There are hacks these days for everything—mom hacks, blogger hacks, gardening hacks but almost everyone could use a few cleaning hacks for keeping their home from becoming a flurry of mess and madness. Here are five simple hacks for getting your home looking brand new again:

#1. Start Small

Setting and conquering small cleaning goals will make you feel accomplished and give you momentum to achieving larger and more in-depth cleaning. Don’t expect to clean the garage, reorganize the basement and cook a homemade dinner all in the same day. Be realistic and start with tiny tasks.

#2. Clean in Bits and Pieces

Cleaning in small chunks—i.e. putting away clothes, cleaning the kitchen cabinets one afternoon or washing the dishes will help lead to bigger cleaning accomplishments and ultimately help the bigger picture.

#3. Give Away Party

Never underestimate the value in tossing, trashing and donating towards the bigger goal of cleaning a house. Getting rid of unwanted and unused items will help to keep the house neater and less cluttered.

#4. Don’t Gripe…Wipe

Using antibacterial wipes for kitchen countertops, bathrooms, doorknobs and other surfaces will be a speedy way to conquer a variety of cleaning challenges and make the house an oasis of clean.

#5. Family Involvement

Making everyone a part of the cleaning strategy will help get and keep the house sparkling. With everyone on board, cleaning tasks will be completed more efficiently and frequently.

Another cleaning hack idea? Hire our cleaning service company! We can get your home sparkling clean in McKinney! Contact us HERE

While most people don’t consider cleaning a favorite pastime, there are some simple and easy ways to make those cleaning duties more fun and appealing. While cleaning can be monotonous, making it a family event or changing the incentives and altering the surrounding entertainment can have a major impact on conquering cleaning chores.

Dance and Sing:

Pretending you’re a guest star on “The Voice” and singing along to the radio or an online music station can make cleaning feel more exciting. Also, with the music turned up, might as well do a few dance moves in between sweeping and dusting.

Payoff:

For every long cleaning session, it’s smart to have a reward. A long bath with a new book? A pumpkin spice latte? A Netflix marathon? Cleaning with a payoff will make the time seem less grueling.

Games and Play:

Making a cleaning routine part of a game will surely make it seem more pleasurable. Try to record the amount of time per each cleaning session and then try to beat the previous session.

Exercise:

Squats while washing the dishes? Lunges while vacuuming? Pushups while scrubbing? Making cleaning into a time to squeeze in some exercise will be a win-win.

Stickers and Stars:

Adults and children need visual reminders of success—having a chore chart with completed tasks with shiny stickers or colorful stamps will keep the cleaning momentum strong.

Can’t find the motivation to make those cleaning chores turn into tons of fun? Contact our cleaning crew at My Maid Service in Mckinney, TX today and we’ll get your home looking clean and spotless!

A clean house often requires diligence and dedication but it also demands clutter-free living. If there’s always piles of papers, mountains of toys and stacks of books, odds are that the house will remain dirty or at least feel messy and disorganized. Sometimes the act of cleaning requires a little motivation and there’s no greater incentive than cold hard cash. Here are some sneaky ways to earn money for all your old stuff:

Home Goods and Appliances

Facebook

Try yard sale themed groups for unloading furnishings, dishware and other décor items.

Craigslist

Post an ad on Craigslist to get rid of your unused ottoman or old hot tub.

eBay

Sell that old Pottery Barn mixer or that set of china that has collected dust inside your cabinets.

Electronics

Gazelle

Try a site like Gazelle for unloading old smartphones, iPads and iPods.

Apple Reuse and Recycle

Get an Apple gift card for your old electronics through the Apple Reuse and Recycle program.

Amazon

Try selling old video games, books and other items on Amazon for a profit.

Clothing

Poshmark

Sell clothing and accessories quickly and effortlessly using your smartphone by way of this app.

Consignment Store

Sell old shoes, handbags, scarves and other clothing items at a nearby consignment store or flea market.

Tradesy

Sell higher end accessory and designer items and even wedding goods on this website.

Ready to part with that clutter and experience the joys of a cleaner and more organized home? Let our professional maid team at My Maid Service in Mckinney, TX get your home sparkling again! Contact us today!

If you’re looking for some DIY staging tips, check out these 5 ways to stage your home yourself!

Eliminate personal touches.

All of the family photos, your toddler’s art work on the refrigerator, and that (unflatteringly green) antique vase your grandmother passed down to you are part of what makes your home feel like home. Unfortunately, when a potential buyer walks in the door you want them to imagine it as their home. All of those personal items that hold so many memories for you could just serve as distractions. Streamline and keep it simple.

Emphasize extra rooms/spaces.

If your guest bedroom has been serving as a storage shed for years, consider spending a few bucks a month on an actual storage space so that you can show the space for what it is intended to be. If the wall between the kitchen and living room is blank, add in some shelves and make it functional.

Ditch the odors.

We all know that our noses are one of the fastest ways to trigger our brain, and certain smells just automatically send negative signals. Whether you’re battling the smell of smoke, stale air, or pet odors, make sure you ditch these before you allow potential buyers inside for the first showing. Baking soda is a fantastic odor eliminator, and you can use it for everything from carpets to mattresses to garages and refrigerators.

Create a lifestyle.

Play up the awesome features of the house. Even a small bathroom can seem like a spa retreat with a few plush towels and some fancy hand soap. Add a hammock and some potted plants to the back deck and it becomes an outdoor oasis. No one ever has to know that you haven’t stepped foot out the back door in months. In their minds, it will look like you used every inch of the space!

Keep it clean.

Hiring a My Maid cleaning service is one of the best ways you can prepare your house for a quick sale. There’s nothing that turns a buyer off quicker than a layer of dust. Hiring a My Maid maid service means your home will be spotless and ready for a showing at any moment. Click here to book a clean with My Maid Services right from your computer!

Did you recently sell your home? What’s your best home staging tip? Leave us a comment below to let us know!

When was the last time you had a family game night in your house?  Maybe it’s been a while because your game closet is overflowing and out of control.

Don’t let disorganization hold you back from quality family time.  Take back family game night!

Here are 5 steps to help you tame even the most out of control game cabinet.

Step 1: Take everything out of the closet and wipe down the shelves.

Giving yourself a fresh slate is important so that you know that there aren’t any random game pieces hidden behind boxes on the shelves.

Step 2: Evaluate which games you should keep, which ones you should toss, and which ones you should donate.

Ask yourself these questions:

Is the game missing any pieces?

Is the game age-appropriate for your family’s current needs?

Does your family find the game enjoyable?

If you no longer enjoy the game, but it is not missing any pieces, donate the game to someone who would use it.  If the game is missing pieces, you can try and reuse some of the pieces that are left.  (Monopoly money makes great “play money” for toddlers, and you don’t want to toss out dice or other reusable pieces.)

Step 3:  Organize the games that you are keeping.

Over time, the boxes for card board games can tear and bust open.  Pinterest has tons of great ideas for game storage boxes that are a little more resilient.  You can use index card file boxes or travel soapboxes to hold card games together, or you can use small plastic drawer sets to hold board games.   Ditching the boxes means that you can get to any game without having to dig through a tall, unstable stack of board games.

Step 4: Label the games.

If you are using a plastic drawer set for your board games, you can print some bright labels, or just cut out part of the original box and tape it inside the front of the drawer so you can see at a glance what is inside.

Step 5: Family game night.

The last step is the best one.  Now that your game cabinet is clean and organized, you can relax around the dining room table and play some board games!

Want to relax in a completely clean home that you didn’t even have to clean?  Sounds like it’s time to hire a McKinney house cleaning service.  Click HERE to book a clean with My Maid Service.  Whether you’re looking for a maid service in Maineville or Mason, you can actually schedule your clean completely online!

Do you have a great game closet organizational tip?  Leave us a comment to let us know!

Tired of discarded toys littering your stairway?  Are you all too familiar with the stabbing pain of stepping on Legos in the middle of the night?  It may be time to do a toy purge.  But, where do you start?

Here is how to regain control of your house by performing a toy purge in 3 simple steps!

Step 1: Ask yourself the tough questions.

Do they play with it?

Is it age appropriate?

Is it broken/missing pieces?

Is there room in your home to keep it?

If you answered no to one or more of these questions, it’s time to make like Elsa and “let it go.”  When it comes to toys, less is more.

Step 2:  Find a place for the things you are purging.

Broken toys or games with missing pieces can be tossed, recycled, or refurbished if possible.  (Monopoly money makes great fake cash register money.)

If a toy is still in great working order, but it’s no longer needed or age appropriate, consider donating to a local charity, or selling it on eBay.  You can take the proceeds and put them toward your child’s college fund.  Ka-ching!

Step 3: Find a place for things you are keeping.

Make sure you have a place for everything that you decide to keep.  Grab a few organizing bins so that you can find a place for every toy in the house.  Group like-items together.  If during the placement process you find a toy that missed the initial purge, don’t feel obligated to keep it!  You can always add to your “ditch” pile at any time.

During the purge you probably came across a few toys that have been outgrown, but you want to keep for sentimental reasons.  Your child’s first teddy bear is probably not something that you are ready to part with, even if they no longer play with it.  Keeping those few special items in a special plastic bin will protect them from the elements so that you can put them in the attic.

Clearing out the excess toys will automatically make your home feel cleaner, but if you really want that freshly cleaned feeling, call a McKinney area maid service!

Click here to book a clean with My Maid Services online now!.  Hiring a West Chester housecleaning service will round out the final step of your toy purge.  Hooray for fresh starts!

What’s your favorite tip for a successful toy purge?  Leave us a comment below to let us know!

Anyone who has a pet knows that those sweet, loveable creatures can wreak havoc on a household very quickly.  If you have more than one in your pet family, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Love Fido, but hate the mess he leaves behind?

Try these 5 tips to keep your home a haven of clean without tossing the puppy out with the bathwater!

Train

This one goes without saying, but you want to make sure that your pet has been properly house-trained.  If you are having trouble breaking an old habit, consider contacting a professional pet trainer for tips.  If you do find an accident, make sure you clean it up quickly and properly.  It’s not enough just to pick up the mess.  Use an enzyme-based product that is specifically designed for pet messes to keep from leaving behind any odors.

Groom

Just like we need to stay on top of our personal hygiene, our pets also need to have a clean routine.  A regular bath and a daily comb or brush will help keep loose pet hair from ending up on your furniture and floors.

Prepare and Prevent

Make sure your cat has regular scratching surfaces and that you trim your dog’s nails regularly to prevent any floor damage.  Close doors to rooms that you don’t want your pets to be in, and put a sheet over any furniture that your pet sleeps on so that you can simply move the sheet to reveal fur-free furniture when you have guests coming over, or when the sheet needs to be washed.  This is much easier than trying to lint roll an entire couch.

Vacuum.  Vacuum.  Vacuum.

If, despite your best brushing efforts, there is still a plethora of pet hair rolling around on your floors, your best friend will be your vacuum.  If you live on a multi-level home, you may want to invest in a lightweight vacuum for easy carrying, or in a vacuum for each level.  Don’t limit yourself to just vacuuming carpet.  Use your vacuum to clean the pet hair from your hard floors and furniture as well.

Hire a McKinney House Cleaning Service

Being a pet owner is a messy job.  (But worth it.)  If you need some help controlling the pet hair population that is multiplying under your couch, consider hiring a McKinney maid service. Click here to book a clean with My Maid Services completely online!

How do you stay one step ahead of your messy pet?  Leave us a comment to let us know your secret!

Whether you’re a clutter bug or an anti-hoarder, odds are you’ve got stuff lying around that could be eliminated for a cleaner home with more space. Holding on to things that no longer serve a purpose or things that are past their expiration date only creates more layers of mess to keep cleaning.

If you’re looking to rid your home of some excess items, look no further than these five things or if you’re tired of trying to stay ahead of all the cleaning projects contact our maid team or book a cleaning HERE for help getting your home clean and refreshed in Mckinney, TX:

1.) Hanging On

A closet overloaded with broken and mismatched hangers will feel stifling and can create more mess. Clear your closet of those old wiry hangers and plastic ones that came with your purchases. Alleviating your closet of hanger duds will create more space and a cleaner place for all your clothing.

2.) Married to the Mail

Discard paper piles! For a clean and revitalized house, clear coupon clutter and old bills and newspapers. Don’t despair over keeping catalogs and mail from long ago, as new mail will arrive with coupons, advertisements and clothing catalogs.

3.) Sayonara Strays

Souvenir coffee mugs, t-shirts from decades old rock concerts and pairs of mismatched socks can easily be given away to charity or thrown out.

4.) Takeout Toss

Whether it’s old chopsticks, soy sauce packets, straws or napkins, all the old takeout bits and pieces can likely be relinquished without much pain or problems. Give up the ghost and get rid of all the restaurant remnants.

5.) Expired and Tired

Get rid of all the old expired vitamins, the makeup that is clumpy or crusty and anything that is past its expiration date.

Whether you are cleaning in-between recurring cleans with your McKinney maid service, or you are still tackling all of the cleaning duties on your own, here’s how to save time, and still enjoy a clean home!

5. Multitask.

This one is especially useful in the kitchen.  Instead of catching up on Facebook while your spaghetti noodles boil, spend a few minutes washing your prep dishes, and wiping down the countertops. The goal is to have as few cleaning tasks left as possible when it’s time to clean up.

4. Clean from top to bottom.

One of my favorite tips is to make sure you start at the top and work your way down.  Dust tends to fly in the air and resettle wherever it wishes.  Make sure that you aren’t doubling your dusting workload.

3. Minimize your cleaning caddy.

Instead of having specialized products for everything around your home, consider using products that multipurpose.  Imagine the time it would save if you only used 2 cleaning products in your bathroom.  You could just spray your way around the room, and save a ton of time.  *Just take care when cleaning sensitive materials such as marble or natural stone.

2. Ditch dust attracters.

Dust and pet hair are attracted to electrical cords and clutter.  Keep cords wrapped neatly in zip ties instead of crumpled on the floor, and do your best to stop clutter in its tracks.  If you haven’t used something in a year or more, it’s likely that you never will.  Donate unused items to friends and family or local charities.  This will save you a ton of time on dusting, and your allergies will thank you.

1. Schedule around your life.

Easier said than done, right?  Well, this one is more about cleaning based on your specific life instead of trying to live by anyone else’s cleaning schedule.

• Option 1: If you are someone who thrives on schedules and spreadsheets that detail cleaning tasks and dates, then go for it!

• Option 2: If you work well with one entire day devoted entirely to cleaning, then that’s what you should do.

• Option 4: If you’d rather do the dishes a few times a week and let a ********* house cleaning service handle the rest, then that’s what you should do.

There’s no shame in any of these games.  Do what works best with your lifestyle!

If you do decide that you’d like a little help from a Maineville housecleaning service, CLICK HERE to schedule a clean with My Maid Services today!

Do you have a tip that gets your house clean faster and easier?  We’d love for you to share!  Leave us a comment!