TL;DR
The best instructions for a house cleaner fit on one page and are ranked, not listed. Give three priorities in order, a short do-not-touch list, and any product restrictions your surfaces require. Vague notes like "please be thorough" get ignored because they cannot be acted on. Specific, ranked notes get followed almost every time.
Why do written instructions work better than verbal ones?
Written instructions survive crew changes, schedule changes, and the gap between when you said something and when someone is standing in the room. A note taped to the counter is available at the moment the decision gets made. A comment you made three weeks ago at the door is not.
There is a second reason. Writing forces you to rank. Most people who feel unhappy with a cleaning visit actually wanted something specific that never made it out of their head, and it stayed there because saying it out loud felt like nitpicking.
Rank three priorities instead of listing twenty
A cleaning visit is a fixed amount of time. Everything on your list competes for the same hours, so a list with twenty equal items is really a list with no priorities at all, and the crew has to guess which ones you meant.
Pick three, in order:
- The thing you would be most disappointed to find undone.
- The thing that bothers you most day to day.
- The thing you would like done if there is time.
Write them exactly that way, numbered. "1. Shower glass. 2. Kitchen floor. 3. Baseboards in the hallway if there is time." That is a usable instruction. "Please pay attention to detail" is not.
Be specific about the room and the thing
Instructions fail when they name a feeling instead of a location. Compare these two notes.
Weak: "The bathrooms have not felt clean lately."
Strong: "Main bathroom: the hard water film on the shower glass and the buildup at the base of the toilet are the two spots I notice."
The second version names a room, a surface, and a soil type. That is enough for someone to act on without asking, and it also tells the crew whether the job needs a different product or more dwell time rather than more scrubbing.
The do-not-touch list is the most useful thing you can write
Almost every complaint about damage in this industry starts with something a homeowner assumed was obvious. Nothing is obvious to someone who has been in your home twice.
Write down anything fragile, valuable, unstable, or personal. A wobbling shelf, a collection on an open display, a home office desk with paperwork in a specific order, a musical instrument, an aquarium, an antique finish. Add anything you would rather handle yourself.
If a room is entirely off limits, say so and close the door. A closed door with a note on it is unambiguous in a way that a sentence buried in a text message is not.
Product and surface notes that prevent real damage
Some surfaces do not forgive the wrong product, and this is where a note earns its keep.
- Marble, travertine, or limestone counters, floors, or sills: no vinegar, no lemon, no acidic cleaner. Acid etches these permanently and the damage cannot be buffed away with a cleaner.
- Engineered quartz: no bleach, no abrasives, no high heat.
- Hardwood or laminate floors: damp mop only, never wet. Standing water swells the seams.
- Luxury vinyl plank: no steam mop. Heat can lift the wear layer at the seams.
- Coated screens and displays: no ammonia, no alcohol.
- Cast iron: do not soap-soak or air dry.
If you supply your own products, say which one goes where. If the provider brings theirs, ask what they carry rather than assuming. Our note on who brings the supplies covers why that answer varies so much between companies.
Where to put the note so it gets read
The best place is where the crew sets down their caddy, usually the kitchen counter or the entry table. Same spot every time.
Keep a permanent one-page sheet for the standing rules, the do-not-touch list, and product restrictions. Add a short second note for anything that is only true today: a sick family member sleeping, a delivery expected, a room being painted, a dog that is anxious this week.
If your provider has a portal or an app, put the permanent list there too, because that copy survives when the paper one gets moved.
Sample instruction sheet you can copy
This is a reader template, not any provider service scope. Adjust it to your home.
Priorities today: 1) Kitchen floor and under the table. 2) Main bathroom shower glass. 3) Interior window sills upstairs if time allows.
Do not touch: Bookshelf in the office. The pile of mail on the desk. The instrument case in the corner bedroom.
Surfaces: Kitchen counters are natural stone, so no vinegar or citrus. Floors upstairs are laminate, damp mop only.
Access and pets: Side door code is on file. The dog stays in the back bedroom with the door closed.
Anything else: The guest room is not in use this visit.
Update the note when the answer changes
Instructions go stale. A priority you wrote six months ago may not be a priority now, and a stale note trains a crew to skim rather than read.
Review it whenever something changes: a new floor, a new pet, a new baby, a renovation, a season where the entry gets muddy. If the change affects scope rather than sequence, that is a pricing conversation, not a note, and what is usually an add on explains where that line usually falls.
FAQ
How long should instructions for a house cleaner be?
One page at most, and shorter is better. Three ranked priorities, a do-not-touch list, and surface restrictions cover nearly every situation. Long documents get skimmed, and the item you cared about most is the one that gets missed in the skim.
Is it rude to leave a list for my cleaner?
No. Most crews prefer it. A clear list removes guesswork, reduces the chance of a redo, and makes the visit go faster. What reads as rude is a list written in an accusing tone, not the existence of a list.
Should I write instructions or just say them at the door?
Write them. Verbal instructions at the door compete with the crew unloading, and they do not survive a substitution when your usual person is out. Say it at the door and leave it in writing, which is also how what a walkthrough should cover suggests handling scope from the start.
What if I want something done differently every visit?
Keep the permanent sheet for standing rules and add a short dated note for that visit only. Mixing the two is what causes confusion, because a crew cannot tell which lines are permanent and which were true one week in spring.
How do I ask for something without sounding critical?
Name the room, the surface, and what you want, and leave motive out of it. "Please prioritize the shower glass" carries no judgment. Tone problems come from explaining why you are unhappy rather than stating what you want, and giving feedback after a visit covers the harder conversations.
Should the note mention my pets?
Yes, every time. Note where the pet will be, whether doors need to stay closed, and anything that spooks them. Building a plan for pets during the visit prevents the two most common problems, which are a stressed animal and an open exterior door.
When the whole house is the problem rather than one task, recurring house cleaning services are the wider option.
Every home is different, so the real scope depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.