Mini Mops House Cleaning

Family Owned and Operated Service You can Trust since 1975

Contact Us:

(559) 264-6677
estimates@minimopsinc.com

Countertop Appliances Make Sense for Summer Cooking

By

Slow cooker meals are good for summer cooking

It’s hard to get excited about cooking in the summer …

The kitchen gets hot from the stove and oven … the heat from the kitchen can make the rest of the house hot … it makes YOU hot!

Luckily, there are quite a few alternatives to you slaving away over a hot stove and oven. Simply pull out those countertop appliances and use them!

Countertop appliances like slow cookers, roasters, indoor grills, rice cookers, countertop convection ovens, and microwaves all help you prepare healthy, delicious meals at home … while still keeping your cool!

Let’s take a look at some ideas for using these helpful appliances during these hot summer months …

Slow cookers. The beauty of cooking in a slow cooker (like a CrockPot) is that you can put all the ingredients in and then forget about it. For example, put all the ingredients for chili into the cooker in the morning, then enjoy a no-fuss dinner when you get home.

Roasters. Countertop roasters can give you perfectly roasted meat — even a whole turkey — without the heat and mess you get from roasting in your oven. Put it outside in the garage or on the back porch to keep your kitchen even cooler.

Indoor grills. Sometimes it’s just too hot to even think about standing outside in front of your grill, and an indoor grill can be a good alternative.

Rice cookers. These handy appliances give you perfect rice every time without heating up the stove. Win-win!

Countertop convection ovens. These small ovens allow you to prepare all your family’s baked favorites in less time and with less ambient heat than your conventional oven, making them perfect for summertime use. Don’t let their smaller size fool you … these countertop appliances are great!

Microwaves. Of course, most of us use our microwaves year-round. But especially in summer, try to think of meals that you can prepare entirely in the microwave. Casseroles, baked potatoes, steamed veggies … the possibilities are endless!

Your turn … If you have a favorite countertop appliance that you like to use in the summer, tell us about it in a comment below!

Mini Mops, Inc. is a professional house cleaning company serving residential and commercial clients in the Fresno-Clovis CA area since 1975. We are currently accepting new clients. Please call (559) 264-6677 for more information.

Follow These 4 Important Rules for Pool Safety

By

Most Valley residents spend time poolside during our hot summers. But as fun and refreshing as they can be, pools also pose a safety risk to your family and friends.

Sandals by a pool to illustrate pool safety rules by Mini Mops House Cleaning

To keep them safe, the American Red Cross suggests these four important pool safety rules :

1. No Diving
2. Stay Away From Drain Covers
3. Swim With a Buddy
4. Walk Please

The Red Cross also suggests assigning a “lifeguard” to be responsible for watching swimmers, especially kids. And be sure to always keep young children within arm’s reach.

These and other pool safety tips can be found on the Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/water-safety/home-pool-safety.

Your turn … Do you have another pool safety rule that you enforce at your home? Please tell us what it is in a comment below.

Mini Mops, Inc. is a professional house cleaning company serving residential and commercial clients in the Fresno-Clovis CA area since 1975. We are currently accepting new clients. Please call (559) 264-6677 for more information.

Give the Precious Gift of Time

By

Give the Precious Gift of Time - a gift certificate from Mini Mops House CleaningWeddings … Baby Showers … Mother’s Day and Father’s Day … Birthdays … Holidays …

We give gifts on special occasions like these to show our regard for the recipient.

But sometimes it’s difficult to come up with just the right gift. Right? What do you give the person who “has it all”?

The next time you’re struggling with what to give someone, consider giving them the gift of time.

The gift of time can be spending time with them … getting together for lunch, coffee, or an afternoon by the pool. It could be the gift of your time doing something for them … such as chauffeuring the kids or picking up the dry cleaning.

Or it could be the gift of the extra free time they’ll have for themselves when someone else handles their household chores.

House cleaning, gardening, window washing, home organizing, carpet cleaning … these are just a few of the time consuming household chores that you can gift someone help with. And you can either help do these chores yourself, or you can hire professionals to do the work.

Of course, if you’re hiring professionals, we hope you’ll consider giving a Mini Mops gift certificate!

To purchase a Mini Mops House Cleaning gift certificate, simply call our office at (559) 264-6677.

Enjoy the Benefits of EXTRA Cleanings

By

Doris has been a Mini Mops client since 1979. During those years, she’s had our crews clean her home on a regular monthly basis. She’s also called us in for extra cleanings after parties, after overnight guests, after her children left home, and after repairs and remodels.

We were on the phone together scheduling one of her recent cleanings when she suggested I tell you about the benefits of having Mini Mops do occasional extra cleaning …

Enjoy the Benefits of EXTRA Cleanings by Mini Mops House Cleaning

Relax and enjoy your guests.

When you know that Mini Mops will come to clean your home after a party or when overnight guests leave, you won’t have the nagging worry about cleaning up any ensuing mess. Instead, you can stay in the moment, relax and enjoy your guests.

Enjoy a CLEAN empty nest.

There are many emotions involved with a child leaves home. And let’s face it, the last thing you want to do when emotions are high is clean that empty room. So don’t. Simply adjust your next scheduled cleaning to accommodate the extra time involved for the extra work.

Enjoy your FINISHED home repair or remodel.

Repairs and remodels can be messy and tend to generate excessive amounts of dust throughout your home … no matter how careful you or your contractor is to contain it. Work done on your home isn’t really finished until everything is cleaned up, and your home is livable again.

Whether you decide to simply add extra time to your regular cleaning schedule, adjust priorities to accommodate the extra work, or schedule a stand-alone cleaning visit … We can give you the same peace of mind that Doris has enjoyed these many years.

We’d love to hear from you, too! If you have a suggestion for a topic you’d like us to cover, let us know! We’ll try to work it into a future article and share it with the Mini Mops family.

5 Ways to Keep Flowers Fresh and Beautiful in Your Home

By

fresh spring tulips in vase to illustrate the Mini Mops House Cleaning article - 5 Ways to Keep May Flowers Fresh and Beautiful in Your Home

You love the beauty of fresh flowers in your home … the sight and fragrance lifts your spirits and makes each day feel special.

But the blooms fade way too fast, and you’re left with droopy and dying bouquets. Right?

Here are five ways to keep your “May Flowers” fresh and beautiful:

1. Give your flowers a sip of soda. Add ¼ cup of regular soda (not diet) to the water in the vase. The sugar in the soda makes the blooms last longer. Use clear soda if you’re using a clear vase.

2. A sweet and sour bloom booster. Add 2 T. apple cider vinegar and 2 T. sugar to the water. Like with soda, the sugar keeps the flowers fresher longer, while the acidity in the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth.

3. Take two aspirin and call me … Actually, you only need one! Put a crushed aspirin in the water to relieve your flowers’ “aches and pains.”

4. Another reason to love bleach. Add ¼ t. of bleach to a quart (4 c.) of water. The bleach will kill the bacteria, which, in turn, will keep your flowers fresher.

5. A penny for your thoughts … Drop a copper penny along with a sugar cube into the vase. The copper acts as an acidifier to inhibit bacteria, while the sugar nourishes the flowers.

Whichever method you choose, you also need to change the water every few days and reapply your “bloom booster” of choice.

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us which of these you’ve tried, and which works best. And if you have another tried and true way to keep your flowers fresh, do let us know in a comment below!