1. Always use clean cleaning cloths
Start every task with a clean cloth. Use a colour-coding system:
- Red for the toilet
- Blue for the kitchen
- Yellow for the bathroom
- Green for the living areas
That way you can see at a glance which cloth belongs where, and you avoid cross-contamination between rooms.
2. Wash your hands before and after every task
Simple, but crucial. Hands are the fastest way for bacteria to travel. Wash them thoroughly with soap and water, especially after cleaning the toilet, taking out the rubbish or touching food remains.
3. Wear work gloves for wet work and sanitary areas
Gloves protect your skin from drying out and from harsh products, and they reduce the risk of spreading bacteria. Preferably use separate gloves for the sanitary areas and for the rest of the house.
4. Change your mopping water in time
This is one of the most underestimated rules. Water that is too dirty spreads more bacteria than it removes: you're actually smearing the dirt across the floor. The rule of thumb: a fresh bucket for each room, or as soon as the water turns cloudy.
5. Clean first, disinfect afterwards (if necessary)
A disinfectant only works on a clean surface. If there's still dirt, grease or a film of soap on it, the product never reaches the bacteria and you're working for nothing. So the order is always the same: clean first, rinse, and only then disinfect. Give the product time to work as well: most need a minute or longer before they're genuinely effective.
And is disinfecting always necessary? Far from it. Mud in the hallway, food scraps on the table, a stain on the floor: that's just dirt. Water and an ordinary cleaning product will do, full stop. Disinfecting is overkill in those cases: it takes extra time, it's hard on your skin and it adds nothing. Save it for the places where it really matters: the toilet and toilet seat, the bin, a cutting board that's had raw meat on it, or when someone in the house is ill.
Finally, pay close attention to which product you use. Not everything in the cupboard may be used by our housekeepers. Products with hazard symbols on the label are prohibited, and you never use a product that isn't in its original packaging or has no label, because you can't know what's in it.
6. Use microfibre cloths correctly
A microfibre cloth is only efficient if you fold it properly. Fold it in half twice: that gives you eight clean working surfaces. Turn to a new surface as soon as the previous one is dirty, instead of continuing to rub with the same part of the cloth.
7. Keep your cleaning equipment clean
Dirty equipment doesn't clean anything. Rinse brushes, buckets, squeegees and mops thoroughly after use and let them dry completely: moisture is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Replace microfibre cloths with clean ones after every working day.
8. Limit the use of reusable sponges
Sponges are breeding grounds for bacteria: warm, damp and full of small cavities. So choose microfibre cloths instead. If you do work with sponges, replace them very regularly and let them dry out properly in between.
9. Don't leave any moisture behind
Always dry surfaces afterwards. Moisture left on bathroom tiles, shower walls, taps or the kitchen counter is an invitation to mould and bacterial growth. A dry squeegee or a clean dry cloth is enough.
10. Clean from top to bottom
Work systematically from high to low: first dust the cupboards and shelves, then the work surfaces, then the floor. That way, dust and dirt never fall onto a surface you have already cleaned, and you never do the work twice.
Why this matters
These ten points may seem like details, but together they determine whether cleaning is truly hygienic. They protect the health of the family you work for, especially in homes with young children, elderly people or people with a weakened immune system. And they protect you: your skin, your hands and your health. At TRIXXO Service Vouchers, our housekeepers receive training that covers exactly these working methods. That way, every client knows that the person coming into their home knows what they're doing.
- Fancy doing your job with fixed hours, a permanent contract and clients in your own neighbourhood? Drop by a TRIXXO office near you.
- Looking for a housekeeper for your own home? Request a housekeeper and we'll look at what's possible together.