Setting up own cleaning business. What makes a good cleaner ?

[starrynight19]

Any hints or tips much welcomed. I know it’s a bit risky with the whole corona situation but it’s really now or never.
Thankyou

Attention to detail
Doing the time paid for - rather than turning up a bit late/ knocking off a bit early
Asking if there are priorities
Find out if they want you to take shoes off
Being a bit flexible - e.g. a couple we contacted said they wouldn't clean insides of windows
Using eco-friendly cleaning products was a big one for us
Not whipping your phone out constantly as our previous one did...then would jump and put it away when I happened to walk past the room she was doing!

Good luck

I agree with asking about priorities. Everyone is different. Also checking regularly if there is anythinf you are missing and not taking it personally when given the answer.

Keeping up the good work and not letting standards slip after a few weeks.

Exceeding expectations ie say 'yes I can do bathroom and kitchen in 2 hours' then do those plus hoovering. Basically under promise and over deliver as nothing worse than expectations not being met

Be proactive- not just doing as asked but spotting things that your clients may not have seen

Demonstrating expertise. I want my cleaner to know more about me than cleaning and what products work, to tell me what can be done in the time and advise what I should focus on and leave things looking a million times nicer than I could make them look.

I would want things left neatly and back where they belong, worst experience is when everything has been cleaned but the effect is ruined by things left messily.

Top professionalism, ie having your terms from the start. I have little trust in a cleaner who doesn't behave like a business owner or who spends lots of time chatting.

Listening, had a cleaner who would cut me off whilst I was explaining things and as a result didn't do what I needed and I felt I couldn't feed back as she wouldn't listen. I would have a lot of confidence in a cleaner who brought a notebook or file with them and took some notes in our initial meet so I knew they had a record of what I liked

And obviously leave stuff sparkling 😂 sounds obvious but some cleaners are awful. No excuse not to do a final scan of the room and check no obvious dirt showing

This sounds so snobby 🙈 I'm really not but as I'm looking for a cleaner at the moment I have thought a lot about what a dream cleaner would be like but it's probably not all realistic. I'm so messy I probably need a housekeeper. I want a cleaner who will worry about my dirt for me so I don't have to think about it- I certainly don't want to list what I want cleaned as I think it is quite clear to see what's dirty so I want my cleaner to basically sort it before I even notice it. As pp said, it's priorities. Mine is aesthetic, I don't want to see dirt so wouldn't be impressed at a cleaner taking time to clean things that already look clean whereas other people would prefer a top to toe wash

*more about cleaning than me 😂

For me the key things are reliability, working not chatting or looking at phone, using initiative eg when cleaning the draining board put away anything on it rather than putting it back, leaving kitchen and bathroom sparkling.

Bonus points for offering to do things like strip and change beds and wash sheets while you’re there - I happily pay for extra time for things like that. Or for a fridge deep clean, under stairs cupboard clean and tidy etc.

Each and every time the first few weeks have been amazing... then they show up late and leave early.

Please don’t chop and change your days. If I’m your 9:15 Tuesday, please don’t text me at 9:30 to tell me I’m now your 11:00 Wednesday.

Don’t rope your mate/partner in just because “anyone can clean” and I have to have an awkward conversation with your boyfriend about pink mould in the bathroom. 😔

Good luck! Everyone is crying out for good and reliable help at home.

I was thinking about this just the other day. I want someone who sees dirt not just going through the motions of cleaning.

Offer pricing for a list of tasks completed rather than time spent, then it doesn't matter if the cleaner is a few minutes late or takes a phone call. Do those tasks properly. Ask whether there are items or surfaces which need to be cleaned in a special way or with special products:e.g. some furniture will need proper wax polishing.

Check references properly. Stick to agreed days. Have a clear understanding about holiday pay.

@Ifawl

I was thinking about this just the other day. I want someone who sees dirt not just going through the motions of cleaning.

Yes! It really stressed me out that one would polish the kitchen unit doors every week - but the same cobweb hung from the ceiling for a month.

1. Reliability. If you clean someone's house they need you to turn up every single week, pretty much without fail, so if you know you won't be able to do that, choose another line of work.
2. Turn up and leave on time, not late or early.
3. It's fine to ask the homeowner questions relating to cleaning or make a passing comment about the weather, but don't chat, don't discuss your private life and don't expect to spend part of the time eating/drinking/standing around talking. You're being paid to clean, not chat.
4. Don't be on your phone while cleaning. It's fine to take an urgent call quickly, but otherwise leave your phone alone.
5. Don't just do the same things every week, unless that's what the homeowner wants. Be flexible and be observant. Notice when there are cobwebs, when the inside of the windows are dirty, when the vases on top of the dresser are dusty, etc. A good cleaner does the basics and does the extras bits in rotation. If you need a stepladder, a cobweb brush or an extendable window cleaning tool, tell the homeowner what you need. Ditto with specific cleaning products for limescale, stains or whatever.
6. Don't be great for the first month and then slack off and never do a good clean again.

I will tolerate most of the things mentioned on this thread - routine cleaning rather than adapting to what needs doing, swapping days, leaving early, being on the phone, etc. If you are pleasant and do a reasonably good job. I've only had one cleaner that really pissed me off. She kept moving things clearly feeling my interior decor was somehow wrong. For example, she'd move a vase from the centre of the dining table (where I wanted it) to a random windowsill elsewhere. It really pissed me off. I had to reorganise my home after each visit. But the final straw was when she scarfed the last piece of my daughter's first birthday cake from a box on the kitchen side 😡

One other thought - as so many people are working from home at the moment you will probably be cleaning fewer empty houses than normal, so be aware of that in terms of noise (my current lovely cleaner brings a mate with her and they tend to yell at each other from different floors, which isn't ideal).

I think there's a general consensus above about reliability and being thorough. I think an initial visit where you agree all the details is helpful - not just a phone call - because you can see what is involved in cleaning the bathroom or whatever.

If you have a friend who has an average three bedroomed house that's a bit messy, offer to clean and time how long bathroom, kitchen and toilets take. See how much you can do properly in two hours and in three hours. Then you can tell clients how long you need for their home.

If I've paid a cleaner, I want them to do a better job than I can do in the time (not difficult), so as you look around and quote, think what you need to do to make a difference in that particular house.

Ceilings.
And I like to see hoover marks in the carpet.

Brilliant thanks so many ideas on here

As well as what has already been said, I would say I appreciate that the cleaning company we use has a clear system and task sheet. They also rotate tasks so that deeper cleaning is done on rotation. They are thorough and professional.

There is a good YouTube channel that you might be useful if you haven't seen it - www.youtube.com/c/cleanmyspace

Hope it goes well.

Turn up when you say you will and complete the hours you’re paid for.

In day 1 provided clients with a full list of everything you will do on a daily/ weekly/ monthly/ quarterly basis, per room. Ask if there is anything they’d like done more or less regularly.

Things that my good cleaner does that not all cleaners have:

Empties bin/dishwasher/washing machine/tumble drier.

Changes beds

Cleans inside of windows

Mops front steps.

Cleans silver

Cleans out fridge

Puts used cloths on boil wash before leaving.

The number one thing about past cleaners is those that will rearrange your ornaments (because presumably they think they look better their way) but won’t arrange the cushions properly or will leave the bottle of squash on the side.

Turn up when you say you will and stay for the amount of time you are being paid for.

If you get the jobs done that you agreed within the set time frame then perhaps do something not on the regular list I.e skirting boards, inside the fridge or something else rather than leaving early or tell me it didn't take you as long so it's only 2.5 hours this week, not 3!

Always do as good a job on every visit as you did on your first.

To those looking for the perfect cleaner- how much are you going to pay per hour? Minimum wage?

Agree upfront what will be done. Mine had a checklist so I knew what to expect.

You could even leave a list at the end so they know what's been done.

If you use something or nearly finish it leave the bottle out so the customer knows to buy more.

An occasional feedback form would be good. I never quite got the chance to say bathroom is great but can you also wipe the skirting board etc. Leaving a note felt like I was making a big deal over something trivial.

Use the products the customer wants you to. I had loads of lovely smelling product. One cleaner insisted washing up liquid was the magic product and used a whole bottle while ignoring the actual cleaning products. So I returned from work, house didnt smell lovely and I had to go to shops for more fairy.

Dont make yourself a drink and just put the dirty cup and spoon back in the cupboard!

A couple of my tips might be quite niche.

Have your staff police checked.
Keep same staff to each house.
Start and finish at agreed times.
Send a monthly email asking if there is anything they would like done and any issues.
Keep it professional:
Provide an invoice.
Provide your liability insurance and covid RA.

We had a lovely cleaner for ten year who became a friend - we moved just at lockdown and I miss her. She was not the best cleaner but she did do things like feed the cats hike we were away and had know the DCs since babies.

What she did well - help me tidy and do ‘projects’ like empty wardrobes to clean or once a year deep clean projects

She was on her phone the whole time though. She would not necessarily do a more thorough job than I on - for instance - the floors. I often mopped or vacuumed between her visits in a cursory way, but I expected her to do the moving sofa, proper hoover or mop. She didn’t always do this.

Also guilty of not reading instructions on stuff that shouldn’t be dishwashed or machine washed/dried. This is crucial

I once watched a cleaner mop AROUND a box of tissues that had been left on the floor under a chair

Reliability 100%

I’ve had agency and private cleaners and never have they been reliable and turned up when they said they would. Fair enough if they’re on holiday or whatever but I’ve never known anyone to have as much illness and family emergencies as the cleaners I’ve managed to employ!

I would say make it clear from the start what you aren’t prepared to deal with and be consistant with it.

Just getting on with the job - not chatting too much or being on phone or playing with dog or kids unless that was agreed.

Learning as you go if you're visiting the same house every week - what's helpful?

Agreeing in the first place how much help they want with tidying/sorting etc. Or is it just cleaning.

Not asking for bus fair if it wasn't agreed.

Agreeing communication methods

Trust and honesty obviously