Surprising things a cleaner can do for you

When you are weighing up whether to hire a house cleaner, you may be wondering what types of things your cleaner can do?  Sure, there are some cleaning tasks you assume are given if you hire a home cleaner like mopping or vacuuming. But what about some of the unusual or surprising things a cleaner can do for you.  

The standard things a cleaner typically does are; 

• vacuum the carpeted areas and floorboards 

• mop floors 

• wipe down benchtops in the kitchen 

• bathroom and laundry  

• dust and remove cobwebs 

• polish mirrors  

• spot clean cabinetry and kitchen splashback 

• clean the kitchen, shower, bathroom, toilets 

But What Else Can Your Cleaner Do? 

We work with thousands of clients around Australia and New Zealand, so this is a topic we know a lot about. You may be surprised to find your cleaner can do much more than the basics. 

Of course, everything takes time, so you can’t simply add the entire list below to your cleaner’s duties. You may need to extend your booking for an hour or so to cover these additional jobs. 

But imagine coming home to find out all this has been done for you? It’s absolute bliss. 

Empty The Dishwasher And Put Dishes Away 

Just load and start your dishwasher the night before your cleaner comes, and then they can empty it during their shift, and you’ll come home to find it empty and ready for more dirty dishes. 

Unpack Your Grocery Delivery 

Just schedule your weekly grocery delivery for the window when your cleaner is at your house and everything will be put away, just where you want it while you’re out and about. 

Fold And Put Away Washing 

Do you have a never-ending basket of clean clothes to put away? Especially if you have kids, the laundry can get on top of you. A cleaner can fold washing for each member of the household, and put it away too, if you wish. If your kids are in charge of putting away their own laundry to get their pocket money, just get the cleaner to fold and put away your washing (the kids will never know). 

Ironing 

Are you the kind of person who does ironing in a rush every morning in between checking emails on your phone and gulping a quick coffee? Getting your cleaner to take care of ironing will save you precious moments in the morning and give you a more positive, less stressful start to the day. 

Change Bedsheets 

Is changing bed linen one household task that you keep putting off? Your cleaner can strip the bed, wash the sheets and change the bedlinen. So, each week you’re sliding into fresh clean sheets without lifting a finger yourself. 

Clean Out The Fridge 

Got some withered old parsley or expired yoghurt in your fridge? A clean sparking fridge is much healthier for everyone, and it’s a task that easily gets put off. Why not add cleaning the fridge each week or fortnight to your list of things your cleaner can do for you? You’ll never be forced to investigate mysterious fridge smells again. 

Clean Out The Pantry 

You’ve probably got some expired taco seasoning hiding in the back of the cupboard, or a tin of lentils you’ll never eat. Getting your cleaner to check pantry items, wipe down shelves and toss out any old food is a great way to keep your pantry organised. You’ll save so much space too! 

Clean The Microwave And Oven 

It’s one of those household cleaning jobs, you just never get around to, right? The longer you leave it, the harder they are to clean, as splatters dry up and are difficult to remove. A regular clean of the microwave and oven keeps the appliances sparkling and prevents buildup of grime. 

Clean Light Switches And Other Frequently-touched Surfaces 

Light switches are actually very high contact surfaces in your home. If you have kids, they can easily get grimy with fingerprints and mess. Your cleaner can wipe down light switches, handrails, doors and door frames and other frequently touched surfaces in your home. 

Clean The Couch 

The couch is a magnet for crumbs, pens and coins. If you have children, you are bound to find lego pieces and dried out textas there too. Your cleaner can remove the cushions and vacuum in the recess, getting rid of crumbs and whatnot that seems to accumulate there. (We recommend getting your couch professionally steam cleaned regularly too.) 

Clean Chairs 

Your chairs are often a place where crumbs gather, and they need a good wipe regularly. Your work from home office chair probably needs a deep clean too — you likely spend plenty of time there! It’s just one of the many things a cleaner can do for you. 

Clean Under Furniture 

Cleaning beneath the furniture or shifting it if it’s not too heavy and cleaning behind is one of those jobs you forget about until you do a big room rearrange. Your cleaner can periodically clean underneath furniture where crumbs and dust lurks, provided it’s not too heavy to shift.  

Change The Bins 

The bin drawer can fast become a stink zone unless it’s cleaned regularly. Allocate this job to the cleaner and keep it under control. Many people are moving to multiple bin drawers for food waste, paper, plastic and other garbage. Your cleaner can empty the bins, clean the containers and wipe down the bin drawer (or the floor standing bin, if you have one,) and have everything spick and span again. 

Clean The Rangehood 

The rangehood is a cleaning job oft forgotten or put off. This area can easily get grimy with a buildup of oil residue and the effect of heat from your daily cooking. Regular cleaning will ensure that the buildup doesn’t get out of control.  

Tidy Up Toys And Putting Them Away 

Ah, the never-ending mind-numbing banality of picking up toys can be escaped for just one day when the cleaner comes! You are on your own for the other days of the week though. At least that one day you won’t have to worry about bits of lego, random clothes, crayons and books and putting them away — your cleaner can take care of a light tidy up of the toy room for you. 

Polishing Silverware 

This isn’t a job you’d ask your cleaner to do every visit but what’s the point of having nice silverware if you never have it ready for dinner parties? From time to time, you can get your cleaner to give it a polish so it’s spick and span when you need it. 

Cleaning Picture Frames 

Do you ever have the house cleaned, and everything is in its place, all surfaces gleaming but then you walk past the framed photos on the wall or dresser and realise they’re coated in dust? Those lovely family photos are a great place for dust to gather. Even framed photos on the walls can be a collection point for household dust. Your cleaner can give picture frames a quick wipe during each visit to have them looking fine and dust-free. 

We’ve left our favourite thing your cleaner can do for you till last — it’s the best one of all 

One thing our clients love about hiring a house cleaner is this final task. It’s using initiative and doing what they see needs doing. If you trust your cleaner to show initiative, you will reap amazing rewards. They’ll spot that the shopping bags need filing. Or notice when the skirting boards need an extra wipe. They’ll pop drain cleaner down the drain if they notice it’s getting clogged. So, it’s a wonderful reason to have a cleaner because they act as your eyes and ears and just notice the things that need doing. This is often why our clients love their cleaners so much! 

Remember, These Extra Tasks Take Extra Time 

Make sure to give your cleaner enough time to get through all their duties, and increase your frequency and/or time allocation to allow them enough time to do it all for you!  You need to communicate with your cleaner, so they know your priorities.  

If you want your cleaner to use initiative, be sure to make it clear and avoid the problem of a cleaner spending time on something you don’t want done. If you have a very clear priority list, this is never a problem! 

Ready to try a home cleaner for yourself? You’ll love arriving home to a fresh clean house after every service. 

Check out our cleaning services page, or give us a call to chat to our expert team about what a cleaner can do for you.