General Cleaning Training

Supplies & Where to Find Them

• Supplies needed will differ depending on what general cleaning task is being completed. Most items can be found in the food prep room, laundry room, and mop closet next to the public restrooms. If you have trouble finding items you need, please ask an Animal Care Specialist for help.

Important Points to Remember While Cleaning

• Change gloves between handling clean and dirty items (ie; laundry, dishes, & pet carriers).
• Scrape any solid waste off the linens before putting in the washing machine.
• Throw away linens that are very torn or have lots of string or any stuffing hanging out (small tears are acceptable).
• Do not put plastic or rubber toys in the washer or dryer- those need to be washed & sanitized with the dishes.
• Put comforters, beds, and large blankets in the larger washer.
• To wash slip leads, put up to 5 leashes in a pillow case and tie a knot in the pillow case to close it (or use a zipper-topped pillow case).
• Always put the lid back on bleach containers to maintain staff & volunteer safety.
• Tennis balls, rope toys, pet beds/covers, collars, leashes, and harnesses must be air-dried.
• Please do not change the preset cycle on the washing machines or the preset temperature setting on the dryer. If the dryer won’t start, make sure the door to the lint compartment is closed all the way.
• Before using a laundry basket for clean laundry, wipe it out first with a Clorox wipe or a paper towel sprayed with Accel.
• Please leave loads of laundry running in washers and dryers when you complete your shift.
• Only clean the outside windows of dog bedrooms.
• Public areas should only be swept and mopped when we are closed to the public.
• Do not step into the puppy tubs to clean the windows located above the tubs.
• Be careful when removing items from the sanitizer since they will be hot.
• When the linens are in the washer and dryer and folding for previous loads are complete, go to the next task on the list instead of waiting for the loads to finish.

Laundry Instructions

• Turn the handle all the way down to unlock the washing machine.
• Fill the machine to the top.
• Large machine: Empty out the receptacle cups before adding detergent & bleach, then add ½ cup of detergent & bleach to the receptacle on top of the machine.
• Small machine- Add 1/4 cup of detergent & bleach to receptacle on top of machine
• Press start to begin the load.
• Wash or sanitize hands before transferring clean laundry from washers to dryers.
• Fill the dryers about 2/3 full.
• Check and remove the lint traps under the dryers by pulling the lower door towards you.
• Put 1 dryer sheet in with the laundry.
• Set drying time to 45 minutes and cool down time to 5 minutes.
• Close door and press start

Mop Head Washing Instructions

• When washing mop heads, use the normal amount of detergent but no bleach.
• Place several towels in with 4 mop heads in the washer. *Note: Only 4 can go in at a time.
• Always put several towels in the machine when washing the mop heads.
• If mop heads haven’t been rinsed thoroughly enough, the suds can overflow out of the back of the
• machine. If this happens, stop the machine, let it drain completely, then restart it and mop up the overflowed water.
• Mop heads can go in the dryer like normal. Folding Instructions
• Make sure that items are completely dry
• Fold towels over once the long way, then, starting at one end, fold it over three times.
• Fold blankets and other linens from corner to corner, folding in half twice, then folding over three times.

Changing & Washing Mop Head Instructions

• *This task is only done on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.*
• Collect 6 new mop heads located in the mop closet.
• Remove mop heads from the 2 mop buckets in the dog area, puppy mop closet, Behind the Scenes supply closet, and the mop closet between the public restrooms.
• Rinse mop heads with ONLY WATER in an empty play yard.
• Once the mop heads are rinsed, ring out the excess water and put them into an empty laundry basket.
• Take the basket to the laundry room and label it with a “Wash Me Next” sign.

Dishwashing Instructions

• Scrape & discard debris from dishes, litter boxes, and scoops.
• If there is remaining debris, soak the item in hot water and soap until debris is softened and then remove.
• Thoroughly soak all parts of the dishes, scoops, and litter boxes with Accel from a spray bottle and soak for 5 minutes before rinsing.
• Rinse with hot water and place items into the sanitizer tray.
• After the sanitizer cycle, dump any excess water back into the machine.
• Place items on a towel to dry.
• When dry, place items in the appropriately labeled spots.

Pet Carrier Cleaning Instructions

• Remove any debris from inside the carriers.
• Using the grooming room tub, spray the carriers inside and outside with Accel.
• Use the scrub brush and soap to wash the inside and outside of the carriers.
• Rinse with water and place on a towel on the table by the sink to dry.
• Place clean and dry carriers on top of the condo banks.

Dog & Puppy Area Restocking Instructions

• *This includes toys, bowls, treats (dogs only), and linens.
• Load cart with toys from the hard toy container located in the food prep room and from the soft toy
• container located in the laundry room. Also load cart with bowls, leashes, harnesses and linens.
• Restock all supplies as needed in the red cabinet in each dog pod. Leashes, harnesses, and collars go in the dog area closet, slip leads go on the hooks in each pod, on the hooks by VR2 (visit room 2), and by the dog area sink.
• Restock linens in the shelves in the puppy area. Toys go in the labeled containers in the puppy closet and bowls go in the upper cabinets in the same closet.
• Gather all treat containers in the dog area.
• Restock the small bedroom treat containers (on the window sill outside the dogs’ bedrooms) with a mix of biscuit and meaty treats, making sure to break the treats into ~1 inch pieces.
• Restock the larger treat containers on the red cabinets in each dog pod;
• One container is for meaty treats, one is for biscuit treats and another is for dental sticks.
• Restock treats in the dog area only.

Clean Windows in Various Area of the Building

• Areas where windows need to be cleaned:
• Lobby, cat area, dog area (only clean the windows & window sills outside of the dog bedrooms), & puppy area (do not step into the puppy tubs to clean the windows located above the puppy tubs). Only clean the outside of the puppy rooms if you have not been trained as a canine butler.

Wrapping Up

• Put all cleaning items away and make sure the food prep room is tidy.

Thank you for your hard work and for helping us keep these spaces clean!

• Laundry Instructions

  • Turn the handle all the way down to unlock the washing machine.
  • Fill the machine to the top.
  • Large machine: Empty out the receptacle cups before adding detergent & bleach, then add ½ cup of detergent & bleach to the receptacle on top of the machine.
  • Small machine- Add 1/4 cup of detergent & bleach to receptacle on top of machine
  • Press start to begin the load.
  • Wash or sanitize hands before transferring clean laundry from washers to dryers.
  • Fill the dryers about 2/3 full.
  • Check and remove the lint traps under the dryers by pulling the lower door towards you.
  • Put 1 dryer sheet in with the laundry.
  • Set drying time to 45 minutes and cool down time to 5 minutes.
  • Close door and press start

  Mop Head Washing Instructions

  • When washing mop heads, use the normal amount of detergent but no bleach.
  • Place several towels in with 4 mop heads in the washer. *Note: Only 4 can go in at a time.
  • Always put several towels in the machine when washing the mop heads.
  • If mop heads haven’t been rinsed thoroughly enough, the suds can overflow out of the back of the
  • machine. If this happens, stop the machine, let it drain completely, then restart it and mop up the overflowed water.
  • Mop heads can go in the dryer like normal. Folding Instructions
  • Make sure that items are completely dry
  • Fold towels over once the long way, then, starting at one end, fold it over three times.
  • Fold blankets and other linens from corner to corner, folding in half twice, then folding over three times.

  Changing & Washing Mop Head Instructions

  • *This task is only done on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.*
  • Collect 6 new mop heads located in the mop closet.
  • Remove mop heads from the 2 mop buckets in the dog area, puppy mop closet, Behind the Scenes supply closet, and the mop closet between the public restrooms.
  • Rinse mop heads with ONLY WATER in an empty play yard.
  • Once the mop heads are rinsed, ring out the excess water and put them into an empty laundry basket.
  • Take the basket to the laundry room and label it with a “Wash Me Next” sign.

Dishwashing Instructions

• Scrape & discard debris from dishes, litter boxes, and scoops.
• If there is remaining debris, soak the item in hot water and soap until debris is softened and then remove.
• Thoroughly soak all parts of the dishes, scoops, and litter boxes with Accel from a spray bottle and soak for 5 minutes before rinsing.
• Rinse with hot water and place items into the sanitizer tray.
• After the sanitizer cycle, dump any excess water back into the machine.
• Place items on a towel to dry.
• When dry, place items in the appropriately labeled spots.

Pet Carrier Cleaning Instructions

• Remove any debris from inside the carriers.
• Using the grooming room tub, spray the carriers inside and outside with Accel.
• Use the scrub brush and soap to wash the inside and outside of the carriers.
• Rinse with water and place on a towel on the table by the sink to dry.
• Place clean and dry carriers on top of the condo banks.

Dog & Puppy Area Restocking Instructions

• *This includes toys, bowls, treats (dogs only), and linens.
• Load cart with toys from the hard toy container located in the food prep room and from the soft toy
• container located in the laundry room. Also load cart with bowls, leashes, harnesses and linens.
• Restock all supplies as needed in the red cabinet in each dog pod. Leashes, harnesses, and collars go in the dog area closet, slip leads go on the hooks in each pod, on the hooks by VR2 (visit room 2), and by the dog area sink.
• Restock linens in the shelves in the puppy area. Toys go in the labeled containers in the puppy closet and bowls go in the upper cabinets in the same closet.
• Gather all treat containers in the dog area.
• Restock the small bedroom treat containers (on the window sill outside the dogs’ bedrooms) with a mix of biscuit and meaty treats, making sure to break the treats into ~1 inch pieces.
• Restock the larger treat containers on the red cabinets in each dog pod;
• One container is for meaty treats, one is for biscuit treats and another is for dental sticks.
• Restock treats in the dog area only.

Clean Windows in Various Area of the Building

• Areas where windows need to be cleaned:
• Lobby, cat area, dog area (only clean the windows & window sills outside of the dog bedrooms), & puppy area (do not step into the puppy tubs to clean the windows located above the puppy tubs). Only clean the outside of the puppy rooms if you have not been trained as a canine butler.

Wrapping Up

• Put all cleaning items away and make sure the food prep room is tidy.

Thank you for your hard work and for helping us keep these spaces clean!