Your housecleaner secretly wants you to know these things
From their favourite types of clients to your most annoying habits, house cleaners confess what they’re really thinking (but won’t say to your face!).
Don’t have unrealistic expectations
Don’t ask me to clean your five-bedroom house and then say you need it done in two hours. Make sure you give me enough time to clean everything properly.
Make sure you have all the cleaning products I will need
Sometimes I show up and my clients have nothing for me to use. You know best what kind of cleaners you want used in your home; some people want only organic cleaners, some are picky about brands and others have allergies.
Don’t forget that I need equipment
One of my bosses kept forgetting to get me a mop so I had to wash her floors on my hands and knees with a cloth. For weeks she did this. It’s really inconsiderate.
Be reasonable
Please do not ask me to sew on buttons, clean the wheels of your bike, scrub out your mailbox or pull out the refrigerator in order to clean behind it.
Keeping your house clean on an ongoing basis with minimum effort means adopting a clean mindset.
It’s helpful if you soak dirty pans
This way I can clean them more easily when I get there.
It’s also worth knowing these kitchen mistakes that are costing you money.
Don’t make your house un-cleanable
If your house is a disorganised mess, it makes it harder for me to clean. Please pick up toys, piles of paper and clutter from surfaces so that I can actually get to them. There’s a difference between organising and cleaning.
Don’t ignore these subtle ways your house might be making you sick.
It makes me crazy when
…I’ve just cleaned a floor and my employer walks all over it in dirty shoes.
Give me some warning
I need reasonable notice if you are going to move or stop hiring me. Too many clients don’t think to tell me until the week they’re moving. A month’s notice would be nice. You give your landlord a month’s notice. Please do me the same courtesy.
I do poke around sometimes
I really love to look at the books people have and the food they keep in their refrigerators. Sometimes I can’t help reading something for 10 minutes. But I always make up the time by staying 10 minutes late or working faster.
Tiny kindnesses mean a lot
One time a client left me a gift from a trip abroad, which delighted me. Those small appreciations keep me honest.
It’s a huge relief when clients allow me to take my child with me to work
Sometimes I just can’t find a babysitter but I still need the money.
Give me some guidelines
Please write a list of the things you would like me to do. Along with verbal instructions, this will ensure I don’t forget anything.
But don’t list these household chores – they are a waste of time.
Be nice to me
I do a better job when I am happy and feel appreciated.
It’s the little things that make people happy
That’s why we make the little triangle at the end of the toilet paper roll. You guys love that.
Appearances aren’t everything
Just because someone looks polished on the outside doesn’t mean their home is spotless. One lady I cleaned for, a divorce attorney, always looked great and she had a beautiful house in a gated community, but inside it was the filthiest, nastiest place in the world. It was like a hoarder hut, filled with junk.
Do you want to keep working after you get home?
Neither do we. Some of us actually hire someone else to clean our homes.
Please, trust me
You hire an AC guy and take his advice, you hire a plumber and do what he says, but I come in and you think you know more about how to clean than I do.
Please say thank you, even if it’s just on a Post-it
Or if you really like me, leave something small every once in a while, like a $5 gift card. If I feel like someone appreciates me, I really go the extra mile.
Be wary if I give you my price over the phone
Reputable cleaners come to your home and give you a free estimate.
How to get your money’s worth
Letting us work ‘by the job’ sometimes means you get less for your money. It can be more cost effective to pay me an hourly rate, especially once your home is in a maintenance mode.
Check out these other money mistakes that are costing you thousands.
Training
What training? In this economy, a lot of people are turning to housecleaning to pay the bills.
Think our insurance will cover you?
Hmm, maybe not. Insurance companies expect us to be trained professionals, so if we use the wrong product on your expensive furnishings, the insurance company might deny the claim.
If you have a dog or a cat, make sure you know these cleaning hacks.
Don’t be afraid to keep an eye on us
Come home unexpectedly every once in a while and see what we’re doing. Good housecleaners won’t watch your TV, talk on the phone or eat on your bed.
Make sure you know the signs that your house is vulnerable to being robbed.
I know more than you think
I see the piles of bills marked ‘overdue’ and know you’re having money problems. I find drugs and condom wrappers in kids’ bedrooms. And I can tell who’s unfaithful because the cheaters always start hiding laundry.
Check out these 16 things your neighbour secretly knows about you.
Don’t be that guy
I had one client who would clean his house before I would even show up! It just made my job harder, because I had to try to figure out what was clean and what was dirty.
Wealthy people are not my best clients
My best clients are people who work for their money, like teachers, bartenders and cops. Rich people think they’re doing you a favour by allowing you to scrub their toilets. Working people understand you are doing them a service by making their lives easier.
I wish you wouldn’t insist on bleach and other harsh cleaners
For almost every situation, there’s an eco-friendly option that’s just as effective. Another green and clean idea is to clean with microfibre cloths.
After I leave, check the base of the toilet and the top of the fridge
If they’re clean, you know I’m thorough.
How we get hired
Many cleaning companies do not run any sort of background check or even check references. I answered an ad, I was on time and presentable and I was willing to take the job. That is all most companies care about.
I don’t need to hear your life story
Even though I smile and act interested, don’t use me as your therapist, gossip buddy or friend. Frankly, most of us have a lot less than you and we can’t fathom why you’re complaining. Plus, you slow me down.
Want to save money on high-priced maid services?
Instead of booking a regular appointment, ask to be on our on-call list to fill last-minute slots at a discount. Or see if you can be a ‘training home’ for new cleaners.
If you use a service instead of an individual, ask for the same people every time
Cleaning will be more consistent with fewer strangers in your home.
If you’re worried we might take something from you, test it out
When using a new cleaning service, leave a few dollars hanging out of a pants pocket or lying on the counter. If we take a dollar or two, you’ll know we’re probably going to take other things.
Make sure we’re bonded and have liability insurance
Otherwise, you’re on the hook if we break something or get hurt on the job.
Don’t leave messes for us to clean up
Pick your clothes up off the floor, get your dishes out of the sink and clean up your kids’ toys. Your house will end up a lot cleaner.
Don’t become a topic of conversation
If you leave your personal life out for us to see, we most definitely will talk about you. We may even send pictures to our friends and relatives.
Recommend us to your friends
We may give you a discount for each referral – if you ask.