As being a homeowner, and having carpet floors, you will at some point say “ should I just get hardwood floors. As beautiful as hardwood floors are, they don’t come cheap. Hardwood floors are often the most expensive to install, but they will have a long-lasting power and will be the best for your investment in the long run. However, having real hardwood floors can be a lot to maintain. The following is a guide for everything you need to know about maintaining your hardwood floors.
It can be super easy to forget about your floors, due to loads of laundry you have piled up, or your busy work schedule. Managing your hardwood floors should only take about 20-30 minutes per day depending on how much you have throughout your home. Wood floors are more sensitive than you think. To properly manage your wood floors, they need to be swept, mopped, and dusted on a regular basis. This is required to help maintain their shine. When mopping, be careful not to use any harsh chemicals or too much water. Chemicals and too much water will end up causing damage to your floors. Vacuuming is also a good way to manage your floors but you have to vacuum with caution. When vacuuming, don’t use your old vacuum cleaner, set your vacuum on to the bare floor setting to minimize your chances of ruining your floors.
Your next step is to clean your floors monthly with wood cleaner. A wood cleaner is meant to keep your floors healthy and shiny. Using certain wood cleaners will help maintain their strength and help them look absolutely stunning year-round. When cleaning your floors with wood cleaning, make sure you are wiping the same way that the wood grains run. This will increase the results by making sure you are getting all the dirt and oil out of the cracks and crevices in the flooring. The wood cleaner also helps prevent discoloration. You can also check for discoloration by lifting up rugs that you have laid out on your floors. You will be able to see a color difference, if you notice a color difference, then your floors have probably been damaged by the sun. To protect your floors from the UV rays of the sun, you can pull your drapes or blinds during the peak sunlight hours.
No matter how much you take care of your hardwood floors, you will always need to get some professional help sometime down the line. The reason you may need some help with your floors is due to your floors needing deep cleaning, a sanding, and even some refinishing treatments. Deep cleaning is used to attack dirt, oil, or grime that builds up over time. Sanding and refinishing treatments finish the job to make your floors look good as new. Some good habits to get into include when moving furniture, make sure you lift everything so you aren’t scratching your hardwood floors.
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The best way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your hardwood floors is to take good care of them every day. Use the wood floor cleaner guide above to help you create and stick to a good schedule to ensure that your wood floors are getting the right maintenance they need.
As a vacation rental cleaner, you never know what you are going to walk into once the guests have checked out. Your first impression of the guest can go one of two ways. The first way you are going to walk into the house and the guests have completed the checkout list that the owner has provided. If this is the way that you walk in, your clean is going to go great and you normally won’t have problems. The second way is that you are going to walk in, the rental is going to be completely used, and nothing is done on the checkout list. If you walk into a super used rental, your clean is going to be tougher, and you are usually going to be there longer than intended.
Having Checkout Suggestions
When guests check out of a vacation rental, Moxie Girl leaves a complimentary checklist for the guest to follow to make our clean and arrival so much easier. Some of our suggestions include stripping the beds or starting towels in the washer, starting the dishwasher, and taking out the trash. Just by doing one of these simple tasks can make a Moxie Girl’s cleaning go so much smoother. When we walk into a vacation rental, and the guests have left the place without doing any of the checklists, then the cleaner stresses once they get there debating on how the cleaning is going to take them.
Not using Checkout Suggestions
When guests check out of a vacation rental and don’t use any of the checklist suggestions, it can make our job so much more stressful. I’ll give an example, here at Moxie Girl, when cleaning a vacation rental we sometimes encounter a same day turn, which means the cleanings need to take place in between a guest checking out that day and new guests arriving the same day. When cleaning a home that is same day flip you’re on a time crunch. So, when guests leave a bunch of towels, and bedding used then we are responsible to clean all of the laundries, but with guests starting a load of laundry it makes our cleaning go a little smoother and can cut an hour or so off the cleaning time. Another suggestion for guests is picking up and taking all their trash out, by doing this it doesn’t take up our cleaning time, and we have more time to focus on the resetting of the home and getting the vacation rental ready for their next guest. So next time you stay at a vacation rental, keep your cleaners in mind and partake in the check out suggestions.
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With everyone’s lifestyles usually being super busy, no one ever has time to deep clean their home the right way. Your life is always on the run, everyday matters can get in the way, and that can bring down your lack of energy to do anything, especially cleaning. Even though most people try to make an effort and deep clean their homes every weekend, the amount of effort it takes, to actually do it right, is very tiring. After deep cleaning, you usually are going to be too tired to enjoy your weekend. Especially with Covid-19 going on right now, everyone is staying home which means, extra dirt and dust are being accumulated. With that being said, there is another option you can take, and that is calling a deep clean service company.
Who to call
Once you have decided that you don’t want to deep clean your own house, then you start to look up services. Once you have started to look up cleaning services, make sure you are looking at what all they are offering. Expert house cleaners’ tasks are usually your regular cleaning with a ton of extra detail. Extra details include cleaning the insides of ovens, microwaves, fridges, and drawers. We also will try to get any scuffs off the walls, clean doors, and window seals. We pay extra attention to everything in your home and do our best to make it look brand new. Our professionals will make sure that your home is cleaned from the top to the bottom. Since COVID-19 hit, everyone is scared to catch anything. But at Moxie, we use a disinfectant that is sure to keep you and your family safe. Our priorities are keeping our guests healthy and happy. If you would like your vacation rental deep cleaned you can call Moxie Girl and someone from our helpful team, will be happy to help and address any questions you may have.
With everything going on in this crazy world right now, most of you are way too busy to clean or even give your house a nice deep cleaning. When your life gets way too busy, things start to clutter up and dust particles start to multiply quickly. With this Moxie blog, we will make a quick and easy checklist to make sure you are hitting all the right spaces, and areas in your home. We will also hit on what to clean during certain seasons throughout the year.
Where to start on your cleaning
Most people out there hate cleaning, but we know that some people actually love to clean. For those of you who hate cleaning, the first step is to get some motivation boosted up for the day, and for those who love cleaning, let’s get started. So first things first, the best way to start your cleaning is to go room by room and complete one room at a time, so you aren’t all over the place and trying to remember what was cleaned and what wasn’t. The second step is to start on the top floor of your home and work your way to the bottom floor. You do this process so dust will fall to the first floor, and you won’t be cleaning something twice. Now you have picked where you want to start, let’s get started.
Bedrooms
So I usually start in the bedrooms, so that is where my blog will start. The first thing I do is strip all your bedding off including sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers or comforters, then start them in the washer, since laundry is going to take a while. The next thing that I would do is flip or rotate my mattresses because no one wants to feel those springs poking into your back. Next, you are going to want to start from the top of the room and work your way down to the bottom. Start with that ceiling fan, because we all know those collect so much dust and wipe all the cobwebs down from the corners. Next, dust all of your other surfaces including your dressers, headboards, nightstands, window ceils, and don’t forget to wash your baseboards. Before making your bed, clean underneath it and collect all those dirty clothes, empty water bottles, and anything else you store under there. If you are really in the cleaning mood. You can go into your closet and organize it, and get rid of any clothes that you aren’t gonna wear. Grab some clean sheets because making the bed is next. Once you have your bed made, you’re ready for the floors. Grab your vacuum and get all those dust bunnies and all the excess dust that you dusted off your furniture. The last step, if you have hardwood in your house, mop your floors with some hot water, and mix it with a floor cleaner. I prefer Pinesol to make the room smelling fresh. Finish the room off by spraying some febreeze and you are now finished. Continue this list throughout every bedroom of your house and then check bedrooms off your list.
Bathrooms
Next, let’s start in the bathroom, just like the bedrooms, start from the top and work your way to the bottom of the room. So I start with taking out my bath mats and throwing them in the washer. Then start with dusting, dust all light fixtures, and clear cobwebs out of all corners. Once done, I start with the mirrors and other surfaces. I use dawn dish soap because it’s a great degreaser and it’s non-toxic. Once you have your dawn dish soap, put it on a washcloth, and run hot water over. Wipe down your mirror, then grab a microfiber towel to wipe dry. Then continue the process with your countertops. I also use dawn dish soap to wipe out the sinks but you can use comet as well. Comet is also a good cleaner to dump into your bathtub and toilet bowl as well. Use a scrub brush and scrub the bathtub floor, and a toilet brush to clean your toilet bowl. Next, you can use your dawn soap and wipe down the outside of the toilet. Follow these steps and continue throughout all your bathrooms.
Kitchen
New day, new room. Kitchens are a very important room in your house, it’s the room that most of your guests will see first. So just like every other room, start with dusting and knocking down all the cobwebs. You can use dawn dish soap to clean everything in your kitchen. So damp your rag, and let’s get started. Go cabinet by cabinet and take everything out, once everything is out wipe down all the shelving and reorganize your cabinets. Do the same thing with your refrigerator, wipe down all the shelves and drawers, and then reorganize your refrigerator and throw out any old food. Next, take your dish washcloth and wipe down all your countertops, appliances inside and out, and the outside of all cabinet surfaces. Now take your vacuum and get all those access crumbs, and take your pinesol water and mop. You have now deep cleaned your kitchen.
Common Areas
Finally, you are in your last part of the home. Again start from the top and work your way to the bottom. Grab your duster, and dust your ceiling fans, and knockdown any cobwebs in the corners. Next wipe down your surfaces, including all your furniture. Common areas are pretty easy to complete, next vacuum, and mop if you have hardwood throughout your living rooms. Finally, your house is clean and it’s time for you to relax and enjoy your clean home.
Extra Tips
Additionally, there are some tasks that you’ll encounter in almost every room of your house. Some tasks include tossing unused or expired household items, moving furniture to wash baseboards, and changing smoke detector batteries. Once you have completed this checklist, you now have a clean home. If you own a vacation rental and want to have it deep cleaned, contact Moxie Girl or STRM. We have a great team, that will be sure to help you out with all your cleaning requests.
In an effort to give back to our community, Moxie Girl, the Valley’s Vacation Rental Specialists, recently organized a shoe drive to benefit Esperanza Prep. The school, located in Tempe, Arizona, offers a complete circle of care model to about 180 students, according to its Facebook page .
Esperanza Prep helps provide kids in need with necessities such as clothes, shoes and personal hygiene items – even a place to do their laundry – with the belief that if basic needs are met, these kids are able to focus more thoroughly on learning.
The Moxie Girl team began collecting new and gently-worn shoes at the beginning of June, and were able to deliver 68 pairs to Esperanza Prep by mid-July, just in time to help students and their families get back-to-school ready!
Esperanza’s complete circle of care model also includes a food pantry, counseling services, and medical and dental care, so there are plenty of ways to donate to their cause and help dramatically increase these students chances of a successful school year.
Moxie Girl is a leader in the care of vacation rental homes, providing service to over 100 vacation properties throughout the Valley of the Sun.CLICK HEREto find out how Moxie Girl can make your life as a vacation rental homeowner easier than ever!
Have you thought about life as a Moxie Girl Vacation Rental Assistant? Our Moxies enjoy flexible scheduling, a very supportive team environment and plenty of opportunity for personal and career growth! Sound good?CLICK HERE to tell us about yourself!
Moxie Girl is always thrilled that you love our services and recommend us to your family, friends, and associates!
We received a call recently from a friend telling us she had recommended Moxie to a friend of hers who was converting his Paradise Valley home to a vacation rental and may need our help stocking the home for guests. As it turned out, he REALLY needed help!
We got a call at 11 am from the property owner and found out that the “cart” was actually well ahead of the “horses.” The owner had already booked the home for the holiday weekend and there were five guys on their way – TODAY!
Moxie to the Rescue!
Moxie Girl rose to the challenge and went to the home immediately for a walk-through. Although the homeowner had pillaged a few scant items from his other properties, the house still needed, oh…just about EVERYTHING!
Making our long list of “must-haves” based on Moxie’s vast experience in the vacation rental industry, Moxie Girl told the owner they’d be back in a few hours with everything he would need. Have you ever really thought about the things you might need to use in the course of even a weekend? Here’s a partial list of what was purchased that day:
Basic Necessities – Hand soap, paper towels, tissues, trash bags, CORKSCREW (Gasp! Imagine settling in and not being able to open the wine!)
Done and Done!
Like a pink tornado, Moxies was off, scooping up all the items on her list and was back to the home, unpacked and made the vacation rental guest-ready by 4 pm! Just in time for the guys to start enjoying the holiday weekend!
While we don’t encourage waiting until the very last minute to stock your vacation rental home, you can be confident that with our extensive vacation rental, Airbnb, and Vrbo know-how, Moxie Girl is always the best choice, no matter when you call! Click for a FREE CONSULTATION!
Moxie Girl knows that one of our biggest assets is our outstanding team – and we look for a whole lot of, well, MOXIE when adding to it! In the first of a series, we are shining our spotlight on our Moxie, Cat.
Catherine, Cat for short, joined the Moxie Girl team in May of 2017 and quickly began showing off her propensity for bed-making. With her “hospital corners”, pillows fluffed to dreamy perfection and an eye for eye-catching designs, Cat doesn’t just ‘make a bed’ – she creates a comfy and inviting work of domestic art!
I recently had an opportunity to catch up with Cat and get a little more insight into our own Queen of Bed-Making…
Moxie Girl: Other than your passion for bed-making, what should we know about you?
Cat:I am humanist, born and raised in Arizona and currently studying psychology & philosophy.
MG: Have you always been what some people might call “obsessed” with bed-making perfection?
Cat:Working for Moxie Girl has definitely enabled and encouraged my “obsession for bed making perfection”. I have always appreciated a beautiful bed, but was not always able to put one together.
MG: Who first taught you to make a bed? Does this fascination with bed-making run in your family?
Cat:I don’t remember if my parents taught me how to make a bed or if I taught myself… However, I was professionally trained on how to make a bed at Moxie Girl by Wendy. Neither of my parents are obsessed with beds but I do have a few obsessive bed-making aunties.
MG: Do you make your own bed every day? Do you take the time to get fancy with it?
Cat: I like to make my bed every day! It just makes me feel like I’ve got life figured out. BUT the only time I really make my bed is when I first lay fresh sheets.
MG: What’s your favorite source of inspiration for creative bed dressing? What is your current favorite look or design?
Cat:I love to look on Pinterest for different ways to make beds. Nothing beats a big white fluffy bed. I consider my style minimal and simplistic!
MG: I happen to know you’re also an expert at folding sheets. Is there a task that frustrates you to the same degree most people get frustrated by attempting to neatly fold a fitted sheet?
Cat:I cannot bear ironing! I hate ironing dress clothes. I am simply just not good at it!
MG:What do you feel are the three most important qualities of a Moxie Girl?
Cat: Kindness, grit and playfulness.
MG: What is YOUR favorite thing about being a Moxie Girl?
Cat: My favorite thing about being a Moxie girl is getting to learn new things from all of the angles of the business, whether it’s learning how to market and network or learning new ways to make a room beautiful.
All beds above made by Catherine!
Awwww…Cat, you make any room more beautiful just by being in it!
In addition to keeping our Moxie Girls (and boys!) motivated and engaged in providing our clients with excellent service, we also strive to support and encourage our Moxies in their professional – and personal – goals!
With our professional paid training, flexible scheduling and all supplies included, Moxie Girl offers an excellent opportunity to thrive. Think you’ve got what it takes to join our team? Moxie Girl is expanding and we’d love to have you come to grow with us. Click on the application and tell us about yourself!
Summer is here and you’ve booked a fantastic vacation rental home in the Phoenix area – how exciting! If you’ve never visited Phoenix in the summer before, here are a few pointers to help you stay safe and enjoy your desert adventure.
Hot Enough for Ya?
Yes, it’s hot! And it’s not always a very dry heat. While the humidity level in Phoenix is generally far below much of the rest of the US, even 30% humidity, when combined with our high temperatures can seem pretty extreme. Moxie Girl cannot emphasize enough the importance of staying hydrated. Always carry plenty of fresh drinking water with you, especially when walking or driving in the desert. Drink water before – yes before – you feel thirsty. That thirsty feeling is a sign that you are already on your way to dehydration.
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash
Hats and sunglasses offer protection from the sun, and sunscreen is a MUST! The higher the SPF, the more protection the sunscreen will provide, but even a waterproof sunscreen should be reapplied periodically to ensure sun safety. The desert sun is most damaging between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, so limited exposure during those hours is best. Try taking advantage of cooler early morning temperatures for recreational walking, hiking or biking!
Holy Haboobs, Batman!
Summer weather in the Valley often goes from “beautiful, hot and sunny” to dangerous, in short order! Monsoon season can start as early as June and last well into September – and is capable of bringing massive dust storms (called haboobs – really, you can Google it!) heavy rains, crazy wind and flash flooding.
Washes, natural water overflow passes, are abundant in the Arizona desert. You may notice the “Do Not Cross When Flooded” signs posted at many of these washes – and these warnings are not without good reason. Abrupt and heavy rain can cause the washes to flood within minutes, turning a dry desert into a rapidly moving river. A wash you may think doesn’t look “that” flooded, may actually be far deeper and faster moving than you would imagine. Enough people have tried to drive through flooded washes, necessitating emergency rescues that Arizona now has a “stupid motorist law” and may charge the stranded motorist up to $2000 to cover the cost of the rescue. And you don’t want to make your television debut from the roof of your vehicle on the 6 o’clock news, do you?
It is likely you may see an approaching haboob in time to get inside or, if you are driving, find a safe spot to pull off the road as far as possible. These massive dust storms can bring visibility to zero in a matter of seconds! The Arizona Department of Transportation advises pulling off the paved road as far as safely possible and turning off all your lights, so as not to confuse traffic that may be approaching from behind. Stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt on and wait for the dust storm to pass.
Photo from Arizonasfamily Instagram account.
Urban Desert is Still Desert
Perhaps your vacation rental home is in the center of town with lots of nearby bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, but please remember you are still in the desert. Our wildlife may visit even heavily populated areas in search of food. Moxie Girl knows how exciting it can be to spot a javelina or a coyote – especially if you have never seen one in real life! And generally speaking, javelinas and coyotes are non-aggressive towards humans – unless they feel threatened.
But, consider that what may feel non-threatening to YOU could seem quite the opposite to the animal involved, especially if it has young ones nearby. Yes, a selfie with a wild desert boar WOULD be awesome but consider the potential consequences. (Have you noticed the teeth and tusks on those things?) It’s always advisable to observe any wild creature from a safe distance. Never provoke, get close to, or attempt to handle any of the creatures you may encounter. Think how silly you would feel if you died trying to pet something you shouldn’t – and on vacation, no less!
Vacationers with pets, especially small dogs, should never leave their pets outside unattended – even in a fenced yard – since the desert is home to some large birds of prey as well.
Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash
Ouch, That Hurt!
They are unique – and many are quite beautiful – but treat any unfamiliar desert plant the way you would a wild animal and keep your distance. Moxie Girl knows you wouldn’t deliberately stick your hand in a cactus but we even have some cactus that “jumps.” Trust us when we say you do not want to add “cactus spine removal” to your summer vacation itinerary. It is also wise to note that even though they may not be cactus or even a spiny succulent, many desert plants sport sharp points and the other unpleasantness. So your best bet is simply to DO NOT TOUCH.
Photo by Zella Duda on Unsplash
What IS That?
In addition to our native plants, birds, and mammals, the Arizona desert is also home to a variety of things you may NOT want to encounter…such as scorpions. They love to get comfy in those hiking boots you left outside! Best not to give them the opportunity in the first place, but always be sure to give any items left outside, such as towels or shoes, a good shake before putting them on or taking them in the house, to make sure there are no surprises! Seek medical treatment immediately should you fall victim to a scorpion’s sting.
It’s likely you may see other creepy crawlies, especially during our summer monsoon season. Yes, they are horrifying to look at, but giant desert roaches really won’t hurt you. Put the bravest person in your party in charge of a heavy shoe and inform them they are also in charge of disposing of that squashed scorpion or desert roach.
If you’re visiting in June or July you’ll be here for Palo Verde Beetle season. The Palo Verdi Borer Beetle is very interesting…and scary looking! With a limited lifespan of approximately 30 days, they are often mistaken for the desert roaches we mentioned above. They are quite the sight, 3 to 4 inches long with a bulky, segmented body. They are terribly clumsy, not at all speedy and agile like the desert roach. The Palo Verde Beetle is built like a tank, but they are indeed harmless to humans. Their entire 30-day existence is spent lumbering about in search of a mate and once mated, it dies.
Photo by David CLode on Unsplash
You Still In?
Of course, you are – a little wildlife and wild weather is nothing to fear now that you’re armed with desert safety tips and know what to expect. So go get packing for your Arizona summer vacation rental adventure!
Moxie Girl is your vacation rental expert! Vacation rental homeowners and guests, please check out our other blogs and videos for more ways to maximize and enjoy your vacation rental experience.
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