Two suggestions to follow after hiring your first house cleaner
If you've hired someone to clean your house and you've never used a cleaning service like this before, here are some tips to follow.
Wait until the cleaner has assessed your home before shopping for cleaning supplies
Most cleaners will do an assessment of a client's home before letting that client know how much time they'll need to do a full clean, what areas might require extra attention, and what cleaning supplies they would recommend. It's best to wait until after your cleaner has evaluated your home before shopping for cleaning supplies as after the assessment, they might have some recommendations regarding which cleaning products would be most suitable for certain areas and which ones might not work for certain cleaning tasks.
For example, if you like natural products and have read about using vinegar to clean household surfaces, you might be tempted to stock up several large bottles of this. However, if your cleaner sees that you have a marble benchtop, a marble fire surround or marble floors, they might advise you to use a natural, mild detergent instead of vinegar on these surfaces, as the vinegar's acidity could damage the marble. In this instance, waiting until you've had this chat will mean you won't waste money on cleaning supplies that are unsuitable for the surfaces you intended to have the cleaner use them on.
Speak up if you want to change some of the cleaning supplies you've selected
If after consulting with the cleaner, you stock up on products that the two of you have agreed would be suitable for the cleaning tasks you want them to do, you find that you're not impressed with some of them, you should speak up right away.
For example, if you find that the furniture polish you originally asked them to use leaves a tacky film on your wooden table that results in plates and glasses sticking to it, you should let them know immediately. Do not avoid speaking up because you don't wish to inconvenience or offend them, as your cleaner will want you to be totally satisfied with the results of their work and will be happy whenever you tell them to make changes that will improve the quality of the service they're providing. On a related note, if they tell you that a product you told them to use is not performing as well as it should (for example, if the window-cleaning spray you selected is making the glass streaky), you should take on board any recommendations for replacement products they provide, as this will help them to clean your home to the highest standard possible.
Keep these things in mind as you decide on cleaning supplies.
