A) BATHROOM CLEANING

THE SHOWER WALLS

Start with the shower walls around the tub at least the areas that get wet when the shower is on. Wet the walls. Then use Tile & Grout Cleaner and the tile brush. We recommend that you stand outside the tub to clean. An effective cleaning agent like Tile & Grout Cleaner creates an extremely slippery layer of soap onto the tub floor. Don't squirt Tile & Grout Cleaner on the areas of the shower walls that are already clean. (The higher part of the shower wall doesn't normally get wet during a shower and therefore doesn't need cleaning very often.) Squirt some Tile & Grout Cleaner on the wall of the shower that is farthest from the drain, and use your brush to spread it around evenly. Don't scrub. Continue around the shower, squirting Tile & Grout Cleaner and spreading it around with circular movements of the brush. Scrubbing is a waste of time at this point. It's got to sit there for a couple of minutes to loosen up the soap scum and hard water deposits. If there are shower doors, continue applying Tile & Grout Cleaner on the inside of the doors after you've finished coating the walls. To use the tile brush correctly, don't push down as hard as you can in an effort to make the brush work better. You're only making things worse. That extra pressure splays the bristles to one side or the other, so they aren't really scrubbing anything-the sides of the bristles are only rubbing the surface. This is a place where the “don't work harder, just smarter” concept is particularly true. Feel with the brush so that you are digging the individual tips of the bristles into the dirt on the surface you're cleaning.

SHOWER DOORS AND RUNNERS

After you have scrubbed the tile wall, continue around to the inside of the shower door. Switch to the white pad for the shower doors, as it's more effective on this surface than the tile brush. (But only a white pad ~ never a green pad, which can scratch the glass.) If there are shower curtains, don't clean them. If the shower doors overlap, and you can't clean the area where they overlap by moving the doors, then spray some APC on a cleaning cloth, wrap the cloth around your scraper, and slide it into the gap between the doors. Now move the scraper up and down to clean this area. Be careful as you work that the scraper doesn't get exposed because it could scratch the glass. Next, remove the scraper and wrap a dry cloth around it for a final wipe. The reason you use APC here instead of Tile & Grout Cleaner is that it's a difficult area to rinse, but don't rinse yet. Next, clean the shower door tracks (runners). Usually you can do this with your toothbrush and APC. If this doesn't work, use your scraper wrapped with a cloth. Move it back and forth inside the runner to clean it. Or fold your white pad in half and push it into the runner and move it back and forth. Now, go ahead and rinse the shower walls, shower doors and shower runners using your rinsing cup. Use cold water so you don't fog up everything. Rinse the shower walls from front (starting above the drain end) to back and from top to bottom.

THE TUB

Next is the tub. Get the Soft Scrub out of the tray and put it onto your white pad or tile brush. Don't apply it anywhere but in the tub not on the shower walls or faucets or shower head just in the tub. Use it sparingly. If the tub isn't very dirty, don't use very much. Use your tile brush to scrub the tub, starting at the end away from the drain. Use the feel-through method so you know when the porcelain under Soft Scrub is clean. As necessary, use your toothbrush on mold, especially at the top of the tub where the tile meets the tub. Remove what you can. Put your un-rinsed tile brush in the sink, and leave it there while you rinse the tub/shower area. Now rinse the tub this time back to front toward the drain. Use your fingers to feel the bottom of the tub to know when all the cleaner is rinsed out. Don't depend on sight alone, as it is impossible to see a little leftover cleaner in a wet tub. Now is the time to wipe the chrome dry and shiny in the tub/shower area.

THE SINK INSIDE

Reach into the sink where you had set your tile brush. Wet the bowl of the sink. Since the brush is still full of Soft Scrub from the tub, use it as is to clean the sink. Keep the Soft Scrub only inside the bowl of the sink. When the sink is clean, rinse out your tile brush in the sink and put it away in your tray.

THE TOILET INSIDE

Squirt Tile & Grout Cleaner (NOT SOFT SCRUB) in and around the sides of the toilet bowl. Wet the toilet brush by dipping it in the toilet and squirt some Tile & Grout Cleaner on it. Start high in the bowl, on the inside upper rim. Move the brush in a circular motion to cover all the surface and clean as deep into the bowl as you can. The water will quickly become cloudy, so be sure to start at the top and methodically work your way around and down the bowl. If this doesn't remove the ring or other stains in the toilet caused by hard water, use the pumice stick to rub away these stains. The pumice stick can help with similar stains in the sink or the tub and in the kitchen sink as well. DO NOT USE THE PUMICE STICK ON COLORED PORCELAIN.

MIRRORS

Start at the right of the tray, cleaning your way around the room, moving to the right and working from high to low. Be sure to close the door as you go by. There is often a mirror on the inside of the door, and it needs to be cleaned. To clean it, spray it lightly and evenly with GC and then wipe with a dry cloth until the glass is dry. If you wipe it completely dry, not just until it looks dry, you'll eliminate streaks. Replace the GC sprayer after each use back where it was on your apron loop. NOTE: For especially stubborn mirrors, a cleaning cloth rinsed in hot water and applied to the mirror will loosen most spots and is faster than using a razor blade.

FINGERPRINTS

The door also may have fingerprints on it that need a quick spray-and-wipe. Fingerprints need APC, so reach for it, spray the prints, replace the bottle, and wipe the area dry. If all you need to do is remove a fingerprint or two from an otherwise clean door, just spray the prints and wipe dry. This is a good time to clean the baseboards and floor area behind the closed door so you don't have to close it again when you are on your hands and knees backing your way out of the bathroom as you clean the floor.

COBWEBS

Train yourself to look all the way to the ceiling to check for cobwebs each time you advance. When you see a cobweb, grab your Ostrich Feather Duster, knock down the cobweb, replace the feather duster, and proceed. If you can't reach the cobweb, use the extension duster that the Team Leader carries.

SINK OUTSIDE

When you come to the sink, use the APC around the faucets and the rest of the outside area of the sink ~ you've already cleaned the inside of the sink itself, remember. Use the toothbrush around the base of the faucets each time. Use your white pad and APC around the rest of the outside of the sink. Then wipe as usual. Use a dry cloth for a final wipe and shine of the chrome sink fixtures.

THE TOILET EXTERIOR

When you come to the toilet itself, start at the top of the tank and work down using APC and a cloth. Don't forget to wipe the flushing handle as you go by. When you get to the seat and lid, put them both in the “up” position and follow this sequence carefully. After you've done it a couple of times, you'll find that the explanation is much more complicated than the doing.

1. Spray the underside of the seat, and lower it.
2. Spray the top of the seat. Don't wipe yet. Spray the underside of the lid, and lower it.
3. Spray the underside of the lid, and lower it.
4. Spray the top of the lid. Also spray the hinges and the small flat area of porcelain on the far side of them.


Wipe in the reverse order that you sprayed. That means you start with the small porcelain area and hinges. Start using your toothbrush where needed. The first target is around those hinges. Then wipe the porcelain, the hinges, and the top of the lid dry. Raise the lid. Use your toothbrush around the rubber bumpers and hinges (again). Wipe clean and dry. Be careful about splattering the clean porcelain. Wipe the top of the seat and raise it. Use the toothbrush again where needed and wipe dry. Now spray the top porcelain rim of the bowl using APC. Clean all the way down the outside to the floor, using the toothbrush on areas such as where the toilet meets the floor and around those annoying little plastic caps. (The inside of the toilet is clean, so don't touch it at all.) While you're cleaning near the toilet, dust and wipe the toilet paper dispenser and fold the paper into a point.

THE FLOOR

Take several of the used, but fairly clean and dry cloths to do the floor (but not the ones used to clean the toilet!). Go to the far corner and start spraying and wiping with APC as you back out of the room. The proper technique is to spray an area about 2 feet square lightly and evenly so that hairs and dust don't fly around. Then wipe up with your loosely folded cloths in a deliberate, methodical side-to-side movement. As you pick up hair and debris, carefully fold the cloth to trap what you've collected so far and continue. When one cloth is too dirty or full, use another cloth. You don't have to completely dry the floor, but wipe it well and turn your cloths often to avoid making streaks.

B) CLEANING THE KITCHEN

You are now going to start cleaning your way around the kitchen, moving to the right, working from high to low as you go. First look all the way to the ceiling to check for cobwebs. Use your feather duster to knock them down and replace the duster in the same back pocket it was before you used it. Above the counter are cupboards, and, since they are the highest, start with them. Usually all there is to clean are fingerprints near the handles. Fingerprints need APC, remove the spray bottle from your apron loop, apply to your cleaning cloth, and wipe the prints.

COUNTERTOP PROBLEMS

First of all, when you come to globs on the counter top that don't respond to your spray and wipe efforts, you need to resort to tools with greater cleaning power. An example is the white pad. It's in one of your apron pockets. When finished, always replace it in the same pocket. Spray with APC and agitate with the white pad until the white pad loosens up the glob. This can often be a mess you can't really see through. You need to learn to feel through this mess to learn how the counter feels when you've cleaned through the glop to the surface without rinsing or wiping to take a look. If you have difficulty judging when you have scrubbed down to the actual bare surface (without wiping), try spraying a little cleaner on a clean counter area next to the dirty area you are cleaning. By first rubbing your white pad on the clean area and then the dirty area, you quickly learn to tell the difference by touch alone. It doesn't matter that the white pad gets dirty and begs to be rinsed, because you use it just to loosen dirt and not to remove it. Don't rinse it until you get to the sink.

PICTURE GLASS, WINDOW GLASS, AND MIRRORS

You need your GC and a dry cloth to clean these items, and you're carrying them with you in your apron. To clean, spray lightly and evenly with the light cleaner and wipe with a dry cloth until the glass is dry. If you don't wipe it completely dry, you will leave streaks and if you don't use a very dry cloth, you are wasting time since it will take you longer to wipe the glass dry. Spray it lightly. Glass or a mirror cleaned with a quick light spray of GC gets just as clean as a mirror drenched in it. It just takes two or three times longer if you over-spray! So don't. Replace the GC sprayer after each use back where it was on your apron loop.

OPEN SHELVES

Dust the leading edges of shelves with your feather duster. Normally that is all you do with shelves. If instructed to thoroughly clean the entire shelf, move all items to the right side and clean the left side, then move everything to the left side and repeat. Pick up each item when moving it from side-to-side if there is any chance that it will scratch the shelf or fall and break. Redistribute the items as they were. Or, if there are too many things on the shelf, move just enough items to the floor or counter so there is space to move the remaining items. When moving items to the floor or counter, move them the least distance possible. Keep things in the same relative position so that when everything is replaced, the items are back on the shelves the way your customer left them. Customers do not appreciate it when you rearrange their things.

REFRIGERATOR OUTSIDE

Wipe the top first. When you're cleaning this room on a regular basis, you may be able to just feather-dust the top, which takes only a second or two. Or rotate: One time wipe it and the next time feather-dust it. If the top of the refrigerator is used as a storage area, then just dust around all the items up there without removing things. Clean the fingerprints from the outside of the fridge and there are always some. Don't waste time spraying the entire door (or the entire refrigerator) unless it actually needs it. By all means, however, make sure it looks clean and shiny. Clean around the name plate, hinges and the rubber gasket on the door with your APC, toothbrush and cleaning cloth. Open the door when cleaning the rubber gaskets. While the door is open, clean the air vent near the floor with your whisk broom or cleaning cloth. You can wipe small messes inside the fridge, but don't do a thorough cleaning there as part of your routine cleaning.

THE STOVE TOP

Start by cleaning inside the hood with the APC and a cleaning cloth. Then, lift the stove top to clean underneath it. Most screen vents here or elsewhere in the kitchen can best be cleaned by the dishwasher.

THE STOVE FRONT

Now that the top is clean, start down the front of the stove by cleaning the row of burner control knobs. They can be cleaned by spraying with APC, using your toothbrush on them and around their edges and then wiping with a cloth. If you can't get the area behind the knobs clean without removing them, first clean and wipe the knobs themselves while in place. Then pull each one straight out and set it on the counter to the right of the stove in the same relative position it was in while on the stove panel.While the knobs are off, clean the area of the stove front you couldn't clean while the knobs were in place. Use APC and a white pad on this area and wipe it dry before replacing the knobs. Open the oven door to clean the inside of the oven window. Spray the window with APC and use the razor blade. This window should be cleaned even though you're not cleaning the inside of the oven. Wipe the rest of the front of the stove only as necessary (vertical surface).

TOASTER, MICROWAVE

You can make a ten-year-old toaster look like new by removing that burnt-on “brown” stuff with your razor (gently) and a white pad. Unplug the toaster, wet the toaster liberally with APC, and use steel wool or your razor. Just like the scraper, keep the razor at a low angle. Clean the rest of the toaster with APC and your white pad, and use your toothbrush around the handles. Wipe the chrome dry and streak-free. Clean the toaster oven similarly with APC and use your toothbrush in those areas you have learned that your cloth won't reach. Use your razor blade on the (wet) inside glass of the toaster-oven door. Clean the can opener with APC and use your toothbrush around the cutting wheels and gears as necessary.

The microwave is easy. Spray and wipe inside and out (but avoid spraying APC on the venting holes as the liquid may run down inside and short out the microwave). If you take a glass bowl of water and heat it for a minute or two before cleaning, the caked-on gunk will wipe out more easily.

THE FLOOR

Usually the first step is to vacuum the floor with the vacuum cleaner using its floor brush attachment. Pay particular attention to corners and to the grout on tile floors. Use a broom if another team member is using the vacuum cleaner. The next step depends on the type of floor. Use Method A (Floor Cleaner) on most “no-wax” vinyl, hardwood coated with polyurethane, or tile (glazed, unglazed, or quarry) floors.

METHOD A. WASHING THE FLOOR

Close the sink drain and run an inch or so of warm water into the sink. Then add a small amount of Floor Cleaner (approximately 2 or 3 ounces, depending on how dirty the floor is). Dip the Sh-Mop cover in this solution. Wring it out but leave it almost dripping wet, and place the cover over the Sh-Mop head. Start in the corner farthest away from the exit door and clean an area of the floor. (An alternative to dipping the Sh-Mop into the sink is to run water over the Sh-Wipe and squirt a small amount of floor cleaner on it and wring it out to the desired consistency.) When the Sh-Wipe becomes soiled, remove it and turn it inside out and continue working. When the terry cloth cover is too dry or dirty to continue, put the soiled cover into your lined apron pocket and dip a clean one in the Floor Cleaner and water solution in the sink. (Alternatively, just rinse the cover you're using and use it again.) Repeat as necessary. As with other surfaces, different degrees of cleaning are called for: the dirtier areas of the floor in front of the stove, refrigerator, and sink require harder scrubbing than less-traveled areas. As you're mopping, be prepared to use your scraper to loosen globs on the floor. Use the white pad to remove smears and heel marks. When you pass the sink for the last time, let the water drain, rinse the sink, and dry the chrome if necessary. Mop your way out of the kitchen. The terry cloth covers are washed with the dirty cleaning cloths. NOTE: An almost dripping Sh-Wipe is good for vinyl floors, but on wood floors you want it dryer to avoid leaving the floor to wet and possibly warping it.

METHOD B. WASHING AND POLISHING THE FLOOR

Close the sink drain and add just an inch or so of warm water. Dip a Sh-Mop cover into the water and wring it out a bit, but leave the cover almost dripping wet. Put the cover on the Sh-Mop and go to the corner of the room farthest from the exit door. Apply a thin line of Floor Cleaner & Polish about 4 feet long directly to the floor. Don't apply it closer than 2 feet to any wall or cabinet. Spread this line of cleaner/polisher with your Sh-Mop as thinly and as evenly as possible over an area of floor approximately 4 feet by 6 feet, using enough pressure to clean as you go. The purpose is to use the Sh-Mop to pick up the dirt while leaving a little Floor Cleaner & Polish for a modest shine. When using your scraper on blobs that the Sh-Mop doesn't remove, loosen them (once again at a low angle) and then either mop them up or pick them up and deposit them in your apron pocket. Sprinkle a little more water on the terry cloth cover as needed. Use the cover until it is heavily soiled. Then put it into your apron pocket, moisten a fresh cover, and continue. (Alternatively, rinse the cover and reuse it.) When you pass the sink for the last time, let the water out, dry any water spots on the chrome, and mop your way out of the kitchen. Put soiled terry cloth covers into the wash with your cleaning cloths. Don't let them dry out before washing because the Floor Cleaner & Polish dries as hard as old paint. If it's going to be a while before you wash them, rinse the Floor Cleaner & Polish from the covers now. If this is a shiny floor which tends to show streaks (marble, wood, smooth vinyl, ceramic tile, for example), you can eliminate the streaks by drying the floor quickly with your Sh-Mop and a clean and dry terry cloth cover. This takes just a minute. And it works amazingly well ~ just as if you dried it with a towel on your hands and knees!

DUSTING & POLISHING USING THE FEATHER DUSTER

Approach most situations with your feather duster in one hand and the other hand free. Shift quickly to heavier-duty cleaning options as the situation demands, and before long you'll notice you're beginning to do so smoothly and to anticipate your next move. NOTE: The feather duster will not do an adequate job in all cases. If you use proper technique with the feather duster, you will move most dust quickly from wherever it was to the floor, where it will be vacuumed away. Poor technique will throw a lot of dust into the air. Most dusting motions are fast, steady motions over the surface being dusted ~ a picture frame, for example. At the end of the dusting motion bring the duster to a dead stop. Don't let the feathers flip into the air at the end of a stroke, thereby throwing all the dust into the air, where it will stay until you've finished cleaning and only then settle back on all the furniture. That technique often results in a customer complaint. By coming to a dead stop at the end of each stroke, you give the dust a chance to cling to the feathers. To remove the accumulated dust from the feathers, occasionally tap the feather duster lightly against your ankle near the floor.

THE STARTING POINT

Set your tray on the floor next to the door of the first room you're going to clean~ generally the living room.

COBWEBS

The first thing to do is to look up and check for cobwebs. Use your feather duster to remove them. If they're out of reach, go get the extension duster from your tray and use that instead of the feather duster. Then do a quick tour of the whole room, as it's too time-consuming to retrieve this tool several times.

FINGERPRINTS

Dust door panels or trim with the feather duster. Clean fingerprints around the doorknob with APC (spray and wipe). Be sure to dust door backs and baseboards, too. Then, with APC and cloth still in hand, clean the light switch next to the door. Use the toothbrush on light switches as necessary.

WALL MARKS

As you dust, check the walls for marks and fingerprints. Use APC on wall marks of all kinds. Before you move to the next section of the wall, look all the way to the floor (especially when there is a wood floor) to check for little dried-up spills that should be wiped away.

END TABLE SURFACE

Clean above the end table first. If you dust the lamp sitting on the table after the table itself, dust or cobwebs will fall on the table and you'll be forced to redo your work. With wiping motions of the feather duster, dust the lamp shade, bulb, lamp, and then the objects on the table. The surface of many end tables is rarely touched, so there is no need to use furniture polish every week. Either feather dust it or use your furniture-polish cloth without extra polish.

DUST RINGS

If the end table is on a wood floor, use your feather duster to clean the floor around the legs and underneath it to save time for the vacuumer. By dusting these areas where the vacuum would leave rings or where the vacuum can't reach, you are speeding up that job, since the vacuum won't have to stop to do it. If furniture is on a carpet, use the whisk broom instead of the feather duster on those same areas.

COUCH

All fabrics could use a good vacuuming regularly. For most of your clients, this means every time you clean. If the couch doesn't need vacuuming, however, use your whisk broom and clean it from the top down as needed. Or, whisk the back and arms of the couch, so all that's left to vacuum are the cushions themselves. Use your lint brush or slightly damp cloth to pickup things (like pet hair) that the whisk broom won't dislodge. Should you clean under the cushions? Lift up a cushion or two and look. You will know instantly. If the area under the cushions only needs a touch-up, just tilt the cushion up for a quick swipe with the whisk broom. To signal the vacuum that the cushion tops only are to be vacuumed, leave a cushion overlapping the next one. No further vacuuming is necessary as long as you have whisked away the hair and crumbs from the rest of the couch. Keep in mind that you want to do everything possible to make vacuuming easier. These steps greatly reduce vacuuming time. The signal to remind yourself or a partner to vacuum the entire couch is to stand one cushion straight up. To signal the vacuum to clean under the couch, move one corner of the couch forward. If the couch is the sort that sits flush to the floor, it doesn't need to be moved often, since it's almost impossible for dirt to get under it.

PLANTS

Continue around the room working top to bottom and left to right. Dust plants with the feather duster top to bottom. On broadleaf plants, support a leaf with one open hand while you dust with the other so the stem doesn't snap. Pick up the dead leaves which might clog the vacuum or slow down the vacuumer and put them in the apron trash pocket. If a plant is close to the wall and too heavy to move easily, dust the hardwood floor around and behind it or use your whisk broom there if it's carpeted where the vacuum can't reach ~ once again, saving the vacuumer time.

DRAPES AND WINDOW FRAMES

With your feather duster, dust the top of the drapes and curtain rods for cobwebs. Working from top to bottom dust all the window frames. Don't use a feather duster on wet windows for obvious reasons. (Often in the winter you'll have to wipe with a cloth because the frames are wet.) Then dust the window sill.

LEATHER CHAIRS, OTHER UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

The whisk broom is excellent for dusting leather furniture, especially if the upholstery is tufted and has buttons or piping. And use your toothbrush if the cracks and crevices are dirty: keep both in hand, because with the whisk broom you can brush away particles the toothbrush dredges up. The lint brush works well to remove pet hairs.

BOOKSHELVES

Dust the top of the books if there is room, and dust the exposed edges of the shelves with long wiping motions of the feather duster. Remember to remove the dust from the feather duster at regular intervals by tapping it against your ankle. Dust very ornate objects (e.g., candlesticks) with small jiggly motions of the feather duster so the feathers get into all the little places. Do not dust the hearth, because you will get soot on your feather duster and ruin it. Leave it for the vacuum. If the room has wall-to-wall carpeting, wipe the hearth with a cloth so the vacuumer won't have to bring in the vacuum just for that one thing. As you finish one room, start the next one in the same way, i.e., enter the room and start cleaning to the right of where you entered, working from top to bottom without backtracking.

POLISHING TABLES

To polish a tabletop, spray polish on a polishing cloth and wipe surface. Using your dusting cloth, begin to wipe immediately, because polish left in place even for a minute or so begins to dissolve the previous coats of polish. (If that starts to happen, spray on more and wipe quickly.) Wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Wipe with your dusting cloth folded into an area as large as your hand ~ not meshed into a ball ~ so you make maximum use of each swipe. (Saves time.) As you rub, the polish will spread out evenly and begin to dry. When it is almost finished drying, flip the cloth onto its back ~ which should be kept dry ~ and buff the finish to a shine. Make big sweeping movements to save time. Don't press down hard as you buff: It's harder work and you can scratch the surface even with polish. Finally, check for streaks and missed spots, and deal with them with the driest part of the cloth. Polish the dining-room table each time unless it hasn't been used at all. It saves the most time to polish half of the table, dust the chairs closest to you, polish the other half of the table, and then finish the chairs. The point is to minimize retracing your steps. A good brushing is all most chair seats need. Don't forget to dust the chair rungs or the legs themselves if they curve outward near the tip. While you're down there use your whisk or duster to remove dust rings around the table legs and the floor. Also, check to see if either the pedestal or crossbars of the table need dusting too. Leave the chairs away from the table to make it easier for the vacuum to maneuver.

THE BEDROOMS

Clean all the rooms using the same techniques, i.e., work from top to bottom and to the right, never retracing your steps. As the Duster, you are in charge of knowing which chores are to be rotated ~ and which rotation is to be done this time. An example is vacuuming under the bed, which may not need to be done every week. The same applies to heavy furniture (like the couch), and some high molding and other difficult areas to vacuum. Pull the foot of the bed away from the wall to indicate that the vacuum should vacuum under it this time.

DESK

A desk is often so close to the corner that the head of the vacuum won't fit, so use the whisk broom to dust and fluff that section of carpet next to the desk (or the feather duster on hardwood floors). Also, set any trash cans as close to the doorway as you can without interrupting your trip around the room. Generally only clean the open areas on the tops of desks. So, if the desk top is strewn with papers, don't clean it.

TELEPHONE

Clean it with an as-is dusting cloth. If the phone is particularly dirty, spray GC or Disinfectant onto a cloth and wipe the surface. Then use your toothbrush to dislodge dirt from crevices. Unravel a tangled cord by unplugging one end and uncoiling it. Replace the handset with the dusting cloth to avoid leaving new fingerprints.

MINI-BLINDS

Cleaning miniature blinds that haven't been cleaned for a year or so isn't part of light housecleaning. For maintaining clean ones, lower them to their full length and turn the slats to the closed position so the blinds curve away from you. By grasping the string that runs through them, pull them away from the window so you can reach behind them with your feather duster. Dust them using long downward (or left to right, if that works better) strokes at a slow speed so the feather duster can do more dust-catching than dust-storming. Remember, stop the feather duster dead still at the end of each stroke. Remove the dust collected after each stroke by tapping the duster against your ankle near the floor. Now turn the slats forward so the blind curves toward you. Dust the front in the same long, slow motions.

THE TV, THE VCR, CD/DVD PLAYER AND THE STEREO

The TV is cleaned by using the 16" Ostrich feather duster on the back, top and sides and GC on the screen. Use your feather duster on the VCR. To remove fingerprints, spray APC on your cloth and wipe them off. Make sure you don't get any cleaner anywhere near videotapes or the inner machinery of the VCR. Also use your feather duster on the stereo, being careful not to snag the tone arm or needle. Use your already damp dusting cloth to remove fingerprints from the plastic dust cover. Or dust it first with your feather duster if it's very dusty and then wipe with the damp dusting cloth. This protects against scratching the soft plastic cover. (BE SURE BE CAREFUL NOT TO ACCIDENTALLY UNPLUG ANYTHING)

VISUALS

There are things that make a room look cleaner-even if no cleaning has taken place. For example, if the pillows on the couch are plumped up and are exactly in order, the room looks better. If the chairs around the dining room table are all perfectly in a row, if pictures are hanging straight, if magazines on the coffee table are straightened or fanned just so, and if towels are hung uniformly are other examples of improving the looks of a room without doing any actual cleaning. Make sure that you attend to these very important details. It's discouraging to receive a customer complaint after you diligently cleaned their house, but forgot to straighten up all the pillows on the couch. It's also good insurance when the customer walks in and the house visually looks great. Even if the customer finds a little problem with the cleaning later on, they're less likely to complain because their first impression was so good.

DUSTING TIPS

Silk lamp shades can easily run (like nylon stockings) if snagged by a fingernail or feather duster. You may want to avoid cleaning silk lamp shades or warn clients about the possibility of damage in advance and get a waiver of responsibility. Remember to clean the sides of things you are dusting. A feather duster works well on the sides and legs of furniture.

THINGS OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY DUSTERS

You'll avoid complaints, returns to correct complaints, and loss of business by dusting thoroughly. Here are some of the things that can easily be overlooked:
-Window sills and molding on window-panes
-Baseboards
-Chandelier chains
-Hanging light fixtures, especially the bulbs
-Bulbs in table lamps and inside and out-side surfaces of shades
-Telephones
-Plants (dust them just like anything else)
-Backs of chairs
-Curved feet of chairs and tables
-Crossbars underneath tables
-Heater and exhaust vents (your whisk broom often works best)
-Tops of drawers and drawer pulls
-Tops of books on shelves
-Bottom shelves of anything, but especially end tables and coffee tables
-Areas around electric cords that trap circulating dust
-Drapes near the top
-Louvered shutters
-TV picture tubes
-Switch plates

C) VACUUMING

FLOORS

Start vacuuming in the room where the Duster started, and work toward the right. Vacuum systematically, so you don't overlook an area or do it more than once. Usually you can do a living room in three fairly equal parts. Use furniture in the room as landmarks to divide up the room so you don't overlap or skip areas. Vacuum with one hand, keeping the other hand available to move furniture or other items out of your way. Typical vacuuming is a forward and backward motion. Go forward one full length of the vacuum hose each time. Move sideways one full width of the vacuum head with each backward motion. Keep the canister part of the vacuum to your left as you vacuum the room to your right. Be very careful as you pull the canister, because it can bang against molding or knock over a lamp, for example. Avoid stooping when vacuuming. Stand as erect as you can, which is best for your back. Some areas to be vacuumed are well traveled and need extra attention, so vacuum more slowly or repeat each push and pull of the vacuum. If an area is little used, speed up and don't go over it twice. The vacuum cleaner leaves “tracks” on some carpeting. If there are tracks left in front of the couch, use your whisk broom to remove them. If you don't remove these tracks, it appears to the customer that we didn't vacuum some areas ~ but in fact the duster used their whisk broom in these areas already. Other examples are around the legs of tables, where the vacuum cleaner doesn't fit, such as behind heavy plants, next to a desk that's close to the wall, behind a toilet, etc. If tracks are left with each back and forth motion of the vacuum cleaner throughout the room, leave them there undisturbed, i.e., don't even walk on them. They make a great impression on the client when they arrive home.

FURNITURE

The Duster has left you signals to save time. An overlapped cushion tells you to vacuum the tops of the cushions only. Use the upholstery tool and vacuum away. Be careful of loose-fitting fabric and of tassels or loose strings. A turned-up cushion tells you to vacuum the entire couch. The signal to vacuum under a piece of furniture is when it is moved out at an angle from its normal position. Put the furniture back in its original position afterward when you're finished. Careful of your back. Don't attempt to move heavy furniture alone. You can use the dusting brush attachment to clean lamp shades, particularly on a first time cleaning when they may have a heavier layer of dust than can easily be removed with the feather duster (or if they are silk and may be snagged with fingernails or the feather duster).

MOVING THE FURNITURE

The rule is to move the item as short a distance as possible: tip a chair back, for example, instead of moving it. If you're helping by moving furniture as someone else vacuums, lift the furniture straight up, let your partner vacuum the area, and then replace it. Move one end of a table (especially the dining room table) an inch or two to vacuum where the legs were, and then replace. Since you're working in a team, it's a good idea for you not to replace chairs and other displaced furniture. Better to carry on vacuuming and let someone else replace items at the end of cleaning. Vacuuming is often the longest job, and every step possible should be taken to avoid stopping once you've started. For example, when you reach a spot where the vacuum cleaner's power head doesn't fit without moving a heavy plant, or a desk, etc. ~ then this area should already have been cleaned by the duster with a whisk broom, feather duster, or dust cloth. Other team members should not leave trays, mops, trash, etc., in your direct path. Tip: Open closet doors and vacuum into the closet to eliminate lines in the carpet.

STAIRS

Start at the bottom and vacuum your way up. With the vacuum cleaner behind you as you move up the stairway you avoid the possibility of pulling it down on top of you as could happen if you cleaned from top to bottom of the stairway. It is also easier to see the corners of the stairwell as you move up. Use the whisk broom from your back pocket to clean out edges and corners of the stairs as needed. It's easy and fast. Whisk several steps and then vacuum several steps and repeat. If the corners of the stairs are still dirty, use the crevice tool attachment to get them clean. Vacuum with back-and-forth motions of the beater head ~ not side-to-side. Be very careful as you vacuum backward down the stairs. Be aware of turns in the stairs and where the extension cord is. Avoid tripping by staying alert and by being careful. (You may actually find it easier and more efficient to put the upholstery tool on the end of the wands when vacuuming stairways, in place of using the Power Head attachment.)

D) SPECIAL PROJECTS

THE OVEN

Normally, the oven is only cleaned on request from the customer. If in doubt, check with your Team Leader. As long as the interior is a smooth baked-enamel finish (95 percent chance), you will find this chore manageable. If the oven's interior feels like fine sandpaper, you have a problem, since the oven cleaner is very difficult to remove after the cleaning process. Spray on lots of All-Purpose Cleaner to help remove the oven cleaner itself after the oven cleaning is completed. You'll need oven cleaner and rubber gloves, except in the case of self-cleaning ovens. Before spraying the oven, remove the racks, placing them on top of the stove the same way you took them out (so you don't waste time later trying to figure out which is the top and how they go back in). Also remove anything else that should be removed, such as heating coils that pull out or unplug. Even if your whole interior oven comes apart for removal and cleaning, leave it together and clean it our way instead. Put old cleaning cloths, paper towels, or newspapers on the floor to catch any drips and over-spray. Spray the interior of the oven and the door as well. Often, the racks don't need cleaning. Skip them whenever you can, as they are difficult and time-consuming. If you are not cleaning them, leave them on top of the stove until you are done with the oven. If you are cleaning the racks, replace them after you have sprayed the inside of the oven and then spray them too. Spray the oven thoroughly: A little too much is better than not enough. If you overdo it, however, oven cleaner will drip onto the floor and make even more of a mess. Avoid the interior light and thermostat when spraying. Be sure to spray the door but not the door edges. Be sure to let the oven cleaner sit the recommended time before proceding. Clean the oven before you start the regular kitchen cleaning sequence. Don't heat the oven. Set the trash can by the stove for now, and place a roll of paper towels or old, disposable rags (ones that are no longer good enough to use as a regular cleaning cloths) next to it. Also, take the scraper from your apron and put it on a cleaning cloth in front of the stove. You'll be using it repeatedly, and your gloves will be covered with oven cleaner. This way you'll keep the oven cleaner off your apron. First clean the inside of the oven door with your Green Pad. Use your razor on the glass door. Wipe the oven cleaner from the door. Then spray the same area with All-Purpose Cleaner and wipe it clean and dry. Clean the racks next, starting with the highest one. Use the Green Pad. Pull it out into the locked position to make cleaning easier. Clean the leading edges (the ones that you see when the rack is in the oven) carefully. As you finish a rack, pull it out and set it in the sink. When you've done all the racks, rinse them well with tap water. Be careful not to scratch the sink. (Use a cloth or two to put under the edges of the rack when rinsing.) After the racks, clean the inside of the oven starting with the inside top. Systematically agitate with your Green Pad over the entire top of the oven until all the baked-on residue is loose. But don't remove it yet. Move on to the right side, then the rear, and then the left side before you finish with the bottom. On areas where there are baked-on “lumps,” use your scraper first. The idea is to knock off most of what you're removing with the scraper and then get what little remains with the Green Pad. You will quickly learn the difference between how your Green Pad feels when the oven surface is clean and how it feels on a dirty surface that needs additional scrubbing. Even after you've used the scraper to remove lumps, be prepared to grab for it again when you encounter something else that your green pad doesn't easily remove. Your Green Pad became a slimy, gooey, mess about half a second after you started this chore. Resist the impulse to go to the sink and rinse the pad out. It will return to a mess half a second after you return. The whole procedure is much faster if you don't make several trips to the sink to rinse. When the Green Pad is full of gunk and oven cleaner, it is harder to hold because it gets slippery. Try to overcome this by folding the pad in half or gripping it differently or squeezing it out onto the oven bottom-anything to avoid having to rinse it. When you can't grip it any longer or when it's so clogged with debris, that it's lost its effectiveness, go rinse it. When you're loosened up the baked on gunk from all of the interior oven areas, start wiping the inside of the oven using paper towels or old rags. Wipe it out just the reverse of the way you just scrubbed it. Start with the bottom, the left side, the rear, the right side, and finally the top. Wipe the entire oven out once, very thoroughly, discarding the towels or rags into the trash can next to you. Now spray the entire inside of the oven with All-Purpose Cleaner and wipe clean and dry to get rid of any residual oven cleaner. If the broiler was previously sprayed, now is the time to finish it. Clean it in the sink with your Green Pad. Use your scraper if necessary. Protect the sink by putting cloths under the broiler. Rinse it clean, wipe it, and replace it. Take the cloths (or paper towels), pick up the newspapers and discard into the trash, and start cleaning the kitchen. It's a good idea to turn the oven to 400 Degrees for fifteen minutes while you start cleaning the kitchen. This cooks any oven cleaner you may have missed to a nice visible white powder that you can easily see to remove after the oven cools off. Also, if the oven is going to stink or smoke a bit, it's a good idea to get that over with now instead of when your customer turns it on later. Turn the fan on and open a window. DON'T FORGET TO TURN THE OVEN BACK OFF AND CLOSE ANY OPEN WINDOW(S)!!!!

THE REFRIGERATOR

This also is not regular light housecleaning, so don't clean the refrigerator, except by instruction from the Team Leader. However, if you're going to clean the refrigerator do it firs before you do your regular cleaning of the kitchen. If the freezer is to be cleaned, it should have been turned off earlier so that it's defrosted and ready to clean. The freezer is easy to clean once the ice is loose. Put any loose ice and ice-cube trays in the sink and proceed to clean. If possible, don't remove anything else. Rather, move items toward the right, spray the left with All-Purpose Cleaner, and wipe. Now move items from the right to the left and repeat. You may have to do this in three moves or more. If the freezer is completely full, remove only as much as you have to. When you move items to make room for cleaning, move them onto the top shelf of the refrigerator. Inside the refrigerator itself, start with the top shelf. Items on the shelves should not removed -just moved to the right. Then clean the racks with All-Purpose Cleaner and White Pad, followed by a cleaning cloth to wipe dry. If the shelves are too full to move things to the side, then remove only enough so you can move the rest from side to side. When you remove items from a shelf, set them on a convenient counter top or on the floor just in front of the refrigerator in the order they were removed. After cleaning, replace the items back in their original positions. Do the next lower shelf and the next until you're finished. Drawers and bins should removed from the refrigerator because you need to clean them inside and out. Don't forget the area under the bottom drawers. Generally you can clean the door shelves by removing a few items, cleaning that space, and then sliding over a few more things and cleaning under them, etc. Pick up and wipe the bottom of each item as you put it back so it doesn't leave a spot on the clean surface. When you are finished with the inside of the refrigerator, don't clean the outside yet. Go back and start to clean the kitchen as you normally would. Since you're working as part of a team, it often makes sense to have another team member do the inside of the refrigerator as you begin to clean the rest of the kitchen. The reason is that the kitchen can turn into the longest job, and you want the team to finish at the same time.