Five Questions to Ask of Your Current or Prospective Cleaning Service

If you've decided to hire a cleaning company to take care of your home or office (or maybe you already have one), you've probably already found that it is extremely difficult to do research on these businesses. Many of them are very small and often they do not even have a website you can visit. You can search through all the usual places, but it will seem that these little companies just fly beneath the radar somehow. Even if you ask for referrals from people you know or choose a larger, more well-known company, how can you be sure that they are worthy of your trust? Here are some questions you can ask of a current or prospective cleaning company that will help you decide.

1. Who will be cleaning your home or office? Will it be the same person each time? The janitorial industry is often one of very low pay and high turnover for employees. Having a constant stream of new people walking through your home or office can only serve to raise your risk of theft and loss. Most people who clean your home or office are hardworking, ethical people, but it is good to at least be able to recognize them and perhaps even know their name.
2. What are they cleaning with? Make a surprise visit while your janitorial company is at work and see what's going on. It is not at all uncommon for a corner-cutting maid or janitor to clean your bathroom or kitchen with glass cleaner rather than disinfectant. When they finish, it may look clean and shiny, but the germs are still there. Quality companies consider this practice to be extremely unethical.
   
3. Are they digging around in places they shouldn't be? Try licking the ends of a piece of hair then sticking it over closed desk drawers or cabinet doors. The saliva will hold the hair in place, unless of course, the doors or drawers are opened. This is a quick way to tell if someone is going through your things while they clean. 
   
4. Do they have liability insurance and worker's compensation? If they don't, you're taking a huge risk by hiring them. If they get hurt on the job, they can come back and sue you and if they break your window or ruin your carpet, you may have to pay the bill. Many cleaning companies like to tell prospective clients that they are "bonded" as a way of distracting you from the fact that they don't have insurance. Surety bonding in the cleaning business means that the company pays about $100 per year for an insurance policy which is basically useless, especially to you. If one of their employees steals from you and is caught and found guilty in a court of law, the surety bond then kicks in to reimburse you for your loss -- but not a moment before a conviction is in place. That can be a long time to have to wait around for your computer or other expensive item to be replaced. Reputable companies carry insurance and guarantee that their employees won't steal from you. Though they may carry a bond, it is for their safety, not yours. In the event of a theft, they will reimburse you immediately so that you don't have to wait for the conviction. 
   
5. ​Do you know where your trash is going? Shred your financial documents and credit cards, especially if you are trusting someone else with your trash. If you have sensitive company documents, shred those as well as janitors in very competitive industries may find that they can make far more money by selling your company secrets or stealing your identity than by dumping your trash. Many, many home and office cleaners will pick through your trash and take things they like, so be sure that the things in your trash are really trash. Also, to curtail their curiosity, don't put large or interesting items in the trash, such as clothes, tools, appliances or electronics. Instead, throw them away yourself at another time.

Hiring a janitorial or maid service can be a particularly stressful decision -- you're trusting this company with your home or office, after all. Before you hire, get references from trusted friends or business associates, then keep this list handy for the interview process and beyond.