Getting the Most From Your Cleaner

Everyone wants value for money and getting the most out of your cleaner is no exception. Cleaning the average family home from top to bottom shouldn’t take that along, especially something like a Victorian terrace home such as the ones found off Mill Rd in Cambridge. But there are certain things you can do before your cleaner arrives to make their job easier allowing them can get on with the job in hand from the moment they arrive.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your cleaner.

Tidy Up

Items that haven’t been put back in their place or left lying around on the floor are only going to get in the way of the cleaner and they will spend as much time going around picking up these items and putting them away for you as they do with the actual cleaning.

Ensure all surfaces are clutter free, children’s toys are not left on bedroom floors and dirty washing and laundry is placed into baskets.

Paperwork and Post

Documents and post, as well as containing important information, can easily be mistaken for unwanted rubbish or paper if left lying around on the kitchen table or worktop or underneath an old newspaper. Ensure all post and paperwork is hidden away in a drawer or filed away in your office to ensure it isn’t disposed of by accident. Alternatively, you could leave a ‘do not disturb’ note on top of a pile of paperwork.

Be Prepared

If you supply all the cleaning products and equipment for your cleaner to use then you could make sure all the items are readily available for the cleaner when they arrive. Take the vacuum, mops and dusters out of the cleaning cupboard and leave them in an easily accessible place and put cleaning products, cloths and dusters on the kitchen worktop. It will only take 5-10 minutes for you to do this but it will be 5-10 minutes extra the cleaner can spend cleaning your home.

Pets Away

There is nothing worse than vacuuming a room and continually moving a dog out of the way or tripping over the cat, it slows the cleaner down and its very annoying. Cleaners will often open doors and windows while cleaning to let fresh air in but this is also a perfect time for a pet to make an escape out of the house.

Make sure all pets are put away prior to the cleaner’s arrival and the cleaner is aware there are animals kept in the house.

Valuables and Electronic Equipment

It’s always best to put valuables and expensive equipment as well as cash into a locked drawer. Items can easily get lost or mislaid around the home and it can be very easy to accuse the cleaner when something goes missing or can’t be found. Thefts do occasionally occur, but a good cleaning company will always perform a CRB check on all employees before hiring them so it’s important to be sure your cleaner has been through this process before thy enter your home. If you get into the habit of locking valuable and expensive items away before the cleaner arrives then in the unfortunate event of something going missing you will know it wasn’t the cleaner.

Damages and Breakages

Take time to make an inventory of broken or damaged items around the house so that the cleaner isn’t mistakenly blamed for having damaged an item that was already broken. Likewise, make it clear to the cleaner that you wish to be informed immediately of they damage or break an item, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

Access

There is nothing worse than the cleaner turning up on time only to find they can’t get into the house they need to clean. Most people are happy for the cleaner or cleaning agency to hold a key but if this isn’t your preferred choice then make sure a key has been left somewhere safe and secure and well hidden so the cleaner can gain access to your home when they arrive. There are all sorts of products available that are designed to blend in with surrounding areas and keep keys safe when left outdoors, some of which can be found here http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/key-hide

Extra Help

By following all the tips given, you might find your cleaner finishes ahead of time. If you pay your cleaner for a set amount of hours each week then leave a laundry basket out full of clothes that need ironing. That way, if a cleaner finishes cleaning early, they can spend the time constructively and you can come home to a clean house and a nice neat pile of freshly ironed clothes.