Being a resident of the Lakewood area, my family regularly receives the Advocate Magazine. They pride themselves as a hyper-local targeted magazine bringing neighborhood news to residents.

Recently they reported on Dallas Maids first responders relief fund.

I’m thrilled my company’s free cleans for first responders is getting local recognition from well-regarded publications such as The Advocate and D Magazine.

We’ve included here the Lakewood Advocate article recognizing Dallas Maids’ efforts. If you want to check it out, click here: Road to Recovery: Cleaning Company Stays Busy with Free Services for First Responders.

At Dallas Maids, we strongly believe in helping each other and our community. We have collaborated with different charities, like Cleaning for a Reason. We have donated to different funds and supported our people as much as possible.

And now we came up with our relief fund for first responders. House cleaning has shown many benefits both in the physical sense and the mental health sense.

People with clean homes are less likely to get sick from bacteria or mold. They are also well-rested and feel calmer when their home is clean and tidy.

And first responders are under huge stress right now. They are overworked, underpaid and with a lot of pressure. The last thing they want to do once they get home is tidying and cleaning their house.

We want to give back to our community and, in return, we all win. First responders with a clean home will be able to rest properly, decreasing any chances of them getting sick at home.

Here’s the extract from the Lakewood Advocate article:

Extract from The Lakewood Advocate Article

A Little Forest Hills neighbor is offering free house cleaning services for first responders through his business, Dallas Maids.

Owner Greg Shepard started the relief service as a way to keep his staff employed during the pandemic. Although many customers canceled their services, they continued paying, and Shepard parlayed those funds into free cleanings for first responders.

“It touched all of our hearts,” Shepard said. “The worst times bring out the best in people.”

Cleanings will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until donations run out. Customers must show a work ID to schedule their cleaning.

So far, the company has completed 13 cleanings for first responders.

“We got a review today from a first responder, and she expressed how much this has helped her,” Shepard said. “She was in New York for eight weeks helping. When you come home to a clean house, it’s a good feeling.”

As Dallas begins to reopen, Shepard said he still needs help. Neighbors can help support a local business and donate a cleaning on GoFundMe.

“We’re nowhere near where we were going into this, but we’re 60 or 65 percent of where we were,” Shepard said. “I’m glad. I know a lot of people have been hit harder. Even if you’re an essential business, it can really hurt.”

By Jaime Dunaway (source)

P.S. Don’t forget to check Dallas Maids booking page if you need a house cleaning service in Dallas. Also, bookmark our cleaning blog if you want to see more tips!

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We love random acts of kindness. We are thrilled and thankful for D Magazine announcing Dallas Maids’ First Responders Fatigue Relief Fund on dmagazine.com.

The fund was inspired by the generous acts of our customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fearful of having anyone in their home, many canceled service yet still wanted to keep paying just to support our small, family-owned business.

We wanted to pay it forward by donating their home cleanings to first responders.

On May 19th, 2020, D Magazine wrote:

Dallas: The City of Random Acts of Kindness, Pt. 12

Though Dallas Maids has been a thriving cleaning service for 16 years, its future looked grim when the shelter-in-place order took effect. Residential cleaning services were deemed essential businesses, but the company’s owner, Greg Shepard, knew that many of his regular customers wouldn’t feel comfortable having someone visit their homes.

Though cancellations rolled in “like an avalanche,” says Shepard, he and his team were touched when many customers insisted on paying anyway to support the small business. Others kept their appointments and added generous tips.

“[Our customers have] shown that the worst of times brings out the best in people,” says Shepard. “I want to pay this generosity forward by providing our local area first responders with free home cleanings [to lessen] their stress.”

Dallas Maids’ First Responders Fatigue Relief fund provides complimentary home cleaning services for the first responders working to fight COVID-19. The fund also ensures that the company’s professional cleaners receive their regular pay. Customers can choose to donate their scheduled cleanings to first responders by continuing to pay their regular rates. Non-customers can help, too: donate here, share the link with friends, and let first responders know about the opportunity.

Free cleanings are available to medical professionals (paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital and medical staff, and medical researchers), police officers, and firefighters. Shepard and his team hope that the cleanings will help front line workers decompress. A clean and tidy home is beneficial for both physical and mental well-being, says the company.

“[We’re thankful] for the work they are doing to keep us safe during the coronavirus pandemic,” says Shepard. “Thank you for your service and for giving us a chance to serve you!”

by Emily Heft ~ D Magazine (source)

We’re so thankful for D Magazine and we hope to spread more Random Acts of Kindness!

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A few months ago I had received an email from Ryan at D magazine. He was writing an article on the ultimate homeowners’ checklist and needed the input of experts.

Hi there,

We are looking for an “expert” to help us out with a story we’re
working on for D Home! We are putting together the Ultimate Homeowner
Checklist with different categories matched with experts (garment care
and safety and security for instance..)

We’d love for you guys to give us a checklist of 10-12 cleaning items
every Dallas homeowner should have. (Supplies and products..)

I will need by end of day Wednesday, as well as the name of the person
to credit.

Thank you!

Ryan

Dallas Maids’ Reply to D Home Magazine

Being a big fan of D Home Magazine, I was happy to help! Check out my reply because it has a whole lotta good info for homeowners wanting to know a few tricks of the trade:

Hi Ryan!

Thank you for giving us this chance to help you with this article. We have a wonderful history with D Home Magazine and I’m glad to help out!

The Ultimate Homeowner’s Cleaning Checklist should be no more than 12 items! No need to buy different specialty cleaners such as carpet stain remover if the job can be done by other cleaners. Dallas Maids cleaning teams have a select few cleaners and tools that can do a wide variety of jobs because it makes for a more efficient and effective clean. Also, for any homeowner, it is much easier to clean if you can keep all your supplies in one area and don’t need to carry a plethora of supplies for various tasks, too.

The Dallas Maids Homeowners’ Checklist for Cleaning

1) All Purpose – A good all purpose cleaner is the staple to anyone’s cleaning arsenal. It will able to clean sinks, counter tops, surfaces, vents, and other cleaning tasks that you did not think of using it for such as removing carpet stains.
For an organic and effective all purpose cleaning, use vinegar! Combine one part vinegar and one part water for an All Purpose cleaner that goes toe to toe with any off the shelf you’d buy at the store.
2) De-greaser – Some jobs are just too tough for an all purpose. For example cleaning out caked on oven gook requires a degreaser. Apply and let it soak in for a while.
3) Windex – great for windows and shining chrome such as sink faucets.
4) Pledge – A must (and the best) for wooden furniture.
5) Medical/Surgical rags – These are usually blue colored and used, as the name suggest, in hospitals. It is also the perfect cleaning rag! Keeping with the less is more, These rags can be used for wiping surfaces and windexing windows. Google “medical towels” to find sellers. Dallas Maids’ go-to guys is Reclaimed Textiles:  (888) 215-8216
6) Mop & bucket or Swiffer
7) Broom & dust pan – Brooms aren’t only perfect for cleaning floors. Use them to remove cobwebs from the ceiling corners, chandeliers, and quickly wipe down baseboards.
8) Feather duster – These are tried and true dust destroyers. Of course there are microfiber dusters that are outstanding!… at first. They wear out quickly as dust accumulates (even after washing them!).
9) Step Stool – needed for wiping down those higher up areas such as tops of refrigerators, ceiling fans, bookshelves, etc.
10) Vacuum – make sure you have one with built in extensions so you can get to all the nook and crannies along with vacuuming non-floor items such as curtains, clothe furniture, etc.
11) Latex gloves – A necessity not only for hygiene, but also to protect you from the more powerful cleaners such as the de-greaser.

Optional Tools and Additional Info

The next two are optional – not everyone have wood floors and stainless appliances
12) Wood floor cleaner – Dallas Maids uses Polycare because it is one of the best floor cleaners we’ve used and it’s organic! Murphy’s Oil is also good and more easily available.
13) Stainless Steel Cleaner – Weiman has proven to be the best of all Dallas Maids has experimented with.

There you have it Ryan, the basic kit for Dallas Maids’ cleaners. Also the technique you use to clean can make a HUGE difference in both efficiency and effectiveness. We touch upon this a little in one of our youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c1HsvQ5ZA

Also, check the + next to “Speed cleaning rules” rules here https://www.dallasmaids.com/cleaning-tips for how to cut your cleaning time in half! I hope this helps. If you have any questions call me anytime.

Greg

For all the homeowner’s checklist that appeared in “D Home Special Edition: 100 Ideas For Living a Beautiful Life in Dallas” (2018), visit The Ultimate Homeowners Guide.

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Dallas Maids was invited to provide tips on how to find a great maid service on KTXD TV’s D The Broadcast.

The show is a partnership between KTXD TV and D Magazine, bringing you the latest trends and hot topics. The show featured Dallas Maids on July 29^th. Look for us in the future because they have asked us to come back!

In case you can’t watch our YouTube video right now, here’s a short summary!

Whitney from Dallas Maids wanted to share some tips to choose the perfect cleaning company for your home.

One of the most important questions you can ask to your potential house cleaning service is: Will the same team/person always clean my home? Communication is key, always, and a cleaning service is not the exception.

If you explain what and how you want things done to your cleaner once, they will remember and remain consistent. Besides, it’s easier to build rapport and trust with a cleaner you’ve seen many times instead of having to meet a new one every month.

Another big question: Does (cleaning company) run background checks / have insurance coverage? It’s important to know what happens when something goes bad. After all, you are letting in someone you don’t really know that much (at the beginning).

This is why you need to make sure your cleaners have no criminal record and that both you and them are covered in case of accidents.

Thanks to KTXD TV’S D THE BROADCAST for having us on and thanks to D Magazine for recommending Dallas Maids in D Magazine’s Gold Pages multiple of times.

We appreciate the recognition for our continual efforts to be a better maid service for our customers (i,e, YOU!). And thank you for giving us the privilege to serve you!

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