What should I look for when choosing a housekeeper?
Look for good maids first
It is important to find out whether or not the house cleaning service you are considering is certified and insured. Certification ensures that the housekeeping service’s staff is fully trained and will provide you the best quality service, while an insured company will be able to compensate you in the event of any mishaps or accidents. It is highly recommended that the service you hire vets the maids that it employs. By performing background checks on its employees, a house cleaning service ensures that the people entering your home conform to a strict set of criteria. In short, you can be sure you’re not unwittingly allowing a criminal into your home.
Find the right range of housekeeping services
A full housecleaning service should provide dusting, vacuuming, dishwashing, changing bed linens, cleaning and disinfecting your kitchen and bathroom, and sometimes laundry (washing, drying, and ironing). The range of services that each housekeeping company provides varies. If washing and ironing clothes is a service that you require, you’ll need to make sure the company you’re hiring provides it. On the other hand, you’ll want to make sure you are not paying for services you don’t need. If you put the dishes in the dishwasher every night, you might not want to include that service in your cleaning contract.
The cost of maids and house cleaners can be expensive. Be sure to find a price that reflects the range of service you require that still fits into your regular household budget.
How To Choose A Domestic Cleaner
Use only vetted cleaners
No matter what option you are going for, you should always make sure the cleaner is vetted and checked. Cleaning companies offer checked and vetted cleaners and it is always safer to use an agency when it comes to letting a stranger into your house. If you use a cleaner through recommendation you can also feel safe that the person who comes to your house is not a complete stranger Choosing a private cleaner from an advertisement or other online recourses is a bit tricky so always make sure you do the necessary checks beforehand.
Insured cleaners
Insurance is the second most important thing you should ask for when you hire a cleaner. Accidents happen and you want to be protected. Most cleaning companies offer insured service. Make sure that either the cleaner or the cleaning company they are sent through are insured so you can have a peace of mind. If you hire a cleaner through a cleaning company always read their terms and conditions to check what exactly their insurance cover and if there is one in the first place. Some cleaning companies may have appealing rates and flexible terms, but their service is actually not insured at all.
Cleaning standards
When it comes to performance and results, there are different expectations and you can’t always define which service is good and which is excellent. Some people prefer the cleaner to be more initiative, while others want the cleaner to do only what they ask them to do. However, there is a big difference between good and excellent cleaner in terms of execution of the service. The excellent cleaner will always move any items to clean underneath and will always mop or hoover the floor even if it looks clean. While the average cleaner can clean around objects, not moving everything and simply do a good job without paying special attention on each and one single detail. The house may look clean and can smell fresh in both cases, but you can always tell if the cleaner has touched every single inch of the house or have simply cleaned the visible parts only. Different people have different visions of cleanliness so how good or bad a cleaner is depend really on the client’s personal standards and expectations
Replacement cleaners
Being left without a cover while your cleaner is away is not the best option for you so always make sure there is a replacement cleaners available for these cases. Cleaning companies will always send a replacement when your cleaner is sick or on holiday. It might not necessarily be the best cleaner, but at least you will have someone to take care of the household chores.
With private cleaners the situation is slightly different – usually the private cleaners arrange friends to cover them while they are away. You can also skip a couple of weeks and do the cleaning yourself. This will definitely make you appreciate the fact that you are not doing the household work all the time.
How to Choose a Cleaning Service That Works for You
There are many different cleaning services available across the United States. Some people choose to hire a national company, others choose a local company, and still others simply hire a college student or someone else who cleans on the side. Because there are so many different cleaning services, it can be difficult to narrow down your search, but there are some clear steps that will help you decide.
Determine exactly what you want cleaned
There are housekeepers (sometimes also called maids), as well as cleaning services. You shouldn’t assume that a housekeeper will do particular jobs, or that a bigger cleaning company won’t offer those services. Although there are different terms, the terms are often used interchangeably, so it’s best to ask. Before you call anyone or ask for an in-home estimate, first you should make a list of what you want done in each room. It helps to have all the specific tasks you want completed written down.
Ask for recommendations
Because most areas have multiple people and companies offering cleaning services, it can help to ask for recommendations from friends and family. Once you have a few names to start with, you can make your calls. Otherwise you will simply be picking from the phone book or an online search engine. Also, if you ask around and you hear positive remarks about the same company or person over and over again, this can help you avoid hiring someone who may not do a good job. You also can find out more about cleaners who are ideal for your stage of life: some cleaning places really focus on deep cleaning, whereas others focus more on maintenance, and some companies charge more if you have pets or children.
Read reviews
Reviews are the next best thing to personal recommendations. Sometimes they are even better, if you prefer to just read about what strangers have to say. Either way, it’s easy to find reviews online. You can simply use a search engine to find reviews of cleaning services in your area. Yelp is a good place to start. There are several different websites that offer reviews as well. Reading reviews can help you to narrow down your search, and may even give you an idea of considerations that you hadn’t thought of before. Even if you don’t actually read the reviews, most websites give different service providers stars (or mark them in a different way), so you can quickly see how a specific business is doing.
Get the details
Once you have a list of four or five (or less if you prefer) different businesses that you want to call, it’s time to get an estimate. Most companies prefer to send someone to your house to give an estimate, as the estimate can depend on many factors. Some companies will give you an estimate over the phone based on the size of your house, as well as other factors.
If you do have someone come to your house, the visit is a great time to ask about other details that are important to you. You can ask about the types of chemicals they use; you should also ask if the company is bonded and insured; find out how many people will be in your house and for how long (and how they get in and out if you are not there); also, you should ask what their policies and charges are for one-time cleaning versus regular cleaning. If you choose to hire an individual rather than a company, they may not have the same policies, but you might receive more personal attention; it just depends on the individuals and the companies you consider
How to Choose a Professional House Cleaning Service
In today’s world many people have fast paced lifestyles and the last thing they want to do with there downtime is clean their home. Professional house cleaning service is an option that is being used by more households in an effort to save time for more important things. That being said the old adage “good help is hard to find” is still true. These simple reminders can assist with the task of finding the right cleaning service for you.
Responsiveness – This is one of the first indicators of a good professional house cleaning service. If you have difficulty in getting in contact with them for information about their services, then it is most likely going to be difficult to contact them once service has begun. The time in which it takes them to respond to your questions in regards to service details or getting a quote can give you an idea of how reliable they will be in the long term.
Licensed bonded and Insured – This may be the most important thing to look for when it comes to choosing the best maid service to clean your home. Most individuals or independent contractors do not offer insurance, so while their prices may be lower it puts you at risk when they clean your home. Reputable companies have policies in place that cover any damage that may take place during the cleaning as well as any missing items. These policies offer both you and the company protection and peace of mind. When calling for quotes it is important to ask the service if they are licensed and bonded
Look at reviews – Social media and online review websites have made the task of finding the right cleaning service easier than it is has ever been. When trying to determine which service might be the right fit take the time to read reviews on a variety of platforms. Reviews will give you a good idea of the type of quality you can expect from a professional cleaning service
Ask about equipment – Some professional house keeping services bring their own supplies while others expect the homeowner to provide them. When looking for a maid service it is best to find one that uses products that fit the needs of you and your family. For example if you have children or pets it may be best to go with a company that offers a green option. This will help prevent exposure to harsh chemicals.
How To Choose A Maid Service Company
Researching and hiring a maid service company doesn’t have to be a daunting task with a few helpful tips on how to choose a maid service company. If you know the right factors to look for, you can easily find a maid company that meets your house cleaning needs and your company expectations. You have invested a large amount of time and money into your home and its cleaning should be left to a reputable agency. Simply prioritize the five items below during your search to feel confident and secure when you select a maid service company.
Bonding And Insurance
Your home is your domain and it is paramount to find a cleaning team that respects this. Only trust a maid service company that is bonded and insured to protect yourself and your home.
Complete And Responsible Cleaning Services
A reliable and responsible maid company will be able to competently clean your house without you having to be at home to oversee or manage them. A professional team experienced in the cleaning field will be able to map out your house and productively tackle tasks. If you plan to have your house cleaned on a regular basis, ensure that the maid service company’s policy is to provide the same cleaning team to service your house regularly to avoid issues of inconsistent house cleaning. The team will be able to give you a cleaning timing estimate over the phone based on the services that you require.
Pet Friendly
You may not be at home when a maid service company visits your home but your pets may be and a proven cleaning service will accommodate your pets. A good maid service company can make arrangements with you either about cleaning pet areas or where you prefer your pets to safely be while cleaning occurs. A pet friendly maid service company will make you and your much loved furry friends feel at ease.
English Speaking
Communicating your cleaning needs to a maid service company is important. Pick a company that can easily understand and communicate with you to ensure that there are no misunderstandings about expectations or house cleaning rules.