Category: Home Tips

Most bathrooms are sorely lacking in storage space. Meanwhile, you have tons of personal care items, medications, hair appliances, beauty tools, etc., which makes it a nightmare to find space for all of your stuff. We know this also leads to a big mess on your tiny counter space for a double-whammy of frustration getting ready in the morning.

Here, we offer 14 bathroom organization hacks to help you triumph over the mess and keep your bathroom in a tidier state.

1. Get organized

Storage 101 calls for organization to help you keep everything in its place. If you have many finicky items like toothbrushes, scissors, tweezers, clippers, zit cream, swabs, makeup remover pads, etc., you can use things like mason jars or kitchen containers to stand them upright and keep them handy. By standing things upright, you narrow the space they take, so you can leave them on the counter.

Organizing your bathroom makes it a lot easier to clean it in the future, saving yourself a lot of hassle ahead of time, and making it easier to keep your bathroom clean longer due to the reduced clutter.

2. Utilize wall space

Consider any wall space you can use. You can add some shelves and then use them for the things you don’t use every day, but often enough that you want them nearby. A perfect example is directly above your toilet.

You should also have at least one wall at your vanity that can be used for shelves or hanging organizers. A great place to shop for storage ideas is your local office supply store. For example, hanging file holders make an excellent slot for items like shavers, smaller hair appliances, and brushes.

Other types of organizers combine shelves and little drawers, which are ideal for makeup removal pads, cotton balls, swabs, eyebrow pencils, and eyeliners.

3. Use the door

The back of your bathroom door is ideal for hooks where you can hang towels, your robe, or things like towels. It is also a great place to hang a shoe tree where you can slip in items like hair care products, hairdryers, and moisturizers.

4. Over-the-toilet cabinets

There are several different styles of bathroom cabinets designed specifically for placement over the toilet. This is ready-made storage with shelves and cabinets that allow you to optimize your bathroom space.

5. Use plastic drawers in your cabinets

Brands like Tupperware make plastic caddies with several drawers. Measure the space under your vanity, and then shop around for one that fits. This allows you to tuck away far more items, as everything is contained neatly in the drawers. This is a great place for the things you don’t want to be exposed to guests, but that you use every day.

6. Install some hooks

Hooks can be added to the inside of your vanity doors or on walls. They can be used for all kinds of things, not just towels. Simply hang see-through bags on the hooks, and then fill them up with whatever you want. The see-through bags are important so you can find what you need quickly.

7. Organize drawers

If you have drawers in your vanity, use organizing trays to keep things neat and free up space. You can also find stackable trays that allow you to have two layers of storage for things like brushes, curling irons, hair products, shavers, makeup appliers, etc. Another excellent source for these types of organizers are places like hobby stores and kitchen shops.

8. Use magnets

Magnetic strips can be placed inside the medicine cabinet or on vanity doors to hold small metal tools like scissors, nail clippers, tweezers, bobby pins, and hair accessories. Anything small and metal can be secured on the strip.

9. Use baskets

Baskets are great for storing things like cleaning products under the toilet or extra toilet paper.

10. Use the toilet tank top

The top of the toilet tank is another good spot where you can put a basket or two for things like clean face cloths, toilet paper, and larger appliances like hair dryers.

11. Install a shower caddy

Shower caddies fit over the showerhead. They are very easy to install and are ideal for all your shampoo and conditioners, shaving cream and shavers, hair treatments, body wash, soap, and poof sponges.

12. Think “tiers”

Look for little counter caddies that give you more bang for your buck. Two- or three-tiered counter caddies are popular for kitchen counters, so go to your local kitchen shop and look for options.

13. Raid your local kitchen shop

Come to think of it, you should head to your local kitchen shop to find some inspiration as well. Like business supply stores, they have storage products for finicky items such as spice racks, utensil organizers, dry goods containers, and more.

14. Use the floor space

Use every inch of floor space you can, and find storage solutions with the same footprint. Think tall and narrow, and you might be surprised at the types of shelves and cabinets you can find.

Just because a bathroom is small doesn’t mean you need to suffer every morning. These ideas can help free up space and ensure that everything you need is within reach.

If your bathroom always seems to be a mess, why not hire a professional bathroom cleaning service? For more information, speak to our team at Maid4Condos today by contacting us online. You can also reach us by phone at 647-822-0601.

Hiring residential cleaning services is not something most people enter into lightly. It is a serious consideration based on your needs, the time you have to do your own cleaning, the cost, and of course how much you absolutely hate cleaning! Although we are professional cleaners ourselves, at Maid4Condos, we do understand how hard it can be to decide if you should hire a cleaning service.

In fact, we maybe know better than most that there are advantages and disadvantages to hiring residential cleaning services. Because we clean for a living, we know some insider benefits you might not consider, and have also heard of some scary cons based on our customers’ past experiences! So, here we offer an objective look at the pros and cons of hiring a cleaning service to help you decide.

The Pros of Hiring Residential Cleaning Services

Since we are a little partial to the idea of cleaning services, we’re going to start with the pros!

• Time saver: If you find you are either spending several hours a week cleaning your home, or are not cleaning your home at all because you don’t have time, professional cleaning services are a godsend. First, you really should be cleaning weekly because it helps reduce all the dirt, dust, and grime packed with allergens, germs, and bacteria.

  So, right from the start, if you don’t have time to clean, you should be. Second, if your only precious down time is dedicated to cleaning, life can become tedious, as you will never have time to do the things you love. Thus, if you are short on time or are spending the spare time you have cleaning, you really should consider a cleaning service.

• Health: Building on the above point, dirty and even messy homes have a higher buildup of the allergens, germs, and bacteria that make you sick. Professional cleanings are thorough, removing all the irritants and pollutants in your home. If you have allergies or asthma, you can greatly reduce your symptoms if you have regular cleaning services.
• Thorough cleaning: Professional cleanings are thorough. As a result, your home remains spic and span longer. We can clean weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly, while you keep things tidy on your own in between cleanings. This contributes to time-saving and health as well, so you have all three benefits working together for a happier, healthier home.
• Reduce stress: Even people who are more Oscar than Felix in their cleaning habits (retro reference to a classic movie, and a nod to those who get it), living in a state of constant mess is not good for the mind. Living in a disorganized, messy home is unsettling and can increase stress levels, which is very bad for your health and general well-being. Cleaning services keep things neat and tidy, so your mind is calmer.
• Get up and go: Cleaning takes energy you might not have. If you are sick, have issues with your back, or have mobility issues, then professional cleaning services tackle the jobs you can’t handle. In fact, cleaning can actually irritate several issues from back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica to tennis elbow, so we can help avoid chronic pain.
• The right equipment: Cleaning solutions, vacuums, sponges, mops, buckets, and more make quick work of cleaning. They are also very expensive. Cleaning professionals have the right equipment to get the job done right, and all of these things are included in the price. So, while you might think cleaning services are too expensive, they can often save you money based on your personal time and investment in the proper cleaning solutions and equipment.
• A cleaning regime: As mentioned above, time can be difficult to set aside for cleaning. When you hire a cleaning service, they keep a cleaning schedule based on your needs so your home is always dirt-free no matter how busy you might get. Also, the more regular and frequent your cleaning services, the easier it is to keep your home clean and the more affordable it becomes.

The Cons to Hiring Residential Cleaning Services

Now onto the cons. We are being very honest about these common complaints from our customers based on their past bad experiences:

• Some cleaners don’t do the job properly: This is a typical situation when you hire a cleaning service without the experience or integrity to perform the tasks you hire them to perform. This is frustrating and is a reason many people give up on cleaning services. We say phooey to those services that give the rest of us a bad name. The good news is that you can hire us and be completely satisfied, or at least use online reviews to find the service that will make you happy.
• It can be expensive: Although cleaning services can save you money, if you aren’t careful, it does get expensive. Avoid this issue by speaking to your cleaning service, and come up with a schedule that will cost the least while still getting the job done.
• Theft: This is another problem you might fear if you don’t hire the right company. Always go for companies with experienced, bonded, and insured cleaners, so you never have to worry about this issue.
• Damage to your stuff: This is very rare when you deal with a reputable cleaning service. We take care of your belongings like they are our own because our business is built on trust. Just like stealing, you need to hire a company with a good reputation and that is bonded and insured. If something does happen, they will cover the costs.
• You find yourself cleaning anyway: Yep, this is common, but also necessary. Most people use a cleaning service to keep their homes clean, but still have to tidy up. Cleaning is the real hard work using solutions and disinfectants to sanitize, while tidying is putting things away, hanging up clothes, throwing out magazines, etc. So really, it might feel like cleaning, but it is the little things you need to do for peace of mind.

When you are ready to hire residential cleaning services, we are here to help. Speak to our pros at Maid4Condos today. You can reach us at 647-822-0601.

Whether you are moving in or out of your condo, packing is a pain! It’s also frustrating, messy and boring to boot. However, if you have a plan in mind, you can make short work of your packing, so you’re ready to make your move.

One of the biggest challenges is packing your clothes and shoes. Believe it or not, there is a way to pack other than tossing everything in garbage bags. Here we offer 10 helpful tips to make packing a whole lot easier.

1. Purge as you work

A big mistake we all make when packing clothes is packing stuff we haven’t worn in years. Now is the best time to sort through everything and toss what you no longer need. Not only does it make it easier to unpack at your new place, but it also means you have less to load and unload onto the truck.

Anything you haven’t worn in over a year is most likely not going to be worn again. So look for the items that see little time out on the town and put them aside. Also look at stuff that is out of date, out of shape, or that no longer fits and toss them as well. Consider selling the clothes in good shape online or giving them to a friend. Throw out anything that is torn, and put the rest in a bag for donation well before your moving day.

2. Keep things in their drawers

For clothes stored in dresser drawers, instead of trying to just jam and pile your clothes into a suitcase, leave them where they are. Tape the dresser drawers shut and just move the entire dresser as is. If this is too heavy, another option is to pull out the drawers and cover them with a garbage bag and tape so you can move the drawers and dresser separately. Then you just have to remove the wrapping and slide them into the dresser at your new place. You can do the same for hanging clothes in a wardrobe. Just tape the doors securely closed and you’re good to go.

3. Lay, roll or fold clothing

For clothes stored in the closet, there are a few options. You can take the clothes, hangers and all, and lay them neatly in a suitcase or box. However, the best way to avoid wrinkles is to either fold or roll your clothes. Some people prefer the rolling method as it’s not as fussy and it tends to take up less space.

4. Consider a clothing rack

A quicker way to manage clothing on hangers is to transfer them onto a portable clothing rack. They come on wheels so you can roll them from closet to closet, transfer the clothes to the rack and then roll them out to the moving van. Make sure to lock the wheels once loaded onto the truck. Also, if you have access to shrink wrap, shrink wrap the entire rack to protect the clothes in the move.

5. Use garment bags

For your best clothes, make sure you put them in garment bags to avoid ruining them. It’s easy to soil your clothes during a move and garment bags allow you to either place them on a clothing rack or move them as is and avoid getting them dirty.

If you don’t want to invest in garment bags, large garbage bags work well. Cut a small hole in the bottom center of the bag to accommodate the hanger hooks and then slide the top of the bag down and over your clothes. Voilà, cheap and cheerful garment bags. You can then pull the drawstrings of the bag at the bottom to seal them up.

6. Sort by season

Packing by season allows you to have your clothes organized from the moment you move in. Depending on the time of year, pack the clothes you won’t need for a while in handy large, lidded plastic containers you can either slide under your bed or place in a storage area.

7. Use vacuum bags

Those vacuum storage bags work wonders to make the most of your suitcase space. You can place items such as seasonal clothes or bulkier sweaters in the vacuum bags, suck out all the air and then stack them either in a suitcase or plastic moving boxes. Just remember you shouldn’t store them in the bags beyond six months or else they’ll damage your clothes.

8. Use shoe boxes

With any luck, you’ve kept your shoe boxes. They make it much easier to move shoes as all the pairs stay together and you’re less likely to lose a shoe. Just be sure to seal the lids with tape or large elastic bands. If you didn’t keep your shoe boxes, you can actually buy plastic ones, usually at the dollar store or online. They’re actually worth the investment as they’ll last forever and provide the perfect storage solution when you move in.

9. Invest in hanging shoe racks

Another smart investment is hanging shoe racks. These handy little organizers will make the most of the space in your new closets. Load up the racks with your shoes, and then hang them on your clothing racks or lay them in the back of your car.

10. Pack boots on the bottom

If you are packing all your shoes in one box or suitcase, always place larger, heavier shoes like snow boots or men’s dress shoes on the bottom and then make your way up to lighter footwear like sandals on top. This will avoid damaging and squashing your more delicate favourite strappy shoes.

Although packing is a pain, these tips will make life easier, while also helping to protect your clothes. Plus, you’ll find it easier to unpack at your new home. Once you move out, don’t forget to arrange a move-out condo cleaning Toronto tenants expect.

If you’d like to know more about packing clothes and shoes for moving, call Maid4Condos at (647) 822-0601 or contact us here.