r/janitorial

I love my job,

Only realising so recently, what a joy it brings me

So many people will tell you it's the first job they think of as lowest ranking

Of no significance or importance, no honour and no worth

I've had people say to my face "well it could be worse, I could be a cleaner"

Maybe that's how I feel, or how the world makes me feel, at this point there's no difference

The strive for bigger and better is so ingrained and important now

This job however has laid so much foundation of the person I want to become

Of how I go in the world and how I treat people

Of my understanding for the elderly and just different people in general

I've always liked to connect to different people but this opened up new worlds, new voices and new experience

I made one of my greatest, dearest friends, who recently passed away

And I felt like the pain I carried was unjustified

Because to the outside world I was just a cleaner

But to her, she made me feel, whole, a person, with a story and a life

She made time for me and my stories, while I made time for hers, and listened probably more greatly then I ever listen to anyone's stories

Because this woman, this amazing woman, a exprinciple and teacher taught me so much about myself about the world and about her

I still carry a part of her with me, striving to become the sort of women she was

Not one who strived for fame, or mass amounts of money but lived a simple life

With one simple principle, kindness and compassion

Treating everyone with empathy and understanding, having a compassionate view of the world

Wanting love and peace regardless of gender, religion or race

She was an older white lady, who showed me their could be love and acceptance from her generation

So to the outside, I may just be a cleaner

But to me, and to her, I was much more. I was a person, a friend, a companion. And I loved her, just as much as I love so many other people in my life.

Some stories are funny, some are scary, some are straight up being bullied by clients.

But this story, one I will probably speak more about, is one of love. Love of a woman who became so much more then a lady I just cleaned for.

I want to preface this by saying that there is nothing in this world easy about being a new mom. Trying to juggle six different crises a day, while trying to keep a small human alive, while also trying to keep your identity? You are all far better humans than I am. That said, I do have a request...

You can't use the sanitary boxes in the bathroom stalls as your own personal trashcans.

I know that bad days happen. You are standing in the handicap stall, changing your baby on the changing table because they had a blowout and suddenly your toddler starts crying because, for a completely unknown reason they have just wet themselves. You handed the toddler a cookie and are doing your best to change them both and get to your doctor's appointment on time. But the trash can is all of three feet away. PLEASE throw the diaper, the underoos, and the half of the cookie your toddler didn't eat into the trash. I know you are flustered, I know you are just trying to get out of Dodge. But by putting that all in the sanitary box, you have created a chain reaction that is going to ruin my shift. Suddenly, for some women, it is monkey see, monkey do. Now they are going to put candy wrappers, makeup wipes, and half an ice cream cone in the box and I can't get it out to clean it properly because it is too crammed full. Others will, not wanting to touch a diaper or pee soaked clothes (fair enough), will set their used sanitary products on the floor, on the back of the toilet, or try to flush them. Now that entire stall is less sanitary.

Please, please, please use the box for what it was intended for. It makes all of our lives easier.

P.S. I am aware that none of this will ever happen. I was lucky a kid didn't just back up to the wall and shit on it and try to write the alphabet in it. But a man can have his really sad dreams, can't he?

Whether you've been in business for 6 months or 20 years...

What's one lesson you learned the hard way that every commercial cleaning company should know?

Examples:
• Pricing mistakes
• Hiring employees
• Losing (or winning) a contract
• Equipment purchases
• Dealing with difficult clients
• Sales & marketing
• Insurance or contracts

Let's help each other avoid expensive mistakes.

Has anyone tackled paint removal from newly installed LVT? I’m able to remove it with a razor, but it’s very time consuming.

Was thinking of using the industrial strength Goof-Off, but afraid of damaging the protective layer.

Does anyone else have and tricks to get it off?