What should I look for when hiring a cleaning service?
Letting a stranger into your home is a big deal! To help you choose a cleaning service provider that will protect your home and deliver the service you want, we recommend that you ask the following questions:
- what measures does the company take to screen its employees?Hire A Maid employs people who management would trust to clean their own homes! All candidates complete a criminal record check, past employment reference checks, and are asked questions during our interview process to ensure their trustworthiness.
- does the company have a process for ensuring that cross-contamination of surfaces doesn’t occur?
Hire A Maid relies on colour-coded bathroom microfibre cloths, a colour-coded toilet detailing brush, and use 3-4 cloths to clean a single toilet! We also use a generous amount of fresh cleaning cloths to clean the rest of your home. - does the company use employees or independent contractors? (this really matters!)
Hire A Maid’s staff are employees who are protected by Workers’ Compensation in the event of injury in your home, while a company using independent contractors doesn’t offer this protection (this can expose you to a potential lawsuit if the cleaner isn’t able to work due to their injury). TIP: Be sure to ask if the company can provide a Workers’ Comp Clearance Certificate to verify that they have this coverage. - what kind of training does the company provide its cleaners?
Hire A Maid provides comprehensive training on our detailed cleaning methods, efficient cleaning procedures and special precautions for carefully cleaning the delicate surfaces in your home to prevent damage. (Companies who use independent contractors can’t provide such training — doing so would lead the Canada Revenue Agency to consider their cleaner an employee, and make the company subject to the payroll taxes it seeks to avoid.) - how are the cleaners paid compared with the industry?
Hire A Maid pays industry-leading hourly wages (not commission), bonus incentives for excellent performance, and medical and dental insurance coverage. And, because our staff are employees (and not independent contractors), they receive all the benefits afforded to them included paid vacation, statutory holidays, 2 paid personal emergency days and Workers’ Comp coverage. This allows us to attract and retain the best of the best to clean your home, and results in happy employees who feel cared for and, in turn, go the extra mile to make our customers happy!
What areas do you serve?
Our Toronto locations provide service from Etobicoke to west Scarborough. Our service area spans from Lake Ontario to Highway 401, and from Highway 427 in the west to Midland Avenue in the east.
In Durham Region, we provide service in Ajax, Brooklin, Oshawa and Whitby.
How much will my home cleaning cost?
Our pricing is based on the Service Plan and Add-on Services selected, the number of rooms and pets (if any) in your home, and whether your home has average cleaning requirements.
Shortly after you book your cleaning online, we call you to complete our detailed phone questionnaire. This helps us confirm your home cleaning needs and the current build-up levels (if any). At that point, we finalize your online quote. Because we clean your home sight-unseen, this extra step helps us provide you the excellent service you want.
Will all visits cost the same amount?
For most homes, your first service with us is a comprehensive deep cleaning to tackle pesky surface build-up and prepare your home for regular maintenance visits. These deep cleanings are priced differently than our routine Maintenance Plan, and are designed to help us to your keep your home sparkling clean with regular maintenance visits.
How do I pay?
We offer payment by Email Money Transfer (our preferred method, which is service charge free with many financial institutions), cheque or credit card.
When paying by cheque, simply leave the cheque on the kitchen counter before you leave or pay our staff directly if you’re home.
Do I have to be home for the cleaning?
No. We make your home cleaning experience as easy as possible for you. (Although many of our clients enjoy being at home to greet their regular cleaning staff.) We just ask that our staff have access to all areas to be cleaned, since waiting for access takes time away from your home cleaning.
The easiest way to provide us access to your home is to install a lock-box on your property. We’ll retrieve and return the key on cleaning day. Keypad lock and garage door codes are other favorite methods for our clients.
Some clients do leave us a key in their mailbox, under a mat or planter. However, for security reasons, we don’t recommend this method.
If we’re unable to gain access to clean your home, you’ll be charged a lock-out fee equal to 50% of your regular cleaning fee.
What should I do about my home security alarm?
If you have a home alarm, please ensure our cleaning staff has access to your home on your scheduled cleaning day. You can either provide us a guest alarm code or leave the alarm off that day. If you provide us a guest alarm code and the code changes, please be sure to inform our office of the new code before your next cleaning appointment in order to avoid being charged a lock-out fee.
Do you guarantee a specific time for my cleaning visit?
We do guarantee the day of your cleaning appointment. Due to our evolving daily schedules and unpredictable weather and traffic conditions, we don’t provide a specific time for our arrival.
Do you send the same staff each visit?
Absolutely! This helps our cleaning staff become familiar with your home and cleaning preferences, so we always provide you with exceptional, high-quality service.
What if I need to reschedule a cleaning?
We understand that life happens. If you need to change your cleaning appointment, simply inform our office at least 48 business hours before your scheduled cleaning. If we receive less than 48 business hours notice, a late cancellation fee equal to 50% of your regular cleaning fee will apply.
For post-renovation cleanings, Hire A Maid commits 1-2 teams for up to 2 days of work (depending on the extent of the cleaning required). If you need to change or cancel a post-renovation cleaning, please inform our office at least 5 business days before your scheduled cleaning. If we receive less than 5 business days notice, a late cancellation fee equal to 50% of the estimated fee will apply
Will you send a team or single cleaner?
Our team and solo cleaning availability varies by geographic region and is based on our drivers’ availability to transport our team and their equipment.
We currently offer team cleaning in South Central Durham Region. In Toronto, team cleaning is provided for initial deep cleanings and larger homes’ regular maintenance cleanings.
In Toronto, we use solo cleaning staff to perform regular maintenance cleanings for small to medium-sized homes.
What do I have to provide?
Hire A Maid provides all cleaning supplies and equipment when team cleaning. Please see “Will you send a team or solo cleaner?” for more information.
Our solo cleaning staff travel by public transit, so we ask that you please supply: a well-functioning vacuum, mop & bucket, toilet brush, microfibre cleaning cloths and any heavy-duty or specialty cleaners that you require for mold & mildew or grease build-up removal, and stainless steel appliance polishing.
When our office calls to confirm your booking details, we’ll let you know whether a team or solo cleaner has been assigned to clean your home.
Hire A Maid uses primarily eco-friendly cleaning products, but we do recommend a conventional toilet bowl cleaner to disinfect. Please let us know if you prefer the use of an eco-friendly toilet cleaner instead.
Do I need to do anything before your cleaning service arrives?
To give you the greatest value possible, please take a few minutes before our visit to put away clothing, toys, and other household or personal items.
Be sure to put away valuables, collectibles, heirlooms and other precious items before our visit to eliminate any potential for accidents. If an item can’t be put away for cleaning day, please let our office know in advance so our cleaning staff know to exclude it from service.
What if I need extra work done outside of my regular cleaning plan?
We’re always happy to help you with your additional cleaning needs, such as cleaning inside the fridge, stove or other areas not included in your regular Service Plan. Simply contact us 48 hours before your next appointment so we can schedule additional time for your maid to complete the extra tasks during your home cleaning. Additional charges will apply.
Are you bonded and insured?
Yes! All our maids are bonded and insured. Our company also holds a $2,000,000 general liability insurance policy.
Your satisfaction and peace of mind are our top priority. That’s why all our maids are employees (not sub-contractors) and are covered by Workers’ Compensation Insurance. This protects them and you if an injury occurs in your home.
Important Note: If you’re considering a cleaning company or individual that’s operating without a valid WSIB Clearance Certificate, that puts you at risk of a lawsuit should a worker be injured in your home and be unable to return to work. And these incidents might not be covered by your home insurance policy.
What if something breaks?
We treat your home as if it were our own. In the rare event of a mishap, your maid will leave you a note and our office will promptly contact you to discuss the incident. Hire A Maid takes responsibility for damage caused by us. We either repair, replace or reimburse you for the damaged item. If appropriate, insurance claims are filed.
To eliminate any potential for accidents, we request that valuables, collectibles, heirlooms and other precious items be put away before our visit. If there are precious items in your home that can’t be put away or potential perils (e.g., a picture frame that is loosely hanging from the wall), please be sure to bring it to the attention of our office before cleaning day, and it will be excluded from service.
Hire A Maid can’t take responsibility for accidents resulting from perils that we weren’t advised of before your cleaning appointment.
Should I tip my maid service team?
Tipping is never expected, but always appreciated.
What if I am unhappy with the cleaning?
We want you to be amazed with every Hire A Maid home cleaning. If you’re not completely satisfied with the services included in your chosen Service Plan, just let us know within 24 hours of our cleaning and we’ll return to make it right – at no additional charge. That’s our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
We also want you to receive the cleaning that fits your needs. If your concern is about a service that isn’t included in your purchased Plan (i.e. you have a monthly Basic Maintenance Plan and would like us to clean inside all appliances at each visit), you can switch your Plan or include Add-on services. The applicable Service Plan or Add-on pricing will apply.
Which Maintenance Plan is right for me?
If you want a comprehensive, top-to-bottom home cleaning at every visit, one that lets you come home and relax, leaving no tasks for you to complete – we recommend the Premium Maintenance Plan. This is our most popular plan and is ideal for families, homes with pets or homes that are well lived-in.
Our Basic Maintenance Plan is a favourite among households with 1 or 2 people, or where daily kitchen and bathroom cleaning are performed by the residents, so that build-up removal isn’t required. The Basic Maintenance Plan also includes the option of purchasing a la carte add-on services for baseboards, trimwork, doors and deep cleaning of bathrooms or the kitchen, when needed.
I have a pet. Is that a problem?
We love pets! However, for the safety of our maids, aggressive pets need to be secured during our cleaning. To ensure your pet’s peace of mind, we also recommend you be present for our initial cleaning, so your pet can meet us under comfortable circumstances.
Can I trust your staff?
Your peace of mind is one of our top priorities. That’s why we set such high standards for the people we employ. (Only 1 out of approximately 200 job applicants are hired by us!) We excel at hiring people who take pride in their work and go above and beyond to provide you exceptional, friendly customer service and amazing home cleanings. Your home is always cleaned by Hire A Maid employees (not independent contractors), who are protected by workers’ comp, bonded and insured, and genuinely care about keeping you happy. With Hire A Maid, your home is cleaned by the very best!