A Basic Kit for Home Cleaning

Like any other task, cleaning is made easier with the correct tools. The supplies listed previously are standard for many kinds of cleaning and should always be kept in the boot of your car. For specialised cleaning tasks such as buffing floors you may need to hire the appropriate equipment.

Although most cleaning tools are relatively simple, here are some helpful guidelines for choosing them:

• Don’t waste money buying no-name brands. They rarely do the job properly and often leave streaks behind. Invest in high-quality cleaning products that do the job well.
• Clean white cotton cloth is preferable to synthetics because it is absorbent; most useful are terry toweling and cotton-knit fabric – an old T-shirt, for example.
• Many professional cleaners prefer nylon-bristled brushes – whether for sweeping floorboards or scrubbing tiles. Nylon bristles are more durable than natural ones and dry more quickly. The length of the bristles, as well as their diameter, determines their stiffness or softness.
• Some scrubbing brushes have threaded sockets for attaching to long handles, making them more versatile. Toothbrushes and suede cleaning brushes, not normally intended for house cleaning, are ideal for scrubbing such inaccessible crannies as the base of the taps and the interstices of wickerwork.
• Steel wool is essential for cleaning ovens. The larger, curly metal coils are the most appropriate forms of steel wool, as they get the job done a lot quicker than the finer graded steel wool.
• White plastic scourers are the best way to remove soap scum from tiles in showers. There is no need to use any chemicals when using this method of cleaning, as the abrasive action of the scourer on the tile is enough to remove the scum. The scourer is best used on dry tiles without any water.
• Newspaper is the most tried and true method of cleaning mirrors and glass throughout the home. Paper towels are also useful, however they tend to leave lint behind on the glass, spoiling the effect of the cleaning that you have just done.
• A razor blade window scraper makes short work of paint splatters on glass. A squeegee is essential to enable you to clean windows and mirror wardrobes in an instant. Rubber gloves and goggles (or a facemask) should be worn when working with harsh chemicals.
• A suitable vacuum cleaner for the home is needed as a part of your kit. It should not be a backpack type, as there is the danger of knocking the vacuum against bookshelves or a cabinet when moving around while working. Rather, it should be one that travels along the floor behind you, and care should be taken not to knock the cylinder against the corners of cabinets or the legs of chairs as you go. You may need to use the specialised attachments as well, so make sure that you carry with you the dusting brush, the crevice tool, and the brushes for upholstery and wooden floor vacuuming. Don’t scratch wooden floors using the wrong attachment.

When you quote a booking for Regular cleaning you will need to explain that at this rate (whatever you decide your hourly rate is) the client is to supply his or her own products and equipment. You should not, however, then go in and use your own products and equipment and try to charge extra without asking permission first. It is extremely rude to turn around at the end of the job and charge your client for using your own products and equipment if they haven’t asked you to or agreed that you do so. This is especially true if you told the client that they were included in the rate.

With regular cleaning you should also explain that there will be no further charges, unless the products they have are too few or not the right quality to do the job.  It is not wise to try to make more money from your client by charging for using your own products and equipment without first asking them if they would like you to do so. If they agree you must then tell them how much extra it will cost them, and then (and only then) if they agree to pay this amount, go ahead. If they are not at home and there is a real need to use your own products due to the fact that there are insufficient supplies in the house, then call your client at work and ask if you may use your own before doing so. If you ask first you then have a right to charge extra. If you don’t ask you may lose your client by imposing a charge they didn’t agree to pay.

Correct Use of Products and Time

When using products there is an efficient and an inefficient way to use them. You must remember that if you apply too much product to your cleaning cloth you will need to spend longer removing the excess cleaning fluid while trying to get the surface clean. This is not efficient use of your time. Also, as I have mentioned before, aim to have an organised routine that you can follow so that you are working to the highest level of efficiency possible. By that I mean don’t waste time going back to areas that would be better done while you are in that part of the house i.e.: clean all the upstairs area before commencing the downstairs section (or vice versa). Time spent going up and down stairs is very unproductive and will not give your client the best value for money. Remember to work from left to right around a room as well, so as to make sure that all gets done.

If you charge by the hour for your services there is one thing that the client will complain about quite a lot, and that is slow work. When this complaint is made, even though you may think that it was an unfair comment because you were working the whole time you were in the home, it was most likely that the use of your time was delayed by one or more factors. Incorrect use of your products, lack of order in your routine and chatting to the client when you really should be working are all contributing factors to the client’s perception that your work is slow. So in order to avoid these criticisms you must learn ways of overcoming these obstacles wherever possible. Talk enough to do your PR work, but get on with the job. Stick to a routine, and don’t waste products.

Safe Handling of Cleaning Chemicals

All cleaning agents should be kept out of the reach of children; they can mistake colourful or sweet-smelling poisons for food. And unless specifically directed to do so, never mix different cleaners together; some combinations, such as ammonia and chlorine bleach, form compounds that emit toxic fumes. In addition, when working with the following types of chemical, observe the following specific precautions:

CAUSTIC Avoid splashing and wear safety goggles, rubber gloves and clothing that covers all exposed skin areas.

INFLAMMABLE  Do not smoke, nor use near heat, sparks or flames. Extinguish pilot lights when working near a gas cooker, clothes dryer or water heater. Do not dry any articles cleaned with an inflammable agent in a clothes dryer.

POISONOUS  If any is swallowed, do not induce vomiting; drink water, and call a doctor immediately.

TOXIC FUMES Work outside or in a well-ventilated area. If the area cannot be ventilated, wear a facemask with a filter and take frequent fresh-air breaks.

   Only use chemicals that are in their original containers. Follow the instructions on the label.

If the product has a strong smell use it in a room that has an open window or exhaust fan.

Cleaning and Hygiene

Remember when using cleaning cloths that after cleaning the bathroom and toilet you should never use those same cloths in any other area of the house, especially not the kitchen. Imagine if you had someone cleaning for you who was going from one room to another with the same cleaning cloth! How would you feel about that? I know that I would be pretty horrified at the thought of what germs were being transferred from the bathroom to the kitchen. So always take the cloth that you have been using to clean the bathroom and put it in the wash, or soak it in a bucket of hot water and detergent. Or, store it in the cupboard under the sink. Then take a fresh cloth before you begin to clean the rest of the house. Also, remember to use a separate toothbrush for the kitchen and bathroom when cleaning the hard-to-reach places – for the same reasons.

Asking your Client to Replace Products

There will be some of you that are attending my workshop or have purchased my training package that will have difficulty speaking, reading or writing fluent English. If this is the case for you then you may want to photocopy or make up a similar note to the one below so that you can advise your client to replace the products or cleaning materials that you are running short of.  Just place a tick next to the items on the list that you would like your client to replace for you and leave the note somewhere where they can see it when they come home from work. Or, you may hand it to them if they happen to be at home while you are there.