The Ultimate Guide to Residential Cleaning Services
When selecting a professional to conduct cleaning services on your residential property, it is important to ensure they hit the minimum health and safety requirements listed below:
IRATA certified for rope access
Advanced Rigging
EWP Licence (elevated work platform)
licence to perform High Risk Work
Working at Heights
White Card
Working with children’s check
Police checked
20 million public liability
Water Fed Pole
Certificate of compliance
How to Make an Efficient Weekly House Cleaning Schedule Template & Checklist Chart
A few weeks ago, I had some friends over for lunch. I hadn’t cleaned my house in weeks so before they arrived, I had to go into mad dash cleaning mode. For about three hours my husband and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off dusting everything in sight. Our friends wouldn’t have judged us on the cleanliness of our home (they may not even have noticed), but you don’t want guests to have to experience – or witness – your messiness.
Why Make a Cleaning Schedule?
No More Frantic Cleaning – Your house will be reasonably clean all the time if you stick to your cleaning schedule.
Share Responsibilities – I usually end up doing all the cleaning in my house simply because I know what has been done and what needs to be done. If there is a posted schedule, people can be assigned tasks or pick up tasks that haven’t been done yet.
Less Stress – When my house isn’t clean, I always feel as though I have something I should be doing, which makes it hard to relax. If I follow a schedule, I can relax once I have done everything on my checklist for the day.
Greater Efficiency – If you don’t have your tasks planned out, time is wasted figuring out what to do. With a schedule, everything is mapped out for you to get started. Not only that, your schedule can be tailored to your family members’ strengths and availability.
Fight Procrastination – I procrastinate cleaning for a variety of reasons, but being organized and having a cleaning schedule is one way for me to stop and overcome procrastination.
Steps to a Cleaning Schedule
- Determine the length of your schedule
Before you begin to list out your tasks, you need to determine the length of your schedule. Will it be a weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedule? I suggest making a 4-week schedule because that way you are able to include tasks that you do daily as well as monthly tasks, such as checking your smoke detectors to protect your home in case of a house fire.
- List your tasks
Make a list of everything that you can possibly think of that needs cleaning. Use my document as a starting point. Your list will probably vary from mine since we all have different homes and different needs.
- Determine frequency of tasks
To determine the frequency that you need to do a certain task, think about what makes sense and what is reasonable for you. If you have a guest room that no one ever uses, perhaps you just need to dust it once a month. If you have 2 dogs that shed a lot, like I do, you probably need to vacuum more than the average household. You may have some tasks that you only need to do once a year or a few times a year. For those tasks, assign them as fall or spring cleaning. Then spend a day in the fall and a day in the spring knocking out these tasks.
- Assign specific tasks to specific days
If there is a day of the week that is particularly busy for you, don’t schedule any tasks on that day. And if you want to have a couple days off each week, that is OK (and probably good for your sanity). Do what makes the most sense to you. For example, I go to the grocery store on Tuesdays because that is when their truck comes so I know that everything has been restocked.
- Assign people to tasks
Assign tasks to the most qualified person. I cook, and my husband mows the lawn. I don’t think we would want that any other way!
- Put it in writing
You can document your schedule however you like. You are welcome to modify my document for your own cleaning schedule. I like using an electronic template so that I can save time by just printing it out, rather than hand writing each month’s schedule.
- Stick to it
Easier said than done, right? This is definitely the most difficult step. As a motivator, put a dollar in a jar each day you do not finish your tasks, otherwise known as the “Swear Jar Mentality.” This money can then be used as savings!
How to Use My House Cleaning Schedule Template
Using my document to make your own cleaning schedule is simple. After you download and open the Excel file (click on the download link above), you will notice that there are two tabs. The first tab, “Checklist,” is a matrix of chores and dates. It is a 4-week schedule, and you can enter the date of the first day of your schedule in the yellow cell at the top. Inside the matrix, a slash represents the day the chore is to be done. After you have listed your chores and owner and have made the schedule, print it out. When a task is completed, use an opposing slash to make an X to indicate that it is done.
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
What Would I Do?
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners do light cleaning tasks in homes and commercial companies. Those who work in private homes keep these places clean and neat. Additionally, they may polish silver, clean ovens, refrigerators, and sometimes windows. Some also shop for groceries, pick up and drop off dry cleaning, and do other errands.
Some Housekeeping Cleaners work in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. They clean such areas as patients’ rooms, bathrooms, hallways, and emergency rooms. These Cleaners disinfect and sanitize equipment. They may need to clean blood and other body fluids. Housekeeping Cleaners must also dispose of waste material
Those who work in hotels and other commercial establishments are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the premises. Common duties include changing bed and bath linens, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, and cleaning floors. Housekeeping Cleaners in hotels may deliver ironing boards, cribs, and rollaway beds to guests’ rooms. They may also share other duties.
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners typically complete the following activities:
Clean rooms, hallways, and other living or work areas.
Change sheets and towels and make beds.
Wash, fold, and iron clothes.
Empty wastebaskets and take trash to disposal areas.
Replenish supplies, such as soap and toilet paper.
Dust and polish furniture and equipment.
Sweep, wax, or polish floors using brooms, mops, or other floor-cleaning equipment.
Vacuum rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture.
Clean or polish windows, walls, and woodwork.
Lift and move light- and medium-weight objects and equipment.
TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners typically use vacuums, cleaning solvents, carpet cleaning equipment, and floor polishers. They also use cleaning brushes, scrapers, and dusters. They may operate laundry type washing machines, clothes dryers, and clothes ironing equipment. Several may use ladders and wheeled carts. Some run data entry, facilities management, and inventory management software.
The coronavirus is giving spring cleaning fresh urgency
Spring cleaning has taken on a new urgency this year. Heeding the Covid-19 prevention guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health authorities, people are intensely washing, dusting, and disinfecting homes and offices, with the knowledge that lives may literally depend on it.
Though the novel coronavirus is known to spread mostly through respiratory droplets (like mucus or saliva) from person to person, there’s evidence that transmission can also happen by touching infected surfaces. These include door knobs, handles, light switches, remote controls, and even iPhone screens. A new study suggests that the virus thrives on plastic or steel surfaces for days. The CDC recommends a two-step preventive measure: “cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection.”
Some are taking extra precautions. Professional cleaning companies are now being deluged with requests for deep cleaning, a process that involves diving into forgotten nooks and crannies to snare dust, dirt and virus-carrying particulate.
Compared to the casual dust-up, a deep clean is an obsessive’s agenda. It means hunting for dust mites behind furniture and cabinets, addressing scum from shower heads and faucets, scrubbing inside ovens, mopping floors under rugs, and sweeping along base boards, ceilings, and window frames. It requires emptying out cupboards to clean the surfaces within.
the pandemic has dramatically impacted their business. More clients are calling for the deep clean service or have increased the regularity of their service. On the other hand, some clients have suspended cleaning schedules for fear of letting anyone in their homes who may have come in contact with someone infected with Covid-19.
How to Clean a New Home
Moving into a new home is akin to making a fresh start. Before heavy furniture or other objects are in place and the items of everyday living are unpacked, give your new abode a thorough cleaning.
Here’s how to clean your new house to help you start off with a clean slate:
Be Systematic: The house cleaners use a methodical approach as they clean room by room. Start at the entryway and move around clockwise. Clean left to right and top to bottom, so that dust and other debris that falls to the floor can be swept or vacuumed at the end of the clean-up.
See the Light: Dust or wipe down light fixtures and shades that are not washable. Glass or plastic light globes should be washed in the sink or bathtub using warm water and soap. Clean the tops of ceiling fans using a damp cloth or vacuum attachment.
Wall-to -Wall: If the previous owners haven’t repainted recently and you don’t plan to, clean the painted or paneled walls now. Test a small area to be sure you won’t damage paint or texture on your walls. First remove dust and cobwebs, then use a soft cloth with mild soap and warm water or a water/vinegar mixture to wipe down the walls. Vinegar is an effective, environmentally-safe cleaner that eliminates most molds, germs, and smells. Pay special attention to baseboards and moldings, tops of door frames, light switches, and heating vents.
Kitchen Cleaning: Pull out your appliances and thoroughly clean behind and beneath them. Use hot, soapy water – or a baking soda and water mixture – to clean your stove top. Baking soda is a mild abrasive that helps remove stains but won’t scratch surfaces. Remove oven racks and clean with soapy water. Turn on the oven’s self-cleaning function. Remove and wash refrigerator shelves and drawers, and clean inside with hot, soapy water (or a water/vinegar mixture). Wipe down cabinets, shelving and counters, but avoid using vinegar on marble. To get rid of sink odors and prevent clogging, pour ¼ cup of baking soda down the drain and follow with one cup of white vinegar.
Bathroom Basics: Clean hard-to-reach places such as under the sink, inside the medicine cabinet and behind the toilet. Clean tiles, tub and sink with a paste made of baking soda and vinegar that also dissolves soap scum. Wipe down glass shower doors with a vinegar/water mixture.
Floor and Carpet Cleaning: Spot-clean carpets or consider hiring a professional steam cleaner to remove pet hair, odors and stains. Sweep floors, cleaning under heating vents. Most surfaces can be washed with a mild soap and water, but make sure to follow manufacturer’s directions for your type of flooring