I love Summertime! It has a way of slowing everyone down just a bit as we settle into a slightly more relaxed pace for the next couple of months. Dinner prep is moving outside and being cooked on the BBQ, the Sun is out (hopefully), days are longer, the kids are playing outside with friends and Summer vacations are happening. Whether your Family stays local for the Summer or makes some trips around Washington, there is a lot to do during Summer in the Pacific Northwest. You can visit the beaches on Puget Sound, go camping on a lake in Eastern Washington, take in a beautiful hike to see Snoqualmie Falls or bike the Burke Gilman Trail. Our beautiful state really does have a lot to offer during the Summer in terms of fun for the whole Family. I hope you and your Family will get the opportunity to have some fun in the Sun this Summer while slowing down a bit and enjoying it.
One thing that is not so much fun during the Summer? Cleaning your house! Slightly more bearable on those hot days if you have air conditioning, however, spending your Summer weekends cleaning house is probably not at the top of your “Summer Fun” list. So you decide this is the year you are going to hire someone else to do the cleaning; but where do you start? Have you ever looked for a cleaning service provider for your home? Or any service provider to service your home? Most of us have at some point, whether it be a service such as cleaning or maybe a plumber, electrician, heating and air specialist or contractor to complete home renovations. Bringing someone into your home is personal and you want to feel safe and confident in your choice. No matter which industry you are hiring a service provider from there are going to be many different options to choose from.
The first step in choosing the right service provider for your needs is to ask yourself what is important to you. We will use cleaning companies for this example. There are A LOT of cleaning companies to choose from. A simple Google search or Facebook post asking for recommendations will confirm that. It can be overwhelming, and easy to pick the first one. You are looking for a cleaning service because you are busy or simply don’t like cleaning and you don’t want to spend time sifting thru 37 recommendations. The good news is-you don’t have to! I have compiled some tools below to assist you. Perhaps you have had a past experience or two that was not positive with a service provider in your home. If that is the case you probably already have a few things you know you want to ask and can add them to the list below to make your search tailored to your needs.
Review the questions, along with the associated information, and jot your answers down on a piece of paper:
- Do you want them to be licensed/bonded/insured? Background screened? Unfortunately accidents can happen, the proper insurances will protect your home and belongings. An uninsured company or person doesn’t protect you in the event of breakage and damage and you will be on the hook financially for replacing/repairing anything in this instance.
- Do you prefer 1 person or a cleaning team of 2-3? If your home will take 4 hours to clean, 1 person will be in your home for 4 hours where a team of 2 would be in your home for 2 hours and a team of 3 would be in your home for 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Do you want the same person/team every time? Most companies make the effort to send the same team, however, keeping a consistent schedule (day/time) is important as well so if your normal team is unavailable a cleaning company will usually be able to send another team and keep your same appointment vs having to reschedule.
- Do you want to provide your own supplies/equipment or have those provided as part of the service? Majority of cleaning companies provide everything whereas a single person not associated with a company will typically require you to provide your own supplies and equipment.
- Are you okay with cleanings happening Monday-Friday, or do you require weekend service? Most cleaning companies operate Monday-Friday, daytime hours.
- Is it important to you to be able to communicate with your team? Some cleaning techs may not speak English as their first language. If it is important to you to communicate with your team you need to let the person or company know that you are considering hiring.
- Is a consistent day/time for your schedule important? A cleaning company with multiple teams will have the flexibility to meet your schedule requirements whereas a single person will have to reschedule anytime something comes up for them (i.e. sick, car trouble, vacation, etc.)
- Do you require tasks such as laundry, dishes or light organizing as part of your cleaning? Be sure you ask what tasks are included. Some cleaning service providers include these, and some do not.
Now take the answers from the above questions to determine which style of cleaning service will best suit your needs. Find 3 providers that fit closest to what you need and call for more information. You can use the below as a template for your call, or copy/paste into an email or social media message, and you are well on your way to a clean home!
- Are you licensed, bonded, and insured? Do you complete background checks on your staff? Do your background checks include all States they have lived the past 7 years or just the current state they reside in?
- Do you send solo cleaners or teams?
- Do you send the same team/cleaner each time?
- Are supplies/equipment provided?
- What are your days/hours of operation?
- Are your team members able to speak English?
- If I set up service, would my scheduled day and time stay the same?
- What tasks are included with your service?
BONUS! With some slight modifications you can use the same template above for service providers in different industries. Think carpet cleaners, handyman, window washers, etc. Use this and feel confident when inviting people into your home!
Cheers to a clean home!
-very good content.
Thank you for reading!