How to Prepare for a House Cleaner in 10 Steps

If you’ve decided to get your home professionally cleaned for the first time, you may not know what to expect. However, learning how to prepare for a house cleaner just takes a few quick steps. We’ll go over everything you need to know about how to prepare for a house cleaner visit to set you both up for success.

1. Research Your Cleaning Service

When considering how to prepare for house cleaners, do thorough research to help avoid any surprises or misunderstandings. If you’re wondering how to find a good house cleaner, it’s important to do your homework first. Check out top-rated house cleaning services in your area and find out what they cover. It’s also important to ensure the business is properly insured before you hire. 

2. Declutter for Your Cleaner

You don’t want to task your house cleaner with figuring out how to organize your cluttered surfaces. Pick up toys, junk mail, loose change, and whatever else found its way to your countertops. The less clutter you have around, the easier it’ll be for your house cleaner to focus on more important tasks, such as wiping down your baseboards and dusting your vintage figurines.

3. Clear Away Dirty Dishes and Food Messes

Unless otherwise specified, most house cleaners don’t wash dishes or deal with food messes. Washing and putting away your dirty dishes will make it much easier for your pro to clean your sink and the surrounding areas. Plus, once everything’s all sparkling clean, you won’t have any additional chores to worry about.

4. Communicate Any Questions or Special Requests

Once you’re meeting with cleaning pros, communicate your needs clearly. For example, if your dusty Venetian blinds are driving you crazy, bring this up so your house cleaner knows not to miss them. If you’d like your house cleaner to do a quick walk-through with you, prepare all of your talking points beforehand so no time gets wasted.

5. Secure Fragile Items

It’s always wise to secure anything that could easily get broken. Accidents happen, and you don’t want your grandma’s favorite vase to come crashing down. If anything is especially valuable to you or needs to be cleaned in a specific way, let your pro know ahead of time. 

6. Put Away Valuable Items

Reputable home cleaners are honest professionals. However, if you're wondering what to do before cleaners come to reduce the risk of opportunistic thefts or just accidental damage, it’s sensible to take precautions. Don’t leave valuables, cash, credit cards, or confidential paperwork lying around on cleaning day. Store your top-notch tech, heirloom jewelry, and other important assets in a secure, out-of-sight location.

7. Put Your Pets Away

Good house cleaner etiquette means crating your pup and keeping your kitties behind closed doors. Your animals might get in the way during a house cleaning, especially if they follow your cleaner around looking for scratches. Your house cleaner may also have allergies or phobias, so it’s best to be considerate and tuck away the fur babies until they’re finished.

8. Know Proper House Cleaner Etiquette

Researching house cleaning etiquette beforehand will prevent any awkwardness or miscommunications between you and your house cleaner. If you have any specific concerns or questions beforehand, make them known. You can also ask any pressing questions during the hiring process, as pros will be happy to set your mind at ease. As far as tipping house cleaners goes, it’s never a bad idea to give a little extra (around 20%) for a job well done.

9. Avoid Over-the-Top Expectations

When you’re hiring a cleaning service, you’ll usually have to choose between a general house cleaning versus a deep clean. Each has a set of basic tasks the house cleaner will cover. If you have anything extra in mind, be sure to communicate that—and prepare for any fees that might follow. Going in with clear expectations is the key to happiness and a spotless clean.

10. Adjust Your Security System

If you have a home security system with motion sensors or a PIN for a front door smart lock, you might need to turn off these features or provide a temporary code. Otherwise, the cleaner might be unable to enter the property without triggering an alarm. And, at least with smart home automation systems, you can remotely reset any security settings via an app after your cleaner leaves.

How to Find a House Cleaner

When searching for a house cleaner near you that best fits the bill, research and review your requirements. Do you want to hire an individual cleaner or a company? Independent cleaners often offer more flexibility, lower rates, and the opportunity to build personal relationships. However, hiring a company means you will have consistent coverage, and insurance and background checks are taken care of.

Some other considerations and questions to ask a house cleaning service to help you make a decision include:

• Are quality references and reviews available?

• How much does the house cleaning cost, and how do the rates compare to other cleaners?

• What services are included in the rates? Surcharges for things like window washing, oven cleaning, or changing bed sheets are standard (and some companies won’t cover these services).

• Do they use their own cleaning supplies? What sort of products do they use?

• Does the company perform background checks?

• Is the company insured and bonded?

• How frequent is the service? Are seasonal deep cleans as well as regularly scheduled visits on offer?

• Is there a contract to outline the terms of services?