How to tackle perfectionism?

It’s a trait some have and others are annoyed by. Are you a perfectionist in some way? All judgement aside, each one of us may have firm beliefs about “how certain things should be done”. However, we could all use self-reflection at times and make self-improvements; ‘cause I don’t know about you, but last time I checked, perfection doesn’t exist. So how can anyone realistically live up to a standard that one isn’t capable to achieve?! Can we learn from others that we may have overlooked because we thought they had lower stands, yet they seem to get more done?

Let’s explore this fascination with perfection…

“Imperfect action is better than perfect procrastination.”- Harry S. Truman

Striving for Perfection Excellence!

Being a recovering perfectionist myself, I know what it is like to fear taking action without knowing all the facts, or even experiencing dreadful feelings of “imposter syndrome”. However, the world is full of examples of people “figuring it out” and learning from their own mistakes. Most of the time, we are held back by irrational fears that will never happen, or even if they did happen, they don’t truly matter to most people in the grand scheme of things.

For example: The fear of rejection. Often we have such high standards that we measure ourselves in an irrational way. Suggestion: how about substituting the word “perfection” with “excellence”? We know perfection doesn’t exist. By intentionally acknowledging that, our mind shifts into thinking about what would be the standard of excellence in a given situation. Now we are considering realistic standards and accepting them as normal. That would be healthier way to think.

Keep it Simple!

Simplicity and happiness are keys to success, not perfection.

Reminding ourselves that depending on how much knowledge and experience we have on the matter, we want to adjust our expectations to an appropriate level. There are so many great examples of successful people who made it a priority to keep things simple and relatable for the average person. Bobbi Brown, the legendary Makeup Artist and Founder of 2 successful beauty brands, uncomplicated makeup for busy women and developed simple 5-minute looks. Steve Jobs famously wore the same turtleneck and jeans to work everyday to avoid decision fatigue and use his mental energy to create solutions for people through Apple. Farm-to-Table Chef Alice Waters focused on using just a few fresh ingredients to make a delicious meal, rather than relying on complex recipes recipes with exotic ingredients shipped from the other end of the world. It’s not to say that complex routines can’t be exciting. These individuals saw the value in using resources they already had were just as fantastic. Yes, appreciating the value of the “ordinary”, or rather seeing them as “perfect”. (How’s that for an ironic comment?)

Less is more, and it starts with focusing on the overall goal. Ask yourself these questions, “What is the end goal?”, “Regarding this project, what would make me happy?” Is your goal to have more time with your family or do more of the things you like? Do you want to eliminate the stress and declutter in your home or work space? Focusing on what would make you happy, is will reveal what doesn’t matter or what is a lower priority to you. What you want and don’t want will become more obvious. So keep it simple!

Ask for Help

Whether you have a nagging question or prefer having someone work beside you, asking for help is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Striving to live life, as if we were Superman or Mary Poppins, is setting ourselves up for overwhelm. Asking for help sensibly shows respect for your own time and efforts. Being kind to yourself means you relish in avoiding unnecessary stress and you do not measure your own self-worth against complicated, unrealistic goals. You acknowledge that comparing yourself to others is a loosing battle, devaluing your own ideas is another form of bullying, and finally PERFECTIONISM IS NOT A VERTUE, IT’S A VICE.

With that said, asking for help can be as simple as using A.I. (artificial intelligence) to answer your questions, asking for advice from a reputable Facebook group, or asking a friend, family member, or co-worker for help. We are social creatures and thrive off working together to accomplish a common goal. Sure, we are capable of doing things on our own, but we also appreciate how working with others can enrich our experiences and speed up the end results. We can learn a lot from others and even develop a new skill.

Creativity Reduces Stress | Stress Reduces Creativity

It’s that simple. Consider it a math formula for life. Harvard-trained sociologist, life coach Martha Beck shared this phenomena.

Harvard-trained expert Martha Beck says, “Creativity shuts down stress” in interview with Today.

So let creative thinking be a part of your process. I hope this helps us all appreciate that we don’t have to burden ourselves with unrealistic expectations and irrational fears. We all have so much good to give. Don’t hold yourself back from greatness. You can do it!

How Poor Design Affects Us

I recently had a consultation with a lovely lady who admitted to me that she felt embarrassed to show me her bedroom closet because it was not big enough to store both her and her husband’s clothing. She had the remainder of her clothing stored in her bathroom closet. That meant everyday she had to decide which clothing she needed from one or two closets. I assured her that she was not the only one who needed to find extra space to fit their clothing. Although we plan to begin decluttering clothing she no longer wants to keep and it will make a huge difference, it was one of the many moments I thought to myself, “Are homes made for humans OR THINGS?” I know, odd question, and the answer seems like it should be “BOTH!”

It is notable to consider how the evolution of houses have changed with passing generations. To give context, my husband and I live in a 900 sq ft home built in 1969. It originally had 1 bathroom and 3 bedrooms. My husband was a bachelor when he first moved in and built a second bathroom. But in a tiny home, where did he find the space to build a bathroom, you might ask? In his bedroom closet. His clothes are in another bedroom closet. Mine are in the same room in a wardrobe. The design of the original closets are a small space with a large horizontal bar for hanging clothing and a few wooden shelves above it. The design is simple, yet adequate. I thing to myself, “they built just what was needed. ” But his closet doesn’t have the simple wood shelving, the previous owners put in a wire shelving design that is difficult to reach from almost any angle and to sum it up… A NIGHTMARE.

Our modern world is littered with badly designed creations. Poorly designed things cause people who try, and fail, to use them to feel bad about themselves. These items may have been designed with very good intentions, however they fall flat in function. “Confused and embarrassed” is how Instagram vlogger Feleciaforthewin so perfectly described the Norman door. I loved how her post so perfectly encapsulates the conundrum we feel in those brief yet uncomfortable situations. Have you ever felt insulted by using something so mindlessly normal, like opening a door, but are left feeling frustrated because it wasn’t designed with universal human behavior in mind

I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this post and thought, “This is not just about a door!” Almost every home is has some kind of bad design or installation of something that leads to family bickering. Examples will be included!

Common issue, cords in all directions.

Panorama shows 3 different outlets plus and internet outlet in same vicinity, a common occurrence when modifications are made in a home.

Installing new outlets and other modifications can be made in a home without taking in consideration of the function and appearance of the room. As illustrated above, we have all these cords out on display, there is a trip hazard, and an eyesore. You can even see the attempt to do something about it with the cord ties on the floor. The cabinet also houses supplies for letter writing such as paper, pens, whiteout tape, etc. But why was the internet cable outlet most recently installed away from the rest of the electronics in the living room? According to the cable technician who installed the device, it had to go in that particular location, which is by the dining room. So a simple installation can change the function, harmony, and appearance of a room.

With that said, we can created as space to hide the cords and still store stationary and other miscellaneous items. It will be a fun project, eliminate unnecessary trip hazards, and beautiful the home. But I chose to talk about this subject to let the world know, “Hey its not your fault you feel frustrated looking for an item in a ‘hard-to-reach at all angles, knocking-everything-over-to-find-it’ closet!” “Hey, you fell not because you are clumsy, but because what was supposed to be a temporary solution was poorly planned and left cords on the floor.” We an talk with our families about these odd parts of the home, why they are troublesome and what solution we can come up with together. At Naomi Organizing, I offer design consultations to eliminate expensive home modifications, and offer quick practical design solutions.

Why I Love the Konmari Method by Marie Kondo

Professional organizing has grow in popularity within the last 10 years due to popular books and TV series that have shown life changing experiences in peoples lives. Every organizing expert has their own philosophy of helping clients organize their space. The Marie Kondo method, also referred to as Konmari (an amalgamation of her first and last name), stood out to me as a simple yet powerful method that organizing things from starting with the easiest and eventually working our way into the hardest, using sustainable everyday objects to keep our things organized, and creating your ideal life!

Declutter your space and live your ideal life!

Creating YOUR OWN Ideal Life

There are too many directions to go with this. Do I want my life to look like someone else’s, or is there something yearning inside that I have to create for my authentic self? I admit that seeing the after photos and results from social media can be inspirational, however some just do not reflect my personal style and I encourage others to recognize and protect that intuitive feeling. Life is too short and precious to live in home that is yours, yet doesn’t feel at all like YOU! Understandably, modeling other person’s styles that resonate with our own is helpful when we don’t know our authentic style, but as we grow and observe our interests and “tweak things”, we are personalizing them. In time the personal style emerges… and that is huge! Some people, feel like they have filled their home with too many things, trying to accomplish a style that they liked, only to realize later that many of those objects were not fulfilling to them. So I recommend advice I found from Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home and asking yourself:

1. What truly makes me happy about life?

2. How can I reflect that into my home?

Organizing by Category and not by Room

Organizing by room can be challenging when several objects in that room have been scattered throughout different rooms of the house. So if one is organizing the bedroom closet, for example, and didn’t realize the amount of shoes, accessories, and clothing they had in a guest room, other bedrooms and clean pile of clothes in the laundry room waiting to be put away, by the end of organization process, they may need to adjust much of the closet to accommodate those items and may feel like they are starting over.

The Konmari method organizes by category and not room. Each category is also a different level of difficulty and she has put them in a specific order that is from easiest to most difficult:

1. Clothing

2. Books

3. Paper

4. Miscellaneous/ Komono

5. Sentimental (also may include items from the previous categories)

Sentimental is by far the most challenging category because it has the highest amount of emotional attachment. This is the most overwhelming category and yet many people try to tackle that category and are extremely overwhelmed, avoiding it all together. That is why the Konmari method saves “Sentimental” for last. Clothing, on the other hand, is the easiest to tackle and that is why it is the first category. Just like taking guitar lessons, would it make sense for a beginner to tackle a complex guitar solo? If they did, they would most likely give up. However, if they worked with a guitar teacher who had them practice beginner friendly songs, and as they mastered them they’d move up to another level that they are both capable of completing and will still feel challenged. As they keep moving up, they begin to tackle that guitar solo, feeling empowered at what they have accomplished. The Konmari method does not want anyone to give up in the middle of their “tidying festival” and strategically guides us through mastering each category so that when it comes time to tackle Sentimental items, we are far more equipped to complete the project and therefore have become empowered.

Sustainably Organizing

Sure buying a bunch of containers may be fun, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that our home will be less cluttered. In fact, our home can be both: full of fancy organizing containers and still be cluttered. This is one of the most common pitfalls well-meaning people find their selves in when they are trying to get organized. We often get sucked into buying more stuff to fix our problems, when the key to getting organized really has more to do with knowing what needs to stay and what needs to go.

The Konmari Method focuses on the decluttering process first, then encourages us to use storage we already have for the items that are staying. We can use boxes, baskets, cups, lids as trays, and refurbished items once used in one room for another. The decluttering process helps tremendously with the need for storage because it reduces the items in the home and often less storage is needed. Of course, if we feel that we lack proper storage and would like to purchase storage containers, we can better analyze what specific kind of storage would best work for that space. We can measure the area and what items we want to put in the space, increasing the chance of purchasing the right products.

In addition, we have also reduced the potential amount of clutter going into a landfill by using what we already have and buying what we need. How often we see beautiful pictures of organized spaces filled with designer storage with many multiples of the same beauty products or pantry items. Having back ups of you most used products is great. But truly able to use them up before they expire? That is a question that only each individual can answer, however a common problem with folks who love the trill of buying things in bulk when they are on sale, but not necessarily items we can really finish before they expire and there for create the need to make more storage.

In conclusion…

The Konmari Method has:

1. Envision how I want to reflect the things I love about life into my home.

2. Follow a process to organize the easier things first before I move on to something far more emotionally complex.

3. Use items I have around the house to organize, avoid impulsive purchases and save my excitement for purchasing things I really want in my ideal life.

Meal Prep like a Pro!

Recently, out of curiosity, I used a meal prep service that included a box full of all the ingredients and recipes to cook a week’s worth of meals. I thought, “Yes! Now I am going to use easy-to-follow meal prep, my family is going too love what they eat, and I will have an easier week of meals to cook.” Although the meals turned out tasty, I noticed that the quality of the protein was lacking, there where “too many weird bits” in the food (meaning picky eaters didn’t like seeing small bits of tomato, green herbs, etc. mixed in with their food), and I know that the same meals would have cost less had they been expertly meal prepped to our families standards. One portion of unevenly chopped raw chicken was sitting in liquid in a bag. I didn’t want to just strain the chicken, so I rinsed it in a colander, let it drain, then tried to dry the rest with a kitchen towel. However, there were so many bits of finely shredded chicken stuck in the towel, that I had to throw out the towel.

The prices of literally everything have skyrocketed and that includes groceries. Families are feeling the pressure in their wallets every time they eat. In addition, there are various options to consider as to where and how to purchase food. Restaurant delivery services, prepped meal kits, and fully cooked frozen meal services have increased dramatically since the pandemic. Still many feel that the quality of their food is lackluster and long for “old fashioned home cooking” they so fondly remember from their earlier days. If you feel that that mealtime has become too complicated, stressful, expensive, and ultimately lacking in food quality, consider the endless benefits of meal prepping.

Benefits of Meal Prepping!

• Less food waste = more money in your wallet!

• Prep the food according to YOUR preferences= not paying to ingredients you won’t use, food appears most appealing

• Choosing ingredients you love at their seasonal best= higher quality and delicious tasting food

• Food prepared on a tray in fridge= ready to put together, heat and serve… saving time, stress, and impressing yourself and family!

• Doubling a staple recipe in your home= cook once, make enough for 2 days/nights

HOW to Meal Prep!

1. Start with mastering 3 dinner recipes. Make of list of “tried and true” dinner meals you and your family enjoy eating. Look up recipes for only 3 different dinner meals, including favorite sides (i.e., do you like eating a protein with a side of starch and veggies? If so include recipes on how to make them too. To keep it simple choose just 2 sides for now and adjust later. i.e, Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and string beans.) Make sure each recipe is adequate to serve your entire family.

2. When you read a recipe, read it thoroughly first, then go back to the beginning and make notes on what ingredients need to be cut, diced, minced, etc. Are there any ingredients that need to be prepared first such as chicken stock, squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, etc.?

3. Prepare your meals before you cook them, have all measured ingredients ready in a prep container and keep the ingredients on a tray in the fridge. (tip: some ingredients can be added together in the same container as long as they are included in the same step and do not have a weird chemical reaction stored together.) This is how real life cooks are able to seemingly prepare an elegant meal in minutes. All the heavy lifting has been done in advance.

4. Every time you cook dinner, double the recipe so that you have enough for 2 nights, including seconds. For example, if a recipe makes meatloaf for 6, and there are 4 people in your family, double the recipe the night you cook it so you will have a total of 12 servings which is enough or 2 nights (2 nights could also be swapped for 1 night and 1 lunch for the next day) including 4 servings of “seconds” or leftovers. This is only an example. For some this is too much extra food, so in that case, modifying the amount made to fit your preferences is fine. The most important thing is being mindful of preparing the food that realistically fits YOUR family’s needs.

5. Cooking only 3 nights a week, will provide at least 6 nights of meals, and any leftovers can be warmed up on the 7th night. On Sundays or the last day of the current menu, your fridge will be bare with just a few items and it is time to meal plan and buy groceries. Pull out all leftovers of fridge, wipe out the shelves, bins, put items back in. Rinse and repeat.

Obviously there is a learning curve whenever introducing a new method, but by consistently sticking with it, you will master those 3 dinners including 2 sides, and replace them with 3 more dinners and sides you had written on your list.

I honestly cannot stand the grocery lists and recipes given from fitness apps and programs meant to make things easier for you but overwhelming you with too many meals every week and not enough left overs to keep you satiated should you forget to cook a night or two. That is why I believe in doubling a recipe. The chances of your eating leftovers from your favorite meal are very high, even if you had it once before that same week.

Also make notes of any changes you want to make. Perhaps one week you try a new menu and you realize something important you don’t want to forget the next time around. Again it’s a work in progress, however he most imperfect plan is better than no plan. Think of how refined your skill will be, more delicious your food will taste, and the energy and health benefits you and your family will feel from food not overly processed, too salty, poorly made, etc. This is a “kick butt” plan I think every family, single person, or couple could successfully master! Good eatings!

Your Tidying Journey!

Big tasks can leave us with feelings of overwhelm, as if to go on a journey. Along the journey we learn about ourselves and stay focus on what is right in front of us.

There is a strange saying I heard once at a business conference, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” That saying has always stuck with me because it refers to the feeling of overwhelm when facing a task or multiple tasks. That is what we all face regularly in life, isn’t it? So how do we “Eat an elephant?” or attack the overwhelming task? One… bite or step… at… a … time!

So you have been postponing cleaning the house, organizing your closet, decluttering the garage, etc. It can be very overwhelming imagine working through something that makes us feel uncomfortable. The thought is so discouraging, so we procrastinate and play games on our phone, or suddenly feel like doing our favorite hobby, scan the internet, etc. STOP!! There is no need to feel overwhelmed because we are not going to do everything all at once. We can get more done if we break our tasks down into smaller, easier tasks and focus on one small task at a time.

Let’s take out a sheet of paper or “notes” on the smart phone and make a list of all the things that need to get done, then break larger tasks into smaller tasks. Prioritizing the tasks from hardest to easiest. Now let’s look at our list. What is the most difficult task? Let’s say its “cleaning the bathroom”, everyone’s favorite room to clean (I’m being sarcastic). Is the bathroom the dirtiest room in the home or is there another part of the home that needs more attention? What part of the bathroom makes it the most difficult for you? Perhaps you do not like the idea of scrubbing the toilet? Ah ha! Have we just isolated the thing that we really are trying o avoid? What if all a long this was what really bothered us and cleaning every other part of the home wasn’t really as stressful?

Weighing out the pros and cons of tackling cleaning the bathroom first vs. cleaning something else first got us more motivated to clean the bathroom. How does the bathroom actually look? Does it only need to be straightened up plus scrub the toilet, or is there more needed? This can help us decided realistically how much work there really is. We may start to get a clearer picture of what to clean and instantly feel motivated to start.

This is what tackling complex problems look like. Taking the task and dividing it into smaller tasks, then focusing on accomplishing one small step at a time. Even if we begin on a task, only to realize that there is another task greater than that one, we still try our best to stay focused and complete what we have started first. Imperfect action is always more efficient than perfect procrastination. Sure there may be distractions, that is what the paper is also there for. Write the down what new take popped up in our heads, or take notes in our phone, and we will get beck to that task when we finish what we started. this way we see our progressing faster and that is so encouraging!! Finally, after cleaning the bathroom, we think, “hmm that wasn’t so bad!” We feel invigorated and proud of our accomplishment! So much better than starting and stopping every time a new thought pops into our brain, isn’t it?

Each time you accomplish an important task you are moving further into a cleaning and tidying journey! Into your journey you will notice the same habitual habits and find ways to incorporate systems. That comes later. But today we will focus on one small step at a time!

If you are ready to take action and prefer to tidy with a professional organizer, see powerful results, save time and money, and organize your home click here.

Why I became a Professional Organizer/ Organizing Consultant

Disorganized mind.

Lets begin at the beginning…. I can’t give you an exact age, but I know that I really valued things being arranged in a cohesive way while not understanding the principles of how to get there. I’m pretty sure I have some form of ADD, I like “pretty” things, and distraction has often sabotaged important moments in my life. For instance, while a sophomore in high school, my gym teacher was lecturing about “something” (look, I know this sounds rude, but if her way of speaking was just a splash more engaging, I’m pretty sure I would have been paying attention. Yes…some may think “cocky”, but its my truth)… so what was I saying… ah yes, she noticed that that I wasn’t paying attention and asked me repeat what she said. I said I didn’t know. So I had a moment of humiliation.

My point is, I often zoned out into my own world and forgot that I really DO need to pay attention to the actual world that I live in. Also I focused a lot on how I looked on the outside. Therefore I didn’t understand that there is a limit to how much we look like matters as to how well we thrive and function in life!!! It wasn’t until much later in life I would realize the aesthetic value of a person or object would be limited by its functionality.

As a young person, I didn’t have my own house, so in my mind I couldn’t see the purpose of how to keep a home tidy because I didn’t think I’d need to know that until I had my own home. But realistically I did have my bedroom, which was always a mess. (Lack of proper storage was a part of the issue.) I really hated hearing the complaints from my Mother, who was trying to be patient but hated seeing a messy room right after she came home from her job as a house cleaner. (I know the feeling all too well now in my own family.) She seemed to always know how to keep things clean and tidy. But honestly she knew how to arrange things quickly, not necessarily orderly… meaning it wouldn’t be easy to find. There were no systems in place. “Just make it look tidy and move on”. I can understand that way of thinking now. Quick recap- Her mother worked 3 jobs, was a single Mom, and the only way my mother knew how to help her mother was clean the home. Her mother loved seeing a clean home after a long day of work, so my mother was rewarded and IT WORKED! She loved to clean! Awesome! However, for me, I was in the fog, didn’t know how organize, I got lectured, my Mom would organize and clean for me because she couldn’t wait for me to get around to it, then I would eventually mess everything up and the process would repeat itself. Sounds like someone you know? Bring back memories?

Feelings of frustration, guilt, hopelessness, and inadequacy.

This ongoing cycle of panic, chaos, feeling lazing, and getting out of it momentarily… constantly repeated itself until one day I looked up on YouTube “How to organize/ clean my…” Big shout out to YouTube channels Clean My Space and Alejandra.tv, circa 2010. Finally I started to learn principles on how to keep my space more orderly, not just letting everything fall to the ground. (Sidenote- YouTube videos can be helpful. However, all to often we get excited and start buying things, only to come home and not have the proper understanding of what we need to do. Then we feel stuck again. ) My journey was a slow evolution and I want to point out that important detail. I know that in social media, we get a quick and dramatic results of the space that has been organized. In real life however, the person who occupies the space may take years or even decades to develop into an “organized person” and often they need someone to help them if they want to tackle an organizing project.

I say all of this because if there is just one person out there who is struggling, I FEEL YOU!!!! And the clouds will part and you will be able to enjoy a tidy comfortable home. But this is a journey and if you feel like you can’t do it on your own, hire a professional organizer. No one even has to know. We will make you look good and you can let your friends and family think that it was all you! Seriously! Some folks are like my Mom who have developed an intuitive mind when it comes to tidiness. Some are like me, we need a breakdown, bullet points, an engaging teacher who makes us feel good and excited to get started!!!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

What Makes a Great Cleaning Company!

Promise Cleaning is Licensed, bonded, and insured.

1. They take the time know know your specific needs

2. They value your Amazing Staff!

3. Local to you

4. 100% satisfaction guaranteed

Lets take a moment and break these points down.

License, bonded and insured

Often people are searching for the cheapest deal and most cleaners don't have either of these things and are just fine, right? Let us explain.

A company that is licensed, bonded and insured can signify that their business is legitimate and pay their taxes. This secures their reputation in the community and industry. We want to find companies that are transparent about how they make their income, pay cleaners, and file taxes. Do you really want hire someone who doesn't see the value in being transparent and protecting their reputation?

Bonding protects clients from theft by replacing what was stolen. We live in the real world and some people do not always have they best intentions while working. Often companies that have insurance will go many years before they ever had an incident. Although thoroughly screening potential employees before hiring, even the best screening may not catch dishonest ones who slide through the cracks. Bonding at least gives the client added peace of mind, knowing that their cleaning company provides them recourse should anything happen, have zero toleration for dishonesty, and value their relationship with you greatly!

Insurance replaces anything broken by the cleaner. A picture is take of item and shown to client. We offer to replace item. Clear communication is priority at Promise Cleaning. All cleaners are encouraged to be upfront about an accidental breakage by insuring that they will not be reprimanded because accidents happen. No one is perfect and cleaners are regularly wiping, scrubbing, and sweeping something; motions that can bump into something on the odd occasion.

They want to know your home's cleaning needs

Cleaning companies ask questions about a home to understand how best to service the client. Not all homes and living routines are alike. So taking the guess work out of equation by noting information gathered and making sure our cleaners read the notes before cleaning your home, so that everything is just so.

Do you need weekly biweekly or monthly cleaning? Is this a one-time cleaning or an ongoing cleaning? Move-in/move-out cleaning vs a Spring cleaning? Most cleaning companies offer ongoing cleanings services at a discounted rate.

They value their cleaners

Interesting thought… a great company wants their cleaners to feel appreciated and energized when coming to work. That has a significant effect on their performance at work.

The company wants their cleaners' skills to stay sharp with up to date information about our cleaning products, services, and customer service. Their cleaners know what products to use on what surfaces, and how to properly use them. They teach their cleaners about safety procedures. The cleaners check their work by filling out a checklist and leaving it with the client.

Times are changing more rapidly than it used to and especially a cleaning company would want to stay current with the news and just any general information so that we related to the needs of today and not just 20 years ago. This means they are flexible and do not rely on outdated information.

Local

Your future cleaning company would service local areas out of respect for their clients and their cleaners. It is unfair for clients to pay gas extra fees when they can get a local cleaner. It is unfair to their cleaners to have to drive further, putting more mileage, wear and tear on their cars. Many cleaning companies don't have company cars because they would rather put the extra money in their cleaning techs' pockets.

In addition, there is less traffic locally, so a cleaner can be at your home in less time if there is a last minute schedule change, and they can service more neighbors in our community!

100% satisfaction guaranteed

They offer re-cleans if something just wasn't quite right. Their policy allows their clients to know that they do not make unfair excuses to avoid responsibility. A great cleaning company would offer their clients solutions when the an unfortunate outcome comes to their attention.

How to hire a House Cleaner :)

We all know someone who has that “perfectly” clean and orderly home, don’t we? (You’re mother-ln-law, friend, neighbor, etc.) And they may very well clean their own home too. But perhaps you may be short on time and would rather hire a cleaner. So you start searching the internet for a cleaning company, or maybe someone you know recommends someone that they know who “cleans well”. With all the options weighing on you, how do you choose the right cleaner? More importantly, how do you even know what to look for? In choosing any professional any business, wouldn’t we all agree that a true professional isn’t only interested in acquiring you as their client, they also want to keep you as long as they can. They want to maintain a positive relationship with their YOU. Its not that anyone expects perfect service at all times, it is just that sometimes life throws a monkey wrench in our plans. A true professional, however, always anticipates realistically what potential problems may arise in the future and have a solution in place for when that day happens. They also know that if they take extra good care of their clients, they will also stand out from the rest of the competition! Well, I may have run a professional cleaning company in the past and have some gold nuggets to share with you my friend!

So what should you look out for when searching for a great cleaner?

1. They take the time know know your specific needs

2. They value they’re amazing crew!

3. Provide a true local experience

4. Offer their clients 100% satisfaction guarantee on their work

Lets take a moment and break these points down.

License, bonded and insured

Often people are searching for the cheapest deal and most cleaners don't have either of these things and are just fine, right? Let us explain.

Professionals house cleaners are licensed, bonded and insured to show that business is legitimate and that they pay their taxes. This secures their reputation in the community and industry. They want to be transparent about how they make their income, pay their cleaners, and and file their taxes. Do you really want hire someone who doesn't see the value in being transparent and protecting their reputation?

Bonding protects clients from theft by replacing what was stolen. We live in the world where, unfortunately, some people do not always have they best intentions while working. Even if a company thoroughly screen their potential employees before hiring, the best screening may not catch dishonest ones who slide through the cracks. Bonding at least gives the client added peace of mind, providing their clients recourse, have zero toleration for dishonesty, and value their clients greatly!

Insurance replaces anything broken by the cleaner. Again, a company willing to pay extra for a general liability insurance policy, when many other cleaners do not, value their clients. In addition, a great cleaner or their supervisor is communicates any questions during the cleaning with to their clients. If a breakage should happen, a picture is easily take of the broken item and shown to client, they they offer to replace the item. Clear communication is priority. All their cleaners are encouraged to be upfront about an accidental breakage by insuring that they will not be reprimanded because accidents happen. No one is perfect and house cleaners' are regularly wiping, scrubbing, and sweeping something; motions that can bump us into something on the odd occasion.

Taking time to know your home's cleaning needs

A great cleaning company will ask the right questions about a home to understand how best to service the client. Not all homes and living routines are alike. So they’ll take the guess work out of the equation by noting information gathered and making sure their cleaners read the notes before cleaning your home, so that everything is just so.

Do you need weekly biweekly or monthly cleaning? Is this a one-time cleaning or an ongoing cleaning? Move-in/move-out cleaning vs a Spring cleaning? A great cleaning co. usually offers recurring cleaning services at a discounted rate.

Do they value their cleaners?

Great cleaning companies want their cleaners to feel appreciated and energized when coming to work. That has a significant effect on their performance at work. Their cleaners' skills stay sharp with up to date information about our cleaning products, services, and customer service. Also their cleaners should know what products to use on what surfaces, and how to properly use them. They will teach their cleaners about safety procedures and to check their work by filling out a checklist and leaving it with the client.

Times change and staying updated with new cleaning techniques and safety protocol is important. This means staying flexible and not relying on outdated information.

Are they local?

Many cleaning companies try to take on all clients, however the clients may not get their cleanings scheduled when they want them and that can strain the relationship between the client and their cleaner. However there are cleaning companies that realize that they have plenty of clients in their local area and choose to stay local out of respect for our clients and their employees. It is unfair for clients to pay gas fees when they can get a local cleaner. It is a strain on cleaners to have to drive further, putting more mileage, wear and tear on their cars.

In addition, staying local generally means less traffic, therefore arriving at a client’s home in less time if there is a last minute schedule change, and servicing more neighbors in you community!

100% satisfaction guaranteed

Lastly, a great cleaner will offer re-cleans if something just wasn't quite right. Their policy allows their clients to know that they do not make unfair excuses to avoid responsibility. They believe in finding solutions when unique cleaning situations come to their attention.

5 DIY Cleaning Hacks You Have At Home!

Cleaning products can get expensive and some just aren't very effective, they just smell nice. So what can you do if you want effective cleaning products and save money too, while clean my home? Create DIY cleaners with some simple ingredients lying around your home, such as dish soap, white vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, cornstarch and rubbing alcohol!!! In fact, did you know that you could actually save a lot of $$$ by making your own cleaning supplies? Well Promise Cleaning, the best cleaning company in your area, started out by only using diy cleaners and we know how effective they can be. Here are 5 cleaning products (and possibly 1 more bonus recipe) you can make at home while saving your "dough" for something else you'd rather enjoy spending your hard earned money on.

GENERAL/ MULT-PURPOSE CLEANER

To a 16 oz. spray bottle of water, add 1 tsp of dish soap/ multi-purpose cleaner concentrate. Dawn dish soap is my personal favorite, however you can use any dish soap, liquid castile soap, or cleaner concentrate. Dish soap is a mild degreaser and is very safe cleaning agent that you could use pretty much anywhere in the home. (We will share some more dish soap cleaning recipes later in this article.) You can use this diy general purpose cleaner for light cleaning duties such as wiping fingerprints off doorknobs, switch plates, and on most surfaces as long as the surface does not have a varnish or lacquer on it such as some wooden furniture. You could even use it on glass! Oh yes, may professional window cleaners use this very same recipe!

Dish Soap for a DIY cleaner

GLASS + STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER

Add 1 cup water to 1 cup white vinegar/lemon juice to a 16oz (optionally you can add 1 tsp cornstarch for really dirty surfaces). Removes smudges off glass tables, mirrors and stainless steel kitchen appliances. While vinegar is a degreaser and deodorizer, however if you want to boost its effectiveness, opt for cleaning vinegar, which is at least 20% more powerful, however keep in mind the vinegar smell is quite potent. Regardless of which vinegar you use, you can add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils to help mask that scent. Some of our favorite scents are grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, lavender, and tea tree oil.

Finally, you can follow up your stainless steel fridge and appliances with light oil such as olive oil for an extra glossy look.

DIY kitchen and bathroom cleaner

SHOWER/TUB AND TOILET BOWL CLEANER

Mix 1 part cleaning/ white vinegar with 1 part dish soap in a 16 oz. spray bottle or squeeze bottle (optionally add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil). Spray it all over your shower and tub, squeeze it into the rim of your toilet bowl give it about a minute to break down the build up. Then witness how easily it removes scum and grime on the most used parts of your bathroom. After about 2 minutes of sitting on your shower or tub, scrub with a brush or rougher part of sponge to remove scum and buildup, then rinse with water, and you have a smooth and clean shower, tub, and toilet.

Happy toilet

EXFOLIATING CLEANSER, WHITENER, AND NATURAL DEODORIZER

Baking soda, YES!!! Not only is it economical, it is great at cleaning sinks and shower floors, especially because baking soda absorbs bad odors from the the surfaces. Baking soda provides mild abrasion while cleaning kitchen and bathrooms, as well as be an effective laundry booster. Baking soda is small enough to pull stuck on residue out of tile grout, stainless steel, porcelain, enamel, and fiberglass with out scratching those surfaces. Sprinkle it on carpets to absorb odors and lift out dirt before vacuuming. Sprinkle it on a damp cloth and use it as your eraser sponge substitute.

Baking soda to make a DIY cleaner

TILE, VINYL, AND HARDWOOD FLOOR CLEANER

1 gal. hot water, 1 Tb dish soap, and 2 tsp white vinegar/ lemon juice. This recipe will cut grease and pet paw prints off floors. Just make sure you wring your mop head out so that it isn't dripping wet when you are mopping a hardwood floor.

Mop floors with DIY cleaner made from water, vinegar and dish soap.

***BONUS: If you have laminate flooring, mix together in a spray bottle 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white vinegar/lemon juice.

Now you have 5, plus 1 bonus, DIY effective cleaning recipes that you can whip up on the cheap and leave your home surfaces sparkling clean!!

Cleaning Strategies that Just Make Sense!

Why do we loathe doing certain things? Is it because they seem tedious, laborious in the moment and we know that we have to repeat doing them again? We what if there was a way to shortcut through these jobs that feel like a hassle to do? When it comes to cleaning, its all about strategy and making each move count. Here are the 4 cleaning strategies we use to minimize time and labor, yet maximize cleaning results, ease of effort and our willingness to repeat the particular cleaning process or habit.

Like a great chess player, make your moves count with great cleaning strategies!

IF IT FITS IN THE DISHWASHER, PUT IT IN!

Sure... you can spend your valuable time scrubbing greasy, sticky overhead vents, the narrow cup-like container on dish racks that holds air drying silverware, dish wracks, sink drains, roasting pans, and any drip pans. I mean people have been doing that for many years... but most likely they either did before they had a machine to the work for them or they truly didn't even realize their machine could wash these items and not just the "regular" plates, owls cups and dishware. Since the invention of dishwashers, there is hasn't been a need to hand wash dishes and other kitchen items unless they are delicate like champagne flutes, electronic and other reasonably "un-washable" reasons. However the items that were mentioned earlier are machine washable and, let's face it... the machine will clean it better! So load up your dishwasher, put it on a sanitize cycle and thank yourself later!

If an item fits in the dishwasher and is dishwasher safe, put it in! The dishwasher will clean item more effectively than handwashing!

IF IT CAN GO IN THE WASHER, PUT IT IN!

Quit similarly to the previous paragraph, why wash an object yourself when the machine does it better?! Items such as washable area rugs and bath mats, and shower curtains shouldn't be left up to us manually cleaning them. We love our planet, so regularly discarding plastic shower curtain liners into landfills and our precious oceans, every time they accumulate, is totally not even an option. But wait... here's a perfect solutions for the plastic curtain liner debacle? Put it in the wash with a towel with a cup of cleaning vinegar and detergent. When it's finished washing, hang the shower curtain back on the shower to dry. Ta-dah!! The plastic shower curtain is almost as good as new.

If the item is washable, let your washer do it!

"KONMARI" YOUR CLUTTER

Marie Kondo famously described our body's reaction to each object we own as (my personal description) either a "happy, springy excitement or heavy soul- sucking void". Pay attention to how the clutter and objects that we own make us feel. We could easily pass by these items on an everyday basis and ignore them because we are so used to seeing them. Make a goal to focus on just one item and notice how you feel when you hold or look at it. If it is not absolutely necessary, i.e. items necessary for tax preparation, financial documents, official documents, medical documents, etc., and it is not enriching your life, donate it, toss it, or return it. When your home is has less clutter, there is more joy in your feelings toward your home and yourself.

Take 5 minutes to sort through items you know you never use. They now need to leave them home, DONE!

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Cleaning and order really are one of the most valuable things you can give yourself and the ones around you. Your time on this Earth is precious, and anything that can do the job better is worthwhile. clean my house, safer cleaning chemical cleaning near me. You don't need to prove to anyone that you are the best at scraping grease off the overhead kitchen hood vents, your shower liner is perfectly squeaky clean (Thanks to your new favorite cleaning hack), and you are DONE holding on to things that just don't matter anymore.

Happy cleaning!