How to Perform Routine Housekeeping Duties

Routine housekeeping duties include vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning surface areas.

The main duties of an average housekeeper are to clean or organize a specific area. Housekeepers may be hired on either a full- or part-time basis by private homeowners, hotels, hospitals or nursing homes. While the specific duties of each individual position will vary depending upon the employer's needs and the contract that is worked out between the employer and the housekeeper, there are certain routine duties that most housekeepers will be required to perform regardless of where or for whom they work.

Instructions

1. Start your housekeeping duties in the bathrooms. Bathrooms often require allowing cleaning products such as shower and toilet bowl cleaners to "soak in" for a period of 10 to 15 minutes. Applying cleaning products in the bathrooms first will streamline your housekeeping duties by allowing you to move on and complete other areas of the home or room while the cleaning products to do their job.

2. Clean or dust furniture and other hard surfaces such as counter tops. Complete this step before cleaning or vacuuming floors. Imagine vacuuming a rug and then having a large clump of dust, crumbs or dirt fall onto the freshly cleaned area. Check with your employer to find out if any furniture item or surface is fragile or has special cleaning needs. Generally, you should use a standard wood furniture polish for coffee tables, picture frames and fireplace mantles. Use either a standard or non-ammonia, eco-friendly glass cleaner to clean mirrors and glass table tops. A disinfectant cleanser containing bleach or an antibacterial agent should be used on kitchen and bathroom counter tops and sinks. Use a feather duster or Swiffer duster to remove dust from ceiling fans and blinds.

3. Return to the bathroom and clean the shower, toilet, counters and mirrors. Pay special attention to hard water spots, soap scum or lime buildup in the shower. Your employer will expect that you will remove these blights from shower walls and tubs. Use a sponge or a Magic Eraser in addition to traditional shower cleaning products. When cleaning the toilet, be sure to wipe around the bottom base of the fixture in addition cleaning out the inside with toilet bowl cleaner and a brush.

4. Empty all trash cans throughout the home or room. Check the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms and home office. Replace trash bags in all garbage cans and discard waste appropriately in a dumpster, outside trash container or recycling bin.

5. Clean all floors by vacuuming or sweeping and mopping. This step should be the last duty that you perform before you leave. It doesn't make sense to clean floors first and then track additional dirt and mud across them while you perform the rest of your cleaning duties. Your employer may have specific equipment such as vacuum cleaners, carpet shampooers or special floor cleaning products on site for you to use. If this is not the case, you will need to provide your own supplies. Before you begin any floor-cleaning task which involves cleaning solvents or chemicals, discuss which products should be used with your employer. Certain flooring surfaces such as Pergo, hardwood, and certain natural tiles will be altered or eroded by the use of chemical cleaners.

References

• Wisegeek.com: What is Housekeeping
• Mr. Clean USA.com: House Cleaning Checklist