My wife and I have definitely taken advantage of the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately by christening our new kayaks in some nearby lakes. With all the free time you have on your hands since A Helping Hand is cleaning your house, here are a few ideas of how you can get out of that pristine home and into the great outdoors!

If you have kayaks, canoes, or just want to swim, or maybe you hate the water but love laying out in the sun, Wisconsin has some pretty good lakes and beaches for any of those activities. Lake Monana, Mendota, or Wingra are just a few in Madison that are just minutes away.

1260 acres of the world’s oldest and most varied collection of restored ecological communities lies just on the south side of Lake Wingra. Take a walk through tall grass prairies, savannas, forests and wetlands at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

So drop the mop, pick up the phone, and call A Helping Hand to take care of all your cleaning so you can be outside! Then drop the phone, and pick up a paddle. Or maybe to save time, bring the phone, and email us from out on the lake.

608-829-2444

mike@madisonhousecleaning.net

While we LOVE hearing about how much you like our cleanings, don’t just tell us, tell everyone! Refer us to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, coworker’s neighbors, co-worker’s neighbor’s cousin, ANYONE, and if they sign up for a routine cleaning service with us, YOU receive a FREE CLEANING! That’s right, FREE! Make it even easier on yourself by simply filling out our online Referral Form.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I’ve never had A Helping Hand clean my home, how can I refer them?” then let’s fix that! Call us today and we’ll give you something to refer about!

608-829-2444

Mother’s Day is in a little over a week (May 13^th), so here are some fun facts about the holiday.

-Early celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back as far as ancient Greece.

-Mother’s Day is a holiday celebrated in most of the world, and it is derived in big part from how we celebrate the day in America.

-In China in 1997 Mother’s Day was set as a day to help poor mothers.

-In France, in response to low birth rates, there were attempts in 1896 and 1904 to make a national celebration to honor mothers of large families.

-Mother’s Day was officially recognized as a US holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

-Churchgoing is popular on Mother’s Day, yielding the highest attendance in churches after Christmas and Easter.

To celebrate your mom or a mother figure in your life, take advantage of one of the many Mother’s Day deals we’ll have going on this next week! Check our Facebook or Twitter pages to find out what deal we have going on that day, or just give us a call!

608-829-2444

Using white distilled vinegar for cleaning is great for many reasons. It’s good at killing harmful germs and bacteria because of its acidity level, but it’s not as harmful as something like bleach. It’s very environmentally sound, and won’t break the bank either. Here are some uses for white distilled vinegar.

-Clean counter tops

Use white distilled vinegar as a non-harmful way to leave your counter tops smelling great

-Deodorize sink drains and garbage disposals

Pour about ½ to 1 cup of baking soda, and the same amount of white distilled vinegar down the drain or garbage disposal, let sit for about 5 minutes, then pour hot water down.

-Clean microwaves

Heat up a mixture of half water and half white distilled vinegar to a boil in the microwave, and it will leave the appliance smelling good and baked on food will wipe off easier.

-Clean coffee makers

Fill water reservoir with about a cup of white distilled vinegar, run it through the cycle to clean, then run water through about 2 more times to rinse it out.

-Clean and disinfect baby toys

Add a little white distilled vinegar to some soapy water to add a little more kick to clean baby toys, without using harmful substances.

These are some easy things you can do around the house on your own, or you can call A Helping Hand to help you with your cleanings, and get an environmentally safe cleaning, and still have time in your day to do other things.

608-829-2444

Happy Earth Day! As a green company, A Helping Hand is excited to celebrate this weekend. Here are some ways you can celebrate.

Plant a tree

Yes, a classic way to celebrate Earth Day. I remember fondly planting trees in Elementary school to celebrate, and it could be a good tradition to start with your children (should you have any).

Nature walk

Spend some time outside, enjoying the Earth. Find a nice wooded path, a park, or nature reserve, and spend an hour just walking around, taking time to notice beautiful animals, foliage, or just bask in the glorious outdoors!

Use no or little electricity

Turn off the lights today! Use as little electricity as possible. During the day keep the lights off, try not watching TV, and maybe read a book by candle light once the sun goes down.

Call us this weekend (Friday-Monday) to find out about the Earth Day specials we have going on!

608-829-2444

Do you like A Helping Hand? If you like us enough to take 3 minutes to post a comment about how much you like us, you might get 25% off your next cleaning! I think that sounds like a pretty fair trade. Post your comments on our Facebook page, Google Place Page, or right to our Website. It’s that easy! And if we pick your comment to re-post on our next comment blog (like last month’s) then you get 25% off your next cleaning!

If you want to like A Helping Hand, just give us a call, and we’ll give you something to comment about! Schedule your cleaning today!

608-829-2444

One day, a housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to his wife, “What setting do I use on the washing machine?”

“It depends,” she replied. “What does it say on your shirt?”

He yelled back, “Wisconsin Badgers.”

It’s spring, which means it’s the unofficial cleaning holiday. If you only clean once a year (which I’m hoping you don’t), this is probably the time. Here are some tips that will help make this seasonal a little easier.

-Make checklists for each room

Get ready before hand. Jumping in to cleaning your whole house is going to make your spring cleaning seem that much more daunting and impossible. Break it down into smaller parts. Set up a check list of everything you want to do in each room, and maybe even try tackling just one room each day, and get your whole house done in a week or so.

-Get rid of clutter

Clear out all the extra clutter in your house. It’s going to be harder to clean when you have things to move or clean around. Take extra clothes, toys, extra anything, and donate it, or if it’s unusable, trash it. Or you don’t have to get rid of it, but at least take excess stuff, not used regularly, and put it into storage.

-Get the family involved

There is strength in numbers. Get your whole family cleaning, or get some friends to help. We always ask friends to help us move, why can’t we ask them to help us clean the place we already live in? You should probably still bribe them with pizza though.

Or, to make it super easy, just call us. We even have a spring cleaning special going on! For new clients, just say our secret code, “Spring Has Sprung,” and get 10% OFF your one-time cleaning, or first-time cleaning of a routine service! If you’re reading this and already have a service, pass the info along. Anyone you refer that sets up a routine service with us gets you a FREE cleaning!

608-829-2444

Now, I took this idea from my bosses and their family. Mainly because my wife and I don’t have any kids yet, and it was a really cool idea. You’re going to get a lot of time back when A Helping Hand cleans your house, and it may not be enough time to take an actual vacation, but it is enough time to take an IMAGINARY VACATION! All you need is a long roll of paper, and something to draw on that paper. Lay it out, and with your family, draw all of the places you are going on your “vacation.” And make sure you draw yourselves in the picture too, doing fun things. You can draw yourselves zip-lining in the rain forest, or hiking up the Himalayas, or even digging to the center of the Earth! The possibilities are endless, and it takes a lot less time and money than it would to actually dig to the center of the Earth.

As always, if you’re reading this and feeling sad that you are cleaning instead of taking imaginary vacations, give us a call, and we’ll help you out with that!

608-829-2444

The winning post for this month’s comment contest is…

“I love A Helping Hand cleaning service. I’m a perfectionist and I really appreciate how detailed they are in their cleanings. I’ve gone through a few services but have now had AHH for well over a year and will never change!”

Congratulations to Stephanie for winning 25% off of her next cleaning! Wouldn’t you like 25% off YOUR next cleaning?! Of course you do, who doesn’t like saving money? It’s seriously SO easy! Just leave a comment about us on our website (like Stephanie did), our Facebook or Twitter page, or on our Google Place page. If we pick your comment and re-post it in next month’s Comment Blog, BOOM, 25% off!

Wait, you don’t have anything to comment about because we’ve never cleaned for you? That’s easy, call us today!

608-829-2444

What happened to the leopard that fell in the washing machine?

He came out spotless.

Red Wine

If you spill red wine, as soon as you can, cover the area with salt. The salt should absorb some of the wine. Then soak in cold water and add a little detergent. Soak it overnight if possible, then remove it and wash it as you normally would.

Chewing Gum

If you get gum on your clothes, basically you need to freeze it to best remove it. You can do this by either get a bag of ice and holding it on the gum, or if possible, putting the article of clothing in the freezer. Then the gum should come right off.

Sauce or Ketchup

Now who hasn’t done this a million times before? If you spill ketchup, or another sauce on your shirt, wipe off the excess sauce, then rinse with cold water. Then, soak in warm water while dabbing the area with a sponge with some liquid soap on it.

It’s a Friday night, and you had your cleaning from A Helping Hand this week, so you don’t have to spend the night cleaning, what are you going to do? How about a movie! Well, that’s going to be $10 for a ticket. And of course you have to have some popcorn during the movie, which will run you about another $5. And that’s going to make you really thirsty, and a soda will be another $5 or so. The costs are starting to pile up, and you haven’t even gotten to your candy, which would really top the night off. That’s $30 (before taxes of course) for two people to see a movie! Good thing we live in an age where you can get movies from a vending machine! That’s right, I’m talking about Redbox, the new movie theater for my wife and I. They have raised their prices recently to about $1.30, but that’s still $8.70 less than a movie ticket. Sometimes we’ll splurge and watch two movies, for a whopping $2.60! And since the Redbox we use is in a McDonalds, we get our soda for $1 a piece. And we have popcorn sitting at home that we bought for $2.50, which means the bag we popped cost us roughly $0.30. So add all that up for a total of about $5! That’s 1/6^th the price of going out to a movie, and we get to watch 2! Not to mention the fact that we get to watch it on our comfy couch wearing pajamas.  Now you’re saving time, AND money!

Are you still spending your Friday nights cleaning? Call us.

(608)829-2444

Have you had a cleaning with A Helping Hand yet? If you answered ‘no’ to that question, I suggest you call us pretty soon and set up a cleaning! If you answered ‘yes,’ how did you feel about it? Good or bad, we love hearing feedback on how we’re doing. And not only does it help us, it could help you too! Each month we want to pick a random comment left on our Facebook page, Google Place page, or right on our website, re-post it in our next ‘Satisfaction Blog,’ and give that person 25% off their next cleaning! It’s that easy. Just take a couple minutes to let us know how we’re doing, and you could get 25% off your next cleaning! And seriously, if you answered ‘no’ to that first question, get on that!

(608)829-2444

Good house keeping tip:

Always keep a couple “get well soon” cards on your mantle…

That way, when unexpected guests show up, they’ll think you’ve been sick and unable to clean.

If you’re anything like me, you might have a little trouble cleaning certain areas of your home due to a minor vertical deficiency. In other words, I’m short and can’t clean things that are high up. Here are some tips for all my short people out there!

1. Use a broom for those cobwebs in the upper corners of rooms, twisting it like you’re eating spaghetti.

2. Wrap the end of a hockey stick with a rag to dust ceiling fans. They’re the perfect shape and length.

3. Make tall friends. Casually invite them over to dinner, then put them to work.

4. Work on your glutes. The gluteal muscles are the strongest in the body and aid in standing up straight as well as jumping. Strengthen those with some squats or lunges to improve your vertical leap, and you’ll be cleaning like Michael Jordan in no time!

 

For more cleaning tips follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and for someone to help you clean those hard to reach areas, give us a call!

(608) 829-2444

So with all this extra time you have, since A Helping Hand is taking care of your cleaning and all, you’ve decided to work on that New Years Resolution you drop every year: getting in shape. And you drop it every year because you hate going to that boring old gym, mindlessly walking on that treadmill, or moving heavy objects. Here are some fun ways to get in better shape in 2012.

Rock Climbing

This might be one of the more difficult activities I have on my list, but also one of the most fun. And even though it seems hard, most places to go rock climbing have really simple walls for beginners, or even bouldering walls, which is basically a horizontal wall you move from one side to the other on.

Cross country skiing

This one might be the most expensive of the list, just because I can’t think of a place off the top of my head where you can rent cross country ski’s, so you might have to buy your own. I learned how to do this all the way back in gym class in middle school, and it’s a great activity if you don’t like barreling full speed down Cascade Mountain.

Ice skating

Another great outdoors, winter activity. This one is cheap, coming in at under $10 for a lot of rinks, indoor rinks included.

Take a karate class

A lot of martial arts studios have a free trial class if you are looking to try it out, and have a variety of different membership or class fees if you like it and want to keep going. This is probably one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, and coming from someone who workouts fairly regularly, and is in decent shape (just don’t ask my wife), it was one of the hardest workouts I’ve ever done. And that was just after their warm up!

Salsa dancing

This activity is very fun, and very much a cardio exercise. Make sure you wear fairly comfortable shoes, and a shirt that breathes! And men, this is a double whammy, it’s an exercise, and you’ll earn some bonus points with your lady if you bring her dancing!

You might be saying, “wait, 25% off my next cleaning, how do I get that?!” Well,  current A Helping Hand customer, it’s very simple. All you have to do is leave a comment on our Website, Facebook page, or Google Place Page, saying why you like A Helping Hand, or what you like about A Helping Hand, and if we choose your comment to be published in our next “Comments blog,” you get 25% off your next cleaning. “Wow, that IS simple!” Yes, A Helping Hand Fan, it is.

Bleach is the ultimate cleaner.

While bleach does a great job at disinfecting, it doesn’t do the best at cleaning. It can also remove stains, but it doesn’t clean dirt or residue.  Plus, you got that smell, and that fact that it can damage some surfaces and remove color.

Use more soap for a better clean.

Just because something is dirtier, doesn’t mean simply adding more soap will do the trick. Often times adding more soap makes it hard to rinse all of it off, and then the soap left behind can leave a sticky residue that dirt can stick to.

Use coffee grounds to deodorize your garbage disposal.

While it might take care of the smell, coffee grounds shouldn’t go in the garbage disposal. They can clog your pipes and drain. Try using a lemon rind or vinegar ice cubes.

For more helpful cleaning tips, and of course, A Helping Hand deals and specials, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

So, you have all this free time now that A Helping Hand is taking care of your cleaning. What are you doing with it? If you’re not doing anything with that extra time, maybe you should pick up a hobby… but not just any hobby. Instead of knitting, playing solitaire, or collecting things, try one of these unusual hobbies!

Parkour, or freerunning: The object of this is to get from point A to point B, in the most creative way possible. This includes tight-rope walking on handrails, jumping over parked cars, leaping from building to building, or even things as simple as jumping off of a curb while shouting and throwing your hands in the air!

Noodling: This has been made famous by the show, “Hillbilly Handfishing.” Instead of using a fishing pole and a worm, you use your hand as the bait! Catfish usually hang out in holes in lakes or rivers, so all you have to do is shove your hand in one and wait for the catfish to bite it, then reel in your catch.

Appearing in the background on TV: Ever see a news van parked outside of a building, or TV reporter setting up for a live story? Why don’t you hang out for a bit, and try to get on TV. Figure out what station it is, and tell your friends to turn on the news and check out the TV star in the background! See how many news stories you can be in the background of in 2012!

Laughter Yoga: Yoga is good for your health, laughter is good for your health, why not do both at the same time?! I’ll let the video explain this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahhN3Ryw4O4

Do you like “A Helping Hand?” Do you like discounts? If you said yes to both of those questions, then we would love to hear from you! Write a review of A Helping Hand on our Google Place Page, Facebook, or our website, and each month we’ll pick someone’s comments, and re-post them in our next “Comment Blog.” Check back, and if we picked your comments, you get 25% off your next cleaning! How easy is that?

https://www.facebook.com/madisonhousecleaning

 

More than just a tongue twister, it’s a common problem for us Midwesterners. It may not seem like it now, but we WILL have snow and ice this winter, and when we do, our cities will fight back with salt. Great for driving, not so great when you start to get those salt rings on your favorite leather boots. So what’s the solution? The solution, is a solution… get it? A solution made of half white vinegar and half water. Soak a rag in this mixture, then dab the salted area. Rinse with a wet rag soaked in water, then wipe with a dry towel. Don’t dry leather shoes by any heat source, as it will make the leather dry and rigid.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our blogs to receive more helpful cleaning tips!

A Helping Hand cleans your home so you don’t have to! That gives you extra time in your life. But you may be saying to yourself, “A Helping Hand is giving me back SO much time in my life, I don’t know what to do with it all!” Well we can help you with that too. Here is an idea of what you can do with all of the time you AREN’T spending on cleaning.

Have a game night! Does your family consist of you and a couple of smaller children? We would recommend Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, or Uno. Also, there are so many classic games offered now in a “Junior” version, like Monopoly Jr., or Clue Jr.

Older kids? How about games like Apples to Apples, Cranium, or some classic card games.

Don’t have kids? Have a big group of friends over to play Battle of the Sexes, Scene it, or Loaded Questions. Or if it’s just you and one other person, some of my personal favorites are Scrabble, Chess, or Cribbage.

Need more time in your life? Give us a call and schedule a cleaning TODAY!

(608)829-2444

-or-

mike@madisonhousecleaning.net

WELCOME! Volume 1. #1

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Welcome to the first edition of the Madison House Cleaning e-newsletter from A Helping Hand.

Newsletter Spotlight:

• Clean Home, Health Home
• Clean Kids Craft – **FAMILY CONTEST**

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Clean Home, Healthy Home

Germs, dust, and allergens are the enemy of healthy families.  It’s easy to forget that your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room are magnets for bacteria and other germs. A few simple techniques, without harsh chemicals, can keep your home clean and your family healthier.

Target the Toliet

Pour about two cups of vinegar in your toilet bowl and use a spray bottle to squirt vinegar on the rim-don’t forget the handle. Let that soak for about about 10 minutes while you spray and wipe down the outside, scrub the bowl, and flush your cares away. Vinegar also works for the bathroom floor, and it’s completely safe for your family.

Here on your Kitchen’s Island

Vinegar will also go far in keeping kitchen surfaces clean. Wipe up and crumbs or food messes immediately to avoid a household pest invasion. Don’t forget to replace the kitchen sponge frequently, about once a week. And take out the trash often, stopping to spray down the sides of the trash can with vinegar or other cleaner before replacing the can.

Wash the Washroom

Laundry rooms harbor allergens like dust mites and mold. Dust mites are the number one indoor allergen, according WebMD.com Vacuum out more than just the lint trap. Check under your washer and dryer for additional dust or lost articles. Disinfect surfaces here with vinegar also-your clothes leave clean, but come in that way.

Healthy, Happy Home

Experts agree, reducing dust,  mold, and allergens reduces the likelihood of your family getting sick. It also makes your a more pleasant place to eat, sleep, and play. Grab your vinegar and get a start on make your home a healthy and happy home.

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Clean Kids Craft – **FAMILY CONTEST**

Post a video or picture of your family making this craft together on our A Helping Hand Facebook Page and qualify for a $100.00 Gift Card towards your next cleaning from A Helping Hand Residential Cleaning Professionals, LLC (aka, www.madisonhousecleaning.net)

Tissue Paper Bouqet

Get ready for these no-glue flower craft. They are fun, easy, and beautiful.

What You’ll Need:

• Colorful tissue paper
• Piper cleaners
• Scissors

How To Make Them

1. Cut tissue paper into rectangles of desired size.
2. Stack about 15 rectangles of tissue paper.
3. Accordion pleat the tissue paper working from the long side.
4. Wind one end of the pipe cleaner around the middle of the accordion pleaded tissue paper.
5. Trim the ends of each side to give the pedals a unique look. Trimming the ends into a point (like a triangle), or a bump (like a half circle) will look very pretty.
6. Gently separate each layer by pulling upwards toward the middle of the flower on both sides of the stem.
7. Let you kids make a few flowers and put them in a vase, jar, or colorful pitcher. Wrap a tin can with construction paper for a customized vase.
8. Post a video or picture of your family making this craft together on our A Helping Hand Facebook Page and qualify for a $100.00 Gift Card towards your next cleaning from A Helping Hand Residential Cleaning Professionals, LLC (aka, www.madisonhousecleaning.net)

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Clean Kids Craft – **FAMILY CONTEST** Rules

• The contest is open to everyone. Current customers and all others may enter.
• Only one entry per household.
• One $100.00 Gift Card will be award during random drawing.
• Contest ends August 31, 2010 11:59:59 CST
• Happy Crafting!!

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Schedule Your Downtown Madison WI Student / Turnover Move Out Cleaning Now

A Helping Hand Residential Cleanig Professionals, LLC aka www.madisonhousecleaning.net 

has special times available for the week of August 9, 2010. 

We have worked with private property owners, Madison area property owners, and individuals.

Call 608-829-2444 or email us TODAY!

REFERENCES AVAILABLE

House cleaning and pets go together almost like the air we breathe. They are inseparable! The challenge for pet owners is keeping up your “best friend’s” shedding or “princess’” fur balls on routine basis. Here are six simple tips you can use today to help you keep your home clean and help your pet feel at home.

These are six tips for a Madison area pet owners to keep help keep your home cleaner:

• Vacuum often. Vacuuming keeps them off the floor as well as dust and dirt tracked in from walks. How often? Try two or three times a week (every other day) and each weekend day to cover the surfaces and pick up loose dust and dirt.

• Use a dust mop on flat floors. A large head dust mop or mop with disposable covers on hardwood or tile floors can cover a lot of area in a short period of time.

• Use blankets or towels to cover favored resting areas and to make your pet’s bed. They’re easier to wash, and you should wash them often.

• Brush your pets frequently to reduce shedding. Every four to six weeks is ideal to prevent any shedding.

• Don’t use ammonia-based cleaning products. They smell like urine to pets. Instead use water and absorbent towels or a cleaner/neutralizer formulated for pet messes. Blot, never rub. Terry cloth towels can be good, but we use our kids’ old cloth baby diapers.

• Consider crate training. If your dog has displayed destructive behavior in the past, you can save yourself some trouble and cleanup. It’s not cruel as long as you don’t use it as “punishment.”

The A Helping Hand Difference

Our residential house cleaning service is designed with you in mind. Choose the plan that is best for you.

5-Star Service

You’ll get it all! With this all-inclusive package, you’ll never have to spend time on household chores again!

4-Star Service

This is the perfect balance of luxury and affordability. 4-Star Service involves a thorough cleaning of all surfaces, including inside and out where applicable.

3-Star Service

Your most affordable cleaning option, which involves a quick, light cleaning of primarily horizontal surfaces and a full clean of carpets, commodes and rugs.

Ask bout our DeepClean Move-Out Cleaning and DeepClean One-Time Cleanings