How to Prepare Your Home for Professional Cleaners

You've booked a professional cleaning service—smart move. But here's something most people don't realize: a little prep work on your end can make a huge difference in what we're able to accomplish during our visit.

After cleaning hundreds of homes across New Market, Aurora, and Bradford, we've learned that the homes where clients do a quick tidy beforehand always end up looking more spectacular. Not because we clean them better, but because we can focus our time on actual deep cleaning instead of moving clutter around.

Why Preparation Matters

Think of it this way: if we spend 20 minutes picking up toys, sorting mail, and moving items off counters, that's 20 minutes we're not spending on scrubbing your shower, detailing your baseboards, or making your hardwood floors shine.

We're not here to judge your mess—trust us, we've seen it all. But we want to give you the best value for your money, and that means spending our time on the tasks that actually require professional expertise.

The Night Before: Your Quick Prep Checklist

What About Dishes and Laundry?

Here's the deal: most professional cleaners (including us) don't do dishes or laundry as part of a standard cleaning package. Why? Because a sink full of dishes can easily take 30-45 minutes to wash, dry, and put away—time that could be spent deep cleaning your kitchen instead.

If you want us to tackle dishes or laundry, just ask! We're happy to include it as an add-on service. But for your standard cleaning, having dishes done beforehand means we can focus on cleaning the actual kitchen—scrubbing the sink, wiping down appliances, cleaning inside the microwave, and making those counters sparkle.

The Pet Situation

We love your pets. Seriously, we do. But for everyone's safety and comfort, here's what works best:

• Dogs: If they're friendly and won't be stressed by strangers, they can hang out in a separate room or outside (weather permitting). If they're anxious or territorial, consider a friend's house or doggy daycare for the day.
• Cats: Most cats prefer to be left alone anyway. Just let us know where they like to hide so we don't accidentally let them out.
• Other pets: Secure cages, tanks, and enclosures so we can clean around them safely.

Special Requests? Tell Us In Advance

Got specific areas you want us to focus on? Certain products you want us to avoid? A chandelier that needs special attention? Let us know when you book or the day before we arrive.

We can't read minds (yet), and we'd rather know your priorities upfront than discover them after we've already finished. Most special requests are no problem—we just need to know about them so we can plan our time accordingly.

What We Bring vs. What You Provide

We bring all our own professional-grade cleaning supplies and equipment. You don't need to worry about having the right products or tools—we've got that covered.

The only thing we might ask you to provide? Access. Make sure we can get into all the areas you want cleaned, and if there are any locked rooms or spaces, let us know in advance.

The Secret to Maximum Results

Want to know the real secret to getting the most out of your professional cleaning? Clear the surfaces.

Seriously, that's it. The more clear counter space, floor space, and surface area we have to work with, the more thorough we can be. We can't deep clean a bathroom counter that's covered in toiletries, and we can't properly vacuum a bedroom floor buried under clothes.

Think of it like going to the dentist—they can't clean your teeth if you don't open your mouth. We can't clean your surfaces if we can't access them.

First-Time Clients: Expect a Longer Clean

If this is your first time using our service, your initial deep clean will take longer than subsequent visits. That's completely normal. We're establishing a baseline level of cleanliness that's easier to maintain going forward.

Once we've got your home up to our standard, regular maintenance cleanings are much quicker and more efficient. Many of our Aurora and New Market clients are amazed at how much faster their bi-weekly or monthly cleanings go after that first deep clean.

Day of Cleaning: What to Expect

On cleaning day, here's typically how it works:

• We'll arrive within our scheduled time window
• We'll do a quick walk-through to confirm priorities
• You're welcome to stay or leave—whatever's more comfortable
• We'll text when we're done so you can do a final walk-through
• Payment is handled through our secure system (we don't carry cash)

The Bottom Line

Preparing your home for professional cleaners isn't about making your house perfect before we arrive—it's about removing obstacles so we can do our job effectively. A 15-minute tidy can translate into significantly better results because we're able to focus on deep cleaning instead of organizing.

And remember: we're on your team. We want your home to look amazing just as much as you do. The better we can access your spaces, the better job we can do making them sparkle.