How to Choose the Right Cleaning Company For You?
In the current busy and ‘always-on’ world, the last thing that comes to mind is often cleaning. For those who frequently juggle multiple things at once, the idea of coming home to a messy or dirty house is stressful in itself. This is where hiring a cleaner comes in. But with the glut of options in a growing market, it is difficult to decide where to look, or to decide which cleaner or cleaning service is right for you.
Between deciding whether to hire a cleaner privately or through a cleaning company, there are many pros and cons to consider. While an independent cleaner can be cheaper than going through a company, they may not be as reliable, or come with insurance. But finding a cleaner through a company can take up a considerable amount of effort as well, as they are either too expensive or do not have enough staff to take on new clients.
With so many players on the market, how do you choose one that is best for your home? Here are some ways to help you decide, ensuring a premium experience that will suit you in the longer run.
Reviews and Reputation
One of the most important things to consider is the reputation of the cleaning company. There’s hundreds of companies out there and some take more pride in keeping their customers satisfied than others. Be sure to check Google and Product review to ensure the company you choose has good reviews, but also a large number of reviews to validate their score.
Professional and Trustworthy team
Trustworthiness is one of the most important factors to consider before deciding on which cleaner or company to hire. The cleaners will spend a considerable amount of time inside your home to complete the service, and you can’t always be there to keep an eye on what they are doing. Try checking for a “Meet the Team” section on the company’s website to ensure they have an office team to facilitate the service they promise.
You want to ensure that you hire reputable cleaning teams and that the you trust the cleaners that service your home. Ask any cleaning company you are looking to hire if they have police or working with children checks they have in place to ensure the safety of your home. A reputable cleaning company will conduct background checks on all their workers to make sure they are honest and trustworthy.
Price and Quality
If you are going to splash out and go with a cleaning company, it’s very important you go with the right one and not all are made the same. A lot of cleaning companies aim for the “cheapest possible service” and will send contractors out at minimum wage (or less) with very little or no training. The problem with this is that cleaning actually requires a fair bit of skill and a lot of hard work. Going with the cheapest company will mean they the lowest margins and the lowest paid staff. Low paid staff means low experience and often, low effort and poor results. What then happens is that customers are extremely unhappy with the results and the house is often actually in worse condition than before.
Unlike general building or commercial cleaning, high quality domestic house cleaning should not be a minimum wage job. Like wine, it is often worth spending a few extra dollars with your cleaning company to ensure you are sent an experienced professional, rather than just somebody with a mop and a bucket. The higher charging companies will usually:
- Care more about their reputation online and therefore do their best to ensure you are happy
- Pay their cleaners better and therefore attract the best cleaners
- Provide more extensive support and systems to their staff
- Have more rigorous recruitment and safety systems to ensure reliability
So, if you have decided to go with a company rather than a private cleaner, it is strongly recommended that you pay the little extra and go with a high-quality company.
Equipment and products
Another important factor to consider are the products and equipment a cleaning company has at its disposal: Do they buy local? Do they have an option for eco-friendly products? Do they use quality equipment or are they looking for ways to save on tools? Do they have the required equipment needed to provide a thorough cleaning of your house? Do they offer a range of cleaning methods such as steam cleaning? Do not hesitate to ask the company these questions before hiring them to clean your home.
There are cleaning companies that bring along their own supplies, while there are others that expect the homeowners to provide the equipment to be used for cleaning. At Maid to Clean, all of our cleaners come fully equipped with their own cleaning equipment and supplies. However, if you would like a particular product or equipment used in your home you are more than welcome to leave it out for the cleaner. All of our cleaners are advised to disinfect and change all clothes and sponges in between services, and they are to use different clothes for bathrooms, kitchens and common areas. We also provide step ladders if needed (let us know beforehand).
Insurance
While you probably have home or personal insurance, you certainly don’t want to get penalised for someone else’s mistake on your premises. A good cleaning service is always adequately insured, so that you are not held liable in case of any accidents.
Most companies also offer contracts because it details the exact scope of work needed that both you and the company are happy with. However, some cleaning companies only have lock-in contracts, where prices may be subject to change, or different cleaners assigned to your home every cycle. At Maid To Clean, we give you benefits of a regular service, without any lock-in contracts or commitments needed. Book a regular clean to get the benefit of up to 10% off, but cancel anytime. We also provide you with a 200% satisfaction guarantee for peace of mind: if you end up being unhappy with the service offered, we aim to provide a re-clean within 2-4 days of the initial service for any missed/unsatisfactory areas and/or look at an appropriate discount if required.
Next steps
If you’re located in Melbourne, contact Maid to Clean and speak to our friendly customer service staff about your needs and get a quote. We’re not rated the best in Melbourne (highest rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars amongst 900+ reviews on Google and #1 on the list on Product Review in Victoria) for nothing!