Hired a cleaning service? You need to read this article.

Hired a cleaning service? Read this article to find out if your home was cleaned the right way!

Work, school, kids. illness. These are a few of many reasons why someone might find themselves without enough time or energy to fully clean their homes.  A great solution for that is to hire a cleaning service.  Usually, it’s simple: search for local house cleaning services, contact them, they schedule you, and you eagerly anticipate your house finally being clean. 

But, for many clients, they notice something wasn’t cleaned.  It might be the inside of the toilet bowl, the windows, or the floor was still dirty.  This prompts the client to inspect other areas of their home to see if anything else was missed before contacting the cleaning business.  As it turns out, multiple areas weren’t cleaned properly, or as expected.  Missing a few small things is expected – we’re only human after all.  But when multiple details in every area are missed, it can show dishonesty and laziness.  Instead of breathing a sigh of relief from having a clean home, the client is now feeling anxious and wondering if they’ve just been ripped off.  Many cleaning companies offer to return to the home to make things right, but what if it’s the same problem with every future cleaning?

Being in the house cleaning service industry, I’ve been to houses that were supposedly cleaned on a regular basis.  True story: a client (let’s call him John) would say that their previous cleaning company would come on a bi-weekly basis, so there’s no need for us to schedule an initial deep clean for his home.  Our cleaning crew would arrive at John’s house, expecting to only be there for approximately one hour.  Three hours later, our crew is finally finishing up.  If John never told us, we would’ve never known a cleaning crew was ever there, let alone recently!

John had been wasting his time and money on a crummy cleaning company for who knows how long.  Don’t be like John.  Take a few minutes and make sure your money is being spent wisely by checking the following key areas or duties that no respectable house cleaner should miss. 

BATHROOM CLEANING

#1:  The base of the toilets
The whole base, anywhere below the toilet bowl opening, especially the sides and back. 

#2:  Near the bottom of your shower or tub
With bare hands, feel along the sides – up, down, and all around.  It should feel uniformly smooth.  If it doesn’t, it could be leftover soap scum that wasn’t scrubbed off properly.

#3:  Light fixtures
A good way to tell if your bathroom was dusted properly is to look at the light fixtures.  They shouldn’t look dusty.

#4:  Bottom of your mirrors
For this one, you might have to move around a little bit, ducking slightly, to check for dried toothpaste or water drops.

#5:  Under the sink faucet, and all around the handles
This area should be free of any toothpaste, dust, and black slime.

#6:  For stand-alone showers, the top and bottom of the shower door
There shouldn’t be black slime, soap scum, or dust.

#7:  Baseboards
These should be dust-free and clean.

#8:  Floors, especially behind toilets and under recessed cabinetry
If you have a vanity area in your bathroom, the floor area where your chair tucks into should be swept and cleaned.  Check along floor edges and in corners.

KITCHEN CLEANING

#1:  Top of fridge
Usually, it works well to reach up and feel to make sure it isn’t dusty.

#2:  Counters
Bend down to get eye-level with the counter surface.  You shouldn’t see any crumbs or dust.

#3:  Trash
The trash should be taken out and replaced with a fresh bag.

#4:  Cabinets
These should be free of food, fingerprints, and dirt.

#6:  Chairs/Stools
Check the seats and back rests for dust and food, and the bottom area of the chair or stool where dust and food can settle.

#7:  Sink basin
The sink, especially around the drain should look clean and free of food or dirt.

LAUNDRY ROOM CLEANING

The following areas should be free of dust and look clean:

• Tops and front faces of washers and dryers
• Cabinets
• Under/around utility sink

BEDROOM CLEANINGS

#1:  Reachable ceiling fans
Check to make sure they don’t look dusty.

#2:  Trash
If you have a waste basket in your bedrooms, check to see if the trash was taken out.

#3:  Beds are made

Check the following areas for dust and dirt:

• Tops of windows, windowsills, and windowpanes
• Headboards and frame
• Baseboards

LIVING ROOM/FAMILY ROOM CLEANINGS

#1:  TV
The screen should be free of fingerprints and dust, and the top of the TV should be dusted as well.

#2:  Check lamp bases and inside the lampshade below the bulb for dust.

#3:  Coffee table and side tables should be free of crumbs, trash, dust, and dirt.

#4:  Reachable ceiling fans and shelves should be free of dust.

OFFICE AREA CLEANINGS

#1:  Monitor screens should be free of fingerprints and dust.

#2:  Fans, windows, tops of printer, computer tower, and monitor should be free of dust.

#3:  Waste bin should be emptied.

CLEANING OF GENERAL AREAS

#1:  Air vents should be dusted.

#2:  Any doors with glass or windows:  sliding doors, front door, back door, side doors
The glass should clean.

#3:  Tops of picture frames and other home décor such as bookshelves, display shelves, curios, etc. should be free of dust.

#4:  Floors/Carpets/Rugs should be swept and mopped, or vacuumed.

#5:  Bar area should be dusted.

#6:  Around rugs/mats in front of entryways
Move the rugs or mat slightly. There shouldn’t be any visible dirt, dust, or pet hair clumped between the mat and entryway.

This walk-through of your home will only take you a few minutes and could possibly save you from wasting your hard-earned money in the future.  Checking the company reviews on Google and asking for recommendations from local online communities, such as on Facebook, could help you even further.  Remember that cheaper isn’t always better. If you’re not happy with your cleaning, contact the owner or office and let them know! They should be more than happy to come back and make it right. 

As always, make good choices and be safe out there!

—–Nicole from Cleanasaurus.com

Cleanasaurus is an award-winning house cleaning and disinfection service company based in Delaware. Get a free, quick, and easy online quote today by clicking here.