professional housekeeper secrets?

[toile]

Would anyone be interested in housekeeping secrets?

Do you ever wonder how a housekeeper can do 3 houses a day top to bottom spotless and we can barely do one?

If anyone is interested let me know and I can share a little each day.
I have 2 sick kids home today but can post a little.

Maybe another housekeeper can jump in too?
I think the tips will help anyone with their own home.
If you want to start cleaning I can share it from that aspect also?

Just let me know

[vigilant20]

I worked as a sole proprietor doing housekeeping for a while. I can't say I had any tricks. I made my own natural cleaners unless the client specifically asked me to use something else, and used lots of elbow grease.

It's easier cleaning someone elses home. You don't get side tracked by phone calls, or family, or tidying up this or that as you go.

[guest002]

I can use some pro-tips!

[toile]

Please know I am only a clean freak and not a professional.
I helped a girl do her business as she recovered from health issues.
She had to cut my hours for financial reasons so I am retired from that mini career but boy did I learn a lot from her!!!!!!!!



Ok here's a few for today.

Think "top to bottom".
Work your way from ceiling down. Meaning a quick dust of cob webs, base boards. Microwaves, fridge tops, cabinets, then do counters. All the dust/dirt lands on floor. Then do floors last.

Think damp, then dry and ELBOW grease.
Clean with microfibers damp, then go back and dry.
This will make your counters, sinks shine.
It works super well on faucets. Just clean them, then go back and polish with a dry microfiber.

Have clothes for different purposes and hang the cloth/micro over that sprayer. I use blue for glass cleaner. Every bottle should have a dry and damp cloth with it for the day.

With your cleaning cloths just wet a small circle in the middle.
You don't have to soak your surfaces or the cloth.
Just wet the cloth and start scrubbing. This works so much better than trying to scrub a wet slippery surface anyways. This will remove built on grime off anything.

Showers and shower doors...bath tub..... Just use a magic eraser.
You wont use anything again after this secret
If your shower needs extra cleaning just barely spray a few sprays of a strong cleaner, then use the magic eraser. Again don't soak the shower. Your just wasting chemicals.

Microfiber, damp your sinks, then polish dry.

Have you ever seen little unexplained scratches on your toilet seat?
Those come right off with a magic eraser. Those erasers can fix so many things that we think we have to live with.

Don't forget small details like wiping off toilet paper dust from the toilet roll dispenser, and towel bars.

Mirrors. Again, Microfiber cloth one damp one dry.
Spray the mirror just a few times. Micofiber it.
Then go over it with a dry microfiber.

Upgrade your tools.
Microfibers are great but you cant wash them or store them with other fabrics. They are sticky and need to stay sticky. Store and clean them seperatly and dont use fabric softner. You will get a lot of use and cut down on your work.

Use magic eraser sponges down until they crumble.

When making a bed, turn the top sheet upside down,blanket with it, put on bed, then fold down a small area. Then tuck this fold under on the sides. Then finish making the bed.
(I got more compliments on this than anything) People like taking the comforter off and seeing that folded area.

Look for small spots on cabinet and walls each week to avoid major cleaning later.

Don't forget to look up. We tend not to and can miss a cob web.

Do the wet- dry treatment to sinks too to make them shine.
It even works on bathtubs and toilets.

Every so often run a cup of automatic dishwashing liquid though your jetted tubs. It will clean the parts you can't get to.

Some cleaners I know use a little extra water in their cleaners. It seems to leave less chemical smell and seems to clean just as well?

Always clean the front door and back door glass, even if you can't do true "windows".

Now for home and not for a customer I use a Dyson and a steam mop.
To me all of the above makes my house sparkle.

If you want to buy professional microfibers wholesale, MUCH cheaper and better than stores or websites, Google Hagco. I am not affiliated with them but love their quality and prices.

Let me know if you have any more tips or questions.
PS I think the best thing is to ask a housekeeper if you can simply work with her or observe her for a day. Just promise that it's for your personal use, not to steal her customers.
These girls have cleaned it all, and know way too many secrets to share here.
It's such a great way to learn.

[The Muse]

This is so helpful, please keep the tips coming. I'm trying to become a better housekeeper.

[madhen]

I got hooked on How Clean is Your House and got a lot of tips from that show. I like that they choose natural cleaners over commercial ones. They are big on baking soda, borax, and vinegar.

[toile]

Adding one more.
When you windex the glass inside and outside a shower, don't forget to go back with a dry cloth.
It keeps the wet spots from drying and making spots.
Or water from running/dripping and leaving lines.

[monkeywrangler71]

Great tips I do clean for a living and the only thing I disagree with is watch the magic erasers, they will scratch. I have a friend that also cleans and she said she scratched a counter wiping with a magic eraser.
I'll add more later

Especially if you have a vinyl tub, you don't want to be using anything abrasive at all. When I was cleaning everyone in the company had their own tricks and methods, I never saw two people clean the tub with the same product, but the quickest, easiest and best result of all the people that trained me (and the one I used and continue to use) was to clean a vinyl tub/insert with dish soap.

[toile]

Candy, we only use magic eraser on showers/tubs.
I don't use them on counters.

Do you not reccomend them on showers then?
It made showers look like new so I wont know what to use now etc..?

Thanks for your opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LexTysMommy]

Before you start, throw a load of laundry in, and load dishwasher or soak dishes in sink. Then go one room at a time, carrying a basket with garbage bag tied to handle with room to room. Pick up "things" first. Put where they go. Straighten then head to next room, empty basket of things that go in there. Keep moving until you get done. Doing Kitchen and bathroom last. Once basket done, and garbage bag full. Start on the kitchen (everything but dishes) and bathroom. I do this daily in morning and takes about 15-20 minutes total. When done with this throw laundry in dryer, more in washer if needed, and head to either start on next step or wash a load of dishes. Dishwasher should still be running.

THEN dust. top to bottom. Wipe doors, windows, whatever needs to be wiped and pull out vacuum. At this time wash another load of dishes, or put away other dishes that may be done. Then vacuum.

By time you are done with this the first load of laundry should be done,throw other load in drier, fold and put 1st load away. Then finish up dishes or empty dishwasher.

I do this all daily, now i have daycare kids here so doesnt get done as efficiently as Id like but does get done.

[monkeywrangler71]

Just a note on the "top to bottom" - don't forget left to right as well. Start in one corner and work your way around the room.

[lovestoread]

I , also, love the magic eraser, BUT, it took the finish off of my countertop.....I had a couple of stains and used this on it , and now I have 2 dull spots on the countertop, and I think it looks awful..... I tried to spray it with furniture polish (someone told me to do this) but it didn't help......very angry with them over this......

[AmyBoz]

Great thread!

[PrairieRose]

It's only Gripey and myself here at home now so after I give my house a good, top to bottom, left to right clean (I usually only do this 1 time per month all the way through.....really it doesn't need it more often if I do what follows) I then just run through the house and do the daily pick and put up and then swish and swipe the bathrooms, or run around with the electrostatic duster and sweep the floors, or do a quick wipe down of the kitchen, spot mop, clean the doors, and I always do laundry when I'm cleaning as well. My point is since we have so little traffic these days I don't have to clean the 'whole house' once per week anymore. I just clean it well once per month and then 'spit and polish/swish and swipe' the rest of the time. It keeps my house looking really great, actually very clean and comfy and almost always ready for company.

My only real challenge is my office/home gym. I always seem to get tired before I get there....I skip it over and over and then it's a huge job. Yeah, I'm gonna have to do it this week.......Ack.

Thanks for the great tips. I was actually taught by a prof. housekeeper and read the book "Speed Clean" and picked up a lot of them but they are great, timeless tips. I wish I had known them all when my family was younger.

[StartingOver]

I , also, love the magic eraser, BUT, it took the finish off of my countertop.....I had a couple of stains and used this on it , and now I have 2 dull spots on the countertop, and I think it looks awful..... .

I did the same exact thing on my countertop, and I now have 4 small areas that are dull spots. I hate it!! It looks terrible. Such a bummer.

But I do use magic erasers for just about everything else. They are wonderful.