A few decades ago, cleaning companies were reserved for the wealthy. Having someone come to clean your house was considered a luxury.
House cleaning has become a necessity in recent years, and the current pandemic has made it crucial to healthy living.
Before hiring maid services to help you clean, make sure you ask these seven questions.
1. How Long Have You Been a Business?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of pop-up cleaning services that try to turn a quick dollar before closing the shop. Don’t get stuck with a company that has no intention of correcting mistakes or helping you again.
Because failure rates for cleaning businesses are high, see if businesses have been around longer than five years.
Cleaning services that have been around longer than five years have generally met exceptional standards of service and customer satisfaction.
You can still give a new cleaning service a chance by asking a representative for credentials or proof of past experience. They might also have a list of past clients that were satisfied and can speak to their service.
2. Do You Perform a Background Check on Employees?
When you allow people into your home to clean, you are put in a very vulnerable position. Maids will have access to your rooms, valuables, and important documents.
The last thing you want is someone with a criminal record or violent history spending time in your home.
Ask the company how they screen employees for their cleaning service. Do they do a standard background check? Ask to see if they’ll check the references of their employees.
Drug screens are also good filters to find out who is chemically dependent or abusing substances. A cleaner who is addicted to drugs will be more likely to try and steal something of value to sell later.
3. Do You Have Insurance and Permits?
One of the worst-case scenarios would involve a maid accidentally breaking a valuable asset while cleaning. Who pays for the damages?
Ask the maid service if they have insurance to cover accidents or damage. You don’t want to end up in court trying to recover the money to pay for repairs or replacements.
Make sure the insurance coverage has a high enough limit to cover everything in your house.
You’ll want to see if the business has all required permits or licenses to operate within the city and state. If you hire someone who isn’t legally allowed to work, you can get into legal trouble, too.
4. What Happens If a Worker Is Hurt?
Another bad scenario is a maid getting injured at your house. Maybe she trips down the stairs or has a shelf fall on top of her.
Ask the maid service if they have workers’ compensation insurance. You don’t want to be responsible for the financial burden of any injuries.
A reputable cleaning service will have insurance coverage to protect you and the worker. If they don’t have it, ask for a document in writing that will release you of any responsibility.
If you hire an independent maid, make sure you are aware that you’re the employer. This is why it’s always best to go with a reputable company that has workers’ compensation protection.
5. What Are Your Basic Services?
A lot of customers have different expectations for what a basic cleaning entails. Get a copy of a cleaning company’s basic services. You want to know exactly what to expect.
If you have cleaning requests that aren’t involved in any level of service, then ask them how much it will be to include it. You want to have a clear understanding of what is expected as far as the detail of cleaning and the areas that are cleaned.
Some companies will have discounts for repeat customers, so it might be advantageous to sign up for multiple cleanings in a month. There may also be specials for new customers.
6. Do You Have Training and Supplies for Workers?
The turnover rate in the cleaning industry is quite high. Some businesses are just looking for a body to place.
Ask about a cleaning service’s training program to ensure you’re getting a person who knows what they are doing. The best cleaning companies will have documented training.
You’ll also want the company to provide their own supplies when cleaning your home. Part of the benefits of hiring a company is that you no longer have to keep a full closet of cleaning supplies.
You can still ask about what they provide in case you need a specific piece of equipment or environmentally-friendly chemicals. Be wary of a maid service that doesn’t provide basic cleaning and sanitation gear.
7. What’s Your Process for Getting in and out of the House?
While you might prefer to stay and watch a maid clean your home, this almost defeats the purpose of hiring them in the first place.
Find out if they have a good process for getting in and out of your house. Some companies will have very strict procedures that include a key pick drop-off and pick-up.
Make sure the only person who has access to the key is a manager or the owner of a cleaning business. The fewer keys you pass around, the better secure your home will be.
You may have to spend time showing the cleaners proper lock-up if you have security systems. It’s up to the customer to ensure animals and dangerous obstacles are put away.
Hiring Maid Services to Make Your Life Easier
Make your life easier and get back precious hours by hiring maid services to clean your home. Ask these questions to make sure the cleaning company is perfect for your home.
Remember, this service is for everyone in Memphis.
If you’re ready to let someone else handle the messes, get a quote today!
It shouldn’t take a global pandemic for people to realize the importance of keeping their homes clean.
However, in times like this, it reprioritizes the impact that a clean living environment can have on you and your entire family.
Perhaps you’re worried that there’s more you could be doing to kill viruses in your house. Maybe you haven’t cleaned it well enough in the past and are looking for tips to start curbing that habit.
Whatever the case might be, here are several tips to ensure you clean all viruses and keep your home as illness-free as possible. Consider all of these methods as you reapply your cleaning efforts.
1. Enforce the 20-Second Rule
If you were to ask most modern-day Americans how long they should aim to wash their hands, they might not be able to tell you.
Studies have shown that over 40-percent of Americans choose not to wash their hands almost every time they go to the bathroom.
One of the best things for your family is to inform your spouse and your children as much as possible about the dangers of not doing so. Also, install a 20-second rule in your house and make sure everyone is washing and lathering for the full length of it. That’s the amount of time that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing to kill most (if not all) the germs on your hands.
2. Find a Local Home Cleaning Service
All of the steps on this list are going to help you rid your home of viruses. However, with the current situation in the world, you might be hard-pressed to find certain resources that you need, such as disinfecting wipes.
Be sure to write down a list of several different home cleaning companies in your area and interview each one that you like. The goal is to zero-in on a service that focuses on the details of each portion of their job.
Investing in a home cleaning service will give you access to all the resources you might not be able to find for yourself right now.
3. Allow Disinfectant to Do Its Job
It’s not easy to wipe down a surface with a wet substance and let it sit. The perfectionist inside of you might cringe at the sight.
However, your disinfectant solution needs between 10 to 12 minutes before it can kill all the germs that are on your table, island, sink, toilet, bathtub, etc. So if you dry it off before those 10 minutes are up, the surface won’t be entirely virus-free.
Also, before you apply the disinfectant, be sure to remove any visible dirt or dust that you spot. Removing the dirt before applying the disinfectant allows it to do its job more effectively.
Lastly, disinfectant wipes should be used more as a frequent touch-up tool, rather than your main source of disinfectant. For example, use the wipes to quickly wipe down areas of your house that are touched far more often such as door handles, toilet seats, chairs, or knobs. Use the disinfectant liquid for your floors, tables, etc.
4. Wash Dirty Laundry Effectively
There are many guidelines that you should be following when cleaning your dirty laundry to protect yourself and clean efficiently.
First and foremost, make sure to wear gloves while you handle the dirty laundry and place it in the washer. If you don’t have gloves, no worries, just make sure to wash your hands (for 20 seconds) immediately afterward.
Secondly, use the hottest possible settings on your washer and dry respectively. The hot temperature will kill more germs, thus ridding it of possible viruses.
Lastly, make sure to effectively clean the surface of whatever you use to store your dirty laundry. If it’s a cloth bag, then you can simply wash it with the last load of dirty laundry.
If it’s a basket of some kind, then be sure to disinfect the surface before placing it back in its normal location in your home.
5. Use Microfiber Cloth
If you don’t already have a microfiber cloth, then you’ll want to invest in one! As the name would imply, these cloths are composed of a finer fiber that allows them to pick up all the dust, dirt, and germs on a surface.
Lucky for the consumer (you), more and more companies are embedding microfiber technology into their cleaning products.
That means that if you’ve purchased a mop or gym towel recently, then it might have microfiber in it.
These cloths are especially helpful for wiping down what the CDC considers to be high-touch surfaces.
You only need to apply a bit of soap and water to the microfiber rag, then wipe down your desired surface. These are especially helpful to use on electronic surfaces, such as your smartphone or laptop, without harming their display.
Microfiber cloths usually cost around $15 to $20 for a high-quality towel, and will quickly become your go-to cleaning towel.
Clean All Viruses With These Helpful Tips!
Now that you’ve seen several tips and tricks to clean all viruses in your house, it’s time to get to work!
Be sure to read this article about house cleaning vs deep cleaning. There you’ll learn more information on the advantages you’re missing out on without hiring a cleaning service.
For more inquiries, please feel free to fill out our form for an online quote and we’ll be happy to assist you further!
If you are selling your home, one item on the “getting the house ready to sell checklist” is to clean the inside and outside from top to bottom. A clean house sells faster because there is a certain level of care a buyer expects to find when they tour a house on the market.
If you’re experiencing the stress and overwhelm of having to clean before you sell your home, here are 5 reasons why you should give yourself a break and hire a professional cleaner.
1. Professional Results
When hiring a cleaning service, you’ll get a professional deep clean that addresses every inch of your home.
It’s easy to overlook certain details when you are cleaning a familiar space because you are so used to every area in your home. Professional cleaners come in with fresh eyes to see every stain, dust bunny, and dull surface that needs to be addressed. They also use professional tools, products, and equipment to deliver a higher level of quality than you can find in your local big-box store.
2. Increased Home Value
If a potential buyer is viewing a home that the seller did not clean, it gives the buyer a negative impression about how the home is taken care of in general. A buyer may wonder if the larger issues have been addressed when the small issues, like cleaning, were not.
Allowing your potential buyer to step into a professionally cleaned home is only going to increase their confidence and trust that the home has been properly cared for and is a safe space for them and their family.
3. Convenience
Cleaning an entire home by yourself, with the care and detail required for selling, is an overwhelming task. Hiring a cleaner is convenient, as you would simply get a quote, schedule the service, and enjoy your freshly-cleaned home shortly after.
You’ll be able to check off an item on your long list of to-dos, all by making that initial phone call.
4. Reduced Stress
Getting ready to sell your house can be an emotional and stressful process. The good and bad feelings you have from leaving your home added to the many things you have to do to sell your home can cause you to feel overwhelmed with stress and emotion.
Having a task you can delegate is great for reducing the stress you will experience during this process. It’s one less thing you have to do, which will free up time and space for other tasks.
5. Customized Service
A benefit of hiring a cleaning company is you can request customized service. If your kitchen floors need extra attention and your bedrooms need a basic clean, you can customize your service to fit your needs by asking the right questions during the interview process.
Hiring A Professional Cleaner: The Bottom Line
While cleaning is one of the most important things to do before putting a house on the market, it doesn’t mean you have to take on the stress of such a big task by yourself. Not only is hiring a professional cleaner easy and convenient, but you’ll also get results that will help you sell your house in no time.
Are you ready to schedule your cleaning? Contact us for a quote!
Wondering if you really need a deep cleaning for your home?
Before you decide, you’ll want to know the difference between a regular cleaning and a deep cleaning service. They cover different things within your home.
Most people can benefit from both types of cleaning depending on the situation.
Keep reading to understand what you get in a deep cleaning and why you should consider it for your home.
Regular Cleaning Basics
Regular cleaning from a cleaning service usually happens on a weekly basis. The goal is to keep up with basic cleaning tasks.
Typical tasks that happen during this service include:
Tidying up your spaces
Cleaning floors
Wiping surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms
Taking out the trash
General dusting
The frequency of regular cleaning is usually at least once per week. A regular cleaning service typically doesn’t take as long as a deep clean, so it generally costs less.
Deep Cleaning Basics
Deep cleaning goes further to get rid of dirt, grime, soap scum, and other gunk around your home. It’s a more thorough service than the standard cleaning.
You’re not just picking up the clutter and wiping down surfaces. You’re often sanitizing areas throughout the home. Sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces can help get rid of germs that can make your family sick.
Deep cleaning can make your home a healthier environment by getting rid of dirt, dust, and other junk. It also makes it look and smell fresh and clean.
Deep cleaning typically takes longer than a general cleaning service, especially if you schedule a deep cleaning for your entire home. It involves lots of detail work, which takes more effort.
Bathroom
During a regular cleaning service, your cleaner will clean and dust all surfaces. That includes things such as your shower, vanity, mirror, and toilet.
When you get a deep cleaning, your service goes deeper. This might include:
Scrubbing grout
Disinfecting wastebaskets
Removing soap scum and limescale from fixtures
Deep cleaning baseboards and door frames
Cleaning inside vanities and medicine cabinets
Disinfecting knobs
Cleaning around the toilet base
Deep cleaning shower doors, curtains, and crevices
The cleaning leaves your bathroom sparkling and sanitized. That’s a good thing since bathrooms germs often include things such as staph bacteria, athlete’s foot, gastrointestinal viruses, and viruses spread by contaminated food, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Kitchen
The kitchen is another place that can get quite dirty. Food splatters and grease can leave your appliances and cabinets filthy.
Your regular weekly cleaning likely includes tidying up your countertops, wiping down all visible surfaces, and cleaning the floor.
For a deep cleaning, the following things might be included:
Cleaning behind and under appliances
Cleaning inside appliances, including your oven, refrigerator, and microwave
Interior range hood and filter cleaning
Cabinet cleaning
Cleaning grout lines on countertops or backsplashes
Cleaning refrigerator coils
Cleaning and disinfecting small kitchen appliances
Cleaning and organizing inside cabinets and drawers
Disinfecting knobs and switches
The deep cleaning ensures all grease and food remnants get removed. When those things build up, they can be difficult to remove, so having a professional cleaning service handle it makes it easier on you.
General Spaces
Your cleaner also tidies up general spaces during a normal cleaning. This includes putting things where they belong, cleaning floors, and wiping down surfaces.
Deep cleaning services might include:
Cleaning under furniture
Wiping down ceiling fans and light fixtures
Vacuuming and cleaning upholstery
Cleaning blinds
Dusting individual decorations
Sanitizing trash cans and other surfaces
Dusting lamp shades
Cleaning baseboards, window frames, and door frames
Wiping vent covers
Cleaning inside window sills and window tracks
Scrubbing walls
Vacuuming along wall edges and other crevices
Polishing furniture
Once you get your general spaces cleaned, it’s easy to maintain them with regular weekly cleaning. Since those spaces don’t have water or food sources like the kitchen and bathroom, they don’t tend to get as gunky as quickly.
When to Get a Deep Cleaning
You don’t always need a deep cleaning. It’s typically an occasional service you get for a specific purpose.
You might schedule a deep clean when you move into a new home. This gives you a fresh start in your new home without worrying about the dirt and grime from the previous owners.
It’s also something you can do in your old home when you move out. That gives the new owners a clean start.
Some people start with a deep clean when they start using a service. You start out with your home being clean throughout. Then, when you start with regular cleanings, the cleaning service can maintain that level of cleanliness they create during the deep cleaning.
You might schedule a deep cleaning before a big party or event you plan to host at your home. If anyone looks closely at your baseboards or appliances, they won’t find any grease or gunk.
This service is also a good idea in the spring when you’re already spring cleaning your home. It gives your space an extra-clean feeling as you also declutter and simplify.
Benefits of a Cleaning Service
When you’re ready for a deep clean, using a cleaning service can make the job easier.
A professional cleaning service has the deep cleaning routine down. The cleaners know what needs to be cleaned and where the dirt and gunk typically hides. They have the cleaning supplies and tools needed to do the job correctly.
They also know how to clean different parts of your home safely. They know what works on baseboards or tiles, for example.
The cleaners handle heavy lifting, such as moving appliances to clean behind them. This can prevent you from getting injured during cleaning.
Hiring a service saves you time. It goes beyond the regular clean, so it naturally takes a lot longer. A service can get in quickly to do the job, leaving you with more free time.
It means you don’t have to do all of the tedious cleaning tasks that no one likes to do, such as scrubbing grout lines for hours or wiping down the individual slats on blinds.
Choose Your Type of Cleaning
When deciding between a regular and deep cleaning, it often comes down to your reasons. Deep cleanings tend to be occasional services, while regular cleaning might happen on a recurring basis.
No matter what type of cleaning you need, we have you covered. Get a quote today to get your home on its way to being clean.
Most of us prefer a clean and tidy living space. This is why more than half of Americans prefer cleaning every week. But is this enough?
How often should you clean your house? Our in-depth guide looks at every common chore and how frequently they need to be done.
Every Week
Most people devote at least a day a week to clean. If this sounds like you, you should know which areas of the home deserve the most attention.
Microwave
If you don’t clean your microwave every week but use it frequently, it’s time to put the microwave on your regular cleaning list. The microwave accumulates a lot of bacteria — which can get into your food!
To clean your microwave, take a damp rag with a little bit of dish soap. Wipe down the inside and outside, including the doors. If your microwave has a detachable plate, take that out and hand wash it in the sink.
Bed Linens
You should never forget to add your bed sheets to your regular laundry rotation.
Your sheets harbor dead skin, dirt, and bacteria. If you don’t regularly change your sheets and pillowcases, ensure you put your linens in the laundry machine at least once a week.
Bathroom
Some parts of your bathroom are notorious because of their griminess. Take the toilet and the bathtub as prime examples — the average toilet has 34,000 units of bacteria and your bathtub has more than 1,000 bacteria units per square inch.
Fortunately, all you need is a bathroom cleaner or soap and give your toilet and tub a good scrub. There are also simple shower sprays you can spray in the tub daily to ensure you kill off that bacteria.
What about the counters and mirrors? If you’re cleaning the tub and toilet, you might as well clean these areas. Dust and bathroom products can build up on the counters and mirrors.
Take a damp rag with soap and wipe your counters. Spray your mirrors with glass cleaner and wipe them down with a paper towel.
Desk
If you don’t spend too much time at your desk, you can clean this area less. But if you’re sitting at your desk night and day, give it a good cleaning every week. Your desk is a breeding ground for bacteria, especially your computer.
Take an all-purpose cleaner and spray it all around your desk. Wipe it up with a rag. Pay special attention to your computer and any other object you use frequently.
Simple Dusting
Certain furniture items, such as tables, should be dusted every week. You can also do this task daily to prevent dust from building up.
Once A Month
Now that the basics are out of the way, there are some intricate tasks you should clean every month. Here’s a breakdown of these easily-ignored cleaning chores.
Intense Dusting
Dust doesn’t only build on your furniture. You’ll find dust under your couch, on windowsills, and even your doors. Dust these areas every month.
Refrigerator
Your refrigerator holds bacteria and food particles. Fortunately, most people don’t have to clean out the fridge as often as they think. Devote a day a month to clean out everything in your fridge and give it a good clean.
For rather clean fridges, use a slightly damp cloth with a little bit of dish soap. For dirtier fridges, use white vinegar on a paper towel. Wipe down the entirety of the fridge, paying special attention to the drawers.
Light Fixtures
Did you know dirty light fixtures results in dim lights? All you need to do is take a dry cloth and give your lightbulbs a good wiping (don’t forget to turn off the light first).
Ceiling Fans
We tend to forget ceiling fans accumulate dirt and dust. And all of that dust is dispersed in the air! All you need is a specialized ceiling fan duster to get that pesky dust off of the fan blades.
Clean Walls
Keep in mind, you don’t need to wipe down every wall on a monthly basis. But certain walls, such as ones that touch your trash can, deserve a frequent cleaning. All you need is a damp cloth with soap.
Dust Air Vents
Your air vents accumulate more dust than you think. Take a duster and wipe off the dust. This prevents dust and dirt from flying into the air.
Clean Under Cushions
Have you looked under your cushions? You’ll be shocked by what you can find there! Take a day out of each month to lift up each cushion. Use a small vacuum to suck out any dirt and dust.
Clean Windows
Every month, take glass cleaner and clean the inside and outside of the windows — at the very least, clean the windows you can reach. You should also wipe down the windowsills and clean the blinds.
Appliances
When was the last time you cleaned your oven or laundry machine? Don’t wait for spring cleaning to clean your appliances. You’ll want to pay special attention to the oven, garbage disposal, dishwasher, stovetop, and laundry machine.
Every Few Months
There are many odd tasks that homeowners only occasionally clean. Some homeowners don’t clean these areas at all. Here’s what you should clean every three or four months.
Pillows
No, not your pillowcases. Your pillows. If you’re washing them in the washing machine, use hot water and a mild detergent. Some pillows should be washed by hand, such as memory foam pillows.
Dry your pillows by placing them in the dryer — always use a low heat setting. You can also choose to air dry them and place them in the dryer on the “fluff” setting.
Clean Your Carpet
Your carpet contains a lot of bacteria and vacuuming doesn’t kill that bacteria. Call a professional to clean your carpet once every few months — however, you can clean your carpet less if you don’t have children or pets.
How Often Should You Clean Your House? You May Need To Hire A Professional
How often should you clean your house? This depends on what needs to be cleaned. Certain tasks, such as dusting and washing your bed sheets, should be done weekly. But you don’t need to clean that carpet for a few months.
What if you don’t have the time to clean frequently? Don’t worry — you can call a professional to handle these essential cleaning duties. Get a quote today!
