Checklist: what to show your cleaner on the first visit

Regular cleaning of an apartment is a system, and it is set up on the first visit. If the cleaner understands the property, your priorities and its quirks from the very start, everything runs smoothly afterwards. If the first visit was done “however it turned out”, the misunderstandings drag on for months.

This article is a practical checklist for the owner: what to show and discuss with your cleaner on the first visit. Especially useful if you are organising the cleaning remotely and are not present for the first visit yourself.

It draws on years of experience from the DomCare team setting up regular apartment cleaning in Slovenia.

Why the first visit matters

The cleaner’s first visit is not just “the first clean”. It is setting up the process. This is where it is decided what will be done and how, what to pay particular attention to, where everything is, and what quirks the property has. A well-run first visit turns cleaning into a predictable service; a badly run one turns it into a constant source of “but I thought that…”.

The first clean of a new property is almost always a deep clean — it sets the standard that regular cleaning then maintains.

The first-visit checklist

Access and safety

• How the cleaner gets into the apartment: keys, code, who lets them in
• Where the main water valve and electrical panel are — in case something goes wrong
• Quirks of the lock, alarm and entry phone
• Where to return or store the key after the visit

The property and its quirks

• A full walkthrough of every room
• Delicate surfaces and materials that need particular care (parquet, stone, special appliances)
• What NOT to touch — valuable, fragile or personal items
• Problem areas that need attention (prone to mould, awkward corners)
• Quirks of the appliances — washing machine, dishwasher, boiler

Cleaning scope and priorities

• What is included in regular cleaning and what is not
• Priorities: what most of all should be flawless
• The frequency of visits and convenient days/times
• Changing linen and towels — if included

Supplies and equipment

• Where equipment and products are kept, what may and may not be used
• Who restocks the supplies (products, bags, paper) and how
• Any product preferences (for example, no harsh chemicals, hypoallergenic)

Communication and reporting

• How the cleaner reports a completed clean
• What to do if something out of the ordinary is noticed — a leak, a breakage, damage
• Which channel is used to reach you or the coordinator
• Whether a photo report is needed

Special notes — for an empty apartment and a rental

• For an empty apartment: airing out, running water through the traps (against odours), what to check
• For a rental: tying the cleaning to the booking schedule, changing linen, restocking for guests, checking for forgotten items and damage

After the first visit

A good sign of a well-set-up process is that after the first visit you have: an understanding of what will be done and how; an agreed schedule; a communication channel; and, ideally, a photo report that shows the result. If a service organises the cleaning, all of this setup is its job, not your concern: you just need to flag the priorities once.

If the first visit reveals that the property is in worse shape than it seemed, that is normal — the first deep clean is precisely there to level the starting point.

How DomCare helps

At DomCare, setting up the process on the first visit is part of the cleaning service. We run through this checklist ourselves: we record the quirks of the property, agree the priorities with you, and set up the schedule and reporting. You do not need to be present and brief anyone in person — you just need to flag once what matters. Cleaning is convenient to run as part of property care, so the property is under a single service. We work in Ljubljana, on the Slovenian Coast, in the Bled and Bohinj region, and in the Kranj region.

The easiest way to talk it through: message us through the form or on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be there in person for the cleaner’s first visit? Preferable, but not required. If a service organises the cleaning, it sets up the process itself — you just need to flag the priorities and the quirks of the property once, remotely.

Is the first clean different from the later ones? Yes. The first clean of a new property is almost always a deep clean — it sets the standard that regular cleaning then maintains.

What must you show the cleaner? Access and where the main valve/electrical panel are, delicate surfaces, what not to touch, problem areas, the cleaning scope and priorities, supplies and the communication channel.

What if the cleaner spots a leak or a breakage? This needs to be discussed in advance: the cleaner should know which channel to use and whom to tell about anything out of the ordinary. Within property care, this kind of response is built into the service.

Who restocks the products and supplies? This is agreed on the first visit. The arrangement depends on the format: the owner, the cleaner or the service — the main thing is that it is clear from the very start.

The cleaner’s first visit is a setup, not just a clean. A first visit run through the checklist turns cleaning into a predictable service: the cleaner knows the property, your priorities and its quirks. And if a service runs the cleaning, this setup is its concern, not yours.

Want to set up regular cleaning for your apartment — message us.

Sources and further reading

• Deep cleaning vs regular cleaning: the difference — which clean you need at the start
• DomCare — Cleaning — what the service covers
• DomCare — About us — our experience setting up cleaning