Should you tidy up before the house cleaner arrives?

Even though you’re hiring someone to clean your house. It’s a common, as well as valid question. It is also a common practice. Some people go too far, because they don’t want the house cleaner to think that they are “dirty”.  And, some don’t go far enough… But there is a difference between tidy up and cleaning. To make it a little clearer – let’s start by looking at the definition of tidy, (neat and orderly in appearance or habits : well ordered and cared for)

Tidy Yes, Clean No

So the answer is yes – you should tidy up. Now we’re not suggesting that you actually get out the mop and bucket and clean the floors, but you should be sure that you do at least a basic tidy up before your house cleaner shows up. Because, the housekeeper is not there to clean up after you. They are there to clean, and when a home is neat, it’s easier to clean and keep clean.

Clean Up After vs Clean

You hire a house cleaner, and you expect them to vacuum the floors. That’s a realistic expectation. But, what if your floor is covered with your children’s toys? The fact that the floor is full of toys makes it very difficult to vacuum the floor. So, cleaning is vacuuming the floor…. Cleaning up after you is having to put the toys away first.

Don’t Assume

I was talking with someone and they were complaining that their cleaning lady did not put the things away. I explained to her that the cleaner had no idea where their things belonged. So, it was wrong of her to assume that they did. Even if it is a recurring clean, with the same cleaner – it’s still not fair to make that assumption.

Third Drawer On The Left

You can’t really expect somebody to come into your home and know that you keep your red handled scissors in the third drawer on the left. But, you leave them on a table in hopes that they’ll put them there. What if you put the scissors away before the cleaner arrived? Then they can just clean the table without any additional expectations.

House Cleaner Considerations

These things will make the experience of hiring a house cleaner better for you and the cleaner.

• The house cleaner expects to have to clean. After all, that’s why they are there. So, you don’t actually have to clean the house before they get there. Just make sure it is neat.
• Remember that the house cleaner that comes to your house is there to clean, they’re not there to organize. You can hire a home organizer if that is what you need.
• If you have certain places where things belong, don’t assume that the housekeeper will know where to put them. Don’t leave them out; Do both of you a favor and put them away yourself.
• Don’t leave a mess, because it slows down the cleaning process. It can have an impact on the overall quality of the cleaning. Allow the cleaner to focus on the task of getting your house as clean as possible.

So now that you have booked your house cleaning, don’t worry about cleaning the whole house. Put the mop away, and let the house cleaner take care of that. Just be sure that the house is neat and free of any obstacles that might interfere with getting your house clean. We know that the decision to hire a house cleaner is not always an easy one to make. But, it can be a very pleasant and rewarding experience.