The kohen of a mikdash me'at: how to be the best Sparkle cleaner
A short dvar Torah
A Jewish home is called a mikdash me'at, a small Beis Hamikdash. Do you know what the very first avodah of every day in the Beis Hamikdash was? Terumas hadeshen: a kohen cleared away the ashes from the mizbe'ach. Cleaning came first, before any korban, and the kohen did it wearing his bigdei kehunah.
Rashi adds that afterwards the kohen changed into other clothes to carry the ashes out, "so that the clothes he wore while cooking for his master he does not wear when pouring a cup for his master". So the Torah cares about the work and also about how it is presented.
And Chazal say "kohanim zrizim hem": the kohanim were quick and sharp at their work. That is exactly what we want. When you clean a family's home you are doing the first avodah of their mikdash me'at. Do it quickly, do it well, and make it look beautiful.
What a family notices first
Families don't check under the couch. They notice a few things the moment they walk in, so give these the most care.
The entrance and the first room they see. Shoes lined up, the floor clean, nothing on the floor that doesn't belong.
The kitchen sink and taps. An empty, dry, shiny sink makes the whole kitchen look clean. Dry the taps with a cloth at the end so there are no water marks.
Counters. Clear them, wipe them, and dry them. A clear counter looks cleaner than a scrubbed one with things on it.
Made beds. Pull the sheet tight, square the pillows, fold the blanket neatly at the foot or smooth the duvet flat.
Bathroom shine. A shiny tap, a streak-free mirror and a dry sink are what make a bathroom feel clean.
Towels. Fold them in thirds and hang them evenly.
The smell. Open a window while you work. A fresh-smelling home feels clean before anyone looks.
Hacks for saving time
Look at the family's list first. Start with what they ranked 5, and you will never run out of time on the job they care about most.
Start the machines in the first five minutes. Put on a wash and load or run the dishwasher before anything else, so they work while you work.
Spray first, wipe later. Spray the toilet, shower, sink and stovetop, go and do something else, and come back. The product does the scrubbing for you.
Top to bottom, dry to wet. Dust and tidy first, then wipe, then the floors last. Dust falls down, so you only clean the floor once.
Go around each room in one direction. Start at the door, work your way around, and finish back at the door. You won't miss anything and you won't walk back and forth.
Carry everything with you. Keep your cloths and sprays in one bucket or caddy, so you don't go back to the kitchen for every job.
Fold your cloth into eight. Fold a cloth in half and in half again, and you get eight clean sides. Turn to a fresh side instead of washing it out.
Keep kitchen and bathroom cloths apart. Use one colour for the bathroom and another for the kitchen. It is cleaner, and families notice.
Use less product. Too much spray leaves streaks and takes longer to wipe off.
Descaling a kettle. On a plain stainless steel kettle, a metal scrub takes the scale right off. On glass, coated or plastic kettles and on the urn, use a regular sponge so nothing gets scratched.
Sponja like a pro. Sweep every room first, then do the sponja in one go. Start in the room furthest from the front door, beginning in its far corners, and work your way out towards the door. You never go over the same floor twice or step on a wet one, and it cuts sponja time dramatically. Wring the cloth out well and push the water towards the drain.
The last ten minutes
Stop ten minutes before the end. Go out of the front door, come back in, and look at the home the way the mother will when she walks in. Fix what catches your eye: a crooked cushion, a fingerprint on the mirror, a full bin.
Then plump the couch cushions, straighten the chairs and turn off the lights you turned on. That last round is what turns a clean home into a Sparkle home.
What a family expects from you
Come on time, every time. Ask on your first visit how the kitchen is set up, and keep fleishig, milchig and pareve apart. Respect their privacy: don't open drawers you don't need, and don't read their papers. Keep your phone away while you work. If something breaks or you aren't sure about something, tell the family and tell Sparkle straight away.
You are doing an avodah in a mikdash me'at. Hatzlacha!