Hi everyone and welcome to Guelph Maids! We got featured in Reader’s Digest by commenting on habits house cleaners secretly hate.
We’re so happy to collaborate with websites like these and bring our favorite tips and tricks.
In this case, Readers’ Digest reached out asking for habits house cleaners secretly hate. And we think it’s a fun topic to discuss!
Our clients often take extra time and energy to make sure their house cleaner is happy and comfortable, or want to speed up the work for them.
Sometimes, this does more harm than good and our house cleaners won’t like it! This is why we’ve wanted to share additional tips for our readers.
Whether you’re a client of Guelph Maids or not, you will learn what to do and what not to do to keep your housekeeper happy!
Our Tip for Reader’s Digest: Offering Extra Pay
This suggestion from one of our cleaning professionals, Rachel, is the one that got featured in the Reader’s Digest article and it’s about offering extra payment if they perform cleaning tasks that are not in the contract.
If you have any special requests, please let us (or any other cleaning company) know beforehand, to prepare with proper scheduling, cleaning supplies, logistics, etc.
This goes against company policy, and they can get in trouble. House cleaners have a tight schedule and all cleaning tasks are calculated by our management team.
Anything outside this scope is not under our satisfaction guarantee. Besides, by performing any unplanned tasks, they might run late to other client’s homes.
You can always tip our house cleaners! Just as long as it’s because you’re impressed with their work and not because they’ve performed extra cleaning tasks.
Hovering or Micromanaging Your House Cleaner
Hovering or micromanaging are two of the most common habits, and we can assure you, house cleaners hate them! Either by constantly hovering, or micromanaging every task and action that she does.
This is one of the most common mistakes and we know people have no ill will, but trusting the cleaner to do their job is important. A good cleaning company only sends skilled, trained professionals who know what they’re doing.
Professional house cleaners are also used to dealing with many types of surfaces and materials, and know how to take care of them.
Pro tip: the first time they arrive, do a walkthrough of the house, show them where cleaning products are stored and ask if you need to buy anything.
Communicate your expectations before they start working. Some good examples are explaining the preferred cleaning products you’d like them to use in certain areas, or items that they need extra care because they’re delicate or have emotional value, or let them know where to find clean sheets and pillow covers.
If you have feedback or concerns, address these concerns after they’ve finished with cleaning rather than during cleaning.
And as always, remember to be kind! You can always explain your point of view while being respectful and constructive.
Related: Know How Do Hotels Keep Glass Shower Doors Clean With These Cleaning Tricks
Interfering With Your House Cleaner: One of the Habits They Hate the Most
Another common (bad) habit is physically interfering with your house cleaner, by lingering or working in the same room.
First, remember that the professional house cleaners will be moving around different areas, handling cleaning products and running equipment.
They need to be comfortable moving around and not asking you to step away.
If you work from home, it’s a bit awkward for your house cleaner if they are in your workspace and making noise by vacuuming, wiping and scrubbing.
In this case, no need to worry! Your house cleaner will appreciate it if you stay in your office until they need to clean it, then you can move to your bedroom, and then back to your office.
You don’t have to feel trapped in your own home. You can absolutely move around, as long as you’re not in the way of your house’ cleaners vacuum!
Not Decluttering Beforehand
It’s important to declutter and tidy up your home before your house cleaner arrives. Imagine trying to vacuum a room where toys, clothes, and other random items are scattered everywhere.
For house cleaners, this is frustrating because they need to clear out your room before they can clean it.
Any good house cleaner in Guelph will focus on cleaning, not organizing. If your house is cluttered, this means they:
a) are going to take longer than planned,
b) they will have to charge you extra, and
c) they might even have an accident like tripping over a box on the floor, or damaging the vacuum cleaner with an unexpected toy from your kids.
And don’t worry, we don’t expect your house to be spotless! Just make sure they don’t have any random items in the way, especially on the floor.
You can designate a bin or basket for items like kids’ toys in your living room, or random items in your kitchen.
Set a small wicker basket to tidy up each room for 2 – 3 minutes before your cleaner arrives.
Related: How Much Does a Maid Cost in Canada?
Ignoring Safety and Hygiene Issues
House cleaners have seen anything and everything! They know your house is dirty, don’t worry.
However, excessive neglect such as moldy food or mold on the walls or pests represents a health risk to cleaners.
Dealing with these issues requires industrial-grade equipment and experts on the subject. This goes beyond regular house cleaning services (or at least, at Guelph Maids, it is beyond our scope).
If you notice anything out of the blue that represents a risk to safety and hygiene, check with your house cleaner beforehand.
They will let you know if they can take care of it. If it is beyond their scope, you should contact a specialized company.
Related: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Drain? Follow These Cleaning Tips to Remove Them Forever
Avoid Excessive Chit Chat
Everyone likes small chit-chat! So we completely understand (and encourage!) that you are friendly with your house cleaner and make some small conversation.
However, remember they are there to work and need to focus.
Even if you don’t realize it, if you keep talking to them, they can’t work (or it’s harder to do so) when they are talking to you.
Once they start working, they build momentum and need to focus on their task.
Conclusion
Once again, thanks to Reader’s Digest for contacting us and choosing this topic. Remember to check Guelph Maids’ booking page if you need our cleaning service in Guelph!
We know you appreciate your housekeeper and it’s fantastic that you want to know the habits that house cleaners secretly hate.
Stay tuned to Guelph Maids’ blog if you want to learn our house-cleaning tips and tricks. We’ll be back very soon!
