House cleaners

[blue]

I’m looking into hiring house cleaners. A lady and a small team of others who work for her. Should I run a background check on her? Should I ask for a copy of her drivers license? One of my neighbors uses her too but I don’t know the neighbor very well.

Also, is anyone willing to share any tips about hiring a house cleaner? What should I ask them before setting up a regular schedule? TIA!

[icedcoffee]

We just asked neighbors for a referral and went based on that. Kids are never home when they come.

[penguingrrl]

We hired based on personal recommendations, and did not do a background check or anything. I’ve used the same woman for 7ish years now and she’s amazing.

Generally our cleanings are scheduled when the kids are at school, but if her day falls over a break we take the kids out while she’s here so they aren’t underfoot.

Mine comes every other week, which is good. I dream of weekly, but can’t justify the cost.

[macmars45]

I found mine on FB. She came over and we talked about what I wanted clean, how often & what cleaning supplies she uses. She's licensed and bonded (she showed me her license). I gave her a tour of my house. Then I signed a contract with her for EoW. H is always home while she cleans as he WFH. DS is at school while she cleans. That was my one requirement that she can clean anytime between 9am-3pm but she has to be gone by 3:30pm.

She's been cleaning since September and I am so pleased. It's the best thing I pay for every month.

[sent]

You could run a background check on the owner but if she has a team, you won't know who was in your house that day. The team probably turns over a lot from what I've seen over the years.

I've always had 1 or 2 cleanings done and then decided if this was a person/team I wanted to keep on long term or if I should keep looking. They never meet 100% of my expectations so I've learned to let go if they meet them 85 - 95% of the time.

I did every week when DS was tiny and on the ground a lot. We went to twice a month after COVID, he was 2.5 by then. We don't have pets. I used to want to be home when they'd come so I could check afterwards. Now I ask my husband to schedule them when I am not home. Our current company has been with me for over 4 years.

I prefer to have a team rather than an individual. My mother likes to work with just an individual + maybe a helper. She can't deal with a team. You have to feel out who you want.

[sdlaura]

We use a woman who was recommended by a few neighborhood families and did no checks. She comes with one helper every other week while we’re not here. She doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish so we communicate through text. I like that she works for herself and sets her own rates.

[blue]

Thanks all for the replies! This is very helpful. I talked to two cleaners today and I liked both of them. I think I will just ask for references and skip a background check. I’m excited to finally get a cleaning service!