Add your Green Business Health & Well BeingALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Even if you would rather snap on your cleaning gloves than let the dust bunnies win, chances are cleaning isn’t high on your list of pleasurable weekend activities.“Maybe you have better things to do. If it frees you up to do something else and you can work it into your life and budget, why not?” says Angie’s List spokeswoman Cheryl Reed. “I have a friend with two kids, two cats, a guinea pig and husband and she lives for the day her house cleaner comes.” If you are like a growing number of households, hiring cleaning help is finding its way into your budget. Despite the recent recession, about one in 10 households have some kind of housekeeping help. Families with dual incomes are the fastest growing segment of the population to hire house cleaners, Reed says.She recommends doing your homework and letting a referral agency like Angie’s List – about $10 a year to read reviews on listed services – do some of the legwork for you.

But bottom line, like other personal services you have to be comfortable with the person you hire.“They are going to come into your home,” she says. You want to know that they are bonded and insured. If the person who provides you an estimate isn’t who’s coming to clean, have other employees been vetted? Does the company do background searches on the people they hire to clean your home?“You want to meet whoever is going to come into your house, if that’s important to you. It comes down to security and peace of mind. You have to trust your gut,” she says.Eva Fierro of E&E Cleaning says she and her sister, Elena Chavez, pride themselves on communicating and cleaning thoroughly enough to meet their clients’ needs. The Santa Fe based-company also cleans in Albuquerque.They offer regular housekeeping and deep cleaning. They vacuum, dust, mop, clean kitchens and bathrooms and they do windows. Deeper cleaning services could include getting grime off ceiling fans or out of ovens.

Her crews bring their own tools and cleaning products and can provide all environmentally friendly products, she says.“car headlight cleaning with toothpasteWe suggest they pick up before we come, so it saves them some of our time and saves them a little money,” she says. air duct cleaning barrie ontarioThe company charges about $40 an hour. ioniser air purifier reviewA regular client with a 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home would pay about $180 to $200 for each cleaning, she says. “Once we get it to our standard of clean we can establish a price to keep it that way.” Jeff Koonce, president of Bear Carpet Speciality Cleaning Services, says deep carpet cleaning is best left to the professionals.

Most carpet manufacturers recommend a professional clean about every 18 months to keep the warranty intact.His crews vacuum, treat spots, apply detergent, steam rinse twice and then vacuum out any excess water to speed drying. The process removes fine dirt and dust particles that wear out the fibers and carpet backing, he says.Rinsing is essential and something unavailable on most do-it-yourself carpet cleaning machines. Detergent’s job is too attract dirt, so detergent left in a carpet makes it more of a dirt magnet, he says.His price is 35 cents a square foot, plus 15 cents a square foot, if carpet protector is added.Most homeowners move smaller furniture. His crew moves larger pieces like dining tables or couches, but usually cleans around larger pieces like beds or entertainment centers.His company also cleans tile and grout for 75 cents a square foot. Sealing the grout is an additional 75 cents a square foot. They also clean furniture and area rugs.For windows, blinds, dryer vents or air ducts, Cody Wagoner, a field support manager at Tux Window Cleaning on Towner NE, says his company has many residential services.

His crews clean mini-blinds for $20 each with an ultrasonic cleaner mounted in their van. Standard double-hung windows are $8 each.“Many of our residential customers just can’t get to it themselves any more,” he says. “We take pride in offering them our services.” reviewsBook this hotel and collect nights after your stayAt a glanceKey factsHotel sizeThis hotel has 167 roomsArriving/leavingCheck-in time starts at 3 PMCheck-out time is noonExpress check-outRequired at check inCredit card or cash deposit required Government-issued photo ID requiredTravelling with othersChildrenNo cribs (infant beds)PetsPets allowed * InternetFree WiFi in public areas Free WiFi in roomsTransportationParkingSelf parking *Other informationSmoke-free propertyCooked-to-order breakfast daily (surcharge)2 restaurants 2 bars/lounges Room service (during limited hours) Outdoor poolSki storageFitness facilitiesFull-service spaSpa treatment room(s)Spa tubSteam roomBusiness centerNumber of meeting rooms - 10Meeting rooms 7Conference centerComputer stationConcierge servicesTours/ticket assistanceDry cleaning/laundry serviceWedding servicesMultilingual staffPorter/bellhopElevator/liftATM/bankingSafe-deposit box at front deskAccessible bathroomIn-room accessibilityRoll-in showerAir conditioningCoffee/tea makerBathrobesIron/ironing boardBlackout drapes/curtainsTurndown servicePremium beddingPillowtop mattressIn-room massage availablePrivate bathroomShower/tub combinationFree toiletriesHair dryerTV Premium TV channels DeskFree

WiFiRefrigerator (on request)Microwave (on request)Free bottled waterDaily housekeepingIn-room safeSpecial featuresSpaThe onsite spa has massage/treatment rooms. Services include hot stone massages, Thai massages, massages, and facials. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy, Ayurvedic, and reflexology.DiningLa Plazuela at La Fonda - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. La Fiesta Lounge - This restaurant serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Bell Tower Bar - This bar serves light fare only.Awards and affiliationsThe property is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Recent reviewsOutstanding 4.6 /5 from 516 reviewsWe loved staying at the LaFonda. The trip was just a shirt get away for my husband and me.Thought strange that there was no mini bar, but you could call all day for a bag of M&Ms. In our room, which was very nice on the top floor with balcony, the TV was very small to watch from the bed. Good bed, and A/C worked above hotel average.