17 Go-To Questions You Should Ask a House Cleaning Service
Don't leave anything unanswered
Highlights
Always discuss your expectations with your house cleaner before hiring to avoid miscommunication.
Paying more for a professional and insured cleaner is often worthwhile, and leads to better service overall.
Make sure you understand how your cleaner charges, so that you’re not met with any unexpected invoices.
Before you hire a local house cleaning service or professional housekeeper, you want to have faith that they can get the job done. And to have confidence in who you hire, you have to ask the right questions. Here are some go-to questions that will cover all the bases so you can have a house that sparkles.
1. Do You Work Alone or With a Company?
It’s important to know if you’re hiring one cleaner or a team of house cleaning professionals.
An independent housekeeper can mean lower rates for cleaning services. But hiring just one individual means there’s no backup cleaners to cover for your pro if they need a sick day right before your big dinner party. While a cleaning company’s rate might cost more than hiring just one cleaner, you don’t have to worry as much about scheduling issues, and your cleaning will take far less time.
2. Where Can I Find Your References?
Hiring someone to come in and clean your home means inviting someone new inside your space. To that end, you want to make sure the housekeeper you hire can be trusted.
Ask where you can find references from past customers. Some will have them on websites, others can be found on professional customer review websites. Read through positive and negative references to make sure you know what kind of service and communication to expect.
3. When Can You Provide Me With an Estimate?
Once you’ve found a housekeeper or cleaning service you want to hire, take the time to call or email them and request an estimate. This won’t just give you their rates, it will also let you know just how responsive they are, and that matters when you’re hiring someone to clean your home.
4. How Do You Set Your Rates?
It’s important to know how much your house cleaning services will cost before agreeing to regular cleanings. Most cleaning pros charge by the hour for the first visit, but some do charge by project or by the numbers of cleaners they send to get the job done. Make sure to ask for an estimate of how long it will take to get your home clean, if they charge by the hour.
Once that’s been done, you might get the same flat rate for each visit—provided you keep the property in roughly the same shape! You can also save by asking if the housekeeper or cleaning service has a “not to exceed this price” clause to spare you a bigger bill than expected.
5. Do You Conduct Employee Background Checks?
If you are hiring a cleaning company that sends its employees into your home, it is their job to run background checks on the people they employ. If you are hiring a private housekeeper, you’re the employer, and in that case, it’s your job to run the background check.
6. Are You Insured and Bonded?
If something gets broken or damaged in your home, you want the cleaners that you hired to be insured and bonded so that you can be fairly compensated. That said, if there’s something in your home you really value and it’s fragile, give them a heads up all the same.
Plus, hiring a cleaning technician who is insured and bonded gives the homeowner peace of mind that the company takes their services and customers seriously.
7. Do You Provide Workers’ Compensation?
If something happens to the housekeeper or cleaning professional while they are on the job, you are held liable unless the company provides workers’ compensation. Make sure to ask about this for your own peace of mind, and consider if it’s worth the risk to hire a cleaning company that doesn’t have workers’ compensation insurance.
8. Do You Bring Cleaning Equipment and Supplies?
The last thing you want to do is hire a cleaning company or housekeeper and then have them show up to clean with no cleaning products in sight and with none in your own cupboard. Many housekeeping companies provide their own products, while others will request that you provide them. If there is a special product you would like your cleaner to use, make sure you provide them with it at the start of cleaning along with instructions.
9. What Services Are Included?
People look for different things from their housekeepers, and every professional will differ in the services they provide. Some people want someone to come in and do the daily tidying, while others prefer to handle that themselves and reserve the housekeeper for bigger jobs like cleaning baseboards or deep cleaning bathrooms. Every housekeeper charges differently, so be sure to ask if the house cleaning services you want are included.
10. What Kind of Training Do You Give?
All cleaning companies train their employees differently. Make sure you ask how the employees are trained so you get a sense of whether or not you can expect the same level of cleaning each time they visit. Hearing about their training also lets you know how committed a company is to its employees' success and thus, their clients’ overall satisfaction.
11. Is My Satisfaction Guaranteed?
It’s important that you understand from the beginning how your housekeeper or house cleaning company will communicate with you and react should you be dissatisfied with the job they’ve done. A good professional will be willing to work with you if you’re unhappy with their service.
12. Do You Work From a Checklist?
Your idea of how to clean a home may differ from the housekeeper’s idea of how to clean a home. Many professional cleaners work from a list, and asking to see it can help you isolate areas that you would like cleaned that may not be included already.
A house cleaner with a checklist also helps ensure that no area of your home is missed during a clean, potentially preventing revisits and saving you time.
13. How Will You Get Into My Home?
Chances are, your cleaning professional will be gaining access to your home when you aren’t there. Find out if they prefer an access code, a hidden key, or other options for entering your home safely and securely in your absence.
14. What Should I Do With My Pets?
If you have pets, your cleaner might have a preference with how they’re secured during the cleaning. Some will be fine with a friendly pet roaming around, while others might prefer you remove them from the house or keep them in a designated area during the cleaning.
Even if your housekeeper prefers you isolate pets in one room or in a crate, you should still make sure they get a chance to meet each other so they have time to get used to each other.
15. How Long Have You Been Working as a House Cleaner?
It’s always a good idea to find out how long your home cleaning service has been in the business. If you find out that you’re hiring a newer company, be mindful that they may still be working out the kinks that come with getting a small business off the ground.
Companies with years of experience not only tend to provide better service, but they have more to lose if something goes wrong. Think carefully about hiring a newer company that might be willing to walk away after poor service or a negative review.
16. Can We Arrange a Trial Period?
If you’ve found someone perfect, but you aren’t quite ready to sign on the dotted line, see if they are up for a few trial sessions (at their full rate, naturally) before you hire them for ongoing cleanings. Some cleaners might charge a bit more for one-off services like this, but it could be worth the extra investment to make sure you get the service you want.
17. Can I Get a Written Contract?
A housekeeper or cleaning company can promise you the moon on a silver platter, and while that’s very nice in theory, make sure you get what they are promising you in writing. A contract is a smart way to protect you and to protect them, so professional companies should also push for a contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few things you should look for in a house cleaner to make sure that your home is treated with respect and remains secure, and that you get high-quality service. Start by looking for an experienced company that is insured and has references they can provide. Next, prioritize cleaners that offer the specific services you need and can commit to a cleaning schedule that works with your schedule. Finally, ask your cleaner about satisfaction guarantees and their cleaning process to make sure you hire the right company.
It’s not necessary to tip house cleaners for routine cleanings, and most cleaning professionals won’t expect it. However, there are some cases where a tip can go a long way toward building your relationship with your cleaner. For example, tipping 10% to 20% of the total cost is a good idea if they come out for a rush job before a holiday or party, if they deal with unusually messy or dirty spaces, or if they’re cleaning up unpleasant messes, like pet accidents or particularly dirty bathrooms.
You should consider doing a few things on your own that fall under the category of “good house cleaner etiquette” to prepare for your house cleaner. These include tidying counters, floors, and other surfaces, taking care of the dishes, moving laundry to the laundry room or a dedicated laundry basket, and putting away personal and private items. Think of your house cleaner as someone who brings your home from relatively tidy to organized and clean, and you should have no issues.