Having maid service can change your life for the better! It will gift you the ultimate reward of time, and if there’s something we could all do with, it’s more time. However, hiring a maid service can also be scary. You have to consider the obvious issues of security and safety.
For this reason, we suggest that you try and use the hiring questions we’ve created and listed below when interviewing a housekeeper, cleaning company, or any professional cleaning service provider.
As you ask these questions, ensure that you get clear and direct answers. Keep an attentive ear out to catch places where corners are being cut, the law is not being adhered to, or the company representative appears to be uneasy when delivering answers to your questions. Any signs of the above should be taken as red flags and you should simply look for another service provider.
A lot of people are also discomforted by the unknown: not knowing how the process operates and what to expect. To make the process a lot less overwhelming, below is a well-detailed list of what you should know about hiring a maid service.
How Much Does a Professional Maid Service Cost?
A lot of people make the misinformed assumption that only rich people can afford maid service. In my younger years, I knew just a single person who had maid service… and the maid was my grandma!
But that was then. Today, over 1 million people have maid service as compared to ten years ago. What’s more, they aren’t rich or famous! They’re the regular married couple with two children and a pet.
Maid service companies are more available. There are those that charge by the size of the home (number of rooms, square footage) or by the hour. Certain factors such as the number of pets or floors can affect the fee.
Contact us for a free quote. It’s really free and it’s the most reliable place to start so you can put to sleep the notion that you can’t afford it.
Keep in mind that if you hire a maid service for a certain period, they might send 2-3 maids so you might need to plan the hours you paid for according to the number of maids available. It may come off as straightforward but it’s a common customer concern about getting what he/she paid for.
What if I Have a Specific Budget?
As highlighted above, decent maid service is usually not as costly as people think. The primary top-to-bottom cleaning is what is most expensive. Any other recurring service is considerably less.
If you are working with a particular budget, then hire a maid service for a one-off or give them a set of priorities. Maybe it’s not all the rooms that require cleaning and your budget would only permit the dirtiest or most frequented rooms to receive professional care constantly.
What Information Will I Be Asked About When I Call About Maid Service?
Expect the conversation to revolve around your house. You’ll be asked about the number of bathrooms or stories you have, how many people live in your house, and if there are any pets.
You’ll also be asked about what you want to be done such as cleaning after and before a party, a comprehensive top to bottom spring cleaning or, a scheduled weekly service so it’s always clean whenever friends drop by.
What Does a Maid Service Do?
A professional maid service should list what they do and don’t do on their website. All these are reviewed during the primary conversations to avoid any surprises.
Many services provide window and carpet cleaning as additional services while others don’t do outside cleaning. Choose in advance what you really expect from a maid service.
How Can I Avoid the Odor From Chemical Cleaning Agents Used by Most Maid Services?
We stand behind you on this one because we don’t like them either! A decent maid service should use the client’s cleaners. This way, they’ll use what you like to smell as well as your cleaning equipment. You don’t want someone else’s dirty, germy vacuum through your house.
However, we like to use our own tools and cleaners from Speed Cleaning which you might love just as much us.
Do I Need to Do Any Sort of Cleaning Before the Maid Service Arrives?
2 out of 3 customers clean their houses before the maid service arrives so you are not alone if you decide to do so. We recommend a bit of tidying up since no one wants to have their maid service pick up their toys and socks (or maybe you do?).
Tidying up goes a long way in making it easy for the professionals so they can do the tougher tasks such as removing dust from a plethora of shelves, washing places such as the bathrooms, and wiping the floors.
Should I Hide My Valuables?
Before you hire a maid service, make sure you can fully trust the one you use. You are, after all, having them into some of the most intimate spaces in your home.
However, as a precaution, you should put away expensive items as well as those items of extreme importance to you. Relocate them to a safe spot to lessen the risk of an unfortunate accident or the item going missing.
As you book, make sure you let the maid service know what not to touch such as the baby grand piano. Better safe than sorry.
Will It Be Strange if I’m Home and the Maid Comes Over to Clean?
It shouldn’t be weird especially after a few house cleans but try and be out of their way as the professionals are working and you happen to be home. You can identify rooms that carry high priorities during your booking process service so the information can be transcribed onto the maid’s work order.
If you will not be home, provide certain details about your house such as how to enter safely.
Should I Leave a Tip?
Tipping is really up to you, but naturally, a monetary tip or gift to appreciate the work done can go a long way! A common tip falls around 10-15% of the cost of service.
After your cleaning is confirmed, you might want to find out when and how many maids are coming. If there happens to be a lead maid, you can choose to tip them a bit more since it’s up to them to delegate tasks and make sure the cleaning is done efficiently and according to time.
If there are 2 or more maids, it would be unkind leaving one gift. Remember, it’s the thought that counts.
Use the 9 hiring questions listed above so you can hire a maid service that will consider your interests at heart. It surely can give you a much-deserved break this holiday season and all year long if you choose.
