Category: Helpful Hints
Tips for cleaning your campsite as you go
- Broom, dust pan and brush
- Green, biodegradable dish soap, tea towels, washing up brush and a sponge.
- Biodegradable hand soap and hand towels
- Wet wipes (for cleaning the body and for cleaning surfaces) and hand sanitizer
- Barbecue cleaning brush and utensils.
- A 5 gallon jug with a tap and a dish tub – set up the jug on the edge of the picnic table, and the tub on the bench underneath the spigot, for an instant kitchen sink, perfect for cleaning dishes or muddy hands!
How to keep your barbecue clean so it’s always ready for your next party
How a security check can help reduce your vacation home insurance premium
Most insurance companies now require a signed report showing that an empty vacation home has been checked once or twice a month during the off-season.
Goldstar cleaning crews will combine their housekeeping visit with an insurance security check, and record the date, time, and results of their visit so you can send a clear record to your insurance company.
This means you get to enjoy your vacation time without worrying about cleaning – and it could save your house insurance premiums from rocketing if you need to claim repairs.
Security checklist
Goldstar cleaning crews routinely check for:
• Open or unlocked windows and doors all around the building
• Signs of an attempted break-in or vandalism
• Lights or appliances that have accidentally been left on, causing high energy bills and a risk of fire.
• Broken or incorrectly programmed heating systems, which could cause your pipes to freeze in winter
• Sounds or signs that there might be a water leak or damage
• Early signs of rodent or pest infestation
They also:
• Flush each toilet and scrub the water line to avoid build-up of limescale
• Check all lights to make sure no bulbs have blown
• Can carry out deep cleaning tasks, such as carpet or furniture steam cleaning
Potential damage
Goldstar owner Jill Barclay has seen firsthand the damage that can be caused by a small problem that is left unnoticed for weeks.
“I knew one client who started using our services after a pipe in their basement burst, causing thousands of dollars of damage.
“When they last visited the home it would only have been a small drip in the water filtration system that they didn’t notice, but during the summer the pipe burst, flooding the entire basement.
“Unfortunately because they hadn’t used any kind of security check contingency plan, the insurance was cancelled and they had to cover the huge cost of the damage themselves.”
Rental peace of mind
When you rent out your vacation home, it’s particularly important to make sure everything is in good shape before your renters get there, says Jill.
“At another of our client’s homes, snow had piled up against a plexi glass barrier around the deck, causing it to shatter and making it unsafe to use.
“We came round to check the vacation home ahead of a rental, and were able to clean it up and get it replaced before the renters got there, which meant the owners didn’t have to cancel the booking or deal with poor reviews of their rental vacation home.”
Contact Goldstar now to arrange for a personalized quote to clean and check your home.
How to clean up stains with household products
A spring cleaning checklist – for any day of the year
How to keep your house clean when you have a pet
How to prepare your house (and you!) for overnight visitors
- Sleep in the guest bed at least once before you host visitors – if it’s too lumpy, hard or soft for you, don’t expect your guests to sleep in it!
- Put out a bath towel, small towel and face cloth for each guest and essential toiletries in each washroom.
- Leave an all-purpose cleaning spray, cloth and air freshener in each bathroom, and make sure there is a toilet brush by each toilet and hand soap and a towel by each sink.
- If your guest room is also a home office, storage room or den, clear some space for their clothes, and consider moving around the furniture to give them more space. Make sure there are effective curtains or blinds for privacy and to block out the morning light.
- If they are staying for just one or two nights, use a top sheet between the fitted sheet and the duvet to save you having to wash the duvet cover after their stay. Leave a spare blanket and extra pillows in a cupboard.
- Make a basic meal plan and make sure you have enough groceries to cover at least the first few days. Put the list on the fridge and maybe your visitors will take the hint and offer to cook for you one night.
- Put out books or movies they might like and leaflets about attractions in the local area.
- Let them know the house rules – foreign visitors may not customarily take their shoes off in the house and will appreciate the heads up if it’s your normal routine. Make sure everyone knows where jackets, shoes and outdoor clothing are kept and what they can or can’t help themselves to from the fridge.
- Adopt the hospitality industry’s “daily” clean routine to stop dirt and clutter building up in public areas when more people than usual are using them.
- If you have given your house guests their own bathroom, respect their privacy and leave it alone. Do leave a bathroom cleaner, cloth, air freshener and toilet cleaner for them to use if they wish.
- Don’t put off the laundry – consider taking large amounts of bedding to be professionally laundered to save you time.
- Clean guest bathrooms immediately to stop soap scum drying and sticking to the bath and shower – it will only make it harder to prepare the next time you have guests.
- If you have a series of guests coming over the summer, consider buying spare sets of bedding and towels so you don’t have to rush the laundry.