7 Rules Professional House Cleaners Would Never Break

The best house cleaners know how to get homes looking pristine and are professionals who are attuned to their clients’ concerns and preferences. In order to ensure a job well done, they make sure to follow many rules time and time again.

Below, two cleaning pros chime in regarding seven non-negotiable steps that experts will always make sure to take when working with clients.

Cleaning Top To Bottom

Pro house cleaners know the importance of cleaning a room from top to bottom and will never revert away from this method, shares Kathy Cohoon, operations manager at Two Maids.

What does this method entail? It’s pretty self-explanatory! “Dust the ceiling and high shelves first, then surfaces like countertops and furniture, and finish with the floors,” she says. “This method avoids dust and debris landing on areas you’ve already cleaned, saving time and effort.”

Keeping Plenty Of Products On Hand

Pro cleaners are never without a swath of products designed to remedy any situation they might run into on the job. Cohoon likes to keep a caddy full of starter essentials. In terms of actual sprays and the like, she will always come prepared with glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, furniture polish, and baking soda. Then, she adds, she also carries other tools, including rubber gloves, a duster, sponge, toothbrush or small cleaning brushes, microfiber cloths, and garbage bags.

Using Clean Or New Rags

When house cleaners go from one home to another, they will make sure to bring in new or clean rags, explains Rhonda Wilson, the quality lead cleaner at FreshSpace Cleaning in Louisville, Kentucky.

“If your cleaner brings in old and worn-out rags and dirty equipment, that is a big red flag,” she says. In our profession, we’re expected to have batches of clean, absorbent microfiber cloths and clean our tools every after a cleaning appointment.”

When a cleaner uses a dirty rag, it’s less absorbent and therefore less effective, Warner adds, noting, “Instead of picking up dirt, they end up just spreading it around and can even scratch delicate surfaces.”

Using Clean Tools

On a similar note, a professional cleaner will never arrive at a client’s home with dirty tools, or their job will only become harder.

“Imagine using a mop that’s not been cleaned properly, that will surely leave streaks and even a bad smell in your house,” Wilson says. “A vacuum cleaner that’s clogged up and dirty—it’s not going to suck up all the dust and muck from your carpets like it should.”

Following Directions

Professional cleaners will always take their clients’ directives very seriously from the get go.

“Even when we’re on a regular schedule with a client, we always confirm expectations before getting started,” Cohoon says. “Open communication ensures we’re aligned on the scope of work and helps avoid confusion—like whether to skip a specific room or focus on a new area.”

During her pre-cleaning walk throughs, Wilson asks her clients to provide clear instructions regarding their needs and expectations. “For example, if I need to pay extra attention to the guest bedroom because a family is coming to visit,” she says.

Doing Final Walk Throughs

Wilson explains that she will never leave a client’s home without doing a walk through, either.

“Sure, it might be clean in my eyes but it might not be up to the client’s standard,” she says. “If this step is skipped, there might be areas we missed or tasks that weren’t completed.”

Asking For Feedback

If a client is home when a cleaner completes the job, they should feel free to voice any concerns to the professional, Wilson explains. Doing so, she says, “helps us address any issues right away and improve our service for the future.”

Furthermore, Wilson says, “It gives the impression of professionalism and thoroughness on the part of what we do. Plus, we build better relationships with our clients!”