Are you looking for a dependable house cleaning service? When you spend most of your life at work, you just want to come home and relax in a clean house at the end of the day. This isn’t possible if you have to spend your nights and weekends cleaning just to get it halfway decent. Using a dependable house cleaning service is a great way to get ahead of the mess, so that you can enjoy your time off with a clear mind and clean home.


However, finding a maid service you trust is not always easy. Not everyone who cleans homes is a dependable house cleaning service. You don’t want to waste your time and money on cleaning services that don’t get the job done. Or worse damage your home or make you vulnerable to theft. In order to find a dependable house cleaning service who you can trust, follow the steps that we’ve outlined below:


Four Tips for Hiring a Maid Service

1. Shop around until you find the right experienced maid service for your needs.
   
   When you decide to buy a car, you probably drive at least two or three just to make sure you buy the best one. Take the same approach when searching for the right cleaning service. Talk to at least two or three services before choosing one that you are most comfortable inside your home, cleaning your possessions.
   
   
   Make sure to ask about pricing policies (some services charge by the time spent cleaning, some charge by the square footage of the house or the number of rooms, some charge by the number of employees needed to get the job done). Calculate approximately what the entire job will cost for each service you are considering, to make sure you are comparing prices apples-to-apples.

   You should also ask questions like what background checks are done on the staff, to ensure they can be trusted in your home with your belongings. Will you have the same staff every time, or different? There are pros and cons to having a dedicated staff; it just matters which you prefer.




2. Only use cleaning services that are licensed, insured, and bonded.
   
   This is a non-negotiable. You should only use a service that is licensed, as it gives them accountability; if they do something wrong, they stand to lose their license. If you use a one-off home cleaner who has no accreditation, there is nothing other than your satisfaction to ensure they do a good job.
   
   
   Only using a cleaning service that is insured is important because it protects you if an employee is injured in your home. Let’s say someone falls off a ladder while cleaning your windows. If the cleaning service is insured, the insurance policy will pay any medical costs. If not, you’ll be stuck filing a claim with your homeowners insurance, which will drive up your coverage costs. Or worse, you’ll have to pay the medical costs yourself.
   
   
   Being bonded protects your property. Let’s say an employee does damage to your property and then hightails it out of there. The bond on the cleaning service will cover the cost of the damage. Also, in order to keep the bond, the cleaning service has incentive to make sure they do not damage your property while cleaning your home.




3. Be detail-oriented with your instructions.
   
   Even the best home cleaning services are not telepathic. You stand the best chance of getting the best quality cleaning if you clearly define what you’re looking for. Before you even sign up for a cleaning service, make a list of the areas that you want to make sure are thoroughly cleaned; this gives the cleaning staff a guide to ensure your satisfaction.




4. Get your bill upfront.
   Sometimes the number you are quoted over the phone doesn’t include hidden fees. To avoid sticker shock, make sure that the bill is handed to you before you allow the cleaning service to do the work. If you approve of what you will be paying for, they can go ahead and do the work, and you will pay it after the work is done. We generally advise against paying for the service before it is completed, as it doesn’t give you any leverage in case the work was not acceptable.