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Cleaning Tips, Tricks, and Tools
When it comes to cleaning, having a few tricks up your sleeve is the way to go. And if you want to know how to quickly get rid of dust bunnies, grime, dirt, and allergens, count on The Maids to provide the best cleaning tricks for your home. With over 30 years of experience under our belts, we have more than a few house cleaning tips to share. After all, we don’t go anywhere without a vacuum and cloth in hand! Read on to learn more about cleaning tools and housekeeping strategies you can use to get your home shiny and bright.
“Hi!” I say to you as you walk through my yellow front door. “So good to see you! Come in. Have a seat. We have so much catching up to do.” I want to hold your eye contact to prevent you from looking around, but I can’t. It’s inevitable. I can practically see the
Get A Clean House Instantly With These 6 Tips
Unexpected guests? Friend in the neighborhood? Date go unexpectedly well? When you have a less-than-presentable house and exactly five minutes to clean it, race through these six tips as quickly as you can: 1. Clean the toilet. Give it a quick spray with cleaner
5 Things You Are Already Doing Wrong This School Year
Shhhh… did you hear that? That was the collective sigh of relief from parents all over the country. School is back in session. Thank goodness. As life settles into the new normal, it’s important to get a grip on as much as you can as the school year picks up speed.
Five Reasons You Should Own a Clothesline
Hours of sunshine and gentle winds make for some beautiful memories in the summer, and that’s just the start of it. Now is the time to take advantage of all that free energy (I’m talking about the sun and having kids at home) and see how using a clothesline can really
6 Back-to-School Traditions
Is there anything like the sights, sounds, and smells of back-to-school season? The first crack of a brand new notebook, laying out that inaugural outfit, smelling the slightest tinge of fall in the maple leaves—all signs that a new season of regularly scheduled
Confessions of a Mommy Blogger
Readers of this blog know that occasionally I find myself needing to confess something publicly. Like how I feel about window washing. And how I really feel about spring-cleaning. Today is another one of those days. I’ve stopped folding underwear. It was a
Organization 101: School Year’s Resolutions
With many of the nation’s schools starting up classes in early to mid-August, a brand new school year is right around the corner. And, for families with kids, the start of a new school year comes with more fervor, goals and dreams than anything that could happen come
10 Guilt-Free Reasons to Hire a Cleaning Service
We get it. Hiring a cleaning service can be a tough decision. We’re not even talking about our regularly scheduled services, although we obviously do those, too; we also provide “one-hit-wonder” services all the time for special situations, like the ones below. Do any
How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Naturally
We all know how effective mosquito insecticides like DEET can be, but the harsh chemicals can aggravate your skin, lungs, and eyes. If you feel you’re trading one nuisance for another when you use commercial bug sprays, why not try a more natural method? From
Seven Words That Just May Change Your Life, and Your House
I’m going to tell you all something I wish I would have learned years ago, a lesson so important that I sometimes wish I would have tattooed it backwards on my forehead so I would be reminded every time I looked into the mirror.** Here it is: There’s nothing wrong
Ten Non-Toxic Ways to Prevent Mold
Poor indoor air quality due to mold can impact the health of everyone in the home. Symptoms are wide spread and can be serious, ranging from allergies to
How to Get Fingernail Polish Out of Wood Flooring and Furniture
There’s a reason why our “How to Get Fingernail Polish Out of Carpet and Fabric” post is popular—accidents happen! Especially when it comes to drippy, brightly colored nail polish. So what do you do when you’re ready to paint the town red and you accidentally
A New Contest for June: Pin to win!
We know the challenges of getting—and keeping—a house clean, and we are constantly pinning our favorite cleaning tips, hacks and sanity savers on Pinterest.
De-Stress the Laundress: 10 Tips on how to make laundry less of a pain in the basket.
Laundry. Whether you love it or hate it, chances are there are times you wish you could go to bed and wake up with it all washed, dried, folded, and put away. (You mean I should have wished for something else on my last birthday?). While I can’t bring enchantment to
Summer is Coming: How to Get Your Home Ready For Swimsuit Season
We knew this time was coming. After a brutal winter of snow days, bitter temperatures, and blustery winds, warmer temperatures are arriving, and with them, stark reality.
Drawings, paintings, handprints, oh my! How to celebrate kids artwork (without drowning in it)
If you have one—or several—young, budding artists in your home, you are probably blessed with an abundance of authentic, original, hand-signed pieces of incalculable
Things Are Looking Up: 7 Surprising Ways to Dress Up Your Ceilings
Ceilings are often referred to as the “forgotten fifth wall”, but no more! Distract your guests between house cleanings with the newest trend in home décor! Make your ceiling (not your stacks of paperwork and randomly placed socks) the focus of the attention.
10 Steps to Help Your Washer and Dryer Clean Up Their Act
Washers and dryers are the dynamic duo that keep you and your family cleanly clothed, but how often do you give them the cleaning love they deserve? If you don’t exactly know how to clean a washing machine and dryer, we get it. But both these appliances work
Clear The Air: A Houseplant For Every Room In Your Home
Studies have shown that indoor air quality can be substantially more polluted than outside air. Here is a list of easy-to-care-for plants for every room in your home. Living Room: Try Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum), a tough-to-kill houseplant that removes VOCs
10 Things You MUST Do Before Spring Cleaning
Ah, spring cleaning. Your house’s very own “Happy New Year!” complete with a whole list of resolutions (No more eating in the living room! Baseboards will be cleaned
Give Your Oven Some Lovin’: 5 Tips To Clean Cooking Machines
There is a reason for everything, and the reason for this post is bacon. Crisp, salty, oven-baked bacon. It crackles to perfection, but one jostled attempt to remove a rimmed cookie sheet filled with the savory strips can lead to a greasy disaster. Lose the courage of
Take Five: 15 ways you can make the most of 5 minutes.
It’s true, five minutes isn’t a lot of time, but in the space of a Super Bowl commercial break, you could tackle a task that you’ve been putting off. Need some ideas?
10 Uses for Rice
Make a pet toy. Take an old sock, fill it with rice and catnip, and seal the open end with a knot, hair tie, or a quick stitch. Your cat will get some exercise and you’ll get some entertainment. Win-win. Clean small-necked bottles and vases. They may defeat the
Kitchen Efficiency: Six Ways To Make Your Kitchen Work for You
No matter the age or style of a home, every kitchen inside has its own quirks and personality. If you find yourself fighting with your kitchen’s layout, or cupboard
From streaking to beak-ing: Is window washing for the birds?
I will start this blog with a confession: I can’t remember the last time a bird lost its life trying to fly into one of my windows. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t feel bad
Smartphone Pictures: 15 Ways to Simplify Your Life
Ever wonder what it’s like to have a photographic memory? It turns out you actually do, and it’s in your pocket. We’ve gathered 15 clever ways your smartphone camera will make your errands more efficient, your desk less cluttered, and your to-do list less
Take the 30 Spaces in 30 Days Challenge
Our clients are always looking for ways to help their homes stay clean for as long as possible. We combed Pinterest, our favorite blogs, and the minds of the organized
The More the Merrier: Age-appropriate cleaning chores for young kids.
As a cleaning service, we know that getting a house to sparkle is one thing, but keeping it clean after we leave is another. And if that house contains any number of children, the length of time between shiny and disaster shrinks considerably. The good news is that
10 Ways to Display Holiday Greeting Cards
Arguably the best part of the holiday season is seeing family, whether the moments come in person or with each trip to the mailbox. If you find yourself blessed with more holiday photos and greetings than your decorating skills know what to do with, we’ve got you
Three Ways to Warm Up Electronic Greetings
This year’s late Thanksgiving holiday is throwing shoppers, party planners, and decorators into a highly caffeinated frenzy. No one feels the pinch more than the holiday card sender, who will give up sleep and meals to mail a picture perfect holiday greeting before
Simplify Holiday Decorating in Five Easy Steps
If your house is like mine, holiday decorating takes on a life (and a storage unit) of its own. This year I was struck with the number of storage bins dedicated to the
Happy You Year Sweepstakes: Keeping it Clean in 2014!
Imagine what your life would be like if your home was clean for most of it. Impromptu play dates? Bring them on. Want to invite friends over for coffee? Have a seat on your comfy, crumb-free couch. Neighborhood brunch? One more reason to show off your microwave’s
6 Ways To Celebrate Thankfulness This Year
While we believe in celebrating thankfulness all year round, this time of year pulls being grateful into sharp focus. Here are a few ways to incorporate gratitude into your life. “Thankful” collections: Take a moment each day to write down what you are thankful for on
The Taming of the Shoe: Give Unorganized Closets the Boot
We’re not sure about your house, but in ours, lost shoes have taken years off our lives. Nothing ratchets up the stress of leaving for school, holiday parties, or soccer games more than that last-minute scramble for a shoe that has plunged into the abyss of the
Guest Rewards: 5 Free Ways to Take Hospitality to the Next Level
The holidays approacheth, and if you’re like most people, not only are you scurrying for fresh new recipes, gifts, and trying to keep the house moderately presentable, you are also preparing for overnight guests and their luggage (notice we didn’t say baggage.) You
Spice Up Your Cleaning Routine. Literally.
This time of year it’s hard to avoid the embrace of cinnamon, the lure of nutmeg, or the refreshing zing of peppermint in holiday cooking, baking, and drinking. What you may not realize is that these same holiday spices and herbs can also help you around your home.
‘Clean’ing Jokes. That are Actually Funny.
Sometimes cleaning is serious business. And sometimes it’s deliriously funny. Here are a few gems that will either get you in the mood to clean or laugh about not doing it at all. You
Take 5 Minutes To Clean These 5 Dirty Places In Your Home
You clean your house. All. The. Time. In the midst of your tried-and-true routine, chances are you’re missing out on some pretty gross areas that are in desperate need of some attention. Here are the worst offenders and how you can bring them up to snuff in five
Doing Dishes the Easy Way
While the easiest way to avoid doing dishes is to buy disposable plates and silverware, it’s not good for the planet or your wallet. Washing dishes does many things—it builds character, promotes good hygiene, and provides additional surfaces on which to eat.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
For coffee lovers there’s one thing that completely makes the fall season one of our ultimate favorites and that’s the spicy goodness of a perfectly brewed, hot pumpkin spice latte. The only thing that makes this cup of heaven taste sweeter is making it
5 Ingenious Gadgets That Keep Your Kitchen Clean
We’re always looking for ways to help our clients maintain a lasting clean in their kitchens. Here are a few gadgets that keep the heart of your home running smoothly: Dishwasher /
Story From A Mom: Four Real Tips for Preparing Your Home for Baby
When I think back to the time before I had kids, I can muster up a few faint images: the quiet breakfasts with my husband, the pristine hatchback in the driveway, and my nice, clean little house.
Cleaning Culture: The Three Best Cleaning Tips from Around the World
Love may make the world go around, but there is no one-way to keep it clean. We’ve scoured the planet for the best cleaning tips from around the globe. No shoes, no dirt, no problem. In many parts of the world, shoes are taken off at a home’s entrance to avoid
Organize Like a Man: No Nonsense Ways to Keep Your Home Clutter Free
It may go without saying that men and women approach life from different perspectives, and this is no less true than when it comes to home organization. Here’s how bridging the gender gap can help keep your house in order. Divide and Conquer. When faced with a closet
5-Minute Solution To Organize Your Junk Drawer
The junk drawer never sets out to be a junk drawer. It usually starts out as something completely functional, like “the place where we will put our pens” or “the keeper of the cheese knives.” And then life happens. And suddenly the cheese knives are mingling with the
How To Clean Your Kitchen Countertops By Susan Serra
Susan Serra, CKD, CAPS, is a certified kitchen designer and founder of Susan Serra Associates, Inc., a kitchen design remodeling firm, founder of Scandinavian Made and the author of the popular blog, The Kitchen Designer. Susan’s design work has been published
How To Clean Fingerprints Off Walls
Here’s a universal truth: If you have kids, you probably have smudged up walls. Whether it’s summer, winter, fall or spring, there’s a never-ending trail of their cute little fingerprints throughout your home. That said, the last thing you want to do when cleaning up
Garage Organization Ideas: 5 Steps for Reclaiming Your Garage
Remember how happy you were when you moved into a home with a garage, maybe even 2, or 3 stalls? No more braving lousy weather to hop in the car, seemingly unlimited storage space, and all those other garage benefits seemed like a dream come true. But now you know the
How To Clean Makeup Brushes
We’d do almost anything to avoid clogged pores and pesky breakouts. With all of the home concoctions and expensive cleansers, washes, and remedies, sometimes we overlook the simple things. When you use your
Blue and Yellow Bridal Shower
Something Yellow, Something Blue Something old, something new, something yellow, and something blue… okay so that might not be exactly how the saying goes but you can definitely borrow ideas for a something yellow and something blue bridal shower. The easiest and most