Most recurring clients are not home when their cleaner arrives. They are at work, running kids around or out of town. If you have not set up your rotation of extras yet, see Rotating Extras: Fridge One Month, Oven the Next. This guide covers the very practical question that comes first: how does the cleaner get in?
The good news is that it is simple, and once it is set up, you never have to think about it again.
The common ways to give access
There are a few standard options, and any of them works fine:
- Door code or smart lock: the easiest choice if you have one. You can give your cleaner a code, and many smart locks let you set one that only works on certain days.
- Garage code: a keypad on the garage is common in newer neighborhoods. Your cleaner can come in through the garage and close it behind them.
- Lockbox: a small combination box that holds a key. You can hang it on a door handle, a hose bib or a fence post.
- Hidden key: some people prefer a key in a spot only they and the cleaner know about.
- Physical key on file: you can also give us a key to keep for your visits.
- Someone at home: if you work from home or someone is around, they can simply let the cleaner in.
Entry notes on file
Whatever you choose, it goes into your entry notes. Those notes are kept on file and attached to every visit, so your cleaner always knows how to get in without you texting a code each time. Good entry notes include:
- The code, lockbox location or key spot.
- Which door to use.
- Whether there is an alarm and how to handle it.
- Pets and how they should be handled.
- Rooms to skip.
- Anything that should be locked, closed or left a certain way when the cleaner leaves.
The more specific the notes, the smoother every visit goes.
A good example: instead of "key in lockbox," try "lockbox on the hose bib by the back gate, code ends in the year we moved in, use the side door, the front deadbolt sticks." That is the kind of detail that keeps a cleaner from standing on your porch in the August heat trying to figure out which door you meant. Write it once, and it is there for every visit after.
Alarms
If you have a security system, give us the code or let us know how it should be handled. A few tips:
- Some systems let you create a separate user code. That keeps your main code private and lets you see when the cleaner came and went.
- Let your monitoring company know someone will be coming in on a regular schedule, if your system requires it.
- If you would rather disarm it yourself remotely, tell us and your cleaner will text before going inside.
Locking up
Tell us how you want the house left. Most people want every door locked and the garage closed. Some want certain lights on or blinds left a particular way. Your cleaner follows the same routine every visit, so it is worth getting it right in your notes from the start.
Thermostats are worth a mention too. In a Texas summer, some people want the AC left a few degrees cooler while the cleaner works and set back when they leave. Others would rather nobody touch it. Either way is fine — just put it in your notes.
When codes change
If you change a code, swap locks or move the lockbox, just let us know before the next visit. A cleaner showing up to a code that no longer works means a missed visit or a rescheduled one, and nobody wants that. A quick text or message is all it takes.
Gated communities and apartments
If you live in a gated neighborhood or an apartment complex, include the gate code or call box instructions in your notes. If guests have to be added to a list at the front gate, let us know what name to give. Some apartment buildings also need the cleaner to check in at the office for a key, so mention that too.
Feeling comfortable with it
Giving someone access to your home is a real decision, and it is normal to feel a little cautious at first. Many people start by being home for the first visit, meeting the cleaner and seeing how they work. After that, most feel comfortable handing over a code. Keeping the same cleaner whenever possible helps a lot here, because the person coming in is someone you know.
Ready to set up hands-off cleaning?
Request a free quote and tell us how you would like your cleaner to get in. We will keep it on file for every visit.
Get a free quoteSet it once
Access is one of those things you set up once and then forget about. A door code, a garage keypad or a lockbox, plus clear entry notes, and your cleaner can take care of the house while you are at work or at the lake. That is how most of our recurring clients around Waxahachie and Red Oak do it. Read more on our weekly and bi-weekly maid service page.