Church deep cleaning (off topic)

Later this year, the church is having a "deep cleaning" project. I went to the one last year. Couple guys pushing a vacuum cleaner, and several crews of people washing windows. The carpets all got vacuumed several times, and the windows got wiped several times.

Ideally, I'd like to have a list of church cleaning list of things to do. Things which are useful, and actually make the building and grounds cleaner. A google search provided a bunch of calendar dates for other churches cleaning days. But no good old fashioned task list.

What do you all suggest?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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Hi, I'd steam vac. carpet. You will see how dirty the carpet was then. Pews all have to be wiped down.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news:h3riqt$7u9$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

Dust the crap off the holy rollers.

Reply to
Stepfann King

Remove all the chewing gum from under all seats.

Reply to
ransley

The building is one level, built on a cement slab. The nylon carpet is rather thin. And they do have a steamer company come in, now and again.

Wiping down the pews is true. One friend reminds me they havn't had waxing or cleaning in ages.

Thank you.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Slide the center part out, where they have all been shafted. Grease em up, and shaft em again.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Wipe away the sins and throw out the old sermons. :-)

Reply to
stan

Wash all of the toys in the playroom to get the lead off of them.

If it's over 10 years old, then replace your smoke detectors.

Rake the mulch away from the siding to keep out ants, etc.

Clean the heating/cooling ducts.

If you use a baptismal or such, get the gunk out of it.

Polish the brass, including door hardware.

Check for burned out light bulbs. Readjust them if they are off.

Give the sound system the once-over to make sure it's balanced, etc. Clean the mikes.

Seal any cracks in the driveway.

Come over to my house and seal the cracks there, too.

Touch up painting if there are aisles on the side and people rub on the walls.

Put Stick-um in the bottom of the collection basket.

Wash all vestments and linens, if applicable.

Wash the OUTSIDE of the windows.

Check the insulation in your ceiling. Make sure it's okay. Check for leaks in the attic while you're there.

Clean the gutters.

Wash your sign out front and make it inviting.

Clean the over, if you have one.

Replace lights with CFLs.

Check filters in HVAC. Clean coils.

Touch up paint.

Replace your old thermostat with a new, programmable one.

Test your alarms.

Edge the driveway.

Test the PA system part for hearing impaired and make sure it's working.

Check inspection dates on fire extinguishers.

Grease the elbows on big contributors.

Create a punch list that memorializes all of the things that need to be done so that you become the most hated person in the congregation. Then send it to other congregations to make it an "official" list. ;-)

Okay, there are probably more but that'll keep you busy for a while.

Reply to
PatM

On 7/17/2009 9:18 PM Stormin Mormon spake thus:

Exorcism?

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

Waxing the pews may not be such a great idea if they are all wood though it can be awful funny. Being in the choir it was hilarios watching a couple of hundred people struggling to stay in their seats. Apparently there is wax especially made for this that is not slick. I have also seen a new sliding board waxed with anti slip wax, that was equally funny. Im sure everyone does not share my sense of humor especially some very disapponted grammar school kids.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

Can you reccomend a good priest?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Lucky, the seats and backs are upholstered. But, I'm sure that's a challenge.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Add that to you cleaning list. "Upholstery cleaning" A spray foam, brush scrubbing. shop vacuumed and allowed to dry.

Reply to
Oren

Wash all of the toys in the playroom to get the lead off of them.

CY: We do have a playroom. Yes, the toys should be taken out, and probably power washed. And all the chairs, too. I've noticed the primary room has a distinct odor. The carpets do get steamed now and again. So, my next guess is the chairs have picked up some sweat from squirmy kids.

If it's over 10 years old, then replace your smoke detectors.

CY: I'm sure the building has smoke detectors, but I'm not sure where. I'll have to look. They would be hard wired in, if any.

Rake the mulch away from the siding to keep out ants, etc.

CY: Good idea. And put some ant baits in the kitchen.

Clean the heating/cooling ducts.

CY: The filters get changed twice a year. The HVAC equipment is all in overhead lofts. I can't ask people to climb ladders on such assignment. I've been up there many times, but it's dangerous work.

If you use a baptismal or such, get the gunk out of it.

CY: Yes, that needs scrubbing. With some kind of soap that produces no bubbles. I remember the one time they scurbbed the baptismal font,a nd the next baptism, they had bubbles on the water. NOt good!

Polish the brass, including door hardware.

CY: Yes, that's good. Darned little brass, all the metal seems to be dull chrome.

Check for burned out light bulbs. Readjust them if they are off.

CY: I'm sure at least a few people wonder why I wander around, looking up. It's not nose in the air, honest! I'm looking for bulbs out.

Give the sound system the once-over to make sure it's balanced, etc.

CY: Odd you should mention that. The sound in the gym is way loud. I could not find any adjuster for it.

Clean the mikes.

CY: You are right.

Seal any cracks in the driveway.

CY: We could get caulk tubes of driveway stuff.

Come over to my house and seal the cracks there, too.

CY: Be about 4 PM, after the church project.

Touch up painting if there are aisles on the side and people rub on the walls.

CY: Yes, there are runners along the sides of the walls. I'll have to look at t hat.

Put Stick-um in the bottom of the collection basket.

CY: So the money doesn't slide out. Brilliant.

Wash all vestments and linens, if applicable.

CY: We do use linen for the sacrament table. Yes, those should be washed and dried.

Wash the OUTSIDE of the windows.

CY: Excellent. Yes, that's needed.

Check the insulation in your ceiling. Make sure it's okay. Check for leaks in the attic while you're there.

CY: I'd have to do some digging around, see if I can find the attic access. Roof is flat, though.

Clean the gutters.

CY: At least one down spout is clogged.

Wash your sign out front and make it inviting.

CY:Hadn't thought of htat.

Clean the over, if you have one.

CY: We do have an electric over which doesn't get much use. Mostly the range. I'll have to look, see if it needs cleaning. Buy some over cleaning spray.

Replace lights with CFLs.

CY: Mostly fluorescents. Not all, though.

Check filters in HVAC. Clean coils.

CY: Filters twice a year. Clean coils, I did that last year.

Touch up paint.

CY: Good one. Have to look around.

Replace your old thermostat with a new, programmable one.

CY: That's been done.

Test your alarms.

CY: Not sure we have any.

Edge the driveway.

CY: We do have outside service that does the lawns.

Test the PA system part for hearing impaired and make sure it's working.

CY: Good reminder. We do have an amplifier box in the clerk office for hard of hearing.

Check inspection dates on fire extinguishers.

CY: I would not have thought of that. I th ink we have as ervice that does that. Not sure.

Grease the elbows on big contributors.

CY: For sure!

Create a punch list that memorializes all of the things that need to be done so that you become the most hated person in the congregation. Then send it to other congregations to make it an "official" list. ;-)

CY: We do have a task list that's posted in the custodian closet. But, you got a lot of ones I'd not thought. For that, I thank you.

Okay, there are probably more but that'll keep you busy for a while.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I'd have to look, see what's available. While I was in church for an early meeting, I was seated right behind a man with two boys, maybe 1 1/2 and 2 1/2. The younger one spent most of his time sucking on the wooden top of the pew. I've seen a LOT of babies mouthing the top of the pew. Makes me wonder if I can find a bitter furniture polish, to keep em from salivating all over the wood work. Might also be a good idea for me to get some sanitizer wipes, and wipe all the tops of the pews every couple weeks. Spread of disease and all.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

A second thought. Since the carpets will be steam cleaned, they can also do the upholstery on the pews. Faster and easier than the foam (smaller jobs) and scrubbing I mentioned.

Reply to
Oren

The ordinary cleaning tasks should be pretty obvious. What I would be most concerned about in a building used by large numbers of people are sanitation issues. Clean the kitchen, top to bottom, with strong detergent to remove grease followed by wipe-down with bleach for sanitation. Make sanitary cleaning regular. Hot enough water for washing eating utensils? Smoke alarm? Fire extinguisher? First aid kits? Thermostat and thermometer in the fridge are good? Stored food is dated, kept in secure containers?

Upholstered seating should be deep cleaned and treated with insecticide (for lice, bed-bugs, etc.) Hate to bring up stuff like that, but nowadays they are bigger issues than in the past. Regular pest control for the entire building - just routine termite inspection, check for insects in food areas and nurseries.

Flu season coming - areas used by children should get special attention, due to little ones nibbling on stuff they shouldn't, crawling on dirty floors, etc. If there is a nursery, wipe down cribs and toys regularly. Check cribs, chairs, changing tables for security; cribs for dangerous old features that can trap little ones. Same with banisters.

Check entire facility for slip/fall hazards - loose flooring or carpeting, insecure railings/banisters, poor lighting, slippery flooring that becomes dangerous if water is tracked in. Adequate, open emergency exits and signs? Weather radio? Wouldn't hurt to have FD do a walk-through.

CO and smoke alarms with audible AND visual signals. Emergency lights in case of power failure?

Reply to
norminn

Look to better energy efficency! Like compact fluroscent lamps added insulation etc.

Large buildings are energy piggies, you can make things nicer while cutting operating expense

CFs last far longer than incandescent lamps saving time on future repairs.

LED exit sig upgrades can save power and added summer AC load

Reply to
bob haller

Sign at the three-foot level in a children's bookstore: "You bite it, you bought it."

Reply to
HeyBub

Even hard wired ones are detachable. Ionized detectors need period replacement (as do sprinkler heads).

If you have sprinklers, they have an alarm -- usually a bell.

You should set off a smoke detector and make sure they all go off.

While you're there, maybe you can install a new bishop.

Buy a case of Fabreze for the seats.

Check the gap around doors/windows for air infiltration.

Put a brick on the drinking fountain button and let it run for a while to clean it out since it probably doesn't get much use.

Put some vinegar in the coffee pot and get rid of the scale.

Make sure the doors on the dividers in the bathroom close and latch right.

Replace the artificial flowers in the lady's room.

Check the OUTSIDE light bulbs.

Paint your building's street number on the curb in front of your building.

Re-paint the blue on the handicapped parking spots.

Call the Fire Department and give them the tour so they know where everything is in case of problem and they know the layout. Also have them check your Burke Box and make sure the key works. Locks might have changed in 10 years.

Also, check your first aid kit and make sure it's complete. Check your defibrillator and see if there are any tests that need to be performed.

Check the batteries on your emergency lighting (push the button and see if they work).

If you are near a city, go buy a weather radio with an alarm on it and install it in the church so that you have a warning if bad weather is occurring. They are cheap. It is especially important if you are in Tornado area, but IIRC you are in WNY so bad winter weather like whiteout might be more of a concern.

Might be good to install a couple of rechargeable flashlights in case they are needed.

Finally, check your keys and make sure that everyone who should have one has one and that they all work.

Get someone up on the roof and make sure it's okay.

That'll keep you busy for a while. See you at 4:00.

Reply to
PatM

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