Skip to main content
Residential & Commercial
Cleaning Services
Serving The Upper Valley Since 1993

Author: Chris Wadsworth

Seven Habits: #7 Sharpen the Saw

Home Cleaning Habit #7 - Sharpen the Saw

“We must never become too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the saw.”
Dr. Stephen Covey

To continuous improvement means to sharpen the saw and this means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have–you.

To sharpen the saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, your body becomes weak, your mind mechanical, your emotions raw, and your spirit insensitive. You may become selfish. If you are in this state then it is not a pretty picture, is it?

There are 4 dimensions of renewal. All are important.

The Physical Dimension involves caring effectively for your physical body. Part of this means creating and maintaining a clean environment. If your rugs are dirty, your air is too dusty or too smoky, or perhaps you don’t have enough sunlight then your physical dimension will suffer.


According to Covey, a good exercise program is one we can do in our own home and one that builds our body in three areas: endurance (aerobic exercise), flexibility (stretching), and strength (i.e. weights or sit-ups). Be proactive and set up where you live and work so that it is clean and organized so that you have time to exercise and also to have time and a place to relax.

The greatest benefit we experience from taking care of our physical dimension is being proactive (Habit 1). Be proactive about defining the environment you live in both at work and at home. Keep it clean and organized. This will help your self-esteem, your self-confidence, and your integrity.

The Spiritual Dimension is your core, your center, your commitment to your value system. This dimension is related to a very private area of your life and draws upon the sources that inspire and uplift you. What uplifts us is different for everyone. However, we will argue that a clean and organized environment is very uplifting and that the opposite is also true.

The Mental Dimension is about feeling good about who you are. Good thoughts lead to improved performance. To have good thoughts about your home and office is fundamental. What could you do to improve your home environment? Could it be more organized or cleaner? Your environment has a big impact on how you feel. Do what you can to create a clean and organized place to relax and work.

The Social/Emotional Dimension is highly related to our sense of our performance. We first have to establish our principles and have integrity. Don’t allow yourself to be driven by what others think of you. Establish what is important to you and then live your life with integrity in which your daily habits reflect your values.

If you do need some help with cleaning your home or office, give us a call at 802-295-6065. We can relieve the stress of cleaning, save you some time and help to make your home or office a more pleasant place to be.

We Love Oil Diffusers – Here’s Why

Upper Valley home Cleaning Service - Essential Oil Diffusers

Do you want to freshen up the scent of a room or space in your home or office? If yes, then consider an essential oil diffuser. Diffusers are an excellent way to freshen up the air in a room or space. They are also inexpensive. If we think about what we want when we have a room or area in our home, we think of the following:

The attractiveness of the Room or Space

We want things to look nice and proper. We give this aspect of a room considerable thought. Our rooms are filled with the furniture that we like and enjoy. We hang pictures on the wall that enable us to reflect.

Organization

Any room can become disorganized. Disorganization detracts from the attractiveness of the room. The feel and atmosphere of the room are diminished.

Cleanliness

We want and even need a room or space to be clean. Dirty carpets, windows, or dusty shelves can make us feel uncomfortable. Our areas need to enable us to feel good about the space; therefore, cleanliness is vital.

Smell

We sometimes do not put much emphasis on the smell of a room. Humans, in general, do not use our sense of smell as we did once in our distant past. However, the scent of a room has a significant impact on how we feel about the room. This is where oil diffusers come in.

Oil diffusers work through the simple process of diffusing the oil into the air. This oil is distributed as a very fine mist. Some people also refer to this as aromatherapy.

There are three types of diffusers:

  • Heat-Based
  • Ultrasonic
  • Nebulizing

Heat-based use a candle or other heating element to evaporate the oil into the space.

Ultrasonic diffusers are also diffusing water as the essential oil is mixed with water. Then electronic frequencies are used to create vibrations in water which forms a fine mist of water and essential oils that is released into the air. Since water is also injected into the air, some people use them in the winter to help humidify dry air, which is too dry.

Nebulizing diffusers work by forcing a stream of air at high pressure through small tubes that contain essential oil. This stream of air turns the oil into a fine mist and distributes it around the room.

The purpose of any diffuser is to infuse the air around you with beneficial essential oil blends to improve the smell of a room or area and help create a feeling of wellness.

What are essential oils? That’s a great question. True to their name, essential oils are the pure essence of plants. These concentrated, complex compounds are extracted from the stems, roots, leaves, bark, or other parts of a plant through a distillation process. The oil is the most potent aspect of the plant: thus, essential oils.

You may be seeking more calmness, more rest, more energy, or more focus. Perhaps you want a better smelling room. Essential oils and a diffuser may be perfect for you. Plus, you have a wide assortment of oils for specific results and smells. This enables you to tailor your diffuser result to precisely what you want to achieve.

In general, use your essential oil diffuser to inject a new scent into your environment but do not use it constantly. A good practice would be to use a diffuser for 30–60 minutes at a time with breaks of at least 30 minutes between sessions. Any room should be well-ventilated so operating your diffuser in a well-ventilated room is a good idea.

Benefits of an Essential Oil Diffuser

Scent Variation

There are many types of oils, all with specific benefits and unique scents.

Stress Relief

Several lab studies indicate that diffusing certain essential oils, such as lavender, has been shown to reduce stress and relieve anxiety.

Improved Sleep

Diffused oil has relaxing properties that can help people of all ages fall asleep quicker and sleep more soundly.

Appetite Control

Much like chewing gum, oil diffusers can help stimulate the senses in a way that works to curb appetite. New research has shown that diffused peppermint oil, for example, can help curb appetite by inducing a satiety response within the body. Diffused peppermint oil has also been shown to increase energy.

Bacteria and Mold Killing

When essential oils are diffused in the air, they break down free radicals that contribute to harmful bacteria growth. Eucalyptus, thyme, and tea tree oils are especially good for this purpose. Pine and red thyme essential oils are best for combating mold.

Decongestion

Ever tried Vick’s Vapo-Rub? Its decongesting powers come from active ingredients made from the eucalyptus tree. In principle, oil diffusers work the same way as Vapo-Rub, except they diffuse their decongesting vapor all around the room, not just on your chest or neck.

Improved Focus

Diffused oils may also help us to focus.

If you are thinking about ways to freshen up the air in your environment, consider an essential oils diffuser. Not only will the air have a pleasant scent, but there may be additional benefits as well. If you need some help with cleaning your home or office, give us a call at 802-295-6065. We can relieve the stress of cleaning, save you some time and help to make your home or office a more pleasant place to be.

Reduce Dust In Your Home - Six Tips6 Tips to Manage Dust in the Home

Reduce Dust In Your Home

Small dust, larger than 10 microns, makes up more than 90 percent of the weight of common household dust. This has been studied by scientists. Really small dust, less than 10 microns – which is essentially invisible to humans – doesn’t weigh much. However, when the small dust and the really small dust are added together the combined total make up 99 percent of all dust particles in your home.

No one wants a dusty home. Here are six tips to reduce dust in your home.

Continue reading

Carpet CleaningFive Important Factors for Selecting a Carpet Cleaning Company

Carpet Cleaning Satisfaction Starts with Selection of the Carpet Cleaning Company

To select a professional carpet cleaning company you should go well beyond conducting an Internet search or worse — opening the phone book and picking one based on the display ads. 

Continue reading

Home Cleaning without Lifting a FingerHome Cleaning Robots and Services

Most people want a clean, tidy, and organized home. I admit that some people may debate the value of a clean and organized home. Also, some may not be willing to make the investment in a clean and organized home. This post is not really for those who debate the value or for those who do not want to make the commitment to a clean and tidy home.

This post is for those who desire a clean home but do not want to do the cleaning.

Continue reading

Happiness and a House Cleaning Service

Too busy? We know. Need some help? We can help.

The Benefits of a Clean Home

There are clear health benefits to having a clean home. Here we outline some of the benefits and suggest how we can help.

Continue reading

Air Purifiers – Our Take

Indoor Air QualityAir Purifiers have received a great deal of hype in the past few years. They do provide another level of cleaning for your home as the air in your home has to be clean for your home to really be clean.

Also, to have the air cleaned means that the other surfaces in your home will be cleaner as well. Much of the dust that collects on surfaces is transported there via the air in your home.
Here is our advice on how to improve the quality of your indoor air and our take on home air cleaners and purifiers.

Continue reading