Cleaning up before the cleaner comes?

 I try to keep my house tidy. Please note that cleaners should have a clause in their contract stating that they are not responsible for breakage—your valuable curio things, etc. Most do not move to clean behind stacks of boxes. Some will not clean or dust collectibles. They will work around the mess.

I keep my home “picked up” because I like it that way.

But, if you need help in keeping the home clean, doing the simple things like putting dirty clothes where they belong, dishes in the dishwasher and cabinets, putting up clean clothes, and making the bed. It gives a neat appearance without the house being cleaned.

When you are paying a cleaner, doesn’t it make sense to do the easy things for yourself and let them do the things you cannot or don’t want to do? They budget a certain amount of time to work in your house. If they spend their time picking up after you (i.e., I’m picturing a slob here in my head), how much of the nick picking actual cleaning do they have time to do? You know, under the bed, behind the furniture, in the corners, large surfaces, etcetera!

Discuss what you want the cleaner to clean in the house, office, or building. Some specialize in certain things.

For instance, you might want the carpet cleaner to come after a spring cleaning so that everything is dusted and tidied.

Window washing is usually specialized, too, especially outside the house.

There are cleaners for renovation projects and those that clean after a tenant leaves.

Clean is

• dirty clothing/linen/towels in hampers
• clean clothing in drawers/baskets/closets
• shoes in shoe racks
• fully dusted and polished furniture
• all those curios in the open or behind glass dusted or cleaned
• the floors swept/vacuumed/mopped—under, around, and behind the furniture [including the beds]
• the insides of the windows sparkling and the sills and area above the drapes vacuumed
• vacuum drape and blinds too
• side tables cleared, cleaned/polished
• kitchen table and counters cleared
• dishes in dishwasher or drainer or put away
• surface cleaning of all appliances, including both large and small
• behind the fridge and washer dryer vacuumed
• range hood cleaned-filter too
• cabinet doors, surrounding wood, handles cleaned
• backsplashes cleaned
• counters cleaned
• ceiling corners vacuumed
• fans vacuumed or cleaned
• light fixtures dusted if needed
• sinks cleaned-kitchen and bathroom
• fixtures cleaned
• trash cans emptied, washed, lined
• baseboards cleaned
• tubs and showers cleaned
• commodes cleaned
• all nooks and crannies cleaned
• inside of washer and dryer cleaned
• inside of dishwasher clean
• doorknobs cleaned
• the inside of the fridge and its shelves cleaned and expired food trashed—no science experiments here

Leaving this post with a side note: Date leftover foods when you put them into the fridge with the pull date. Anything not dated gets tossed.

Have a calendar on the fridge door. Dates on a dish don’t matter if the contents are moldy or stink or the container is not sealed. Things will get tossed—including the gross container.