With the sun beginning to shine a little brighter after a long winter, Clients are ready for their homes to shine, too. Every Spring, we see a spike in demand for Cleaning tasks as Clients look to TaskRabbit for a seasonal refresh—whether it’s a regular clean, a deep clean, or the dreaded closet cleanout!
We’ve collected the advice and tips from some of the highest-rated and highest-earning Taskers in the Cleaning category—including Maggie E., Latrica R., Max C., and Laura D. They’ll tell you how to ace every Cleaning task, what to bring with you, and how to increase your chances of receiving shining reviews. Continue reading to learn more!
Deep Clean vs. Clean
First things first—what’s the difference between the Cleaning and the Deep Cleaning categories? While both of these categories involve similar skills, there are several differences that are important for you to note as you prepare for your Cleaning task. Check out what Clients expect from each category below, noting that a Deep Clean will include all the items under the regular Cleaning category, plus the additional Deep Clean tasks.
|
Regular Clean | Deep Clean |
| Wiping outside of oven and cleaning stovetop | Cleaning inside of oven |
| Wiping down kitchen surfaces | Cleaning inside of windows |
| Vacuuming and mopping floors | Full dusting and oiling of furniture |
| Cleaning bathroom, shower, toilet, bath | Wiping down blinds |
| Cleaning mirrors | Scrubbing bathroom and kitchen tiles |
| Wiping other surfaces (coffee table, etc.) | Wiping baseboards |
| Cleaning microwave | Inside of fridge cleaned out |
Materials
You can ask Clients in the chat thread before the task if they have their own vacuum and cleaning products that you can use. While some Clients will have preferred brands, most of our highest-rated Cleaners bring their own products with them to the task. A few favorites include:
Bleach-based cleaning spray.- General cleaning spray (opt for an environmentally-friendly one to save yourself—and the planet!).
- Glass cleaning spray.
- Steel wool pad (for tackling tough stains).
- Anti-bacterial cleaning wipes.
- Microfiber cloths (one for each room).
- A transportable mop (such as a Swiffer) and wet pads for the mop.
- Mask (if you don’t want to inhale all the cleaning products!).
Setting yourself up for Success
There are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success on every Cleaning task:
- Craft a detailed Cleaning Skills & Experience pitch. Check out this blog post for examples of Skills & Experience pitches that help Taskers stand out in Client search results. One of our favorites is:
“If Cinderella and Mr. Clean had one child, I’d be her. Your space can be sparkly clean. My specialty is professionally tackling short-term vacation rentals, which I’ve been doing for 5 years. Tell your dust bunnies to pack up if I’m on the task! – Skills & Experience pitch by Andrea W., San Francisco.”
- Scope the task. Properly scoping the task in the chat thread prior to the task can help you show up prepared for the extent of cleaning that you’ll be tackling. Check out this blog post for sample questions to ask your Client in the chat thread. Top Taskers recommend saving a number of scoping questions as a note on your phone so you can copy and paste them into the chat for each new Client.
Double check. Even if you’ve properly scoped the task, it’s important to double check the Client’s priorities before jumping into the task when you arrive. Top Taskers recommend confirming “What would you like me to focus on?” or “Where would you like me to start?” when you arrive to the task, then asking them “Is there anything I missed?” before you leave.- Be respectful. Remember that with Cleaning tasks, Clients are inviting you into their homes. Often, they are seeking TaskRabbit’s help because they’re too stressed to deal with the mess at home, which can lead to embarrassment. Treat your Clients and their belongings with respect, and try not to judge.
- Give back. Did you know that a portion of our service fee for all donation tasks goes to local nonprofits through TaskRabbit for Good? Consider suggesting to your next Client that he/she hire you for a Donation task–you can relieve them of the burden of having to get rid of stuff themselves, get another task under your belt, and both of you can feel rewarded by making a positive impact on the community.
Want more Cleaning tips? Check out this blog post for more Cleaning tips and tricks, or comment below if you have a suggestion that could help your fellow Cleaning Taskers!
Great tips
The first 3 steps you should do before start a Deeper Cleaning are: ( just in case there are very dirty)
1-make sure to run the dishwasher ( if you have to do it) so when you finish the cleaning they will be ready to put away!
2-make sure to wet with hot water the bathrooms tiles and then spray Clorox ( bleach) and mix Ajax with dishes soap and scrub the bathtub and leave them at least 1.5 hour, then scrub them with a magic eraser it will help you to remove all dirty and any spot easily.
Always bring a medium plastic container in case there are not a handheld shower head, you won’t want to use your client’s container.
3-Spray eassy off on top of stove and oven ( if needed)
Also please remember to change the vacuum’s bag very often and (if you want) put inside the bag some wet cotton balls with vanilla scent it will smell so fresh! Also never forget to fold up towels ( if there are wet please leave it) try to make an envelope on paper toilet and always put a little bag on the trash bin, your clients will be so HAPPY with those details!!!!
Silvia, you sound like a very thorough cleaner. You made a great point to bring your own container to use in case the client doesn’t have a hand-held shower nozzle…absolutely right!!! I recommend researching some recipes for non-toxic, natural/organic cleaning solution recipes. They are just as efficient (if not more so) as commercial cleaners. Plus, clients are really impressed with you when you tell that all your cleaners are organic, non-toxic, and that you make them yourself. With all the hard work you do, plus those little details you suggested, if you brought in homemade, organic cleaners, wow!! I bet you would get even more 5 star reviews! You sound like a rock-star, though, and I will definitely be incorporating more than a few of your tips into my regime from now on!