Merry Maids Offers Insider Tips for a Stain-Free Holiday Season

Merry Maids
Published: December 4th, 2017

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - December 04, 2017 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The holidays are here and with all of the cheer comes many of the most daunting holiday stains. Merry Maids, one of the nation’s largest home cleaning providers and a ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) company, shares insider tips to make this holiday season a stain-free one.

“Hosting holiday mingles can be stressful enough, but dealing with unwanted pesky stains can make your head spin,” says Debra Johnson, Merry Maids home cleaning expert. “Before you put hours of work into getting rid of stains, make sure you have the right tools and products. With our handy tips, you’ll be able to get out lingering and in-the-moment stains.”

• Red wine. There is always at least one guest who has slippery hands and ends up spilling wine in your home. With wine, especially red, it’s important to blot it right away with a white microfiber cloth until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Then whip up a quick DIY solution of liquid dish soap (1 tbsp.), distilled white vinegar (1 tbsp.) and warm water (2 cups), then blot the stain. If you the stain doesn’t transfer to the cloth right away, mix equal parts liquid dish soap with hydrogen peroxide in a separate bowl or spray bottle and apply to stain, letting it soak in before blotting away with your microfiber cloth. Note: always test on an inconspicuous area of fabric before applying the full amount.
• Hot chocolate and eggnog. These delicious holiday beverages can leave behind some ugly stains. If this happens, all you need to do is mix warm water (two cups) and liquid dish soap (one tbsp.), and sponge the solution into the stain and blot again with a dry microfiber cloth. If the stain persists, mix with white vinegar (one cup) and warm water (two cups) and gently work through the stain, then rinse again with warm water and blot the remaining moisture with a dry microfiber cloth.
• Candle wax. Nothing says the holidays like candles everywhere, but no one wants to spill wax on a vintage tablecloth. If a small amount drips, blot it away with a generous dollop of vegetable oil. If it’s a bit larger, scrape the excess off with a dull knife and place a damp hand towel over the wax. Press down on it with an iron on a low heat setting for about 10 seconds at a time until the wax has transferred fully to the towel.
• Cookie frosting and food coloring. While decorating cookies is a fun family activity, the food coloring in frosting is one stain you don’t want to mess with. Go after these stains as soon as possible, scraping the excess off with a knife or spoon so it doesn’t dry. Combine one cup of cool water, one tbsp. white vinegar and one tsp. liquid dish soap, Pour just enough to cover the stain. Let it soak for about 15 minutes and take a white microfiber cloth dipped in cool water to blot away the solution, and the stain along with it. If the stain remains, make a solution of one cup warm water, one tbsp. ammonia and one tsp. liquid dish detergent, and that should do the trick.
• Butter and grease. The grease in butter can set in quick, making it a tricky, but not impossible stain. Start by removing the excess butter from the area, then dip a corner of a dry, white microfiber cloth into water and coat liberally with salt, then hold it against the stain – don’t rub. Hold it for about a minute and then dust away the salt with another damp part of the cloth.

If you are looking for gift ideas this, a Merry Maids gift card makes the perfect holiday gift, as more than half of people (57 percent) and nearly three-quarters of dads in particular (73 percent) wish someone would hire them a cleaning service pre- or post-holiday season.

For more helpful cleaning hacks, visit the Merry Maids blog and YouTube channel. To take the cleaning off your to-do list this season, find the nearest Merry Maids location or purchase cleaning services online at merrymaids.com. Stay up-to-date on the latest Merry Maids news and tips by visiting the company’s Facebook page.

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™.

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.

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