0 Create a Cleaning Schedule that Works for You

• Tips & Tricks
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Creating a cleaning schedule may not be fun for you, however developing a cleaning strategy is the epicentre of fun for us at Perfection Cleaning! The ultimate goal of today's blog is to help you become aware of the time it takes for you to get your house sparkling clean (or at least look like it). We are firm believers that a solid strategy is the key to success, even if it's something as simple as cleaning. We're excited!!! Are you? For those of you who don’t comprehend the idea of a cleaning schedule, let me break it down for you.  A cleaning schedule is a daily, weekly, or monthly plan for how and when you will clean your house.  It can be as simple as one main task per day or as complex as a spreadsheet that accounts for every single housekeeping task that needs to be done over the course of a year.If the idea of creating any sort of cleaning schedule seems slightly overwhelming, don't fret. YOU GOT THIS!  In fact, as you will see below, you can do it in three simplified steps! The primary reason to develop a schedule is not to  to make MORE work for yourself, but to actually save you time and help you remain stress free!  Don't you want to know exactly when and how you will budget your time to get those floors vacuumed and windows squeeky clean? You will thank us later!STEP ONE - CREATE A MASTER LIST This should include each room in the house AND a daily, weekly, monthly quarterly task list. Don't fret, there are TONS of templates and printable checklists online. You may have heard of this fantastical website called Pinterest. Yes, "fantastical" is not a real word... but it should be.  Here is a super duper simple printable list for you!STEP TWO - PICK ONE OF THESE OPTIONS Daily Super Clean - Sometimes it's just best to get all the cleaning done all at once, especially if you are anything like us and you just  can't function unless your house is spotless. Having a daily routine that involves all your daily duties PLUS a couple weekly tasks will keep you ahead of the game when it comes to those dreaded monthly and quarterly duties. This strategy will also help you reduce the need to 'deep clean' as often.  Time Budget - How much time to you allocate to cleaning each day? 30 minutes, 1 hour? You decide on how much time you have for cleaning and work your way down the list, if you spend 45 minutes cleaning without distractions, you would be AMAZED at how much you can accomplish! We believe in you. More focus = More YOU time :)  Pick a Room - 7 days in a week, wish major areas in your home (depending on size); Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Kitchen, Laundry, Office, Miscellaneous. Devote 30 minutes to cleaning and organizing these areas of the home, and you will find that the maintenance and organizational side of your housework will always be kept up.  STEP THREE - RECORD YOUR SCHEDULE Just like that you have your very own cleaning schedule to use as a reference, don't forget to get the family involved. If you have kids, many of the daily duties can be done by little helping hands such as putting away dishes, cleaning up toys, sweeping the floor. If you ask us... it builds character! Think of this schedule as an important appointment, and you will always have a clean home. Feel free to break up the task into two intervals, morning and evening!Tip: Start with cleaning the room you want to attack the least, then it will be out of the way.Don't be afraid to utilize your calender, and you can never have too many lists! Just make sure you have a place for those too. We hope you found our most recent article resourceful. Remember, if you live in the Greater Vancouver Area, call us for a free quote. Sometimes you just need to spoil yourself and take a week off of cleaning.

0 Simple Ways to Increase Your Property Value

• Tips & Tricks
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

We are always finding exciting ways to make our home look newer, cleaner and clutter-free! Installing new IKEA shelving in that laundry room, or a fresh coat of paint in the main entrance of the home leaves you with a satisfied and accomplished feeling. Did you know, you can actually be increasing the value of your house, with each micro project? Whether you are planning on selling your home or not, you should always be seeking ways to increase the property value of your home. There are tons of different ways you can increase the value of your home, without needing to replace the entire roof, or buying new appliances. These are major costs and major commitment. Sometimes the minor updates are more satisying to the eye AND valuable to your property investment. We all know kitchen and bathroom updates always add value, but we want to share some great updates, without breaking the bank. Maintenance Mode - The first thing you should do (which is a great spring task)walk around the house & list everything that is in need of repair. Individually, small repairs might not be important, but they add up and make your house look unkept. If you don't feel comfortable tackling the repairs yourself, hire a handyman. Staying on top of maintenance today eliminates problems down the road should you decide to sell. Don't forget to make a LIST!Cosmetic Facelift - Simple indoor and outdoor cosmetic improvements can make a huge impact. Improvements such as new paint, upgrading hardware, such as doorknobs and faucets, are an easy and inexpensive way to boost the value of your home. New paint goes a long way; especially in an outdated bathroom with no light. Light fixtures are another way to give your home a whole new look, and keep your project under budget!What about your front door? It's amazing how much you can increase your homes curb appeal for under $300!  The Yard - Well kept and maintained landscaping can drastically improve the saleability of your home. A new stone walk way with a low maintenance flowerbed will make your house look great whether you are selling or not. Plant a tree, and watch it grow with your family. If you're willing to spend some money, the deck is a great place to invest. Hello Summer!Finally, always make sure you live near Starbucks! Read: Living Near a Starbucks Will Increase Your Home’s ValueDo you plan on buying or selling a home in Vancouver this year? We would love to hear from you! Check out our deep clean and move out services, or contact us for a quote!

0 Christmas Cleaning Countdown

• House Cleaning
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Christmas is less than two weeks away, scary right!?Whether you are hosting a gathering in your home, or have presents to give, baking to exchange, or travel arrangements to make; the holiday season can be a challenge to juggle. You have a million and one things to do. Unless you have a personal assistant, chef and professional housecleaner staffed daily, (which I am going to assume you don't), you need to develop a plan. Yes, goal setting for the holiday season. Look at your calendar. What's happening this week?Here are a few tools to help you get the house cleaning done and your time organized, I hope this helps! Luckily for you, we CAN help with the house cleaning. So... How do you find time to do it all?  Here’s a Hint:  Sometimes you don’t do it all.  If you’re obsessive about a perfectly immaculate house and the perfect meal and a Pinterest inspired party to go along with it… you may need to lower your expectations of yourself a little, you want to ENJOY.  If you can't live without doing this, giver'!! But dont stress yourself out — let. it. go.  We can not do it ALL.  Your company won’t notice if you scrubbed every inch of the bathroom with a toothbrush.  They probably won’t even care if there are paper napkins on the table.  You know why they’re there?  To visit, have fun, and enjoy your company.  So relax, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy their presence.Now that I have that out of the way, another way to find the time to do everything is to plan ahead. I can't stress this enough. Write it down if you must. All of it. The cleaning chores that 'need' to be done, the grocery lists, errands, the baking. Try to do as much as you can weeks before the event, so when the day comes you aren't slaving away on the tedious tasks.Use your list and calendar as a guideline. If the bathrooms do not get cleaned on Sunday at 3pm... IT'S OK :) FROM PERFECTION CLEANING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!       

0 Winterizing Your Life

• Tips & Tricks
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

10 Tips to Get You Winter ReadyCan you believe we are already discussing how to have your house cleaning and household maintenance in check for the winter months? It is crazy how fast the time goes, it feels like yesterday we we're talking about spring cleaning! Now we want to share some winter cleaning tips with you. After all, we want you to have the perfect home for the winter season, so you can rest warm and comfortably.TEN TIPS TO GET YOU READY FOR WINTER Organize all your winter gear. Hats, Boots, Mittens; you name it, you or your little ones will be looking for it. A great way to keep your front closet organized, is to store your seasonal outerwear and rotate each season. This reduces clutter, and makes it easier to find what you're looking for.  Put up your Christmas lights, or have them put up by someone. It seems early, we know, however it is safest to get them up before the ice and snow show up. Plus they will be ready for when you're ready to feel festive and flick the switch.  Prepare your entranceways. Purchase large mats for the front and back door, ensure your shovels are easily accessible and make sure you purchase de-icer, or pea gravel for your walkways. If you live in Langley, Surrey, Aldergrove or anywhere in the Vancouver lower mainland, by the time you need it, no one will have it.  Get your dusting done! All of it, or we can come get the dusting finished for you! Why not go the extra mile and clean the bannisters, light bulbs, tops of pictures, top of fireplace, ceiling fans etc. By having all the major dusting finished early, you will be ready to decorate for winter.  Fireplace Maintenance - Whether your fireplace is gas or wood burning, annual maintenance is strongly recommended. Don't forget to stock up on firewood! Fortis has some excellent resources regarding maintenance. Vacuum and rotate your mattress. This is a great time of year to give your mattress a thorough vacuum cleaning, even a quick shampoo. When you are finished, ensure that you rotate your mattress to increase the life of your bed. Organize your pantry. Throw away any food that has expired, or that you do not plan on eating. Wipe out all the cupboards, and replace anything that you may have ran out of. This is an excellent time to put all your dry goods into labelled containers. Check all your batteries, especially in fire detectors. This time of year is a great time to test all your fire detectors and carbon monoxide sensors. Always better to be safe than sorry!  Electronic Maintenance - Sounds kind of funny right!? With the cold months coming, we tend to spend more time indoors, watching movies or playing on the computer. Buy a can of compressed air and get those dust bunnies out of your electronic devices and wipe them with a microfibre cloth.  Keep on top of your floors, to prevent moisture, road salt, debris and more from destroying your beautiful floors. We offer floor cleaning services as well, we'll come every week! A great tip to keeping your floors clean is to have a microfibre dry mop handy, maybe a slipper basket! There is no better feeling than knowing your seasonal housekeeping is complete, and you can enjoy those cool nights by the fireplace with a loved one. We hope your found our most recent blog helpful.If you have any other great tips you would like to share, please do so in the comment section below! Thanks for stopping by. 

0 Cleaning Myths Busted!

• House Cleaning
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Perfection Cleaning speaks for everyone when we say that there is an abundance of interesting, and questionable house cleaning myths. The issue with myths regarding housekeeping is, you could be doing absolutely nothing productive as you spend valuable time in these beliefs. Why would you want to do that?  Unfortunately, there is no 'Myth Busters' show for household maintenance, so were going to help you out with deciding which myths are true or false. We all just want to get our housecleaning over with, and find tips that help us get it done faster and more efficiently. MYTH: Soda can unclog your drainage problem.FACT: You may believe that sodas, can eat through clogged drains. Though soda contains phosphoric and citric acid, they are not enough for cleaning drainage. Rather, they pose serious risk of promoting bacteria and fungi growth because of the sugar. Your best bet is to invest in a snake if your drains are not working. MYTH: Vinegar cleans everythingFACT: Vinegar is a great helper in the cleaning department for some jobs, but should be avoided in certain situations. Specifically porous materials, such as stone, wood etc. It is an acid and can damage them permanently. For other non-porous yet very grimy surfaces, vinegar won’t cause any damage but can be an ineffective product when used on its own. Combine it with bicarb soda to create a chemical reaction.MYTH: The bathroom is the dirtiest part of your home.FACT: The kitchen is where you can find the majority of mold and germs, the dirty kitchen cloth, the fridge, the drain of your sink are literally breeding grounds for unwanted the micro-organisms in your life. It is strongly recommended to clean your kitchen daily! Other dirty places include door knobs, remote controls, light switches and toys.MYTH: Floor cleaners will clean your floor AND wax without causing buildupFACT: If you wash your floor with a dirty mop, then seal it with a waxing agent, you're actually SEALING in the dirt and bacteria. Why would you want to do that?  Make sure you are reading the labels on your floor cleaning products. Stick with a microfiber floor mop. With a washable microfiber mop head and a safe floor cleaner, you can cut your mopping time in half.What is the most outrageous cleaning myth you have heard?

0 Thanksgiving Perfection

• House Cleaning
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all our 'Perfectionists'! We wish for all of you to have a beautiful weekend spending time with the ones you love, feasting on delicious food and enjoying your favourite wine. The first long weekend in fall can end up being quite hectic, especially if you have multiple family engagements. Three turkey dinners in some instances can seem excessive, but the true value of Thanksgiving is making the time to create new memories and express gratitude for those you love. Be sure to find moments of peace and happiness in all the craziness.The biggest complaint we always hear about the holiday season is the amount of additional house cleaning that is forced upon us. The added dishes, the need to excessively vacuum, wash floors, dust the house, clean the bathrooms and keep up overall appearances. Dont forget the grocery shopping! Who has time to do all of this after a long work week? The fact is, it is okay to admit you might need a little help getting your house cleaning completed by a contractor. You are busy at the holiday season, so remember, we are always here to help you with the house cleaning.Making dinner for a large group of people can be hard work and quite stressful. Here are some tips to help your beautiful feast become a huge success!Potluck - Plan ahead and ask everyone to bring one dish, this is an excellent way to keep your house clean and free of an excessive amount of dishes. Your guests will be more than happy to bring a side dish. Just throw the turkey in and enjoy the day!Grocery Shop ASAP - Make a list and double check it. Chances are, if you head to the store at 3pm on Sunday for butter, it will be beyond busy. Save you time and be prepared. Get Your Housekeeping Done the Day Before - Get the whole family to pitch in (or call us) and get the house clean the night before! Even if you have to stay up an hour later to get it done, you'll be relieved when you wake up in the morning and the kitchen is clean, it will almost feel like magic fairies came in while you were sound asleep.Invite Someone Over Early to Help - Having a friend or family member come over early to help keep you organized in the kitchen and on schedule will make the cooking feel less like work, and more like quality time. Have an Early Dinner - If you schedule dinner for 4pm-5pm; this will leave you room for an unexpected hiccup, such as the turkey not being cooked,  a late guest or even just a few moments to clean before you eat. This gives you the opportunity to have time after dinner to visit, get organized and enjoy your company.Here are some of our favourite recipes and resources for Thanksgiving:50 Best Thanksgiving Tips10 Best Turkey RecipesGrateful for Fun: Family Thanksgiving Crafts, Games, and ActivitiesJamie Oliver - Consistently Good GravyAshley Singh, and the whole team from Perfection Cleaning in Langley and surrounding area wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble GobbleHow do you spend your Thanksgiving weekend?

0 Clean Carpets are Happy Carpets

• Carpets
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Maintaining clean carpets is great for making your home look esthetically pleasing, vacuuming two to three times a week will help you achieve this. The most important reason to keep your carpets clean is to protect your family's health. If you have a family member with athsma, allergies, or a snoring condition; it is crucial to keep you carpets in tip-top shape. Dirty carpets can retain all sorts of discusting indoor air pollutnants including pet dander, lead, particle pollution and everday dust and dirt from skin cells, shoes and more. Regular vacuuming can actually engage these allergens into the air and spread them around, rather than picking them all up if you have not sanitized your carpets in the recent past. This is one of the reasons why regularly scheduled carpet cleaning is strongly recommended every 12-18 months. Carpet cleaning with specialized shampoos can prevent the growth of mold growth as well as clearing out any potential dust mites & particles living in your carpets. Dust mites themselves aren’t allergens, but they have a tendency to leave behind feces and body fragments that are. Whether you choose to hire a professional carpet cleaning service, or take on the task yourself, here is a few tips and resources to keep you healthy, sanitary and ahead of the carpet cleaning game.Do you plan on cleaning your carpets on your own? Like any other machine, some work better than others for a multitude of reasons. Good Housekeeping researched the top carpet cleaning contraptions, here's what they had to say.Tip: By owning a hand held mini carpet cleaner, you can keep your carpets free of minor rug stains from kids, animals, or red wine stains (it happens).  Another great way to quickly get stains out of the carpet is with hydrogen peroxide. Always remember to first "Blot" your carpets when manually taking out stains, rubbing the substance into the carpet can ruin the carpet by pushing the stain into the carpet further and matting the fibres of the rug. Then wash the stain with a soapy-water mix, and finally rinse the soap and stain. Check out this resourceful Youtube Video below for an in-depth look at the D.I.Y. stain removal solution.    If you choose to hire a professional carpet cleaning service, do your research. It is always in your best interest to ask lots of questions, look for deals (check out groupon) and ask your friends for referrals!Feel free to contact us for assistance with your house cleaning & home maintenance needs!Which company do you use for professional carpet cleaning in the Langley / Aldergrove / Surrey / Abbotsford area?

0 Love It Or Hate It, Fall is Coming

• House Cleaning
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Let's be honest; with fall comes a ton of home owner responsibilities. And I mean alot (If you live in Calgary,  you skipped a season).  We strongly recommend a home fall maintenance overhaul. We want you to be ready and prepared for the dirt, rain and falling leaves off your beautiful deciduous trees in the front yard. Yes, it's a pain in the you-know-what, however you love those trees. Having your house cleaning up to date and the major household cleaning maintenance obligations taken care of will certainly help you be prepared for the seasonal housework. You must give your home one big deep cleaning service before the weather turns to rain and cold.Is your home ready? Here is a Fall Check List to make sure:1. Furnace Maintenance - Annual maintenance on your furnace will not only uncover small problems before they become expensive ones; but also reduce the risk of fire in your home. If you have a new furnace, once every second year may be sufficient. Don't forget to change your filter; this is where most of the allergens are caught!2. Outdoor - As the leaves turn and the flowers become dormant; you will want to prepare your landscape for the fall/winter months. Fall Maintenance is key to less work and healthy plants in the spring. Here's a great checklist for the exterior of your home from RONA.3. Spring/Fall Cleaning - Just as you would in the Spring; A "Fall Deep Cleaning" of your home will continue to contribute to that beautifully organized and clean home environment. 31 Ways to Seriously Deep Clean Your Home4. Good Time To Pull Out Appliances - When is the last time you pulled out the fridge, stove and dishwasher? You don't want to know whats under there. That's why we offer deep cleaning services in Langley and surrounding areas. Lessen the load and call us for a professional housecleaning staff to save the day!5. Air Vents - All your air ducts are connected to the HVAC Heating/Cooling. If you can see a large build up of dust and other living organisms, you may want to have your ducts cleaned. However, you can easily snake your vacuum hose down the register to clean the air vents.6. Baseboards - Another service our house cleaners provide. Keep your home clean by giving all the baseboards a quick sweep with a mini broom (or dry paint brush), then a good wipe down with a dish soap/water solution. This is one chore that may not be top priority; but it needs to be done eventually.7. Gutters - This may come a little later in the season depending on your geographic location. You will really want to clean you gutters throughout the fall season to avoid any clogged eavestrophs.8. ENJOY A PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE!We strongly recommend calling us this time of year to help with the house cleaning and maintenance. 

0 The Dreaded Bathroom

• Bathrooms
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Bathroom Cleaning Doesn't Have to SuckThe bathroom is undeniably one of the single most important rooms in the home, cleaning it is the least favoured by most! It can take ages to build up the ambition to bust out the cleaning supplies, for a task that can be done quite rapidly. It's always best to have a plan.What if we told you that you could have a perfectly clean bathroom without LIFTINGa finger? The key to bathroom cleaning success is to call Perfection Cleaning for the big job, and all you will have to do is minor maintenance. OK, sometimes you really do just want to scrub those toilets, or remove soap scum yourself. It happens, we understand. Here is a list of bathroom cleaning tips to help you out this weekend. WARNING: This may not be fun!Start With The Cleaning the Shower - Wrap a plastic bag with a respectable amount of vinegar. Wash your shower curtains in the washing machine on a delicate cycle, depending on the colour, you can toss a cap of bleach in there. If you have shower doors, create a paste with vinegar and baking soda, apply, and wipe clean. As for the bathtub, cleaning the bathtub can be easy if you maintain a weekly cleaning. If it's grimy, fill the tub with hot water, add bleach; but not too much. Drain the bathtub and then wash with a bathroom cleaning cream and cloth. Tip: Wipe the condensation from the shower when finished bathing.The Toilet: Eeew the toilet, if you change your mind on this task; we will come over and clean it for you. Seriously, we would gladly do it for you. See the Video Below to see how to clean your toilet in 3 minutes! Dont forget the back of the toilet!You will need: *Rubber Gloves*Toothbrush*Toilet Bowl Cleaner*Toilet Brush*All-Purpose Cleaner*Paper TowelCleaning Grout: Use a toothbrush and a few drops of bleach, works like a charm! Inspect your grout at least twice a year to avoid any leaks.Walls and Tiles - For a Deep Clean, spray the tiles, walls and even ceiling with your all-purpose cleaner. Run the shower for a couple minutes to create some steam and condensation, then wipe thoroughly. Ensure you put the fan on and open the window if possible to extract unwanted condensation from the air. Tip: Use car wax once a year on your tiles to deter moisture from seeping into your walls.Sink an Mirrors - Scrub the sink with a coarse micro-fibre cloth and an all purpose cleaner, store bought or home made. To get that porceline sink sparkling clean like new, line the sink with paper towel, then soak with bleach for about 2o minutes. Rinse and wipe dry. Use your cloth and cleaner for the counters, if the corners are dirty, use a toothbrush (not the same one as the toilet). Mirrors can be cleaned with Windex, or Vinegar and paper towel.Here are some tips for a streak-free mirrorSome of our favourite cleaning products: CLICK HERE For some more natural products: CLICK HEREOur Langley house cleaning services have many options for all budgets, so whether you need a weekly house keeper, or a maid service once a month, we got you covered. We hope you enjoyed these bathroom cleaning tips from Perfection Cleaning!!   Feel free to share some of your favourite tips in the comments below!      

0 Purge Your Way To Perfection

• Tips & Tricks
• by Administrator
• 07-04-2018

Purge, Purge, PurgeAfter spending the week locked in my basement at a long savvy attempt to have a perfectly clean house from top to bottom, a Blog about purging belongings was necessary. No matter how clean and sanitary your household is, if you have too much stuff it looks unkempt and overwhelming. Ok, clutter sucks! We could be professional home organizers.The only way to keep your mental clutter to a minimum is to have a clean house free of unnecessary stuff... it truly is stuff. You know, the 20 candle holders you might need one day, your hoarded first borns clothes, and the piles of papers that gradually consume the entire spare room. The spare room is the root of all storage temptation, don't give in.Effective housekeeping starts with only owning what you need (or truly enjoy) and having a place for everything. House cleaning is so much easier when each item in your home has a spot. Easier said than done right?! Here's the Purge Challenge:Find a bags worth of stuff to sell or donate from each room in the home. Books, clothes, kitchen items you never use, toys, more toys. You would be surprised what you have around the house to sell, post some ads on kijiji and make a few extra dollars. Then you can justify hiring a professional house cleaner, or buying something new for the house. If you have kids, they will love the idea of getting new toys with their earning. Not everyone has time for this, donating your good to Good Will is another great way to unload the clutter and give back to the community. Do this twice a year and you'll never have to worry about your home being on Hoarders! (However, watching Hoarders is my favourite way to feel like my house cleaning is top notch!) Shhhh…. you know too much already!We may be able to help you more than you think when it comes to decluttering. You would be surprised with the level of customer service our house cleaning staff has to offer. While you are determined to take on a new home project, our housekeepers can help you maintain the day to day cleaning operations, such as laundry!