There’s an old trope in the cleaning service industry of “cleaning up for the maid”, and while it sounds like a silly thing, there’s a little bit of truth to it: Tidying and cleaning are very different—although related—things, and not doing the former can interfere with your maid’s ability to do the latter. So we’re not saying that you have to actually clean before the maid arrives (what would be the point, then?); think of it as being prepared, instead.
Hiring a maid service can save you a lot of time and hassle, but you and your maid will be a lot happier with the results if you know how to prepare your house for a cleaning service. It’s mostly little things that you can make a habit out of, and doing them before each visit will save your maid time, which in turn will give you better results for your money. Let’s see what they are!
Pick up things that might get in the way
The thing about tidying up is that you’re the only person who will know how to do it right in your house because only you know each object’s rightful place. A maid going into an untidy room will most likely move things in bulk around the place— and the nice ones will attempt to organize them a little— but it’s not something that you’ll find in most cleaning companies’ checklist, and some things can even be misplaced. This takes time away from their visit, which could be better spent cleaning up! Next time you’re expecting a maid’s visit, go over the checklist and pick up things that are lying around the rooms that will be cleaned and could end up being obtrusive.
Find a place for your pets to hang out
It should come as no surprise (we hope!) that you should put aggressive pets away if a maid—which in your pet’s eyes is another stranger—is coming into your house, regardless of size, breed, and even species, although you should pay special attention to where you’re going to keep large dogs. But they’re not the ones that you should worry about, because sometimes it’s the friendliest of pets that make cleaning more difficult than it already is. A cat that keeps leaving hair over an already-clean spot or a lazy dog sleeping on the floor you’re about to mop represent time effort that you can save for your maid!
Help them get in and out
Many professional cleaning services give you the option of having your house cleaning done when you’re outside elsewhere, but it’s important that you make sure that they have more than the key to the front door if you’re opting to have recurring cleans. Even if your preferred maid company offers you a key service, you should make it clear if there are special instructions they should follow when entering your home. We're talking about gate and alarm codes, neighborhood watches, and even quirks in the way to open your locks (like turning the key while pushing the whole door or it gets stuck, for example). Trust us, there’s nothing more than coming home to a clean house, but helping the people that made it possible to have an easy time goes a long way.
Give them a little house tour
You probably made the company aware of any special cleaning instructions and requirements for your home beforehand, but if this is going to be their first visit, it can help out a lot (and further clear things up for both) if you have a little face-to-face time with the maid and take them on a little house tour. A tour can help with further detailing what you want out of the service and what actions or products to avoid. This will not only help you get better and more consistent results, but it can build up the trust between you and them, and that’s an important part of maid services that not many people consider.
Put your mind at ease
It might sound like we’re trying to finish this piece with a neat little bow, but it’s important! See, after you’ve taken care of all the above points, there really isn’t much that you should worry about. If you chose the company that you trusted the most and feel like it will give you the best service possible, the best thing to do is to step back and let them work their magic. After all, you hired a maid service to take those chores off your shoulders and relax a bit, and that’s exactly what you should do.
Now that you know what to do before the house cleaner comes, you can be sure that you’re getting the best results for your money every single time, and it even helps your house stay clean for longer. That’s a double win for you!
