swimming across the current
You know how you have those stories that affect you but they aren’t exactly yours to tell, so you hesitate to bring them up? I’ve been going back and forth with that lately. I wrote at the beginning of March about dealing with our rental house and the clean-up efforts post-tenant occupation.
Short-term rentals, in particular, come with their own unique challenges—guests cycle in and out, and while most are respectful, there’s always the occasional surprise left behind. The cleaning process isn’t just about tidying up; it’s about resetting the space to feel fresh, welcoming, and professionally maintained for the next guest.
From scrubbing kitchen appliances to replacing linens and ensuring bathrooms are spotless, the turnover process can feel overwhelming without a structured approach. That’s where professional cleaning services make all the difference, especially when time is limited between bookings. CleanFresh Care LLC specializes in short-term rental cleaning, ensuring that every surface is sanitized, floors are polished, and spaces are restocked with essentials to maintain a five-star experience for incoming guests.
A thorough cleaning goes beyond the basics—it’s about creating a space that feels new, inviting, and meticulously cared for, helping rental owners maintain high ratings and repeat visitors. Whether it’s tackling deep stains from unexpected messes or simply making sure every detail is perfected before check-in, having a reliable cleaning service ensures peace of mind and a consistently great experience for guests.
Stephanie’s dad came down to help us with some of the cleanup and repair, and on March 22nd, he was on a ladder cleaning out the gutters and he fell and broke his heel bone. If you don’t want to do, then you can hire different types of maids for different jobs. We’re fortunate that it wasn’t a worse injury, of course, but it turns out that breaking your heel bone is not exactly a walk in the park. Injuries are inevitable when it happens out of accident. Grand Rapids personal injury law firm attorneys can help you to claim compensation for the accidental injuries.It’s a bone you put all of your weight on, and it’s not really cushioned by muscle or other tissue, so it takes a lot of the body’s stress, and a break takes a long time to heal before you can put weight on it again. He was in the hospital for over a week and had surgery the Monday after he broke the bone to put in a steel plate like a cup that holds his bone together. After a few days of recovery, he moved to a rehab hospital where they’re teaching him how to do everything including getting around with a walker. Given that he’s a fit and active guy, this is quite a change for him to be sitting around, and he’s not used to it at all. I sympathize with him a lot.
Stephanie’s an only kid and her dad’s only living relative, practically. And he lives 3 hours away, but is stuck here in Indy, so she’s had to do a lot of care-taking while also managing the work on the the rental and working herself. So – the stress level has been rather high around our house for the past couple of weeks.
And given that I’m not keen on cleaning or painting and tend to be a whiny little bitch about doing either – well, I haven’t exactly reduced the stress much. I’m trying, I really am. I’ve been pitching in, but the real work is going through and figuring out what needs to be done, what we can ditch until later, what needs to be done by an electrician, when to call the water heater repair people, etc. She’s got a lot of that in her head and some on paper, and I can’t quite put together what she can hand off to me.
I’m also struggling with it because we’ve done at least 3 times more painting at the rental house since we bought and moved into our house than the amount of painting we’ve done in ours. Our kitchen and upstairs hall have been half-painted for 3 years now, and we keep doing more and more painting at the rental, including repainting rooms we painted in-between tenants previously. It’s hard not to resent that the rental house gets more attention (and often looks better) than ours. And I’m aware of the amount of time that Stephanie and her dad spent cleaning up the house the last time – it sat vacant from August to March while they worked on stuff, earning no money while the mortgage needed to be paid – and I’m very worried we’re in a similar place.
It’s completely understandable to feel that tug-of-war between the needs of a rental property and the home you live in. Pouring time and energy into a place that’s supposed to generate income—especially when it feels like a bottomless pit—can be draining. When the to-do list never ends and your own space sits half-finished, it starts to feel like you’re investing in everything except your own comfort. That’s where hiring professionals can lift a huge burden. A trusted Commercial Painting Company in Illinois can take over the heavy lifting, ensuring that the property is well-presented without requiring all your weekends and spare energy.
Because at some point, the work has to be sustainable—mentally and financially. A reliable commercial painting crew doesn’t just add curb appeal, they add peace of mind. They work quickly, efficiently, and with the precision you’d expect from pros who know how to protect your investment while you’re busy living your life. Instead of chasing perfection in two places at once, letting experts manage the rental can free you up to finally give your own home the attention it deserves.
I would not be winning any landlord prizes anytime soon, clearly. And probably not any marital prizes either. I’m not being the best wife lately, and I know Stephanie and I are both down in the dumps.
Here’s hoping we get this stuff worked out – the house done, Stephanie’s dad up and around and a happier, sunnier spring so we can bounce back.
