Action Words for Housekeepers

Action Words for Housekeepers

word	meaning	example sentence
clean; clean up	remove dirt, dust, and other messes	After you clean up the kitchen you can take your break.
dry	take the water out of something	Please dry the dishes fully before you put them away in the cupboards.
dust	remove the dust from surfaces such as furniture	I'm sorry I forgot to dust the entertainment stand last week.
finish; complete	have no more work to do	I'm finished everything on the list, so I guess I'll be going home now.
freshen up	make a room smell and look more inviting	The master bedroom is relatively clean, but you could freshen it up a little.
hang; hang up	organize and store items (often clothes) by putting them on hooks and hangers	After you have folded the laundry, please hang the guest towels in the washroom.
mop; mop up	clean the floors with soap and water	The dishwasher flooded, so I mopped up the water.
organize	sort or put away in a neat and tidy manner	I organized the indoor and outdoor shoes.
polish	wipe with a special cleaner that makes something (such as floors) shine; remove smudges or prints	Make sure to polish the silverware before you put it away.
rinse	pour water over something for a long time to remove soap	You'll have to rinse the dishes a little better. My coffee tasted soapy today.
sanitize; sterilize	remove any bacteria or other harmful substances that could cause illness, often by using boiling water or a special cleaner	You have to sterilize the baby bottles in boiling water.
scrub	use a lot of physical energy and a heavy cleaning tool to remove dirt or stains	You'll have to scrub the upstairs tub because it's pretty dirty.
tidy; tidy up	make a room or area look neat by organizing and putting things away	You don't need to vacuum the family room, but you could tidy up the books and toys.
vacuum	use a special hose that sucks up dust and dirt from the floors and furniture	Please pick up large items like coins before you vacuum the basement.
wash	make clean with water and soap	Please wash the windows with water and vinegar.
water	pour water onto plants or grass	You forgot to water the indoor and outdoor plants.
wipe; wipe up	clean up a mess or spill	Don't use bleach to wipe the counters.