Tag Archive for: Easter

Spring Cleaning for an Egg-cellent Easter

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Easter is a time when homes start to feel brighter again. The days lengthen, windows are opened more often, and many families spend time together during the long weekend. That’s why Spring Cleaning for an Egg-cellent Easter is the ideal way to refresh your home and enjoy a proper seasonal reset. With a little preparation, your Easter cleaning can feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

Here are some straightforward spring cleaning tips to help you prepare your home for Easter.

Start with the spaces everyone will use

When preparing for Easter, concentrate on the rooms that make the most difference. These are typically the kitchen, living room, hallway, and bathroom. Cleaning these areas first helps your home feel ready without the need to do everything at once.

Clean surfaces, vacuum floors, and clear clutter from tables and worktops. Even small changes make your home feel brighter and more inviting.

Refresh the kitchen for Easter meals

The kitchen often turns into the busiest room during Easter. Whether you’re cooking for family or simply enjoying a peaceful weekend, a tidy kitchen makes everything simpler.

Spend time on:

  • Worktops and cupboard doors
  • The oven and hob
  • The fridge and shelves
  • The sink and taps

A clean kitchen allows you to enjoy cooking rather than feeling like you’re constantly managing a mess.

Let more light into your home

Spring is an ideal time to clean windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces. Letting in natural light makes rooms seem larger, more tranquil, and more inviting.

Draw back curtains during the day and wipe frames and sills. Clearing away winter dust helps your home feel fresh and prepared for the new season.

Don’t forget soft furnishings

During winter, cushions, throws, and rugs gather dust and everyday dirt. Washing covers, vacuuming upholstery, and airing blankets can significantly refresh a room.

Fresh fabrics help your home smell cleaner and feel more inviting, especially when guests visit over Easter.

Tidy before you deep clean

Spring cleaning is most effective when you clear clutter first.

Put away items you no longer need and tidy surfaces before you start wiping or vacuuming. This speeds up the cleaning process and helps keep your home organised after Easter has gone.

Make it enjoyable, not exhausting

Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be done in a single day. Spread tasks throughout the week and concentrate on one room at a time. A consistent approach helps you stay motivated and stops cleaning from feeling like a chore.

Many people find that setting small goals makes the biggest difference.

When it’s time to call in the experts

Sometimes, the easiest way to get ready for Easter is to have someone else do the toughest tasks. A professional cleaning can give your home a thorough refresh and free up your time. 

Merry Maids offers home cleaning services for one-time spring cleans or recurring visits during the season. Our skilled teams handle the cleaning, so you can relax and enjoy Easter in a clean, cozy home.

Find your nearest Merry Maids business to book, schedule a clean online or call 0800 021 3072 today.

How to remove easter chocolate stains

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It’s the Easter weekend, which means lots of chocolate!

As delicious and seasonal as it is at Easter, chocolate tends to melt all over your hands, and you don’t usually realise it’s melted until it’s on your clothes, furniture and carpets!

Chocolate soaks into the fabric a bit more slowly than other liquids, so cleaning it up as quickly as possible is vital in giving you the best chance to eliminate it.

At Merry Maids, we clean so you can relax and focus on your holidays.

That’s why we’re bringing you our top tips for removing chocolate stains.

How to remove chocolate stains from clothing

Besides its magical ability to make you feel better at any given moment, chocolate also has the amazing capability to get on clothing, especially when you’re wearing a white top!

To get rid of the stains:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Pretreat with a prewash stain remover
  • Put in the washing machine as normal
  • If the stain remains, wash again

How to remove chocolate stains from upholstery

Accidents happen. They are inevitable, and getting chocolate on your upholstery is a more common problem than you’d think!

Here’s how to remove chocolate stains from your upholstery:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Mix one tablespoon of washing-up liquid with two cups of cool water
  • Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the above solution
  • Blot until the liquid is absorbed (Always blot the stain. If you rub it you’ll work the stain into the fabric more), repeat until the stain disappears
  • Sponge the area with cold water and blot dry.
  • If that doesn’t work, use a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with a dry-cleaning solvent and blot until the solvent is absorbed, repeat until the stain disappears.

How to remove chocolate stains from carpet

With kids running around looking for (and scoffing) eggs, you’re bound to get chocolate everywhere not just on the carpet.

Here’s how to remove chocolate stains from your carpet:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Mix one tablespoon of washing-up liquid with two cups of cool water
  • Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the above solution
  • Blot until the liquid is absorbed (Always blot the stain because if you rub it you’ll work the stain into the carpet more), repeat until the stain disappears

If the stain remains on your upholstery or carpets you can contact ServiceMaster Clean to remove the stain for you.

For all of your house cleaning needs find your nearest Merry Maids today to book a free, no-obligation quote on our expert and bespoke domestic cleaning services.

Including one-off, regular and deep cleaning services to suit whatever shape your home is in.

How to get chocolate stains out of your clothing and more

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It’s the Easter weekend, which means lots of chocolate!

However, chocolate has the tendency to melt all over your hands, and you don’t usually realise it’s melted until it’s on your clothes, upholstery and carpets!

Chocolate soaks into the fabric a bit more slowly than other liquids, so clean it up as quickly as possible and you’ll have more success of getting rid of it.

Clothing

It always seems to get on clothing, especially when you’re wearing a white top!

Here’s how to remove chocolate stains from your clothing:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Pretreat with a prewash stain remover
  • Put in the washing machine as normal
  • If the stain remains, wash again

Upholstery

Accidents happen, they are inevitable, and getting chocolate on your upholstery is a very common one!

Here’s how to remove chocolate stains from your upholstery:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Mix one tablespoon of washing up liquid with two cups of cool water
  • Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the above solution
  • Blot until the liquid is absorbed (Always blot the stain because if you rub it you’ll work the stain into the fabric more), repeat until the stain disappears
  • Sponge the area with cold water and blot dry.
  • If that doesn’t work, use a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with a dry-cleaning solvent and blot until the solvent is absorbed, repeat until the stain disappears.

Carpeting

With kids around you’re bound to get chocolate everywhere not just on the carpet, but here’s how to remove chocolate stains from your carpet:

  • Scrape off excess chocolate
  • Mix one tablespoon of washing up liquid with two cups of cool water
  • Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the above solution
  • Blot until the liquid is absorbed (Always blot the stain because if you rub it you’ll work the stain into the carpet more), repeat until the stain disappears

If the stain still remains on your upholstery or carpets you can contact ServiceMaster Clean to remove the stain for you.

For all of your house cleaning needs find your nearest Merry Maids today.

10 things to do in the garden

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The Easter weekend is a slightly different one this year with us ‘staying home’, but don’t let that stop you having fun in the garden!

We’ve put together some fun activities that you and your family can do in the garden whilst the weather is nice this bank holiday weekend. 

#1 Garden Easter egg hunt 

 If you have young children or just want a bit of fun as a couple, then hide some chocolate eggs in the garden for others to find. Make sure that you remember where you’ve hidden them, as you don’t want them to melt! 

 Here are some great places that you can hide the Easter eggs: 

  • Bird bath 
  • Watering can 
  • Flower bed
  • Hanging plants
  • Sandbox 

Come up with some more yourselves and have some fun! 

#2 Garden sports 

 Staying active while staying at home is very important and sports games in the garden are a great way to do this. 

 Here are some ideas for sports games:  

  • Badminton or tennis – dust off the old rackets and have a family competition 
  • Football – practice those skills and become the next Lionel Messi 
  • Catch – throw a ball to each other, be it a rugby ball or tennis ball 
  • Bowls or bowling – play some bowls or put up some makeshift skittles and practice your bowling skills 
  • Twister – you could even get out your game of Twister and play that in the garden 

There are lots more fun games you can play in the garden, if you come up with any more let us know on social media.  

#3 Gardening

Gardening is a very popular hobby and whilst the weather is nice and we’re having to stay at home, why not get out there and tend to your garden. 

You could get out your trowel and tend to your flowerbeds or mow the lawn ready for your bowling games. 

#4 Garden camping

A great idea is to get the old tent out and have a camping trip in your garden. You could even use the barbecue as a bonfire, on which you can cook your dinner and toast marshmallows. 

#5 Garden bug hunt

Tell or show your kids what bugs to look for to see what they can find. Remember, if your kids do catch any to put them back where they found them.  

If you and your kids are feeling adventurous you could build a bug den or a butterfly feeder for example. 

#6 Chalk painting 

Being easily washable, chalk painting on your stone patio is a great way to entertain the kids and adults if you enjoy being creative.  

See who can come up with the most imaginative drawing and share them with us on social! 

 #7 Garden picnic

Set up a picnic in the garden, with young kids you can make this a fun teddy bear’s picnic if you like! 

Lay out a full picnic for the whole family to enjoy and then once you’ve finished you can make a day of it and enjoy some other garden activities. 

#8 Bury a time capsule

This is a great time to bury a time capsule with your family.  

Use some kind of waterproof container, cut articles from the newspaper, get your kids to draw or write a letter to their future self, including their age, their favourite things etc.  

You could even take and print out some pictures and put them in the time capsule. You’ll then need to seal up the capsule and bury it in your garden. 

#9 Paddling pool aerobics

You can get your kids to come up with a pool aerobics routine to do for the family. Have fun and get fit at the same time, perfect. 

For the younger kids, just playing with toys in the paddling pool will entertain them for hours! 

#10 Build a den

If you’ve got some wood or other items lying around you could build a garden fort fit for a king!  

Or if you or your children are massive Lego fans, then you’re bound to have enough bricks to build one as well! Make sure you show us your forts on social media! 

 

We hope you have a nice bank holiday weekend, and remember stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.