House cleaning is a dirty business. If you are like the average household, dealing with work, family, and other priorities can make cleaning your home properly a challenge and one that you’d sooner avoid. Thousands of cleaning services have cropped up all over the world, ready and willing to do the work for you. Because there are so many companies available, knowing how to choose and hire a house cleaning service can seem like an overwhelming task, but with a few rules of thumb and a firm understanding of what to expect, you can pick the best option.

Decide what areas of your home need to be cleaned before choosing a cleaning service. 

For example, are there rooms that are off-limits or specific areas that are more important for the service to focus on? Do you want them to do windows and laundry too or only standard cleaning, such as dusting and mopping? Once you know what you need, you can build a list of requirements to narrow down candidates, as some companies don’t offer a full range of services. Ask family, friends, or neighbours for referrals. Many customers may be happy to share a positive experience with you, and they may even be eligible for a bonus through the cleaning company if you choose its service.

Eliminate any companies that are not bonded and insured.

Should any accidents happen during cleaning or any theft occur while the service is there, a bonded and insured service will take responsibility. If you choose a service doesn’t have these, the responsibility will be yours as the homeowner.

Contact the potential services to ask if their maids are legal residents and what type of background checks they have gone through for screening.

Make sure the maids are responsible and haven’t committed any crimes. If they aren’t, you need to choose another company.

Ask your field of candidates to provide you with a free consultation.

This usually involves having a representative come to your home to review the work to be done and giving you their price for the cleaning work. Be skeptical of a company that isn’t willing to offer this because you both should be aware of what is expected before the job begins.

Avoid letting the “cheapest price” be your determining factor.

If 1 service is significantly less expensive than others, there may be a reason why. Be wary of a deal that’s too good to be true, and investigate a really good deal thoroughly to find out what kind of service you’ll actually be getting. Chances are they’re taking some sort of shortcut or have a bad reputation, and you’ll want to be aware of what you’re getting into before committing.

Ask what kind of chemicals the service uses during its cleaning process.

If you have children, pets, or allergies, knowing what’s in the cleaners is essential. If the company refuses to tell you or if it uses cleaning agents with toxic ingredients, choose another service for your needs.

Choose a cleaning service that provides a guarantee of satisfaction.

Services that take pride in their offerings will make sure you are happy and will insure that any issues you have are reviewed and taken care of promptly.