Some Bleach and a Broom...
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Greetings!
I tell you what; this whole lock down has been such an eye opener! On the one hand, I have worked from home forever so it isn’t all that different, but when a client asks us to spruce up her rental property for photos, and both Home Goods and Hobby Lobby are not open, whew, it is a challenge to find any good items.
Forget Walmart and Target and Big Lots – yes they are all open because they sell foodstuffs but they are totally picked over for housewares (and sewing supplies!). Apparently everyone (including yours truly) has been doing mini-makeovers and home improvement projects!
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On the other hand, suddenly we’re all thinking about how to make sure we do our part to protect others – not only masks or social distancing or shopping/errands so you don’t have to leave the house; but housekeeping too and that’s the subject of this week’s newsletter.
I was a housekeeper myself from 1976 until 1979. I love to clean houses (except for bathtubs – hate those!). It is exhilarating to turn dusty, dirty surfaces into clean sanitary ones. I love the way a carpet looks when freshly vacuumed and the smell of a clean home is almost (not quite, but almost) as good to me as the smell of a newborn’s fuzzy little head (yummy!)
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You probably think I’m weird! Not only do I love housekeeping, I also love laundry and ironing and do both weekly. Oh my gosh, is it the 1950’s? HA! Seriously, I really enjoy doing what were traditionally classified as ‘housewife’ tasks.
But, since the 1980’s I have had a twice per month housekeeping service. As an entrepreneur (and workaholic) you have to be smart enough to do the cost/benefit analysis – is it better for me to clean or to outsource it?
When I worked in private industry, I worked 10-12 hours per day. No way was I going to spend my weekends cleaning no matter how much I enjoy it. Likewise, as a small business owner, it is far more beneficial if I take the equivalent time the housekeepers spend cleaning and use it to cultivate new business, write these newsletters, develop new products and services and continue to enhance our software system.
As a matter-of-fact, all routine chores, errands and home maintenance services should be evaluated – should you do it or hire it done? As little free time as we have these days (doesn’t matter if you’re working or not – we are still busy somehow) and given the way our society works, it is far better to use what little down time we have for some personal care and relaxation or fun, rather than washing the car or cleaning the house or shopping or doing the windows or or or – you get the idea!
I’ve bet my career on the fact that outsourcing provides value for others and helps improve their overall quality of life. I know it does for me so I practice what I preach!
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So back to housekeeping: Whether we do your housekeeping or you have your own vendor (or, egad, if you do it yourself), it is important to abide by all Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for sanitizing your home(s).
We believe these are good practices in general, and while we already complied with most of these guidelines anyway, we now comply with all of them and will continue this way indefinitely.
This is how our Executive Errands® housekeepers are cleaning our properties. We:
- Wear disposable gloves and face masks/coverings during the entire cleaning process
- Discard gloves after cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
- Discard towels/wipes/sponges after each surface is cleaned
- Pay particular attention for cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surface areas like tables, chairs, doors, doorknobs, light switches, phones, tablets, touch screens, remote controls, keyboards, handles, desks, toilets, and sinks.*
- Clean all surfaces with soap and water prior to disinfecting with an alcohol base, bleach or hydrogen peroxide based cleaning products OR A bleach solution by mixing:
° 5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water or
° 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
- Linens/towels and other items that go in the laundry - we typically take all laundry to the laundromat ‘fluff and fold’ or the dry cleaner (depending on client preference). However, if we do laundry on site we follow this process:
° Remove all sheets, blankets, mattress/pillow protectors, duvets,
towels, and wash items using the warmest appropriate water setting
° We do not shake dirty laundry
° Clean and disinfect hampers – the CDC recommends, if possible, a bag liner that is either disposable (can be thrown away) or can be laundered.
° For soft surfaces like couches, rugs, throw pillows, drapes, etc we disinfect with products that are appropriate for these surfaces.
- We never use any products that contain perfumes or heavy odors (no Pinesol or lemon based products unless a client requests them) [Non-CDC]
- We never use carpet powder deodorizer as it leaves a smell and can attract dirt [Non CDC]
- W e wash hands often!
(*Note: CDC recommends putting a wipe-able cover on electronics)
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So far we have implemented these extra steps (i.e. discarding towels, wipes and sponges) without any increase in cleaning fees. Taking the laundry to the laundromat where it is washed, dried and folded by their onsite staff may seem extreme and is an extra cost but it is the best way to insure all linens are properly sanitized, particularly for rental properties.
Most importantly, we pick up and put down items in the same place. Nothing aggravates a client more after housekeeping than to find all their stuff rearranged! Same for beds, if you want them made in a specific way, we will take photos and make sure every pillow is propped up exactly as you like.
We offer ‘on demand’ housekeeping, regularly scheduled housekeeping (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), differing schedules for summer and winter season, deep cleaning and construction cleans.
We bring our own supplies and vacuums, brooms and mops. If you have a specific product you want used, you are welcome to keep a supply of it at your home and we’ll update your profile to be sure it is used every time.
When it comes to cleaning your home, not only do you want it clean, but you want it to be healthy-clean. Or at least as sanitary as possible. Let us clean for you while you do something fun! Or just get out of the house if you can!
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•••••••
If you'd like a quote for housekeeping services, you may request it
here
or by calling us at
760-898-9604
.
For more information, to set up an account, for preventative maintenance, need a quote for a remodeling project (big or small) or to purchase a gift certificate, please call us at 760.898.9604 or by
emai
l
*Unless otherwise stated, Executive Errands® does not share affiliate links or have any affiliation with companies/websites/applications referenced in our newsletters. Please do your own due diligence before downloading anything or engaging someone to work with you based on information provided herein.
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Thank you for your loyalty and for your valuable time.
Leslie Spoor
Leslie Spoor
Executive Errands®
CL#944447
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Leslie is a consultant, mentor and author helping small business owners around the globe. She is founder and CEO of two successful companies, Concierge Business Solutions® and Executive Errands®. In addition to her wide selection of training videos and webinars, documentation and forms, Leslie also is the creator of a data collections software system, Essential Elements™ and a six lesson program, How to Start Your Own Business with Leslie Spoor©, available on her website. To work with Leslie or for more information, please visit her website or contact her at Lspoor@executive-errands.com
After traveling to Cuba (a beautiful country!), I wrote a travel guide! To download my American in Cuba e-book travel guide, please
click here
.
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