I’ve never had a cleaner before, do I need to clean before they arrive .

Are you joking!? What would be the point of having a cleaner if you did that?

The only thing you need to do is tidy up.
If a cleaner has to tidy things away half the time which should be taken with cleaning is gone .
Also you will spend hours looking for the things she has put away in places you would not use.

Yes, tidy up first, as I used to tell my DDs, C can’t Hoover the carpets in your rooms, if she can’t see them!

I agree, tidying up is the most important thing to do. Also have different coloured cleaning cloths for the bathroom and kitchen! Sounds common sense, take it from me it is not!

Depends how bad your house is, OP. If it were really filthy it would be expecting a bit much for the cleaner to tackle it,

I tidy up first. My cleaner tidies again behind me!

If anything is disgustingly dirty (I don't live on my own and the others are... not clean), I do remove the worst of wherever the muck is, because frankly, I'm embarrassed about it.

My husband runs a cleaning company - only does commercial premises now, but in the days when he did house cleaning too, I used to help out on occasion and trust me, no matter how messy or dirty you think your house is, your cleaner will have seen worse! I've had to help him clean places pigs would have refused to set foot in!

annsixty

The only thing you need to do is tidy up.
If a cleaner has to tidy things away half the time which should be taken with cleaning is gone .
Also you will spend hours looking for the things she has put away in places you would not use.

This exactly. For me, it is a matter of respect for the cleaner. And I used to insist on kids always clearing up their rooms the night before cleaner came, and explained about respect, and that it is not the cleaner's job to pick up their dirty socks and knickers, etc.

My cleaner did a deep clean on her first visit, cleaning windows, skirting boards, tops on units and so on in every room. I think it took her four hours. I then took her advice that it would take her an hour and a half to clean the essential rooms with an extra half hour for low traffic areas on a rota basis, such as spare bedrooms, study etc. we tend to agree each visit which extra areas need cleaning or if I want her to deep clean a room or do the windows.

I do tidy up and empty bins before each visit so all she has to do is clean.

Yes I definitely tidy up but don't clean. I though my house was
reasonably well kept until my lovely cleaner started recently. My goodness the place is sparkling, no amount of effort on my part would bring it up to her standards. What a treasure she is.

Yes, it makes sense to tidy, so surfaces are easier to clean - worktops, floors etc. You would find that a new cleaner will want to do a 'deep clean' first time, and after that will get round much quicker. I had a cleaner before Lockdown who couldn't come when it eased off a bit because she also worked in a care home. I have now got 2 brilliant women who are very thorough and reliable.

Clean? No. Tidy up? Yes, definitely.
And make sure you agree exactly what is included - there was a whole thread on here a while ago about whether a cleaner should be expected to clean the hair trap in a shower cubicle!

I didn’t ask for a cleaner ever but OH insisted. I must admit I am not into dusting. My eyesight isn’t what it was and with arthritis of my knee, cannot bend down. The lovely Polish cleaner he brought is excellent but reaching my age or on the way, has back ache, sciatica etc. and brought a young friend this week to train. Not impressed with the new girl but it’s still a help.