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What is a typical day like for a self employed cleaner? Although my working day consists of the obvious (lots of cleaning!), like all small businesses, there are all sorts of daily activities that I need to do which my clients don't usually get to see. So here is an account of a typical day in my life as a self employed cleaner to show you what goes on behind the scenes.....
7am - Like all businesses, my inbox is open 24/7. Questions and enquiries can land in my inbox at literally any time of day (or night) so I catch up on any late night emails over breakfast as well as checking my diary for the day ahead. After breakfast, it's time to pack up my products and equipment and load them up in my car for the day ahead. As well as lots of high quality cleaning products, my kit includes dozens of professional grade cloths, mops, dusters, brushes, sponges, erasers, lint rollers, grout tools, crevice tools and cleaning blades as well as vacuum cleaners. I also carry a few natural cleaning products in my kit such as bicarbonate of soda, lemons and white vinegar. The products and tools that I will take with me depends on which client's homes I am visiting that day. Every home has different requirements so I will customise my kit accordingly.
8am - It's now time to hit the road and clean some houses. I look after all sorts of homes including new builds, apartments, townhouses, cottages, barn conversions, large country houses, period and listed properties, farmhouses and luxury holiday homes. Some of my clients have a weekly house clean while others have a bi-weekly or monthly clean. I sometimes take on one-off cleaning jobs too. I usually spend a minimum of 3 hours at each property and as many as 7-8 hours at larger properties or when carrying out a deep clean. My work is very varied and every day is different. I can be deep cleaning a dirty bathroom one day and helping to clean and style a house for a photo shoot the next. Some days are longer than others but I generally try to finish cleaning by 4pm at the latest. While I am out on the road, I will also take the opportunity to visit any potential new clients. All potential clients have a home visit before I commence any work. As well as being able to give them an accurate quote and answer any questions, it enables me to survey their property, establish their cleaning priorities and requirements and to identify any areas of their home which may require extra attention. It also gives us both the opportunity to properly meet and see if we are a good professional fit for one another.
4pm - Once I am home, it's time to unpack the car and do a quick stock check to see if any of my products are running low and whether I need to place any orders. All dirty cloths are placed in a hot wash, air dried and folded neatly, ready for the next visit to the client's house where they will be used (each home has their own supply of cloths). I also empty, strip down and clean my vacuum cleaners and wash and change the filters. My vacuum cleaners are vital (as well as very expensive) pieces of equipment so they are rigorously maintained.
7pm - In the evening, I will sit down with either my laptop or phone and get on with my admin which can be a full time job in itself. Tasks vary from day to day but usually consist of checking my banking app to see who has (or hasn't) paid me, bookkeeping, writing and sending invoices, catching up on any paperwork, planning my diary so I know where I am working for the week ahead, researching new products and ordering stock, chasing any late payments and responding to any emails and enquiries. These admin tasks aren't my favourite things to do but they are vital to ensure I have a viable and successful business. Then there is social media (now a career in its own right). I love sharing lots of content about my business and what I do across a number of social media platforms. I love it when you give me a like or comment to let me know how I am doing, it is always appreciated. And I often complete training courses so I will work on those in the evening too. After an hour or so of admin, it's time to switch off for the night and get ready to do it all again tomorrow!
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