Candilicious Candles knows that sometimes you need more than a few candles, some flowers, and a new lamp to change the look and feel of your home. When you are ready for larger home improvement projects, we hope our blog will provide some great ideas and good information on home services.
How to Find the Best House Painters in Your Area
The most affordable and effective way to add value to your home is by adding a fresh coat of paint to both the interior and exterior. According to a survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, painting certain rooms in your home can increase its value by up to 3%. It will also enhance the overall look and feel of the home.
The problem is, not all house painters are created equal. If you settle for the cheapest estimate from a company that isn’t legit, you may find yourself dealing with a lot of unwanted, and very expensive, issues.
How to Find the Best House Painters
When it comes to painting, the devil is in the details. The kind of paint used matters. The set up process matters.
Bad painters have been known to leave old poisonous paint everywhere. This of course can affect your health, and the health of anyone else that lives in your home.
For this reason it is extremely important you take the time to properly vet your house painter. The good news is the internet makes doing so super easy.
Here are four websites that allow you to harness the power of the internet while vetting potential house painters.
Houzz
Houzz is a home improvement and design website that makes it quick and easy to find a good house painter in your area.
And with a database of over 1 million qualified professionals, you are sure to find a painter that meets your specific needs.
The platform will ask you important questions such as the type of property you have, what rooms you want painted, and what your budget is.
The platform will then give you a list of five local professionals that have already been properly vetted. You will have the option to share your project with each professional to request a quote.
Yelp
Chances are you’ve heard of Yelp, and maybe even used it. It’s a great site for finding reviews on just about any type of business.
It’s very similar to Houzz in that you type in what you are looking for, in this case house painters, and you will get back a list of professionals in your area.
Yelp is a site that depends on reviews. You must take the time to parse through the reviews with an open mind. Keep in mind everyone will have a different experience. Don’t let a few negative reviews make or break a deal.
While Yelp is a great place to find help for your home painting project, be aware that some companies hire people to leave fake reviews. So if a review sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. After painting one or more rooms in your home, one finishing touch may be to clean or refresh your furniture. For information, see our post on furniture cleaning.
Angie’s List
Angie’s List is another great place to find painting professionals in your local area. First, you will need to create a free account. Once you’ve done that you can search for top rated painters in your area.
Similar to Houzz, you will need to answer a few questions first. You will then be presented with a list of the best painters in your city, state, or town.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a local hub where communities come together and exchange recommendations and advice. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a babysitter, or a painter, you are sure to find a great recommendation through your local Nextdoor hub.
The idea behind this platform is to connect neighbors. Oftentimes your neighbor already knows someone that can help you with your project. Using this platform can save you both time and money. And don’t worry, all users must verify they live in your neighborhood before they can offer advice or recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Window Cleaning
When hiring a professional window cleaner, there are many common questions that come up over and over again. You may be wondering if it’s a good idea to do it yourself. If you have someone who already cleans your place, you may be thinking it’s a good idea to just ask them to do it. Another concern may be about the frequency that you should have them cleaned. There is a little bit of nuance in all of these questions. Hopefully, this article does a good job providing some guidance on window cleaning.
Should I Clean My Windows Myself, or Hire A Professional Window Cleaner?
That’s a good question. If it’s a few windows that are dirty, it’s probably not a bad idea to do it yourself. It shouldn’t take that much time; if you are attentive, you won’t damage the panes, or leave behind any excess grime. It’s also not dangerous to clean a few on your own.
However, if you have many panes, say for a commercial building, or for a house with multiple stories, you may need a professional commercial window cleaner or residential window cleaner. There are many good reasons for this; the primary one being the amount of personal liability when cleaning your own windows on buildings such as these. For one, there is the height factor. Multiple story houses and commercial buildings commonly reach over two stories. Without the proper equipment, and training, a misstep can lead to serious injury, or worse. Professional window cleaners come equipped with harnesses, scaffolds, ladders, and insurance to make sure the job is safely done.
Also, it can take a lot of effort, like climbing up and down a ladder. A quality shine comes from attentive detail to make sure there aren’t streaks and blemishes. Even after you’re done, and satisfied on your own, you have probably had sunlight penetrate through a freshly cleaned pane, and noticed new spots. Professional window cleaners bring the correct equipment, and know the proper techniques to ensure that the light won’t reveal what it normally conceals. Having to go back and fix this personally is a huge pain, and for a lot of people time is money, and isn’t worth doing, leaving a substandard job.
Additionally, if you own a business, such as a restaurant, having an unkempt appearance can be a deterrent for your brand. Therefore, it’s a good idea to think of window cleaning as marketing, in a sense.
Can’t My Cleaning Person Do the Window Cleaning?
Sure, if you want them using Windex and paper towels! As you’ve probably experienced, this doesn’t do a very good job. Instead, it just moves dirt around, and forms a static charge, which can actually attract more dirt. Also, paper towels are abrasive, and can damage your glass. True professionals use specialized formulas, and equipment such as squeegees and anti-static brushes to reduce the chances of undo spots and stains.
How Often Should I Hire A Residential Window Cleaner?
The common adage is twice a year. However, some people live in dustier, dirtier climates that wreak havoc. These people may require something closer to once every quarter. If you live on a farm, or near a busy highway, this also may increase the necessity for a professional job. However, sometimes people live in super temperate, calm climates, and they may only require it once a year. A fresh coat of paint can help to make your home feel new and clean. See our post on hiring house painters for more information.
How Often Should I Hire A Commercial Window Cleaner?
As mentioned before, if you own a business such a restaurant, the perception of transparency, and cleanliness is paramount to your brand. Same with if you offer a professional service such as an accounting firm, or a lawyer. The windows are the first impression of many guests, and if they lack detail, can indicate a lack of detail on the end of the professional. Many professionals get their glass detailed once a month, with restaurants doing it twice a month in many cases.
Cleaning Furniture Yourself
Since upholstery on furniture is a fabric, it is susceptible to damage caused by oil from skin, dust, food, spills, pets, hair, and a myriad of other common environmental grime. Therefore, after a while, it may start to look unsightly. Rather than calling in a professional furniture andupholstery cleaning service, you may be able to do things yourself, assuming the conditions are right. This can end up saving you a lot of money.
However, before you decide to do it yourself, you will have to check the label on whatever you’re about to clean. This may be located on the bottom, or under a cushion. Look for the code on the label. If it says W, that means “water based” cleaning is necessary. S means “solvent based.” WS, is, you guessed it, “water or solvent.” However, if you see X that means that professional upholstery cleaning is needed.
Assuming there isn’t an X, by following the instructions in this article, you’ll be well on your way to having a fresh piece of furniture that your friends, family, or colleagues won’t feel gross sitting on.
Preventative Cleaning
The best method is to preempt having to do a thorough cleaning at all. By making sure that your upholstery is well maintained in the first place, this will ultimately save you a lot of time and effort. A simple wipe down once a week can do wonders.
The Best Way to Clean Furniture of Dirt
Using an upholstery attachment on your vacuum, suck up the first layer of dirt. Make sure to do this in a uniformed, controlled way, so that you hit all spots. If there are hard to reach nooks or crannies, you can switch to an appropriate attachment. While you are refreshing and cleaning your furniture, another cleaning project to consider is your windows. Our post of window cleaning may help answer some of your questions.
Cleaning Furniture with A W or WS Code
Assuming you have a W or WS designation, fill a container with semi-warm water, and add a little bit of dish detergent. Using a soft brush, carefully go over the entire surface. Pay special attention to not let the water pool, as you want it to dry fast when finished. This pooling could cause color to fade, or, worse, mold and mildew to grow.
After applying the soapy water, use a moist cloth to remove excess soap. Make sure to let it dry in the air entirely before use.
Although tempting, you may want to apply external heat, like with a hairdryer. This is ill advised, as this could warp the fabric. A good substitute is to use a fan, or open a window. If you have cushions, make sure to do one side at a time, as you don’t want the side facing down to be less exposed.
Cleaning Furniture with An S Code
If the code on your cushion, or underneath the piece has an S, you should only use solvents to clean it. If you use a process like the one above, you will probably damage it. A good dry cleaning solvent can be found at most department stores.
Before cleaning, you will want to make sure there is good airflow wherever you are working. Get a rag, and add the dry cleaning solvent to it. Then start gently brushing over the affected areas on your upholstery. Pro tip: use a soft-bristled brush to work the solvent deeper into more affected areas. Wait until it is fully dried before use.
Cleaning Furniture of Stains
The longer you leave a stain after a spill, the greater chance you have of it sticking. Therefore, right as this happens, make sure you get yourself a clean rag. Wet said rag, and start blotting. Make sure not to rub, as this will move the stain deeper into the fibers of the fabric. Once you have blotted away as much of the stain as possible, you may have to employ a dry cleaning solvent, or whatever is code approved for the fabric to remove it. If the stain is serious, you can rent, or buy a spot cleaner. However, if the code on your furniture is W or WS, you can use the W or WS method above to remove the stain. Repeat this process of blotting, spot cleaning, and drying, until the spot is removed. However, if this problem persists, it may be time to hire an upholstery cleaning service.