It was a Monday. I remember because it was her off day. She was wondering around the house picking things up and putting them in a different spot. I called before I got there and she was pleasantly surprised. I pulled up to see her watering plants in the yard. We spoke for a couple minutes about the insects attacking her plants, and how to get rid of them. After several minutes of walking the yard, we and talking about where each plant came from, we went inside. 

        Since she didn't know I was coming, she had no idea what I was doing. I told her I was given specific instructions on what she could use help with, but I still asked what she wanted. She said I've taken care of everything so you being here is a bonus. So I get started on the hallway bathroom. I remember this place like the back of my hand, so I knew it wouldn't be terrible. This was my first time, so I was still coming up with my process. I removed the rugs and looked around to see where should I start. The sink, let's start here. I realized I had to remove everything from all surface areas if I didn't want it getting sprayed with my solution. So I started to remove items. There was so many small items. Then I realized I had to clean all of them. OMG, what did I get myself into. I get everything removed then started to spray everything down. During my training, I learned every solution has a dwell time. If you wipe away before that, you're just wasting solution. So I'm spraying and waiting and I hear my name, "Renita, come here let me show you something." I'm thinking cool, that gives my solution time to dwell, let me see what's up. I find her in the kitchen and she shows me a lightbulb and says, have you ever seen a lightbulb like that? I'm like I think so, maybe at Lowe's. Which is like the mall to me. I can walk around in there for hours. Anyway, She says I can't find these nowhere. So I bought these instead, do you think it'll work? I say um, it probably will. I'll try them once I'm done back here. So I go back to the bathroom to start the cleaning process. I look around, tub first, not the sink. I don't want to bend down at the end of all this, so clean bathtub first. I started wiping the bathtub with my tarry cloth and it just keeps getting stuck. So I'm like, ok let me spray it down again, I was gone for a while. Sprayed it, let it dwell. I'm not wasting my solution is at the top of my mind. LOL. I wait 30 seconds and start wiping again. It gets stuck again. I'm thinking, maybe I just need more elbow grease. Well, after about 7 minutes of feverously wiping, I decide to find a sponge or SOS pad. Luckily I had plenty SOS pads. I started the process again and bam no traction on the pass. Meaning I finally wiped away the dirt to make a smooth surface. So I finally finished the bathtub and I felt like I'd cleaned the house. Note to self, how to clean a bathtub faster. Magic Erasers in hind sight! 

      I turn around to remember I have a hundred perfumes to wipe off. So I get started. I remember each smell from a different Sunday or holiday. I finally get them all wiped down and set back up nice. She comes back in as I'm finishing. She says, Renita you may as well put them over here now since you've cleaned it. I've been wanting them over here anyway. As I'm switching up my beautiful setup, I'm noting in my head, during cleaning process please don't follow the cleaner around. Today, I do everything. I'm working hard for this money. 

      I finally get the bathroom immaculate and move on to the half bath. It was a piece of cake hence, the half. It hadn't been deep cleaned in a while so I took the time to clean window sills, baseboards, and walls. Mostly for pictures. As I'm mopping my way out of the bathroom I turn around to see her and she says, will you just mop this room too since you already have water ready? Yes ma'am, no problem. I check my watch, it's been a hour and twenty minutes. Note to self, offer cleaning packages to every customer. Not just pieces of projects to be done. They'll thank you later. I expected to be here only two hours. As I'm sweeping the room, I'm saying to myself, you need terms and conditions. Because you will never get out of a place if you don't. I swept everything, even an extra bedroom, mopped the entire place and made it to the kitchen. It's hour two. I'm cleaning the stove and she asks, what do you have to do after this? I say I have another appointment to get to, what you need? She says I just wanted you to look at this spot. I have wiped and wiped and can't get it clean. The spot is in the same room so my anxiety didn't rise. I immediately knew how to address it. Dwell time. LOL. At this point, dwell time was my best and worst friend. During this dwell time, I changed light bulbs. Around the house. Yep. 

        We made it back to kitchen, and I put the shine on everything, gave it one last look and started to gather my equipment. She says, now what do I owe you for this? I say it was a blessing somebody sent to you. Note to self, you need to make gift cards for people to purchase. We talked a little more about the trash man not showing up and how her yard needed so much work done. It's been three and a half hours and we ended in the front yard checking on the plants again. You would think I remembered the type of plants they were by now, but my brain and body was tied. Yes tied. I left her with some print outs for her friends to go over and share and several business cards. It was so exciting and motivating. I had to hurry home to post pictures and get my terms and conditions together. Along with many other things like payment processing and website development. I needed to be sure I could reach everybody. I drove away sweating, smiling, and pumping my fist. It felt amazing to be a business. 

The lesson I learned, when your Aunt needs her oven cleaned, show up ready to CLEAN THE HOUSE.