Cleaning
Nowadays my neurotic need for cleaning is no longer a defect, but a quality.
Studios are my own house, I prepare them with the same attention I put to my bedroom. I like choosing the colour of terry towels and linen depending on the next guest. Studio apartments are always ready to challenge my mommy’s judgement without fearing her sentence.
Every time I rent a studio, it’s a 2-person/3-hour cleaning and reviewing the job of my maid, enslaving her for cleaning once more a surface.
Every check-in, when we “dress” the apartment, we go back and forth from my house bringing a new soap or the bottle of water I was going to forget, and double-check sponges or coloured bags for different trash. Cushions and mattresses are covered with disposable liners. I supervise the hard work of the lady working with me, passing through a list of things and critical points.
For every check-out, we work 3 person/3 hours, and we move all kitchen tools and dishes and pots putting all of them in the dishwasher of my apartment, which is on the other side of the villa.
The dishwasher is up to my husband. My working position is the washing machine and the lady manages all the rest: the kitchen items of furniture are cleaned inside. I asked for a deep cleaning of drawers, I even revamped some furniture with recycled - plastic ones for a deep and easy cleaning with spring water…..
Well, I told you it’s a neurotic cleaning need. Besides, in the years I had been helped by different ladies, turnover of seasonal workers is so common, and some of you can easily figure out what this implies: explaining everything from the beginning once more.
The studios I rent are definitely much cleaner than my own apartment. When I used to travel by job I was so sophist for judging cleanliness. So, here I want to be above any standard; and the scores and reputation of my apartments are very high, mainly on cleanliness. But this is the result of hard work of checklist and reviewing details.
Disinfecting
By the end of the cleaning day, we put on surfaces alcohol or bleach-based disinfectants. Well, bleach is usually spread in the bathrooms and on floors.
- Unlike before this pandemic, we paid special attention to door handles that were simply polished, or switches were dusted. Now an alcohol-based solution is spread over.
- We are referring to the hotel checklist for our disinfection; hotels adhere to OMS suggestions with a new cleaning process made by point-of-interest and frequency tables.
Linens are washed in my own washing machine, 60 degrees with steam power addiction and disinfecting with Napisan (oxygen-based sanitising - components). Sometimes I wash at 95 degrees, depending on how we feel about our guests, I admit to being suggestible.
- It is a precise choice not to rely on an industrial laundry for two main reasons, definitely connected to my suggestion: my own sheets and towels are of superior quality and definitely more beautiful than white cotton linen provided by the laundry; last but not least, my washing machine is clean and used for my stuff only.
Environmental sanitation
Environmental sanitisation is an operation to remove any bacteria and contaminants that, with common cleaning and detergents, are impossible to remove. It brings microbial and viral load within optimal hygiene standards.
- Another reasoned choice had been avoiding cleaning companies for the daily management. Any company uses a different protocol, most of them are not prepared for virus and fungus protection and often use vapour of oxygenated water best suited for the bacterial fight.
- Their cleaning activity is completed in 30-40 minutes, not even comparable to the 3 hours we spend. As a matter of fact, I decided to call the cleaning company simply to fight the insects living in the country nearby.
We searched among different sanitation devices, from the Ozonator to the UV light-based and eventually, we focused on two technologies: persistent use of seam and nebulisation of silver ions with disinfectant:
Continuous sanitisation: in the long-term a weekly steam cleaning becomes more affordable than periodic sanitisation interventions. It guarantees a constant quality level. We use steam in the washing-machine, cleaning floors, after sanitising bathrooms and, luckly, into the plastic drawers and piece of furniture.
Nebuliser SilverBarrier: Silver ions with didecyl-dimethylammonium are active against fungi and bacteria viruses. It maintains its action on objects for up to 5 days. It atomises during nighttime between one check-out and the check-in. 60minute warming up - 15min spray for 2 hours - 3 hours deposit film. Upon request and periodically.
The common sense rule and the care of a good family woman
It would be definitely better to make environmental sanitisation not only in an extraordinary way but thinking of it as an ordinary activity to respect your neighbour.
Hygiene is a welcome package for my guest.
Besides these days, everyone should adhere to the existing laws in order to guarantee the health of the people.