How to Prepare for a Housekeeping Visit

Hiring a housekeeping service can be a big step. If you work, entertain a lot, or just have too much to do to worry about a layer of dust on your coffee table, having a regular housekeeper come in to clean can be a relief. First you have to admit that you can’t do everything yourself, though. If there’s been a layer of dust on your flat screen for a month or more, it may be time to put your trust in a housekeeper to do the honors. You’ll be seeing cleaner mirrors and windows in no time.

Before your housekeeper comes knocking at the door, there are a few tips that will help you ease into the transition:

  1. Don’t clean your house ahead of time. This sounds so obvious and basic, but the desire to appear tidy and on top of things can be almost overwhelming sometimes. If you’re feeling compelled to clean the stove before the maid arrives, fight the impulse. The whole point of hiring a service is for them to do the work so you don’t have to.
  2. Read the preliminary information provided by the housekeeping service to understand what’s covered in the first visit. In fact, many maid services provide for extra cleaning as part of the first visit. Consider this the equivalent of spring cleaning regardless of the time of year. You’ll pay a little more for it anyway, so take advantage of the maid’s extra time and expertise by letting her do the thorough treatment your rooms need.
  3. Keep track of the time a visit takes so you can compare it to subsequent visits. Almost any new service or employee will do a great job at first. If you track the first few visits by a maid service, you can compare them to later ones. If you begin to see a trend toward whirlwind visits that take half the time they used to, you’ll have something solid to compare them to.
  4. Prepare a list of questions or tips for dealing with specific items. Your best bet is to keep notes on any on-site visit or quote the service originally made and use that to draft some suggestions about the way you want things done. The maid will have a sheet of duties provided by the service, but you should also go over your notes with her on the specifics for your living space.
  5. Check your agreement to determine if you or the service will supply cleaning materials and equipment, like a vacuum cleaner. If you are supplying the materials, make sure you have everything stocked and easily accessible. Your best bet here is to consult the maid service to see what’s recommended, and choose your own brands accordingly. If you’re going green in your home, you can substitute Eco-friendly alternatives for window cleaners, furniture polish, and rug deodorant. It’s one of the advantages to supplying these items yourself.

Housekeeping services offer consistent and reliable cleaning, but be sure to make a positive first step in your relationship by planning carefully for your maid’s initial visit.

Contact Viola Cleaning to get started. Please call (206) 465-4103 for more information.