Choosing The Right Cleaning Company

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Having your own house cleaner or maid service might be either necessary or a luxury you’re able to afford for yourself. You might have a very involved job that consumes your days, or you have a family that keeps you so busy you can’t get to all the household tasks yourself. Maybe you can simply afford it, and not that many people actually **want** to do housework.

Whatever the case may be, you’ll need to take care of basic common sense stuff before you allow a stranger or group of strangers into your home, not just for security’s sake, but because you want to know what to expect for what you’re paying. Be safe, get your money’s-worth and enjoy the benefits of not having to clean yourself.

A housekeeping service will want to know often to come and how big your home/the job is. If it’s a 12-room house with eight people living in it, obviously the cleaning needs will be vastly different than that of a one-person, one-bedroom apartment. The answer will affect not only the number of people needed to ...
... do the job, but how long it will take them. They’ll need to know if you or anyone in the house has allergies or chemical sensitivity, which days are most convenient for you and do you only need a portion of the home cleaned? They’ll give you an estimate based upon the requirements, and be sure to let them know if you have any special days they’re not to come, and how to get into the house if they’re to do the work while you’re away.

Know that even choosing the type of service has its own rules. If you hire a housekeeper directly, you’ll become their employer and you need to know what that entails. If you hire a company that employs subcontractors, you need to know what if any liability passes to you as the customer. Those first two options are fraught with some benefits, but mostly bigger headaches. If you hire a professional firm with their own employees, this is an option that will provide you with the most hands-on professionalism with very little worry for you.

Since we’re advising you hire professionals with a trained team of employees, here are some things you should know, and some questions to ask. Does the company have trained, insured employees? Have they been background checked and drug tested? Are the employees provided with a detailed list of what cleaning requirements you have, so that you get a consistent job every time they come in? Will it be the same group of people every time, or will the staff change (and will they all know what you want)? Will they supply all cleaning equipment and supplies, or will you be expected to keep your cleaning stock ready? What happens if something is broken, damaged or missing in your home? Will the company provide you with a certificate of adequate insurance coverage? What happens if you’re not happy with the job done?