Author Archives: HSE

Organizing 101

These are unprecedented times we’re living in—confined to our residences, working less if at all, replacing in-person interactions with online meets, and going on perpetual hunts for TP and Clorox wipes. But perhaps the biggest change amid the coronavirus culture is the allotment of more time—more time with family, more time working on house and garden improvements, more time at home. And time has always been the rarest of commodities in the average American household.

So how can we best utilize this unexpected boon of extra time? You know all that stuff you’re always buying to make life easier? The clothes piled in the closet awaiting sorting and hanging? That garage full of boxes and loose belongings you’ve been meaning to go through for eons? Well, now’s your chance to finally get to what you’ve been meaning to get to for so long—to organize your possessions, your interiors, and your exteriors so that when “life-as usual” resumes, you’ll be ready, refreshed, and recharged for it, with your house and your life in shipshape order.

Start with the Basics

Here’s how to approach an organizing effort from the ground level up:

First off, enlist the help of all occupants. Whether you live or work with a group of 3 or 13, the more hands on deck, the quicker, more productive, and more collaborative the tasks will be. It’s no use finally arranging the bookshelves if your teenager is just going to put something back out of order, so get everyone on your team on the same page.
Next, draft up a plan. Make a list of all the tasks and chores you want to tackle, all the areas in need of attention, and rank them in order of importance. Display the plan where everyone can see it and refer to it … then follow it closely. Don’t proceed to untangling the Christmas lights, for example, until the item above that—reorganizing the kitchen pantry—is complete.
Tackle the big stuff first. Energy and enthusiasm are not infinite. So it’s a good idea to take on the larger projects first, when you’re still gung-ho to do them. The upside here is the larger amount of fulfillment you’ll experience when you’re done. If you clean up the biggest messes first and then lose steam before getting to the smaller ones, it’s no big deal: The bathroom cabinet can be tackled in half an hour, at some other time, on some other day; but washing all the windows inside and out can take a whole day, if not a whole weekend. Keep morale high to keep the team’s productivity chugging along!

Maximize Space and Time Savings

Making an organization plan is one thing, actually implementing it is another. So now it’s time to put your plan into action, clearing the way for improved efficiency:

Did you know that more than 50 percent of modern homes today hold on to tools, appliances, clothing, and housewares that haven’t been used in years, maybe in decades? Clear it all out now! Toss, donate, gift to someone who can recycle or repurpose … just get rid of whatever you’re not using to make your living space so much more useful. A good rule of thumb: If you haven’t used it in two years, you probably don’t need it. Goodbye and good riddance.
Items that are rarely used or hold purely sentimental value do not need to be on display, out in the open, cluttering up your home. Yes, you love your doll collection … but on the floor of your bedroom, it’s just collecting dust. And if you only haul out your professional mixer for the annual bake sale at school, does it really need to be on the kitchen counter all year long? Pack little-used items away for easier access to things you use daily. The guiding philosophy here is: Out of sight, out of mind—but still available. And if you have a considerable amount of things you want to hold on to but don’t need regularly, it may be time to consider a storage unit.
Important documents should be readily available, organized in a logical and systematic way that anyone can follow. It’s worth taking the time now to label and sort an accordion file or to alphabetize named folders in a desk drawer if paperwork is ever needed in a pinch later. There’s no limit to the types of portable filing systems available out there now.
Capitalize on dual-use items. This may be the best space-saving tip of all. Look for ways to make your furniture do double duty, like using that side table above the outlets as a permanent charging station for the family, buying an ottoman that offers hideaway space for throws or magazines or all those remote controls, using wicker baskets to collect and hold loose items around the house instead of just as home décor, installing a fold-down shelf in place of that clunky old desk you only use once a month to pay the bills.

These are just some ideas to get your started on improved organization in your home to bring you more peace of mind when you’re there. Prefer to bring a professional touch to your organizing projects? We’d love to hear from you!

Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

A Working Woman’s Guide to Housecleaning

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If you’re one of the many women in America juggling a career, a family, and a home, you know how draining it can be to get things done around the house when you’re just trying to get things done period. It’s not just workweek days that are jam-packed; even when the weekend finally rolls around, you put so much off for “off days” that your to-do list on Saturdays and Sundays can be even longer than Monday–Friday!

So how do you keep a handle on all the errands you have to run, grocery shopping you have to do, kids’ activities you have to attend, and dinners you have to host and keep your house tidy and neat in the process?

The trick is to do things a little at a time, in stages, so things don’t get overwhelming. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in just a half hour each day once you create a plan and set your mind on sticking to it. Whether it’s tackling the dust in your living room, shaking out the rugs in your halls, or finally putting those boxes in the corner away, take the one-day-at-a-time approach to reclaim your weekend days with little steps that go a loooooong way!

TIPS TO SAVE TIME

Tip #1: Organize Your Closet. Sounds like a big task, right? But it doesn’t have to be, and once your closet is filled with only clothes you still wear, shoes that still fit, and styles that still make you feel sassy, getting ready in the morning will go so much faster and picking just the right outfit for date night will be so much easier. Start with one area at a time: sort through your tops on Monday, your skirts on Tuesday, your jeans on Thursday …. You get the idea. Create one ongoing pile for donations, one for the trash, one for storage in the attic. Before you know it, you’ll have a de-cluttered closest for de-stressed dressing times.
Tip #2: Deep Clean Now for Quicker Touch-ups Later. No one likes cleaning and disinfecting a bathroom. But like anything else in life, if you put in a big effort up front, maintenance thereafter is much easier. Spend a half hour cleaning tiles. The next chance you get, scour the tub. Move on to the grout when you have a whole hour, one toilet at a time when you only have 15 minutes. After your bathrooms are free of grime and buildup, all you’ll need for a nice long stretch are cleaning wipes for spot-shining and freshening.
Tip #3: Tackle the Kitchen One Wall at a Time. You already know how to do a quick dusting, a quick vacuum while dancing to Rihanna. But the kitchen is a different story. To save time and save your energy, approach this room one section at a time: one session for the fridge, one for reorganizing the cabinets on this wall, another for the drawers on that wall. Countertops can all be done at one time, as can appliance surfaces. While you’re at it, get rid of gadgets you don’t use anymore, food that has expired, and cracked dishes and pans with broken seals. Next time you reach down for your favorite soup pot, it’ll be right where you want it, easily in reach. Remember: de-clutter to de-stress.
Tip #4: Hire a Cleaning Service. Even better than cleaning your house in time allotments? Don’t clean it yourself at all! Call in a professional to complete the tasks you want done on a schedule that works with your work schedule.

Home Services Enterprise would be happy to answer the call. We’re the working woman’s best friend … so you have more time to be your best self.

Call today to talk about your appointment needs:
Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

It’s Spring Cleaning Time!

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The annual ritual of spring cleaning has been around for centuries, in all different parts of the world, for all different types of structures, for a variety of reasons—some cultural, some religious, and some purely hygienic. Here in the States in the year 2020, we faithfully engage in this tradition to both sweep out the old (as in fireplace residue, pent-up dust and debris, and winter staleness) and usher in the new: open windows, clean air, sparkling surfaces, and gleaming furniture!

But because we treat it as a once-a-year event, the sheer breadth and depth of the task can feel very overwhelming and very time-consuming, turning something that’s supposed to be invigorating and regenerative into something that’s just stressful and tedious. The result? We put it off as long as possible, sometimes even until … well, until it’s summertime!

So let’s break down good ole spring cleaning into a clear 10-point checklist that will make the process far more practical and manageable:

Allow two weeks. During week one (or over the first weekend), cover the inside of your home, whether that means downstairs to upstairs or rooms at the back of the house to rooms at the front of the house. For the second week, you’ll move outside, to your garage, driveway, and front and back yards.
Wash windows & clean window treatments. Since it’s the time of year to unlock latches, pull back drapes, and open blinds, start with the chore that will bring you the immediate satisfaction of sunlight streaming into your home. Clean window panes inside and out, vacuum drapes top to bottom (or send them out to be dry cleaned if applicable), and clean all sides of all blind slats.
Clean carpets & floors. If you’ve got carpeting, steam clean it—you can rent a machine yourself or call in a professional company that can be in and out within hours. If you’ve got tile or hardwood floors, go the extra mile to scrub or polish them this time. After this thorough cleaning, regular vacuuming and touch-up mopping as needed should keep all your flooring in check and in control for months to come.
Attend to baseboards, molding & ceilings. So many people take such good care of floors, walls, and doors that are in plain sight, but they neglect the nooks and crannies that connect all the parts of your home. Now’s the time to clear ceiling corners of spider webs, wipe down all the gunk that accumulates on baseboards, and clean all your molding, both at or above eye level. You’ll be amazed how much better you feel and how much cleaner your space will be when both the obvious and not-so-obvious surfaces are free of dirt and buildup.
Dust the furniture. Feather dusters sure come in handy … but once in a while, we have to actually dust all our items by hand, with an actual furniture cleaner and old-fashioned dust rags or more modern microfiber cloths. Not only will you polish away streaks and prints, but you’ll remove allergens from surfaces to prevent them from becoming airborne.
Make a list of odd jobs & tackle them one at a time, in small doses. Kitchens, bathrooms, dens, bedrooms—we all know what’s required to keep our everyday living spaces and places safe and sanitary. But then there’s all the miscellaneous fixes that get put on the backburner indefinitely, like paint touch-ups, replacing a cracked lightswitch plate, changing burnt-out lightbulbs, dusting ceiling fan blades, or flipping mattresses. To get your interior in tiptop shape, do a walk-through with pen and paper in hand, noting the small stuff that needs a little extra attention. It’ll make a big difference when you finally check those items off your list.
De-clutter the home. Using a laundry basket, go around collecting anything and everything that is cluttering up your rooms. You can sort through the bin later—putting things back where they belong or storing them away—but for now, just clearing them from your line of vision and path of movement will produce order and efficiency.
Organize the basement. Throughout the year, we’re all guilty of just stashing things down in the basement (or up in the attic or out in the garage) to take care of later—outgrown clothes, loose holiday decorations, empty boxes, faulty equipment. Set aside an hour or two to separate things into piles—donate, trash, keep, repair—then follow through as planned.
Head outdoors. Once the inside of your home is in order, you’ll be energized to tackle the outside: sweep the garage floor, clear away fallen branches and dead leaves from your perimeter, trim your bushes and hedges, spread new mulch, clean your mailbox, and plant your bulbs. Then spring will be blooming inside and out!
Hold a garage sale. By this point, you’ve likely come across lots of things, both big and small, used and unused, valuable and trendy—that you just don’t need or want anymore. Spring is the optimal time to hold a garage sale, turning one man’s trash into another’s treasure and finding a new home for things you no longer use in your own.

Not enough time at your disposal or too much on your plate to proceed through this checklist yourself? That’s what Home Services Enterprises is for! Call us today to schedule an appointment, and we’ll have your home, office, or personal space spring ready in no time!

Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

The Importance of Cleaning Your Oven, Refrigerator, and Microwave

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The kitchen is the heart of most homes—it’s not just where the nourishment is prepared and served, it’s where the family is nurtured, where they come together to share their days and break their daily bread.

But it’s also a room that sees a lot of action, and that means it requires extra care and extra effort to attend to all the traffic, all the mess, all the spills and all the drips. It’s common sense that the appliances in which we store, cook, and heat our meals should be regularly and properly cleaned and maintained for safe consumption. A hygienic home makes for a healthier family. But in today’s busy world of very limited time and never-ending to-do lists, you’ll want to clean your kitchen most efficiently and expediently.

Self-Clean Your Oven, Then Spot-Clean as Needed

Let’s start with the oven, because a well-maintained oven will be more energy efficient when the heat distributes evenly. And what stands in the way of allowing your oven to use less energy? You guessed it: a build-up of fat and grease, which not only interferes with burners and heating mechanisms, but also poses fire and flame risks. Luckily, modern-day ovens come equipped with self-cleaning capabilities that’ll do the lion’s share of the work for you, just be sure to completely empty the stove before starting and follow the directions to the letter.

But even smart appliances aren’t smart enough to reach every crevice, wipe away every spot, or sweep up every crumb. For those places that automation can’t reach—like the crud around hinges and outer frames—you’ll have to reach yourself. But there’s no need to buy expensive products or expose yourself to unnecessary chemicals: Wipe down surfaces with a “green” mixture of vinegar and water, and use a little baking soda on a sponge to dislodge cooked-on foodstuffs. It’s recommended to clean your oven every three to six months.

As for your stove, “deconstruction” is the easiest way to go. Instead of trying to clean your burners in place, remove them (the burner grates for gas stoves and the drip bowls for electric), along with any other removable parts, like the knobs, and soak them in hot soapy water for several hours; then scrub them down right in your sink, where the residue can easily be washed away. Skip the spray-and-wipe route to eliminate all the loose debris on the stovetop—instead, use your vacuum attachments to suck it all up in no time. Another time-saving tip: Once your burners are clean, insert disposable liners under grates or wrap drip bowls in foil to avoid future scouring.

Microwaves Get Messy!

Your microwave probably doesn’t go one day without use—between reheating your coffee, the kids making after-school snacks, and melting butter for your grandma’s cookie recipe, this appliance is arguably the most often used today in American homes. That’s why it needs to be cleaned more often too. Every day, preferably after every use, wipe down the inner walls, top, and bottom while whatever popped, spurted, or overflowed is still warm and loose. Then, once a week, give it a more thorough cleaning. Again, avoid the potentially harmful chemicals that don’t need to come into any kind of contact with your edibles: Just heat up a bowl of water with either vinegar or lemon right in the microwave itself to clean, sanitize, and deodorize all in one step. (Search online for more specific directions on this simple hack.) Swipe all surfaces with a clean cloth and you’re done!

Refrigerator Rehab

Keeping your fridge in optimal condition doesn’t have to be a chore if you stick to some basic guidelines. When it’s time to clean, remove all contents first so you have clear access to all internal parts of the fridge. Depending on how messy it is in there, you can either leave components in place or take them out and wash them down in the sink. To keep chemicals away from anything you’d consume, once again all you really need is a solution of vinegar and water to clean the interior and all shelves and drawers. Use some baking soda on an old toothbrush for any stubborn areas of build-up. Then make sure everything’s dry before loading your food back in.

Thereafter, keep your fridge tidy and family-friendly by:

Not overcrowding it
Organizing by food type (for example, keep all your condiments together, all your beverages grouped together)
Disposing of spoiled food, rotting fruit, and moldy sauces promptly to avoid potential cross-contamination
Keeping an open box of baking soda at the back of a shelf to neutralize odors
Cleaning up all leaks and spills right when they happen to avoid more and harder labor later

If even these summary steps sound like too much for you to fit into your busy schedule, call in a professional to get your kitchen sparkling for you! Home Services Enterprise would be delighted to be your kitchen cleaner, on either a one-time or ongoing basis. Contact us today to talk about all your cleaning and organizing needs.

Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Start the New Year Off Right

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Every January, people all over the world make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions … and by February, many of them are already kaput because they’re too challenging or time-consuming to maintain, like going to the gym every day, meditating every morning, or calling your mother-in-law every Sunday.

But “home resolutions” are much easier to keep than personal resolutions and will make your life far more manageable and far less stressful, getting you off to a good start for your best year yet! Here are our top three suggestions to get your house in order and keep it that way throughout the coming year:

Home Resolution #1: Make Your Home Safe. Many homeowners are not aware that they’re living with potential health hazards and fire risks in their midst. Check for harmful gases and fumes, such as radon and carbon monoxide, by scheduling an appointment or simply by installing detectors in your home. Have your chimney cleaned, especially if you’ll be burning fires during the colder months. Get your dryer vent cleaned, then keep the dryer clear of lint buildup to avoid this dangerous fire hazard. If you have small children or vulnerable animals in the home, install outlet protectors.

Home Resolution #2: Organize & Streamline. One of the quickest ways to de-stress your life is to de-clutter your environment. A start-of-the-year purge will make space for new additions and clear the path to more relaxation. Go room to room collecting things you no longer use, no longer wear, or no longer work. Toss out what’s disposable; donate what’s salvageable. Bring winter clothes to the front of your closet, find an easily accessible spot for the vacuum you’re always reaching for, set up a pet-feeding station that won’t have you spilling kibbles and seeds all over the place. You’ll be amazed by how much satisfaction you’ll get from finding a place for everything and having everything in its place.

Home Resolution #3: Work Out a Cleaning System. There’s no need to waste a whole weekend cleaning your house if you set up a plan to keep a handle on things day by day, in small doses each time. Clean and put away the dishes after every meal instead of waiting until the sink is full. Dust one room one day, another a few days later. Tackle one bathroom at a time, one fixture at a time: today, the tub; tomorrow, the toilet. Set alarms to change sheets every few weeks or to do a load of whites on Monday, darks on Thursday. If you take just a few minutes each morning to straighten up your sink area and put your dirty clothes in the hamper, you’ll come home each evening to more orderly and comforting spaces. Just a little time invested now will grant you a lot more leisure time later!

Home Services Enterprises can keep your house immaculate and in order, whether on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Plan a schedule that best suits you and your family by contacting us today:

Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Christmas Countdown

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The moment the Thanksgiving dishes are done, the season of gift-giving takes off at a mad dash—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa … the holy trinity of December holidays—and for those of us doing the holiday hosting, it can be anything but a time of joyous celebration.

Why not return some of the fun and festivity to the month with this five-step plan that will ease your load and alleviate your stress? By the time everyone convenes around your holiday table, you’ll be sitting pretty in a home that’s been prepped to perfection!

ORGANIZE: Before you do anything to commence December’s frenzy, lay the foundation now with some basic organizational tasks to pave the way for a smoother ride later. Empty the pantry, fridge, and freezer of expired, unused, and unneeded items to make room for what’s to come. Get the boxes down from the attic and sort through what you’ll be using this year and what you won’t so everything will be at hand when you’re ready for it. Go through each and every room of your home where company will be visiting or staying and declutter what’s cluttered, stash those seasonal items that are just taking up room for the winter, note what’s needed there to accommodate your guests. Now’s a great time to donate whatever you don’t need anymore to those who are less fortunate.
PLAN: Now it’s time to make lists. Pick recipes now and list out all the ingredients you’ll need to make them. Gather gift lists now, and next to each chosen present, jot down the store you’ll need to visit to procure it. Mark on the calendar what days are set aside for what tasks so you can realistically and comfortably manage them all, like laundering the holiday linens, stocking the bathrooms with guest soaps and holiday towels, mailing the holiday cards. Create a timeline for your baking and cooking days so you’ll allow yourself adequate time in the kitchen. Check your stock of wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows now and designate a gift-wrapping station somewhere convenient in your home.
CLEAN: Once you know what needs doing, making, and buying, create a clean slate to work from. Polish the furniture and the silver. Scour the bathrooms. Make sure all the pots and pans and serving dishes you’ll be using are in good shape for the big day. Dust and vacuum the guest rooms and make up the beds. Rake the yard, wipe the windows, mop the floors.
SHOP: Gather all those lists from step 2 and order them efficiently and effectively. Instead of going uptown one day for Johnny’s hockey stick and the next day for the butcher shop, combine that into one trip. Make two runs to the mall rather than ten by grouping all the stores you can hit in one fell swoop, preferably during off-hours to avoid long lines and wait times. Map out the quickest and most streamlined route for all your stops so you don’t have to circle back in the afternoon to where you just were in the morning.
DECORATE: Finally, the fun part! Although you likely took care of the outdoor decorations on Black Friday, it’s time now to set the mood and bask in the beauty of the season indoors. Create an inviting entryway with wreaths, boughs of holly, and twinkle lights. Warm up your living room with stacked wood at the ready by the fireplace. Roll out colorful runners, placemats, and tablecloths. Hang stockings and trim the tree. Simmer cider on the stove. Load a basket with spiced pinecones, set evergreen-scented candles on counters, and plug in aromatic air fresheners. And don’t forget to fill the candy dishes on side tables for that extra touch of sweetness!

Want to make the season of giving even more special? Gift yourself by calling on Home Services Enterprise to take care of the organizing and cleaning for you. Make the season merrier by booking an appointment today: 301-674-9564 or www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Going Green in Your Home

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It’s not just “trendy” these days to adopt a more environmentally conscious lifestyle—it’s actually better for our health and our diets, cleaner for our food and water supplies, less invasive of our planet’s oceans and lands. But it can also be expensive! Sure, a hybrid car cuts down on emissions and gas use, but the cost of a whole new vehicle? Organic foodstuffs contain fewer chemicals and toxins, but the price tags rise with the health benefits. And who has the time to clean cloth diapers, the resources to purchase only all-natural cosmetics, or the convenience of finding recycled-only goods?

Some eco-friendly measures are easier to commit to than others, like reusable grocery bags, glass water bottles, and cloth dishtowels over paper towels. And luckily for the average consumer, going greener when it comes to your housecleaning is another area where you can easily make great strides without breaking the bank. At all.

Three back-to-basics staples, in particular, should be stocked in every home—not only because they’re cheap, pure, and environmentally responsible, but because they’ve been doing the trick for centuries and show no signs of losing their effectiveness! Go greener today in your home and your life by making your own cleaning products out of these tried-and-true ingredients:

VINEGAR: The active ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid, which can be a strong cleaning agent that dissolves dirt buildup, grease, and grime. It also kills germs, mold, and bacteria. To make an all-natural spray that can be used all over your kitchen and bathrooms—on the stovetop, appliances, and countertops … on tile floors, tubs, showers, sinks, and toilets—simply mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle that you can buy at any discount or dollar store. Opt for white vinegar to eliminate the possibility of any staining or discoloration.
LEMONS: Lemon juice is another natural ingredient that can be used for cleaning, either concentrated or diluted with water. The citric acid in lemons, with its low pH and high antibacterial properties, dissolves mineral deposits and soap scum. It also shines stainless steel, brass, and copper fixtures; it sanitizes cutting boards; it can be nuked in half a cup of water to clean your microwave; it’s a terrific scrubbing and de-griming agent (frying pans, coffeepots, etc.); and with a little help from an old toothbrush, it can be used to clean grout. The applications are virtually endless. And of course there’s the added benefit of the fresh smell that will infuse your home!
BAKING SODA: Look in any refrigerator in America. Chances are, there’s an open box of baking soda tucked in the back somewhere. That’s because baking soda is a known deodorizer that absorbs unwanted scents and smells. But it’s not just for sitting on a shelf! On its own or combined with water, dish soap, and/or vinegar, baking soda can be used as a non-abrasive cleanser on hard surfaces in the home—walls, furniture, floors, you name it. It gets the smell out of drains and garbage disposals. It cleans sponges, batteries, grills. It can even be used as a fruit and veggie wash.

Check out any number of DIY listings online to find out how to use these three products most beneficially, effectively, and harmlessly—on their own or in combination. Then, if you want more ideas on how to “greenify” your home, consult the experts at Home Services Enterprise for more tips or to undertake the tasks for you. We’re an eco-friendly company that uses natural products upon request, such as microfiber cloths to keep dust from becoming airborne for allergy and asthma sufferers.

301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

De-Clutter Your Closet to De-Stress Your Life

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Life can get messy. Any step you take to simplify even one aspect of your surroundings or clear out any single space that’s gotten unruly will bring much-needed cleanliness, order, and freshness to your days and a welcome sense of relief to your mind.

Periodically going through your closet is an excellent opportunity to get rid of the old and the obsolete so you can enjoy a newly optimized and organized corner of your world. This isn’t an easy task for some people, however. We get attached to our things, we worry about discarding something we may want around some day, and we hold on to hope that those pants will fit again one day or that jacket will come back in style.

Now’s the time to put your decision-making skills to work and dive into the task with some basic guidelines steering you and some direct steps you can follow that will take you from cluttered to calm before you know it!

Take one item at a time out of your closet.
For each individual item, ask:

Are you still wearing this now or have you worn it in the past two years?
Do you love it?
Does it reflect your current personal style?

If you answer yes to all three questions, the item is a definite keeper. If you answer no to two or more of these questions, it’s time to toss it on one of two piles: (a) donate to charity or (b) give to someone you know who you think will appreciate it.
When you come across something “iffy,” try it on, honestly assess yourself in a full-length mirror, and decide if the article fits well enough and looks good enough to keep.
Repeat this process for every single item in your closet: clothing, shoes, scarves, ties, belts, hats, purses, robes, bathing suits—you name it.
Bag or box up your give-away piles and remove them from the room, storing them somewhere out of the way (like your garage or car trunk) until you get a chance to permanently dispose of them.
Now, to finish preparing your “clean slate,” empty your entire closet of all the items you’re keeping so that you can access every nook, cranny, shelf, and cubby. Thoroughly clean all surfaces and spaces at once (including vacuuming the closet floor).
Now it’s time for the fun part! As you reload, bring items back in and organize by colors and by seasons. The things you wear and use often should be within easiest reach; seldom-worn attire like formal wear can be placed in more out-of-the-way areas.

Whether this takes you half a day or a full weekend, the rewards will be well worth the effort … And just think of all the space you just created to shop for new items that perfectly suit the new you!

Home Services Enterprise does far more than just cleaning. If you need some help getting your spaces in tiptop shape, carting off your unused belongings, or organizing any other area of your home or office, we’re at your service!

Call Home Services Enterprise today at 301-674-9564 to schedule an appointment or visit our website: www.homeservicesenterprise.com

The Balancing Act of September

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Ask any American family on the street what the busiest time of the year is for them, and they’ll answer September more often than not. Far more often. Getting back-to-school routines in place and getting back in full work mode after the warm, lazy days of summer vacations and long summer weekends can be grueling at worst, challenging at best.

When you’re struggling to regain your balance with everything you’ve got going on, the last thing you want to think about is housework. New drop-off and pick-up times, new after-school activity schedules, new homework requirements, new lunch box requests … dusting and mopping and scrubbing and vacuuming are at the bottom of your list!

So why not call in some assistance to help you balance it all? A professional house cleaning and organizing service can do just that—taking tedious chores off your plate by, literally, cleaning the plates for you! Professional assistance offers:

Flexible schedules. The standard cleaning schedule is a thing of the past, and consumers can now name the days, times, frequencies, and spans that work best for their lives, their families, and their budgets. Schedule one cleaning at a time or set up a regular appointment. Want to be home or not at home when the cleaners are there? It’s your call. Do you work odd hours and so have unusual appointment time requests? Not a problem. Today’s market is about accommodating the customer and adding value to their busy lives.
Flexible services. Professional cleaners don’t just cross the threshold anymore with buckets and brooms. They come armed and equipped to help organize your home as well, to help store and sort, to water plants, do laundry, and de-clutter. And they do windows too! Whether you’re looking for weekly tidying up, a monthly “full sweep,” or a seasonal deep cleaning, you can pick and choose from a comprehensive list of services designed to bring order, neatness, and peace of mind to your residential and office spaces.
Flexible crews. To offer specialty services, you’ve got to have specialty workers willing and able to do the job right. There are many things that customers prefer not to do themselves—cleaning the oven and cleaning out the fridge, tackling the garage or attic or basement, deep-cleaning the carpets, to name a few—and that’s when it’s time to call in the pros. A professional agency will work with your particular time, budgeting, and home needs to provide customized care delivered by qualified professionals.

Call Home Services Enterprise today at 301-674-9564 to schedule a cleaning or visit our website: www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Prepping for Back-to-School Time

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Doesn’t it seem like it was just a few weeks ago when your kids were chanting “No more teachers, no more books …”? And yet here we are again—already in August, when families across the country are preparing for the return to school.

As the countdown begins, parents everywhere find their schedules getting more hectic and their to-do lists growing longer. But there are actually several steps you can take to make this school year the best one yet!

Make a checklist of what needs to be done. Your daughter needs a new lunch box? Your son’s backpack has a tear? You’ve been meaning to look up healthy meal options you can send them on their day with? Still need to fill out those permission forms that have been sitting on the counter? Now’s the time to take care of whatever can be accomplished in advance, so you’re free to attend to more time-sensitive homework assignments and book reports once they start rolling in. Space out all these tasks so they’re more manageable time-wise.
Take a clothing inventory. The simple process of getting dressed in the morning can become stressful when drawers aren’t organized, closets are in disarray, clothes no longer fit, and the jacket most appropriate for the weather isn’t hanging in the coat closet within easy reach. Now’s the time to go through all your kids’ clothing—sorting out what to donate, what to hand down to younger ones, what seasonal items can be stored in bins, and what to hang up versus fold neatly away. In the process, you’ll identify gaps in the wardrobe—socks, shoes, sweatshirts—and you’ll make room for them. There’s nothing like starting off a new school year with a clean, fresh slate!
Go school supply shopping. The earlier you can check this item off, the better—before stores run out of the folders that are trending, the required type of pens and pencils, and book bags and gadgets that pass your kids’ approval. The best way to tackle this is to arm yourself with a detailed list of what you need to buy. Not only will this ensure that you don’t forget anything, but it will prevent you from making unnecessary and impulse purchases, saving you both money and repeat last-minute trips to the store. You can even make a game of this, dividing up the list and letting your kids hunt down the items in the aisles themselves.
Create a designated study area. Setting aside a particular part of your home for your kids to do their schoolwork is a great idea that signals when it’s “work time” and instills solid study habits. In this space, for example, cell phones are on silent and distracting music isn’t playing. Not only that, but you can set up storage bins or crates to neatly organize and arrange all those school supplies you just bought. This doesn’t have to be a big project or space—you can open up a corner in their bedroom, rearrange furniture to put a comfortable chair here, a compact desk there, situate a lamp just right to ensure good lighting. Whatever you can do to provide a calm and quiet place for their studies will get your kids off to a great start and keep them going that way all year.

Home Services Enterprise can help with all your organizing and home-optimization needs. Call 301-674-9564 today to schedule an appointment or visit our website: www.homeservicesenterprise.com