Merry Maids Shares Stress-Busting Speed Cleaning Tips for Holidays

Merry Maids
Published: November 3rd, 2017

Study finds most people clean just before guests arrive in race against time.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - November 03, 2017 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - It’s no secret that the holiday season can be one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year. One of the biggest sources of stress? Cleaning on a deadline – especially while guests are on their way.

In a recent survey by Merry Maids, one of the nation’s largest home cleaning providers and a ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) company, more than half of the respondents (51 percent) admit that most of their cleaning takes place just before guests arrive.

Thankfully, with the right tips, even last-minute pre-entertainment cleaning can be efficient and stress-free, says Debra Johnson, Merry Maids home cleaning expert.

“The holiday season shouldn’t be a race against the clock. It’s about spending time with your friends and family, not stressing about cleaning for out-of-town guests or parties,” says Johnson. “We want to help you clean smarter, not harder, so you can spend more time actually relaxing and enjoying the holiday season.”

Need to speed clean your home before your in-laws make their grand appearance? No problem, says Johnson. Here are her six sure-fire speed cleaning strategies to help your home appear spotless in a matter of minutes:

• Declutter. The first step is to declutter rooms. Set a timer if needed to help you stay on track, and help you avoid spending too much time in one room. Put things where they belong, or if they don’t have a home, put them in a room or under beds where no one will see. Once the holiday season passes, you can revisit and declutter those hidden storage areas.
• Only Clean What Guests Will See. Join more than one-third of Americans (39 percent) who don’t bother cleaning rooms people won’t see. You have enough to stress about as the host. Don’t waste your precious time cleaning parts of the home no one will ever see. If you have family staying with you, give guest rooms a once-over, clean the bathrooms that will be used and of course, the kitchen and living room.
• Skip the Sweep. Don’t spend time sweeping with a dry mop when you can vacuum instead. Vacuuming is far more efficient and faster at removing dust, dirt and other debris from the floors.
• Speed Clean the Bathrooms. All you need is a damp microfiber cloth to give every surface a quick wipe-down, and a toilet brush to clean the inside walls of the toilet. To freshen it up even more, pour half a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and add white vinegar along with a few drops of your favorite essential oils. Allow the mixture to bubble for a bit, and scrub with a toilet brush. Then, voila: your bathroom is clean and shiny.
• Tackle the Microwave Mess. You know people will want seconds well after the leftovers are put away, so use this quick tip to tackle any build-up: combine lemon juice and water in a microwave safe bowl and run the microwave for two minutes. The lemon water will loosen any gunk/food in the microwave for an easy wipe down with a microfiber cloth.
• Hire the professionals. Merry Maids is the perfect solution for those who simply don’t have time or detest cleaning. If you’ve waited until the last minute to clean before a holiday gathering, you know how much stress that can bring. Visit your local Merry Maids or www.merrymaids.com to book a customized cleaning plan and get your home in tip-top shape before the holidays. With the cleaning under control, all that’s left for you to do is light a few candles, conquer the grocery list, and enjoy your guests.

For more tips, visit the Merry Maids blog and YouTube channel. To find the nearest Merry Maids location or purchase cleaning services online, visit merrymaids.com. Stay up-to-date on the latest Merry Maids news and tips by visiting the company’s Facebook page.

Survey Methodology

The 2017 Merry Maids Cleaning Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted by Toluna from April 18-20, 2017 among a sample of 2,126 Americans 18 years of age and older. The margin of error for a sample of this size is ± 2% at a 95% level of confidence. Some number may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

About Merry Maids

Merry Maids is the largest home cleaning franchise network in the United States. Merry Maids provides services in 48 states and the District of Columbia through approximately 360 franchises. The company also provides home cleaning services in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom and has licensing arrangements whereby licensees provide these services in Hong Kong, Japan, South America, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Australia. Through its company-owned and franchise locations, Merry Maids employs more than 8,000 home cleaning professionals who service homes on four continents, including more than 200,000 homes in North America every month. Merry Maids is a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. Go to www.merrymaids.com for more information about Merry Maids or follow us at twitter.com/MerryMaids and facebook.com/MerryMaids. Merry Maids is the Official Home Cleaning Provider of Minor League Baseball™.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner’s dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands includes American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster, or servicemaster.com. ServiceMaster is the Official Home Services Provider of Minor League Baseball™.

Contacts:

Alison Bishop
For Merry Maids
901-597-8978
alison.bishop@servicemaster.com

Katy Cirrone
For Merry Maids
617-939-8395
kcirrone@conecomm.com

SOURCE Merry Maids