I am feeling better than I was yesterday. I have had 3 lots of the antibiotics, which is helping to get rid of the infection. I managed to go into the shop today and got quite a bit of sorting out done.
I decided to sort out the caddies that contain our stickers, tags and Gift Aid tags. In this caddy, there was all sorts. Pens, scissors, paperclips and all sorts of other bits and bobs. These all found new homes, especially the scissors, which are now on hooks on the workstations in the Sort Room. All the stickers are now stacked neatly, so it is easier to find things. Then I sorted the “Rags Bags” box. Rags are the clothes we cannot sell, for what ever reason. These get recycled and sent to Third World Countries. We have loads of rolls of these bags, so I stacked them neatly.
After lunch, I did a bit of work behind the till, serving customers, so that Maria could have a break. Then I did my usual cleaning duties before I left. Bethan wanted to know what the address was to the stream for my show, so I wrote that down for it. Because of the amount of pens that do not work, this took me a good 10 minutes! It meant that I was late leaving today. However, I got back for my show and played Bethan and the gang a song or 2.
So I have been continuing my project to sort out the cleaning equipment. In my last post, I did say that I was going to tackle the corner where the cardboard was. The cardboard box was full of signage we are not using at the moment, so I got Ahmed to help me and put it on top of the lockers. I then swept the area and put my Tub Vac there. There were a few other bits and bobs which needed a new home, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.
Once I had swept out the area, I was able to put my tub vac in it’s place. I also emptied a couple more of the caddied and bought those up, so now I have a place for my spare mop heads. Of course this means now that my mop heads can be kept clean and are not just lying about. Bethan is so impressed, that she is sending a picture of what I have done to the Area Manager: Kath, who will be really impressed when she comes in November.
I also, as mentioned in my last post…. Got rid of the broken pole for the Tub Vac. It is now feeling very sorry for itself, feeling cold and lonely in the bin shed. I also found a old Socket Mop, which has a removable head. I grabbed that and I removed the head. I have put the head in a carrier bag and the mop head will get washed tonight and returned tomorrow.
Code Purple, Collapsing Displays, BIFFA Blues and Windyblows Playing Up
I ended up doing my nut TWICE.
BIFFA are in my Bad Books!
The 1st time was with BIFFA, who decided to plonk our empty bins in front of the Fire Exit, meaning that we could not open it. I had to walk round the outside and go and move them. (While up in the stock room and deffo where customers could not hear me!) I had a few choice words for the Bin Men. There is a clear sign, which says FIRE EXIT – KEEP CLEAR. Yet BIFFA still decided to obstruct our Fire Exit. We would have great fun evacuating, If we had of had a fire at the front of our shop, because of the blocked fire exit.
(Actually, I would of yanked the arm of one of the mannequins and used that to break the window, if I had to and I am sure my Kath would ask MSL to charge BIFFA for the window. Thankfully we could sort it quite quickly, but it still shouldn’t of happens in the 1st place.
Code Purple… Code Purple…
Code Purple is our radio call sign, where cleaning is required. So if someone spilt a drink on the floor, (which happened the other day) You would radio: “Aaron to Shop Floor – Code Purple”. I would then know I am needed for cleaning duties on the shop floor.
Then someone left the toilet a mess, even though there is a sign that clearly states that the toilet should be left clean. I was not happy. I know who did it, but I can’t really say much about it, which is frustrating.
When Window Displays collapse.
Then Maria called over the radio, as a window display had collapsed and ended up with myself and Lucy attending, using a mallet to fix i! This was because the arms of the shelf had been bent, so it required a good wallop with a mallet to bed the lugs into shape. Thankfully no customers were hurt, when the display collapsed.
The Computer Says Noooooo! (Cough!)
When I got home, Windows decided to play up all through my show, so I was unable to use the cart player. Also the Internet was painfully slow. The machine was egging for a reboot, but I was not having it! I managed though, as I was able to just ad-lib and rebooted after the show. The Computer seems to be better now, as I have also installed Advanced System Care, which helps to keep my system on a even keel!
Diva Moment… “It’s All A Load Of Hocus Pocus!”
Diva Moment – Me in Heels!
So I am dressing up for Halloween at work. I am going as Whinny from the Film Hocus Pocus. She is the head witch in the film. I have ordered a costume, which comes with a green dress and wig. Thanks to the magic of Charity Shops… I managed to find a pair of shoes that go with my costume. These pair of bright red heels, will go with my costume and make me look the part.
I shall be serving customers as Whinny and will really get into character. “Would thou like a carrier bag?” I might even burst into song and start singing I’ll put a spell on you!
Whinny Sanderson Portrayed by Bette Midler
This is who I will be on Halloween. Whinny is played very convincingly by Bette Midler and is the older and the most evil of the 3 Sanderson Sister. Bette’s portrail of Whinny, was brilliant and that is why I chose to be her, this Halloween. – In the words of Kara – “Diva!”
I might just have to jump on my mop and fly around the shop too! (I can’t fly on the Henry can I!?)
If you have no idea what I am on about, go onto Disney Plus and watch Hocus Pocus. It is a really funny Halloween film. Especially the Kiln Scene. “Hello, I want my book…. Bonjour…. Je veux mon livre!” 😂😂
It has been another busy day down the shop. Myself, Ella and Pat, were the only ones in. So, it was a battle to keep the ship afloat! It didn’t help that all the clothes were in the wrong order, so we spent ages sorting the clothing out. I managed to get the stock room hoovered, spray mopped the shop floor and the hourly toilet checks! Hooray!!!!! (With so many volunteers in and out, our poor toilets get a right bashing, thus the hourly checks.)
I’ve been having yet another sort out!
New new and improved cleaning supplies caddies
One of the jobs that really needed doing, was the reorganising of the cleaning equipment I have caddies under the counter in the kitchen, which wasn’t really the best place for it. Most of the equipment is kept in the Wash Room, so I thought that this would be the best place to keep everything. (The cleaning chemicals have their own dedicated cupboard BTW, which is very neat and tidy)
To enable this, I needed to move stuff out the caddies downstairs. These were full of all sorts and need properly sorting out. However, this is a job for another day…. I emptied what was in the caddies and put the contents into stack and store boxes, which got put into the “Junk Room”. Don’t even get me started on the junk room… That is a right “dumping ground”, for all sorts of stuff and you can’t hardly get in there. There is just about room, to get inside the door! This is another project and something I need to tackle. However, I have no idea what we are going to do with all the stuff piled in there. I think I will have to speak to Bethan on Tuesday and try and work out with her, what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. I think some of the stuff came from the old BHF Furniture and Electrical Store, which was just a few doors up and had to close, after the Nail Bar next door burnt down (on Boxing Day 2022) and caused severe damage to the BHF Store.
It may require us to get a man and a van to shift it, when we have a mega sort out. However, that’s going to be expensive, so I don’t know how we are going to sort it. It could be classed as a fire hazard, so I will highlight it to Bethan and see what she suggests. I am sure if we put our heads together, we can find a way to get it sorted. If we can sort it, the other caddies and the downstairs tub vac, could be put in there.
Back to the sort out…
I was able to get sorted, once I had freed a couple of caddies. These came up to the washroom. The Toilet Rolls, Blue Paper Towels and the Hoover Bags, used to live in it’s own plastic box by the sink. However, with the sink right by it, the loo rolls used to get rather soggy. Now the blue rolls, cloths, toilet rolls and hoover bags, all have their own caddy, which keeps everything so much more orderly. It means we can quickly access something, if we need it, without having to take everything out the box. Plus, the loo rolls and the blue paper rolls, cannot get wet any more. 🙂
Lucy will be impressed with what I have done, when she comes in tomorrow morning.
As a continuation of this project: I want to get some clips put on the wall, which will hold the mop and vel mops against the wall. I also want to get in the corner, where the cardboard is. This has various bits used in the shop and can be moved to on top of the lockers, with the other signage. I will have to lift of everything that’s on top first, to be able to do this, but it’s doable. I will be able put my tub vac there, once the corner is cleared. I also need to seal the fate on our broken hoover pole and send it to one of the massive BIFFA Bins. If there’s space, I may also put the ladder at the side of the lockers too. However, the Tub Vac needs to also fit in there, so that may not be possible. A Plan B for this,is to lean the ladder against the wall outside the toilet. This is where the mop and bucket used to live. (But it now lives behind where the tub vac currently is)
Once this was done, I was able to scrub the floor, where the old caddies were and put the bins back under the kitchen counter. It looks much better and the floor is much cleaner too. While I was at it, I attempted to remove a stain from the carpet in the walkway, using the steamer. Whether it worked or not is another question – I will find out tomorrow.
The final job, was to drag the wheelie bins out. This meant donning a High Viz Jacket and dragging the bins from our shed, into the yard at the back. BIFFA come tomorrow to empty the bins, so I will wheel them back in in the morning.
The end of the day was fun. I left and forgot my phone and then Ella and I almost spent the night in the shop, as her key jammed in the lock and it wouldn’t turn! Only kidding about the all night thing… I could of gone out the fire exit at the back, should we not of been able to get the key out. I will give the lock a spray with WD40 tomorrow!
Today’s task, was to sort out the Washroom. It was a right mess and needed urgently attending to. it was a job that I knew needed to be done and would take up most of my day. The 1st job, was to empty the room of anything that was not fixed down. This meant carrying thing out and cluttering the break area. However, there was no where else to put it all.
Here’s our empty washroom. It needed a good clean, so that was the 1st job on the agenda. The good old Vel Mop came out and I used this to sweep the floor clean.
As you can see, the lino was looking rather tired and dirty and that was my next job on the agenda. If you have seen my post on cleaning Safety Lino, you will know that is a real pain in the neck to get clean.
Thankfully, this is where neat disinfectant poured on to the floor and a deck brush comes in handy. The deck brush. gets deep down dirt (which is stuck in the abrasive surface of the floor) out. I also used my deck brush, to scrub the skirting boards clean, at the same time. (Making sure to rinse my deck brush in the bucket, at regular intervals)
Here is the floor, after it had been scrubbed with the deck brush. It looks so much brighter and alot more clean! I really had to scrub it hard, to get it to look this good! (Good old elbow grease was needed here!)
Once scrubbed, I washed the floor with clean water. Because of the cleaning process, it took ages for the floor to dry and left footprints, every time that someone went to the loo, so I was continuously having to re-mop, which slowed the drying process down.
Thankfully, I was able to put the heater on, which helped to dry the floor. The floor was dry the time I had finished covered on the shop floor.
Putting everything back was the last job. Both of my Tub Hoovers, (We have a pair of Henry Vacuum Cleaners) plus the mop, vel mop, buckets and the box that I keep all the toilet rolls, paper towels and spare hoover bags, needed putting back neatly.
As you can see, the space is much tidier now and you no longer fall over things to get to the sink.
I hope the washroom remains tidy, after spending most of the day sorting it out. My boss was really impressed with what I have done and the effort I have put in.
Finally, I have to post this – Lucy (Our Deputy Manager) took this picture of me in my Tabard, rubber gloves and radio in hand. I am also wearing my new glasses, which look really nice on me.
My neighbour Steph also had come into the shop today with her fella, so it was nice to see her. I served her at the till, while I was on lunchtime cover.
I am back in tomorrow and have a list as long as my arm of jobs to do. It never stops at the BHF, but that’s how I like it.
We are a great team and I love everyone I work with. (Especially Maria, Lucy and Bethan!)
So for those of you that don’t know, I hold a voluntary position at the British Heart Foundation, as their Shop Facilities Manager. (Basically I am a Caretaker with a fancy title.) I actually have done Caretaking before, so am not new to it. I was a volunteer in the last place, looking after a Church, Church Hall and Grounds.
So the BHF has me cleaning the store, I keep things tidy and I do a lot more, that would take up too many pages! It’s a very busy job and I am there every day of the week, 11.30 – 3 Mon – Sat and 11.30 – 4 on Sundays.
Deep Cleaning is needed, often where a normal clean will not get rid of the dirt. Before I continue, I must stress, that the cleanliness of the shop it is not the fault of the staff or volunteers. We had no one that could do the cleaning regularly, until I came along. My boss and even the Area Manager, have said that I have really turned the shop round in the space of a week!
So today’s task, was the toilet. (Not the nicest of jobs) but it needed deep cleaning. Using my Vel Mop (a mop with a fluffy flat head) I got down all the dust and cobwebs off the walls. I dipped my pads in the bucket and then wrung it out. Then when it was reattached to the head, I used it to wipe down the walls. On a ladder, I then went right up to the area above the window and used a microfibre cloth to clean round the top of the window and get the fan clean. The bucket contained disinfectant and water, which I used to rinse the cloth and the Vel Mop Pad in.)
Next came the floor. Now the floor is Safety Lino, so it is a real pain in the neck to get clean. (This is because the lino has grips, which the dirt can easily get stuck in. To clean the floor, I had to mop the floor with neat floor cleaner to get it damp, then use a stiff brush and scrub the floor. This meant removing the Sanitary Bin and the normal bin, while I did this. Then I mopped the floor to clear off the suds. Once done, I was able to put the wet floor sign in place, to warn everyone that the floor was wet and leave it to dry, before coming back later and doing another toilet clean. (I cleaned the toilet during the deep clean, cleaning all surfaces, including the sink, toilet, door handles, toilet paper holder etc) The 2nd clean was carried out at the end of my shift. The deep cleaning, took me most of my shift, because there was so much to be done.
I still managed to get down on the shop floor and spot clean the floor, as well as hoovering through, making cups of tea and having the odd “fresh air break!”
