· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Cleaning Service
With house cleaning, the client and the company often start out with quite different pictures of the job. In our experience, writing the scope down before the first visit heads off most of the disagreements.
What does a house cleaning service usually include?
Kitchen countertops and the outside of the appliances, bathrooms top to bottom, floors vacuumed and mopped, dusting of the surfaces you can reach, beds made and the trash taken out.
Most recurring cleans work from roughly that list, but we know of no published industry standard for it, so get the list from the company you hire, in writing, and don’t assume it matches the last service you used.
Ask what products they’ll bring, too. The EPA’s introduction to indoor air quality lists products for household cleaning among the sources of indoor air pollution and notes that pollutants can stay in the air for long periods after some activities. If someone at home has asthma or allergies, say so up front and plan to open a window on cleaning day; our post on cleaning for allergy season goes further.
What costs extra with a cleaning service?
Inside the oven and refrigerator, interior windows, laundry, dishes beyond loading the dishwasher, washing walls, the inside of cabinets, and anything that needs a ladder taller than a step stool. Name these when you ask for a quote, because many companies price them separately or save them for a deep clean or a move-out clean. Our post on deep and regular cleans sets out where that line tends to fall.
Pet mess and heavy clutter belong on the list as well. Both slow a visit down, and they’re a common reason a bill comes in above the quote; what helps with the first is in our post on cleaning a house with pets.
- Agree on the scope in writing before the first visit
- Say which rooms are off-limits, if any
- Name your priorities — the two things you notice most
- Settle how the cleaners get in and whether pets will be shut away
- Ask what happens if something gets broken
Preparation on your side
Tidying before a clean isn’t wasted effort. We clean surfaces; we don’t sort or put away your things, so a cluttered countertop gets wiped around the clutter.
Clearing the counters and floors is what lets a visit make a visible difference, because the time goes to cleaning instead of moving things.
What should you ask a cleaning company about insurance?
Ask whether the company carries liability insurance and whether it’s bonded, and if it is, what the bond covers and how a claim works. Things do get broken now and then, and it’s easier to learn the process before you need it.
It’s also fair to ask whether the business is registered for Tennessee business tax. The Department of Revenue’s business tax page says that, generally, a business grossing $100,000 or more in a Tennessee county or city should register for it and pay it, so a company working at that size should be able to tell you it has.
Ask, too, whether the same cleaner comes each time. Someone who has been in the house before knows where things go and which rooms you care about, which is why our recurring visits keep the same team on a house. When you’re ready to put the scope for your own house in writing, send us the details for an estimate.
Sources
- US EPA, Introduction to Indoor Air Quality — Products for household cleaning listed among indoor air pollutant sources; pollutant concentrations can remain in the air for long periods after some activities
- Tennessee Department of Revenue, Business Tax — A business grossing $100,000 or more in a Tennessee county or city should generally register for and remit business tax
FAQ
What to Expect From a Cleaning Service — questions
Should I tidy before the cleaners come?
Yes. We clean surfaces and leave belongings where they are, so anything sitting on a counter or the floor gets cleaned around. Clearing those spots before a visit means the time you’re paying for goes to cleaning.
Is the oven usually included?
Often not in a recurring clean. The inside of the oven and the refrigerator both take time, so many companies price them separately or include them in a deep clean or a move-out clean. Confirm it when you get the quote instead of assuming.
What if something gets broken?
Ask before the first visit. Find out whether the company carries liability insurance, what its process is when something breaks, and, if it says it is bonded, what the bond covers. Putting irreplaceable items away before a clean is a sensible precaution whatever the answers.
What is on a professional house cleaning checklist?
Most recurring cleans work from kitchen counters and appliance exteriors, bathrooms top to bottom, floors vacuumed and mopped, reachable surfaces dusted, beds made and trash out. No published industry standard fixes that list, so ask the company for its own checklist in writing and name any extras, such as the oven or interior windows, before the first visit.