Do I need to clean before you arrive?

Quick answer

No. Pre-cleaning before your first visit actively hurts what we're trying to do — we need to see your home as it actually lives so we can set service levels correctly.

A lot of clients feel pressure to tidy before a cleaner arrives. We understand the instinct, but on visit 1 specifically it works against you. The whole point of the initial clean is to handle what's built up. If you've pre-cleaned, we can't see which areas have been getting harder, which surfaces need attention you'd been avoiding, where the real friction is. We end up setting service levels based on a fake snapshot — then on visit 2 you tell us things felt light, because we calibrated to a version of your home you don't actually live in. Show us the real version. That's how we get the checklist right.

What this means for your clean

Floors don't need to be picked up. We work around things.
Dishes in the sink, mail on the counter, laundry on the bed — fine. We're not judging your home, we're cleaning it.
Bathrooms don't need to be wiped before we arrive. We have stronger products than you do.

What to do

Secure pets so we can move through the home freely
Make sure floors and surfaces are reasonably clear of valuables, irreplaceables, or things you don't want moved
Confirm access — key, code, or lockbox — is in place
That's it

Exceptions

Hoarding-level clutter is a different scope and needs a separate quote. We can't always work around it.
After your routine is locked in, light tidying before visits can help us move faster — but it's never required.