Simply Maid to Help

More and more people are hiring out regular house cleaning so they have more time to spend on the things that matter most. But if you’ve ever tried to find a reliable cleaning service, you know how much of a struggle – and a headache – this can be. Depending on where you live, there might be too many companies to choose from, or too few. You might have tried to hire a friend or relative to help out – only to find their work wasn’t quite what you were looking for. Don’t worry. We are experienced in this area and are here to offer fresh and realistic solutions.

There isn’t a cleaning service out there that works best for everyone because all homeowner’s cleaning preferences are different. One person might prefer their regular cleans to be detail oriented (1×1 blind cleaning, baseboards, detailed kitchen, etc.), while another might just be trying to stay afloat and ahead of the kids’ messes. Since everyone is unique, here are the best ways to figure out what kind of cleaning service will be best for you – and where to find them!

Hiring a Cleaning Service Tips & Tricks

Hiring an individual to come into your home is nerve-wracking for some and exciting for others. You get to kick your feet up after work in a tidy space, but you also need to have the patience to find a trustworthy, reliable, and hardworking company. The bottom line is that you should feel comfortable with having a house cleaner in your home while you’re present, or sometimes, even away. Whether you are hiring a cleaning service for regular cleans or for annual cleaning projects – you should inquire about a few things before you make your final decision.

Here are 10 things to consider when you’re looking to hire a cleaning company:

#1. Get Referrals!

Before you venture off on your own, ask your friends and family members who they hire for their house cleaning service.

Referrals give you an honest opinion on what a company is all about (and not just what their website says)!

What’s even better is that you’re getting a sincere opinion from someone you trust, so you can save yourself hours of research, guessing, and adding up the numbers.

#2. Don’t Take Online Reviews to Heart (Too Much)

Satisfied customers aren’t as apt to write as many reviews as unsatisfied customers who feel obligated to tell the world about their terrible experiences.

We’re not saying don’t look at reviews at all and be comfortable with going with a lower-than-average Google/Yelp/etc. rating. But if you find you like how the company presents themselves otherwise, as well as the details they share on their website or social media space, maybe don’t let a couple poor reviews cause you not to give them a chance at all. People who are upset could be using that as an opportunity to vent or blow an experience out of proportion. I have personally experienced this even though the vast majority of my customers are completely satisfied and complement my cleaners on a regular basis. I will say that it is a red flag if a cleaning company ONLY has bad reviews. But, if they have mostly positive reviews with a few bad ones, that’s to be expected with any business. The opposite is also true. If a company has ONLY great reviews, you should be a little skeptical of that as well. Businesses could be asking (or even paying) their clients for a great review. It’s also important to remember that house cleaners aren’t miracle workers. They are human just like you are, and it’s important to be willing to work with them to establish what your expectations are, and allow for occasional mistakes. No one is perfect all the time. A majority of good should outweigh a couple minor or honest mistakes.

#3. Bonding, Insurance & Workers Comp

You should always ask if a cleaning company has liability insurance for damages and/or injuries on your property. If not, you could be responsible for money owed, stolen items, property damage, or an injured worker.

A company should be comfortable telling you if they have this coverage and providing you with copies of their policies.

Keep in mind that insurance costs will add to the operating costs of any service company, so the rates will likely be higher. However, this level of assurance is priceless since you’re letting someone outside your group of friends/family into your home. Mistakes happen, and insurance gives both you and the company peace of mind if an incident should occur.

#4. Experience

Ask the cleaning business how long they have been in business and if they have any accreditations, affiliations, awards, and so on.

If a company doesn’t have awards, placards, trophies, etc. that’s okay. Ask the owner about their experience and how they run their business, the level of cleaning they provide, and so on.

#5. Services

Ask the cleaning company if they offer fixed services or if they take requests? You should understand how detailed they’re willing to get. Are they going to include cleaning the blinds, floors, walls, etc. or will you have to pay extra?

Every company offers different services and there are no right or wrong answers, you just have to find what suits your needs and lifestyle the best.

#6. Satisfaction Guarantee

A company should be able to stand behind its work and its workers about how satisfied or not their clients are.

If you’re not fully satisfied, what can they do to make it up to you and make it right?

Also – be sure to ask about breakage and/or damage. Most house cleaners dread breaking customers items and if they are professional, they will treat your personal items with care, but things happen. Some items are bound to break during a good deep cleaning, dusting, sweeping, etc. Most companies will cover the costs on their own, no matter how expensive or inexpensive something is. But it’s important to ask about this before anything happens.

(Priceless valuables: If you have priceless and irreplaceable family heirlooms, antiques, etc. which you’d rather cleaners don’t go near, say so from the start. You could even put it in writing by leaving a note for cleaners who may be unfamiliar with your home. Some customers choose to say “hands off x, y, and z items” during dusting to eliminate the possibility of anything breaking.)

Make sure you understand what the cleaning company will offer you if you’re not satisfied because every business has a different policy and no one can foresee all circumstances before they happen.

#7. Background Check

Whenever you hire anyone to come into your home, whether it’s a plumber, contractor, cleaning service etc., you’re trusting them to be around your most valuable, and personal belongings. You don’t have to run an actual background check on the cleaning service that you hire, but you should make sure that their references line up with their reputation.

Do some research to see if this is a company with a consistent roster of employees, or is it a business with people being hired randomly?

Ask the company if they interview before they hire, run a background or criminal check on their staff, and if they plan to have a consistent cleaning staff member in your home as much as possible.

This will give you peace of mind knowing that you can trust who you are letting come into your abode, and that you can expect consistently similar work. Having the same person clean your home also makes it easier for them not to miss tough areas, as they will become familiar with your space, and if they have an eye for detail, will find dust, cobwebs, and other easy-to-miss messes more easily because they will notice when something looks different or dirtier than usual.

#8. Cleaning Supplies

Ask the cleaning company if they bring their own cleaning supplies and equipment, or do you have to supply your own? This is where you can ask about green cleaning supplies, certain brands you prefer, products that are safe for your home’s surfaces, and more.

Every household needs a different cleaning product for different parts of the home. In the kitchen, for instance, you would use a different cleaning solution on marble then you would on stainless steel. The same goes for hardwood floors and tiles. Keep in mind that if you have pets, you may not be able to use certain chemicals, and it’s up to you to discuss this with your cleaner before they do work for you.

#9. Communicate until you’re blue in the face.

The most important thing is to communicate with your potential cleaning service right from the start and on an ongoing basis once you hire them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and continue to keep in touch with the owner of the company even when their staff have been in your home over a period of time. A professional cleaning service will respect this, and it makes things easier for everyone.

#10. Recruiting.

Does all this sound like way more than you have the time to tackle? There’s an alternative option. Some people choose to hire a recruiter to prescreen potential cleaning candidates so all you have to do is meet them once, knowing they line up with your basic criteria, and make the final decision. This is something I personally offer, so please reach out to me if this is something you’d like to know more about!