No, you do not need to clean your home before the cleaner comes. That would defeat the point of booking one.
The useful preparation is tidying, not cleaning. Put away the belongings only you can place, make the floors and worktops easy to reach, and tell the cleaning team what matters most. Ten focused minutes can give the cleaner more time for the bathrooms, kitchen, dusting, hoovering and mopping you actually booked them to do.
This is the simple checklist we recommend for homes and apartments in Dublin before a first visit or a regular clean.
The 10-minute checklist before your cleaner arrives
If time is short, do these six things:
- Put away clothes, toys, post and personal items.
- Clear dishes and food from the kitchen sink and worktops.
- Choose your priority rooms or tasks.
- Confirm the Eircode, parking and entry instructions.
- Keep pets somewhere safe and comfortable.
- Point out delicate surfaces, damaged fittings or anything that should not be moved.
You are not trying to make the home look perfect. You are simply making sure the team can spend the booked time cleaning instead of guessing where your belongings belong.
Tidy first, but do not pre-clean
There is an important difference between tidying and cleaning.
Tidying means picking clothes up from the floor, putting toys into a basket, moving paperwork off the table and returning toiletries to a shelf. Cleaning means scrubbing the shower, wiping the hob, dusting furniture, hoovering and mopping. Leave the second list to the cleaner.
A clear surface can be cleaned properly. A crowded surface has to be worked around, and moving every personal item takes time. The same is true of floors: shoes, charging cables and children's toys slow down hoovering and mopping far more than most people expect.
If the property needs more than routine maintenance, do not exhaust yourself trying to make it suitable for a regular visit. A deep clean is designed for built-up grease, limescale, skirting boards, door frames and the details that a maintenance clean cannot always reach.
Decide what matters most on this visit
Professional cleaners work more efficiently when the priorities are clear.
Before the visit, decide whether your main concern is the bathroom, kitchen, floors, dust, pet hair or a particular room. If everything cannot reasonably be completed in the booked time, the team should know what comes first.
For a regular visit, a short list is enough:
- bathroom and kitchen first;
- downstairs floors and stairs;
- skip the home office during video calls;
- do not enter the nursery while the baby is asleep;
- use the product left out for a particular stone worktop or delicate floor.
Try not to leave a long list in several different messages. One clear note, sent before the visit or explained during the first walk-through, is easier to follow.
Make access easy, especially in Dublin apartments
Send the full address and Eircode, then add anything the address does not explain. That may include an apartment number, intercom name, gate code, concierge desk, lift instructions or the correct entrance to a development.
Parking is worth mentioning before the team sets off. If the street is permit-only, the building has a loading bay or visitor parking must be booked, say so in advance. A cleaner arriving with equipment should not have to discover that the usable entrance is on the other side of the block.
If you will not be home, agree how the key or access code will be handled. Do not leave a key in an unsecured place unless that arrangement has been specifically agreed.
Clear the kitchen sink and worktops
A cleaner can wash and sanitise a sink or wipe a worktop properly only when it is accessible. Put food away, load or empty the dishwasher where possible, and move clean dishes from the draining board.
This does not mean every mug must disappear before the doorbell rings. It simply prevents paid cleaning time from turning into time spent deciding which dishes are clean, which need washing and where unfamiliar kitchen items belong.
For appliance interiors, confirm the scope when you book. Oven and fridge interiors are separate tasks on the BPE price list; they are not automatically part of every regular clean. You can see the current figures on our cleaning prices page.
Put private, valuable and fragile items away
Store medication, jewellery, cash, private paperwork and small valuable items before the visit. This protects your privacy and prevents something important being moved while a surface is cleaned.
Fragile ornaments do not always need to be removed, but tell the team about anything delicate, unstable or especially valuable. If a tap is loose, a shelf is damaged or a door does not close correctly, point it out before work begins. A two-minute warning is better than an avoidable accident.
Plan for pets
Even a friendly dog or curious cat can be stressed by unfamiliar people, open doors, moving equipment and the sound of a hoover.
Tell the team that a pet is in the home. During the visit, keep the animal in a secure room, crate or garden area that suits it, and make sure the cleaner knows which doors must remain closed. If a pet is nervous or likely to run through an open front door, arrange the safest option before the team arrives.
Also point out litter trays, food bowls or pet areas that should or should not be included in the clean. Clear instructions are kinder to the animal and easier for the cleaner.
If you work from home, choose one base room
You do not have to leave the property while it is being cleaned. You can work from home during the visit.
The easiest arrangement is to choose one room as your base and let the team clean it first, last or skip it that day. Keep calls, chargers and confidential documents together so you are not moving from room to room in front of the cleaner.
On the first visit, a short walk-through is useful. After that, you should not need to supervise every task. Agree the priorities, make sure access is sorted and let the team work.
Do not lay out a collection of cleaning chemicals
BPE Cleaning Services brings professional, eco-friendly products and the equipment needed for the agreed job. You do not need to buy supplies before the visit.
If a particular surface must be cleaned with a product recommended by its manufacturer, leave that product out and explain where it should be used. Never mix chemicals or pre-treat an area with several products. If bleach, descaler or another strong cleaner has already been applied, tell the team before they touch the surface.
What changes for a deep clean or move-out clean?
The basic rule stays the same: remove personal belongings so the team can reach what needs cleaning. The level of preparation changes with the service.
| Service | Best preparation |
|---|---|
| Regular house cleaning | Tidy loose belongings, clear the sink and name your priorities. |
| Deep cleaning | Clear more surfaces and flag limescale, grease and areas that need special attention. |
| End of tenancy cleaning | Empty the property as fully as possible and confirm which appliance interiors are included. |
| After builders cleaning | Finish the building work first, remove tools and loose rubble, and make sure water and electricity are available. |
| Airbnb turnover cleaning | Leave linen, restocking supplies and guest-access instructions in their agreed places. |
If the situation is unusual, send photographs before booking. It is much easier to agree the right service, team and amount of time when everyone sees the same starting point.
What you do not need to do
You do not need to:
- scrub the bathroom because you are embarrassed;
- hoover before the cleaner hoovers;
- buy professional products;
- move heavy furniture by yourself;
- apologise for normal household mess;
- stay home to supervise the whole visit.
A professional cleaner is there to clean, not to judge the home. Honest information about its condition is more useful than a rushed attempt to hide the work.
Frequently asked questions
Should I clean before the cleaner comes?
No. Tidy personal belongings and clear the main surfaces, but leave the actual cleaning to the professional. The goal is access, not a spotless home before the work starts.
Do I need to be at home?
No. You can be there for the first walk-through and then leave, work in another room, or arrange a key or entry code in advance. Choose the option that makes you comfortable and gives the cleaner safe access.
Should dishes be done before a cleaner arrives?
Ideally, clear the sink and worktops so they can be cleaned and sanitised. If washing dishes is part of the work you want, agree that before the visit rather than assuming it is included.
Do I need to provide products or equipment?
Not for a BPE visit. We bring professional products and equipment. Tell us in advance if a delicate surface requires a specific product or method.
Will cleaners move furniture?
Do not assume heavy furniture will be moved. Mention anything you want cleaned behind or underneath when you book, so the team can confirm what is safe and practical.
How tidy should the home be?
Clear enough that floors, sinks, worktops and the surfaces you want cleaned are reachable. Baskets are perfectly acceptable for a quick reset; you do not need to reorganise the entire home.
Ready for the first visit?
BPE Cleaning Services provides regular and once-off cleaning across County Dublin, as well as Kildare, Wicklow, Louth, Westmeath, Offaly, Carlow and Meath. We are available seven days a week, from 8:00 to 20:00.
See exactly what is included in house cleaning in Dublin, check the published price list, or request your price before choosing a date.
