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Believe it or not, the most commonly used spot in your kitchen before your stove for cooking and refrigerator for storing food. You might find it weird, right? But that is a fact! Let’s put it in this way:

Before you start cooking, you will clean first your hands, the ingredients and the kitchenwares that you will use.

After you finished cooking, you will use the kitchen sink to wash the dishes.

When you come home after doing groceries or bought other stuff, the chances are this is the area where you go to wash what you bought like fruits and vegetables before putting it to your refrigerator, right?

And lastly, kitchen sink would most probably your first destination to wash your hands after getting it dirty from the outside.

You may agree or disagree on the last example, but the main point is, your kitchen sink is really the most commonly used area in your kitchen. We may or may not have known about it. If it is the latter, then allow us to inform you that it is one of the dirtiest spots in your kitchen area. And if this is the case, there are instances that you forget to thoroughly clean it not unless the stains started to get visible.

Besides, you might not have properly put too much attention to its smell (at least for now) but it doesn’t always smell like perfume. It is not common to be really smelly but you would not want it to happen before doing something, right?

The Different Types of Sinks

And according to Kitchen Cabinet Kings, there are 12 different types of kitchen sinks.

Here is the list for your reference:

• Farmhouse Sink
• Undermount Sink
• Stainless Steel Sink
• Bar Sink
• Corner Sink
• Cast-Iron Sink
• Kitchen Island Sink
• Kitchen Sink with Drainboard
• Fireclay Sink
• Single Bowl Sink
• Top Mount Kitchen Sink

And may we add that this only means that you maybe using a different type of sink than what others use in their kitchen, right?

As you all know that the most common type of sink we can see in a kitchen is stainless steel. This material looks good and perfectly fit in most kitchen decors, regardless if you’re going for a modern or a classic look. It is also durable, and tougher than others as it lasts longer. Furthermore, it can be cheaper than other types of sinks out there (depending on the brand).

On the other hand, regardless of which type you have in your home, it is still best to add cleaning of your kitchen sink to your weekly routine list between your busy schedule. It will benefit you and your health after all, especially now that there is a pandemic.

Steps on Cleaning Your Kitchen Sink

For you to get started with this task, what you need are the following:

• Rubber Gloves
• Scrubber
• Baking Soda
• Dish Soap
• Dry Cloth
• White Vinegar
• Olive Oil

Sanitize

Yes, it is mentioned that you should clean your sink, but sanitizing is also part of it. This is to make sure that you are thoroughly cleaning not only the visible dirt but also the dirt cannot be seen by your bare eyes such as germs and bacterias. You have to make sure that you will wipe them out.

Another point is, sanitizing means, you are not just wiping the surface but removing the dirt, stains and coloration that formed there. Make sure that is is cleared from food items that get in the way to make it look good as new. But remember that cleaning the sink varies depending on the materials so use what would work best.

Give importance too to the faucet of your kitchen sink including the handle and the hose. Use a sponge and a cloth to make sure that you are cleaning it properly.

Remember that we mentioned above that you’ll need other things like white vinegar and dish soap? These materials will come in handy if you see such as white spots as the materials will help you wipe it off.

Make Sure to Clear the Drain

You don’t want any blockage in your sink’s drainage, right? That is why you have to make sure that you are also able to clean it. Clear the drainage. Don’t let the flakes of dirt run down that might cause the sink to be clogged. Besides, if this happens, it will cause bad odor too.

If the sink is clogged, pour hot water in the drain followed by baking soda (½ cup) and vinegar (1 cup) solution. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes before pouring hot water again. This should remove the dirt blocking the passage. Furthermore, this also helps for the odor to be gone.

Make Your Stainless Steel Sparkle

Make sure your sink is now clean and dry. Once it is good, apply a few drops of olive oil to your dry cloth and wipe it to the sink. This should give a shining effect to your now clean kitchen steel sink.

Need a helping hand?

If you are really busy and cannot make time to clean not just your kitchen sink but your house, you can always outsource people to do that. You can check us, My Marvelous Maids, The Most Reliable Cleaning Services in the Land of Lincoln, and the cleaning services we offer. We are ready to do Deep Cleaning in Naperville and the surrounding areas.

We all started 2020 with high hopes to make this year more memorable than the last years we had. We made plans such as overseas travels, starting or making your business grow, study the courses that you wanted, and making 2020 a good, if not better, year than 2019. However, most of our plans went south or had to postpone until we don’t know when since World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on 11 March 2020.

In reality, we’re all affected by this pandemic. The whole world is. Our life turned one hundred and eighty degrees and that’s a fact! Social distancing, going out wearing a facemask and face-shield, working remotely, and the limited capacity of when and where we can go are some of the new situations of what we call the “new normal.”

But that being said, nothing has changed with or without this pandemic. We have to maintain the cleanliness in our surroundings. It is important because cleanliness saves lives, especially today! We want to make the place where we are livable like our home, right?

And for us to do that, allow us to share some tips on how we can maintain a clean home during COVID-19 pandemic.

What you need to know

Always clean and wash your hands properly and thoroughly

Since we were kids, we’re taught many times on how we should clean our hands. You cannot start cleaning your place if you’re not cleaning yourself properly, right? If you need a reminder, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has good guidelines to refresh your memory.

The guidelines include washing your hands 20 seconds using water and soap to kill and prevent germs from spreading. You don’t want to bring home germs and viruses to your home, right?

Use a protective gear

So you’ve cleaned yourself now and you want to start cleaning your place. But it doesn’t mean that since you already washed your hands you’re germ and virus-proof already. Remember that you’ll be cleaning and disinfecting the place where you’re living. We cannot see these germs and viruses with our bare eyes.

Use protective gear such as gloves, proper cleaning, and disinfecting equipment such as clean clothing. Don’t forget to wear a mask.

As much as possible, we recommend you to clean first the difficult areas such as the bathrooms. And always remember to clean your equipment afterward before proceeding to the next areas or rooms in your house.

Clean the surface thoroughly

Wiping the surface is a good start, but it’s just a start. Make sure you wipe it thoroughly using water, soap, and disinfectant. Use a sponge if it is needed to remove the stains. Lastly, make sure to clean also the corners and the hidden areas to make sure that you’re removing the dirt well.

We recommend for you to use environmentally and health friendly products because in that way, you’re not just cleaning but also helping the environment and yourself from inhaling hazardous chemicals.

Disinfect and sanitize products that you just bought recently

We all know that in times like this, many of us don’t want to go outside. We’re avoiding going to crowded places to avoid close contact. So, we rely now on online shopping as it is convenient. We are just at home and we’ill just wait for our orders to be delivered. However, this doesn’t mean that we have the assurance that germs and viruses cannot come into our homes anymore. That is why we’re still advised to sanitize, disinfect, and clean exposed objects from outside to make sure of your health’s safety.

Make sure to sanitize common areas in your home

Disinfect, sanitize, and clean the areas in your house that everyone uses regularly. Most especially if a family member in your house still leaves and returns home on a daily basis such as going to the office.

The easiest and most common surface is probably the areas we usually forget, so we highly advise to make it a habit to clean these parts.

For your convenience, here are some areas or objects we’re talking about:

• Door handles and doorknobs
• Cellphone
• Computer
• Accessories
• Remotes
• Switches
• Door keys, car keys, etc.

There are too many to mention, and what we listed are only some of it.

If you are seeking for house cleaning services that can thoroughly keep your home well cleaned, you might want to check out My Marvelous Maids. They offer house, Airbnb, Office and Commercial Cleaning Service in Aurora and its surrounding areas.

Our reminder for everyone

The Coronavirus or COVID-19 is still everywhere and affecting everyone in the world. On the other hand, studies and further clinical trials are continuous and being done to find the right vaccine that will end this virus. The best thing we can do for now is to stay safe, stay at home if you don’t need to go out, and maintain the cleanliness in your household.

We are still blessed that many of us are not infected, and we hope that the pandemic will end soon. So, remember that cleanliness is the main defense we can have now to stay healthy and keep the virus from spreading.

It’s common to find additional family members in a single household. They are our pets. They give us a warm welcome when we arrive home and ease our tired feeling after a long day of work in the office. We treat them as equals and give them unconditional love for their loyalty to us.

According to an article published by the nest, dogs and cats are two on the top of the list as the most common pets a person has at home. But regardless of which of these cuties that we keep, pets can bring happiness one way or another once we take care of them.

Some studies show that our pets can bring positive health effects, but the results have been mixed. This is the reason why the studies on this never stop and continuing for the latest developments. On the other hand, it is proven that our pets can be a source of love, comfort, and support in our trying times, especially when we feel alone. However, they can cause our stress also and vice versa.

Although we may not be thoroughly aware, animals can feel stress and fatigue too. This maybe one of the causes when our pets start acting up. They can bring mess to our homes; unruly dogs chewing furniture and spreading mud on the floor after playing outside while cats scratching the couch. And when it happens, it is quite a challenge for us, pet owners, not just to keep them on track but to maintain cleanliness in our place.

Maintaining a clean home when living with pets

1. Train your pets

Training them is a good start. And it is not just training them on when and where to eat, but we also recommend them to have a bathing routine. This would be good before letting them roll on the floor and play around the house. But most importantly, train them with love and patience.

2. Set up designated areas for their activities

Wouldn’t it be great if everything is in our house is in order? And you can also apply it to your pets. Training them is a start and let’s say it is part of it. It’s great if your pets learn where they can and cannot eat their food, take a bath, play around, and poop.

It is given then doing this takes some time. But if you won’t start now, your pets won’t learn, right? You can read articles or books about how to train them properly.

3. Invest on cleaning equipments

Yes, you have a broom to sweep the floor. You have a mop, cleaning cloth, and other materials for cleaning. But it would be wiser and more beneficial later on if you can take the extra mile if you have the budget to buy additional cleaning equipment for your pets. How about buying a vacuum?

While our pets roll around the floor, sofa, carpet or mat, chances are their hairs are left in that area. Sometimes, it’s visible while there are times that it is not. So, an animal vacuum cleaner is a good addition to your house cleaning equipment. Plus, you can make sure that you are cleaning thoroughly when you have time for it.

On the other hand, if you don’t have time to clean because of your work, we at My Marvelous Maids are here to be at your service. We offer different house cleaning services such as regular home cleaning or deep cleaning that you can choose from.

So while you want to spend your weekend with your pets outside to stroll, you can contact us and we will do the cleaning for you.

A clean home with well-trained pets means comfort

In conclusion, having a clean home brings comfort and satisfaction to ourselves. And if you still need some convincing, you can read our other blog about the benefits of home cleaning.

We, as pet owners, should be responsible not only to ourselves but also to them. Our pets have feelings too and they can think. As much as we get stressed from the mess they make, do not vent your anger on them. Relax and keep it cool. Remember that regardless of what they did, they are loyal to us.

So, instead of fussing with the mess they’ve caused, why not try to take advantage of training them? In that way, they will learn and can help make our homes clean and clutter-free later on. Furthermore, teaching them can be a good bonding moment for both of you. These are only a few things we can do for them in return for the big love and loyalty they give to us.

They may be speaking their own language, but there are ways to understand and help them. Who knows, we will just realize later on, that they are already organized without our supervision. And it will be more comfortable for all of us to live with our well-trained pets in a clean home.

Our house is our safe haven and sanctuary. This is where we begin our day and retire after a long and busy workday. We want it to be always organized and cleaned, especially when other people are coming over. Its current state basically can be put in a way as a reflection of how we are in our lives. What we always want is for our home not just to be secured but also at its finest state, right? 

And just like us, My Marvelous Maids wants the same. As a company, we offer reliable, professional, and guaranteed the best cleaning services to every home. We are in the state of Illinois, particularly in Aurora and its surrounding areas. We are composed of highly qualified maids, who want nothing but the best for you.

Our aim is to meet your expectations. If possible, we want to exceed it and put your house in a pristine state. We can match your desire whether you book weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly for the cleaning services you look for at an affordable price. But it doesn’t stop there as our recurring customers can enjoy discounts!

We can guarantee satisfaction and professional services as our team is well-trained. We clean with passion to deliver the best services possible. Regardless of how big or small your place is, we want to make your house comfortable to stay at. For unforeseen circumstances that you are unhappy with the service we provide, you can simply reach out to us. Let us know within 36 hours to re-clean your house. Furthermore, we can give a full refund if we still did not meet your expectations.

We are always ready to clean your house

Hire us, My Marvelous Maids, and we will deliver superb cleaning services that will not only give you satisfaction but also more time for yourself and your loved ones. Our goal is to give you the moment of your life you worked for by letting you have your quality time and return to a well-cleaned home everyday in comfort.

If you want to avail of our services, you can contact us by going to our website at mymarvelousmaids.com and book an appointment. We made the booking easy for you in a matter of 2 minutes. Isn’t it cool? What are you waiting for? Book with us today!

It is common for new investors, who are active real estate to start with a traditional method like buying and holding single-family rentals. This is done through methods such as BRRR (Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat). In addition, some advanced investors, with access to more capital, invest in commercial real estate. They invest in properties such as apartments, storage, or strip malls as an option too. Here, the investor buys the property and manages the asset by fixing it up or renting it to a tenant. It is popular for most investors to start off as residential real estate investors. Eventually, they graduate to larger commercial real estate investing deals. However, many non-institutional investors rarely consider the option of investing in Real Estate Notes.

What is a Mortgage Note?

According to Rocket Mortgage: “A mortgage note is a document that you sign at the end of your home closing. It contains all the terms of the agreement between the borrower and the lender and accurately reflects all the terms of the mortgage. In other words, when you buy a home, the mortgage note is the document that states how you’ll repay your loan, and it uses your home as collateral. Read on for more information on what a mortgage note is and how your repayment plan affects who owns it.”

The Founder of Marvelous Maids, Kellogg MBA, ex-Deloitte Consultant, and Active Real Estate Investor, Hereford Johnson III believes that the popular Real Estate Investing forum, Bigger Pockets, explains note investing best: ” investors purchase the secured debt and become the lender, after which they are entitled to receive payments from the borrower.  Generally speaking, note investors purchase notes at a discount to the remaining principal balance.”

Is it important to understand the Mortgage Note?

Yes, there is an entire world of Note investing and it’s important to understand. It is not just for noobie investors, but for everyday people who own a primary residence. There are people who are on the verge of going through a foreclosure. However, they may not be aware that they have the ability to work out a new payment structure if their note has been sold to a new lender. Most lenders do not want their note to default, so they are more than willing to be flexible on payment options from their debtors.

Buying a note can be simple. The overarching idea is that the lender is vested in the home. However, they are not the responsible party for maintaining the property, taxes, or insurance. What happens is that they simply collect a Principal and Interest payment (P&I) each month until the note is satisfied. Essentially, the lender becomes the bank as they are buying the debt and interest that is left to be paid. If the borrower does not pay the lender, the lender can have first rights to the deed and title of the property and/or potentially land.

Think about it this way…

For example, a bank is auctioning a note from a property. It is valued at $300,000 at 7% over 30 years. The remaining original balance on that note after a few years is $235,000, still at 7%.

On the other hand, the bank wants to clear this note off their books for whatever reason. Let’s say that maybe they no longer feel confident in the borrower’s ability to pay off the debt, or maybe they want to raise capital. So, the bank decides to take a loss in an auction and sells the note to you for $200,000.

Now, for ease of calculation of this example, let’s say that you do not finance taking over this loan, and pay the bank $200K in cash. You now have spent $200K for an asset worth $300K (pending the borrower defaults). And then if the borrower does not default, they will end up paying you $35K plus interest over time $235K [the original debt] – $200K [what you paid for the note]).

We would like to thank Seascape Capital in the inspiration of this blog post.