If you’ve recently hired a housekeeper or already have one helping out around your home, here are some tips to help make them more successful.

Create a list

Creating a list for your housekeeper is a great way to make sure that they know exactly what you want to be done. Although housekeepers are professionals who know a lot about what to clean and how to clean it, they do not know your specific needs. So make sure to create a list of items that are most important to you.

Clean up your clutter

Having piles of clutter encourages your cleaner to either skip the area or organize the pile in a way you would not have done yourself. Before a housekeeper comes over, organize the clutter or make a note to remind the housekeeper that they will not need to organize the clutter.

Review how things should be done

We all have specific ways of doing things. Not everyone knows that you want things like the blinds left half open after having them cleaned or that the area rug needs to be pulled exactly one inch under the couch. So make sure you specify your way of doing things to your housekeeper. This is important because it will alleviate a lot of potential frustration between you and your housekeeper.

Special instructions about specific items

If there are special items in your house that you do not want the housekeeper to touch or if you want them to handle specific items with care, it can be frustrating and worrisome if you find that your valuables have been mishandled. Sometimes items that are very special to you and which must be handled with care do not always standout.  If you have antique furniture, vases, photo albums, jewelry, family heirlooms, or other precious items that you do not want to be touched or handled with extreme care, make sure to let the housekeeper know.

Praise

We all know what it feels like to have our hard work go unnoticed, so make sure to praise the great work your housekeeper is doing. If the housekeeper is not addressing something or if they are not performing a cleaning task to your standards, politely let them know and they will surely be able to handle your request.