How to Prepare Your Home for Professional Cleaning

You do not need to clean before the cleaners arrive. But a little preparation makes a big difference to the result. When the team does not have to move piles of clothes, wash dishes or work around clutter, they spend their time on the cleaning you are paying for.

Here is a simple checklist for before, during and after a professional clean.

When you book: tell the team what matters

The most useful preparation happens at booking. Tell the cleaning company:

• The type of clean you want: regular, deep, move-in/out or a specific task.
• Your priorities: for example, the kitchen and bathrooms matter most, or the guest room needs to be ready for visitors.
• Extras: inside the oven, fridge or cupboards, balcony, interior windows.
• Delicate surfaces: marble, granite, wood floors, antique furniture, specialist finishes.
• Allergies or sensitivities in the household, and any products you prefer or want to avoid.
• Pets, and where they will be.
• Access arrangements: keys, gate, askari, parking and lift.
• Rooms not to enter.

The day before: a quick checklist

• Declutter surfaces. Clear worktops, tables and bedside tables so they can be wiped properly.
• Pick up from floors. Clothes, toys, shoes, bags and papers.
• Do the dishes or load the dish rack, unless washing up is part of the booking.
• Put away valuables. Jewellery, cash, documents and anything irreplaceable.
• Store fragile ornaments you would rather handle yourself.
• Empty bins if they are very full.
• Charge and tidy cables around desks and TVs.
• Confirm water and electricity are on.
• Leave out your preferred products if you want them used.

Pets

• Keep pets in a separate room, the garden or with someone else during the clean.
• Tell the team if a pet might escape through an open door or gate.
• Put away pet food and water bowls in the rooms being cleaned.
• Mention pet hair hotspots so extra time is allowed.

Children

• Keep young children away from areas being cleaned and products being used.
• Tell the team about any child-safety concerns, such as surfaces children touch or play on, so milder products can be used where appropriate.

Delicate surfaces and special items

Some materials are easily damaged by the wrong product:

During the clean

• Be available at the start to walk through priorities, even for a few minutes.
• If you stay home, try to keep out of the room being cleaned.
• Let the team know about anything new you notice.

After the clean

• Walk through the home and check it against the agreed checklist.
• Look at the areas that matter most to you first.
• If something in the agreed scope was missed, tell the company promptly. At Cleantique, we come back and put it right at no extra cost.
• Open windows for a while if strong products were used.

Preparing for specific types of clean

Deep clean

• Empty the fridge and oven if they are being cleaned inside.
• Clear the tops of wardrobes and cupboards if they are included.
• Move small furniture away from walls if you can.

Move-in or move-out clean

• Make sure the property is empty of furniture and boxes.
• Defrost the fridge the day before.
• Have the inventory or check-in photos available.

Cleaning before or after pest control

• If you are having pest control, ask which should come first. Cleaning after some treatments can remove the product that keeps working. A good company will sequence these for you.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be at home?

No, but it helps to be there at the start of the first clean. After that, many clients leave keys with a caretaker or askari.

Should I tidy before the cleaners come?

Tidy, yes; clean, no. Picking up clutter lets the team focus on cleaning.

What if I forget to mention something?

Tell the team when they arrive. If it is a quick task it can often be added; if it is larger, it may need to be scheduled separately.

Ready to book? Read about our residential cleaning service or request a quote.