Cleaning Lady or Franchise? - Part I

You are probably busier than ever and if you are like most individuals, your house is a little worse for wear. 

House cleaning often times is the last thing on the agenda and a good cleaning service can take the stress and mess out of your life. The question is what kind of service should you choose?

Professional Franchise Type Service Or Your Basic Cleaning Lady
You have two basic choices for getting your house cleaning done, a professional franchise type service or your basic cleaning lady. 

Businesses like Merry Maids and others have cropped up all over the country and they do make it easy to find someone to do the house cleaning. 

Cleaning ladies on the other hand may be a bit harder to find, depending on where you live. Generally speaking your best resource will be your local newspaper, Craigslist, Google or even better, word of mouth (referral). But still which is the best one for you to choose?

Franchise
With a franchise, you have the benefit of an easy to locate service that is backed by great insurance in case of accidents.

However, there are other things to consider; for starters, you will likely never negotiate with the people actually doing the house cleaning.

Most likely, your contact person will be a manager or other individual from the home office. 

- You will not be able to garner a personal relationship with your cleaning staff because the crews will rotate and you have no little contact on a personal level with them.

Kitchen Cleaning: Step By Step - Part II

Your Kitchen Sink Can Shine Again
Next, tackle your sink. The best way to handle your sink is to give it a quick rinse to make sure that there is no food or debris in it.

Put the cleaning solution on the sink and wait for five minutes to let it soak in. After it has, give it a good scrub and then rinse it. After drying, you will see what a wonderful difference this can make!

The Microwave
While the sink is soaking, you might want to tackle the microwave. Clean it inside and out and make sure that you scrub the glass plate in the center as well.

The Stove
After this, consider the stove. Remove the burners and if necessary, let them soak in a cleaning solution. Apply a gentle cleaner to the top of the stove and give it a quick scrub. Once the stove is clean, rinse off the burners, dry them and replace them.

The Fridge
Many people dread the fridge, but it doesn't have to be that bad. Remove everything, decide what is going to get tossed and what can be kept, and if necessary, soak the compartments and shelves.

Vacuuming And Sweeping
Finally, to declare your kitchen cleaning a success, tackle the floor. Start by vacuuming it or sweeping to get the dust out. Then you can use a mop to get the last of the grime up and give the floor a wonderful shine.

Kitchen cleaning is really that easy, so take some time, and make sure that you are thorough and precise! House cleaning does not have to be that tough, so break it down into tasks that you know you can do.

Kitchen Cleaning: Step By Step - Part I

Whether you are in the middle of house cleaning and you want to make sure that you are doing it right, or you have a messy kitchen that you need to tackle, you will find that taking it step by step is going to be important.

Take some time and make sure that you check out these step-by-step tips to make your kitchen cleaning much simpler. Good house cleaning is all about being thorough; remember that you do not need to be fast and that getting the kitchen cleaned can take much less time than you think it will.

Which Products To Use When Cleaning Your Kitchen
First, gather your cleaning products. If at all possible, find natural ones. Not only will they help keep your appliances and home in better shape, you will find that they are gentler on your skin and your lungs.

Look for cleansers for the floor as well as the stove, sinks and counters. Having them all in one place will be helpful.

Where Do I Start?
Start from the top and work your way down. Get a feather duster and start getting the dust off the high places.

Don't forget the top of your refrigerator, your light fixtures, and the top of your kitchen cabinets; these are places where dust loves to gather!

No Necessary Heavy Chemical Products, A Simple Wet Cloth Will Do The Trick
After you have thoroughly dusted, wet a cloth and make sure that your remove any grime that has accumulated in ornaments or on the handles of the cabinets.

Small places like this can quickly accumulate grime and they can leave everything with an unpleasant texture.

Using Feng Shui When Cleaning Your Home - Part II

Crucial Question: Can They Move In Straight Lines Or Do They Need To Take Detours Around Poorly Placed Furniture?
If you are going to be moving you furniture so that you can clean underneath it, it might be a great idea for you to consider moving it around a little bit.

Make sure that you do not have any furniture that is blocking the doors, even partially. Look at the way that people move through your home.

Can they move in straight lines or do they need to take detours around poorly placed furniture? This is something that can make a huge difference in the way that you clean your home, and at the end of the day, you will find that simply rearranging your furniture so that you can access the room more comfortably can make a big difference.

Make Wiping Down Your Wind Chimes Part Of Your Regular House Cleaning
When you are cleaning your home, consider anything that you have hanging up. One fairly common Feng Shui trick that you can use involves using wind chimes to bring positive energy into your home.

However, if you allow your wind chimes to become dull or cluttered, or if you find yourself in a place where you need to think about how dirty they are, you need to change it!

Make wiping down your wind chimes part of your regular house cleaning and your fortunes are sure to improve.

Consider How Helpful Feng Shui Can Be When You Are House Cleaning
Finally, if you want to keep your home looking bright and fresh, look into how bamboo and other plants can liven it up.

Plants are a great way to freshen up the air and you can bet that they will help open up the look of your home. Take some time and consider how you are going to place them, and once they have grown, remember to take good care of them and to trim off any wilted parts immediately.

Consider how helpful Feng Shui can be when you are house cleaning and take some steps towards including it in the way that you take care of your home!

Using Feng Shui When Cleaning Your Home - Part I

When you need to do some serious house cleaning, you may find that it is hard to move forward without a plan, and this is where Feng Shui can come in.

Feng Shui is the practice of arranging your home so that a positive flow of energy is encouraged.

If you are interested in both thorough house cleaning and in maximizing the flow of positive energy through your home, take some time and make sure you incorporate some important tips from this energy positive philosophy into the cleaning of your home.

The Secret When using Feng Shui To Clean Your Home Is Deciding What To Get Rid Of
When you want to put some positive energy flow into your house cleaning, start by taking all the clutter out.

If you have trashy lying around or clothes that need to go to a charity, now is the time to get rid of them. This is essential when you want to make sure that your home has an opening and welcoming look, so take some time and make sure that you consider what you need to get rid of.

This is something that many people neglect to do, and at the end of the day, you will discover that it can keep your home looking much tidier than it did before.