You have booked your cleaner, but your new post-COVID-19 budget means that you can't go over two hours. You are so excited to finally get the help you need but what can you expect and how can you check if they have done a good job?
Firstly we must be realistic. It's important to realise that the cleaner isn't going to be able to achieve magic during that time, especially on the first visit. Two hours is usually reserved for studio and one-bedroom apartments so if your property is bigger than this but you can only stretch that far within your budget, you will need to manage your expectations and your cleaner will help with this, otherwise, you can be left feeling disappointed.
The good news is that it's doable, but it won't be instant. Generally, it will take a few visits to reach the standard you want from a weekly clean, especially when time is limited, so here are a few tips to get you started on reaching your standard in a small amount of time, and making your new domestic cleaner work for you.
1. Tidy the property before the clean
Whilst a cleaner has learnt to work quickly, they can't be trained to tidy up quickly - especially when they are new to your property and aren't sure where things should go. You can help them by decluttering, putting things away, and folding your laundry before they arrive, you'll minimise the time they need to spend getting to surfaces and floors, meaning the main things can be cleaned faster.
2. Prioritise rooms and make a plan
It's unlikely that all rooms will be done in the first two-hour visit, so think about which areas are the most important to be cleaned. This may be the bathroom and kitchen which, depending on how much dirt has built up and the room size, can take two hours alone. You can choose to have a speedy surface clean in many rooms - although this won't be much different to what you might do in two hours - or a deeper clean in a few rooms, which will bring these rooms to a better standard going forward, then rotate the rooms on the subsequent visits. When we first visit your property to provide a quote, we will go through these options and help you with this plan.
3. Make a to-do list
In the first few visits, the cleaner might not get everything done, so it's important to have a good line of communication going. If you provide a to-do list each week of things that must be done, followed by things that are nice-to-have if there is leftover time, it relieves pressure on the cleaner and also helps you to know where you stand. It's all about building that communication and trust in the early days of a new cleaner, and lack of communication can quickly tarnish a relationship, so be clear about what you expect from the visits and allow some room for the cleaner to create a routine and within a short time the cleaner will be pre-empting your requirements. This also minimises the time spent from the cleaner doing tasks you aren't that fussed about (and may not notice) and helps you to understand what they can do in two hours.
So, what can be done in two hours?
Well, its a difficult question to answer without looking at the property, but in general for a three bedroom, you should expect:
Whole house vacuum
Bathroom and kitchen
Some light dusting
Mopping
However, if you want a deeper clean, you could rotate the rooms instead in the first few weeks, then following that, use your two hours for general maintenance, or for bigger projects every now-and-then, such as cleaning out the fridge or the cupboards.
Remember, the more that you can tackle yourself, the more the cleaner can focus on the tougher tasks that don't get enough attention week on week.
In summary, it's tough to know what to expect from a cleaner in two hours, but you can try to clean your own home in two hours to give you a benchmark of what to expect and then add some allowance for the cleaner who will be learning to navigate your home and create a routine in the first few weeks, but if you can tidy up before they arrive, make a to-do list and prioritise areas, you and your cleaner will be at the maintenance stage in no time and you'll be getting the most from your cleans.
We are currently accepting new clients. Call us on 07825 226231 or email tidyandshineclean@gmail.com for more information and give yourself the gift of time.