The short answer
You do not need to be home. Many customers share a key, lockbox, or door code and come back to a clean house. Staying home is fine too, especially for a first visit, when it helps to walk through priorities with the team. Either way, picking up clutter and sharing notes about pets, alarms, and off-limits areas makes the visit go smoothly.
It is one of the first questions people ask before their first cleaning: should I stay, or should I go? There is no rule. It mostly comes down to comfort, schedules, and pets. Here is how both options work and how to prepare either way.
Do you leave the house when cleaners come?
Staying home works well when
- It is your first visit and you want to share priorities in person
- You work from home and can stay in one room
- A pet needs supervision
Heading out works well when
- You are on a recurring schedule and the routine is set
- You would rather not work around vacuums and wet floors
- The team can move through rooms without waiting
If you stay, it helps to keep to one area, then switch when the team reaches it, so each room can be cleaned in one pass.
How keys, lockboxes, and codes work
- Choose an access method. A key, lockbox, or door code shared when you schedule.
- Mention alarms. Share alarm codes or arm and disarm instructions privately, never in a public note.
- Note parking and entry. Which door to use and where to park, especially in apartment buildings.
- Confirm how you want the house left. Lights off, doors locked, and anything else you prefer.
What does a professional house cleaning include?
Our residential cleaning covers kitchen counters, sink, cabinet fronts, and appliance exteriors; bathrooms, including showers, tubs, toilets, sinks, vanities, and floors; dusting, baseboards, trim, switches, sills, and blinds; interior glass; and vacuuming and mopping throughout. Inside the oven and refrigerator, laundry folding, and linen changes are available on request.
Professional cleaners also have limits. Exterior windows, carpet extraction, floor refinishing, debris hauling, and mold or biohazard cleanup are outside a standard visit. Our guide on what cleaners do and do not clean goes through the full list.
Night-before checklist
- Pick up clothes, toys, and papers so surfaces and floors are clear
- Put away valuables, cash, and important documents
- Load or run the dishwasher so the sink is free
- Leave a note with priorities and anything off-limits
- Plan where pets will be during the visit
What is the hardest thing to clean in a house?
Most people name the same few: oven interiors with baked-on grease, shower glass and grout with soap film, window tracks, and blinds. They are hard because buildup hardens over time. Regular visits keep them manageable, and a periodic deep clean resets them.
If you work from home on cleaning day
- Start in your office. Ask the team to clean your workspace first or last, then settle in elsewhere.
- Plan calls around vacuuming. Let the team know when you have meetings so noisy tasks can move.
- Keep paths clear. Cords and bags in hallways slow the team down.
- Give feedback at the end. A quick walkthrough before the team leaves is the easiest time to mention anything.
House cleaning in Norwalk
Whether you live in a building near the Maritime Aquarium in South Norwalk or a house in West Norwalk or Rowayton, you can choose the access method that suits you when you schedule. For local details, see our house cleaning page for Norwalk, CT.
Cleaning day questions
Do you leave the house when cleaners come?
You do not have to. Many customers share a key, lockbox, or door code and come back to a clean home. Staying home is fine too, especially for a first visit when you want to walk through priorities.
What does a professional house cleaning include?
It covers kitchen counters, sink, cabinet fronts, and appliance exteriors; bathrooms; dusting, baseboards, sills, and blinds; interior glass; and vacuuming and mopping. Inside the oven and refrigerator, laundry folding, and linen changes are available on request.
What items do professional house cleaners typically not clean?
Exterior windows, carpet extraction, floor refinishing, debris hauling, and mold or biohazard cleanup are outside a standard visit.
How should I prepare for a house cleaning?
Pick up clutter, put away valuables, free up the sink, leave notes about priorities and off-limits areas, and plan where pets will be.