You’ve likely spent more time at home in 2020 than any year prior. And you can definitely see the effects of that on your home.
Seeing dust mites where there should be none, you might be thinking about calling in a cleaning service. Maybe it’s your first time, or maybe not. Either way, hiring home cleaning services isn’t like calling a cab or ordering a pizza.
If you are thinking about hiring a cleaning service for a home, then you need to ask some pertinent questions beforehand.
A 2015 report estimated that the cleaning industry had around 3.5 million people employed by 875,000 businesses. This is in the United States alone.
This means that you need to be diligent in your hiring process so you don’t end up with an irresponsible, and shoddy cleaner. Read on to see 7 questions you must ask when hiring a home cleaning service.
1. Do You Run a Background Check on Employees?
This is a matter of your safety and security. A stranger will be entering your abode, your sanctuary, your home. They will have access to your most intimate possessions and precious belongings.
Most, if not all, home cleaning services will do a stringent background check on their employees, to ensure that they have a clean past.
This is important because, with some house cleaning services, you don’t get the same person coming to your house to clean every single time. They will send different people, depending on their schedule and availability.
2. Are You Insured and Bonded? What About Worker’s Comp?
All home cleaning services usually have liability insurance in place and are bonded. This is so that if something gets broken, damaged, or goes missing from your home, their insurance will cover it.
Also, they have workers’ compensation for their cleaners, so that if they get hurt in your home, you won’t be liable.
This is so all parties involved, the cleaner, the cleaning service, and you are protected to the max. No one wants to have a bitter taste in their mouth, due to a cleaning job gone haywire.
3. Do You Bring Equipment and Cleaning Supplies?
You might have just moved into your house and you don’t have any cleaning equipment at hand. Or you always hire a home cleaning service, so you don’t keep any supplies in your home.
Either way, this is a question to ask of the home cleaning service, in case you are missing something they might need. This way, if they ask you to keep a stock of a certain kind of bleach or brush, you can prepare in advance.
This is also useful to ask in case you are allergic to certain cleaning fluids and need to ensure they don’t use the offensive item.
Every cleaner will usually bring their own equipment and supplies with them because they like to work with their favorite tools, but that needs to be confirmed with them.
4. How Long Have You Been in Business?
It would be a bummer if you got used to hiring home cleaning services, and they went out of business as soon as you got comfortable with them.
It takes time to get used to allowing a stranger into your home to clean and rummage about. It’s a good question to ask them so that you know how long they have been around.
This will also tell you how experienced their cleaners are, and how efficient they would be at their work.
If you can, ask them to send you the more experienced cleaners to clean at your place, especially if you have a lot of fragile furniture that needs special loving care.
5. What Home Cleaning Services Are Included?
You need to ensure that if you have any special cleaning needs, that they would be on the list of services.
Do they clean the inside of the microwave? Or do the laundry? Wash the dishes? Do they do the dusting?
It’s always good to know going in, exactly what will be done, and what will not. This way, you are not disappointed when they skip the dishes or sheets.
6. What Should I Do With My Pet?
Like many condo buildings don’t allow pets, the same way certain home cleaning services might have a problem if you have one or more pets that need to be engaged with.
It could be as simple as the fact that the cleaner is afraid of big dogs, or has a cat allergy.
Or it could be as major as they charge extra if you have one or more pets in the household, as there’s more dust, hair, and dirt to clean off the floors and carpets.
Make sure you ask, so you are not surprised with the bill later on.
7. How Will You Gain Access to My Home?
If you are planning to be away when the home cleaning services is going to clean your home, then it needs to be determined how they will gain access to your house.
Will you leave the key with the neighbor? Or will you give them the passcode to your house and change it after?
It’s always better to be at home when a cleaner comes, but if it’s unavoidable, then make sure you have a conversation with them so that the safety and security of your home aren’t compromised.
Hiring Home Cleaning Services Is Easy as Pie if You Do the Prep Work
Hiring home cleaning services doesn’t have to be a huge headache, and it shouldn’t get your running in the opposite direction.
If you ask the right questions, do your homework, and stay alert, your hiring experience should go smoothly.
Don’t worry if it doesn’t go perfectly the first time around. It might take you a few tries to get the perfect cleaner for you. But it will be worth it in the end when you have a sparkling house to come back to.
If you would like a free, no-obligation house cleaning quote, please contact us today.
Leave A Comment