5 Questions to Ask before You Hire a Cleaner

Hiring a cleaning or organizing service may seem like a simple task. Find a cleaner nearby — around here you can check with Google for a cleaner near Mount Snow or Dover, Vermont.

Next step: Call them up, find out their availability and hire them for a weekly house cleaning. Easy, right?

Think again! You want to hire a professional house cleaning service — someone who you can rely upon to show up, do a fabulous job, and treat your home and its contents with love and respect. After all, this cleaner will have access to all of your belongings and every nook and cranny of your home. Vetting them is crucial!

Consider that if you hire the right cleaner now, you won’t have to do it again for a long time. This person will clean your home weekly or monthly for years to come.

The 5 Questions You Have to Ask

I've been working as a house cleaner and organizer for years and I have a good sense of what questions are important to ask a potential cleaning service. (Some of them may surprise you!)

Next time you find yourself interviewing a cleaner, you should definitely ask these 5 questions - and ideally even more.

1. Do you have references?

Website are great and so are reviews on websites like Facebook, Yelp and Google. But they are no replacement for talking with a real live person. If you are speaking with a potential house cleaner, ask them for the names and phone numbers of other clients. Then, follow up by calling!

Ideally, you want to speak with someone you know, but even if you don’t know the family, it’s worthwhile to speak with them. Ask how much they trust the cleaner, how friendly they are, how comfortable they are to have them in their home. Check if the cleaner is thorough and reliable. Inquire about what they love most and least about the cleaner. If you hear from a few people that the house cleaner is wonderful, chances are that you’re on the right track!

Here in rural Vermont, it seems like everyone knows everyone. It’s always easy for me to connect new clients with another customer they know. I encourage new customers to reach out and speak to other clients since it reassures them that I have experience and can be trusted 100%.

2. What cleaning services are included?

If you want to build a successful long-term relationship with your new house cleaner, you should define clear expectations from the get-go. Does your cleaner do windows? Do you want them to move photographs and plants so they can dust? WIll they be scrubbing the fridge? Be sure to decide exactly what will - and will not - be included in the weekly cleaning service.

Since I am a house cleaner and a Certified Personal Organizer, I go far beyond the “typical” cleaning service. I can help you reduce clutter and get rid of stuff you no longer need, organize your closets or help you plan out the kids’ new playroom. Just let me know what organizing services you need, and I’m happy to help!

3. How do you set your rates?

Pricing is important and, as a vacation property or home owner, you want to get the best value for your money. Remember, however, that when it comes to house cleaning services, you usually get what you pay for. You don’t necessarily want the cheapest cleaner you can find.

Instead, you want to make sure that expectations are clear and that you know exactly how much you will be spending. Ask your cleaner if they charge per house or per hour. If it’s hourly, find out how long they think your home or property will take to clean. The price should be consistent for each weekly house cleaning, unless you need additional cleaning or organizing services from time to time.

4. Do I need to be home?

Some professional house cleaners ask that you be home during the first or second cleanings. That way, they can ask you how you like certain rooms cleaned and which cleaning products to use. (For example, I use Earth-friendly cleaning products from Better Life, but you can choose your own products if you prefer.) If you are home the first time, it can also help you get to know your cleaning person and increase your trust in them.

Understandly, you can’t always stay at home when someone is cleaning your house, particularly if you own a vacation rental property like many people do here in Mount Snow Valley, Vermont. If you will not be home, tell the cleaner where they should leave the key. Give clear instructions about how to leave the house when they finish the work.

5. What should I do with my pet?

If you have cats or a dog, you definitely want to talk about this on your first call with a potential house cleaner. Will the pet be afraid? How should the cleaner interact with the animal? If little Whiskers is locked up in a certain room, make sure to tell them this so they don’t come rushing in with a vacuum cleaner and let the cat loose! Even if your house pet is a parrot or gerbil, it’s worth mentioning to the house cleaner. As we said earlier, setting clear expectations is the key to success!

House Cleaner and Organizer Near Mount Snow

If you are looking for a professional house cleaning and organizing service here in southern Vermont, I’d be happy to help.

Call a Professional!

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