Prepare your home for holiday season by making clean sweep
HOME REMEDIES
By Paul F. P. Pogue
When you think about cleaning your house, you probably think of a professional maid service that arrives with a bucket, mop, broom and cleaning supplies to wipe down all your surfaces and give the floor a good sweep. And indeed, that’s the most popular type of home cleaning service, but it’s not the only one.
Pros focusing on keeping your home clean comprise an entire ecosystem of specialists. Read on to learn about the most popular cleaning services for your home and how they can improve both the function and safety of your home as you prepare for the holiday season.
Housecleaning
Hiring a pro cleaner gives you the gift of time to spend on other matters while someone else worries about wiping down the fridge. But they also bring their expertise and efficiency to maximize the use of their time. Professional housecleaners wipe down surfaces, sanitize areas, sweep and mop, and get into the nooks and crannies of your home that you can so easily miss or forget about.
National average: $180$250
Carpet cleaning
Your carpets take more wear and tear than almost anything else in your house. They receive constant foot traffic, kids and pets tend to take a toll on them, and even under good conditions, they wear out after a while. But a good carpet cleaning job can rejuvenate even the most tired carpet. Professionals recommend getting your carpets cleaned once per year. A pro carpet cleaning service can use chemicals, tools and techniques unavailable to most homeowners to lift out dirt and grime that seems impossible to get rid of. Special shampoos, steam cleaning and even carbonated bubbles can make your carpets seem as good as new.
National average: $25-$75 per room
Gutter cleaning
As strange as it may sound, gutter cleaning is one of the most crucial cleaning tasks you can do for your home. Clean gutters protect your roof, yard, foundation and basement. Water pouring straight off the roof can cause yard erosion and foundation or basement damage. Water that backs up from clogged gutters and stays on the roof can cause ice dams in winter or mold and water damage any other time. Clean gutters help smoothly directly water several feet away from your home.
Gutter cleaning is a dangerous job that, by its very nature, requires using a ladder, so it’s best to hire for this work. Make sure your pro carries the proper liability and worker’s comp insurance so that you will not be held responsible in the event of any accidents.
National average: $120$230
Upholstery cleaning
You probably don’t give a lot of thought to cleaning your upholstery, but this process can beautify your furniture and add years or decades of useful life to it. A pro cleaning treatment removes bacteria, scents, and stains and can make an old chair or couch look brand new.
National average: $120$230