Beyond the Dupes: Smart Finds & The Real Secret to a Spotless Home

Living in Chicago, we know how fast-paced life can get. Between work, family, and trying to enjoy the city, finding time for a thorough apartment cleaning can feel impossible. Your home should be a sanctuary, not a source of stress. While we love a good life hack (who doesn’t?), sometimes the best hack is knowing when to call in the pros for fast cleaning services.

We recently came across a viral video all about finding high-end beauty dupes at Dollar Tree. It got us thinking—everyone loves a smart find that saves time and money. But what about the things that truly save your sanity? For busy Chicagoans, that’s often a reliable cleaning service near me. Let’s talk about clever discoveries for your space and the ultimate time-saver: letting experts handle the mess.

Clever Finds for a Fresher Feeling Home

The thrill of the hunt is real, whether you’re looking for a luxury dupe or a product that makes home care easier. Here are some principles from the dupe world that apply to homekeeping:

1. Quality Over Clutter

The best advice? Don’t buy clutter. Invest in a few quality tools that you’ll actually use. A great microfiber cloth, a reliable spray bottle for your DIY cleaning solutions, or a durable scrub brush can make all the difference. But for the big jobs, nothing beats the quality of a professional home cleaning.

2. The “Unmarked Box” Secret

Sometimes the best products aren’t where you first look. This applies to your cleaning routine too! The most effective solution for a consistently clean home might not be a new product at all, but a scheduled service. Instead of searching for the next best cleaner, you could simply schedule a cleaning and reclaim your weekend.

3. Multi-Packs Are Your Friend

Buying in bulk saves trips to the store. Apply this logic to your cleaning! Booking a recurring service is the ultimate multi-pack—it ensures your home is cared for regularly, preventing the need for frantic, last-minute deep cleaning help.

The Ultimate Life Hack for Busy Chicagoans

Let’s be real. The most recreated hack of 2025 won’t be a skincare serum. It will be the decision to get your time back. Imagine wrapping up a long week and coming home to a spotless apartment you didn’t have to clean. That’s the feeling you get when you book an appointment with a trusted team.

You don’t have to manage it all. Whether you need a one-time refresh or ongoing maintenance, the right Chicago cleaning company can handle it. It’s the easiest way to clean your apartment without sacrificing your precious free time.

Your Home, Our Expertise

Sometimes, you just need someone to clean my apartment. That’s where we come in. Jikas Cleaning was built for Chicagoans who value their time and their space. We’re not just another service; we’re your partner in creating a home that feels calm, clean, and welcoming. Our cleaning services in Chicago are designed to fit your life, so you can focus on what matters most to you.

Stop spending your days off thinking about how to get your space cleaned. The most effective product for a clean home isn’t found in an aisle—it’s found by clicking a link to a dependable home cleaning service. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need help cleaning my place, the solution is simpler than you think.

Sephora dupes at Dollar Tree. No, I am not kidding. All of the gift ideas this year are awesome. And you’re going to find so many hidden dupes. I’ve got you. If you are filling a stocking with Sephora quality products, you know I’m all about quality. Today’s video is brought to you in part by HelloFresh. This is a Touchland spray hand sanitizer dupe. They just dropped these in so many stores. And not only that, brand new is this hand sanitizer case. Be on the lookout for pink, red, and sparkle. The two scents that tons of stores have in stock. Like I want you to be able to find this. Our cucumber mint and watermelon name brand. These are $10 each and the cases are six bucks. This together is $3. I think this is the best stocking stuffer video I have ever made. Just stick around. You will not regret watching. If I were to walk into Dollar Tree right now and needed a gift immediately, I’d go straight for their gift boxes. They just dropped these brand new boxes that I think look so Ralph Lauren and high-end. And then I’d head to the bath section and I would grab some of their shower pads and lofas. These are dupes of the Earth Therapeutics brand. They’re gentle on your skin. I’ve used these for years and absolutely love them. I do not want to promote buying clutter. If you buy something, I want it to be something the recipient will love. That’s exactly what this video is. And this next product is not even a dupe. And it is at so many stores. This Eco Tool Stone Roller. I’ve seen these for up to $10 in some stores. They’re great massagers, great to keep in your car. These are amazing stocking stuffers. Okay. >> And I want to talk about the face masks and the hand masks. You can often find Freeman brand at Dollar Tree 2 under eye creams, face masks. These are great and they really come out in December. So, this is when you’re going to see the best of the year. It’s the time to stock up. Remember, everything is a buck 25 including the fourpacks. So, look for multiacks right now. They have Freeman whipped eye cream. This is a $10 product and I love the Christmas sheet masks. I never want you overwhelmed in store. So, when you see tons of items, here’s what I want you to remember. Freeman brand is great. Look for the fouracks and any Korean skincare. Okay, is an awesome brand. These retail for about $5 in other stores. This time of year, they’ll be near the front of the store. They make incredible stocking stuffers. I get these all the time. >> It’s giving Sephora. It’s giving. Yes. This is the hyaluronic acid oneshot mask. This is awesome if you have really dry skin. They also have Annual, which is a Korean brand, and this is great. Korean skincare is so healthy for your skin and trending everywhere. And don’t you go anywhere. I’ve got tons of gifts coming up that aren’t clutter for the men in your life. Things that help you feel luxury on a budget, cuz I am all about that. And speaking of luxury on a budget, today’s video is brought to you by HelloFresh, the best way to pamper yourself and make your life easier without waste. My favorite meal kit delivery service delivered right to my front door. No lines, no waiting with everything I need to cook delicious meals for my family. Everything is perfectly portioned, no food waste, and there is no mental load of me having to think about what to cook every week. Like this week we had premium bet with truffled potatoes. It was delicious. And you know what? Y’all love free stuff. Which is why I’m so excited to tell you that you get a free Swilling fourstar chef’s knife on your third box, which is $144.99 value plus 10 free meals and your first box ship free with the code dime HFZWL. Make sure to use my code to get this deal before supplies run out. Offer valid while supplies last. link below will automatically opt you into HelloFresh’s best active offer if redeeming after the activation window. HelloFresh is America’s number one meal kit. I hope you love it as much as I do. Be sure to claim this exclusive offer. Okay. All right. I’m like trying to get this out because it’s so good. The brand I want you to look out for at all Dollar Trees consistently is Spather Carry. They have awesome scrubs. This one is a sparkling white sangria. I have seen a cocoa scrub. They have body washes. I personally was a fan of the hot cocoa scrub. It smelled so good. And this is really a step up from Global Beauty Care. Be really careful when you’re looking in this area because some of these items are marked global beauty care. Those are not my favorite. I did not like the scent of these red velvet beads, though. They were really cute. You want to look for Spathe. They have name brand Monday wash and these adorable little ear covers, which I think you would find in a gift set. This entire lot was $6. I think would make a great stocking. And I am packing these up to give to some special friends. Be sure to stay tuned for the end of the video so you can see where I take these. But putting together something for less than $10, you can get quality items like this one. Spa luxury foaming handwash. This is single-handedly the best$125 if you just want one item. I love the rose scented one. And my best hack of 2025, at least the most recreated one, is to buy this retinol renewing double serum. And I don’t use this on my face, but I use it on the back of my hands. At 40, I was really starting to notice some wrinkles, but using this daily, it gives moisture, and I think it’s just really repaired and restored my hands. I love this one. I’ve got you if you are filling a stocking with Sephora quality products. You know, I’m all about quality. And I tell you what not to buy, too. This Brazilian soul cream is just kind of gross, guys. It did not go very well. It’s a dupe of the Brazilian Boom Boom Cream. Packaging is a 10 out of 10, but the product is not. Stick with power stick brand. Their post shave cream, their hand wash, and even their mist. It is 10 out of 10. Fantastic. The actual dupe of soul de Janeiro body wash 10 out of 10. And they just dropped some power stick brand limited edition deodorants. These were great. They’re aluminum free. I really like the vanilla dream as well as the spa vanilla cream. Another product flying off shelves. And again, all of these are 125. Is this body lotion. This is the berry glowy. This is really great for a teen, a tween stocking stuffer. And in this gift section, don’t think that there are not name brands, like not dupes, but actual name brands. There’s a body scrub, and this is by Disney. This is the Alice and Wonderland body scrub. It comes in three different flavors or scents. Great product. These fly off shelves, and they are awesome. This is the mini jade rollers and they even have these gouachas. These are two great products. can highly recommend as good as what you’re finding at Sephora or on Amazon. I can highly recommend their jade rollers. They bring them back every year. But a brand new product that they just dropped are these Onyx foot masks. They are awesome. And I will have you know that these retail for $5 and $6 at other stores. The cheapest I’ve seen them is $3.69, but you could put this together for some of the men in your life. And speaking of the men, these are the things that I would go for. I feel like men can be kind of hard to do stockings for. The Dove Men Care hand cream is awesome. It’s a name brand. They have name brand toothpaste. The toothbrushes at Dollar Tree are great, as well as all of their dental floss. And I’m just saying, my husband has really dry skin and he really likes the Neutrogena Hydrogel. This is a dupe. It is awesome. It’s by the brand Extra Care. You buy it, you try it out, you talk about it on Christmas morning. Pull it out of your stocking. Say, “Do it at a dime.” Recommended it. This mini Vaseline is $4 at CVS. It makes a great stocking stuffer. And for the men, I love Docker socks. Their fast charging cables are great. You can put together a great stocking, even for somebody who doesn’t love products with things that they’ll use that aren’t clutter. Some bonus buys, especially for your guys, is this convertible shower caddy. I loved this one. And these two boom speakers. These start at $20 from Walmart. They’re a trusted brand and only $7 at Dollar Tree. And I want to talk about the brand Dermacil. It’s around year round. And here’s what I’d recommend. Dermacil is another brand you’re going to find at Dollar Tree. My three favorites are their toner. This is a incredible product. You can use this on your chest, your neck as well. And I also like their cleansers. This is a scrubbing cleanser to purify and smooth. I like to use this on my hands and on like my chest area as well. The Extra Care Myicellar Water is a dupe of Garnier’s. This is not one I’ve personally tried, but I bought it to check out. This is significant savings, and I hear it’s great for sensitive skin. I’d love to hear your experience. Dermacil is great. The multivitamin eye roller. I really like this one. is really great to wake up in the morning. I love as the metal touches my skin and some of the smaller pots of Dermacil are going to be higher quality. This whipped recovery cream is great. I just love this product. This is spa luxury whipped shave cream. You get a lot. It’s $1.25 and I feel like anything whipped is really flying off shelves at Sephora right now. Face lotions, etc. I love this one. Oh, maybe you didn’t get your little Starbucks bear that went super viral, but you want this little bear. This is so cute. I love him. Name brands at Dollar Tree can be found in unmarked boxes. So, if you want L’Oreal, look for the unmarked boxes and then the bottom of the product will show you the name brand. Anytime you see this white packaging, this is something that shouldn’t be in Dollar Tree. For example, this $18 mineral fusion nail polish was in white packaging at Dollar Tree for a buck 25. Unmarked packaging in other stores usually doesn’t mean anything, but here it does. This is a Rimmel Jelly Blush, which is awesome. I have found Covergirl. They also have OPI in smaller sizes. These are really quality products. This is the same thing that’s at Sephora for a$125. It’s crazy what other places are charging for four of these. And don’t miss the Dollar Tree cuticle oil. It rivals what you’re going to find at name brand stores. I really like the one with the rose quartz inside. It works so well on my nails. Look at this amazing stocking you can put together for literally less than $10. Leave a question or a comment below. I’ll respond to as many as I can. But if you’ve seen something at your local Dollar Tree, share with us so we can try to find it. Their beauty blenders are awesome and they brought Marie Claire products in like fully stocked. I love the winged eyeliner, the eyelash growth serum, and their liquid blush. I’d love to know if you’ve tried these and their brush sets are fantastic. The pancake style makeup blending brushes are trending at Sephora right now. They’re expensive. You can find them at Dollar Tree and they are wonderful. As well as this Automizer. These are really expensive in other stores. If you’re looking for name brand hair items, these just dropped. these gorgeous clips. The packaging is nice. You don’t even have to take them off of the packaging. Such a great spot to come. You guys know how much I love this area. The Sophie hair ties are awesome. These are the jelly ones. And a creative way to pack these all up is to go to the food storage container section and you can grab a few fun finds. Maybe lip gloss, hair clips, hair ties, put these inside. I think this makes a great teacher gift idea and this is an awesome idea for a teen or a tween. I like to add some stickers to mine just for some extra fun. You can reuse this or even keep it with you when you’re on the go. Every product you see featured that I’m purchasing in this video is being donated to Ronald McDonald House. They are an incredible charity. It was such an honor this year to go and decorate a Christmas tree in their upstairs room. But lots of Ronald McDonald houses has lists online so you can see what donations are needed. And this is a great spot to come if you know what the amazing dupes are so you’re actually getting quality products. A lot of teens stay at Ronald McDonald House, too, and love having an amazing gift for Christmas time. Ronald McDonald House provides meals and a place to stay for families with a child in the hospital. And they offer their services completely free. It’s always a local charity I love to support. And if you’re looking for a place to support this season, Ronald McDonald House is one of my favorites. This candy tree was so fun to put together. All of these ornaments were only a couple of dollars a piece. I ended up getting them from Walmart and I thought it went so well with all of these spa items. They’re a great place to support this year. Be sure to check out HelloFresh link below. This is one of their most exclusive offers. Get excited. I think you’re going to love it, especially with this incredible free gift while supplies last. My beautiful friend, if nobody has told you today, guess what? You are enough. I’ll catch you soon.