Set your ceiling fans counterclockwise for the summer


During the summer, your ceiling fans should be set to turn counterclockwise, which will push the cooler air down and draw the warmer air up. Running a fan will help your air conditioner work less, which will in reduce your cooling bill. It is more energy efficient to run a fan and your air conditioner than the air conditioner alone.

Keep your ceiling fan blades clean too so the motor will expend less energy turning the blades. To clean your ceiling fans, prepare a simple solution of dishwashing liquid and water in a bucket. To reach the fan you will need a step stool or ladder. Climb up the step stool or ladder and dust off the blades with a Swiffer or feather duster. Then, wipe them clean with a rag dampened in your cleaning solution.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to get rid of vacuum cleaner odor

Is your vacuum cleaner a little stinky? Try these tips to freshen it up and make your whole home smell nice. Martha Stewart Living suggests dabbing a cotton ball with essential oil, and putting it inside your empty vacuum bag. Those with bagless vacuums can put a few drops directly on the filter. Use essential oil sparingly because less is more. There are endless varieties. If the thought of a Florida orange grove entices you, try orange oil.

Eucalyptus or tea tree oils will give you an instant pine forest type of fragrance.

Another idea is to sprinkle some baking soda on your carpeting and vacuum it up.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

green cleaning idea #4 – window cleaner

 

As an alternative to Windex or other ammonia-based window cleaners, try mixing up your own green window cleaner. Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of warm water to a bucket or an empty spray bottle, and clean the windows as usual. The acetic acid in the vinegar will dissolve the dirt on the windows.

This window cleaner is similar to our green general cleaner. However, it is a more concentrated solution of vinegar to water.

Also see our blog entry how to clean windows.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

green cleaning idea #3 – drain cleaner

To unclog a sink or tub try this environmentally friendly drain cleaner. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow it with 1 cup of hot vinegar. Let it set for a few minutes, and then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain. Repeat if necessary.

Hint: Instead of throwing away the baking soda used as a freshener in your refrigerator, extend the life of it by reusing it as a drain cleaner.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

5 ideas to whip your home into shape before summer

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s a great time to whip your home into shape before the nice weather arrives. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1) Pull out your refrigerator and oven, and clean underneath them. Clean the coils on your refrigerator too. You can vacuum them using a crevice tool, or dust them with an extenstion duster.

2) Move couches, chairs, and other furntiture, and vacuum in those hard to reach areas.

3) Wipe down your baseboards.  

4) Wash your windows.

5) Clean the ceiling fans.

5) Declutter your home. Professional organizer Pooja Gugnani, founder and owner of Organizing with You in Chicago, wrote some great advice about changing your mindset about clutter in her article titled “Mind Over Clutter.” 

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

green cleaning idea #2 – mild oven cleaner

 

Tired of putting on rubber gloves to protect your hands against caustic chemicals when cleaning your oven? Baking soda is a natural, mild abrasive that won’t scratch. Sprinkle some right out of the box on your stove-top or inside your oven, and scour with a damp 3M Scotch-Brite pad or sponge. You could also scrub your kitchen counters with it,  or use it in the bathroom on your tub or shower tiles.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

Product recommendation: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

We recently discovered a great product to take scuff marks and stains off of walls without damaging the paint. It is called Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It’s essentially a white sponge that you dampen with water. As you lightly scrub the wall, the eraser magically takes away the marks, and it eventually disintegrates into nothing. In addition to cleaning spots off of our office walls, it did wonders on a copy machine that had been become discolored over the years.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

wet mop brand recommendations

Here are some specific product recommendations for wet mop heads and handles, as well as where to purchase them. This is a follow-up to our post on how to clean hardwood floors.

We recommend these Quickie brand products, which can be purchased at Lowe’s. Our favorite mop head is the Quickie Wet Mop Refill With Microban (pictured to the left). The ends are stitched so they will not unravel or get tangled in the washing machine. Note that mop heads with Microban should be air dried, and not put in the dryer. They fit all Quickie 023 series mop handles, including the Quickie Clean Results Wet Mop With Microban (pictured below).

We also like the Rubbermaid Super Stitch Blend Mop Head which fits onto the Rubbermaid Value-Pro Mop Handle. However, they are difficult to find in smaller sizes in stores.  The large 24 oz. is sold at Home Depot and Office Depot, but they are  too big to use without a wringer.  The small (and medium) size is available online at cleaning and restaurant supply companies or at Amazon.com.

As we mentioned in our post about cleaning hardwood floors, we recommend using any string mop with a detachable head over a sponge mop or Swiffer. There are many other varieties of Quickie, Libman, and Rubbermaid brand mop heads and handles sold at grocery stores (Jewel, Dominick’s),drug chains (CVS, Walgreens), Home Depot, Target, Ace Hardware, Office Depot, etc. Most will be adequate. String mops do a great job and are cost effective because the detachable heads can be laundered in your washing machine and used over and over again.

To schedule a cleaning or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit Maid in Chicago’s website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to clean windows

Cleaning the insides of windows is time consuming, but it can be rather easy with the proper equipment. Do yourself a big favor and purchase a professional quality window squeegee from your local hardware store. Squeegees have been around since the advent of skyscrapers in Chicago, and they needed a streak-free way to clean the many windows. Ettore is the original and leading brand and available in stores everywhere.

Contrary to what you may think, you can clean your windows without a bottle of Windex or even a  single paper towel. You’ll need two buckets, a sponge, a soft cloth, some plain vinegar, and water. A simple solution of warm water and vinegar will cut  right through the dirt on windows and dissolve it.

Make a solution of 1 cup vingar and 1 cup warm water in a bucket. Fill up your other bucket with just plain water. Dip your sponge into the vingegar solution and wipe down the whole window.  Then starting at the top left hand corner of your window, move your squeegee from the top of the window to the bottom in one fluid motion. After each stroke, wipe the rubber edge of your squeegee with the soft rag. Return to the top and repeat, overlapping on the right side of the first stroke a bit. Continue to squeegee until you reach and finish the right edge of your window. Finally, draw the squeegee across the bottom of the window, and dry it with your cloth.

Clean your sponge off in your bucket of plain water and repeat steps for each window. Change your bucket of plain water frequently.

Enjoy your sparkling, clean windows!

To schedule a cleaning or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit Maid in Chicago’s website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

How to verify that your cleaning company is actually insured

If you choose to hire a person or company to clean your home, take the 1-2 days it takes to request and receive proof of insurance. Why?  If you are a home owner, it is especially important that your investment is protected. If you are a renter, you still may be liable for damage caused by an uninsured worker.

Maid in Chicago carries both general liability and workman’s compensation insurance. We can provide proof of insurance for our customers with a turn around time of one business day.  Our insurance company will either fax or mail this one or two page document directly to our customers.

Companies that balk when asked for proof of insurance are probably not insured. Once you receive proof of insurance, verify that the policy is in force. Certificates of insurance are worthless if premiums aren’t paid. The time to find out if a company is properly insured is prior to hiring them, not after something is damaged.

To schedule a cleaning or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit Maid in Chicago’s website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.