The Great Spring Cleaning Challenge: The Maids vs. You

By Bill Yurgen

Thinking of how daunting spring cleaning can be reminds me of a recent conversation I had with my cousin from Indiana. Katherine, is the type of Midwestern woman who quietly takes on all tasks that come her way without complaint until, like loading a pack mule, its legs are ready to buckle. She had reached that point when we spoke. 

When You’re Overwhelmed, Hire a Maid
Katherine is a defense industry engineer, owns a farm and has a senior mother who recently moved from a physical therapy facility back to the condominium she loves. Between new projects at work and contemplating her own spring cleaning, Katherine is frazzled trying to figure out what to do about spring cleaning her mother’s place and how to keep it clean moving forward.

I asked her if her husband and college-age son could help with the cause and she told me, “They just don’t get it. I walked in when the television was off last fall and there was one spot on the screen that they cleaned off so they could see something clearer. They just left the rest of the screen dusty until I could get around to cleaning it.”

Sadly, we men seem to be supremely adept at cleaning cars, garages and outside the house, but step across that threshold to the inside and a lot of us are worthless. I suggested she may want to try a maid service for her mom and consider one for herself.  

Hiring Spring Cleaning Professionals
Spring cleaning is a big deal in colder climates, where we have been cooped up indoors for so long. But, it makes for a lot of time consumed with cleaning and a lot of hard work. Hence the call for a quality maid service… which can be a chore in itself to find. The difficulty in finding a top tier maid service is that not all of them are alike, and few maids are formally trained in cleaning homes.

You may have the wrong cleaning service if it can’t handle the really deep cleaning tasks in the spring and fall like The Maids can. And, you may have the wrong cleaning service if it won’t do the routine tasks The Maids do as a part of its famous 22-Step Healthy Touch Deep Cleaning System during each and every visit to your home. There is no waiting until a major deep clean in the spring or fall to get your home sparkling clean.

The Spring Cleaning Checklist

 In The Kitchen:

• Thoroughly clean all kitchen cabinets inside and out.
• Clean the tops of all cabinets and appliances.
• Wipe down pantry shelves.
• Clean kitchen light fixtures.*
• Clean and seal granite countertops.
• Clean interior of microwave,* dishwasher and refrigerator.
• Hand scrub the kitchen floor.*
• Wash kitchen windows.*
• Clean and disinfect all knobs, pulls, handles and phone receivers.*
• Thoroughly vacuum all upholstered surfaces.*
• Clean ovens and remove embarrassing built-up grime.

In Public Rooms & Bedrooms:

• Remove nasty build-up from ceiling fan blades.*
• Vacuum dust from walls.
• Vacuum textured ceilings.
• Vacuum drapery where applicable.* 
• Wash inside window surfaces and tracks.
• Remove books and knick-knacks from shelves and furniture and clean.
• Thoroughly vacuum all upholstered surfaces.*
• Thoroughly clean light fixtures.*
• Clean and dust televisions.*
• Thoroughly clean wet bar counters, cabinets and shelves.
• Clean and polish wood furniture.*
• Clean and disinfect all knobs, pulls, handles and phone receivers.*
• Vacuum or clean under beds.*
• Clean closets. 

In The Bathrooms and Laundry:

• Clean cabinets and drawers inside and out.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect sinks, showers, tubs and toilets.*
• Clean and disinfect floors.*
• Remove lime and rust build-up from all surfaces.*
• Clean light fixtures.*
• Clean and disinfect all knobs, pulls and handles.* 
• Clean washer and dryer.

*Part of The Maids’ standard 22-Step Healthy Touch clean.

Closets and Cabinets Cleaned
For your convenience, we have included the checklist of the tasks above that you may want to consider having The Maids clean in your home this spring. Keep it handy when you speak to them so you won’t forget all of the critical areas.

According to Crystal Strauss, director of operations at The Maids, this list doesn’t even come close to the many different cleaning requests they get this time of year.

“We have new people contact us for comprehensive one-time cleans and many present clients who want us to clean way beyond our ordinary routine every spring,” she said.

“Some people will call requesting that we remove the contents of their kitchen cabinets, completely clean the cabinet interiors and then replace the contents after wiping those down. We get the same type of requests for closets too.” 

It’s amazing how much dust can accumulate inside a walk-in closet. 

Sparkling Clean Results
“There aren’t too many cleaning challenges we can’t help our customers with,” Crystal adds.

“That’s how we have become the largest and most recommended maid service in Northeast Ohio. A lot of people call us for that one big clean that seems so overwhelming. After they try us, most one-time customers are so pleased with their sparkling clean results they hire us to clean on a regular basis. When they do, we can work out a plan to make their home cleaner, healthier and in need of less work for those semi-annual cleanings. They love the clean and they love having their valuable time back.”

To get started on your spring cleaning, contact The Maids to receive a free consultation and a no-obligation estimate over the phone. Call 440-735-6243 or 330-220-0098. For more information, visit TheMaidsNortheastOhio.com.