Is Your Cleaning Lady Good Enough?

For those of us that don’t have the time, or means to clean our house as often as we should, our best option is to hire a housekeeper or cleaner to do it for us. The tricky part here is that, though there are plenty of options, they come with the risk of hiring one that isn’t efficient, trustworthy, experienced, or simply not good enough. 

So, if you are unsure of whether your cleaning lady is as good as one can get, you will want to stick around to learn the difference between a quality maid and a bad one! With that, let’s look into the signs that indicate your cleaning lady isn’t meeting the required standard of a professional house cleaner. 

5 Signs You Hired a Bad Cleaning Lady

While it may be pretty obvious to someone who is aware of what to look for in a maid, it may not be as simple for someone exploring this option for the first time. Luckily, the five signs explained below will serve as a guide to help you separate substandard maids from the ones worth paying for! Read on.

1. Inferior Cleaning Products/Results

Aside from getting rid of dust, dirt, and stains, cleaning a space must ensure that germs and allergens are taken care of, too. Some cleaning ladies, however, aren’t able to deliver well enough on that. 

For households with pets, children, or allergy-sufferers, the cleaning offered may present more problems rather than solutions. This is purely based on the products your cleaning lady is using, as well as the level of thoroughness in the cleaning itself. While most cleaning products work for their intended purpose, not all of them are without allergens, and chemicals which can affect your health.

2. Bad Time Management and Punctuality

It’s a no-brainer that we’d all like the cleaning lady we hire to be punctual, and to work efficiently.

If the house cleaner you’ve hired doesn’t show up on time, and proceeds to take a lot longer than usual to clean your home, this is certainly considered to be unprofessional, and is a direct reflection of their level of commitment to the job.

On the other hand, if your cleaning lady is not an independent cleaner, and was sent by a professional house cleaning service that you hired, you may be dealing with a bad cleaning company instead. 

3. Lack of or Bad Communication

For any interaction, good communication is key. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to your maid. From the get-go, the person or service you’ve hired must be clear about what services they offer, and how far they are willing to go to get your space cleaned.

This is important because you wouldn’t want to end up in a situation where the cleaner skips out on things you expected to be cleaned. Since we are all aiming to get what we pay for, it is vital to clear the air on what you’re hoping to get through a service like this.

4. Negative Reviews

Whatever service or product you decide to pay for, it’s always a good idea to invest in the places and products that deliver on their promises.

Looking up reviews online and getting real-world feedback from references will give you a better idea of what to expect from your cleaning lady/company. This is great because any shortcomings that are mentioned in the reviews or references will most likely be addressed if more customers point it out, thereby making the service better for everyone. 

5. Bad Conduct

Lastly, but definitely not the least, the cleaning lady you’ve hired must respect you, your family, your wishes, and the space they are cleaning. 

While it may not determine how good they are at their job, being polite and respectful is the first indicator of how much your maid cares about their clientele. This is further expanded on when you bring forth any problems or shortcomings on their part, and the manner in which they respond to you. 

What to Look for When Choosing a Maid

As mentioned above, there are sure signs that point to a bad cleaning lady, some of which can be spotted even prior to hiring the cleaner (eg; bad reviews). For the most part, this means that you should be looking for the opposite of each problem the cleaning lady may potentially display. 

Here is a summary of what you should look for when hiring a cleaning lady.

#Good Conduct

A sense of professionalism upheld by the cleaner will mean that you can expect them to follow an acceptable standard. Being polite, considerate, and simply doing their best to provide a seamless experience for you while delivering on your requests, is the standard for good conduct. 

#Safe Cleaning Products/Practices

Looking into the cleaning products with your cleaner is crucial because, if not checked, bad or cheap products could lead to either unpleasant experiences at the very least, or a trip to the hospital at worst. 

#Clear, Concise Communication

The simplest thing to do here is to put together a checklist of what you want, and ensure that the cleaning lady is willing to do all the tasks mentioned on the list. This will give you the means to hold them accountable if any cleaning requirements are not met. When there is clear communication from the beginning, things are more likely to go smoothly with your newly hired maid.

#Efficient Time Management and Punctuality

It should go without saying that a well-trained professional cleaner will be far more efficient and punctual than one without experience or knowledge of what it means to be a professional maid. Therefore, it’s a good idea to look into how capable the cleaner or company is with regards to their time management, and communicate any concerns related to punctuality and time efficiency.

#Positive Reviews

While this may not be a viable option for new independent cleaners, it is very much a real thing to consider for already established maids or cleaning services. So, before you choose a cleaning lady, ask for reviews or references, preferably those that are visible online for the public to see. These reviews can provide you with real-world examples of how good their service is, and thus, reinforce your decision to hire them. 

CONCLUSION

If you consider the crucial information shared in this article, you should have no trouble filtering out services or independent cleaners you’d rather not get involved with. There truly are several options for hired cleaning services, and there should be some sort of accountability for all of them. A guide like this helps you identify and avoid a bad cleaning lady, and make it so your requirements are looked after to the best degree possible, ensuring you’re getting your money’s worth, and some peace of mind along with it.