Property Maid - Keeping Your Home Cleaner and Greener

10 Tips for Choosing the Best Cleaning Service

FOR YOU

Fantastic! So you are considering the benefits of using a professional cleaning service, like all the extra free time you are going to enjoy - free from all the nitty gritty stuff we can handle for you.

Before choosing any cleaning service provider, we always support our customers with the following impartial advice. We want you to select a cleaning provider that represents the very best fit to your needs - and of course we hope after considering the following information, we will have the chance to impress you with the services we offer.

So let's begin - "what you need to look for in a cleaning service"

Your home is a place of sanctuary and having unfamiliar people in it can, at first, feel a little strange, although you can reassure yourself that this is entirely normal especially during the first couple of visits.

Cleaning Service Security

Before you engage the Cleaning Services of an individual or company, you need to know the staff they provide are safe to be in your home or premises. This is very often easier said than done, especially with large organisations supplying different people each week or if choosing someone anonymous from an advert in a shop.

At the very minimum you should expect that they have come to your attention through recommendation or simply ask if the cleaners attending your property have a current Police Criminal Records Bureaux (CRB) document, sometimes called a disclosure. This will detail any risk history that would support your decision to hire. This process is more difficult with people from overseas as the CRB check only relates to UK Offenders.

Many cleaning businesses offer a key holding service so they can clean whilst you are out or away. Obviously security considerations in these circumstances are of significant concern, which is why we police check all our staff.

Cleaning Insurance

Your cleaner should have a professional insurance policy covering public liability as well as other aspects of their activities and operations, so that in the event of a significant event - like accidental damage to your TV or carpets - you can safely remediate the damage without significant costs. Remember, if they don't carry insurance you may be liable or your own insurance will be invalid.

Cleaning Services & Tax

If you employ the services of someone who is not legally employed or has not registered as self employed with the Inland Revenue and something goes wrong or they fail to pay their taxes - you could find yourself liable. So it pays to scrutinise cleaning providers. Businesses should be able to show you a copy of their employer's liability insurance certificate.

Quality of Cleaning Services

Always ask for a trial service first. This will allow the cleaners to impress you with their service. You may still have to pay for this service, but it will give you a good budgeting guide in respect of how long your home or premises takes to clean. Standards should be high, so never be afraid to question standards. Most cleaning staff take pride in what they do and this trial run will give you a good indication of the quality of service to come. In the event that the service is poor simply move on to a cleaning provider with more effective methods and more appropriate standards.

Familiarity

Having a regular cleaner who knows your home and who you are comfortable with is important to almost everyone using a cleaner. The benefits of this are not just that you know who is coming. Having a regular cleaner, familiar with your property has economic advantages as they will be able to clean more quickly, efficiently and effectively, with an intimate understanding of your needs, and of course your preferences and routines.

Cleaning Equipment

The best way to ensure the cleanliness of your property is to supply your own equipment and cleaning supplies. This means your cleaning provider does not need to bring equipment and sundries contaminated at other people's homes or premises into your home or premises. This may sound a little over cautious but flea and bedbug eggs, larvae and adults can be transported in this fashion.

You will need to select vacuum equipment that will ideally have HEPA filtration to ensure a dust and allergy free clean and be responsible for ensuring it is maintained in good working order. From time to time equipment will fail mechanically or cosmetically (e.g. broken handles or hoses) and you should both anticipate and budget for this or expect to pay a little extra per hour if using the cleaner's equipment and sundries.

Also supplying your own cleaning materials means your home smells of the things you like and not a commercial chemical that could leave your home smelling unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

Scheduling

Many commercial cleaning providers are unable to supply cleaners at a time that is convenient to you, so a key holding service is provided - often for a small fee. If you have strict time constraints in respect of your routines or those of your household then this will affect your selection. Some cleaning businesses offer a night cleaning or weekend cleaning service - simply ask, but be prepared to pay a little extra for cleaning at weekends or non 9 - 5 hours.

Cleaning Rates

In order to get the best rates, many cleaning businesses and individuals will want a time commitment from you for regular cleaning such as a three month term of service at an agreed minimum number of hours per week, whilst others are far more flexible but accordingly a little more expensive. Avoid the temptation to hire purely on price - it should be on the quality of service and benefits. The cleaning industry will always provide someone cheaper but they are rarely better or safer.

One off or specialist cleaning tasks can be very expensive or at best slightly more expensive than normal cleaning activities, but the price will often accurately reflect the technical difficulties associated with the task at hand. Remember if they are not insured and get it wrong - you could be held liable, so don't be afraid of investing in a professional service where needed.

Cleaning Chemicals

Never make the mistake of assuming your cleaner knows the risks associated with the use of chemicals in your home. Always ask for proof of health and safety training such as certificates of attendance or better still, formal qualifications especially in The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). Every substance brought into your premises should be accompanied by a safety data sheet (MSDS) detailing precautions to be taken and what needs to be done in an emergency.

Complaints

When something goes wrong in respect of your service, you should feel both validated and comfortable in letting the individual or organisation know you feelings and concerns. Being able to complain comfortably and be reassured that your thoughts have been warmly received and taken seriously is an important element in the generation of trust. This is vital to the progression and success of any organisation. If you feel your needs or thoughts have not been considered with genuine consideration you should think very carefully about the viability of using your current provider any longer.

We would love to work with you so why not give us a call and arrange a free inspection so we can tell you more about us and learn more about your needs.

Call us now on - 01275 858888