Cleansing the house is a monotonous responsibility almost everybody dreads to endeavor. We are naturally disinclined to clean because of the arduous effort involved.

Rather than washing the dishes, one can devote time to self-improvement.

Feed the mind, not the dishwasher.

Just imagine everything you can do instead of cleaning.

Fortunately, that dream can become a reality because there are awesome, professional house cleaning businesses out there willing to undertake the cleaning responsibilities for us.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to find the right cleaning business to help us, but, that’s only if you don’t know where to look.

Where does one even start?

No need to worry, in this blog, we will illuminate your understanding of how to find and select the right cleaning business for you.

Talk to people you know

Good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth recommendations. They have been around, well, since cavemen roamed the earth, yet they are still highly influential in modern times.

We’ve trusted our family and friends buying advice for everything from buying a house to Christmas socks.

So why not trust their advice when it comes to choosing a professional house cleaning business?

Let’s face it, when we’re venturing into the unknown, we need a guide.

According to a study conducted by Nielsen, 92% of consumers around the globe relied on advice from friends and family more than all other forms of advertising.

Seek a referral by talking to your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. A referral from someone you know can be more reliable than what a cleaning company asserts to be online.

See, we trust people we are close with more than we trust ads. Cleaning companies will consistently claim to be amazing, but because they always claim to be amazing, we tend not to believe them.

Conversely, our friends will be straightforward with us since they have nothing to gain or lose from telling us the truth about the cleaning business. Furthermore, our friends recommend things to us that they feel are relevant to our interests.

In short, we couldn’t care less what cleaning companies have to say about their own services; the true deal-breaker is our friends’ experiences.

It’s no wonder that platforms like Yelp are so successful. Instead of promoting professionally written reviews by qualified third-party endorsements, Yelp focuses on promoting amateur reviews from regular people who have actually utilized the businesses’ services, because they know that’s the opinion that mostly everyone will trust—word of mouth.

Contact the cleaning business directly

In order to choose the right cleaning business for your home, it’s pivotal that you contact the cleaning business you had in mind and ask them the appropriate questions so you can receive the best service for your needs. Below are a few things you should figure out before you hire a cleaning business ↓.

1. Discover what type of services they offer.

   Given the fact that there is a myriad of different reasons why an individual would want their home cleaned, cleaning companies offer various customized services. They can be:

   • Deep cleaning

   • Spring cleaning

   • Move-in/Move out cleaning

   • Post-construction cleaning

   • Party/Special Event Service cleaning

   • Scheduled recurring cleaning

   • Weekly cleaning

   • Bi-weekly cleaning

   • Monthly cleaning

   • Carpet cleaning

   • Waxing floors

   • Window washing

     Additional services may include:

   • Cleaning inside the refrigerator

   • Cleaning inside the oven

   • Cleaning the baseboards

   • Washing and folding laundry

2. Decide what your budget will be

   The average cleaning service will cost you anywhere between $150 - $180. The price will vary greatly depending on what type of cleaning service you want, your unique requirements, the size and condition of your home, and the geographical location of where you live. Be aware that some of the costs associated with your cleaning service might include the cost of cleaning supplies.

3. Understand what’s included in your cleaning service.

   Your cleaning service can include all of your rooms, which implies dusting, vacuuming, washing each and every place of your house. It can also be a one-room cleaning – kitchen, living or dining room, bedrooms, hallways, etc. It’s paramount to check what’s included in your cleaning service before you hire anyone. An easy solution to this dilemma is to simply contact your cleaning provider and quickly confirm what’s included in your service.

4. Do your homework and ask the cleaning company the appropriate questions

   Do you conduct a background check on your cleaners?

   Background checks are an effective way to check a cleaner’s history. Details such as criminal records, work experience, among other things are heavily researched during a background check. Sometimes, an individual lies about who they truly are. This is why it is important to have a trustworthy cleaner. In essence, a background check can provide you with peace of mind since you have a good idea about who is entering your home.

   Are you insured and bonded?

   Accidents happen. Sometimes things get broken or damaged during the cleaning process. This is why every cleaning company should have the best insurance available. In a crazy world full of stress, unprecedented events, and fast-paced living, you will want to have tranquility during the whole cleaning process.

   Do you provide cleaning supplies?

   Various cleaning companies bring their own cleaning supplies because their cleaners already know how to effectively and safely use their own products. Other cleaning companies may have you be responsible for providing the cleaning supplies.

   How long has your cleaning company been in business?

   Experience matters. It’s like a record of what a cleaning company has accomplished in the past and an indication of what they might be able to accomplish in the future. Take experience for what it is, and weigh it properly as you consider the cleaning business you have in mind.

   What happens if I am not satisfied with my cleaning?

   Some cleaning businesses won’t even bother to fix any conflicts that may emerge during your scheduled cleaning. A well-respected cleaning company should strive to help you whenever a problem arises.

Harness the power of the internet

The world is ever-evolving and so is the internet. As a result, virtually every cleaning business is looking to establish their presence online.

As the world ventures into the digital era, consumers have more ways than ever before to discover local cleaning businesses.

However, with so many cleaning businesses moving online now, it can be strenuous to select the right cleaning company for you.

A careful examination of a company’s online presence can provide the insight you need to determine whether or not a particular cleaning company is right for you.

Go over the cleaning businesses’ reviews

According to Statista, online reviews have a big influence on online purchase decisions for 68% of American shoppers.

Needless to say, online reviews are heavily influencing the world.

Therefore, in order to determine if a cleaning company is right for you, begin to read the company’s reviews on Google and Yelp, looking for their strengths and weaknesses.

According to BrighLocal’s study, Yelp and Google are the top three most trusted review platforms for local searches.

Pay careful attention to any recurring issues with the cleaning company or its services.

If there are any issues, is the company doing anything about these issues?

As the consumer, you will want reassurance that if something does go wrong, the cleaning company will deal with the situation quickly, efficiently, and transparently.

You should be cautious if a business claims to be out of this world amazing, has a perfect five-star rating, but their services are a fraction of the price relative to their competition.

If you see something that looks too good to be true, it probably is.

You should expect to see a mix of reviews - companies are managed by imperfect human beings after all. Not having any negative reviews could actually work against a company's credibility.

Some businesses repeatedly plant positive reviews to boost their own brand and tarnish their competitor’s brand with negative reviews. Consequently, part of the reviews you find online are not authentic.

See, these types of reviews are fabricated to deceit consumers. They’re not based on the truth. They’re straight-up lies.

They don’t accurately describe the cleaning services they’re talking about. They just want to lie to you and take your money.

With so many fake reviews taking over the internet, it is becoming a serious problem.

What should one pay attention to when looking at a cleaning company’s reviews?

To truly exploit reviews, it is essential to check out at least 10 reviews before you hire a business. Drill down into the reviews you selected, uncovering the reviewer’s records and whether they have actually hired the cleaning business they have reviewed.

On top of that, you should read the cleaning businesses’ responses to reviews. It is imperative to see how a cleaning business monitors its reputation across every review website, and how quickly and professionally they respond to any type of feedback.

The cleaning businesses’ responses to negative reviews will allow you to see how good or bad their customer service is.

Negative reviews come and go. But, how a business copes with them can help you comprehend what the business stands for, and what you should expect by hiring them.

According to ReviewTrackers, 53.3% of consumers expect businesses to respond to their negative reviews within a week.

Alternatively, the cleaning businesses’ responses to positive reviews will allow you to see how much they appreciate their satisfied customers.

At the end of the day, if a cleaning business has a healthy mix of both positive and negative reviews that should be a good sign and you should feel more inclined to trust them.

Which cleaning business should I hire?

As a consumer, it’s completely understandable that you want to find an authentic and trustworthy business. But remember that no business is perfect, so businesses with a few negative reviews are in a sense the most authentic.

It’s clear that a number of factors can have a monumental impact on your decision to hire a cleaning company.

However, the key factor is a positive reputation.

A positive reputation is one of the most powerful assets a cleaning business can have.

We recommend hiring trusted cleaning brands that are well known for their quality and have an amazing reputation. Seattle’s Green Cleaning Fairy is no exception. We are proud to have a solid 4.8 rating on Google based on 212 reviews and a sound 4.5 rating on Yelp based on 110 reviews. Granted, just like every other company in the world, we are imperfect so we do receive negative reviews. However, rather than hiding them, we embrace them. We strive to respond to negative reviews and deal with them successfully. We aim to deal with criticism quickly and openly. We are completely aware of our clients’ complaints and customer service is our number one priority. Our reputation speaks for itself since it is positively consistent across multiple review platforms.

In conclusion

In order to select the best cleaning company for you, you’ll need to do one of three things.

1. Word of mouth is a successful way to seek a cleaning business referral. People tend to inquire advice from a friend or family member especially if they’re looking to make a high investment in their life. As mentioned at the beginning of the blog, we are naturally reluctant to trust cleaning companies we stumble upon online. Whatever they claim to be on their website is just not credible. As the consumer, you’re entitled to know what doing business with the particular cleaning company will actually be like. As a result, we’re more inclined to take our friend’s feedback into consideration.

2. Contacting the cleaning business directly will help clarify any doubts you may have. You can talk to them about mostly anything from asking/answering questions to even negotiating the cleaning service price. As the consumer, you can rely on their knowledge and expertise to help you find the cleaning business that works best for you.

3. Take full advantage of the power of the internet. Nowadays, you can use the internet for virtually everything. Do you need to learn how to play the guitar? You can learn it on YouTube. Need to find the best cleaning company for you? Use review platforms like Google and Yelp, which contain a vast amount of knowledge and information about a particular business, to learn more about the company.

   Unless you’ve already gone through the process of finding the best cleaning company for yourself, nearly everyone would welcome our sound, professional advice. Hopefully, these strategies help you find and select the best cleaning company for you.

References

Department, Published by Statista Research, and Dec 5. “U.S. Online Shoppers Purchase Influences 2017 l Statistic.” Statista, 5 Dec. 2017, www.statista.com/statistics/788185/us-online-shoppers-purchase-influences/.

Rosie MurphySee, et al. “Local Consumer Review Survey: How Customers Use Online Reviews.” BrightLocal, 21 Nov. 2020, www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/.

“Newswire: Consumer Trust in Online, Social and Mobile Advertising Grows.” Nielsen, 4 Nov. 2012, www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2012/consumer-trust-in-online-social-and-mobile-advertising-grows/.

“2018 ReviewTrackers Online Reviews Stats and Survey.” ReviewTrackers, 1 July 2020, www.reviewtrackers.com/reports/online-reviews-survey/.