If you’re currently surrounded by towers of dirty dishes, piles of unwashed laundry, and heaps of unmade beds, then it’s time to call in the professionals. With HomeStars, hiring a cleaning company is just a couple of clicks away. To ensure you find the best company for you and know what to expect when they show up to clean, follow these steps before you hire.
1. Research Your Options
Like most things in life, having a sparkling clean house or apartment isn’t as easy as just booking the service. The key to a successful cleaning company relationship is both sides understanding how much time is required to get the job done to your satisfaction. The best way to do this is to put in some extra research to find the right company for you.
Before you commit to a company, make sure you have them over to assess your home so they can see exactly how much work will be required of them. Get quotes from a few companies and be sure to read their reviews before you sign a contract. Ask questions about their training procedures, refunds for accidents or if you’re unhappy with the clean, and the company’s standards in general. If the company is unable to give you detailed answers, that’s a sign you should look somewhere else.
Once you have the company over to assess your home, be sure to let them know ahead of time if you have pets. While you may be a pet lover, your cleaning professional might not be. Let the company know what kind of pet you have and if they’ll be in the home during cleaning hours. If you have a particularly rambunctious pet, consider making arrangements for them while the crew is at your home.
Outline Your Expectations
Once you’ve found the right company for the job, be sure to clearly communicate your expectations. There’s a big difference between a full house cleaning and tidying up. If you’re looking for someone to organize your home more so than clean it, you’ll want to hire a professional organizing company instead. Let the company know if they should spend time putting away your child’s toys, or if you would prefer they spend their time washing floors.
Not sure what you want the pros to focus on? Think about which tasks you absolutely do not want to do and have them focus on that. If you’re okay doing laundry but hate cleaning bathrooms, tell the company to focus their time there. There’s no sense paying someone to do the things you don’t mind doing. Time is valuable for both parties, so ensure you use it wisely.
Define What “Clean” Is To You
Everyone has a different definition of what clean means to them. Does brushing the crumbs off your countertops mean the job is done? Or would you prefer your countertops are fully wiped down and sanitized every time? Define what clean means to you ahead of time, so that the cleaning company can be fully prepared to meet your needs.
It may help to write out a list of duties you want to be done before the crew arrives. This way they know exactly what projects to tackle and can check them off as they go. Be honest with the company and let them know if something was not fully cleaned to your satisfaction. Just remember to be realistic about your complaint. If your requests are ignored, or the company isn’t following your instructions, then it’s time to find a new company.
Below are the average costs of House & Apartment Cleaning services across different cities in Canada:
| City | Average | Minimum | Maximum |
| Barrie | $358 | $100 | $950 |
| Calgary | $353 | $100 | $14,000 |
| Edmonton | $346 | $100 | $3,700 |
| Hamilton | $472 | $100 | $2,000 |
| Oshawa | $249 | $100 | $1,503 |
| Ottawa | $1,268 | $100 | $20,000 |
| Toronto | $459 | $100 | $45,000 |
| Vancouver | $354 | $100 | $4,000 |
*Costs based on 6859 verified Canadian homeowner reviews as of March 2022
Hiring a cleaning company is meant to make your life easier and give you some much needed free time back. Be thorough when hiring and make sure you express your needs and concerns ahead of time.
Article updated June 2022.
