What to do before your cleaner arrives
July 29, 2026
You are not expected to tidy before a cleaner comes. But a few minutes spent on the right things changes how much of the visit goes into actual cleaning.
Worth doing
- Clear the surfaces you want cleaned. A worktop covered in post and chargers gets wiped around, not under. This is the single biggest difference.
- Say where things live. Nobody can put away what they cannot place, so anything unfamiliar ends up in a neat pile.
- Point out what matters most. If the bathroom is the priority and the spare room is not, say so at the start. Time gets spent where you want it rather than spread evenly.
- Mention anything fragile or particular. A marble worktop, a delicate floor finish, a surface that reacts badly to certain products.
Not worth doing
Do not pre-clean. Wiping the bathroom before a cleaner arrives means paying someone to clean a clean bathroom. Leave it.
If you will be out
Leave a note with priorities and anything to avoid, make sure access is straightforward, and keep your phone reachable for the first ten minutes. Almost every question comes up at the start.
Materials
If you have chosen the option without materials, leave out what you would like used. Homes with stone worktops, treated wood or specific allergies are usually better served by their own products.