Maybe it’s your first time booking a professional cleaning service, or maybe you’ve been hiring house cleaners for years—in any case, there may be some things you don’t know (or that you may not have considered) that only your house cleaner can tell you. So, we asked professional cleaners to share the things they wish their clients knew before hiring them.
If you want to get the best clean possible and be more considerate of the professional cleaners you hire in the process, here’s what you need to know—straight from the pros themselves.
Make sure you budget for enough time to get everything done.
“Give us enough time. A cleaner cannot clean a 5-bedroom house in two hours and be thorough. Ask for an estimate if you’re unsure.” — Arenaria Cox, Fantastic Cleaners
Be clear on the difference between cleaning and organizing.
“Cleaning and organizing are not the same thing. If decluttering is the main intention for booking [a] cleaning service, it will be good for cleaners to be informed, just to prevent disappointment and any misunderstandings.” — Robin Foster, Carpet Cleaning Experts Melbourne
For best results, tidy up before they arrive.
“Clients should understand there’s a difference between cleaning and tidying up. Homes should be organized and surfaces should be clear of clothing, toys, mail, etc. before we arrive. If we spend time decluttering, we have less time to do the stuff you really hired us for.” — Meg Roberts, Molly Maid
Let them know you have pets ahead of time.
“Clients should mention ahead of time if there’s a new pet in the house. That way, if a member of the cleaning crew is allergic or scared of the pet, we can plan accordingly. It’s also helpful for us to know where the pet will be during the cleaning session.” — Meg Roberts
Ask questions and look for consistency.
“Anyone can give you an amazing clean once—consistency is what separates the best companies from the riff raff. If you want to know if your cleaning company knows what they are doing, ask them what training procedures they have in place to ensure consistent cleaning quality, and what tools are at [their] disposal to alert them to inconsistent service? If they just stammer and tell you ‘we hire only the best’ then hang up and move on. Even the best cleaners can have an off day with a cold coming on, so if they don’t have thorough training procedures and customer notes systems in place, they’re just hoping you don’t look too close at your house.” — Melissa Homer, MaidPro
And remember that everyone has a different definition of “clean.”
“In house cleaning, clean is an emotional decision, not a quantitative fact. What feels clean to each person is made up of a lifetime of regional, cultural, and family experiences, so stop treating your personal pet peeves like cleaning gospel. When you hire a cleaner, be ready to offer honest feedback about what feels clean to you, but try to keep the judgment out of your requests and remember that having different pet peeves than your cleaner doesn’t make them bad at cleaning. Being a cleaner is like being a personal chef, where some customers like their food spicy and others can barely stand a sprinkle of salt. Getting to know what makes your clients feel clean is a process that takes honest communication and mutual respect and trust. Don’t expect your cleaner to be psychic and remember that your personal tastes are just that, personal.” — Melissa Homer
SOURCE: Apartment Therapy
