A Clean House is a Happy House!

I have never in my life had my home professionally cleaned. And it's not that I'm a terrible house keeper, but let's be honest here: it is a rare day that my entire house is sparkling clean from top to bottom. But isn't there something peaceful and almost magical about having your entire home clean all at one time? I'm talking, all the bathrooms, all the floors, all the dusting done. It's the adult equivalent of a kid on Christmas morning.

So when Mad Maids, a local cleaning company that services Calgary, Edmonton and surrounding areas, contacted me wanting to collaborate on this post, I don't think I've ever been so happy to receive an email in my life. I was giddy with excitement. Especially since I have a baby due now in two weeks and cleaning my home is becoming increasingly more difficult. It was a dream come true!

After doing a little research on Mad Maids, I was immediately impressed with the fact that they are a company that gives back. Each time a house is cleaned by Mad Maids, a portion of those proceeds are put away for donation to the World Food Program, which they make at the end of every month. That's pretty darn cool if you ask me!

Booking of your Mad Maids cleaning is also super easy and convenient and can be done all online. Pricing is all fixed based on how many rooms your home has so there's no hidden fees. Just select your date, service of choice (routine clean, deep clean or move in/out clean), and size of home. Payment is all done online, but you are not charged until the actual day of your cleaning. The maids always arrive in groups of two which streamlines the cleaning process and all the cleaning staff undergo identity and criminal background checks. They also bring all their own supplies, but should you want them to use certain products of your own, they are more than happy to comply. This includes everything from the actual cleaning products, to the vacuum, broom, toilet brush, etc.

The day my house was scheduled to be cleaned, I received an email the night before reminding me of my cleaning booking and time. Then, the morning of, because of road conditions, I also received a call notifying me that the cleaning crew was running a few minutes late. No big deal, but the heads up was very nice! The couple that arrived were super friendly and I gave them a tour of my home. You have the option to be at home while they clean or you are welcome to leave. Arrangements can also be made to leave a key or garage code if you aren't going to be home at all during your cleaning time.

The night before my cleaning, I took a look over the list of items that are included in a deep clean (which is pretty much everything under the sun). There were two things I told the cleaning people they didn't need to do: dust my mantle as I had just decorated it for Christmas, and vacuum my family room couch as we literally just purchased it. Also, if there is anything extra that you want cleaned that isn't included in the package you chose, (such as laundry, your basement, interior windows, etc), you can add those items on at the time of your booking for an extra fee.

My team started upstairs in the master bedroom and then they literally worked from top to bottom and out the front door. I didn't want to be in the way with Sully, so we left to run a few errands and they texted me when they were almost done so that we could head back home. We did a walk through of the house before they left and I couldn't get over how shiny and clean my home looked and felt. When we went upstairs, Sully couldn't get over it either and was jumping around exclaiming: "mama, look at the new TV! Look at your new bed! Look at my new room!! It's AWESOME!!" It was hilarious and we were all cracking up. I mean, I didn't think my house was THAT messy before!

My bathrooms were sparkling, including my glass shower door. Seriously, that thing has got to be the worst thing ever in the world to clean. My bed was made, and they did offer to change my sheets, but I declined as I had just changed them. All of our blinds were wiped (another job I hate doing so I never do it), our floor vents were cleaned, baseboards were wiped, the inside of my oven was cleaned and my floors were not only washed, but also polished! And that's on top of all the other regular stuff (counter tops, mirrors, vacuuming, etc). I joked that we were going to have to live in the basement for the next week as the house was so clean I didn't want anyone touching anything, haha!

It was hard to take before and after photos that truly showed their hard work, but if you look closely at the befores, you can see the soap scum buildup.

Overall, Jim and I were really impressed with the service we received. It took the crew about 4 hours to clean two floors which I think is great since I wouldn't want someone in my home for an entire day cleaning. I did notice a few things that weren't dusted on my main floor, and when I mentioned it in an email to Mad Maids (I didn't notice until after the cleaning crew left), they offered to come back and do anything that was missed. I declined since it was nothing for me to run a cloth over, but I definitely appreciated that they fully stand behind their 100% satisfaction guaranteed claim.

You guys, for the first time in a very long time, I feel at peace in my home. I don't feel overwhelmed by the cleaning that needs to be done and it's weird to not have anything needing to be cleaned! What an amazing feeling.

Would I use Mad Maids again? You bet! I also know what I will be asking for anytime someone asks me for a gift idea! Mad Maids offers gift certificates which I honestly think is a fantastic gift idea for someone - especially those hard to buy for people, or those people who seem to have everything! I bet they don't have a completely top to bottom sparkly clean home ;)

The best part of this? If you live in Calgary, Edmonton, or surrounding areas (Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Bragg Creek, Chestermere, St Alberta & Sherwood Park), you can use code SBF20 for $20 off a cleaning package of your choice (offer ends on 01/15/17). 

AND, I'm also giving away one $50 gift card and one $100 gift card to Mad Maids over on my Instagram account, so be sure to head over there to enter! Win it for yourself, or to gift to someone you know. The winner will be chosen before Christmas so it would make a great gift/stocking stuffer! 

*I was provided with a free house cleaning in exchange for this post. As always, thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make this hobby of mine possible!*


Have you ever had your home professionally cleaned? 

Do you have a regular cleaning company/person come in?

What's the one cleaning task you hate doing?