Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist

ultimate spring cleaning checklist - Maid for Muddy Paws Magnolia TX

Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist

ultimate spring cleaning checklist - Maid for Muddy Paws Magnolia TX

Your Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist

We’re finally into the spring season. This is our favorite time of year because of spring cleaning! There’s nothing quite like deep cleaning your entire home. We know that it’s not easy to clean your house from top to bottom, which is why our residential housekeepers have provided your ultimate spring cleaning checklist. Follow this guide for a quick and easy spring cleaning!

Stock Up on Cleaning Supplies

Before you begin this year’s spring cleaning, make sure you have all of the necessary cleaning supplies on hand. Some of our favorite cleaning supplies include baking soda, white vinegar, dish soap. You’ll need a microfiber mop that can be used for cleaning vinyl, wood, linoleum, laminate, marble, stone, and ceramic tile. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you have sponges, brushes, and a reusable spray bottle. Grab your multi-purpose cleaner, and let’s get started! 

Wipe Down All Walls, Shelves & Ceilings 

Unfortunately, dust is something that will always be there. It’s important to dust often so that it doesn’t pile up over time. One of the most effective ways to remove dust is by vacuum. You can try using a microfiber towel to wipe down surfaces or use a solvent-free degreaser on problem areas such as the kitchen. Baseboards are commonplace where dust likes to accumulate. Remove everything from the shelves and dust it with a feather duster (including the books). To reach into tight spaces, use a vacuum’s dust brush or crevice tool. Don’t forget to wipe the top of your ceiling fans and other light fixtures! 

Grout Lines Should Be Resealed

One of the most stubborn places to clean is grout lines. The lines are so small. It can be hard to get every little crack and crevice. Unfortunately, grout is used on walls, floors, countertops, etc. Be careful not to remove the grout when scrubbing this area with a brush. Pro tip: use toilet cleaner to clean grout. It whitens the area and gets rid of bacteria! 

Rugs should be vacuumed and shampooed.

Common areas get really filthy. Spring cleaning is the perfect time to deep clean your rugs. A carpet cleaning machine is probably the most effective way to clean your carpets. Your carpets will look as good as new! If you have stubborn stains, you may need to hire a professional cleaning company in Magnolia, TX.

Make Fire Safety a Priority

One thing many homeowners in The Woodland, TX area forget to do is change the batteries in smoke detectors. Switching out the batteries and ensuring that the unit doesn’t have dust will ensure that they’re working properly. Don’t forget to check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher as well.

Switch Out Air Filters

Our friends at Gilmore Heating, Air, and Plumbing recommend all homeowners switch out their HVAC filters every quarter. You may need to do this sooner if you are a pet owner since debris and hair may get trapped in your filter. Their Sacramento HVAC contractors explain that new filters take the extra stress of cooling or heating your home since the air won’t have to pass through the dirty filter.

Cleaning Window Screens & Window Treatments

You may not notice how dirty your windows and window screens can get. Post winter is the best time to clean your window screens. Get rid of any debris or mold by scrubbing the screen with mild dishwashing soap. Rinse thoroughly, and your window and window screens will be as good as new. 

As we mentioned before, dust likes to collect over time. So, don’t forget to wash your window treatments and wipe down the blinds from dust. This will help get rid of seasonal allergies as well! 

Hire a Professional Cleaning Company

As you can see, the ultimate spring cleaning checklist is a long one. Don’t be discouraged! Everyone should partake in spring cleaning. It makes your home feel as good as new and can help eliminate harmful bacteria and dust. If you need help conquering your spring cleaning, contact Maid for Muddy Paws. Our team offers residential cleaning services, commercial cleaning services, dog grooming, and more! 

Why Hire a House Cleaner When You Move

Why Hire Cleaners When You Move - The Woodlands TX

Why Hire a House Cleaner When You Move

Why Hire Cleaners When You Move - The Woodlands TX

Why Hire a House Cleaner When You Move

Moving is known to be one of life’s most stressful activities, so if you’re in the midst of getting ready to move to a new address, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is cleaning. Many homeowners assume that their house will be clean before they move in. That couldn’t be farther than the truth. Although it is common courtesy to clean your home before you move out, most people don’t. In the article below, Why Hire a House Cleaner When You move, we discuss the benefits of hiring a professional cleaning company. 

Saves You Time and Stress

The entire home buying process is a stressful one. Avoid the added stress of cleaning before or after you move in! Maid for Muddy Paws both move-in and move-out cleaning services in The Woodlands, TX and beyond. If you could eliminate one thing off your long To-Do list, choose cleaning! Trust us when we say you’ll want to pack or unpack your boxes before even picking up a mop or broom. Finding someone else to do a job for you will free up more time and alleviate additional stress. Americans spend an average of six hours a week washing, which can be a precious time you need when you’re up against a moving deadline.

Leave it to the Professionals

Let’s face it. Most people hate cleaning their home. Who could blame them? There’s so much grease, dirt, and dust that accumulates over time. Looking for the best house cleaning in Magnolia, TX, is well worth it. Plus, the bigger the space, the bigger the mess. Our team of house cleaners can knock out your house in no time, whereas it could take days for you to deep clean your home. 

A skilled cleaning service can take care of your dirty work so that you don’t have to deal with the “ick” factor. Some of the areas we’ll cover include the bathroom, kitchen, floors, wiping down the baseboards and cabinets, cleaning the sinks and countertops, and vacuuming and sweeping all surfaces high and low. 

Common Courtesy

If you’re leaving your home, it’s common courtesy to leave it clean. However, many people don’t do that. It’s the right thing to do. Our friends at Specialized AV, a home audio and video company in NorCal agree that it’s a necessary step to moving. If you’re on the opposite end and you’re moving into a dirty home, give us a call. We will help you make a fresh start in this new chapter of your life. Most move-out cleaning companies recommend getting your house professionally cleaned before you move in. 

Ask About Our Moving Cleaning Services

There are plenty of advantages of hiring a professional move-out cleaning company. If you’d preferred to be less stressed during this new chapter of your life, contact Maid for Muddy Paws and let us know how we can help. We also offer residential cleaning services, commercial cleaning services, dog grooming, deep cleaning, and more!

Removing Grease from Your Home

Removing grease from your home - The Woodlands TX

Removing Grease from Your Home

Removing grease from your home - The Woodlands TX

Removing Grease From Your Home

Being a year into the pandemic, we’ve spent more time in our kitchen than ever before. Whether you enjoy cooking or absolutely hate it, grease is one of those things that can become a problem in your home. In this article, our Magnolia housekeepers share tips for removing grease from your home.  

How to Clean Grease

There is a variety of products you can use to clean grease from your home. One of our favorites is BETCO Green Earth Degreaser. You can also use grease and water or Formula 409 All Purpose Cleaner for stubborn grease. There are plenty of ways to remove grease, but these are just a few of our methods.

Removing Grease with Dish Soap

Dish soap and warm water is an effective way to tackle stubborn grease in your home. When you hire us for residential cleaning services in Magnolia, TX, our cleaners will start removing grease in your kitchen. We will grab a bucket of soap and hot water and start to remove grease with a microfiber cloth. Dish soap and warm water is our favorite method because we can use it on about every surface. 

Removing Grease with Green Earth Degreaser 

For tougher grease, spray the dirty surface with the Green Earth degreaser. Sit back and watch the magic begin! After 5-10 minutes, take a warm rag and wipe the grease from the surface. Our housekeepers will typically try this technique on the microwave, stovetops, and vent hoods.  

It’s normal to have a lot of built-up greases the first time we visit for a cleaning service. Don’t worry! We’re also likely to use Formula 409 cleaner to break down the heavier grease. This cleaner is strong, but it is still safe to use around children and pets.

Eventually, either the grease has been building up for years, or the excess is based on. Typically, these jobs take some extra time. Easy-Off oven cleaner can be used in the oven interiors. This is a strong cleaner, so we are careful to use it only on suitable surfaces and with all the necessary safety precautions. Sometimes, the buildup of bad grease needs consistent cleaning over time to be fully removed. Contact us about setting up a bi-weekly or weekly cleaning service with Maid for Muddy Paws! 

How to Avoid the Buildup of Grease in Your Home:

Stubborn grease can be frustrating. Follow these tips recommended by our Magnolia house cleaners:

  • After each use, wipe your stovetop.
  • Use dish soap and warm water if you notice just a small amount of grease starting to buildup.
  • Citrus oils are helping to break down the grease. Adding lemon essential oils to your soap dish and water won’t only make your home smell incredibly fresh, but it’ll help with cleaning.
  • Baking soda and water can help to remove grease from pots and pans.
  • Our friends at Specialized AV, a Sacramento home automation company, recommend investing in smart home technology to help with your cleaning to-do list.
  • Have Maid for Muddy Paws come out for a cleaning service in Magnolia, TX. Consistent cleaning is necessary to keep your home grease-free.

Maid for Muddy Paws is happy to help you with all your home cleaning needs! Give us a call today for a cleaning estimate. 

 

Retail Space Sanitation During COVID-19

Retail Space Sanitation During COVID-19

Retail Space Sanitation During COVID-19

Retail Space Sanitation During COVID-19

It is a challenge to keep your retail space sanitized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail spaces must operate safely and effectively to serve the public and to remain open. Yet, with the novel structure of COVID-19, no one really knows what to expect. That’s why the safety guidelines seem to be changing all the time. Almost every day, researchers learn something new about COVID-19, and what they learn often changes the opinions of both professionals and laypeople on the best practices for cleaning and disinfecting retail spaces, social distances, and other hygiene practices.

Willis TX commercial cleaning companies like Maid for Muddy Paws specialize in the proper disinfection of retail premises. We recognize and want to address the unique challenges that come with this pandemic. We will also discuss some of the best practices for retail space sanitation during COVID-19.

Why is frequent cleaning and disinfection a challenge?

Retail spaces have heavy foot traffic. Rotational cleaning is necessary to ensure a sanitized environment that addresses the frequently touched areas of your space. A cleaning staff will need to wear gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to remain safe. You’re going to have to safely disinfect the touchpoint around the patrons and staff members which can be difficult.

Companies should train all employees to comply with the requirements of maintaining a sanitized retail space. They should also have the equipment needed to perform their duties, including surface management and cart sanitation. The time that frequent cleaning and disinfection can take for existing staff, let alone deeper cleaning and sanitizing processes, can take up a significant part of their day. Despite these challenges, there are some good practices! As a home service company, our friends at McQuillan Bros, the best heating company St. Paul MN, understands the importance of safety guidelines. Check out their best practices below! 

Current Best Practice for Employees

All retail employees should be trained on:

  • Hand washing and sanitizing. This includes, All retail outlets should consider having both, hand-sanitizing stations and cart sanitizing stations, at the primary entrances. Remind your employees and patrons to wash their hands in accordance with CDC guidelines through strategically located signs.

  • Process of self-monitoring sanitizing. Any employee who may work in a self-service area, including self-check-out or any retail location where the customers take care of themselves, should be trained in the rotational touchpoint sanitization of these areas.

  • Hand hygienic practices. Retail spaces should consider providing both employees and shoppers with signs, hand washing procedures, and hand sanitation opportunities. We define hand hygiene practices as washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after eating; after sneezing, coughing, or using tissue; after a bath break; before touching food; after touching or cleaning a surface that could be contaminated; and after sharing any type of electronic equipment or supplies. 
  • Coughs and sneezes should be covered with tissues or placed inside the elbow. Throw away any used tissue immediately, and wash your hands afterwards. This CDC page offers more details on how to protect yourself and others.

  • Priority areas should be cleaned on an ongoing basis. This includes high contact surfaces that are affected by a lot of people, such as checkout areas, handrails, carts, equipment used for storage, toilets, etc.

Why is it essential to maintain your retail space sanitized?

If no one is watching, it can be tempting to consider cutting corners on disinfection and sanitation! However, it is essential to keep COVID-19 and other bugs at bay in your retail space by continuously applying best practices. It acts as a risk management tool and can help to protect your brand and customers. Frequent and appropriate disinfection and sanitation is really an investment in your business.

How Maid for Muddy Paws Helps Keep Your Retail Space Sanitized
As a Conroe TX commercial cleaning service, we love helping retail spaces in Magnolia County stay safe. We can help save your retail space staff time and effort. Contact Maid for Muddy Paws today, and we will help get your retail space up to CDC safety standards.

7 Common Cleaning Tips: Fake or Fact?

woodlands TX house cleaners

7 Common Cleaning Tips: Fake or Fact?

7 Common Cleaning Tips: Fake or Fact?

There are a lot of myths about cleaning y’all, but which tips are really working or which ones are not!? Maid for Muddy Paws discusses the 7 common cleaning tips we hear most frequently.

1. Ketchup for Cleaning Pots-Fact

The pot itself is metallic, but it’s been brown-black for ages! Do you have ketchup in your fridge? Throw some on those rusty pots and watch it wipe that coating away. Stainless steel pots are usually coated with a copper layer that produces copper oxide during cooking. However, ketchup contains acetic acid, which attacks copper oxide on the bottom of the pot. Just apply a thick layer of ketchup to it and leave it on for about 30 minutes. Then just wipe it off – and the coating is gone.

2. Coffee Garden as a Natural Drain Cleaner – Fake

It would be too nice, but unfortunately not true. It does not scrape the pipes of food scraps, but rather mixes any liquids in the pipe with other food particles that can grow into a real chunk, which can only be removed by unscrewing the pipe and removing it manually. If a blockage in your drain is particularly severe, you may need to seek professional help, explains the professionals at Folsom drain cleaning service, Gilmore Heating, Air, and Plumbing. 

Here’s a tip from our Magnolia County maid service: if you put four teaspoons of soda into the sink, then a cup of vinegar. As soon as it bubbles and bubbles, rinse with hot (not boiling!) water and then the tube is free again!

3. Lemon juice causes the blasted microwave to shine – Fact

The  microwave is one of the places in the home that is most likely to be forgotten when cleaning. But this trick couldn’t make cleaning your microwave easier! Put a glass of water and lemon juice in the microwave for five minutes at the highest level. Lemon water evaporates and softens the soil hanging around in your microwave. All you’ll have to do next is wipe with a damp cloth, and the microwave will not only be clean, but it will smell so fresh – just like it’s new!

4. Black tea helps to clean the window – Fake

The tannins in black tea are supposed to help remove grease and dirt from the windows. That sounds good, but not true in practice. The tannins of a teabag don’t help with gross dirt, sadly. Instead of black tea, mix a cap-sized amount of any spirit in your home with some water and use this mixture as your new favorite window spray! Alcohol makes it easier for the water to evaporate faster, so that limescale and nasty streaks do not have a chance. In addition, a thin film sticks to the glass, making it difficult to fog the windows.

5. Toothpaste for clean silver jewelry and cutlery – Fact

Sometimes it seems like you can never get the shine and polish you want with your cutlery or jewelry no matter how hard you try. Even the best Woodlands, TX house cleaner can have difficulty polishing silver. After much searching, we found the remedy for every home: toothpaste! Rub some toothpaste (excluding gel) onto your silver items then dip the chain or cutlery in warm water. With the toothpaste, the silver oxidized particles dissolve and your silver shines like new!

6. Coke helps to prevent clogged toilet – Fake

Probably the most enticing myth – that Coke and mentos help unclog a toilet. Although this mixture actually creates the high pressure needed to dissolve blockages, it can also get too large and damage the pipe. Not to mention the mess that could occur in your bathroom. 

7. Sparkling water removes stains in the rug – Fact

Sparkling water helps, because carbon dioxide dissolves dyes and tannins from the fibers (Caution: it doesn’t work with fat or oil!). The more water bubbles, the better the dirt particles can be removed from the rug. Important: If you drown the stain in the sparkling water, you only need to move in a circular motion with the absorbent cloth. Always stay in one direction, never rub!

Cleaning tips and tricks are really helpful, especially for those areas you can never seem to conquer. Luckily, you can contact Maid for Muddy Paws when you are in need of a whole-house cleaning service in Cypress, TX.