The Job Is to Observe, Not Diagnose#
A cleaner isn't expected to know why a faucet is dripping or whether a sound from an HVAC unit means something serious. That's not the job. The job is to notice, photograph, and describe clearly enough that whoever can diagnose it has what they need.
See It. Photograph It. Describe It. Report It.#
Four steps, always in this order:
- See it — notice something during cleaning or inspection.
- Photograph it — before touching or attempting to fix it.
- Describe it — specifically, using the structure below.
- Report it — on the turnover record, not just a text message that will get lost.
Bad Report vs. Good Report#
- Doesn't say what's wrong
- Doesn't say where
- No sense of urgency
- No photo
- Specific location and fixture
- Describes the actual behavior observed
- Notes when it was first noticed
- Photo included
The Report Structure#
Answer these six questions, in order, every time:
WHAT?
WHERE?
HOW SERIOUS?
WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE?
PHOTO?
DOES IT AFFECT THE NEXT GUEST?
What — name the fixture or system, not a vague category. "Bathroom exhaust fan" beats "the fan."
Where — specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the property could find it without asking.
How serious — use the shared severity language from Turnover Red Flags: Note, Attention, Urgent, or Not Ready.
What did you observe — describe the actual behavior, not a conclusion. "Drips continuously when off" is an observation. "Broken" is a conclusion that skips the useful part.
Photo — attach one whenever the issue is visible. A photo settles questions a description alone can't.
Does it affect the next guest — this is the question that actually drives urgency. A cosmetic issue that won't affect anyone's stay is a different priority than one that will.
Would You Report This?#
"Has always done this" is exactly the kind of thing that stops getting mentioned until it fails. A recurring note establishes a pattern the owner can act on before it becomes urgent.
How Clean Report Fits In#
A report that lives in a text message gets lost the moment the conversation moves on. Clean Report attaches a flagged item or a note directly to the turnover it was found during, so it's still there — attached to the right property, with its photo — whenever the owner reviews it.
Start reporting issues with Clean Report →Frequently Asked Questions#
Should a cleaner try to fix a problem before reporting it?#
Only if it's within the scope the property owner has explicitly asked for. Otherwise, photograph and describe the issue as found — attempting a fix first can make the actual problem harder to diagnose later.
What if something feels urgent but the cleaner isn't sure?#
Report it as urgent and let the owner downgrade it if needed. It's much easier to correct an over-cautious report than to recover from an issue that got flagged too late.