Have you ever heard this phrase? Normally, would you allow someone into your home if there is dirty underwear laying on the floor, dishes all over the kitchen, and the bathrooms looking like Bigfoot lived there for the last week? Typically, the answer is no. That’s where the phrase cleaning for the cleaning lady comes from. 

Cleaning for the cleaning lady doesn’t mean you should vacuum and mop your floors or clean the showers before the cleaning company comes. But please do make sure horizontal surfaces you want to be cleaned are free of clutter and extraneous stuff. When the mail comes, keep the important stuff and recycle or trash the rest right away so it doesn’t pile up on the countertops or bar counter. The floors should be picked up and free of obstacles; the dishes (unless agreed upon that we will take care of that for you) should be in the dishwasher or cleaned up and not all over the counters; and your pet should not have recently pooped in the laundry room. I cannot count the number of times I’ve literally walked into a home and watched the dog stare me down while squatting to poop on the floor just after the family has gone for the day. By the way, we’re not cleaning that crap up. So, please walk your dogs.

Between cleaning visits, there are other easy ways to ensure your home is ready for us when we arrive. Do a small chore per day if you get overwhelmed with keeping the kitchen picked up. Ask your kids to pick up their dirty clothes from the floor of their rooms once per week so we can vacuum the carpets and get in there to make their beds. To maintain a clutter free home, you have to value tidiness and place a priority on keeping things picked up around the house. This means having the kids do their part. My son is nine and we make him contribute just as much to tidying up as we spend doing it. It’s his stuff too. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, it just means that we’re adventurous parents in trying to get our kid to accept some responsibility. 

I know how overwhelming cleaning a home can get; I do this for a living. But delegating tasks to all family members to do throughout the week or month makes them much easier to handle – especially if you happen to be cleaning your own home by yourself. If you wait one week, two weeks, or a month…forget it. At some point it feels like you’ll need 48 straight hours to clean your whole house. It’s not necessary. Still, doing the little things, even for the cleaning company makes everyone happier. You’ll be happier with our service, and we’ll be more efficient, giving us time to maybe do some little extras for you as a small bonus!

Doing a little bit per day will give you that time you crave to sit on your bum on the weekends, have a nice glass of wine, and be a lot less stressed than everybody else who waited for the cleaning lady to try and clean around all the clutter. We’re there to clean, not remove clutter. Not only will you be less stressed, you’ll be happier at the job we do in your home once we’re finished.