On the job: Professional cleaning service

How did you get your start? I started at University of Delaware 20 years ago. I have 10 buildings that I manage and 18 employees cleaning dorms and different areas. My son and I decided to try it on our own. The little bit of time we have been doing this together, it has worked out well as we are getting busier with more jobs.

How did you train for the job? I have been cleaning for UD for 20 years and all the safety training, bloodborne pathogens training and many other types of training that I received with my job have helped. We specialize in floor care, but we also do residential and commercial cleaning. We offer stripping, waxing, sanding and refinishing on floors, and deep cleaning of residences or businesses.

What essential skills are required? You have to know a lot in order to properly refinish wood, including how to use the floor machines and sanders, as well as the different chemicals that you use on the different types of carpet. Knowledge of different woods, carpets and floorings is helpful along with the chemical products and safety of those products.

Describe a typical day. It depends on how many people we have working. We start by dividing up the work. Then we move furniture, clean walls, sweep, mop, dust, disinfect the beds, and sometimes we strip and wax the floors depending on the job. We recently cleaned 70 dorm rooms. It is busy work. A typical day depends on what we are cleaning and if it is deep cleaning or everyday cleaning.

Whats the best part of the job? Owning the business, being your own boss. I enjoy doing the promotions and meeting people. I think we are pretty skilled at what we do, so the finished product is always nice to see.

Whats the biggest challenge? Making everything look nice after the students leave. Every day is a new challenge making sure everything is safe. Wet floor signs are in place. Making sure no one steps on floors that have been stripped and are slippery. We want to get more long-term commercial cleaning.

What advice would you offer someone looking to go into this field? Get as much training as possible on cleaning, equipment and safety. You always have to make sure you are using all the safety practices and proper equipment. We use green products, so you need to know what you are using.

Know a person or a profession that would make an interesting On the Job profile? Contact reporter Adelma Gregory-Bunnell at (443) 245-5033, agregory@cecilwhig.com or on Twitter: @Adelma_Whig.

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On the job: Professional cleaning service