Have you ever found yourself doing something you did not really want to do but you know you had an obligation to do and so you zoned out to do it? Like you completely went into autopilot mode to get it done and if someone looked you in the portals of your soul known as your eyes it would like like a reptiles when it gets close to hitting an object and that protective lens shields them.

But suddenly there is the smell or sight of something so horrid that brings you out of that trance that you almost wretch in utter bewilderment. You think why couldn’t I be immune to the filth? But then you say because I am human and these creatures I am cleaning up behind are from some great unknown and undiscovered colony teeming with bacteria.

I mean when they asked me to clean the fridge weekly, I was glad it was during my training and my trainer was able to tell them it was not currently part of ‘our’ duties and that she could email my operations manager if they wanted that added or done on the side. The like to ask for things to be done for free constantly to see if I will do it. Moreover, instead of saying you do a great job EVER to my boss…the one time I got a complaint it was to ask if the ‘cleaning person’ had been in (which they knew they had from the trash being put out and the recycling being gone and the make-up being removed from their phones) She the says well we have had a lot dead worms by the door for a week and all they had to do was vacuum them up.

My first thought was EWWWW! Then I was like wait this was the hall that the light has been out that they refused to fix and I cannot see down. So but I refused to make excuses to my boss and I just told him I would do better next time. I asked her to please replace the lights and still did not make an excuse and she did so.

But what I really want to say again was EWW and why would you let that go that long…Then she said it was because of all the rain…Then you tell me how to do my job…but really it’s not all I had to do I do not have the tools to do all that. There is no crevice device on my vacuum which I am sure she knows and could care less. Moreover, I also have to clean your whole building and be pest control for your VERY pest infested building. Which I showed in Cleaning Diaries: Part I.

They have spiders, lady bugs, 2-3 types of beetles, millipedes, and 2-3 other types of bugs I have yet to ID. Plus a few other flying things. Some of these things are purely because the building is set near the woods but some of it is because the place is not secure (properly enclosed) and clean. If I am only there 3 days a week and people are there 5 days a week but can be there 7 days a week and leave whole sinks full of dishes, fridges of rotting food that smell up the entire floor, and open food and drinks at/ on desks every day for days it’s no wonder!

If my boss or manager cleans behind me and reprimands me I am not upset because they catch things before the business does and they are looking out for the companies best interest for repeat business and to prevent possible issues. Moreover, they want us to continue to look the best in their eyes. Furthermore, they also want make sure we are doing our jobs and they know what we should be doing, what we are capable of and how to do the jobs so I do not take offense because they do the jobs themselves. But it can definitely be hard taking criticism of any kind from a person who probably has never professionally cleaned behind ANYONE. Cleaning behind your children is not enough. You need to see and clean behind more STRANGERS to get the gravity of how this works. To truly understand why this can truly be rewarding and hard to deal with at times.

It’s rewarding because you get a glimpse into other people’s lives. You see people who are truly devoted to their families. Some to God. Some to art. You see the culture and the love they share by the care they have taken to place things just right on their desks, walls, and screensavers. They really want to have a piece of their live with them at work to keep them centered. Then you see those who just want to ‘show’ that’s who they are but do not really mean it. Then you have those who take the very neutral or plain approach and have nothing on their desk and either just want to focus or just want to e very direct and so forth. Either way it works for them. I really like to observe as I clean. You may say you shouldn’t have all this time to observe but when you do it 3 times a week for months you notice a little something each time until you see it ‘all’ at each area. You do not stand at each area and just take it in. And if you get an occasion to talk to someone for a split second then that can be just as rewarding sometimes. Many times it makes me want to take care of them that much more because you have made a connection with them.

I do enjoy cleaning though I do not always choose to do it as often as I have to do it for my part-time job, lol. At least I know it is something I can easily do and I am obviously good at it.