Monday, November 10, 2008

The Economics Of Floor Scrubbing

My grandmother taught my mom, who then taught me, that the best only way to really clean a floor was to get on your hands and knees and scrub it.

When I worked briefly as a Merry Maid, that was part of the training too. They were thrilled to discover I'd already been doing that for years because so many of the young girls were convinced that a mop was equal to the task. Some argued that not only was it more convenient but with several mop cleanings during the week, it was more efficient. But it's not a debatable point at Merry Maids -- or in my home.

When you get on your hands & knees and scrub, not only do you see every spot & hair on the floor, but working at that level you automatically see (and then clean) the baseboards, bottom edges of the cabinets etc. And when you stick your (gloved if you prefer) hands in the water, you are much more aware of when you need a fresh bucket of soapy water. Mops are for spills, and quick passes of where the muddy dogs ran in.

It may seem contrary to those who have grown up with the bucket & mop, but scrubbing floors on your hands & knees is more efficient and economical too. Not only do you clean better but you give yourself a great upper body work out as well. Every single girl who worked as a Merry Maid discovered their arms, chests and even their legs firmed up as a result of scrubbing floors the old fashioned way.

And so I submit to you, dear reader, just another reason why grandma never would have dreamed of paying for a gym membership.

Some prefer the modern strap-on kneepads, but I prefer the good old fashioned rectangle kneepads. They are easier to clean, so you can use them in the garden too. And, because they are truly one-size-fits all, your kids -- no matter what size -- can use it too. You should be teaching your kids how to properly clean; it's something they should be learning.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’m 78 years old and scrub floors on
my hands and knees. My dearest mother taught me well. You get a pretty good workout. She also had a rule to take your shoes off when entering and put our slippers on.

Anonymous said...

I can not believe that women still subject themselves to this foolish practice. How sad to be worried about the state of a floor in this day and age.

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