Housekeeping Services – What to expect?
If you are new to house cleaning services, you might have some concerns about what should you expect from housekeeping services. Don’t worry! We are going to explain it to you. ?
Many people who are not familiar with cleaning services might feel reluctant to hire the services for two reasons: first, they believe house cleaning services are too expensive; and second, they create high expectations for house cleaning services.
Just to make it clear, when I say some people create high expectations from professional cleaners, I am not saying that housekeepers are going to do an inferior or superficial job. What I am trying to say is that some people believe house cleaners are going to perform a deep, miraculously clean in just a few hours.
Now, if you are wondering: “House cleaners are not going to clean up everything as they say?”. Undoubtedly, a professional house cleaning service is going to provide quality cleaning because it is the purpose of their business. However, the answer is no! Not everything! And you must remember that there are charges for any additional service. Now if you are thinking: “So, is still worthy to hire a cleaning service?” The answer to this question is: “It depends! It all depends on what you want, what you need, time available, and on your budget.” One great advantage is that most companies provide free quotes, in which you can manage your needs and budget accordingly.
For instance, I am going to list here what you should expect from a professional housekeeping service.
What to expect:
Kitchen
- Clean and sanitize surfaces and countertops
- Clean and sanitize floor (vacuuming or mopping)
- Wipe down and disinfect the outside of appliances, cupboards, and cabinets
- Wipe down blinds, window sills, and windows interior
- Dust baseboards, switch plates, and surfaces
- Clean doors, handles, knobs, tables, and chairs
- Empty trash bins
- Remove cobwebs
Cleaning services upon request:
- Dishes
- Windows exterior
- Interior of cupboards, cabinets, and oven
Bathroom
- Clean and sanitize surfaces, cabinet’s exterior, knobs, switch plates, hardware, and mirrors
- Fold towels and place them properly
- Clean and disinfect bathtub, shower, toilet, and sink
- Empty trash bins
- Wipe down and clean window sills, windows, and blinds
- Clean and disinfect floor
Bedrooms
- Clean floors (mop, vacuum, or wash – under the bed if access is available)
- Make beds (linens changed upon request)
- Clean windows, door frames, baseboards, knobs/handles, and switch plates
- Dust lamps, lampshades, picture frames, and surfaces
- Wipe down furniture
- Empty trash bins
Living Areas (Hallways and Stairs Included)
- Clean woodwork, door frames, and switch plates
- Dust and clean ceiling fans, lamps, and lampshades
- Clean floors, hallways, and stairs (mop, vacuum, or wash)
- Dust and clean furniture (top, front, and underneath)
- Clean window sills, interior windows, and blinds
- Dust baseboards and banisters
- Clean laundry room
- Dust and clean picture frames and mirrors
- Remove cobwebs
- Empty bins
Don’t expect:
- Chandeliers cleaning
- Wet wiping of light bulbs
- Cleaning of bio-hazards (mold, etc.)
- Extreme cleaning for hoarding
- Clean animal waste, litter, or insect cleaning
- Heavy scrubbing of walls
- Carpet cleaning (including heavy-duty or steam)
- Hard-to-reach areas (higher than a two-step ladder)
- Exterior window washing
- Pick up or organize toys, books, and pet messes
- Declutter and tidy up the house
- Pick up and put away clothes
Why you shouldn’t expect house cleaner to perform these chores?
Some chores expose housemaids to situations of hazard, we care about our maids and we want to make sure they work in a safe environment. In addition, companies, in general, are liable for injuries at work. We don’t want to expose our housemaids or our clients in an uncomfortable situation.
Since we covered the services you should expect and the one you should, we also would like to share some rules of thumb when hiring a professional cleaning service.
Rules of Thumb When Hiring Professional Cleaning Services:
1. A deal is a deal
Maintain great communication with the company you are hiring. When requesting the services, be very clear and specific about what you are looking for, what you want, and what you need.
Keep a checklist in which both parties can follow through on the agreement and when the service is done.
2. Be reasonable
As much as housemaids are going to do their best and provide a quality service, keep in mind they don’t have superpowers to accomplish a long chore list in a few hours.
Even though they are trained and have experience with professional cleaning, they are humans and have their limitations.
When requesting the services, be aware that we manage the chores according to your priorities and the time available. It is unfeasible to provide deep cleaning in 30 minutes, for example.
3. Maids are not factotum
Like employees in any company, housemaids follow their job requirements.
Again, don’t expect maids will do additional chores that don’t pertain to their job, or that are not specified in the agreement when you requested the services. For example, don’t expect maids will declutter your house or tidy it up, picking up toys, books, or clothes around the house.
Keep your belongings in their respective places. Housekeepers want to make your life easier; you also need to do your part in helping them to do their job.
4. Cleaning will not last forever
It is amazing when housekeepers clean your house, and when you get home everything is fresh and clean!
However, as we know, one-time cleaning won’t last forever. Depending on your routine, location, or need, you might need to request a new appointment after a few days or weeks.
You might need housemaids to perform cleaning maintenance, or to clean different areas of your checklist, or to do a deep cleaning (if you requested).
Cleaning is a consistent activity. What we mostly recommend to our clients is: request a deep cleaning and the following visits will be for maintenance.
That is all for today! I hope this information will help you! And feel free to ask any questions.
And if you want to learn more about Zesty Maids house cleaning services, visit our website and request a free quote!
Credit Photo to: Public Domain Pictures from Pexels, Markus Spiske temporausch.com from Pexels, and rawpixel.com from Pexels