Here’s Why Hiring a Professional Maid Service is a Good Idea

There’s a very common belief going around that hiring a professional cleaning service like the Geaux Maids is reserved for the 1%. And while that’s not true, hiring a professional cleaning service is a luxury. A luxury you owe to yourself.

In some way, your free time is also a luxury. We live in a day and age when every minute counts. And not to mention your energy. Why spend hours cleaning your home when you could be using that time to rest, have fun with your family or go out and have fun?

A lot of people feel guilty about hiring a professional cleaner, as if though somehow it makes them less of a parent or a spouse. But the dark ages are long gone, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about enlisting professional help.

There are more compelling reasons to hire a professional cleaning service though. Read on to find out what they are. 

Cleaners Bring Their Own Cleaning Supplies 

How much money do you spend every month on cleaning supplies? In order to thoroughly clean your home, you need to have different cleaning products for each surface, whether it’s wood, glass, marble, tiles or others. Then there are products for the mirrors, toilet, for the oven, microwave and more.

Professional cleaners have all those products in their inventory and they come at no additional cost. Apart from the products, professional cleaners also have access to the latest cleaning equipment like professional vacuums.

This fact alone will save you a lot on cleaning products you also have to store safely if you have kids or pets. This way, you can rest easy knowing they won’t come in touch with these dangerous chemicals. 

Dusting Done Right 

When you put all the things you need to dust on paper, it can get quite intimidating. There are tables, picture frames, shelves, lamps, light fixtures, books, the TV, gaming console, PC, all decorative items, window sills, ceiling fans, the refrigerator, all the appliances in the kitchen… The list goes on.

Dust gathers on every single surface in your home, and the only way to get rid of it is to be as detailed as possible when dusting. If the thought is enough to tire you out, consider hiring a local house cleaning service. 

The Dreaded Bathroom Cleaning 

It’s a well-known fact that the bathroom is the most potent breeding ground for germs. In order to keep your family healthy, you need to clean your toilet at least once a week and scrub the shower or bathtub at least twice a month.

But that’s not the end of the task. There’s also sinks, faucets, the mirrors and vanities to think about. Even if you hire a professional cleaner, chances are you are going to have to clean the bathroom yourself in between the cleaning appointments, so why not have at least one less thing to think about. 

Detailing the Floors 

There’s a lot of work that goes into cleaning the floors including sweeping, vacuuming and mopping. The worst part is that no matter how frequently you do it, your floors can’t seem to stay clean for too long.

Depending on the flooring (hardwood, tile, carpet or other options), floors can be quick to clean or a complete nightmare. If you want to keep them pristine, you’ll need to clean them at least once every two weeks. And if you don’t want to handle this yourself, you know who to call.

Should You Get Artificial Turf for Your Lawn

One of the quintessentially American things is having a big lush green lawn in front of your home.

The idealized picture in your head can quickly be spoilt, however, when you remember all the time and effort you need to put into maintenance. Mowing every so often, fertilizing, watering…

It seems like a lot of work and a lot of money for something that doesn’t really have a purpose, other than looking good.

However, there is a way to have the looks without all the work and the cost – artificial turf. Landscaping experts at Pacific Dreamscapes share some of their reasons for liking this green alternative.

No More Watering

Once the artificial turf is installed, it will no longer require any kind of watering. Not only will you save yourself a lot of time, but you will also stop wasting water, too.

This is something a lot of environment-friendly organizations warn about – water being wasted to water the lawns, especially in the summer heat, when water can be a scarce resource.

You will need to wash the turf every once in a while, but it uses a lot less water than watering, and it only needs to be done periodically.

No Mowing and Low Maintenance

Another great thing about artificial turf is that it doesn’t grow, meaning there is no need to mow it. It will always be that ideal length and you won’t have to put in the work to make it happen.

However, just like the real lawn, it can still get dirty and need some attention. Still, it’s a lot simpler than with an actual grass lawn. If there are leaves on it, you can use the leaf blower to remove them.

You can’t use a rake, though, since it can damage the turf, but a broom should have the same effect.

It Looks Amazing All the Time

If you live in colder climates, you have to accept that your grass lawn will go through some tough times when the weather gets cold. All your effort to keep it nice and tidy will be in vain because the natural order of things dictates that grass wilts.

However, the artificial turf will not have any of those problems, no matter where you live, it will be bright and green like the grass at its best.

Durable

One of the biggest complaints about artificial turf is that it will eventually need to be replaced. Even though this is true, a good artificial lawn will last you for years and years with very little maintenance.

And it’s not even the case of look, don’t touch, either. Artificial turf is used for stadiums for different sports all over the world, and it has proven to be very resilient and lasting.

The same thing you can get for your own lawn – a material that can take a lot of traffic for years to come, requires very little upkeep, and will not fade as natural grass lawns do.

Another problem which people have with artificial turf is that it is made of a plastic material which they believe will fade from the sun.

However, the manufacturers take that into the account when making this material and have made it resistant to the UV radiation which fades regular plastic.

Artificial lawns are gradually being accepted by more and more people. They are the simpler and less expensive alternative to the resource-hungry grass lawns.

As the cost and water consumptions are becoming more and more of a concern, this alternative is becoming more and more appealing to a wider range of people and landscaping professionals.

How to Get Your House in Order after Holidays

The holiday season means a lot of fun, love, guests, family dinners, and all in all a lot of time at home. The time of Christmas tree decorations, shopping, wrapping, and opening the presents, cooking and eating a lot.

All this sounds great, most of us enjoy it to the fullest, but once the holidays are over and you look around your house, well, chances are it is going to be a complete mess. Back to reality.

So cleaning, tidying and de-cluttering is what awaits us after the magical holiday season. Take your time, get some good rest after all the celebrations, since you’ll need a lot of energy for the post-holiday big cleaning.

Here are a few tips from experts at Onyx Cleaning Services of Albany on how to survive this less fun part of the holiday season.

Living Room

Take out the big guns first. Meaning, take care of the major rooms in your house first. Living room has probably been the most frequented one in your house, especially if your dining and living room are connected in one.

Start from de-cluttering the space – present wrappings, presents, dishes, slippers, toys if you have kids, and who knows what else. Hopefully, you have big storage capacity in your house as this will make your life a lot easier.

After this, you can get to vacuum cleaning, washing the curtains and bed covers. Of course, if you are super tired and super busy after the holidays, you can always turn to cleaning professionals to do all this for you.

Kitchen

This part of your house probably looks like a crime scene after the holidays. Now that all that cooking is over, you can finally get to cleaning. You probably know by now that clean, clutter-free surfaces are the first condition for a tidy kitchen, so that’s exactly where you should start.

Again, sufficient storage space plays the key role as you need to have where to put all those things. After that, you can move to cleaning, wiping, swiping, and of course, the dishes, if you haven’t taken care of them yet.

Don’t forget the fridge – make sure you take out all the expired food, from holidays, and from before, we know you have it. New Year is a perfect way to start clean in everything, including your food supplies. Take the trash out immediately so it doesn’t create a mess and clutter.

Bathroom

After you do all the laundry, change all the towels and get rid of all the unnecessary trash around your bathroom, you can store the cosmetics if it got all messy and scattered around due to various frenetic preparations for holiday celebrations.

Make sure you wipe and clean everything, including the floors, since this has probably been one of the most frequented rooms in your house, especially if you had a lot of guests. Replace the expendables like toilet paper and soap in time, to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Also, if you don’t have enough storage space in your bathroom, now’s the perfect time to do something about it. You can either get plastic drawers, or at least some wooden bow or basket to place all the cosmetics that are used daily. They will be at hand, yet everything will look less chaotic.

Of course, there are other parts of your house, such as the hallway or bedroom that remain to be taken care of. Yet, these three seem to be the biggest challenge requiring the biggest effort. Also, in case you have new guests, these three are the most important ones. So once you’re done with them, take your time, get some rest, and then carry on with the cleaning action.

Best Home Remedies for Cleaning Glass Surfaces

Who says you need to spend a lot of money on cleaning products to get your windows and other glass surfaces sparkling and crystal clear.

Sometimes the best and the most efficient things are actually free so you might find some of the most powerful glass cleaning substance at home. Just look around and you’ll be surprised how many things useful for cleaning the glass surface you already have, and how much time and money you can save by using them instead of the aggressive and often expensive chemicals.

Cleaning experts at White Lilac Cleaning share a few handy, convenient and economical glass cleaning solutions (the pun intended).

Good Old White Vinegar

This is maybe something you already know, but it repeating doesn’t do any harm either – vinegar diluted in hot water does miracles for window, mirrors and other glass surfaces.

This is an old recipe confirmed by the generations before us and it can still be used as an economical, home-made option for cleaning different types of glass. It is no worse than ammonia when it comes to the results, and it leaves no harmful fumes behind.

Unlike ammonia, vinegar is completely safe, harmless and non-toxic and can be freely used around children and pets, not to mention it is far cheaper. So there’s no reason not to switch to it from harmful, irritating and quite expensive ammonia-based products.

If you are concerned about the smell of vinegar which most people dislike, you can add a splash of essential oils which you like. The cleaning power of vinegar and the pleasant smell of essential oils is probably the best combination for window cleaning.

Rubbing Alcohol

This is another cheap and convenient solution which can be used for removing stains throughout the whole household, not just for glass surfaces.

It should be diluted in hot water and used with a microfiber cloth or the cloth particularly meant for window cleaning.

It can do wonders for the glass in your house, even when it comes to the most persistent spots. It leaves no marks nor streaks. It shouldn’t, however, be used on window tent as it will destroy it.

Besides rubbing alcohol, any other transparent spirit with a high percentage of alcohol, such as cheap vodka, might do just as well.

Lemon Juice

This might start sounding like a recipe for a cocktail, with vodka and everything, but these ingredients really are super effective for glass cleaning. Use a combination of the juice from one lemon, or approximately three tablespoons of it, 2 cups of hot water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.

All these solutions, including this one, are best put in a spray bottle. That is probably the most efficient way to apply them. If you are a fan of citrus fragrances, this combination will not only provide you with the pleasure of having the squeegee clean glass surfaces but also of your home smelling magnificently fresh, which can’t really be said for the two aforementioned suggestions.

Dish Soap and Water

Makes sense, right? It cleans the glasses you drink from, so why wouldn’t it work on bigger glass surfaces?

It is, however, very important to dilute it significantly so it wouldn’t leave streaks. It is probably better to use distilled water if possible, in the ratio 2 cups of water, and a few drops of the dish soap.

You can also combine some of the previously mentioned options and add vinegar to this recipe. Instead of microfiber cloth, which is also acceptable, you might want to use old newspapers as they will leave the glass absolutely spotless and streak-free.

Just like the lemon juice, it should also leave your house not just looking clean, but also smelling really nice.