How clean does the house have to be before cleaner arrives?

[CanadianJohn]

I'm considering getting a cleaner. However, there is quite a lot of clutter... the house is too big for me, and 'stuff' just tends to accumulate on any horizontal surface.

For example, there is a built in bookcase... six shelves, which seem to have acquired a couple of vases, an ashtray holding paperclips, a photograph or two, etc.

I can hardly expect a cleaner to sort/tidy an accumulation like that! But is I take everything off the shelves, and tidy it away somewhere, then I may as well dust or wash the shelves, so what is there for the cleaner to do.

I'm a bit lost, as you can tell.

I make sure all sides and surfaces are clear - things like bookshelves she’ll do a surface dust but once every now and then i’ll pull it all out and dust thoroughly.
i don’t have any ornaments and there are no ‘piles’ of stuff. Beds and made,
clothes are all away, toilets have no marks in them, bins are empty, kitchen is clear from washing up and general detritus.
It looks tidy so she can clean.

They'll usually come visit you and give you their own assessment of what's possible in a one, two or three hourly clean.

We try and keep main walkways clear but then it's hit and miss as to what the teens have left lying around. They work efficiently and clean all of the major areas that matter most- deep cleaning bathrooms, kitchen etc

It's wonderful to come home to once a fortnight!

Our cleaners come every other week. We tidy everything up, make sure the only thing on surfaces are the things that actually belong there. Sometimes I will have clean laundry in a basket that needs to be put away but everything else is tidy and ready for them to clean.

They deep clean everything, and will even straighten up inside of kitchen and bathroom drawers and cupboards. We have a place for everything in our cupboards, and we use a lot of labels and baskets so its easy to know where things go. I even use hanging labels in our closets so its clear what item of clothing goes where (like a label that says where shirts are hung, jeans, etc).

I noticed that last week they straightened up inside of our pantry, making sure that all products were lined up nicely and inside of their correct basket.

Our cleaners also empty all rubbish bins too so we don't worry about taking those out prior to a clean.

Essentially, we spent about a week purging and organsing prior to hiring our cleaners and we do quick room purges often to stay on top of things and that makes it easier for them to clean (and actually, our cleaners have made it clear that that need to be done so they can do the job they are hired to do).

Oh and we make it clear to our toddlers that they need to help tidy before the cleaners come, they put their toys and books away, etc.

There's cleaning then there's tidying. I think you need a sort out first, this then clears surfaces to be cleaned and then kept clean.

I never tidy before the cleaner comes. That's a British lower-middle-class hang-up widely explained on Mn as being sensible because the cleaner is 'paid to clean'. Really it's some kind of inner conflict about paying someone to scrub your toilets, or see your messy house..

My cleaner is paid (well) to clean in the circumstances pertaining in my house at any point, and we've only ever changed cleaners when moving house. Just explain when you are hiring someone that they will be dealing with your house as it is.

Thanks for all your comments. I'm pretty untidy, but I think I can improve. About 50 years, I lived in a tiny apartment, and everything had a place. Not that I had much, back then.

I can see I gotta get rid of some of this 'stuff' that we've acquired over 47 years together. I've already donated the Egyptian stuff (which I thought was tacky), and the wedgewood, and I have someone coming to get the Royal Doulton.

I've still got to deal with the African stuff and the Chinese stuff, and there's still lots of miscellaneous 'oriental' stuff, and don't get me started on the books, the books, the books.

Probably next month I'll be posting "all these shelves look bare, what can I put on them". 😀

Oh I never tidy before. She comes and tidys for me, then cleans. She could probably clean more in that time, but I prefer help with the tidying tbh.

you would be best off enquiring and asking if they are happy to tidy as well as clean. Some are and some aren’t

I think this is too prescriptive. I mean, I don't usually leave things lying all over the floor etc - pick up clothes and toys, put things that need to be put away etc. But if the bookshelf routinely has a couple of picture frames and an ashtry and (in our case) random tubs of pencils/markers/craft stuff - that's where they go, albeit it's a bit messy - and the cleaner just moves it as she needs to. Just like she moves the things on the windowsill which are purposefully kept there on display.

what I wouldn't expect is for them to move piles of random shit all over the house so that they can clean behind them or whatever.

I also never tidy before the cleaner comes.

After a few weeks you find you start leaving your clutter the way the cleaner likes it anyway so you just get tidier.

For 'stuff' that gets out of hand I have a grand de-clutter of each room once a year. The first year is the worst.

Getting a cleaner has encouraged us to be more tidy

I say 'us'

What happens is I have to say 'dont forget the cleaner is coming tomorrow, these things need to be tidied'

And then he'll begrudgingly do it, but he wouldnt if it was just me asking/telling without the threat of the cleaner

Its worth it just for that, even though its completely irrational.

Do you live in the British Museum!!

I worked as a cleaner whilst I was a student, the only thing that really made me 'ineffective' was piles of clutter, as I'd move a pile, dust/ wipe, and then shift the pile back, but it was much harder to do a thorough job with piles of clutter everywhere! Nothing else bothered me, sometimes washing up was left and I'd ask if they wanted me to wash, dry and put away, or just work round it.
My favourite jobs were the ones where I was left a list, so I could just work through the jobs. Although sometimes the hours and amount on the 'to do' wasn't humanly possible!

My house is reasonably tidy anyway.
I make sure the kitchen surfaces are clear.
I make sure the toilet bowl is clean, no one is paid enough to clean up someone else's skid marks.