Altar Guild volunteers serve their minitry the same weeks as the Lectors and Eucharistic ministers do, that is….Whatever week that the 1st Sunday of the month is on, that is the 1st week, so we clean prior to the 1st Sunday. There are five teams of volunteers - two members each - and substitutes.
Cleaning the Altar 10/30/16
1. Change cloths on altar & back small credence table, if needed—it frequently is needed. They are wash & wear & not a problem.
If have wax on them, put paper towels under & over the spot and put a warm iron on it. This will pretty much remove the heavy wax. Then use a spot treatment for oily spots before washing. Most of us swear by Oxiclean in the wash. We have matching cloths for the altar and credence table, so please keep them the same.
We do NOT always remove the linen cloth on the main altar, under the regular cloth. Only if it really needs it.
If we do the linen undercloth, we wash it, roll it wet, & put in refrigerator for several hours or overnight, then iron it. Genevieve told us to do this & it really works to get the wrinkles out. However, if you have another trick, please use it.
These linens are kept on a cardboard roll in the bottom drawer with the rest of the altar linens. That keeps it from having creases.
THE LINEN CLOTH MUST BE IRONED AND COVERING THE RELICS ON THE MAIN ALTAR.
2. Replace votive candles. Clean matches out of sand.
Replace altar candles, if low. They are kept in the right closet (as facing the altar) in the meeting room.
3. Empty holy waters into the ground outside. Clean & put fresh holy water in. There is a small plastic container by the hair dryer. It can be used to pick up the holy waters to clean them and to bring back. If the glass containers get too crusted up, bring home & soak with white vinegar for a couple of days. This will remove the crusty stuff.
Occasionally have to empty large holy water container by the votive candles (to outside) and refill. Leave note on counter for Father Tom to please bless it.
PLEASE REFILL HOLY WATERS. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM.
4. Straighten books in pews.
5. Wipe down back altar and top of tabernacle.
6. Water plants if needed, which is rare. Alicia usually does it.
7. CANDLES on altar. Lately, there has been 1 on each side of the tabernacle, and one large one on each side of the altar.
Those 4 need to have the brass tops cleaned—blow with hair dryer to melt, and wipe off. You can use a water dampened paper towel, but please DO NOT USE any other kind of cleaner on these (such as Windex) as they are coated.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BRASS CLEANER ON THE BRASS AS MOST OF THEM ARE COATED. THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS OF BRASS LEFT AROUND THAT WE STILL NEED THE CLEANER FOR, BUT NOT MANY.
Also clean the glass, may need to use blow dryer on the glass also.
We clean the glass that the 2 servers carry, which are kept on the counter in the sacristy. THE GLASS TOPS ON THOSE ARE NOT TO BE REMOVED. They are permanently attached on purpose.
Windex is kept in left closet (as facing altar) in sacristy.
Paper towels are in left closet (as facing altar) in meeting room.
NEED TO PUT OUT THE 2 CANDLEABRAS FOR WEDDINGS.
THE NEXT WEEK’s TEAM NEEDS TO CLEAN THEM SO THAT THEY WILL BE READY FOR FUTURE USE.