Prescott Property Maintenance

Your home is where memories are made. Relationships with family and friends are renewed and grown within the walls of your home and you want this season to be wonderful. Here are some tips for making your home feel comfortable and homey for the holidays.

Keep up on the little daily chores during the holidays so that they don’t grow to be projects. Set a 20-minute timer to do the little stuff, make sure the bed is made and dishes are done. Keep mail in a designated place so that it doesn’t get strewn around the counters and pick up the clothes up off of the floors.

In the kitchen, do a quick check in the fridge to get rid of older leftovers and unneeded extra food just taking up valuable space. Don’t worry about cleaning the oven, save that task for after the holidays.  Make sure that you have all the kitchen tools you will need and that they are in good working order.  Sharpen knives and have plenty of large serving spoons.

Do a safety check around the house for possible hazards to young children and the elderly. Replace batteries in your smoke detectors and test them to ensure they are in good working order.

Declutter and remove any unnecessary items from the guest rooms, countertops, in the entry and on the floors. Less clutter equals less stress and creates a relaxed and clean feeling. Clear out space for guests’ coats and make room in the guest room for their items.

Each room that your guests may encounter should have a nightlight so they can find their way easily.  Make sure outdoor walkways and the address are well-lit.

Make the entry or the first room people see organized and pretty. This is where people come in, say their hellos, give big hugs and it is the first impression. Make it special and warm and welcoming.

Get help when needed. Don’t feel guilty that you are so busy during this season. Your time is precious, so spend it with the ones you love, doing the things that contribute to the joy of the season. Schedule professional carpet cleaning, window cleaning and house cleaning to free up your time and reduce stress.

Now, decorate to your heart’s content. Some like a lot of decorations and some like a minimalist approach. Either way, make it yours, show your style and have fun!

Finally, have something cooking that smells wonderful and festive as you entertain. Even “cut and bake” cookies baking or cinnamon potpourri simmering on the stove will do the trick. You’re all set! Your guests will feel comfortable and cozy, your house will feel like home and sparkle. Have a safe and love-filled holiday season! QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Prescott Maid to Order also offers home maintenance services through our sister company Prescott Property Maintenance and can help with any of these tasks with one phone call.

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order and Prescott Property Maintenance.

Housekeepers are something only rich people have. Or, are they? The truth is a housekeeping service is more affordable than you might think and is no different than paying someone to cook your meals at a restaurant or change your oil. Someone is happy to have the work and you don’t have to do it. It’s a win for everyone! Prescott Maid to Order explains why you should hire a professional house cleaning service to care for your Prescott home.

Here are some great reasons:

Cleaning Supplies 

You can clean your bathroom with an all-in-one cleaner, but if you want to do it right, you’re going to need more than that: window solution, tile cleaner, toilet cleaner and a grout cleaner. Have you ever seen a housekeeper’s cleaning tray? It’s full of cleaners and cleaning tools for a reason. Professionals know how to get things really clean.

Baseboards

Have you looked at your baseboards recently? Baseboards are where all the hair, dust, scuff marks and whatever the vacuum decided to push out of the way lives. They aren’t hard to clean, but they require a wet cloth and crawling on your hands and knees. Why would you want to do that yourself?

Dusting

Everything in your home has a surface that is collecting dust constantly. A feather duster is easy and kind of fun to use, but unless you are lifting everything up and moving everything out of the way, then you aren’t getting anything clean. And let’s not even mention what’s collecting under the fridge and behind your dryer. Hire a professional and never wrestle a dust bunny again.

Knobs, Handles, Switches 

Do you even realize these items need to be cleaned? Everyone opens the doors and everyone turns on the lights. This is where the germs live. Clean them up!

The Bathroom

Honestly, this should be a no-brainer. But just in case you aren’t aware, your bathroom needs to be cleaned at least weekly. And bathrooms don’t lend themselves to easy access. Ever try to reach that spot behind the toilet? The dirt can. And so can the professionals. They can handle soap scum, mildew, and that weird coloring on the tile in the corner.

The Floors 

All the dirt eventually ends up on the floor. No matter the floor type, all floors should be thoroughly cleaned every two weeks or that dirt starts to settle in for good. Are you really going to do that deep clean every other week? The pros will.

A Better Job

Don’t take this the wrong way, but we all learn to ignore our own dirt. The pros look at your home the way your guests look at it – and make sure it’s up to par. We should probably talk about procrastination at some point, too, but that can wait a bit longer.

You’ll Love Your Home Even More

You know how a sandwich always tastes better when someone else makes it? Your home is the same way. Instead of your home being an endless list of chores always staring you down, let your home be a sanctuary and cross cleaning off of your to-do list.

You’ll Have More Time 

Time is the great equalizer. We all have the same amount every day and we are all about an hour short of what we need. So, hire a pro to get things done while you’re doing all that other stuff, so when you come home you can finally be done.

Time is Money 

Yes, you can clean your own home. And maybe you even have the time to do it. But a professional cleaner is much more affordable than you’d think. Instead of thinking of what you’re paying for the service, think about what that money is buying you: more time with your friends and family, more time for your hobbies and fun activities. You’re not just buying a cleaning service; you’re buying a better experience of life.

Prescott Maid to Order wants to help you live a better life. Find out how we can help you enjoy the good stuff while we take care of the grimy stuff. QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Prescott Maid to Order also offers home maintenance services through our sister company Prescott Property Maintenance and can help with any of these tasks with one phone call.

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order and Prescott Property Maintenance.

Here at Prescott Maid to Order, we know how important our furry friends are to our clients. We see it every day in the homes of the people we serve. Often, we find that the kids are all grown up and the companionship of the pets in these homes is paramount to the lives of our clients. Because of this, we offer pet sitting to our list of services and have designed a program called Prescott Maid to Order’s

Forever Home Program. I will talk a little more about the program in a minute. But first, here are a few interesting health benefits of owning a pet, according to Women’s Day:

• Decreases stress
• Lowers blood pressure
• Eases pain and anxiety
• Lowers cholesterol
• Improves mood
• Helps people socialize
• Prevents strokes
• Monitors blood sugar levels for diabetics
• Prevents allergies and improves immunity
• Helps children develop

Some homes also have service dogs that provide a valued service to someone with a disability. Many times, these dogs are rescued from a shelter or rescue organization and trained to do specific tasks to assist someone with a particular disability. Tasks performed may be assisting and supporting someone who has balance and mobility issues. The dogs may pick up items from the floor or retrieve items for their handler. There are diabetic alert dogs that alert their handler when there is a spike in blood sugar. There are so many uses for specially trained service dogs that I am not able to list them now. Just keep in mind that dogs do not have to be purebred or a specific breed in most cases to learn these tasks.

Whether a person is looking for a service dog or a pet, adopting or rescuing is a great option. Our Forever Home Program operates in conjunction with Yavapai Humane Society. The website Mighty Cause states, “Every day, 9,000 pets are killed in American shelters. However, the Yavapai Humane Society bucks that trend. YHS is the safest shelter in Arizona and among the safest in the nation, with a lifesaving rate of 97%.” What a great opportunity to serve.

In a previous article a year or two back, I talked about community service in business, stating, “While trying to grow a business, many companies locally and nationwide are seeing the value in serving their community and the world at large. Whether it be on a large or small scale, the value of volunteerism, contribution and service is of unlimited worth.” We are involved in several causes in our community, this being just one.

So, what is the program about?

We will feature a dog or cat (sometimes both at the same time) and post an ad anywhere we can get exposure for it, on our Facebook page, our website and several community pages. Often, it will be a pet that is older, maybe has been there longer or may not be the one that will get adopted quickly. We will post and repost if needed to try to get the word out, not only about that particular pet, but also for the cause of finding homes for any of the pets in YHS. When someone responds to one of our ads, either to us directly or to the Humane Society and then adopts our featured pet, we will in turn sponsor the fees.

How fun is that? We ask people to “share” the ad to their page and to their friends so that the word will spread.

Our homes not only put a roof over our heads, but house and protect those we love, including our pets. It’s where we make memories, enjoy our quiet time, recuperate from a long day at work, celebrate with those we hold dear and much more. If you have been considering the companionship of a new pet, we encourage you to check out our Forever Home Program on our website or Facebook page and visit the Yavapai Humane Society. We love our clients and we love our pets! QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the owner of Prescott Maid to Order and Prescott Property Maintenance.