Frequently Asked Questions
It is a big decision to hire a house cleaning or janitorial cleaning company that will be visiting your home or office on a regular basis. We understand that and have heard many frequent questions from concerned consumers. We thought we would try to reduce some the stress you might have by answering some of the frequent questions we hear.
1. Do I need to be home or at my office when the cleaners arrive?
No. As long as you provide us a way to enter your home or office you do not need to be there when we arrive to clean. If you will not be present when we arrive, we prefer keys or a code to enter your location. Leaving doors unlocked is not a safe arrangement to have.
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2. What cleaning supplies do I need to have on hand for you to clean?
We bring our own home cleaning supplies including vacuum cleaners. You will need to have trash bags on hand and any special cleaning supplies that you want us to use that we don’t carry.
3. What happens if something is broken?
Our policy is to inform you by having the cleaning technician speak to you personally if your are present or leave you a note with the broken item if you are not present when the damage occurred. The cleaning technician will then call our office to let us know about the incident. We will reimburse you for the item broken or contact our insurance company to place a claim for your loss depending on the value of the item.
4. Are you a large chain operated home and office cleaning company?
No. We are a small family owned and operated house and janitorial cleaning service company.
5. Why do you charge sales tax for your cleaning services?
All house and commercial cleaning service companies are required by law to charge sales tax in the state of Pennsylvania.
6. Do you clean in teams or individuals?
Mr. Maid home cleaning services are usually performed by solo cleaners so you get the same person each time. Office cleaning is usually done in teams as needed or solo if the net cleaning square footage is small enough.
7. What happens if I am not happy with the work?
Call Mr. Maid Cleaning within 24 hours of your cleaning and a cleaning service technician will return to clean or re-clean what you are not satisfied with at no additional charge to you. If you prefer to not have us come back, we can reduce your invoice for the work not done to your satisfaction. For one-time cleanings or move-in move-out cleanings if you are not satisfied, we reserve the right to come out to inspect our performance and will not honor any discount if you clean the area before we have the chance to make our inspection or refuse to or are unable to let us inspect our performance.
8. How do you charge for a one-time cleaning?
We charge a minimum of 4 labor hours for a one-time cleaning at whatever our going rate is at the time. Because we do not come out to look at one time cleanings before we come to clean we advise the client that the phone quoted time may not be accurate which means the time needed to do the work may be more. Most one time cleanings usually take from 5 to 8 labor hours but some may be more depending on the condition and size of your project. You can set a budget limit and give us priorities that need to be done first to ensure we remain within your budget limit. We will work to your time limits to get as much done as possible within your budgeted investment.
9. Will the same people be coming to clean each time?
We would like to be able to say yes when sending out a home or office cleaning employee but that is not reality. We will try to keep the same cleaning technicians for you but people leave, get sick, and need to have their cleaning schedules changed. You can rest easy knowing if you are not satisfied with the work our cleaning staff provides just give us a call and we will do everything we can to give you a new cleaning technician.
10. Can I pick my cleaning day?
We try to accommodate the day you want but realistically that is not always possible. However once your day is set we rarely change it unless a home or office cleaning schedule change is requested by you or in rare case needed by us.
11. What time will you arrive to provide your service cleaning my home or office?
Our normal house cleaning hours are 9:00AM to 5:00PM and we would prefer to have the flexibility to arrive and depart between those hours. If it is possible we will come to clean when you want us to but realistically that is not always possible. Office cleaning can be done any hours Monday through Sunday.
12. What if I am sick or on vacation do I need to pay anyhow?
No. An occasional cleaning job canceled on your end is normal. Please call us with as much notice as possible so we can adjust our cleaning schedules accordingly. We pride ourselves on being dependable by showing up on the day you are scheduled to have your home or office cleaned.
13. How often do you come to clean?
Monday through Friday, monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly visit is best for home cleaning scheduling purposes. On rare occasions, we may be able to accommodate a Saturday schedule for home cleaning services. Office cleaning schedules include any day of the week with a frequency of monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, or daily to fit your cleaning needs.
14. To get the best possible experience is there anything I need to do to my office or home before my cleaning is started?
Yes. To provide you with the best quality cleaning experience, if you so desire, you can pick up clutter from horizontal surfaces and floors. Securing cash, jewelry, and other small valuables will help us as well. It is easy to unknowingly knock small items on the floor and lose them in a vacuum cleaner. The more you pick up clutter and small items not often used, the more time we can focus on the actual cleaning which gives you the best results for your cleaning investment.
15. What don’t you do?
Our home and office cleaning employees cannot climb higher than a step stool, move or lift any objects over 50 pounds, prepare meals, provide any pet or children-related services, clean up any pet waste, human waste, vomit, blood, or sanitary napkins or provide any other non-related home cleaning services.
16. Do I have to lock up my pets when you come to clean?
No, we love pets as long as they don’t bite.
17. Do you accept credit cards for payment?
Yes, we now accept Visa, Master card, and American Express for all our home cleaning services. There is a 3% service charge to use credit cards.
18. I want to get my home cleaning schedule started. What is the first step?
Call Mr. Maid to answer any other questions or concerns you may have before you schedule your free, no obligation in the office or home cleaning tour to get your cleaning estimate.
19. Can I get a discounted price?
Yes. If you pay ahead for a year’s worth of cleaning we will discount your investment.
20. Will you use my vacuum cleaner?
Yes, if you prefer us to use your vacuum cleaner we will be happy to do so.
21. Do you have a referral program?
Yes. When you refer us to a friend, neighbor, family member or someone else that becomes a regular client we give you a discount on a future cleaning.
22. What kind of discount do you give for a referral?
Generally, we give up to 50% off for a referral.
23. Are you insured?
Yes, we are a fully insured and registered in the state of Pennsylvania.
24. How long have you been in business?
We began operations in March of 2004.
25. Are you hiring?
At times, we are looking for a new cleaning technician. Fill out our online application and we will call you back.
26. Do you offer any other services?
We offer window cleaning (no higher than a two step stool), oven cleaning and cleaning for the inside of the refrigerator for our regular and one-time cleaning clients.
27. Do you have some kind of guarantee?
Yes, we offer clients our “Name Your Own Price” guarantee.
28. Does your cleaning staff smoke?
Some of our cleaning staff smoke. However, we don’t permit our staff to smoke in your home and our staff will not toss any cigarette butts on your property.
29. Are your cleaning staff trained?
Yes. All our cleaning staff is trained by an experienced cleaning technician who has been with Mr. Maid for at least 6 months and proven to be a professional cleaner.
30. Do you accept cash payments?
No. Payment must be made by check or credit card.
31. Do you shampoo carpets?
Sorry, at this time we don’t offer carpet shampooing.
32. Are there any long term contracts I have to sign to use your service?
No, we don’t have any long term or short term contracts.
33. How do I stop service?
Call or email our office to stop your cleaning service.
34. Do you wash cars?
No, we don’t wash cars.
35. Do you offer gift certificates?
Yes, we offer gift certificates for any occasion. See our Online Specials page for some ideas.
36. Do you accept coupons?
We usually have coupons on Online Specials page.
37. What areas do you service?
Go to our home page to view the areas we service.
38. How far will you travel to a job site?
We generally will travel up to 30 minutes to get to a job.
39. What if my area is not listed as an area you serve?
Call our office. We may still be able to care for your home.
40. What happens if my cleaning technician leaves?
We will assign you a new cleaning technician.
41. What is the best way to reach you?
During normal business hours, we can be reached by calling our business line at 412-875-6254. After normal business hours, you can leave a message on our answering machine or email us if you prefer.
42. Do you communicate on a regular basis with your clients?
Yes, our clients can receive a free monthly newsletter.
43. Can I see my cleaner before she/he comes?
Yes. Our cleaning staff has their photos and a short bio on our employee’s page.
44. Can I get a price reduction if my cleaning person did all the work but was done early?
No. Your cleaning investment is based on a room by room charge, not how long it takes your cleaning technician to clean.
45. Can I change rooms that need to be cleaned?
Yes. It’s okay to swap rooms in and out as long as the work being swapped has the same workload. Swapping a half bathroom out for a master bathroom doesn’t have the same workload and will incur an additional charge.
46. Can I alternate rooms being cleaned on a regular basis?
Yes, we are flexible. When we set up your work order we can offer to clean areas each time we come and alternate other areas on an every other time basis.
47. Do you move items to dust?
Yes, we prefer to move items to gain access to hidden areas and to help get the best possible cleaning for you.
48. Are there items you won’t move to clean under or behind?
Yes. Any item that is heavier than 50lbs. will not be moved, with no exceptions.
49. Will you polish my wooden furniture?
If you provide the polish, we will be happy to apply polish to your wooden furniture.
50. Do you disinfect in the bathrooms and kitchen?
Yes. We use a disinfectant in your shower, on your vanity, on every surface on your commode and on your kitchen counters.
51. What type of cleaning chemicals do you use?
We use a wide array of commercial cleaning chemicals designed to give you as much of a clean and germ-free environment as possible.
52. Are you a “green” company?
No, however, we will be happy to use your green cleaning products you have on hand if that is a requirement.
53. My other company wouldn’t dust certain areas. Will you dust the bottom rungs on the chairs?
Yes, we dust the rungs on your chairs.
54. Will you let my dog out into the yard when you come and bring him back in when you are leaving?
No. We have tried this and found a pet is not always willing to come back in once left outside. We are at your home to clean.
55. Should I tip the cleaning person?
Tips are appreciated but not required.
56. Will you pick up before you clean?
Yes if you are willing to pay more for the extra work. This can be discussed at the time of your home tour.
57. Can you help me organize my clutter?
We can help you with the minor organization but are at your home to clean. Professional organization companies can be found online.
58. Will your staff do minor repairs around my home?
No. Our insurance doesn’t cover someone getting hurt on your property unless they are cleaning. A handyman can be found online.
59. Will you take out the trash?
Yes, we place all your trash into one bag, usually the kitchen trash bag and take it to your outside trash or garbage trash can.
60. Will you clean my ceiling fans?
Yes, as long as we can get to them with a step stool that is no higher than two steps.
61. Can I pick my cleaner?
Yes, as long as the cleaner you want has an opening for the time and day you want.
62. Do you mop floors?
Yes, we damp mop all hardwood floors and tile floors.
63. Will you steam clean my floors?
Yes, as long as you supply the steam cleaner.
64. What happens if my cleaner can’t make it on my scheduled day?
When occasionally we have an issue that prevents us from coming as scheduled, we will give you options of skipping your cleaning, scheduling you with your regular cleaning technician at a later date, or if we have availability, sending you another cleaning technician on your regular day.
65. Does the cleaner do dishes?
No, but we will load the dishes into your dishwasher if you want us to.
66. I’m moving. Can I get service at my new home?
Yes, as long as you’re in an area that we service.
67. Do you have gift certificates?
Yes, for any occasion you want.
68. Are your staff bonded?
Yes, bonded and background checks are done on each cleaner.
69. Do you mop wooden floors?
Yes, we damp mop wooden floors with a ph neutral cleaner designed specifically for wooden floors.
70. Will you be helping to clean my home?
Not likely these days.
71. Will you come out to look at my home before you come to clean it?
Yes, we believe when we see your home we can create a custom work order to aid the cleaning technician in giving you the best job possible. The exception to this policy is we don’t come out for one-time cleans.
72. You gave me an estimate over the phone for a one-time cleaning but when the cleaner arrived she said it would cost more. How come that happened?
Because we only give phone estimates for one time cleanings it is impossible to know the true cost without seeing your home. When this happens you can give us a priority list of things to clean if you want to stay at or below a certain price point.
73. Can I make a copy of your insurance certificate?
Yes.
74. Will you rake the leaves in the yard?
No, we are not a catch-all service. We specialize in house cleaning.
75. Will you hand wipe my baseboards?
Yes, as long as pay for the extra for the deeper cleaning that hand wiping baseboard requires.
76. Can I inspect the work before the cleaner leaves?
Yes, please do. We would rather catch anything needing more attention before we leave.
77. Will you clean my chandelier?
Sorry, that isn’t something we will clean.
78. Are you able to get the streaks out of my stainless steel refrigerator?
Yes, we use a specialty product to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances.
79. Can you get the rings out of my commode?
Yes, we use a specialty product to remove the rings from the inside of the commode.
80. Do you have any cleaning tips to help me with the spots on my glass shower door?
Use Bar Keepers with plenty of water and a Dobie pad to remove the spots. For more cleaning tips read our blog and you can sign up for our Mr. Maid Monthly newsletter on most pages of our website.
81. Will you clean my pool table?
Yes, we can lightly vacuum or sweep off the pool table cloth.
82. Will you dust my window sills?
Yes, we will dust your window sills.
83. Will your staff remove their shoes when cleaning in my home?
No, for safety purposes. But we will wear booties if you want us to.
84. Can I assist with the cleaning?
We prefer to clean each room ourselves and let you inspect our work for any issues.
85. Will you dust my baseboards?
Yes, we dust baseboards.
86. How did you come up with your company name?
We thought it would be easy to remember and catchy.
87. Will you flip my couch cushions?
Yes, we will flip them and clean under them.
88. Will you clean my garage?
Yes, we will knock down cobwebs and sweep your concrete floor.
89. Will you dust off my exercise equipment?
Yes, we will dust off larger pieces of exercise equipment.
90. Can I get an emergency cleaning?
Yes, as long as we have someone with an opening on their schedule.
91. What happens if my cleaning day falls on a holiday?
We try to make up your day before or after the holiday if possible. Some clients prefer that we can skip your cleaning until the next regular visit. Whatever is best for you is what we want as well.
92. Why should I hire your company to care for my home?
Our staff loves to clean and takes great pride in the work they do. We sincerely want you to be satisfied with our service which is why we only hire people who love to clean.
93. What to you mop with when doing tile floors?
We use a small bit of ammonia and water on tile floors.
94. Will ammonia harm my pets?
No, ammonia evaporates very quickly and won’t harm your pets.
95. Is it safe to mop wooden floors?
Yes, as long as the mop is only slightly damp and not soaking wet the wood won’t be harmed.
96. Can I have the first week each month for my monthly cleaning?
No. Monthly cleanings are scheduled on the same day of the week and are set to re-occur every fourth occurrence of that day. When looking at a yearly calendar most months have days of the week that occur five times in that month. If your day to clean, such as a Tuesday or another day of the week, hits five times in a given month you will get cleaned twice in that month and will not fall the first week of the following month. For regular monthly cleanings, this happens once a year. To make consistent scheduling work, it is impossible to guarantee any client the first week of every month for their cleaning.
97. Do you have any other resources that would prove useful to me?
Yes, we write a weekly article on a wide variety of topics that may be helpful to you. Look for our blog in our menu to see what we’ve written about. Most of our clients receive our monthly newsletter to keep them informed of important changes and what their cleaning company is up to.
98. How do you clean stainless steel?
We use a two-step process to disinfect and clean your stainless steel.
99. What does it mean to sanitize something?
To sanitize a surface means to clean it to the point of reducing the number of microorganisms, more specifically bacteria, to a safe level which is defined as a 99.999% free of bacteria in 30 seconds or less. Sanitizing is accomplished by one or more methods which include the use of chemicals, radiation or heat. This makes the surface safe for human contact.
100. What does it mean to disinfect something?
To disinfect a surface is to kill every type of microorganism. This is done over a 10 minute period, taking longer than sanitizing but effectively killing all the germs, virus, and bacteria on a surface. Chemicals are used in the disinfectant process.
101. Can you work with a home security alarm system?
Yes, as long as you give us the code to disarm your system and explain how to arm it when we leave.
102. Can we leave the door unlocked for you to get in?
We prefer that you don’t leave your door unlocked for security reasons. If you insist on doing so, we won’t be responsible for anything missing or any damages inside of your home.
103. What is the best way to let you into our home when we are not here?
Provide us with a key or the garage door code.
104. What is the best way to wash walls, from the top down or from the bottom up?
There is much confusion surrounding this question. The correct way is from the bottom up. If working from the top down, water that runs down over the dirty wall below will streak. This streaking is more labor intensive to remove and even at times will leave behind a permanent streak no matter how hard one scrubs it. For more on how to wash walls and ceilings read our article.
105. What are the MSDS sheets?
MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheets. Every manufacture of chemicals is required to document each chemical they manufacture using MSDS code. Each document specifies the hazards of working with a particular chemical, it safe use, what to do if ingested and how to dispose and store the chemical properly. These documents are designed to protect any and all who use the chemicals but primarily focus on those who come in contact with chemicals when performing occupational duties.
106. How Can I Clean My Home Efficiently on My Own?
Follow our guide to clean your home efficiently. Following these guidelines will keep your home clean between professional cleanings.
107. Will you clean the soot in my chimney?
No. But you can call in a certified chimney sweep to perform this task. Tip: You can toss a handful of table salt over the fire to reduce the amount of soot going up your chimney which will reduce the number of times you’ll need to call in a professional company to remove the soot.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have more time? Time for the family. Time for friends. Time to enjoy life. Now you can. We look forward to giving you some of your time back so that you can do the things you really want to do not the things you have to do like office or house cleaning. And isn’t that what is important to you?