Cleaning Your Home Professionally
Clean your home professionally. Excerpts taken from the training program designed and implemented by Maids, Inc.
As with any job skill, learning the basic steps of your particular profession is half the battle. The other half has to do with using these skills to the best of your ability and enjoying what you do. And with most things, practice makes perfect.
Using the right tools in general housekeeping can make your job easier and less overwhelming in the chore ahead of you. You don't need a truckload of supplies just because they are advertised.
The right tools:
2½ gal. Bucket
3 terrycloth squares (thin washcloths work great)
1 roll of paper towels (cheaper with no oils or fragrance)
Window cleaner
Furniture polish
All purpose cleaner mixable with water (Murphy Oil, Lysol, Mr. Clean, etc)
Scouring powder or crème cleanser
Foam bathroom spray
Toilet bowl cleaner
Vacuum, broom and mop
Positioning yourself in the house is important. If a two-story, start upstairs. If a single story, begin with the bathrooms. The reason for this is that it cuts down on steps and time. You will find that the bathroom requires the majority of your cleaning products and once finished, put them out of your way.
Bedrooms, living rooms and dining areas are the easiest if you remember to work your way around the room with the dusting and shining. Dust and shine everything on the walls, working your way down to the furniture below and continue around the room until completed.
Vacuum or mop each room as you complete it, sort of as a checklist that this room is totally finished. It will take several times to keep from forgetting some detail and having to go back after the floors are done but that's ok. It will come with time.
Always save the kitchen for last. This is where you will make your exit and end up with your bucket of cleaning supplies. It is also the entrance for most visitors (or your customer) and the freshness will linger, creating a positive reaction as to what to expect in the following rooms.
Some tips of the trade:
The terrycloth squares earlier mentioned will be used as follows; 1 for the bathrooms, 1 for the dusting and 1 for the kitchen. This is realistic, given the fact that you are going to fold your cloth into fours and use one side until soiled. You will have eight different cleaning cloth areas in which to use. When dusting, always spray the cloth, never the furniture.
After cleaning the bathroom, use the soiled paper towels from the mirrors and porcelain to wipe up any loose hairs from the bathroom floor before mopping. They are easier to pick up with a slightly wet cloth than to try and sweep.
Don't be afraid to use scouring powder on porcelain, fixtures and stainless steel. Sometimes this is the only way to remove stubborn water spots. Yes, there is some truth that you will scratch the surface but only after years of regular use and if you plan on using a microscope to see. Water damage is far worse.
Remember, more is not always better. Too much window cleaner will streak, too much furniture polish will smear, and too much all- purpose cleaner is just wasteful. Your supplies should last you for a good three months, cleaning your home weekly.
Do not try and clean every inch of your home in a single day. Pulling out furniture, tackling the interior frig, etc. are projects that should be slotted for major spring or fall cleaning. If you wander away from a routine, you will never complete the task. Three to four hours is all that is necessary to keep up your house on a regular basis without working up a sweat. You may actually look forward to the feat.
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Last Updated : Apr 30, 2008
