9 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Cleaning Service

How long have you been in business?

It takes little more than good intentions and a mop and bucket to start a cleaning business, but it takes far more to run a professional, sustainable company. As a result the failure rates for the industry are staggering. If you are dissatisfied and they won't fix it, why would you even want to use them again? A reputable service should come back immediately and do whatever necessary to fix the problem, or be willing to offer you your money back.

Who provides the equipment and supplies?

Look for a company who provides all of their own supplies and equipment. 50% will go out of business within the first year. By the end of the fifth year, nearly 90% will have closed their doors for good. This is not to say you should not consider hiring a newly formed company (we all start somewhere,) but generally the longer a company has been in business the more likely they are to be around in the future.

Are you insured? What happens if something in my home is broken or damaged?

Proper insurance (at least one million dollars in coverage - two million is better) is vital. An uninsured company will absolutely be cheaper, but when the finish is eaten off your wood floors, your stainless steel appliances are scratched, or your grandmother's vase is broken, they are also the ones who will not be able to afford to compensate you for it, leaving you to foot the bill. Always verify insurance coverage through the company's insurance provider. This opens you up to significant risk of lawsuit if a cleaner is injured in your home. The risk is even greater with an independent maid, since technically YOU are their employer.

1. The I Spy Game

When kids are in charge of a certain space, accountability becomes an issue, doesn't it? I used to get so irritated when one of my kids would say "mommmmm! I'm donnnnnne!" and I'd go look and I would be thinking "did you do anything?? I seriously can't tell."

I make a dramatic display of pretending to take my eyeballs out and hand them over, and they give their eyeballs to me (really not as gross as it sounds). They really get into the role of pretending they're Mom, and I've even heard more than once someone saying to himself in my voice "That's a great start, but it looks like you missed....." This is another great exercise in helping kids see the mess they create so that they can tidy up without your involvement.

4. This strategy doesn't work in all families, because it can lead to resentment if not everyone is trying. It can, though, encourage a team approach, with the older(s) helping the younger(s).

5. I'll wait here... When I try this, the dreaded chore is almost always significantly less time to complete than I had imagined. How Many Seconds?

An less formal way to play this is to simply ask, "how many seconds do you think you need to clean up?" It's a strategy I often use with my youngest, who tends to lolligag. When I ask him how many seconds, it doesn't really matter what he estimates, because I'm not really counting! He does snap into action, and that's the important thing.