The Most Important Questions To Ask a House Cleaner
There is nothing like a clean house — that satisfied feeling when everything is organized and sparkling clean. But the problem is, you just don’t have the time to dedicate to this task. With work and family obligations, you value your free time and don’t want to spend it cleaning.
Meeting someone who can help simplify your week can be life-changing. Although finding the perfect person to assist you in cleaning may be challenging, it is possible. Once you get a trustworthy cleaner who does a great job, you often realize the time you invested in looking for a cleaner and the weekly payments are worth it.
This guide was created to help you find a house cleaner who will get the job done. Find out the top questions you should ask prospective cleaners. Taking time to learn everything you need to know for the interview process can ensure future success.
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important to Thoroughly Interview a Potential House Cleaner?
A potential house cleaner can access your house, including everything and everyone in it. Therefore, vetting someone before letting them into your space is necessary.
You want to ensure the potential house cleaner:
Has the experience required to clean your house.
Is on the same page as you regarding expectations.
Vibes well with you — you don’t want someone you don’t like in your house.
Is trustworthy.
It’s much better to learn all this information upfront than to hire someone without figuring it out and having to let them go when your relationship doesn’t work.
10 Questions To Ask When Hiring a House Cleaner
There are specific questions to ask when interviewing a house cleaner to ensure they are a good fit. Let’s look at a list of the most important ones.
#1: Can You Tell Me About Your Background and Experience?
To determine if the potential house cleaner is qualified, ask the following questions:
How long have you been cleaning?
How many different types of homes have you cleaned?
What have been the most challenging surfaces for you to clean?
Do you have any cleaning hacks or tips you like to use?
Since distinct surfaces get cleaned differently, gaining experience in all types of cleaning can take a while. For example, porous and non-porous materials should follow different cleaning practices.
Make sure your potential cleaner has experience with the materials in your home.
#2: Are You Licensed and Insured?
Accidents are a part of life, but knowing that your house cleaner is licensed and insured gives you peace of mind. You don’t want the expense of an injury or damaged item to come out of your pocket.
It’s rare for an independent cleaner to have insurance. But when your house cleaner has an insurance policy, it protects you from having a minor slip-up turn into a costly incident.
Of course, when working with Tidy Up Portland! you know that our cleaners are covered. For this reason, hiring a cleaning company offers a significant advantage.
Make your life easier and more enjoyable by having a spotless home today.
Contact Tidy Up Portland! because we have the cleaning experience you desire. We know all the right questions to ask when hiring a house cleaner. Trust us to send precisely who you need to clean your house or business.
#3: What Services Do You Perform?
It’s very important to set expectations ahead of time. Being clear about your needs will help increase productivity.
You should know if there’s anything the house cleaner can’t or won’t do. For example, if washing dishes is one of the main reasons you want some help, you must ensure that the person you hire agrees to do this task.
Cleaning rates are directly connected to the services performed. Learn more about our rates — hourly and flat fees — for house cleaning in Portland.
#4: What Is Your Pricing Structure and What Is Included With Each Type of Service?
There are different prices for different services. The most common methods are to charge one of the following ways:
Hourly
A per-room fee
By the square footage of the house; or
A flat rate
In addition, the reasons leading to how much goes into a cleaning vary.
Some common types of cleaning services are:
Additional cleaning services
Antiviral disinfectant services
Move-out cleaning services
Special offers
#5: What Kinds of Products Do You Use?
Do you want to support environmentally-friendly practices?
Do any family members have allergies to certain products?
If dealing with allergies, it is recommended to use only cloths from that home to clean to avoid cross-contamination. Also, another person’s vacuum can bring dander or food particles into your home.
Tidy Up Portland! only uses eco-friendly products, focusing on using natural and green cleaning supplies and limiting disposable products as much as possible. We also strive to maintain high sanitation standards.
Make an appointment today with Tidy Up Portland! Delegate your cleaning to open up more downtime in your week.
#6: What Are Your Cancellation and Rescheduling Policies and Fees?
Things come up, and your schedule gets rearranged. You must know how to deal with such situations with your cleaning service.
Asking the following questions will let you know how to handle rescheduling and cancellation appointments:
What happens if I cancel at the last minute due to illness?
How far in advance must I cancel not to be charged a fee?
What is the cancellation fee?
#7: Will I Get the Same Cleaner Every Time (If Using a Service vs. an Independent Cleaner)?
Getting the same person cleaning every time is more efficient because they know your home, routines, and expectations.
Other benefits of having the same cleaner every time include the ability to:
Establish a system to perform the tasks more quickly.
Build a rapport with the cleaner.
Form a relationship that creates trust.
At Tidy Up Portland! we strive to match you with a cleaner who will continue working in your space. However, circumstances such as public holidays, illnesses, emergencies, and travel are out of our control and may impact your service on the day booked.
#8: Do You Need To Know My Routine To Do Your Job More Efficiently?
If you’re at home while the cleaner is there, it would be best to share your schedule so they can work efficiently.
To help your house cleaner plan accordingly, share the following information:
When you eat lunch
If pets will be around
When kids take naps or arrive home; or
Any other pertinent information
#9: How Will You Access My House (and What Happens if You Can’t Get In)?
Decide how you will let your house cleaner access your home. You may always want to be home when your cleaner is in the house.
Or you can share the following:
Location of a key
Lockbox code
Alarm code
When entering your home on their own, sometimes something happens to prevent your cleaner from getting in. Therefore, be proactive and create a plan for this scenario.
#10: Is There Anything I Should Put Away Before You Get Here?
You don’t need to clean before the cleaner comes, but find out if they prefer things to be picked up off the floor and have surfaces cleared.
If items are left out that need to be put away, is there a place you’d prefer the cleaner to put them? It’s good to communicate these ideas ahead of time.
Tidy Up Portland! Has All the Right Answers to Your Questions
Tidy up Portland! is ready to answer all your questions about our cleaning services. We know you probably don’t have the time, ability, or desire to do the in-depth home cleaning that we provide.
When interviewing a house cleaner, there are questions to ask so everyone is on the same page regarding the required tasks. Tidy up Portland! looks forward to answering all of those for you.
All Tidy up Portland! cleaners come fully equipped with cleaning equipment and supplies, focusing on green, eco-friendly, and toxic-free procedures. Of course, if you prefer a particular product or equipment used in your home, you can leave it out for us to use. Our flat rate service is ideal for cleaning your whole house.
If you are ready to get help and enjoy a sparking home without doing the washing and scrubbing yourself, book an appointment with Tidy up Portland! for an initial cleaning today. Keep in mind that lower rates apply for subsequent cleanings.
