I wasn’t always a professional cleaner. In fact, when I started, there wasn’t much guidance or training available. There was no “school for cleaners,” and the online videos and courses we have now weren’t a thing back then. Instead, I learned on the job – through trial, error, and sometimes quite painful lessons. My journey into cleaning was anything but glamorous, but those early mistakes shaped who I am today and the values of Green Magic Cleaning.
Let’s start from the beginning. As a teenager, I hated cleaning. I’m sure many of you can relate. Back then, I avoided cleaning like it was the plague. But as a student needing extra cash, I found myself taking cleaning jobs without a clue about what I was doing. Sure, I knew how to turn on a vacuum, but proper mopping, squeegeeing, and polishing? Not so much.
Looking back, I realise my earliest cleaning lessons came from my clients – and not all of them were patient teachers. Some of my mistakes were downright embarrassing. For instance:
- I was thrilled with a shiny, freshly mopped floor… only to discover later that it was still dirty, streaky, and covered in marks after drying.
- I dusted windowsills with a dry cloth, simply spreading dust around the room instead of collecting it. It always found its way back onto surfaces like an unwanted boomerang.
- I vacuumed floors only to scatter crumbs and dirt from benchtops onto the freshly mopped tiles.
- I cleaned around objects instead of lifting them – and sometimes knocked them over when my cloth accidentally got caught on one of them.
- My battle with glass was the stuff of nightmares. I once scrubbed a shower screen so hard that I scratched it, leaving permanent damage.
- I sprayed endless amounts of multipurpose cleaner on greasy stoves, thinking more was better, without realising hot water and soap would have done the trick in half the time.
- And then there was the overpromising. In an attempt to impress clients, I would promise that I could finish the job in half the time or that I could remove impossible stains. Inevitably, I couldn’t deliver. The stains stayed put, and my rushed cleaning often left areas less than perfect, leading to disappointment and awkward conversations later.
Efficiency? I didn’t know the meaning of the word. It took me ages to develop a proper cleaning system. I wasted so much time figuring things out that it’s almost painful to think about now.
Today, I take all those cringe-worthy mistakes and turn them into valuable lessons for my cleaners. It’s not rocket science, but without guidance, you’ll spend months – maybe years -stumbling through the process like I did.
To my old clients from those early days – especially the fussiest ones – you probably don’t remember me. But I remember you. And I want to thank you. Your honesty and high standards pushed me to learn and improve. Without those lessons, Green Magic Cleaning wouldn’t exist today.
