Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1492999
2. What can a professional house cleaner do for me? I personally believe professional cleanings are for almost everyone. Whether once a week or once a year, a thorough cleaning is a wonderful investment in your home, mental health, and general happiness. From cooking and gardening to washing dishes and folding laundry, so much daily upkeep goes into your home. Cleaning is a necessary chore, but it usually falls by the wayside. A professional service will rid the dust, dirt, and germs from your house, taking the dreaded job off your plate and giving you a blank slate to focus on your day-to-day responsibilities. Plus, it eliminates many tedious tasks, so you can spend your free time doing what brings you joy—and finally get to organizing that closet or hanging up that family photo. 3. Can you share the biggest mistake people make when cleaning? The biggest mistake people make is skipping dusting. When you go right to spraying and wiping down your surfaces, the dust gets wet and is much harder to remove. My advice is to dust the whole room before doing anything else. Use a duster with an extendable handle, and start at the top of a room or object and work your way down. Then, you can wipe down surfaces, vacuum up all the dust that fell, and mop the floors. Also, don't forget to separate the tasks of organizing and cleaning. Both are important, but they're different jobs. People get distracted and discouraged when they set out to clean their house but end up spending the whole day sorting mail in their office or refolding clothes in their dressers. Decide whether your goal is to organize or clean a space and stick to it. 4. Is there a quick and easy way to keep my house clean on a daily basis? Never underestimate the power of decluttering. Taking a few minutes every day to pick up your stuff will make your home look and feel tidy. To make it easy, put catch-all bins in each room. Toss toys and clutter into them and save sorting and cleaning them out for when you have time and energy. Remember, your home should be functional for your family and lifestyle; it won't always be pristine. One of the quotes I tell my clients is, "If there are kids living in your home, it's okay for it to look like there are kids living in your home." 5. What are some key areas to tackle during a deep clean? Deep cleaning is perfect for giving extra love to those spots that aren't in your regular cleaning rotation. Your key tasks should include: • Scrubbing the inside of appliances • Dusting blinds • Cleaning underneath and behind furniture • Wiping down walls, doors, and door frames • Vacuuming and turning mattresses • Washing shower curtains and liners 6. Which cleaning product is your secret weapon? Why? I'm a non-toxic cleaner, which means I only use products made from natural ingredients. And if you know what to use and how to use them, all-natural products can be very effective. Vinegar has quickly become my favorite for tough jobs—especially bathroom cleaning. I haven't found anything else that removes hard water buildup (the calcium and magnesium residue on your showerhead, tile, or glass door) so well. Simply add a squirt of non-toxic dish soap and equal parts of vinegar and water to a spray bottle, spray everything, let it soak, scrub with a sponge, and rinse. Then, ta-da, you'll be left with a sparkling shower. This vinegar solution can be used on bathroom fixtures, faucets, glass shower doors, and stainless steel sinks, too. It's super affordable and makes your stainless steel shine in a way I've never seen. Vinegar is truly essential for natural cleaning! 7. What do you do to ensure a successful job at the end of a cleaning? Before leaving a client's house, I double-check that the glass, mirrors, and stainless steel are totally streak-free. A bathroom with a streaky mirror just doesn't look or feel clean, and neither does a kitchen with smudged appliances. Attending to those shiny surfaces can make a world of difference! 27