Cleaning Preferences: How to Explain What You Want at Home

Cleaning preferences are the rules of your home: which rooms come first, which products are used or excluded, which surfaces require special care, where the cat is, and who holds the key. When they are written down and clear, any professional can clean as you would. When they are only in your head, each visit is a surprise. This guide shows which preferences are worth defining, how to put them on a simple sheet, and what to require from anyone entering your home, whether a company or a directly hired person.

TL;DR

• First, define the priorities: the 3 or 4 things that, if done well, make the visit worthwhile.
• Record products, allergies, sensitive materials, pets, and objects that should not be moved. This is where almost all mistakes happen.
• Key and code management is a privacy issue: ask how they are stored, who has access, and what happens if they are lost.
• A one-page preferences sheet, reviewed after the first two visits, is worth more than many instructions given standing at the door.
• Before hiring, confirm if the cleaner works formally and is insured, and if the price and billing criteria are clear.

Index

• Why preferences matter more than the task list
• Preferences worth defining
• Preferences by type of home and situation
• How to create your preferences sheet
• Company or direct hiring: what changes
• Our view on cleaning preferences
• A cleaning tailored to your home
• Frequently asked questions
• Sources

Why preferences matter more than the task list

Almost all domestic cleaning services promise the same: dust, floors, kitchen, bathrooms. The task list states what is done. Preferences state how it is done in your home. The difference is seen in the details: the bleach product that stains the stone countertop joint, the wool rug vacuumed with the wrong brush, the papers on the desk piled up that no one can find.

There is also a practical reason. In a home where professionals enter regularly, the team may change due to holidays, illness, or schedules. If preferences are written down, the standard remains regardless of who comes. If they depend on one person's memory, they are lost at the first replacement.

Finally, defining preferences forces a useful choice: what is truly important to you. A three-hour visit is not enough for everything in depth. Knowing that the kitchen and the main bathroom are non-negotiable, and that the office can wait until the following week, saves time and frustration.

Preferences worth defining

You don't need a manual. You need to cover the areas where choices change the outcome. The table summarizes them, and the following sections explain each one.

Area	Examples of what to define	Why it matters
Priorities	Rooms in order, tasks that must never be missed	Ensures the essentials when time is tight
Products	Fragrance-free, no bleach, your products or the team's	Allergies, children, pets, odors
Materials	Natural stone, solid wood, stainless steel, frames, upholstery	Prevents stains and difficult-to-reverse damage
Windows and glass	Interior, exterior, tracks, glass with film	Safety and the right technique for each case
Pets and children	Where they stay, doors that need to be closed, toys	Safety and peace of mind for everyone
Forbidden objects and areas	Desk, wardrobe, safe, collections	Privacy and trust
Access	Key, code, doorman, schedule, alarm	Security of the home and your data
Communication	Language, channel, report after the visit	Resolve doubts without being present

Priorities and room order

Start with what bothers you most when done poorly. For many families, it’s the kitchen (stove, cabinet fronts, sink) and bathrooms (shower base, faucets, toilet). For those working from home, it may be the office. Also, state the order: if you have a meeting at 11 am, you might prefer the living room to be ready first.

If you’re unsure how often each room needs attention, our domestic cleaning calendar by room helps separate weekly from monthly and seasonal tasks. For details on what to clean in each space, see cleaning by room.

Products, scents, and allergies

This is the most personal preference and the one most often left unsaid. Answer three questions:

1. Is there anyone at home with allergies, asthma, or sensitive skin? If so, specify which products or fragrances, and if there is medical advice. In case of doubt about what can or cannot be used, your doctor or allergist decides, not the cleaning team.
2. Do you prefer fragrance-free products, eco-label products, or a specific brand?
3. Are the products yours or the team’s? If they are yours, where are they and what to do when they run out?

If you value low environmental impact products, know that there are EU Eco-Label criteria for indoor cleaning services, which include using products with lower impact and training staff in environmental matters. You don’t need to demand certification, but you can request products that meet similar criteria.

Sensitive surfaces and materials

The most expensive damages come from the right products used on the wrong surface. Take a tour of the house and note:

• Natural stone (marble, limestone): does not tolerate acids, such as vinegar or limescale remover.
• Solid or waxed wood: little water and the right product.
• Stainless steel and appliances: cloths that do not scratch and respect the finish.
• Aluminum, PVC, or wood frames: each material requires a method; we explain which one on our page about cleaning frames.
• Sofas and armchairs: the fabric and cleaning label determine whether to vacuum, dry clean, or wash. More in professional upholstery cleaning.

If there is a valuable, family heirloom, or fragile item, simply say "do not touch" or "dust only with a dry cloth." It’s a clear and easy instruction to follow.

Windows and glass

Windows deserve their own line on the sheet because they mix technique and safety. Define whether you want only the interior or also the accessible exterior, if the tracks are included in the cleaning, and if there are windows with solar or security film. For tracks, there is a method that avoids scratching and clogging the drains, which we describe in how to clean window tracks without damaging them. Windows with film also require care: see when to clean and when to remove the film.

Regarding the exterior, a good rule is not to ask anyone to lean over or climb ladders on high balconies. If you want to understand what alternatives exist, this guide on cleaning exterior windows without using ladders shows techniques with extendable poles and purified water that help define what is reasonable to ask for safely.

Pets, children, and forbidden objects

Indicate where the pet will be during the visit, if it can be loose, if there are doors that need to stay closed, and if there is food or medication that should not be moved. With small children, indicate where to store products and whether toys should be tidied up or left where they are.

Also define zones and objects off-limits: desk with documents, bedside table drawers, wardrobes, safes. A simple rule works well: "clean the surface, do not open or reorganize."

Privacy, keys, and codes

When you hand over a key or door code, you are trusting someone with access to your private life. The National Data Protection Commission reminds that GDPR requires appropriate technical and organizational measures to prevent data breaches and respond when they occur. In practice, a serious company should be able to tell you:

• where and how the keys or codes are stored, and if they are labeled with your address (they shouldn’t be);
• who has access to them and if that access is recorded;
• what happens, and how quickly you are notified, if a key is lost or a code is exposed;
• how the keys are returned when the service ends.

Include in the sheet the alarm (code, zone, schedule), the doorman or condominium, and any building rules, such as elevator or noise hours.

Preferences by type of home and situation

The same questions have different answers depending on the home and the moment.

Family home with regular cleaning. The focus is on consistency: same order, same products, same person whenever possible. It’s worth planning a rotation, for example, fridge one week and oven the next, so that less frequent tasks are not forgotten.

Holiday home or second residence. Here, preferences include ventilation, humidity checks, water running in seldom-used pipes, prepared bedding, and a warning if something is wrong. Without a report, you won’t know the state of the house until you arrive.

Tenant move-in or move-out. What counts is the final state: inside cabinets, appliances, limescale, baseboards. If you are a tenant, align preferences with what the contract and landlord expect. If you are the owner, define the standard you want to deliver to the next occupant. A real example is our cleaning after the departure of residents from a T3 in Benfica.

After renovations. Fine construction dust gets everywhere. The main preference is the order: top to bottom, vacuuming before any damp cloth, and extra attention to frames and tracks.

How to create your preferences sheet

One page is enough. Follow these steps:

1. Walk through the house with a notepad, room by room, and note what irritates you when not done well.
2. Choose three or four priorities and put them at the top, in order.
3. List the "never": prohibited products, sensitive surfaces, objects and areas off-limits.
4. Describe the access: key or code, alarm, doorman, schedule when the house is empty.
5. Indicate pets and children: where they are, what to close, what not to touch.
6. State how you want to be contacted: language, channel (message, email), if you want photos or a report at the end.
7. Review after the first two visits. It’s normal to adjust. What seemed obvious to you may not have been clear.

An example of a short sheet for a T2 in Lisbon:

• Priorities: kitchen (stove and countertop), main bathroom, living room floors.
• Never: vinegar on the marble countertop; open desk drawers.
• Products: fragrance-free (child with eczema, as advised by the pediatrician).
• Pet: cat stays in the small room, door closed.
• Access: door code sent by message on the day; alarm off from 9 am to 1 pm.
• Communication: Portuguese or English, photo of the kitchen at the end.

To prepare the house before each visit, we have a practical guide with cleaning instructions in Lisbon.

Company or direct hiring: what changes

Preferences only work if there is someone to fulfill them consistently and securely. In Portugal, there are two main ways to have someone clean your home regularly: directly hiring a domestic worker or hiring a company that provides the service.

If you hire directly, you become the employer. The practical guide from Social Security on domestic service explains that you must communicate the hiring and declare and pay contributions, and that failure to communicate has legal consequences. In 2026, the minimum guaranteed monthly wage is €920.00, a reference value for salaries and contributions. If you are considering this route, confirm your obligations directly with Social Security or a certified accountant before starting.

Informal work may seem simpler, but it carries risks for both sides. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work describes a domestic cleaning sector with high informality and precariousness, where salary, holidays, and insurance are often left unaddressed. If there is an accident in your home, or damage, the lack of framework falls on you.

When hiring a company, ask these questions:

Question	Response you should hear
Are the professionals hired and insured by the company?	Yes, without random subcontracting
Does the same person or team always come?	Whenever possible, with substitutions following the same sheet
How do they record my preferences?	In writing, on a checklist associated with the house
How do they manage keys and codes?	With clear rules for storage, recording, and return
How is the price calculated?	Per visit or per hour, with extras indicated separately
What happens if something is not done well?	A direct contact and a quick solution

Regarding price, Portuguese law requires that service prices be clear. ASAE explains the rules for price display, including indicating the total price with taxes. If a quote does not specify what it includes, how much each extra costs, and how time is calculated, ask for details before booking.

Our view on cleaning preferences

In Lisbon, we enter very different homes every week: family apartments in Benfica, T1s in Parque das Nações, second homes that remain closed for months. What we have learned is that the quality of a cleaning depends as much on what happens before the visit as on what happens during it.

That’s why we treat preferences as part of the service, not as a favor. They are recorded on a checklist for the house, which follows with the team and remains when there is a replacement. We work with fixed teams whenever possible, because those who know the house make fewer mistakes and ask fewer questions. And when someone new comes in, the sheet ensures the same standard.

Privacy, for us, is concrete: our professionals are selected and trained by us, they are not random third parties, and access to the house is managed with clear rules. We speak several languages, which greatly helps those who have recently moved to Lisbon and want to explain a preference without misunderstandings. At the end of each visit, a digital report shows what was done, and if something did not go as it should, we resolve it quickly.

Our advice is simple: write down your preferences once, review them with us after the first visits, and then leave the house to us.

— Taras

A cleaning tailored to your home

If you want your preferences to be met at every visit, Cleaning Point offers regular cleaning, deep cleans, move-in and move-out cleaning, post-renovation cleaning, and care for second homes in Lisbon, with detailed checklists, consistent teams, and support in multiple languages. You can add extras like windows, oven and appliances, upholstery, laundry, or balcony and terrace. See our services and the right level of care for each home or book a cleaning and tell us how you like your home.

Frequently asked questions

What information should I provide for the first cleaning?

Your priorities, products to avoid, sensitive surfaces, pets and children, off-limits areas, and access details. A written page is sufficient. After the first two visits, review it and adjust what was not clear.

Can I request that they use my own products?

Yes, and it makes sense when there are allergies, sensitive skin, or surfaces that require a specific product. Indicate where they are stored and what to do when they run out. If the choice comes from medical advice, state it on the sheet so that no one replaces it on their own initiative.

Will my preferences remain if the cleaner changes?

They should remain, as long as they are recorded in writing and associated with the house, and not just in the memory of whoever comes. Ask the company how they store that information and how it is passed to a substitute. At Cleaning Point, the house checklist accompanies the team on every visit.

Is it safe to leave the key or code with the cleaning company?

It can be, if there are clear rules: keys without identified addresses, limited and recorded access, quick notification in case of loss, and return at the end of the service. Access to the house involves personal data, and its protection should be treated seriously. If the company cannot explain the process, it’s a sign to look for another answer.

How do I know if the price includes everything I requested?

Ask for the quote to indicate whether it is per visit or per hour, what is included, and how much each extra costs, with the total price and taxes. Preferences like oven cleaning, windows, or upholstery are usually extras and should appear separately. This way, you avoid surprises on the bill.

Sources

• Social Security: Practical guide to domestic service
• DGAEP: Minimum guaranteed monthly wage
• OSHwiki: situation of cleaning workers
• CNPD: Guidelines No. 9/2022 on personal data breach notification
• ASAE: Price display
• EUR-Lex: Decision (EU) 2018/680, Eco-Label for indoor cleaning services
• Cleaning exterior windows without using ladders