Insurance

Choosing to have cleaning services for your home can benefit the family or the individual. The service can be found at affordable prices and more importantly, time is freed up that would normally be used for clean up. Time is precious, especially when so much of it is spent at work, commuting or getting to various activities. Having a service come in is one less task to complete or worry about.

Create a list of what areas of the home need to be cleaned. Make it specific and it should include what the expectations are clearly. With most companies there is a list of what is included in the basic service, anything else will be an extra fee. Review these items room by room when a company representative comes out to give an estimate.

Determine how often the home needs to be cleaned and the service will comply. It may be scheduled weekly, or every two weeks. If there is a special occasion or spring cleaning is needed, a professional service can handle that as well. Basements, garages, the windows, carpets, light fixtures and more can be estimated and have regularly scheduled dates for work to be completed.

It is easier to use a company as opposed to an individual. When it is an individual, it falls to the homeowner to do a background check on the person, including criminal history. There also has to be a drug test given. This person will be in the home among personal items, trust is imperative. A larger service will usually do this automatically with each employee. Be sure to ask if their employees are pre-screened, do not assume that they are.

The company should send out fully trained professionals only. The company must be insured and bonded. Request the name of the insuring agency and get a copy of their current insurance certificate. Do not accept a copy from the company itself. It is unlikely, but not uncommon for a company to apply for insurance, get approved and cancel it the next day.

Be very clear on the company policies, including the cost of cancellations. Know how far in advance they must be notified. Payment and how it is made must be discussed ahead of having the work done. Most companies will have a payment system in place ahead of time. Find out if payment is made directly to the company or to the employee.

The equipment and cleaning products used will also require discussion. This is especially important if someone in the home has allergies. Most professionals will bring their own equipment to clean. As with the cleansing products, they would be professional grade. If there is some product that cannot be used or is preferred, a simple request will resolve the issue.

Choose three cleaning services to approach for contracting work. Of the three, have them all come out to give an estimate. Have a checklist ready of the important points and how well they respond. Ask for references and be sure to followup with each one. From the checklist and references a choice can be made of who is best.