10 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Cleaning Company in 2023
What in the world do I ask someone who’s going to be cleaning my space? Even more…how will I know if they’re the right person or company for me to trust with cleaning my property?
Both are legitimate questions to ask when considering which cleaning company and which services you’re looking to hire. There are many articles out there that cover the basic questions to ask, including:
What type of training does the company provide their employees?
What is your budget for cleaning services?
Who will be cleaning your property
When are their working hours?
Do you need to be home when the cleaners are there?
These questions are absolutely important to have answered as they set you and your cleaning partner up for success. However, I’ve recently been asked a few more detailed questions when quoting on cleaning jobs. To help you better understand if a cleaning company is the right fit for you and your home, below are ten of these commonly asked questions to make sure you cover the nitty gritty of residential cleaning.
Do you dust or vacuum first? Why?
We always dust first. The reason is that if we vacuum before we dust, then any loose particles released when we dust will then settle on the floor, making the vacuuming moot. When we dust first, we’re able to vacuum up any particles that fall to the ground. To learn more about how we vacuum and dust, read the below two blogs.
Our dishwasher stinks - what can be done about this?
It often comes as a surprise that dishwashers tend to produce unpleasant odours over time, especially if you use them frequently. While cleaners typically wash the outside to make it shiny, the real trick to keeping a dishwasher smell free is by properly maintaining it as the smells typically come from its filter. This filter, usually located at the bottom, traps food particles. We recommend that once a month, you remove the filter, wash and clean it, then put it back.
In addition, once a month, run a cup of vinegar through a normal cycle to keep the inside continuing to smell nice while also creating a nice inner shine.
Our vacuum cleaner has stopped doing a good job. Why?
Vacuums are another cleaning tool that requires regular cleaning maintenance. If it’s not working properly, check to make sure that:
The bag isn’t full. If it is, replace it.
The filters are clean as they hold a lot of dust. If dirty, remove and wash them.
The brush is not clogged with hair, fur, or something else. If so, remove these from the brush (they may need to be cut out if they are wound up tightly).
The nozzle itself isn’t clogged. This often happens when larger items are sucked up, such as toothpicks, paper, fabric, etc.
To learn more about how to properly vacuum and care for it, visit this article.
Which would you recommend - wet or dry dusting?
It depends on what it is that needs dusting. Most items can have a wet dusting, meaning that we use a damp cloth and wipe this to pick up the dust particles. The best cloth for this is a microfibre one that has been well wrung. This goes the same for mopping, which is essentially dusting for the floor. After you’ve swept, use a damp mop to pick up any remaining dirt, pet hair/fur, or crumbs with ease.
Dry dusting, on the other hand, works best for items, such as picture frames, trinkets that sit on your shelves and wood/antique furniture. If you use a damp cloth on wood/antique furniture, you may create a haze within its colour. To better understand the ins and outs of dusting, visit this article.
How can you help us clean up all the pet hair and fur?
We all love our pets…but keeping furniture and carpets free from their hair is and always will be a daily struggle. We’ve found that, if there’s only a bit of pet hair, the easiest thing to do is use rubber gloves or a brush, slightly dampened, and rub your hands/brush over the area. To remove the hair off the gloves/brush, plunge them into a sink of warm water. The fur will lift off easily.
If there is a lot of pet hair - tumbleweeds of it even - you’ll find it easier to use:
the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner to suck the fur up off the floor.
the furniture attachment that came with your vacuum to remove pet hair from furniture.
Are you comfortable washing our high-quality flooring (e.g., wood and laminate)?
Washing floors is one of the most relaxing cleaning services we provide. But, not all floors are mopped the same. Laminated and sealed wood floors require more than a quick swipe of the mop over the floor. Rather, these floor types should first be swept and then damp-mopped, taking special care to not use too much water on the wood. Too much water will cause the wood to swell.
If there are marks and stains that need a bit more strength to remove, then use a diluted solution of water with a touch of vinegar.
For other types of flooring materials and how we clean them, be sure to read this article.
How can we reduce all the clutter we have?
Clutter can make our space look less clean than it actually is. Plus, it can increase your stress level, create frustration, and cause larger health - both mental and physical -issues, which you can read about here.
From a financial perspective, clutter slows down the cleaning process, which means it will take longer, and therefore cost more, for you to have a space cleaned. To not run into this, we recommend the following five tricks to help reduce your clutter and increase your overall satisfaction.
Keep a bag for charity on the go at all times, adding to it as you go throughout your days (as needed). This way, you’re keeping what’s clutter to you out of sight, while also having a bag full of treasures for people when you take it to a donation centre.
When you’re cleaning, take a garbage bag round with you wherever you go. When you come across pieces of garbage, toss them in the bag. Items such as random sheets of paper, the mysteriously appearing tissue, or even those larger clumps of fur that accumulate rather quickly!
Store all your paperwork in one area - mail, grocery lists, school parent consent forms, etc. Once a week go through this and deal with the paperwork before it piles up.
Make the stairs a “no storage space” meaning…don’t leave things on the stairs. Rather, take them up/down when you realize they need to go to another level. Added bonus - a little extra exercise for your lower body!
Make cleaning up toys fun. Keep a nice box in your kids’ rooms where they can place their toys at the end of the day.
Is there a way to remove marks on the wall without removing the paint?
This is going to sound strange, but soft white bread will do the trick. Believe it or not, it is great at removing scuff marks from walls and paintwork. Gently rub the marked up area with a scrunched-up ball of white bread. It’s essentially like using a very big eraser.
Alternatively, you can use a Flash Magic Eraser or Bar Keepers Friend.
How can we prevent dirt from getting into the house?
You simply cannot prevent dirt from getting into your house. However, you can limit the amount of dirt that comes in. We recommend the following three ways to reduce dirt from infesting your house.
Invest in machine-washable doormats and wash them regularly.
Brush pets outside of the house to prevent excess fur in the house, and to remove any dirt they may have attracted while out and about. Many cats tend to roll around in planters and dogs love to roll around on the ground. They may not actually look like they have dirt on them, but they do. Trust me on this one…I learned this from my own cat.
When you see dirt, wipe it up so it doesn’t have the chance to build-up.
Why doesn’t our television ever look clean?
Think back - when was the last time you remembered to clean your TV - especially if it’s a flat-screen that’s wall-mounted? So many of us forget about them because they tend to “blend in” with the wall. Part of our routine for cleaning rooms with televisions in them is to make sure they are clean, and your picture is dust free. If you’re wanting to clean it yourself, we don’t blame you - they are very delicate. Here are a few steps as to how we clean them:
Use the right materials: a smart clean cloth and distilled water
Spray the water on the cloth. DO NOT spray it directly on the screen. This will harm it.
Using the dampened cloth, start at the top left corner, wiping right. Then repeat below.
Turn on the television and enjoy your next show (this isn’t part of our cleaning services, though!)
I love hearing all the different questions clients ask when we come in to quote a cleaning for their property as it helps me to understand what is important to them, along with their expectations of what “clean” means. These ten are some of my absolute favourites. If you have any questions that you’d like answered, feel free to reach out and ask away.
Of course, if you’re simply wanting someone to come in and clean, we can do that too! Connect with us for a quote.