6 Things to Look Out for in A Test Cleaning Service
A test cleaning or a trial cleaning session comes after the interview state with a cleaning agency. You may have looked through various cleaning services in your area and narrowed your selection to two or three services. Usually, what follows is a more thorough process of identifying if this cleaning service fits your needs.
What you want to know is:
- If the cleaning fits within your household and family needs
- If they have the right skills required
- If they come with the right work ethic and professionalism
It’s near impossible to find out all these elements from the initial interview process.
The test or trial period is usually a minimum of several hours, and it can go up to several weeks, depending on how big the home is and how extensive cleaning is required. Some homes have larger living rooms, wall to ceiling shelving and high ceilings- all of this requires specific cleaning tools and skills.
A trial cleaning period allows you to enter into a non-pressured stage before making a long-term commitment to a cleaning service contract. If your home is smaller in size, then a day or two of cleaning trials can immediately give you an idea of whether this cleaning is a good fit. Otherwise, consider at least one week of trial to establish if the cleaning service is a good choice.
Cleaning services will also propose an individual maid or a package of housekeeping services based on your unique needs. Here is a quick rundown of the benefits and setbacks:
Individual housemaids:
Advantages:
- You get a personalized approach to cleaning
- They are more affordable
- The same person cleaning so you don’t have to repeat any instructions
Disadvantages:
- It might take longer to clean
- You may not get the efficiency of a team
Housekeeping package:
Advantages:
- Higher efficiency using modern cleaning products and equipment
- Wide range of skills for various cleaning needs
- A team of cleaners at one time, faster cleaning time
Disadvantages:
- Can be costly
- Different housemaids are sent at any given time
- You may need to book an appointment
Booked for a trial cleaning service? Here are six things to look out for:
Determine your cleaning needs
Before hiring a cleaning service on a contract basis, you need to reflect on your cleaning needs. This will help you determine whether you need a housemaid or a team of housekeeping services. Speak to the cleaning agency and tell them what areas of the house need attention and your expectations. Do you need your upholstery and furniture cleaned regularly? What about carpet cleaning? Do you need to provide tools and equipment, or will this be from the cleaning services? Once you have clearly outlined your sanitization and cleaning needs, it will help you determine whether the cleaning done during the trial meets your requirements.
Equipment and products used
Does the cleaning service provide their tools, equipment and cleaning products, or would you need to make this available? Standard individual housemaid services usually come with basic cleaning supplies and tools but not heavy equipment such as vacuum cleaners. On the other hand, housekeeping service should come with all the required items for cleaning, including blowers, vacuum cleaners, mops, and buckets.
Check their skills
Everyone has different cleaning styles and different perceptions of what they consider clean. A trial period provided by a cleaning service allows you to find out if the cleaners sent to your home have the right skills for the job. During the trial period, the housemaids are expected to do the same work and provide the exact level of service and care after the contract has been signed.
Here’s the opportunity for you to check and evaluate their skills and level of service. Do they make the beds well? Are the laundry and ironing done according to how you want it done? Do they clean the kitchen too, and how thorough is their cleaning? By the end of the trial session, you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Check on personality
Whether it’s an individual housekeeper or a team of housekeepers- they are all strangers to your home. You want to make sure you hire the right service that offers housekeepers who are personable and professional. How pleasant or how talkative are they? Are they always on their phone, or do they touch things they aren’t supposed to? Are they good at timekeeping and respectful of your space? Do you like the way they work?
Some homeowners don’t mind the casual chit-chat, but some prefer to communicate only when needed. It’s the same with housekeepers- some are okay with being friendly and talkative, but most like to get their jobs done within the stipulated time frame and have as little conversation as possible. This trial period gives you insights into their personality.
The budget and payment terms
Price is, of course, a significant deciding factor when hiring a learning service or housemaid. Plenty of cleaning services provides flexible means of payment and payment structures. You’ll usually find either a package-based structure (perfect for housekeeping services), a flat-fee basis or an hourly rate per cleaner. Hiring housekeeping services for larger houses with plenty of rooms and facilities is more cost-efficient, whereas, for a smaller house or apartment, an hourly rate housemaid is the better option.
Iron out details on the cleaning package
At the end of your trial, you want to clarify what you want and don’t want in your package or contract before signing. You need to ensure that all cleaning services and any additional hours are made transparent so you can avoid any unnecessary charges. Most cleaning packages cover standard cleaning and sanitization covering the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. However, if you require deep cleaning on specific areas or items such as the couch or carpets or polishing items, you need to specify this to the cleaning service.
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