Jobs. Ames. People. Trust.

Jobs.  Ames.  People.  Trust. 

These are the things we deal with day in and day out at Professional Home Ames.  We ARE Ames' residential cleaning service.  We provide GOOD solid jobs to 18 people in the Ames area. (as of Dec 2011) As many hours as they want, as much as they want to work.  We work our "rear ends" off in the the office to keep schedules full, to provide moms with enough work to pay for the dentist, to buy new tires, for groceries,  to Live. 

And we work hard to make sure that that job, is something they can be proud of.  Just as we are proud of the work our cleaning techs do, the work that goes into creating a clean home...we want them to be proud of the job they have, the company they work for.  

I want them to be proud of me.

The longer I own this business the more I know it is not about cleaning.  Anyone can clean (relatively speaking).  Anyone can open a cleaning business.  Anyone can have a spiffy facebook page and get lots of hype.  No, this is about people.  The staff we have, the staff that earns their place at Professional Home Ames, deserves to be here.  Deserves to be proud of their job, deserves to be acknowledged for their hard work and great care for people.  Our clients trust in us, and we continue to earn that trust at every cleaning we do. 

We are not tricky.  We are not fancy.  We are steady, and reliable.  Trustworthy and local.  This is my family base, my town.  This is where our staff is from, where they are proud to call home, and where they are raising their families.  I want to be the business that creates jobs.  Ames Jobs.  That people trust.  Most importantly, that our staff trusts and has pride in. 

I am feeling the weight of 18 families on my shoulders tonight, and feeling grateful for the jobs we can provide, because Ames trusts us to be their residential cleaning service. 

Thank you

Four-legged family members don’t have to rule the home

As summer ends, pets will spend more time indoors which means more of everything – hair, dander, dumped water bowls and the occasional “accident.” Even the best-behaved dog or cat will create some extra work which is why we put together a list of tricks to minimize the mess.

Clare, our old cat, is Queen of the home!

• Place mats under animal food dishes and water bowls to keep food spills and water drips easier to clean.
•  Damp wipe painted walls to help remove sticky cat dander.
• Use washable slipcovers over the furniture pets prefer.  Make sure to wash in hot water to kill allergens and other bacteria.
• If you allow pets on beds, bedding must be washed at the same high temperature at least every two weeks.  Always wash sheets and slipcovers separately to keep hair from migrating to other fabrics.
• When removing pet hair from draperies, carpets and upholstery, don’t automatically reach for the vacuum. Use a rubber latex glove, wet or dry, to do the job because hair will cling to it.
• For a dog or cat that sheds like crazy, check out vacuum attachments with rubber strips that have the same effect as the glove. Use them for vacuuming around the house, not vacuuming your pet.
• To clean urine stains, blot thoroughly to remove as much moisture as possible then rinse the affected area with a mild solution of dish-washing liquid and water; dry thoroughly. Next, sprinkle baking soda over the area; let sit to absorb any remaining moisture, then vacuum.
• Vomit is a combination stain that requires a two-step approach: First scrape as much of the solid bits with the back of a knife into a plastic dustpan. Then blot and treat the remaining stain with an enzymatic product to remove the odor.
• Deodorize pet bedding with baking soda. Sprinkle heavily, wait 15 minutes then vacuum.
• We love pets as much as you do. We want your home looking like humans are in charge – even if they’re not!

This article first appeared in TheMaids informational blog.

Summer Cleaning News

Summer is finally here!  June has been a busy month for us at Professional Home Ames.  By the end of this month, we will have reached our 150th regularly cleaned home in Ames.  That means we are caring for 150 homes on a regular basis, mostly bi-weekly. That means we are cleaning over 300 homes each month, plus one time occasional and spring cleaning. 

What that DOESN'T mean is that our staff is overloaded, tired or taking on too much work.  Quite the contrary!  We use the single cleaning staff per home model.  So each of our staff has a home in the AM, one in the PM if they are full time, and that is it.  When we grow, we spend lots of TIME and attention, training someone new.  We add quality staff, we don't team up, or over load the staff we have.

With Summer in full swing, we are carefully making sure our staff has the support they need, that our clients are encouraged to communicate and give us feedback, that our quality checks, and our training via weekly updates and meetings continue to be our focus.

Rain: natures spring clean solution~

This is the years first spring rain in my book. The snow has been gone a few weeks, the buds on the lilac bushes are big and green, and the steady fat rain is dropping from the sky, washing away all the grim and stiffness of winter.

Sometimes we can forget that water is one of the best cleaners there are. Yes, soaps help, a little de-greaser in the right spot can answer prayers! But water alone, and a nice microfiber cloth, can clean over 80% of your home! Hot water vs cold does an even better job.

Letting water help you clean, whether it is soaking those dishes before you start in scrubbing them, or letting a little hot water sit on your vinyl floor a few minutes before you get out your scrub brush, will save you time and muscle power.

Let's not forget that your yard, your streams, your rivers and your children will appreciate a little less "chemical" and a little more "safe and clean" running down your drains when you ease up on the hard core cleaners, and let water work with you where appropriate. I know that after this spring rain shower ends, I will enjoy walking outside and smelling the new fresh clean.