Housekeeping Blog | Highland Park Housekeeping Services

Of course you do – everybody looks for these things. But the criteria for an ideal job – or even just a feasible job – is slightly more complicated for many women. Charged with the tasks of working AND raising a family, it can be extremely difficult to find a job that works. Many women have to hire extra help, and if that isn’t possible, they have to leave work altogether.

So what’s a lady to do? Well, we see two options: start your own business, or find a holy-grail-unicorn-type job that makes it possible to (prepare yourself for a terrible cliché) “have it all.” Here’s a spoiler alert: our long-term mission is to make female entrepreneurship more accessible and possible than ever. But before we can get there, we‘re starting with offering jobs that allow women to work and take care of their families. I guess you could call us the keepers of the holy grail.

Here are some things we offer:

Competitive pay that is well above the industry average – we believe that everyone deserves to be compensated well for the work that they do.
Family-friendly hours – work ends at 4 so that our employees can be home when their kids get back from school. Despite many requests from our lovely customers, we are also not open on the weekends to allow for family time.1
Opportunities to move up – Promotions are common and encouraged at HPH We love seeing our employees grow.

And guess what? We’re hiring! We’re looking for everything from housekeepers to managers to social media strategists, so if you’ve got talent, please reach out at our jobs page. We’d love to have you

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2020August 15, 2022domenicCleaning TipsLeave a comment

Happy New Year really hits different this year, doesn’t it? While we’re all thrilled to put this year behind us and move forward into a hopeful 2021, we can’t really move forward until we assess last night’s damage – we’re talking about the stains, spots, and sticky-icky that comes as a biproduct of a celebratory New Year’s Eve. Is a champagne toast really done right if there isn’t at least a little splash on the floor? We don’t think so. Read on to find out how to get any alcohol out of any surface.

How to clean red wine from the couch

The most common culprit of all. Here are the steps:

Immediacy is key. Always have a white towel on hand to put over a spill as soon as it happens. This will help prevent more liquid from seeping in.
Check your laundry cabinet. Stain remover is your friend here, but make sure there’s not bleach in it. If you don’t have stain remover we recommend using a bit of laundry soap.
Grab a damp microfiber cloth and gently press the stain remover or laundry soap into the stain. Let it sit for a bit – 5 minutes should be sufficient.
With a fresh rag, blot up the stain gently. This is especially important as you don’t want to rub the wine deeper into the upholstery.

How to clean vodka from the carpet

Same rule as above – immediacy is key. Grab your white cloth and blot. Then tackle the smell.
Laundry detergent will do the trick. Double check and make sure there isn’t any bleach in it or prepare to wreck your rug. Put a small amount on a damp microfiber cloth and press it in to the stain.
Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to do some work before rinsing your cloth and pressing again, this time with the goal of picking up any residual detergent and the smell that comes with it.
Make sure you are blotting, not rubbing. You don’t want to spread the stain out.
You may have to repeat this process multiple times to really eliminate the smell. Patience, young grasshopper.

How to clean champagne from bed linens

Guess what? Immediacy is still key. Don’t leave your sheets in the hamper for three days or you can get used to those stains.
Freeze! Before reading any of these steps, be sure to check for any specific instructions for your particular bed linens. While this might seem silly, if you have any sort of specialty or high end linens, your instructions may be different.
This is ESPECIALLY true if you’re thinking about using bleach! Bleach will ruin nice sheets.
Instead of bleach, opt for laundry soap that is effective and good for you. We love Seventh Generation laundry detergent in lavender scent. It’s the #1 pick from our founder because it smells great and doesn’t include any ingredients that will irritate your skin or ruin your linens.
Any other laundry soap will work fine too. Next time you’re at the store, consider Seventh Generation as a healthier and more sustainable option.

Hopefully, these tips make your NYE cleanup a little easier and a lot less stressful. If you love these tips, we’ve got more for you. Check out our easy online course, How To Clean Your House, for more step-by-step walkthroughs on your most pressing cleaning questions.

Superior Housekeeping and Ethical Employment: The Mission of HPH

August 14, 2020August 15, 2022TaiMaking Housekeeping a ProfessionLeave a comment

cleaning jobs
In case you don’t know our backstory very well, here’s a synopsis – our founder, Jeri, moved to Highland Park in 2009 after leaving New York on the heels of the recession. Jeri’s a lifelong entrepreneur, having owned a few small businesses before this move. But this time, Jeri was armed with something different – not just a great business idea, but an ethical mission.

In her years living in New York, Jeri had 3 kids, and she was suddenly confronted with the harsh reality that working and having a family is – for lack of a better description – super hard. She wanted to spend time with her kids, but she also wanted to work. She wanted to be there when her children got home from school, but she also wanted to be successful. And so, through years of fielding calls from her employees asking if they could switch shifts and calls from her kids asking if she could drop off their forgotten P.E. clothes, Jeri realized there needed to be a business where working Moms could have a respectable, well-paying profession that also let them spend time with their families.

So, when Jeri arrived in Dallas and realized that there wasn’t a high-quality luxury cleaning service available, a lightbulb went off. Here was the opportunity she’d dreamed of: to create a business that meets a need with superior service while also providing great jobs for women who really need them. And so, Highland Park Housekeeping was born.

Since then, the ethical treatment of our employees has been at the core of our company’s mission.

1. Paying good wages – We pay well above industry average, plus bonuses and tips from our gracious customers.

2. Fair and flexible work hours – We start work at 8 and end at 4 to ensure our employees have time to send their kids to school in the morning and be there when they get home.

3. Vacation pay – We ensure our employees have meaningful time off to recharge.

4. Training – Highland Park Housekeeping is committed to making housekeeping a profession. Our employees complete rigorous training to become housekeeping professionals, armed with the knowledge and expertise to provide five-star service.

5. Company vehicle provided – Giving our employees company vans helps them keep the mileage on their cars low.

6. No work on the weekends – So they can spend time with families.

Whenever you read about working women, it’s always under the assumption that women simply can’t support their families and spend time with their kids. Highland Park Housekeeping is changing that. We empower women to have respectable, well-paying jobs that allow them to continue to care for their families. One sparkling house at a time.

Natural Oven Cleaning You Need to Know About

July 27, 2020December 12, 2022TaiCleaning TipsLeave a comment

There are a few spots that everyone absolutely hates cleaning: the refrigerator, the bottoms of trash cans, and of course, the dreaded oven. Something about reaching your arm back into that greasy mess is really a bummer.

Even worse, it seems like the only products that can conquer that kitchen disaster are full of chemicals and toxins – the last thing you want to cook into your food. Have no fear – HPHK is here, with the best way to clean your oven completely naturally. And best of all, the supplies you’ll need are already in your kitchen!

You will need baking soda, water, and a sponge. Yep, that’s it.

First, remove the racks from your oven. Fill up your sink with hot, soapy water (we love Seventh Generation Dish Soap), and soak the racks. While they’re soaking, get to work on the inside.

In a bowl, create a paste using 1 part water to 4 parts baking soda. The paste should have a fairly sticky consistency. With your sponge, spread the paste all over the inside of your oven, and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. Now would be a good time to clean the rest of your kitchen while the paste settles.

After at least 30 minutes, remove a small portion of the paste and check its progress. If your oven looks smooth and shiny, then it’s ready! Go ahead and remove the paste from the rest of the oven with a rinsed sponge. Wipe down with a rag once you’re done.

If the grease is still sticking, give the paste more time to sit. Check the progress periodically and remove it when it is ready.

We love a good clean kitchen, especially when you don’t have to compromise your health in the process. Try out our tip and let us know what you think!