Ask a House Cleaner

What should you do when a house cleaning client dies? Like it or not there is a slew of emotions that vary from expected death, accidental death and intentional death. When a client dies the maid is grieving but should they play therapist with the family who hired them? We Ask a House Cleaner what to do when a client dies because there is sadness surrounding the death and dying. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tip on attending the funeral, and how to be present without interfering.

What is the #1 secret to advertising your cleaning business? If you want to grow your cleaning business what advertising and marketing do you need? We Ask a House Cleaner today. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says word of mouth advertising is still the best form of advertising. But there are other ways to market your cleaning business. Branding, promotion, online banner ads and flyers are still effective. They all create awareness and boost visibility and feed the referral hub.

Audible vs. Podcasts vs. Kindle which is best for house cleaners to learn on the go? We Ask a House Cleaner about house cleaning training and learning while cleaning. Audible vs. Podcasts - does one make you work faster? Books on tape or talk radio? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips to get the most from your university in your pocket. Audible vs. Podcasts for business help and maid service training.

3 unusual things professional organizers do go beyond basic hoarding or junk removal. Professional organizers do more than create 3 piles, "keep", "toss" and "donate." And their uncluttering tips go way beyond fancy storage bins. We Ask a House Cleaner about professional organizers and when to hire them if you have too much stuff. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives cleaning advice that starts with the psychology of hoarding.

What are cleaning retainers and should you sign one? Cleaning retainers are another way to pay for house cleaning. If you're a house cleaner, you can work on retainer. We Ask a House Cleaner about tax planning, cleaning retainers and their fee structure. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru say if you need the money you can create monthly retainers or annual retainers. Your client pays you and you collect money once instead of regular billing and collection.

How do you clean computer screens, tablet screens, TV and smartphones? This is stuff they don't teach you in-house cleaning training. Computer screens and some TV monitors consist of polarized glass and liquid crystal. And you can't use cleaning chemicals on the computer screens because they can streak and fade the film transistor. We Ask a House Cleaner best cleaning techniques. Angela Brown gives tips and cleaning advice to clean electronics.

Do you need insurance and bonding if you're a solo house cleaner? And do you need insurance AND bonding or is it just a way to market your cleaning business? We Ask a House Cleaner about if insurance and bonding are more than fancy credentials. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says being bonded and insured protects you and it protects your customers. If you ruin, break or damage property while cleaning your clients expect you to replace or repair those belongings.

Unreliable employees for house cleaning can wreck your maid service. We Ask a House Cleaner about unreliable employees who say they want the job and are reliable. But they are tardy, late or no call, no show. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips on independent contractors vs. employees. Unreliable employees come in all shapes and sizes. Ask in your interview what motivates employees. Set policies. And put consequences in place for breaking rules and regulations.

When is a good time to quit a cleaning client? It's a tough call when you have to make the decision. A good time to quit is when your gut instinct or intuition kicks in and makes you want to end the contract. We Ask a House Cleaner business advice for house cleaners and maids. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says more questions are part of finding a good time to quit. Don't just quit a cleaning client or stop working for a client. It's a business decision that needs attention.

The #1 survival tool for house cleaners is the tip for today. As a house cleaner or maid, your clients will lie. And you will have daily employee challenges. But the #1 survival tool for house cleaners will keep you sane during those brain fog moments of panic. We Ask a House Cleaner about the #1 survival tool for house cleaners for things you're not expecting. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says you will break stuff. And you will leave cleaning supplies at home.

Spousal support for house cleaners when you start a cleaning business? Heck yeah. It's tough when you don't have a support system or someone to talk to. Spousal support is the best because it's someone who believes in you and loves you. We Ask a House Cleaner business advice to get along with your spouse. "Spousal support is about communication and understanding." - Angela Brown, says "and if you're going to grow your cleaning business you need a pillar of strength to support you."

House cleaning forums to grow your cleaning business - yes or no? House cleaning forums are becoming popular hangouts for colleagues and peers. We Ask a House Cleaner the benefits. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips on how to get the most from the house cleaning forums you join. House Cleaning Forums I admin: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/HouseCleaning360/

Gift certificates for house cleaning - yes or no? Custom gift certificates are super easy to make. All you need is a gift certificate template and some fancy paper from the office store.  Ask a House Cleaner marketing advice about ways to grow your cleaning business. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru will agree a gift certificate or gift card is great for any birthday, Mother's Day or Valentine's Day. 

Batching laundry or a load a day? That is the question of the perfect laundry routine. Batching laundry is one of the top laundry hacks we Ask a House Cleaner about today. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives homeowner DIY batching laundry tips. Sort like colors, similar fabrics, wash the clothes but only do one laundry cycle a day. Fold laundry as you would but instead of putting clothes away all over, batch the loads. Keep track of this time saver at your washing machine. Bam!

Comparing yourself to other maids is never a good idea. You know, people lie. Competing and comparing yourself is natural. Jealousy and insecurity are natural. But you need confidence boosters to build house cleaning success. We Ask a House Cleaner how to stop comparing yourself and how to start winning. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru gives tips to turn you into a savvy cleaner. Today's sponsors are My Cleaning Connection, Savvy Cleaner Training, and HouseCleaning360.