Why Clean Homes Sell Faster: A Deep Dive Into the Psychology of Home Buyers

When you list a home for your clients, you want to get top dollar and sell the home as quickly as possible. One of the best ways to sell homes faster is investing in a move-in ready service provided by a cleaning company in Scarborough to appeal to a home buyer’s sense of order. 

Why clean homes sell faster: A deep dive into the psychology of home buyers

In this article, we will take a deep dive into the psychology of home buyers to understand why thorough cleaning is a must.

First Impressions: Passing the Online Test

As you probably know, today’s home buyers start their search online. As a result, you need to post professional photos that show each listing in the best possible light. 

First impressions are critical to home sales, so your listings need to stand out from the rest. When your listings sparkle, you can be sure you’ll have an edge over the agents who don’t take the time to do a floor-to-ceiling deep clean

Cleanliness Creates Positive Emotions: Passing the White Glove Test

Even if an unclean listing passes the online test, you should still face the home tour test. Home buyers are notoriously picky and will look at every square inch of the home, opening closets, peeking behind shower curtains, pulling out kitchen drawers, etc. 

As a result, you need every surface, nook, and cranny to be clean enough to pass the white glove test without an ounce of grime, speck of dust, or hint of grease.

Scent Triggers a Memory Response: Passing the Sniff Test

Scent is a memory trigger that can evoke visions of holidays past, mom’s homemade cookies, and a sense of calm with familiar pleasant aromas like fresh lemon and citrus. 

Unfortunately, they also bring up bad memories or trigger alarms that a home feels unsafe, such as smells of mould, pet odours, cigarette smoke, or marijuana. 

A clean home with fresh, familiar scents will trigger those positive emotions that buyers are more likely to relate to hominess, providing the positive response that translates into offers. 

Clutter Creates Stress

Another important psychological response is stress. A clean home creates a sense of calm and peace. If a home feels crowded and cluttered, buyers feel stressed and can’t imagine themselves relaxing in the home.

Ensuring the home is decluttered and cleaned helps present an atmosphere of calmness that feels like home instead of a gut reaction that tells the buyer to get out of there.

People See the Mess, Not the Home

Order reduces distractions that can take away from the best points of a home. When buyers enter a clean and organized home, they are less likely to become distracted and experience mental overload.

Cleanliness Is Associated With Health

When buyers step into a dirty home, their guard goes up with fears of germs and bacteria lurking in every corner. A clean home feels fresh and healthy, so buyers don’t feel their health is at risk. 

In fact, things like clutter, dirt, and mess are linked to our decision-making process. As a result, everyday messes can influence a home buyer’s decision to purchase because they feel unsafe due to the following issues:

  • Unpleasant smells
  • Pet stains
  • Dirty toilets, showers, and tubs
  • Kitchen grease and food stains
  • Crumbs
  • Dust
  • Poorly maintained window treatments
  • Unclean light fixtures

The cleaner the home, the healthier it feels, and the more likely people will have a positive response. The messier the house, however, the more likely it is you’ll trigger the flight response!

Messes Can Make People Feel Anxious

While not all people are affected by messes, those who are can become anxious when faced with an untidy home. 

So, although the home might be “clean,” newspapers on a coffee table, clothes hanging on the backs of chairs (or even on hooks), or clean dishes in a dish rack can contribute to feelings of anxiousness that can send some home buyers headed for the hills!

Therefore, it’s important to advise sellers to maintain a tidy home during the selling process. Hiring a cleaning company in Scarborough to conduct a weekly cleaning can help owners maintain a tidier home.

Clutter Can Erase Memory

When home buyers see several homes in a day, they compartmentalize each home in their memory using something that stood out. Whether it’s kitchen counters, funny artwork, or a spectacular backyard, you want to provide a positive memory that helps keep your listing in the running. 

Unfortunately, clutter creates a visual distraction that can lead to cognitive overload and reduce a buyer’s ability to remember things. Thus, you want to minimize clutter, so buyers can remain focused on the home’s good points, find something positive to compartmentalize, and process this information using their working memory.

Clutter Disrupts Emotional Readings

Clutter disrupts a buyer’s ability to read the emotions of others. When buyers feel stressed or anxious from clutter, they might be less able to read the facial expressions of their partner, which means they might incorrectly interpret their impression of the home.

Not only can this change their minds about the home subconsciously, but also increase the risk of couples having conflicts due to the misinterpretation. This creates a negative memory of the home, so they are less inclined to make an offer.

Call Our Cleaning Professionals in Scarborough

You want to leverage every opportunity to be the best house on the block and sell your listings quickly. The decision to work with a house cleaning company in Scarborough or the GTA is a powerful tool that will help you manage home buyers’ emotional response for more positive results.

A clean home makes yours the listing that stands out and triggers positive emotions that increase offers and perceived home value.

If you want to maintain a cleaner home, reach out to Maid4Condos to learn more about our cleaning company in Scarborough and the GTA. You can also call us at 647-822-0601.

A Deep Cleaning Checklist for a Fresh Start in Your Toronto Home

Deep cleaning is the ultimate house cleaning, providing a fresh start whether you’re moving into a new Toronto home, or want to reset your current home’s level of cleanliness. 

A deep cleaning checklist for a fresh start in your Toronto home

In this article, we will share our checklist for deep cleaning services in Toronto to make sure you tackle every surface in the home!

What is deep cleaning?

Deep cleaning services in Toronto provide a more detailed level of clean, such as your annual spring cleaning, New Year’s cleaning, or “my mother-in-law is coming to visit” cleaning.

This level of cleaning helps you enjoy your home free of germs, bacteria, lingering odours, mould, and allergens that accumulate over time. Unless you are obsessed with cleaning, chances are your average weekly (or monthly) cleaning doesn’t remove common culprits that can increase your risk of illness. 

When you deep clean, you remove all the risky residue from your home’s surfaces, making it easier to maintain a sense of freshness and cleanliness for improved health. Of course, you can also conduct your own version of deep cleaning to remove all the unappealing factors you encounter in an unclean home.

What rooms does deep cleaning tackle?

The answer is easy: any rooms that you like. Although cleaning your entire home is best, you can focus on key rooms that you use most often and the areas most likely to collect germs and bacteria, namely, the bathroom and kitchen. 

What are the tasks of deep cleaning?

This is where our Toronto deep cleaning services checklist comes in. If you want a fresh start in your home, use this room-by-room breakdown to achieve your goals:

Bathrooms

  • Bathtub and shower enclosure
  • Inside, out, and behind the toilet
  • Lights, mirrors, sinks, countertops
  • Vacuum ceiling fan cover
  • Light switches and door knobs
  • Empty garbage bins
  • Vacuum/mop floors
  • Wipe baseboards

Bedrooms

  • Make the beds
  • Tidy any clothing
  • Dust counters, table tops, and picture frames
  • Clean mirrors and polish ornaments
  • Wipe switches and door knobs
  • Vacuum/mop floors
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Wipe window ledges

Kitchen

  • If the dishwasher is empty, start a new load
  • If the dishwasher is full, put away clean dishes
  • Clean inside the microwave
  • Wipe the stovetop
  • Polish the fridge front
  • Wipe the backsplash, countertops, and cupboard fronts
  • Clean the sink
  • Wipe light switches and door knobs
  • Replace garbage and recycling liners
  • Vacuum/mop floors
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Wipe window ledges

Living and Dining Rooms

  • General tidying
  • Tidy and vacuum sofa seating
  • Wipe table tops, picture frames, and window ledges
  • Clean mirrors and dust ornaments
  • Wipe telephones, switches, and door knobs
  • Vacuum/mop floors
  • Wipe baseboards
  • Clean under and behind furniture

Laundry Room

  • Clear air vent
  • Clear lint trap
  • Wipe washer and dryer
  • Clean floors

What are the benefits of deep cleaning?

There are many benefits to deep cleaning, including the following:

Killing Viruses and Bacteria

You probably don’t realize that every dust particle in your home is a magnet for germs and bacteria. As a result, when you don’t clean properly, all those dust particles trap unhealthy viruses and bacteria. 

This increases your risk of illness. With an annual, semi-annual, or even seasonal deep cleaning, you’ll help reduce harmful germs and bacteria so you can enjoy improved health.

Reduce Risk of Pests

Pests are attracted to the tiniest crumbs, which puts your home at risk for infestations. 

When living in a multi-unit residence such as a condo, apartment building, or row houses in Toronto, you are at higher risk of pests spreading into your home. The less food available, the less temptation there is, and the less risk there is for bugs and rodents.

Breathe Easier

As already mentioned, dust accumulation in your home harbours germs and bacteria. Those same particles remain in the air and on surfaces, which can contribute to poor indoor air quality.

If you suffer from symptoms such as, itchy watery eyes, chronic cough, or a runny nose, these could be caused by allergens in your carpets, on furniture, in your curtains, and floating in the air. Deep cleaning removes hidden dust and allergens, helping you breathe easier.

Improved Mood

A clean home reduces stress and enhances mood. Living in a clean environment helps keep your mind calm and your body healthy for an improved quality of life.

Save Time and Money

When you create a clean slate with deep cleaning services in Toronto, you make it easier to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness. Therefore, tasks like dusting and cleaning bathroom surfaces become easier.

You’ll find that you can focus more on wiping away dirt, as opposed to scrubbing. Thus, you will save time and money, as you’ll need fewer cleaning products. The result is more time and money spent enjoying the things you love!

Decrease Foodborne Illnesses

Your kitchen is a haven for germs and bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses like E. coli and salmonella. A deep cleaning helps remove germs and bacteria from kitchen surfaces and appliances, so you can avoid unnecessary illness. 

You also remove the “ick” factor from things like caked-on grease and unknown food stains that make it hard not to cringe every time you fix yourself a snack.

Welcoming Guests

If you like to entertain or are a regular Jerry Seinfeld with people popping in unexpectedly, a deep clean is key to keeping your home presentable to welcome guests.

A Better Work Space

If you work from home, all the above benefits also apply to your work environment!

Tips to Get Your Deep Cleaning Started

If our checklist feels a little intense, we get it. This is not your run-of-the-mill cleaning checklist that you can tackle every weekend. However, you can use these tips to make the job easier:

  • Work by room: If it sounds like too much work at once, you can tackle a different room every weekend until you finish the entire home.
  • Invest in the right tools: Using the right tools can make it easier to achieve your deep cleaning goals. For example, you might invest in a duster that can reach the ceiling, or purchase a vacuum with a wider variety of attachments. 
  • Enlist help: If you don’t live alone, enlist the help of family members, your partner, or roommates to help get through the checklist faster. 

Hire Deep Cleaning Services in Toronto

An even better idea is to hire a deep cleaning service in Toronto to manage the job for you. At Maid4Condos, we have the proper cleaning tools, equipment, products, and expertise to complete the job efficiently and achieve the highest possible level of cleanliness.

If you want a fresh start in your home, click here to learn more about our deep cleaning services that Toronto loves. You can call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.

How to Prepare Your Home for Move-Out Cleaning in Toronto

When you’re preparing to move, you have an obligation to make sure the new tenants or owners find a fresh, clean home to move into. That calls for a professional move-out cleaning in North York that tackles every square inch of the home.

How to prepare your home for move-out cleaning in Toronto

Although the cleaners will manage the cleaning, there are still some things you should do to prepare your home for their arrival. Use this list to make sure your home is ready for the cleaners, and that you adhere to your lease or sales agreement. 

Remove Your Belongings

Packing away your belongings and removing them from the home clears the way for move-out cleaning in North York. It’s important to check every closet, shelf, pantry, under the sink, laundry room, etc., to look for anything you might either have forgotten or thought could be thrown away by the new tenants/owners.

Leaving unwanted belongings behind is actually not allowed based on most leases and sales agreements. So, avoid charges and issues, and make sure you haven’t left anything.

Vacuum or Sweep Floors

Move-out cleaning services will wash the floors. However, it helps to do a final sweep or vacuum before you leave. This allows the cleaners to come in with their equipment and do a professional-grade cleaning to adhere to the rules of leaving the home in sanitary condition.

Meet Your Obligations

As our list progresses, you’re probably wondering why you hired professional cleaners if you have to clean anyway. The truth is that you have an obligation to clean the home.

Whether it’s you or the landlord/real estate agent who arranges for the move-out cleaning services, you have to show that you’ve done your part to leave the home in good condition.

Wipe Down Surfaces

This is especially important for things, like the stovetop, kitchen/bathroom counters, and cabinet fronts. Move-out cleaners will use heavy-duty cleaners and sanitizers to ensure the home is move-in ready. However, any sticky messes you leave behind will slow them down and can end up costing you or the landlord more money.

Depending on the level and type of dirt you leave behind, you could face issues with the new buyers or the landlord if they feel you did not meet the requirements to leave the home in good condition.

Clean Inside Kitchen Drawers and Cabinets

This is very important, especially if the home might sit empty for a while before the new tenants/owners move in. Even small amounts of food debris can attract pests to the home, which can lead to an infestation in a matter of days. 

Insects can multiply at a frightening speed, especially roaches and ants. By removing all your food and cleaning out kitchen drawers, shelves, cabinets, and pantries, you help reduce the risk of infestation before move-in day.

Repair Nail Holes and Minor Wall Damage

If you used nails to hang art and pictures on your walls, the damage must be repaired before the cleaners arrive. This should be done as soon as possible, as it takes time for the filler to set and harden completely.

Since the cleaners will wipe down and wash the walls, ensuring holes are filled once the nails are removed will follow your lease/sales agreement while allowing the cleaners to do their job without damaging your repair work.

Repaint the Walls or Do Touch Ups

If you leased your home and did not have written permission from the landlord to paint the walls, you’ll have to repaint them to a similar, neutral paint colour to avoid losing your deposit.

If you own the home, you likely already painted or did touch-ups before you listed, so this is not usually necessary unless it was included as a condition of the sale.

Clean the Appliances Inside and Out

Removing all food from the fridge and freezer and cleaning your appliances inside and out is a given when you move out. For the fridge, chances are the landlord will unplug the appliances until the new tenants move in. As a result, any food left in the fridge or freezer will rot, leading to cleaning issues and odours that can stay in the apartment for weeks. 

Remove the food and clean all the shelves and drawers of the fridge and freezer, as this is not always included in move-out cleaning services. Although the cleaners do wipe down the outside of your stove and fridge, you should do this as the final step in case the landlord or new buyers arrive before the cleaners. 

The oven is also important, as you might attract pests to the baked-on food on the stove top as well as in the oven. Vacuum out the oven drawer to remove crumbs and food drips. And don’t forget the dishwasher. Be sure to run a wash cycle using a product like Finish or Affresh for dishwashers. 

Tackle the Bathroom

Of course, move-out cleaners will sanitize all the surfaces in the bathroom. However, leaving behind toilet bowl stains, damaged dirty tiles and grout, dirty counters, and spattered mirrors is not acceptable.

Wash your bathroom using disinfecting, surface-appropriate cleaning products to provide a clean surface ready for a professional-grade deep cleaning. Again, you don’t want the new tenants or owners to arrive to check out the home and find a filthy bathroom before they move in. That’s just embarrassing!

Clean the Laundry Appliances

Cleaning the laundry appliances avoids the smells and dangers of dirty washing machines and dryers. Using a product like Affresh in the washer will get rid of mouldy residue and soap scum that can cause a musty smell in the home if left for too long. Additionally, the dryer lint catcher should be cleaned and vacuumed to remove as much of the lint build-up as possible. 

Wipe down the dust and lint that tends to collect on the walls beside the dryer and any cabinets or shelves for storage. Make sure you check the machines for stray clothing you might have missed. You’d be surprised how many people move out and leave an entire load of laundry behind!

Contact the North York Move-Out Cleaning Experts

These tips will ensure that not only is the home ready for the move-out cleaners in North York, but also that you adhere to the terms of your lease or sales agreement. This way, you can avoid hassles that can make a moving day even more stressful.

To learn more about Maid4Condos’ move-out cleaning services in North York, click here. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.

10 Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips for Homeowners in Toronto

In this article, we will share 10 eco-friendly cleaning tips from our residential cleaning services in Toronto so you can do your part to help save the planet.

10 eco-friendly cleaning tips for homeowners in Toronto

1. Create your own multi-purpose cleaner

This truly is the easiest and, might we add, most affordable option to tackle house cleaning with a clean conscience! DIY cleaning products are easy to make and use with items you likely have in your pantry. Some common environmentally-friendly DIY cleaning ingredients include lemons, baking soda, and vinegar. 

You can make your own multipurpose solution by combining 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 30 drops of your essential oil of choice to create a cleaner that smells like your idea of heaven. Feel free to experiment with different oil blends to make your own signature fragrance! 

2. Choose reusable cleaning tools

Reusable cleaning tools such as wet mops with microfiber cloths help reduce waste produced from house cleaning. Stop throwing out single-use items for tools like wet mops.

Instead, you can ace your cleaning with the power of microfiber cloths that can be tossed in the laundry instead of the trash and, ultimately, the local landfill site. Choosing microfiber cloths over sponges and paper towels makes a big difference.

3. Use products with eco-friendly containers

Although plastic can be recycled, you can find eco-friendly containers, with emerging “boutique” cleaning brands filling the gaps of the eco-friendly niche. Although they often cost a little more, specialty cleaning brands are gaining attention in the cleaning industry.

Products made for use in reusable spray bottles take a unique approach to packaging. For example, you can buy tablets you drop into a spray bottle filled with water or vinegar. The tablets come in paper packaging that goes into your recycle bin.  

4. Use natural laundry products

House cleaning flushes contaminated water into our local sewage systems, contributing to issues with local wildlife and drinking water. Laundry products containing harsh chemicals like bleach are a perfect example.

Choosing phosphate, bleach, and fragrance-free laundry products helps reduce pollutants. Keep in mind that reducing harsh chemicals in laundry detergents also decreases exposure to certain chemicals that stay in your body forever, contributing to health issues over time.

5. Avoid materials from non-renewable resources

Non-renewable resources like petroleum-based plastics are used in many cleaning tools like mops. Along with those washable mop heads, choosing tools that are made of wood or bamboo are much better for the environment. Sustainable materials, like straw for brooms and bamboo used on handles, have a far less negative impact on the planet.

6. If it isn’t broken, don’t toss it 

We get it. You see the latest wet mop product, or some ultra-tough scrubbing brush, and you think, “Wow, that would make my life so much easier!” The next thing you know, you’re tossing out all kinds of cleaning tools that are in fine condition. The materialistic lifestyle is the number one enemy when it comes to landfill sites.

The longer you use something, the less you throw away, and the less impact your carbon footprint has on the environment. So, as the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and as a green warrior, if it ain’t broke, don’t toss it!

7. Discover the cleaning power of vinegar and baking soda

Yes, we did already mention the benefits of vinegar, but this is a different recipe. Vinegar and baking soda make a powerful cleaning solution for tackling tough, caked-on messes that call for something abrasive.

A sprinkle of baking soda spritzed with vinegar can tackle grease, scum, and crusty build-up while removing odours, along with germs and bacteria. Miraculous? We like to think so.

8. Lemony fresh cleaning magic

There’s a reason so many cleaning products claim to be “lemony fresh.” People have been using lemons to keep their homes clean and fresh for centuries. You can tackle the following cleaning jobs using these lemony-fresh tips: 

  • Sprinkle salt on your cutting board and scrub it with half a lemon as a food-safe cleaner.
  • Put some lemon slices in a suitable container with water and place it in your oven or microwave on medium-high heat to create steam to loosen gunk and grease.
  • Feed some lemon slices into your food disposal system as a powerful deodorizer.
  • Ditto for removing odours from your kitchen drain with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
  • Scrub bathroom surfaces with a sprinkle of baking soda and a spritz of fresh lemon juice to deodorize and sanitize your bathroom.

9. Remove odours with essential oils

Instead of depending on store-bought odour-removing products like sprays, create your own home-refreshing scents using essential oils. As mentioned above, essential oils can be mixed into your DIY cleaning products, creating mood-changing scents that keep your Toronto home smelling wonderful and your mood relaxed or invigorated, depending on what oils you choose. 

Use your essential oil signature fragrance to create a linen spray with equal parts distilled water, witch hazel, and up to 30 drops of your essential oil. You can spritz linens and soft surfaces lightly to remove odours. 

You can also create a dry cleaning powder to refresh extra-stinky carpets and soft furnishings (think of pet odours) with 1 cup of baking soda combined with 1–30 drops of essential oil. Be sure to let the powder dry and shake it well to avoid clumping. Vacuum the powder up after letting it sit for at least 20 minutes.  

10. Invest in a steam cleaner

Steam defeats just about any caked-on, greasy, stubborn mess you can think of. Investing in a steam cleaner is worth it as you’ll also reduce the amount of cleaning products and tools you need. As a result, you save money in the long run. Steam cleaners can be used on a long list of cleaning woes, including:

  • Killing bacteria and germs in the bathroom on all surfaces.
  • Loosening gunk so it can be wiped away.
  • Cleaning baked-on food on the stove, in the oven, and in the microwave.
  • Disinfecting countertops.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting tile floors and walls.
  • Cleaning your dishwasher. 
  • Removing calcium build-up from faucets, shower heads, water/ice dispensers, etc.
  • Cleaning the toilet.
  • Cleaning window and sliding door tracks.
  • Removing wallpaper or old shelving paper.

Contact the Toronto Cleaning Professionals

These cleaning tips will help keep your home clean, germ-free, and smelling heavenly. 

If this all sounds like way too much work, enlist our residential cleaning services in Toronto to tackle the cleaning for you. Click here to learn more about our services at Maid4Condos. You can call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.

The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Homes for Sale: How Professional Cleaning Can Boost Property Value

You put a lot of effort into listing a home, knowing your clients depend on you to present their homes in the most positive light. Of course, that includes ensuring the residence is spotless. Maid4Condos offers stellar home cleaning services in North York and understands what it means to have an ultimate clean when preparing homes for sale. 

The ultimate guide to preparing homes for sale: How professional cleaning can boost property value

In this article, we will share how professional cleaning can boost property value to attract top dollar for your real estate clients.

Appeal to the Senses

The moment a buyer walks into a home, their senses go into overdrive. They take in the look of the home, perk up their ears if they hear street sounds, and also breathe in the air to detect the slightest odours that can turn them off from wanting to buy the home. This calls for an aggressive approach that appeals to buyer senses, including their sense of smell.

Although the old real estate trick of baking a batch of cookies helps trigger an emotional response, professional home cleaning services in North York ensure every ounce of the home is odour-free. A floor-to-ceiling clean eliminates any trace of debris that contributes to unpleasant, stale, or unclean smells that turn off buyers. That translates into cash in your pocket.

Make a Good First Impression

You know that cleanliness is a big selling feature for home buyers, and when buyers enter a home, you can be sure they’re going to snoop. That includes inspecting kitchen drawers and cupboards, looking up close and personal at the kitchen backsplash, opening appliances, and pulling back shower curtains to make sure everything is clean and sanitary.

Therefore, it’s not enough to bake some cookies and call it a day. The sniff test is always followed by a white glove test, where every surface is inspected to make sure there are no signs of grime, mould, mildew, or debris.

Home cleaning services in North York tackle every surface to pass inspection by the most fussy buyer, keeping your listings in the running when it comes time to make an offer.

Stand Out as the Clean House

You need your listings to stand out from the rest. It helps to be remembered as a clean house, where buyers felt completely at ease knowing the home was sparkling clean, smelled fresh, and was move-in ready.

Allowing your listing to stand out from the rest as a well-maintained home with a fresh, clean scent isn’t a bad thing. You know all too well that there are far worse things to be remembered for! Cleanliness is a very positive identifier.

Open Up Space

A thorough cleaning begins with a complete decluttering. By removing clutter from the home, you open up space and highlight the function of each room. Home cleaning services in North York tackle cluttered spaces, helping to clear out unwanted items, making the most of storage areas, and showcasing the space you have instead of the space you don’t. Once the clutter is removed, the cleaning can begin, ensuring every surface sparkles. 

Your Clean Might Not Be “Buyer Clean”

You might think of yourself as a neat freak, but buyers might not agree. No matter how carefully you clean the home, there are always going to be some buyers who think that little speck of spilled spaghetti sauce on the kitchen cabinet makes the entire house filthy.

With home cleaning services in North York, you can feel confident that when the cleaners leave the home, they’ve met everyone’s cleaning standards, no matter how picky or unreasonable that clean might seem.

Highlight Your Listings’ Best Features

The brand-new backsplash, stunning shower, and beautiful hardwood will lose their appeal if they aren’t clean. It just takes a hint of mould, a few scratches, and a spot of yesterday’s ketchup to turn off a buyer who can’t see past the dirt and focus on a home’s best features.

Dirt makes even the newest features feel old and outdated. With a thorough professional house cleaning, you can highlight your listings’ best features and avoid the scrutiny of picky buyers who are looking for any excuse to make low-ball offers.

Create a Clean Slate to Appeal to Buyers’ Imaginations

No one knows better than you that you need to create a clean slate that allows buyers to imagine themselves living in a space. By eliminating all the personal touches, and staging homes with a neutral style, you appeal to a buyer’s imagination.

Part of that staging includes creating a clean backdrop where homes are free of clutter, mess, unfamiliar or unpleasant odours, and signs of someone living in the home. 

All these issues act as distractions that can take away from a buyer’s ability to picture themselves cooking in the kitchen, relaxing in the tub, or watching their favourite movies in the living room.

Eliminate All Traces of Pets

We all love our pets. However, some buyers may not share your affection. A professional house cleaning in North York eliminates all traces of your clients’ pets, including odours, scratches, scuff marks, and hair.

As a result, buyers are unaware the house has pets and won’t worry about the messes, wear and tear, and general, smelly issues that tend to go hand in hand with pet ownership.

Draw Attention to New Appliances

Buyers love the idea of new stainless steel appliances, as long as they appear new. Stainless steel appliances are only a buying feature when they feel new. That means you need to eliminate telltale signs of yesterday’s dinner or traces of that cucumber forgotten at the back of the crisper drawer.

A thorough cleaning of appliances inside and out makes them feel new and modern and free of streaks, odours, and food debris that are red flags to buyers.

Call the Home Cleaning Experts

Home cleaning services in North York are essential to help create a clean residence where buyers feel comfortable and can picture themselves moving in their belongings and settling into a life of home ownership.

This translates into a higher perceived value of the home, leading to increased offers. Click here for a free quote from the home cleaning professionals at Maid4Condos. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us here.

The Importance of Move-in Cleaning Services in Toronto Apartments

Ensuring your new apartment is clean should always be a top priority on moving day. Unless you’re the first tenant in a spanking brand new building, you can be sure the last tenant has left behind at least a few germs and ick factors that call for a move-in cleaning.

The importance of move-in cleaning services in Toronto apartments

In this article, we will explore the importance of move-in cleaning in Toronto to help create a clean, safe, and pleasant living environment from day one.

Former Tenants Might Not Clean Thoroughly

Although leases likely state that tenants are expected to conduct a thorough cleaning before moving out, chances are they aren’t cleaning as thoroughly as you’d like. By taking the reins and hiring move-in cleaning services in Toronto, you ensure every inch of the unit is cleaned to the highest possible standards so you feel safe and can settle into your new home comfortably and stress-free. 

Landlords Must Provide Clean Units

Landlords are required to ensure rental units are move-in ready, in a good state of repair and cleanliness, and meet Toronto health and safety standards. By hiring move-in cleaning services in Toronto, landlords can maintain proper documentation that shows your home was cleaned by professionals, with a checklist that indicates everything is in an acceptable condition.

You can keep this list with your inspection report along with photos that show the unit is clean and acceptable so when you move out, you have proof everything is still in good condition.

Tenant Satisfaction

You want to feel happy knowing you live in a safe, clean, and comfortable living space from day one. You don’t want to feel discouraged if you arrive at your new home only to find it does not appear to be clean and sanitized for your safety. 

By investing in professional move-in cleaning services in Toronto, you’ll enjoy a good first impression that tells you the property is well-maintained so you feel confident you have made the right choice.

Reduced Landlord Complaints

Moving days are hectic. The last thing you want is to have to contact your landlord on moving day complaining that the apartment doesn’t meet your standards of cleanliness.

With proactive scheduling of move-in cleaning services in Toronto, you avoid complaints and ensure the moving process is streamlined and trouble-free so you feel 100% comfortable that your new home is clean.

Pest Management

Although your landlord is responsible for diligent pest control, part of an effective pest-management process includes removing food residue that can attract pests and keeping units clean and sanitized. A move-in cleaning provides an opportunity to spot pests and arrange for pest control services to step in before you move into your new unit.

Improved Air Quality

A deep cleaning using eco-friendly cleaners improves rental unit air quality. The removal of dust, allergens, and heavy chemical cleaning product residue all contribute to enhanced air quality so you are less likely to suffer from common allergy and asthma symptoms.

Deep Cleaning Kills Germs and Bacteria

Deep cleaning is a must to kill germs and bacteria left behind from former tenants. Deep cleaning creates a clean slate so you can enjoy that “new home feeling”, are comfortable moving in your belongings, and can settle in without worry. It helps maintain your rental unit by removing common issues such as mould, mildew, and greasy buildup that make a home feel unsanitary.

Move-In Cleaning Services in Toronto Are Thorough 

Move-in cleaning services in Toronto handle every corner of the unit, including the following:

Bathrooms

  • Bathtub and shower enclosure
  • Inside, outside, and behind toilets
  • Lights, mirrors, sinks, and countertops
  • Vacuuming the ceiling fan cover
  • Light switches and door knobs
  • Vacuuming and mopping floors
  • Wiping the vanity inside and out

Bedrooms

  • Wiping switches and door knobs
  • Vacuuming or mopping floors

Kitchen

  • Cleaning inside and outside the fridge, oven, and stovetop
  • Polishing the fridge front 
  • Cleaning the microwave inside and out
  • Scrubbing the backsplash, countertops, and cupboard fronts
  • Scrubbing the sink
  • Wiping light switches and door knobs
  • Vacuuming and mopping floors
  • Wiping inside cabinets and drawers

Living and Dining Rooms

  • Wiping switches and door knobs
  • Vacuuming and/or mopping floors

Laundry Room

  • Clearing the air vent and lint trap
  • Wiping down the washer and dryer
  • Cleaning floors

Move-in cleaning also includes cleaning all baseboards, windowsills/ledges, and walls. 

Deep Cleaning Helps Maintain Surfaces and Materials

Proper cleaning helps protect the surfaces, appliances, and materials in your rental unit. Appliances will operate more efficiently, while debris that can damage wood floors and tiles is reduced.

You also keep carpets clean and fresh, creating a welcoming living environment where you can live happily and feel you’re getting your rent’s worth. 

Move-In Cleaning Helps Your Home Stand Out

Moving into a new home is a perfect opportunity to welcome guests to show off your new apartment. When it comes to rentals in Toronto, it certainly helps to have a presentable rental where you feel proud to entertain and spend time with the people you love.

Clean Units Encourage Lease Renewal

As mentioned above, clean, well-maintained units contribute to your satisfaction. As a result, you are more likely to want to renew your lease. Your landlord will also look forward to having you stay in your unit, knowing you are taking care of their property. 

This reduces the costs and hassle of moving when your lease comes up for renewal. No more hunting for ads, finding time to view new apartments, undergoing background checks, and generally worrying whether you’ll have a home to stay in once your lease runs out.

Contact the Move-In Cleaning Experts in Toronto

Move-in cleaning in Toronto rental apartments is essential to help create a clean slate where you feel comfortable moving in your belongings and settling in for the long haul.

It also contributes to the overall maintenance of your home, thus saving money in the long run. Click here for a free quote from the cleaning professionals at Maid4Condos. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online

How to Clean and Organize Your Home Office Space in Toronto

If you are one of the millions who now work from home, you have a whole new area of your living space that requires cleaning now and then. In this article, we will share our professional Scarborough cleaning services tips on how to clean and organize your home office space to reduce stress and increase productivity.

How to clean and organize your home office space in Toronto

Carve Out Your Work Space

It all starts by finding the ideal workspace in your home. Ideally, you have a designated room where your office is out of sight and out of mind when you’re not working. However, living in a small space like a condo or apartment means you’ll need to carve out a multi-purpose area to serve as your home office.

Whether it’s a corner of your dining room or kitchen table, a small desk in your bedroom, or a shared space that serves as a yoga room, guest room, and office, having a designated work area keeps all your work supplies, equipment, and files organized. 

Get Everything Organized and Tidy

Once you find the ideal workspace, you need a clean slate to create an organized foundation that is easier to manage. Consider your workspace and the items you use daily, weekly, and occasionally to determine what things you need front and centre and what items you can store away in drawers or on shelves.

This will allow you to find a spot for everything so that, as you use the items, you have a spot to put them away. You also create a more organized workspace so you always have what you need nearby and can work more efficiently.

Go Paperless

If possible, consider keeping a paperless workspace/office to help reduce the mess and keep your workstation tidier. Paper is difficult to manage and can create chaos if you don’t keep on top of it. If you must use paper, make sure you have a system, such as paper trays, files, file boxes, drawers, etc. so you can keep paper messes to a minimum.

Organize Your Day

A lot of cleaning for your home office has to do with your ability to stay organized. By doing so, you can stay on top of messes by dealing with things like filing, accounting, answering emails, etc., at certain times. When you have an organized to-do list and a process to follow, you can keep things under control so your workspace is tidier. This also ensures nothing gets missed or lost.

Use Colour Coding

If you contend with a lot of paper and files, using a colour coding system can provide visual cues that also keep things neater. You can separate files based on things like urgent papers, projects, personal files, clients, etc. so you always know where everything goes, and can also find the files and papers you need easily.

Leverage Cute Containers

Get creative and add some personality to your home office. Shop for unique trays, drawer organizers, and file organizers that appeal to your sense of style so you can store your supplies out of sight in containers to reduce clutter and keep things feeling a little more “you.”

This ensures you have a clear area to work so your desk remains functional and your mind feels less stressed. By choosing items you love, you also create a more pleasant workspace where you’ll feel happier when you work. 

Take Advantage of Wall Space

If you have limited space in your work area, take advantage of wall space using shelves, bulletin boards, and hanging office organizers, for example. This helps keep your desk surface neat and tidy, and provides a visual reminder for things like your calendar, to-do list, urgent papers, and so on.

Have an End-of-Day Cleaning Process

All of the above tips contribute to an end-of-day cleaning process by providing space to keep work organized. Always make sure your workspace is clean at the end of the day, so you avoid feeling overwhelmed every time you walk past your desk.

File papers away in their folders, put office supplies away in their containers, make notes on your calendar/to-do list so you know what you need to tackle in the morning, take your coffee mug to the kitchen, etc. Your end-of-day cleaning process ensures your office is always organized and clutter-free.

Clean Your Desk

Your desk is going to get dusty, and also have things like coffee/tea stains that build up each week. At the end of the week, when you complete your end-of-day cleaning process, take the time to actually clean your desk.

Use a duster to clean your shelves, and then spritz a fresh-smelling, all-purpose cleaner on your desk to wipe away stains. You can also dust your keyboard, lamps, and anything else that might be crumby or dusty after a week of work.

If you have a severe dust allergy, you have no reason to worry. When you choose our superior cleaning services in Scarborough, our team will clean every single surface, ensuring your home office is dust-free and completely spotless. Let our experts do all the hard work, so that you can prioritize your health and make more time for yourself.

Recycle!

Keeping a shredder and recycling bin at your desk allows you to tackle things like junk mail, envelopes, flyers, etc. that might end up at your workspace. A daily mail sorting, paper purging, and shredding will keep control of paper, reduce clutter, and generally contribute to keeping your workspace organized.

Prioritize a Record-Keeping System

Based on your employer or own record-keeping requirements, you should prioritize your system to ensure you only hold onto papers you need. Although we keep harping on the whole paper thing, some industries and businesses do have requirements for record keeping, so paper is unavoidable. Having a system will ensure you maintain records, while purging the files you no longer need to reduce clutter. 

Consider Adding a Plant or Two

Plants help keep the mind calm while also contributing to cleaner indoor air. If you have the space, consider adding a plant or two to your home office or work area to create a more comfortable work environment that can help improve productivity and reduce stress.

Call the Cleaning Professionals

If all of these tips still feel overwhelming, Maid4Condos’ Scarborough cleaning services is the perfect answer for you. Our expert team is dedicated to keeping your home office clean. Click here for a free quote. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.

The Ultimate Guide to Home Cleaning in Toronto: 14 Tips and Tricks

Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to be a pain! Our professional cleaning services in Toronto ensure your private sanctuary is squeaky clean, so that you can have peace of mind. 

The ultimate guide to home cleaning in Toronto: 14 tips and tricks

If you’re ready to turn over a new leaf this year and would like a neater and more organized space, you can use our 14 tips and tricks as your ultimate home cleaning guide.

1. Always work with a plan

Instead of running head-first into cleaning, tackling random jobs here and there, always work with a plan. Having a checklist of the work you want to tackle keeps you focused, so you get everything done. You’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment every time you check something off your list.

2. Keep on top of dusting

Dust is one of those things that can get the better of you if you allow it to keep building. We always recommend keeping a duster handy to tackle dust once a week. By using a good microstatic/fibre duster every week, you can keep dust under control and have a home that looks and feels much cleaner.

3. Target knick-knacks with a hair dryer

Knick-knacks are notorious dust collectors that can contribute to the dust in the air. A good trick is to give them a blast with your hair dryer on low every now and then to remove the dust. Let it settle for a few minutes, and then complete your weekly dusting to help keep your home dust-free.

4. Tackle pet hair weekly

You love your pet, but let’s face it, their fur can really be an issue. Tackling pet hair once a week helps manage it and keeps your home looking a lot cleaner. A dry mop works very well on pet hair to keep it under control on your floors.

For furniture, keep a lint roller or rubber glove nearby, and give surfaces a quick swipe when your pet wanders off. Not only will your home be cleaner, but your allergies will be more controlled, and your clothes will be more likely to stay pet hair-free!

5. Never panic-scrub spills

Whether you spill red wine on your favourite white chair or a cup of coffee across your pale blue area rug, avoid the temptation to panic-scrub the stain. This will push the dyes deeper into the fibres, making it impossible to remove.

Instead, follow the daubing method, gently blotting at the stain with a clean cloth and fabric-safe cleaner to remove as much of the liquid as possible. 

6. Never ignore a mess

It’s always tempting to ignore a mess and do something other than cleaning. However, the moment you spot or make a mess, you should clean it right away. The clean-as-you-go method is what separates tidy homes from messy ones.

By putting items away after you use them, tossing things in the garbage, doing the dishes, and wiping up counters, you’ll have a cleaner home that only requires a quick straightening, cleaning, and vacuuming once a week. It’s worth the effort and will actually result in more downtime in the end.

7. Embrace wipes

Wipes are a homeowner’s best friend. Keeping wipes on your kitchen and bathroom counters makes it easy to wipe up messes as they occur. As a result, your kitchen and bathroom will shine and also be germ-free.

As a bonus tip, keep a package of baby wipes in the house for a quick spot cleaner of soft furnishings. They are gentler and drier than your average house-cleaning wipe and will be safer for those occasional mistakes like chocolate smears or cheesie finger dust on your couch arms.

8. Rid your stainless steel of water stains

Both small and large stainless appliances are prone to water stains if you aren’t using the right cleaners. A pro tip is to use hand sanitizer to wipe stainless steel surfaces clean for a sparkling, streak-free finish.

9. Don’t rush deep cleaning

When cleaning kitchen counters and bathroom surfaces, you need a deep clean to remove and kill germs and bacteria. Instead of just wiping these surfaces, you should apply your germ-killing cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes to have time to work. You can then wipe the cleaner away for germ-free surfaces that are easier to clean, as the soaking time also helps loosen the grime.

If you don’t have time in your busy schedule for deep cleaning, we are just a call away. Choose our cleaning services in Toronto and our team of experts will clean your home from top to bottom, so that you can focus on your priorities. 

10. Work from the top down

A rookie mistake is cleaning in the wrong order. You should always start by dusting from the top down so that the dust falls downwards as you work. This way, by the time you get to the floors, all the loose dust has landed and can be swept or vacuumed.

11. Equip your home with the right tools

As professional cleaners, we know that having the right tools goes a long way in keeping homes clean. Creating a cleaning caddy provides a kit you can carry around as you work, keeping you organized and making quick work of each cleaning task. Some cleaning basics we recommend every household keeps on hand includes:

  • A good all-purpose cleaner 
  • Appropriate floor cleaner (such as wood cleaner for wood floors, tile cleaner for tile floors, etc.)
  • Disinfectant cleaner for bathrooms
  • All-purpose kitchen cleaner
  • Wet mop
  • Vacuum or broom
  • Duster
  • Microfibre cloths
  • Sponge
  • Scrubbing brush
  • Bucket
  • Paper towels

12. Keep things fresh with lemons

Lemons are a miracle cleaner that keeps your home smelling clean and fresh. Lemon juice can be used to clean a wide variety of cleaning woes including your toilet bowl, kitchen counter, and cutting board, as well as to remove odours from your kitchen drain. Combined with baking soda, lemons also make the perfect fresh abrasive cleanser.

13. Tackle grout with baking soda

Dirty tiles and grout on backsplashes and in the bathroom can be tackled with a natural cleaner made of baking soda and enough water to create a paste. Apply it to grout to scrub away the mess. If the stains are really stubborn, squirt vinegar or lemon juice on the paste to create a bubbling effect that will help remove the grime.

14. Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed

The important thing is to avoid feeling overwhelmed by cleaning. These tips will help you stay one step ahead of the mess, so your weekly cleaning day takes minutes instead of hours.

Maid4Condos: Professional Cleaning Services in Toronto

If all of these tips still seem like too much work, why not hire Maid4Condos’ cleaning services in Toronto to keep your home clean? Click here for a free quote. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.

Condo Maintenance for Winter: 7 Tips Every Property Manager Should Know

Winter presents unique maintenance challenges for condo property managers. As a result, you need to pivot to ensure you’ve added essential winter tasks to your daily and pre-winter maintenance schedule. 

Condo maintenance for Winter: 7 tips every property manager should know

This ensures your condo property and units remain safe and comfortable no matter what weather mother nature throws at you. 

In this article, we will share seven tips that every condo property manager should know about winter maintenance from the experts at our condo cleaning services in Toronto.

1. Be prepared with a trusted snow-clearing contractor

The City of Toronto requires property owners to clear steps, landings, walks, driveways, parking spaces, ramps, and other outdoor areas within 24 hours of a winter weather event. 

As the property manager, that falls on your shoulders. You need a trusted snow-clearing contractor available to manage the work in a timely manner. When engaging a contractor for this job, have them provide an estimate based on the size of your property and the complexity of the project. 

You also want to ensure they don’t manage too many other condos, apartment buildings, and office towers that can delay snow removal at your property. Ask how many trucks and drivers they have to ensure they are equipped to tackle the job.

Also, ensure you have a written agreement outlining all the tasks they are expected to perform with a firm cost to avoid misunderstandings and hidden fees. Check online reviews and ratings to make sure they have a strong reputation for dependability and don’t forget to ask for references. 

2. Call the experts to conduct an exterior inspection

The exterior of your building is exposed to the elements year after year, wearing down important materials that keep your building winter-proof. With the volatile weather of Toronto winters, you want to call on professionals to perform a thorough inspection of your building envelope in the fall to assess the following:

  • Roof
  • Decks and patios
  • Parking
  • Door and window seals
  • Garage doors
  • Outdoor pipes
  • Rooftop HVAC and elevator systems
  • Siding
  • Windows

They can provide a quote and perform the necessary repairs to avoid issues such as leaks, water damage, inefficient windows and doors, etc. This is a critical part of a preventative maintenance plan that helps you avoid costly repairs down the road. 

3. Schedule heating system maintenance and repairs

The last thing you need is a heating system failure in the cold of winter. Ensure you have your heating experts inspect your heating system and conduct fall maintenance and repairs. 

This step ensures your system is operating at peak performance and helps you achieve improved energy efficiency. 

When heating systems aren’t working properly, it leads to more tenants turning up the heat in their units. As a result, you can experience unnecessarily high utility bills. Regular heating system maintenance keeps everyone warm and energy bills down. 

4. Confirm your move-in/move-out cleaning services are on call

Because the moving season tends to be busier in the spring and summer, you might need to double-check with your cleaning services in Toronto to confirm they are available in the slower months. 

Move-in/move-out cleaning services ensure your units are cleaned perfectly to maintain high standards that help reduce resident churn. It also ensures you are providing safe, clean homes for residents to reduce possible complaints and maintain property values. 

There’s also no need to waste time chasing after former tenants who failed to complete move-out cleaning on moving day when you take matters into your own hands.

5. Hire a commercial floor mat service

Slippery floors in the winter increase the risk of slips and falls, which can leave you liable should personal injuries occur. Also, salt, sand, and wet tracks into the building contribute to early wear and tear of common-area floors. 

A commercial floor mat service will deliver floor mats to protect your floors and keep your building safe. They will also schedule regular pickups to replace dirty mats with a clean set to keep your lobby clean and presentable. 

Unit owners expect simple measures such as these to protect their assets and maintain property value. 

6. Set time aside to install holiday lights and decor

Bring holiday cheer to your condo community by installing holiday lights and decor. Keep things neutral and avoid decorative items that are too specific, like a Christmas tree. 

You want your decorations to feel inclusive for all owners and residents. Use a timer to turn the lights on and off to save energy, and schedule a time to take all the decor down by January 2nd. 

Another important step is to send out a communication explaining the dangers of unit-specific decorations around unit doors and walls. Decorations are often prohibited in condo corporation bylaws, as they present fire and safety hazards. 

Adding regular hallway checks to look for infractions should also be included in your winter maintenance plans. 

7. Stock up on products to keep walkways safe

Although your snow removal service can assist with de-icing and snow removal of your walkways following a snowstorm, it’s important to have a supply of salt, sand, and de-icing products on site. 

You should apply these products to your walkways whenever temperatures are expected to drop below freezing. This ensures tenants and visitors are safe, reduces liabilities, and shows tenants you are taking reasonable care to avoid slipping hazards.

However, you also have to ensure there is accountability among your employees so it is clear who is responsible to apply the salt and when. The task might not be completed without accountability, leaving your property vulnerable to accidents.

Contact the Condo Cleaning Experts

Managing winter maintenance for condos ensures you meet the requirements of your condo’s bylaws while reducing complaints from owners who feel you are not contributing to maintaining their property value.

Including these winter-specific maintenance tasks in your condo maintenance schedule will keep your building warm, safe, and presentable while creating a happier community of satisfied residents
Ease the stress of move-out cleanings with Maid4Condos’ condo cleaning services in Toronto. You can call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online for more information.

10 Helpful Ways to Refresh Your Home for the New Year

The New Year is the time for resolutions that make your life better. Although cleaning might not be the first thing that comes to mind, keeping your home clean can reduce stress and create a more pleasing living space. 

10 helpful ways to refresh your home for the new year

In this article, we will share ten helpful ways to refresh your home for the New Year from our expert residential cleaners in Toronto

1. Start with a good scrub down

We find that starting with a clean, fresh base makes it easier to keep things that way. By paying closer attention to the factors that make your house physically dirty, you can keep your home feeling fresh by tackling those jobs first.

A good scrub down of all your home’s surfaces will remove the dirt and grime, so you have an easier time keeping things clean. 

You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes with how quickly you can complete your weekly cleaning, as well as the positive impact on the appearance and smell of your home. 

If you’re looking for a head start, consider calling in your favourite Toronto cleaners for a deep clean that will give you a perfect base to start fresh. 

2. Tackle those closets

Imagine how much fresher and airier your home would feel if you didn’t have closets crammed with junk. Make a plan to tackle every closet in the home with thorough decluttering and organization

There are several reasons this works as a refresher:

  • Decluttering makes it easier to find what you need, thus reducing stress.
  • You can free up space in your closets so you can store more of the things making your house messy behind closed doors.
  • You can share unused items with others so you feel good about yourself.
  • Organized closets contribute to organized minds.

3. Clean messes as you make them 

All those drips, scuffs, smears, spills, crumbs, and more are what transform a scrubbed home into a dirty home. The best way to keep your residence clean is to clean messes as you make them.

Keep cleaning wipes in the bathroom so you can quickly swipe the sink and counters every day. Do the same in the kitchen. 

When you make food, clean up the mess, do the dishes, and sweep the floors. You get the picture!

4. Keep things tidy

Tidiness is an essential clean home tool that ensures that a scrubbed base works harder for you. 

Tidying up is different from cleaning. It doesn’t require any cleaning tools or cleaning products. Instead, it’s all about putting things away. Some tidying examples include the following:

  • If you read the paper, fold it up and toss it in the recycle bin, or better yet, subscribe to online publications. 
  • If you work from home, clean up your desk at the end of the day. 
  • For arts and crafts projects with the kids, put the lids back on everything and put items away after you’re done.
  • After playing a game of Scrabble, put the tiles in the box and place the box back on the shelf or in the drawer where you found it. 
  • With received mail, open and sort it, or have a tray to keep it organized until you do.

5. Everything has its place

Refresh how you store and organize things in your home by ensuring everything has its place. This makes it easier to keep things tidy, as you know where everything goes, making it simpler to find items and put them away. 

This might call for some new baskets, containers, and shelves, but it’s worth the investment to keep everything tidy. 

6. Improve your work-from-home setup

If you’re like many Torontonians who work from home, you might find your workspace is tumbling over into your living space, or vice versa. Consider your work-from-home setup, and look for ways to make it feel less intrusive. 

Is there a fold-up desk solution that allows you to shut everything up at the end of the day? Can you make a closet or a tight, out-of-the-way corner into a makeshift office? 

Are there some desk organizers, drawer sets, filing cabinets, baskets, or shelves that can help keep things organized? Maybe you can install a little curtain you can pull across your workstation or a partition you can unfold when work is done.

All of these things provide a quick, tidy refresh that helps separate your work from your downtime space more efficiently.

7. Add some statement colour pieces to your home

Although we might be cleaners in Toronto, we understand refreshing your space isn’t always about cleaning. 

Look for opportunities to add statement colours to your home using wall art, throw cushions, area rugs, cozy blankets, etc. This can make your home feel like a whole new space and really brighten your day.

8. Simplify and downsize furnishings

Along the lines of decluttering, try to simplify the rooms in your home by removing items you don’t need. 

For example, if you have two or three dressers in your bedroom, go through the drawers and see if you can condense everything down to one or two. This reduces the surfaces you need to dust and creates an airier home that feels fresh and open.

9. Purify the air

There are several things you can do to improve the indoor air quality in your home, including the following:

  • Dust more often, using a damp or static duster, so dust is removed instead of just moved around.
  • Invest in an air purifier.
  • Use HEPA filters and bags in your vacuum.
  • Use a static-style floor duster.
  • Add some plants to your home to produce more oxygen and add some soothing nature to your space.

10. Embrace aromatherapy

Aromatherapy helps improve your mood while keeping your home smelling fresh. There’s no need to fuss over things like scented candles and diffusers; instead, choose natural cleaning products scented with essential oils. 

In fact, you can create your own cleaning products infused with your favourite scents with a mix of 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and 30 drops of essential oils. Some popular scents for eco-friendly cleaning products include:

  • Cinnamon
  • Eucalyptus 
  • Grapefruit
  • Lavender
  • Lemon
  • Orange
  • Peppermint
  • Tea tree

However, the sky’s the limit when it comes to concocting your own stimulating home-cleaning products.

Contact the Cleaning Professionals

There you have it: 10 of our professional cleaners in Toronto’s top tips to refresh your home in the New Year.
If you don’t have the time to worry about refreshing your home, let Maid4Condos do it for you! You can call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online for more information.