Leaving the house

When leaving the house, please leave the house in at least the condition in which you found it.  This includes making sure that:

  • Beds are clean and made
  • Clothing and personal items are removed from closets and bureaus
  • Bathrooms are clean, including floor with personal items removed from vanity tops and showers
  • Towels are washed and returned to linen closet
  • Kitchen is clean, including floor
  • The fridge is emptied of anything other than condiments or other non-perishable items.  When it doubt, throw it out.  Or take it home.
  • Dishes are put away
  • Staples are replaced if they have been used up
  • House is vacuumed
  • Trash is brought to the dump or taken home, rather than being left for the next visitor.  Dump stickers are in the top right drawer, as are the dump hours.
  • Windows are closed and locked
  • Doors are closed and locked
  • Key is replaced
     

Cleaning Service

During the summer, each family has agreed to fund one professional cleaning of the house after one of their visits. 

These cleanings will be scheduled by Carl and Beth with the goal of spreading them throughout the summer and such that the family paying has the benefit of a cleaning after their visit.

Additional cleanings and extras like doing laundry, beds, picking up, etc. should be scheduled ahead of time directly with Linda Dennis at Linda.cleaning101@yahoo.com or call (603) 863-3613.

 Linda:

  • Bills her team out by the hour ($35 per) and is happy to do as much as you want her to. 
  • Will always do what it takes to get the house clean.  Depending on how she finds the house, this may take her more or less time and cost you more or less money.
  • However, she schedules her team assuming a standard cleaning.  As above, additional services should be pre-arranged so she can schedule sufficient time.
  • Can also do beds and towels if you let her know ahead of time!
    • For Beds:
      • If you’d like her to change a bed, place a set of clean sheets on the bed to be changed.  (This saves her the time - and you the $ - of her figuring out which beds to change and sheets go where.)
      • She’ll change that bed, and launder the dirty sheets. 
      • If she’s still there when the dryer finishes, she’ll fold the sheets and put them in the dresser of the room they came from.
      • Given timing, the clean sheets will be left in the dryer in most cases.
         
    • For Towels:
      • If you’d like her to wash towels, leave them on the washing machine.
      • She’ll launder the towels.
      • If she’s still there when the dryer finishes, she’ll fold them and put them in the upstairs hall linen closet.
      • Given timing, the clean towels will be left in the dryer in most cases.

Linda doesn’t (so we should):

  • Enjoy general picking up (or, I should say, she’s happy to do this, but it’s cheaper if it’s done before she gets there!)
  • Empty the:  
    • fridge
    • dishwasher
    • recycling on stairs
    • house trash
    • garage trash

Additional Winter information

Coming

  • Turn on circuit breakers on wall in cellar by furnace
    • #9 water pump
    • #6 sewer pump < Do not do this - new pump doesn't require it.
  • Turn green handle on water tank (far corner of cellar) straight up
  • Turn up thermostat as necessary
  • Turn on washing machine handles as necessary
  • Turn on water heater switch in garage

Going

  • Turn off circuit breakers on wall in cellar by furnace
    • #9 water pump
    • #6 sewer pump
  • Turn green handle on water tank (far corner of cellar) to right angle to pipe
  • Turn off washing machine handles and leave door to laundry room open
  • Turn up down thermostat to 55 degrees
  • Lock all windows and doors (except garage)
  • Turn off water heater in garage