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Free Independent Contractor Agreement

June 4, 2018 by admin

Included is a generic independent contractor’s agreement provided by Emily’s Maids’ attorney. You have our permission to use this agreement for your cleaning service. Before using this contract, please read on because you will want to 1) be aware of the legality of using contract labor and 2) how to possibly prevent the government forcing your house cleaners to be employees.

1) Maid Services Must Use Employees By Law. If you are organized as a maid service you are required, by law, to have employees. Originally Emily’s Personnel Service (dba Emily’s Maids) was not organized as a maid service, rather Emily’s Maids was a referral agency matching housekeepers with homeowners.

The border between employee vs contractor can be quite grey. According to law, as long as you are far enough on the independent contractor side then you are safe; you can use contractors for housecleaning. However what the law states and what the government does do not always coincide.

Emily’s Personnel Service workers fell on the contractor’s side on 18 or the 20 rules (see “Employment Status” below). By law Emily’s Maids was clearly on the contractor side, therefore legally we should have contractors. However when Emily’s was audited by the Texas Workforce Commission, they used items “3 Integration” and “12 Payment” (see below) to force the house cleaners to be employees. Why? Because it was in the government’s financial interest to do so.

Interestingly my attorney shared a story where a business he represented was forced to have contractors instead of employees because, again, it was in the government’s interest despite the business clearly being in on the Employee side.

Here are the 20 items Texas businesses need to look at to determine if they have employees or contractors (This may be different in States other than Texas):

EMPLOYMENT STATUS – A COMPARATIVE APPROACH

Under the common law test, a worker is an employee if the purchaser of that worker’s service has the right to direct or control the worker, both as to the final results and as to the details of when, where, and how the work is done. Control need not actually be exercised; rather, if the service recipient has the right to control, employment may be shown.	Depending upon the type of business and the services performed, not all of the twenty common law factors may apply. In addition, the weight assigned to a specific factor may vary depending upon the facts of the case. If an employment relationship exists, it does not matter that the employee is called something different, such as: agent, contract labor, subcontractor, or independent contractor.
1. INSTRUCTIONS:	11. ORAL OR WRITTEN REPORTS:
An Employee receives instructions about when, where and how the work is to be performed. An Independent Contractor does the job his or her own way with few, if any, instructions as to the details or methods of the work.	An Employee may be required to submit regular oral or written reports about the work in progress. An Independent Contractor is usually not required to submit regular oral or written reports about the work in progress.
2. TRAINING:	12.PAYMENT BY THE HOUR, WEEK, OR MONTH:
Employees are often trained by a more experienced employee or are required to attend meetings or take training courses. An Independent Contractor uses his or her own methods and thus need not receive training from the purchaser of those services.	An Employee is typically paid by the employer in regular amounts at stated intervals, such as by the hour or week. An Independent Contractor is normally paid by the job, either a negotiated flat rate or upon submission of a bid.
3. INTEGRATION:	13. PAYMENT OF BUSINESS & TRAVEL EXPENSE:
Services of an Employee are usually merged into the firm’s overall operation; the firm’s success depends on those Employee services. An Independent Contractor’s services are usually separate from the client’s business and are not integrated or merged into it.	An Employee’s business and travel expenses are either paid directly or reimbursed by the employer. Independent Contractors normally pay all of their own business and travel expenses without reimbursement.
4. SERVICES RENDERED PERSONALLY:	14. FURNISHING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:
An Employee’s services must be rendered personally; Employees do not hire their own substitutes or delegate work to them. A true Independent Contractor is able to assign another to do the job in his or her place and need not perform services personally.	Employees are furnished all necessary tools, materials, and equipment by their employer. An Independent Contractor ordinarily provides all of the tools and equipment necessary to complete the job.
5. HIRING, SUPERVISING & PAYING HELPERS:	15. SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT:
An Employee may act as a foreman for the employer but, if so, helpers are paid with the employer’s funds. Independent Contractors select, hire, pay, and supervise any helpers used and are responsible for the results of the helpers’ labor.	An Employee generally has little or no investment in the business. Instead, an Employee is economically dependent on the employer. True Independent Contractors usually have a substantial financial investment in their independent business.
6. CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP:	16. REALIZE PROFIT OR LOSS:
An Employee often continues to work for the same employer month after month or year after year. An Independent Contractor is usually hired to do one job of limited or indefinite duration and has no expectation of continuing work.	An Employee does not ordinarily realize a profit or loss in the business. Rather, Employees are paid for services rendered. An Independent Contractor can either realize a profit or suffer a loss depending on the management of expenses and revenues.
7. SET HOURS OF WORK:	17. WORKING FOR MORE THAN ONE FIRM AT A TIME:
An Employee may work “on call” or during hours and days as set by the employer. A true Independent Contractor is the master of his or her own time and works the days and hours he or she chooses.	An Employee ordinarily works for one employer at a time and may be prohibited from joining a competitor. An Independent Contractor often works for more than one client or firm at the same time and is not subject to a non-competition rule.
8. FULL TIME REQUIRED:	18. MAKING SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC:
An Employee ordinarily devotes full-time service to the employer, or the employer may have a priority on the Employee’s time. A true Independent Contractor cannot be required to devote full-time service to one firm exclusively.	An Employee does not make his or her services available to the public except through the employer’s company. An Independent Contractor may advertise, carry business cards, hang out a shingle, or hold a separate business license.
9. LOCATION WHERE SERVICES PERFORMED:	19. RIGHT TO DISCHARGE WITHOUT LIABILITY:
Employment is indicated if the employer has the right to mandate where services are performed. Independent Contractors ordinarily work where they choose. The workplace may be away from the client’s premises.	An Employee can be discharged at any time without liability on the employer’s part. If the work meets the contract terms, an Independent Contractor cannot be fired without liability for breach of contract.
10. ORDER OR SEQUENCE SET:	20. RIGHT TO QUIT WITHOUT LIABILITY:
An Employee performs services in the order or sequence set by the employer. This shows control by the employer. A true Independent Contractor is concerned only with the finished product and sets his or her own order or sequence of work.	An Employee may quit work at any time without liability on the Employee’s part. An Independent Contractor is legally responsible for job completion and, on quitting, becomes liable for breach of contract.

C-8(0406)

(Source: 40 T.A.C. § 821.5, adopted to be effective June 1, 1998, as published in the Texas Register, May 29, 1998, 23 TexReg 5732.)

The law says there is a grey area and a business needs to be far enough on either side of the spectrum to classify their workers as employee or contractor. The reality is that you must be 100% on one side or the other, otherwise the government will force you to have whatever classification most benefits them (at least in Texas).

Quite frustrating how the government bends the law however there may be an answer…

2) Ensure Your Contractors Are Incorporated. In addition to setting up your cleaning business to be a referral agency, you will want your cleaners to be under their own Limited Liability Company (LLC). This may shield you from governmental whims. Granted, it may be hard to find house cleaners willing to do this; after all the legal stuff can be quite daunting to anyone. However a friend of mine owns one of the largest moving companies in Dallas along with a House Cleaning service. He requires all of his workers (movers and maids) to have an LLC, though over lunch a few weeks ago, he did voice concern about being audited and forced to have employees. I think he will probably safe if all his workers are LLCs though I suppose the jury is still out on this.

Good job if you have read this far. I hope this helps your business avoid any issues with Uncle Sam. Anyway, on to the independent contractor’s agreement. Please note if you are in Texas, then the only thing you will probably want to customize within the independent contractor agreement is Appendix A.

EMILY’S PERSONNEL SERVICE LLC

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

This Agreement, when accepted by Emily’s Personnel Service, L.L.C., a Texas limited liability company located at 2606 Manor Way, Dallas, Texas 75235 (“Company”), is made as of ____________ by and between the Company and ______________________________________________, a Sole Proprietorship, located at ________________________, _____________ TX _______ (“Contractor”).

IN CONSIDERATION of their mutual promises made herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Scope of Work

The Company engages the Contractor to furnish the work described in the Schedule attached to this Agreement, and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A. Contractor agrees to furnish the work at the times scheduled and agreed upon at the amounts specified in the Schedule. The attached Schedule may be modified, from time to time, upon agreement of the parties. If the Company requests modified or additional services, the Contractor shall provide the Company with an estimate of changes to the compensation payable and the impact upon the schedule for completion of the services, if any. The Contractor shall proceed with such modified or additional services only upon receipt of written approval by the Company.

Price and Payment

The Company agrees to pay the Contractor in accordance with the price and payment terms set forth in the Schedule attached to this Agreement, and the Contractor agrees to accept such amounts as full payment for its work and to sign such waivers of lien, affidavits and receipts as the Company shall request in order to acknowledge payment. The Contractor acknowledges that its federal employer tax identification number, or social security number in the case of an individual, is correctly set forth in the Schedule attached to this Agreement.

Independent Contractor Relationship

The Contractor is an independent contractor and is not an employee, servant, agent, partner or joint venturer of the Company. The Company shall determine the work to be done by the Contractor, but the Contractor shall determine the legal means by which the Contractor accomplishes the work specified by the Company. The Company is not responsible for withholding, and shall not withhold, FICA or taxes of any kind from any payments it owes the Contractor. Neither the Contractor nor its employees shall be entitled to receive any benefits which employees of the Company are entitled to receive and shall not be entitled to workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, medical insurance, life insurance, paid vacations, paid holidays, pension, profit sharing, or Social Security on account of their work for the Company.

Business of Contractor

The Contractor represents and warrants to the Company that the Contractor is engaged in an independent calling of providing household and other services and has complied with all local, state, and federal laws regarding business permits and licenses that may be required to carry out the independent calling and to perform the services specified in this Agreement. Upon request by the Company, the Contractor shall provide the Company with copies of all documents reasonably requested by the Company to verify the Contractor’s established business and the representations set forth herein. Notwithstanding any due diligence performed by the Company with respect to the subject matter of these representations, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold the Company, its directors and officers, and its agents and employees, harmless from any and all claims, causes of action, losses, damage, liabilities, costs and expenses, including attorney fees, arising from breach of the representations set forth in this Section.

Employees of Contractor

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for paying its employees. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for paying any and all taxes, FICA, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, medical insurance, life insurance, paid vacations, paid holidays, pension, profit sharing and other benefits for the Contractor and its employees, servants and agents.

Insurance

The Contractor shall furnish the Company with current certificates of coverage of the Contractor, and proof of payment by the Contractor, for workers’ compensation insurance, general liability insurance, motor vehicle insurance and such other insurance as the Company may require from time to time. The Contractor shall maintain all such insurance coverage and shall furnish the Company with certificates of renewal coverage and proofs of premium payments. If the Contractor fails to pay a premium for insurance required by this paragraph before it becomes due, the Company may pay the premium and deduct the amount paid from any payments due the Contractor and recover the balance from the Contractor directly.

Risk

The Contractor shall perform the work at its own risk. The Contractor assumes all responsibility for the condition of tools, equipment, and materials, and job site. The Company will not reimburse the Contractor for any expenses incurred by Contractor as a result of services rendered under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, car-related expenses, telephone expenses, costs of cleaning supplies, and equipment.

Indemnity and Warranty

The Contractor shall at all times comply with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations and other governmental requirements. The Contractor shall indemnify and hold the Company, its directors and officers, and its agents and employees, harmless from any and all claims, causes of action, losses, damage, liabilities, costs and expenses, including attorney fees, arising from the death of or injury to any person, from damage to or destruction of property, or from breach of the warranties in this Section, arising from the provision of services by Contractor, its agents or employees.

Assignment

The Company may assign any or all of its rights and duties under this Agreement at any time and from time to time without the consent of the Contractor. The Contractor may not assign any of its rights or duties under this Assignment without the prior written consent of the Company.

Term and Termination

Time is of the essence in the provision of services under this Agreement. This Agreement is effective as of the date signed by both parties. Both parties acknowledge that additional services may be requested under the agreement. The agreement shall terminate upon Contractor’s completion of the services agreed to in accordance with the Schedule attached to this Agreement, unless terminated in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Section. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company reserves the right to terminate this Agreement at any time upon delivery of written notice of termination, and Contractor shall be compensated for all services provided prior to such termination. The Company may terminate this Agreement immediately, however, should Contractor fail to perform any of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation completion of the services provided for herein in a timely manner. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that its obligations pursuant to Section 8, as well as any obligation to protect confidential information or trade secrets of the Company and assign intellectual property rights to the Company, shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

Non-Compete Agreement

While this agreement is in effect, Contractor shall not be allowed to be hired independently (directly paid) or work with the homeowner unless the Contractor pays an exit fee.
After the Contractor has ended the provision of services to the Company the Contractor agrees to not provide services for any homeowner provided by the Company without written permission of the Company. The Contractor agrees that they will not provide services for a period of one year after termination of services.
The Contractor may alternatively pay an Exit Fee of $750.00 to the Company only after six months of service has been provided to the Company if the Contractor wants to work directly for the homeowner. The Company shall have no further obligation to the Contractor including scheduling, obtaining work, or any other act performed in the relationship between Company and Contractor.
Liquidated Damages. Should Contractor fail to pay the exit fee and continue to provide services directly to any homeowner obtained through the Company then the Contractor agrees to be liable for the sum $10,000 plus reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of collection. The amount of liquidated damages are agreed due to the difficulty of determining the exact amount of monetary damages.

Settlement by Arbitration

Any claim or controversy that arises from or is related to this agreement shall be determined through Arbitration in Dallas County. The arbitration shall be based upon the Rules of The American Arbitration Association. Any Court in Dallas County, Texas with Jurisdiction may enter judgment

Severability

If for any reason, any provision of this agreement is held invalid, all other provisions of this agreement shall remain in effect. If this agreement is held invalid or cannot be enforced, then to the full extent permitted by law any prior agreement between Company (or any predecessor thereof) and the Contractor shall be deemed reinstated as if this agreement had not been executed.

Effect of Prior Agreement

This agreement supersedes any prior agreement between the Company or any predecessor of the Company and the Contractor, except that this agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or compensation inuring the Contractor of a kind elsewhere provided and not expressly provided in this agreement.

Limited Effect of Waiver by Company

Should Company waive breach of any provision of this agreement by the Contractor that waiver will not operate or be construed as a waiver of further breach by the Contractor.

Assumption of Agreement by Company’s Successors and Assignees

The Company’s rights and obligations under this agreement will inure to the benefit and be binding upon the Company’s successors and assigns.

Oral Agreements are Not Binding

This instrument is the entire agreement of the Company and the Contractor. Oral changes have no effect. It may be altered only by a written agreement signed by the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification, extension, or discharge is sought.

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

Confidentiality

The Contractor acknowledges and agrees (a) that all intellectual property and any other plans, specifications, designs and other documents and materials created pursuant to this Agreement or related to the services to be provided hereunder and any information, work in progress, trade secrets or other secret or confidential matter related to the business or projects of the Company constitute confidential information (“Confidential Information”), and (b) that the Contractor shall not use, copy or disclose to any person, firm or corporation any such Confidential Information, unless such use, copying or disclosure is necessary to accomplish the Contractor’s duties hereunder and has been authorized in writing by the Company.

Entire Agreement

This Agreement represents the entire agreement of the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof, and any prior agreements, promises, negotiations, or representations, whether oral or written, not expressly set forth in this Agreement are of no force and effect. This Agreement may be modified only by a writing signed by both parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the date shown above.

COMPANY:

Emily’s Personnel Service, L.L.C.

By: ___________________________

Company Representative’s Signature

____________________________

Company Representative’s Printed Name

CONTRACTOR:

By: ___________________________

Contractor’s Signature

____________________________

Contractor’s Printed Name

EXIHIBIT A

[This area is where you will want to customize for your business]

The Company shall pay Contractor $_____._____ per one hour block for the services of the Contractor, payable at regular payroll periods.

For example, if Contractor is paid $15.00 per one hour block, then the pay schedule would follow considering a minimum of three hours:

3 Hour Block = $45.00

4 Hour Block = $60.00

5 Hour Block = $75.00

6 Hour Block = $90.00

7 Hour Block = $105.00

8 Hour Block = $120.00

I hope you found value in this post. If you have, share the knowledge by linking to this page! It is my personal belief that sharing knowledge with other cleaning services is indicative of having the right mindset for being successful. If you do direct a link to this page, shoot me an email of the link and I’ll send you a free SEO Guide for beginners 🙂

If you are in Texas, you may want to read further on classifying employees and independent contractors.

What recurring services are actually worth paying for?

April 25, 2018 by emilysmaids

The question “What recurring services are actually worth” paying for” was posed on reddit the other day. Of course I had to take a gander and see how far housecleaning was up-voted. For those that are not familiar with reddit, it is a website where various stories and comments are posted. People “up-vote” their favorite ones. Therefore the most popular writings are up-voted to top, making for an absurdly addictive website with superb content. Anyway, so where did housecleaning rank among which recurring services are worth it?

The top (and most upvoted comment) was…

A cleaner.

I always thought they were for rich people but we had one come through once a fortnight after we had our baby and it’s so good to not have to worry about scrubbing the house!

People often reject it on principle – “I’m not paying someone to clean my house.” I tell them that you’re not paying someone to clean your house. You’re buying your own time back by not having to clean your own house.

Followed up by this one…

Thumbs up on this one. After having a baby I struggled to keep the house clean but put off hiring help forever because I felt I really should be able to do it myself.

Eventually circumstances meant my neighbours cleaner was available and I gave it a try. She’s been coming fortnightly ever since.

I still occasionally feel like maybe I’m just lazy and should manage myself by now. Then holidays come or she’s sick or whatever and we miss a clean. By the time she returns, her job is 150% safe again.

…and this one…

It takes mine a few hours what I would spend an entire Saturday doing. Worth every penny.

Now I could go on and on how right they are 🙂 But I’ll let some of the other reddit comments speak for me.

I have 2 roommates and a girlfriend. Could I clean my whole house in like 3 hours? Yup. Would I rather chip in 20$ a month to have someone do it for us to prevent the house from looking like garbage after parties? Sure do.

Keeps everything nicer and a more fair distribution of “work” to have a clean house.

which is followed up by:

You probably avoid so much stress on those roommate relationships by doing this. Smart

A clean home is relaxing:

I was going to say..house cleaning! If you can work it into your budget and afford it, keeping your home maintained makes it so much more relaxing to be in. It takes more time than people realize.

Keep it clean, or outsource the work, because i think it’s worth it. Such a breath of fresh air to come back to a clean, neat and tidy home. It’s also really rewarding to spend the time doing it yourself so you can relax once the job is done, but of course it’s time and energy consuming. Look for a service in your local area and get a quote!

For more on how awesome and stress reducing having a house cleaning service is, view the reddit thread here.

THIS. I wish I had done it years ago. I hate cleaning and having them come every two weeks is the best money I’ve ever spent.

Remove Rust Stains Hack with Lime and Salt

May 4, 2017 by admin

Have you ever had one of your best pieces of clothes stained with rust? It’s pretty annoying especially if it is your favourite white t-shirt, tablecloth, shorts or golf shirt. You make the mistake of throwing it in bleach, getting an ugly looking yellow t-shirt. Then you’d toss it, never use it again. Sad. I know. Though don’t worry! Continue reading and discover the best way to remove those difficult stains with only 2 ingredients?

While growing up my mom would always have the best hacks for pretty much for anything. Cleaning hacks, stain hacks (for all kind of stains by the way), and even nursing hacks. We didn’t had to worry if we stained our uniforms at a school party or while enjoying a nice juice mango.

So came a day when my mom was doing laundry and one of my dad’s best shirts had a horrible rust stain. I thought that was going to be the last for Dad’s shirt… but I was wrong. Super mom got to work. She sent me to the kitchen for salt and a lime…

Now for my Mom’s removing rust hack with lime and salt:

What we need

Lime
Salt
Sun light

How to do the magic

Cut the lime in half
Rub half of the lime on the area that is stained
Place a nice amount of salt on the area
Rub it all together with your hands
Place your shirt, shorts, table cloth tennis etc. outside directly under the hot sun.
Leave it outside for some few hours while you’re doing laundry
Then wash your peace of clothes as you normally do
If the stain does not come off the first time you can repeat the procedure.

Voila! No more rusty steel stains.

Emily’s is Your Cleaning Cupid

February 8, 2017 by admin

We want to share the love with you this February! Book any Monday and Tuesday through the month or buy a gift certificate and get 10% OFF when you use the coupon code WELOVEYOU14.

Happy Valentines!!

Cleaning Kitchen Windows

November 3, 2016 by admin

I noticed that the windows in the kitchen were a little foggy. When I got close they were filthy with a combination of dust and grease. If you are trying to get your windows sparkling using only Glass and Multi-Surface Cleaners, they won’t do the trick. You need a little extra effort to get them looking like new. These simple steps will help you recover the brightness in your kitchen area by getting that clean sparkling look on your windows.

First, let’s start by mixing some liquid dishwasher soap, some grease remover and little bit of water; spray this concoction all over the glass surface and let it react for a couple minutes. Second, if needed you can scrub with a sponge to remove the excess of grease. Third, with a damp cloth and water remove the mixture, add any glass cleaner that you like and wipe down. Finally, before it gets dry, use a sheet of newspaper over the damp area and cleans it in a circular motion
This will diminish the fogginess look on your glass windows.

Voilá here comes the light!

13 Home Remedies To Clean Out Ants In Your Home & Garden

August 8, 2016 by admin

13 Home remedies to get rid of ants in your home and garden

Although most ants are harmless and can even be beneficial to the environment, they easily become pests, since they reproduce quickly and have very few predators in urban areas. They usually invade homes in search of food and shelter, so the very first step in eliminating ants in the home is to keep it free of crumbs and debris.

Clean every room in your home thoroughly, but especially the kitchen (particularly its floors and shelves), since this place is where dust and food crumbs gather the most. Also, leave foods that can spoil easily, like fruits and vegetables, inside the fridge.

After cleaning everything very well, you can use the following home remedies to get rid of your ant problem and live happily ever after:

Cayenne/red pepper: sprinkle the pepper over all affected areas, especially anthills. Repeat this process regularly.
Garlic: prepare a mixture of garlic and water. Put several cloves of garlic inside a pot filled with water, and let them rest inside for a day. The next day, simmer the mixture for 15 minutes and, once it’s done, apply it to all affected areas. Repeat this process regularly.
Aromatic herbs: ants dislike the scent of many common aromatic herbs, so it’d be a great idea to plant some of these in your garden to keep ants at bay. Give lavender, mint, spearmint and thyme a try.
Lavender: you can also prepare a lavender infusion with 10.5 oz of fresh lavender leaves in 1 quart of water and spray it over all affected areas.
Lemon juice: spray pure lemon juice over all affected areas. You can also use it to protect your plants by rubbing their stems with it.
Baking soda: you can protect your plants by putting baking soda on the earth around them. Sodium bicarbonate is a natural repellent for all kinds of pests.
Boiling water: pour boiling water directly over any anthill you see, and repeat the process until the ants are no more. Also, make sure to destroy them.
Soap: prepare a mixture of water and soap (detergent will also work) and spray it over the ants.
Vinegar: vinegar is toxic to ants, yet harmless to plants if applied in small doses. Prepare a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and spray the entirety of your garden with this solution.
Rice: this is a perfect ant repellent if one lets it rot enough so that it produces mold. Leave a small handful of rice over a spot where you know ants gather often. The ants will leave what they’re carrying to pick up the rice and take it back to their nest. Once there, the heat inside the nest will cause the rice to rot and grow mold, which will repel any ants living around it.
Orange peels: most people throw orange peels away without knowing how useful they can be. Not only can they be used in cooking and have many health benefits, but also secrete a substance that is toxic to ants. So, to take advantage of this, cut up orange peels until you have a handful of small pieces, and sprinkle them over the places where ants usually gather. The ants will leave what they’re carrying to take the orange peels back to their nest, where they will die, due to the actions of this toxic substance.
Yeast: ants are very attracted to yeast, although it is usually lethal to them if they ingest it. To use it to get rid of ants, mix 3.5 oz of yeast with 1 quart of water and 3.5 oz of sugar. Put this mixture in small containers and then place these containers around your home, in places where the ants gather the most.
White pepper: ants are repelled by the naturally-occurring compounds in pepper. Mix equal parts ground white pepper and water, then spray the mixture on the stems of affected plants and other places where ants tend to gather.

Make Your Stainless Steel Shine

July 20, 2016 by admin

Keeping your stainless steel spotless!

Last night we had our new refrigerator installed we were so excited, since the old one flunked out on us a few days back, when we went to the store to buy it the salesperson waxed poetry about it but there is something that they don’t tell you about stainless steel appliances, it’s not fingerprint proof! In no time it looked dirty and felt sticky, you get all these spots on it and them don’t get out with just wiping it with a wet or dry cloth… what a bummer!!

When you’re in a rush and you have people coming over and you want your house to be at its best, your stainless steel appliances are not the exception for a clean looking house. After several failed attempts, I came across this recipe that listed simple ingredients that you will probably find in your house. So here goes… with just water and paper towel wipe down your stainless steel appliances, once it’s dry, spray rubbing alcohol and wipe it off with new and dry paper towel then using a microfiber cloth rub a small amount of olive oil evenly through the stainless-steel , now I have to admit that I was not sure about this last step since I was under the impression that the oil will be a mess and make the refrigerator stickier than before, but I was very impressed with the results. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself or ask your housekeeper to do it! You will not only vanish the fingerprints from your appliances it will be shining like a dollar piece, good as new!

Yes, mine is new but now it’s spotless!

10 tricks to eliminate bad trash can smells

April 28, 2016 by admin

10 easy tricks to eliminate bad smells from your trash can

There isn’t anything more disgusting than a house that smells like garbage. In this article, you will learn 10 easy tricks to get rid of any pesky smells in your trash can, and they will also help keep insects at bay. First things first, make sure to wash your trash can thoroughly before applying these tricks.

Baking soda: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking soda at the bottom of your trash can. This will absorb any bad smells. Leave the baking soda inside the trash can and put a bag on top of it. Replace the baking soda every week or so.
Juice of citrus fruits: Squeeze the juice of a citrus fruit (can be half an orange or a grapefruit, or an entire lemon) inside the trash can. Wait until the juice dries and put a bag inside the trash can. When necessary, remove any traces of the old juice with a damp cloth, and put new juice inside.
Peel of scented fruits: Put the discarded peels and leaves of any scented fruits (like citrus fruits and mints) to eliminate bad smells from your trash can. Just make sure to change them frequently to prevent them from rotting inside the can and making your problems worse.
Coffee beans: Put some coffee beans inside a bowl, and then put the bowl inside the trash can so it can absorb the bad smells. You can also put the beans in a bag and put that inside the trash can.
Tea tree oil: Spray the trash can, every day, with a mix of water and 20 drops of tea tree oil, before putting the garbage bag. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, so it will not only eliminate the bad smells, but it will also disinfect your trash container. If you want to give the trash can an even better smell, consider adding some lavender oil to the mixture.
Vanilla extract: Apply a few drops of vanilla extract to a cotton ball, and then place it inside the trash can. Leave it there all night.
Color catching sheet and cinnamon: Recycle your color catching sheets to eliminate bad smells. Cut a sheet in half and soak it in cinnamon water. When it has absorbed enough of the cinnamon, place it at the bottom of the trash can.
White vinegar: Put 3 cups of vinegar inside the trash can, and then fill it to the brim with hot water. Let the vinegar rest for about an hour, then empty the trash can. Let the container dry all night.
Cat litter: Cover the bottom of the trash can with approximately 2 to 4 inches of cat litter. Since some litter varieties are scented, you won’t need an extra product to perfume the container. Make sure to change the litter every 2 weeks.
Charcoal: Use any leftover charcoal from your last barbecue to get rid of bad smells. Crush the coals and sprinkle them all over the inside of the trash can. Let them rest inside the container all night so that they can absorb any smells.

Hopefully these tips will help you keep your home smelling wonderful!

Happily Sponsoring Little Forest Hills Funky 4K & Festival

October 8, 2015 by admin

Emily’s Personnel Service is a proud sponsor of Little Forest Hills Funky 4k & Fall Festival being held Saturday on November 21st. The race begins at 3pm. It is $14.00 to sign up and children run for free. Music, games, kids activities, and picnic (bring your basket and blanket), starting at 4pm. Free Dessert served! To register and for more information, go to Little Forest Hills neighborhood association.

LFH Funky 4K – Mark Your Calendars

Little Forest Hills is holding its 5th Funky 4k & Fall Festival Saturday, Nov. 21st from 3-6 at Casa Linda Park.

The race begins at 3pm and we hope you will wear your funkiest outfit to run through Dallas’ funkiest neighborhood! The cost to participate in the race is $14 for adults and free for children 12 years or younger, so bring the whole family! Adult price includes a race t-shirt, and kids t-shirts can be purchased for $5.

Afte the race, join us back at the park at 4pm for music, games, kids activities, and a picnic. Bring your picnic basket and a blanket. We’ll bring the dessert!

We are looking for local “community friendly” businesses to sponsor the event. If your business is interested, or if you know of a local business that any be interested, please contact us for more information.

Welcoming Dial A Maid to the Emily’s Family

July 7, 2014 by admin

This letter from Julie, the previous owner of Dial-A-Maid. On July 1st Emily’s Maids took on Dial a Maid to continue their tradition of good service at a great price. It has been a pleasure knowing Julie over the years. She is one of the most caring, pleasant people you will ever know! Thank you for your kind words and we wish the best for you and yours.

I am very excited to introduce Greg and his team at Emily Personnel Service to you. Due to the possibility of relocation for my husband’s work, we decided to begin marketing the business to sell; we felt that while we may be able to run Dial-A-Maid from a different city, that it would be better run by someone close by to the customers that we care for. I was both happy and relieved whenever Greg contacted me and said that he was interested in taking on the Dial-A-Maid customers and staff into his existing business! I have known Greg over the years that I have owned Dial-A-Maid; we have helped each other out on more than one occasion when the other is over booked, and I was always confident when referring a new lead to him that I did not have the availability to service that they would be well taken care of by Greg and his staff.

My husband Ryan and I purchased Dial-A-Maid from the previous owner, Kristy Bean, in June of 2008. Kristy actually began the company by doing the cleaning herself, about three or four years before we purchased the business from her. She had a background in web design, but had a desire to be self-employed. So she created her own website, hired someone to create the very cute logo that we still use, and began cleaning! As her customer base grew, she hired someone to help her clean the customers’ homes, and then eventually she hired another lady to take her place cleaning, so she could devote more time to customer service and growing the business. Kristy got married in the spring of 2008, and her husband owned a landscaping business at the time. He was spending most of his time out in the field, and had a great need for someone to run the office end of things. They decided to sell Dial-A-Maid and just focus their efforts on his landscaping business. So Kristy posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the business for sale. My husband Ryan called me from work one day, very excited about this ad he had seen for a business for sale on Craigslist and asked me to check it out. Fortunately we were the first ones to call!

I worked in the fashion industry before my children were born, so Dial-A-Maid was very different from my previous work experience. But I had always worked for small companies in the fashion industry, so I have enjoyed being a hands on owner (I’ve been my own office staff the whole time!) so that I could work closely with the customers and employees. Whenever my husband first called me and asked me to check out the ad, he suggested that maybe it would be something that I would enjoy doing and still be able to be home with our son. He was two and our only child at the time, now he is eight and our daughter is five (Perhaps you’ve heard them in the background from time to time while on the phone with me, or maybe you’ve just heard the Sponge Bob Squarepants theme song). It has definitely been a learning experience, in taking on being business owners for the first time for my husband and I, in taking on a very different career for me, and in taking my children along for the ride since so much of their early years have been involved with Dial-A-Maid (I hope that they have learned some things along the way as well!).

I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed working with each of you, and how much I appreciate your loyalty and support over these last six years; you have been a blessing to my family, as well as to the employees families. Thank you, thank you, thank you again for your business; I hope that you will enjoy getting to know and working with Greg and the Emily Maids team!

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Welcoming Dial A Maid to the Emily’s Family

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