How Do I Choose a Good Cleaner?
The decision to hire a maid or cleaning service is often one based on cost versus time. Once you have decided it is worth it, the next big step is to decide which housekeeper or cleaning service to choose.
How do you know if a house cleaner is trustworthy?
Cleaning service employees are usually bonded and insured through the service they work for, and the cleaning companies usually handle the paperwork of Social Security and tax forms. Don’t automatically take the word of the cleaning company, however. To protect your possessions and yourself from liability, ask for written documentation of bonding and a certificate of insurance.
What to look for in a cleaning service?
Whether you hire an individual or a cleaning service, ask if help can be tailored to meet your needs, lifestyle, or budget. Keep a notebook or file of monthly or occasional chores, such as cleaning the refrigerator, dusting and cleaning blinds, or changing shelf paper. You may find that ironing and mending clothes are important or running errands and grocery shopping is the priority. Perhaps your money is best spent finding someone to do childcare and light housework. Before you hire a housekeeper or cleaning service, discuss how to handle such chores. This may determine if you should look for an individual or house cleaning services to serve your household needs.
If you plan to schedule extra services, particularly before major holidays, schedule the services at least two months in advance. Likewise, if you need extra help for a limited time, such as a new baby in the household, schedule well in advance.
What are the main duties and responsibilities of a housekeeper?
Before hiring a professional housekeeper, make a list of specific household tasks that need to be accomplished. Housekeepers and cleaning services generally expect the homeowners to tidy and declutter the home prior to their arrival, so be sure to know what they expect.
Never assume the housekeeper can take on extra tasks – it’s unfair to expect a housekeeper to watch children and do housework while you run errands unless you have made arrangements in advance. Likewise, never ask a housekeeper to care for pets or do the heavy lifting. For special jobs, such as walking dogs or washing the outside of windows, hire a service or a neighborhood teenager. If you hire a professional cleaning service, they may have set fees for services.
How to find a cleaner you need?
The most effective way to locate and hire a reliable housekeeper or cleaning service is through recommendations from family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. Even with good references, keep in mind that what you want and need from a cleaning company may be different from what your friends want. Check newspaper classified advertisements under “Services – Housekeeping.” Look for phrases such as “excellent references” or “longtime experience,” which suggests five years or more in the same household.
Key phrases to use in your classified advertisement are “excellent references required,” ‘reliable,” and “experienced.” Define the position as clearly as possible. For example, “Professional couple, no children, two cats, seek experienced, a detail-oriented housekeeper with impeccable references. Weekly.” Or “Busy household of two adults, two teens seeks experienced housekeeper twice a month for housekeeping. Excellent references required.”
When checking references, ask what the housekeeper’s responsibilities were in the previous position. For example, was heavy cleaning involved or light cleaning plus child care? If a housekeeper with heavy-duty cleaning skills is required, someone who is experienced in doing light cleaning plus household errands would not be a good match. Before hiring a housekeeper, check with your insurance agent to see what liability coverage you have if someone is injured in your home.
Another alternative is to contact a franchise or local house cleaning services. These housekeepers generally work in teams of two to four. With the team approach, if one person is sick or has an emergency, the rest of the crew can still get the job done. Although companies are set up to take care of the paperwork associated with housekeeping, make sure the cleaning service provides workers who are bonded and insured and that the service assumes the responsibility for taxes and withholding.
Where can I find a trustworthy cleaning company?
Castle Keepers offers reliable, thorough, and punctual house cleaning across Atlanta, GA, Charleston, SC, and Greenville, SC. To make sure you’re thrilled with the results of your service, our competent team uses proven methods and quality cleaning products.
You can expect us to perform these and many other services:
Give us a call to book your appointment without hassle!
