How to Prepare for Your Next Clean

A thorough cleaning service aims to leave your home looking immaculate. But to achieve a deep clean, our cleaning technicians need room to work their magic. Taking a few minutes to tidy up before our arrival allows us to clean more efficiently and effectively. Here are some tips on how to prepare your home before your All Seasons Cleaning service appointment.

Clear the Floors

We kindly ask that you pick up any items cluttering the floors before we arrive. Please put away children's toys, clothing, shoes, books, and anything else that might prevent us from properly vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping. Clear paths give our technicians full access to all your floor spaces. They can clean under and around furniture without obstacles blocking the way.

Make sure to check under beds, sofas, and other furniture for stray items. And don't forget to scan for clutter in less-trafficked areas like closets, the garage, basement, and storage spaces. The more floor space free of debris, the better and more complete clean we can provide.

Tidy Up Counter Tops

Kitchen counters, islands, bathroom vanities, and other flat surfaces tend to attract clutter. Before we come to clean, please clear these spaces of small appliances, dishes, toiletries, plants, paperwork, and anything else sitting out. Our cleaning technicians are not instructed to organize personal items—we aim to avoid moving your belongings out of place.

With open counter tops, we can thoroughly sanitize surfaces, clean underneath small decor, and reach edges and corners. Our disinfectants and cleaners work best when they make full contact with the counters we are cleaning. A few minutes of quick pick-up goes a long way toward a sparkling clean result.

Put Away Valuables

For your own peace of mind, we recommend securing valuables before our cleaning crew arrives. Only you know which of your belongings hold special meaning or monetary value. Help us avoid mishandling precious items by storing them out of sight.

Gently pack up fragile décor, antiques, jewelry, watches, cash, important documents, passports, electronics, and other prized possessions. Don't forget to check dining tables, office spaces, bathrooms, and other common areas where valuables may be sitting out. Putting away must-protect items provides comfort knowing your possessions are safe and sound while we tidy up.

Secure Pets

All Seasons Cleaning is a pet-friendly service. However, some special attention is needed to keep pets comfortable and out of harm's way during the cleaning process. Before the crew arrives, make sure dogs and cats have food, water, a potty break, and access to any medications they need.

Then decide whether your pet would do best in another room, securely penned in the yard, or inside their crate. Containing curious creatures prevents escape attempts when doors are opened and closed. It also protects pets from any cleaning products we apply and any equipment we move through your home. Let us know any specific pet handling requests, and we will make note in your account.

Check Entryways & High Traffic Areas

Entryways tend to collect lots of dirt and debris tracked in from outside. And hallways, staircases, and main living areas get heavy day-to-day foot traffic. Make sure these high-use zones are free of clutter before we arrive—this allows for a much deeper clean of dirt-prone areas.

Sweep or vacuum entryways and mats. Pick up shoes, bags, outerwear, and umbrellas. Remove paperwork, pet accessories, projects-in-progress, and anything else sitting out in main paths and stairs. With clear access, we can thoroughly clean floors, sanitize doorknobs and railings, dust corners and edges, and refresh well-trafficked spaces.

Straighten Furniture

Realigning moved furniture helps us access all sides for cleaning. Before the crew arrives, kindly push chairs neatly under tables and arrange furnishings in their original floor plan. This prevents our cleaners from having to haul heavy pieces back into place. It also keeps them from unintentionally scraping walls and floors if items need to be slid across the room.

And don't forget to lift rugs and doormats—we want to get underneath these to trap dirt and grime you can't see. With furniture tidied up, we can make quick work of getting the entire area clean and freshly arranged.

Take Out the Trash

One of the finishing touches we provide is emptying wastebaskets throughout the home. As a courtesy, please take out kitchen and bathroom trash ahead of time so additional garbage doesn't accumulate. This includes retrieving bins from bedrooms, offices, and other areas beyond central living spaces.

Consolidating all waste into fewer bags cuts down on leftover odors. And lifting out heavy loads of trash helps prevent spills or tearing. We are always happy to remove remaining rubbish and relining bins. Taking out the trash gets cleaning started on the right foot.

Load & Unload the Dishwasher

As part of our kitchen cleaning, All Seasons technicians are accustomed to working around dirty dishes. However, extra time unloading and repacking a fully stocked dishwasher can slow down our overall process. Before the crew arrives, please empty clean dishware and contain dirty items to soak in the sink.

This allows unrestricted access to fully sanitize the dishwasher. And with the sink free of clean dishes, we can hand wash and shine up any pots, pans, and serving pieces. A quick swap of dishwasher contents helps the kitchen cleaning flow smoothly.

Put Laundry Away

To properly clean bedrooms, bathrooms, and other living areas, we need clear floors and surfaces. Before your next cleaning, please put away clean, folded laundry so bins and piles aren't obstructing our way. And gather up hampers of dirty clothes to consolidate loads—this prevents our team from having to dig through and handle soiled items in order to reach garbage cans and other cleaning tasks.

With laundry contained, we can fully access dressers, nightstands, and other furniture for dusting. We also appreciate any fresh towels and linens laid out for replacing bathroom essentials. Managing the laundry allows us to refresh the home without excessive handling of your clothing.

Take Advantage of Dry Weather

Rain, snow, and excess moisture tracked inside can really multiply the cleaning workload. If the forecast looks clear, open windows to air out the home and let sunlight naturally sanitize surfaces. Ensure porch areas are dry so we can sweep away debris without extra mopping. And put away outdoor gear so it doesn't pick up extra dirt in wet conditions.

Dry weather allows our cleaning team to refresh floors and deep clean bathrooms much more quickly. We want to take advantage of low humidity so you come home to a beautiful, moisture-free, cleaned interior.

Schedule Recurring Cleanings

Regular cleaning appointments allow us to maintain a consistently tidy home for you. When scheduled every week or every other week, your technician will become familiar with your home's layout and cleaning plan. Consistent appointments mean our team wastes no prep time relearning the spaces and processes unique to your house.

Recurring cleans make it easy for our crew to spot deep cleaning needs beyond the standard tidying. Issues like soap scum build-up, dusty baseboards, ceiling fans, or windows come to our attention right away before becoming huge projects. Regular appointments lead to higher quality cleans in less time.

In Closing

With a few minutes of preparation, you enable our All Seasons Cleaning technicians to provide the highest standard of cleaning service for your home. We appreciate you taking the time to tidy up, put away valuables, contain pets, and remove clutter from our way. These simple steps empower us to work quickly and efficiently so you come home to sparkling clean floors, surfaces, and furnishings. Contact us today to schedule your next thorough All Seasons Cleaning!

Summarized Table of Cleaning Preparations - Recommended Tasks and Descriptions

Task	Description
Clear the Floors	Remove clutter from the floors to enable thorough vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping.
Tidy Up Counter Tops	Clear kitchen counters and other surfaces for efficient sanitizing and cleaning.
Put Away Valuables	Secure valuable items and keep them out of the cleaning areas.
Secure Pets	Ensure pets are comfortable and safe during the cleaning process.
Check Entryways & High Traffic Areas	Ensure entryways and high-traffic areas are free of clutter for a deeper clean.
Straighten Furniture	Arrange furniture and lift rugs for comprehensive cleaning.
Take Out the Trash	Empty wastebaskets throughout the home to prevent accumulation of garbage.
Load & Unload the Dishwasher	Ensure the dishwasher is unloaded and dirty items are contained for efficient cleaning.
Put Laundry Away	Manage laundry to enable cleaning access and prevent excessive handling of clothing.
Take Advantage of Dry Weather	Utilize dry conditions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of cleaning.
Schedule Recurring Cleanings	Set regular appointments for consistent and personalized cleaning services.