The Good Wife's Reasons for Cleaning Your Carpet!

A good wife knows, that keeping the house clean and tidy is essential to having both a good health and a healthy marriage. Can you picture your hubby coming back from work to a dirty home, with no dinner cooked and waiting to be served? The thought itself makes me shiver! If you, dear ladies, are the type to do such a thing, then I warn you - you are not a good wife! And if you don't do something to change it, pretty soon hubby will find someone better than you! So, in order to help you "clean the air" (literally and figuratively) and to convince you of the importance of keeping your house clean, I've compiled 5 reasons for having your carpets made anew!

Reason to have your carpet cleaned the 1st: Your hubby's health! Above all, dear ladies, a clean carpet contains less dust and bacteria and that is vital if there are children in the house or if you care about you're hubby's lungs and good health! One of the main reasons for dust allergies is allegedly the great amounts of dust around the streets, and in the house. And in the house, some of the dustiest places are exactly the carpets.

Reason to have your carpet cleaned the 2nd: Fresher colors! Ever seen a white carpet, that hasn't been cleaned for ages, ladies? No? Well, let's just say that "white" is not the word I would use to describe it... More like "greyish/brown"... Which might be fine with some of you, but when I picture my hubby walking around in his bare feet and stepping on that dirty, dirty rug... O, it makes me so mad, I just want to call rug cleaning London company and be done with it!

Reason to have your carpets cleaned the 3rd: Longevity! Every time you clean your carpet, ladies, you prevent it from shrinking and losing its fluffy structure! And if it has already become too matted, when you attempt to clean it, it may become torn eventually. So, unless you want hubby to feel embarrassed to invite people over, make sure you keep the carpet looking as good as new!

Which is actually...

Reason to have your carpets cleaned the 4th: Prestige! Can you imagine what all your guests will think if you invite them in a house where they have to step on a visibly dirty carpet - not the best welcoming sight, is it? And poor hubby's face, when someone makes a remark on it... O, I can't think about it! I just want to call a house cleaning company and tell them to scrub and clean everywhere!

Reason to have your carpets cleaned the 5th: Pets and pet-peeves! Lastly, and you should write it down, if you have any furry animals around the house as cats and dogs, regular carpet cleaning is even more mandatory, as carpets usually gather all the fur from your pets, creating a suitable environment for even more bacteria in your house.

So you see, dear ladies, that cleaning your carpets is something that you should do, even if you feel like it's too hard a job to handle on your own! After all, a clean carpet is only the first step to a much cleaner and healthy home...

...and a happier hubby, which is your priority number one in all cases! Right?

The Good Wife's Insider Cleaning Tips!

A good wife is used to getting things fixed and done, while hubby's at work, so that when he comes back, he can simply lay back on the couch, kick his shoes off and watch TV, while sipping whiskey or wine. So, dear ladies, it is inevitable that at one point or another, you would have to deal with repairmen or builders of some sort, and that's not always a pleasant experience. For instance, one time an early-morning appointment with a repairman, led to the poor gentleman showing up thirty minutes late, only to ask where the restroom is and if there's coffee in the house, as he didn't have time to either take care of his body needs or drink his morning dosage of coffin, from hurrying so much to come on time. Which, as I've already pointed out, he miserably failed to achieve. As a result, I ended up making two cups of coffee, and flashing the toilet after the poor bloke had left, half-done fixing the dishwasher. It was a morning from Hell, dear ladies, and one I would not wish to anyone! So, in the hopes of helping you avoid similarly uncomfortable situations, I've assembled a few insider tips for choosing the right end of tenancy cleaning or house cleaning company!

Insider tip the 1st: "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." When ringing around to cleaning companies, ask about hidden fees, minimum booking charges, and late/cancellation penalties. A little common sense needs to be used here, so if you find an end of tenancy cleaning of your three-bedroom semi-detached for £80, chances are you're going to get fleeced.

Insider tip the 2nd: Don't pay until the job is done! If a company asks for your credit card details, for cash or for a check upon arrival, then have in mind that there's probably something murky about it and don't part with your money until the job is done and you're satisfied with the results. Find a company that guarantees their services, especially for end of tenancy cleaning, and takes payment only after the job has been finished. It is all too common among builders and carpet cleaning companies that once they've got the money in hand, they're as good as done whether the work is or not.

Insider tip the 3rd: Look for companies with full public and private liability insurance. When calling a company, make sure that you ask them about their past track record and what they do if they damage your carpets or other property. In the event that something goes wrong, chances are you will have to chase them down in order to have it righted. So, be smart and avoid such unpleasanties by taking the time to properly look for a company and pick the best one out!

After all, if getting a house cleaning company to help you with the housework would only cause you a bigger mess to clean up afterwards, then it's better you simply do it yourself, the old fashioned way, if necessary! The only important thing is, that when hubby comes back from work, you should have put the house back in order...

...and left him a glass of wine by the couch, so that he could drink it while you put on the table! I mean, you're a good wife, right?

The Good Wife's List of Places You Never Bother Cleaning!

A good wife knows that no matter how much you clean, the house is never clean enough. There's always a place or two that you would miss, whether deliberately or by accident. Now, if it is the former, then you, dear ladies, only need to pay a bit more attention to what you're doing. In case of the latter... Well, just think about your poor, hard-working hubby, spending all of his days at work, so that he can provide you with the best life possible. You own him something in return, don't you? So, in order to help you pay your hubby back for his efforts to look after you, I've compiled a list of places that usually never get cleaned!

Not cleaned place the 1st: Underneath the bed. Ever since you were a child, you didn't like or bother cleaning underneath your bed. Now, that might be due to some childhood trauma, like being told one too many times that there is a monster living under your bed, or it may be the result of your bad back and the lack of desire to put yourself in awkward positions in order to reach under the bed. All of these are excusable, as long as you're willing to call a house cleaning company and have them do the cleaning for you. After they're finished with everything else, of course. If you choose to take that course of action, make sure that it doesn't turn into a habit. Hubby won't be happy!

Not cleaned place the 2nd: Bathroom floor. It's a bit ironic, that even though you take a shower every day (or at least I presume you do), you never really take the time to clean the bathroom floor properly. The reasons here might be complex as well, and I could relate to your poor hubby not doing the dirty work for you, as he has no desire to clean your leg hair off the floor, but you... Is hubby's chest hair so repelling to you? If the answer is yes, shame on you! Get down on your knees and do what needs to be done right now!

Not cleaned place the 3rd: Kitchen pantry. So, you're one of those women who strongly believe in animals' rights and that our furry friends need to be left alone? Good for you, honey, but I bet it's even better for the mice! Yes, you read that right, if you don't take the time to clean the kitchen pantry properly, you might end up with a "mice invasion" on your hands... And then you'd have to admit your failure to keep the household safe to hubby, who'd be really, really disappointed!

Not cleaned place the 4th: Washing machine. Doing laundry twice a day might keep the clothes clean, but that doesn't mean that with time and lack of attention the washing machine won't get rusty and filthy inside. You don't believe me? Well, then wait till hubby's white shirt comes out with rust-stains and somewhat greyish color... Then you'd wish you'd heeded my word!

Not cleaned place the 5th (or the 1ast, if you count them in reverse order): Oven. Remember the tofu-turkey, which exploded last Christmas, or the chocolate cake that melted over the pan, or... My, if you've done both of these and more, than you're one bad, bad wife! Shame on you! Hubby deserves better... So do yourself a favor and get one of the cheap oven cleaning London companies to come and take care of the oven for you! And until you do, make sure you don't make any more soufflés in it... Think of hubby's delicate tummy!

 So, dear ladies, read the above carefully and with caution, right them down, and...

...go clean underneath the bed! Hubby's almost back from work already!

The Good Wife's Guide to Hiring a Cleaning Company!

Sometimes, dear ladies, even a good wife needs to take a couple of days off cleaning duties. For me, that time is the Holiday season, when I prefer to put my efforts into cooking the best possible Christmas dinner and choosing the prettiest of decorations, instead of doing my daily routine of home cleaning. After all, you could always hire a house cleaning company to do the dirty job for you, am I correct? So, without bothering hubby of course, I take some time off my domestic work, to look on google for the most suitable home cleaning company, that may come and give me a hand around the house for a day or two. Having in mind that I've been proceeding in such a manner for years now, I've come to realise that there are certain dealbreakers, when it comes to choosing a cleaning company of any sort. These are the 4 most important ones:

Dealbreaker the 1st: Price. Prices, dear ladies, that you could find from home cleaning companies working in London are hugely varied. Some companies cost twice or three times more than other, even though when asked about their cleaning methods, they give similar answers to those of their competitors. So, if you plan to hire professional cleaners as well, make sure that you search for the cheapest company,  which offers the services you need. After all, it's hubby's hard-earned money you'd be spending!

Dealbreaker the 2nd: Quality. This one already got a mention above, but I'd repeat it, so that it does "sink in" into your minds, dear ladies. Check out the site of the company you're considering hiring: most companies would take photos of the jobs they'd done and later on publish them on their sites, so that the casual viewer may get an idea of what to expect from their services. If you're not satisfied with what you see, then don't book the company!

Dealbreaker the 3rd: Convenience. Having considered the price and quality of cleaning, it comes down to convenience. Some companies might be overbooked, or only available at hours, which are not convenient to you, or - which is worse - be unreliable and keep on postponing your appointment over and over again! In order to prevent that from happening, look for references and discuss what hours are convenient for you with the company, before hiring them! If they wish to come over, when hubby's back from work... Tell them that a good wife puts her hubby's piece of mind before anything else!

Dealbreaker the 4th: Guarantee. Several companies I found offered a full guarantee on the work they did, offering to come back free of charge to clean anything their customers might not be satisfied with. Others, to my disappointment, insisted that there is no way they would not do the best job I could possibly get... Which is too cocky an attitude, for a clear-headed person not to consider suspicious! So, go with the company, which offers guarantees...

After all, if you don't hire the best, then how will you look hubby in eyes, when the cleaning bill comes in?

A Good Wife's Guide to Dealing with Neglected Housework!

Even a good wife has her bad days, when she's not on top of her game and might miss a dirty spot here or there, or forget that hubby doesn't like his soup too hot and serve it steaming. It's pretty annoying, bot easily forgiveable, if such behaviour stays the exception, not the rule! So, dear ladies, make sure that your "bad days" are down to a minimum and your "good days" are really, really good. A good wife knows that her hubby deserves the best 24/7 and it's our obligation to give it to him, no matter the cost! So, if there are any little jobs you've neglected doing around the house, for one reason or another, it's time to roll up your sleeves and take care of them! They've probably progressed into big jobs already anyway and pretty soon hubby will notice them... and you're lack of desire to deal with them! What will he think then?

Here's a list of such "small gone big" jobs and some useful tips on how to deal with them!

Neglected job the 1st: End of tenancy cleaning. For end of tenancy cleaning London landlords have some pretty strict and potentially expensive regulations. If you plan on vacating your current property, because hubby's found you a bigger and better house, you'll probably have a serious list of off cleaning jobs on your hands! So, make sure you consult your landlord on what he expects to find, when you vacate the house, then do as much work yourself as you could, before hiring some professionals to finish the job! Remember that it's your hard-working hubby's money you're spending!

Neglected job the 2nd: Waste removal. From cleaning your gutters and storm drains to getting rid of household rubbish in large quantities, waste removal can be a big one off cleaning job. It is also one of the few jobs that you, ladies, probably can't do on your own, and involving hubby is strictly unacceptable! A good wife never, ever bothers her hubby, when he comes home from work! It's a rule! So, best thing to do is to take advantage of one of the many companies for junk removal London has to offer! Play your cars right and hubby will never know how neglected those gutters were... And how lazy you could be sometimes!

Neglected job the 3rd: Bathrooms and kitchens. Stainless steel and porcelain or ceramic surfaces are among the hardest to clean, so luckily they don't need doing every day. If you plan on tackling your kitchen or bathroom as part of your one off cleaning efforts, try baby oil or denture cream and scrub as hard as possible! You can make it shine, if you really put your efforts into it!

Neglected job the 4th: The washing-up.  In my book, this doesn't quite qualify as a one off cleaning job, but, depending on how long you've left it for, it may certainly be a big cleaning job. The key here is motivation, don't procrastinate, don't watch telly while you do it, just get in there and get rid of the dishes. If you are really fearful, bin the dirty dishes, head to IKEA and start over again; just know that if you don't do them, no one else will. Especially not your hubby, after hours of working to pay for your little "pleasures" in life!

Neglected job the 5th: The oven. This one, dear ladies, always gets put off, after a soufflé explodes, because you've forgot it doing your nails (which no good wife would ever do, when there's unfinished housework!). So, the dirt gets piled up, until your oven is positively filthy and you should be embarrassed to even let your hubby go anywhere near it! You don't want to clean up after your own mess? Then get a professional to do it! Just don't prepare food in an oven, which looks as a battle field taken out of one of those Vietnamese movies! Positively shocking!

Bottom line is, ladies, no matter how many "bad days" you have, you always need to remember one thing: small cleaning jobs never vanish into thin air, so the longer you neglect doing them, the bigger they will become! And a good wife would never leave today's work for tomorrow, so... What are you waiting for? Grab that broomstick and go do some housework!

The Good Wife's Amazing Cleaning Facts!

Being a full time housewife, for it is both a job and a duty, dear ladies (don't let anyone tell you otherwise!), I have had a lot of time to contemplate on all matters of housekeeping and cleaning, and have reached the conclusion that there are some amazing facts about the latter, which you could learn only with experience! Still, in order to save you from discovering those secrets, let's call them, on your own, I've made a short list... So read it carefully and take notes, for it is your duty as a wife to make sure that your hubby will never, ever find out about any of those "facts"! This, dear ladies, is a burden only a good wife could carry!

Amazing cleaning fact the 1st. The kitchen, believe it or not, is usually the dirtiest place in the house. The bacteria that are left from food preparations and disposal throttle about the kitchen floor, in almost as big a quantity as in the toilet, when your son forgets to flush it! You wish to dispose of them? Invest in industrial strength antibacterial kitchen spray. But remember that you need to let the product sink in, so that it could do a proper job... Just spraying it and then wiping, will simply not do the trick! What you should do is spray, then go and run some other chores in the house - like folding your hubby's laundry - and in 20-25 minutes come back to the kitchen to scrub hard, before wiping with a clean cloth. Failure to use a clean cloth defeats the purpose entirely!

Amazing cleaning fact the 2nd. Your sofa is a breeding ground for dust mites, particles and microscopic allergy-causing specimen. If your hubby starts sneezing the moment he sits on it, it is your fault that you haven't cleaned it as good as possible! Professional sofa cleaning or a dedicated afternoon hoovering is required to get rid of the bacteria, that are affecting hubby's health! Victorian bashing of household furnishings with a broom handle out of doors is also helpful here. Imagine all those stray hairs and little particles of dead skin leaving your home. The thought is almost as warming as a freshly cooked chicken soup, isn't it?

Amazing cleaning fact the 3rd. Most adults spent upwards of 8 hours a week cleaning London homes and offices. If you have children, this figure could triple or even quadruple. So, if you're not a dedicated housewife, but a woman trying to build a career as well as raise a family, you should do the right thing and, instead of leaving the house "swimming" in dust, hire a professional home cleaning company to do the dirty work for you. After all, there is nothing wrong in admitting that you're unable to fulfil your duties on your own... As long as you have a job, that is! If you're just lazing off the whole day and expect hubby to pay extra cash for that... Then you're not a good wife!

Amazing cleaning fact the 4th. Club soda is great for cleaning emergencies. Forget the old wives tales about white wine removing red wine stains unless you want a larger stain composed of both red and white wine. Apply club soda for sofa cleaning or onto your clothes or carpets and gently dab away the moisture, and the stain, with a dry cloth. This one you should write down, ladies!

Amazing cleaning fact the 5th. Last, but not least: dirt comes from the outside! Want to stand up to your hubby? Well, now's the time to do it! Tell him to take his shoes off before he enters the house, otherwise he will be bringing all the dirt inside! If he's not happy with the suggestion, offer him a foot-rub. Men just can't refuse those! 

Bottom line is, you need to put both thought and effort into the act, when cleaning! Otherwise, you're nothing else, but a bad, bad wife! And your hubby deserves better, right?

The Good Wife's Guide to a Successful Party!

Hosting a good party, that would impress and inspire people to admire her husband and household, is one of a good wife's main duties. It should be planned in such a way that it could be both fun and rewarding, to both the hosts and the attendants. Naturally, the art of throwing an ideal social gathering does not come instinctively to all women, so here are a few basic rules to follow, in order for your party to be a success. So, take your pens and notebooks out, ladies... And follow my lead!

The first and foremost thing, when hosting a small, private soiree or a public gala, is to plan thoroughly and to make most of your resources and imagination. So, write down the 5 guidelines I will give you now... And follow them step by step!

1) Location. Is the party going to be in your home or somewhere else? Make a guest-list, ladies, count the number of guests and then think carefully, whether the venue you pick could hold them all, or are you going to be faced with the embarrassing situation of having to "stuck people together" like sheep.  That does not make a good impression! A lasting one, sure, but definitely not good! Also, make sure you consider your new carpet and all those objects d'art that can be knocked or broken, so that you don't have lots of damages to explain to your hubby! Lastly, always, and I mean it - always! - inspect a private venue, before you throw your party there! You found a rental apartment in the newspaper and want to use it? Then go check it out! There may be things that need fixing, you may need to call a window cleaning London company, or else! Remember that your guests will judge not only your clothes and jewellery, but also you skills as a hostess!

2) Theme. Take it from someone who's been a "social flirt" her whole life, you can never go wrong with a theme party! Mexican food and margaritas, masks in the vein of the Carnival of Venice... All of those will be a hit, if you make sure the atmosphere is authentic and the guests: well fed and steadily supplied with drinks!

3) Budget. Make sure your grandiose plans fit your pocketbook. Remember that it is not you who earns that money with sweat on their forehead, but your hubby, and it would be disrespectful if you ruin his budget, because you didn't count the costs of the margaritas right! Your party can be a hit even without expensive champagne and huge bowls of caviar! Though, if you could afford it, go for it!

4) Food and Drink. Once again, the budget will decide what's on your menu! In certain settings, wine and French cheese might be enough to satisfy your guests, so that no other alcohol needs to be present. Other times, not having anything to drink, but wine, would look cheap and... petty. Also, make sure that you have enough food to serve on the table, so that the guests can feel certain that if they decide, they can refill their plates, instead of making plans to order pizza, when they get back home. O, and try not to run back and forth, between the dining room and the kitchen, while you're supposed to wittily entertain... It is not polite!

5) Clean up. Even if your party is as successful as you've envisioned it, there would still be the occasional mess to clean afterwords. So make your plans in such a way, that you may take care of it fast and swift... Hire a home cleaning company, if you're not certain that you'd be able to deal with the after-party clean up on your own! Just don't drag your hubby into this... The man needs to get some rest, OK?

Follow these guidelines, and before you know it, your parties will be the talk of the town. Ignore them and... Well, being on the bottom of the social scale can't be that bad, right?

A Good Wife's First Rule!

There are only 2 things that a good wife needs to know: how to clean and how to set the table! So, if you're capable of neither, dear ladies, please sit back and read... For I will make you the wife of every man's dreams! As for your house...

Who said that cleaning cannot be a way of life?

Back on point! Have you noticed how sometimes it can be difficult to decide when to opt for professional tenancy cleaning or carpet cleaning and when to take the DIY route? You have? Good, because now I will help you make that choice, while cooking your hubby a warm meal!

So, the first and most important things to consider are your own abilities, the expenses and, if these apply, the conditions of your lease or tenancy! The most important rule is: if you can't afford it or don't want to do it yourself, don't put it off indefinitely! Find some professionals and let them deal with it!

Do you read the papers, ladies? There are literally dozens of end of tenancy cleaning services in London, and these are you're best bet to either get your bond back if you're a tenant, or to put your property "back to shape" if you are a landlord or home-owner!

In many cases, you might be bound by your lease to have a property professionally cleaned before you vacate it, so, if that is the case, your best bet is to mention that vital information to some potential end of tenancy cleaning London companies. If you search for one long enough and hard enough, you might even get a cheaper price, so make sure you don't jump on the first company you see! Research, ladies, is essential to a good wife's cause!

From DIY perspective, looking for carpet cleaning prices might be trickier, as it is not something you could do yourself, per se, even though there are plenty of department store cleaning kits to be tried! The second most important rule, ladies: scrub it off, until you get it out! There are lots of TV channels and shows which advice you to buy some cleaning dues ex machina, that is supposed to serve as a sort of "clean all", but, dear ladies, if your carpet is old and aged, the colors faded and the material itself almost transparent, then no matter how many of those "magic" solutions you use, it won't mean a thing! But it will cause a hustle that your poor hubby might not enjoy... So, the smart thing to do is to get some professionals to deal with the carpets! Good carpet cleaning services can prolong your carpet's life with years... And they won't cost as much as buying a new carpet! 

Now, if you're just looking for an excuse to get your hubby to change the carpets with new ones... Then you can "leave them to the vultures", so to speak! After all, it's your life and money...

Or is that your hard-working husband's money?