How to Get Ready for a House Cleaner's First Visit

To get ready for a house cleaner's first visit, agree on what the visit covers, pick up the clutter so surfaces and floors are clear, put away valuables and medications, and sort out keys, parking and pets. Then spend a few minutes walking through the home with the cleaner at the start, and give honest feedback afterward.

Your first-visit checklist

What should you agree on before the first visit?

Most first-visit disappointments come from two different ideas of what "a cleaning" means. Settle these when you book:

• Regular or deep. A regular cleaning covers surfaces, floors, the kitchen and the bathrooms. A deep cleaning goes further: baseboards, grout, vents, and inside cabinets and appliances. Ask which one the first visit will be.
• Which rooms come first. If the visit might not reach everything, say which rooms matter most. For most homes that's the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Extras. The inside of the fridge or oven, interior windows, laundry, dishes and changing sheets are often extras rather than part of a standard visit. Ask which are included.
• Supplies and equipment. Find out what the cleaner brings and what they'll need from you.
• Allergies and sensitivities. If anyone at home has asthma or allergies, or you prefer fragrance-free products, say so now.

Book home cleaning for the regular work. Window washing, carpet cleaning and other one-off jobs are specialty cleaning, which you can book separately or on the same day.

How much should you tidy before a house cleaner comes?

Tidy, don't clean. A cleaner gets far more done when surfaces and floors are clear, and you don't want the visit spent moving your things from one pile to another.

• Clear counters, tables, desks and nightstands of mail, papers and small items.
• Pick up clothes, shoes, toys and bags from the floor, so the vacuum can reach.
• Load or run the dishwasher, unless dishes are part of the visit.
• Put bills, personal papers and anything confidential in a drawer.
• Decide where things without a home should go, such as a basket in each room, so nothing gets put somewhere you won't find it.

It doesn't need to be perfect. The goal is clear space, not a clean house before the cleaner arrives.

What should you put away before the cleaner arrives?

Put away anything you'd worry about, so nobody has to think about it:

• cash, jewelry, watches and small electronics;
• prescription medications;
• firearms, locked and out of sight;
• keepsakes and fragile pieces, or point them out during the walk-through;
• anything that shouldn't be moved, such as a half-finished puzzle or a project laid out on a table.

This is ordinary courtesy for anyone working in your home while you're busy or out. It also makes clear what the cleaner can and can't touch.

How do you handle keys, parking and winter weather?

Access problems eat into the visit, so solve them in advance:

• Getting in. Decide whether you'll be home, leave a key, use a lockbox or share a door code. If you have an alarm, share the code or turn it off. In an apartment or condo building, tell the front desk someone is expected.
• Parking. Say where to park, especially in a townhouse community or building with permit-only or visitor spaces.
• Snow and ice. In a Northern Virginia winter, clear and salt the walk and the front steps before the visit. Put a mat inside the door, with a spot for boots and coats.
• Heat. Leave the heat on if you'll be out. A cold house makes for a slow, uncomfortable visit.
• Your phone number. Share one you'll answer during the visit, in case a question comes up.

What about pets and people at home?

• Pets. Even friendly pets get underfoot or slip out an open door. Put them in a separate room or a crate, and tell the cleaner which room to skip or leave for last. Mention pets when you book, too, in case the cleaner has an allergy.
• Working from home. If you'll be home, say which room you're using and when it can be cleaned.
• Everyone else. Let the cleaner know who else will be in the house, such as a teenager asleep upstairs or a relative staying over.

Which surfaces need special care?

Tell the cleaner about anything that needs a particular product or a gentle hand:

• natural stone counters and floors, such as marble or granite;
• hardwood and other finished wood floors;
• stainless steel, brass and other finishes that mark or scratch easily;
• antiques, artwork and delicate light fixtures;
• glass shower doors or tile with a special coating.

If a surface or appliance came with a care guide from its manufacturer, follow it and share it with the cleaner. If you're not sure how a surface will react, ask for a test on a hidden spot first.

What should you do at the start of the visit?

Take a few minutes to walk through the home together:

1. Show the rooms in order of priority.
2. Point out fragile items, problem spots and anything off-limits.
3. Show where your supplies are, if the cleaner will use them.
4. Confirm what the visit covers, and anything you'd like to add.

If you can't be there, leave a short note with the same four points where the cleaner will see it first.

How do you give feedback after the first cleaning?

Walk through the home soon after the visit, while the details are fresh.

• Be specific. "Spots on the shower glass" helps more than "the bathroom wasn't great".
• Say what went well, so it's repeated next time.
• Adjust the plan. If one room took most of the visit, decide whether to give it more time or drop something else.
• Keep notes for later visits, especially if a different person might come next time.

A first visit is partly about learning a new home. Clear feedback after it is the quickest way to cleanings that fit the way you live.

Book the first cleaning

Once you know what you want covered, book home cleaning with an independent local Pro, and add specialty cleaning if the windows or carpets need it.

Last updated September 2026.