It's a Good Idea to Pre-Clean Before a Professional Cleaning Service Arrives?
Clean or Clutter? The Great Pre-Cleaning Debate
When it comes to welcoming guests into your home, you'd toil away to give the place a sparkle, right? But what if it's not your guests visiting... but a professional cleaning service? Well, let's dive into a messy discussion that's stirring the domestic world.
A user on Reddit posed an interesting question: should you pre-clean when hiring a professional service? The user and her husband are at odds on this matter. Her habit is to tidy up the joint - stashing clutter, doing laundry, washing dishes, and changing bedding - before the cleaner sets foot in their abode. Her approach is that cleaners should concentrate on the deep clean (vacuuming, mopping, and window cleaning), focusing on areas she either lacks the time or dislikes tackling.
The husband, however, thinks she's jumping the gun. According to him, the hired help should be handling these tasks, and the prep work she does is redundant.
Opinions flowed like a tidal wave on the post. "Most cleaners won't even touch clutter," one person wrote. "If you leave everything messy, they can only clean what isn't covered by clutter, which is both less thorough and takes more time." Another commenter echoed the sentiment: "They only have X time. If they have to spend it maneuvering around your clutter, they won't have time to clean the baseboards. And even if you're cleaning the sink and toilet, that means they have more time to tackle some other aspect of it."
A majority of the respondents agreed with the initial poster, defending her position of tidying up before a cleaning service arrives. Even a professional cleaner weighed in, stating that clients should clear the clutter beforehand. "I prefer (and honestly expect) my clients to declutter," they commented. "There's a difference between a lot of picture frames on a table versus junk,' they noted, emphasizing that they're a cleaner, not an organizer."
When it comes to home tidying, a bit of preparation can go a long way. Here's a breakdown: decluttering is essential because cleaners can focus on deep cleaning instead of organizing your belongings. A tidy space allows thorough dusting, vacuuming, and sanitizing. Moreover, professionals usually expect clients to clear clutter to maximize cleaning effectiveness, and tackling the chores yourself might save you time and money.
However, you don't need to deep clean before the cleaner arrives, so avoid pre-vacuuming, scrubbing, or polishing. Professionals won't handle hazardous areas like mold, pests, or extreme heights, so address these beforehand if needed.
For the ultimate tidy game, stick to a quick clean-up before the pros arrive (tidy away toys, clothes, and dishes), clear surfaces, and specify your priority areas (e.g., guest bedrooms) for the cleaners.
And remember, post-cleaning, you should communicate any overlooked spots immediately to resolve them. A clutter-free home guarantees that your cleaners will invest their time and energy in deep cleaning rather than organizing!
- Martha Stewart, a professional in home and garden lifestyle, would likely agree that pre-cleaning is essential before hiring a professional cleaning service, allowing them to focus on deep cleaning instead of organizing clutter.
- Before the cleaning organizing service arrives, it is important to declutter, as a tidy space enables thorough dusting, vacuuming, and sanitizing, leading to a more effective deep clean.
- While cleaners should be responsible for tasks like vacuuming, mopping, and window cleaning, homeowners might save time and money by handling clutter removal beforehand to maximize the cleaning service's efficiency.
- In discussions about home-and-garden news, opinions are divided on whether homeowners should pre-clean when hiring a professional service, like the user on Reddit experienced when her husband disagreed with her pre-cleaning practice.
- If you're awaiting home garden news on what areas to focus on for pre-cleaning, don't feel the need to pre-vacuum, scrub, or polish, but rather, simply tidy away toys, clothes, and dishes, clear surfaces, and specify priority areas for the cleaners to attend to.
