How often should I have my home professionally cleaned?

For 1–2 person households: monthly. For families with children or pets: bi-weekly. For heavy-use households: weekly. First-time professional cleans should always be a deep clean.

What should I do before a professional cleaner arrives?

Declutter surfaces so cleaners can access everything. Clear the kitchen counters and move any items from the floor. You don't need to pre-clean — that's what your cleaner is there for.

What is the difference between a deep clean and a standard clean?

A standard clean covers bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, floors, and dusting. A deep clean adds inside appliances, inside cabinets, baseboards, window tracks, and all the areas that accumulate over time. Always start with a deep clean for a first booking.

How do I keep my home clean between professional cleanings?

A 10-minute daily reset — dishes away, kitchen counter wiped, bathroom sink wiped, entry swept — prevents accumulation between visits. Squeegee the shower after each use to eliminate 90% of soap scum buildup.

Cleaning Tips3 min read

How to Get Oil Stains Out of Clothes — Toronto Guide 2026

How to remove cooking oil, grease, and food oil stains from fabric in your Toronto home. The dish soap pretreat that works even on old set-in oil stains.

Maidless

November 27, 2026

How to Get Oil Stains Out of Clothes

Oil stains on fabric are caused by lipids bonding to the textile fibres. The key is using a surfactant (a soap that bonds to both water and oil) to lift the oil away from the fabric. Dish soap is specifically formulated for this purpose and is the most effective household treatment for oil stains.

Important Rule: Don't Rinse First

Water alone does not remove oil — it spreads the stain and can set it. Apply a cleaning agent to the dry stain before introducing water.

The Dish Soap Method (Works on Most Fabrics)

Blot the stain with a dry cloth to remove any excess oil — do not rub
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda or cornstarch directly on the stain — this absorbs remaining surface oil before you apply soap. Allow 10 minutes, then brush off.
Apply a few drops of undiluted dish soap (Dawn is widely recommended) directly to the stain
Use your fingers or a soft brush to work the soap into the fabric in a gentle circular motion
Allow to sit 5–10 minutes
Rinse with warm water from the back of the fabric — this pushes the stain out rather than through
Check the stain before machine washing — if still visible, repeat the dish soap step before drying. Heat from the dryer permanently sets oil stains.
Machine wash as normal with laundry detergent

For Set-In Oil Stains (Washed and Dried)

Apply dish soap to the stain and allow 30–60 minutes
Add a small amount of WD-40 to the stain — this re-solubilizes dried oil so the dish soap can remove it. Apply dish soap over the WD-40 and work in.
Wash in the warmest water safe for the fabric
These require more patience — multiple treatments are often needed

By Fabric Type

Cotton and polyester: Dish soap method works well; wash in warm water
Silk and delicates: Use a small amount of dish soap, cold water, gentle hand wash — do not rub aggressively
Wool: Use a wool-safe detergent; dish soap can damage some wool fibre coatings
Dry-clean only: Blot excess oil, apply talcum powder or cornstarch, brush off — then take to a dry cleaner

Book a Maidless deep clean at maidless.ca — 4.9★, 100+ reviews, vetted cleaners across Toronto.

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