5 Must-Clean Spots for Fall
Though everyone knows about “spring cleaning”, making sure your home is thoroughly cleaned in the fall is pretty important too. Once the weather cools off, we’ll all be heading inside to get cozy. Snuggling up on the couch will be a lot more pleasant without the dust bunnies. Feeling excited about the upcoming holidays is a stress-free way to enter the season of many celebrations.
Here are the must-clean spots in your home for the fall:
The Pantry
It may sound like a daunting task, but cleaning out your pantry is an absolute necessity every once in a while. It’s best to take everything out and throw away any food items that have expired or gone bad. Vacuum the shelves to clean away crumbs and dust, and wipe them down with an all-purpose cleaner. When returning all of your pantry items to their proper place, ensure all opened items are sealed properly so they don’t spill and leave your pantry a mess all over again.
The Closet
The fall season brings cooler weather, and now is the perfect time to make the switch in your wardrobe. Go through your summer clothes and donate any that no longer fit or that just aren’t your style anymore. Vacuum closet floors, baseboards, and door panels, and dust shelves before putting your boots, scarves, jackets, and other fall clothing into the closet.
The Curtains
One of the nice things about warm weather is that it allows us to open the windows in our homes and let in the breeze. The downside to this is that pollen and dust can get in through the window screens and stick to your window coverings. After summer is over, throw them in the wash and clean them according to the material they are made of.
The Refrigerator
Just like you did with the pantry, remove everything from your fridge and toss any foods that have expired. Check all of your produce for freshness and make a list of what foods, drinks, or condiments your family is getting low on so you can grocery shop more confidently. Wash all shelves and drawers to remove spills and sticky spots. A clean refrigerator is a great way to be prepared for the upcoming holiday meals and leftovers.
The Carpet
You’ll be spending more time indoors as the cooler weather comes. Giving your carpets a deep clean will ensure your living spaces are cozy, fresh, and stain-free as you wait for warmer weather to return next spring. Not up for the challenge? Don’t deny your carpets a thorough clean and call your local home carpet care professional.
Looking for a Cleaning Company in Eldersburg, MD?
You deserve to spend less time maintaining the household cleaning and more time relaxing and enjoying life! Immaculate Clean is your best resource for residential cleaning in Maryland. We’ve been serving our community of busy homeowners since 2004 and continue to satisfy our clients with consistent service with excellence. Contact us today and make sure to inquire about our “pre-holiday stress relief” specials!
Why You Need to Maintain a Clean Kitchen
Following a routine weekly or biweekly maintenance clean schedule for your home, it is helpful not only for your sanity, but also for creating a clean healthy space for you and your family to eat, sleep, and live your daily life in harmony and happiness. Today, let’s focus on one room in particular that commonly gets a lot of use yet not enough care.
The Kitchen
It’s one of the most frequently-utilized rooms in your home (unless you live by ordering takeout every night and dining on the couch). We wish we could say that wiping the counters down a few times a week could cut it, but the truth is that grime and bacteria accumulate in the kitchen rather quickly and often go overlooked amidst our busy lives. Avoiding routine cleaning of your kitchen is a recipe for disaster. Here’s why!
Behind Closed Doors
Your kitchen is full of appliances and cupboards that are kept closed the majority of the time. What’s behind them?
- Beautifully shined glassware
- Silverware you can see your reflection in
- Perfectly alphabetized spices
- Pantry items organized in groups of the meals you’ll be preparing over the next week
- Fresh refrigerated foods that are definitely not spoiled or making the shelves sticky
Okay, maybe that’s all just in our dreams. Realistically, it’s tough to keep every part of the kitchen clean 100% of the time. Why? Because we use it!
Some of us are in there at least three times a day just preparing meals. But when we don’t keep the kitchen clean on a regular basis, we’re essentially inviting bugs to move in rent-free and they begin to feed their little in size but large growing “family” of pest. These pests love to feed off our spills. Crumbs, food scraps, spilled drinks, and even old wet dishes in the sink can attract these little pests and foster bacteria.
So Much To Do, So Little Time
When you clean your kitchen, there are many areas that need your attention, including:
- Black splash
- Wall decor
- Light fixtures
- Blinds and window sills
- Stovetop
- Large and small appliance exteriors
- Microwave interior
- Cabinet fronts
- Countertops
- Refrigerator
- Sink
- Floors and baseboards
- Table and chairs
…and the list, unfortunately, doesn’t end there. Feeling overwhelmed? That’s why Immaculate Clean is here!
Don’t Sacrifice Your Valuable Time or Waste Another Beautiful Day Cleaning
Before we know it, summer will come to a close, fall will be in full swing, and the hectic holiday season will be lurking around the corner. Make the most of the remaining warm Maryland days and hire Immaculate Clean to ease your burden. Waking up to a fresh cup of coffee in a clean tidy kitchen is the first ingredient to a successful stress-free start to your day!
We are a family-favorite, trusted cleaning company in Eldersburg, MD with the expertise and tools needed to get even this important job done with success. Contact us to schedule your kitchen clean as well as any or all areas of your home today.
3 Tips for Staying on Top of Your Laundry
We’ve all done it before, at least once or twice, and for some of us, it’s almost a lifestyle. We’re busy doing things around the house and haphazardly toss a dirty t-shirt or wet towel into the laundry room, reassuring ourselves that we’ll take care of it later when our current mental to-do list is completed. By the following week, that t-shirt has morphed into a terrifyingly gigantic, and perhaps even threatening, pile of dirty laundry that seems to be as impossible to deal with as Mt. Everest seems to climb.
It’s a fine feeling to avoid the chore of laundry while we’re busy with other things, whether it’s getting dressed for a fun night out or scrambling to get the floors vacuumed before the kids get home from school and turn the house upside down all over again. “One less thing to worry about today,” we tell ourselves, promising to tackle the laundry another day, or even later that same evening if we’re feeling extra ambitious.
Yet when the final chore on our mental checklist is completed, do we run to the laundry room? We’re willing to bet you “accidentally” forgot about the laundry and fell onto the couch with an exhausted, audible sigh instead on more occasions than one.
So how do we quit this endless cycle of watching the laundry pile up for days or weeks and having to dedicate what feels like an entire day to doing the 6 loads of laundry that finally came crashing down all over the floor, telling us that our washer and dryer could sit empty no more? Here’s what we’ve got:
Tip #1: Make a Weekly Chore List – For YOU!
Many of us tackle things better when they’re written down on paper. Make yourself a weekly to-do list and split household chores up evenly throughout the week so that you avoid days where you’re overwhelmed with too much on your plate. Checking things off the list can be rewarding in itself, and seeing the things you’ve accomplished on paper can motivate you to do even more.
Tip #2: Get Help from the Kids
Children tend to enjoy helping out with “adult” tasks. They might not necessarily love laundry, but folding is a relatively simple chore that kids can handle if they are given direction. If you’re more comfortable handling the laundry yourself, give the kids some of the simpler tasks you find yourself spending time on when you should be attending to the mountain of laundry that awaits you.
Tip #3: Hire a Cleaning Company to Handle the Rest
If monotonous house cleaning tasks are keeping you from taking care of the laundry on a regular basis, lighten the load by hiring a professional cleaning company to take care of everything else. Say “goodbye” to vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing and “hello” to fresh, clean clothes and a spotless laundry room!
Looking for a Professional Cleaning Company in Maryland?
Immaculate Clean has been providing superior cleaning services to thousands of homeowners for over 15 years. We work with our customers to find the best cleaning schedule that best suits their needs at a fair and affordable price. Contact us for a free estimate or for more information about our “laundry with light cleaning” service plans. We’ll help you get your laundry under control.
Taking a hint from Heloise
Good Housekeeping may sound like an odd choice of reading material for a 12-year-old. But, as an avid reader growing up, often upon finishing the latest Laura Ingalls Wilder or Judy Blume book and feeling desperate for something to read, I would turn to my mother’s copy of the popular women’s magazine.
One of the regular features in the magazine was a column called “Hints from Heloise,” in which a lovely white-maned woman named Heloise would respond to readers’ urgent questions, like “My cat peed on my antique oriental carpet, what do I do?” or “What is the best way to clean the inside of my refrigerator?”

One thing stuck with me from those columns. Heloise’s helpful hints for almost every situation tended to involved one common ingredient: vinegar. Occasionally, she’d throw in another kitchen staple, like baking soda or lemon juice. But vinegar—that was clearly the magic elixir. Sometimes I wonder how she would answer if a reader ever sent in this question: “Dear Heloise, I’ve used your hints to clean up every stain in my house; now how do I remove the lingering aroma of vinegar?”
I’m no Heloise. My answer to almost any household problem would be to buy a cleaning product marketed for that specific problem. “Why make something when you can buy it?” has kind of been my philosophy regarding everything from birthday cakes to cleaning supplies. In short, I am the kind of consumer advertisers dream about.
But with age comes wisdom, and I have come to accept that Heloise was on to something. Vinegar is cheap and, in many instances, actually seems to do a better job than any store-bought cleaners. For example, I have a fancy insulated stainless steel water bottle that is not supposed to be washed in the dishwasher because that will eventually break down the insulation. Hand washing the bottle with soap is not a good alternative, because it starts to make the water taste soapy. Enter Heloise. I’ve learned to throw a spoonful of vinegar into the bottle, add some water, slosh it around, rinse it out, and, voila—a clean bottle that continues to keep cold liquids cold and hot liquids hot and tasting good.
In a previous post, I’ve talked about how I generally use a French Press to make coffee at home. However, we do have a normal drip coffee maker for when we need to make larger quantities of coffee. Occasionally, it starts acting wonky, like something is clogged. The solution, naturally, is vinegar. Run a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water through one brew cycle, then run it through another cycle using just water in order to rinse it out. Voila! Problem solved. (But take it from me—you don’t want forget to go through that rinse cycle before you brew your next pot of coffee!)
I’ve also started running vinegar through my washing machine when it starts smelling a little funky or when the suds don’t seem to all be rinsing out.
I assume you realize that in all of these cases, I’m talking about regular distilled white vinegar. But it turns out cider vinegar also can be useful in tackling one extremely annoying household problem—fruit flies. If you ever find yourself battling fruit flies after bringing home one bad banana, here’s how you can make a trap to rid your home of those little suckers for good. Pour a little cider vinegar into the bottom of a jar. Roll up a piece of paper into a cone shape, and stick the narrow end of the cone into the jar. Fruit flies will be attracted to the cider vinegar like a magnet, where their own gluttony will lead them to the bottom of the cone, where, unable to escape, they face a certain liquidy death.
So there you have it; I’m afraid that’s the extent of my handy DIY household hints. But if you want more, don’t worry—Heloise is still at it today!
Does My Home Need a Spring Cleaning?
Yes, your home really does need a Spring Cleaning. It’s officially spring… The sun is shining, the trees are budding, and Pinterest is buzzing with pins that say things like, “55 Cleaning Hacks to Make Spring Cleaning More Productive and Fun!” and “The 30-Day Spring Cleaning Challenge,” not to mention free spring cleaning printable checklists galore.
- Do all the usual daily chores
- Declutter a closet or two
- Stay off Pinterest
Cleaning tips that could save your life!
How’s that for a headline? Do you think it’s a little dramatic? Well, I admit that I do have a tendency to exaggerate and be a bit dramatic sometimes, but in this case, it’s not really much of a stretch to say that cleaning your house the right way could possibly save your life. That’s because it’s flu season. And if you’ve been paying any attention at all to the news, you know that this year’s flu is especially widespread and severe. Even people who received a flu vaccination are catching it, and otherwise healthy people of all ages are actually dying from this flu. This is not fake news! This is all coming straight from the CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htmEveryday preventive actions to stop the spread of the flu
So, with this deadly flu virus floating around, what is there to do, aside from locking yourself into a germ-free incubator, a la John Travolta from the 1976 classic made-for-TV movie, “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble?” (And if those of you reading this are too young to remember that one, perhaps you will recall “The Bubble Boy” episode of Seinfeld?) Clearly, bubble living is not a practical solution for many of us. Instead, the aforementioned CDC suggests that in addition to getting a flu shot, we should, “Take everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of flu viruses!” By “everyday preventive actions,” the CDC means avoiding contact with sick people, covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your mouth, nose, or eyes, and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with flu viruses.How the flu virus travels
There’s only one problem with that: “Surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with flu viruses” covers just about EVERYTHING. That is because, according to my other source for major medical news, The Today Show, droplets from a sneeze can travel 26 feet! And if there are flu germs living in one of those droplets, that virus can stay alive for 24 hours! Not only is that a really gross thought—it’s pretty scary. It means that some sicko could have sneezed at Wal-Mart, or in the school cafeteria, or in your office, or even in your own home, from far enough away that they could barely hear you say, “Gesundheit,” and you could end up with a real, live flu virus on your shoe, or on your lunch box, or on your cell phone, or on your kitchen counter—and that sucker is going to stay alive for one whole day, just waiting for someone to touch it.Cleaning is the answer
So, aside from teaching your kids to cough and sneeze into their elbow instead of their hand, and to keep their hands out of their mouth, and to wash their hands constantly, the most important thing you can do for them is to clean, clean, clean. Make sure you are frequently wiping down things like doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, and keyboards with disinfecting wipes. Another thing I learned on The Today Show is, those surfaces carry a disgusting amount of germs. https://www.today.com/health/which-today-anchor-has-more-germs-their-office-t121656 If there is ever an important time to have your home professionally cleaned, it’s during flu season. Hire Immaculate Clean residential cleaning services in Sykesville, MD to come in and give your surfaces a good disinfecting. Let them put their professional products and expertise to work on your sinks, countertops, floors, appliances, and all the rest of the hard surfaces that could be harboring viruses. Give them a call today, and keep the flu at bay: (410) 549-0727.Show The Master Some Love
If you could peek inside my master bedroom right now, you would understand the stark irony surrounding the idea of ME being a writer for a blog about cleaning. In fact, when I told my mom I was going to be doing this, she laughed for about 10 minutes straight.