The autumn season blows in with colder weather, colorful leaves, and… the holidays! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s a good idea to get a head start on your cleaning and decorating now, so you are not so overwhelmed or stressed when the holidays do arrive.

This tends to be the busiest time of year, with many things to get done in preparation for the holidays. Starting now will allow you to clean and organize your home at your own pace so you are not rushing at the last minute while trying to finish the cleaning, decorating, shopping, and cooking. Being organized and prepared will allow you to relax and enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.

POINTS FOR YOUR CHECKLIST:

Prioritize your cleaning strategy:
Start with the most important rooms that will be getting the most use, like the kitchen, dining room, guest bedroom, and bathrooms. Your family and guests will be using these rooms the most. Set out your china and polish the silver ahead of time for your holiday meals. Get the bedrooms and bathrooms tidy for any guests that will be visiting.

Clearing out your closets: 
Start clearing out your closets now to make room for visitors. At the same time you can donate any unused or old items that you no longer use. Organize the remaining items with new shelving to make room for any new items and gifts you will receive during the holiday season.

Stock your pantry:
Get your grocery shopping done early with items to stock in your pantry so you will be prepared to feed guests who pop in to visit! Stock up baking supplies to start your holiday baking early.

Decorating early: 
After your cleaning is done, you can get a head start on decorating your home. Starting early will make your home more festive looking and get everyone in the holiday mood. There will also be much less to do later on. You can start decorating with candles, festive lighting, garland, and wreaths throughout your home.

Home Services Enterprise can help clean and organize your home during these busy months. Please call us to schedule a cleaning: 301-674-9564

Spring is just starting to come in with the breezing March winds to refresh and renew us. Refreshing our lives can be as simple as spring cleaning our homes and throwing out some unwanted things that add clutter to our environment.

Why is de-cluttering your life so important? When we are bogged down with too many “things”, we may start to feel like we are losing control of our environment. A good session of de-cluttering will make you feel accomplished and give you breathing room because it will open up your living space. One of the easiest ways to get rid of clutter, of course, is to simply give it away!  For most people, starting in either the bedroom or the kitchen is a good starting point. After you’ve accomplished that, you can move on to different areas in your home:

• Bedroom – Changing seasons comes with changing clothes. Go through your closets, try on any clothes you haven’t worn lately and give away anything that no longer fits or that doesn’t feel good on you. This includes clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. A clearer space will make it easier to begin to organize your closets.
• Kitchen – Start with your refrigerator, clearing and throwing out any old or expired food items. Wash shelving and drawers with warm soapy water to clean.
• Pantry – Clear out the pantry and go through all food items for expiration dates, throwing out any that have stayed beyond their welcome. Any other food items that you will not use but that have not expired can be donated to a soup kitchen or local shelter.
• Basement – Basements tend to accumulate the most clutter. If you don’t know what to do with a particular item, usually it gets stored in the basement! Go through these items and hold an estate sale or give away anything you won’t be using.
• Garage – Garages can also accumulate a whole lot of things. Sort through these items and either throw them out or donate anything you will not be using in the near future.

Starting with a couple rooms will make a big difference and open up your living space. Your house will feel more airy and the breezes of spring will sweep through and freshen up your home.

Sometimes the chill of winter can sneak up on us, particularly with unpredictable weather patterns. You may first notice it when you are sitting next to a window or door and you can feel a cold draft coming through. Or perhaps with the first heavy snowfall, your roof may spring a leak. Whether you have experienced any of these things or not, some quick and easy steps will help you winterize your home to prevent future problems from occurring during the cold winter months.

Inspect All Openings – For the typical homeowner, addressing the drafts coming in through doors and windows will be a major improvement in energy bills. Weather strip and caulk all openings to prevent drafts.

Check Your Heating System – It is very important to change air filters at least annually and check the ductwork in your basement or attic for any gaps. You can use metal-foil tape to seal any gaps so that heat does not escape.

Caulk Trim and Baseboards – Check to see if any caulk on your trim and baseboards is old or worn away. This can cause drafts to seep through the walls and floors of your home.

Ready the Roof – Hiring a roofer to caulk the roof or doing it yourself will prevent ice damming which can form on your roof after snow melts and there is insufficient drainage. This can cause serious damage to your roof and possibly leaks inside your home.

Check the Fireplace – You might be amazed to know that most people forget to close the flue in their fireplace. It will be cold in the house and people won’t know why until they go to build a fire and discover an open flue. Checking to see if the fireplace doors are energy-efficient will also help with heating the house and energy costs.

These few steps will help with heating your home more efficiently and preventing costly repairs later on down the road. For more winterizing tips or to schedule a cleaning please call us today. 301-674-9564

The holidays will be here before we know it, and the last thing you need to worry about is cleaning your home in preparation for decorating, holiday dinners or parties, and guests dropping by. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a head start on cleaning and organizing the house now. There is much to be done with shopping, decorating, and cooking meals during the holiday season. If your surroundings are clean, uncluttered, and organized, the holidays will be less stressful and much more enjoyable for you and your family!

Here is a simple checklist to follow:

Begin Early

Start your cleaning early so you can break things down into smaller tasks. This will also leave more time for the longer (and often more enjoyable) projects like wrapping presents, cooking, baking, and polishing the silver.

Make Lists

No one can remember everything! Make lists for tasks and chores around the house or errands to be run. This will help keep you on track with your schedule.

Divide Cleaning

Set aside a fixed time each day to tackle a room or an area to clean, like right after your morning coffee or after dinner. You will be amazed at how much you can check off your list in under an hour.

Spot Cleaning

Take shortcuts when cleaning certain areas when you don’t have a large block of time to do a thorough cleaning. This will tide you over till you can get to it again. Something is better than nothing.

Simplify

Instead of cleaning around the clutter, just throw it out! This is a good opportunity to de-clutter your rooms and to donate or throw out items you no longer use.

Enlist Help

Dividing chores among family members gets the entire family involved and also cuts down on the time needed for cleaning. Set aside a specific time each week, like a Saturday morning when the whole family home and they can dust rooms and help tidy up the house.

Home Services Enterprise can assist with cleaning and organizing your home for the holiday season. Visit our website to schedule a cleaning with us.