I'm sharing this blog posting from my creative blog since it ties into my cleaning business. 

This beautiful home out in the country, is a true getaway for John and Nicole.  I started cleaning for them four and a half years ago, and what changes I have seen.  Many of my favorite photographs have come from their property and I find my visit each Friday, a perfect ending to my week.  Here is the story of their house...

I started cleaning a warm summer a, the week Nicole moved in, back in 2008.  John had owned the house for about 5 years and his life was about to change.  Each visit I watched Nicole add her personal touches to the house, room by room. 

Within a month, the backyard would be filled with guests, celebrating the marriage of Nicole and John.  I fell in love with the house and felt so lucky to be able to enjoy the property and witness the growth of this awesome couple. 

The house has seen several remodels,including one I did not get to witness.  The original  garage was turned into their master bedroom before I came. 

The master bedroom was then again remodeled shortly after I started cleaning.  All the woodwork was painted white and a soft shade of sky blue painted on the walls.  New furniture was brought in and it was done.  An enormous room filled with charm and warmth.  Nicole wanted it to feel like heaven, and indeed she has done that!  

The wrought iron canopy bed with hand stitched flower pillow cases and soft blankets graces one side of the room and a wall full of windows with white sheer panels ties it to the sitting room area. 

The kitchen is a busy place in this house, since John loves to cook, especially using the veggies from his home-grown garden.  The kitchen was remodeled just over a year ago, with country style cabinets, soapstone counter tops and all new stainless steel appliances.  The kitchen is warm and inviting.

The dining room is attached to the kitchen with a bold splash of color.  Red, velveteen chairs add a comfy feel to the area and the colorful, round rug features the quaint nook. 
The windows all along the back look out over a rolling carpet of green with a huge metal arbor and filled with a large patch of daisies in the summer.  The wild animals make an appearance on a regular basis as well.

In the summer, the gardens are beautiful and so fun to cut flowers and bring them into the house.  The deck is filled with pots of flowers and herbs and the clematis are climbing the wooden deck poles. 

Ok...Back into the house we go!  It is 6 degrees outside right now and I am drawn to the flower photos, wishing for summer!

Heading upstairs are three spare rooms and a beautifully remodeled bathroom....

I love this room, the White Room, has a charming chandelier hanging and a light, airy feel with white linens and a homemade quilt at the foot of the bed.


The third bedroom is a small bedroom, at one time, theGreen Room, but now is being transformed into Johns office.  Here is a photo of it as a bedroomstill.

The Horse Room, is a large, open space overlooking the backyard garden.  On many occasions I have seen the cardinals and blue jays playing in the crab apple tree outside the window.

The remodeled bathroom upstairs is a peaceful space with a large soaking tub and white subway tile surrounding the room.

After 4 years of cleaning for John and Nicole, they welcomed their new babies into this world!  

Twins...a boy and girl!  As always, Nicole had wonderful taste and turned the office into an amazing space for two precious babies.

And of course, with two new kiddos in the house, there comes more laundry!  So, John set out to create a dream laundry room with lots of folding space, and finally...a vented dryer!

Finally, we head back outside.  

Such a welcoming property deserves a couple more photos of it's natural beauty.

And then there is DoeBelle...

She came just about the time I did to the farm.  A gift to Nicole from her Dad for her wedding.  She was a baby...so cute and timid and fluffy!  We have become friends.  I bring hercarrots and feed her apples from the apple tree.  She comesrunning when I stand by the fence an call her over.  And in the spring, she gets a little, down right crazy!

If you haven't realized by now, this family...and house have a special place in my heart! 

I feel blessed to know them and take care of their beautiful home every week.  It is my getaway from the crazy life of the city.  And now I get to watch the two little ones grow and learn how to walk and talk and become little people!  Miss Gabby gave me a kiss the other day, which melted my heart!

Making a bed is a great way to start the day!  It shows you are ready to get up... Get Moving...And be productive!

When you are rushed in the morning it sets the tone of your day.  If have enough time in the morning and you are not rushed, the rest of your day goes smoothly.  If you are rushed you feel frantic and hurried, you make mistakes and get stressed.  Take just 5 minutes in your morning to make your bed and it shows you have More than enough time!  

Plus...
When you crawl into bed at night it feels so good to have a straightened, neat bed! 


Did you know? 

~ When you make your bed every morning, it take about 3 minutes less to make it because the sheets don't get as messed up and pulled out.  

Treat your bed as if it 
were your sanctuary!

Here is the difference between a messy bed and a bed all made up!

Treat your bed as if it 
were your sanctuary!

Here is the difference between a messy bed and a bed all made up!

As a cleaner it is your job to clean and maintain your clients house but it is also your job to make suggestions and help your client create peace in their home if they need it.  Many people don't see the small changes that can be made to make their home function the way it should.  Moving a toaster to the counter closest to the peanut butter or putting the knife set close to the food preparation area can make the biggest difference in a clients life.

Have confidence in your decision...make a little change for your client and stick to it.  If it doesn't work for them, they will move it back but 9 times out of 10 they will keep it there and realize that it makes more sense.

How do you make a change?  

Get to know your clients needs and patterns.  The more you are aware of these things the easier it is to see the small changes needed.  Most of the time it is a matter of common sense.  When a person moves into a house things get put where ever there is room and it might make sense.  But as you live in your house things change, you become more comfortable and things don't move to the most practical place.  This is when a fresh pair of eyes helps to see the obvious.

Things to consider...
*How tall the clients are.
*Clients ages (older clients may need things more in reach)  
*Do the clients have children that need to get at items or may need to be kept out of items.  
*Space or storage issues.
*Special needs.

For example....I have a client...She must be 6ft tall and I am only 5'4.  All of her plastic storage bowls were in the under cabinets but she uses them more than anything else in the kitchen.  After discussing a plan, we decided to move some of the unused dishes down, we moved all the plastic storage containers to the upper cabinets.  We also threw away all the mismatched items and kept it simple...3 sizes of bowls, only one brand of container so that all the lids in that size will fit that size bowl.  

I ran across this photo I took a couple years ago....

It made me laugh and I decided to share it.

One day, I was cleaning at one of my weekly clients.  I went to move his shoes in the closet and there was a pile of "something".  Unsure of what it was, I examined it closer.  Well, my first instinct was that it was mouse poop, but it really looked like chocolate chips.  I just wasn't sure what to think of this small pile under the shoes...but I was pretty sure it was chocolate chips...by why under the shoes?

I decided to look in the pantry down the hall and see if I noticed any evidence.  Sure enough, a bag of chocolate chips sat on top of a basket with a large hole chewed in it. 

I laughed...and suddenly a mouse came running out of the pantry at me!  I screamed!
I sent the wife a text saying..."You may want to talk to your husband about his midnight snacking!"  haha...we both had a good laugh over it. 

The mouse was a hoarder!

Clutter can take over your life, make you feel out of control and overwhelmed.  And the more clutter the more it looms over you....you avoid it, shut the door but you know it is still there.  It takes over your counter, then the floor and next thing you know you are sleeping on the couch. 
Here is a bedroom I worked on the other day.  After 4 hours we had taken back the room and my lovely client slept in her beautifully made bed once again. 
The room isn't finished yet but the difference is a good nights sleep for her!
I love my job and clients!

Many people get stuck in where things should go.  Once they move in, their decorating stays the same and certain items are just always used in the same way.  But what if you look at things in a different light...think outside the box!

Here are a few examples of how some simple changes made a world of difference!

Room 1: The front porch. 



AfterThis front porch was used as a storage area.  Blah and not much fun to sit out on, but moving some pillows and cushions out here went a long way!  I added some candles, books, a basket to hold blankets and a couple plants and this room is a delightful place to lounge and enjoy!
Tip: Add ambiance to any porch by placing small tealight candles in each window and light in the evening. 
Too hot?  Hang shear curtains with spring-rods in each window to block out some of the sunlight.

Room 2: Attic Closet

My Client worked at a bath shop and had TONS of products crammed in every possible place but never could find anything.  I decided to take a cube shelf she wasn't using and turn it sideways since the wall slanted in this attic closet.  Then I sorted the products by lotions, body wash and so on.  Now she can go shopping in her beautiful bath closet! 
Tip:  Her rule is...if you take something out...put something that is in the bathroom back into the closet so that there aren't too many products out at once.

Room 3: Cluttered Bedroom

This room was getting taken over by stuff...lots of stuff!  But once we found a place for everything this room came together quite quickly!  And now it is a clean, simple space and much easier to take care of.

This past week I was called in for an emergency.  A Mother called one of my clients, in a panic...they were going to do an inspection on her apartment.  My client called me in a panic!

She explained that she hadn't been in her Mother's apartment in years, always using the community room in her building instead of her apartment.  Therefore, she had no idea what she was asking of us, but she knew it had to be bad since her Mother was worried about not passing the inspection. 

We showed up at the apartment, knocked on the door and the door slowly opened the door and blocked our entrance.  She was embarrassed and unsure if she was ready to let someone see her shame.  She asked..."How bad have you seen a house?"  I reassured her that it would be ok and we were there to help her out.

As a cleaner, it is our job to put fears to rest and not judge!  We are there to do a job for a client and be professional and ready for anything so that if you run into something you are not expecting, you can easily overcome the challenge!

She opened the door reluctantly and lead us down the hallway into the main living areas.  She sighed and said she was so sorry, repeating over and over..."I'm so embarrassed."  Again, not Judging, we looked through the apartment, with confidence that we were perfect for this job!  I told her it was going to be ok and we were here to help her. 

We cleaned...and cleaned...and 4 hours later, with two of us, we completed what we could in the clients budget.  Thirteen bags of garbage later, signs of mice and dead maggots in the carpet, we got the place in shape to pass the inspection. 

As we wrapped up the job, I talked to the client and told her it would be just fine and she was on the right track.  Her eyes filled with tears with relief and happiness with the hope of a new beginning.  I gave her a hug and let her know that she did a great job.

Our job, as home cleaners is also to be kind, understanding and not judge a person.  There are always stories in a clients life we don't know but if you open your heart and mind to see the bigger picture, judging won't get in your way of doing a great job!

TIP: When you feel overwhelmed in a situation like this, here are a few ideas to help out.
~Before you begin, walk through the house.
~Talk to the client and find out which rooms are most important to get cleaned.
~Be honest with them about what you think you can get done in the allotted time.
~Dig in...Don't let ADD get in the way.  Stay focused on one area in the room and start working your way around the room.
~Be aware of your surroundings...watch for broken glass, knifes, sharp objects hidden in the clutter.
~If you client is working with you, check in with them.  Make sure they feel comfortable with the progress.

ORGANIZING TIP:  Moving stuff from a cluttered mess to piles around the room doesn't help you see progress.  This is a trick I have learned and makes it easier to leave homework for your client without overwhelming them.
You will need:
~Brown Grocery Bags
~Scissors
~Black Marker

As you go through the clutter, create bags of items...bathroom items, hair clips/headbands/brushes, office supplies, dirty dishes, important papers, etc.  Label bags with appropriate titles.  For bags that have smaller stuff in them, I cut down so you can easily see into them.

Once you have cleared the clutter and done with the job, instruct your client to work on one bag every day.  This makes it much less overwhelming for them. 
~Make sure to give them guidelines for throwing things away...broken, unused, old, outdated, etc. 


Note: This cleaning ended with the apartment clean for the client.  Unfortunately, there were a few things we couldn't fix or get to.  The carpet was destroyed in the living room near the couch and will need to be replaced.  The pile of clothing on the clients bed is being gone through by the Mother and Daughter, since the client had lost 60lbs from illness, much of the clothing was thrown or donated. 

Cleaning a bathroom sounds so simple but there are several steps to keep your bathroom in tip top shape that get missed most of the time.  I clean, on the average week about 20 bathrooms!  I have lots of practice!

Do you know why bathrooms get so dusty?

Toilet Paper is the culprit!  We behinds are sensitive and so we like the soft, fluffy toilet paper...but that creates lots of dust!  Then it gets wet and melts onto everything...the towel and toilet paper holders, walls, sinks, mirrors and even the lights. 

Here are some quick tips to get the bathroom sparkling clean without much time!

You will need:
Bleach spray
Window cleaner
Comet spray cleaner
Ajax
White cloth, microfiber cloth & a body poof scrubber (the cheap ones)
Toilet brush
Small scrub brush
Poly duster (easiest to wash out)
Pumice stone (for hard water rings and rust stains)

Fact: Most bathrooms take 15-20 minutes to clean if they are not in bad shape. 

Tip:  Use a poly duster for all your dusting.(found at most home repair stores...I get mine at Menards for $2.00)  I clean them out as often as needed, usually almost every room.  To clean them, run them under a tub faucet to remove dust and dirt.  Then place the handle between your palms and roll it back and forth to spin the excess water out of it. 

1.  Dust everything...start from high and work down.  If light fixtures need a good dusting, grab a chair and polish them up! I used my duster to remove some of the loose dust from behind the sinks and toilets too.
2.  Empty garbage can and wipe it out with a damp cloth.
3.  Spray the sink, toilet and tub edges that have mold with bleach spray. 
4.  Spray Comet spray on vertical walls of shower to cut through soap scum.
5.  While the bleach and Comet are working, spray your mirror and wipe it clean with a white cloth.

First of all...Put EVERYTHING away! 

To clean a sink, let the bleach spray work its magic and if there are water spots and soap scum use the Comet spray. 
     ~ Get the white cloth you used on the mirror wet and start washing around the faucet, making sure to get behind the faucet really well. 
     ~ Now dry the faucet and sink edges with the microfiber cloth. 
     ~ Use the small scrub brush to get around the edges of the drain. 
     ~ If your drain plug comes out, pull it out and clean the mold off of it. 

Most people don't think about the cabinets and other fixtures but they get just as dusty and dirty as the rest of the bathroom. 
     ~ Use your white cloth to get along the molding of cabinet fronts and remove any toothpaste or soap marks from the cabinet.
     ~ Wipe all the towel and toilet paper fixtures down then dry them off.
     ~ LIGHT SWITCHES and DOOR HANDLES!!!!

Now that your cleaning products have had a chance to work it's time to add a little elbow grease!
    ~ Use your white cloth and run along the top edges of the shower to get dust that has collected there.
    ~ Grab the body poof scrubber and scrub the shower enclosure starting at the top and working down.
    ~ Make sure to get under all the bottles and wipe the bottles themselves before putting back.
    ~ If the tub itself has a oily film, shake on some Ajax and then use your scrubby to remove the soap scum.
    ~ Do a final rinse and wipe down the tub edges.

Tip:  If you have a tub with jets, fill just past the jets and pour a cup of bleach into it and let the jets run.  It will kill any mold built up within the jets. 

Make sure to scrub around the hinges on the toilet with your small scrub brush and then use your toilet brush to get it nice and clean!
     ~ If you have hard water or rust stains, use the pumice stone to buff them away.
     ~ Flush...and it's clean.
     ~ Use your white cloth to wipe behind the toilet and around the sides of the toilet and bolt areas.
Tip: Always dry after you have wiped the toilet down or you will have streaks.

Use a white cloth to wipe up the floors.  Make sure you have gotten behind the toilet, sink and door and in every corner.

    ~ Fold towels neatly and make sure they match!  I always love having matching towels.
     ~ Wipe down any other items that are remaining on the counter such as perfume bottles, mirrors, canisters, cups and toothbrush holders.

Here is a before and after photo of the bathroom...

What a difference it makes to put things away and polish up everything!

Anyone can clean a house... scrub tile, floors and toilets, but it takes a special person to bring your passion into your work.  

Each house has it's special thing, space, vibe...whatever you want to call it, it is there!  A "Great Cleaner" will be able to find this and work from it. If you listed any of my clients, I would be able to tell you what that special "Thing" is.  

This is why I love my job, because every house and family is different.  Different decorating tastes, different needs, different lifestyles.  

The photo to the left is from my clients that live on an old hobby farm, surrounded by gardens and wild flowers.  Every week, I venture out into the gardens with my scissors and basket and start cutting fresh flowers.  Each week something different is in bloom, from flowers, to hosta, berry bushes and trees or even fall leaves.  I love wandering out to see what is in bloom, even a single blossom can be placed in a small vase on the back of the toilet or kitchen window sill.  

The photo to the right shows my single female clients love of body and bath products.  Her idea of storing these items was in large plastic bins under her bed with an inch of dust on the lid.  So I converted her small closet into a boutique for her to go shopping for something new.  She now takes a few new items off the shelf and puts some of her other items she has gotten bored with back into her inventory. 

Ahhh...I love this client.  Two little girls live here, if you couldn't guess.  I LOVE cleaning their sheets and making their beds to look like beds fit for a princess.  Toys are straightened, blankies folded and jammies folded neatly under their pillows. 
PLUS...they have a big chalkboard on their wall.  Each week, I take 5 minutes to draw a special picture or maze on the board for them.  It may be something going on such as a holiday or school starting or a fun theme such as a maze with Alice at the top falling into a hole and a table with teacups at the end. 

Now we are going to do a little activity...

~Write down your clients (or if you want to do this for your own house...list your rooms)
~Close your eyes and imagine walking into the house or room.
~Write down the thoughts and images that come to mind.
~Do this quickly for each client.
~Now go back and think of one or two things you could do for this client or room to enhance the special "THING" about this client or room.

When you get home how do you like to feel? 
           Get to know how your client would like to feel too!

One person's idea of heaven might be all the laundry done, where as the next might be the house smell clean and fresh.  Figure out what your client wants!

I have one client who wants the house pulled completely back together, everything put in its place so they can pull it all out again.  Another wants to feel like they are at a hotel and not have to make their bed, be pampered and taken care of.  One needs Quantity and not as much quality...This one is hard for me to swallow but their carpet is kind of trashed and tiles scuffed and broken.  The more that can get picked up, the better and the back corners aren't a big deal. 

So now...it's homework time!  Go home and look around.  What makes you crazy in your house?  What little areas bug you to no end and which areas are your favorite areas to be in?  Do you have a little corner that you would spend all your time in and an area you avoid at all cost? 

Now...Every time you go into a clients house, "feel" the house!  What you feel is what your client most likely feels too about that trouble area or that favorite area.  Try to turn more of those "UGH" areas into "Ahhhh" areas instead!

(The photos above were a before and after of a porch.  I found a few cozy items in the clients house to bring out and make the porch feel welcoming and wiped away the cobwebs and dust.)

One person's idea of heaven might be all the laundry done, where as the next might be the house smell clean and fresh.  Figure out what your client wants!

I have one client who wants the house pulled completely back together, everything put in its place so they can pull it all out again.  Another wants to feel like they are at a hotel and not have to make their bed, be pampered and taken care of.  One needs Quantity and not as much quality...This one is hard for me to swallow but their carpet is kind of trashed and tiles scuffed and broken.  The more that can get picked up, the better and the back corners aren't a big deal. 

So now...it's homework time!  Go home and look around.  What makes you crazy in your house?  What little areas bug you to no end and which areas are your favorite areas to be in?  Do you have a little corner that you would spend all your time in and an area you avoid at all cost? 

Now...Every time you go into a clients house, "feel" the house!  What you feel is what your client most likely feels too about that trouble area or that favorite area.  Try to turn more of those "UGH" areas into "Ahhhh" areas instead!

(The photos above were a before and after of a porch.  I found a few cozy items in the clients house to bring out and make the porch feel welcoming and wiped away the cobwebs and dust.)

When you get home how do you like to feel? 
           Get to know how your client would like to feel too!