Introduction

Here is a list of cleaning thoughts I came up with. I send one thought by text to my house cleaners every work day. I pay them $5 by Venmo if they paraphrase it back to me.  I call this “training by text.”

The list of things for my cleaners to know

Things to know about cleaning that I may not have taught you or you may have forgotten.

1. The Great Firing

The biggest issues with most of the people that fired us (the “Great Firing”) was dusting and the floor. The floor having stains was a common complaint. This can be totally eliminated by making sure the mop is wet when mopping. I.E. Use the mop bucket every time.

2.  Double Mopping

Quickly double mop the kitchen floor, bar stool area and the dining room area. If needed, double mop the master bathroom and front door entryway.

3. Clean the entryway  

Don’t forget to vacuum the entry area, throw rug..

4. Working alone

If you’re working by yourself, clean all of the bathrooms first, then clean the kitchen, then dust, then vacuum and finally mop hard floors

5.  Two Cleaners working in a home

If there are two cleaners, one cleaner cleans all of the bathrooms and any bedrooms connected or near the bathrooms. The other cleaner cleans the kitchen, the dining table, the living room and the laundry room. Both finish up together. Do a walk through with done. .

6.  Use the mop bucket with the cleaning product provided.

Rinse your mop after mopping 1. the kitchen 2. the living room and 3. the master bedroom / bathroom. Rinse the mop 3 times total at least. More if the floor is visibly dirty. If the mop water gets visible dirty before you finish, change it.

7.  Clean the mirrors in the bathrooms twice.

On the second pass, clean like you hadn’t cleaned already.

8.  To get a bathroom floor really clean, clean the edges of the bathroom with a broom or by hand.

9.  If the bathroom is tiny, clean the floor by hand.

10.  Dusting

Don’t use a duster like a swiffter duster. Use a wet rag that has been wrung out really good. If needed, clean it with water. All horizontal surfaces in all rooms need to be dusted: Furniture legs, furniture drawer molding that sticks out, window sills, lamp shades, horizontal lamp surfaces.

11.  Dust lamp shades

Not get the lamp shades clean, but to keep dust from settling on the shade over time.

12.  When you’re done dusting

Stop, look at the room, and think, “What did I miss?” then dust what you missed. Look for hidden areas. Look for missed low areas

13. Dusting shelves with books

When dusting books, push them back a bit, dust, then pull them forward.

14.  Vacuuming hard floors

When cleaning hard floors use the Mighty Mite hard floor vacuum.

15.  Empty up right vacuum

Empty the upright vacuum canister before entering a home. Must be empty.

16.  Clean the upright vacuum dust pad   

At least twice per week knock the dust out of the upright vacuum dust sponge.

17. Walk around with a slightly damp cloth.

Keep a slightly damp towel with you as you walk around the home so as to be ready to clean what you might have missed.

18.  Wet cloth clean the tables in the living room. Polish dry.

If there is a coffee table or other tables in the living room that people might set dishes or food on, there is an excellent chance that those tables need to be cleaned with a damp / wet towel.

19. Clean the living room tables when cleaning the kitchen

If you’re cleaning the kitchen, step into the living room and clean any tables that need wet cleaning.

20.  If there are books or magazines in the room, arrange them so they look nice.

21.  In the living room arrange pillows on chairs and the couch to look decorative. If there is debris on the furniture, wipe it off with your hand or dust rag before you vacuum the floor..

22.  Pull out dining chairs and bar stools so that you can vacuum and mop under the table or bar counter.

23.  Use the baseboard cleaning tool. In addition to baseboards you can use it to sweep under the kitchen counter ledges.

24.  Use the baseboard cleaning tool to clean wall and ceiling edges (cobweb removal).

25.  Don’t stay in a home where you feel uncomfortable or the owner is mean. If you can, leave ASAP (don’t finish the clean). If you need to call me to come help you out of the home do so. I will fully support you when you make a decision to leave a home. No questions asked.I will fire the client as soon as I find out there is an issue.

26.  Don’t forget to clean the dining table while you are cleaning the kitchen.

27.  If you are cleaning the kitchen it is your responsibility to clean the laundry room.

28.  In the kitchen, open the pantry door and clean the floor.

29.  If you get to a home and no one answers the door, ring the doorbell at least three times. Knock very loudly three times. Call me before you leave.

30.  To clean the refrigerator and oven door handles use a soapy wet scrub sponge and run it back and forth until you don’t feel any debris. Dry the handle with a dry towel.

31.  Don’t forget to clean the refrigerator ice dispenser area. Some dispensers have a way to turn off the dispensers. If you turn off a dispenser, turn it back on when you’re done.

32.  Make sure to clean the inside edges of the refrigerator doors (open the doors and clean that area.)

33.  Be aware of areas that need touch up that we don’t normally clean, for example bar counter lights needing dusting. Do those if they don’t take a lot of time. Make sure and point this extra work out to the clients.

34.  The cleanser we use in the mop bucket is used for the scent and not that it helps clean better.

35.  Always do a walk through when you are done cleaning at a home.

36.  Use the mop bucket. It is very important. Very.

37.  Breakage happens. Let the owner know if you break something. If it’s expensive or the owner is upset let Don know so that he can take care of it. We have insurance. We’ll use it if we have to.

38.  If needed, find something to stand on to reach the tops of the mirrors.

39.  If you go to a house that is new to you, check the Zenmaid listing carefully in case I have added something important. Check the notes also.

40.  Cleaning a toilet: Pull anything that is sitting on the floor away from the toilet. Also remove anything that might be sitting on the toilet tank. Make sure to spray and then wipe the baseboards and floor behind and around the toilet. Use toilet cleanser if available.

41.  When you are done cleaning a bathroom, “point fold” the toilet paper.

42.  Don’t be afraid to be nosey in the bathrooms. Look under the sink for toilet cleaner.

43.  If a toilet doesn’t have a toilet brush, ask the owner where they keep it. If it is in another bathroom let Don know.

44.  Move light furniture away from where it was sitting so you can vacuum and / or mop where it was sitting. Put the furniture back when you’re done cleaning the floor.

45.  Try not to call in absent or sick too often (twice a month or more). It is unkind to me. Calling in sick too much can make me set boundaries that could lead to us parting ways. I’ve had to do this in the past. It is extremely uncomfortable to me. Please be kind.

46.  Watch out for Urns

47.  Watch out for irreplaceable or expensive items. Ask the owner what they want you to do when dusting around these items.

48.  Put your mop head on the mop handle while you are at your car. 

49.  I miss things. That’s why I do a walk through of the home. You should do a walk through each time you finish at a home.