The short answer
Your first cleaning starts with a quote and a short scope conversation, usually within 24 hours of your request. On the day, the team brings its own supplies and works through the agreed checklist. First visits often take longer than later ones, because they start from scratch. Afterward, a quick walkthrough and honest feedback shape every visit that follows.
Letting a new cleaner into your home for the first time can feel like a big step. Knowing how the process works, and what to ask for, makes the first visit go smoothly and sets up every visit after it.
Before the visit
- Request a quote. Share your home's size, bathrooms, condition, and priorities. We follow up within 24 hours.
- Confirm the scope. We go over what is included, any extras, pets, and how the team will get in.
- Choose a service. Many first visits are a deeper clean, then switch to a regular schedule.
- Plan access. You do not need to be home. A key, lockbox, or door code works.
New customers save $30 on their first cleaning.
What should I ask a cleaner to do?
Be specific. A clear list helps the team spend time where you want it:
- Your top two or three priority rooms
- Surfaces that need special care, such as natural stone or wood
- Anything off-limits, like a home office desk or a collection
- Extras you want, like inside the oven or refrigerator, laundry folding, or linen changes
- Pet details and where pets will be
For the usual boundaries of a standard visit, see what cleaners do and do not clean.
What should a cleaner do in 2 hours?
With one cleaner, two hours usually covers the kitchen, one or two bathrooms, and the main floors. A full routine clean of a typical 2,000 square foot home takes about 2.5 to 3 hours with a two-person team. For a first visit, plan on more time, since it often includes catching up on buildup. See is two hours a week enough? for more.
During the visit
- The team brings its own supplies and equipment.
- They work room by room through the agreed checklist.
- If you are home, staying in one area and moving when they reach it keeps things efficient.
Not sure whether to stay? Read should you be home when cleaners come?
After the visit
- Walk through. Look at your priority rooms first.
- Give specific feedback. "The shower glass was perfect; the baseboards in the hall need more attention" is more useful than a general comment.
- Pick a schedule. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly, based on how the house holds up.
First-visit mistakes to avoid
- Not sharing priorities. Without them, the team cleans evenly instead of where you care most.
- Leaving clutter out. Time spent picking up is time not spent cleaning.
- Forgetting extras. Ask for inside the oven or refrigerator in advance so it is in the quote.
- Skipping feedback. A few specific comments after the first visit make the second one better.
Your first cleaning in Norwalk
Whether you live near the Norwalk River downtown, in East Norwalk, or out toward Silvermine and West Norwalk, the first visit works the same way. For local details, see our house cleaning page for Norwalk, CT.
First cleaning questions
What should I ask a cleaner to do?
Name your priority rooms, surfaces that need special care, anything off-limits, extras like inside the oven or refrigerator or laundry folding, and details about pets.
What should a cleaner do in 2 hours?
One cleaner working two hours can usually cover the kitchen, one or two bathrooms, and the main floors. A full routine clean of a typical 2,000 square foot home takes about 2.5 to 3 hours with a two-person team.
Does the first cleaning take longer?
Usually, yes. A first visit starts from scratch and often catches up on buildup, so it is typically longer than later routine visits.
Do I need to be home for the first cleaning?
No. Many customers share a key, lockbox, or door code. Being home for a first visit can be helpful if you want to walk through priorities in person.