Ask A House Cleaner, Stack The Deck, Savvy Cleaner

Stack The Deck In Your Favor

Stack the deck is an American idiom encouraging you to get the most of your house cleaner. When you stack the deck in your favor it means doing everyday routine tasks. 

Today on Ask a House Cleaner – you’re the savvy cleaner when you stack the deck before your maid arrives. Expect problems, take necessary precautions and help them help you. 

Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says you can stack the deck when you clarify expectations. Pick up the house, find out how much cleaning will cost, and be prepared.

Today’s show sponsor is https://HouseCleaning360.com

HouseCleaning360 is a business referral network for house cleaners and maids and housekeepers.

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Hey there, I’m Angela Brown, and this is Ask a House Cleaner. This is a show where you get to ask a house cleaning question, and I get to help you find an answer.

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Question: Stack The Deck In Your Favor

Now, today is question comes from a homeowner who is tight with his money. And he wants to know: “How do I get the most out of the money that I’m spending for a house cleaner?

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Answer: Stack The Deck In Your FavorStack the Deck stacking success

That’s an excellent question. Because lots of people who pay for house cleaners wonder the same thing. So, it’s a great question.

There’s An American Idiom…

Stack the Deck doge pushing daisies

Alright, so how do you get the most? There’s an American idiom that is stacking the deck.

Now, do you know American idioms? Okay, every language has its own little group of sayings or Proverbs or little bits of advice. And they’re little groups of words that by themselves don’t mean anything.

But over the course of decades, they’ve come to mean something.

So in America, we have a bunch of weird American idioms that if you’re not from here don’t mean anything.

Such as “My dog is pushing daisies.” Well, the dog is not pushing real daisies. What that means is the dog has died.
(And he’s under the ground and he’s pushing the daisies up.) So, when your say “My dog is pushing daisies and means he died.

Sayings Grow Meanings Over Time Stack the Deck fallen hat

Now, another American idiom is we say “With the drop of a hat…”

Okay, nobody’s actually dropping any hats. But if you say “The house cleaner in a drop of a hat was out the door.” That means without hesitation, in an instant was out the door.

Nobody’s actually dropping any hats.  So, when we say stack the deck what that means is not we’re not actually stacking any decks.

Stack the Deck ace up his sleeveStack The Deck Refers to A Card Game

But it refers back to a card game, where you slip yourself a couple of Aces. So that you have a better chance of winning the hand.

And so, in house cleaning and to answer this question how do you get the most out of the house cleaner?

My answer is, stack the deck in your favor. So, what that means, is for you to do all the necessary things to help the house cleaner before he comes. So, what do I mean by stacking the deck? Well, number one, when you hire a house cleaner, what are you hiring them to do?

Stack the Deck Clarify Expectations, cleaning suppliesStack The Deck By Clarifying Your Expectations

Because every house cleaning company offers something a little different.  Some might offer to clean out your fridge. And for others that would be deep cleaning or spring cleaning.

But if you are expecting them to clean out your fridge and you never said those words. And you never expressed that that was important to you.
It’s probably not going to get done. And then disappointment sets in. So be clear about the expectations of what you need doing when they come to your house. 

Stack the deck in your favor by making sure they know what they’re supposed to do. And then get a price for what they’re supposed to do. Now they know what they’re supposed to do, and you know.

Stack the Deck explanationsStack The Deck With Upfront Cost Expectations

Number two, stack the deck in your favor by finding out exactly how much it’s going to cost.

Because if at the last minute they’re not providing the things that you need. And you add on extra projects, they’re probably going to charge you extra money.
And then you’re going to feel bamboozled. Because you’re going to feel like you got cheated. Or caught in a bait-and-switch situation. Where they came to your house at one price and then they left charging you something else.
Stack the deck in your favor by making sure you know how much they’re going to charge. 

Stack the Deck By Giving The Maid a Key or An Alarm CodeStack the Deck combination key storage lockbox

The next way to stack the deck in your favor is to make sure that they have a key or an alarm code to gain access to your house. If you are not there to let them in you don’t want them sitting out in their car for a few minutes.

Or going around your property looking under rocks and stones and mats. And little gnomes in your yard and things like that, looking for a key. Don’t make them waste time.

Stack the deck in your favor by giving them a key or an alarm code.

Stack The Deck By Picking Stuff Up

Stack the Deck Happy man washing dishesNow when they get inside your house you want to make sure you’ve picked up all your stuff. Because you want them to arrive and do weekly or bi-weekly chores, not daily chores.

If you are trying to save money, or get the most for your money – do the chores you and your family can do.

Save the chores you can’t do for the housekeepers and maids.

Daily chores include making your bed. Pickup clothes. Wash the dishes. Put your books, sporting equipment, and toys away. 

And then when they show up they can do things like cleaning the baseboards. And cleaning the blinds, and dusting off the furniture, and wiping things down. And washing the fronts of the cupboards and things like that.

Stack the Deck by Anticipating Problems Stack the Deck clean clogged drains before maid arrives

Alright, so then the next way that you can stack the deck is you can inspect anything that will cause a problem.  These are things like clogged drains that have hair in them.

You want to clean those out before the house cleaners get here. Because if they go in to clean your bathtub and they turn the water on and the tub fills up with icky water. It won’t drain, and they can’t clean your tub.

Then they’ve got to wait till it does drain. Which is going to take a half hour or so.

And they still have to flush water down there with all the cleanser and soap and stuff that they’re going to use to clean your bathtub. So,
stack the deck in your favor by cleaning out the hair out of the drains before they get there.

Stack the Deck by Making Sure Equipment Works

Stack the Deck clean your vacuumAnd then another thing is, are they going to use your vacuum?

If they are, make sure the vacuum works. Empty the bag or canister. Clean out the rollers to make sure the bristles aren’t clogged.
Stack the deck in your favor by having your house ready. Have your equipment ready for when the house cleaners come.

These would be a few suggestions to make sure you get the most for the money you spend on house cleaners.

Stack the deck in your favor that would be my suggestion. And for those of you that are not Americans, I’m giving you permission to use this American idiom. “Stack the deck” and now you too can get the most for your house cleaning money.

Alright, that’s it for today. And until we meet again, leave the world a cleaner place than when you found it.

 

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About the Show

Learn how the show came to be, interesting facts about the show host, and other frequently asked questions about the show.

Resources For This Episode

The Practical Preppers Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness – http://amzn.to/2fTvGbQ

Daily Routines: Simple Solutions for Health and Longevity – http://amzn.to/2wawhfW

How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets – http://amzn.to/2waprqN

Living On A Shoestring Budget: How To Enjoy And Get The Most Out Of Your Money on a Weekly Basis – http://amzn.to/2idgFSY

Stack the Deck: Make Your Own Luck by Focusing on Yourself – http://amzn.to/2wax3tm

52 Card Pick-Up: How to Stack the Deck for Business Success – http://amzn.to/2fT4FW1

Knight Box NEW Color!! CLAY Wall Mount Push Button Lock Box with Waterproof Cover, Realtor Lock Box, Combination Key Storage Lockbox, KeySafe, 10-Digit Push-Button Combination – http://amzn.to/2vPlp4v

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