Declutter and clean inside — Fingers crossed, you will be moving shortly anyway, so why not take the time now to go through everything and eliminate what won’t make the move to your new house. This includes cleaning out cabinets and clearing off countertops. If a room has too much furniture, consider moving nonessential pieces to the garage. Start boxes for smaller items and thin out the number of framed photos and personal mementoes on display. You can store the boxes in the garage, as buyers don’t mind a full garage as much as they do a cluttered room. Who doesn’t have stuff in their garage, after all?

Once you have gone through everything in your home and streamlined the rooms, bring in professional cleaning services to make everything sparkle and shine. A cleaning crew can move through your house in a fraction of the time. Also, have the carpets and/or tile professionally steamed so buyers won’t mentally add that to the list of tasks that would need to be done before moving in.

Create curb appeal outside — Potential buyers get their first impression of your home when they pull up outside, so make it a good one. Have your landscapers clean up any seasonal debris from the yard, trim trees, power wash porches and patios, and patch any bare spots on the lawn. If you have flowerbeds already, replace any dead plants with fresh, colorful flowers. If you do not have flowerbeds, install portable planters to add greenery and color to your outside spaces. Their portability also allows you take them with you when you move. And just as you did inside, reduce the amount of personal mementos outside. For example, if you have a flag from your alma mater hanging out front, pack it up now.

Keep your house show ready — Depending on your home and the local housing market, it may take a while for your house to sell. Keeping it ready for potential buyers proves vital to getting an offer, as you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t keep your home neat and tidy both inside and out.

Have everyone in the family keep their respective areas in order and have your cleaners in once a week at a minimum. On the day of any open house or showing, add fresh flowers throughout and open all window treatments to let in sunlight. If weather permits, open the windows and doors, as well, to let in fresh air. Avoid using any fragrance sprays or burning any scented candles, as you have no idea how particular potential buyers may react to what you consider a pleasant smell.

In addition to these tips for staging your home, also stage your family. While you will have plenty of notice to clear the house of kids and pets before an open house, you might not with all showings. Simply send the kids outside to play while the potential buyers take a look, and be sure to keep Spot on a leash so that when the buyers head outside, your family dog doesn’t make an impression of his own.

Well fret not friend, we’ve got an idea for you. How about making her a window box planter?

Window box planters are a thoughtful, colorful, and beautiful gift to give mom this Mother’s Day. Check out some of these great ideas from Better Homes & Gardens. Which one is your favorite?

A. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’)
B. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum ‘Floral Showers Rose Pink’)
C. Browallia ‘Blue Bell’
D. Pentas ‘Graffiti Pink’
E. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum ‘Floral Showers Apricot’)

A. Bacopa (Sutera ‘Bridal Bouquet’)
B. Torenia ‘Catalina Blue’
C. Calibrachoa ‘Cabaret Purple’
D. Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana)
E. Heliotrope (Heliotropium ‘Marine’)
F. Daisy (Felicia ‘Read’s White’)
G. Licorice vine (Helichrysum petiolare)

A. Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Stained Glassworks Copper’)
B. Lantana ‘Dallas Red’
C. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax)
D. Coleus (Solenostemon ‘True Red’)
E. Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Stained Glassworks Big Blond’)
F. Licorice vine (Helichrysum petiolare)

Helpful hint: Be sure to include a great fragrance, like lavendar, rosemary, or mint in the planter to give it that extra kick. That way, anytime the summer wind blows and the windows are open that yummy fragrance will breeze into mom’s house.

Don’t have time to create mom a window box planter? A gift certificate to Molly Maid will certainly make her smile! You can give the gift of time to mom this year.

Related Posts:

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Kids and What Mom Really Wants!

For your home cleaning needs, call the professionals at Molly Maid. Call 800-MOLLY MAID now to connect directly with your local Molly Maid. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.

All the more reason to keep it clean and free of icky contamination.

We’ve all seen those commercials with the chicken juice left behind on the counter. Like, ewwww…

Photo Credit: MissMessie on Flickr

In order to prevent sickness and keep your kitchen a safe and clean place, here are Molly Maid’s top five tips to eliminate kitchen cross-contamination:

• Separate meats from foods that are eaten raw, like fruits and vegetables, in your refrigerator. Also, keep your meats below raw foods in your fridge. In other words, don’t put your meats on the top-shelf and your carrots right underneath. Meats should always be at the bottom so no drippings leak onto raw foods.
• When cooking, be sure to keep meats and produce apart. Use separate cutting boards and knives when slicing and dicing meats and raw foods. Check out these cool cutting boards from The Foundry:

• Wash AND sanitize all cutting boards, knives and countertops after preparing raw meat. A suggested sanitizing solution is one tablespoon bleach and one gallon water.
• Frequently wash hands with an antibacterial soap when handling raw meat.
• Wash dishcloths and sponges in hot and soapy water after having raw meat in the kitchen.
• BONUS: After perfectly roasting that chicken you’ve been working on all afternoon. Make sure to put the cooked chicken on a CLEAN plate and not the one that you used previously for the raw chicken.

What do you think of our cross-contamination elimination tips? Do you have any tips to share? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

You’ve decided to sell your home. That means at any moment, it must be show-ready for prospective buyers. Follow these 10 tips to increase your home’s curb appeal, both outside and in, then sit back and wait for an offer.

1. Clean up yards.
If you have yet to clean up after winter, do so yourself or hire a landscaping service. Remove all dead leaves and branches. Pick up after any pups. Also, go through flowerbeds, removing weeds and planting flowers as needed to add a pop of color.

2. Pressure-wash patios, walkways and driveways.
Again, you can do this type of maintenance, if you own the equipment, or you can hire a professional handyman to clean up concrete. If you do perform this task yourself, follow all instructions to avoid damaging any surfaces.

3. Accessorize outside.
With grassy and hard surfaces cleaned up, add accessories to boost your home’s curb appeal. Hang a colorful wreath on the front door and add a complementary welcome mat. Clean and repair any outdoor furniture cushions. While on the market, keep your home’s outdoor living areas free of debris.

4. Deep clean the kitchen.
Spring-clean your kitchen or hire a cleaning service to tackle this job, as well as other cleaning tasks on this list. Box up any unneeded items from countertops and cabinets; this also gives you a head start on packing. Pull appliances away from walls and clean underneath. When you do have showings, toss any kitchen towels in the laundry instead of leaving them in place.

5. Scour the bathrooms.
While a slightly dingy bathtub/shower floor may not bother you, it will turn off a prospective buyer. Use a simple solution of baking soda and distilled white vinegar to remove hard-water stains from all surfaces, including the insides of toilets. Keep all mirrors, countertops and cabinets clean, and keep company-only towels out at all times; hide the ones you use on a hook behind the door and toss them in the laundry before showings.

6. Organize the garage.
Read these excellent articles on how to do handle this chore, which proves necessary for the curb appeal of your home both inside and out.

7. Declutter inside.
Clutter distracts buyers from the beauty of your home. Significantly reduce the amount of personal photos and knick knacks on display, boxing them up as you did unneeded kitchen items.

8. Deep clean floors.
Whether tile, wood or carpet, have your floors professionally cleaned, especially if you have pets, and maintain their appearance. Some homebuyers replace carpet before moving in, but you can’t make that assumption.

9. Wash windows.
This task increases the curb appeal of your home both outside and in. If you don’t possess this skill, add it to the list for the cleaning service; poorly cleaned windows look worse than dirty ones.

10. Touch up walls and ceilings.
Melamine sponges quickly remove smudges from painted walls. For dings and difficult-to-remove stains, hit the home-improvement store for supplies.

Good luck with selling your home!

Related Posts:

One-Day Deep-Cleaning Projects: Bedroom, Bathroom & Kitchen

Cleaning Hardwood Floors and Keeping the Dirt Out

For your home cleaning needs, call the professionals at Molly Maid. Call 800-MOLLY MAID now to connect directly with your local Molly Maid. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.

Photo Credit: nan_hann on Flickr

It’s shower season. And no, we’re not talking about the “April showers bring May flowers” type. It’s baby/wedding shower season.

And to help, you made the mistake dutiful decision of hosting the shower at your home. No problem! Right? All you need are a few decorations and some yummy snacks…

WRONG! You’re going to have a large group of women in your home. Some that you know well. And some that you don’t. You may not realize it now, but ALL those women will notice the dust bunnies underneath the coffee table and the cobwebs in the corners. So, in order to squash the powder room chatter, we suggest you follow these Molly Maid baby/wedding shower cleaning tips and make your home shine!

1. It’s the details that matter. Get those cobwebs in the corners, sweep behind every door, and baby proof your electrical outlets in the “common” area. Mommy guests will especially appreciate the effort.
2. Vacuum/dust the furniture. You may have to pull out some folding chairs or stored furniture to accomodate for more seating. Give those chairs and good wipe-down and vacuum anything upholstered. Plus,  if you have pets, this will hopefully help quell issues for those with dog/cat allergies.
3. Scrub/Vacuum those floors. Again, mommy guests will appreciate a clean floor for their toddlers/babies to explore. Plus, no one likes dust bunnies, especially us.
4. Get your hands wet. Handwash your stemware, silverware, china, or whatever you’re using to serve your guests. Sometimes the dishwasher just doesn’t cut it. Handwashing items (especially those you don’t use everyday) allows you to get spots and dust off completely.
5. Relax! This is supposed to be fun, remember?!
6. BONUS: This isn’t a cleaning tip, but having fresh cut flowers at the shower makes a huge difference. Not only will they be visually appealing but they will make your house smell wonderful!

What do you think of our baby/wedding shower cleaning tips? Leave us your tips in the comments section below.

1. Wash bedding to control dust mites.
Control dust mites in the bedroom by regularly washing your bedding — all of it. Wash sheets weekly in warm or hot water and dry on high heat; do not hang outside to dry, as wet sheets attract the allergens you just removed in the wash. Wash and dry blankets, comforters and mattress pads monthly on gentle cycles. Wash and dry pillows quarterly two at a time on gentle cycles, stopping the dryer cycle several times to fluff them. Also, the American Cleaning Institute recommends using allergen-impermeable pillow covers and wiping down your bed frame with a damp cloth weekly.

2. Wash shower curtains to eliminate mold.
Once a month, throw your shower curtain in the washing machine and dryer. Also, fully close the curtain after every shower to allow it to dry more quickly. Other ways to eliminate this allergen in the bathroom include cleaning all surfaces and linens weekly and running the exhaust fan when you shower.

3. Make your kitchen unfriendly to cockroaches and other bugs.
Cockroach droppings rank as one of the top allergens in the home. Clean food spills and crumbs from all surfaces immediately. Never let dirty dishes stack up. Empty trash daily and disinfect garbage can weekly. Clean the inside and outside of your refrigerator weekly, vacuuming underneath before you wash the kitchen floor. The American Cleaning Institute also recommends throwing away or recycling grocery bags; cockroaches love to live in them.

4. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter captures not only heavy allergens such as pet dander, but also lighter ones such as pollen and the previously mentioned dust mites and cockroach droppings. Vacuum at least weekly. You may want to more often if you have four-legged members of the family. Vacuum air vents weekly and use — and regularly change out — HEPA filters in your air conditioning system, as well.

5. Leave the cleaning to others.
If you do suffer from severe allergies or asthma, consider outsourcing your cleaning chores to a home cleaning service or family members without allergies. Cleaning kicks up allergens, and certain cleaning products even can cause a reaction all on their own; look for natural and plant-based cleaning products or make your own using items such as white vinegar, baking soda and lemon. If you must do your own cleaning, clean a little bit a few days a week as opposed to all in one day, and always wear a dust mask when dusting or vacuuming.

If you do hire a professional cleaner to come in weekly or every other week, he or she can offer you additional tips on how to keep your home allergy free and clean.

Related Posts:

Eliminating Pollen and Allergens From Your Work Space and Home

Molly Maid’s Top Tips for Minimizing Mold in the Home

For your home cleaning needs, call the professionals at Molly Maid. Call 800-MOLLY MAID now to connect directly with your local Molly Maid. Each maid services team comprises bonded, insured, licensed and uniformed housekeepers who are regularly supervised. Click here to request service in your area.

Over the next year, the McKinnons and Molly Maid franchise owners started the Ms. Molly Foundation, which is a non-profit charitable cause that raises awareness about domestic violence and support for its victims.

The United States Department of Justice defines domestic violence as, “…a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.  Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”

Among national statistics, did you know?

• 25% of women will be a victim of domestic violence sometime in her life
• 30 – 60% of those who abuse an intimate partner will also abuse children at home
• Children who witness violence are 1,000 times more likely to be an abuser themselves as an adult

You can access the 2011 Census Report by State to find out how many victims requested and received support in your state. The report also shows needs that were unmet due to reasons including limited funding and overcrowding in shelters. 

In 2011, the Ms. Molly Foundation raised more than $223,000 and donated it to over 120 domestic violence shelters and agencies around the country. Franchise owners and Molly Maid headquarters’ employees hosted fund-raising events, solicited customers for donations, made personal donations and requested support from our vendors to bring the amount raised to $1.2 million since the Foundation’s inception. A majority of our activities take place during October, which is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. In 2010, we began our Dime-ond Level program and franchise owners can share a percentage of every cleaning throughout the year. The Ms. Molly Facebook page has photos and also shares recent publicity we’ve received.

In February, Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux and Ms. Molly Foundation Chairperson Danessa Itaya attended the International

Kristi Mailloux and Danessa Itaya represented the Ms. Molly Foundation at the 2012 IFA Franchising Gives Back event.

Franchise Association’s annual conference. Ms. Molly was one of six charitable organizations featured in their first-ever Franchising Gives Back event, which showcases franchise companies and their philanthropic efforts.

“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.” – Pauline R. Kezer

This is how Molly Maid gives back, please comment and share your community efforts with us! To support the Ms. Molly Foundation, visit our website to make an online donation.

Unless you adopt a strict no-shoes policy in your home, dirt will get tracked in and onto your hardwood floors. And even if the humans in the house take off their shoes at the door, your pets can’t do the same. Follow these simple steps to clean dirty floors, then learn a few easy tricks for keeping as much dirt as possible off hardwoods during the muddy spring season and year-round.

Sweep, Then Vacuum
Start the cleaning process by sweeping your hardwood floor with a high-quality broom with rubber bristles; these bristles prove less abrasive than straw, which can scratch the finish on your floors. Start at one end of the room and move backward, getting into every corner and as far under furniture and appliances as you can. Gather the dust and debris into a pile.

Use a vacuum without a beater bar to suck up the pile, then clean the floor again with the vacuum, paying special attention to gaps between boards. Sweep then vacuum at least once a week and spot clean dirty floors when accidents, or muddy footprints, happen.

Deep Clean Only as Necessary
If you regularly sweep, then vacuum your hardwood floors, only spot deep cleaning should be required. Use a professional cleaner made for hardwood floors and a soft cloth to clean up marks from shoes and toys. Clean sticky messes with a damp sponge or soft cloth. Whatever you do, do not use excessive water, as it can cause the boards to expand and splinter, and do not use wood soap, as it will dull the finish of your floors.

If you have laminate floors and not real hardwood, follow the cleaning directions provided by the manufacturer or installer.

Stop Dirt at the Door
Lay down a floor mat at each entry point in your home, both inside and out, and encourage everyone to wipe their feet. Choose a heavy-duty mat that can withstand the elements, such as rubber, for the outside. Opt for a natural-fiber floor mat for the inside; rubber-backed mats can lead to dirt trapped underneath scratching your hardwood floors. Shake the rugs outside when you clean your dirty floors each week.

Keep Your Pup’s Feet Clean
Before allowing Spot into the house, give his paws a quick cleaning with a towel or pre-moistened doggie wipes. Keep the towel or wipes in a basket by the door and make paw care part of his walks by cleaning him up outside before taking off his leash. If you live in an area that lends itself to muddy messes year-round, consider investing in a portable paw bath. These canisters have soft bristles inside that you dip each your dog’s paws into before letting him inside.

Provide Additional Protection
Prevent other types of damage to your hardwood floors by installing floor protectors on furniture, both heavy and light pieces, and by using window treatments to protect the floors from harsh sunlight during the day. Also, don’t forget to trim your pet’s nails regularly.

Photo Credit : Pinterest.com

Having time to do the things you want to do is important – whether it be more time with the family, more time at home, or simply more “me” time, it should be a priority in life. And we all know that slipping away for a pedicure and a fancy coffee every once in a while can be amazingly refreshing for the soul.

Do you want more free time but you aren’t sure where to start? Well we want to convince you to let Molly Maid take over your house cleaning responsibilities so you can have that extra time. We know what you may be thinking. “Maid services?! That is SO not in my budget.” But it is…

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Cost of a Couple Nights Out = Bi-Weekly Cleaning Service
• Pro Basketball Game = Weekly Cleaning Service
• Family Golf Outing = Monthly Cleaning Service
• Theme Park Vacation = Yearly Cleaning Service

You of all people know that you have better ways to spend your time than scrubbing the toilet and dusting the entire house. If you can’t afford yearly cleaning service that’s OK! You’ll still get free time with bi-weekly cleaning and your house will still be sparkling clean!

Time is money, but it’s precious, too.

If you could put a value on time, what would it be? Tell us in the comments section below.

Team members gathered for a quick review of Molly Maid’s cleaning techniques and supplies before transforming their desks and surrounding areas:

Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux takes a call on her iPhone and dusts office knicknacks using a microfiber cloth.

• Clean the room from top to bottom, moving left to right to ensure you don’t overlook door frames, door panels and window sills. Microfiber is reusable and dust and dirt stick to the fabric making the task easier and works great on computer monitors.
• Dust first, and then vacuum up the debris that falls to the floor.
• Clearing desktop clutter creates calm and allows you to focus on one task at a time. Scan important papers or file them away. Recycle as much unused paper as possible, as well.
• Disinfect your telephone. This frequently used piece of equipment can contain thousands of germs per square inch. Use a disinfecting wipe and wipe down the keypad, headset and mouthpiece regularly.
• Are there crumbs in your keyboard? Don’t invite critters to your desktop, tip your keyboard upside down over the trash can and shake away any food remnants. For serious dust, use a can of compressed air or dip a cotton swab in a disinfecting solution and then use it between the keys.
• Air freshener can make a big difference. The key is to spray it in the corners of your workspace. It will last longer in lower, foot traffic areas.
• Schedule regular cleanings on your work calendar. Tackling this task more often makes it easier.
  

  Jason made a dramatic transformation in his workspace during spring cleaning day.

Check out our team’s photos and interesting tips on Facebook and feel free to share your tips for keeping your workspace healthy and neat. You can also sign up to receive our monthly Molly Moments e-newsletter on our website.