Hiring A Cleaning Service To Clean Your Home? These Are Important Questions You Should Be Asking

In today’s fast paced world, cleaning services are not a luxury anymore, but a necessity.  Time is valuable and most people would rather spend their spare time with their families or just relaxing, than cleaning their home. 

As a result, there are an endless number of cleaning services on the market.  Most people that hire individuals or even cleaning services to clean their homes are not aware of what they should be asking before turning over the keys to their homes.  

When interviewing cleaning services to clean your home, you need to be thorough, so here is a list of questions that you should be asking: 

Are you insured?  

This means adequate liability insurance, not a bond. Bonding is not a bad thing and in extremely rare cases does serve a purpose. Ask to see a copy of their insurance certificate. 

Do you carry any worker’s compensation insurance?  

A good service will cover workers with WC even if they fall under the minimum requirements. 

Are your employees actual employees of the company? 

You want actual employees. Contractors and third party vendors/suppliers are a gamble you do NOT want to take. 

How long have you been in business? 
Obviously the longer, the better. Look them up in the BBB or industry associations or even online, to make sure they have a spotless record. 

What does your pre-employment screening consist of?  

You want them to perform criminal background checks on all their employees – after all you do not want an employee on probation cleaning your home. 

Do you have any kind of Guarantee? 

Most companies will guarantee your satisfaction. Find out ahead of time what the “rebuttal process” is, and what you can expect compensation-wise ahead of time. 

What is the cancellation policy? 

Some companies require anywhere from 24-48 hours notice if you need to cancel. Will they charge a fee? Hopefully not, but some do. 

What type of services do/don’t you provide? 
Some don’t do windows or laundry, some do. If you have specific things you need done, ask and ask how much extra it costs. 

Can you supply me with references? 

If they’re worth their salt, they can and will. You should call the references they supply you, and visit if possible. 

Before the company starts, make sure you get an accurate estimate of the work to be performed. If you feel comfortable enough to let them clean when you’re out, then do so. If you choose to be home, try to stay out of their way. Save any suggestions and critiques until they are done; do not hover and say, “missed a spot” over and over.