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Whenever you’re about to travel and leave your home empty for a couple of days, it’s always a good idea to clean it. That way, you won’t have to stress about it on top of unpacking when you return. If you’re short on time, house cleaning services in Anchorage, AK, are at your disposal for an affordable and thorough clean-up. There is no better feeling than coming back to a spotless home after a relaxing vacation. Whether you’d like to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, this cleaning checklist will help you make sure that every corner of your home is as clean as possible while you’re away, so keep reading! How do you clean your house before going on vacation? You can quickly achieve an immaculate home by following these four steps: 1. Put everything in its place There’s an unwritten rule of cleaning, and it’s that every object should have its designated place where you can store it when you’re not using it. Having a home for everything makes tidying up so much easier. So when you put everything back where it belongs, the house already looks nicer, and all that’s left to do is to take out your cleaning supplies and go to the next step. 2. Make sure that there are no dirty dishes or laundry This is a no-brainer, as we all know what happens when you leave dirty plates and cups for a few days. The food starts to rot and the bacteria spread, making your kitchen a very unhealthy place. Get those washing machines running and leave behind only an empty kitchen sink and an empty hamper. 3. Do a regular clean of your home Since you’ll be away from home for a while, it’s best to clean it as you’d normally do, starting from the upper parts and working your way down. Wipe every surface, dust every corner, thoroughly vacuum and mop the floor. Use EPA-approved products for best results. Let every room air out because you’ll likely leave the windows closed while you’re gone. 4. Purge the fridge of perishable items A lot of people forget to do this, and a foul smell of spoiled food welcomes them when they return from a vacation. To prevent this, check every item for its expiration date and take it out. You can give the food to your neighbor, family, or charity, or simply discard it if it’s not edible anymore. While your fridge is empty, give it a quick wipe down with a wet cloth to freshen it up. How do you keep your house clean when away? There is no hack to prevent dust from occupying your home while you’re away, but since the house will be empty, that means that no one will make it dirty. If you leave a clean home, there’s a high chance it will remain the same when you return. The most important thing to do is to take out all the trash before leaving and unplug all the appliances. Many like to travel during the holidays, and if you don’t want to tackle Christmas decorations when you come back, deal with them before doing a pre-vacation clean-up. That way you can truly relax and enjoy your stay at the Alyeska Resort without thinking about what’s waiting for you back at home. Who provides the best house cleaning services in Anchorage, AK? When cleaning is too stressful to think about because of all the preparations for your vacation, it’s time to give White Lilac a call. We can provide you with cleaners who’ll do a quick and thorough job to make your home ready for your absence. Contact our specialists today and we’ll set up an appointment right away!  

When it comes to housework, there’s always something to do. As this can take too much time out of your day, people tend to put off household chores until the last minute.  This is where maid services in Anchorage come in handy, as they are a swift and effective way to get a clean home. However, sometimes you just want to learn how to clean faster, in case you’re working against the clock or you’re having unexpected guests. We’ve prepared a few tips and tricks that make cleaning a breeze, so read on! How do you clean up in a hurry? When you’re in a time crunch, you can’t pay attention to the details and your goal is to clean as much as possible. This means that you should start with the main area of your house or the place where the guests will be. Here are the best tips for cleaning up in a hurry: 1. Clean by room, not by category Typically, during a regular clean, you start with dusting, wiping all the surfaces, and vacuuming the floors. When you’re in a rush, it’s best to clean each room separately. That means doing all the chores in one room and then moving to the other when you’re done. However, this method doesn’t apply to vacuuming and mopping, as it’s easier to do this at the very end of cleaning.  2. Carry a basket with you The basket serves as temporary storage for all the items that don’t belong in a certain room. While cleaning, put everything out of place into this basket and carry it out of the room when you’re done. This saves you time and energy you’d waste running from one room to another and putting everything away. 3. Use a multi-purpose cleaning product If you don’t have enough time to clean, you should buy or make a multi-purpose cleaning spray. Most surfaces can be cleaned with this product and you’ll save not only time, but also money as it’s cheaper to have one spray for many items and surfaces. Add in a bit of 75% rubbing alcohol and it serves as a powerful disinfectant that keeps you healthy in your clean home. 4. Vacuum dusty surfaces When you are in a rush, a quick hack is to utilize your vacuum cleaner as a duster. It efficiently picks up any cobwebs and dust bunnies and you don’t have to worry about switching up your cloth for every surface. People use this method after the holidays to pick up the mess under the Christmas tree, instead of handpicking everything.  What is the fastest way to clean a house? Focusing on these parts is crucial for an effective speed clean: Airing the rooms Dusting surfaces Vacuuming floors Reducing visual clutter The first thing you do when you come back home from a trip or a vacation is to open the windows and let the rooms breathe. So naturally it should be the first thing to do before cleaning them. Having your rooms smell fresh and well aired makes everyone feel comfortable.  But even when everything is clean, a lot of clutter in a room can be overwhelming. Move it to a room your guests won’t be using and tackle it when you have time. Discard anything that doesn’t serve you any purpose and find a proper place for the rest of it. Fewer objects, less time spent dusting them! Who provides the best maid services in Anchorage & the vicinity? When you feel like there are simply not enough hours in your day to squeeze in some housework but you still want to be on top of things, give a call to White Lilac Cleaning! We can refer you to some of the best maids in Anchorage that keep your home healthy and clean with the help of EPA-approved cleaning products.  Why waste your energy and stress about making everything spotless when you can spend a relaxing day off at Kincaid Park? We’re just a phone call away. Contact us today!

Holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, and people celebrate them with their loved ones. And when you have guests staying over, you want your house to be in the best shape in no time. Hiring a maid service in Anchorage is the best solution for a quick clean-up before your visitors arrive and after they leave. But when the holidays pass, the guests leave, and it’s time to take down the ornaments, they can leave behind quite a mess. Luckily, we’ve listed a few tips to help you clean your home efficiently after the holidays, so read on! How do you clean up after Christmas? There is no easy way to tackle the Christmas tree, but the best time to do it is right after the holiday passes, while you still have some time off work. It’s also a good time to clean because you might be planning a vacation, and you don’t want the holiday mess to wait for you when you return. Here are a few tips to make the most out of the clean-up: 1. Take down all the decorations and store them properly The Christmas tree takes up the most space during the holidays, and it can be tricky to clean around it because of the branches and fragile knick-knacks. So before you start cleaning, put away the tree and the other decorations. You’ll reset your space and get into the right mindset because you won’t be overwhelmed by the clutter. 2. Vacuum the flaky decor If you’ve had fake snow in your home around the tree or in other areas, you know how tiring it is to clean up all of it. The same goes for the glitter and confetti, as well as the residue from the garland and wreath. The fastest way to clean it is with a vacuum, no matter the location. Run your vacuum over all the surfaces where you placed the decorations and save your energy this way. 3. Sort your belongings before storing the gifts The holiday season is filled with presents from our loved ones. Sort out the presents and get rid of any leftover opened boxes. You can even use them to store your Christmas decorations. Check for broken ornaments, dispose of them and find a good way to organize the rest. Boxes are usually the safest, as they’re sturdy and you can put padding inside for the fragile items. What should I clean after the holidays? During the holidays, people get the motivation to improve their lives. And the best way to start that journey is by giving your home a proper clean-up. Spring cleaning is coming soon, but before that, we recommend frequent disinfecting and a weekly housework routine. It’s the season of festivities but if you get sick during this time, a dirty home can make it worse. Make sure to regularly wipe the surfaces, mop and vacuum the floors and check your refrigerator for any leftovers that can go bad soon. Clean your kitchen and bathroom twice a week to keep them properly sanitized. Tired of cleaning after the holidays? Hire a maid service in Anchorage! Sometimes you just want to take a few days off for yourself and not clean, and that’s completely normal. White Lilac can help you by sending you the best maids to take care of the mess while you relax and recharge by taking the family to the Alaska Zoo. After all, you’ve worked so hard during the year, you deserve to treat yourself. Give us a call, and we’ll set up an appointment. Contact us today!

Stainless steel gives any kitchen an industrial and modern look. And when you have steel appliances, it’s important to keep them shiny and clean. In Wasilla, AK, hiring home cleaning services is a shortcut to having an immaculate kitchen at all times. If you’ve tried cleaning your stainless steel fridge or sink by yourself and you dulled their sparkle, don’t worry, it can be fixed. You just need to learn how to properly maintain your steel appliances. We’ve prepared a few tips and tricks to help you, so keep reading. How do you clean stainless steel appliances? Smudges appear easily on stainless steel appliances. Luckily, there are safe procedures and rules that can help you protect your delicate appliances and maintain their shine. And best of all, cleaning your stainless steel appliances can be a breeze if you follow these tips: Always wipe in the direction of the grit Since this type of metal has grit, its direction can be circular or straight. You can easily notice the grit as it reflects shine. When you wipe without paying attention to the direction, you risk scratching the surface and losing the beam. Regardless of the cleaning product you use, always wipe in the grain’s direction. This way, you’ll remove all the grime that’s stuck inside the grit and you’ll restore the shine of your appliances. Clean your appliances daily If you’re a lover of warm beverages, the kettle is your best friend every morning. And when you use it frequently, it’s only fair that you clean it daily. Hard water builds up inside the kettle and you can get pieces of dried minerals inside your tea, which isn’t very pleasant. Make sure to clean the appliance every evening, if you use it often. This goes for microwaves, kettles, and range hoods. A common steel cleaning mistake is not cleaning regularly, which results in grime buildup and makes the cleaning process more difficult. Avoid using bleach and steel wool They may be the perfect duo for thoroughly disinfecting your home and scrubbing away any type of grime, but when it comes to stainless steel, this is not a good combination. Bleach is known to dull the shine and make the steel surface porous because it destroys the protective enamel. Another product that ruins stainless steel is steel wool. It’s too abrasive for any type of metal surface, and using it results in deeper scratches. If you need to use a harsher cleaning supply for steel, it’s always safer to choose a medium-bristled brush or the abrasive side of the sponge. Remove stains with dish soap and baking soda If your kitchen sink is heavily stained from all the cleaning products and spilled food, there’s a simple solution for removing any type of stain from steel. All you need is dish soap and baking soda. Make a paste combining these two ingredients and spread it over the stains. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe away with a wet cloth. Baking soda is a perfect abrasive powder because it doesn’t scratch the steel but effectively removes grime. If you need a stronger cleaning agent, use white vinegar instead of dish soap. It’s acidic enough to eat away the dirt but safe for the metal surface. Avoid using tap water and leaving the surface wet. Always wipe the stainless steel until it’s dry, for extra shine. Do you need help with your stainless steel appliances in Wasilla, AK? Hire professional home cleaning services! Making your stainless steel shine all the time is a stressful process, and we understand if you don’t want to deal with it. This is why White Lilac Cleaning is here for you! The cleaners we work with know all the tricks to making any metal surface sparkle, and stainless steel is no exception! Instead of worrying if you’ll scratch your steel by cleaning it alone, have a relaxing day off at Wasilla Lake. Give us a call and we’ll send the best maids right away!  

A clean kitchen sink is always a lovely sight, but some might find it challenging to keep it that way. Food can spill, cleaning products can leave a residue, resulting in gross stains all over the stainless steel. In Wasilla, AK, you can hire house cleaning services to solve the stain problems and make any stainless steel surface shine in no time, or you can try and tackle the stains by yourself. But before you do that, it’s important to know which type of stain can be cleaned with which product. How do I remove stains from stainless steel? There are many factors that affect the way you can remove stains. Whether it’s a stainless steel appliance or a flat surface, the process stays the same.  First, you should determine: How old is the stain? Which type of stain is it (food, chemical, rust)? Did the stain damage the steel? Once you know the answers to all three questions, you can try one of the following solutions: 1. Dish soap and warm water You can try this combination on any type of stain, as it won’t damage the surface. Just put a drop of dish soap on a wet sponge and wipe in the direction of the grain. It easily cleans up food spills. However, this might not be powerful enough for stubborn stains, but you can try soaking the surface in warm water and adding more dish soap. Let it sit for a while and then wipe it off. 2. Baking soda If you’re dealing with a stain that’s been on your stainless steel for a long time, you can mix equal parts of baking soda and dish soap. This will make a paste that’s abrasive enough to remove dirt and grime without scratching the stainless steel. Then, rub the paste onto the surface with a paper towel until the stain goes away. 3. Vinegar Sometimes the baking soda paste isn’t strong enough, so you have to go for the acidic option. And we don’t mean bleach, as it’s a harmful product for stainless steel. Vinegar is acidic enough to eat away every type of stain, even rust. Make sure to spray enough of the product to fully cover the area and leave it for a while. Extra tips for cleaning stainless steel Regardless of the method, when removing the stains, never use steel wool. It strips the protective enamel on the stainless steel and makes the surface prone to corrosion. Instead, a simple microfiber cloth or a soft brush will do the trick. Avoid cleaning with tap water, because the minerals in it can leave white spots when the steel dries. Use distilled water instead. And if all else fails, invest in one of the special steel cleaning agents from the list of EPA-approved cleaning products. The biggest stainless steel cleaning mistake is letting the surface air dry. Whichever product you use for cleaning the steel, always wipe it off with a dry cloth or buff it in for extra shine. Letting the product dry on the surface can leave spots, and that’s even more frustrating than the stain you were originally removing. How can I prevent stainless steel from staining? Preventing stains on stainless steel surfaces is not just about cleaning up messes as they happen – it’s about maintaining a regular routine that keeps your surfaces protected over time. One of the best ways to prevent stains is to wipe down your stainless steel regularly with a microfiber cloth, especially after food prep or any cleaning activities. This helps to remove any residue or particles before they have a chance to settle and stain the surface. Additionally, applying a small amount of mineral oil to the surface after cleaning can work wonders. The oil forms a protective layer that repels water spots, grease, and even fingerprints. Not only does this keep your stainless steel looking shiny and new, but it also prevents the accumulation of dirt and grime that can lead to more stubborn stains forming down the line. Another helpful tip from Wasilla, AK, house cleaning services is to avoid letting liquids or food sit on stainless steel for too long, as this can make stains more difficult to remove later. If you wipe the surfaces immediately after use and apply protective oil regularly, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of stains forming. Combining these preventative measures will help keep your stainless steel in top condition for years to come. How do I get rid of cloudiness on stainless steel? Cloudiness on stainless steel is often caused by mineral deposits from hard water or the use of improper cleaning products. To get rid of it, start by wiping down the surface with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. The acidity of the vinegar helps break down the minerals that cause the cloudiness without damaging the stainless steel. Apply the solution with a soft microfiber cloth and wipe in the direction of the grain. Afterward, rinse the surface with distilled water and dry it thoroughly to prevent further mineral buildup. For more stubborn cloudy spots, you can make a paste by mixing together water and baking soda. Rub it onto the area and wipe it clean. As a final step, buff the surface with a dry cloth to restore its shine. Need help with making your stainless steel shine in Wasilla, AK? Hire one of the best house cleaning services! When your life is so busy that you don’t have the time to even think about housework, White Lilac Cleaning is here to help you! We can send reliable maids straight to your doorstep to make sure that every surface is spotless in a heartbeat. Enjoy a relaxing day off at Lucille Lake with your loved ones and leave the cleaning to us! Contact us today!

People usually think that stainless steel is durable enough to withstand any chemical or that it needs less maintenance. However, all steel surfaces require effort to keep them looking as good as new. Use the wrong products, and you’ll find yourself doing more harm than good. For those of us who don’t want to damage our stainless steel by maintaining it alone, calling up house cleaning services in Wasilla, AK, may be the best solution. Not only do you get professional and affordable housework, but the cleaners can also give you proper advice on how to do it yourself. If you’d like to learn how to care for your metal surfaces and objects, you should first know what not to do and which products can ruin it. Keep reading to find out! What is not recommended when cleaning stainless steel? Since it’s naturally shiny, stainless steel can easily become dull or scratched if you clean it the wrong way. Below you’ll find a list of four cleaning mistakes that can harm your metal surfaces. 1. Not cleaning in the direction of the grain Regardless of the product you use, if your stainless steel surface is grained, you should always clean in its direction. Doing it differently can leave dirt in the dents and make it look sloppy. If you’re using fine steel wool, not cleaning in the direction of the grain can scratch the steel and make it prone to rusting. When you do it properly, the surface will look shinier than ever. 2. Using coarse steel wool You might think that steel on steel can’t be bad, but since it’s sharp, coarse steel wool isn’t recommended for flat steel surfaces. The scratches are not a pretty sight and the metal can become stained. Even with grain, you should use fine steel wool and lightly press when cleaning. A finer version is better for removing grime and light polishing, but even then, you should use it with caution. It’s always better to switch to a stronger cleaning product than a harsher utensil. However, stay away from bleach, as it’s known to dull the shine on stainless steel surfaces. 3. Letting the surface air dry If you’ve noticed white spots on your kitchen sink, you know you’re making this mistake. Since tap water is rich in minerals, it leaves white spots when it dries. To prevent this, wipe your sink with a dry cloth as soon as you finish washing the dishes. Letting any type of product air dry on the steel surface can leave marks and even damage to the material. When cleaning it, make sure to use distilled or filtered water, and don’t forget to wash out the product before wiping it dry. 4. Not cleaning often enough The inside of a kettle is made out of stainless steel. And since it’s used daily, it’s easy for hard water to build up. That’s why you can see the bottom becoming white and the water taking longer to boil. Just like any other steel appliance, it requires constant maintenance to keep functioning properly. When you neglect it, not only will it look dirty, but you might also risk your health because of the various build-ups. Clean your surfaces on a weekly basis and your kettle every other day. Are you looking for dependable house cleaning services in Wasilla, AK? When you come home from work, the last thing on your mind is cleaning. And when things get messy in your life, it can be difficult to keep up with the housework. This is why White Lilac is the company for you! We can send cleaners right to your doorstep who will make sure that no stain is left behind. Equipped with professional cleaning products and the right skills, they can make any stainless steel surface shine. Go outside and enjoy the day at Finger Lake and forget about cleaning once and for all. Contact us today!