Can you trust your cleaning service?

Despite the obvious benefits, hiring a cleaning service can be a stressful experience. Any time you ask unfamiliar people to work in your home, you’re making yourself vulnerable. Every business says it’s trustworthy, but how can you be sure they’ll honor your privacy and be respectful of your home? Not all cleaning services in Wilmington are created equal, and luckily the less reputable ones are easy to spot if you know what to look for. Here are a few warning signs to heed when choosing your company.

No insurance

This is perhaps the biggest red flag of them all. If a business can’t back up their work through proof of insurance or bonding, then it’s pretty much telling you not to trust it. Even if its cleaners have good intentions, they’re absolved from responsibility should something get broken, stained, or otherwise tainted. Insurance isn’t a cheap expense, but any business that wants to be taken seriously needs to have it.

Suspiciously low rates

No matter where you live, be suspicious of very low rates. Whether it’s Brandywine Village or Gander Hill, quotes among maids in Wilmington should be comparable. The old rule of thumb applies: you get what you pay for. If the rate is well below its competitors, there’s probably a good reason. If you don’t discard the service outright, ask a lot of questions. You’ll most likely find that it doesn’t compare to the most competitive maid cleaning service Wilmington DE has to offer.

Refuses to give a quote

Before you hire someone, make sure you’re both clear about what to expect. Do you want the whole house cleaned, or just a few key rooms? Do you prefer green cleaning methods or are other chemicals allowed? Inventory your home, as well as its materials and surfaces to make sure you know how you want everything to be treated. If you have questions, ask your service. It should offer guidance as well as clear, up-front estimates. If it doesn’t quote you a price ahead of time, it’s a sign that the company may be inexperienced or might want to charge by the hour. Avoid hourly rates whenever you can. They may mean that the cleaners will take longer than necessary, and scam you.

Doesn’t offer a guarantee

All businesses should stand by their work. While guarantees aren’t a given in some industries, cleaning services should always offer them. Your home is very personal. You have specific ideas of how the rooms, furniture, appliances, etc. should look. Make sure you communicate those ahead of time. If the cleaner goes into the job being fully aware of your preferences and has agreed to them, then she should deliver. If not, she should come back to re-do the work until it meets your reasonable terms. Any company that won’t offer guaranteed work should be avoided.