What To Consider
Housekeeping entails a lot of work, especially if you’re living alone or if you have kids. If you are looking to go abroad or you are simply too busy to clean your house by yourself, you can hire a housekeeper to do the job for you. They can clean your home while you’re not around. As such, you need to hire someone you can trust.
Individual “freelance” cleaners vs. outsourced workers
Most homeowners prefer to go directly to an individual who knows how to keep house, which is what they would do when hiring a babysitter or plumber. However, it would be better to find a professional cleaning company in Calgary instead.
These companies can send their employees to your house regularly. These people are well-trained, and their employers will have already run background checks on them, unlike your ordinary cleaner. Thus, you don’t have to do any of that yourself. You can be sure that they will provide consistent, professional service that a mere individual cleaner can’t offer.
Ask for referrals and do your research
If you don’t know where to start, you can ask your friends, family, neighbours, or colleagues at work if they can suggest an individual housekeeper or cleaning company. Unlike an individual housekeeper, cleaning service companies are more well-known and preferred for their quality work.
Online reviews and offline recommendations from people you know are proof of that. Some cleaning companies even allow you to try different employees until you find one who suits your needs. Look up the various cleaning companies in Calgary and compare.
Pay upfront flat or hourly
When dealing with an individual housekeeper, you will likely negotiate with them on the rates. But with a cleaning company or a well-known housekeeper, their rates are non-negotiable. Fortunately, the rates of a cleaning company are quite reasonable, and when you see their employee’s work, you will know that what you paid them is worth it.
Make a list of tasks
Having a list will make it easy for you to let the housekeeper know what they should do in a day. You will also check this list of tasks to see if they did what you asked them to do. Your list should contain standard tasks, such as:
- Sweeping
- Vacuuming
- Dusting
- Mopping
- Polishing
- Window cleaning
- Scrubbing the tiles of your kitchen, showers, and toilets
- Taking out the trash
Depending on the company or individual you are talking to, you can ask them to do additional tasks. These may include laundry work, bathing your pets, washing the dishes, or cleaning the refrigerator and oven.
Clarify expectations and boundaries
Your task list should cover the bare minimum of your expectations. Make sure you get your money’s worth by telling the housekeeper exactly what you expect. For instance, you can say that you expect them to be:
- Prompt and snappy. They should come to work on time. If there are any emergencies that may prevent them from doing so, they must call you ASAP.
- Diligent and thorough in their work.
- Consistent in terms of the quality of their work. What they made spotless yesterday should still be spotless tomorrow.
- Professional and polite. Whatever they see in the home, stays in the home.
You can also make a table of do’s and don’ts. For example, tell them at once if they can’t use the phone (unless there’s an emergency), television, or computer.
You should also let them know if they aren’t allowed to use their mobile phones while they’re on the clock. Ask them if they understand and agree with your rules. Remind them that their reputation is at stake, so they shouldn’t break any of those rules.
If you’re looking for a residential cleaning service in the Calgary area, Calgary Trusted Cleaners is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
