Should You Clean Before a Cleaner Comes?

If you’ve recently hired a cleaner, you might be wondering whether or not you should clean your house before they arrive.

The answer is: Yes, you should clean your house to a certain degree. But it’s more important to make sure that your home is tidy, and is clutter-free before your cleaner comes.

So, what does ‘clean your house to a certain degree’ actually mean?

It means that you need to make sure that you clean up food waste, do the dishes, do your laundry, pop toys and valuable items away, and make sure that your home is relatively organised before the cleaner comes.

It does not, however, mean that you need to spend hours scrubbing and cleaning every nook and crevice in your home. It is, after all, the cleaner’s job to make sure your home is clean.

In fact, if you did perform a deep clean before your cleaner came over you could do more harm than good.

Not only would it make your cleaners job very easy and essentially pointless, but it would be a waste of money.

Plus, you risk mixing different cleaning chemicals together, and this is always a bad idea.

You basically need to make sure your home isn’t too cluttered, so your cleaner can come in and get on with their work. Your cleaner shouldn’t have to fight through grime and clutter to complete their tasks.

Let’s take a look at this in more detail.

Why Should You Tidy and Declutter Before a Cleaner Comes?

There are several reasons why you should tidy your house before a cleaner arrives, find out what they are below:

1. Your cleaner will be able to clean your home more effectively if it’s tidy

If you clean your dishes and pop your clutter away before your cleaner comes over, they won’t have to waste time cleaning and organising these items for you. This means they can start working on their actual cleaning tasks immediately.

2. You’ll get more value for money

Most cleaners come on a weekly basis and for a set period of time. If your house is left in a bit of state, the cleaner will need to work around the obstacles you’ve left.

Your cleaner, therefore, may not be able to get all of their tasks done if they constantly have to stop and move bits and pieces around. So, you may not get good value for money.

3. There are fewer distractions for your cleaner to worry about in a tidy home

The more stuff you put in your cleaner’s way, the more often they will have to stop and address the problem. This can be incredibly distracting, particularly if you leave interesting items lying around.

4. Your cleaner is less likely to injure themselves in a tidy home

If you leave toys, books, and coats lying around, your cleaner could trip or slip on any one of these hazards. This, in turn, may stop them cleaning for you. You may also have to pay for any damages and compensation.

5. Your cleaner will spend less time organising your home if it’s relatively tidy

A cleaner comes to your home to clean; they are not there to organise your stuff. If your cleaner is spending too much time organising, and very little time cleaning your home, you’re not going to think they’re doing their job properly. This, in turn, can lead to conflict.

In addition to this, if your cleaner is organising your home, they’re likely to put your items in odd places.

For example, they may put your hairdryer in the wrong cupboard. As a consequence, you may spend a lot of time looking for your items, and this could be very annoying for you.

You may also feel that this ‘organising’ is crossing a personal line. So, tidy before the cleaner arrives, and you won’t feel like this.

6. You can keep track of your valuable and private items in a tidy home

It’s not uncommon for personal documents to be left on kitchen countertops. But if you put them away, you can keep your private information private, and your cleaner won’t accidentally throw them in the bin either!

Similarly, you can move valuable items out of the way, so they don’t get accidentally broken during a cleaning session.

 

What Should You Do Before a Cleaner Comes?

You don’t have to do too much before a cleaner comes really. Just make sure that there are no hazards around your home, and do the bare minimum of cleaning.

So, wash any dirty dishes, move stuff off the floor and worktops, put your valuables away, do your own laundry, and get rid of any food waste you’ve left lying around.

Leave your home in a state whereby your cleaner can walk in, and get on with their cleaning tasks immediately.

Keep obstacles out of their way, so they can do their work effectively, and so you get the most out of your cleaning slot.

How to Prepare for Your Cleaner Coming the First Time

If you’ve not had a cleaning person come to clean your home before, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Communication is key! You must be open and honest with your cleaner because this is the only way they’ll learn how you like things cleaned. You also need to know what they will/won’t clean, so you can prepare your home in advance. Plus, good communication also builds trust. And trust is essential when you’re allowing a cleaner into your home!
• Give your cleaner a list of tasks you’d like them to complete. The cleaner should know exactly what they need to do if you do this.
• Discuss what cleaning products and tools will be used, so your cleaner knows what can/can’t be used in your home.
• Don’t hover and watch your cleaner clean because this can be very off putting, and it doesn’t put your cleaner at ease!
• Keep distractions to a minimum in your home when the cleaner is there. For example, don’t let your kids run around when your cleaner is trying to clean. Not only is this dangerous but the cleaner won’t be able to get on with their work.
• If you want your cleaner to hoover/sweep every inch of a room, be prepared to move furniture around for them.
• Follow the steps above to prepare your home for your cleaner.