how-to-hire-a-cleaning-service

January 12, 2023

How to Hire a Cleaning Service? Things You Need To Know

Table of content

If it’s a commercial property where you run your office or business activities, then make sure it always appears clean and appealing to the customers or clients. The first thing they notice after visiting your place is how tidy and organized it is. Especially after the wake of the COVID pandemic, maintaining the cleanliness of a commercial facility has become as important as other routine tasks. The same thing applies to your home too. A clean environment makes your home welcoming and creates the best impression on your guests. 

While your janitors or housekeepers can't clean the entire property including, furniture and outdoors, it’s better to hire a professional cleaning service provider. 

Professionals provide the highest quality cleaning services to make your commercial place or house super clean and hygienic. Their services are flexible too! You can hire them according to your needs i.e., either daily or weekly. Now, if you are worried about how to hire a cleaning service that is reliable for your home or specific commercial facility, here’s a complete guide. 

Read through this blog to learn about the crucial tips for hiring a professional cleaning service that is viable for you. 

What is a Cleaning Service? 

Cleaning services signify the housekeeping services provided by a company after a general agreement on the price. Cleaning includes a lot of services, starting with general tasks like sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and removing trash or debris. Depending on the commercial facility or household type, there are several other cleaning services that a professional agency provides, such as deep cleaning, sanitization and disinfection, office cleaning, school cleaning, and so on. 

Hiring cleaning services is invariably important for any business space or residence. It will keep your place clean and make it look much more inviting to the clients or guests. 

15 Tips on Hiring a Cleaning Service

There are lots of companies offering cleaning services to houses and various commercial buildings. However, most property owners are confused about how to hire a cleaning service according to the type of their facility, footfall count, specific needs, etc. 

Here are some appropriate cleaning service hiring tips that will help you find the right cleaning partner. 

1. Know What To Look For 

The first thing to consider when you hire commercial cleaners or house cleaners is what to clean. You may decide to tidy up the common areas of your commercial building and leave the rest work like mopping the floors, dusting, and wiping windowpanes, to the housekeepers. Similarly, one may require hiring them to clean particular places in the house, which are tough, like the kitchen and bathroom. Sometimes, households want deep cleaning services, i.e., go beyond a standard cleaning. They need to wipe windows, vacuum carpets or rugs, power wash the entryways/sidewalks, vacuum sofas, etc. 

So, you may come up with different cleaning needs for your commercial place or house at different times. Always decide what you want to clean and hire commercial cleaners or house cleaners accordingly. When you know well what to clean, you can hire tailored services from them depending on your budget. 

2. Get Referrals and Check Out Reviews 

A great way to look for a reliable cleaning service company is to ask neighbors, friends, and acquaintances. They too get their homes or commercial facilities cleaned by professional cleaners. So, ask for some referrals and then do your research. 

You can also search for some cleaning service providers online and read reviews of their customers. Customer reviews are the best way to judge the quality of their service and professionalism. 

3. Get Recommendations 

From friends, colleagues, or neighbors, get recommendations regarding some cleaning companies. You can ask them whether the companies are good at cleaning their facilities, what kind of cleaning they do, how much they charge, and whether they want to continue getting cleaning services from the companies. 

Depending on their recommendations, shortlist a few companies! Contact them and enquire about their service charges. Also, keep in mind to ask whether they provide flexible services. Finally, choose the company that can provide services according to your cleaning needs and spending capacity.  

4. Interview the Service or Cleaner

This is perhaps one of the crucial tips on how to hire a cleaning service. 

Do not just blindly rely on the services of a professional cleaning company but double-check their efficiency by interviewing their staff or cleaners. Spell out your needs, the services you want, and what you expect from their services. Once you are clear about your needs, give them some time to explain their services and how they can fulfill your expectations. 

The Questions You Must Ask Every House Cleaner or Cleaning Company 

Take some time to prepare some real questions that will help you learn about the company. Here are a few important questions that you should ask while hiring a cleaning company and know whether it’s the right choice for you.   

1. What services do you offer and what services do you not do? 

The first thing that you should ask the cleaning company is what services they provide. There are wide varieties of cleaning, which include commercial cleaning, residential cleaning, deep cleaning, janitorial cleaning, day porter cleaning, green cleaning, and many more. Ask them what type of services they provide and what they do not. 

2. What are your rates, how do you come up with pricing, and are all pricing/quotes final? 

Know about their rates for the cleaning services and on what basis they charge the rates i.e., hourly, weekly, or a flat rate. You should also ask them whether they charge based on the area of the facility, daily foot traffic, or any other factor in case of commercial cleaning. You should get all information regarding their price rates in explicit detail and also know, whether they charge additionally for cleaning any specific items or places. 

3. How do you vet your employees? 

This is a vital question that you need to ask when hiring a house cleaner or commercial cleaner. You should enquire whether they check the background of their employees, or whether they require specific training and certifications to become their staff. Thus, it will help you know about their reliability and expertise. 

4. Who provides the cleaning supplies? 

Check it while hiring the cleaning service provider if you have to provide essential cleaning supplies like a mop, vacuum cleaner, sprays, detergents, and disinfectants.

5. Do you offer a guarantee? What if I’m unsatisfied with the cleaning?

When you are hiring a cleaning company by paying money, you should seek satisfaction from its service. So, how does the company guarantee it? In case you are not satisfied with the service, will the company respond to you by paying a refund or sending other staff for a follow-up cleaning? Enquire about this.  

6. Will you send the same people for every cleaning?

Ask the service provider whether they will assign the same staff to clean your place every time or if it sends different staff. Having the same people every time will be better as they will become familiar with your place, and your cleaning requirements. 

7. What happens if your employees hurt themselves while on my property/home? 

Cleaning involves certain risks like slipping off on the floor, falling off while cleaning at a height, injuring the hands while cleaning sharp objects or glass, and getting skin damage while handling cleaning substances. Your concern here is whether the company takes responsibility for their employees in case of accidents or you will have to bear their medical expenses. Ask for evidence of worker compensation or company policies to know how they handle their expenses. 

8. Do your cleaners speak English?

This is a vital question that you should ask the service provider to know whether they will be able to communicate with you and follow your instructions while cleaning.  

9. What do I need to do about my pets? 

Many households or commercial spaces have pets. Taking care of the pets while the building and its outside areas are cleaned is necessary! You should ensure this with the service provider before hiring. Ask them whether you need to create them and if extra costs are required. Does the company ensure that your pets are treated well?  

5. Company’s Bonding, Insurance & Workers Compensation

One of the crucial cleaning service hiring tips is to learn about the company’s ability to deal with accidents, thefts, or damages to your property. Find whether they can provide coverage for the stolen item, an injured worker, or the harm done to your property. Clearing out this aspect is necessary before hiring a company. 

Most reliable and trusted cleaning companies have policies for such coverage, and they are ready to show them at the request of the customers. Thus, you should ask for this while hiring. Also, keep in mind that a company that offers coverage has to endure additional costs. So, this makes their price rates a bit higher than the cleaning companies that do not provide any coverage for damages. 

6. Verify The Experience, Affiliations & Accreditations

You should find out how long the cleaning company has been in service. See whether it has gained any industry affiliations or accreditations from any authority or professional agency. 

If the cleaning company has any affiliations and accreditations, it shows its commitment and reputation in the industry. Choosing such a company will reassure you that you can trust their service in every way.  

7. Ask for a Background Check and Verify Liabilities

The cleaning service staff will have access to your commercial property or house and be near your employees or family members. So, you should ensure that they are trustworthy and dependable for the safety of your property as well as the occupants. While hiring the cleaning company, ask whether they do a background check on their staff and if they have liability insurance. 

If your chosen company ticks off these both things, it’s good to hire them!

8. Employees vs. Contract Workers

In the cleaning industry, the workforce does not always work permanently. Many companies do not hire cleaners as permanent employees but have them on a contractual basis. The type of employees your chosen company employs must be a concern for you. It’s because contract workers do not get the same benefits as permanent employees. Also, they do not have better work insight or any training and hence, are cheaper to hire. 

It is therefore advisable to hire a cleaning company with permanent employees because they are more reliable than contractual workers. 

9. The Cleaning Supplies They Use 

One of the vital hiring a cleaning service tips that many households or businesses fail to follow is asking the cleaning company about the cleaning supplies that they use. You should ask about the tools and necessary supplies they require for cleaning and whether you have to provide them. In case, they ask you to provide the supplies, clearly ask what things they need and how much. 

Knowing the cleaning supplies that they use is also necessary to ensure that no harmful detergent or cleaning solutions are used by them. Strong or hazardous cleaning substances can damage your surfaces, the fabrics of the furniture, metal items, or glasses.  

10. The Trust Factor 

Most companies who want to know how to hire a cleaning service provider realize that trust is a major factor to consider before hiring. You need to give them the keys or entry codes of many places on your property for cleaning purposes. Many times, you need to hand over the responsibility of a place when it’s vacant. Also, you cannot hover over their shoulders continuously while they do the cleaning tasks. Thus, you should be able to trust the cleaning staff. 

To ensure the trust factor with your chosen cleaning company, ask whether the company has a policy or agreement regarding the loss of property. This way you can state your security concern to the staff and also they will become more conscious while delivering their duties.  

Trust factor becomes the more prominent factor in the case of hospital cleaning. You can go through our detailed hospital cleaning guide if you are engaged in providing medical facilities.

11. The Terms of Service

Sometimes, your cleaning requirements may change. Also, you may not need the services anymore because you are shifting or there are other reasons for it. For this reason, find out if there is a policy of the company for canceling or changing the cleaning services. Make sure to ask them about it before hiring. Otherwise, you can be charged some surplus fees for canceling. 

Most cleaning companies charge cancellation fees because the cleaners get scheduled for your job, and they may not find any other client at the last minute. So, they charge fees to cover the wage loss. If you have known about the cancellation fee earlier, then you could plan the canceling or rescheduling properly. 

12. Know What They Take Care of and What Your Job Is

When the cleaning staff arrives, make sure that they can focus on their duties like cleaning the floors, surfaces, and objects. They should not be wasting their time moving aside the furniture or clearing off the stuff from the surfaces of tables or countertops. 

You should know what to do before the cleaners arrive. This makes their job convenient, and they get maximum time to do the cleaning. 

13. Define Your Agreement

Once you decide the company to hire for cleaning service, discuss with them the details of the services. Discuss how often they need to come and when, what services they will provide, how many hours they will provide, and what are the prices. Also, include what is to be cleaned in your property, i.e., floors, common areas, rooms, window panes, furniture, and other items. Discuss any specifics like decorative pieces, paintings, or new furniture that the cleaners should dust carefully in the agreement. 

14. Calculate the costs

The cost of hiring commercial cleaners or house cleaners depends on several factors. Frequency is the number one factor. The cleaners will of course charge less if they have to come weekly. If you hire them on daily basis for the full month, they will charge more. 

Also, the cost varies on the size of your house or commercial facility. On average, the cleaning service ranges between $70 and $250 per visit, depending on the areas or places to be cleaned. Do all the calculations and determine the total costs of cleaning required per month, whether you hire them daily or weekly basis. Settle with the company only when you think that the total costs are viable for you in the long term. 

15. Stick Around for the First Few Cleanings 

This is necessary to mention among the tips for hiring a house cleaner or commercial cleaner because you will need the cleaning service regularly and continuously. It is not possible to stay with the cleaners every time they come. So, go for an initial walk-through across your place and explain what should be cleaned. Point out the delicate stuff, and broken items that they should avoid or handle cautiously. Show them the areas and items that need special cleaning or deep cleaning services

Nevertheless, you should accompany them in the first few cleanings to make sure that they get fully acquainted with your house or commercial facility. 

What Are The Types of Services Cleaning Companies Offer? 

Before you know how to hire a cleaning service, you should learn about the types of cleaning service packages usually offered by the service providers. The price varies according to the packages. So, as per your monthly budget, you can decide which type of package is suitable for your house, office, or business space. 

1. Flat Rate Cleaning Packages:

The flat rate package sets a price depending on the size of the house or commercial place. They ask for basic details like the number of rooms and bathrooms or simply, the square feet area of the place. Clearly, in this case, the larger the size of your home or building, the more you need to pay. 

2. Hourly Cleaning Services:

In contrary to the flat-rate pricing package, hourly cleaning services are charged based on the hours needed to clean your house or commercial building. In other words, the price will depend on what you ask them to clean at your home or facility. If they need more time to complete all the required cleaning tasks, the price will be more. However, there is a certain flexibility in this case. You can ask how much time the cleaners will need for each of your tasks. So, you can approximately decide what to be cleaned in every visit according to your month’s budget. 

What You Should Know: Independent Maids vs. Cleaning Companies?

There’s one last crucial thing you should be aware of while learning how to hire a commercial cleaning service or home cleaning service. You should know whether you require independent maids or a cleaning company for your home or commercial facility. Each has its set of advantages and disadvantages. Comprehend them before deciding what you need. 

1. Independent maids

Independent maid service is preferable if you have cost constraints. There’s nothing to worry about it if you hire independent maids since they are not a part of the company and do not contribute a portion of their earnings. Also, they have very less overhead costs, so they charge reasonably in return for their service. However, they set their rates independently, and they can be on an hourly or flat basis. You have the scope to negotiate if you hire them for continuous service. 

A few things that you should consider while hiring an independent maid is that there will be no bond or insurance for the protection of your property, furniture, and objects. If there is any damage or theft, there’s nothing you can do. Also, it is rare to get the background of any independent maid verified. Hence, the trust factor is always missing in this case, and you should only hire the ones referred by your close friends or acquaintances. 

2. Cleaning companies 

Cleaning companies are dedicated to providing all types of cleaning services to households and commercial places and have a team of professional cleaners for that. Their services are reliable because they do the background check of their cleaning staff and also have a reputation to hold on in the industry. Many of them even have insurance and worker’s compensation. So, you can be at ease when something gets damaged, or a worker is harmed while cleaning your building premises.  

Since there are several merits of hiring a cleaning company, the price rates are higher regardless it is an hourly or flat rate. It’s mainly because the company has to cover the additional overhead costs such as insurance coverage, costs for background checks, and so on. 

5 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Cleaning Company 

Since you have now learned how to hire a cleaning service, what’s your decision? Are you going to hire a professional cleaning company or go for independent maids? 

Below are some of the significant benefits of hiring a professional cleaning company that tells you why to hire them instead of independent maids. 

1. Does not hamper your work

Whether it is your business space or home, the occupants are busy doing their day-to-day tasks. With a professional team at your service, you can maintain a balance between your work and cleaning duties. They will come at a suitable hour on request when your place will be less busy or empty. It can be early in the morning or on the weekends. So, you can clean your place without disrupting your business operations or household activities. 

2. Uses the right cleaning tools and supplies

Most professional cleaning companies have high-grade tools or equipment including, vacuum, dehumidifier, air scrubber, and drying equipment. They always bring them along with essential cleaning supplies like a broom, mop, detergents, mild-soap solutions, disinfectants, gloves, masks, and so on. 

When you hire a cleaning service from a professional company, you do not have to worry about buying any cleaning supplies or providing them with anything. 

3. Tailored services

The professional cleaning company always takes care of your specific cleaning needs, depending on the size or type of your property. They realize that every client is different, and so they are ready to offer tailored services meeting their budget. 

Whether your property has a huge number of furniture to dust or there are broad walkways filled with debris and unwanted plants, the experts have got you covered! 

4. Save your time 

It takes a lot of time to deep clean your house or clean your big commercial facility with the help of a few independent maids or janitors. You cannot generally afford that time because it will hamper your daily tasks or business hours. 

A professional cleaning agency provides a team for tidying up your place. They will do all the cleaning quickly and efficiently with the use of advanced equipment and save up your time. 

5. Eco-friendly cleaning

Professional cleaners work to contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment. They make sure to use harmless chemicals or eco-friendly substances for cleaning and washing. They also dispose of the waste carefully and make sure to keep the premises hygienic and tidy. Some of the large cleaning companies even provide green cleaning services to enhance indoor air quality and ensure the environmental sustainability of your place. 

Choosing the Right Cleaning Company 

If it’s time for you to pick a cleaning company for your house or commercial facility, consider choosing the company that will best understand your needs and fulfills them at your expected budget. 

When you know how to hire a house cleaning service or commercial cleaning service, you must first decide whether you need independent maids or a cleaning company. It specifically depends on how much you are willing to spend every time cleaning your residence or facility. You can also choose to section off your property and clean it part by part. That way, you do not have to spend a bulk amount on cleaning at a time. 

Hiring a cleaning company is always advisable because they ensure the protection of your property. They offer insurance or coverage for any damaged property or stolen items. But, in that case, you have to pay a little more for their services. We guess any property owner will not mind paying more for the peace of mind that they get by having trusted professional cleaners at their premises. 

Hire Reliable and Professional Cleaning Services from Sterling Cleaning Services!

A professional cleaning service company will be helpful in all cases, no matter if it’s your commercial property or home. Whether you need the cleaning service one-time before a special event or on regular basis, they are the most convenient and cost-efficient option. They will thoroughly clean your property, dust the indoor items, wipe the surfaces, and clear off debris or trash from outdoor areas. They will also make sure to handle your property or items carefully while cleaning. The best thing about hiring a cleaning company is that you can request their service according to your needs at a suitable hour. 

In this guide for how to hire a cleaning company, we have mentioned everything in detail to ensure that you can tactfully pick the right company. At Sterling Cleaning Services, we are a team of specialized cleaning experts in NYC. We offer superior quality and advanced professional cleaning services to households and commercial places at the best possible price. If your residence/office building/ business space happens to be located in our proximity, then make sure to book our services! 

Also read How to hire a deep cleaning service in NYC.

Frequently Asked Qustions: 

1. When should one-time cleaning be performed? 

One-time cleaning services, also called one-off cleaning are performed when the property owner needs the property to be cleaned before a special event, occasion, or annual event. Spring cleaning is also considered a one-time cleaning, for which houses or commercial places may choose to hire professional cleaners. 

2. How often should I have a commercial space cleaned?

Ideally, there is no proper frequency to clean your commercial place. It depends on a large number of factors, including foot traffic, the area of the property, and the number of common areas like restrooms, halls, sidewalks, etc. It is better to clean your commercial place every day considering the higher footfall it gets. However, they need to be deep cleaned quarterly or three times a year. 

3. How much does it cost to hire a cleaning service?

There is no fixed cost of hiring a cleaning service. It entirely depends on the type of your property, the area to be cleaned, and whether you’re hiring an independent maid or a cleaning company. 

4. How many hours a week should I hire a cleaner?

If you are hiring a house cleaner or commercial cleaner weekly, hire for 3-5 hours a week. Generally, all the usual tasks including, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning the toilets will approximately take this much time.  

5. What to do before the cleaning service arrives?

If you know how to hire a cleaning service, then you must be aware of the few things that you should do before they arrive. Put aside all your valuable belongings in the proper place and clear off everything from the surfaces, including tables and countertops. Also, keep your pets in a safe place. 

6. Is it good to tip cleaners every time they come?

It is not mandatory to tip the cleaners for their services. However, considering the immense physical strength they put into making your home or commercial place tidy and hygienic, you can tip them. It is a gesture to appreciate their work. 

7. Do I need to supply cleaning supplies and equipment?

You will come to know about this when you are hiring a cleaning company! If they want you to provide them with the cleaning supplies and equipment, they will specify everything in advance. They will ask you to keep all those supplies ready before their visit. 

8. What if I am not satisfied with the cleaning service? 

Most professional cleaning companies ensure guaranteed satisfaction. In case you are not satisfied with their cleaning service, they will come back right for a follow-up cleaning free of cost or will refund you.  

Latest Blogs

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form

Get in touch

Please reach us at any time to set up an appointment to review your commercial cleaning requirements. Sterling will provide an on-site review of your janitorial needs, then create a custom proposal that fits both your specifications and budget

ADDRESS

303 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016

LET'S TALK

Phone: 212-803-3328

Office Hours

Mon to Sat - 9 AM to 6 PM