Hi. My name is Olivia. I want to share my story because it’ll help you. Without even knowing you, I still can guess that you have certain problems: too much on your plate … trying to be efficient but things get in the way … too many demands on your time … saving money … wanting to do it yourself … finding the best solutions to problems.

And that’s just for starters, right?

I had to end a difficult relationship. You’ve been there. My partner went on a business trip, so I decided to make a clean break and get my own space. We’d talked about it so it was no surprise. While I wasn’t worried about violence, I did want to make a fast, discreet exit.

I work on-site a few days a week but also work from home, so that meant I had belongings from multiple rooms to get organized: my home office, my kid’s stuff even though she’s away at school, the art studio, the catio (outdoor patio enclosure for my rescue cat), and more. All my gourmet cookware and utensils!

Complicating things was that my landlord was a former drill sergeant who wanted everything bootcamp perfect. The real estate market in LA is tough so I knew I had to leave the place sparkling. I was more afraid of him than anybody else!

As far as solving problems, I have a formula for success:

• Take a deep breath (put on music, think, make notes).
• Set goals (pack, move out, organize new place, deep clean old place).
• List challenges (getting everything done ASAP, keeping landlord happy, keeping cat happy, not going into overload from stressing out).
• Evaluate strategy (tweak action plan if needed, ask for help if needed).

You don’t want to hear about the moving process. It wasn’t too horrible, just exhausting. I broke a few fingernails and bruised my legs. The cat seemed to like our new home but she was lonesome. What I dreaded was going back to the old place to deep clean. I didn’t even know if I had the right cleaning stuff. I was alone in those bleak, echoey rooms, surrounded by dust, grime, thick smells, and memories, wondering if the dark things flying past the corner of my eye were insects or ghosts.

Suddenly I cringed from a sharp knocking outside. Nobody knew I was here! My heart pounded harder than the fist on the door.

“Olivia, let me in!”

My hands trembled. It was the voice of my landlord. Why was he here now? I turned the knob to crack open the door.

“Olivia! Saw your car out front. I caught you. Are you cleaning at this hour? You’re not out of here?”

He laughed at my open mouth, then handed me a check. “Get out of here. You’ve been a great tenant, so here’s your deposit back. Go home, girl, get some rest. Hire somebody — treat yourself to some good cleaning services after moving out.” He bellowed another laugh. “Never seen you speechless!”

All my freaking out was for nothing. I knew he liked things done a certain way, so I took his advice and called MaidThis Los Angeles. Talk about problem-solving! I was a battered wreck after everything I’d been through the past week, so getting professional deep cleaning services after moving out sounded like a lifesaver.

Booking the appointment online was quick and easy. I had to reschedule but it was no problem because MaidThis was flexible. They offered different options so I chose what I needed. The MaidThis staff showed up on time and scrubbed the place down from top to bottom just the way I asked. Even behind the fridge and under the oven, they made it bright and clean like new. And you’d never guess that a cat had ever lived here! I have to say, they went beyond my landlord’s high standards. The payment system was secure, and the whole business was very streamlined. They followed up with me afterward to make sure I was satisfied. Which I was!

This is the end of the cleaning part of the story. It smelled so fresh afterward that I think I’ll hire them to clean my new place in a few months.

As far as the rest of the story, my ex-landlord is now my friend and he and his dog are coming over tonight for spaghetti!