East Bay Area Housekeeping Services House Cleaning Professionals Contra Costa County Maid Service :: House Cleaning Blog

Frequently Asked Questions about our East Bay Area Housekeeping Services and Maids
 

1. Everyone says they are "the best," so what exactly is it that makes The Clean Sweep different from other bay area housekeeping companies? While there are numerous small differences, these are the most important to our clients:

• The Clean Sweep has over 25 years of expertise and stability as professional cleaners in the east bay community.
• Our housekeepers earn more money--nearly three times more--than employer-based companies (guess where they all want to work).
• Our turnover is low. The average person is here slightly over five years!
• We are extremely picky about the people we choose to work with. We never, ever advertise for help; rather, our housekeepers must be recommended by someone on our staff. This makes for an exceptionally stable, reliable and trustworthy group of people.
• We encourage feedback at all times, and we take what you say seriously. We are always trying to improve our service. It's really important to us that our clients feel well cared for and happy with their service at all times.
• Don't take our word for it, read what our clients are saying.

2. How much do you charge? Our most popular cleaning is approximately 4 working hours for $85.00 using your supplies and equipment, $95.00 if the housekeepers bring everything. Of course, if you need more time we can easily arrange that too. You can pay a little less or a whole lot more, but we doubt you'll find better maid service anywhere.
 

3. What is a Referral Agency? The housekeepers we represent are independent, licensed business owners. They are not our employees. Because of this business model our prices are 40-50% lower than most of our competition.
 

4. Do the housekeepers speak English? Absolutely, although that may not be true for every team member. In addition, we always have at least one bi-lingual person working in our office during business hours.
 

5. If I set up regular maid service, will I always have the same people? Yes, as long as everyone is happy.
 

6. Is there always a real live person in the office I can talk to? Yes! We couldn't do business any other way.
 

7. Can I change housekeepers if I want to? Of course, you may. With such a large staff (about 35 teams) there are always other housekeepers to choose from.
 

8. Do I have to be at home when they clean? The majority of our clients are not at home; they leave a key out on the day of service or give their housekeeper the key. However, most people like to be at home the first time. If that means we do an initial cleaning on a Saturday, we can easily arrange that.
 

9. What other cleaning services do you offer?

• professional window washing
• professional carpet and upholstery cleaning
• move-in and move-out cleaning
• exterior power washing
• gutter cleaning
• spring cleaning
  

All of these cleaning services are performed by specialists at super-competitive prices, and are all guaranteed.
 

10. What is Spring Cleaning? We have housekeeping teams who do spring cleanings. It can include just about any of the heavier, occasional cleaning you may need: professional carpet shampooing, professional window washing (inside and out, tracks, sills and screens), clean cabinets, blinds, doors and door frames, move furniture, cleanout the garage, sweep or power wash the patio, wash patio furniture, remove outside cobwebs--and much more! Just tell us what you want done. Estimates are always free.
 

11. What is Move-Out Cleaning? Again, this is specialized work, so we have a few teams who do move-in and move-out cleaning. Their check list is as thorough as we have ever seen. Basically, everything is cleaned inside and out so that the house is as "like-new" as it is possible to make it. We have never failed to get a client's full rental deposit back. We also work with numerous realtors and property managers who depend on us for exceptional work and fair prices. Free estimates are gladly given.
 

12. Do I have employer responsibilities? Our housekeepers take care of all their taxes and Social Security. We issue them 1099 forms for the State and Federal governments. The only way you would have employer responsibilities is if you paid them more than $1000 per calendar quarter. We encourage you to check with your local Employment Development Department or the Internal Revenue Service if you have any further questions. As a side note: in 1992 the California Coalition of Housekeeping Agencies had special legislation passed (AB1370) which protects our business model.
 

13. Is there anything else I should know? Just that we hope you'll take time to visit our on-line store and our housekeeping blog. Among other things, there's some good information in the blog about working with your housekeepers.