There is value in hiring a professional maid service. First and foremost, having a professional maid service helps save your time; after all, no one wants to spend an entire weekend cleaning their home. Additionally, if you use your maid service regularly, you won’t need to purchase expensive cleaning products as they will bring their own. It’s also important to consider that your maid service can get to time-intensive projects like deep-cleaning the fridge or carpets.

If you’re hiring someone to clean an empty and tidy house before you move in, there’s little prep work to do. Make sure to discuss your goals with the cleaning service, arrange entry to the house, and communicate any problem areas or special requests. If you’ve already moved into the house, or if it’s messy, it’s best to complete the following tasks before the cleaners arrive:

• Declutter things like clothes, toys, or cardboard boxes

• Do the dishes

• Put fragile items in a safe spot where they can’t be accidentally broken

• Keep pets away from cleaning areas

Cleaning your trash cans lightly once per week and then disinfecting and doing a deep clean at least once per month is the best way to prevent trash can odors. You can also invest in some garbage can deodorizers to combat odors or lay down a dryer sheet or a thin layer of baking soda in the bottom of the can under the bag. Replace the deodorizer once every month or every other month, depending on how well it works over time.

Most DIY floor cleaners don’t require rinsing, but you’ll want to make sure you don’t add too much dish soap or oil to the cleaner to avoid having to rinse it after cleaning. For non-wood floors, mix 8 parts warm water, 1 part vinegar, and 1 part baking soda with a few drops of dish soap. For wood floors, use olive oil in that same mixture instead of the vinegar. You can let these solutions air-dry after cleaning your floors with them, although you should manually dry your floors if they aren’t waterproof.