Almost 19% of people with full-time jobs spend some of their free time working while at home.
On average, a person will work 8.5 hours each day. Finding the time to clean while you’re at home is a difficult prospect nowadays. Americans lead busy lifestyles and it’s a common expectation for you to put in overtime at work.
By the time you get home from work after a long day, all your energy is gone. The last thing you want to mess with is trying to dust or mop. That’s where a professional house cleaner comes in.
If you’re considering hiring some help, you’re likely wondering how to find a house cleaner in your area. In this article, we’ll answer all the basic questions of how to find a good house cleaner.
1. Source Referrals From Family and Friends
If you’re considering hiring a house cleaner, the first thing you’ll want to do is ask around.
Ask your friends and family to give you referrals. This will give you firsthand, trustworthy insight into a company. A person can write whatever they want about themselves or their company on their official website. Of course, everyone is going to claim they’re the best, top-rated cleaning service in the area.
2. Read Online Reviews
Another great resource to investigate a cleaning service is its online reviews. Ninety percent of people rely on online reviews to determine whether they’ll use a service or business.
However, remember to take the online reviews you read with a grain of salt. People are more apt to leave a negative review online than a positive one. This can sometimes skew the results.
That being said, if you notice an overwhelming number of negative reviews all mostly saying the same thing, take note. Numerous negative reviews that all make similar claims should be a huge red flag that the cleaning service isn’t reputable.
3. Verify the Service Has Insurance and Bonding
Accidents happen. People can also be untrustworthy.
If a service has insurance, you’ll be covered for any damages incurred by the cleaner. These damages often include:
- bleach stains
- broken decorations
- torn upholstery
- dents in wall
A bond is meant to cover you if an employee is dishonest. If you hire a cleaning service and the cleaner ends up stealing, then the bond will ensure you are able to recoup your losses.
4. Run a Background Check
While insurance and bonding are all great safeguards, you’ll still want to do a bit of digging into the history of the cleaning service you hire.
Either ensure that the service itself runs thorough background checks on all its employees, or request to see a copy of the background check. If you have small children in the home, this step is all the more vital to help protect your family.
5. Compare Costs
As with anything, you’ll want to compare the pricing of services before choosing. Decide whether you’ll hire the cleaner on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. This will affect how you are priced out.
During this step, also check to see what exact duties are included in their cleaning services. Make sure they perform the tasks you’re interested in. If you’re wanting your ceiling fixture cleaned, it doesn’t do any good to hire a service that doesn’t attend to that.
6. Discuss Cleaning Supplies
When you’re looking for a house cleaner, don’t forget to ask about the cleaning supplies. All services operate differently. Some cleaning services bring their own supplies, others will only use what you have available at home.
There are also some cleaning services who have “kits” that contain different types of cleaning products. When you order your service, you pair it with a kit that will cover all your cleaning needs.
7. Terms of Service
While you try to find a cleaner, find out what their policy is when it comes to canceling or changing your service. You’ll want to find out their terms of service so you can avoid a surprise fee if you decide to cancel.
There are many cleaning service companies that charge exorbitant cancellation fees. So, be sure to be diligent and ask the appropriate questions. Otherwise, you could pay for it with your wallet later on.
8. Get the Details in Writing
When you have found a cleaning company you feel comfortable hiring, you’ll want to get a written agreement. This contract should detail what the cleaners will be doing in your home. It should also lay out a time limit for tasks that must be done each day the cleaners come to your home.
9. Private Housekeeper vs Cleaning Service Company
When you’re looking into hiring a cleaning professional, you’ll need to decide if you want a private housekeeper or whether you want to use a large professional company.
When you go with a private housekeeper, you most often find them through referrals and recommendations. This most often helps ensure they’re trustworthy and within your budget. However, you should still run a background check to be safe.
Most large companies all screen their workers before they’re hired. The downside to a large company is that their services tend to be more expensive. They also assign large crews, which means you’ll often have multiple cleaners in your home at once.
10. Discuss the Payment Model
Be sure to ask what the payment arrangements are for the cleaning service you choose. Every service has a different setup. Some companies may want you to pay after each individual visit. Others may let you pay at the end or start of each month. Much of this will depend upon the frequency in which cleaners visit your home.
Find a House Cleaner Today
If you’re looking into how to find a house cleaner, follow the outlined tips we included in this article and you should find a reliable service. There are numerous cleaning services out there. Not all of them reputable. Do your research and ask questions to ensure the protection and safety of your home and family.
Home Happy Cleaning Service serves the Greater Tucson area. Get in touch with us today to book your appointment.