Prepare for a Happy Homecoming After Vacation

It’s finally happened! The world is opening back up, and Americans are on the move again, especially now that school’s out for summer. Families all over the country have their bags packed, their cars loaded, and the GPS set to destinations near and far. But the last thing you want is to come home from such a long-awaited and well-deserved vacation to the same messy house you left—made even messier by all those months and months of lockdown at home, when, like, no one could go, like, anywhere.

What’s the number one thing you can do to ensure a happy homecoming? Plan ahead to have a neat and orderly house to welcome you home just like you’ve planned your upcoming vacation.

Here are some options so that the relaxation on your couch can continue even after relaxing on the beach is over:

Leave the house tidy on your way out. Instead of rushing around the morning before your flight throwing clothes into tote bags, leaving dirty cereal bowls in the sink, and letting the garbage pile up, finish packing the day before, bathe the kids the night before, and while you send them off to make their beds, put the cap back on the toothpaste, tidy up the bathrooms, and bring the trash out. (Don’t forget to throw out anything in the fridge that’ll go bad while you’re away.)
Go next level by emptying the dishwasher and folding the clothes that have been sitting in the dryer since Tuesday so the appliances will be open and ready for more upon your return.
A few days before departure, put a stop on your mail and/or any home deliveries, water the plants so they don’t dry out while you’re away, and go through the mail to make sure you pay your bills on time.
On the way out the door, don’t forget to turn down the thermostat to save some money (even better if you can program it to start back up a few hours before you’re due back home). And if you can set some lights on a timer to go on in the evening, you’ll gain even more peace of mind.
Make preparations for your pet(s) well ahead of time, whether that means asking a neighbor, making a boarding reservation, or hiring a pet-sitter. Have Fluffy’s food supply and toys ready to go, and make sure you also hand off your vet’s contact information in case of emergency.
Consider a house-sitter. Not only can this trusted individual take care of some (or all!) of the above to make your trip completely stress-free as they do the laundry and the dishes and the garbage-dumping and the dog-walking, but best of all: they can let in the housekeepers you book to clean your home top to bottom while you’re away. There’s no better time to get your home spic-and-span than when no one’s in it and the cleaners can freely access all areas and take all the time they need.

Home Service Enterprises is happy to come in and spiffy up any home or building in the Rockville, MD, area while residents are away so that everything will be fresh and clean when you return. All you have to do is kick back, smile, and have a great time!

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

Creating a Clean and Organized Home Office

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Creating a Clean and Organized Home Office

Optimizing your home workspace has always been important—your mind is free to concentrate on the task at hand when your vision is free of distractions and your desk is free of clutter. But it’s never been as crucial as it is now, with so many people working remotely from home … possibly never to return to the office again.

Given how essential home-based offices have become, now’s the time to prioritize this space in your dwelling so you can maximize your efficiency. Where to start? Well, as any employee, entrepreneur, or student knows, a clean desk is the first step to successful outcomes—so begin there:

First, clear off your work surface. Spray down the top, sides, and all the nooks and crannies of your work desk so that it’s dust-free and ready for reloading.
Empty any drawers and cabinets as well, thoroughly dusting them and airing them out.
Safely wipe down all your electronics with appropriate cleaning tools—it’s amazing how dusty our towers and backup drives and speakers get sitting out all day, every day!
Now that everything is off and out of your workstation, sort through all the loose papers that have piled up and spread out and file them appropriately, in labeled folders in either your physical filing cabinet or your digital filing system. Scan documents you want computerized, create a pile of correspondence/paperwork that needs attending to and stack them in your in-tray, and discard trash and outdated notices.
Decide what should be on your desk, instead of in or next to your desk. Tape dispensers, Rolodexes, and pencil sharpeners are often things of the past, so store them away in your supply cabinet if you don’t use them every day. Keep out only what you need within reach on a daily basis, like paper clips, stapler, and pen holder.
Speaking of your supply area, goodness knows what’s accumulated in there over the years! Take the time to go through all your office supplies, donating or discarding what you no longer need and neatly and logically restocking what you do.
Add new items to your immediate workspace that will increase your productivity, like a Post-it holder, phone/tablet charger, cushioned mouse pad, and ergonomic keyboard.
As you refill your drawers, shelves, and cubbies, again keep nearby only what you need nearby, like rechargeable batteries, reading glasses, your headset, printer paper and cartridges. Everything else can find a new home in your supply area so that your desk space is optimally streamlined.

Once your desk has been outfitted to ideally suit your needs, it’s time for some good old-fashioned cleaning to refresh your office space. Vacuum the floor, dust the ceiling fan, clean the windows to let in the light, shake out the blinds or curtains, wipe down the baseboards and closet doors. It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel when you start with a clean slate, including replacing burnt-out lightbulbs, air dusting your keyboard, and finally washing that coffee mug that you’ve been using for weeks on end.

Some home offices are bigger than others; some will need more work than others. The trick is to not bite off more than you can chew by tackling small areas in chunks—like one filing drawer or desk drawer at a time. The end goal is to declutter and reorganize in ways that will increase your professional output. And when you’re done, reward yourself with an “office treat,” like a new desk chair on rollers so you can slide right over to your printer or noise-canceling headphones so you can work in peace while your kids blast video games in the next room.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all in one day, and you don’t have to do it alone. Want some help? That’s what professional all-service cleaning companies are for! We don’t just clean, we organize—and you can hire us to do the whole job for you or to partner with you to create your ideal workspace!

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

Dorm Cleaning 101

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The semester is wrapping up—and it’s been a weird one, hasn’t it? Some college students stayed home for the duration of the pandemic shutdown, but many others did indeed return to campus, to their dorm rooms, even if they had a whole or partial virtual course load.

The upshot? Dorm rooms are probably even more in need of end-of-school-year cleaning given the added time spent in them, the meals eaten and food stored there while more public eateries were limited, the socializing that occurred inside the building instead of at the usual campus spots, and all those many, many, MANY videoconference calls taken atop that little twin bed.

Despite the widespread sequestering of the last year, it’s now time to move out—permanently and by the required deadline—and these tips will help you do that as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

Start with the desk area, packing up in sturdy boxes all textbooks, notebooks, school supplies, and technology peripherals. Keep your laptop and/or tablet safe and secure in a backpack or briefcase.
Next, head to the closet, dresser, or trunk—wherever clothes were kept in the room—and empty it, one piece at a time, in organized piles on the bed. Fold up clean clothes and pack them in a duffel or suitcase. Separate what needs to be washed in a plastic bag or pillowcase.
Once the bed is clear, it’s time to strip it—remove all the pillows, blankets, sheets, etc., and pack them in a large drawstring trash bag.
If you were lucky enough to have your own bathroom, head in there next and pack up all the toiletries and cosmetics you’re taking home. Plastic zip bags or small plastic tubs are preferable for this task, to make sure your belongings don’t come home splattered with toothpaste or covered in shampoo from a bottle that opened in transit.
Now comes the real work, the real cleaning: with a sponge, all-purpose cleaning spray, and some elbow grease, it’s time to tackle the microwave, the fridge, and the bathroom. Toss out opened, uneaten food (or munch on those chips while you work).
With everything emptied and cleared off or out, it’ll be easier to wipe down the furniture with cleaning wipes or a dust rag, spray the mattress and closet with disinfectant, and clean up the floors as best you can, with a handheld vacuum or a borrowed upright.
Check your school’s regulations for proper dorm-exiting procedures just to be sure you’ve ticked off all the items so you can depart with a clean slate and a clear head.

That should do the trick! On your way to the car for your drive back home, dump all that accumulated garbage and feel proud of the last school assignment you completed for the year—the next tenant in your dorm room will thank you!

We’ve got lots more cleaning tips and techniques on our website. And we’ve got availability for dorm cleaning … so if you’re in a Maryland area we serve, give us a call if you’d like a helping hand.

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

A Breath of Fresh Air: Allergy & Asthma Cleaning Tips

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It’s spring cleaning time again! And although most people associate this yearly ritual with doing “a full sweep” of their home from floor to ceiling to get things fresh and ready for the warm weather months, there’s actually a very good reason beyond just neatness and cleanliness to pull out the mops and wring out the sponges: eliminating your home of allergens, particularly for those suffering from allergies and asthma. Spring cleaning is about health and hygiene, too!

Luckily, we no longer have to beat our rugs with a broom or air out our linens over a clothesline or tie rags to poles to wash down the walls like our grandmothers did. These days, we have an array of convenient and affordable products and tools at our disposal to help us swiftly and successfully dispose of allergy- and asthma-inducing agents, including disposable wipes, replaceable wet/dry mop cloths, spray disinfectants, lightweight vacuums, and rentable steam cleaners. So set aside a weekend to attend to a top-to-bottom spring cleaning to keep your household both sanitized and safe.

Here are some tips to make the best use of your time in the most targeted areas, starting with two things to keep in mind: (1) make sure the cleaning products you use aren’t allergy or asthma triggers themselves and (2) if you’d rather keep that weekend to yourself, call in a professional company to tackle your spring cleaning for you!

Ceilings: Take advantage of extension rods and poles to wipe down your ceilings and loosen the dust and cobwebs lurking in corners and crevices. You don’t have to capture every last bit with your mop or vacuum attachment—you can sweep up anything that falls to the floor later.
Walls: Next, proceed to your walls, using a dampened dust mop to wipe them all clean, starting from the top and swiping downward. Again, you can later vacuum up anything that falls to the floor.
Nooks & Crannies: Now it’s time to manually reach wherever and whatever you didn’t already capture—spaces behind furniture, in back of the refrigerator, the backs of the shelves in your curio cabinet. You know where those pesky areas are that stay hidden but should still be accessed every now and then!
Carpets & Floors: Vacuum all wall-to-wall carpets, area rugs, and throw rugs thoroughly to suck up all the loose debris that’s been collecting in them all winter. If you have wood or tile floors, it’s time to fully mop them. Thereafter, do touch-up vacuuming and mopping weekly to stay on top of everything your family walks upon.
Curtains: Once a year, you should remove your curtains and wash them. If that’s not practical or possible for heavy drapes, use your vacuum’s attachments to reach into folds and pleats, where dust is often trapped and overlooked. If heavily soiled, it’s worth a trip to a professional cleaner’s to breathe new life into your window dressings.
Linens: Once the curtains are drying, keep the washer running for all your bedding linens in every room. This includes cleaning pillows, mattress pads, and bedskirts. Dust mites love to hide there, so before reassembling your bedding, consider purchasing dust-mite-proof covers for your pillows and mattresses.
Knickknacks: All the little things that make a house a home? The statues and figurines, the picture frames and pottery, the souvenirs and collectibles? They can be BIG dust collectors. Turn on some tunes and wipe every single piece of bric-a-brac down with a dust rag or damp cloth. Vinegar works great on glass surfaces.
Windows: Save the biggie for last so you can look forward to looking both out of and into your home through gleaming windows once your annual deep cleaning is done. This requires cleaning your windowpanes inside and out since smudges and buildup collect on each side. And don’t forget to remove the screens and hose them down too, getting off all the pollen and outdoor pollutants.

Spring cleaning is a big effort, but it has a big payoff—especially for your family’s respiratory systems. You can do it yourself, or you can call in some experts to help. We’d be happy to be at your service!

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

Cleaning Tips for the Working Professional

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If you’re one of the many professionals juggling a demanding career while still trying to maintain all the demands of home and family, you know how tight time can get and how exhausting an endless list of chores can be. Weekends and after-hours are often filled to the brim as well, and sometimes something’s just got to give, right?

All the more reason to streamline and prioritize wherever you can. You can’t always have dust-free shelves or sparkling appliances or pristine lines on newly vacuumed carpets … but you can concentrate on a few areas and a few tasks that will make the most impact in your house and go the longest way toward longer-term peace of mind and fulfillment.

Here are some ideas of “big ticket” items that will give you a large sense of accomplishment and noticeable, measurable results:

Area of Focus #1: Organize Your Closets. Don’t underestimate just how much lighter and brighter you’ll feel if you finally get those closets in order, particularly your own. Your mornings will go smoother, dressing will be less stressful, and clear open space will replace cluttered and crammed rods and shelves if you devote one solid chunk of time to organizing your bedroom closet. You know those beautiful shoes you’re never going to wear again because they kill your toes? That suit that’s never coming back in style, that dress you haven’t worn in 10 years, those pants you’re never going to fit into again? Time to chuck it all! Sell items of value online, bag up wearable items that can be donated to shelters, charities, or even your friends, and just toss what needs tossing. Clear your closet of anything and everything you don’t actually wear and enjoy—old ratty pajamas, faded tights, pilly sweaters, sneakers with cracked soles, shirts with stains or missing buttons. Out of your closet means out of your way and off of your mind! Forever.

Area of Focus #2: Give Bathrooms a Deep Clean. The least-liked cleaning chore of them all is actually the single-most powerful step you can take to get your house spick-and-span on the foundational level. It’s no surprise that the bathroom holds the most germs, bacteria, mildew, and soap scum in your home. So attending to just this room alone goes a long way and makes a huge difference in all the others. When you scour fixtures and scrub tiles once in a while, you can do touch-ups with cleaning cloths in between, so it’s worth taking a deep dive now so you can just maintain later. The good news? At least the bathroom is the smallest room in the house—make a concentrated effort on Saturday morning and then take the whole rest of the weekend off!

Area of Focus #3: Move the Furniture. Even when you mop, even when you vacuum, you’re not really getting your floors clean until or unless you move the furniture and big items out of the way to get underneath. Take this extra step to banish the dirt and the dust bunnies from flying around so that what you see and what you don’t see is all fresh and clean. These hidden areas are usually overlooked during routine cleaning, but making this extra effort once a season should be all that’s needed.

Area of Focus #4: Have Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned. And speaking of hidden bothers … Lurking dust mites and a wide array of irritants and allergens take hold in your carpets, draperies, and upholstery and stay there until you forcibly remove them. Investing in a professional steam cleaning (particularly after the winter season) won’t just freshen your whole home, it will literally clear the air, keeping your pets and family members breathing much easier and more healthfully. Again, you don’t have to do this often to get a big bang for your buck!

If you start with just these essentials, the smaller daily stuff won’t seem as overwhelming and you can tackle them in smaller steps, in smaller bursts of time. Want some help? Give us a call today to find out what we can do assist all your cleaning and organizing needs:
Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Winter To-Do List to Optimize Your Home

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A few months ago, our blog was devoted to making your home as snug and hygienic as it can be during the months in which most of the country is hibernating inside due to the cold weather … and now that most of us are still hunkering down inside due to health reasons, we thought we’d expand our list of recommendations and suggestions for cold-weather to-do items to not only keep you busy, but to greatly benefit your house.

Now’s the time to:

Inspect All Openings – For the typical homeowner, addressing the drafts coming in through doors and windows will make a major dent in your energy costs. Weather-strip and caulk all openings to prevent drafts, and watch your utility bill dip lower even as the temperatures do.
Maintain Your Heating System – It’s very important to change your air filters at least once a year. You should also check the ductwork in your basement or attic for any gaps. You can use metal-foil tape to seal any gaps you find so that heat doesn’t escape.
Caulk Trim & Baseboards – Inspect the caulking on your trim and your baseboards to see if any areas are old or worn away. Just like windows and doors, drafts can enter your home through cracks in the walls and floors, so you’ll want to fill and fortify these openings for wellness and warmth.
Attend to the Roof Over Your Head – Preventing ice damming should be a top priority for any homeowner who lives in a region that gets snow and ice. Caulking the roof—either by doing it yourself or by hiring a roofer—is an investment you won’t regret. As snow melts, insufficient drainage can cause serious damage to your roof and possibly leaks inside your home, so do what you can to eliminate ice dams by ensuring proper drainage.
Check the Fireplace – Do you know how many people forget to close their fireplace flue after use? A LOT! If you’re feeling coldness in the house and aren’t sure where it’s coming from, check if your flue was inadvertently left open and then make sure it’s only reopened when you build a fire. It’s also a good idea to have energy-efficient fireplace doors to help optimize the heating in your home and decrease energy costs.

These few steps will keep your house in tip-top shape all winter and prevent costly repairs later on down the road. For more winterizing tips or to schedule a cleaning, get in touch with us today! Home Services Enterprise | 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

Quick Tips to Sanitize the Kitchen & Bathroom

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It might be common sense, but it’s “common” for a reason: In times of particular concern over germs, bacteria, and infections—especially when families are spending so much time indoors together—it’s only logical to sanitize the most susceptible areas of your home to keep everyone and everything in it as safe and healthy as possible.

Which rooms see the most traffic and carry the most risk? The kitchen and bathroom, of course. And although they get the most wear and tear, they’re also the easiest to target and tackle, with all their hard surfaces, removable parts, and washable elements. These on-point checklists will leave the most essential rooms in your home spotless and hygienic in no time. Whenever possible, use alcohol- and bleach-based products to best kill germs and eliminate odors. Don’t have those on hand? Good old-fashioned water solutions featuring vinegar, lemon, and baking soda work beautifully—always have, always will!

Quick tips to sanitize the kitchen:

Wipe down all countertops and appliances
Clear and wipe out all drawers and cabinets
Defrost and wipe out the freezer
Pull the refrigerator out and clean behind it
Clean the stove and under the range
Run the dishwasher with vinegar
Run the garbage disposal with baking soda and some frozen diced lemon cubes
Mop floor
Throw out any old food in the pantry, fridge, or freezer

Quick tips to sanitize the bathroom:

Clear out all drawers and replace any liners
Wipe down all countertops and sinks
Clean all tile and inspect seals, caulk, and grout
Clean the tub and toilet
Wipe down the shower doors and clean shower
Replace the shower curtain
Disinfect and update any first-aid kits
Mop the floor
Throw out old and expired hygiene and beauty products

During the busy holiday season, you may not have time to get to all these to-do items yourself. Home Services Enterprise can help you thoroughly sanitize and sterilize any of your living and working spaces, greatly reducing the risk of exposure and contagion with the proper cleaning products and procedures. Call us today for availability and pricing: 301-674-9564 | www.homeservicesenterprise.com

A Cozy Nest for Winter

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Can you believe winter is almost upon us again? How does the time fly so fast? And more to the point, how is it already time again to prep our homes for the cold season, making a nice little nest we can hibernate in until spring?

There’s really not all that much to do, actually, to “winterize” our interiors for optimal health and hygiene—in fact, you don’t even have to leave the house to take any of these recommended steps (and you might not even have to open your wallet at all if you have some backup supplies on hand). So bring it on, Snow Miser! We’ll be safe and snug inside our homes whatever the season has in store.

Turn Down Your Bed: Sheets get washed regularly, but when was the last time you laundered your comforter, quilt, or duvet cover? Nothing is more comforting than snuggling up in a clean bed on a cool night, so wash all of your linens, including your mattress cover and bed skirt. While the washer and dryer are spinning, give your mattress a flip.

Filters, Filters, Filters: Since you’ll be locking all your windows and doors for the season, it’s a good time to replace all the filters in your home to better purify the air: the furnace filter, the filter in your kitchen range hood, even any water filters you have in the refrigerator, basement, or under your kitchen sink.

Clouds of Dust: Dust collects everywhere, especially high up and in out-of-sight spots that we don’t look at every day. Before cloistering indoors with all that buildup, grab your step ladder and wipe down ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, and door and window frames. While you’re at it, your baseboards can no doubt use a dusting too.

It’s Pillow Time: Breathe easier at night by breathing new life into your pillows. To aerate and freshen them, simply put them through a cycle in your dryer. But be sure to have the dryer heat turned off when you do this—you just want to fluff them, not scorch them.

Fridge Cleanup: Make a clean start (and make room for all that holiday food!) by cleaning and cleaning out your fridge. As you wipe away sticky summer lemonade spills and school-day PB&J smudges, toss any expired items, get rid of those month-old leftovers, and replace your box of baking soda.

Attend to Your Disposal: Without any fresh air circulating, you just might find that your disposal could use some TLC. Cut up a fresh lemon into ice-cube-sized pieces, then freeze them. Once frozen, put them down your garbage disposal and run it with no water until the frozen lemon chunks are gone. Turn the water on to rinse. The lemon chunks not only grind food residue off of the disposal blades, they also leave your sink smelling great.

Need some help getting your home or office space shiny and spotless this season? Call us today for a free consult and estimate:

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

Six Tips for Fall Cleaning & Maintenance

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With another fall upon us—its beautifully falling leaves and its welcome cooler weather—it’s the opportune time to get your home ready for winter. Just like we do regular maintenance on our cars to keep them running safely and efficiently with routine oil changes and tune-ups, a few quick preventative measures in your home can go a long way toward avoiding costly and time-consuming repairs once winter hits.

Follow these easy tips to put your mind at ease this autumn:

Inspect your doors and windows. Check for any weather stripping or caulking that may be worn and need replacing. Making sure that all windows and doors have a good, tight seal will not only keep your home comfortable and warm, but also save you money on your monthly heating bills.
Give your carpets and floors a good cleaning. A thorough spring cleaning gets rid of all the accumulated dust and debris of winter. Likewise, starting the colder seasons off with mopped tiles, polished floorboards, and well-vacuumed carpets removes all the dirt, sand, and bare footprints of summer. A professional carpet cleaning provides the added advantage of eliminating any allergens that may have collected in your carpeting and rugs during the warmer seasons.
Clean your upholstery and drapes. Your furniture and curtains, too, harbor all sorts of summer dust and allergens, including last spring’s pollen. Different types of materials and fabric will need different care, so it’s a good idea to call in a professional for cleaning these absorbent items in your home.
Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned. This step has a dual purpose: You want to be sure that your flue is functioning properly for when your fireplace is in use and keeping cold air out for when it isn’t in use, but you also want to ensure that your chimney is in good shape and free of creosote to provide a safe environment for cozy fires all winter long.
Check your heating system. To say it’s no fun when your furnace shuts down on a Friday night during a snowstorm is an understatement. Avoid this crisis situation by getting your heating system serviced and changing your filters regularly. Check for any gaps or leaks in your ductwork to help save on heating costs.
Assess your roof. Just as you did for your doors and windows, inspect what shape your roof is in—assuring good sealing, replacing any eroded caulking, and making any necessary repairs before the vagaries of winter can cause an emergency call to a very in-demand and expensive repair service. The last thing you want to deal with this winter are leaks (or even worse) from accumulated snow on your roof.

There’s wisdom in old adages: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Take the precautions now that will pave the way for a safe and snug winter at home.

We can help! Call us today for a free consult and estimate:

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

Reboot Your Environment for Greater Productivity

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Goodness knows we all have enough to do every day. So if you had at your disposal a tool or technique to get it all done more efficiently and effectively, wouldn’t you use it? Think of your life like your computer, running multiple programs at a time, doing more than one task at time, responsible for navigating, storing, dating, organizing, saving, automating—and everything in between. But leave it running for too long or overload it with too much all at once, and eventually it’s gonna crash. As you will if you’re running on too many cylinders at the same time, without adequate maintenance and reassessment breaks.

How to avoid this inevitability? It’s time for a reboot!

Just like your computer will run faster and better once you shut it down once in a while and let it start from scratch, so too will your life run more smoothly and productively once you hit the reset button to “declutter your headspace” and clean up your personal space.

Tips for Your Home & Life to Function at Maximum Capacity

Tip #1: Attend to unfinished projects. You know what they are and you know where they are: the bunches of yarn stashed in a corner for that sweater you’re not going to knit; the scattered wood and tools and hardware in the garage for that bookshelf you started four months ago; the piled boxes of old clothes and shoes in the guest room that you’ve been meaning to try on one more time before making a donation run; the craft supplies spread out all over the dining room table for that scrapbook you’re gonna start any day now. You’ve got three options when it comes to goals like these: (1) scrap ’em entirely, (2) get ’em done already, or (3) put all the materials back where they belong until you’re ready to actually tackle the project in a scheduled span of time.

Whether your pending projects are relatively small (going through your medicine cabinet or polishing tarnished silver) or relatively large (building a treehouse or creating a custom slideshow of all your travels), it’s time to just dive in and get it done or admit defeat and give in. Either way, you’ll feel infinitely better when unfinished business isn’t hanging over your head every day, weighing you down. Tie up the loose ends or just cut them loose. On the other side of either of those options lies freedom.

Tip #2: Clean up rooms to make room for order. Not just anecdotal experience but also research studies have proven that messy and disorganized living and working spaces hamper productivity, not to mention plain ole happiness. It’s worth the time it’ll take you to finally dust your office top to bottom, clean all the ceiling fan blades, reorganize the kitchen cupboards, empty the fridge and pantry of expired foods and items you’re never going to use, finally clear out the attic or storage shed. Again, some organizing tasks are more tedious than others—rehanging all the coats in the coat closet nicely is going to be far simpler than finally going through your own clothes closet item by item—but mix up the quick tasks with the not-so-quick ones to get as much done as you can in the shortest amount of time.

Here are some tasks you can knock out one-two-three to leave you with more free time before you know it:

Fold up and put away all loose blankets, throws, rugs, and pillows you’re not using now or at least not using this season.
Run the dishwasher and put all dishes away.
Do every load of laundry that’s been patiently waiting for you.
Go through the whole pile of waiting mail and sort through it as needed.
Dust, clean, and polish all those surfaces caked with spills and smudged with fingerprints.
Get small little thank-you cards so you can write the notes you’ve been meaning to send—just a few lines, just a few a day.
Toss out or donate anything and everything in your home that you don’t use.
Take out the trash and recycling.
Dust the blinds and clean the windows.

As an added bonus, you’ll be sanitizing breeding grounds for bacteria and virus. Disorganized to organized and dirty to clean? What’s not to love about that?

Tip #3: Turn to your technology next. It’s not just tangible and touchable items that can benefit from some TLC. When was the last time you cleared out your DVR, emptied your voice mails, updated your contacts list, and—here come the biggies—sifted through your email folders and tidied up all your computer files? Give yourself the immeasurable peace of mind that comes from knowing your pipelines are cleared and that you can access what you need right when you need it without all kinds of obsolete and unnecessary data and information blocking your way.

Don’t have the time or inclination to do all this yourself? Home Services Enterprise can do it for you, whether it’s folding all your drawers or folding up your map collection and properly archiving it. Contact us today to meet any or all of your cleaning needs in the Metropolitan area, including DC, Rockville, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and surrounding regions.

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