The problem with cleaning checklists (and why we don’t do them)
Here’s the thing about house cleaning checklists:
every home needs something different. Even two identical houses side-by-side will have slightly different cleaning checklist requirements because the humans who call them home are different…
That is why we don’t do cleaning checklists because they assume every home is the same.
If you are looking for a house cleaner here in Brisbane, you probably have a set of tasks in mind that you want to be done (and chances are they aren’t the exact same as everyone else).
Take making the bed as an example… Some people love starting the day making the bed, while others just don’t have time for it as they race to get the day started.
Or what about your bins? Once upon a time, we assumed that everyone would want their cleaner to take out the bins. But we have found that only around 50% of our customers want this done. Some don’t want us to interfere with their composting set-up, while others would simply prefer their cleaner to focus on other tasks.
If we ran off generic cleaning checklists, there is no room for us to honour these little quirks of each home. In short, generic checklists = a generic service!
That is why we tore up the cleaning checklists years ago and put the power back in your hands to tell us what needs to be done on cleaning day.
That means you can…
- Choose what tasks you need help with (rather than paying for those you don’t need done)
- Change things up as you need (that means you could get the fridge top done one week, and the guest bedroom when you’re expecting company)
So if you have been looking around our website for a set checklist of service inclusions and haven’t found one, that is why! Because you get to pick what gets done and what doesn’t (and all at one flat hourly rate).
The idea of not following a checklist is all about putting you in control of your cleaning service. Here is what being in control looks like when welcoming one of our dream cleaners into your home.
You choose how long your service is
This is labour charged by the hour, so you get to choose what you would like done in the time that you book.
You might only need a hand with a few tasks, or maybe you want a really thorough clean of every room. If that’s the case, you can scale the time of your booking up or down to reflect this.
Being flexible with time is important to us, so you can get the right amount of help to lighten the load… after all, this is all about you and making your life easier!
You feel comfortable being yourself
At your first service, your cleaner wants to know what is important to you. Because your cleaner isn’t a checklist robot, they don’t get started before talking to you.
The first thing they do a walk-through of your home to chat about what needs to be done and the little things to be mindful of.
They are eagerly listening out for details like these…
- Maybe you don’t need the second bathroom cleaned, because you don’t use it
- Perhaps your cat (AKA the escape artist) is securely tucked away in the laundry, so this room is off-limits
- Or maybe your family has allergies, making dusting the #1 priority of every service
After the walk-through, they’ll confirm your priorities with you and explain what can be achieved in the time you have booked.
This approach allows you to get the service you need, in the time you want.
You can mix and match services as you need
Here is the other perk of our no-checklist approach: you pay a flat rate for every task. That means you aren’t paying a higher hourly rate for things that aren’t on a standard checklist, like the oven or windows.
Your booking is for the cleaner’s time, rather than a list of tasks, so you can tailor your service as you need.
Chances are you will need a similar set of tasks done at each service and you won’t need to constantly reach out to your cleaner about your priorities. (This is not about micro-managing your cleaner at each service; you have enough on your plate – we get it.)
But having the option to shake things up as you need gives you flexibility and puts you in control, without having to worry about whether your requests will cost you extra. So if there are times when you need a focused clean of certain things, like the linen cupboard or outdoor entertaining area, you know your cleaner is happy to be flexible.
Bonus: Check out this list of unexpected ways your cleaner can help (like unpacking your meal delivery box).
Your questions are always welcome – communication is key!
Not sure if your cleaner can tackle that carpet stain?
… Or whether you are in the cleaner’s way on cleaning day? (You probably aren’t, but thanks for being so considerate)
All you have to do is ask!
Your cleaner loves questions, because even though they’re thoughtful folks, they aren’t mind readers. So if something is on your mind, they love hearing about it!
The more you communicate, the better your experience will be! This is particularly important during and after the first service, as this is when your cleaner is working out how you like things done. Your feedback and questions are important early on to make sure your expectations are met. create your own cleaning checklists for us, if you would like!
Speaking of communication, our Mother Ducks at HQ are always ready to take your questions too.
We hope this post gives you a better sense of how we roll. Everything we do is all about tailoring things to you as a person. We’ve found that generic service checklists take away that human touch – and these are the things we do in their place. Check out our reviews to see what customers are saying about this approach
– The Mother Ducks xx
