Every week, clients ask me the same question: "Should I clean before you come?"
The short answer is no — you're paying us to clean, after all. But the longer, more honest answer is: how you prepare your home directly determines how much value you get from your service.
Let me walk you through exactly what helps, what doesn't matter, and what actually makes things harder for your cleaners. This is knowledge from cleaning hundreds of Maryland homes, and it will save you money and get you a much better clean.
The 15-Minute Pre-Cleaning Routine
Here's the simple truth: if you spend 15 minutes tidying up before your cleaner arrives, you get about 45 minutes of extra deep cleaning value. That's a great return.
What you're doing is separating "organizing" from "cleaning." Cleaners can clean — but they shouldn't have to organize your kids' toys or decide where your mail goes. Save those minutes and let us focus on what matters.
✅ What to do 15 minutes before we arrive
What You DON'T Need to Do
Now for the fun part — the things people think they need to do but really don't.
❌ Save your energy — skip these
Should You Be Home When the Cleaners Arrive?
This is completely your choice, and there's no wrong answer.
If you prefer to be home: Great. Just let us do our thing. You don't need to entertain us or feel like you have to be in the same room. Work, relax, take a walk — whatever you'd normally do.
If you prefer to be out: Also great. Many of our recurring clients give us a key, a garage code, or a lockbox code. We text you when we arrive and when we leave. You come home to a clean house without any interruption to your day.
About 70% of our recurring clients aren't home during the cleaning. They set up a system (lockbox, key, code) with us during the first visit and after that, everything runs smoothly. Coming home to a clean house at the end of a workday is one of the small daily luxuries our clients love most.
What About Pets?
We're a pet-friendly service and love working in homes with dogs, cats, and other animals. But here's practical advice from experience:
For most dogs: They can stay in the home during the cleaning. Let us know their names and personalities in advance so we can be prepared. If your dog is territorial or anxious, consider crating them or keeping them in a specific room.
For cats: Cats usually hide when strangers come — that's fine. Just make sure they have access to their food, water, and litter box.
For any anxious pet: Vacuum sounds can be stressful. If you know your pet is nervous, consider taking them for a walk or giving them a quiet room with the door closed while we work.
Please share your pet's name, personality, and any specific concerns. This helps us do our best work while keeping your pet comfortable. It also lets us bring extra care for pet-related messes we can address.
The Communication Tip That Changes Everything
Here's the single most valuable thing you can do to get a great clean every time:
Tell us what matters most to you.
Every household has priorities. Some clients care most about spotless bathrooms. Others care about the kitchen. Some have a specific area (a play room, a home office) that matters most. Others want us to focus on removing pet hair.
If you tell us your priorities — especially during the first few cleanings — we adjust everything to focus there. We'd rather give you an exceptional clean on the areas you care about than a generic checklist clean of your whole home.
Text or email us before the cleaning with something like: "Focus extra on the bathrooms this week — we're hosting family Saturday." That one line completely changes how we approach your visit. We love these messages.
Special Situations to Prepare For
A few situations that need extra preparation:
Right after moving in: If you just moved in, cardboard boxes and furniture-moving debris can be everywhere. Let us know so we can plan extra time.
After a party or event: Let us know if there was a party the day before. We'll adjust our approach to handle the extra mess (kitchens tend to be worst).
Illness in the household: If someone's been sick, please let us know. We take extra care with disinfection and can bring different products for high-touch surfaces.
Home construction or repairs: If contractors have been in your home recently, expect construction dust. Mention this ahead of time so we can bring the right equipment.
The Bottom Line
Preparing for cleaners doesn't require much effort. Just:
1. Pick up clutter so we can access surfaces
2. Put valuables away for peace of mind
3. Communicate your priorities and any special situations
4. Let us know about pets so we can be prepared
That's it. Everything else, we handle. The 15 minutes you spend on this preparation translates directly into a better clean for your family.
If you're a new client and want to learn more about what your first cleaning will look like, check out our guide on what to expect during your first professional cleaning.