Housekeeping...you can't get away from it!
|
|
People are different, yet alike, in so many ways. This is one of the things that
makes operating a home studio so interesting; dealing with the public, you find your life
varied and certainly never dull. Some of your customers are neat and tidy, some are so
casual about housekeeping you might call them sloppy. One thing they all have in common,
though, is that they come to you for a creative outlet.
Ceramics hobbyists enjoy going to the studio for many reasons. Among these reasons are the
pleasure of making something beautiful, the anticipation of seeing friends and sharing
news with them, the opportunity to learn something about their craft... but a fundamental
reason is escape. We all need to escape occasionally from job pressures, family
responsibilities, children, and the mess and clutter that awaits at home. Your studio must
provide a neat and pleasant atmosphere, a haven from the very things your customer seeks
to avoid. It should be as clean as it can possibly be, uncluttered, free of noisy
distractions and children (... except for those times when you schedule classes
specifically for children).
Even though your customers' houses may not be tidy, they will expect your studio to be
clean and orderly. It provides a little oasis, a spot of serenity in a cluttered day.
Aside from the impression it makes on customers, the state of housekeeping in your studio
has practical importance. The dust that accumulates when people clean greenware can be
damaging at certain stages of the glazing process. Cigarette ashes are contaminants to
some colors and paint products. Dust on the chairs will soil clothing and make students
feel uncomfortable about sitting down to work. Try to create an atmosphere that is
pleasant, professional, and comfortable for your customers; they should not have to worry
about dirty tables, dirty chairs, and dirty restrooms.
Plan for easy maintenance
It is difficult to have everything in its place if you don't have a place for everything.
One of the biggest problems in dealing with clutter is space. If you arrange to have the
most space possible, you will have an easier time of it when you plan the layout and
arrangement of your studio. A cramped area will provide a continuing problem to you in the
maintenance and upkeep department. Allow a generous area for organizing and displaying
greenware, roomy work surfaces, and space for students' coats and belongings.
The studio will be easier to keep clean if all the surfaces can be washed with a damp
sponge. Worktables and chairs covered with vinyl or metal can be wiped down nicely. Avoid
fabric upholstery and porous surfaces. Except in the kiln area, floors should be covered
with linoleum, vinyl flooring, tile - something that responds well to a quick damp-mop or
dust-mop cleaning. Concrete floors hold dust and do not look clean, even when they are. An
investment in floor covering could pay for itself in reduced maintenance.
The cleaning of your studio will be much easier to do if there is a ready source of
running water close at hand. Ceramics work generates a continuing supply of dust and
spills; this is the nature of the hobby, and cleanup is just a fact of life. Make it easy
on yourself by arranging the most convenient facilities you can.
If you plan to pour greenware yourself, try to do it in an area separate from the place
where students work or customers browse. Casting can be messy, and it is best hidden from
view. Some students would be amazed, looking at the beautiful finished product, at the
spilling and dripping that went into its manufacture! The mess and dust associated by the
casting process need not intrude on the sparkling, professional image you project "up
front." Contain the pouring process in a separate room (or area) and you will do a
great deal to reduce housekeeping chores.
Even within the work area for students, some processes should be kept away from others.
Cleaning of greenware should not be done at the same table where glazing is going on.
Teach your students to be careful about contamination of their colors and provide a safe
place for them to work without fear of dust. A failed project is often seen as the
responsibility of the one who did the firing, because it is after firing that the results
are visible; prevent failures by instilling careful habits and providing clean work areas.
When you decorate your studio to show off finished ware or promote a season, think of ease
of maintenance as well as eye appeal. Artificial flowers and fabric can be attractive
additions to a display, but they look terrible when covered with dust. Either use
materials that are easily dusted (or sponged), or plan to shake out or vacuum the display
when it starts to look "tired." Change displays often and remove sun-faded
paper before it looks like last year's school bulletin board. The purpose of displays,
after all, is to perk up interest; do not let yours outlive their usefulness.
Establish a routine
Depending on the amount of traffic your studio sees, the climate where you live, and the
physical layout of your facility, the cleaning needs will vary. At the very least, sponge
down the worktables and chairs, and damp mop or dust mop the floor before each class (or
before the doors open for the day). Dust the display shelves often and clean restrooms as
often as it takes for them to be tidy and well-supplied at all times.
Make cleaning a priority, do it even when you don't feel like doing it, and stick to a
schedule. A minimum cleaning routine may need to be supplemented when you have extra
traffic or new classes, but more traffic should mean more profit!
If the cleaning is more than you feel you can handle, investigate getting some responsible
teenager (perhaps your own!) to help out. Some studio owners have even been known to trade
services with others, getting cleaning help through a bartering arrangement.
Train students well
At the outset, students of ceramics should be taught that certain responsibilities of
cleanup go along with the pleasure of indulging in the hobby. You want to create a
pleasant atmosphere, teach and help your students to make beautiful articles, and provide
a healthy outlet for tension and creative talents; none of this means you have to be their
maid.
As part of the lesson, teach students how to clean brushes to avoid contaminating colors
and how to clean up after themselves at the worktable. Allow sufficient time near the end
of the lesson and announce that it is time to clean up. Otherwise, they will (1) leave
when class is over and you will have a mess to clean up, or (2) they will feel compelled
to stay and clean long after you would like to lock the doors and call it a day.
Develop good habits early and your students will do at least part of the cleanup for you.
You will always have enough general cleaning to do without having to tidy up after each
careless customer.
|
|
