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What to Do Before Your House Cleaners Arrive: A Prescott Homeowner's Guide
Updated: Oct 2
You've scheduled your first professional house cleaning. Now you might be looking around your home and wondering:
Should I pick everything up? Do I need to clean the bathrooms? What about the dishes? And what should I do with the dog?
If you've ever found yourself cleaning before the cleaners arrive, you're certainly not alone.
The good news is that you don't need to clean your home before your cleaning team arrives. After all, that's why you've hired a professional cleaning service.
However, a little preparation can help your cleaning technicians work more efficiently, spend additional time on the areas that matter most, and deliver the results you're expecting.
Whether you're preparing for your first professional cleaning or you've been receiving recurring service for years, here are some simple ways to get your home ready.
1. Pick Up Clutter, but Don't Worry About Cleaning
There's a big difference between tidying up and cleaning.
You don't need to dust the furniture, scrub the showers or mop the kitchen floor before your cleaning appointment.
Those are the tasks your cleaning team is there to handle.
However, picking up everyday clutter can make a significant difference in how efficiently your home can be cleaned.
Consider putting away loose clothing, toys, shoes, paperwork and other personal belongings that may be scattered throughout the house.
If your countertops are covered with mail, small appliances or personal items, clearing some space allows your cleaning technicians to spend more time cleaning the actual surfaces rather than moving belongings from one place to another.
A helpful way to think about it:
Your job is to make the surfaces accessible. Our job is to clean them.
There's no need to make your home look perfect before we arrive. A few minutes of preparation can simply help us make better use of the time scheduled for your cleaning.
2. Make Sure We Can Access the Areas Being Cleaned
Imagine scheduling a professional cleaning for your entire home, only to realize that several rooms are inaccessible when the cleaning team arrives.
It happens more often than you might think.
Before your appointment, make sure the areas included in your cleaning service are reasonably accessible.
That might mean opening a guest bedroom, moving items that block a bathroom entrance or ensuring that cleaning technicians can access the floors in rooms scheduled for cleaning.
If there are rooms you'd prefer we not enter, that's perfectly fine, too.
Just let your cleaning company know in advance so everyone understands the scope of the visit.
3. Have a Plan for Your Pets
We love pets, and many of the homes we clean have dogs, cats or other four-legged family members.
However, even the friendliest pet can react differently when unfamiliar people and cleaning equipment enter the home.
Some dogs become anxious around vacuums. Others are curious and want to supervise every movement. And some cats seem to view an open door as an invitation to explore the neighborhood.
Before your cleaning appointment, consider whether your pets would be more comfortable in a separate room, crate, secure outdoor area or another familiar location.
Be sure to communicate any special instructions, particularly if your pet is anxious, territorial or prone to escaping.
If your pet will remain loose in the home, let the cleaning company know.
A little planning helps keep your pets and cleaning technicians safe and comfortable throughout the visit.
4. Let Us Know About Any Special Cleaning Priorities
Every homeowner has different expectations.
Some are particularly concerned about dust. Others want extra attention paid to bathrooms, kitchen surfaces or floors.
If there's something specific you'd like your cleaning team to focus on, communicate that before the appointment whenever possible.
Perhaps you're expecting guests and want the guest bathroom to receive additional attention. Maybe your dog has been shedding more than usual, or there's a particular area where dust tends to accumulate.
These details are helpful.
At Pristine Spaces Cleaning, we discuss cleaning priorities during our complimentary in-home consultations and document important information for our cleaning technicians.
If your priorities change between visits, just let us know.
5. Put Away Valuables and Delicate Personal Items
Professional cleaning technicians are accustomed to working around furniture, decorations and personal belongings.
However, it's always a good idea to secure especially valuable, fragile or sentimental items before your appointment.
This might include delicate collectibles, important documents, expensive jewelry or irreplaceable family keepsakes.
If you have a fragile decorative item that must remain in place, let your cleaning company know so the team can take appropriate precautions or avoid that particular area.
The goal is to protect the things that matter most to you while allowing your cleaning team to work comfortably.
6. Communicate Any Special Surface-Care Instructions
Not all household surfaces should be cleaned the same way.
Natural stone, specialty flooring, antique furniture and certain decorative finishes may require specific cleaning products or techniques.
If your home contains surfaces that require special care, it's important to communicate that information before cleaning begins.
For example, if your countertops have manufacturer-specific cleaning instructions or a piece of furniture requires a particular product, let your cleaning company know.
Your cleaning provider can then determine whether the requested care is within its normal scope and make appropriate arrangements.
This is another reason an in-home consultation can be valuable: it gives homeowners an opportunity to discuss these details before their first cleaning.
7. Decide Whether You'll Be Home During the Cleaning
Some homeowners prefer to be present while their home is being cleaned.
Others enjoy leaving for a few hours and returning to a freshly cleaned house.
Either arrangement can work.
If you plan to be away, make sure your cleaning company has the access information needed to enter and secure your home.
That might include a garage code, door code, lockbox instructions or another agreed-upon method of entry.
If your home has an alarm system, be sure to discuss any necessary instructions beforehand.
And if you're working from home, let your cleaning team know if there are meetings or particular rooms that should be cleaned at specific times.
A little coordination can make the appointment more convenient for everyone.
8. What About Dishes and Laundry?
This is an excellent question because cleaning companies have different policies regarding household chores.
Some provide dishwashing and laundry as part of their standard services. Others offer them as optional add-ons or don't provide them at all.
At Pristine Spaces Cleaning, laundry and linen service is available as an optional add-on.
If you're interested in additional services beyond your regular cleaning, it's helpful to discuss them before your appointment rather than assuming they're included.
For kitchen cleaning, clearing dishes and personal items from countertops and sinks can help make those surfaces accessible.
The important thing is understanding the scope of your particular cleaning service before the team arrives.
9. You Don't Need to Supply the Cleaning Equipment
Most established professional cleaning companies bring their own cleaning supplies and equipment.
At Pristine Spaces Cleaning, our technicians arrive with the equipment and products needed to perform the services included in your cleaning.
You generally don't need to provide a vacuum, mop or cleaning chemicals.
However, if your home has a surface requiring a specific product, or if you have particular product preferences, discuss those requirements with your cleaning provider in advance.
10. Don't Feel Embarrassed About the Condition of Your Home
This is perhaps the most important point of all.
Professional cleaners work in homes with different layouts, lifestyles, family situations and cleaning needs.
Some homes are meticulously maintained and simply need help staying that way.
Others haven't received a detailed cleaning in quite some time.
Some have children, pets, busy schedules or family circumstances that make regular housekeeping difficult.
That's perfectly normal.
You don't need to apologize for needing a cleaning service.
In fact, if you're preparing for an Initial Deep Clean, seeing the home's normal condition helps the cleaning company understand the work involved.
Cleaning everything before the team arrives can actually make it more difficult to assess the areas that need attention.
Our goal is to help you maintain a cleaner, more comfortable home, not to judge how you live in it.
Does Preparation Matter More for an Initial Deep Clean?
An Initial Deep Clean generally involves more detailed work than a recurring maintenance visit.
Your cleaning team may be addressing accumulated dust, bathroom buildup, kitchen residue, baseboards, trim and other areas that require additional attention.
Making these areas reasonably accessible can help the team focus on the detailed cleaning rather than spending time moving household belongings.
Once your home has been brought to an established level of cleanliness, recurring maintenance visits are designed to maintain that standard.
For recurring clients, the preparation process often becomes a simple routine that takes only a few minutes before each appointment.
What If You Don't Have Time to Prepare?
Life happens.
Sometimes you're running late, the kids have left toys everywhere, or you've had a particularly busy week.
Don't feel that you need to cancel your cleaning appointment simply because your home isn't perfectly organized.
Your cleaning team can generally work around ordinary household activity and clutter, although heavily obstructed areas may limit what can be cleaned during the scheduled visit.
If you anticipate a significant access issue or need to change the scope of your appointment, communicating with your cleaning company beforehand is always helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to vacuum before my house cleaners arrive?
No. Vacuuming is normally part of professional house cleaning. However, picking up clothing, toys and other belongings from the floor allows your cleaning team to vacuum more efficiently.
Should I clean my bathroom before the cleaners arrive?
Absolutely not. Cleaning bathrooms is one of the primary reasons homeowners hire professional cleaners. Simply remove personal belongings or other items that might prevent access to the surfaces included in your cleaning service.
Should I leave my house while it's being cleaned?
That's entirely up to you. Some homeowners prefer to be present, while others leave during the appointment. If you'll be away, make sure your cleaning company has the necessary access instructions.
What should I do with my pets?
Consider your pet's temperament and comfort around unfamiliar people and cleaning equipment. Some pets can remain in the home without any issues, while others may be more comfortable in a separate, secure location.
Do I need to provide cleaning supplies?
Most professional cleaning companies bring their own equipment and supplies. If you have special surface-care requirements or product preferences, discuss them with your cleaning provider beforehand.
Should I clean my house before an Initial Deep Clean consultation?
No. Seeing the home's normal condition allows the cleaning company to better evaluate the amount of work required and develop an estimate based on the actual property.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
Preparing for professional house cleaning doesn't need to be complicated.
A few simple steps, picking up clutter, making rooms accessible, securing pets when necessary and communicating your priorities, can help your cleaning team spend more time on the work you're hiring them to perform.
And remember, there's no need to clean before the cleaners arrive.
That's our job.
At Pristine Spaces Cleaning, we provide Initial Deep Cleaning and recurring residential cleaning throughout Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt.
If you're considering professional house cleaning, we'd be happy to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation to learn more about your home and the services you're looking for.
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About the Authors
Jeff & Alita Schaid are the co-owners of Pristine Spaces Cleaning, serving homeowners and businesses throughout Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt.
Through the Pristine Spaces Cleaning blog, they share practical cleaning information and straightforward advice to help Northern Arizona homeowners keep their homes clean, comfortable and easier to maintain.
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