GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – As states continue to move towards opening businesses and relaxing stay at home mandates – cleaning companies might be getting more calls.
Businesses could be looking for a deep clean before allowing employees back through the doors. Some individuals might hope to take extra steps to do the same at home. It’s recommended to check into any cleaning company you may plan to hire.
“It’s really important for you, the individual, to do some checking into that company,” says Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau, “Ask friends, family members, and neighbors to recommend a cleaning company – and then go and research those recommendations to read reviews or see if they have any complaints.”
If you’re concerned about allowing other people in your home or building, there are other questions you can ask the cleaners before signing on the dotted line.
“When you interview potential candidates, you’ll want to ask ‘are you going to be wearing protective gear? What kind of chemicals and disinfectants are you going to be using?’” Bach says, “You want to make sure that they’re powerful enough to kill any kind of viruses, but also if you have any sensitivities or allergies to harsh chemicals, you’ll want to make sure you ask about those as well.”
Another reason to do your research – there are no state agencies that license cleaning companies. So essentially, anyone could call themselves a cleaner. This is why written contracts and insurance can come in handy.
“An insurance policy would protect you if the cleaning people cause some kind of accident such as forgetting to turn off a faucet or losing a key. A bond is a form of insurance that protects you from any kind of dishonest or criminal act by the people who will come into your home – so theft or identity theft, things like that,” Bach says, “You’ll want to get all of those terms in writing – what’s going to be cleaned, how much it’s going to cost, and the time frame it’s going to take to be completed.”
If you do hire a cleaner, you should also put away any valuable items or documents – and make arrangements for pets to make it less stressful for them and the cleaning crew.
Cleaning companies may find themselves following a different method of deep cleaning when going into homes, home offices, and businesses during the COVID-19 panemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations on how to clean and disinfect multiple surface areas to help prevent the spread of the virus.
For other questions or information about how to hire a cleaning service, head to bbb.org.
