Ask a House Cleaner

 "What Airbnb cleaning tips do I need to know if I do Airbnb cleaning as part of my cleaning service? And how do I know what to clean every day if there are no Airbnb guests?" An Airbnb cleaning business is much like a regular maid service. As a house cleaner, you and the homeowner decide what to clean in an Airbnb. You'll also agree on an Airbnb cleaning charge.  Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives cleaning advice and cleaning tips.

"Should I have a cancellation charge for maid service? And if so how much? I'm trying to grow my cleaning company then a client suspends cleaning. And should I have a cancellation charge if they reschedule or postpones cleaning? Or should I just charge a flat rate for a cancellation?" Cancellation charge is a house cleaning FAQ Angela Brown gets asked a lot. On today’s Ask a House Cleaner she gives cleaning advice on when to waive a cancellation fee.

What are cruelty-free cleaning products? A customer asks "Can you clean my space with cruelty-free cleaning products?" And I don't know the difference between Kosher cleaning products and vegan cleaning products. Are non-toxic, eco-friendly, cruelty-free cleaning products all the same thing? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives cleaning advice on Multi-Level-Marketing or MLM detergents. What is the difference and what do the labels mean.

Hardwood floor secrets can make cleaning your hardwood floors a breeze. First of the hardwood floor secrets is using a dry mop or microfiber mop to sweep the floor. Next in the hardwood floor secrets is recognizing light cleaning vs. heavy duty cleaning. A damp flip mop can tidy up the lesser used areas and steam mops for hardwood floors can remove dog slobber. A steamer is also great for high traffic areas on hardwood floors that collect water drips, dirt, and mud.

"Should Airbnb guests clean up after themselves? Airbnb cleaning is so expensive and we have to charge an Airbnb guests clean up fee. Is it our job to clean up after them or should Airbnb guests clean up before they leave?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives cleaning advice and cleaning tips for these house cleaning FAQ. The Airbnb cleaning business is booming right now. Because Airbnb guests want a vacation experience when they rent a room from you.

"Cleaning motivation. Where do I find cleaning motivation to clean my space? I don't like housecleaning and I'm wasting time with distractions and dips in my biorhythms." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says a cleaning routine replaces cleaning motivation. DIY cleaning hacks include having a cleaning caddy, cleaning triggers and then the use of science like Focus@Will. Today's Ask a House Cleaner sponsor is My Cleaning Connection (a resource hub for podcasts while cleaning.)

"Do I have a bad house cleaner? I called a maid service to come clean my space but I think I got a bad house cleaner. And I don't know how to verify house cleaner training or proper insurance." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says a bad house cleaner lacks confidence and has no policies. If you ask basic cleaning questions and the maid doesn't have clue you need to find somebody else to clean.

Moonlighting as a maid while house cleaning is a sticky situation. I get that you are moonlighting while house cleaning because you want to earn more and need extra money. If you're going to start your own cleaning business as a side job it's best to be upfront. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says moonlighting is a side hustle. But it can get you fired from your day job or worse if you steal clients. All the cleaning videos we've done on this cleaning channel "Don't burn bridges."

'"How much to clean 5 rooms?" Don't you hate it when homeowners price shop house cleaning? How much to clean 5 rooms? Can you even give a fair price or a cleaning estimate without knowing more details? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says when someone asks "How much to clean 5 rooms?" They are asking for a sales pitch. If you give a cleaning quote sight unseen there's no price negotiation. The homeowner can't do a price comparison because they don't know what you offer.

Customers you can't please. Are they wrecking your business? When you have customers, you can't please sometimes it's just a gap in your work agreement. There needs to be teamwork between homeowner priorities and the house cleaner priorities. Another reason Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru recommends using worksheets. Customers you can't please activate your satisfaction guarantee which cost you your company profit.

Delegate housework. It's easier said than done. Lots of homeowners don't know how to delegate housework. So, they micromanage the house cleaner or maid and mismanage their own household chores. One house cleaning FAQ is "Do I clean my space or do I delegate it?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru asks "how much is your time worth?" You may want to take inventory and then delegate housework to a maid service and hire a virtual assistant for other tasks besides cleaning.

"I would never clean house. I just want to grow my cleaning company behind a desk. I'm better than cleaning house. It's not that I'm snobby, anti-team or arrogant, it's just I would never clean house." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru warns against the "I don't need to lower myself, I would never clean house" attitude. It's not good for customer service or employee morale. Today's Ask a House Cleaner sponsors are Savvy Cleaner Training (help for maid service owners.)

Cracks in the pavement happen when there are extreme temperatures or when a sidewalk has settled. Our cleaning businesses can also have get cracks in the pavement. Stress, overwhelm, and neglect are contributing factors to broken systems. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru give tips to recognize when you have cracks in the pavement. And steps to take if your business is crumbling so you can repair uneven cement. Any maid service is only as strong as the foundation its built on.

Fine china. How often should you clean fine china dishes? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives pro cleaning tips for fine china in a closed china cabinet. "There's no speed cleaning when it comes to crystal, glassware, plates, and bowls." Fine china in cabinets is rarely used and these expert cleaning tips will make the job easier - even cleaning the glass cabinet door.

Do you tell the parents when you're house cleaning and you stumble on candy wrappers or beer cans in the kid’s rooms? Do you tell the parents if it's needles, drugs or pornography? The dilemma is where do you draw the line? And are you a tattletale or a narc if you find stolen goods in a kid’s room and you tell the parents? And if the kid is in trouble do you tell the parents or call the cops?