PART ONE: Merry Maids shares its “12 Cleans of Christmas”

The cleaning franchise recently shared the first six of 12 cleaning tricks to help customers get ahead before Christmas, allowing them to totally relax when the big day actually arrives.

In the words of Merry Maids, “You might not have a partridge and pear tree or five gold rings, but there are still quite a number of things around the house that need a good clean this Christmas. Several of which, most of us don’t actually ever really touch. We’re going to share the first six of 12 items that you should be cleaning (but aren’t), so you can get ahead before company descends on you for Christmas.” The second set of six tips will land on Point Franchise soon, so keep an eye out for it. You’ll find the cleaning franchise’s first six below:

1. The dishwasher - “You can clean out your dishwasher quickly and regularly with a dishcloth on the interior, and use a dishwasher cleaner on a self-clean setting. [Or] scrub with baking soda, or use a cup of distilled vinegar in a cycle. This can dispel the odour and break down any mineral deposits.”
2. The washing machine - “Deep cleaning your machine once a month [is a must]. [...] Many washing machines now come with settings that allow you to run a self-cleaning cycle with added bleach.”
3. The dryer - Empty the lint tray AND clean the duct. In the words of Merry Maids, “Dryer vent fires are very common and if the outside vent is clogged, this means that any moist air can’t escape and cause mould or odours. [...] Remove lint deposits from the dryer duct outside the vent with a long-handled brush.”
4. The reusable shopping bags - “Cross-contamination between food and cleaning products [can occur with reusable bags]. The good news is that most of these bags can be machine washed provided you put [them] on a gentle cycle and remove the bottoms and turn them inside out.”
5. The toothbrushes and toothbrush holders - Once the dishwasher is clean, put your toothbrush (or just the head, if it’s electric) in it once a week or “rinse it in antibacterial mouthwash to get rid of germs and other bacteria”. As for toothbrush holders, these can be put in the dishwasher once a week too, or soaked “in boiling water and soap” and given a good rinse.
6. The vacuums, mops, brooms & toilet brushes - Wash or replace vacuum filters, “then check hoses and rollers for blockages from dust or tangled hair”. Wash mop heads “with hot water and detergent” and the broom “in a bucket of hot, soapy water” - rinse and air dry. Clean the toilet brush holder with disinfectant spray/by soaking it in a bleach solution, and clean the toilet brush by placing it in hot water and bleach and leaving it “to soak for an hour”.

Find out more about a potential franchise investment with Merry Maids via the cleaning company’s profile page, which you’ll discover linked above.