Hello and welcome back to Oakville Maids! Fall is here! We thought this was a fantastic opportunity to give you our top fall cleaning tips. Let’s get started!

We are already beginning to notice fall in Oakville. Temperatures have gotten a bit colder and the sky is getting more cloudy.

And we all love that fall vibe with beautiful décor or the beautiful colors we now see on the trees and in our backyards. But we also know that some allergies sprung up during this time, and dust and polen needs some extra attention to keep your home clean and tidy.

As always, before we begin, don’t forget to check Oakville Maids, our house cleaning service in Oakville. We know this time is busy for many families and we can all use an extra pair of hands —professional cleaning hands, that is.

Without further ado, let’s read Oakville Maids Fall Cleaning tips!

Swap Out Summer Gear and Declutter

One of the first things you want to do before starting any cleaning is take care of the clutter that has built up over spring (and even from summer!).

Start by leaving some empty space in your entryway and make room for sweaters and coats.

With a tidy and organized space, you will grab what you need and feel good right before leaving / as soon as you get home.

The trick for entryways is to keep airflow as clear as possible. Consider installing a small dehumidifier and/or air purifier, especially if you don’t have windows nearby. If you don’t have one, you can mix baking soda and essential oil. Put it on a small plate or mesh bag inside your closet or on your coat rack.

Wash Your Windows

Every fall you are going to need more light coming in to absorb as much heat and sunlight as possible. Here’s what you can do:

• Mix equal parts of water and white vinegar and add 3 drops of dish soap in a spray bottle.
• Spray the mixture and wipe it off with a microfiber cloth after 10 minutes.

If you haven’t cleaned your windows in a while, you may need to try using CLR, especially in certain areas of Oakville where you have hard water.

Mix equal parts of CLR and warm water, scrub your glass with a non-scratch sponge, wait 2 minutes and rinse with cold water.

Don’t try to clean the window when the sun is shining on them.

Related: What Oakville Cleaning Companies Are Getting Wrong

Clean and Store Outdoor Furniture

Now that seasons are changing, it’s time you clean and store your outdoor furniture. Depending on where you live, you might not want to go out and enjoy your patio as often.

First of all, use a handheld vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the dust and debris from your table.

Then, with a microfiber cloth, spray a soapy water solution. Dry with a microfiber cloth and let dry, preferably in the sun.

For wooden pieces, use 1 – 2 drops of polish or conditioner per piece and scrub with a thick cloth. You want to make your wooden pieces stay nice and healthy.

Once it’s done, put your protective covers and store them back in your garage or shed.

Take Care of Your Kitchen for Fall

Of course, you’ll need to clean your kitchen to get off on the right foot.

Start with the fridge. Remove any expired items you find, take out your shelves and drawers and spray some hot, soapy water on them.

Sprinkle some baking soda in your fridge to absorb odors. After washing and rinsing your drawers and shelves, wipe the inside of your fridge.

Clean your oven as well! You better take care of it with plenty of time before Thanksgiving. Usually, we are all for using DIY cleaning products, but ovens tend to have a lot of grease buildup. You’re going to need a specialized oven cleaner.

Choose a low-fume oven cleaner and follow the instructions. We recommend that you start with this because they need 15 – 30 minutes of action beforehand.

Deep Clean Carpets and Floors

During fall, you’ll likely be spending more time indoors, so you should keep your carpets and floors clean.

If you have different types of floors, you can create a multi-purpose cleaning solution. Mix one cup of vinegar white vinegar, one gallon of warm water, and 3 – 5 drops of lemon essential oil.

This is an efficient, versatile mix, and safe enough for most types of floors. If you have hardwood floors, do not soak them in water. Keep a spray bottle with your solution and spray as you mop.

If possible, leave windows open to air your floors.

On the other hand, if you have carpet floors, vacuum them and take the time to apply a carpet deodorizer, especially if you have pets.

Related: The 6/10 Cleaning Checklist

Conclusion

There you go! Our favorite fall cleaning tips to make sure your home stays nice and clean.

We made this guide short and sweet on purpose. We don’t want you to get overwhelmed with dozens of cleaning tasks.

At Oakville Maids, we know that reading these little tips and tricks motivates our customers to keep their homes clean. We’ve discussed the benefits of house cleaning in your happiness, and that makes us happy too!

Remember to check Oakville Maids booking page if you want help from our professional cleaning service in Oakville. We hope you have a fantastic fall and we will be back very soon with more cleaning tips!

The post Fall Cleaning With Oakville Maids first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post Fall Cleaning With Oakville Maids appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Hello and welcome back to Oakville Maids! We can’t wait for Spring! That’s why we’re giving you some spring cleaning tips to get your home ready.

First of all, welcome back to Oakville Maids! We’re so excited to be back and help you with our house cleaning tips to get your home nice and tidy.

Spring is starting soon and this is the perfect time for some house cleaning. Now that winter is officially ending in Oakville, we have to get our home ready. This means storing back our coats and winter equipment, vacuuming, dusting and cleaning.

Before we continue, make sure to check Oakville Maids cleaning service. Our professional cleaning service will help you get ready for spring cleaning and receiving your guests.

Without further ado, let’s read some spring cleaning tips!

Start With a Plan

First things first: if you want your spring cleaning to be successful, it’s important to decide what are you going to do first and what matters. We’ve talked about different cleaning checklists in the past, like Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but you might need a new one just for Spring.

Depending on where you live, check the last frost dates for this winter.

If you live in Oakville, the last frost is expected to be in 45 days (at least), so we still have a lot of time left until you can safely clean the outside (like windows and gutters). However, there’s no need to worry! We still have plenty of areas to clean indoors.

Spring started today, so let’s try to make the best of it!

Because this is a spring cleaning, you might need to sort out your tasks between different days or even weeks.

The key to deep cleaning your home is making sure that you use versatile, simple cleaning agents and tools. Grab a spray bottle and fill it with equal parts of water and white vinegar.

This is a fantastic multi-purpose cleaner and it will help you save time and energy. You are going to need a bit of dish soap as well, a dual-sided sponge and microfiber towels.

For sensitive surfaces (granite and marble countertops, or hardwood floors), choose specialized cleaners. Vinegar or other acidic products or strong chemicals in general (e.g. bleach, citric acid) can cause staining or damage your surfaces.

Related: 6 New Year’s House Cleaning Resolutions

Spring Cleaning for Your Living Area

The living room is the heart of your home and after spring, it’s going to need some TLC.

An upholstery/carpet vacuum cleaner is a fantastic tool to use for spring cleaning. This tool removes dirt from within.

This type of vacuum is safe for most types of fabrics, so you will be able to use it on your couch, your cushions and throw pillows.

If you don’t have one, try using a steam cleaner. Heat will be able to remove odor by loosening up sweat and bacteria under the fabrics.

Wipe all surfaces: sideboards, TV stands, coffee tables, and any other furniture in your living area. After wiping with spritz of vinegar or rubbing alcohol, wipe dry with a clean cloth. You can add one or two drops of essential oil for a nice fragrance.

If you have carpet floors, vacuum your floors thoroughly and apply carpet deodorizer. You can find both powder and liquid (spray) options, and both are effective. Just keep in mind powder deodorizers might harm your vacuum filter in the long run.

For regular floors, you need to sweep and then mop, preferably with a floor deodorizer as well. If you have hardwood floors, use a specialized cleaner. For tile and vinyl floors, a gallon of water with 1/2 cup of vinegar is more than enough.

Spring Cleaning for Your Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most challenging areas, and our pantry or storage area gets crowded with appliances, utensils and ingredients.

Start by clearing out your pantry and your fridge. Spray a bit of white vinegar and wipe your surfaces with a damp cloth. Wipe and dry with a clean cloth.

If you have granite or marble countertops, you can use warm soapy water and a sponge to scrub your surface and remove grease.

Make sure you wipe your cabinets as well, as grease sticks to the surface. A sponge with a drop of dish soap and/or degreaser should be enough.

Leave your floors for last. If you have tile floors, you might want to add 1 teaspoon of laundry detergent to your bucket, so you can get a soapy solution to remove grease and grime from them. Remember to mop several times afterward to remove soap and let dry.

Spring Cleaning for Your Bathrooms

When it comes to spring cleaning, one of the most (if not the most) dreaded areas are the bathrooms.

Fortunately, bathroom cleaning products work mostly on their own.

For your toilet. apply toilet cleaner around the bowl. Don’t forget to apply cleaner under the rim! You just have to let them sit on the toilet for 15 – 30 minutes and then remove them with your toilet brush.

Because this is a spring cleaning checklist, you should take the time to deep clean your shower. Some areas in Oakville have hard water, which is just water with high content of minerals. With time, these minerals stick to walls and faucets.

To remove them, get a spray bottle and fill it with 1/4 cup of dish soap and 1/4 cup of vinegar. You don’t need to fill the bottle to the top. Mix them and spray into the surface.

Let the solution rest for at least 10 minutes (ideally 30 minutes) and then scrub with the non-scratch side of your sponge. Pro tip: always use a squeegee after taking a shower! You will avoid limescale and water spots.

For your sink and mirror, spraying vinegar or rubbing alcohol should be enough. Wipe your mirror with a glass microfiber cloth.

Last but not least, don’t forget to sweep your floors as well! You can use the same water/vinegar/laundry detergent mix if you have tile floors.

The Secret for a Fantastic Spring Cleaning: the Details

The difference between a top-notch cleaning and a regular one is in the details. We often forget certain areas such as baseboards, wall corners, door frames and handles, and HVAC air intakes and returns.

To dust your door frames and handles, grab a microfiber cloth and spray a mix of rubbing alcohol and water.

Get a ladder and clean the top of your upper cabinets thoroughly. You probably need a degreaser with water to loosen up the grime that’s sitting on top. Use a disposable sponge (which you will probably need to get rid of once you finish with cleaning).

You can use that ladder to clean your ceiling fans as well. You can use dryer sheets or a dish brush with a soap dispenser.

If you have an old pillow case that you can’t wait to get rid of, you can use one as well. Gently slip the pillow case over the blade and brush on the inside. This way, all the dust stays inside the pillow case (which you can shake into a waste basket).

Wash your baseboards with a bit of soapy water. The cloth needs to be slightly damp, not soaking wet. You can also use the vinegar/dish soap mix from your bathroom.

Get Oakville Maids Spring Cleaning Checklist

That’s it! Our spring cleaning checklist to take care of your home and leave it bright as a new pin.

However, we wanted to make this checklist as easy and straightforward as possible. This is why we got you a compact version below so you can print it and put it on your fridge or agenda.

Feel free to share them with your friends and family and let’s get this spring cleaning going!

Conclusion

That’s it for now! We hope these tips help you get your home ready. And we cannot wait for spring to come!

Remember to check Oakville Maids if you need a professional house cleaning service in Oakville, ON. Spring cleaning is demanding and heavy work, so why not leave it in the hands of house cleaners?

We have so many beautiful places to visit for Spring. River Oaks, Palermo, College Park and even Uptown Core are filled with beautiful green areas, shops and restaurants.

We’ll be back soon! Don’t forget to check our blog for more cleaning articles!

The post Oakville Maids’ Spring Cleaning Checklist first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post Oakville Maids’ Spring Cleaning Checklist appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Hello and welcome back to Oakville Maids! Today we’re bringing you 10 New Year’s house cleaning resolutions to start 2024 on the right foot.

First of all, happy New Year! At Oakville Maids, we’re so excited to start 2024 and share our house cleaning tips and tricks with our customers.

And we thought this is a fantastic topic as the first cleaning article of the year! Let’s share some house cleaning resolutions that are realistic, effective, and help you be in control of your house this year.

Set Realistic Goals

One of the key aspects of any New Year’s house cleaning resolution (or any resolution for that matter) is being realistic. We all get excited and positive in January, which is normal and it happens to all of us.

However, it’s important to keep your goals realistic and not go overboard. You will feel better if you accomplish all your reasonable tasks instead of failing at dozens of unrealistic, excessive goals.

If you start with a strong cleaning schedule for each month, you likely get burned out by April or May and quit. Make sure you start slow and if you feel like you can add more tasks, then do so!

Compare your house cleaning resolutions to your other personal and professional goals this year. If you have a lot on your plate right now, it’s best to create a more realistic and simple organization for 2024.

Related: The 6/10 Cleaning Checklist

Create a Cleaning Schedule

A cleaning schedule is key to starting the new year. This schedule needs to adapt to your life, and you have to keep your current routine in mind.

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Do you prefer cleaning 30 minutes every other day, or two hours in a single day during the week? How often does it take you to clean your home every day?

These are all the right questions you need to consider when creating this schedule.

Prioritize high-traffic areas. For example, you can assign 70% of your cleaning time to your kitchen and living room (which is not heavy-duty work) and 30% to your bathroom and bedrooms.

Related: 5 House Cleaning Tips for New Year’s Eve

Incorporate the Whole Family

This is especially important if you have kids growing up who need responsibilities and good habits.

Incorporate the whole family into your house cleaning resolutions. It’s a win-win if everyone in your family has some responsibility for taking care of their own homes, and no one gets too tired or overwhelmed.

As you create a cleaning schedule, you can also add an extra row to designate members from your family to your house cleaning routine. You can even switch every month so that no one gets bored!

Related: House Cleaning Tips for Halloween

Discover All-Purpose Cleaning Products

All-purpose cleaning products are versatile and in many cases, safer to use than their more commercial counterparts.

As a professional cleaning service in Oakville, we often use both all-purpose and specialized cleaning products, depending on the situation.

You can write down “discover all-purpose cleaning products” as one of your house cleaning resolutions. This is definitely doable and it improves your cleaning speed and flow.

You spend way less time and energy if you only have to keep up with one or two cleaning products instead of seven or ten.

Related: 7 Tips for a Last-Minute Christmas Cleaning with Oakville Maids

Look for House Cleaning Devices and Tools

Technology moves forward and house cleaning is not the exception.

Just like with all-purpose cleaners, there are many tools as well right now. You might consider getting one or two gadgets to help you clean your house smarter and not harder.

For example, a steam cleaner will help you clean water fixtures and remove grease using only hot water (steam).

You can also search for robot vacuum cleaners or robot mops. They certainly won’t be as good as a human, but they can help with consistency.

Related: Robot Vacuum vs Regular Vacuum: Which One’s The Best for House Cleaning?

Bonus: Look for a Professional House Cleaning Service in Oakville

Last but not least: look for professional cleaning services if house cleaning is just not your thing or if you want to focus on different areas of your life in 2024.

You might be starting a new job, or a side business, or you just want to spend more time with your family this year. Oakville has so many beautiful places. You have everything from the Coronation Park, the Gairloch Gardens, and the Bronte Heritage Park.

If this is your case, consider hiring a cleaning and maid service in Oakville, Ontario.

Related: What Oakville Cleaning Companies Are Getting Wrong

Conclusion

There you have it! 5 New Year’s House Cleaning resolutions. We hope these tips help you keep track of your home and make house cleaning easier for you.

As we mentioned earlier, check Oakville Maids services! We have everything from just a standard house cleaning service to special events cleaning.

We will be back soon with way more cleaning articles this year. Bookmark our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Until next time!

The post 6 New Year’s House Cleaning Resolutions first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post 6 New Year’s House Cleaning Resolutions appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Hello and welcome back to Oakville Maids! The holidays are upon us and we’re hours away from Christmas. Here are 7 house cleaning tips to impress your guests and celebrate Christmas!

We know these times are extremely chaotic and there’s so much to do.

Remember that if you live in Oakville, you’re still on time to book a professional house cleaning service and impress your guests.

And if you want to clean your home on your own, don’t worry! Oakville Maids is here with 7 cleaning tips for a last-minute Christmas cleanup. Let’s start right away!

1. Prioritize Items In Your Christmas Cleaning Checklist

In the mad dash of last-minute preparations, you have to be careful. Don’t add too many items to your cleaning checklist.

You will feel better if you accomplish 3 major cleaning tasks instead of writing down 10 of them and failing.

With a quick walk through your home, pinpoint high-traffic areas. Consider where your guests will hang around most of the time.

These areas are often the living room, the dining space, the kitchen, and a guest bathroom. For each area, think about one or two areas or items that look out of place, dirty, or messy.

2. Delegate Your Christmas Cleaning Tasks

Cleaning your home before Christmas, especially on short notice, is not easy. Why run this cleaning marathon solo? It’s time to call for backup!

Whether it’s your family or housemates, you can really benefit from extra hands to tackle each area. Oakville Maids is all for working as a team and we recommend you to create a checklist with specific tasks for each member.

Cleaning doesn’t have to be dreadful and tiresome! This can be a family activity and everyone will feel part of it.

3. Declutter to Impress

Before diving into a cleaning frenzy, take a few moments first to declutter. Clear floors and other large surfaces (countertops, dining tables, TV stands). Remove unnecessary items and don’t go too crazy with décor.

Having one single item as a centerpiece usually looks better than having 20 items scattered around your living room or your kitchen.

Besides the visual appeal, a clutter-free environment will make your guests feel more comfortable and enjoy their stay.

4. Swift Dusting and Wiping

Now that your floors and surfaces are clutter-free, direct your cleaning spotlight to the most visible surfaces.

With a tight schedule, you will have to maximize your resources. Look for all-purpose cleaning products and supplies such as 1:1 white vinegar and water mix as the main cleaning agent, and reusable microfiber towels.

You might need to use glass microfiber cloths for mirrors, windows and other glass surfaces. However, keep this at the bottom of your list because it’s not essential.

5. Vacuum and Refresh Carpets

If you have enough time, vacuuming your carpet floors and rugs always makes a big difference.

Vacuum in overlapping passes to ensure the entire area is nice and clean.

If you have pets and you notice a slight smell from their sweat and fur, create a DIY deodorizer. Mix water, white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil.

If you have a festive carpet freshener, that’s even better! It will turn your floors into a scented, welcoming space.

6. Focus on the Kitchen and Guest Bathroom

Kitchen really is the heart of the home, and with Christmas even more so. At Oakville Maids, we know this is truly the most important area and it needs the most care out of all areas.

By now, your kitchen countertops should be decluttered and clean. Now, you need to wipe appliances and sinks as well.

If you have granite and marble countertops, you can use slightly soapy water to clean and then wipe with a damp cloth.

In the guest bathroom, restock your toiletries and fresh towels. Add a few Christmas items and that’s it. The magic is in the details!

7. Last Minute Details:

Hidden spaces always harbor dust and dirt even without you noticing. These are the tiny details that only professional cleaning services think of!

That’s why, if you have the time, quickly wipe and clean baseboards, light fixtures and vents. Light fixtures in particular can make your space feel brighter and more open.

Bonus Tip: Hire Oakville Maids and Forget About the Stress of a Christmas Cleaning

Our final tip: hire a professional cleaning service like Oakville Maids. We understand the struggle of cleaning a home last minute.

A cleaning service will help you remove some of the stress of cleaning and you can focus on what’s really important. There are so many beautiful places to visit during this time of the year. From Old Oakville to

Give us a call or contact us if you need our help! And don’t forget to check our cleaning blog if you want more cleaning tips. Merry Christmas!

The post 7 Tips for a Last-Minute Christmas Cleaning with Oakville Maids first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post 7 Tips for a Last-Minute Christmas Cleaning with Oakville Maids appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Hello and welcome to Oakville Maids! This is our first official article about cleaning and we’re so excited to start our cleaning blog with the 6/10 cleaning checklist!

The 6/10 cleaning checklist is a trendy checklist in the cleaning community. We’re all for sharing checklists and tips to help you with daily cleaning.

We know it’s not easy to take care of a home, no matter how small or big it is. This is why we always recommend getting a professional cleaning service in Oakville, Ontario if you need a break from cleaning and organizing your home.

However, we understand that you also need to do some light cleaning every day, or once or twice a week. And we know that checklists and guides are effective to help you stay on track.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

What is the 6/10 Cleaning Checklist?

The 6/10 cleaning checklist will help you keep track of all the areas and tasks that you need to clean every day, and also those you need to take care of once a week.

This method started on TikTok by the account ‘Organized Chaos’ and it gained so much popularity recently.

With this method, you will keep track of the essentials that you need to clean in a day, in a week, and even monthly and quarterly.

This checklist assigns 6 essential cleaning tasks to perform each day, 10 for the week and, optionally, 4 more to do once a month and 6 tasks each quarter.

Before we continue, remember this is just a guide and every household is a different world. Feel free to adapt this checklist or any other guide to what works for you and your family.

Why Is it Helpful to Follow a 6/10 Cleaning Checklist?

The 6/10 cleaning checklist can help you stay on track and only clean exactly what you need during the day or the week. The secret to good house cleaning is keeping consistency.

If you start cleaning without a plan, you can either forget the things you need to clean, or you can overdo it and then skip cleaning the next day from being tired or overwhelmed.

If you’re a busy, hardworking individual, you know how hard it is to keep focus and finish everything on time.

If you have a lot going on right now or if you want to start easy, focus on 2 or 3 areas out of the daily 6.

The 6 Daily Tasks of Your 6/10 Checklist

Let’s start with the 6 daily tasks.

Make beds

Making beds every day is a fantastic idea to keep your home tidy and make sure your pillows are nice and fresh before you go to bed at night.

While you’re at it, you can also quickly vacuum your bed with a handheld vacuum cleaner and spritz a bit of water and vinegar or rubbing alcohol.

Wash dishes

Washing dishes is an important daily task. If you start accumulating dishes on the sink and they go more than a day or two, this will only cause frustration and overwhelm you.

If possible, let your pots and pans soak for a while using hot, soapy water to speed up the process.

Scrub sink

After washing your dishes, it’s important to scrub your sink to prevent bacteria and mold from growing. Also, depending on where you live, you might have to deal with hard water. In certain areas such as Oakville, hard water is a problem in many homes, and that causes limescale.

After doing your dishes, make sure you scrub your sink. Just dampen a cloth with equal parts of vinegar and hot water and then wipe again with a dry cloth.

Wipe counters

Wiping counters is very important to avoid bacteria. Of course, focus on the surfaces where you spend the most time around, and the surfaces where you cook or prepare food. Counters are sort of a silent killer because they start building up dust and grease and before you know it, you have to spend hours cleaning and scrubbing.

Vacuum floors

Vacuuming floors daily, believe it or not, is a fantastic way to help you save time.

Usually, we cleaning experts recommend vacuuming your floors at least once a week. If you live with pets and dogs, you should increase this frequency to twice a week or every other day.

One load of laundry

Doing one load of laundry every day might not seem like a great idea. However, this can be very helpful if you never find the right time to do it during the week.

You end up having to do many loads of laundry during the weekend which is never fun.

By doing one load of laundry, you build a healthy habit and will balance out washing everyone’s clothes, leaving the weekend free to wash your linens.

The 10 Weekly Tasks of the 6/10 Cleaning Checklist

Let’s move on to the weekly tasks. Again, try to find the time that works for you to accomplish these tasks.

Maybe it’s going to be five on Saturday and five on Sunday. Maybe it’s going to be all 10 on a single day. Whatever the case is, feel free to try different combinations until you figure out what works for you. For example, you can sort these tasks into categories by area (e.g. bathroom, kitchen) or by task (wiping, tidying, mopping/sweeping).

• • Wipe Out Fridge: this task might seem intimidating but it’s easier than you think. It should take you around 10 to 15 minutes. Just take everything out of your fridge, quickly wash drawers and shelves, and wipe the walls of your fridge with a microfiber cloth.

• • Wipe Out Microwave: microwaves can harbor smells, grease and bacteria. Microwaving a bowl with water and the juice of a lemon, or 1/4 cup of white vinegar, should loosen up all the grease and dirt.

• • Tidy Pantry: like your cabinets, your pantry is in contact with grease and dust and it’s much better to take 10 minutes every week to keep your pantry clean and tidy, rather than two or three hours each month.

• • Mop Floors: you should mop floors once a week because of two main reasons. First, every piece of dust and crumbs falls directly to the floors. Second, mops are a telltale sign that your home is dirty or clean, because they are a big, flat surface.

• • Clean Bathrooms: we all know bathrooms are dreaded areas when it comes to cleaning. But doing it once a week should be more than enough. Here’s Oakville Maids’ secret: always spray your shower after each use with a 1:1 white vinegar and water mix. This will prevent limescale buildup and will clean soap scum away.

• • Clean Sink Drains: it’s important to take preventive measures with sink drains. You don’t want to see your sink clogged with food scraps and other debris.

• • Dust Furniture: dusting your furniture is important because it slowly builds up on top of your couch, your TV stand and your shelves. Soon, it’s going to cause allergies, and give a bad look to your home. Using a duster or a microfiber cloth with just a spritz of rubbing alcohol is more than enough.

• • Wash Bedding: washing your bedding once a week is enough to keep your bedding clean and avoid excessive sweat and bacteria in your bed.

• • Tidy Car: we all know our cars can quickly become a battleground if we don’t take care of them properly. Pro tip: get yourself a handheld vacuum cleaner. This won’t only help you around your home, but it’s particularly helpful with your car because of all the nooks and crannies.

• • Clean pet’s bowls: your pet bowls need care because they’re going to get dirty at the end of the week. Clean them thoroughly using hot water, and let them dry before adding food again to their bowls.

The 4 Monthly and 6 Quarterly Tasks to Complete Your 6/10 Cleaning Checklist

Last but not least, there are tasks that go beyond a monthly or weekly basis. This guide is especially helpful because you tend to forget your monthly and quarterly tasks.

Monthly Tasks

• • Scrub Showers: showers need to be cleaned once a month because they’re one of the strongest sources of bacteria.

• • Deep Clean Appliances: as you know, appliances will start looking terrible after a month or so. This happens especially with microwaves and regular ovens.

• • Clean out Garage: keep a close eye on your Garage! It’s a space that you don’t really use that often and that, before you notice, it’s cluttered and filled with dust.

• • Vacuum out Vehicles: vehicles are an important part of our lives. Most days, we spend a few hours each day using them and they slowly gather dust and even used napkins and cups. Having a handheld vacuum cleaner is perfect to clean out your vehicle and they also double up as a cleaner for nooks and crannies in your home.

Quarterly Tasks

• • Wipe Baseboards/Doors: baseboards and doors are the secret between a house cleaned by a professional vs an amateur. You’re going to tell the difference quickly once you see your baseboards and doors look shiny and polished. White vinegar or rubbing alcohol with one drop of olive oil usually does the job here.

• • Clean Fans & Lights: similar to your baseboards and doors, cleaning your fans and light fixtures once every quarter should be enough to remove dust and cobwebs.

• • Clean Windows: windows are tricky to clean sometimes. Try to choose a time during the day when it’s not too sunny, but not too cloudy. You want time for the windows to dry rather slowly to avoid streaks and water spots.

• • Clean Furniture: after 3 months, just dusting your furniture is not going to cut it. Vacuuming is usually the first step in cleaning your furniture. Depending on the type of furniture and material, you might need to scrub the surface with a sponge or a scrubber. You might also need to add oil or lubricant to drawers or cabinets. Always try cleaning solutions and tools in a small area first.

• • Change Air Filter: air filters are one of the most important items in your home. There are so many respiratory and comfort issues that you can go through if your air filters are broken or in need of a replacement. If you live in Oakville, Ontario, you probably know that pollution levels are moderate. Replacing the air filter and cleaning the vents will improve air circulation and your system’s efficiency.

• • Wipe down Cabinets: keep those bathroom and kitchen cabinets looking nice and clean by wiping them down once every quarter. People usually forget to clean the top of their upper cabinets, for example. With your kitchen cabinets, you will probably need to add a drop of dish soap or degreaser.

Conclusion

We all know life gets in the way and it’s not easy to keep a structure. With the 6/10 cleaning checklist, you can rest assured that your home will always remain tidy.

As always, don’t forget to check Oakville Maids if you need a maid service to help you out. Professional cleaners have an eye for cleaning obvious and not-so-obvious areas.

After hiring a professional cleaning service, you can learn a few tips to incorporate into your routine. Or, you can hire a recurring service and forget about cleaning permanently!

We will be back soon with more tips!

The post The 6/10 Cleaning Checklist first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post The 6/10 Cleaning Checklist appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

Hello and welcome to Oakville Maids! We wanted to kickstart our cleaning blog with house cleaning tips for Halloween!

Halloween is just two days away! And we all know it’s such an exciting holiday in the U.S. and Canada. If you live in Oakville, Ontario, you know there’s so much to do this spooky season.

And if you’re planning to celebrate this with a party or reunion, you better do some house cleaning first!

Any holiday is special and exciting because you get to see your friends and family. And we all want to impress our guests with a clean and tidy home. That’s why we created this checklist to clean your home before Halloween or any other holiday in the future.

Without further ado, here are our cleaning tips to get your house ready for Halloween!

Cleaning For Halloween: Start With a Clutter-Free Space

Before any heavy-duty cleaning, you should declutter first. Think about the activities you’ve planned, and make sure to declutter (and clean) these areas.

If you don’t know where to start or what’s causing the biggest issues, stand in the corner of each room and decide in 5 seconds what’s bothering you the most. Remove this item and the repeat the steps.

You can grab a basket to quickly toss out-of-place items there and then reorganize or just hide the basket if you don’t have the time.

Dust and Vacuum Surfaces

Dusting and vacuuming surfaces is important, especially flat, large surfaces. Floors, countertops and tables or desks are good examples.

Here are our favorite cleaning tips:

Grab a 10-pack or a 24-pack of washable microfiber cloths, and assign 2-3 cloths for each room. With microfiber cloths you can wipe first with an all-purpose cleaner, then a bit of water, and then a dry cloth.

Leave your floors for last. After wiping light fixtures, countertops and shelves, there’s going to be dust and dirt that falls on top of your floors.

The first impression is what counts. Sweep and mop entryways because that’s the first thing your guests will see.

Don’t forget to vacuum or sweep under furniture and in corners! This sets the difference between a room cleaned by a rookie vs a cleaning pro!

Cleaning Your Guest Bedroom for Halloween

It’s not uncommon to hear you’re having guests staying over. In this case, it’s time to get your guest bedroom and bathroom ready!

Because you’re running short on time, it’s important to set priorities. Start with the bathroom. Clean the toilet, the shower and the sink. Wipe your mirror as well and quickly wipe any cabinets and drawers.

Leave a small basket with new toiletries, clean towels, an all-purpose cleaner spray bottle and personal care items.

Leave some space in their closets to hang out their garments. Wipe surfaces (TV stand, nightstands…).

Here’s a fantastic trick: spend a night in your guest’s room. This will tell you exactly how they will see and feel that room. Will they find enough covers? Are light fixtures working? Are blankets and pillows dusty or smelly? These are the little things you will find out after sleeping there.

Cleaning Up After Halloween

Now that you have everything ready, it’s a good idea to plan for an easy cleanup after Halloween.

First of all, don’t go too crazy with decorations. Go for simple, easy-to-remove items and place them strategically. Place a fun, Halloween-themed centerpiece on a clean, shiny table or desk. This diverts attention from areas that are not so clean.

Set up little “trash/recycle” areas for guests to place used cups and plates, along with fresh napkins and a rubbing alcohol dispenser.

Add shoe mats and/or a shoe rack at the entrance along with some slippers. Your guests will be super comfortable and they won’t scratch or mess up your floors.

Getting a handheld cleaner is fantastic for cleaning cobwebs and other Halloween decorations. Remember to get extra trash bags as well.

Conclusion

There you have it! Our guide to cleaning your home quickly this Halloween. It’s quite simple and straightforward so you can complete these tasks in no time.

There’s a lot of activities planned out in Oakville this Halloween. You can enjoy a Halloween Spooktacular at the Amazing Adventures Playground this Monday. Or, you can also visit the Pumpkin Parade at the Oakville Museum this Wednesday.

If you don’t want to miss them, don’t forget to call Oakville Maids!

The post House Cleaning Tips for Halloween first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post House Cleaning Tips for Halloween appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post Welcome to the Oakville Maids Blog! first appeared on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.

The post Welcome to the Oakville Maids Blog! appeared first on Oakville Maids | House Cleaning Services.