Faith began a career in cleaning as Supervisor of Housekeeping in nursing homes, beginning about 1970. The first, Horn Harbor at New Point closed, but Faith moved on to three other nursing before she went in her own business full time.

     While working in the Saluda Nursing Home, Norton Foods learned about Faith’s reputation. On off days they hired her to clean for them, a job for which she felt she needed assistance. She hired others in her family to assist her and began building her own business. She left the last nursing home in the early 1980’s and worked full time with her employees.

     Faith taught classes on cleaning at the Puller Vocational Center in Gloucester. She has taught housekeeping courses both at the North and South Campuses of Rappahannock Community College and at Child Development Center, West Point.
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     n 1990 Faith felt that she should cut back and work solo. Today she has a full schedule. However, she works extra jobs in on Saturdays or when her regular customers are away.
She offered to give some tips for spring cleaning for this article. You would also learn these in one of her classes:

• If working alone, be sure to have all your supplies for the cleaning job you will be doing on hand.
• Do one room at the time and not the whole house. If you work, she suggests you do one room a week.
• Organization is the key: A box for items to save; a box for give away items; a box for throw away things.
• Don’t answer the telephone while doing the job. If you don’t have an answering machine, disconnect or ignore it. 
• Don’t mix cleaning supplies together. For instance, household ammonia and Clorox® could burn the nasal or bronchial tubes.
• Don’t stand on chairs. Invest in a step stool rather than break a bone.
• Wash windows with a cleaning solution before applying Windex® or other polish.
• You can spot your carpet yourself, but a time comes when it needs professional cleaning.

     Don’t tackle too much in one day. When you try to do too much, you accomplish nothing.
Faith will be glad to offer free advice if you are stumped doing a project. Her phone number is 804-725-3448. 

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© 2001 Catherine C. Brooks All rights reserved.