Choosing a Cleaning Company for your home

Choosing the right cleaning company for your home is an extremely important task. It’s important to know what to look out for, what questions to ask and what to expect from a cleaning company before using their services.

We’ve listed the 10 main things a customer should look out for when choosing a cleaning company.

Choosing a good cleaning company – Probably the best way to find a good cleaner is to ask friends and relatives who already use a cleaner or cleaning company. If you don’t know anyone already using a cleaner then go online and search for a local cleaning company who will be much more likely to be able to provide references from existing customers in your area. Look out to see if the cleaning company has a Facebook page or use other social media platforms where you can look at customer feedback and testimonials.

Home visit – A person who represents the cleaning company should always offer you a visit at your home even if you do know what your requirements are. This home visit will allow you to meet a representative of the company face to face and it will give the person visiting an insight into how long it should take to clean your home.

Your budget – It’s your decision to use a cleaning company and it’s your money paying for the service so make sure they work around your budget. It’s very easy for a cleaning company to suggest you need a large number of hours every week for your house to look clean, but the truth is that a professional cleaning company and a good cleaner can work around you and give you the help you need for the money you can spend.

The same cleaner – We can’t stress enough how important it is to request the same cleaner to come to you on the regular basis. It takes at least two visits by the time a cleaner get used to your house and is able to get into a routine of cleaning your home. There are lots of cleaning jobs that only need doing every two or three weeks, not weekly, so having the same cleaner is very helpful as they will know what needs doing on a weekly basis. You may also work full-time and need to give your cleaner a key so they can gain access to your home when you are not there, but we wouldn’t advise allowing lots of different people you may have never met before into your home in your absence.

Missed cleaning sessions – A good, well established and professional cleaning company should always be able to offer you a replacement cleaner while your cleaner is off sick or away on holiday. This is very important, and you should clarify this with the cleaning company you are choosing before you sign the contract otherwise you could end up paying their agency fee but missing out on cleaning.

Good communication -You should be able to contact your cleaning company or their manager at any time, so make sure they provide you with all their contact numbers as well as your cleaner contact details.
A cleaning company should always make a point of informing you in advance of any changes to your cleaning arrangements, for example, if a cleaner is running late or not coming to work that day. Agree a day and time for your cleaner to arrive at your home and ensure this agreement is kept. If your cleaning company needs to send a different cleaner to your home then this should be agreed with you prior to the new cleaners arrival.

References – All cleaners should be uniformed and reference checked. You can request a cleaner with a CRB check and you should be able to request references for your cleaner from their existing clients.

Contract and T&C – As with any small print, make sure that you read the company Terms & Conditions carefully before you sign the contract and check the company has valid Business Liability Insurance. DO NOT agree to a contract that ties you in for more than one month with the cleaning company. Be wary of cleaning companies with 6 months contract requiring 3 months upfront payment or a long notice period. A professional cleaning company won’t tie you into a contract by charging 3 months payment up front as they will have every confidence in providing you with a good service and keeping you as their client for a long time.

Changes and cancellation – Avoid additional charges by being aware of the required notice period should you need to cancel your cleaner or change the cleaning day. A 24 hours notice period is usually required, however, a good cleaning company should be flexible as we all know that there can be last minute situations which we can’t help sometimes.

The right cleaner – The last, and probably the most important thing, is that you feel comfortable and happy with the cleaner assigned by the cleaning company. If there are any issues or the cleaner is not reaching your standards you should be able to request a change of cleaner without causing complications. The main thing for a good cleaning company is to meet their client’s requirements and keep them happy for as long as they are providing them with their services.