Is It Wrong to Clean Before a Professional Cleaner Comes Over? Couple Says They Debate This All the Time

When someone is about to visit your home, it is natural to want to clean up so they get the best first impression of your space. But does that same logic apply to a cleaning service?

One Redditor asked for opinions on this question, writing that she and her husband disagree on the matter. She explained that whenever the couple hires a cleaner, she likes to do a "pre-clean," which usually involves putting away clutter, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, and changing the bedding. Her husband thinks that this prep work isn't necessary because they hired someone to do that work for them.

The poster explained that, instead of having the cleaner spend time on tasks that she could easily do herself, she wants them to deep clean, including vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning the windows. "I want them to do the things I either don’t have time to get done weekly or I just don’t like doing," she wrote.

Many people commented on the Reddit post, offering their opinions. "I think it’s the norm to tidy before cleaners come. Most cleaners won’t even touch clutter because they literally don’t know where to put it," one person wrote. "So if you leave everything messy, they can only clean what isn’t covered by clutter which is both less thorough and takes more time."

Another commenter echoed this sentiment: "They only have X time. If they have to spend it maneuvering around your clutter, they won't have time to clean the baseboards. And even if you're cleaning the sink and toilet, that means they have more time to tackle some other aspect of it."

Most respondents agreed with the initial poster, saying it makes sense to tidy up before a cleaning service arrives. A professional cleaner even commented, saying clients should clear the clutter beforehand. "I prefer (and honestly expect) my clients to declutter. If a surface is too cluttered, I won’t clean it," they wrote. "There’s a difference between a lot of picture frames on a table versus junk though. I’m a cleaner, not an organizer."