My cleaner will pick things up to clean under... as long as it's just one or two things, like the salt & pepper shakers or floss. But she won't move lamps, tissue boxes, or decorative knick-knacks. She definitely doesn't clear off a surface if it's completely cluttered, like the console table where we keep our keys and post-its and phones.

We always have a few piles of stuff on the island, but I stack them and move them to the DR table.

We declutter, straighten up, put away and I find this to be a beneficial side effect of having cleaners come. I like that my house gets cleared of crap, newspapers and mail. It keeps us honest, so to speak.

This is clearly going to be a learning experience for me.

April, I'll call my little collection of things "vignettes" too. :) I mean, one person's clutter is another's collectibles.

I would expect a table lamp to be moved if someone is dusting and using something like Pledge on a wood surface. Not moving the lamp (assuming it's not too large or heavy) is taking shortcuts.

Maybe you could have a dedicated pick up box where you just put the things you remove while the house is being cleaned; put away those things that need to be put away, but keep the things you want to return to their "spots" in the box so you don't have to remember where you put them?

Oh my cleaners do move stuff..unfortunately lol..but usually not something heavy that I'd rather they do move.

they move stuff and sometimes they put it in a way that seems prettier to them..not everybody but one of them really likes everything symmetrical..even distances between everything..luckily doesn't interfere with my netsuke lol..

I wouldn't expect my ladies to put anything away. I don't think it is appropriate for them to open doors or drawers.

They do sometimes hide things in plain sight. I was missing a pair of slippers and finally found them in a basket I have under a table! They were on the floor near this basket, but of course, I didn't recall where I left them last.

Linelle, hopefully, you will get a later time slot so you can leave and run errands etc. I always leave with my dog. I use the time to give him a long walk, sometimes we drive around to do errands. If I didn't have the dog issue I would probably give them the combo to our garage so they could let themselves in and I wouldn't have to be there.

The good thing about you staying the first few times is that you will know how long it will take them to clean your home. My first visit took longer because my housekeeper wanted to do a very thorough job. She usually brings one helper, sometimes two.

ETA: After they leave, go around and check the obvious. As you say, they should move lamps etc. Mine always do all the blinds and clean under the beds and dressers. They also always clean behind all furniture that is easy to move. (Sofas and chairs)

April, I usually like the way they place my living room chairs and throw pillows. I can never seem to get it the way they do.

I have decorative items on tabletops. I expect those items to be dusted or wiped down as part of the cleaning.

Oly, that's my exact plan: gather stuff up in a box, stash it somewhere, and then put everything back when they're done. Of course, if I can truly declutter along the way, that's also good.

Eld, I do hope my regular time won't continue to be 8:00. Even though I'm an early riser, and many trades people like to start then, it's a bit much on a regular basis. I'm sure the day/time is negotiable. As for me taking a hike when they're here, I suppose as my comfort level rises, that will happen.

The thing I'm most looking forward to having someone else do is floors. I'm excited about that.

I am having fun following this thread! My DD has a cleaning company and has had many of her customers for the 20 years that she has had her service. I have worked with her off & on for about 10 years. I can tell you, we have seen it all. LOL. I wouldn't mind cleaning any of your houses.

no, I style better than my cleaning ladies..but they're much stronger than I am or ever was.

In survival of the fittest, they'd leave me far behind

when I was helping to clean houses I was young..18, 19, 20..and I was underweight..they did make me move heavy furniture..first time I came to clean it was a huge villa..I stayed there for six hours.

By the end of the first hour I felt like I was close to dying. I was in the middle of vacuuming some Persian rug. Well I thought "I can't die on her rug..so embarrassing" LOL. I talked myself into pushing my dying for later..:) And then I survived of course.

Linelle, since you won't be following them around as they clean, you are going to have to trust them.

Eld, yes, there will be a certain amount of trust since I won't be watching their every move. But the first few times, I'll be available to answer questions (will there ever be questions?) and assure myself that they are on board with no doors left open for my cats to escape. I've already had that chat and assurance from the business owner, but I want to be sure.

One of my cats will probably hide somewhere, while the other one is likely to bop along with the cleaners, too curious to turn away.

As to kitties' litterboxes: We have two cats and two boxes. One is in the masterbath and one is in the "guest" bedroom, which now mainly belongs to the cats. When the ladies come, we put the bathroom litterbox in the laundry room, and put the cats in "their" room with the second box, with the door firmly closed. They are 100% indoor only, but are always interested in getting outside, so I don't want them around the opening and closing front door, which is sometimes left ajar as equipment comes in and out. They are also very friendly and curious and would interfere with the cleaning. So off they go to their private space during cleaning time. After the ladies leave, I open the door and they come shooting out, going around the house sniffing and checking everything.

I would not be comfortable with strangers around the litterboxes. For their sakes, not mine.

We remove all towels, mats, etc., from both bathrooms and take them to the laundry room for washing later in the day. Also remove all pet food and water bowls, wash and stack them off the floor. Remove any personal mail, etc., and put it in the den, where no one but DH and I ever goes.

I leave all my (asymmetrical) vignettes and collections out. The ladies love symmetry and tend to rearrange a bit, but gently. They have a special way of "neatening up" up our living room, especially the toss pillows and throws and books left out.. DH always comes into the LR afterwards, looks around, grins, and says : "Yes, women are different than men!"

One story that makes me smile. A few years ago, in a thrift store, I found a little figurine of a gardening nun, about 3" high; she is on her knees and holding a bunch of flowers in one hand and a trowel in the other. She is adorable (and I am seriously Jewish). I have her at my desktop station, turned to face the Mac, so that I can look at her profile. Every two weeks, like clockwork, the ladies turn her lovely smiling face to me. I would know that they'd been here just by the way my little "sister" is facing!

Linelle - You must come back and tell us how everything went! As you can see, we are very involved with our cleaning stories!

Sable, thanks so much. You even thought of things I forgot to ask. I assume, then, that they don't clean the guest/cats' room at all. That is something I mulled over myself, as my guest room was my cats' room when they were babies and it's small enough that it doesn't matter much if it's not cleaned professionally. Not much goes on in there except when the occasional guest spends the night. I could move the litter boxes *and* their food/water in there, plus feel they are secure and out of the women's work space. I think I might just do that for the first visit.

I love the story of your little nun!

I don't clutter so that is not an issue. I do have 3 tables in my LR that have lots of small, valuable, breakable things on them - tablescapes. I take all these things off and put them on trays, as I don't want her handling them and she wouldn't put things back correctly anyway.

Yet another problem I have with her, is that she likes to re-arrange my shelves etc. I have had to tell her to leave them alone but she really doesn't listen - she leaves the bookshelves alone but magazines/books on tables get put elsewhere and it's a search to figure out where she put things.

It honestly seems weird to me that people hired to clean would rearrange or relocate things. I'll gather up the obvious (to me) clutter and see what happens.

Yes, I like to leave most surfaces as clutter-free as possible to make their job easier. That doesn't mean I leave things bare, but I do put away the messy bits of day to day life. There still might be a small stack of magazines or books on the coffee table, or a few things on the bathroom counter.

It will be the easiest thing you ever get used to, Linelle. yes pick up the clutter. Make one stack of paper instead of five. Put breakables away. Laptop in a drawer.

they may not pick up a lamp bc no dust gets under it. They will dust around it. I think today's house cleaner is better trained than yesterday's. More scientific.

Linelle - about the cats. Keeping them in their separate room has worked out well, and has now become part of a routine that they understand. They know when it's cleaning day because I am opening and closing doors in a different pattern and also turning on all the lights in every room to be cleaned. They observe this, and particularly notice when I collect their various dishes and bowls to the sink for a group soak and wash. "OMG, she's taken my food dish, will I ever eat again?" So they perch by the LR windows waiting and just before the ladies arrive, I put a few kibbles on plates for each of them (the only time this happens) and walk to their room, where one cat has already run in and the other is waiting by the door. In go the kibbles, the second cat, door is shut, done. At first they scratched the door to be let out, we ignored this, and now they are cleaning day veterans.

The team does not clean the cats' room, the den, or DH's study. We have a standard contract with the company for cleaning the bathrooms, the kitchen, and two other rooms, and we chose the master bedroom and the living room. Because our rooms are small and not very dirty, the ladies have extra time, so they also vacuum and mop the dining room floor and vacuum the study. This was their idea, not mine! Just having thorough floor care has been so worthwhile!

Sable, I'd originally planned to put the cats in the guest room, changed my mind, but now I think it will solve a lot of potential issues, e.g., cats, litter boxes, food. Depending on how things go, I could change things later on.

Mtn, I love how you guys label your clothes like summer camp. I plan on having them come twice a month which is a whole lot more than never at all. I don't really see what they can harm in my house.

I don't expect my house to glow and sing. It's just knowing that it's clean and there aren't dirt gremlins lurking unseen. A clean house gives me a sense of well-being.

Put laptop and iPad away. Check.

Jeez, getting my house cleaned sounds like a lot of work.

We are not clutter people, but we do de-clutter what clutter we have before our cleaner's every-other-week visit. This means shredding anything personal in the mail that we are done with and/or putting away what we need to keep, stashing all the shampoos and stuff in the shower so it will be easier to clean, clearing magazines and crap from the coffee table, etc. It's probably around 10 minutes of prep, though. Nothing major. We have been using the same person for years and trust her completely-- but we have found that the shredding of bills and the tossing of old magazines every two weeks keeps us disciplined about avoiding clutter build-up.

We are never around when she is there. We have a keypad lock on one of our doors and she has her own code. Our cats love her and they follow her around (unless she is using the vacuum). She recently found a great full time job and she has been coming to us on her days off because of our long and good relationship. I anticipate that at some point she will not want to do this anymore, and I am dreading that day, largely because I don't know if I will find someone I trust as much with the cats.

My cleaning person loves my cats, and they love her! They follow her around. I scoop the litter before she gets here, and she vacuums around the litter boxes.

I'm usually home while she's here, because I work from home.

Interesting what prep is done related to cats. I've never done anything along those lines. Their dishes are on a thing like a boot tray in the kitchen and they stay there during house cleaning - cleaner moves the tray to clean. Fortunately I have an unfinished part of the basement where the litter boxes are so nothing that needs to be done in that area.

I asked my previous house cleaner what the cats did when she came. They hung around until the vacuum came on and then they beat to their hiding spots.

Linelle, you will just love not having to do it yourself. Even so, it's not mindless as you will be doing things to prepare for when they come.

For years, when I was a SAHM I cleaned myself. Both DH and I felt uncomfortable with others going through our things.

You'll figure it all out and wonder how you waited this long to hand over this chore.

ETA: Mtn, funny about the chairs. So, since she comes three days a week, does that mean she is angling them all those days?

I think my cats would adjust, especially Bessie who's fascinated by new people. But the vacuum would change all that. When I vacuum I make sure they're not hiding in the room I'm about to vacuum, but usher them out first. I can't expect anyone else to understand the nuances of what freaks my cats out. Once I get a sense of how they move through my house, I may decide it will be fine to let the cats out of their room.

In a way this declutter/prep work is good. Getting the litter boxes out of the way means a good vac where they sit. The stuff to which one becomes inured.

Yes, Eld. Every other weekday my chairs get angled. And i straighten them out. I just can't imagine a conversation telling her about it though. IYKWIM

Haha. I agree, too late for that conversation!

Linelle, I'm not one for clutter, but DH can be. When we know the ladies are coming, it's my perfect excuse to put all away all those jackets DH drapes over the dining room chairs.

Recycle all the newspapers etc.

Looks like I have my marching orders. ;-)

I cleaned homes while in college and the folks who picked up their clutter got more for their money as I could get down to the nitty gritty then. Picking up newspapers, clothes off the floor, putting away items in the sink, etc. is good.

I was a fairly naive college girl and one time as a I was vacuuming under a single person's bed, I found some contraceptive stuff that had been used. I told the owner of the company and she had to call the gal to tell not to leave that kind of stuff out. She acted all surprised and then fired us!

mobuddy, talk about killing the messenger! But ewwwwww.

I'm decluttering. It kinda feels like I'm getting ready for guests, except for the not cleaning part. That's the best part.

I clean among many other duties for my business and have found that some clean before I come but most don't. They are busy with children, and family etc. I take off whatever is on the counters, floors, shelves etc and clean under them and put it back more neatly. As I get to know the household I learn where things belong and put those things in their places.

I also do cat and dog walks and vacuum the cats and dogs as well. They love both things. :)

I declutter before the housecleaner comes and it actually has turned into a good motivator for me to get things straightened out periodically. Stacks of mail, stuff on counters and tables--getting that put away and clear not only makes it easier for her to actually clean the house but keeps me on top of those areas that are SOOOOO easy to ignore on a daily basis. So it's really a double benefit.

Linelle, hope you are happy with your cleaners/cleaning, and that it helps you as much as it does me and so many of us to outsource that particular life chore!

Parenthetical aside: are there any readers whose husband or (male) SO handles the cleaning on a regular basis? I know one-my BIL-who is a typically OCD engineer type who doesn't trust his wife's standards ;), but anecdotally keeping a house clean sure seems to be a woman's task and bane of life!

@Running, I was raised by my father in the 1970s (pretty unusual at the time) as my mother was not able to. My dad always did the cleaning and cooking but I always thought that was by default since no female was around (I did a lot of it as a teenager and I think that is one reason a cleaning company hired me when I was just a kid really).

He remarried many years ago to a much younger woman (in her early 60s) and is now retired. At 82 years of age, he still does it all the cleaning (but no cooking) as he is wife doesn't see the importance of cleanliness. So perhaps his efforts are by default again and if given the choice he would happily relinquish the cleaning duties. Oddly, she has banned him from the kitchen cleaning however and I believe there have been plenty of arguments about it since it is truly disgusting.

I didn't read all the responses but would not move the litter boxes.

Shee, why wouldn't you move the litter boxes? Mine are jumbo with high sides. Despite my best daily efforts of tidying and sweeping up around them there's still plenty of tracking and errant bits. They're in a carpeted room, so a thorough vacuuming is necessary. My cats will be fine sequestered in a room for an hour or two without their boxes, but since the rooms are right across the hall from one another, it's easier for me to move them there when the cleaners are here.

Running, my late husband was great at domestic chores. He was the eldest of 5 with a busy mom and learned at an early age that if he didn't do stuff, it wouldn't get done at all. He excelled at laundry and vacuuming.

I'll generally move the pile of papers that collect on my island and that's about it, as I try to live clutter free...but your question really hit a nerve for me! We're in the midst of a 6-week basement reno and most of the "stuff" is now upstairs, including 3 cat litter boxes that are now in my home office. I have a wonderful housecleaner who cleans bi-weekly and I'm tempted to temporarily cancel her service only I know that wouldn't be fair to her and I don't want her to replace me with another customer!

I'm painfully aware that this is a first world problem...

When my MIL was alive, she'd come and 'clean' house for me. Meaning-she'd move everything and wipe surfaces down but put things away in completely different places.

So I got in the habit of moving things that I didn't want someone else to touch-not so much clutter-but I do clear all that stuff away. I don't have a regular housekeeper but I occasionally have someone in to do the scrubbing of baseboards, floors and deep vacuuming because I can't do that stuff any more.

I do have a gal coming in on Friday and I've been busy getting surfaces cleared, laundry done, etc-even throwing the throw rugs in the laundry but I've got them stacked up waiting for her to scrub the floors first. I'm excited for this session as she'll do the deep cleaning I can't really do anymore due to injuries. So I do the surface stuff and light dusting.

I am pretty much clutter free but I do a quick check everywhere bf my cleaner comes: I also wipe down toilet seats and any stains ( ick ) .

My DH is not somebody who cleans, no. He also clutters everywhere (or would if he could) because "how I will see things??" (things get lost anyway, so his technique obviously doesn't work that great) I tried to buy him organizers and stuff yet soon it turns to be another surface to disperse the stuff on so the stuff could be potentially spotted lol. Then it's hours of looking for this or that. Luckily it all applies to garage/his car only; since I'm the one who keeps the house tidy I at least know where the rest of the things are.

I also do laundry and other stuff pertaining to cleanliness.

I am also the one who is in charge of presents and gifts for everybody-and yes, it's a lot lol. especially as we have so many family and friends overseas-his, mine, MIL's..every visit and big holiday is weeks if not months of careful preparation..:)

He does amazing, amazing amount of all the other things. Takes him a long time, yes, but all the external stuff like shopping, all the finances(except for couple small things that I'm in charge of), all the doctors, big big help with cooking..actually he cooks more than me already-wasn't always like that but now I cook/bake when it's holidays..important school meetings, we try to go together.

As I love flowers, he always buys flowers for me, and he's much better than me in cutting the stems and setting them.

I water the flowers in the pots though:)

Why did I write it and how it pertains to the topic? Hell if I know. Coffee? lol

April, I love your posts. You remind me of my very favorite friend. Yes to the coffee!

Thank you cattyles:) Because I often feel I'm all over the place with my ramblings..

"Are there any readers whose husband or (male) SO handles the cleaning on a regular basis?" Well, he died 22 years ago, but my husband did most of the vacuuming and kitchen clean up, some of the cooking and shopping (with a detailed list), most of his own laundry and all of his own ironing. He drove me crazy when he'd "straighten up," meaning I'd watch him take a pile of anything that had accumulated on a counter or table and make a much neater pile of it instead of just putting it away. So our clutter wasn't too cluttery. :-)

He also would clean the toilets, if I outlasted him (which I could easily do for vacuuming, I detest it so) - they weren't awful, but he'd do them before me. I'm a terribly messy cook - meaning lots of pans and dishes, so I miss his efficient and cheerful clean-up after me duty (he appreciated the good meals). He also would empty the dishwasher which I also hate. So, living solo, I try to just force myself to do the jobs I hate, but I still miss coming home to a freshly vacuumed floor. I did get a Roomba, which helps.

Oly, I can so relate. Mine's been gone 13 years. Not only do I have to do all my chores single-handedly, I have to do all his chores as well.

Yeah, we also got Roomba..helps but she's like a naughty puppy..needs to be watched:) As I'm still thinking about most of my art, many paintings are on the floor leaning..and I take them from spot to spot..taking my time to decide..I already learned I need to pick them all up:) She also managed to break a mirror..and I'm very superstitious..sometimes I reprimand the Roomba so severely that DS runs to her defense: "Mommy, Mommy, don't be mad at her, she doesn't understand!" lol

My husband does the laundry, (he even carries it upstairs, and sorts, and folds the towels!) ..dog mess clean up and yard work. He also cooks me breakfast every morning just about. He's gold to me. Although many of my jobs start at 745 a.m. I am not a morning person and forget to eat. I make our lunches and mostly make supper. I do most of the rest of the chores. I'm fine with that. Right now he's working his rear off to ensure our financials are healthy.

I do a quick clean up before the crew comes in as a courtesy. They're hard workers & have a business to run, so I make sure they can get in & out easily so they can go on to the next job. Also, though I've never had one bit of trouble in 15 years, I want to make sure there are no temptations in plain sight: cash, jewelry, tax documents with SSNs, financial papers, pills. For their sake as well as ours.

I love my cleaning lady, though I only see her periodically now, as she usually sends her crews to the jobs. She has grown her business from a small personal operation to a county-wide empire! I admire her business abilities & energy tremendously.

awm, I did a major sweep before my team arrived. I plan to relax a bit in the future. The things I forgot to move or put away they managed to clean around and under, so I think this is routine for them. One thing I forgot, actually never thought about, was a few used Nespresso capsules in the eject container. They cleared that out. Nice!

Linelle, I hope you have a long & happy relationship with your cleaning crew!

I'm trying to convince my cleaning lady that she should become a professional stager :) She likes to play with tablescapes, mantel displays, & pillows & objects that have gone astray, sometimes moving chairs a bit too. But her arrangements look so good! I often do a facepalm, thinking, "Doh! Why didn't I think of that?"

The only things I noticed that were moved were items on my master bath vanity, kind of reversed. I tried it for a day, thinking it might be a better arrangement, but automatic moves had me grabbing the wrong thing, so I switched everything back. Other than that, you'd never know anyone had been here, except for the clean part.