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A Day’s Work: House cleaner

by Polly McCravey
January 14, 2014
in Community
0
(Photo by Polly McCravey)
(Photo by Polly McCravey)

Tina Mitchell is a 43-year-old single mom. Originally from Kingston, Tina has lived in Saugerties with her son for the last seven years. A former secretary, she now makes her living cleaning houses throughout the Hudson Valley.

How did you get started in the cleaning business?

I was working as a full-time secretary at a local body shop. I had a small child at home and I needed more flexible hours so that I could be with my son when he was sick and to not have to work in bad weather when schools were closed. I decided to start my own business. A friend of mine who was cleaning houses gave me one of her jobs. After that first job it just snowballed; over time, through word of mouth, I got more jobs. I clean about ten houses a week now.

How did you learn the job or acquire the skills?

I learned on the job. I just got better over time and learned to do the extra things that make a house look good, like polishing the faucets.

What is the most difficult thing about cleaning houses for a living?

Cleaning is very physical work. At the end of the day I am worn out. It’s just very hard work.

Can you describe a typical day?

I start my day making sure I have all the supplies I need for the day. I load the car with my vacuum and supplies. I drop my son off at school and then travel as much as a half hour to work. Some days I clean as many as three houses in a day. An eight-hour day cleaning doesn’t compare to an eight-hour day sitting at a desk. It’s hard physical work.

What are the advantages to this kind of work?

The flexibility is the biggest advantage. I make my own hours. If it’s bad weather, I don’t have to work. I can take a vacation when I want. I also like the people I work for. I have a close relationship with my clients; I consider them family.

What is the most unusual or surprising thing that’s happened to you while working?

The funniest thing happened; one time I was cleaning a house and I thought I was alone when I heard snoring. I was startled but I followed the snoring and found two Pugs laying on their backs snoring up a storm.

What are the toughest things to clean?

I find cleaning a new client’s house is always hard. It might not have been done in a while. Sometimes they are very dusty or they have pets and that can be difficult to get under control. It takes a few times of going there for the house to really feel clean. I love the feeling of finishing a house I’m cleaning and feeling good about the work I did.

How’s the money?

The money is good. I work six days a week but I make enough to support my son and myself. My mother recently told me about a secretarial job, thinking I might be interested, but I told her there was no way I could make what I need to make with that kind of work.

Join the family! Grab a free month of HV1 from the folks who have brought you substantive local news since 1972. We made it 50 years thanks to support from readers like you. Help us keep real journalism alive.
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher

Polly McCravey

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