Q. My air-ducts are rusting in 2 places for sure. They are also very nasty. I just vacuumed a bunch of dust out of the parts my vacuum hose can reach. Sometimes I see particles coming up out of my ducts. My townhouse is about 15 yrs old. I'ld like cleaner air ducts. Should I ask my landlord?

A. You need to read your lease. See what it states about housekeeping. If your landlord provides maid service and cleans your house then the landlord would handle this. If you pay for your own maid service and cleaning you would pay.

A. Not at all..... Any kind of home service or repair I personally feel is not tip worthy. Would you tip a maid at your house? Would you tip a guy that's raking your leaves? They are being paid for the work they are doing, which can be expensive. Tips are mostly for pizza guys, and waiters/waitresses who get less than minumum wage, and work for their tips. Hope I helped

Q. Have a town home that carpets need a good steam cleaning from pet messes and normal traffic.

A. I hear Molly Maid is pretty good.

Q. I am looking to hire someone to clean my home, more of a spring cleaning type of job since I am a stay at home mom and clean the house daily but need a good thourough clean. I have a 2 story 3200 sq. foot home with 5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms. I have wood floors in the kitchen, hallway, nursery, and study that I would like hand cleaned (since it seems like when it is swept and mopped it is just pushed against the baseboards) and the same with the tile entry. Would you hire a cleaning service like Molly Maids that has 3 or 4 employees that do the job, or would you find a person that does cleaning on their own? I hired a service last year in a previous home and they were in and out in 2 hours with a 2 person crew. They missed so many things I felt like I wasted money! But, with one person it may take them like 8 hours to do it. I am also very picky and want things done right. I will only be using this as a one time service and may do it again in 6 months or so.

A. You'll get a better job from hiring someone that does cleaning on their own but you may find it hard to find someone that is good that has the time to do a one time job like this. Most people that clean houses are looking for jobs that are on a regular basis but you never know they may have some time where they could do this job for you in blocks of time. Ask around, friends, neighbors and ask who they use that is the best way to find a good cleaning person.

Q. A water pipe broke in the roof resulting in 30 days of water damage restoration. Demolition of interior walls and floors have layers of dust on all my furniture, floors, fixtures, inside cabinets. Is clean up after the restoration part of the job scope or am I stuck with footing the bill myself? I live in California and the damage was actually caused by roofers making repairs to the apartment building I have spoken to my landlord about getting a cleaning service and she initially agreed but now she said she is being nickled and dimed by the insurance company. None of my property was damaged. But I do want all my walls, floors, cabinets cleaned. I have already spent many hours on washing all my linens, curtains, dishes, and inside of cabinets to remove the dust.

A. Usually the landlord does not provide maid service, most tenants would not be comfortable about that. You will have to ask your landlord to clean your house if you want that, there is no way they would think to do it on their own.

Q. Im the maid of honor in my cousins wedding. Shes very excited that her neighbors are going to help her plan her wedding for free. Theyre certified wedding planners. However they pressured her into picking out her wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses in 4 hrs, only going to 1 store. Also they tried to tell her what color dresses she can have and what color of flowers need to go in her bouquets. One of them is now in the wedding (after manipulation) and convinced the bride to change the bridesmaid dresses to something that looks good on her (but none of the other bridesmaids). Plus they told her theyre planning her wedding shower and taking her to register for gifts + told her what gifts she should reg for. As the maid of honor I'm offended by that. Especially since I was sitting right there when they announced it. Isnt it my job to do those things? I dont want to put her in a bad situation (theyre her naighbors) but want to make sure she gets what she wants on her day.

A. As a wedding planner ( not a pushy one lol) it is very important that they (wedding planners) know it is not their day and that they are in fact EMPLOYEES - contracted by the couple. Their conduct sounds very unprofessional. It is our job to LISTEN to what our clients desire and then CARRY OUT the details. Never to take over but kindly offer advice and proper etiquette. One of our most important jobs - is to relieve the bride and groom of any STRESS doesn't sound like they are doing that so maybe your cousin should find a professional consultant who is in this business to make his/her clients happy - not just themselves.

Q. I signed a year lease for a 2br duplex for Aug. 1st. I also gave a non-refundable deposit. I received a voice message from my new landlord asking If I’d like to clean up and she would give me $50. Then she says… When I used the maid service they charged me $250.00. I am on fire!!!! I have to move out of my current apartment and clean And will be charged for things that I did not clean. Why would I want to move Into a place that I have to clean. My first question is: 1. Can I back out of this lease? I haven’t moved in and it sounds like it’s not going to Be ready? 2. What do you answer that question (Do I want to clean for $50) without being sarcastic?

A. 1) You can't back out of the lease unless the apartment isn't ready on August 1st. In other words, you can't back out early because you THINK it won't be ready. 2) Just say that you would prefer she have the apartment professionally cleaned. Tell her you won't have time to clean it yourself because you'll be busy cleaning your old place and getting ready to move.

Q. Is there a magic formula used when you do not receive replies from almost 70 invited guests? I need to tell the caterer a number Fri. This is a buffet.

A. Then you have until Thursday night to reach each of these people and ask them what their plans are. You don't guess at 70 people. Get your maid of honor, mom, friends of mom or whoever will help and start calling and emailing. Lots of luck!