Let’s face it: Keeping up with housework is a difficult challenge, particularly in this hectic day and age. If it’s become more than you can handle, why not consider hiring a house cleaning service to help you manage? The time you’ll save makes the hiring a sort of investment, freeing you up to handle more of your other responsibilities.
Here’s how to go about hiring a house cleaning service and making sure your home is in good hands, visit UpMaids.
What To Look For In A Miami House Cleaning Service
Depending on your budget, hiring a service can be quite costly; thus, you want to make sure you are going to be getting your money’s worth. Take your time while looking, to see that you’re not rushed into something that won’t be in your best interest in the long-term.
1. Experience
With proper training, nearly anyone can become proficient at cleaning, but you should look for a service that boasts a number of years experience. This ensures that you can really trust the company you hire, both in terms of getting a good job done and of being worthy of your trust. For example, a company that’s been around for a few years and is still in good standing likely knows not only how to clean a home from top to bottom properly, but also how to handle all the little nuances that come with dealing with the public and addressing the individual needs of home owners.
2. Reputation
Even if a business has been around for a while, it might not be exactly what you’re looking for. Especially if you have particular requests or need distinct accommodations for your home cleaning services, validate the reputation of any company you’re considering hiring. If you can’t find publicized information about them, ask them to provide you with the contact information of existing customers who are satisfied with the services they receive and will provide you with a positive recommendation regarding the reputation of the business.
3. A Respectable Promise Of Satisfaction
Different companies will offer different types of “guarantees” and some smaller companies may not offer any. It’s important that you inquire about this up-front, before actually hiring anyone. Ask what type of guarantee they provide with their work, such as what happens if you’re not satisfied with the job they do. Specifically, if you find a representative of the service isn’t cleaning thoroughly, what will the company do about it? They may offer to send someone else out to do a better job or give you some type of discount; either way, it’s crucial that you be aware of how this would be handled.
4. An Environmental Conscience
Particularly if anyone in your home has allergies or chemical sensitivities, you may want to discuss the types of cleaning agents that will be applied in your house. Many products are now made to have less of an impact (or none at all) on the environment, too, if that’s a concern for you. Ask about this ahead of time, to ensure the company you hire can comply with any special requests you’ll have regarding the use of specific chemicals. While some environmentally-friendly cleaners can be much more expensive, there are quite a few brands that are as economical as they are ecological; however, the specific cleaning company you hire may only order their supplies from a brand that doesn’t specialize in such products. It is possible to provide your own cleaners or to have the service pick them up, but this will have to be specially arranged ahead of time.
How To Hire A House Cleaning Service
You want to make sure you hire the right cleaning service for the job, not just to get your home clean, but you leave you feeling at ease about the entire process. If you don’t have a house cleaning Miami service in mind now, you may not know how to go about finding one. Here’s how to start:
1. Ask People You Know
Chances are good someone you know has good information about a home cleaning service and can recommend a reliable company. Ask your neighbors and friends and even put an inquiry in at your place of employment. Many cleaning services cover both residential and commercial contracts; thus, the service that keeps your offices spotless may also be able to take care of your home in the same manner. Don’t hesitate to ask the waitress or barista at your favorite lunch spot who cleans their establishment, either, as word of mouth is often the best way to find a top-notch company, no matter what business need is being served.
2. Search For Reviews
Locally, there should be a number of listings for home cleaning services and in this day and age, consumers are leaving reviews with every interaction they have with companies. Look at local directories, where such companies are listed and you should see reviews accompanying the basic information needed to find the business you’re looking for.
3. Check With The BBB
Because having your home cleaned means allowing people you don’t know into it, you want to be extra sure the cleaning service you hire has no formal complaints registered against them. You could check with your local Better Business Bureau and also with various licensing boards that cleaning companies need to register with before they can commence operations.
What You Can Expect From The Service
During the formal interviewing process, you should ask as many questions as possible regarding the specific services you’ll be paying for. You may have certain things that need special attention on the first visit only or all of the time and such matters must be clarified before a representative arrives at your home. In general, though, there are standards you can expect to be met:
- In Your Kitchen: A cleaning service can literally take apart your kitchen, including appliances, and give it a thorough cleaning like it probably hasn’t had in years. This is no fault of your own, most people simply don’t have the time or means to get behind the stove and fridge regularly. The thorough cleaning will happen on the first visit, followed by regular cleanings thereafter. Most services don’t include such things as doing the dishes or preparing meals, rather, they’re strictly focused on traditional cleaning.
- In The Living Room: If you have carpeting, expect the service you hire to make an inquiry about shampooing. If your carpets haven’t been steam-cleaned lately, they’ll get a deep cleaning that will remove dirt and other particles, as well as any lingering odors. This type of cleaning helps your carpets look better and last longer. Upholstery and curtains could also benefit from deep cleaning and this should be included in your first-time visit. Expect regular cleanings to include furniture polishing and dusting.
- The Bedrooms: Some consumers prefer to clean their own bedrooms, while others ask for full service, so this part is up to you. Your cleaning company will take care of floors, walls and other room surfaces, but things like closet organizing or deodorizing may or may not be part of the deal. Ask the company representative what bedroom cleaning covers, if you’re interested in having them take care of that room for you.
- The Bathrooms: What a relief it would be to not have to clean up in your bathroom! For the first visit, expect a top to bottom job, as with other rooms. Tile will be polished, fans and vents cleaned and everything from shower to storage areas made spotless.
- Other Miscellaneous Duties: Depending on the rooms in your home, there may be other areas of concern for you when you hire a cleaning service. For example, a basement, attic and hallways. During the initial visit, these rooms may be included, but you’ll have to ask specifically as you plan the arrangement. While you don’t have to include all rooms in your home, you do need to set the terms straight before a representative comes to visit. For future cleanings, you may want to only include the main rooms that are used on a regular basis, but always specify beforehand, so the proper time allotments can be made.
How To Prep Your Home For The Cleaners
Once you have met with a rep from the cleaning service on a number of occasions, things should proceed smoothly; however, before you reach that point, there are a few things you’ll need to take care of. Such things usually vary from home to home and service to service, but for the most part, the following should include the most important matters:
- Dealing With Pets: If you have animals that run around the home or property, like a dog or cat, be sure and mention this to your cleaning service ahead of time. If possible, it’s best to keep all animals out of the way, especially if they could interfere with the work to be done at hand. Also, inform the service of any other animals that may be present, such as caged rodents (hamster, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc.) and even birds, in case the person who shows up to clean the house has any allergies. Also, be warned that some air fresheners, even the most popular commercial brands, can be harmful to small animals, most especially, birds, who have very sensitive air sacs (in lieu of lungs).
- Rounding Up Children: If the family will be home while the house is cleaned, make sure everyone knows who is coming and when. Kids who might run around and chase after the cleaning personnel should be closely supervised during the visit.
- Clearing Up Clutter: While the service you hire will be thorough in cleaning, it may not be advisable to leave clutter for them to pick up. This is primarily due to the fact that they may not know where you like things to be put away, but also because their main purpose is to clean, not to organize. If you have clutter, such as closets or a garage, which need cleaning up, ask about making special arrangements with the service before agreeing to a regular cleaning; clutter and organization may not be included in your price package.
- Having Spare Keys Made Up: If you’re not going to be home during the first cleaning visit or any thereafter, consider having a spare key made so the cleaning service can easily get into the home. Leaving a spare under the mat may not be the most secure means of letting them in and they might also have difficulty finding a key left out for them, depending on the circumstances. Ask the service supervisor about a spare key if you’re uncertain about it.
- Putting Away Personal Items And Valuables: Don’t forget to stash away any items of a personal nature you don’t want to leave hanging around. This included documents with your personally identifiable information or anything else you’re not comfortable sharing with the world. Although the cleaning service you hire will most likely be discreet and respective of your privacy, there’s no need to take any risk. Also, items of high value, like cash and jewelry, should not be left out in the open. While you should be able to have the utmost trust in the people who come into your home to clean it, it’s easy to lose track of things when you don’t keep them in their proper place; to be on the safe side in all aspects, organize your valuables accordingly.
While you want to have the services of a house cleaner, you want to make sure your home is in good hands. Just think of all the amazing things you’ll be able to accomplish, once your house cleaning is taken care of! You can devote more time to yourself, your career and of course, your family; in fact, once your house cleaning is out of the way and in someone else’s hands, there’s really no limit to what you’ll be able to accomplish – including, perhaps, a few minutes of relaxation!