A New Cleaning Client Checklist: Booking to First Visit

◆ Last updated September 14, 2026

You have a booking. Now the client needs to know what to expect, and the cleaner needs enough detail to do the job. This setup is often called client onboarding. For a small home-cleaning business, it can be a short form and a clear message.

Before confirming the first clean, agree what happens if the client changes the visit or the crew cannot get in. The cleaning cancellation and access policy pack includes editable client wording and an office checklist.

Download the new cleaning client checklist

Download the editable cleaning client welcome pack (Word). It is free. No email address or app account is needed.

• Pages 1–2: owner intake form. Work, price, contact details, access, pets and photo choices.
• Page 3: client welcome note. Replace the bracketed fields and send only the finished note and agreed attachments.
• Page 4: crew checklist. Steps before arrival, during the visit and before leaving.
• Page 5: filled example. One fictional home, its welcome message, crew notes and next-day follow-up.

Make a copy for each new client. Fill the fields in Word, add task lines where needed and check the terms before sharing. The pack is an editable document, not an online form. Keep the owner and crew pages private; do not email the whole pack to the client.

Collect the details that change the job

Start with the service address, including the unit number, and the person who can answer questions during the visit. Ask how they want service updates: a call, email or text. Record the agreed contact detail and a suitable time to reach them.

Then ask about the rooms and their condition. A two-bedroom home may still have an office, stairs or a room the client wants left alone. Write the tasks by room instead of using “clean everything.”

• Work: rooms and tasks included, what is excluded and any paid extras.
• Timing: first date, arrival window and how often the client wants a visit.
• Price: what the amount covers, any tax or fees, the total and when payment is due.
• Terms: how to request a change, the agreed cancellation notice and any applicable fee.
• Preparation: parking, pets, clear surfaces, delicate finishes and products to avoid.

A first visit is not automatically a deep clean. Confirm the work you have priced. If the client adds a room or asks for more detail work, check the time, tools and skills needed before agreeing to it. The cleaning service package guide has a task menu and cost sheet for this step.

Agree how the crew will get in and leave

Pick a clear entry plan: the client opens the door, your managed key process, or an access record in your approved private system. Confirm where to park and who to call if entry fails. Add a backup contact only when needed, with permission to contact them.

The printable pack should hold the entry method and private record reference. Keep actual door codes, alarm codes, passwords and card details out of it and out of group messages. Share private access details only through the approved system with staff who need them.

The FTC’s guide to protecting personal information advises businesses to collect only needed data, control who can see it and safely dispose of records no longer needed. Keep completed paper forms locked away. We checked this guidance on September 14, 2026.

Agree the exit plan too. Who locks the door? Does an alarm need setting? Where should the pet be when the cleaner leaves? “Same as last time” is not useful on a first visit.

Prepare the home without asking the client to clean it

Ask the client to make the agreed surfaces reachable and put pets in a safe place away from the work. Molly Maid’s preparation guide also asks clients to clear clutter and arrange pets before a visit. Use the preparation that fits your own service, not another company’s fee or cancellation policy.

For surface and product concerns, write an action the crew can follow. “Check the approved product for the stone counter before use” is clearer than “client is picky.” Record the product restriction; you do not need the client’s medical diagnosis.

Ask about photos separately. A client may allow a private job photo but refuse website or social-media use. Record what is allowed, who may see it and where permission is stored. A cleaning agreement is not blanket marketing permission, and silence does not mean yes. The pack records the choice; it is not a full legal release.

Send a welcome note the client can check

Send the finished note after the work and price are agreed and before the crew travels. It should repeat the booking details, preparation and office contact. Replace every bracketed field. Attach the actual agreed task list, not a generic list of everything your business offers.

Here is the filled example from the pack. Alex, the home, dates and price are made up for teaching. The home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an office. Visits are planned every two weeks. The $180 total is an example, not a rate to copy.

Example welcome message

Hi Alex, thanks for booking. We will arrive on Tuesday October 6, 2026, between 10 and 11 a.m. Your first visit is $180 total, due after the clean through the agreed invoice payment method.

We will clean both bathrooms, the kitchen counters and sink, appliance exteriors, reachable dusting and the floors in the two bedrooms, living room and hall. The office, inside appliances and dishes are not included. There are no paid extras.

Please clear the listed surfaces and keep your dog in the office with the door closed. You will let us in. Before we leave, we will check the work with you and you will lock up. We have noted the stone counters and will confirm a suitable product before use. We will not take photos.

Please contact us through your agreed service contact if anything changes. The cancellation terms stay as agreed in your booking. Extra work needs a new agreement on time and price. We will follow up the next day and ask whether October 20 works for the next visit.

Give the crew a separate first-visit brief

The crew should be able to read the brief before leaving for the job. Include the address, arrival window, task list, exclusions, access method, pet plan, surface notes and office contact. Use the latest version and remove old instructions.

Example crew note: Use the address in the private job record. Alex opens the door; no key or code is needed. The dog stays in the excluded office, so leave that door closed. Check the approved stone-care product with the lead before use. No photos. Check each listed task with Alex before leaving; Alex locks up. Tell the office about any missed work or changed condition.

If the crew cannot get in safely or finds work that differs from the booking, they should contact the office before starting affected work. The owner agrees any change in price or tasks with the client. Immediate danger follows the emergency plan, not a message waiting in an inbox.

Keep client messages separate from staff-only notes. See the client notes and client portal pages when choosing how to share the details. Check who can see a note before putting private information in it.

Check the clean and confirm what happens next

Before leaving, the cleaner checks the agreed task list, notes unfinished work and follows the lock-up plan. Any damage or access problem goes through the office’s reporting process. Take only permitted job photos, without people, private papers, valuables or identifying details in view.

Follow up the next day through the client’s agreed contact method. Ask about the work, then give any open issue a person and a next step. This message is ready to adapt:

Hi Alex, how did yesterday’s clean go? Was anything on the agreed task list missed? Please tell us the room and task so we can check it. Would Tuesday October 20 work for your next visit? We will confirm the arrival window after you reply.

Record the reply and update the next job. If Alex has not replied, October 20 is still a request, not a confirmed booking. During the first month, check whether the visit length, task list and contact method still fit. You do not need a survey after every message.

Keep routine delay and booking-change messages in your client communication guide. This pack handles the first visit; it does not replace your crew training or service terms.

Common questions

Do I need a welcome pack for every client?

You need clear details for each booking. The format can be a short form and a message. Use the full checklist for a new client, then update the parts that change for later visits.

What if the client does not return the form?

Ask only for what is still missing. A short call may be easier. Hold the visit if you cannot confirm safe entry, the agreed work or the price. Record the answers so the cleaner does not have to ask again.

Can I use the welcome pack as my contract?

Use it to prepare the visit and record details. It does not replace a service agreement, a photo release or a review of the terms that apply to your business.