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A day on the job

LORRIE HICKEY: 26. Cleaning technician, A Rub-a-Dub Maid, 1100 34th St. N, St. Petersburg

By Times Staff Writer
Published May 18, 2005

How long have you been in the cleaning business?

About seven years. I've worked here about seven months.

What are your primary job responsibilities?

I make sure that houses are cleaned right.

What kind of hours do you work?

We come in about 8:15 or 8:30 a.m. Sometimes I get off work at 2, sometimes at 4 or 4:30.

How many hours a week do you work?

About 35 hours, Monday through Friday

What is your daily routine like?

We come in (to the office) and check our books to make sure we know where we'll be that day. We check to see if there are any special things we may need - like we may need a ladder at one house for high ceilings, or some other special instructions. The day before I usually go over the books and put the keys together with the lists (of cleaning tasks) for each house. Then we get the cars ready to go, loading mop heads and rags, making sure all the chemicals are filled and that we all have sponges and that the vacuums are working right.

Do you clean by yourself or as part of a team?

We usually have at least one other person with us and usually leave about 8:45 so we can get there by 9 a.m. Every once in a while I'll be by myself.

What is the first thing you do when you get to a house?

When we get to a job the first thing we do is figure out who's going to do what. And once we figure that out we separate and start on our sides.

What tools do you bring with you?

A big vacuum, a mop bucket, a little vac, fan brush, and a carrying kit with all our spray chemicals.

What's in the carrying kit?

Vinegar (and water), bathroom sanitizer, Scrubbing Bubbles, a degreaser and all-purpose cleaner. I also have a feather duster. (My boss) doesn't supply them, because a lot of people don't know how to use them.

What is the proper way to use a feather duster?

You have to swipe it, and then you shake it at the bottom by the floor. That way you're not putting the dust back on every time you swipe it. I mostly use it for knickknacks ... then shake it on floor and vacuum it up.

We start at the top, and work our way to the bottom. You start with the fans. Any dusting that you have to do; the pictures on the walls or spider webs or anything like that. And then you move on to tables and furniture. If you have windows, you usually do those first. And then you go to the baseboards and the floor. Usually we like to finish one room and go to the next.

How long are you usually at a house?

About an hour and a half to two hours. And there's some that are three hours. A spring clean can sometimes last about four hours, sometimes shorter depending on what they want done.

On average, how many houses do you clean in a day?

I've worked at places where you did five or six houses a day and you'd come home really tired. Here we average probably three to four houses a day.

Do you only clean houses?

We do a few offices, but mostly it's three-bedroom, two-bath houses. We clean all over St. Petersburg and go as far as Oldsmar.

What is the hardest thing to clean?

Probably a really dirty shower. A really dirty shower probably takes about a half hour to clean.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I'm always busy. It goes by pretty fast, especially when I'm cleaning.

What is your least favorite thing about doing this?

Probably the (physical) labor, I would say. Because sometimes you've been out cleaning maybe four houses one day and you come home and go, "Ugh, I don't want to clean my house!" That's probably my least favorite.

How much money do you make?

We're paid hourly and we get paid every week. We start out at $7 an hour and then you can work your way up. (The boss) is really good about raises and bonuses. I clean an office for my boyfriend's boss on the side on weekends for some extra money.

Do you have any "insider" cleaning tips to share?

Well, I guess just use vinegar (and water) instead of Windex for cleaning glass. I think it cleans way better and doesn't streak as much.

What would your dream job be?

Something making over $20 an hour! I have lots of dream jobs. Probably something with music; I love music. Or archaeology - I wouldn't mind that either.

Do you ever get around to cleaning your own home?

I usually deep clean my house once every two weeks, and then it's lots of picking up and just vacuuming here and there.

Are you more conscious of dirt and grime because of your job?

Yeah, I've become more aware of things like cleaning on top of the refrigerator and noticing when the fans are dirty. When I go to other people's houses, I'm horrible. I always notice if somebody's fan needs to be cleaned. I'll look up and say "Dang, your fan needs cleaning!" And most people are like, "Oh, I didn't even notice!"

[Last modified May 18, 2005, 00:50:19]