Over the years, I've had situations come up that I think I should start sharing.
Perhaps you're booking your cleaner to come in just before you move into a new home. Maybe you've purchased, or already own, a rental and would like a good cleaning before you or your tenants move in.
That's great! but please have the renovations and any other work done before you have the cleaning done. I don't much like cleaning around service people. It doesn't make sense to have the cleaner there while carpet installers, painters, plumbers or electricians are there. We're in each others' way and the contractors usually create dust and debris so it takes longer and it's frustrating for everyone.
I've cleaned cupboards, blinds, ovens and nasty refrigerators and other areas of a house and then am told don't bother, they will be getting replaced or renovated. So please communicate those things to your cleaning person too.
Do I still charge for that? Yes. I do.
But I feel bad about it and am usually disappointed that I had to do way more work than I needed to in order to get the job done. It could be several hours of work at $40 per hour that you didn't have to pay for if I would've known that I didn't need to clean it.
If you're booking a clean for the first time, it's nice to know if there isn't any parking near your front door. Or if I have to trudge through a foot of snow or slip and slide on ice to get to your door.
I'm carrying a few pounds of supplies and equipment and falling down isn't something that thrills me. I may need to grab my cart for transporting supplies from my vehicle to your house or apartment. It would just be nice to know this prior to showing up for your clean.
I should remember to ask more questions but most customers will give me details such as if they have several hairy pets or a dog that bites.
I love cats and dogs but often, more so with dogs that may be adopted or rescued, pets may have a sketchy past. The pets may be well-behaved and loving in the home with their family but if someone who comes into the home waving tools around and making noise with the vacuum cleaner, they might mistake me for someone who might hit them with my duster as they see it as a weapon.
"My dog wouldn't hurt a fly" turns into "Yes, but they may hurt a housekeeper".
This is my workplace. Would you work somewhere that has a dog standing in front of you and growling or barking and the owner is nowhere around to control its behavior?
Another request that I'd like to make on behalf of house cleaners, is that if you're going on vacation or some other reason that you need to cancel and you know well ahead of time, let me know as soon as you can. I can then try to find other work. I realize sometimes things change last minute and I'm up for switching gears quickly but if you know in summer that you're going to Mexico in Winter, please let me know at least a few weeks or days prior. I have several clients that I sporadically clean for that I could pop into your spot but even they usually need at least a few days notice.
I get it if there's an emergency or someone is really sick and that's understandable.
Many times I can still come into your home and clean extra things while you're away too. I have had many clients whom I've done more deeper cleaning--wiping out cupboards, moving furniture to vacuum behind if I can, cleaning light fixtures, washing walls or whatever else I generally don't do during a regular cleaning.
Being told so last minute of a cancellation leaves me with no way to find more work and I like having a moderately full work schedule. It's my paycheck.
Empty shampoo bottles and other containers in a bath or shower area is another waste of time and money. Any house cleaner likes to be efficient and the bathroom is one of those rooms in most homes that takes awhile if it's is a well used room. I don't know if there's still a tiny bit of conditioner that bottle you'd like to use up or for some other reason you're keeping the empty soap container, so I move everything out of the shower or bath area, clean, then move everything back into the area where you had it. It would just be a lot better if empty containers are removed prior to cleaning.
If it's too frustrating to clean a particular house or dealing with the clients, housekeepers tend to quit or be unreliable as they're feeling disrespected. I definitely feel disrespected if I'm in the process of washing floors and someone walks in the house with dirty shoes and walks right in front of me. Or worse, they leave pet waste for when I show up.
These are just a few things that I wonder if people even realize they may be stressing their housecleaners with. I hear people say that their housekeeper just quit one day. Lots of things go through my mind when I hear that. Housecleaners like to make their clients happy but they also have standards to make their job efficient. Was the housekeeper unreasonable or did things in the household make them throw up their hands and quit.
The ideal house cleaning job would be
-I am able to park in front of the property or at least a heads up where I may park
-the home is tidied up the best they can. I don't know where things go and you probably don't want to pay me to look around the house and find "homes" for items.
-I have clear instructions on what to focus on and areas that don't always need that much attention
-animals are friendly or secured or not in the house when I'm scheduled to be there
-nobody is home or at least in another area for most of the time I'm there
-I can lock-up when I leave
-payment is prompt, preferably same day
I give everyone the benefit of the doubt but if I'm uncomfortable cleaning somewhere, it makes for a miserable time for me even if I get paid promptly and things are tidied.
So what are some things I've missed? whether you hire a cleaning service or you are a house cleaner?
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