Before you let a cleaning company into your home: the questions worth asking

Six questions tell you most of what you need

Before you hire a cleaning company, ask who will actually come to your home, what their checklist includes and leaves out, what products they use, whether they carry liability insurance, how they set the price, and what happens if something is missed or damaged. A company that answers all six clearly, without hesitation, has usually thought about the job. One that is vague on any of them is telling you something too.

I own Texas Kings Cleaning Services in Garland, and I get asked these questions regularly. I like them. A client who asks good questions knows what to expect, and a clear start makes every visit after it easier for both of us. Here is the full list I would want a friend to take into any conversation with a cleaning company, including mine, with what a good answer sounds like.

Who will be in my home, and will it be the same people each time?

This is the first question because it matters most. You want to know whether the person you are talking to does the work, supervises it or simply sells it. In a larger company, the person on the phone may never see your home. In a smaller, owner-run company, the owner may set the scope and be the person you call when something needs attention.

Ask whether the same person or team will come each visit. Consistency matters in cleaning: someone who knows your home knows which shower door streaks, where the dog sheds and which room you care about most. Ask how they handle keys or door codes, whether they need you home for the first visit, and how they confirm arrival times. If you have a pet that should stay in a certain room, or an alarm system, mention it now.

Ask how communication works between visits. Who do you text if you need to change a date, add a task or report a problem, and how quickly do they usually reply? A cleaning company that is hard to reach before you hire it rarely becomes easier to reach afterward, and the small logistics are where most frustrations start.

What exactly is on your checklist, and what is not?

A company that cleans homes regularly should be able to tell you, room by room, what a standard visit includes. Ask for it in writing. Then ask what is extra. The differences between companies are usually in the details: inside the oven, inside the refrigerator, interior windows, blinds, baseboards on every visit or only some, and whether beds are made or linens changed.

Ask whether the first visit is different. Many homes need a deeper first clean to remove buildup before regular visits can keep up. If a company quotes the same price for the first visit as for the tenth without asking about condition, ask how they plan to handle the extra work. Clear answers here prevent the most common disappointment, which is a cleaner and a client who had two different jobs in mind.

• Kitchen: counters, appliance fronts, stovetop, sink, microwave inside
• Bathrooms: tub and shower, toilet, sinks, mirrors, floors
• Living areas and bedrooms: dusting, surfaces, floors
• Which detail tasks are included and how often
• What is extra: oven, refrigerator, windows, blinds, laundry

What products will you use in my home?

Ask what the company cleans and disinfects with, and whether they can use products you prefer. If someone in the home has asthma, allergies or chemical sensitivities, or you have a baby who crawls on the floors, say so at the start. Some cleaning and disinfecting products can trigger asthma, according to the CDC, so a good cleaner will ask about this rather than wait for you to raise it.

For disinfectants, a useful follow-up is whether the product is registered with the EPA. The EPA says the only accurate way to identify a disinfectant product is its EPA registration number, which is printed on the label. If you prefer products chosen with safer ingredients in mind, the EPA's Safer Choice label is another thing you can look for. I use products approved by the US EPA for use against SARS-CoV-2 on non-porous surfaces, and I am happy to tell any client what is coming into their home.

How do you price the job?

A good price follows good questions. If a company gives you a number after asking only for square footage, ask what it assumes about bathrooms, condition, pets and frequency. Ask whether the quote is per visit or per hour, what happens if the job takes longer than planned, and whether the price changes after the first visit. Ask whether supplies and equipment are included.

I explain the factors that move a cleaning price in a separate guide, what affects the price of house cleaning, so you can compare quotes on the same terms. The short version: compare the same frequency and the same list of tasks, or you are comparing different jobs.

Ask about payment and scheduling terms too: when payment is due, which methods are accepted, how much notice they need to reschedule or cancel, and whether there is a charge for late cancellation or for a visit where the cleaner cannot get in. None of these is unusual, but knowing them ahead of time keeps a small misunderstanding from turning into a bad start.

Are you insured, and what happens if something gets damaged?

Accidents happen in any home: a frame knocked off a shelf, a scratched surface, a broken glass. Ask whether the company carries liability insurance and how they handle damage. A professional company will answer directly and explain what they would do. Ask also how they handle valuables and fragile items; many cleaners prefer that clients put away jewelry, cash and anything irreplaceable, and that is a reasonable request.

If the company has employees, it is fair to ask how they hire and whether workers are their own staff or subcontractors. You are not being nosy. You are deciding who gets access to your home, and a company that takes that seriously will not mind the question.

What if I am not happy with the result?

Ask what the company does when something on the checklist was missed. The right answer is specific: tell us within a certain time, and we come back or make it right. A company that stands behind its work will describe the process without getting defensive. My company guarantees the quality of its work, which in practice means I want to hear when something was not done the way you expected, so I can fix it and adjust the plan for next time.

Ask also how you change the scope or the schedule later. Households change. A new baby, a new dog or a busy season at work can all shift what you need, and a flexible company should be able to build a customized schedule around it.

Red flags I would not ignore

Most cleaning companies are honest, hardworking businesses. Still, a few signs suggest the experience will not match the promise, and they are worth taking seriously before you hand over a key.

Watch, too, for the habits that cause problems after a cleaner leaves. I wrote about cleaning and disinfecting mistakes I see in homes, and a company that repeats them in your home is not one I would keep.

• A firm price without any questions about your home
• No written list of what is included
• Vague answers about who will come to the house
• No answer, or an annoyed answer, about insurance or damage
• Unwillingness to tell you what products they use
• Pressure to pay a large amount up front for future visits
• No clear way to reach a responsible person after the visit

Extra questions for a move, an office or a new build

Some jobs need a few more questions. For a move, ask whether the company can clean both the home you are leaving and the one you are moving into, and how they schedule around the movers and the key handover. Ask what their move-out checklist covers, since an empty home exposes the inside of every cabinet, closet and appliance.

For an office in the Dallas area, ask whether they can clean after hours, how they handle alarm codes and keys, and whether the schedule can be customized by area, so restrooms and break rooms get more attention than storage rooms. For a newly finished remodel or build-out, ask whether they do post-construction cleaning specifically, how many passes they expect it to take and how they coordinate with the contractor's punch list.

How I answer these questions for my own clients

Texas Kings is owner-run, and I am the point of contact: I set the scope, the schedule and the price after I understand the home. I clean homes, apartments, offices and newly finished construction across Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, Rowlett and the Dallas area, and I build the schedule around what the household actually needs rather than a fixed package. Families who are moving are the clients I most want to hear from, and regular residential cleaning is the heart of the business.

When you reach out, tell me the size of the home, the number of bathrooms, any pets, the condition today and how often you would like cleaning. Ask me every question on this list. Once we start, I will also share a few simple habits for keeping the house clean between visits, because the best results come from a cleaner and a household working from the same plan.

Questions people ask me