Photo: gawriloff / iStock / Getty Images
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Do you clean your house before the cleaning crew comes over? You’re not alone, as it’s common for people to feel a little self-conscious when the house cleaner steps inside, especially if it’s for the first time. Clients may worry they’re being judged over the state of the mess they hired someone to clean up, so are they?
Professional house cleaners share what immediately stands out to them when they go into a client’s home and what they’re not even paying attention to:
- The clutter - The cleaners are clocking the amount of clutter, especially on surfaces like bathroom and kitchen counters, but it’s not because they’re judging you, it’s just because they’re planning their visit. Excessive clutter can slow down the deep cleaning process and Bryan Griffin, founder of Patriot Maids Cleaning Services, says “it also signals where the household’s pain points probably are.”
- The smell - From pets to food to musty odors, the cleaners can get a lot of information about what they’re up against by the way the home smells.
- The floors - House cleaner Sara San Angelo notices the floors first because they’re the biggest surface area to clean and involve different methods and tools. She says, “If I have to scrub dirty grout joints on my hands and knees, that’s going to involve time and price adjustment.”
- The kitchen sink and stovetop - Grease buildup and a sink full of dishes tell them where the heavy lifting will be that day.
- Buildup in hard-to-reach areas - These include ceiling fans, vents, baseboards and corners that may often get missed.
- Anyone in your home - Cleaning crews prefer to clean when no one is home, but if that’s not possible, they’re noticing who’s there, from someone working from home to kids to pets.
- But cleaners aren’t looking at some things you might think they are - They’re not counting your pill bottles or reading the labels and they’re not judging your habits or living space. “A lot of clients also apologize or feel embarrassed before we even begin cleaning,” house cleaner Kellsie Zapata says. ”But most of the things people apologize for are things cleaners encounter all the time. We’re there to help, not to judge.”
Source: BuzzFeed