Tag: cleaning tips

4 Apartment Cleaning Tips to Get Back Your Security Deposit

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date August 20, 2022

Whether you live in a rented apartment, condo, or home, you must pay a security deposit before signing the lease. The property managers and landlords use the security deposit to fix any damages and clean the house once the renter moves out.

The good news is that you can still get your money back in full, provided that you meet specific requirements using these apartment cleaning tips.

Property owners appreciate it when you leave their units in good condition. While cleaning can be stressful, there is nothing more satisfying than looking at a sparkling house.

This article shares apartment cleaning tips to ensure you get back your security deposit. Give yourself peace of mind by hiring cleaning professionals for your move-out cleaning. Contact us for a free quote today.

Apartment Cleaning Tips On Different Areas of Your Home

Move-out cleaning should be stricter than the mother-in-law test if you want to get your deposit back. It is more than simply swiping a finger across a mantel. First, you need effective cleaning supplies to make your job easier and faster.

You can start by dusting ceilings and cabinets, wiping countertops, and sinks, and finally, mopping or vacuuming carpets and floors.

Clean From Top to Bottom

When cleaning your apartment, cleaning from top to bottom is essential to ensure that dirt and dust fall to the ground. It saves you time and energy from multiple vacuuming. The first step to deep cleaning your home is removing cobwebs and dusting. You can:

Clear cobwebs from corners and ceilings
Dust ceiling fan, light fixtures, and ledges to remove dust and dirt
Wipe dust from surfaces such as bookcases, shelving, dressers, doors, and curtain rails.
Repaint or remove dirty stains from walls and baseboards
Thoroughly vacuum blinds
Clean and polish mirrors.

Tackling The Bathroom

Bathrooms are some of the tiniest parts of a home but are the least desirable and time-consuming to clean. You must clean the sinks, cabinets, toilet, tiles, and shower. Remember to clean the toilet from top to bottom to avoid spreading germs. Also, ensure to ventilate when using bleach properly.

Here is a step-by-step process of making your bathroom spotless:

Use the disinfectant cleaning spray and microfiber cloth to wipe down the sink and counters. Make a paste of vinegar and baking soda to remove stains from the grout.
Scrub the tub or shower using vinegar and dish soap to eliminate mold and build-up.
Wipe down the mirrors with a glass cleaner and thoroughly polish
When it comes to the toilet, you can use a toilet brush and cleaner to scrub the inside and remove hard water stains.
Antibacterial wipes are your best friend when it comes to wiping down the toilet seat
Finally, clear all the debris from the floor using a vacuum or broom and mop the bathroom floors using soapy water.

Apartment Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most used areas in a home. However, you probably won’t make frequent meals during the last week before moving. This is the best time to start making your kitchen sparkle.

You can hire cleaning services like TLC cleaning professionals to save you from the hassle of cleaning and make your move stress-free.

Here are our apartment cleaning tips if you prefer cleaning the kitchen yourself:

Clear out and clean kitchen cupboard, shelves, and drawers
Throw away food leftovers
Clean windows and wipe down the frames, sills, and ledges
Remove molds and discoloration from the grout, wash and polish the wall tiles
Scrub, rinse, and shine kitchen sinks, faucets, countertops, and worktops
Scrub and polish gas rings and control knobs
Clean the microwave by heating the water and vinegar mixture for a few minutes, and then wipe using a microfiber cloth.
Deep clean the fridge using dish soap, vinegar, and water.
Take the trash out and sanitize the garbage bins
Lastly, mop and polish the kitchen floor.

DIY Oven Cleaning

The oven is one of the places that is mostly ignored when it comes to deep cleaning. That means it’s also one of the places likely to deny your security deposit by the time you’re moving out.

The best apartment cleaning tip to make your oven sparkle is using a mixture of baking soda and water to clean.

Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent because it is mildly abrasive. As a result, it helps eliminate sticky food stains in the oven. It also removes greasy stains and leaves the oven spotless. After washing the oven with the baking soda and water mixture, rinse it using a wet piece of cloth.

TLC Cleaning Services for The Best End of Tenancy Cleaning

As cleaning professionals, we understand how energy and time-consuming cleaning an entire house can be. We provide cleaning services in Fargo, including Grand Forks, Detroit Lakes, Wahpeton, and Jamestown.

If you dream of walking into an immaculate house without taking the time or effort, TLC Cleaning is ready to help. Call us today for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning to keep your space sparkling while you focus on things that matter, like family, career, and friends.

Tags bathroom cleaning, cleaning services, cleaning tips, kitchen cleaning

13 Things to Try and Make Cleaning Fun

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date June 25, 2021

Most people will tell you they don’t even want to picture themselves cleaning on their days off or after a hard day of work. Your days off are hard-earned days of leisure and fun but, who says cleaning can’t be fun? In this blog post, we will share thirteen ways to make cleaning fun and get back to doing what you love. Leave the cleaning to TLC!

TLC Cleaning would love to help you when you are just too busy doing day-to-day life. We are located in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, and also Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

How to Make Cleaning Fun

1. Set a Timer

When you give yourself a few minutes (10 or 15 minutes will do great) to clean, then give yourself a break, you are much less likely to get overwhelmed.

Here is a fantastic video on how to clean your home daily in only 15 minutes!

2. Buy Nice Smelling Cleaning Products

If you pick out nice smelling cleaning products that you love, then you may be more likely to enjoy wiping down that counter. Who doesn’t love a freshly cleaned kitchen that smells like their favorite scent?

3. Pick One Room

Pick one room or one area to work on at a time. When you look at a house as a whole, it can be overwhelming but, just one small room is much more manageable.

4. Get The Kids Involved

If you have children, this is the perfect opportunity to have a little help.

You can turn it into a cleaning game. Pick a random item in the room and tell the kids whoever put the item away in the right spot gets a prize. The trick is to make sure you keep the item a secret until the end. Watch how fast things get put away!

Click here to see our tips on ideas on how to get the kids involved!

5. Pick Up Certain Items Only

There usually are only a few types of items in a room, trash, laundry, and dishes. When you pick one thing at a time to focus on, it will be much easier. Then, once all of one category is gone, move onto the next type of item. You deserve a break in between, though, so don’t forget to do that!

6. Put On a TV Show

Having some TV on is always fun. Don’t put on something you need to pay attention to, though. A mindless show would be your best option.

7. Blast the Music

Music always starts a good time, so why not have some on while cleaning your house? You can even have a dance party if you’d like! Who doesn’t love a dance party every once in and while? We sure do.

Here is a link to a great playlist to get you cleaning and dancing. If you like the 2000s through 2021, you’ll enjoy this!

8. Turn On A Podcast Or Audiobook

Maybe music isn’t your thing, but you can not get enough of your favorite podcast. Maybe your favorite author just released a new book. Load that onto your phone or speaker and listen to that. It will not distract you as much as a movie or TV show you can’t take your eyes off of.

Click here for a podcast you might fall in love with and use as your dishwashing or folding laundry go-to.

9. Make a List

Another tip for how to make cleaning fun is by making yourself a list. Make sure that it is super detailed. For example, if you have to clean the living room, don’t just write “clean living room.”

It will feel like it takes forever to cross it off. You can make your list look like this: clean off the sofa, clean off the entertainment center, clean windows, dust TV, vacuum carpet, fix couch cushions, and rearrange the throw pillows.

All those items may seem like things that you wouldn’t think of writing down but, once you are done and see how much you have gotten accomplished, you will be so much more motivated to finish and possibly get started on the next room or area.

10. Watch Cleaning Videos

Watching other people clean their homes will make you more motivated to clean your house. Everyone has to do it but seeing that other people put it off will make you feel so much better. You are not alone.

Here is a great video to get you started.

11. Wear Your Fitness Tracker And Watch the Calories Fall Off

As you are running around cleaning, your fitness watch will track all the calories and all of the steps you take. If you count your steps and try to reach a goal every day, this may help you get there! Not many people think that a cleaning session can burn that many calories, but you actually do if you are scrubbing and organizing. Make cleaning fun by working towards completing your fitness goals at the same time!

12. Perform a Concert

If you are a person who likes music, this is perfect for you! Once you get in the cleaning groove and really get into a song, you will most likely start singing. Belt it out! Let the neighbors feel like they need to pay for a ticket after what they just heard.

13. Make Cleaning Fun and Let TLC Cleaning Do it For You

We offer online estimates to make your life much easier.

TLC Cleaning has many different services to cater to everyone’s particular needs.

Just moved in or moved out? We have a service just for that. Are your carpets in need of a good steam clean? We offer that too!

We also have a 12 point cold and flu buster package that is great for cold and flu season!

We offer many more services to keep your home clean and sanitized, so make sure to get back to doing what you love! It’s time to leave the cleaning to TLC Cleaning!

Tags cleaning, cleaning tips, how to make cleaning fun, make cleaning fun

Organization

5 Hall Closet Organization Tips

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date July 15, 2020
No Comments on 5 Hall Closet Organization Tips

Hall closets may be small, but oh boy, are they mighty. We stuff these compact spaces with coats, gift wrapping, paper towels, shoes, sporting equipment—and so much more. Hall closet organization and cleaning is an enormous task that we don’t always have the time for.

Located in Fargo, North Dakota, TLC Cleaning will schedule recurring cleaning services to keep your home neat and tidy. This way, you can dedicate some time to do some home and hall closet organization!

Until you schedule those cleaning services, here are some helpful tips on keeping the cluttered coat closets nice and tidy!

Reclaiming Your Closet

No matter how desperately you try to keep your closet under control, it somehow has a way of becoming a storage solution for your home’s clutter. No matter if you have a walk-in or super small space, these hall closet organization ideas are sure to maximize your closet space and make everything in them easy to find.

There’s a smart storage space idea for every closet and budget, so you’ll have a cleaner and more manageable space before you know it. The best perk? Thanks to these tips, you might even be able to find your winter coat that went missing years ago.

1. Evaluate

The first step for creating an organized closet is to create a rule for what specific category of items you will store in your closet. Making a strict decision on what you will keep in this closet will eliminate clutter and stress.

Reduce the clutter by stopping yourself from constantly throwing all those random things you find that need a place to live into the closet.

2. Empty Out and Clean

Pull EVERY single item out of the closet and to a nearby sorting space. Then give that empty closet a detailed cleaning by wiping off shelves, dusting the baseboards, and vacuuming the floor.

3. Sort and Remove

You’ve already decided which items belong in the closet. Now, it’s time to take the things that don’t belong out of there. Decide whether each item belongs in the donate pile, keep pile, or the garbage bag.

Once you’ve gone through everything, sort your KEEP items into specific categories.

Bring the items that don’t belong in the closet to their new home, gather the items marked for donation, and put them in your car.

4. Organize

Here’s where we have some fun and get creative! There are a billion and one different tricks, ideas, and strategies to hall closet organization. Depending on what you have decided to store in the small space, your options will vary.

Follow these simple hall closet organization tips to keep coats, shoes, crafts, and toys under control.

Create Clothing Dividers

Purchase or print some easy to hang divider tags. You can now quickly and easily sort through the sizes and categories of the clothing you’re looking for.

You can kiss, running late to events because you couldn’t find that sweater shoved in the back of the closet “goodbye!”

Recruit the Help of Shower Rings

Instead of assigning each scarf its own hanger or knotting them all up onto one, place shower rings on hangers to create individual holders for your entire tribe.

Kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of those unwanted wrinkles and crammed coat rods!

Take Advantage of all Vertical Space

When you start to think every inch of that closet is taken up, take another look around. Be sure to pay attention to any extra space on the walls and fill it with hooks!

Place these hooks at various heights to hang necklaces, scarfs, bags, and belts. You can even hang baskets to fill with crafts, toys, hats, etc.

Keep Your Shoes Off the Floor With Proper Shoe Storage

Quickly find each shoe pair by keeping footwear in shoe bins or investing in a shoe rack. You can even organize by color and occasion!

Drawer Organizers

Quickly find toys, cleaning supplies, or crafts with simple drawer organizers. Pick bright colors or patterns to bring some extra happiness out every time you open your drawers.

Color Coordinate Everything

The quickest way to take your closet from junky to jaw-dropping is to color coordinate! It’s as simple as hanging coats by color, placing shoes by color, and putting toys in colored containers. This little detail makes all the difference to your hall closet’s organization.

Hang Bags on the Door

Putting hooks on the inside of your closet door will offer up more space everywhere else. It also makes finding the right bag so much easier.

Use Space Up Top

Savvy storage boxes were practically made for storing those random knick-knacks above the coat rod. Add some extra shelves up high. The higher you go, the more space you’ll add!

Label Like Crazy

Baskets are great for stylish hall closet organization, but only if you know what’s inside. Knowing the content of a storage bin is especially important on a top shelf, so it’s time to grab your label maker and get to work!

The more you take advantage of labels, the less likely you are to throw those random items wherever they’ll fit.

5. Maintain

Maintaining the hall closets organization can’t be stressed enough! It is the most important tip to remember.

Now that you’ve spent all that time and effort thoroughly cleaning out and organizing that cluttered closet, don’t make yourself repeat these steps all over again in the future!

Do a twice-a-year maintenance session routine for your hall, mudroom, bedroom, and linen closets. Take a minute to mark your calendar with hall closet clean-out days. With this system, you’ll enjoy an organized hall closet all year long!

A good tip is to do closet upkeep sessions in the spring and fall since it aligns with the change of seasons (and many of the items in our closets are used only during certain seasons).

Hall Closet Organization Tips From TLC Cleaning

With these changes, your closet will be functioning so much better, and you’ll be able to keep it organized. You can stop being embarrassed when a guest drops by, and you hang their coat in the hall closet!

Now that your hall closet looks organized and better than ever, it’s time to make the whole house look just as amazing! Are you tired of cleaning and organizing after all that hard work? No problem! Call TLC Cleaning to schedule recurring cleaning services to keep your home neat and tidy because you deserve a housekeeper!

Tags cleaning tips, closet, hall closet, organization

General Cleaning

9 Things You Can Clean While Working Remotely

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date April 18, 2020
No Comments on 9 Things You Can Clean While Working Remotely

a person having tea while working remotely on their computer

A mass pandemic hit us all over the world in early 2020. For safety’s sake, as many people as possible are staying home and working remotely. And fortunately or otherwise, cleaning is recommended during any pandemic, to try and make your home less pandemic-y.

Picture the scene: You’re working remotely, either because of COVID-19, or because you can. It’s possibly the first time you’ve gotten to do this, and so you’re thinking – yay, I’m free from the commute! I can do as I please – it’s MY office!

Dream versus reality.

woman working remotely and holding her toddler

-You thought your office space would be yours, but then the kids decided to pay a site visit. Next thing, their toys are underfoot, their sticky fingers are all over your computer monitor, and they’ve decided to decorate your “office” with their finger paintings.

-You realize, after spilling your coffee, why the rule about not drinking at your desk was in place. You frantically look around for the cleaning staff. If you’re in the Fargo, North Dakota area, TLC can help you. Give TLC a call and schedule a one-time or recurring home cleaning appointment.

-Working remotely in your own space means that you set the boundaries. No unruly colleagues interrupting, phone calls diverted, and you can even minimize the number of meetings you have. But pets don’t respect your boundaries, you may have twice as many messages, and teleconferencing can be as intrusive as meetings.

Staying productive means staying organized

a man working remotely at a very organized desk

It pays to keep your workspace clean and tidy. Who knows when the boss might demand an update via video conference to literally “see” how you’re going? Your regular cleaners can’t come in, so you’re responsible for keeping the place looking like somewhere you want to work in.

Whether you’re working from home, in lockdown, or at home because, well, it’s home, keep the area as clean as possible. Germs love dirt, bacteria thrive on unhygienic surfaces, and really, it’s just not nice living in squalor. So when you’ve got a bit of spare time, check off the cleaning jobs you meant to do “one day.”

Computer

While working remotely, your computer is probably the most important tool in your arsenal.

Whether you use it for work or entertainment, your computer is probably one of the dirtiest items in your home. In fact, it’s so dirty that we’re going to look at the main parts separately. Always disconnect the computer from any power source before you clean, and remember, less is more so gentle wipes only!

1) Mouse

If you use a mouse, then think about what you’re doing to it. Your palm rests on it, your finger clicks when needed, and your hand moves it around the mousepad. Use alcohol swabs, or a moist cloth, to wipe its surface, and use a toothpick to clean any small spaces.

2) Monitor

That random dot on your monitor is not a punctuation mark in a strange place. More likely, that speck was caused when you didn’t sneeze into your elbow or when you tapped the screen with your finger. Spray a cleaning solution onto a soft, disposable cloth and gently wipe the screen until those smudges disappear.

3) Keyboard

The humble keyboard is where some of the real nasties can lurk. Hair, skin, spilled food, and general detritus find their way into the keyboard and lurk like evil goblins, waiting to strike. Shake out as much as you can, use a brush to loosen the remainder, then vacuum the remnants out.

You can also use a can of air to discharge any crumbs or debris, found at your local office supply store.

4) Desk

Drinking coffee at your desk is practically a given when you’re working remotely, so you need to watch for spills, condensation, or drips. At the end of each day, remove all paper, files, and objects from the surface. Use a clean cloth and cleaning solution to wipe it down and let it dry naturally before replacing items.

Other areas to clean

mom and daughter cleaning windows together

5. Workbench

If you are using mechanical tools, there will probably be spillages, like oil, sawdust, chips, or other mess. For safely, as well as hygiene, keep your workbench as clean as possible. Dust regularly, wipe up spills immediately (before they can stain), and organize your tools in a logical fashion.

6. Windows

Keeping your windows and window frames clean and clear can improve your outlook – both generally and literally. Don’t let sticky finger marks or smudges ruin your view. A gentle window cleaner, a lint-free cloth, a few wipes, and you’ve got a picture-perfect view.

7. Skirting boards

Don’t have your lazy afternoon on the couch spoiled by noticing just how dirty your skirting boards are. If you want a bit of entertainment, make cleaning these into a game with the kids. Whoever stays driest while cleaning these hard-to-reach, and often drippy, places wins.

8. Bookshelves

You may find yourself overlooking the bookshelves when cleaning, but they need a little TLC too. Quick weekly dusting may be sufficient, but once in a while, make sure you vacuum behind the bookshelves. While you’re at it, wipe the books down and try to instill some order to the shelves.

9. Light fittings

Definitely not on your regular cleaning list are the light fittings. But every time you press the switch to turn the lights on and off, your finger contaminates the switch and vice versa. Clean these regularly, either by spraying a cleaning solution onto a cloth and wiping or by using antibacterial wipes.

Other benefits of a clean, tidy home include:

Safety

You don’t want to trip over that untidy pile of rubbish every time you walk down the hall.

Physical fitness

Studies have shown that you are more likely to exercise if your house is tidy. It takes energy, determination, and willpower to keep your home neat, and these are all qualities you channel when deciding to exercise. Plus, some housework activities can double as aerobic exercises if you do them right.

Exactly how many calories do you burn when scrubbing a shower?

Longevity

Keeping your home clean and tidy helps prevent structural nasties from getting hold. It is far easier to prevent mold and mildew than it is to remove once it’s made itself at home. If you keep your home clean and ventilated, it is less likely to suffer from problems with dampness or rot.

Keep up the good work

someone using an iphone on a yellow background

Either as a treat or to keep your home looking and feeling cleaning and hygienic, let the professionals take over. The TLC Cleaning Company in Fargo, North Dakota, will keep your house looking as though you never worked remotely from it. So contact us for a quote and see how we can help you.

Tags cleaning tips, home office, office, work from home, working from home

Cleaning Tips Deep Cleaning General Cleaning Winter Cleaning

How to Clean Your House Fast for the Holidays

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date December 14, 2018
No Comments on How to Clean Your House Fast for the Holidays

The holidays bring merriment, cheer, family time, warm and fuzzy feelings, and, inevitably, some stress. Fortunately, the joy of the holiday season is greater than the weight and busyness, but most people can’t help but avoid certain aspects of holiday stress.

Whether it’s budgeting and shopping for everyone on your list, planning holiday meals and baking Christmas goodies, or decorating and making sure you hid your kid’s elf the night before, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can get to you. On top of preparing and planning for a wonderful celebration, the stress of getting your house clean for guests is also likely weighing on you.

Instead of stressing about how to clean your house fast for the holidays, relax and make a plan to conquer this formidable task. With some planning and these useful tips, you can be sure to get your house clean quickly. If you find yourself still struggling, a call to TLC Cleaning may be just what you need to retain your sanity this holiday season.

Prioritize

Prioritizing might be the biggest cleaning house tip. If you are lacking the time and need your house clean in a hurry, it is essential to organize your tasks by urgency since you won’t be able to take the usual amount of time to do a detailed clean. Make a quick list of the main items you want to tackle. Certain chores can make a noticeable difference in your home, so start with those first.

Identify areas that are the most obviously in need of cleaning and complete them first. This method will give you a sense of accomplishment, and make the fastest difference in the look of your home.

Remove Clutter

One thing that can make even a clean house look messy is the accumulation of clutter and belongings everywhere. It can be hard to pick up after others in your home, but if company is coming, and you only have an hour, it’s time to power through and put things away.

Clear your surfaces of any unnecessary paperwork and miscellaneous items. Throw out anything redundant or that you’ve been hanging on to for too long. Make sure everything is in its proper place. Once your tables and countertops are free of clutter, you’ll already feel like your home is well on its way to being clean.

If you are short on time and have items that you can’t find a place for, consider placing them in a basket and leaving them in a closet until you have time to find a place for them.

Wipe Down Surfaces

A dirty counter can stand out like a sore thumb. Quickly disinfect and wipe down kitchen counters to remove smudges, stains, and crumbs. Make sure you do this before you sweep and mop, so anything that falls to the floor can be taken care of when you move on to that chore.

Wipe down appliances as well, if time allows. A fingerprint free fridge will look nice and help add to the overall clean look of the house. Don’t skip this cleaning house tip if you want your home to shine.

Clean Bathrooms

You certainly don’t want your guests using a dirty bathroom. If your guests are just coming for dinner or the afternoon, you won’t necessarily need to scrub down the entire shower. A quick wipe down will be sufficient, leaving you more time to focus on the bathroom counters and, of course, the toilet.

Don’t forget to clean the mirror and do a quick run-through with a mop. Your guests will appreciate a clean and fresh bathroom.

Floors

The last chore you should tackle is cleaning the floors. Vacuum or mop them last to ensure that any dust, cobwebs, or crumbs thrown on the floor during cleaning are taken care of. For a quicker mopping experience, consider spraying the floor with a floor cleaner and mopping after, instead of using the traditional bucket and water method.

Dining Room Table

If you are hosting a holiday meal, you’ll want to make sure the focal point of your gathering, the dining room table, is clean. Wipe down tables and chairs until they are free from anything sticky. A festive tablecloth will not only provide a holiday look for your dinner but can help hide any blemishes or stains on your table that you didn’t have time to remove.

Use Extra Time to Be More Thorough

If you were able to work through this list quickly and have any time left over before your guests arrive or your event begins, you can use this time to go over any areas you feel need it. Dusting can be time-consuming, and in a pinch, you can skip it. But if you have extra time after cleaning the prominent areas in your home, take some time to dust.

Windows are also a big job, but if you have the extra time, cleaning them will make the whole room seem brighter. Clean windows look amazing and make a noticeable difference in your home. If time allows, cleaning them will help make your whole house sparkle.

Any finishing touches you can put on your house cleaning will leave you feeling better about the condition of your home.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If the busy holiday season has you behind on your housework, don’t hesitate to reach out to TLC Cleaning. Start the holiday season off with one of our deep cleaning packages. Let us deep clean your house, so all you have to do is keep up with it. You’ll love our attention to detail and quality work, and you’ll avoid stress and save time for holiday fun.

You may even decide to treat yourself to a maintenance cleaning schedule throughout the holidays. TLC Cleaning can do your housework for you during the holiday season so you can rest knowing your home will always be looking its best no matter who drops by.

Spend the holidays with your loved ones instead of constantly working on cleaning your house. Reach out to TLC cleaning today.

Tags cleaning for guests, cleaning hacks, cleaning schedule, cleaning tips, holiday cleaning

Cleaning Tips General Cleaning

Housekeeping Checklist to Clean your House Faster

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date October 25, 2018
No Comments on Housekeeping Checklist to Clean your House Faster

Have you ever wished you could decrease the amount of time you spend cleaning your house? Do you want to be more organized in your cleaning efforts? As busy people, we look for ways to create efficiencies in our work and personal lives but sometimes neglect to apply those same lessons to our homes.

At TLC Cleaning, we understand you don’t have a lot of time for housework, which is why we offer a variety of cleaning services to meet your needs. If you are looking for ways to clean your house more quickly so you can spend more time doing the things you love, read on for some tips from the professionals.

The Importance Of A Housecleaning Checklist

With our many work and personal commitments, cleaning our house can often fall to the bottom of the priority list. When we finally have the time to begin, we may feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start.

By using a house cleaning checklist, we break up the larger job into smaller tasks which can feel more manageable. According to Hartford Business, “since checklists can make us feel successful, (the list) becomes a virtuous circle where we are often motivated to accomplish more due to the positive results we get.” Additionally, we avoid duplicating or skipping tasks due to interruption or forgetfulness.

Other Benefits Of Checklists

Using checklists can also be beneficial for many reasons. For example, when we use a list, our brain does not have to remember those tasks. Instead of being distracted because we are trying to remember a household chore, we can spend more time thinking about other important things going on in our lives, such as work, friends, family, and hobbies.

Since most household chores can be completed while multi-tasking (such as talking on the phone), a housecleaning checklist becomes another way you can maximize your time while still keeping the house clean.

Use The Checklist To Delegate

Since checklists break down the work into specific tasks, they can be helpful when delegating work out to others. Others in your household will know what needs to be done because the housecleaning checklist outlines the jobs for them.

The next time you ask your roommate, spouse, partner or child for help, you can hand them a checklist to make the job simpler for everyone!

Types Of House Cleaning Checklists

Housecleaning checklists are organized in various ways for different purposes. Common types of lists include regular cleaning daily, weekly, monthly or annually. It will be useful to have a checklist when doing deep cleaning or seasonal cleaning. Some people even keep a checklist handy for when they have unexpected guests and need to do some emergency cleaning!

Daily Checklist

After a long day, it is so tempting to leave your coat and shoes at the door – or leave your dirty dishes in the sink. Taking care of these daily chores will help you stay on top of the mess, so when you begin your monthly cleaning, you won’t have to spend time picking up first.

Make the bed
Pick up your bedroom
Put away clean/dirty dishes
Wipe counters and tables
Spot vacuum and sweep as appropriate

Weekly Checklist

All of our homes can use a good weekly cleaning to remove the dirt, grime, and dust we have accumulated over the last week. In fact, health benefits from regular housecleaning include decreased stress and fatigue, improvements to asthma and allergies, greater safety, and of course, minimize the spreading of germs. Here is a handy list for weekly cleaning.

Change sheets on beds
Wipe bathroom countertops and sinks
Wash bathroom showers/tubs
Clean toilets
Clean mirrors (bathrooms and others around the house)
Dust furniture (Be sure to dust before you vacuum to avoid dirt onto a clean floor!)
Vacuum and mop floors
Clean all the kitchen appliances (including the inside of the microwave)
Don’t forget to toss old food left in the refrigerator!
Wash, dry, and fold laundry (This is a great one to tackle a little bit every day.)

If staying on top of your weekly cleaning is a challenge for you, consider our basic cleaning package. We clean the kitchen, bathrooms, bedroom, living areas, laundry room, and entryways for you!

Deep Cleaning Checklists

While we would like to think daily and weekly cleanings are enough, there are times when it is essential to deep clean as well. Using a checklist for these particular cleaning tasks ensures they get completed instead of forgotten. As you put together your housecleaning checklist, here are some additional chores to consider.

Monthly

Vacuum and dust vents, baseboards and trim
Move furniture and vacuum/mop appropriately
Dust blinds and light fixtures
Clean inside of the fridge

Annually

Steam clean carpet and other upholstery
Wash windows
Clean window treatments (i.e., curtains and drapes)
Wipe down cabinets

We also offer a special 7-hour deep cleaning package, so if you need a jump start on your clean up efforts, give us a call.

Put The Checklist To Good Use

Cleaning the entire house can often feel daunting, but the beauty of a checklist is the chores are broken down into small and completed tasks. According to Better Homes and Gardens, “most household chores can be completed in 10 minutes or less.” One way to utilize a weekly cleaning checklist is to pick tasks to complete depending on the time you have available.

If you finish one or two chores each day, by the end of the week, the whole house will be clean! The checklist helps you keep track of what you have already cleaned, so you don’t accidentally clean the same thing twice. The same concept works well with deep cleaning efforts – a little bit each day can go a long way!

Instead of coming home to a messy house at the end of a long day, organize your cleaning into a housekeeping checklist. You will feel less stressed out and have more time to focus on the things you enjoy because your household chores will be more manageable and efficient.

And if you like the idea of using your checklist to communicate and delegate household chores, remember TLC Cleaning would love to be part of your team. We can help with your regular or deep cleaning, so your checklist is completed faster than ever!

Tags cleaning checklist, cleaning hacks, cleaning list, cleaning schedule, cleaning tips

Cleaning Tips General Cleaning

Secrets of People with Clean Houses

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date May 19, 2018
No Comments on Secrets of People with Clean Houses

We all have at least one – that friend who seems to have it all together. They have a full-time job, 2.5 kids, a family dog, and their home could dominate a three-page spread of Good Housekeeping.

You could eat a steak and salad right off their counter–no plate. And you just know the beds in their house are all made. It’s as if Mrs. Potts and her crew found a side hustle outside the castle after Belle moved in.

The truth is, these people don’t actually have it all together. And, sadly, Beauty and the Beast is, indeed, a fairy tale. The people with clean houses just know a thing or two about organization and planning ahead.

And with some motivation and the right supplies, even you can have a home Martha Stewart would approve of.

Clean as You Go

You might be thinking: Talk about obvious!

But think about it–how often do you actually do this?

People with immaculate homes clean up as they go. After they dirty dishes, they go straight into the dishwasher. When they gather the daily mail from the box, they toss the junk mail and file the rest. Imagine a typical day in your own life and think about all the cleaning opportunities you pass by because you’ll “do it later.”

Save yourself the time later and do it now.

Make a Schedule

Think of cleaning your house as a marathon, not a sprint. While you might have visions of cleaning your house from top to bottom Mrs. Doubtfire style, sweeping and mopping to the sounds of Dude (Looks Like a Lady), you’ll most likely get about an hour-long cleaning spree, max, before you run out of steam (literally and figuratively if you’re cleaning carpets).

With no game plan, you’re going to get overwhelmed. Those with clean homes have a cleaning schedule, and they stick to it–slow and steady for the win.

Remember: be the tortoise, not the hare.

Start by making a personalized schedule to suit your home and family’s needs. It could be as simple as assigning certain rooms to days of the week. Or, you could go ultra-organized and choose different tasks to tackle on different days of the week. Try compiling a comprehensive checklist with a list of all the projects you’d like to get done in a week or a month. (IHeart Organizing offers a variety of personalized cleaning task templates.) Make a plan, pin it up to your bulletin board, and get scrubbing, Swiffering, and sweeping.

A little cleaning each day will transform your home before you know it, minus the stress that comes with an all-day cleaning spree.

Hire a Cleaning Service

Do you know what is more valuable than money?

Time: it’s is a precious commodity that we can’t afford to waste , and hiring a cleaning company to do our dirty work for us is worth its weight in gold.

With all-inclusive cleaning services cropping up all over the U.S., it is now a viable option to bring in the professionals to clean your home. These companies offer the flexibility of visiting weekly, monthly, yearly, and anything in between. They will clean only the problem areas you despise (moldy bathroom grout, anyone?) or do a full sweep of your abode.

With competitive rates, these time-saving companies are not as expensive as you might think, and their services are worth every dollar.

Minimize the Clutter

Clean freaks understand that styling your space with a “less is more” approach automatically makes the area appear larger and cleaner.

Start with one living room shelf. Pick a focal point: This could be a medium-to-large sculpture or maybe a stack of favored books. Then choose a few accent pieces of variable heights and widths.

Try not to have multiple focal points and a few accent pieces per shelf. Use this styling advice all throughout your home, from bedroom to bathroom to den.

Pare it Down

How do we pare down a lifetime of memorabilia, collections, and all the gadgets we just had to buy on QVC?

For every item cluttering up your kitchen counters or stealing precious space on your shelves, first consider its importance and the amount of use it gets. If you would not be sad to see it go, and if you don’t use the item (or even notice it) more than a few times a month, why keep it?

Next, if you have more than one (whisk, blender, vase, etc.), re-home the duplicates by donating them to Goodwill or a women’s shelter. (Unless, of course, you have a precious collection of Swarovski crystal cat statues. By all means, keep them all.)

Think of your donation as a gift to our environment and your newly cleaned house.

Create a Cleaning Station

After you clear out your coat closet (which we all know is actually a glorified junk drawer, anyway), stock it up with cleaning essentials. Hang a Swiffer and a broom on the inner door. Reusable cleaning cloths are a great, cost-effective cleaning tool and are also better for the planet than disposables.

Throw together a cleaning caddy to have at your disposal:

Start with a dollar store shower caddy.
Toss in some sponges, a magic eraser, and some microfiber cloths.
A spray bottle containing a 50% mix of distilled white vinegar and water works like a natural-cleaning charm on glass and other surfaces.

Now the kicker: Any time you have a spare five minutes to clean, grab that caddy and go to work. Having all of your cleaning supplies together will cut time and streamline your cleaning process.So, you see, even without the help of Lumiere and Cogsworth, this clean house thing is within your reach. With a little elbow grease, the right mindset, and a working plan, you can have the tidy home you’ve always dreamed of.

And that, says Martha, is a “good thing.”

Tags cleaning hacks, cleaning schedule, cleaning secrets, cleaning tips

Cleaning Tips General Cleaning

The Best of TLC Cleaning Hacks

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date May 12, 2018
No Comments on The Best of TLC Cleaning Hacks

Some people love to clean, while others accept it as a reality. Either way, we all can use these cleaning hacks to make the job quicker and easier!

Clean Your Sponges

Sponges are known to be hoarders of bacteria. Think about it: it’s just sitting there wet. Then you pick it up, and you wipe those other surfaces in your kitchen with it. To ensure that you aren’t spreading that bacteria around to other surfaces, you will need to clean that sponge.

Two options that work: drop it on the top rack of the dishwasher with your next load of dishes, or microwave it for one minute. We suggest the microwave because it releases moisture which will help loosen up any dried substances on the inside of your microwave, making wiping it out even easier. Two birds, one stone. A side note about the microwave method, don’t pick the sponge up right away! It’s going to be very hot.

Blender Love

Made some smoothies? Need to clean up that blender? Easy-peasy! Put some water in there with a couple of drops of dish soap and blend away. Rinse. All clean!

Coffee Pot or Tea Brewer

For a lot of us, the coffee pot is the start of our day. A quick and painless way to clean it up is to run one part water, one part vinegar through a cycle.

Hard Water Stains

Quickly and easily remove hard water stains from those bathroom surfaces or your kitchen sink with a lemon. Simply rub a cut lemon on the problem areas, and let the juice sit for about ten minutes and then rinse it with warm water.

Coca-Cola can clean your toilet. It’s easy to find an alternative to whatever cleaners you’ve been using. Grab a 20 ounce Coke, and pour it into the bowl. Use care to make sure you hit every area. Now, different from the other cleaners that you are accustomed to using, you need to let the Coke sit. Allow it to sit in there for at least an hour. After your wait time is up, grab your brush or rag and get to scrubbing. Scrub every spot, get the entire inside of your bowl. Once you think you’ve gotten it all, give it a flush and watch the sparkle!

Stove Hood Vent Cleaning

This is an out of sight out of mind spot. It’s up there, collecting grease. Thankfully, it’s not that hard to clean. Buy some borax in the laundry section of your store. Fill your sink with hot water and add ¼ cup of borax. Place the hood vent in the water. You might want gloves; borax can be rough on the skin. Swish it around, then let it sit and allow the borax to do its thing. After about fifteen minutes, come back, glove up, and check on it. Wipe it with a paper towel. If any grease remains, repeat steps one and two. Then wipe the edges and rinse thoroughly with water. Allow your sparkly clean vent to dry and replace.

Air Vents

There are a few tools that come with most vacuums that making cleaning air vents simple. However, if you find that the job doesn’t get done well enough, try using a rag and your favorite cleaning agent. Wrap the cloth around a screwdriver or a butter knife to be able to slip it between the vent pieces. Cleaning this reduces dust being sent into your room every time the air kicks on, as well as remove any blockage allowing your unit to function better overall.

Window Blinds

Often, window blinds become big time dust offenders in many homes. Here’s a quick and easy solution to clean up the dust and dirt that accumulates here. Take equal parts vinegar and water, use a rag or a sock dipped in the mixture and then simply wipe the blind slats. Dust and grime disappear.

A Brilliant Way to Make Your Stainless Steel Appliances Shine.

Many homeowners find that stainless steel appliances are beautiful, but, they seem to be littered continuously with fingerprints. Giving them a new shine is easy. Grab some rubbing alcohol and a lint-free or microfiber cloth. Another quick fix: spray it with WD-40 and wipe it off. If you want to see your reflection in your appliance, you can go the extra mile. After washing it down with some dish soap and water, dry all of the wet spots. Next, wipe it with a couple of drops mineral, baby, or olive oil on a clean, soft cloth.

Shower Scum Can be Easily Cleaned

Ready to destroy that problematic soap scum and yucky grime that’s been creating a home inside of your shower? We have the answer for you! Take a dish wand with a sponge on the end and a handle that holds the liquid soap, and fill it with half dish soap and half white vinegar. You can now get to scrubbing those walls! If you don’t want to use the sponge handle, a toothbrush or an old sponge will work too. Mix the solution in a cup and dip the brush or sponge into it.

Don’t Forget The Shower Head

This is an easy cleaning solution where soaking it does all the heavy lifting. Grab a baggie big enough to fit around your shower head. Mix equal parts water and vinegar right in the bag. Take a rubber band and secure the baggie around the shower head so that the head is submersed into the solution. Let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

Use Tape or a Lint Roller to Clean Up Dust

Use a lint roller or some strong tape wrapped around your hand to pick up dust, debris, and crumbs pretty much anywhere around the house. It works well for lampshades and the insides of drawers.

Use Your Dishwasher

We already talked about throwing your sponge in there, but I bet there are a ton of other household things you never thought to throw in the dishwasher to save yourself some time and effort. You can wash hair brushes, tweezers/nail clippers, makeup brushes, shoes, toothbrush holders, pet bowls, even some of your kids’ plastic toys. Don’t forget about those stove knobs, and drip pans either. Make sure the temperature of the dishwasher does not get high enough to melt anything.

Garbage Disposal Freshening

Lemons. Cut them in half, drop them in your disposal and turn the water and the disposal on. Done.

Short on time for these hacks? Give TLC Cleaning a call, whether you need some weekly spot cleaning or a seasonal deep clean; we are here for you anytime.

Tags cleaning hacks, cleaning tips

Apartment Cleaning Tips On Different Areas of Your Home

Clean From Top to Bottom

Tackling The Bathroom

Apartment Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen

DIY Oven Cleaning

TLC Cleaning Services for The Best End of Tenancy Cleaning

How to Make Cleaning Fun

1. Set a Timer

2. Buy Nice Smelling Cleaning Products

3. Pick One Room

4. Get The Kids Involved

5. Pick Up Certain Items Only

6. Put On a TV Show

7. Blast the Music

8. Turn On A Podcast Or Audiobook

9. Make a List

10. Watch Cleaning Videos

11. Wear Your Fitness Tracker And Watch the Calories Fall Off

12. Perform a Concert

13. Make Cleaning Fun and Let TLC Cleaning Do it For You

Reclaiming Your Closet

1. Evaluate

2. Empty Out and Clean

3. Sort and Remove

4. Organize

Create Clothing Dividers

Recruit the Help of Shower Rings

Take Advantage of all Vertical Space

Keep Your Shoes Off the Floor With Proper Shoe Storage

Drawer Organizers

Color Coordinate Everything

Hang Bags on the Door

Use Space Up Top

Label Like Crazy

5. Maintain

Hall Closet Organization Tips From TLC Cleaning

Dream versus reality.

Staying productive means staying organized

Computer

Other areas to clean

Other benefits of a clean, tidy home include:

Keep up the good work

Prioritize

Remove Clutter

Wipe Down Surfaces

Clean Bathrooms

Floors

Dining Room Table

Use Extra Time to Be More Thorough

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

The Importance Of A Housecleaning Checklist

Other Benefits Of Checklists

Use The Checklist To Delegate

Types Of House Cleaning Checklists

Daily Checklist

Weekly Checklist

Deep Cleaning Checklists

Put The Checklist To Good Use

We all have at least one – that friend who seems to have it all together. They have a full-time job, 2.5 kids, a family dog, and their home could dominate a three-page spread of Good Housekeeping.

Clean as You Go

Make a Schedule

Hire a Cleaning Service

Minimize the Clutter

Pare it Down

Create a Cleaning Station

Some people love to clean, while others accept it as a reality. Either way, we all can use these cleaning hacks to make the job quicker and easier!

Cleaning Homes, Caring For People

Cleaning Homes,
Caring For People