My wife every two weeks:

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I’ve never understood this thought process. Sure, getting some stuff out of their way makes sense (like getting shoes off the floor so the cleaners can vacuum), but why clean?
- A few reasons I clean before they arrive:
  They're not paid great so I'd rather not inconvenience them too much and let them get into their next gig faster.
  I don't want them putting non dishwasher items in the dishwasher and potentially ruining them.
  You will lose items because they're organizing your place and will put stuff not where you expect it.
  They tend to do a deeper clean when they're not focusing on cleaning up the smaller stuff you can take care of yourself
  
  Okay. These reasons make sense. Thanks!
- It's called an anxiety disorder. shame and guilt and embarrassment
  They don't want others to think they're dirty/unclean/etc so they do this. It's the same reason some people won't call a handyman to fix a problem, or go to a doctor/dentist, they're afraid of someone knowing they couldn't fix or take care of themselves.
  
  More often than not I suspect that is the case, anecdotally though neighbors of mine have a different approach. They are very clean and only have a cleaner come in once every two months. They also have an immunocompromised child so slightly different situation.
  One time we got to talking about it and they said it was to clean more thoroughly than they could. The cleaners come in with the expertise and more importantly the tools to make sure their house is clean enough for their child.
  The really good cleaning equipment is really expensive to buy and once you're renting it it's not much more expensive to just pay someone to use it. They are far more well off than me, that's for sure, but they're not rich.
  
  What really good cleaning equipment do you think your average cleaner has? A steam mop?
- Ever brush your teeth just before going in for a routine dental cleaning?
  
  I just do that to be courteous to the dentist, so my breath isn’t gross. I know it’s still obvious that I don’t floss. I see what you’re getting at, but it isn’t quite the same.
  
  I just do that to be courteous to the cleaner, so my home isn’t gross.
  ʘ‿ʘ
  
  Wait, do you go to the dentist literally just to get them to clean your teeth? As in they’re not checking for cavities or issues, they just brush and floss you and you’re on your way? That’s super weird.
  I only go once a year for a checkup - they give me a clean as well, but that’s not the purpose of the visit. I’ve never met anyone who goes to the dentist just for a clean.
  
  I believe your "checkup" and their "routine cleaning" are the same thing.
  Lots of people (myself included) refer to it as a "cleaning" because, well, regardless of anything else, that's what they actually do to you. I don't know anyone who goes to a dentist just to have them look but they don't touch. They clean you, too. That's almost always the only physical takeaway effect of one of these visits.
  Also, a dentist cleans your teeth in a way you almost certainly can't. Their practiced hands know exactly what needs to be scraped away, and they can make informed decisions on what tool to do it with and how aggressively to not cause enamel damage. Not to mention they can, y'know, actually see what they're doing in there. So a "simple cleaning" isn't quite as pedestrian as it sounds. It's not something you can fully replicate by scraping around blindly with a metal pick in your mouth.
  
  I have never once been to a dentist and had them clean my teeth.
  In the UK at least they have a look and a poke around, make sure you've not got any problems and send you on your way
  
  Insert joke about British dentition here...
  
  I am in the US and I've never had them clean either.
  They bill you for that shit. It's $50 for X-rays and poking around. If you want them to brush your teeth for you - it's $200 and then they still want $50 for the X-rays and Poking Around Why would I pay that?
  
  It's more than just brushing and flossing, they grind off plaque etc. Preventative maintenance for teeth basically.

36 comments