How To Prepare for House Cleaners: Top Tips To Help You Get Everything You Want From Your Cleaning Service
You’ve taken the leap. You’re finally bringing in a house cleaner to help you with the cleaning tasks that always seem to be put on the back burner.
You’re probably pretty excited to come home to a clean house, but you may be wondering how to prepare for the house cleaner to get the best results possible.
It’s not complicated — so don’t worry. We share our expert tips on how to prepare your house for a cleaning service.
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What Should You Do Before a Cleaner Comes?
If you’re new to having your home cleaned by a professional service, the most important thing is to have your home prepared for the cleaners to do a thorough and effective job.
This usually requires some advance tidying up and organizing on your part so that the cleaner can focus on the task of cleaning all the surfaces in your home.
In most cases, cleaning services are not there to organize your home for you. While this is a service that may be provided, it’s generally not included in your basic housekeeping package.
If you’re looking for a cleaning service in Portland, OR, Tidy Up Portland! is here to help. We have experience cleaning every type of home, from bachelor apartments to large luxury homes, we’ve done it all.
Our team of experts can provide exact information on how to prepare your house for a cleaning service and will discuss all expectations ahead of time to ensure your complete satisfaction.
In the meantime, our eight tips below show you how to prepare for a house cleaner so that you get the results you’re looking for in the amount of time allotted.
8 Things You Can Do To Help You Prepare Your House for a Cleaning Service
#1: Communicate Your Expectations With Your Cleaner
Communicating your expectations clearly with your cleaner is essential to ensure you both have a positive and productive working relationship.
Here are some steps to help you effectively communicate your expectations:
Be friendly and respectful
Be specific about tasks
Prioritize tasks
Discuss frequency
Set clear boundaries
Be open to feedback
Discuss cleaning products and equipment
Address privacy and security concerns
Communicate changes
Provide written instructions
Express appreciation
Remember, clear communication is key to a successful working relationship with your cleaner. By expressing your expectations openly and respectfully, it’s more likely that both you and your cleaner will be on the same page, leading to a clean and happy home.
#2: Declutter and Prepare Any Areas of the Home You Want Cleaned
Decluttering your home before a cleaner comes is beneficial for several reasons:
Maximizes efficiency
Allows access to all areas
Reduces the risk of accidents or injuries
Yields better cleaning reults
Shows respect for the cleaner
Is easier to maintain
Helps create a more relaxing and enjoyable environment for you and your family
While a cleaner's primary task is to clean, decluttering before their visit helps them work more effectively and provides a positive experience for both you and the cleaner. It's a considerate gesture that contributes to a successful and productive cleaning session.
#3: Don’t Leave Food Mess or Dirty Dishes
Unless washing dishes is part of your package, your counters and sink should be clear and empty. This is essential for several reasons, including:
Promotes hygiene and safety: Food and dirty dishes can attract insects and pests and create an unsanitary environment.
Ensures effective cleaning: When surfaces are cluttered with food and dishes, the cleaner may have a difficult time thoroughly cleaning these surfaces.
Prevents cross-contamination: When food items are left out during the cleaning process, cleaning products may accidentally come into contact with the food, making it unsafe for consumption.
Protects cleaning equipment: Food debris and dirty dishes can be damaging to cleaning tools and equipment.
Shows respect for your cleaner: Clearing away food and dishes ahead of time demonstrates consideration for the cleaner’s efforts by providing a clean and pleasant living space.
#4: Provide Any Special Instructions About Pets or Sensitive Areas of the Home
Your cleaner should always be made aware of any pets living in the home and where they will be during the cleaning. If there’s a separate room that should not be disturbed, or if the animals will be in crates or cages, the cleaner should know ahead of time not to disturb these areas.
Additionally, if you have any locked or sensitive areas that you don’t want your cleaner to enter for safety or security reasons, you should let them know ahead of time.
#5: Secure or Remove Any Fragile or Delicate Items
If you have any precious or fragile items, such as family photos, vases, urns, etc., you should let your cleaner know ahead of time or arrange to have the items put in a safe spot until the cleaning is done.
While most cleaners are trained to be careful with all household items, especially fragile ones, it never hurts to give reminders or ask for special consideration of anything especially meaningful.
#6: Discuss Security Concerns
Be specific with your cleaner about what entry points to your home you prefer them to use.
If you have a security system, you should ensure that it’s disarmed or that your house cleaner has a special user code to enter the home when you’re not there.
Quality cleaning companies are accustomed to entering an owner’s home when they are not present and will keep all security information private and confidential.
#7: Communicate About the Trash/Compost/Recycling Situation
Inform your cleaner about any specific instructions around the disposal of cleaning materials, garbage, and recycling.
They should know:
Where the trash goes and trash collection days
Where your recycling bins are kept and how it’s separated
Special instructions regarding dumpsters or trash disposal
Where to find replacement bags for trash cans and what size to use for each
While your cleaner may not be there to put the garbage out, they will likely come across items that need to be thrown out or recycled, making this information valuable to ensure the proper process is followed.
#8: If You’ll Be at Home During the Cleaning, Take Care of Everything You Need Before Your Cleaner Arrives
Maybe you work from home, or you plan to be present when the cleaner arrives. This is totally okay, but you should make sure not to be in the way as the cleaner does their job.
In addition to having your home ready, you should also have yourself ready.
Try to avoid making food or using the kitchen, so they have the space to get in and clean thoroughly. You should also try not to take a shower during the time of the cleaning, as it may interrupt the cleaning pattern of the cleaner.
You want to ensure your cleaner has adequate space and that you communicate where you will be in the home so that you can vacate that area when they’re ready to clean it.
If You’re Unsure How To Prepare for a House Cleaner, Tidy Up Portland! Has Your Back
At Tidy Up Portland! our cleaners are used to answering questions on how to prepare for a house cleaning. We understand that it may be your first time using a service, and you’ll have a lot of questions about expectations.
Our friendly and professional staff have years of experience preparing homeowners on how to make the most of the service by knowing exactly what should be done ahead of time.
We focus on providing a healthy cleaning experience for everyone involved and only use natural, green cleaning supplies while also limiting the amount of disposable products we use. We care about you!
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help get you prepared for your first house cleaning.
