Jackson Free Press

The relationship between you and your housekeeper is a special one. Whether you use a local cleaning company or have one regular housekeeper, you must put a certain amount of trust into this person. You trust them with your most private possessions, to dust the top shelves of the bookcase and get behind the couch, straighten up your papers and clean behind your bed.

I have been cleaning residences as a way to make some extra dough for almost four years, and I have seen it all. If you have never used a cleaning service before, or if you currently have a regular housekeeper, here are a few things to expect, and some helpful tips to make every experience an exceptional one.

• Pick up beforehand. Most cleaning companies don't tidy up for you. Some will only go as far as piling everything up in a chair or cleaning around it. If you go for more regular cleanings, most housekeepers will accommodate your requests, as long as you pay them for the extra time.

• Initial cleanings set the pace. Cleaning companies will usually come and give you a quote beforehand, but housekeepers charge based on the initial cleaning by the amount of time it takes them. Expect initial cleanings to cost a little more, because baseboards and ceiling fans then as well. Try to keep the house as clean as you had it the first time, because it is setting the pace.

• Does your drain stopper not unstop? Leaky toilet? Tub clogged? Let them know beforehand. I spent 30 minutes trying to jimmy a sink drain stopper to pop back up again. One client has a baseboard that actually is held against the wall by leaning a box up against it. Disclose anything quirky about your humble abode.

• Pay more for extra tasks. Most housekeepers have no problems cleaning out the oven or picking up if you didn't have time, but if it's a regular occurrence, be prepared to offer a little more dough to compensate. Cleaning out ovens, windows, blinds, baseboards and even walls are not usually included in every regular cleaning. A regular housekeeper should have a schedule for special items like baseboards and blinds, usually once a month.

• Remember, they are cleaning underneath your bed. So if you are particularly shy, you may want to put up anything you wouldn't want your housekeeper dusting. I have a particular client who has a somewhat excessive collection of naked portraits of himself in various poses, which is fine with me, but it did make his last housekeeper extremely uncomfortable. Just remember a housekeeper's job is to get behind and under things, so keep that in mind if that happens to be your favorite hiding spot.

• Be cautious. It is not offensive to put expensive jewelry or china away before a housekeeper comes. If you have fragile pieces that you don't want broken, the safest thing to do, other then pointing those pieces out, is to separate them. Most cleaning companies are bonded and insured, but it never hurts to ask.