Most professional cleaning visits go well regardless of how the home looks when we arrive. But a little prep on your end means the team spends their time on cleaning, not on tidying around your stuff — and you get a better result for the same price.
1. Clear the floors
Pick up shoes, toys, laundry baskets, gym bags. We can clean around them, but we'd rather vacuum and mop the whole floor than half of it.
2. Clear the counters (in kitchen and bathrooms)
This is the single biggest one. If a kitchen counter has yesterday's mail, three water glasses, and a phone charger sitting on it, we can only wipe around them. If it's clear, we can wipe the whole counter, lift small appliances, and clean underneath.
3. Tell us about anything off-limits
An heirloom on a shelf, a fragile lamp, a door you'd rather we not open — a quick text or note before the visit prevents a problem. Good cleaners default to careful, but explicit beats implicit every time.
4. Secure pets
Most of our team is fine with friendly dogs and cats around. But for the dog's comfort and ours, contained in a crate, bedroom, or backyard during the visit is best — especially during vacuuming.
5. Don't pre-clean
This is the most common mistake. Don't scrub the bathroom the night before — that's literally what you're paying for. The exception: a sink full of dishes. We don't do dishes by default (some companies do — ask), so a quick rinse-and-load before we arrive lets us actually clean the sink.
What doesn't matter
- Whether the beds are made. If they're not, we'll make them if linens are on the bed.
- Whether the trash is taken out. We do that.
- Whether you've vacuumed first. Please don't.
About five minutes of prep makes a real difference. Anything more is overkill.
Want help with this? Learn more about our cleaning services from River Trail Cleaning — flat-rate pricing across Greater Little Rock and Central Arkansas.