Let us say the thing nobody else will say first: you do not need to clean your house before the cleaners come.
We hear this from new clients constantly. “I’m so sorry about the mess.” “I was going to tidy up but I ran out of time.” “Please don’t judge me.” We have been cleaning homes across the western Twin Cities for years, and we have never once walked into a house and thought less of the person who lives there. The mess is why you called us.
That said, there is a real difference between a home that is ready for a cleaning crew and one that is not. Not because we need you to scrub anything, but because 15 minutes of the right preparation means our time gets spent on actual cleaning rather than on figuring out where to put your things. That is the difference between walking in at the end of the day and feeling like every dollar was well spent, and wondering why the bathroom looks great but the kitchen counters are still cluttered.
This guide covers what genuinely helps, what you can skip entirely, and the Minnesota-specific preparation that most guides written in warmer climates never mention.
The One Thing That Matters Most: Clear the Surfaces
If you do nothing else on this list, do this.
Pick up clutter from countertops, tables, desks, nightstands, and floors. Toys, mail, shoes, charging cables, backpacks, water bottles, and the miscellaneous pile that lives on the kitchen island. Put it wherever it goes. If it does not have a place, put it in a basket or a bag and set it in a closet.
Here is why this matters so much. A cleaning crew works surface by surface, room by room. When a counter has twelve items on it, the cleaner has two choices: move everything carefully, clean under it, and put it all back (which takes real time and creates risk of knocking something over), or clean around it. Neither option is as good as a clear counter, which takes seconds to wipe and lets the crew move on to the work you actually hired them for.
The same applies to floors. Shoes, laundry, pet toys, and anything on the ground slows down vacuuming and mopping. Five minutes of picking up saves 20 minutes of working around things, and that time goes directly into cleaning quality.
Should You Clean Before the Cleaners Come?
No. And we mean it.
Do not vacuum. Do not mop. Do not scrub the toilet. Do not wipe down the shower. All of those are our job, and if you do them before we arrive, you are paying us to re-clean surfaces you already cleaned.
More importantly, if you deep clean before a first visit, we cannot see what your home actually looks like on a normal day. That matters because our quote and our time estimate are based on the real condition of your home. If you have spent three hours making it look perfect before we walk in, we are going to quote you for a home that does not exist, and the second visit, when you have not had time to pre-clean, will take longer than expected.
What you should do instead: pick up clutter (above), handle the dishes (below), and leave the actual cleaning to us. That is the whole arrangement.
Handle the Dishes
Most cleaning companies do not wash dishes. We will clean and sanitize your sink, your countertops, and your stovetop, but a sink full of dirty plates and pots is going to be there when we leave.
Load the dishwasher or hand wash what is in the sink before your appointment. It takes five minutes and it clears the way for us to properly scrub and sanitize the sink, faucet, and surrounding counter space. A clean, empty sink is one of the most visible signs of a freshly cleaned kitchen, and it cannot happen if the sink is full.
The same applies to pots and pans on the stove. If the stovetop has cookware on it, we clean around it. If it is clear, we degrease and scrub the whole surface.
Do the Laundry (or at Least Contain It)
We do not fold, sort, or put away laundry. Clothes on the bathroom floor, draped over chairs, or piled on the bed mean those surfaces do not get cleaned.
You do not need to do every load before we come. Just get laundry off surfaces and floors and into hampers or baskets. The bed should be clear enough to change linens if that is part of your service, and bathroom floors should be free of towels and clothing so we can mop properly.
If you would like us to change your bed linens, leave the fresh set out on the bed or on a nearby chair. We will strip the old set, make the bed with the new one, and leave the used linens wherever you tell us.
Secure Valuables, Sensitive Items, and Anything Breakable
We are careful. We are insured. But the safest way to protect irreplaceable items is to put them out of the cleaning path entirely.
Jewelry, cash, medications, important documents, and sentimental items that would be difficult to replace should go in a drawer, a cabinet, or a room you have marked as off limits. Not because of trust, but because accidents happen when people are moving quickly through a room with spray bottles and vacuum cords, and a broken heirloom is a loss that insurance cannot truly fix.
This is especially worth mentioning in lake homes and cabins near Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Orono, where seasonal properties often have collections, artwork, or antiques on open display that owners would not leave out in a primary residence. If we are cleaning a seasonal or vacation property for you, a quick walkthrough to flag anything fragile saves both of us a headache.
Prepare Your Pets
We like your pets. Most of our crew members have their own. But a dog that follows the cleaner from room to room, gets underfoot near a mop bucket, or reacts to the vacuum creates a safety issue for the pet, the cleaner, and your floors.
The best approach. Put dogs in a crate, a closed room, or the yard (weather permitting) during the clean. Cats generally manage themselves, but if yours is skittish around strangers, close them in a bedroom we are not scheduled to clean first, and let us know so we do not open the door.
Two things to tell us. If your pet has any aggression issues, tell us at booking, not at the door. If your pet has an accident while we are there, let us know and we will handle it, but we need to know about it.
In winter, the yard option disappears for most Minnesota households, so plan to have a room or crate ready. A dog that needs to be outside during cleaning on a January day in Plymouth or Maple Grove is not a workable solution.
Ensure We Can Get In
This sounds obvious until the day it is not. At least once a month, a crew arrives and cannot get into the home because the code was changed, the lockbox jammed, or nobody left instructions.
Tell us your entry method at booking. Garage code, lockbox location and combination, key under the mat (we do not recommend this, but we will use it), or someone will be home. If you use a smart lock, test the code before your first appointment. If your entry requires a gate code, elevator fob, or HOA check-in, tell us in advance so we can budget the time.
If you are leaving while we clean, make sure we have your phone number in case we need to reach you, and make sure we know how to lock up when we leave.
Tell Us What Matters to You
A cleaning company has a standard process, but your priorities may not match ours by default. If there is something specific you care about, say it before the clean, not after.
Examples of things worth mentioning:
Rooms or areas to prioritize. “The kitchen and master bath are the most important rooms.” “Please spend extra time on the kids’ bathroom.” “The guest room does not need attention this visit.”
Areas to skip or avoid. “Do not enter the home office.” “Please do not move anything on my desk.” “The nursery door should stay closed.”
Products and sensitivities. At MJM, we use eco friendly, non toxic products by default. If you need fragrance free, tell us. If you have a preferred product for a particular surface (your own granite sealer, a specific hardwood cleaner), set it out and let us know.
Anything unusual about the house. A tricky faucet, a door that sticks, a toilet that runs, a security system that needs to be disarmed. If we can break it, trip it, or flood it by accident, tell us about it.
Preparing for Your First Visit Versus a Recurring Appointment
The first visit requires more preparation than any visit after it, because we are learning your home for the first time.
Before a first visit or a deep clean:
Do all of the above, plus walk through the house yourself and note anything you want to flag: problem areas, rooms that need extra attention, anything fragile, any access issues, pet logistics, and your priority list. A two minute conversation at the door (or a text or email beforehand) saves time and prevents misunderstandings.
Expect the first visit to take longer than subsequent visits. We are removing buildup that has accumulated over months or years, not maintaining a home that was cleaned last week. Our deep cleaning service covers what a first visit typically includes.
Before a recurring appointment (biweekly or monthly):
The prep gets simpler every time. Quick clutter pickup, dishes done, laundry off the floor, pets secured. Most of our recurring clients in Wayzata, Minnetonka, Plymouth, and Eden Prairie spend about 10 minutes on this and leave before we arrive. The routine becomes second nature after two or three visits.
Minnesota Specific Preparation Most Guides Miss
Most “how to prepare for cleaners” articles are written by companies in Texas or Florida. Here is what they leave out.
Winter entry zones (November through April). If your home has a mudroom, garage entry, or back door where boots, coats, salt, and slush accumulate, clear it before we come. Not because we will not clean it, but because a pile of wet boots and a puddle of snowmelt on the floor makes it difficult to mop properly and impossible to get a clean result. Hang coats, line boots on a tray or rack, and wipe up any standing water.
Salt residue on hard floors near entries is alkaline and needs neutralizing rather than just mopping. If salt buildup has been sitting for days or weeks, mention it so we can plan accordingly. This is one of the most common wintertime issues in Lake Minnetonka area homes and throughout the western suburbs, where large garages and mudrooms concentrate the problem.
Spring (March through May). If you are booking a deep clean after a Minnesota winter, do the clutter and dish preparation above but do not try to pre-clean surfaces. We need to see what five months of sealed-home living has deposited on your vents, baseboards, and behind furniture. That is the whole point of the spring deep clean.
Summer and fall. If your home is near Elm Creek Park Reserve, the lake, or any of the trail systems, and your family tracks in grit, sand, or mud regularly, let us know. We adjust our approach for entry zones and mudrooms when we know the home has heavy outdoor traffic.
Seasonal and lake homes. If you are opening a property after months of vacancy, expect more than a routine clean. Dust, cobwebs, musty air, and sometimes mildew in lower levels and bathrooms all need attention. This is a deep clean, not a standard visit, and we quote it accordingly.
What Cleaners Wish Every Client Knew
These are the things we do not usually say out loud but wish every client understood.
Your home does not need to be perfect for us to clean it well. It just needs to be accessible. Clutter-free surfaces and clear floors are enough. Everything else is our job.
Do not follow us room to room. We understand the impulse, especially on a first visit, but it slows us down and changes the dynamic. If you are home, settle into a room we are not cleaning and let us work. We will come find you if we have a question.
Feedback after the first visit is a gift, not a complaint. If something was missed, tell us. If you want a different priority next time, say so. The first clean is a calibration. By the third visit, your team knows your home, and the quality becomes consistent because we have learned what matters to you.
Consistency on your end helps us be consistent on ours. If the house is in roughly the same condition when we arrive each time (clutter picked up, dishes done, laundry contained), we can deliver roughly the same result each time. If one visit the home is spotless and the next visit there are dishes in every room and laundry on every surface, the cleaning experience will feel inconsistent even though we are doing the same work.
The 15 Minute Preparation Checklist
If you have 15 minutes before your cleaning crew arrives, here is what to do in order of impact.
Minutes 1 through 5. Walk through the house and pick up clutter from counters, tables, desks, and floors. Shoes to the closet, mail to a drawer, toys to a bin. Do not organize, just relocate.
Minutes 5 through 8. Load the dishwasher or wash whatever is in the sink. Clear the stovetop of pots and pans.
Minutes 8 through 11. Gather laundry from floors, chairs, and beds into hampers. If you want linens changed, set fresh sheets on the bed.
Minutes 11 through 13. Secure pets. Crate, closed room, or yard (weather permitting).
Minutes 13 through 15. Do a quick scan for valuables, medications, and fragile items on exposed surfaces. Move anything irreplaceable to a drawer or closed cabinet.
Done. That is all we need from you to deliver our best work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I clean my house before the cleaners arrive? No. Pick up clutter and handle dirty dishes, but do not vacuum, mop, or scrub. Those are the tasks you are hiring us for. If you deep clean before a first visit, we cannot see what your home normally looks like, which makes it harder to give you an accurate quote and time estimate.
Do I need to be home during the cleaning? No. Most of our clients leave a garage code, lockbox, or key and are not home during the appointment. You are welcome to stay if you prefer, but it is not necessary.
How far in advance should I prepare? Fifteen minutes is enough. The checklist above covers everything in order of priority. You do not need to spend hours getting ready.
Should I put my pets away before the cleaners come? Yes. Dogs should be in a crate, a closed room, or the yard. Cats are usually fine, but let us know if yours is skittish or aggressive so we can plan accordingly.
What should I do with dirty laundry? Get it off floors, beds, and chairs and into hampers or baskets. We do not sort, fold, or wash laundry, and clothing on surfaces prevents us from cleaning those surfaces properly.
Do I need to move furniture? No. We clean around and under furniture that can be reasonably moved (dining chairs, small tables), but heavy furniture like sofas, beds, and dressers stay where they are during routine cleaning. During a deep clean, we move what we safely can and clean behind it.
Is the preparation different for a first visit versus a regular appointment? The first visit benefits from a bit more thought: walk through the house, note your priorities, flag anything fragile or unusual, and plan for a longer appointment. After that, the routine is simple: 15 minutes of clutter, dishes, laundry, and pets.
A Better Clean Starts With a Clear Home
You hired a cleaning service so you would not have to spend your weekends scrubbing bathrooms and mopping floors. The preparation is not about doing our job for us. It is about clearing the way so we can do ours well.
Fifteen minutes. Clutter off surfaces, dishes handled, pets secured, and anything irreplaceable tucked away. That is the whole thing.
If you are in the Wayzata, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Dayton, Rogers, or Corcoran area and ready to get started, we would love to hear from you.
Request your free quote or call +1 800-999-9084
No contract. No pressure. Just a cleaner home.
