frequently asked questions
Our cleaning service is unique. Do you have questions about how we operate? Find out what to expect below.
How many people do you send?
We think pairing clients with individuals is ideal most of the time. Getting to know our clients is one of favorite parts of this work, and we know you appreciate the feeling of security that comes with having your home cleaned by someone familiar. We also know that many pets and kiddos respond better to having the same person in the home. Many people also don’t like the feeling of a large group of people whizzing through their home chaotically, and that scenario is also tough to organize on our end. Working individually eliminates the necessity of coordinating and tracking tasks, which increases efficiency and reduces missed tasks.
If a job is too large, or scheduling constraints too strict, for one person alone, we can send a team of two people. For moveout cleans, we may send more.
We are happy to assist to find a scheduling solution that gets the job done and meets everyone’s needs.
What products do you use?
Our mainstays in our supply arsenal include:
-Water! For surfaces that don’t require cleaning, but that need to look great, such as mirrors, water does the job!
-Sal Suds, an all purpose concentrate by Dr. Bronner
-Bon Ami, a mineral-based scrubbing powder
-Weiman stainless steel wipes
-Microfiber rags
We also come with an assortment of scrubbers, brushes, and sponges, as well as additional products whose appropriate applications are less common. Read more HERE.
We are always on the lookout for new and better Earth friendly cleaning products. If you have one you love and think we should try, let us know!
Do I need to be home?
Nope! As long as we have instructions for entering, you can leave everything to us. Some folks like to let us in and then head out, some stay home while we clean, and others give us a code to a keypad or lockbox. Whatever your comfort level, we are happy to accommodate.
For logistical reasons, we do not keep keys on hand. If you do not have keypad entry or a lockbox, we are happy to provide one for biweekly or weekly recurring clients.
Please do make certain that if you will not be home staff will be able to enter. We have a strict lockout policy. This allows us to compensate staff for their travel time, as well as the opportunity cost of missing a clean. Our teams depend on their income! If staff are unable to enter and we cannot reach you, we will leave after 15 minutes, and our lockout policy applies.
Do I need to, or can I, provide supplies?
Some folks have certain products or equipment that they prefer to have in their space, and that is just fine with us. The only exceptions are with harsh or toxic chemicals and equipment that may be hazardous or unsafe. We do not bring cleaning products that are not labeled non toxic, and for our staff’s safety and comfort, we allow them to decline to use any products that are not labeled non-toxic, bleach being the primary product most staff prefer not to use. As for equipment, if you’d like staff to complete a task that requires a step ladder, you may provide one, as we don’t bring them. Our liability insurance covers us working up to three feet off the ground, so please keep that in mind when asking staff to leave ground level to reach something. This is usually a three step ladder, or the equivalent of standing on the counter tops. Other equipment that we may turn down using would be anything that requires special training or safety gear. By default we do not do any work outdoors.
If it is an odd job, feel free to ask!
What if I have pets?
We LOVE pets! As long as your furry (or feathered, or scaly!) family members are happy to have us there, we will be thrilled to enjoy their company. If you question your pet’s comfort level with strangers, please make arrangements or kennel them during our visit if you don’t plan on being present. We want everyone to feel safe!
Some homes require a little bit of extra work to manage pet hair and dog kisses on the windows. We add a small surcharge for these cleans to compensate for the extra time these tasks take.
How do I pay for my appointment?
When you book your appointment, we collect your card information. Don’t worry; we are a secure site. We use Stripe, which is a professional, secure payment processor, and we can’t see your card information after you enter it. You have the option to pay upfront when you book your appointment online or wait until after service. If you choose to wait, you may follow the payment link in your service follow-up email, which arrives 24 hours after your appointment. If you miss it, no big deal; we run payments for all outstanding balances with the cards we have on file, usually within a couple days of service. You will receive an emailed receipt immediately upon payment, and it will reflect the date of service that your payment is being applied to. Each clean is processed individually for your record keeping. We no longer accept cash or checks for payment for service, although you may use these to tip your cleaner.
Should I tip?
Our staff work very hard, and while tips are not expected, they are ALWAYS appreciated. Anywhere between $5 and 20% are common among those who do tip. You may leave this in cash or check on an obvious surface with a note for your cleaner (otherwise, they may not assume it is for them), OR you add a tip to your payment for your clean. Followup emails go out 24 hours after each clean and provide a link to pay with a tip included. You can use that link or simply send us an email or text with the tip amount you’d like us to include in your payment. Jobs that are not paid by the next day will be processed without a tip. 100% of tips go straight to the service provider, with no processing penalty if you do use your card.
What if I need a move-out/in clean?
Plan in advance! Remember that you need time for the actual moving process, time for cleaning, and you may have other professionals, such as painters or carpet cleaners, to coordinate with. Don’t put it off! We recommend having painters/handy persons in FIRST. Cleaning is next, and carpets should be last. We will not clean your refrigerator or cabinet interiors if they are full. You probably don’t want to pay our hourly rate for pantry item removal anyway.
Please provide a SPECIFIC list of tasks you need completed, in order of priority. We request a specific list because every moveout is different. Sometimes appliances will be replaced, so we don’t want to waste time cleaning them. Same goes for floors that will be refinished or tile or walls that will be redone.
If you want us to go by our standards, please see our moveout page for our checklist. We work until the job is complete, then we calculate time spent, rounding up to the nearest half hour.
The time we propose for moveouts is usually a generous estimate. If we find the amount of time you reserved wasn’t sufficient, you can always book more. You’ll be glad you planned ahead! On the other hand, you’ll never be charged for unused time for your moveout.
For very large jobs, you may have to book time with multiple staff/teams or over 2-3 days.
Can I have the same person each visit?
Yes! With some exceptions, we are typically able to have the same person or team paired with each client. When a team member is out, we can usually offer the option of having a substitute for that same day, soon thereafter, or another day with your regular. Whenever you book a new clean or reschedule an existing one, you have the option of choosing your favorite person/team, or the first available.
We offer guaranteed appointment rotations weekly, biweekly, and every four weeks. If you wish to have a different rotation (i.e. every 3 weeks, every 6 weeks), you may book your appointments one at a time.