There's plenty of debate and dithering involved in the decision to book a professional cleaner. Can you afford it? Is the cost worth the time you get back? Just how clean does your home really need to be? How do you go about finding a cleaner you can trust?
Once you take the plunge, even more questions arise. What tasks can you expect a cleaner to tackle? Are you being rude if you shut yourself away in a room and don't come out for the entirety of your cleaner's shift? Just how much of a pre-cleaner clean do you need to do?
Stop the stressing – we're here with the answers. We asked a bunch of current and past professional cleaners for the exact etiquette rules they want everyone to know, with simple dos and don'ts.
Don't pretend your cleaner doesn't exist
Rebecca*, who cleans homes in London, frequently gets completely ignored by the people who book her. 'It's rude,' she says. 'We don't have to be best friends but you can at least learn my name, ask how I am, and have some light chit-chat. Even on a practical note, it helps to know I can talk to you and ask questions. I've had clients before who have literally not even said hello when I knocked on their door. I assumed they didn't want to be bothered so I had to do a lot of guesswork when it came to cleaning up.'
Do a walkthrough
'Something that’s maybe not so much rude but can be bad etiquette is not getting a walkthrough or having much communication from clients, especially for the first or first few cleans,' says Sara Aparacio, a cleaner at Homeaglow. 'Usually, these walkthroughs are a chance to see how the client likes things cleaned and done, and get an idea of how we are going to communicate and build up a rapport – especially if they’ve booked a number of bookings.
'For one-off cleans, this can be a bit harder, but I still appreciate a walkthrough so I can better plan what needs cleaning and ask any questions that come to mind as I see what needs doing and the layouts.'
What to read next
Also, while you're doing your walkthrough, don't forget to show your cleaner where the toilet is – even if you've only booked them to clean the kitchen. There are few things worse than desperately needing the loo and having no clue where to find it.
Offer your cleaner a drink
Offering up a hot drink and giving your cleaner access to water is a basic etiquette essential. 'One of the best ways to show appreciation for a cleaner, and a sign of good etiquette towards a cleaner, is to offer them a drink or show us where we can make one during our shift,' Sara shares. 'I’m not saying it needs to be lavish hospitality, but a simple coffee or tea before I start and an offer of where to make or get a drink just helps to create a sense of professional hospitality, and I guess respect, for us as cleaners.'
Stock up
On that note, make sure you have what's needed to make the drink you've offered up. Teabags, sugar, milk, coffee... 'I really appreciate when my regulars have asked what I like to drink and got the right stuff in,' says Rebecca. 'I try not to judge, but I've had clients who offer me tea and then only have rubbish oat milk that goes all weird in the mug. Or they have a fancy coffee machine but only give me the instant, which feels a bit mean. My favourite house to clean is the one where I get to make myself a really good latte.'
Don't leave a week's worth of washing up
Is the washing up a job for the cleaner? This is a surprisingly divisive topic. What all the cleaners we spoke to could agree on is that you shouldn't assume that washing up dishes is a given. Enrique Gonzalez, an expert house cleaner and the founder of Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, tells us: 'If cleaning the dishes was not a part of the original agreement, I personally wouldn't expect a cleaner to take care of all of the dirty dishes found in the sink.'
If you have a cleaner booked in for a weekly visit, asking for the dishes from the night before is probably fair enough. But not washing a single plate or piece of cutlery between your cleaner's visits is poor form. 'When it comes to dishes, most cleaners feel that a normal day's worth, or something like that, is fine, but piling up a whole week's worth is something I tend to view as quite rude, or at the very least a bit “off”,' says Sara. She also notes that rather than dumping plates in the sink to 'soak', it's better to leave them on the side.
Please flush the toilet
Kelly Clark, managing director of Prime Cleaning Group, urges: 'This is one of those unspoken rules that perhaps shouldn’t need saying! There’s a big difference between employing someone to clean your toilet and expecting them to deal with what you’ve deliberately left in it. An unflushed toilet waiting for the cleaner isn’t part of the job – it’s basic courtesy to flush it first.'
You don't need to clean before the cleaner arrives, but you should tidy up
'You do not need to clean before the cleaner arrives, but picking up clothing, toys, paperwork and personal belongings helps us spend paid time actually cleaning,' says Chris Castlebury, co-owner and operations manager of Two Flags CP Cleaning Co.
Kelly explains that this is less of a politeness thing, and more an issue of getting your money's worth and saving time. 'If a cleaner spends the first 30 minutes of a two-hour visit picking up clothes, toys and belongings, that’s 30 minutes they can’t spend actually cleaning. Your home certainly doesn’t need to be spotless before we arrive, but giving us access to the areas you want cleaned makes a huge difference.'
Let your cleaner control the music
It's tempting to blast tunes through the house, but bear in mind that not everyone shares your music taste. Rebecca advises giving your cleaner control of the speakers or radio, or if you're playing music while you work, don't have it on so loud that it can't be shut out. 'Also, once a homeowner told me off for wearing headphones while I worked,' she adds. 'Don't do that. I need some background noise to do my best work.'
A list of priorities – or just a conversation – is helpful
How you define a clean house might be different to how your cleaner does. You also might have certain must-dos – say, the shower tiles need extra attention or your oven needs scrubbing ahead of a dinner party. The consensus is: tell your cleaner what you want rather than assuming expectations are magically understood.
'Just be open and honest with each other,' Enrique says. 'Probably the largest issue with communication arises from not clearly discussing expectations. If you have specific requests that you'd prefer be performed differently, let me know. I'd much rather know ahead of time than for you to become upset after my visit.'
'We actually love a task list,' agrees Kelly. 'We have our own standard cleaning task sheet, but that can never be completely tailored to every individual home because every client and every property is different. A task list tells us what matters to that particular client. Some people who have never had a cleaner before will start with our standard list and then adapt it as they get used to the service, while others know exactly what they want from day one.'
Have reasonable expectations
'The only thing I would say is that a task list shouldn't automatically be treated as a list that must all be completed in one visit,' continues Kelly. 'What can realistically be achieved depends on how long the cleaner is booked for and the condition of the home that day. We'd much rather a cleaner does the work properly than rush through everything just to tick every box.' If you've only booked a cleaner for an hour, there's no way they'll be able to make your entire house sparkle. If you're not sure on how much time is needed for what you want to be done, just ask beforehand.
It's fine to stay home or leave, just let the cleaner know
If you're heading out, tell your cleaner whether you'll be back before they go, or if they should just leave when they're done. If you're staying in, give your cleaner a heads up of where you're hanging out and if you want them to clean that room. Working from home: also fine. Just communicate your needs.
'When I’m working for a client who works from home, it’s always helpful to know where they’ll be working and whether I need to be mindful of making noise or being in the background,' says Sara. 'I don’t want to interrupt them while they’re working, so it can be helpful to know if they’re going to be in ahead of time and whether they have any calls or meetings that I should be aware of, as that way I can try to plan my cleaning not to disturb them as much.'
Give your cleaner space to work
Every cleaner we spoke to agreed: following around is the worst, whether you're a silent observer or a critical backseat driver. Leave the professionals to do their work! 'Staying home is fine,' explains Chris. 'but following the cleaner from room to room or repeatedly checking their work makes the job slower and more uncomfortable.'
'If a client is in while I’m cleaning, one thing I and most other cleaners appreciate is having room to work and get on with the job, without our client watching us from the doorway or being in the main rooms as we clean,' agrees Sara.
Try to tackle any messes involving body fluids before your cleaner arrives
Or give them advance warning. 'If there’s blood, urine, faeces, vomit, needles or anything else that could present a health risk, tell your cleaner before they discover it,' says Kelly. 'Nobody should unexpectedly encounter a potential biohazard during an ordinary domestic clean. It may require different PPE, products or procedures.'
Hide away any personal items
'I don't want to have to pick up your sex toys,' says Rebecca. Which seems entirely fair.
Give a heads up about pets
Yes, to ensure your cleaner isn't highly allergic to pet hair or terrified of dogs, but also because they might be animal lovers. 'Some of our cleaners actually arrive with treats,' says Kelly. 'If we’re going to be in a home every week or fortnight, we want the pets to become comfortable with us, too,' says Kelly. We’ve had cleaners build lovely relationships with clients’ animals – although owners should always tell us if a pet is nervous or reactive.'
Plus, be realistic about the challenges your pets could present. Chris advises: 'Pets should be secured if they are anxious, aggressive, likely to escape or constantly underfoot.'
If you're working from home, be reasonable about noise levels
'Clients sometimes forget we are there to do a job for them, and that cleaning can be noisy,' says Sara. 'So I appreciate it when a client understands that I might (and likely will) make noise as I clean their home, and either schedules work/calls outside my window or takes a break from working while I’m cleaning.'
Don't immediately ruin the cleaner's work
Wait for your cleaner to leave before you burst back into the kitchen and cover the countertops in splatters of oil and tomato sauce. 'It can feel disheartening to clean a room and then see our client create a mess right after we’ve finished,' Sara shares. 'As cleaners, we know and expect things will be used and become messy, but when a client undoes what we’ve just cleaned in front of us, it doesn’t feel great and often leaves us feeling like we have to go back in and clean again. Likewise, adding tasks to the room list and cleaning tasks at the end of the shift is a real bugbear for many cleaners.'
If you're picky about products, source your own
'I get so annoyed when I'm midway through cleaning and the homeowner comes in and doesn't like the smell of the bleach I'm using,' says Rebecca. 'If you've got preferences about certain products to use, you should buy them in beforehand. Or give your cleaner an advanced heads up and make sure materials are covered in the payment.'
Tips and gifts aren't expected, but they're always appreciated
'Like with most services, we as cleaners greatly appreciate tips from our clients, especially when we go the extra mile or feel we have done an excellent job,' says Sara. 'I’ve certainly had times when I’ve cleaned up after clients' large parties or other messy situations. I’ve had to go the extra mile and keep the result to a high standard, so when a client sees this and shows their appreciation with a tip, I am hugely grateful.
'When it comes to tipping, it can vary. If a client has only booked one or a few cleans, it’s often good etiquette to tip after each clean; at least that’s how I tend to show appreciation. Meanwhile, my long-term weekly or bi-weekly clients often give a larger tip closer to the end of the year or over the holidays. I really appreciate those larger tips, especially during the more expensive times of the year.
'Some clients in the past have left treats of little gifts as thank yous, and these are often really appreciated – even more so when they’re left to say thank you before a birthday or special occasion.'
*Rebecca's name has been changed.
