Express flat cleaning at short notice: when it makes sense and what to prepare in advance

Express flat cleaning at short notice makes sense when you have a fixed deadline – visitors, a flat handover, a viewing or the arrival of guests – and within a few hours you mainly need a clean bathroom, toilet, kitchen and floors. Do not expect deep cleaning from it. You can influence the result most by setting priorities in advance, clearing the surfaces and describing the condition of the flat to the company precisely.

When express cleaning comes in handy

Express cleaning is a solution for situations where the deadline cannot be moved and you have neither the time nor the energy to clean yourself. Typical cases are as follows:

• Visitors or a party – family, friends or a business partner are coming and the flat should look tidy.
• Handing over or taking over a flat – the move has dragged on and only a day or two remain until the handover.
• Arrival of guests in a short-term rental – the previous guest left later or the arranged cleaning fell through.
• A viewing or photo shoot of the flat – the estate agent has announced a prospective buyer for tomorrow.
• Returning from holiday or hospital – you need to come back to a clean environment but cannot manage it on your own.

If you know the date several weeks in advance, regularly scheduled cleaning with a wider scope is usually a better choice. The express option is a compromise between time and scope.

What can realistically be done in limited time

The duration of cleaning depends on the size of the flat, how dirty it is, the number of people and how many items are lying on surfaces. This is discussed in more detail in the article how long flat cleaning takes. In general, in a short time you concentrate on what is visible and what is used most.

The items in the right-hand column can be added if time is left for them or if more people attend. However, bear in mind that each of them will significantly extend the cleaning time.

How to narrow the scope according to purpose

The most common mistake in last-minute cleaning is trying to do a little of everything. It is better to set an order and work from top to bottom. What is at the top is always done; what is at the bottom is done only if time is left.

Before visitors

1. Toilet and bathroom, including towels and soap.
2. Entrance and hallway – shoes, jackets, floor.
3. Living room and dining table.
4. Kitchen worktop, sink and dishes.
5. Other rooms where visitors are unlikely to go, last of all.

Before handing over a flat

1. Kitchen, including appliances that stay in the flat.
2. Bathroom and toilet.
3. Floors in all rooms after the furniture has been removed.
4. Windows, sills and doors, if time allows.

What exactly is checked at handover depends on the tenancy agreement and on the condition in which you took over the flat. This is not legal advice – check the specific obligations in your agreement and in the handover protocol. You will find a practical procedure in the article cleaning a flat before handing it over to the landlord.

Before guests arrive

1. Clean bed linen and towels.
2. Bathroom and toilet.
3. Kitchen, dishes, fridge free of leftovers from the previous guest.
4. Rubbish, floors and a check for forgotten items.

For regular guest turnover, the detailed checklist in the article Airbnb cleaning between guests is useful.

What to prepare before cleaning starts

Both the cleaning team and you will get more done if items do not first have to be moved around. These few steps take little time but free up hands for the actual cleaning.

1. Clear the surfaces. Remove items from tables, the kitchen worktop, bathroom shelves and the floor. Whatever has no place, put in a box or laundry basket.
2. Take out the rubbish and empty the dishwasher. Load the dirty dishes so that the sink stays free.
3. Put away valuables and documents. Set jewellery, money and personal papers aside so that nobody has to decide what to do with them.
4. Arrange access. Who will open the door, where the keys will be, what the entry code for the building is, where it is possible to park.
5. Make sure there is water, light and a working vacuum cleaner. When handing over a flat after moving out, check that the utilities have not been disconnected.
6. Take care of pets. Shut them in one room or take them with you for the duration of the cleaning.
7. Prepare spare bed linen and towels, if they are to be replaced.

What to tell the company when ordering

With last-minute cleaning there is no room for follow-up questions. The more precisely you describe the situation in your first message, the better the duration and number of people can be estimated. State:

• the address, the floor and whether the building has a lift,
• the size of the flat, the number of rooms and bathrooms,
• the date and the latest time by which the work must be finished (for example “guests arrive at 3:00 pm”),
• the purpose of the cleaning – visitors, flat handover, guests, viewing,
• your priorities in the order described above,
• the current condition – ordinary household, after a party, after moving out, with pets,
• sensitive materials, such as natural stone, oiled wood or glossy kitchen unit fronts,
• whether you have your own products and vacuum cleaner, or whether the cleaners should bring them,
• how access and parking will be arranged.

Photos of the dirtiest areas help to estimate the scope more realistically than a verbal description. If you are working to a budget, see how much flat cleaning costs in Prague and what affects the price. With us you will find this option as express cleaning; an available slot always needs to be confirmed according to current capacity.

When you manage on your own

If you decide to clean yourself, stick to the same order of priorities and a few principles that save time:

• work from top to bottom – dust on furniture first, the floor last,
• from dry to wet – vacuum and then mop,
• in the toilet and bathroom, apply the cleaning product right at the start and leave it to work, cleaning elsewhere in the meantime,
• one bucket and cloth for the bathroom and toilet, another for the kitchen.

Basic equipment:

• a vacuum cleaner and mop,
• microfibre cloths in several colours,
• an all-purpose cleaner, a bathroom cleaner and a toilet cleaner,
• a sponge with a soft side and a rubber squeegee for glass,
• gloves and rubbish bags.

When working with chemicals, several rules apply even when you are in a hurry. Read the label, wear gloves, ventilate and do not mix products – this is explicitly pointed out by the US agency CDC in its guide to cleaning and disinfecting your home. Never combine products containing chlorine with acidic cleaners or with products containing ammonia; according to the CDC's information on chlorine, bleach can release chlorine gas when mixed with certain cleaners. More in the article which cleaning products you should never mix.

If you are disinfecting, first clean the surface and then leave the product to work for the time stated in the instructions – the CDC calls this the contact time. With new surfaces or sensitive materials, try the product first in a hidden spot. Should fumes nevertheless be inhaled or a product swallowed, the Toxicological Information Centre can advise on 224 91 92 93 or 224 91 54 02.

When express cleaning is not enough

Some situations cannot be squeezed into a few hours. These are mainly a flat after renovation or painting, where fine dust is everywhere, a household that has not been cleaned for a long time, heavy mould, or a flat handover where the expected condition is the same as at takeover, including windows and appliances. In such a case it is more sensible to postpone the deadline, order more people, or split the cleaning into two parts – the most important rooms straight away and the rest later.

It also helps to take an honest look at what the deadline really requires. Visitors will notice the bathroom and kitchen, not the dust on top of a wardrobe. At a flat handover, by contrast, what decides is the condition in which you took over the flat and what you agree with the landlord.