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In our previous blog, we’ve shared with you tips and effective ways to clean up in preparation for the upcoming Thanksgiving. We know that preparation for it was quite long, but for sure it’s worth it (and effective) since you’re not stressed out during the course of the event.

In reality, there is endless information regarding the preparation for Thanksgiving including the proper way to clean up your house for the occasion. But, surprisingly, there are only a few writings of tips on how to deal with the clean-up the morning after.

In this blog, we will share with you how to deal with the aftermath the easier way.

Declutter What You Can

For sure, after Thanksgiving dinner, you’re probably tired and want to hit the bed already. However, there might be a split-second phenomenon where it will wake up your senses because you know you have to deal with tidying up. And, for sure, just thinking of it can be bothersome.

So before you go to bed, or as early as after having Thanksgiving dinner, you can deal with a couple of chores instead. For the record, we’re not suggesting doing the cleaning all at once before you sleep (if you can’t do that). Remember that resting is important.

You can declutter a couple of things in the meantime such as placing the dishes and using silverware in the sink or dishwasher. Soak it with water and liquid soap if needed so the grime won’t accumulate and make a foul smell. This will also keep away insects, germs, and bacteria.

Clear Off The Table

You don’t want pests lingering on the table in the morning just because it’s not clean. So, clear off the dining table and wipe off the mess. For grimes, use water, a sponge, and soap to remove them.

Store Away The Leftover Foods

Don’t let food rot and produce a foul smell in the morning. Keep them in Tupperware before putting them in the fridge. If you have big food like a turkey, it’s best if you chop it if you don’t have room in the fridge to stuff it inside as a whole. It will save you time.

For food that you don’t want to keep anymore, throw them off properly in the garbage bag and make sure that you seal the bag (or seal the lid of the garbage bin) so insects won’t go after it.

Take Care Of The Linens

For used napkins and cloth table covers, put them in the washer as soon as the guests leave. Soak them with lukewarm or hot water. This will help with the stains and lingering smell to go off easily. You don’t want to spend hours removing dried stains, right?

These are the few things you can do quickly after the guests leave or the dinner is over to ensure that cleaning in the morning would be much easier.

Hire A Professional House Cleaner

Most of us have work the morning after Thanksgiving (depending on which day it happened). And if it falls on the weekday, it doesn’t give us time to take care of the house chores.

Instead of feeling overly conscious at work—wishing time to speed up—and rushing over at home before dark to do the cleaning, you can consider a different approach. In this modern-day, finding the right cleaner to take care of your house is just one call away. And if this is your scenario, why don’t you consider booking a professional house cleaner to do the work for you after thanksgiving?

Plan ahead because, for house cleaning services, this time of the year would be their feast season where many avail their services. If you think that you don’t have the time to work the morning after Thanksgiving, book a clean as early as today. This will ensure that when you go home from work or running errands, you’ll get home in a sparkling clean house.

About My Marvelous Maids

If you are living in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas, and in need of professionals to take care of your home by cleaning, worry no more because My Marvelous Maids is here to assist! With a proven track record of providing high-quality house cleaning services, My Marvelous Maids do the cleaning job right. Call us today to book a cleaning appointment and we will send one or two of our skilled team members to clean your house.

Thanksgiving is just weeks away. It is a big traditional event for many Americans which started in 1621. Even though Thanksgiving is the time where new and fun memories are created, house cleaning—aside from hours of doing groceries and cooking—before the event is not an easy thing to deal with. Aside from the food that we’re preparing, house cleaning is another challenge we always face just to make sure that everything is neat and clean, especially when there are family, relatives, and friends coming over.

In this blog, we will share with you some tips on how to make house cleaning smoother and get you prepared for this holiday. The following suggestions and recommendations would save yourself some time and effort so that you can pamper yourself and relax before Thanksgiving comes.

Pre-Thanksgiving House Cleaning Tips

Plan ahead before Thanksgiving. Yes, planning ahead is very important in order for you to have a smoother flow on doing tasks on preparing for the holiday.

Three Weeks Ahead

• Make a list of the things—food, grocery items and materials—that you have to purchase. This would help you to have a shorter period of time spent circling around the supermarket to decide which to buy.
• Cross-reference it with the items that you already have at home. This is a great way to save money.
• Make a list of the people you will invite to come over for Thanksgiving so that you can also cross-reference and see how much and how many items you have to buy food, items, and other stuff.

It probably makes you wonder how the first few tips above related to doing the house cleaning for Thanksgiving, but don’t worry we’ll get there.

Two Weeks Ahead

Now that you have evaluated and made a list of what to buy, to prepare, and how many people are coming over to your home, it’s time for us to check which areas in your house that really need to focus on cleaning.

• Clean the refrigerator to make a good amount of space for the Thanksgiving food. Although cleaning it is a must, the list you made a week ago helps you to ensure that after the said event, you have a room to store some leftovers. Remember, it’s a waste of money and blessing if you throw away everything when you can still save some.
• Clean also the pantry to ensure that you’ll be using ingredients that you already have beforehand and just replace it with what you will buy. It will also make room for additional items that you will purchase when you do your grocery.
• Prepare the guest room(s) for your guests that are coming over if they are staying over for a day or two. It happens, that is a fact! Especially when you have some family members coming over, it’s best to be ready that you have a clean room for them to sleep in.
• Wash and sanitize the dishware you’ll be using. If you’re using glass or chinaware, polish them!
• Start decluttering in your house. If you have items that you don’t want your guests to see, it’s best if you start keeping them away—at least for the meantime—as it will also help you to clean faster.
• Start assessing if there are major issues or problems in your house so you’ll have ample time to have it resolved before Thanksgiving!

One Week Before Thanksgiving

Now is the time for you to thoroughly focus on the house [deep] cleaning before the big day. But here’s the thing, since you’ve already made preparations ahead, cleaning would be less challenging now.

• Sweep, dust, and vacuum the carpet and other areas where your guest might hangout like the living room.
• Clean the windows to ensure that dust and cobwebs are not lingering around.
• Sweep and clean surfaces with cloth and disinfectant.
• Replace the napkins and tablecloths that you’ll use and fit for the occasion. But remember to iron them since these items have been stored for a while.
• Make the bathroom or powder room sparkling clean. It’s also one of the most common areas where guests go often when coming over. You have to make sure that it’s clean and odorless (if you’ll not use scented sprays) to make it presentable. You can check out our previous blog on How to Keep My Toilet Sparkling Clean? for a guide.
• Of course, ensure to clean the kitchen and dining room! You don’t want to cook and eat in a place where it is dirty, right? That is why it is really important for you to ensure that your kitchen and dining area are clean and safe, especially these days where most houses have an open-concept where both rooms are integrated to the living area without any division or walls. You can check out our blog Effective Ways To Eliminate Odor And Make Your Home Smells Fresh for a guide to your cleaning.

My Marvelous Maids Can Help You

We know that Thanksgiving is such an important event in many, and we spend time preparing food in most cases. If you don’t have the time to fit house cleaning with your schedule for some reasons like work, My Marvelous Maids is here to assist you. If you are a homeowner in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas, and in need of house cleaning services, we are here to do that for you! We also offer other house cleaning services. Book a house cleaning appointment today with us, and we’ll send you our best team to take care of the work for you!

It’s an unwritten rule that keeping a refrigerator clean is a must. It doesn’t take a genius on why this is important, but if it must be said, one of its main purposes is to keep our well-being safe aside from prolonging the shelf life of the food we store inside. Even though a fridge is cold enough, the bacteria and germs can still make it a breeding ground that causes foodborne illness. And we don’t want us to get sick, much worse be poisoned, because of mishandling the proper storing of food.

The Fridge is the Workhorse of the Kitchen

While a fridge is taking care of your food to keep it preserved and cool, some wear and tear of the storage is bound to happen one way or another. Cleaning it properly is one way to keep it working longer, keep it in good condition, and let it function for as long as it can.

Not every one of us thoroughly understands that our fridge works overtime just to prolong the shelf life of our foods. As it only stays in one corner, most of us often miss cleaning it regularly. But as mentioned earlier, it must be cleaned the same way we clean the other equipment we use in our house. Again, we don’t want it to be the breeding ground of germs and bacteria.

In this blog, we will share with you some new tips on how to keep your fridge clean and function as to how it is supposed to.

Cleaning The Interior

• Clean The Fridge’s Shelves and Drawers The Right Way

Wiping the shelves, crisper, and drawers is just a temporary solution. You have to wash them! A fridge, when not cleaned the right way, may produce bad odors because of the stains, residue, and leftover smell of food. And this is the reason why we should wash the shelves, crisper, and drawers instead of just wiping.

Pull out these removable parts of the fridge and wash them with soap. If, in case, you’re unsure on how to remove these, check out the manual or read guides online. But be mindful that if the shelves are glass-type, let them warm up first after pulling out from the fridge. These will prevent them from shattering when you use hot water to wash and clean.

Yes, wash and clean them with hot water and soap. This will help for the residue and odor to be removed faster. Use antibacterial spray also to ensure that the germs and bacteria will be gone.

• Remove The Fridge Odor

The odor in your fridge doesn’t just linger on the shelves and drawers as it is also on the inside. Once you have pulled out the shelves and drawers, you’ll understand more about it.

In these modern-day times, there are already refrigerators equipped with deodorizers designed to remove these foul smells even before you clean them. But you have to understand that there are limitations to it depending on how strong the smell the food stored in the fridge is.

Fortunately, you don’t have to use cleaning spray or products with harsh chemicals to remove the odor. Baking soda can help deodorize your fridge. Simply put a baking soda in an open container or open the box of it (if it’s a small one), and put it inside. This will absorb the odor lingering in your fridge.

• Don’t Forget Cleaning the Gasket

The rubber gasket lined in the frame of your fridge door must not be forgotten. Aside from the fact that dirt might accumulate in it, it should be regularly cleaned to ensure that it maintains a tight seal.

If it accumulates grime or mold, you can use liquid dish soap or bleach-based cleaner. Rinse the gasket thoroughly. And to keep it from drying out, you can rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly.

Cleaning The Exterior

• Wipe The Door, Side, Top, and Back

It’s not just the inside of the fridge that is important to clean, but also the outside. You don’t want it to look old and rusty as time passes by, right? You can use an all-purpose cleaner sprayed on a cloth to wipe these areas.

On the other hand, the method mentioned may vary depending on what type of fridge you have at home. If, for example, your fridge is a stainless-steel refrigerator then you can use a microfiber cloth to wipe it clean.

• Clean The Coils

Cleaning the coils can be tricky. It doesn’t need to be cleaned everytime, but it’s good to clean it once in a while. For a better and safer way of cleaning the coils, it is best to refer to the manual which came along when you bought the fridge. Otherwise, you can search or hire experts to clean it.

• Clean The Water Dispenser

If your fridge model comes with a water dispenser, make sure to clean it also. Cleaning it helps ensure that the dispenser’s filter is still good and you can drink clean water. The dispenser tray is also prone to stains and residue so make sure to not miss cleaning it.

Ensure Your Fridge’s Cleanliness

To prevent your fridge from producing a bad odor and keeping it longer, make sure to store food inside the right way. Check the expiration dates of the foods in your fridge. Toss away the spoiled and expired ones. Wipe the stains and residues on the shelves (remember that you still have to clean them).

Lastly, before you store your newly bought groceries in your fridge, make sure that they are cleaned.

About My Marvelous Maids

Do you need a professional to help clean your home? My Marvelous Maids has a team of high-skilled cleaning professionals who can take care of your house. We are ready to clean your place, making sure that you’ll experience comfort and cleanliness in your own home. We are serving homeowners in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas. Contact us today to book an appointment!

When you’re cleaning your house regularly, an all-purpose cleaner is a good companion for achieving your goal of cleanliness. It’s typically a sufficient solution for most of your cleaning needs and a generally safe choice in the house around people, pets, plants, and most home surfaces. On the other hand, it may vary from time to time depending on its content and capacity since it has limitations.

Most of us just choose a cleaning product without a specific preference. We just have one goal in mind which is for it to be able to clean and remove dirt, stains, bacteria, and viruses. Although your thought is right, there are still things you must consider in choosing. 

Choosing the right all-purpose cleaner is thoroughly important for the reason that it will help prevent, remove and eliminate dirt and grimes (along with germs, bacteria, and viruses) while protecting your health. So, to help you in this dilemma, here are some tips that you can consider when choosing and buying.

Factors When Choosing An All-Purpose Cleaner

1. Alkaline/Acidity

An Alkaline-based all-purpose cleaner is formulated specifically of blends consisting of alkaline salts, wetting agents, and sequestrant (chelating) agents. This cleaner is somewhat better at breaking up organic grime like dirt, oils, and greases. You might want to consider the level of alkaline and acidity content of the cleaner you’re choosing.

2. Earth-Friendly

Based on its name, earth-friendly all-purpose cleaners are not harmful to us (humans), our pets, and also to the environment. Most cleaners of this type are made from natural essence oils and do not contain harmful chemicals that might be dangerous to the environment. Check the label if the product you’re choosing is certified and approved.

3. With Anti-Bacterial (And Includes Sanitizing And Disinfecting) Powers

We’re not capable of tracking bacteria with our mere eye, which is why cleaning products with antibacterial power are made to make our surfaces germ and bacteria free. 

Cleaning is not just about removing dirt that we see but also eliminating harmful elements to our well-being. In this case, you might as well check for all-purpose cleaners that come with sanitizing and disinfecting powers as well.

4. Non-Toxic And Hypoallergenic (And Pet-Friendly)

Cleaning products differ from one another regardless of whether it’s an all-purpose cleaner. The content and ingredients of the product matter. Some all-purpose cleaners contain toxic chemicals and/or are not hypoallergenic which gives you (or your pets) side effects after using it to clean surfaces. 

5. Easy To Use

Nowadays, most all-purpose cleaners come as spray-types whether it is liquid or aerosol-based. However, you have to see which products are easy to use. So, when selecting see which spray packaging would fit your needs when cleaning. Otherwise, there are refillable bottle sprays you can buy in the market.

In reality, there are still many factors not included in the list. It would take some time to evaluate everything. And if you’re looking for ‘the best’ all-purpose cleaner, you should know that the best one will depend on your needs. What’s important is to consider your well-being when choosing one.

Our Advice

There are many brands claiming and promising perfection of cleanliness when you use their products. It’s not a lie! It’s just that it will always depend on your preference and if it would suffice to your needs. 

Many cleaning products tend to be ineffective and may not give you the result you’re expecting. But for the record, they are not fake! If a particular all-purpose cleaner product did not work for you but worked out for someone else, you have to consider that it can be because it’s not what you’re looking for. Furthermore, it’s a big factor if you use the product properly.

My Marvelous Maids

If you need a reliable house cleaner to take care of your home, we are here to help! My Marvelous Maids offer house cleaning services to homeowners in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas. We have a team of highly skilled professionals who can clean your house thoroughly. Call us today to book a cleaning appointment!

Our homes are our sanctuary. This is the place we sleep, eat, rest, and stay. And there’s no denying that part of living in a comfortable home is by its smell aside from its cleanliness. A fresh smell in your home gives you peace of mind to relax and enjoy, especially for home buddies.

Based on studies, smell has a huge impact on our brains. It either enhances or breaks our moods. And when it comes to our homes, if the place smells fresh, our stress naturally reduces. Who would want to stay at home if it stinks, right? If it smells bad, we feel uneasy.

In this blog, we will share with you some of the effective ways to eliminate bad odors in your homes.

Fragrance Sprays Are Not Always The Solution

Here’s the thing, it becomes a misconception (and a habit) that when we smell something funny in our house, we tend to spray, spray, and spray fragrance solutions. But did you know that it is not entirely the right way to aid this problem?

Yes, through spraying strong fragrance solutions or aerosols, the smell fades away. However, the bad odor is not gone. What happens is it only gives a temporary solution but still the bad odor issue still exists. And eventually, it will persist, giving a stronger foul smell. Yes, a stronger foul smell!

It’s either the fragrance of the solution you spray fades away over time or it mixes with the bad odor which causes a stronger foul smell. And we don’t want that right?

How To Aid The Issue?

Actually, there is one basic solution to remove the bad odor. In order for you to solve the issue is by finding what causes it. Yes, that’s what we often miss doing. It is important to find what or which causes the foul smell. And once you do, you can see how to deal with it. It’s always about thoroughly cleaning!

Cleaning is so important. When after cleaning an area in your house and aesthetically it looks sparkling, but there’s still foul odor in the air, then it means something is not right. There is probably one part you might have missed cleaning.

Effective Ways To Eliminate Bad Odors

There are ways you can eliminate unwanted smells in your house. There’s actually a long list about it. And we listed some of the most important you might want to consider. We believe that the list below can greatly help you with your cleaning.

• Open the windows

Know the humidity level of the room or area. Oftentimes, for example, mopping the floor, we tend to let the floor wet and dry naturally. It’s not good or bad—it actually varies depending on the situation.

If you mop the floor of a room with windows, open it so the natural air comes in which would help for the wet floor to dry more naturally. Opening the window has a big factor because it brings in the natural smell of nature (of course it varies, who knows if you are living in the city and opening the windows is not pleasant at all).

If opening the windows is not an option, then consider mopping with a dry cloth as your final moping. This helps dry the floor faster. This also helps so that the moisture in the room won’t be bad that may cause mold. If you can, you can use a dehumidifier.

• Spot the obvious

Garbage bins, litter boxes, fridges, and all others that can produce foul smells should be attended to. Use the proper solutions when cleaning it to eliminate the smell or from keeping it from producing foul odors.

Our sense of smell can actually adapt to the situation. This leads us to sometimes miss some areas to clean because we just got used to its smell. But this is not good at all. We should keep our focus straight and realize which spots, areas, and stuff to be cleaned. As mentioned earlier, don’t just spray fragrance solutions just to hide the foul smell lingering on the issue.

• Freshen up the air vents

It’s another thing we sometimes miss. Sometimes, your home is already clean yet there’s still something not right. You might find the cause of it through your air vents. Who knows that the reason why the air inside your house is not coming in/out is that the air vent filter is not clean.

• Don’t miss out the soft surfaces

Pillows, quilts, bed sheets, sofas, linen, and window covers are smell-magnets. Take time to check these also and change/clean them when needed. For example on your couch, juice splurge into it and you just let it dry then spray fragrance solution. You thought it’s good again, but it’s not. It might look clean again aesthetically but bacteria and germs might have started to accumulate there. You should check out how to properly clean it.

• Neutralizers

There are neutralizers that can be used to eliminate odors. It may come in different forms or commercial products. One best example is charcoal. Did you know that you can use it in your fridge to eliminate its funny smell? You can place it inside the fridge and it absorbs the smell/odor. You can also use it in a room by just placing it on a surface.

Another good example is plant. There are plants that naturally help purify the air and smell of your house. But please take note that it has its limits and proper ways of using it!

• Simmer fruits and herbs in the stove

This works best if you want your kitchen to have a fruity or herb-like scent. However, this just suggests that it’s a good air freshener. So, much better to do this once you have resolved the bad odor issue in your home and want to make it have a brand new fresh (nature-inspired) smell.

In Conclusion

Eliminating bad odor(s) in your home can be said that it depends on how you thoroughly clean. When your house is odorless, then it is safe to say that it is clean. Fragrance sprays are not entirely the answer to eliminating the bad smells. You have to find the root cause!

When you are cleaning and want to achieve a high-quality of cleanliness, do it the right way. There is no shortcut to achieving it. Everything needs time, focus, and effort to achieve it! But if you need assistance, you can always do so.

If you are living in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas, and need help making your house sparkling clean, contact us today! My Marvelous Maids are ready to help you clean your house. We have a team of professional house cleaners who are ready to provide the best service possible. You can call us to book an appointment.