With over 90,000 house cleaners in California, it’s safe to assume that you won’t have much difficulty finding a maid when you need one. But solving your unique cleaning problem usually takes more effort than calling the first person that shows up in a Google search.
When you’re inviting someone into your house and around your family, taking time to find a qualified professional is critical. As easy as it is to find cleaning services in California, it’s even easier to hire the wrong one by failing to ask the right question or not doing enough research.
Picking the perfect house cleaner the first time can be a life-altering experience. If you want to take the guesswork out of hiring a maid service, we’ll show you the six essential traits to look for in your house cleaner.
1. Attention to Detail
One of the best indicators of what you can expect from a cleaner is their attention to detail. When you’re doing a post-cleaning walkthrough, you should see evidence of a meticulous approach in flawless results. You don’t want to hire a house cleaner for a deep clean only to find out they didn’t wipe down the bathroom mirror or mop the kitchen floor.
Look for a detail-oriented mindset during the interview process. The best house cleaners are careful with how they dress, present themselves, and communicate. They send well-written, error-free emails, they can explain their processes, and they engage you throughout the hiring process, providing detailed answers and asking questions for clarity and elaboration.
2. Quality Equipment
Nothing can replace housekeeping skills, but the materials your potential maid uses can still make a difference. It becomes especially impactful when you consider your family’s health.
Ask your house cleaning candidates about their equipment, especially if you have family members with health issues like allergies or asthma. Do they take a green cleaning approach? Are they willing to make accommodations in light of your concerns? In general, the broader their arsenal and the more willing they are to follow your requests, the better the experience will be.
3. An Array of Cleaning Services
You often get the best rates and most desirable experience if you have one cleaner to handle all your needs. Look for a house cleaner who can handle your weekly tidying tasks as well as a more intense semi-annual deep cleaning. The ideal professional can do everything from fold laundry to scrub bathrooms and more, making it easy for you to
4. Experience
Efficiency and intuition come with experience, and the best maids are those that have put in several years honing their craft. Read customer testimonials and learn about your house cleaner’s background from their resume or website.
The more time a cleaning lady has put in on the job, the more proficient they will be at solving problems and making decisions. You’ll see better results without having to quality check them at every turn or provide detailed instructions. That makes life a lot easier if you’re not used to working with a professional cleaner.
5. Positive Reputation
Referrals from friends and neighbors will often help you find a great housekeeper in your local area. But for convenience, you can also glean plenty from online reviews.
Check Google, Yelp, and Facebook for customer feedback, looking for common trends such as value, punctuality, and good communication. A good housekeeper has a track record of positive reviews and frequent engagement with their customers on social media.
6. Availability
The residential cleaning industry is enjoying steady growth because many people work more and don’t have the time to focus on a clean house. If you’re willing to pay for a professional, you likely lead a busy life with a packed, demanding schedule.
How to Gauge Availability
Your life won’t become any more convenient if you hire a maid who makes you wait on them or forces you to work around their schedule. We may not all be able to have a live-in maid, but for the most part, your maid should be accommodating and willing to work on your time. Get an idea of your housekeeper’s availability and punctuality in your interview with these questions:
- Is there a chance that you won’t be available for a last-minute cleaning? What days and times are you unavailable?
- Do you have reliable transportation?
- How far away do you live?
When you’re trying to gauge reliability, have them tell you about a time when their punctuality affected their work. Asking about a real-life scenario will help you get honest answers about their dependability.
Choosing a Professional House Cleaning Service or an Independent Contractor
Hitting a Google search, you’ll find that most services are available through house cleaning companies rather than independent contractors. Instead of working one-on-one with the maid, you use an online portal or customer service line to set up appointments and perform other tasks. Businesses like these make it easy to set up appointments, make payments, and order cleaning packages, offering clear pricing and several ways to pay.
Maid Company Benefits
Along with convenience, cleaning companies offer confidence in the person they send out. They’ll often take several approaches to guarantee the quality of their work:
- Run background checks on all employees
- Ensure their cleaners are licensed and insured
- Require ongoing training and certifications
- Perform post-cleaning quality audits
- Offer 24-hour quality follow-ups and return visits
Why Work with an Independent House Cleaner
Working with a cleaning company is notably low-risk, but they have limitations that you won’t see with an independent contractor. There’s no guarantee that you’ll always get the same cleaner, so you never can be sure of what kind of quality to expect. Having a single cleaner that knows you, your needs, and your standards and provides consistent care can make a huge difference in the experience.
When you have a close relationship with a reliable housekeeper, they’ll try harder to accommodate you. They’ll often let you negotiate cleaning packages and get add-ons for a flat fee, ensuring you get just what you need. Plus, when you need a last-minute cleaning, the direct line to someone who can arrive at a moment’s notice is a luxury you often don’t get with a company.
Not Sure What to Look For in a Maid? Anita’s Can Help!
Cleaning companies offer assurance and convenience, while independent cleaners deliver quality and flexibility. Why not get the best of both worlds by booking your next cleaning service with Anita’s?
When you work with us, you gain access to an easy-to-use yet robust booking system and an exclusive network of top-tier cleaning experts in your area. Our cleaning partners undergo extensive reference and background checks so you can be confident in every connection. Request a cleaning service today to see how quick and stress-less it can be to hire the perfect maid for you and your family.
