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

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