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Clean the House and Skip the Flowers this Valentine’s Day!

February 7, 2013 by admin

red rose closeup

Why She Wants you to Clean the House Instead of Buying Chocolate

Ok, don’t skip the flowers just yet but has anyone else noticed that Valentine’s Day is just not very romantic lately? We’ve lost the thought behind the gestures; to borrow the phrase from another overly commercialized holiday: we’ve lost the reason for the season.  Perhaps I’m making sweeping generalizations here (no cleaning pun intended) so forgive me if you are among those stellar husbands and boyfriends that write poetry and plan cute scavenger hunts ending in candlelit picnics… This post is for the rest of us. For those of us that add “buy shiny, generic V-day present” to our to do list, right under “oil change” and “power wash the garage door”. Time to clean the house boys!

The V-Day Problem

Valentine’s Day sometimes feels like a game we are sure to lose. She knows what she wants but won’t probably say it. She wants you to know without her saying it. Not fair, but if you listen very carefully you might catch her not so subtle hints. If that doesn’t work just paying attention in general will help guide you to those things that set her heat afluttering. Or you could try…

Giving Her Something She Needs

Need is relative but here is a universal truth: most people don’t like housework. It’s not called a chore for nothing. It’s time consuming manual labor but somebody has to scrub that toilet right? Be her knight in squeaky clean armor, pamper her, make her queen for a day and clean the house! If you don’t normally contribute to the housework she might feel like you don’t notice her sacrifice and hard work. Giving her the gift of clean says “I notice all the ways you help me, I appreciate your sacrifice, I want to lighten your load because I love you.” Home run!

If you combine this idea with something more traditional then you have a recipe for the best Valentine’s Day ever; you will be up for husband of the year! You don’t even really have to get your hands dirty, call Dallas Maids if you are in Dallas. Have the house cleaned while you make dinner for two. Flowers on the table but don’t spend a fortune, they will pale in comparison to your gift of cleaning! Want to take it to the next level? Get her some gift certificates, spread the love over time.

And don’t forget:

  • Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Maid service is a very close second.
  • Don’t do the same thing over and over every year. We are creatures of habit, we find what works then we ride that until the wheels fall off. Don’t be afraid to switch it up, don’t be afraid to try something new.
  • Plan it out. Don’t wait until the last minute because you will end up getting her flowers from the gas station.

 

 

How to Care for Marble Floors – Protect your Investment!

February 5, 2013 by admin

caring for marble floors

 Endless Elegance Through Due Diligence and Maintenance

It seems like in the arena of tricky floors to clean, marble takes the cake and eats it too. We get more questions about how to care for marble floors than any other flooring type except maybe hardwoods. These beautiful floors are a huge investment, they are also notoriously easy to damage. Here are 5 things you might not know about how to care for marble floors: 

1) Marble is very easily stained.

You may think stone = tough stuff but really marble is much less resistant to stains than even most cheap vinyl flooring. Polished marble with a good stone sealer to protect it is definitely hardier than unfinished stone which can be porous  White marble is the most vulnerable to nasty stains. Make sure your floor is treated with a high quality, water resistant sealer. Make sure you follow the product directions to the letter, never apply it on wet or waxed surfaces and when in doubt call the pro’s!

2) Acid eats marble like powdered sugar.

 Bear with me, yes surely acid isn’t great for any surface but any kind of acid on your marble can cause almost instantaneous damage. This includes citric acid from citrus fruits, cola beverages and wine. You have to deal with a spill immediately after it occurs: wipe the substance up then clean with a clean damp cloth until you have removed all traces. Then it’s important to dry the marble with fresh dry towels because… 

3) Marble hates water.

Ok, it probably doesn’t care but YOU should because water can stain your marble, especially white marble. Sitting water or a damp floor that’s not dried properly can lead to a breach in your sealant and then a stain. It’s not necessary to mop marble floors on a regular basis; most days just sweeping or dusting will do. If you must mop use a neutral cleaner and a slightly damp mop to clean the area. You will want to dry the floors as soon as possible so mop a small section and then dry it before moving on.

4) Marble scratches easily.

So much for “hard as a rock”! You can see at this point that marble is in fact very delicate flooring, very easily damaged. You will want to protect your floors from scratches because yes, marble is easily scratched too! You can put rubber protectors under the legs of the furniture in your home. Try to avoid dragging anything heavy across the floor.  Put a doormat at each exterior door to collect any incoming grit or dirt before it reaches your floors. Sweep or dust your marble often to prevent ground in grit from scratching your stone.

5) Marble needs seasonal or annual maintenance.

To keep your marble looking it’s best you will occasionally need to get it honed and polished by professional floor care technicians. Honing levels out the surface while polishing creates that gorgeous, radiant shine that marble does best!

 

 

Clean Freaks’ video editor found!

January 31, 2013 by admin

Our search for the perfect video editor came down to three contestants who each submitted their video. Jeff, the winner, did an outstanding job.

Jeff has amazed us with his hard word ethic, professionalism, and tremendous editing talent. He has found his calling and it shows! On top of all that, he’s just an all around good guy, a joy to work with. From transitions to special effects, he was miles ahead of the competition. If you are looking for a top notch video editor, Jeff is your man. Contact Dallas Maids and we’ll be happy to get his contact information for you.

You can see Jeff’s draft here:

 

 

Welcome to Dallas Maids Video Blog!

January 5, 2013 by admin

Welcome to Dallas Maids House Cleaning Video blog where you can learn more about Dallas Maids, our services, people, along with having the inside scoop on cleaning tips and tricks of the trade with Dallas Maids video series, Clean Freaks!

We’re excited to be featuring Clean Freaks series sharing effective and creative cleaning tips. You can also find Clean Freaks at Facebook and YouTube. Much thanks to Dolly, our wonderful writer, Kari, our genius actress, and Jeff, our talented editor for their help in producing this fun project.

To all our valued customers: Thank you for giving us a chance to serve you!