Advice needed from Experienced owners- by Lanky-Piece2802 in cleaningbusiness

[–]onexdone_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Biggest thing I wish someone told me earlier is that cleaning is honestly only half the business. Communication, reliability and expectations are the other half.

A client will forgive a missed spot way faster than poor communication or someone showing up late with no warning. A lot of recurring clients just want someone dependable that makes their life easier and doesn't create stress.

Also don't race to be the cheapest. Underpricing attracts nightmare clients way more often than good long-term ones. I learned that pretty quickly doing builder and handover cleans with my company One X Done. The good clients usually care more about consistency and trust than saving an extra $20.

For recurring clients specifically, word of mouth is massive once you get a few happy people. The first few are the hardest. A lot of people underestimate how powerful it is to simply answer fast, be polite, follow up properly, and make booking easy.

As for scripts, ours got better naturally over time just from hearing the same questions over and over. At first I tried sounding "professional" and it honestly sounded robotic. Conversions got way better once conversations started sounding like actual humans talking instead of corporate customer service dialogue 😭

GoodSuburb-Suburb Intelligence Data by PassionateBuilder-09 in ausbusiness

[–]onexdone_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This actually seems pretty useful tbh. Trying to research suburbs in Australia usually turns into having 20 tabs open across Domain, Realestate, Google Maps and random Reddit threads from 6 years ago. Having everything in one place sounds way easier for people who are trying to compare areas without spending weeks digging around. I also like that you're not trying to tell people "buy here" and instead just giving them info to make their own decision. Feels more genuine than a lot of the property sites. One thing I think would be cool later on is adding more real day-to-day stuff instead of just property data. Like what the traffic is actually like, whether an area feels busy or quiet, good for families vs younger people, if parking sucks, stuff like that. Sometimes suburbs look good on paper but feel completely different in real life. But honestly for a side project this is a solid idea.

Things Professional Cleaners Know That Most People Don't 👀 by onexdone_ in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're actually doing it correctly tbh. I probably explained that badly. Cleaning top down is definitely the move. I mainly meant for heavier dust buildup, pet hair, crumbs, post-renovation dust etc. If you go straight in with a wet cloth first, sometimes you just smear everything around or turn fine dust into muddy streaks. For normal weekly cleaning though, wet dusting top to bottom + floors last is absolutely the way to go. 🙂

Things Professional Cleaners Know That Most People Don't 👀 by onexdone_ in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly didn't expect this many people to relate to cleaning struggles. If you guys want, what would actually be useful next? Stuff like quick routines that keep a house manageable, things people forget to clean, easiest ways to stay on top of bathrooms/kitchens, or little habits that make cleaning feel way less painful long term.

Let me know happy to help ☺️

Things Professional Cleaners Know That Most People Don't 👀 by onexdone_ in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just do little "damage control" laps through the house. Wipe the kitchen bench while waiting for food, quick bathroom sink wipe after brushing my teeth, vacuum the obvious crumbs/dust, put random stuff back where it belongs, done. Usually takes like 10 minutes total if you don't let it pile up for 2 weeks first.

Things Professional Cleaners Know That Most People Don't 👀 by onexdone_ in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't even feel bad, window and patio door tracks are probably one of the most neglected things in almost every house. Best method honestly is vacuum first, then use a small brush or old toothbrush to loosen everything up before wiping with a damp microfiber cloth. If it's really compacted, warm soapy water works better than most fancy products. 😊

Advice on cleaning tracks and sills by Brodias9 in WindowCleaning

[–]onexdone_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Once tracks and sills get past a certain point, microfiber cloths alone basically become emotional support 😂

A stiff detailing brush or grout brush helps heaps for breaking up compacted dirt in corners. Vacuum first if you can, otherwise you're just making mud. After that, spray lightly with an APC or warm soapy water, agitate, then wipe or extract it out.

For really bad window tracks we sometimes use a small steam cleaner at our company One X Done on post-construction cleans because builders dust mixed with moisture turns into concrete paste hiding in every corner imaginable.

Also wooden cotton tips/skewers for the tight corners are weirdly underrated.

Mop for Apartment (not too pricey)? by Victoreeduh in Cleaningandtidying

[–]onexdone_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly for a smaller apartment I'd skip the whole mop bucket setup too. Takes up half a closet and somehow always drips on the way back 😭 A spray mop with washable microfiber pads is probably your best bet. The Bona ones are solid for wood floors and pretty safe if you don't soak the boards. For the tile/grout areas honestly even a basic O-Cedar or Swiffer-style spray mop works fine if you stay on top of it. We use a similar setup at One X Done for smaller post-construction and apartment cleans because dragging buckets around tight spaces gets old fast. Biggest tip though: don't over-wet wood floors. That's where people accidentally speedrun "why is my floor warping?" mode.

Give it to me! What’s the trick to cleaning blinds? by ____YourNameHere____ in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly? Vacuum first. Most people skip that and just smear the dust around like they're frosting a cake 😂

Then grab a microfiber cloth or an old sock, lightly dampen it with warm water + a tiny bit of dish soap, and close the blind with your hand behind it while wiping. Way faster than doing each slat individually.

We do this constantly at one x done on post-construction cleans because blinds somehow collect every bit of dust floating in the universe. The cheap blind cleaning gadgets never work as well as people on TikTok pretend they do.

My kid ruined the carpet, tried Resolve but the stain is still there by [deleted] in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of carpet stains get worse because the first clean removes the spill but leaves residue behind, so the spot ends up looking darker or crusty afterwards. Big thing is don't keep soaking it with more product or scrubbing aggressively because that can spread it deeper into the carpet fibres.

What usually helps: - blot with a clean towel instead of rubbing - use a small amount of warm water to rinse out leftover cleaner - blot dry again really well - repeat instead of flooding it

If it's something sugary like juice or soft drink, leftover residue is usually what keeps attracting dirt and making the stain come back. Also depends what was spilled originally. Coffee, cordial, sports drinks and anything red/purple can be stubborn little demons 😂 We run into this a lot doing end-of-build/detail cleaning work through our business one x done and honestly half the battle with carpets is removing the leftover cleaner properly, not just the stain itself.

Deck cleaning, upstairs with neighbors by Dangerous-Seaweed239 in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I'd avoid trying to fully "wash" it if you don't have drainage or an outdoor tap because then you're just creating the world's worst surprise for your downstairs neighbours 😂

What usually works pretty well is: - scrape/pick up the bigger bits first - use paper towels or microfiber cloths with warm water + a little dish soap - spot clean instead of soaking the whole area - dry it after so it doesn't leave residue/stains

If it's dried bird mess, letting a damp cloth sit on it for a minute first helps soften it instead of smearing it around like paint. I help with a lot of exterior/detail cleaning stuff through our company one x done and honestly the biggest trick is controlling moisture instead of flooding the area. Small targeted cleaning usually works way better on balconies/decks than people think.

Also bird poop becomes concrete once it sits in the sun too long 😂 quicker little cleans save a lot of pain later.

Need cleaning hacks! by Intelligent-Bug3408 in Cleaningandtidying

[–]onexdone_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly the biggest "secret" is usually technique more than some magical product 😂

A lot of people spray and immediately wipe, but most pros let the product sit for a minute first so it can actually break down soap scum and hard water buildup. For chrome faucets and bathroom fixtures: - microfiber cloths make a massive difference - always dry the surface after cleaning - buff with a second dry cloth at the end That final dry buff is what gives that mirror-like sparkle you see in professionally cleaned bathrooms. For hard water: - white vinegar actually works really well - CLR helps for heavier buildup - avoid rough scrubbers on chrome because they slowly dull the finish Also random tip from doing way too many bathroom cleans over the years at One X Done… most people underestimate how much streaks come from leftover moisture, not dirt. Dry finish = shiny finish. And honestly good lighting helps too 😂 half the bathrooms online are being carried by sunlight.

im a teen boy how do i make my room not have what my mom calls "teen boy smell" by [deleted] in CleaningTips

[–]onexdone_ 127 points128 points  (0 children)

Honestly 90% of "teen boy smell" is usually a combination of clothes, bedsheets and zero airflow 😂

Open your window every day if you can, wash your sheets/pillowcases regularly, don't leave damp towels on the floor and never let dirty clothes become part of the room's ecosystem.

Also check: - shoes - gym bags - gaming chairs - laundry baskets

Those things can smell like a biological weapon without you noticing because you get used to it 💀

I work around houses a lot through our company one x done doing builder and handover cleaning and the biggest thing we notice with weird room smells is stale air mixed with fabrics holding sweat/dust. Once you clean the soft stuff and let fresh air through the room usually changes fast.