What do janitors, maids, and housekeepers have in common? Yes, they clean. And when you hire a professional cleaning service contract for small spaces or offices, you can charge around $20 to $30 per visit. Meanwhile, expect to pay from $500 to $700 each month for larger spaces. That is, according to Chron.com. But what if you aren’t that confident about depending on other cleaners’ work? Also, do you really need to pay that much for cleaning when you could do it yourself? It is better to be sure and observe cleanliness by plotting a detailed plan. And you may do so starting with a cleaning checklist.
Have you ever heard of a to-do list? That is a written list that helps you recall or remember every specific task to complete. A checklist is just like that. It is a document enlisted with objectives or activities while there are spaces provided to put checkmarks when each chore is completed. Thus, checklists are your ultimate guide to achieve tasks, requirements, or errands. And when the enlisted duties are all related to cleaning, then that sheet is called a cleaning checklist.
An article mentioned that you charge cleaning services up to $20 or $30 each visit for small areas. And you may charge approximately $500 to $700 per month for bigger buildings or spaces.
According to Statista, there were 3.09 million professional cleaners in the US as of May 2018.
In addition, Statista reported that the household cleaners market value worldwide was around $30 billion in 2019.
The person who cleans generally forms a cleaning checklist. That way, no particular task is forgotten during the cleaning day. But, it is also possible to create this checklist for someone else. For example, you might have finalized a cleaning contract with a janitorial service contract. And if you want janitors to perform specific tasks according to your needs, then you show them your personalized checklist. Hence, janitors will follow the enlisted objectives.
Since you already learned the meaning and purpose of cleaning checklists, it is time to familiarize what’s inside those sheets. Indeed, the content of checklists varies as different people make those documents. And even though they differ, there are particular elements that they have in common too. To determine such similarities, check out what the elements of a cleaning checklist are:
Why create cleaning checklists, you might ask? Using it consists of advantages. Even Benjamin Franklin came up with a thirteen-week checklist or plan to note his responsibilities. And he displayed how lists can promote self-improvement. The point is nobody comes up with the idea of a checklist without benefits involved. So without further ado, here are the sweeping benefits of cleaning checklists:
Indeed, cleaning services include the basic processes of sweeping, mopping, or washing. But did you know that strategic plans are also useful in cleaning? The problem without plans and strategies is how the whole process could be disorganized or, in short—a failure. At least this cleaning to-do list outlines every single task to commit to. Also, not having to memorize or forget particular tasks will help save time to clean.
According to author and psychologist Dr. David Cohen, the brain responds to dictated or ordered errands. He added that checklists are essential to minimize anxiety, prepare a well-structured plan, show what you accomplished at a specific time. As you follow every command, you are already practicing discipline. And discipline is just what you need to achieve all given tasks.
It is a no-brainer that a cleaning checklist is a tool for promoting cleanliness. By doing all the given activities, you are helping the world live a purified environment. Nobody wants to settle in dust or dirt in their surroundings anyway. And you deserve to spread the word by engaging others to clean the environment as well.
Are the cleaning checklist advantages clear to you already? Great. Such benefits can inspire you further to create your checklist. And speaking of which, you are now ready to come up with a useful cleaning checklist. To do that, you only need to follow these necessary steps:
Who are you writing for? Is the checklist for your maid, housekeeper, janitor, or yourself? Knowing the audience is essential, so you write in a way where the receiver of that list can understand the message quickly. If not for yourself, then the list might be for anyone. And let’s not forget that there were even 3.09 million cleaners in the US in May 2018. So be specific if you are writing for a professional cleaner that handles a house, school, office, or apartment. Hence, making a list that is easy to understand in your case but difficult for the receiver is not an effective list.
Before using a sample template, jot down all the expected tasks in a separate sheet or draft. This idea is to avoid errors in your final checklist. Don’t mind the organization, schedule, and specifics yet. Simply draft everything. Your only concern is to prevent forgetting every cleaning task. Even though things are not perfectly stated, everything inside a draft can still be corrected after.
To begin organizing your checklist, group the tasks according to their categories. What the types are will be up to you. An example is to have one section for your daily tasks and another for your weekly plan or monthly cleaning. That way, you no longer become confused about what to manage daily, weekly, and so forth. Another way in the grouping is according to the location. Have one section for the dining room, another for the bathroom, and so on.
Now that the tasks are categorized, you organize it further by observing a timeline. Are you familiar with sample timesheets? Good. Cleaning checklists work similarly. It means you include the estimated duration, time, and date. And since everything is still a plan, assure to be realistic with the schedule given. For example, it is infeasible to clean a whole office with a given time of ten minutes only. And when some tasks cannot be finished at the estimated time, learn to adjust. You could double time on the next errand to catch up with the activities at hand.
To polish the whole list, check if you got all things specified. Maybe some tasks were too broad that the cleaner expected to follow the document will be confused. An errand might state, “Clean clothes.” It sounds generic. Elaborate by saying, “Wash and dry the clothes from the laundry.” At least the second instruction is more elaborate than the latter. And lastly, find ways to commit to the cleaning checklist. Even a well-thought-out list is pointless if the one assigned to work on it is irresponsible.
Deciding when is the best day to clean depends on you. But of course, it is wise not to do it on a day where you have many other commitments. If you have work during the weekdays, then avoid Monday to Friday. You can mark Saturday or Sunday as your cleaning day on your weekly calendar instead.
You need not clean your house daily if it can be stressful on your part. But if you plan on cleaning at a weekly basis, be sure to include these in your errands:
How people get motivated depends on each person. Perhaps, you can clean rigidly by playing your favorite music. Others set up a timer or reward themselves after finishing all the tasks as an incentive. Also, it is wise to segregate the duties with a friend or two to finish everything quickly and effortlessly.
As soon as you see anything that looks dirty, don’t wait any longer. Just add that workload to your list if dealing with it is still tiring for the day. Remember that having tons of things to clean might overwhelm you. But rest assured it is manageable by outlining through a cleaning checklist. So make the most out of your game plan until you experience that satisfaction of having every single checkbox filled.
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