Tip Talk -- Cleaning House

House Cleaning Checklist

Have you ever wondered how those maid services manage to make a house look spotless in only an hour or two? My foster mother owns a house cleaning service. This list is very similar to hers. Did you know each room can take less than 15 minutes, and all the cleaning products fit in a plastic tote? One glass cleaner, one sanitizing cleaner, one furniture cleaner, paper towels, trash bags are in the tote. The maid deliberately wears a waitress apron with pockets for small items and the keys to her car. She uses a big binder clip to attach a kitchen-sized trash bag to the side of her apron. That’s where the room trash goes. When it’s full, she ties it off and places it outside the front door, then replaces the bag at her side.

I don’t know about you, but when I know the maid is coming, I do some of the work before she arrives. I remove the shoes and socks from the living room, throw away old magazines and junk mail, and generally remove what doesn’t belong. Call me silly, but I can’t stand the idea of letting the maid see what a slob my family is. Use this philosophy to your advantage. If someone else was coming to clean your house, what would you tackle so she doesn’t think you’re a slob? Do this first, but do clip the trash bag to your waist. You’ll need it.

ALL ROOMS
Furniture dusted and polished
Clean glass doors
General dusting
Dust walls and hangings
Vacuum all carpets
Floors mopped
Remove trash
General pickup and straighten
General items organized, like pillows, chairs, blankets
Overall appearance of the room neat and tidy
Freshen Air
ALL BEDROOMS
Beds made and linens changed (if left out on bed)
Furniture dusted and polished
Vacuum under beds
General dusting
Overall appearance of room neat and tidy
KITCHEN
Cabinet door exteriors wiped
Outside of appliances wiped
Sink cleaned and sanitized
Countertop and back splash cleaned and sanitized (all items removed and replaced)
Kitchen floor mopped
Dishwasher loaded and run
ALL BATHROOMS
Clean and sanitize shower, tub, sink counter, and toilet
Tiles and chrome cleaned
Mirror, pictures, and vanity tops cleaned
All floors mopped.

Sure, the first few times you do this, it’ll take you longer than 15 minutes each but soon enough the tasks become more efficient with practice.