Can You Leave Already? I'm Trying to Clean Your House!

"Can you leave while we clean your house? " Every maid service and house cleaner asks this question. "Can you leave?" We Ask a House Cleaner about boundaries and expectations of hovering clients.
Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru, says if you're asking, "Can you leave?" there needs to be another conversation about it. Even if it's about family, pets, cleaning, insurance, micromanaging, or cleaning advice. If you're distracted, they need to leave.
It's now included in house cleaner training because a savvy cleaner won't waste the client's time or money.
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[@AskAngelaBrown]

Take a look at this playlist of similar videos we made on homebound clients. More fab info. kzbin.info/aero/PLh1fKdNH3piRcaK_Gt70MqBP6j9RcBirg

[@quartxxiv767]

One of the reasons I got into housekeeping was because of social anxiety and when they’re home (even if in another room) it ramps me up. Sometimes the senior clients want to talk at the end because they want to talk to someone young and that’s fine with me though.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Lots of house cleaners feel this way. I know personally, I've had PMS days where clients come in and be all chitty-chatty and I'm thinking "Nope. If you know what is best for you, you will turn around and go right back through that door..." 😂

[@tammywilliams7447]

@@AskAngelaBrown 🤣

[@real1618]

I love how direct you are

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you. I wasn't always this way. I learned by trial and error, but being direct has served me much better than hoping people can read my thoughts. 😍

[@tinahochstetler2189]

I would also suggest to anyone that's already gotten themselves under a long precedent of chatting with the clients: You could bring it up as a policy update that you're going over with all your clients, for the benefit of serving them better by making best use of their time. That way they don't feel like it's something personal against them, or anything odd. It's just a policiy update. Which it really is if you're going to now include it at the beginning of your working relationship with new customers, you're keeping your existing customers in the loop as you grow and gain experience in how to best provide your services.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Tina, Thanks so much for sharing this helpful tip. 👍

[@sorrelflowr]

Covid has ruined any boundaries I had set. People are home. It’s frustrating when I literally need to say : please lift your feet.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

LOL. Yes, that does sound like some boundaries are lacking. Is it a solitary customer or many?

[@sorrelflowr]

@@AskAngelaBrown several, sadly. Out of 20 clients, 17 are home. Sheesh. I will say though; that some do make an effort to be in another room, others… not so much. Lol

[@Danielle-go3pu]

I am very big on boundaries 🙌 When a person allows boundaries to be crossed it opens up a doorway for the client to think you’re a pushover and they can take advantage of you. This can become a dangerous 🚩 situation if not careful. I worked at an extended stay hotel that had lots of stay over guests. My rules were simple: 1) no guest allowed in the room while I am present for safety reasons, period 2) If they did not want to leave then I did not clean 3) I also protected myself by keeping in contact with my husband and the front desk agent and 4) carrying a pocket knife on my person everywhere I went(NCIS Gibbs’ rule #9, never go anywhere without a knife) Some might disagree with the latter and that’s okay 😊 I understand it is their home however if you trust me to be there cleaning while you are present than surely you should do the same if you are not. If you cannot then I am not the cleaner for you because that tells me you don’t really trust me in which case I should not be there.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Kudos to you for having your boundaries! Thanks for sharing your rules with us!

[@nicoleperron3315]

I have the opposite problem, I'm recently out of the hospital and I had 11 fractures in my back and I told my doctor I needed help. There's help through a government program here but there's a waiting list. ( I also had to dust before they would come) After a year wait, I have someone every two weeks for 3 hours. Now so far they've come twice and both times a different girl and they sit down and want to show me things on their phone they want to buy. If I talked to them it was to show them where the rags are and cleaners and broom or swiffers vacuum, they come with no supplies and I am required to supply them and to be there for stealing or they don't come. I get on my knees to wash floors but they don't do that so I had to buy tools they want.😂 The first one spent an hour washing the top of my stove and didn't remove the rings around the burners, then she smeared mr clean all over my stainless steel fridge 😂 I've only ever used dish soap, I need help washing floors 😭 the stove and fridge were clean I'd done them the night before so I don't know what she was doing. Then she mopped the center of the kitchen and didn't clean the bath. The second one was loud and was lying down on my floor and throwing rags at my kitchen sink from the other end of the kitchen. But at least this one cleaned under one appliance in the kitchen and did my fridge properly and the bathtub but honestly how many times do you have to do the outside of a fridge if it isn't dirty? I just do the two or three finger prints on it. So far I've bought a bucket and mop two different swiffers, cleaned and washed my HEPA filter vacuum cleaner twice, bought new filters and bought cleaners and lots of Scott towells for these people. I have a HEPA vacuum because I have a bad allergy to dust, can't they at least empty it 😭 But I need help with stuff like the oven because I can't reach or bend far, upper cupboards, floors under appliances ( fridge has wheels) under the bed.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. 🙁 Wishing you back to health ASAP! Thank you for joining in the conversation. Best to you! 🙏🙂

[@foreveravocado4792]

Love this one!! EXCELLENT ADVICE

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Glad you think so, thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment, I appreciate it!😊

[@NdnUrbanCat]

I can't work when people are around.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

It can be distracting but in some situations clients can’t leave their homes. House cleaners should set their boundaries on day 1. Thanks so much for writing in on the topic 🤗

[@morenopostres1093]

Love it good tips angela.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you so much!

[@valkyrieseventeenseventysi7884]

I absolutely hate it when thay stay I have to ask them to get up of the sofa so I can vacuum and thay leave plates in the sink after I'm done cleaning

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Ugh...that can be very frustrating. Let them know that once you clean an area you are not going back to it. Going back to clean it will take you longer and mean additional time/cost. Good luck!

[@capt.obvious4487]

I am a people person and the one house I clean I consider them my friends so I enjoy going over there and visit and make there house clean and also make a little bit of money but I am not doing this as a full time job just some side money it would have to be different if I had other places to go after I was done cleaning.

[@capt.obvious4487]

You differently have good points and if I ever do decide to go at this full time I would watch every one of your videos and try my best to emulate your success. I only talk too one of my customers they were my first customer and that is where I learned how to clean a house and what is expected and they like to talk not much but just seeing how things are going and I ask the same of them and they are good people I respect them a lot.

[@theresa3471]

😅hi thank you congrats for 😅😅yes I ht when whey asked are you married you have family o I'm a cleaning service I'm sorry but I don't likely that

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Sometimes its uncomfortable, when they ask so many questions.

[@angeliqueallan7920]

I personally don’t mind if they stay or go. I work by the hour. u talk more money for me 🤣🤣

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you for your feedback and thanks for watching. 🙂

[@kirstensignar1166]

Same! Hourly wages are great for this reason. The longer I'm here, the more that I get paid so...talk away. I'm happy to be a "friend" that gets paid lol Let easy problems be easy lol

[@LuizorEIM]

I have an honest question, our talkative clients usually tip really well, I feel like if I said anything they would feel like I was rude and don't deserve a tip. But I dread going to some of those cleans so know i don't know if it's worth the money. Is the mental sanity worth it? I'm to scared to lose the money cause I'm don't have the busiest schedule

[@AskAngelaBrown]

+Luizor EIM this is a great question. So what you’re doing in essence, is trading some of your time for the tip money that they’re giving you. If you were to tighten up your chitchat schedule, it would allow you to pick up other clients and supplement your income. It’s a choice you’ll have to make as a business owner. But from the beginning moving forward let your clients know you have a 60 second meet and greet rule. That way you’re not chitchatting on their clock. When you explain it to the customer it seems fair and then they don’t want to chitchat with you because they’re paying for your time. does that make sense? 👍

[@LuizorEIM]

@@AskAngelaBrown yes definitely, I will now keep this tip for any new clients moving forward 😄

[@kirstensignar1166]

Can I also recommend platforms like TaskRabbit? I get so much work there (and have heard the same from other professionals). If you lose 1 customer, I'm sure you'll be able to fill your schedule back up in no time. There are some bugs and frustrations with that app if you need specific scheduling needs that they don't meet - but as a general way to find work they're fantastic :) But, the re-assurance that you'll be likely able to find more work anytime you lose one job, is super invaluable! It helps you make better business decisions when you aren't desperate. On that note...several of my long-term clients have always been chatty. Sometimes extremely so, and I've always still charged them for it. It's never been a problem. Some people are lonely and think of me as a friend (especially elderly and disabled folks). So, I don't mind. I'm selling my time - I don't really care whether you pay me to clean or talk. It's good to just be clear about it if te customer isn't expecting to be billed for it. But I've personally never had this become a problem. Just enjoy being paid for doing nothing! Let easy problems be easy ;)