How to prepare your home before the cleaner arrives
Take five to ten minutes to clear loose items from floors and counters, ensure the cleaner can access your home, and put away valuables. This way, the time is spent on the actual cleaning, not on tidying up. For regular cleaning assignments with an agreed-upon time, good preparation generally means a better result for the same number of hours.
Take five to ten minutes to clear loose items from floors and counters, ensure the cleaner can access your home, and put away valuables. This way, the time is spent on the actual cleaning, not on tidying up. For regular cleaning assignments with an agreed-upon time, good preparation generally means a better result for the same number of hours.
What should I clear away?
The cleaner cleans surfaces – they do not sort through your belongings. The more items left out, the less surface area will be cleaned in the time you are paying for.
- Clothes, toys, mail, and papers off floors and counters.
- Dishes: run the dishwasher or soak dishes beforehand, so the kitchen can be cleaned instead of tidied.
- Clear the bathroom and toilet of personal items you do not want moved.
- Remove fragile decorative items from surfaces that need to be wiped.
You do not need to clean before the cleaner arrives. Tidying is just about freeing up surfaces.
How do I ensure the cleaner can access my home?
Clarify access before the first visit. The most common reason an assignment is stopped is a closed door.
| Access | What you do |
|---|---|
| You are home | Ensure someone opens the door at the agreed time |
| Key/code | Arrange secure handover in advance – as stated in your agreement |
| Gate code/intercom | Provide the code, floor, and apartment number |
| Alarm | State how to arm and disarm it, or disarm it yourself |
If you change access or a code, notify us via the customer portal well in advance so the cleaner does not find themselves in front of a locked door.
What about pets and valuables?
Let us know if you have a dog, cat, or other animals, and where they will be during the visit. It is good for the cleaner to know, and some animals become restless with a stranger and a vacuum cleaner. Consider keeping the animal in one room while the cleaning is underway.
Place cash, jewelry, keys, and other valuables in an agreed-upon location or in a drawer. This is not about mistrust, but about ensuring no one wonders where something went. This saves both you and the cleaner unnecessary uncertainty.
Should I communicate priorities?
Yes. If you have limited time for the assignment, tell us what is most important to you – for example, the bathroom and kitchen over the bedroom. The cleaner does not know your habits until you tell them.
- Inform us about rooms or surfaces to be skipped.
- Mention delicate surfaces: natural stone, marble, untreated wood, or special materials do not tolerate acidic agents, so it is useful to know in advance.
- If you have a recurring wish, add it as a note in the customer portal, and it will be applied to future assignments.
Safety in the home
Never mix cleaning agents. Chlorine bleach with vinegar produces toxic chlorine gas, and chlorine bleach with ammonia or sal ammoniac produces chloramine. The rule is simple: never mix chlorine bleach with anything other than water. If you have strong agents left out, put them away before the visit so they are not used by accident.
If you leave your own products out for use, please mark what should be used where – especially if you have surfaces that do not tolerate common agents.
Good preparation boils down to three things: clear surfaces, secure access, and a brief message about what matters most to you. The cleaner will take care of the rest.