white glove test

Alternative forms

 * white-glove test

Etymology
From the 1950s American image of putting on a white glove and running a finger along a spot to see how much dirt and dust is accumulated as a way of measuring how well the area has been kept clean.

Noun

 * 1) An examination of cleanliness, hygiene or other cleaning-related standards.
 * Looking at the imprint his hand had left on the visible layer of dust, he realized his home would certainly not pass his mother's white glove test.