He routinely damp-cleans hardwood floors with a mild solution of four ounces of Spic and Span and 28 ounces of water. Occasionally, he uses Dura Seal paste wax on a wood floor and polishes it to high gleam with an electric buffer. He uses Riccar upright and tank vacuums with HEPA filters for most tasks, but prefers a ProTeam backpack vacuum for draperies because the wand has an adjustable suction vent and the machine is light enough for the cleaner to wear while climbing a ladder.
In dusting furniture -- MaidPro uses Starfiber microfiber cloths because they create enough static to attract dust and pet hair -- he instructs cleaners to move every single knickknack and clean each with a brush before applying the fabric to the tabletop.
MaidPro franchise owner Philip Doyle, surrounded by tools of the trade in his Adams Morgan office.
(Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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He generally just dusts wooden furniture or goes over it with a cloth slightly dampened with a diluted Spic and Span solution because, over time, Doyle says, aerosol furniture polish containing silicon softens the finish and makes it less dirt-resistant and more scratch-prone.
There are other rules to master, including these: Always put newspaper on the floor before de-gunking an oven, never spray cleaners on or near a fish tank or pet cage, and check for toothpaste splatters on bathroom mirrors.
After several weeks of MaidPro University training, it's time for "graduation" to a team of one's own. In this area, MaidPro prices range from about $60 for a condo (oven and refrigerator cleaning cost extra, and the firm will not do personal laundry) to $1,200 for a five-story ambassador's residence.
To be sure, other commercial services also train their staffs, although they don't call it college.
Maid Brigade, based in Atlanta with several Washington area franchises, offers a week-long combination of morning classes and afternoon hands-on cleaning lessons. Chicago-based Merry Maids, the nation's largest franchise cleaning service, not only trains its own workforce but posts helpful hints on its Web site (www.merrymaids.com) for the rest of us.
Who knew that lemon oil applied to bathroom tile walls can retard soap-scum buildup? Ditto for car or boat wax on the sides of a porcelain bathtub (do not for a second think about waxing the bottom of the tub and inviting a horrific fall). If stubborn toilet bowl rings don't succumb to an acid-based bowl cleaner and a nylon-backed scrubby sponge, attack them with a pumice stone (it must always be kept wet during rubbing). This will work only on vitreous porcelain.
I cannot wait to run my own private tutorial for the industrious young woman who currently cleans my apartment every other week. But first I must buy some microfiber cloths, a fat paintbrush and a Sh-mop.
