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House Cleaning Preparation Explained

No, you do not need to clean before the cleaner comes. Light tidying helps, but professional house cleaners focus on cleaning, not clutter. This guide explains how to prepare so your cleaner can do their best work.

One of the most common house cleaning preparation questions we hear is this.

“Do I need to clean before the cleaner comes?” 🤔

Our service providers are often greeted with an apology and sometimes a little embarrassment.
We hear things like, “We’ve just been so busy, so it’s not as tidy as usual,” or “I promise it’s not normally this messy.”

Please know this right away. We are not judging you. 💛
We clean homes for a living and we understand how busy life actually is.

Between work, kids, school drop offs, after school activities, homework, grocery shopping, and everything else on the to do list, there is only so much that can get done in a day.

If you work from home, it can feel like work never really ends.

Homes get messy because people live in them. That is normal.

You do not need to clean before the cleaner comes. Scrubbing, wiping, or pre cleaning defeats the purpose of hiring a professional cleaning service. ✨
That said, there is an important difference that helps set expectations and leads to a better clean.

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Clean vs Clutter. What Cleaners Actually Do 🧹

Cleaning and tidying are two different things, and they often get confused.

Cleaning is what professional house cleaners are hired to do.
Tidying or decluttering is not part of a standard cleaning service.

Cleaning includes:
• Scrubbing bathrooms and kitchens
• Cleaning sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets
• Wiping down counters and reachable surfaces
• Dusting
• Vacuuming and mopping floors
• Cleaning appliances and fixtures

Clutter includes:
• Toys, clothes, or shoes on the floor
• Mail, paperwork, or piles on counters
• Dishes filling the sink
• Items that do not have a place yet

We expect normal, everyday living. That is part of house cleaning. However, heavy clutter can limit what we are able to clean thoroughly during a scheduled service.

A quick note on tidying and decluttering
While our main focus is cleaning, there are situations where we can assist with light tidying or decluttering as part of a custom service. If you think your home may need extra time or support beyond standard cleaning, we’re happy to talk it through and provide a custom quote.

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Why Clutter Affects Your House Cleaning Results 🧼

This has nothing to do with appearances or judgment. It comes down to access and efficiency.

When counters are fully covered, it limits how thoroughly our cleaners can clean them.
Items on the floor make vacuuming and mopping less effective.
Dishes left in the sink prevent sinks from being cleaned properly.

When cleaners need to move large amounts of personal items just to reach surfaces, one of two things usually happens:
• The cleaning takes longer than planned
• Or some areas cannot be cleaned as deeply

There is another important factor most people don’t think about. We don’t know where your personal items belong.

If we start putting things away, there is a good chance items end up in the wrong place. That can be frustrating for you and slows down the cleaning process. For that reason, our team focuses on cleaning surfaces rather than deciding where belongings should go.

Neither of these outcomes is ideal. Our goal is always to deliver the best possible professional house cleaning within the time scheduled, with clear expectations and great results.

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How to Prepare for a Professional House Cleaning 🏡

You do not need to clean before the cleaner comes.
You do not need to make your home look perfect.

What helps is light tidying so we can focus our time on actual cleaning.

Helpful house cleaning preparation includes:
• Picking items up off the floor
• Clearing counters as much as possible
• Leaving sinks mostly empty
• Putting away loose items so surfaces are reachable

That is it. No deep organizing. No stress. Just enough access for us to do our job well.

Additional House Cleaning Preparation Tips

Surfaces
Clear countertops, tables, and desks of personal items, dishes, and small appliances.

Floors
Pick up toys, clothes, shoes, books, and other loose items to give cleaners full access for vacuuming and mopping.

Bedrooms
Put clean clothes away and place dirty laundry in hampers.

Kitchen and Bathroom Specifics
Kitchen: Please empty sinks of dirty dishes so they can be cleaned properly.
Bathroom: Remove toiletries, razors, and hair products from counters and tubs.

Valuables and Sensitive Items
Put away jewelry, cash, electronics, and important documents.
Store fragile or breakable decor, vases, or collectibles in a safe spot.

Pets and Home Security 🐾
Secure pets in a crate, kennel, or designated room away from the cleaning area.
Inform us of any alarm codes or if motion sensors need to be disabled during the visit.

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A Note About Embarrassment 💙

As a professional house cleaning service, we work in busy, lived in homes every day. Homes with kids, pets, work from home setups, and packed schedules.

We are not there to judge how you live. We are there to help take something off your plate and make your home easier to maintain.

Life is busy. Homes get cluttered. That is real life.

If you are ever unsure how to prepare for a cleaning service or which type of cleaning makes the most sense for your situation, just ask. Clear expectations lead to better results and a better experience for everyone.

EvermaidCleaners.com
[email protected]
813-536-3663

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