Maintaining Your Home Makeover

July 15, 2009 // Franchising.com // When choosing a remodel project over a new-home purchase, keep in mind that the hottest textile trend like granite, stainless steel, travertine and bamboo all require special, yet simple, care. Heed these tips from the cleaning experts at THE MAIDS Home Services, a residential cleaning service, to keep your transformed home looking its best for years to come.

• Granite countertops, whether in the kitchen or bathroom, are easy to maintain - a solution of water and a mild PH-balanced detergent will remove surface dirt and eliminate streaks. Avoid ammonia as it tends to break down the granite sealant.
• Keep stainless steel appliances gleaming by washing with a mild degreasing detergent added to hot water. Once dry, apply a stainless steel polish, going with the grain, to help resist fingerprints, repel dirt and restore shine.
• To keep stone floors, including travertine, stain-free, blot spills immediately. Clean with a neutral cleaner - no acidic or abrasive cleaners - and a microfiber cloth, rinse well and dry to avoid streaks.
• Bamboo floors are attractive and derived from a rapidly renewable resource, perfect for the environmentally conscientious.
• Vacuum floors and wash with a no-rinse formula using a mild detergent and water.
• Keep your newly-replaced, energy-efficient windows sparkling. For professional results, use a solution of one drop of liquid dish soap per two gallons of water and a good squeegee. Wipe the squeegee dry after each swipe with a clean, dry cloth.

Enjoy your remodeling results indefinitely by maintaining your investment. Welcome home!

About THE MAIDS Home Services:

THE MAIDS Home Services is the only residential cleaning franchise that cleans for health, providing the most thorough housecleaning in the industry. Started in 1979, THE MAIDS provides regular maintenance cleaning and additional home services to clients in over 40 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. THE MAIDS' exclusive 22-Step Healthy Touch(R) Deep Cleaning System is comprehensive and meticulous, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, environmentally preferable products and a systematically engineered cleaning method. The Maids' teams of four are professionally trained and supervised, uniformed, bonded and insured. All of this is why THE MAIDS can proudly proclaim, "Nobody Outcleans The Maids.

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