A few months ago I had received an email from Ryan at D magazine. He was writing an article on the ultimate homeowners’ checklist and needed the input of experts.
Hi there,
We are looking for an “expert” to help us out with a story we’re
working on for D Home! We are putting together the Ultimate Homeowner
Checklist with different categories matched with experts (garment care
and safety and security for instance..)We’d love for you guys to give us a checklist of 10-12 cleaning items
every Dallas homeowner should have. (Supplies and products..)I will need by end of day Wednesday, as well as the name of the person
to credit.Thank you!
Ryan
Dallas Maids’ Reply to D Home Magazine
Being a big fan of D Home Magazine, I was happy to help! Check out my reply because it has a whole lotta good info for homeowners wanting to know a few tricks of the trade:
Hi Ryan!
Thank you for giving us this chance to help you with this article. We have a wonderful history with D Home Magazine and I’m glad to help out!
The Ultimate Homeowner’s Cleaning Checklist should be no more than 12 items! No need to buy different specialty cleaners such as carpet stain remover if the job can be done by other cleaners. Dallas Maids cleaning teams have a select few cleaners and tools that can do a wide variety of jobs because it makes for a more efficient and effective clean. Also, for any homeowner, it is much easier to clean if you can keep all your supplies in one area and don’t need to carry a plethora of supplies for various tasks, too.
The Dallas Maids Homeowners’ Checklist for Cleaning
1) All Purpose – A good all purpose cleaner is the staple to anyone’s cleaning arsenal. It will able to clean sinks, counter tops, surfaces, vents, and other cleaning tasks that you did not think of using it for such as removing carpet stains.
For an organic and effective all purpose cleaning, use vinegar! Combine one part vinegar and one part water for an All Purpose cleaner that goes toe to toe with any off the shelf you’d buy at the store.
2) De-greaser – Some jobs are just too tough for an all purpose. For example cleaning out caked on oven gook requires a degreaser. Apply and let it soak in for a while.
3) Windex – great for windows and shining chrome such as sink faucets.
4) Pledge – A must (and the best) for wooden furniture.
5) Medical/Surgical rags – These are usually blue colored and used, as the name suggest, in hospitals. It is also the perfect cleaning rag! Keeping with the less is more, These rags can be used for wiping surfaces and windexing windows. Google “medical towels” to find sellers. Dallas Maids’ go-to guys is Reclaimed Textiles: (888) 215-8216
6) Mop & bucket or Swiffer
7) Broom & dust pan – Brooms aren’t only perfect for cleaning floors. Use them to remove cobwebs from the ceiling corners, chandeliers, and quickly wipe down baseboards.
8) Feather duster – These are tried and true dust destroyers. Of course there are microfiber dusters that are outstanding!… at first. They wear out quickly as dust accumulates (even after washing them!).
9) Step Stool – needed for wiping down those higher up areas such as tops of refrigerators, ceiling fans, bookshelves, etc.
10) Vacuum – make sure you have one with built in extensions so you can get to all the nook and crannies along with vacuuming non-floor items such as curtains, clothe furniture, etc.
11) Latex gloves – A necessity not only for hygiene, but also to protect you from the more powerful cleaners such as the de-greaser.
Optional Tools and Additional Info
The next two are optional – not everyone have wood floors and stainless appliances
12) Wood floor cleaner – Dallas Maids uses Polycare because it is one of the best floor cleaners we’ve used and it’s organic! Murphy’s Oil is also good and more easily available.
13) Stainless Steel Cleaner – Weiman has proven to be the best of all Dallas Maids has experimented with.There you have it Ryan, the basic kit for Dallas Maids’ cleaners. Also the technique you use to clean can make a HUGE difference in both efficiency and effectiveness. We touch upon this a little in one of our youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c1HsvQ5ZA
Also, check the + next to “Speed cleaning rules” rules here https://www.dallasmaids.com/cleaning-tips for how to cut your cleaning time in half! I hope this helps. If you have any questions call me anytime.
Greg
For all the homeowner’s checklist that appeared in “D Home Special Edition: 100 Ideas For Living a Beautiful Life in Dallas” (2018), visit The Ultimate Homeowners Guide.