How to Prepare Your Home Before Cleaners Arrive

Clear access, don't pre-clean

The single most useful thing you can do is clear surfaces. Dishes off the counter, items off the floor, and clutter off the spots you most want cleaned all help the team work efficiently. You don't need to clean before they arrive — that's precisely the job you're hiring out. Think "tidy enough to reach everything," not "spotless."

There's a practical reason this matters: time spent moving and sorting your belongings is time not spent cleaning. A cluttered counter either gets cleaned around (leaving dusty patches) or gets tidied by the cleaner (using time you're paying for). Ten minutes of clearing the night before gets you a better result.

One more small thing helps: spell out the handful of extras you want. If you'd like beds changed, leave fresh linens out where they're easy to find; if you'd like the dishwasher emptied or run, or the inside of a particular appliance done, say so. Naming these removes guesswork and means nothing you actually care about gets skipped.

Secure valuables and sensitive items

Put away cash, jewelry, important documents, and anything fragile or irreplaceable. This isn't about distrust — it's simply good practice that removes any ambiguity and protects delicate items from accidental damage. If you have items that are especially fragile or have sentimental value, either store them safely or point them out so they can be left alone.

The same goes for anything you'd rather a cleaner not handle, such as a home office with confidential paperwork. Closing a door or leaving a quick note is enough to set a clear boundary.

Plan for pets

Let the company know about pets ahead of time, including the type and temperament. On the day, many people find it easiest to secure pets in a crate, a closed room, or a yard, so cleaners can move freely and pets stay calm and safe — vacuums and unfamiliar people can stress even a friendly animal. It also prevents the classic problem of a pet slipping out an open door. Our pet-home cleaning guide has more detail.

Sort out entry instructions

Decide how cleaners will get in: you'll be home, a key, a code, or a lockbox. Share alarm details and the disarm procedure if relevant, and tell them where to park. If you won't be home, confirm all of this in advance so there's no delay, no missed visit, and no awkward phone call while the team waits outside.

Share your priority list

Tell the team what matters most to you — maybe it's the kitchen and bathrooms, maybe the floors, maybe a specific room you're hosting in this week. A short priority list helps them focus time where you'll actually notice the difference. If there are areas you'd rather they skip entirely, say so; a clear "please don't touch this" is just as useful as a to-do list.

Questions to confirm beforehand

Confirm what's included in the clean, any optional add-ons you want (like interior windows or inside the oven), supplies and product preferences, and the timing. Getting these straight up front avoids mismatched expectations on the day. When you request a quote, include these notes so the scope is clear from the very start — it makes the first visit run smoothly and sets the tone for every one after.

A quick night-before routine

If you want the smoothest possible visit, a ten-minute pass the night before covers almost everything: clear the kitchen counters and sink, pick up floors in the rooms you want cleaned, set out any products you'd like used, and jot a one-line note with your priorities and anything to skip. Put your pets' things by their safe spot so the morning isn't a scramble. None of this is cleaning — it's just removing obstacles so the people you've hired can get straight to work. Customers who do this consistently tend to be happiest with the results, because the team spends the full visit on surfaces rather than tidying around belongings.

Frequently asked questions