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Company Coming?

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By ANGIE HICKS

Special to the Tribune

Published: December 7, 2008

A white coating of dust caked the inside of Robert Thornton's Valrico home.

"Parts of it looked like a bomb hit it," he said.

He'd just completed an extensive remodel - two days before relatives from out of town were due for the holidays.

"There was dust from sheetrock all over the place," he said.

Thornton needed help, and quickly. He contacted a housecleaning service and, by the end of the day, his house was sparkling.

"Everything was ready for when my company came," Thornton said.

Getting good help to scrub the grub out of your floors or provide a thorough front-to-back deep cleaning isn't difficult, but it usually does require a bit more advance notice, along with time spent researching reputable companies. Housekeeping services routinely rank in the top 10 most-requested categories at Angie's List, and there's always an increase as the year comes to a close.

Tampa-based Natural Cleaning Corp. co-owner Ozzy Mora says he usually sees a boost in business during the holidays, when homeowners are busier and more stressed than normal and have houseguests coming to stay.

"We get a lot of the one-time requests, basically a spring cleaning before the holidays," says Mora, who charges customers a one-time fee for an initial cleaning and also offers weekly, biweekly or monthly service.

Debbi Rapp of South Tampa hired a service to clean her home the day before she was to host a party. She worried about the mountain of work awaiting the cleaners and was quickly impressed when the crew not only dusted, mopped and tidied, but also washed walls, cleaned behind furniture and dusted knickknacks.

Most cleaning companies will even use environmentally friendly products at a customer's request.

"You can use natural cleaners with essential oils like tea tree oil and eucalyptus that also work as a disinfectant," says Lucinda Ryan, owner of Tampa's A Home Maid Clean Inc. "We also infuse aromatherapy while we clean to give a nice aroma to the homes."

Before you hire, check that the company is licensed, insured and bonded. That protects the service provider and the customer if an employee is injured on the job, or property is damaged.

If you're feeling the crunch to clean this holiday season, consider hiring a pro. And, as Rapp reminds, you don't need to tidy before the housekeeper comes.

"I try to pick up the clutter because my husband and I have a tendency to leave things around, but I don't clean," she says. "I figure if I'm paying them, I'm going to get my money's worth."

Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie's List, www.angieslist.com.

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