We all have the friend who does nothing but clean all day, every day. Her museum-like home is a testament to her dedication. No one wants to hang out in this house, because every other second the home owner runs a little vacuum or swipes imaginary dust from a counter. (At this point all dust in the home is imaginary because it has just given up trying to form.) For the rest of us, cleaning is drudgery that we would rather forego altogether. Some of us would do without movies or nights out on the weekends to be able to afford a maid service. In fact, some of us would even work a second job for this service. When you are ready to toss down your dust rags and say that you have busted your last bit of dust, it is time to hire a professional. To get the absolute right one for you and your family, ask the following questions during the initial interview:
- Are you licensed and bonded in California?
- Are you fully insured, including workers’ comp?
- Do you pay your workers above minimum wage?
- Do you send out teams of workers or a single person for a job? Is this based on size or the fee that is paid?
- How are your rates figured? (More on this in the next section.)
- Do you send out crews on holidays?
Hiring a professional is much easier than finding an independent home cleaner for many reasons. You will not have to deal with sick days or other issues. You do not have to directly fire someone if they are just not working out. This is all handled for you by the professional interior cleaning service.
The fees for the cleaning service could vary, but in general:
- You pay more the less you use the service. If you use a service once a month you pay more for that one visit, than if you hired the crew for once a week or every two weeks.
- Crews of two or more generally cost more but will take far less time to get the same amount of work done.
- Having a crew that is only called in sporadically will be most expensive.
Finally, remember that when you hire a cleaning crew, let them actually do their job. No one wants to have someone hovering over them while they try to work. Clear out and let them clean. If you are not pleased with the crew, call and complain to the service. Make sure that all expectations are clearly spelled out.