In the day and time that we live in, having a well sanitized, tidy and comfortable home sounds more like a mission impossible than anything else. The thing is that after spending eight or more hours in the office, the last thing every homeowner would want to do when they come back to the house is cleaning. That is why many people leave the chores for the weekend or postpone them indefinitely in time, until they become quite hard to tackle indeed. Well, it should not be that way for sure.

The secret to a comfortable house

If you cannot afford to, or just do not wish to be a stay-at-home housekeeper but would still be happy to have a nice, clean place to go back from the office to, just do some of the following things. Once you implement those strategies in your daily routine, you will start noticing the results almost immediately:

• Fix all small problems that you have around the house. For example, a leaking faucet not only leads to wasting water which is inexcusable, but can be quite irritating too. So, fixing those problems might turn out to be a good idea if you want a comfortable home.
• Invest some money into efficient cleaning equipment and products. The right tools are going to help you clean much faster and better, which is one of the main goals before us here, right?
• Divide the work into manageable chunks. The big mistake with leaving everything for the weekend (or any off-work day you have for that matter) is that the tasks are piling up. Tackling everything at once is not only exhausting, but it also puts much psychological pressure on you too. Make Tuesday laundry day, vacuum the floors on Monday and wash the windows Saturday. Another important thing to remember is that you should not move on to the next task until you have finished with the one you are currently working on.
• Get everyone in the family involved. It is never too early to help your kids built healthy habits so leave it to the little ones to load the dishwasher after dinner or clean their own rooms. You and your partner will be able to manage a certain big cleaning task together much faster than if one of you is binge-watching their favorite show on Netflix.
• Remove stains as soon as they occur. The same thing can be applied to literally anything related to the sanitation of your household. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes for something to be cleaned.

Do not be shy to ask for help

If cleaning is not your strong suit or you are really too overwhelmed by other responsibilities, there is nothing bad to sign up for professional cleaning services. Such a thing is no longer a privilege of the richest in our society. A pro cleaner will achieve the results you have been hoping for without the need for you to make any compromises. In the end of the day, this might be your best strategy indeed.

There is no need to tell you that we live in an age when it is high time we started thinking about positively impacting the environment. We are not talking about making some big sacrifice in the way you live or keep your house, but rather small changes that will make your lifestyle much more energy-efficient. On one hand it is going to help keep the balance in nature, while on the other, it will bring your utilities’ bill to a much more pleasant (for you) level.

Here we are going to discuss some of the ways you can start saving water right away.

Minimizing the amount of water you spend inside your home

There are simple, yet very efficient strategies that are going to help you reduce the quantity of water that you spend on a daily basis at your home:

• First and foremost, you should check (or get someone to do it for you) all pipes, faucets and the toilet seats for leaks. If you detect such you need to remove them as soon as possible.
• There are water-saving showerheads and water-saving flushes for toilets available on the market. Get yourself such.
• As crazy as it may sound, hiring professional cleaners to do the chores around the house is also going to decrease the amount on water being spent, especially during sanitation. Pro-cleaners are trained to use energy-efficient methods and often use water-saving equipment.
• Never, and we mean ever, use your toilet as a trash can. Do not throw away junk in the toilet to avoid flushing it even once too often, and you will immediately start use less water.
• While brushing your teeth or shaving, just turn the water off. It is the little things that make the difference.
• Use the dishwasher and the washing machine only when they are fully loaded.

Minimize the amount of water you spend outside your home

Water saving can be done not only inside the house, but also when you are doing work in the backyard as well. Here are some simple things that will help you:

• Make the time you water your garden or lawn early in the morning or late in the afternoon. That is the best way to get the job done right and save water, especially throughout the hottest months of summer.
• Get shut-off nozzles for the hoses – and do not forget to install them.
• Do not cut the grass too low – instead, set the mower blades just a bit higher, because higher grass leads to much less evaporation.
• If you are among the lucky ones that have an outdoor pool at home, you can avoid unnecessary evaporation by placing a cover on it the facility at any time you do not use it.
• Forget about using the hose to clean the sidewalks and the driveway. A broom requires much more time and effort, but it will save you a ton of water every month, which is our main goal here.

We all know how big of a virtue it is to constantly clean your home. People who do that are considered to be superior to others in some way and overall the attitude towards well-organized people is positive. This is why we are going to give you a few pointers on how to approach every room at your home when it comes to sanitation. Now most of them share common problems and challenges but there are some room-specific things which you need to keep in mind. It will come down types of floors, carpets and type of furniture you have in each separate room. For example a duster is not going to be exceptionally useful in the bathroom, right?

Kitchen cleaning requires some initial planning

It is best if you start with the room which requires the most attention and will be hardest to clean. This is usually the kitchen. Our first important tip is to never clean before you cook. If you are going to engage in the preparation of a big meal then wait until it is done and then sanitize your kitchen. Cooking typically leads to a mess and you wouldn’t want to clean your kitchen twice. Kitchens usually have tile floors so steam cleaning is an excellent idea. You can sweep or vacuum the floor initially, and then fire up the steam cleaner. Make sure you pay attention to your stove and hot plates. Don’t use corrosive detergents on them but you might need some powerful ones in order to get rid of the stains.

You should then move to your bathroom. Now this area of the home is susceptible to mildew as it is very often moist and warm. Spend some time scrubbing the inside of your toilet and definitely the sink. Look for the little spaces between your tiles and definitely focus on the corners – that’s where the dirt is generated. Make sure you use gloves and maybe even goggles and a face-mask throughout these procedures as most bathroom cleaning solutions are harmful.

The living room can be surprisingly hard to sanitize. People usually have the most pieces of furniture there along with some decorations, carpets and electronics. If you find it tough to regularly maintain a clean living room then by all means look for professional maid services. This is the room where your duster comes in handy. Focus an all of your belongings there such as things lying on shelves, your TV, the sound system, table and what not. They all get dusty. Do this procedure before vacuuming the floor as a lot of dust will end up there. If you own a carpet then you definitely need a powerful vacuum cleaner for your living room.

The bedroom cleaning procedures are not much different than the living room ones. Again dusting and vacuuming are your allies but you might also want to focus on curtains and mattresses. You can have them professionally in case you are not willing to deal with them.

If you have never used the services of a home cleaning company, you may not know that there are a few etiquette rules that will make the processes smoother and faster. While following these tips is not a must, your efforts to comply with them will certainly be appreciated by any professional cleaner.

Don’t distract the professionals

When someone comes to your house, you probably ask them whether they would like anything to drink or to eat. You may be tempted to do the same when the cleaners arrive. However, that will only slow them down. Cleaning teams are expected to complete their job in a short amount of time. Yet, they cannot afford to make mistakes. Therefore, do not district or prevent them from doing what they came to do. In fact, for that reason, some companies prefer to work when the client is not at home.

Do get your home ready

Don’t worry, you do not need to sanitize and mop every inch of your home before the professionals arrive. That won’t be necessary. Still, it is best if you eliminate the clutter. For instance, if you have a lot of clothes or toys on the floor, pick them up and put them in a laundry basket. That will enable the cleaners to quickly get to the actual job of cleaning your rugs, for instance. Also, if this is the first time you are hiring the company, make sure you put your valuables and jewelry someplace safe. Even though professional home cleaning companies carefully screen every job candidate before adding them to their team, you should not force your luck.

Don’t forget to mention your pet

If you have a pet, let the company known in advance. That is important since some of the maids might be allergic to dogs or cats. Also, not all professional cleaning products are safe for animals. Last, but not least, pets can prevent the professionals from properly doing their job. Don’t get offended or annoyed if you are asked to keep your furry friend away from the cleaning perimeter. It is probably due to one of the above-mentioned reasons.

Tips are not a must

There is no etiquette rule when it comes to tipping your cleaners. Still, when the professionals are sent by a company, they do not expect to be tipped. This is why you will not need to worry about that. Still, you can leave them a tip when you have set a deadline that is tighter than the usual or maybe towards the end of the year when everyone is busy preparing for the holidays. Keep in mind, however, that when the professional you have hired is self-employed, you would probably be expected to give a tip.

Finally, do not hesitate to share your requirements and wishes with the cleaner. Even if you have already informed the house cleaning company about your special requests, make sure you discuss them with your maid as well. Making a list of the priority items and areas that you want to have sanitized would not make you look rude or despotic, but organized and thoughtful.

If you wonder whether or not you should sign up for the services of professional maids we are here to convince you that this is the only logical thing to do. In our day and age, the only reason not to go for professional cleaning solutions is if you are living in a tent somewhere in the Great Outdoors. And even in those cases we are more than certain that something can be arranged.

Why pro-maid services are just for you

We live in a day and age when life is more stressful and hectic than ever before. There are actual studies that show school children in your everyday American school go through higher levels of stress than psychiatric hospital patients in the 1950s! Hence the more ways you find to make your life easier and more comfortable, the better! Household chores are not something many people enjoy doing. Things become even more complicated when you have to handle them after a long day at work, when the only thing you would normally want to do is grab something to eat and chill with Netflix. Due to busy schedule many people do not have the time for friends and family – a problem that has the potential of ruining their lives! A well tailored, reliable maid service will spare you the responsibility of handling the chores of your own and it is going to improve their quality of life. Unless you are one of those people who see cleaning as a therapy and a hobby, you need a maid service.

But isn’t it too expensive?

Not at all. Especially in big cities such as Chicago and New York, there is such a large supply of professional deep house cleaning services that the prices become lower and lower every year. While several decades ago it was a sign of wealth to be able to afford cleaners and maids for your home, today people of lower means can enjoy the same benefits as the stars, businessmen and politicians of the previous eras. What a time to be alive, right?

How to find the best maid service in my zip code?

It is easy. First check online which companies operate in your area. Then go to their website. A good professional tends to every aspect of their business, so the page should be intuitive and providing all the information about the services offered that you might need. Then it is time to see what reviews there are about the company – both on the official website and on specialized pages such as Yelp.com or Google Reviews. A company that you can trust will offer you a free no obligation quote in advance so that you can properly consider your budget and decide whether or not they are the right choice for you. Good customer support is another hint that the firm you are considering are actually doing their job the way they are supposed to.

As you can see, there is no reason why you should not go for maid services for your home.

When the question of how it is best to manage your home arises, opinions vary greatly. Everyone is going to tell you a different strategy or set of rules that are to be followed. On one thing however, we can all agree – keeping your home clean and never making compromises with the level of hygiene there is of a paramount importance. So, what are the ways to do that?

Home cleaning tips that are easy to follow

As we have already had the chance to mention, there is no universal formula to successfully approaching a domestic sanitation job. Nevertheless, we can mention several things that are proven to be valid in pretty much all cases:

• Keep it regular. Cleaning is something that you should do every day, because otherwise it becomes harder and harder to tackle. Do not leave Sunday to be your only sanitation day of the week, because thus you will be making yourself a huge disfavor.
• Break down the work into manageable chunks. When we say that you need to clean every day, we do not mean the entire house. You can do the laundry when you get back from work on Monday, scrub the toilet on Tuesday, vacuum all carpets thoroughly in the weekend etc. Dividing the chores into small chunks and then handling them one by one is a great way to both have a completely clean home and getting a sense of accomplishment.
• If you feel like you do not have the time, energy or the skills to handle your home cleaning on your own, do not just abandon the cause. Hire a maid service, such as the one offered by Chicago Maids. They will do the job for you, provide you with a healthy environment to live in and would not charge you so much that you feel your budget strained. At the end of the day, it is the best deal you can come across.
• Whenever it is possible, go for the green solutions. Chemical cleaning products are the worst thing you can do both to yours and your family’s health and the environment. Fortunately, there are many eco-friendly detergents available on the market today that you can choose from. Alternatively, many people opt for preparing their home cleaning solutions on the own, as DIY jobs. You will be surprised how much one can accomplish with baking soda, white vinegar, salt, water and a regular dishwashing liquid. Check out recipes for homemade cleaning products online and you will see.
• Do not try to be a hero and handle all the work on your own. Delegate some of the responsibilities to your family members. Getting your kids and partner involved is going to strengthen the family bond, help you finish with the chores faster and would teach everyone several very important lessons about independence.

The most important thing

Cleaning might be taunting and exhausting, but in the end of the day, it is the most direct and successful way to improve your quality of life.

Taking some time of is what we all desire and deservedly so. Most people work hard all year long and have just a few weeks of free time. Going out of town is an excellent way to relax and to recuperate after a few months of tiresome activities at the office or at home. Now this is not going to be a guide on how to stay safe in the bathroom of your hotel or what to wear at the beach. We are going to focus on how you can make sure that your home remains intact during your absence. This is an underestimated aspect of our vacation. Just because we are not going to sleep in our bed for a week doesn’t mean we are not coming back to it at all. We want to make sure that no accidents happen and that nobody breaks in. Locking the door is often not enough as it will not stop burglars from entering.

This is why we want to take it easy with all the social media activities prior and during our vacation. Posting on your Facebook or Twitter that you are going to be away for a week is a great signal for people with all the wrong intentions. After you come back, upload all the photos you wish but telling everybody publically the exact dates on which you will not be home is not a smart idea.

You likely have plants and might even have a pet which you can’t bring along. Asking a good friend or neighbor to regularly come over and water the plants is a smart idea. They will be able to check on everything for you and make sure that nothing has gone wrong. You can do some checking yourself prior to leaving. Don’t ever leave the fridge door open and never turn off the device. It will defrost and all of your food will go bad and will smell awfully. Some people decide to shut the power down completely. Again, not a smart idea because of the fridge.

Having strangers over is not as scary as you might think

Others simply trust professionals which they have hired. For example the time during which you are not at home is great for a household sanitation or a domestic clearance. You can have maids over at your place for an extended period of time. These people don’t really need you there in order to do their job. In fact the owner of the home is often in the way instead of helping. If you are looking to get rid of some old things they will pack them up for you and transport them. These professionals are typically certified so you can rest assured that your belongings are safe and nothing will get stolen. Furthermore they bear responsibilities as they are completely insured.

Investing in an alarm system is also not a bad idea but nowadays these things usually go with a monthly subscription and you will pay for it even during the time at which you are home.