Reporter Tries Cleaning For A Day

To spotlight the vital but often little-noticed job of cleaners, a reporter for the BDN Maine website took a turn as a housekeeper of Bayside tourist cottages as part of a series exploring a range of summer jobs.

The reporter picked up his rag and mop on a Saturday - the day the cottages would change hands.

"Each cleaner has their own rhythm and method for tackling each cottage. The general rule of thumb in cleaning is that you start at the top and work your way down. That helps ensure you get any dust or hairs that might fall off a surface or bed, and makes it less likely that you forget to do something," the novice cleaner wrote.

After finishing the upstairs, it was time to move downstairs, where all the surfaces were dusted, rugs were cleaned, countertops washed and the fridge was wiped out. Then it was time to vacuum and scrub down the kitchen floor before tackling the bathrooms.

On occasion, the cleaners run into an unexpectedly big project that slows down the whole process — a stained carpet, for example.

Cleaning these rentals is a significant commitment, because everyone who cleans for Bayside rentals is expected to work every Saturday during the summer.

“This business would be absolutely impossible without these people working for me,” says Bayside Cottage Rentals owner, Jennika Lundy. “Making sure these places are as beautiful as they can be really is the important aspect.”

Read the full article here.