Messy Kids Alert: Trick Or Treating Tips for Parents

Messy Kids Alert: Trick Or Treating Tips for Parents

It’s basically a guarantee that if you’re a parent, you have messy kids. Like, what kid isn’t messy? But on Halloween, the mess can get to a whole new level. You’ve got kids hyped up on sugar and excited about the holiday brandishing melted chocolate bars and gooey caramels and sticky lollipops, oh my!

But don’t feel like you have to be the wicked witch to avoid disaster. Instead, be prepared before messes happen. Catching messes and stains as soon as possible is one of the keys to removing them.

While you’re trick-or-treating, bring Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer (germs, am I right?) as well as paper towels. If stains happen while you’re trick-or-treating, dab or scrape as much of the offending sweet off the clothing as possible. This will help prevent the stain from setting and help you remove it more easily when you get home.

And when you get home with that pillowcase full of candy, make sure it doesn’t get dumped out on the carpet. Instead, clear a safe space for candy, and lay down a garbage bag or old towel, so nothing gets stained.

Candy Stains
They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors: candy stains! They’re sticky, and they’re gross, but don’t let them defeat you.

Pick off as much of the candy as possible and dab with a paper towel. Get all the candy and colour off that you can before moving to the next step.  Mix vinegar with warm water and rinse the stained area thoroughly.  If you have a stain remover or pre-treater solution, soak for five minutes.  Wash in cold water as you normally would.  If your garment is still stained, soak in oxygen bleach for 30 minutes, then rewash in cold water.

Mud Stains
So your kids and their friends tracked mud all over your carpet after trick-or-treating. What the heck do you do now?!

Wait until the mud is dry. Then vacuum over it thoroughly, removing as much mud as possible.
Make a solution of one part dishwashing soap and two cups of warm water. Sponge the stain with your cleaning solution and blot until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step until the mud is gone.  Sponge with cold water to remove any excess mud and cleaning solution.  You can even use these tips for your little dog, too… when they track mud all over your new rug.

Red Wine Stain Removal
So maybe the adults at your Halloween party are a little messy too. You’re going to need to know how to get red wine out of a carpet, just in case.  Blot the stain with a paper towel, absorbing as much wine as possible.  Pour a small amount of club soda over the stain, just enough to cover.

Clean Up After A Party
Cleaning up after a party can feel overwhelming. So before the party starts, remember that preventative measures are essential.

Put out SO MANY COASTERS. More coasters than you have people coming. Cover your entire home with coasters! OK, maybe don’t go that far, but having ample coasters available will encourage your guests to use them, which could save you from dealing with drink rings on your furniture. If you do end up with dreaded wet rings check out our article on Wood Furniture Cleaning Secrets.

Have paper towels handy to deal with any spills on the spot. And remember, the biggest part of cleaning up will probably be dirty dishes, so make sure you have an empty dishwasher at the beginning of the party. Then, if you have time, load your dishwasher throughout the night, saving you some clean-up in the morning.

Looking for a BETTER & EASIER Way to Clean Your Home?  Using our cleaning service in Kansas City, you can count on our skilled staff to take care of any loose ends throughout the week. Call us today to our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.

Back To School Cleaning Tips and Tricks

Back To School Cleaning Tips and Tricks

It’s back to school time once again, a time many busy parents use to catch up on some much-needed cleaning that can be hard to accomplish in a full house. As a preferred cleaning service in Kansas City, we have pinpointed some of the most common areas in which parents can get behind. Here is our back to school cleaning tips to see how you can get your home back in order after a long summer.

Go Through Outgrown Clothes

You’ve probably already gone school clothes shopping. Now, their closets and drawers contain both the new and the old. Sit down with the kids and examine every article of clothing they own. If it’s something they have outgrown or never wear, throw it out. It’s likely you could also cut back in your own closet. You’ll cut back on laundry and save storage space for clothes that actually get used regularly.

Establish a Shoe Station

As the season progresses, Kansas City residents can count on rain, ice, snow, and more. It’s inevitable that dirt, mud, and other residues will cling to the shoes of everyone in the home. Take 30 minutes to establish a shoe station on the front and/or back porch where shoes are to be removed. You can even get creative and place a sign at your shoe station(s).

PRO TIP: If you have hardwood floors, lay a rug in your shoe station to catch dirt before it makes contact with the wood floor.

Designate Chore-Time and Make It Fun

You’d be surprised at how willing the kids will be to join in at chore time when you make it fun. First, designate a time during which everyone will participate. This establishes a routine and gives everyone a better sense of overall organization and structure. Try making a list of everything that needs to be done. Write each chore on a piece of paper, slip it in a hat, and have participants draw chores. It’s always more fun when you play upbeat music in the background.

Soak After Dinner

Nobody wants to waste their time scraping dried cheese, sauce, and other residues as they clean up after dinner. You’re full, and you’re probably ready to sit down and relax! Before dinner is served, fill up the sink with hot, soapy water. Have everyone rinse their plate and put it in the sink to soak when they’re done eating. It’s a small step that only takes a minute or two that can save even more time and energy later.

Small Steps Go a Long Way

Most of the tips listed here don’t require much of your time or effort. However, they all make life easier and are simple to get the whole family involved in. With everyone working as one, you can enjoy a school year with a home that’s easy to keep in proper working order.

Schedules are busy though, and most of us could always use an occasional boost in keeping their home presentable. Using our cleaning service in Kansas City, you can count on our skilled staff to take care of any loose ends throughout the week. Call us today to our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.

BACK TO SCHOOL CLEANING CHECKLIST

BACK TO SCHOOL CLEANING CHECKLIST

Back to school time usually makes parents jump for joy. It’s a time when kids are out of the house, so you have time to give your home a good cleaning, without your munchkins under foot. To make cleaning organized and efficient, here is a checklist you might want to use before getting out the mop and bucket.

PurgeGo through your things and get rid of items you don’t need or use anymore. Sell them at a garage sale, give them to friends who could use them, or donate them to charity. Every home has some of these items. Keeping a house clean is easier when clutter is non-existent.
Start in the Kids’ RoomsLet your children help out in their own rooms. Giving them choices as to how they would like to organize their stuff may entice them to keep their spaces relatively clean. Make sure everything they need in the morning is at the ready, so there’s no excuse for being late.

Mudrooms and Coat ClosetsSchool means backpacks, lunch packs, sports gear, and new shoes need places to be stored. Making space in your mudroom and coat closet will give these things a place where they can always be easily found.

Kitchen, Laundry Room and Eating SpacesGive the countertops in your kitchen a good scrub. Do the same for your microwave and oven, there may be residue from too many pizzas and pizza pops. Clean out the fridge and get rid of any old items that are past their due dates. Scrub out the washer with vinegar water and wipe out your dryer drum. If you don’t enjoy cleaning appliances, then you may want to hire someone for a one time house cleaning.

Doormats Keep Dirt at BayUsing mats at entranceways will reduce the amount of dust and dirt that’s tracked into your home. Make sure to give them a good shaking out and vacuuming every so often. Place a shoe rack beside the mat, and insist your family members leave their shoes at the door.

Your free time is precious. For an extra hand around the home to help with all your spring cleaning – our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.

The Best Room Cleaning Checklist for Back to School

The Best Room Cleaning Checklist for Back to School

With summer and the kids home possibly all day every day, they took over. And now that schools right around the corner the kids will soon be out of the house during the day, cleaning and organizing the indoors is the last thing anybody wants to do. But it’s time to reclaim your space. And this time, you’re not doing it alone – you’re going to get the kids involved! Here’s a room cleaning checklist to get you started.

ROOM CLEANING TIPS STEP #1: PREPARE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
The best way to prevent everyone from giving up before you’ve started is to make sure there are enough supplies, and that the supplies are out and ready for use. Don’t give anyone an excuse to wander off in defeat. Make sure you have enough glass cleaner and disinfectant, paper towels, sponges, dusters, brooms, mops, and that the vacuum is empty and ready to be filled. Use bins to help organize toys and crafts. Depending on how young your kids are, you may need to show them how to use all this stuff, so be prepared for a tutorial if necessary.

ROOM CLEANING TIPS STEP #2: MAKE IT FUN!
We know that housework doesn’t have to be boring. One of the best room cleaning hacks is to make it fun for everyone. Pick their favorite playlist and crank it on the home sound system. Let them sing and dance as they clean. Make them laugh with your playlist! Make TikTok videos of them doing the work!

Create contests, for the fastest bed made, the cleanest room, the best attitude during I Don’t Want To Hour. For little kids, time them on how long it takes them to put away 10 items, giving them an opportunity to show off their counting skills AND getting their areas clean. Promise big kids dinner from their favorite restaurant if they get their rooms clean within the hour you’ve set aside. Whatever fun room cleaning motivation technique works for your family, use it. If they’re not paying attention to the fact that they’re working, they’ll get the cleaning, organizing and decluttering done faster and be happier when it’s over. And so will you!

ROOM CLEANING TIPS STEP #3: MAKE A ROOM CLEANING LIST
If your kids are little or not the most attentive to details, or aware of what needs to get clean, and you want to make sure certain things get cleaned, make a room cleaning checklist for kids. Pick a room for everyone to clean, straighten and organize or just have them start with their bedrooms and make a list of the tasks that can be done quickly so they feel accomplished and stay motivated to get the work done. Pick stuff that’s quick and easy for them to clean in a short amount of time.

If it’s their rooms you want cleaned, help them make a list of things to do to get it done. Putting dirty clothes in the hamper, clean clothes away, and picking up clothes that were tried on but not worn, could be 30-40% of a dirty room.

ROOM CLEANING TIPS, STEP #4: MAKE THESE ROOM CLEANING STEPS A WEEKLY THING!
The fact is, the cleaner the house is, the less time it will take to clean it. So, if you can incorporate I Don’t Want To Hour into every week, you’ll be able to turn messy room cleaning into room cleaning motivation to keep it clean throughout the week. And if you make it a habit now, it will be one less stressful thing to fight about when school starts.

Your free time is precious. For an extra hand around the home to help with all your spring cleaning – our teams of professional cleaners are ready to take care of the hard work for you. Book a clean today and leave the rest up to us – Treat yourself and your home! Tidy Up Angels has been providing residential cleaning service to the Overland Park area since 2008. Trusting someone to clean your home can be a little unnerving. If this is your first time hiring a cleaning company, we want you to know that you can relax with Tidy Up Angels. Our company is fully insured and bonded; safeguarding your most personal possessions. Honesty, integrity, and good work ethics are the back bone of our company. We aim to meet all your expectations and we hope to exceed them during each service. Let us know how we can help with your house cleaning services in Overland Park and how we can help you – contact Tidy Up Angels LLC at 913-642-2006.

July Cleaning Checklist

July Cleaning Checklist

Maintain your garage door

  • Check to make sure that your garage door is properly balanced, and the coils are lubricated. Replace the batteries in your garage door opener.

Clean Deck

  • Clean and repair your deck as needed during this time. Leaving a deck uncleaned can serve as an invitation for pests and bugs to begin living in its wood.

Check Ductwork for leaks

  • Assuming your air conditioner is up and running, go to the ductwork so you can visually inspect to see if there are any leaks.

Fix Clogged Sinks

  • Have a clogged sink? Make sure that your plumbing is taken care of by de-clogging sinks easily.

Ready your home for vacation

  • July is the month of summer trips and vacations. Make sure your home is ready for vacation by prepping it before you go using these tips.