. 

Start by getting rid of any stray items on faucets and around the tub. It may include old toothpaste containers, shampoo bottles, and other containers. Go through your storage and trash any out-of-date medication or cosmetics that are no longer useful. 

Open the windows and switch any mechanical ventilation on. Spray all of the surfaces with a disinfectant spray and scrub them vigorously. 

Deep Cleaning a Bathtub

The bathtub is one large area that can easily collect scum and dirt. However, tubs are made of a range of materials so may require different approaches. Our ways to sanitize different types of tubs are collected below. 

Cleaning an Acrylic Tub

When cleaning an acrylic tub, you need to avoid harsh chemicals. This will dull the finish. Instead, create a mixture of one part baking soda to one part dish soap, including a few drops of lemon juice. 

When this starts to froth, rub the tub in the solution and let it stand for 30 minutes. Clean the tub with a wet sponge when you return and spray it down with the shower. You will find the baking soda has managed to break down the scum without damaging the acrylic coating. 

Cleaning a Porcelain or Fibreglass Tub

The mixture you will use here may be too powerful for acrylic tubs. However, the vinegar-based mix can be used for a number of applications around the home, not just the bathtub. 

For porcelain tubs mix two parts vinegar to one part water. For fiberglass tubs, mix two parts vinegar to one part water. In both instances, include a few drops of lemon juice. 

Place the solution in a spray bottle and generously apply it to the tub. Let it sit for twenty minutes. Return and scrub the tub with a damp cloth or sponge. 

Cleaning the Shower

Start by turning on the shower, making the walls and floor wet. This will make it easier to see where mildew has built up. You can spray a commercial cleaner, or use a homemade solution to attack the areas. 

Once you have scrubbed the surfaces down, spray the shower on them again. If they are still pitted then you may need to repeat the process. 

Remove the shower curtains and place them in the washing machine. If you have a screen, then get a squeegee that would be used for cleaning windows and use this to apply your cleaner.  

Descale the Shower Head

When the showerhead scales, it occupies a really awkward position that can be hard to clean. Any solution applied simply drips off. This means you need a way to submerge it in cleaning fluid. 

For this, all you need to do is get a small grocery bag. Fill it with white vinegar, then tie it around the showerhead nozzle. Leave it overnight. 

All you then need to do in the morning is remove the bags and give the nozzle a light scrub. This can also be done with chrome taps on faucets. 

Cleaning the Toilet

Next on your house cleaning schedule comes the dreaded toilet. Luckily, this is seldom as bad as it sounds. By following the correct cleaning order, you will have to do very little. 

Start by dusting the toilet with a feather duster, or giving it a light vacuum. This removes dry dirt and hair, which can be much more stubborn to get off once you have wet it. 

After this, take a screwdriver and unscrew the toilet seat lid. On some models, you may have to go behind the toilets and remove the nuts. This allows you to clean the parts that hold the seat in place.

Once complete, get a pumice stone and remove any stains. Discoloration or hard water stains are the usual suspects. Toilet cleaner may help some of the more stubborn stains. 

For the bowl, you can use a baking soda mix. Use a brush to get a good clean all the way around and avoid mixing it with other products. 

Cleaning the Sink

The sink holds the most bacteria in a bathroom, even more so than the toilet. It needs a thorough clean all over with standard disinfectant wipes. If you need to descale taps, do it in the same way mentioned under the shower cleaning section. 

White household vinegar or baking soda should be placed down sinks. You can also use this in your bathtub. Allow them to sit for around 20 minutes before running hot water down them. 

Wash Towels

Your standard towels can be washed with your normal laundry. However, hand towels take in a lot more bacteria. Put them on a separate, high-temperature sanitizing wash or bleach them. 

Make sure you dry your towels spread out. If they are folded, mold and bacteria can form in creases. Avoid placing any wet towels close to the toilet. 

Steps to a Clean Bathroom

Now you know these hacks for a clean bathroom, you just need to get your supplies. Create a list of everything you need then visit the store. Where possible, always try to use natural or organic cleaners. 

If you need assistance, then Home Maid Better should be your first stop. We have a range of cleaning services for commercial buildings or homes. Click here for a quote today. 

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Cleaning Tips

Secret Cleaning Tips Only the Cleaning Pros Know

cleaning pros

Are you looking for ways to keep your home as clean as can be? Do you want all of your guests to be floored by the tidiness of your house? If so, then you need to learn as much as you can about thorough cleaning.

Doing so can help you learn the ins and outs of keeping an above-average clean property. If you’ve ever wondered what separates the professionals from the average joe’s… you’re about to find out.

See an in-depth guide for several secret tips that only the cleaning pros know about maintaining a clean house. You’ll be glad you did!

1. Slow Pull-Push Technique

Have you ever heard the expression, “Slow and steady wins the race?” If so, then you should know that saying applies to house cleaning as well. Specifically, the method in which you push and pull your vacuums, carpet steamers, etc.

Far too many people push and pull their vacuums too fast. You’re pushing and pulling to the beat of “Staying Alive” by The Bee Gees when you should really be doing it to the beat of a slow tune like “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship. This ain’t CPR that we’re talking about, here.

Slowing up your vacuuming technique will make the world of difference. It gives your vacuum enough time to do its job thoroughly, such as sucking up all that dirt, dust, and allergens that are attached deep inside the fibers of your carpet. 

While we’re on the topic, it might be time for you to get a new vacuum. There are several signs you need a new vacuum, such as:

  • Your vacuum hose is constantly getting clogged
  • Very little debris is begin picked up when you pass it through the floor
  • The vacuum doesn’t sound very powerful
  • It gets overheated shortly after you turn it on

2. Sweep, Vacuum, Scrub

Ask any trustworthy house cleaning services about their preferred floor cleaning sequence and they’ll all tell you the same thing: sweep, vacuum, then clean! It’s a process that we in the industry refer to as “SVS”.

Our maid services prioritize this sequence with our deep cleaning. If it’s a hard floor, then we’ll start by sweeping up to remove any glass or larger debris that couldn’t be sucked into the vacuum. Next, we start up the vacuum and thoroughly clean the open area, corners, and tough-to-reach crevices. 

Once that’s complete, we’ll grab a soft-bristle and hard-bristle brush, then go to town on the floors to make sure they’re disinfected and squeaky clean. 

But here’s the biggest housekeeping secret of all: we perform this process for all surfaces, not just floors. That means counters, showers, tubs, furnishings, and more. 

That said, when you’re scrubbing other surfaces, make sure you’re using a soft-bristle brush only. Using a hard-bristle brush on counters could leave scratches. 

Always, always, always vacuum first. Even if it looks like the surface is completely void of any substance, it’s not. There will be dust, hair, or dirt that sabotages the quality of your scrubbing efforts.

3. Tide Pods for Showers

This one might be a bit harder to believe, but it works. What you’ll find is that most cleaning products don’t serve just one purpose, they have far more potential than the niche their manufacturer sells them in.

Laundry pods are the perfect example of this. There is also a laundry detergent paste that you could make at home for the same purpose, but we prefer to use the pods.

Simply go into your shower and wet the surface you intend to clean. Next, rub the laundry detergent pod over the areas of the biggest concern (such as any mold growth, Serratia marcenscens, etc.)

Once you apply it, let it sit for anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub it in with a soft-bristle brush, then let it sit for 5 minutes more. After that, use the showerhead to wash it down and your tub/shower will look as good as new!

4. Stainless Steel Suprise

Stainless steel is a magnificent addition to any home. It modernizes the whole aesthetic, especially in the kitchen, and makes the interior look sleek. That said, one of the biggest drawbacks to stainless steel is the number of fingerprints that you can visibly see.

It might seem like an endless battle. Even after cleaning the surface thoroughly, there are still going to be fingerprints from when you held it.

Believe it or not, most housekeepers use olive oil as a last-minute solution for getting rid of those fingerprints and giving it a sleek shine. Simply rub a bit in and then dry the rest.

5. The Trash Within the Trash

Tired of having a lingering odor in your house? Even after you throw away last night’s dinner, your house still wreaks of it hours later… how is that possible?

The buildup of odors is probably lingering in the actual trash can itself, as well as a possible leak in the trash bag. You’ll need to clean it thoroughly to get rid of the smell.

Use a toilet bowl scrubber and a mixture of 1 part dish soap with 3 parts water. The odor will be gone in no time at all!

Use These Secret Tips From the Cleaning Pros

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the secret tips from cleaning pros that you should know about, be sure to use this information wisely.

Take the time to read this article for more information on how to deep clean a bedroom the right way. To get started, simply call us at 405-754-5100 and we will be happy to assist you further.

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Cleaning Tips

This Is How to Deep Clean a Bedroom the Right Way

Adults need an average of 7 hours of sleep per night. However, many are not getting adequate sleep and it’s having an effect on their health. 

While there are several things you could do to improve your sleep, having a clean bedroom is essential. A clean bedroom allows you to rest well, instead of focusing on the clutter and the mess.

So what’s the best way to clean a bedroom for a good night’s rest? If you think your bedroom could use a pick-me-up, here are seven tips on how to deep clean a bedroom. 

Pick up and Put Away Items

If your room is severely cluttered, with items and clothing on the floor, you’ll need to do a quick pick-up first. Put dirty laundry in a laundry basket and clean clothes away in their proper place. Throw away any trash you see and return other items to their places, even if they don’t belong in your bedroom. 

You want to have a somewhat tidy space when you begin your deep-cleaning process. This helps you get into the habit of keeping your space clean every day. 

Protect Your Bed

If you’re going to be deep cleaning your bedroom, your bed is likely going to be the source for all the things you’re trying to organize. Lay some protection over your blankets or mattress to prevent any damage. You could even remove your sheets, throw them in the washing machine, and lay an old blanket over the top of your mattress. 

Make your bed when you’re all done cleaning as a finishing touch to your deep cleaning project. 

Dust 

Getting rid of dust is essential to having a clean bedroom. Excess dust leads to health problems and may aggravate allergy symptoms, causing more problems sleeping. Dusting surfaces like your furniture is recommended, but when you’re deep cleaning, you need to dust other spaces, too. 

Working from the top of your ceiling downward, you want to hit places like the walls, ceiling corners, your fan (if you have one), headboards, drape or window rods, window sills, and furniture. All the dust from the top will fall on lower surfaces, so working from the top ensures that you capture all the dust as best as possible. 

Using a microfiber dust rag to catch all the dust is recommended, but you could also use a vacuum cleaner with a dusting attachment if necessary. 

Declutter and Organize

Decluttering is not only good for creating more space, but it also improves your mental health. When you have too many things, especially things you don’t use anymore, it makes you feel distracted and anxious causing difficulty sleeping.

While the tops of dressers and nightstands are common places for clutter, you should also take a peek inside your closet and dresser drawers. Drawers and closets are places where clutter can live, so take some time to organize these spaces to the best of your ability.

Purge items you don’t use anymore and create boxes for donations and throw away items that are damaged and unusable. 

Wash Drapes

If you have drapes or other window treatments in your room, you might be surprised to find that they accumulate a lot of debris, especially dust. They get ignored most of the time, and if they touch the ground they may have dirt or other debris as well. 

Start by vacuuming the dust off your drapes and then washing them. Be sure to follow the washing instructions, as not all drapes are made of the same material. 

Under the Bed

You may not be a kid anymore, but there could be some monstrous dust bunnies living under the bed, especially if you haven’t cleaned there in a while! 

Start by gathering all the items that are under your bed and sorting through them. Throw away the trash and find a place for items you plan on keeping or return them to where they belong. Vacuum or brush the dust and dirt from under your bed to ensure it’s clean. 

If you store items under your bed, try keeping them in a plastic bin that slides neatly underneath. By containing your items, you have less to clean and organize next time you clean. 

Wipe Down Surfaces

Wiping down surfaces is important after you dust. Not only does it prevent dust build-up and accumulation, but it kills germs and makes your furniture appear clean and fresh. Be sure to use an appropriate cleaner for your furniture, especially if it’s made of wood. 

Windows should also be wiped down using a window or glass cleaner. Don’t forget to use the glass cleaner on any mirrors you have as well. 

Floors

Just because your floors are picked up doesn’t make them clean. You may have dust bunnies, dirt, or other debris lounging around on your floor. Take a vacuum cleaner and run it over your floors, especially if you have carpet or rugs, paying attention to places behind the furniture and crevices. 

If you have wooden floors, consider running a mop over them to catch any lingering dirt, dust, or spill residue.

Reassemble

Now that you’ve deep cleaned your room, it’s time to put everything back in order. Place clean clothes and items in their original (or new) spaces and make your bed with clean sheets and blankets. Hang your drapes when they’re done in the wash and step back to admire your work. 

This Is How to Deep Clean a Bedroom

If you’re stumped about how to deep clean a bedroom, these tips will help you get started. With a clean room, you can have a great night’s sleep and wake up feeling accomplished. 

Do you need some extra help cleaning around your home? Hire our professionals to do the dirty work for you and save time! Contact us today for a free quote.

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Home Cleaning Services

9 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a House Cleaner

hiring a house cleaner

Every month, the average American spends almost 24 hours cleaning. That’s almost a whole day, gone!

Because this is a lot and most of us have other things to worry about, like school, work, or dependents, hiring a house cleaner can seem like the best option. It often is, as long as you pick the right one!

Here are the questions to ask a house cleaner to ensure they’re the right fit for you. 

1. What Services Do You Offer?

Before inviting maid services into your home, you should be clear about what you want and what they offer. For example, you might want someone to come and deep clean your home once every other month, or you might want maintenance cleaning done as much as once a week.

You may also have special requests.

Consider exactly what it is that you want and make sure the company can accommodate this.

2. What Kind of Products Do You Use?

For many people, hiring a maid can be daunting because they don’t want certain chemicals in their home. They may not be environmentally friendly, or they may be dangerous to investigative pets that may go curiously licking the carpet.

If any of this is important to you, you should ask. The best housekeepers will be able to accommodate these concerns and only use the safest cleaning products anyway. 

3. What’s the Best Way to Contact You?

Finding out the best way to contact your house cleaner is another thing you should do right at the start. For example, many companies might prefer e-mails over phone calls because they can’t answer phone calls right away.

Some companies may rarely check their e-mail and actually want you to call them.

Everyone is different, but it’s important to know the best way to contact someone. That way, when you need an answer quickly or have to cancel or reschedule, you know the quickest way to get in touch. 

4. What’s Your Availability Like?

Availability is another important factor when hiring a house cleaner. You may have a certain day of the week you need things done on, or you may need things done more often than the average client.

Before you go any further, make sure they can accommodate these requests if you aren’t flexible. It’s fine to have a routine that must be kept to, but you need a company that has the availability to do this. 

5. What Are Your Prices?

Getting a quote for exactly what you need is one of the most important considerations. It’s important, however, not to automatically go with the cheapest.

The cheapest price may be that way for a reason. Perhaps they don’t have as much experience as another company, or their reviews are low and they need the business.

Make sure you consider the quote along with everything else. Obviously, it’s important to make sure that the company is within your budget, but there are other things to factor in too. 

6. How Long Have You Been Working?

It may also be useful to know how long a company has been in business. 

While there are many great professional house cleaners that have only been in the business for a short amount of time, the best companies usually have some years of experience behind them. If you want to play it safe, ask how long they’ve been doing this and factor it into your decision. 

7. Are You Licensed and Insured?

Being licensed and insured is something that people often forget to ask but it’s vitally important. It may state this on the website but if it doesn’t, ask.

Hopefully, you’ll never have to rely on their insurance. Accidents happen though, and something may get damaged while they’re working. Chemicals could spill, or something may fall and break.

Licensed and insured cleaning companies will be able to replace this without much of an issue. 

8. Do You Have References?

It’s always good to ask a cleaning company if they have references. References from past customers can make a world of difference in your level of trust for them, as they’ve obviously been doing this successfully. 

You can also ask where to find online reviews — for example, they might have more on their Facebook or more on Google. People are 31% more likely to spend money on a business with positive reviews, and that’s for a reason!

Positive reviews mean the company has done well in the past. That’s invaluable. 

9. What Should I Do to Prepare?

The last question you should ask when you’ve decided on a house cleaner is what you should do to prepare.

They might tell you to lock away valuables, for example. They might require pets to be locked in one room, and small children to be out of the way.

Companies may have slightly different requirements — especially depending on the type of clean they’re doing — but it’s important to know so that you can make the job easier and give them a chance to do their best work.

Ask These Questions When Hiring a House Cleaner

Hiring a house cleaner can be daunting. Inviting someone into your home to be amongst your belongings and your life is a bit intimidating, and you may not be sure how to find one you completely trust!

Make sure to ask these questions, and any more you can think of. The best house cleaners will understand that you want to find the right fit and will welcome the inquiries.

For a great cleaning company in Oklahoma City, check us out today and get your instant online quote

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Cleaning Tips

Tips for Eliminating Bathroom Odor

bathroom odor

Because they’re exposed to water and because of what they’re used for, bathrooms are ultra-prone to taking on foul odors. Over time, these odors can accumulate, resulting in an almost unbearable stench. 

This is why you have to take steps to eliminate bathroom odor. But what can you do? Quite a few things!

Without further ado, here’s how to eliminate bathroom smell. 

Scrub the Inside of Your Toilet Bowl

As time passes, the inside of a toilet bowl is bound to take on substantial amounts of residue. After enough accumulation, this residue is sure to create an odor. As such, if you want to eliminate bad smells in your bathroom, you need to scrub the inside of your toilet bowl regularly, at least once a week. 

To do this, use a toilet cleaning brush. This is a long-handled brush with a swath of hard bristles on the end. You can buy one at department stores for around $10. 

If you want to make it clean, use a toilet cleaner as well. This is a liquid substance that sits within the toilet bowl and kills existing bacteria. Allow it to sit for a few hours and then flush; the resulting smell will be a pleasant one instead of a foul one. 

Turn the Ceiling Fan on While Showering

When you turn the shower on, moisture fills the air within the bathroom. The longer the shower runs, the more moisture there will be. 

This doesn’t just turn the bathroom into a temporary steam room. It also does damage to the walls and the ceiling, leaving mold spores behind over time. 

As you might expect, these mold spores don’t smell good. The more and more they accumulate, the more odor they create. After some amount of time, this mold can create an almost unbearably musty scent. 

How do you counteract this? By making sure to turn on your ceiling fan whenever you’re taking a shower. This fan will help ventilate the moisture in the air, allowing for slower mold accumulation and fewer odors overall. 

Clean the Floors

Bathroom floors are exposed to all sorts of foul substances. Whether it is urine splashing up out of the toilet bowl or sweat from clothing that’s been flung off of someone’s body, the floor is sure to be the source of many of a bathroom’s poor aromas. 

As such, if you want your bathroom to smell nice, you must clean the floor regularly. And we’re not just talking about a swipe with a Swiffer or a mop. We mean a down-on-your-hands-and-knees deep cleaning in which you get each and every inch of your floor.

So, get under your vanity, get behind your toilet, get in the little crevices between the floor and the bathtub. Do away with all of the grime on a consistent basis and, rest assured, your bathroom will smell much better. 

Light Candles

Getting rid of the sources of bad odors is just half of the equation. If you want your bathroom to smell nice, you have to add nice smells as well. 

This is why you should light candles in your bathroom regularly. Pick a time when you know you’re going to be home and light a few scented candles. Let those scents fill the air within the bathroom and then blow the candles out before you leave your home or go to bed. 

It’s cheap, it’s effective, and it will add a bit of ambiance to your bathroom as well. There’s no reason not to do it. 

Open the Window When Possible

Does your bathroom have a window in it? If so, you should open it up as much as possible. This way, the air within your bathroom will be able to flow out, allowing for foul-smelling particles to evacuate. 

If you never do this, your bathroom will always be fighting a stuffy and musty odor. Don’t have a window in your bathroom? At the very least, make sure to keep the bathroom door open throughout the day, and then open up some windows throughout the rest of your home. 

Leave a Spray on the Toilet

Going to the bathroom doesn’t always leave the nicest smell behind. As such, to help yourself and your guests counteract that smell, you should leave a scented spray on the toilet. That way, once someone has finished their business, they can release the spray and help balance out any foul odors that may have appeared. 

Scrub the Tub

It’s not just the toilet that needs regular scrubbing. The bathtub needs regular scrubbing as well. If you don’t scrub your bathtub regularly, mold and soap mildew will build up within it, resulting in poor smells over time. 

Scrubbing your bathtub is as simple as taking a handheld brush and running it over affected areas. If you want your tub to be sparkling clean, you should use a disinfectant cleaning solution as well. This will not only kill bacteria but will also actively improve the scent of your bathroom. 

Clean Out Your Drains

Our last tip is to clean out your drains. See, drains are exposed to all sorts of residue. Much of this residue ends up sticking to the insides of the drains. 

As time passes, this residue starts rotting, thus releasing an overwhelming stench. As you might expect, this stench makes its way out of the drains and into the bathroom air. 

So, if you want your bathroom to smell nice, you need to keep those drains clean. A liquid cleaner might suffice in most cases. However, every 3 years or so, you should have your drains cleaned professionally. 

Need Help Getting Rid of Bathroom Odor?

Are you having some trouble getting rid of bathroom odor? Need a little help keeping a clean bathroom? If so, you should hire a cleaner. 

But don’t just hire any cleaner; hire the cleaners here at Home Maid Better. Located in Oklahoma City, we clean houses all over the OKC area. 

Contact us now to discuss your cleaning needs and to receive a free quote! 

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Cleaning Tips

7 Oven Cleaning Tips that Will Transform Your Kitchen Hygiene

oven cleaning tips

Maid and home cleaning services can range from $25 to $50 an hour. This cost may or may not surprise people, but it is a good baseline to have when you’re deciding whether or not you should hire out your house cleaning. 

If you can be more efficient with your time elsewhere, you might find that cost is relatively reasonable. Have you been googling ‘oven cleaning tips’ and drawing a blank on finding the time for it?

Regularly cleaning your oven can help eliminate smells and help your home look and feel cleaner. Keep reading on for 7 helpful tips and tricks for keeping a clean oven.  

1. Cover Your Food

The simplest way of keeping your oven clean is by taking some preventive steps. While it won’t keep you from ever cleaning your oven, it will present unnecessary spills and eliminate a bad kitchen smell. 

When cooking something in your oven, make sure you cover up your food to avoid spills, splatters, and more.

2. Use a Spill Tray

Some ovens come with an extra roasting tray that you can leave at the bottom of your oven. Consider purchasing an extra spill tray that fits your oven size if you don’t have one.

If you don’t want the option of a spill tray, then a silicone baking sheet can also do the trick. These baking sheets will catch any drips before they harden onto the bottom surface. 

It will also make it easier for you to remove burnt on foods since you can simply wipe down the sheet or swap it out. 

3. Use Baking Soda

When the time comes for cleaning an oven more in-depth, you can use baking soda and water to create a simple paste. Aim for around 1/2 cup of baking soda and just a few tablespoons of water before mixing. 

You can cover your entire oven in the mixture, and you will let it sit for 12 hours. Use a non-abrasive cloth to wipe everything down afterward. 

4. Vinegar and Water

You can always give a quick spritz of white vinegar after your baking soda mixture, which can help turn everything sparkling new once more. However, you could also use a vinegar solution to opt for a steam clean.

To do this, you will want to boil water and then add the vinegar. Once both are at a boiling temperature, you’ll put the pot in the oven and let it do its magic. Afterward, take a cloth and wipe down the surface.

5. Use the Self-Clean Feature

If your oven has it, you can use the self-clean feature for deep cleaning your oven. It sounds simple, but it works. The self-clean run takes a few hours and reaches extremely high temperatures, so make sure you won’t need your oven for the next little bit before going down this route. 

Once it is done, you should be able to wipe it clean with a cloth, and it is ready for use!

6. Cleaning Oven Racks

Part of a clean kitchen and oven also entails cleaning your oven racks. Like with the oven, you can use vinegar, baking soda and let the solution soak in hot water overnight. 

Once it has soaked, you can use a scrubber to eliminate all the grime. The easiest way to do this is to lay your oven racks in your bathtub over a towel. 

Instead of baking soda and vinegar, you could also use dish soap and warm water. Again, you will let it sit overnight and then scrub it down after. 

7. Cleaning Spills

The best way to clean burnt-on food is also through baking soda, or you could use natural cleaning products like lemons. If you want to head down this route, you will place squeezed lemons in a bowl with peels. Next, fill the bowl partially with water and bake the mixture for around 30 minutes at 250 degrees. 

The lemon helps loosen any stains or hardened food on the bottom or sides of the oven. 

Oven Cleaning Tips

While it is great to have ideas for regularly cleaning your oven, deep cleaning an oven can be challenging and time-consuming. Sometimes, having a clean home can take up a large portion of your day, and home cleaning services can help.

These home cleaning services for kitchens can add-on deep-cleaning extras such as:

  • Fridge and freezer
  • Oven
  • Sanitization
  • Clean behind appliances

These hard-to-reach and clean areas are a hassle for cleaning and are great add-ons to your cleaning service. The other benefit of hiring out cleaning is that you can spend more time doing things that matter, such as spending time with family or friends and following through with work obligations or deadlines.

How can you know which service team you can trust? Follow-up with companies on the requirements they go through for hiring their employees. You can also ask about unique protocols and safety guidelines that they may have in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Call On the Experts

If you are struggling with staying up on cleaning your kitchen and oven, you might need a professional home cleaning team. Deep cleaning doesn’t have to occur frequently, but it can make a big difference in keeping bad smells out of your house. 

There are many oven cleaning tips that you can use throughout the year to keep your ovens spotless. However, preventing spills with sheets can avoid you having to clean up burnt food on the bottom. 

Contact us today for a free quote on our cleaning services, and rest easy knowing you are in good hands. 

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Cleaning Tips

Try This Daily Cleaning Schedule For a Healthy Home

daily cleaning schedule

Are you looking for ways to ensure that your house stays as clean as possible? Do you want to walk into a home that’s tidy, not worn down by neglect? If so, then the results are all about the details of a daily cleaning schedule. 

By putting just a bit more effort into your daily and weekly cleaning routine, you can enjoy a home that stays refreshed. That way, there are no more emergency cleanings when guests come over unexpectedly.

See below for an in-depth guide listing all of the essential facets to an effective daily cleaning schedule to keep your home healthy and clean.

1. Wipe Down All Surfaces

Perhaps you’ve noticed that your family has been catching a lot of colds lately. Maybe you’re worried about the safety of your guests when they touch your surfaces.

Whatever the case might be, wiping down surfaces has to become a priority in your daily cleaning schedule. Neglecting this task is a quick way to prompt the spread of an illness throughout your house.

If you think we’re being dramatic, think again. Through normal usage, surfaces such as your floors, furniture, and counters are all exposed to germs. These germs spread at an alarming rate, affecting anyone that’s within three feet of them. 

It’s important to wipe down all surfaces. Here’s the best part: it doesn’t require any additional purchases beyond what you already have in your house.

All you need is a microfiber towel, dish soap, and water. Grab a bowl and pour 1 part dish soap with three parts water. Dip the microfiber towel into the solution and scrub away.

The best time to wipe down these surfaces is after their usage. For example, kitchen counters should be wiped down after each meal; whereas in a living room, a coffee table can wait to be wiped down right before you go to bed.

As for those floors, you will want to hire a professional house cleaning service to ensure they’re cleaned at least every other week. 

2. Dry the Bathroom Area After Showers

You might not think it, but you and your family’s shower routines might be sabotaging the cleanliness of your bathroom(s). In fact, it might be putting your respiratory system in danger by default.

Here’s how: when someone takes a shower (especially a warm/hot shower) the humidity starts to fill the room. This is what leads to those foggy windows, mirrors, shower glass, etc. 

Most people walk out of the room without paying much attention. Over time, that trapped humidity becomes a breeding ground for mildew mold growth, which can cause illness in some cases. It’s especially irritating to those with asthma or terrible allergies.

Thankfully, there’s a daily cleaning duty that can help you avoid this at all costs: be intentional about drying the room.

First off, make sure your entire family creates a habit of turning on the bathroom fan before they go to take a shower. Second, have dry towels near the shower to wipe down surfaces such as the showerhead and handle after each use.

If you’d like to take it a step further, we recommend that you have a squeegee in each bathroom to wipe down the windows, shower glass, and mirror.

3. Take Care of Those Dishes Immediately

Full disclosure, this task should be more frequent than just once a day. Experts recommend that you should clean the dishes after every meal to avoid the spread of germs, inviting unwanted pests into the house, and so forth.

That said, we also realize that you have a million other tasks to do in a day. You have a job to do, a family to keep track of, etc. Cleaning the dishes after every meal may not be in the schedule.

That’s okay! Be intentional about cleaning the dishes as soon as you have some free time to do so. If that’s more than once a day, great! If not, then that’s perfectly fine.

4. Care for High-Traffic Spots

As the name would imply, high-traffic spots are the areas of your house that see the highest amount of foot traffic.

Even though that’s the case, they’re often some of the most neglected areas of your house in terms of cleaning. This includes places like the front door, the guest bathroom, the stairs, and the backdoor, just to name a few.

Be intentional about cleaning these areas every day. Keep a small vacuum close by to suck up the dirt, dust, and debris that you and your guests bring in.

5. Everybody Do Their Share

We all know how the clean-up song goes, “Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share!”, that’s the mentality you and your family need to have.

You’ve seen the kind of tasks you need to add to your daily cleaning schedule, but keeping items where they belong is just as important.

Every night, make it a priority for you and your family to put everything back where it belongs. The result will be an organized home that you look forward to walking into every night after work. Not doing this can lead to frustration and finger-pointing.

Implement This Daily Cleaning Schedule Into Your Life

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on what a proper daily cleaning schedule looks like, be sure to use this to your advantage.

Take the time to read this article for more information on how to find the best maid services for your home. For more information, please be sure to reach out to us via phone at 405-754-5100 and we will be happy to assist you further.

Categories
professional house cleaning

Why Hire a Professional House Cleaner

why hire a professional house cleaner

The average American parent spends nearly a full day’s worth of time cleaning and housework each month. That’s about 5 hours and 54 minutes every week. The three tasks that take up the most time include sweeping and dusting, cleaning the bathroom, and laundry. 

Meanwhile, about 69% of parents feel housework causes them to miss out on quality time with their families. 

You no longer have to waste time cleaning, though. Instead, consider hiring a professional cleaning company!

Why hire a professional house cleaner? Keep reading to find out! After reviewing these benefits of having a cleaner, you can make a decision with your family in mind.

Discover a higher standard of “squeaky clean.” Read on to discover the benefits of hiring a professional cleaner today!

1. Save Time and Stress

Remember, people already spend nearly 24 hours a month cleaning. That’s time you could spend with your kids or other family members. One of the benefits of having a cleaner on call is the time you’ll save.

Instead of wasting time cleaning, you can focus on bigger tasks with your family in mind. For example, you can spend more time helping your child with their schoolwork. If you live alone, you can focus on self-care instead.

Reducing how much time you spend cleaning could minimize the stress you experience each day, too. After all, there are only so many hours in a day! It’s normal for household tasks like cleaning to fall on the backburner.

Unfortunately, neglecting to clean your home regularly could contribute to stress.

In fact, dust and clutter can impact your physical and mental health. For example, clutter can become a fire hazard. Dust, animal dander, and mold can cause allergies and asthma, too.

Meanwhile, seeing a mess around your home could cause you to feel overwhelmed. Stress can cause your body to produce excess cortisol (the stress hormone). High cortisol levels can impact your health by causing:

  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Slowed healing
  • Weight gain
  • Acne
  • Headaches
  • Muscle weakness
  • Severe fatigue
  • High blood pressure
  • Flushed face
  • Thinning skin
  • Easy bruising

High cortisol levels could increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and other health issues, too.

Don’t let dust or clutter impact your health. Instead, consider these reasons to hire a professional cleaner!

2. Better Tools

How much money do you waste on cleaning supplies or tools you only use a few times a month? If you’re trying to save money, you might choose cheaper products. Unfortunately, many cheap cleaning products can trigger allergies.

If you’re using a cheap vacuum, it might not collect dust, dander, and other allergens as well as you hoped, either.

Why hire a professional cleaning service? Professional cleaners have access to better tools and products. In fact, they might even have access to supplies that’s not available for consumer purchase.

Their equipment will ensure your home is deep cleaned properly.

For example, you might want to look for cleaners who use HEPA vacuums. These vacuums can collect the smallest particles of dust and dander. Removing allergen particles from your home can benefit your family’s respiratory health.

Meanwhile, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your cleaners are using the best possible tools and products.

3. More Thorough Results

You’re busy enough trying to work, take care of a family, and complete other daily tasks. If you’re rushed to clean your home, you might not do a thorough job. Unfortunately, you could leave dust and clutter throughout your home without intending to.

Why hire a professional house cleaner? Professional teams have to meet higher standards. They won’t leave until they meet your expectations.

Look for a team that’s trained and certified. Their deep cleaning services will ensure your home is cleaned thoroughly. They’ll even reach nooks and crannies you might have neglected in the past.

You can rely on their experience and expertise to ensure your home is thoroughly cleaned.

4. Minimize Allergens

If there’s dust and dander throughout your home, it could impact your family’s respiratory health. There’s no cure for allergies. Instead, you need to manage allergies by keeping dust at bay.

Otherwise, your family members might experience:

  • Itchy eyes
  • Runny noses
  • Scratchy throats
  • Coughing
  • Sneezing
  • Hives
  • Rashes

One of the benefits of having a cleaner arrive regularly is their ability to keep dust at bay. Cleaning services will minimize clutter, too. Minimizing clutter will give dust fewer surfaces to rest on.

Maintaining your home with routine cleaning services will minimize allergy symptoms.

5. Long-Term Savings

Requesting routine cleaning services could offer you long-term savings. First, you’ll no longer have to buy cleaning supplies regularly. Remember, you can rely on a professional cleaning company to supply the necessary products.

Routine cleaning services can improve your home’s longevity, too.

Failing to clean surfaces throughout your home can cause those surfaces to deteriorate. Using the wrong products on the wrong surfaces can cause deterioration as well. Instead, rely on professional cleaners.

They’ll use the right products on the right surfaces to improve the lifespan of your home. You could improve your home’s resale value as a result. 

6. Set It and Forget It

Remember, it’s normal for household chores to fall on the backburner. It’s sometimes difficult to find the time or even to remember to clean. By hiring professional cleaners, you can set routine cleaning services on a schedule.

You can set it, forget it, and always have peace of mind knowing your home is spotless.

In fact, you won’t have to feel embarrassed about inviting guests over, either. Instead, you’ll know your home is already prepared. You can maintain a clean, inviting environment without worry.

Requesting cleaning services on a weekly or monthly schedule will make life easier in the long run. 

Why Hire a Professional House Cleaner: 6 Benefits of Squeaky Clean Services

To recap, why hire a professional house cleaner? Professional cleaning services will give you peace of mind. You can minimize allergens, stress, and start making the most of your time.

Begin experiencing these benefits of having a cleaner arrive regularly today!

Eager to schedule your first cleaning service? We can’t wait to help.

Request a customized quote from our team to get started.

Categories
Cleaning Tips

7 Rewarding Benefits of Hiring Professional House Cleaners

professional house cleaners

The average American homeowners spend approximately six hours per week cleaning. All that remains is more cleaning after all that hard work.

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of folding towels and vacuuming? It may be time to pass the baton to somebody else.

Besides, everyone is busier than ever before – our days are packed with work, family, and social obligations. So, it’s difficult to get time for yourself, let alone time to keep your home clean. Why would you devote all of your time to housekeeping when you can hire professional house cleaners?

Hiring the best house cleaners might cost you an average of $120 to $300 biweekly based on your home size. Although this may appear to be a lot at first, hiring a professional cleaning service could save you time, stress, and money in the long run.

If you are still not convinced that hiring house cleaning services is a smart option, consider the following advantages.

1. Deeper Cleaning

When you hire professional house cleaners, they give your house the attention it deserves. Professional cleaners will provide you with deep cleaning services.

They will dust and vacuum hard-to-reach places like windows. They will de-scale faucets, remove cobwebs on windows, wipe celling blades, remove stains on the carpet, sanitize garbage cans, among other services.

They will take care of every spot in your home and ensure it is clean and disinfected. They will handle all the mess in your bathroom and kitchen. These are some of the crucial areas in a home. If you don’t clean them properly, they are likely to get contaminated by bacteria.

2. Fast Cleaning Service

Hiring a professional cleaner is the best idea when you want your house to be in shape within a few hours. In most cases, when you decide to clean your entire home, you are likely to spend the whole day cleaning.

Save your time by hiring a cleaner. They are more efficient with time and will get your house in shape within the needed time. You will have time for other work and thus bolster your productivity without being worried about your home.

Most cleaning companies have a tested system that includes a checklist to ensure that nothing is forgotten when cleaning. This helps them do a thorough cleaning of your home without forgetting certain areas.

3. Reducing Stress and Fatigue

Having a clean home improves your mental health. However, cleaning can be exhausting, especially when you do it during your off time after a busy schedule. If this is the only time off, you may be tempted to rush things. Hence you may overlook some essential areas so that you can find time to do something you like.

If you are spending a lot of time cleaning, consider hiring a professional cleaner and spend your free time with family or friends. Also, you focus on your hobbies. A clean house also adds a sense of ease, which is good in reducing stress.

4. Better Investment

Hiring a professional cleaner might seem like a money siphoning service. But when you consider all the advantages, you will realize that it indeed provides a better saving and return. Do you want to know why?

First, with a cleaner, the longevity of various items in your house will be prolonged. The lifespan of your valuable items like carpet, window blinds, rugs, or furniture will lengthen due to regular cleaning.

Furthermore, professional cleaners precisely know how to clean stains on delicate items like window blinds, countertops, carpets without any damage.

5. Keeping Mold in Check

Lack of proper cleaning can cause molds to wreak havoc in your home. Bathrooms are most prone to moisture and quickly become the breeding grounds for fungus.

A professional cleaner will help you keep your bathroom always clean and free from molds. Lest assured, they clean every corner of your house, ensuring no place for them to grow.

6. Healthier Living Environment

Living in a clean house is crucial, especially when living with people vulnerable to respiratory disease. When elderly or children are exposed to stuffy air, they are more likely to get sick.

Keep your loved ones safe by providing them with clean air that will not inflict their already weak immunity.

However, you might not do all the chores, especially when busy raising kids or on a day job. So, you are likely to have no chance of cleaning deep that often.

Clear all the dust and dirt in your space by hiring a professional cleaner and enjoy the comfort of a clean home that keeps you and your loved one safe.

7. Improves Mental Health

Living in a dirty house can lead to the development of mental illnesses that include depression and anxiety. These conditions are known to affect sleep patterns and thus affecting your overall health.

A messy and chaotic house is likely to impact your ability to stay focused. Living in a clean home makes people less irritable, more productive, less distracted, and better processing information.

Improve your well-being by hiring a cleaner who will take away your cleaning worries. Once your room is clean, you will have time to relax and experience happiness and comfort, thus improving your life quality.

Hire Professional House Cleaners Today

Professional house cleaners can relieve you from cleaning chores that you struggle doing. You find stress-free time to focus on things you love. Be sure to get your home a new refreshing feel of comfort.

Are you wondering, “How do I find house cleaners near me?”

At Home Maid Better, we can provide professional cleaning services at your convenience. We offer recurring cleaning services for homes, deep cleaning, moving in or move out cleaning, disinfection services, among others. We guarantee the best house cleaning services.

Contacts us today to get an instant quote.

Categories
House Cleaning Maids

How to Find the Best Maid Services For Your Home

maid services

Are you struggling with the decision to hire maid services for your home? There are many benefits of choosing to hire house cleaners. We know how busy everyday life can be. 

Finding the time to clean your home, spend time with family, work, maintaining a social life, and find time for yourself isn’t always realistic. You shouldn’t have to give up self-care time or special time spent with family to focus on cleaning. When you hire the best maid services, you can relax and spend time on more important things while having peace of mind that your home will be cleaned to your standards. 

Before you hire house cleaning services, there are a few factors to take into consideration. In the guide below, you’ll learn about a few of these factors to help you make the best decision possible. Continue reading below to learn how to find maid services right for your home!

Reputation and Reviews

You can start your search by looking up maid services near me. There will most likely be several search results. Now is the time to start looking at each service’s reputation and reviews. 

You can find online customer reviews on review websites. You may also be able to find reviews on each service’s individual website. Take your time to read through the reviews to get a better idea of what you can expect from the company yourself. 

If desired, then contact each company and ask if they can provide you with a few references. If given references, then call each one and ask any questions you might have. You can also ask friends, family members, and co-workers for referrals to maid services they use and would recommend. 

Services Offered

It’s important to note that not all house cleaning companies will offer the same cleaning services. It’s always a good idea to determine what cleaning services are offered by each company before deciding which one is right for you. Is there a certain type of cleaning service you’re looking for? 

Can the company provide you with these cleaning services? For example, are you interested in move-out/move-in services? Do you need to schedule reoccurring services? 

Have a general idea of what you need and then confirm that the cleaning company offers those specific services. 

License and Insurance

Although no one wants to think of the worst, it’s important to always plan for it to prevent possible issues. If someone were to become injured while cleaning inside your home or if something were to be damaged, then you’ll be thankful to have hired a cleaning service that’s licensed, bonded, and insured

This factor will give legal protection to both you and the cleaning services. Don’t hesitate to ask for proof. Having a business license to clean homes in your state is also essential for a business to prove they’re legitimate and professional.

Communication and Consistency

When you hire a cleaning service, you expect your home to look a certain way after each visit. The last thing you want is to hire a company that provides inconsistent cleaning standards. Your home should be up to your standards each and every time. 

Communication with the company is also important. How do they communicate with you? Are they professional?

If you contact them via telephone or email, then how quickly will they respond to you? The cleaning company you hire should be friendly and respect your home and your cleaning standards. 

Experience 

How much experience does the cleaning company have? Experience can come in handy when specific situations arise during the cleaning process. An experienced company will know how to handle a variety of situations in a professional manner. 

They’ll know how to speak with their clients in a professional manner as well. Experienced house cleaners will have the knowledge, products, and cleaning tools necessary to provide an excellent clean each and every time.  

Satisfaction Guarantees 

Before hiring a cleaning service, do make sure they offer a satisfaction guarantee. What happens if you’re not satisfied with the cleaning services provided? How will the company handle a situation like this one?

A cleaning service that takes pride in their work and is confident in what they do will provide a satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not 100% satisfied with the results, then the cleaning service should come back to your home and re-clean at no cost to you.  

Cost of Services

One of the last factors to keep in mind is the cost of services. Save this factor until you’ve narrowed down your search results to your top three or so picks using the other factors listed above. You want to ensure a cleaning service can offer all of those other factors first before you compare the cost of services. 

Once you have your top options, you can then compare the cost of services between those options to determine the best cleaning service with the fairest price. 

Have You Found the Right Maid Services For You?

We hope you have found great maid services with Home Maid Better! At Home Maid Better, we understand how important it is to find a cleaning service you can trust to come into your home. You have every right to take your time when choosing a maid service for your home. 

It’s our goal to provide you with consistent, reliable, and professional house cleaning services. If you and your family want to spend less time cleaning and more time focusing on the things that matter most to you, then don’t hesitate to contact us for an instant quote today.