Cleaning Etiquette Tips & Hospitality

Cleaning a home can be overwhelming and can be a successful feeling after it has been accomplished. However, not knowing where items go or what to throw out can be difficult. It is more difficult cleaning someone's home than your home. Therefore, it is recommended to follow cleaning etiquette and hospitality to cleaning someone's home. Before you go to someone's home to help them clean, keep in mind the following factors in this brief list.

 

1. Do not argue with them if they yell at you for throwing away, giving away, or moving items around.
2. Do not use harsh chemical cleaners if the person has cancer, Alzheimer’s, or other health conditions.
3. Clear the clutter and if needed use bags, baskets, or labeled storage bins before organizing the items.
4. Clean, dust, and dry the items or let the items air dry depending on the fabric, plastic, wax, recycled materials, or other materials.
5. If the family member does not like essential oil cleaners, you can use baby shampoo, unscented soap cleaners, or liquid soap mixed with water depending on the items.
6. Have a cleaning schedule and a cleaning list before organizing one room at a time.
7. Compliment and use a gentle voice to clean someone’s room or the entire home.
8. Do not exaggerate the positive comments but show appreciation for the items.
9. Have your cleaning supplies organized and know what materials can be cleaned with certain cleaners such as stone, marble, wood, plastic, or other composites.
10. Use separate cleaning rags, separate cleaning gloves, and make sure the rooms are ventilated.
11. Make sure the family member or friend likes the cleaning supplies that will be used to clean the floors, desks, windows, mirrors, and other items.
12. Have a fruit basket, gift basket, sweet cheerful notes, or positive affirmations on a picture frame, or something that your friend or family member might like after cleaning or organizing.
13. Also make sure the cleaning supplies are pet friendly and children friendly.
14. Ask other family members for help when cleaning another family member’s home or room.
15. Spend two hours per day cleaning someone’s home instead of cleaning the entire home in one weekend. 

Ask them if it is a sentimental item or if the item can be replaced. Another tip is to take a picture of the sentimental item or make a room with a few sentimental furniture items that are in good condition. Also, consider that the person might still be in the grieving process but is ready to make a new change in their home. Do not worry about how much time you might spend in their home. Additionally, if they are a friend or a family member that trusts you and needs your help; Do not make bad comments, pessimistic comments, or any harmful comment with sentimental items. 

Do not argue with them either if it is tough for them to let go of the vintage items, repeated items, or a collection of items. Yet, listen to them about why those items are important for them. Make a compromise and suggest ways to move the furniture. If there is an extra room, use that room with extra vintage furniture, collectibles, or memorabilia. Make sure they can walk in the room, sit, read, or write. 

As well as making the room personalized and customized to their liking. It is best to clean the floors in the morning especially if you use strong cleaners for the floors, furniture polishing, or other cleaners. Ask them if they have allergies before using the cleaning products. Another question to ask is how they want the furniture arrangement and what they want to change. Take a break from organizing the items and have a lemonade, tea, smoothie, or coffee break. 

During your break, ask them what they like about their home and other organizing questions. Have a big box of sentimental items and other miscellaneous items. Set that box aside. When they are ready to look at the items in the box, practice gratitude meditation and let go of the items. Another way is to give the items to another family member and practice gratitude affirmations when accepting the items. 

Take turns rotating the bedroom mattresses. Also, take turns washing the blankets, quilts, clothing, and other laundry items. Make sure the laundry detergent is not too strong and does not cause allergies. Always ask the family member what type of laundry detergent they use especially if they ran out of laundry detergent during cleaning day. If you are not sure if the clothing, pillowcases, or other laundry items go in the dryer, let them air dry especially if the tags were removed.

Play gentle soft music if they cannot clean or declutter in silence. Practice mindfulness while decluttering and ask permission before going through personal items. Listen to your friend or family member without judging, arguing, or hurtful comments. Make the cleaning process comfortable, peaceful, and do not speed the cleaning process. Also, never throw away everything at once because it can cause family conflict.

When decluttering paper, have a paper shredder and scissors. Have a crate for keeping documents, another crate for shredding documents, and another crate for recycling or for throwing away without tearing it up. Sign up with your family member to go paperless and remind your family member where the documents are stored digitally on the cloud, zipped folders, thumb drive, or other digital storage device. Schedule another day with them to make a picture collage, online memory book, and for organizing pictures with them. Do not take family pictures without their permission.

Many family arguments occur when someone takes family pictures without their consent. Also, make copies of the pictures especially if you get a chance to make duplicate pictures when you get the pictures printed out. Make a dedicated memory wall in the person’s room with names, dates, and special occasion titles. Most family arguments that arise when cleaning are the type of cleaning supplies that are used, borrowed items, taking items without permission, and throwing away things without their permission. Make sure they are ready for cleaning and organizing without causing more added stress to decluttering.

Avoiding conflict is the key to making it a comfortable task to clean someone’s room, living room, or entire room. Donate unused items or give used items to other family members. You might need to be available for several days and schedule time with them as you carefully clean and organize their entire home. Hire a cleaning inspector for mold or for any damage that needs to be repaired in the home. Nonetheless, hire professional cleaners when in doubt, when there is suspected mold, high volume of messiness, or items that require deep cleaning such as rugs or polishing wooden floors. 

Make sure the family member appreciates the items. Often having a yard sale can make it tough to let go of the items when someone is in the grieving process. Nonetheless, ask them before having a yard sale. Finally, cleaning, organizing, and following cleaning etiquette can help someone start a new phase. Here are resources about cleaning etiquette, hospitality, and helping someone clean their home without arguing, without judgement, and without pessimistic comments.

 

11 Polite Habits House Cleaners Secretly Hate-and What to Do Instead:

11 Polite Habits House Cleaners Secretly Hate—and What to Do Instead

Feeling Overwhelmed by Clutter? Here's Where Pro Organizers Begin:

Feeling Overwhelmed by Clutter? Here's Where Pro Organizers Begin

9 Things in Your Family Room You Should Be Cleaning Weekly:

9 Things In Your Family Room You Should Be Cleaning Weekly

* Font and background image from PiZap