Finding a reliable house cleaner calls for due diligence on your part. It’s not in your best interest to simply pick the first house cleaner you come across, but rather develop a shortlist and interview the cleaning candidates on it. The right questions can help you determine the level of professionalism and value for your money. This quick read gives you 9 suggested questions to ask before you hire a house cleaner:
1.Are You Bonded and Insured?
It's important to ask any house cleaning companies you’re considering if they’re bonded and insured. If anyone you interview answers no to this question, you can stop there and move on to the next candidate. Consider this term non-negotiable. When it comes to hiring people that are allowed such intimate access to your household and belongings, it’s also advised to go a step further and only conduct business with cleaning services that conduct complete background checks on all their employees .
2.What are Your Qualifications?
Ask all potential house cleaners about their qualifications before hiring them, as it can help give you an idea of their skill level and experience. This might include time spent working in the cleaning industry, associated education and training, and any certifications or awards received.
Knowing the qualifications of a maid service you’re considering can help you make an informed decision about whether or not they’re the right fit for your needs. Typically, capable and qualified home cleaners are likely to deliver high-quality cleaning services.
3.Who Are Your References?
Asking anyone cleaning your home for references is important because it allows you to connect with former clients and hear about their experiences with the house cleaner you’re considering. This can give you a better understanding of a cleaner's work ethic, reliability, and the quality of their cleaning services.
It also provides you an opportunity to inquire about specific areas of cleaning that might be important to you and to see if they have experience with that. Further, contacting references may give you a deeper sense of the cleaning person’s professionalism.
4.What’s Included in House Cleaning Services?
Ask persons on the shortlist to clean your house to specify what cleaning services are included before hiring them. This will give you a clearer understanding of what’s to be expected from the cleaning process for your money.
The typical answer to this question might include common cleaning tasks like dusting, vacuuming, and mopping, as well as more specific tasks such as cleaning windows, doing laundry, and organizing. Knowing what cleaning services are provided can help ensure your specific cleaning needs are met and your tasks are not left unfinished.
5.What are Your Rates for House Cleaning?
Knowing a maid service’s rates prior to hiring is important because it allows you to determine if the prices are affordable for you and to compare rates amongst their competitors. Familiarizing yourself with this information beforehand can help prevent confusion or misunderstandings about the cost of services later on.
The compilation of this information allows you to decide whether the maid services are worth the expense based on qualifications, references, insurances, and cleaning services provided. It’s also wise to inquire if the cleaning company charges by the hour, square footage, or job.
6.What Cleaning Products Do You Use?
Inquiring about the products being used to clean your home allows you to confirm their safety for you, your family, and your pets. Knowing this information is essential to you if anyone in your household has allergies or sensitivities or an eco-friendly or non-toxic product preference. Knowledge about what products your house cleaning service uses also allows you to be sure that they won't damage your surfaces or possessions.
7.Do You Offer a Satisfaction Guarantee?
Hiring a house cleaner with a satisfaction guarantee can give you peace of mind that all necessary steps would be taken should you be unsatisfied with your cleaning service for any reason. A satisfaction guarantee demonstrates confidence in the home cleaner’s commitment to providing you high-quality services and delivering a positive experience.
8.What is Your Availability?
Knowing the availability of a housekeeper before hiring helps you to plan your schedule accordingly and declutter your space when needed. It also helps avoid any confusion or disappointment if your household helper is unavailable when you need them. Furthermore, knowing your house cleaner's availability can help you to determine if special requests such as same-day or rush cleaning services can be accommodated.
9.What’s Your Cancellation Policy?
You should know what to expect if you need to cancel a scheduled cleaning. Being aware of your maid service’s cancellation policy helps you avoid confusion and the potential of any additional charges. Some home cleaning companies have strict cancellation policies and charge for call offs, while others have more flexible policies.
Conclusion
Hiring someone to clean your house can be a big decision, and it's important to ask the right questions before making your final choice. Asking all house cleaners you’re considering if they’re bonded and, insured, and qualified, along with requesting references, knowing rates and availability of cleaning services, cancellation, and rescheduling policies, what cleaning products are used, and if a satisfaction guarantee exists gives you the information needed to make an informed decision about services.
In or around NYC, you can ensure your cleaning needs are met and that you’re 100% satisfied with the cleaning services provided when you add eMaids of New York City to the top of your list of house cleaners for hire. Get a quote, get started today!
