All hosts need to read this.
There are too many incidents with hosts ticking off their cleaners resulting in them quitting on you last minute when you need them most.
1) If you wish to meet them in person, great! That instills a working relationship. But tell them if you’re showing up. Don’t just walk in unannounced. Arrange a time and day, preferably on the first day of cleaning. Show up ON TIME. They have a lot to do so don’t be late. AND don’t stay all day. They have a busy schedule. Stop interrupting them.
2) Don’t spy on your cleaner. That’s rude. Don’t send people to check on them. That is also rude.
3) Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT show up and hang out all day. That puts a lot of distrust in the cleaners mind and they don’t want to keep working with someone who doesn’t trust them. They don’t want you lurking around the property all day while they are working. That is creepy and uncomfortable. Especially for women who get stuck in a locked house with a stranger. Come in, say hello, spend 15 minutes with them, then LEAVE!
4) Don’t pretend you’re smarter than they are or that they are poor so they should do whatever you want. No. In many cases, they do this job because they make a whole lot more than they did at a regular 9-5. Some even have college degrees and are business people themselves. Do not assume they are compliant drones that work for peanuts.
5) Quit acting like they have never cleaned a house before. They know what they are doing. They don’t need you constantly breathing down their necks.
6) If they message you with questions or concerns, answer them fully. Half answers do not get the job done and will make them mad because they have to ask again.
7) Remember, they are NOT your employee. If they say no. Then it is a firm NO.
😎 Do not add extra work that isn’t a part of your checklist. That isn’t fair. You’re not paying them for extra. Think if they asked you to go wash their car for free while you clean. Would you want to do that? Probably not. So don’t ask them to do deep cleaning work without the pay.
9) Do not accept their bid for service if you’re just going to ask them to do it for less money. That is rude. They will quit on you last minute.
Remember, your reviews are based off their work. So treat them respectfully and pay them well or else you can get bad reviews.
10) Most cleaning jobs take 3-4 hours. Don’t expect a 4 bedroom house to be clean in 2 hrs because that’s all you want to pay for. It takes more than 2 hours to do that much laundry. And no. They don’t want to take your laundry home and do it for free to save you a few bucks.
11) If you want the job done well and have a dependable cleaner staffed, don’t bother them. Most are Independent contractors that do this often and have the ability to work well on their own. Requests after pictures if you’re worried. Your customers will tell you if there’s a problem.
12) When customers report a problem such as dog hair. If you allow pets, the cleaner is NOT going to remove every last hair in the place. It’ll never happen. So if the guest reports a few dog hairs on the sheet, as long as it isn’t obviously unwashed, then sorry. A place that allows pets will have fluff. It isn’t the cleaners fault that the previous guest shaved their labradoodle on the bed. Take it out on them, not the cleaner. They work with the tools you provide in a very small window of time.
13) If you have a home that isn’t being re-rented that same day as cleaning, do not ask the cleaner to stay late to clean more. You booked them from (example) 11-3. That is all you get. 11-3. Not 11-6. If you want 11-6, then you pay them for the extra 3 hours. Some have multiple properties in one day and multiple customers. You’re most likely not their 1, 2, 3, 4, or more customer. Some cleaners have 10, 15, 20 hosts they work for. Get it?
14) Hiring major companies to do the job is fine. They have more staff for hosts with lots of properties but remember, your fee goes to the owner of the company. The cleaner gets a small part of that. Small cleaning companies or individuals tend to tackle the job better because they are being paid well and are not under the strain of a corporation. They become your more reliable cleaners. Not to bash on large companies but like any corporation, the little guys who get paid badly, tend to do less and quit faster.
If you found this helpful, awesome. If not, I am sorry for any misunderstanding. Note that I have 2 degrees and have worked in corporate management for 7 years being the boss. I have worked in oil and gas, logistics, and retail. I have experience in more fields than many and have worked with a lot of people to know how this works. I am now the owner of a small cleaning company that has successfully retained 18 hosts within 6 months. My cleaners get paid to do an excellent job and go above and beyond within reason. I have had all the situations above take place on the job and there’s so much more good and bad I have seen. Think about it if you’re still in the fence about believing any of this actually happens or if you do it yourself.
Don’t abuse your position, hosts. The cleaners love working for you and they want to keep working for you when you’re kind, respectful, and provide necessary constructive feedback. Being a control freak will only lead to you cleaning your own property last second in a Sunday morning because you decided to be rude. Don’t be rude.
Thank you!
R
