If you have a cleaner. . ..

[Nostrings457]

After a year of debating, I have a cleaner starting tomorrow. Now I'm freaking out thinking I need to clean the house before she comes and what will she think of X Y and Z rooms. I'm on the verge of cancelling because Im shattered and can't face getting ready for her arrival. AIBU, do you make a 'good impression' for cleaner comong first time?

Don’t have a cleaner but my parents had ones growing up, I was always told she’s paid to clean not tidy. I would stick with that if I had one

As long as there's nothing to trip over, or active fires in the middle of your living room, you should be fine. Just explain clearly the standards you expect and rota in seasonal or monthly jobs like skirting boards, cupboards etc (I've never had a cleaner though so I might just be talking mince)

Most cleaners have seen it all before. Common sense should prevail. Ie don't leave dirty underwear where they will have to pick it up ! Flush the loos and if there's poop on the loo it's a curtsey to brush it off. Ie leave it how you would be happy to start cleaning.

Don't clean. Just tidy.

So put your dishes away, pick up toys, move anything that's cluttering the sides etc. Don't clear it all away just neaten it up so they can get to the surfaces to clean.

What are you asking them to do? They will want to know and don't be shy! List in priority order.

My priority order is floors including stairs, then bathrooms, big bedroom, kitchen, hallways, smaller bedrooms then inside of windows, utility and any other rooms they have time for.

Agree. I always try to tidy up before they come.

I try to tidy before my cleaner comes and that helps me keep on top of things knowing that I want to do this. I definitely don't clean before her arrival.

You need to clear up and tidy the areas you expect them to clean, you don't need to clean! I always made sure that any excess washing up (that didn't fit in the dishwasher) was put away and coffee table wasn't completely buried under DD's books etc

Thanks - its all tidy but have been working from home for 5 months with 3 DC so its overdue some TLC. I'm hadnt really thought about specifics, I just want her to clean. Should i write a list? Not sure how it works?

My priorities are always kitchen and bathroom, just give them a rough idea and I'm sure they will be able to figure the rest out.

You should leave it the way you would normally expect to - don't start out super tidy and slide as it'll be hard to gauge how much she can do on the time.

Our cleaner tidies and cleans, we adjust the time accordingly. To be honest it doesn't really matter to me what she's doing, so long as she's saving me time - so I'd rather pay her to tidy than be forced to spend time tidying just so I can have someone clean.

I need help with the tidying not cleaning. So I specifically hire a ‘housekeeper’ who tidies, does laundry etc as well as cleaning. I used to have to spend 5 hours tidying before the cleaner got here and I could have just cleaned at the same time and was exhausted. So it is a housekeeper or not worth it to me.

Yes write a list, think about what you want doing and how regularly. What are your top priorities and what are your nice to haves if she has time etc.
As others have said just make sure its tidy, I used to worry because ds is a crumb machine but now I just dont stress it

I put away dishes in kitchen, clear the sides of any food that needs throwing away.

Tidy up so the floors are clear that I want her to mop / hoover.

Bathroom I just clear up any dirty clothes etc off the floor.

I generally put away the mountain of clean washing that lives in the spare room (out of embarrassment so she thinks we don’t live like people off “extreme hoarders”)

She comes in and cleans kitchen surfaces / cooker / empties the kitchen bin / mops floors / does sink area. She mops / sweeps downstairs, hoovers upstairs, cleans the bathroom.

Every so often I ask her to clean the inside of the fridge.

OP if you are panicking/thinking it’s more effort than it’s worth - don’t cancel, just reduce the scale.

Maybe this time s/he can do the kitchen, bathroom and living room. Throw everything in the other rooms and say they don’t need doing this time.

It gets easier. At first it’s hard because you don’t know what to expect. Agree with a PP that the tidying is actually a massive part of it! It’s good because it forces you to be tidy, but it can feel relentless.

OP - cleaners clean and tidy/arrange things nicely. Sit down and relax. You're paying someone else to do it!

I've not had a cleaner for years - but did when I was working long hours/longish commute/studying as well as working.
I found that the knowledge she was coming every week made me a lot better at keeping things tidy. (eventually, once I'd settled into a routine) Definitely worth it.

Thanks @ghostcurry thats a good idea. I may get her to do downstairs this week and add in upstairs next week. I really dont mind the tidying, its the proper cleaner I detest! Housework is the root of (nearly) all arguements with DH so it is a needs must. He would happily never clean even if I dont do it, I end up doing it but its feel like a relentless thankless task

No need to clean but you need to make sure the place is tidy. It's not the cleaners job to pick up dirty clothes off the floor, put toys away etc... surfaces and floors should be clear so they can clean easily.

No I don't try and make a good impression. I tidy as much as I can, I pay well, I make tea and coffee etc. But I have a cleaner because I cannot clean (toddler and FT job).

I generally have to spend an hour tidying before the cleaner comes, but I am naturally a slob, so compulsory tidying every week is a good thing.

My cleaner came for extra time the first couple of weeks to get things up to her standards, and then after that it's a lot easier to keep on top of. Equally, just doing the downstairs the first time will probably work.

Mine does standard stuff every time (dusting, hoovering, cleaning the bathroom and kitchen) and then specific stuff when I ask her to - so the sheets every other week and then will do the washing machine drawer, or clean the oven or the fridge etc which I ask her to do on rotation. I did them the first time as (being a slob) they hadn't been done for another 6 months and I thought that was too grim for words, and then she now keeps on top of them.

I never try to make a good impression but the house is always generally tidy, I just let her crack on, and seldom to never give instructions. I just leave the clean bed sheets out for her. Past that she comes in, does her job, leaves.

I’ve said this on a few threads but a good relationship with a cleaner is about fit.

My friend is very house proud, always very tidy and no clutter. Cleaner goes in and dusts, hoovers, cleans kitchen cupboards and give bathrooms a really good clean.

My cleaner tidies a bit and just sees what needs doing. I’m disorganised as hell and my house is a tip. I tidy a bit but usually am too knackered to do much else.

She’s a fucking godsend.

Personally I just get my cleaner to do the ‘main’ rooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room. These rooms tend to be tidy all the time so the cleaner can just clean. No way would I let her do the bedrooms or office I couldn’t guarantee they would be tidy enough for her to clean, it’s much less stressful!

I tidy up; sometimes that means chucking DHs floordrobe on the bed so she can hoover or neatly piling washing up on the side. I also have a quick check of the loos just to make sure they’re okay and resist the temptation to actually clean them before she comes. The fact that I know she’s coming makes me out stuff away that might have been sat out for a week so it’s generally made our house tidier too.

I tidy sometimes. Not all the time, sadly!

I also throw bleach down the loos the morning before so that it’s had a decent time there before she comes.