Access
Do you need to be home during a cleaning?
No, and most customers are not. But how you handle access, alarms and pets is worth getting right once rather than improvising every visit.
The straight answer
You do not need to be home. A significant majority of the visits we run happen while people are at work, and it changes nothing about the result.
The exception worth making is the first visit. Being there for the first half hour lets you walk a team through the house, point out what matters to you and flag what to leave alone. That conversation saves several visits of gradual adjustment, and it goes onto your account so you only have it once.
After that it is genuinely your preference. Some people like being home and carry on with their day around the team. Some find it easier to come back to a finished house. Neither is better.
Access options
All of these are normal. Pick whichever you are comfortable with.
| Option | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| You are home | You let the team in and go about your day. | Fine, and the right choice for a first visit. |
| Door code or keypad | You give us a code, ideally one issued for us specifically. | The most common arrangement. Change it any time; just tell us when you do. |
| Smart lock | A temporary or recurring code issued through your app. | The tidiest option. Many smart locks let you schedule a code to work only in a window. |
| Lockbox | A key in a combination box on the property. | Works well for properties without a keypad. Keep the box out of obvious sight. |
| We hold a key | A key is issued to us and used for scheduled visits. | Straightforward on a recurring schedule. Returned whenever you ask. |
| A neighbor or family member | Somebody local lets the team in. | Workable but fragile — it depends on somebody else being available. |
The four things to sort out with access
Whichever option you pick, these are the details that actually cause missed visits when they are not settled.
- Alarms. Whether there is one, whether it needs disarming, and the code or the process. An armed alarm is the single most common reason a visit does not happen.
- Pets. Where they will be, whether a door needs staying shut, whether a cat must not get outside, and whether a dog is comfortable with people arriving.
- Gates and parking. Gate codes, call-box instructions, and where a vehicle can legally sit for the length of the visit.
- What happens if the code fails. A phone number that will actually be answered, so a team standing outside can reach somebody rather than leaving.
All of it lives on your account once, and carries to every future visit. You explain the gate code exactly once.
About trust, plainly
Letting someone into your home when you are not there is a bigger decision than the price, and it deserves a direct answer rather than reassurance.
Every cleaner is vetted and background checked before their first visit to any customer home — before, not after. The company is bonded and insured: insurance covers accidental damage or injury during the work, and the bond covers theft. A certificate of insurance is available on request.
On a recurring schedule we keep the same team on your home wherever scheduling allows, which in practice does more for trust than any policy — the people at your door become people you recognise.
And if you would rather put certain things away before a visit, do that. It is a reasonable thing to do in anyone's home and nobody takes it personally.
If you are home during the visit
Carry on as normal. Teams work around people all the time — home working, small children, someone on a night shift asleep. The only thing worth doing is telling us which room you will be in, so it can be cleaned first or last rather than being the one everybody dances around.
Access questions
- What if I want to be home for the first visit only?
That is the most common arrangement of all. Be there for the first one, hand over access once you are comfortable, and everything after runs without you.
- Is it safe to give out a door code?
Issue a code specifically for us rather than sharing your own, if your lock supports it. Then it can be revoked independently and you never have to change your personal code.
- What happens if you cannot get in?
We try the contact number on your account. If nobody can be reached, the team cannot wait indefinitely — which is why the contact number and the alarm details matter more than anything else on the access list.
- Can I have cameras on during the visit?
Indoor cameras in shared areas are your home and your choice. It is worth mentioning at booking as a courtesy so nobody is surprised. Cameras in private spaces like bathrooms are a different matter entirely and would not be appropriate.
- Will the same people always come?
On a recurring schedule, wherever scheduling allows. Holidays, illness and route changes occasionally make it impossible; when they do, your account notes travel with the job.
Next step
Book a visit
Put the access details in the booking notes — code, alarm, pets, parking — and they carry forward to every visit after.
Book online in a few minutes, or call (972) 440-4421 — texting works too, if that’s easier.