What do I need to do before my cleaner starts!?

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We are going to be having a cleaner for a couple of hours on a fortnightly basis. We regularly hoover and tidy, but there are places that haven't been dusted for months and a couple of rooms are rather chaotic. I am wondering what I need to do before she starts, or will she just make a start on tackling the grim areas?! And how tidy do you leave rooms before your cleaner comes - obviously I know she'll need a clear floor to vacuum, but I just don't think I'm going to be able to tidy everywhere each time she comes. Thanks for any thoughts!

It depends on what you want her to do.
My cleaner does what I call the 'normal weekly clean' - so will vacuum around furniture, not move it. I think that is fairly typical.
For me, the fact the cleaner is coming is really good incentive to make me tidy. Before I had a cleaner, I'd quite often think 'I'll do that tomorrow', but now I know I have to shift stuff before she arrives or I'm wasting my money.
You could choose - if you prefer - to say 'This week, I want to do a really good deep clean of this room - I know you won't have time to do upstairs this week, but I'd rather focus on the living room and I'm going to move the furniture about, etc.'

I do tidy before my cleaner comes as I know it makes her job easier. But I have a largish house and a lot of crap! Some cleaners don't mind tidying but if there is a lot to do you might need to pay for a slightly longer clean. I don't clear every surface but for example I would try to organise paper into piles rather than leave it randomly strewn over the table. Empty dishwasher if you have one so you can get rid of dirty plates. Get your DH/kids to pick up their dirty clothes from the floor! That kind of thing.

Mine is very good at knowing what needs doing - corners are her thing! - but some need more guidance. If you want her to focus on the worst areas first, tell her. Don't be afraid to spell out your expectations. For example I have a cleaner because I have mobility issues - I can do a bit of dusting but I can't wash the floors or clean the bath. So she knows these things are a priority for her. Mine aims to do a 'deep clean' on one room a week.

If you haven't met yet and she hasn't seen the house, discuss at your first meeting what she thinks she can do in the time - is it enough time to do a quick clean everywhere and tackle one bad room? Don't expect miracles - it might not be possible to do a full clean on an untidy 4-bed in 2 hours, for example.