Potential Problems in Cleaning with Vinegar
Although vinegar has been highlighted as a great environmentally friendly cleaner, it is important to be aware of a few potential problems that can occur when cleaning with vinegar. Vinegar has a PH value of 2.4, which makes it considerably acidic. Although it is normally never used in an undiluted form, it still presents a considerable danger to the many homes that have natural stone throughout. Diluting vinegar raises its PH closer to the natural and safe level of 7.0. Typically, you are mixing 1–2 capfuls of vinegar into a bucket of water, turning the dangerous acid into a much milder and safer cleaning agent. The problem arises with the unintentional and undiscovered dripping fully concentrated vinegar onto a stone, such as marble floor. This is an easy mistake to make and can require expensive refinishing to fix.
Robert Dillon is the owner of Molly Maid of SE Lake and NE Cook Counties 1421 Old Deerfield Road, Highland Park, IL 60035(847) 681-1800 providing cleaning services to Highland Park, IL. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.Consumers Prioritize Cleanliness, Drives Demand for In-Home Cleaning Services
Ann Arbor, MI – Molly Maid, the leading residential cleaning service franchise with thousands of signature navy and pink cars on the road, announced it has signed eight new franchise agreements in the Second Quarter of 2010, bringing the total new Molly Maid franchise deals to 14 for this year.
“As more and more people turn to the professionals for cleaning help, companies like Molly Maid are growing fast,” said Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid. “We’ve spent 26 years building a reputation for quality, professional cleaning services, which is why we carefully select our franchise owners to ensure they meet our criteria, especially a passion for delivering the highest customer service. These new owners demonstrated throughout our selection process that they will represent the Molly Maid brand well in their respective markets.”
Molly Maid Included In Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 at No. 81!
The franchise agreements were signed in the following areas:
- Frederick, MD
- College Point, NY
- Woodbine, NJ
- Gwinnett County, GA
- Waterford, MI
- Sayville, NY
- Nassau County, NY
- Miami, FL
“We are excited to welcome all these new franchise owners to the Molly Maid family and they are thrilled to be affiliated with our trusted brand name,” Mailloux said. “In addition to opening their new business, these franchisees will be backed with top-notch training and ongoing marketing support from our home office. It’s the best of both worlds.”
To date, Molly Maid has cleaned 17 million households around the world and performed 1.4 million cleaning jobs in 2009 alone. Molly Maid franchise owners don’t actually clean homes, rather they receive training and support from the home office to recruit, train, motivate and manage employees to clean customers’ homes in the utmost professional and thorough manner. Employees are screened and properly insured. The Molly Maid franchise opportunity, ideal for entrepreneurs with a sales or management background, provides franchise owners with unlimited room for growth without working nights and weekends.
The average cost to open a Molly Maid franchise is approximately $165,000 with a franchise fee of $ 14,900. Currently, more than 450 Molly Maid units are operating in the United States alone, with an additional 300 operating throughout Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, England and Portugal. Molly Maid has consistently ranked well in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 rankings, currently at number 81. For more information, go to www.mollymaidfranchise.com.
Related Posts:
Questioning Whether or Not a Cleaning Franchise is Right for You?
Molly Maid Signs Six Agreements for New Franchises in First Quarter of 2010
Motivated by Molly Maid’s call to action at this year’s convention, our office, Molly Maid of Park Cities, McKinney, Frisco and Allen, has recently reached out to begin our support for the fight against domestic violence. Participating in the Ms. Molly Foundation has been one of our goals since opening our doors two years ago. For me, the Ms. Molly Foundation was one of the deciding factors for my investment in Molly Maid. Ms. Molly gives franchisees a way to give back to the community in a way that also happens to fit with the concept of the business.
Although participation was a goal early on, we knew when we opened our doors that it was important to first establish a strong base for our business. Before trying to reach out to a local shelter, we had to be profitable and the business had to be on good, solid ground. We feel we are now at a point where we can take on this commitment and we are entering the next stage of our business’ evolution.
I must admit that we are fortunate that our home, Dallas, already has a first-class organization in place in the form of The Genesis Women’s Shelter. Genesis services the greater Dallas area with programs from crisis intervention and counseling to short- and long-term housing options as well as educational programs to raise community awareness.
Genesis’ success is illustrated by a recent fundraiser featuring keynote speaker Dr. Condoleezza Rice and a surprise visit by President George W. Bush. As you can imagine, the event was a great success.
As with any nonprofit, however, there is always a need for more. We met with Genesis to determine how we might help. In our initial meeting I found out that in 2009 Genesis covered $1 million of its operating budget through the sale of lightly used clothing at its thrift shop. Generating $1 million by selling items for $5 to $10 apiece means there is a lot of support in the community! Relying on past Molly Maid experiences and after hearing about their thrift store, we decided to do a clothing drive with our customers.
Our drive will take place in August and, although we are not sure how well it will be received, I am sure it will only be the starting point of a much larger relationship between our two organizations.
Don Dillon is the owner of Molly Maid of Park Cities, McKinney, Frisco and Allen, 2828 Forest Lane, Suite 2270, Dallas, TX 75234 972-247-8003 providing cleaning services to Park Cities, TX. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.
Molly Maid: A day in the life of a professional cleaner
Irv Leavit, columnist for the Pioneer Local, tries his hand as a professional cleaner, working for Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties, IL for a day.
“When I thought about my upcoming day working as a traveling maid for The Unemployee, I pictured myself strolling through fancy houses, occasionally fluttering a feather duster,” claims Leavit. Through his adventure Leavit quickly learns that being a professional cleaner takes a lot more work than a quick feather duster here or there. Molly Maid housekeepers thoroughly clean every room with an efficient process to ensure a detail is never missed. Click the link below to read the entire re-cap of Irv Leavit’s cleaning adventure.
Article: Molly Maid Man: Have mop, will travel
Robert Dillon is the owner of Molly Maid of SE Lake & NE Cook Counties, Illinois 1421 Old Deerfield Rd, Highland Park, IL 60035 847-681-1800 providing cleaning services to Highland Park, IL. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.
Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux Answers Common Questions regarding owning your own cleaning franchise.
Ann Arbor, MI – As more and more people are turning to professionals for cleaning help, residential and commercial cleaning companies are growing exponentially. Molly Maid, the leading residential cleaning franchise with thousands of signature navy and pink cars on the road, is responding to a rapidly growing interest in their brand.
Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux provides answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by potential franchisees.
Q: Is now a good time to start a business with the current economic climate?
A: Now is the perfect time for franchising. Unemployment is high, which means franchising is a great alternative to re-entering the job market. Molly Maid has done very well through this recession as well as previous recessions – we have been around for over 25 years. We’re adding more customers and our sales for 2010 are even stronger than 2009. Credit is still tight, but we are a low-cost franchise and we provide third-party resources that can help with financing.
Q: A successful business is all about acquiring customers and retaining them. What is the Molly Maid strategy to customer acquisition and how do you stand out from the competition?
A: Molly Maid has continually increased our marketing team support, revamped our consumer website and invested in an interactive marketing strategy to be optimized for search when customers and franchise candidates search for us. Expertise in these areas has more than doubled online leads for our franchise owners. We also regularly host conference calls sharing best practices as it relates to providing great customer service to meet the needs of our customers and retain them.
Q: What traits does a successful Molly Maid owner possess?
A: Our business model is ideal for executives who run the business and hire employees to do the cleaning. Some key characteristics our most successful franchise owners share include resources and energy to start a business, proven management skills, success-oriented attitude and exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. We also have successful military veterans in our franchise system and offer a $2,500 VetFran discount to those who qualify.
Q: Can I do this and keep my current job?
A: A successful Molly Maid franchise owner is solely committed to growing their business by leading teams, marketing, networking and building relationships with customers. Unlike most franchises, Molly Maid owners do not have to sacrifice family time or personal interests to be financially successful. The house cleaning franchise business runs on a predictable schedule five days a week. The simplicity of ownership — no expensive store front, minimal inventory and equipment—means there is much less to manage. Molly Maid’s repeat business, strong national brand recognition, and simple model present owners with an opportunity for high income and the time to enjoy their success.
To date, Molly Maid has cleaned 17 million households around the world and performed 1.4 million cleaning jobs in 2009 alone. Molly Maid franchise owners don’t actually clean homes, rather they receive training and support from the home office to recruit, train, motivate and manage employees to clean customers’ homes in the utmost professional and thorough manner. Employees are screened and properly insured.
The average cost to open a Molly Maid franchise is approximately $165,000 with a franchise fee of $14,900.
For more information, go to www.mollymaidfranchise.com.
Kristi Mailloux, Molly Maid, Inc. President
Kristi Mailloux was named president of Molly Maid in 2006. An 18-year veteran of Molly Maid, Inc., Kristi brings a franchisee-first attitude and high energy to her position. Those traits translate to results; in fact, consumer sales during Kristi’s leadership have reached record highs. Kristi’s career path has included several executive positions at SBI including President of 1-800-DryClean and Vice President of Operations for Molly Maid. She also served as Vice President of Operations of Service Brands International (SBI), leading franchise operations for all three brands.
Kristi graduated with honors from the University of Michigan. In 2003, she was selected as one of Crain’s Detroit Business’s prestigious “Top 40 Under 40” executives in the state of Michigan. Kristi is also actively involved with the International Franchise Association serving as a mentor for their “Women in Franchising” program, and has also assisted with various workshop panels and round tables.
Kristi lives in Brighton, Michigan with her husband and their two children and they also own and operate a Mr. Handyman franchise.
Using microfiber is a great way to do a little maintenance cleaning in between visits from your Molly Maid team. If you’ve never tried cleaning with a microfiber cloth, the results may surprise you.
Microfibers are mostly made of polyester, and, unlike cotton, they leave no lint behind. They are usually knitted and very soft. This makes them generally safe for use even on painted surfaces. Just make sure they haven’t latched onto a small piece of grit that could cause a scratch.
My favorite feature of microfiber cloths is their superb ability to absorb oil and grease. Keep a cloth handy in your kitchen and see how well it cleans up the grease around your stovetop – even without a cleanser.
Microfiber cloths or mop heads do a great job on hardwood or vinyl floors too. The secret is not getting the cloth or mop head too wet. After vacuuming, use a spray bottle filled with a floor cleaner (or even plain water) and buff the dirty area.
Using microfiber eliminates up to 99 percent of bacteria – about three times the effectiveness of traditional cleaning cloths. This is why many hospitals have converted to microfiber cloths, towels and mops. These microfiber cleaning products have dramatically reduced cross-contamination between hospital rooms.
You can find microfiber cloths for sale in almost any cleaning aisle. The smooth ones work better on glass (less likely to absorb grit that can scratch), while the cloths with a more textured surface do better at using a little friction to help in scrubbing.
You can safely launder them in hot water, but use a cooler setting for the dryer. A hot dryer will ruin them. Don’t launder them with cotton or use fabric softener – both can reduce their effectiveness.
A couple of minutes with a microfiber cloth will help keep the grease and dirt at bay between your Molly Maid visits. Give one a try!
Mark Stanley is the owner of Molly Maid of Edmonds / Brier / Kenmore / Lake Forest Park 19725 40th Ave W, Ste C, Lynnwood, WA 98036 425-775-8100 providing cleaning services to Lynnwood, WA. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.
Spring Cleaning Tips
As a child, I looked forward to spring every year — no exceptions. Spring held the promise of longer days, budding flowers, the first sunburn, and not having to bundle up to go outside.
Now well into adulthood, I feel that spring holds the same promise, but it brings with it another twist…a twist that most of us could live without. Yes, I’m referring to spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. There are some simple things we can all do to ease the pain.
For starters, approach it as you would an assignment at work. Before you get started, have a written plan. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or complicated. It can be as simple as a list of the rooms and projects that need to be tackled. Once your plan is in place, get started.
Don’t try to approach all your spring-cleaning projects at once. Break up the workload into more manageable tasks. Take it a room or two at a time, checking things off your list as you go.
Before you start each room, pick things up and put the clutter away. A little organization will help you clean faster, keep you on task, and minimize frustration.
Another way to clean efficiently is to have all your supplies at hand before you start. Just throw everything in a bucket or basket and carry it with you, eliminating unnecessary trips back and forth and increasing your productivity.
Every house has those easy-to-miss areas like doorframes, windowsills, and baseboards. To help make sure you don’t overlook these things, go from top to bottom and left to right throughout each room.
There’s no denying that spring cleaning can be overwhelming. But with the right approach, we can get it done and move on to enjoy the simple pleasures the season brings.
Liz Schoenecker is owner of MOLLY MAID of Bloomington / East Edina. 9901 Lyndale Ave S., Suite 2 Bloomington, MN 55420 952-746-4999 providing cleaning services to Bloomington, Minnesota. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.
Tom Blank and Robert Dillon make a donation of holiday gifts to a Chicago area Domestic Violence shelter.
During 2009, the Molly Maid system, customers and vendor partners donated a record $146,900 to support the Ms. Molly Foundation. These donations provide much-needed support to domestic violence shelters and safe houses, helping victims of the nation’s most underreported crime.
The 2009 Ms. Molly Foundation fund-raising total represents almost a 15 percent increase over last year’s sum. Since its inception in 1996, the Ms. Molly Foundation has raised more than $871,000, and has supported more than 100 domestic violence shelters. When selecting a cause to support systemwide, Molly Maid franchise owners overwhelmingly chose to help raise awareness for domestic violence after noticing the prevalence of the crime among employees within their own franchises.
“After another year of economic downturn, it’s comforting to know that people are still dedicated to supporting the causes they strongly believe in,” said Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux. “We’re pleased with a 20 percent increase in franchise owner participation in Ms. Molly events, and these selfless acts have paid off for communities nationwide.”
Each year, more Molly Maid franchise owners participate in the Ms. Molly Foundation systemwide. The 2009 fund-raiser saw a 20 percent increase in franchisee participation, and Molly Maid ultimately plans to incorporate all 400+ franchise locations in the effort. In addition to raising much-needed funds for shelters and victims, educating customers and the general public about domestic violence remains one of Ms. Molly’s top priorities.
Molly Maid of East Bay Hills
Each October during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Molly Maid franchise owners donate a portion of the service fees from every home cleaned to shelters and safe houses. For the past three years, franchise owners have extended their efforts beyond October by holding silent auctions, adopting local shelters and organizing charity races. An example includes David Dickinson’s annual silent auction event held in January 2009 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This auction attracted more than 150 participants and raised roughly $33,000 for the primary shelter in the area.
“As business owners, our franchisees welcome the tremendous amount of responsibility to invest in the communities they serve,” Mailloux said. “Our franchise owners inspire us on a daily basis, and they appreciate the Ms. Molly Foundation as a vehicle for standing behind a common company cause.”
For more information on how to participate, or to contribute to the foundation, visit www.mollymaid.com/foundation, Ms. Molly Foundation on Facebook or contact Molly Maid at 1-800-MOLLYMAID (1-800-655-5962).
Molly Maid Winter Park FL
Molly Maid To Open Three New Franchise Locations in Long Island; Plans Call for Five More
Consumers Prioritize Cleanliness, Drives Demand for In-Home Cleaning Service
Molly Maid, the leading residential cleaning service franchise with thousands of signature navy and pink cars on the road, announced it will open three new franchise locations in the Long Island market, with plans for five additional franchises to accommodate a rapidly growing demand for home cleaning services in Long Island.
“In areas like Long Island where the majority of homes are two-income households, demand for high-quality home cleaning services is soaring,” said Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid. “We’ve worked hard to maintain quality, professional cleaning services by carefully selecting our franchise owners to ensure they meet our criteria, especially a passion for delivering the highest quality service.”
The new franchise deals include the following new owners:
Annmarie and Ed Noone, who believe it’s high time they invest in themselves for their future. The couple will own their Molly Maid franchise jointly, but Annmarie will manage and grow the business. Annmarie spent 30 years in the direct marketing industry most recently as vice president of account services for Direct Fulfillment Systems. She will lead and dispatch her cleaning teams over an area that includes most of southern Nassau County, New York.
Tom Plesser, an insurance industry veteran who is ready to put a premium on his financial security and re-claim his life. Tom spent 20+ years managing large staffs of adjusters and examiners. Most recently, he was president of his own insurance company, TMP Associates-Frontier Adjusters. The Molly Maid franchise appealed to Tom because of the simplicity of the operating model and the scalability of the business. Tom will lead and dispatch his cleaning teams over an area that includes most of southern Suffolk County, New York.
Todd Borom, a multi-talented individual who wanted a business that generated recurring revenue. Todd has co-written and co-produced tracks for big names like Alicia Keys, and was the recipient of the ASCAP/Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Songwriting Excellence. For the past 14 years Todd worked for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals most recently in Internet marketing. Todd will manage his Molly Maid business serving most of northern Nassau County, New York, on Long Island.
Executives of the Ann Arbor, MI-based franchise company say Long Island is a prime location for expansion, based on the success of the existing Molly Maid franchise locations that currently operate throughout the area. “The demand for home cleaning services in Long Island is high, and we are excited to welcome all these new franchise owners to the Molly Maid family and continue to grow the brand in the market,” Mailloux said.
To date, Molly Maid has cleaned 17 million households around the world and performed 1.4 million cleaning jobs in 2009 alone. Molly Maid franchise owners don’t actually clean homes, rather they receive training and support from the home office to recruit, train, motivate and manage employees to clean customers’ homes in the utmost professional and thorough manner. Employees are screened and properly insured. The Molly Maid franchise opportunity, ideal for entrepreneurs with a sales or management background, provides franchise owners with unlimited room for growth without working nights and weekends.
The average cost to open a Molly Maid franchise is approximately $165,000 with a franchise fee of $ 14,900.
Practical Home Cleaning Tips for Spring-Cleaning
With the help of Molly Maid, a home that was closed up all winter can be spruced up in no time, while having some fun along the way. Organizing the task of cleaning, both practically and psychologically, can reduce the stress and frustration that is often associated with spring-cleaning.
Strategically breaking down the huge chore of cleaning the entire house into realistic tasks and goals will make spring-cleaning a lot more manageable. Below are just some of the cleaning tips that Molly Maid offers to homeowners:
- Create a flexible, comprehensive plan and put it on paper. Following a plan that is in writing is easier to do than following a plan from memory. Decide when to clean, stick to it and build that time into a schedule.
- Don’t try to tackle the whole house at once, otherwise you’ll get frustrated and procrastinate. Instead, set a goal to thoroughly clean one or two rooms every couple of days.
- After you put things where they belong, you can begin cleaning. You will waste time and become discouraged if you have to stop in the middle of what you’re doing just to put something away in another room. Clear that clutter!
- Gather all chemicals needed before you begin cleaning and carry them from room to room as you go. This prevents unnecessary trips back and forth to your supply cabinet.
- Clean the room from top to bottom, moving left to right to ensure you don’t overlook door frames, door panels and windowsills. Don’t forget the center of the room!
- Spring is a great time to inspect and clean window treatments. Whether you need to wash blinds, send drapes and sheers to the dry cleaners, or throw washable curtains into the washing machine, getting your window treatments clean after a long, dark winter can brighten an entire room.
- Dust first — then vacuum! Crumbs, pet hair, etc., will fall to the floor as you’re cleaning. Instead of dusting and vacuuming bedrooms one at a time, first dust and then vacuum all the bedrooms on each level. It saves time.
- Get your children involved — little children love to sweep the floor and help put laundry away.
In this day and age, having a clean home is not always a top priority. With these tips and tricks from Molly Maid professionals, taking on the spring-cleaning mission will be easier than ever, and residents can once again take pride in their fresh, clean homes.
Click here to request a no-obligation estimate for professional house cleaning services. You will be directed to your local maid service provider. Each franchise independently owned and operated.
