Luxuries should be a treat!
A nail salon that I have gone to for the last couple of years recently changed ownership.  The girl that did my nails on a regular basis started telling me how bad things were getting there.  She purchased her own salon and I followed her over there.  Everything went well on my first visit, but by my second appointment she started "nickel and diming" me without telling me the extra cost up front.  For me, this really is a luxury that I set money aside for each week.  She also posted a sign on the desk, that they would prefer to be tipped in cash.  Wouldn't we all!
I trusted her business to do the right thing, but I feel she did not appreciate the fact that many people went out of their way in order to support her business.  Last week I decided to return to my old nail salon to see how "bad" it had really gotten.  The place was extremely clean (as always) and the "new" owners (Who already had worked there for years.) were extremely thankful that we came back.  They always let you know there is an extra charge, before they do the service.  When you are informed, most people would be willing to pay for the extra services.
We realize that time is money! 
Do not "nickel and dime"! Charge what you think the service or product is worth.  Bundling seems to be a popular option right now, and if people ask, you can always break things up and give your customer the choice to include exactly what they want.  This applies to most businesses, and although there are still extra services you offer that many don't need on a regular basis, be ready with a price when the time comes.  
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.  Sometimes the job is more important than the time in the long run.  It keeps clients happy so that they will be happy to continue using your business.  
We hope you have a luxurious Thursday!

Don't be a pessimist and see difficulty in every opportunity. 
Be an optimist who sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Professionalism makes all the difference in how you present yourself and your business.  Every day is a new start, think about how you can make simple improvements that will help your business prosper.  How do  you feel when you enter a place of business and it's dirty or has a funky smell.  You don't want to go back.
Be kind to your budget and the environment.  For stress free maintenance, give our green team a call.  We can help you set up a cleaning schedule that works for you and keeps everybody happy and healthy.
We hope you have a very Happy Morning!

Good morning!  
Did you wake up feeling happy and enthusiastic about life?
Me either...It's Monday, I was grumpy and I just wanted coffee.  The weekend went by so fast that I didn't have time to accomplish everything I had wanted to.  When you have a challenging week ahead, it's always nice to have coffee to rely on.  It tastes like hopes and dreams, and it doesn't hurt to have that little caffeine boost.
As I was washing all the dishes left in the sink this morning, I started thinking about the items that you shouldn't put in the dishwasher. (I was also thinking of a lot of other things, but this was the only thing I could include in this blog.)  So, I am doing a follow-up to a blog I did a few weeks ago about things you can  put in the dishwasher.  
10 things that are not dishwasher safe:
Today's dishwashers have individual racks and holders that separate everything along with more gentle cleaning cycles that are meant to clean grease and food off of dirty dishes.  I am guilty of putting several of these in the dishwasher, but after researching for some old, really grimy cast iron skillets I found in the garage I have learned what needs good old-fashioned cleaning.
CAST IRON SKILLETS
I didn't realize that Grand-ma had spent years seasoning these with love and that they needed to be preserved.  They seem so sturdy that you could run them through a car wash and they would survive.  But not the case, they require gentle washing and drying. Then you coat them with a little bit of cooking oil before putting them away.
NON-STICK POTS AND PANS
Some brands are safe, read the manufacture's instructions to be sure.  You wouldn't want to compromise the whole reason you bought them.
INSULATED MUGS AND CUPS
The insulating effect can be ruined it the outer and inner layers fill with water when they are in the dishwasher.  Be sure to protect those Tervis cups you have invested so much money in!
SOFT PLASTICS
Soft plastic bottles and containers can warp in the high heat.
BOTTLES AND JARS WITH LABELS
​The adhesives can damage the dishwasher as well as stick to other items in the dishwasher making even more of a mess.  
GRATERS, GARLIC PRESSES & MICROPLANES
These items can remain clogged and dirty when placed in the dishwasher.  They are best cleaned using a soft brush.
WOOD CUTTING BOARDS, UTENSILS AND BOWLS
The heat can cause them to warp, bend and break.  Have you ever forgot and put a wooden spoon in the dishwasher?
CRYSTAL
I mentioned this before as something you do not want to put in the dishwasher.  It's an expensive investment, you don't want to take a chance with.  It could break or chip, as well as dull when placed in the dishwasher.  
VINTAGE DINNERWARE AND ITEMS TRIMMED IN GOLD
Hand wash these to maintain their nice finish and value.
COPPER
Hand wash only with a mild soap, so you don't dull the copper's shine.
I hope these tiny tips help with any dish washing dilemmas you might come across in the future.  Of course, you could always eat out and avoid having to use the dishwasher at all!
​We hope you have a wonderful Monday full of hopes and dreams, as well as a tasty cup of coffee!
​
​

Ahoy Landlubbers! If ye wishes to be celebratin International Talk like a Pirate Day, ye can a spuak like a parrot or recite some salty poetry.  Or, ye can be speak'n like a pirate in no time by looking up the website SpeakPirate.com.  
We like to make our blog fun and exciting some times by celebrating different, non-traditional holidays.  We enjoy the movies that Johnny Depp has made about Pirates of the Caribbean and we did not want to pass up the chance to speak "pirate".  So, keep a weathered eye on the horizon, we will return to our regular way of speakin in the near future.
Blimey! Does yer haven of toil look like it's been pondered??
Alas!  Bestow us a call, we can help.
​Arrright?

Our calendar for the next few months is so busy, it almost makes us dizzy.  The official start of Autumn is just a few days away.  Fall provides many opportunities to celebrate not only the holidays, but also the hint of cooler weather.  We can drive a few short hours to find all things fall: such as places to go apple picking and stock up on fresh apple cider.  (One of our faves!)  Pumpkin patches are getting ready to host families seeking great pumpkins to carve and decorate for Halloween.  Many festivals and farmer's markets are setting up with many amazing one-of-a-kind items to sell and unique, mouth-watering foods to try.     
We make it a point to visit and support these local vendors who are an amazing part of our community.  It's a fun way to help these wonderful farmers, craftsmen and cooks survive and thrive.  Buying from local farmers gives you access to fresh eggs, grass fed meats and fresh fruits and vegetables.  It's nice to have a connection to the people behind the products or the services.  They know the products you buy or the services you request on a regular basis and can accommodate you to make the experience even better.
We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with some wonderful local businesses.  When you support local businesses, you get a better level of service than larger chain stores or franchises who are indifferent to their customers and clients.  Having the owner nearby means better and more personal service.  It's impressive  to think about the labor, time and commitment these hard-working people contribute to not only start their business but keep them alive!
Connect with your local community by using small businesses and services.

 Did you know that you can clean all kinds of stuff in your dishwasher?  
Some of it is obvious and some, not so much.  Kids plastic toys can be tossed into a mesh bag to keep them all together and away from moving parts.  Rubber shoes, boots and small window screens.  I run the screen over the stove through the dishwasher several times a year.  Scrub brushes and kitchen sponges as well as hair brushes and combs.  Some of these things can run through a normal cycle with dishwasher safe dishes.
I have put baseball caps and visors in by themselves and ran them through a quick cycle.  They weren't expensive ones just extra dirty and they turned out fantastic.  (Kind of a bummer as my husband wore them all the time and I was hoping to toss them in the trash.)
I also regularly wash pet bowls and water dishes to prevent bacteria growth.  Plastic toy pet toys wash well, but don't run rope toys or rawhide.  It's best to just throw them away when they get to worn out.
Glass globes in light fixtures can be run through the delicate cycle, but skip the high heat dry option.  Be sure that they are room temperature when you put them in and that they are spaced away from each other so they don't hit or rub against each other.  Avoid washing antique or hand painted items, especially if they have gold trim.  Be extra cautious with fragile items.
Be a bit cautious and follow manufacturer care of specific items.  Many things are surprisingly labeled "dishwasher safe".  Check the product online as there are also plenty of items that you shouldn't run through the dishwasher.
If you need some tips on how to clean the dishwasher after washing all those awesome things, here are some very simple tips.  Clean the drain out and place a cup full of white vinegar in the top rack and run through with the hottest setting.  After that cycle, sprinkle a little baking soda over the bottom of dishwasher and run through a short cycle.  It should sparkle and smell fresh after that.
Happy Weekend!

That's all it took for our daughter to end up injured on the job.  For all the time that they required for training, you would think that they would have included wearing a back brace for heavy lifting.  She was not informed until after the fact that this item actually required two people to lift it, they were too busy yelling in her ear to get it done.  Now, we are spending our time between doctor visits and physical therapy.  She is in pain and frustrated about these turn of events.
A safe working environment is based on how well all the people who work for a company adhere to the standards.  Employees should be well informed about work place safety and be able to identify unsafe situations.  Making well-informed safety decisions during daily routine tasks should become easy after receiving proper training. 
Employers should know the particular hazards of the job and make sure that all employees involved are aware of potentially hazardous areas or situations.  Our company trains our new employees a minimum of two weeks,  so they are fully aware of what we do and how we do it.  We are very careful when we mix products or ingredients.  We never combine incompatible products that can cause harm to either people or the environment.
So, even though it seems like everybody and their brother can do commercial cleaning, there are a few hazards that you must be aware of.  One particular problem we have had in the 35+ years we have been in business, is the people within the companies we work for throwing away broken glass.  We now ask up front that they mark the trash can with a sticker informing us of the trash can contains broken glass.  This gives us fair warning of the contents, and we can dispose of it properly.
Hope you have a terrific and safe Thursday.

,Where did this week go?
I can't believe it's Friday already!  As a follow-up to our last blog, we did finally finish painting our kitchen.   The clogged sink really put a strain on finishing the project in a timely manner.  Upon making a trip to the hardware store to find a better solution for clearing that clog, I was quite disappointed in the plunger selection.  Where were different colors of plungers I had read about? How was I supposed to color coordinate what plunger went where?  But, they do have quite a big selection of augers (or snakes, as Ron called it) to help remove the clog waaaay down in the pipes.  He went on to explain in some detail about how these work, sadly, my eyes glazed over and I didn't quite get all the details to share with you.  He is a hard worker who possesses common sense in order to get things done, at home and on the job.  So, I had confidence that he could finish the job without my help.  He did!
One tiny tip I remember hearing about was filling in all the nail holes left behind using white toothpaste. The drywall joint compound I had stored away had dried out and was unusable.  Since I did not want to make another trip to the hardware store, this seemed to work and the paint covered it well.  I was a little concerned with the fact that while wiping off the excess toothpaste, it also removed quite a bit of blue paint with it.  I have several inconspicuous spots of leftover paint that I could not remove even with a sledge hammer, so that was a little unnerving to say the least. 
Get your priorities straight
When things go well, positive energy seems easy to harness.  It's all about how you want to spend your time.   Focus on what's important and take the right steps to meet your goals and priorities.  You don't need to be perfect, just strive to be better than you were yesterday.  Make a to-do list and imagine how good you will feel when you can cross off items.  
If one of the items on your list is to find a new cleaning service because your current one doesn't produce the results you want.  Contact us, we really enjoy and appreciate working with new clients and showing them how spectacular their businesses can look when they hire a local company who cares about them.  Since no two businesses are alike, the owner is very accommodating and understanding of this.  We don't sign long term contracts, so you don't have anything to lose.  Just more time to do what you need to do without distractions.  He is extremely hands on and the very best way to reach him is by using phone number 602-316-4407.
Happy Friday everyone!  Forget all the bad things you have encountered this week and have a great weekend!!