Ask a House Cleaner

Labor laws are tough when employees know how to rig the system. House cleaners push back in rebellion knowing which labor laws they can use for a free ride. But it's the business owner and customers that suffer when there is an abuse of labor laws. Clients pay for maid service and housekeepers take advantage as rule breakers. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru suggests setting boundaries with r...

Green Cleaning - yes or no? Do you have a green cleaning preference? Should we all be using non-toxic, natural, eco-friendly cleaning solutions to clean our homes? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we learn cleaning advice from Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru. What do you do when you need a stronger chemical and your green cleaning product isn't cutting it? Do you use toxic chemicals or just make...

Celebrity hoarders are real people. They start out like you and me, and then it's keeping up with the Joneses. The lavish living with the rich and famous turn ordinary folks into celebrity hoarders. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at how to end the cycle of celebrity hoarders. And what happens when you're stuck with the most toys? Compulsive hoarding can range from famous collections to downr...

Hire me! I want to be a house cleaner. Hire me because I want to work for a cleaning company. Where do I find a cleaning company who will hire me? Truth is not every house cleaner, housekeeper or maid is cut out to be a business owner. Some are content to just show up and do the work. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we dig into house cleaner training. Learn tips on landing a job with a house cleaning...

Toilet bowl ring nastiness creeps upon us all. Did you know there are three types of toilet bowl rings? They mean different things and you need to clean each toilet bowl ring a different way. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we cover some DIY house cleaning secrets for 2017. Learn how to rid your loo of the toilet bowl ring. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru walks us through non-toxic toilet bowl...

"How often should I clean my house?" A DIY house cleaning homeowner wants cleaning advice on a cleaning routine. "How often should I clean my house if I have a house cleaner?"  "Do they clean my space or do we break it up by daily chores and weekly chores?" Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at tips like habit stacking and having a whole house cleaning routine.  "How often should I clean my hous...

Permission to toss my kids old toys? "Why do I need permission to toss? I paid for them." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says when you ask permission of your kids, it gives them closure.  In today's Ask a House Cleaner hoarding prevention tips we make it okay to recycle. Give kids their own "donate bucket" and let them get rid of old toys. Give them permission to toss. Once the bucket is fu...

Shark-proof! It's the easiest solution to the complaints "The maid is a crybaby." "The house cleaner is emotionally unstable." "The housekeeper is bent out of shape." What is the shark-proof concept? And what does it have to do with a teary-eyed house cleaner and customer feedback?  Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru shares tips today on Ask a House Cleaner for the people pleasers. If you're a...

Permission to succeed in house cleaning is all some business owners need. "I want to grow my cleaning business but people tell me I'm going to fail." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru is giving you permission to succeed. There will be Negative Nellies, but "this too shall pass." As we learn today on Ask a House Cleaner. You want permission to succeed? Here's some cleaning advice. You need new...

Grief hoarding is when you bring home all the stuff of a loved one who has died. Grief hoarding is the sentimental value of trying to stretch your memories through stuff. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives hoarding advice. Learn how to celebrate their life without grief hoarding. Your memories are with the person, not their stuff. A savvy cleaner knows how to savor the sentiments in remem...

Vanity house cleaning questions today. A house cleaner - maid wants to know, "Do I clean all the stuff on the vanity, or do I clean around it?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says the vanity is among the most used spaces in a house. The vanity is the home for shaving, brushing teeth, and putting makeup on. A savvy cleaner will use speed cleaning techniques and work from the top. Wiping the...

Kitchen cupboard hacks (2017). Just what you're looking for if you're a maid service and about to clean customers cupboards.  Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru talks kitchen cupboard organization on Ask a House Cleaner. Tips include the lazy Susan, kitchen cupboard use, and get rid of duplicates. Extra sets of dishes are a curse, not a blessing.  Listen up house cleaners, maids, and those DIY...

Being a leader vs. being in charge is an important distinction to make. Whether you're a cleaning franchisor, a house cleaner, parent, clergyman, teacher, coach or boss.  Being a leader isn't about giving special treatment and special favors. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says being a leader is about leading with love. Tough love and earning respect along the way.  "The golden rule has bec...

"Should I stay or should I go?" House cleaner has a confirmed appointment but finds the customer is sleeping. Maid service training doesn't tell you "should I stay or should I go?" Today on Ask a House Cleaner a confused maid asks "should I stay or should I go?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips for emergency situations. You've confirmed in advance. She's expecting you to come clean...

Oversaturation. "There are too many house cleaners. I want to grow my cleaning business but the house cleaning market is over saturated." Lots of house cleaners and maid services lament that "The market is too competitive." Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at oversaturation and tips to grow your cleaning business in spite of it. Is oversaturation real? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru say...

Defrost a freezer. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at DIY hacks as well as those the house cleaner and maid service use. Clean my space and defrost a freezer! Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru's got you covered in this 2017 tutorial. Using coolers, ice chests, stackable bins defrosting a freezer has never been easier. If you're a homeowner looking for tips, look no further than a hair dry...

"Not that bad" It's a phrase customer's use when describing their home. "Come clean my space. It's not that bad." And they want the house cleaner to give them a price quote over the phone.  Want some cleaning advice? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says if you say those words; "My house is not that bad" your price just went up.  Today on Ask a House Cleaner we learn that if you want a fair p...

Health or wealth? Which is most important for a house cleaning business owner? If you run a maid service, your health and wealth are paramount to the success of your survival in business. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at healthy nutritious food and a good night sleep. And their connection to health and wealth. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru shares shortcuts for the entrepreneur. It's...

Chores - How to get kids to do chores? Parenting skills 101 says parents should teach kids about chores to get them ready for jobs. So how do you determine your kid's ability to do the chores? Or how many times should you ask for help around the house? Is a job chart effective? And can you just say "clean my space" or do you need an inspection with consequences? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we loo...

Food expiration dates - what do they mean? We see terms like "guaranteed fresh", "sell by". "Expires by", "packed on", "packed dates", "best if used by", and "born date". Are these food expiration dates mandatory? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we learn about food expiration dates. Both those voluntary and those required by law. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru shares best ways to rotate food....

Spider web vs. cobweb - what's the difference? How do you clean a spider web vs. cobweb? Is cleaning a spider web vs. cobweb different for a professional house cleaner than a DIY cleaner? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at you guessed it, spiderwebs and cobwebs. Tips from the World Spider Catalog about spider species, how spiders spin a web of silk to catch their prey. How they live on bugs a...

The law of attraction is a business secret that will lead a savvy cleaner to success. Once you articulate your goals and identify what you want you can stake your claim. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we cover tips on The Law of Attraction and how it applies to house cleaners. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru affirms the self-help craze of the 80's vision boards. The Law of Attraction is like t...

Photo release? Can't I just take before and after photos of the houses I've cleaned? Or do I need a photo release? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at legal ways to market your cleaning business on social media. Before and after pictures need permission, a photo release and/or a creative commons license. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips on dirty vs. clean, slime vs. shine, and...

Lazy employee can ruin your cleaning business. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at complacency. Are your maids or house cleaners stuck in a rut? Are they skipping stuff or do they zone out while cleaning? A lazy employee is a bad example of leadership. If you have a lazy employee, it's time to redo the employee contract. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says: "Counsel your house cleaners...

Credit Cards. Should I take credit cards if I'm only one-person cleaning houses? Today we Ask a House Cleaner do I need a merchant account to grow my cleaning business? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru agrees it's easier for people to pay with credit cards. And you can get your money through PayPal or Square. Keep a credit card on file if your customers trust you. With an app on your smartpho...