It’s hard not to love fall. For about two glorious months it’s neither too hot nor too cold. The holidays are still far enough away that they’re a joyful prospect. And although Mother Nature starts to put the garden to sleep, it’s a time of new beginnings—kids of all ages have finally adjusted to school, older ones go to college, new grads start life as working professionals. It’s also when a lot of clients decide they’re going to hire us for the first time, usually in time for the holidays.

If you’re a new client, here are three things to consider before we arrive:

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Yeah, we see the mess. And what made it! But hey, that’s what we’re here to help you with, right? (via Kesha Phillips/Flickr)

It’s a new routine.
And that takes getting used to, for both of us. For you it’s a dent in your privacy, and the reality of having strangers in your home—even if we’re licensed, bonded, and insured. It’s the realization that cleaning means we go through your messes before you can get the clean house you were expecting. For us, it’s learning about how you want things done, and the quirks of your particular home.

It needs to be a good fit—for both of us.
Cleaning homes isn’t rocket science. We just happen to be better at it because we’ve been cleaning homes and offices for a long time, ahem! But like any human relationship, our cleaning your house has to be a good fit for both of us. We have to be comfortable in your home just as you have to be comfortable with us in your home—especially if you happen to work from home.

Sometimes it’s not a good fit—for any number of reasons. It’s rarely happened, but you know what, if it does, it’s okay. That’s life.

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Not an unusual site with many of our teleworking clients. Add a cleaning team or three and all adults involved would have to adjust. The baby, not so much. (via Ewan McIntosh/Flickr)

We work in teams.
When we arrive there’s usually three of us. And that can be a lot of people for some of our clients, particularly if they’re teleworking. Even if we didn’t say a word to one another or to you, our mere presence is enough of a distraction for some clients. In case you’re wondering, yes, we could send just one person at a time to a home, but we don’t for two reasons. First, safety. Second, efficiency! Two of us work faster, three of us have it down to a science so we can be in and out of your home in a couple of hours. Which is what you really want, right?