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Licensed
Insured
Professional
Trained
Bathroom
Cleaning Tips To eliminate rings around your toilet, pour 1 cup white vinegar into the toilet once a month. To clean up drains, pour one cup baking soda and then one cup white vinegar down the drain. Wait at least an hour and then flush with warm water. Do this once a month to get rid of buildup.
To stop mildew from becoming a problem, spray your bathroom
ceiling ever six months with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen
peroxide and water
More Tips
House
Cleaning Tips to Save You Time
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and Ventura.
How to Decide What to Pay Your Cleaning Employees
Copyright © 2007 The Janitorial Store
As your cleaning business grows, one of the first things you will have to do is hire employees. Of course, this means that you must decide on how much you are going to pay before you start interviewing and hiring new cleaning staff. As a business owner you may have times that you work more hours and make less per hour than your paid staff. However, you are investing your time and efforts not just into current cleaning accounts, but also into the growth of the company. You cannot expect your employees to act like an owner when it comes to payment for their services.
Pay packages have few rules and hourly wages go up and down depending on the geographic area you live in and the potential employee's experience. Wages also depend on the current condition of the job market (are there more jobs than employees or vice versa). Typically, entry-level wages in the cleaning industry have been towards the low-end of the pay scale. A recent survey in CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Magazine showed that wages for cleaning workers range from $7.80 per hour to $9.51 per hour, with the overall average starting wage being $8.63 per hour. This can, of course, be higher or lower depending on specific circumstances and in what part of the country you run your cleaning business.
How do you figure out what a job is worth? First off, remember that you are investing in your employees today to have a more profitable cleaning business in the future. With any luck you will hire employees who are willing to learn and grow with your business. Before setting your pay scale consider the following:
1. If you already have employees, what are your current pay practices? You don't want to be hiring new employees and paying them the same or more than your current employees who are already trained. Look at your payroll records for the past year or two and see how much of your overall expenses you are paying out in salaries.
2. Make sure you have job descriptions. Just a title such as “janitor” is not acceptable. You need an accurate job description that specifically lists the key responsibilities and duties of that position.
3. Find out what your competition is paying. This may require a little digging on your part. You can check with your local job service or workforce center to see if they have a salary survey for the area. If no survey is available, check out classified ads, the local chamber or other professional organizations in your area. An online resource for salary estimates is www.salary.com.
4. Set the salary ranges for your various positions. You may have a Level 1 Maintenance position, Level 2 Maintenance position, Lead Person, and Supervisor. After you have an idea of the salaries that your competitors are paying, set a suitable salary range for each position.
5. Decide on any bonuses, perks or training expenses you will pay. With a small cleaning business you may not be able to provide health insurance, but consider other incentives that you can give to get and keep employees. You can provide bonuses or paid days off for reaching performance goals or not missing any days within a certain time frame. You could also give discounts on products, or pay for attending training seminars and workshops.
However you decide to set the wages, remember to think ahead. You don't want your employee to hit the salary cap in six months or a year. You need to have enough steps in each pay scale to allow flexibility for an employee's performance. A motivated employee who is doing a great job may advance two steps, while an employee who is just "getting by" may be pushed up just one step on the pay scale.
When you are ready to get that new employee on board, make sure they have a copy of the job description and pay policy in writing. This can be a short, 2-3 page document, or part of a comprehensive employee manual. Having everything in writing will help you to avoid confusion or disagreements later.
It's not an easy task figuring out how much to pay your cleaning employees so you not only make a profit, but so you can recruit and hire dependable and qualified employees. The cleaning business typically has a higher turnover and you may find yourself needing to hire new employees regularly. Doing your homework beforehand and having a set of written job descriptions and salary ranges will make it easier when you offer a candidate a job with your cleaning business.
Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com . Read success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com .
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How to Hire a Cleaning Service Company or Private Maid
How to Hire a Cleaning Service Company or Private Maid
By
Walt Gibson
How can you be absolutely certain that your cleaning service company or private maid is trustworthy? According to Mark Roselli of The Mang Insurance Group, a national survey of insurance companies concluded that 44.6% of all theft claims are derived from domestic cleaning services. In addition, Mr. Roselli states that most cleaning service companies are under insured – protecting themselves from theft of company property but not covering their customers in cases of theft. He also stated that criminal background checks are not required in order to purchase bonding insurance. These staggering facts should be of great concern to anyone hiring domestic help. Before you agree to let a stranger into your home, whether you are hiring a private maid or a cleaning service company, you must be assured that you are not putting yourself at risk.
As the owner of a cleaning service company since 1989, and as a consultant for residential cleaning companies since 2004, I have heard about many experiences. Aside from under insured companies who may have criminals on staff, there are less dire concerns to consider. One woman came home from a month in the hospital to find her private maid had not only moved in, but brought her family of five with her. Another hired a franchise service that apparently came in only to pick up her check each time they were supposed to clean her home. I’ve been told about another franchise service that sent a team of three cleaning ladies to perform a cleaning, but the customer could not communicate with them because none of the three spoke English.
To ensure that you have an acceptable experience you must do your research before hiring a cleaning company. My recommendations are:
1. Remember that the fee alone should not determine who you hire.
2. Ask for proof of insurance to be sent directly from the insurance company so that you will have a document on hand should an incident occur. (Insist that the insurance certificate is sent to you by the insurance company, not the cleaning company.) Here are some coverage guidelines:
• Bonding insurance can be as low as $1,000 and protects you against theft ONLY if it is a Third Party Bond. Proper coverage would be a minimum of a $25,000 third party bond.
• Liability coverage insures that any accident will not be charged to your homeowners’ policy. A minimum of $1,000,000 is desirable for liability coverage.
• Worker’s compensation insures that any personal injury occurring on your property is not charged to your home owner’s policy.
3. Be certain that you feel comfortable with the owner of the cleaning company, as they will be your contact should there be any problems with the service. Inquire about company policies regarding inadequate service, problems with employees and insurance claims. How long will it be before you are reimbursed for damaged or missing items? Will you be reimbursed for inadequate cleaning, or will a team be sent to reclean your home, and how long will this take?
4. Ask if the cleaning company checks employment and criminal records. From one hundred applications reviewed we can invite an average of ten for interviews because of a lack of stability in work history and residence. Out of the ten applicants invited for an interview, nine are eliminated because of poor work ethics, excessive residences and/or criminal records. Although my company would bring in more immediate income if I carelessly hired anyone who applied, I assure you that repeat business would suffer tremendously and my customers would feel violated.
5. How far back does the company check criminal records? A ten year background check is the legal maximum in some states; however a twenty year check is more desirable. I have seen applicants who appeared to be upstanding citizens but had criminal records reminiscent of infamous outlaws of the Wild West. One young woman who had applied to be a maid had six pages of offenses and had served time for safe cracking! Another mild mannered applicant had served time for armed robbery. Although these are extreme cases they serve to make a point -- if your cleaning service does not check criminal records then you may be inviting a felon into your home. Most often the criminal records of applicants are clean; however ten percent include assault, disturbing the peace and serious traffic violations. These are the records of applicants whose applications were above average -- can you imagine who will be sent to your home if the company you hire does not enforce the most stringent hiring policies?
6. If you prefer to hire a private maid then be certain that you perform a criminal record check. Remember that appearances can be deceiving and references can be falsified.
In most situations your greatest concern will be getting value for your investment. If you invest $120 to have your home cleaned and are unhappy with the results, then you have the opportunity to see first hand how the internal policies of the company work. Does the company have policies, procedures and resources which allow them to handle your complaint professionally and with diplomacy? Do they offer immediate remedies to correct any problem? Not only should you be assured that the company you have invited to be such an important part of your life will clean your home properly and without incident, but that they will take your concerns seriously.
The labor intensity of the residential cleaning industry is equally rivaled by the communication and management intensity. If the cleaning company does not utilize proper management techniques, your overall experience will not be desirable.
In conclusion, as with any important decision you should educate yourself before making a final choice on which company you’ll allow to clean your home. Make inquires by phone, in person, online, speak to friends and neighbors about their experiences with local cleaning companies. Bottom line – you are getting ready to invite people into your home, for many their most private and prized possession. Be certain that your decision is an educated and prudent one, not solely based upon price. Like so many of our customers you may find that a decade later the same friendly faces and good service are a refreshing and very necessary part of your life.
Copyright © 2004 MaidDocs® ~ All rights reserved.
Walter L. Gibson established the cleaning company Maid in North Carolina in 1989 and gained a copyright for his business system in 2004, creating MaidDocs.com. MaidDocs offers documents and forms, custom forms packages or a complete cleaning business system for residential cleaning service companies. Visit http://www.MaidDocs.com/shop and http://www.MaidinNC.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walt_Gibson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Hire-a-Cleaning-Service-Company-or-Private-Maid&id=336143
Why Hire
Licensed and Insured Cleaners?
In years past, you would often overhear conversations in places like beauty
salons, community clubhouses, cocktail parties and fancy restaurants that would
start something like this…
“Wow, I just found the best housecleaner and…they are really cheap!”
This conversation was usually one of the ladies (or gentlemen) boasting about
the cleaning person they had just hired to clean their home and this home was
usually located in a high-income neighborhood because, after all, years ago only
the wealthy could afford hired helpers in the home.
Well…times have changed…kind of…
The days of only the wealthy using hired help inside the home are gone! It’s not
that the wealthier don’t use housecleaners any longer, it’s the fact that
today’s average homeowners (especially the two income earner households) are
seeking outside help with home maintenance because of time constraints, lack of
energy to clean after putting in a 40+ hour workweek, etc. The market for
independent cleaning contractors has skyrocketed over the past 10-15 years!
Along with this “boom” in demand has come the “boom” in independent contractors
who are working without occupational licenses, insurances and may well lack the
experience needed to “safely” clean the many varied surfaces that exist in
today’s homes.
The industry refers to them as…Trunk Slammers.
When a homeowner (especially those homes where both parents are working full
time just to cover expenses) goes looking for help with home maintenance,
“price” is always a huge part of the decision on just who will be hired
and…there’s nothing wrong with that…provided the potential consumer “knows what
they are paying for” and…”the possible liabilities they are exposing themselves
to” when selecting a cleaning service provider based solely on price.
What liabilities?
When hiring an unlicensed worker who is working for “under the table” wages that
are not going to be reported to the IRS as income, you (technically) become that
worker’s employer and (technically) you become responsible for income, Medicare,
social security and unemployment taxes at the Federal level and, depending on
the state you live in, may be responsible (technically) for some of the
above…again…at the state level.
When hiring an unlicensed worker who is working for “under the table” wages that
are not going to be reported to the IRS as income, you (most certainly) will be
paying for that worker’s retirement also. Not today but when they retire and
realize that they have little or nothing in their Social Security retirement
account to live on , they will go on any one of a number of public assistance
programs that your hard earned tax dollars (remember them…there the one’s you
worked for and paid taxes on years ago…) will be paying for.
When hiring an uninsured worker, you become responsible (technically) for any
medical expenses for “your employee” should “your employee” become injured while
working in your home. In most states, you “should be” paying workman’s
compensation insurance for “your employee”.
When hiring an uninsured worker, you will assume all liabilities for damage,
breakage or theft of anything in your home. This may not sound like much of a
liability on your part but…remember we mentioned, “experienced” earlier?
Inexperienced people can, and do literally thousands of dollars worth of damage
to the many new surfaces in today’s homes. Things like marble, granite, hardwood
flooring, fiberglass tubs…. and the list goes on and on and on.
Oh, one other thing…you are breaking the law by hiring these individuals.
Unwittingly (or maybe knowingly) you have become “complicit” in tax evasion,
operating (in most municipalities/states) an unlicensed business and, in some
states, operating a business without adequate liability insurance or workman’s
compensation insurance. Claiming ignorance of your cleaner’s business status
will not help. You as the purchaser of services are responsible to investigate
the legal status of “any” outside contractor who performs “any” services on your
home and you should never be afraid to ask for documentation from those service
providers. (Remember the old “Caveat-emptor” phrase…it’s true!)
“Yeah”…you’re saying…”I know all this stuff already and anyway, no one ever gets
caught for this kind of stuff!”
I say…”Oh Yeah”…a little research on the subject (your Due-Diligence) will
quickly reveal that people, often unsuspecting people, are being caught and
fined everyday of the week on just these circumstances. Check with the IRS if
you don’t believe me.
The whole matter becomes an especially “different” kettle of fish if your
worker/employee is also an undocumented alien but…that’s for another letter.
Makes you wonder…is that $20/$30 difference in rates really worth the risk(s)?
Your money…your decision.
D. Crichton
Co-Founder, International Cleaners Association
www.internationalclnrs.com
Bathroom Cleaning Tips
Bathroom Cleaning Tips
By
Anne Clarke
Although you may wish you could, you don’t need to hire a maid to get your dingy bathroom sparkling clean! Just follow some of these tips and your bathroom will look like new in no time.
To clean the windows and mirrors in your bathroom, you do not need an expensive cleaning solution. All you need is to mix 1/3 cup white vinegar and ¼ cup rubbing alcohol in a 32 oz spray bottle. Dilute it with water.
Once your mirrors are sparkling clean, you can move onto the other, darker corners of your bathroom. To avoid water spots on your glass doors and shower walls, apply car wax twice a year. It may seem like a strange suggestion, but it helps.
On a more regular basis, you should wipe down your shower – after each use – to avoid build up. Also, natural soap does not cause as much soap scum buildup as other soaps do.
You can spray a citrus-based cleaner into your shower once a week. Make sure to wait about 10 minutes before wiping it down – let the cleaner start to dissolve the dirt. Shower curtains are easy to wash, just stick them in the washing machine.
To eliminate rings around your toilet, pour 1 cup white vinegar into the toilet once a month. To clean up drains, pour one cup baking soda and then one cup white vinegar down the drain. Wait at least an hour and then flush with warm water. Do this once a month to get rid of buildup.
To stop mildew from becoming a problem, spray your bathroom ceiling ever six months with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Peroxide is a safe bleach that won’t harm you or the environment. Just spray the mixture on and leave it. If you already have mildew, wait 2 hours and then spray again. Then wait 24 hours and spray again if necessary.
Just follow these bathroom cleaning tips, and you are sure to see a difference in the cleanliness of your bathroom. Now, if you could only keep your car so clean.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bathrooms and cleaning tips, please visit Shower Curtains.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bathroom-Cleaning-Tips&id=242274
More House Cleaning Tips from New Jersey Professional Maid Service
Done Right by Carol at
http://resources.donerightbycarol.com/cleaning-tips.html
Copyright © 2007 Melissa Galt
So you want the key to better living? It’s simple. All you need is more time to do things you really want to do. The question is how to get that. Read on and you’ll learn the secrets and shortcuts right now.
As far as food goes, you don’t have to cook! I mean you don’t even have to microwave. I always figured that if I could have dinner ready in 3 minutes or less that was sufficient, but now I’ve learned I can eat rich and even eat right with no effort at all. Locate a favorite gourmet takeout. Some cities and areas have a takeout taxi with a group of restaurants being served. Another popular option today, especially for couples and families, is to consider hiring a personal chef. These professionals can come to your home and cook up a storm leaving you with a gourmet smelling home for a night, and great meals with no repeats for a week or even two. Today even your favorite grocer has ready made meals for those on the go or just those without the know-how. Check out the local gourmet deli and takeout for delicious solutions to any craving.
Give someone else your errands. That’s right, you can get your dry cleaning picked up and delivered door to door. Many pharmacies also offer delivery, or order online. You can even order your postage online these days, saving those agonizing trips to the post office and missing the chance of a truly postal experience. There are also concierge services independent of the luxury hotel chains that do the same sort of errands, ticket ordering, reservations and such. Giving up the so called “loose end” activities can really be a time saver.
Hire a maid service or a cleaning person. You deserve it! Surely your time is worth more than the $55-$100 it takes to have someone else spend 3-5 hours a week vacuuming, dusting, polishing, and scouring. Besides, given the choice between spending time with friends and cleaning, I'd be with friends, wouldn’t you? If it seems hard to justify because it is just you, have it done biweekly.
Greenery--you’ve got to have it to add life to every room, but oh the maintenance can be a challenge. It is also an important factor in your house’s curb appeal. Call in Blossom Boxes or any other quick fix solution for your live plant needs both indoors and out. They can establish the right mix of plants in attractive containers, and all you have to do is water (or have your maid water inside and your gardener water outside). You’d be surprised at what a difference this will make both visually and physically (plants clean the air), and how inviting your place will look. If you really are reluctant to do live plants, silk is fine, just make sure that the cleaning service of choice knows to spray these monthly with silk floral cleaner (no wiping necessary), so that they don’t wind up being dust trees.
The next shortcut for a better life involves hiring a handyman to get those nagging shores done! You know you’ve wanted to add crown moulding to the bedrooms upstairs, but you haven’t got the time or the talent. You know you need the deck restained and sealed. The shower is badly in need of regrouting, ugh. And, you’ve got to address that leak in the garage. Why not call someone to take care of these chores for you? You don’t have to do it yourself; you just need to get it done. There are any numbers of individuals ready to help. You can also use services from online or the yellow pages like Good Neighbor or Service Magic. They guarantee their work and only allow bonded and insured talent. Do you get anxious every time you travel about leaving Fido or Rover home alone? Or perhaps you wrestle them into the pet carrier (often a traumatic experience for you both) and haul them to the vet. Well, no more. Find a pet sitter that you like, who likes your pets and who is preferably bonded and insured. (Check those references, too.) It is much simpler and less traumatic to your pets to be under the care of a trusted pet sitter than to be boarded at the vet every time you travel. You’ll also be protecting your pooch’s health by keeping him away from the myriad of diseases that circulate at kennels. Most pet sitters will also pick up your mail, water your plants and turn on and off lights for your pet’s comfort and so that your house doesn’t appear to be uninhabited (a great safety measure!). Worry free travel is hard to come by, but this step can make a big difference.
In part 1 of this 2 part series, we’ve covered some very useful ways you can delegate the tasks in your life that you don’t have time to do (or just don’t want to do!). Remember, this is your life, and every minute that you spend doing things that drain you is holding you back from living your best life. In part 2 of this series, we’ll cover some additional ideas for streamlining your life by hiring talented professionals to do the things you aren’t inclined to do.
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LosAngelesMaids@CleaningVentura.com
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Before and After Party
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8
Tips for Selecting The Right House Cleaning Service. |
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House Cleaning Services for LA
and Ventura County: Thousand Oaks, Simi
Valley, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Oak Park,
Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Woodland Hills, Encino,
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For San Diego, North County Residents: How to Choose the Right Carpet Cleaning Service
For San Diego, North County Residents:
How to Choose the Right Carpet Cleaning Service
By Chris Robertson
Having a clean, fresh smelling home or office can be achieved with something as simple as having the carpet cleaned occasionally. By keeping the carpet clean, you're also reducing dust, dust mites, and harmful allergens. The air is fresher because the carpet will no longer have a huge amount of built-up dust particles. When dust is built-up in the carpet, it's being released in the air as you walk on it - even if you can't see it. Persons with allergies will benefit tremendously from a professional carpet cleaning.
How to Clean Your Carpet
There are two ways to clean the carpet. One, you can rent a steam cleaner and do it yourself. Two, you can hire a professional carpet cleaning service in the San Diego area. Cleaning the carpet yourself can take many hours, so it might be best to hire a professional carpet cleaner if you have a busy schedule.
If you live in the San Diego, North County area and want to find a reliable carpet cleaning service, here are some important facts you should know.
Not All Carpet Cleaners are Created Equal
Check with the cleaning service to see what type of carpet cleaners they use. There are several ways to clean carpet. One is the dry-chem method in which a cleaning chemical is sprayed onto the carpet, and then removed with a machine. No water is used so the soapy residue remains after the cleaning. The disadvantage of this method is the machine does not rinse with water and it does not clean deep into the carpet - it only cleans the surface.
Another popular method is steam cleaning. There are several types of steam cleaning: portable machine method, truck-mounted unit method, and the Dri-Steam method. With a portable machine, the carpet can stay wet for days after the cleaning. Also, the machine runs off an outlet plug-in in your home.
With the truck-mounted method, a very powerful unit is used and powered by the truck. In this method, cleaning chemicals are washed out of the carpet using soft hot water. The carpet dries much faster than with portable machines, and it doesn't leave a residue behind after the cleaning. This is the preferred method of professional carpet cleaners.
There's also the more recent Dri-Steam method, which also uses a truck-mounted unit, but with a jet-less rotary cleaning tool. With this method the carpet dries faster than any other - in one to three hours!
Be sure to choose a professional carpet cleaning service that understands these methods and chooses to use only the best. Your carpet will be with you for a long while, so handle cleaning it with care.
Maintaining the Carpet after a Cleaning
Be sure the carpet is completely dry before vacuuming or even walking on the carpet if possible. To keep dust particles down, vacuum the carpet often and change the vacuum cleaner bag often as well. Dust can settle in the bag and release particles into the air as you are vacuuming - defeating the whole purpose of cleaning your carpet!
To keep allergens to a minimum, spray allergen removal chemicals on the carpet and upholstery occasionally. Leave them for a day or two, and then vacuum the carpet. Also, cover heavy traffic areas with rugs to protect the carpet.
While vacuuming the carpet, don't forget to vacuum the furniture and around the windowsills and room corners. Dust and cobwebs accumulate in these areas also.
Choosing a Carpet Cleaner in San Diego
Finding a carpet cleaning service is easier once you understand the types of carpet cleaning available. Wherever you live - San Diego, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Marcos, La Jolla, Vista, Oceanside, Escondido - there are reliable carpet cleaning services who offer the type of cleanings mentioned above.
Give your carpet a great cleaning and enjoy the fresh, clean air once again!
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about San Diego Carpet Cleaning Tips or Majon's Home and Garden directory.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
http://EzineArticles.com/?For-San-Diego,-North-County-Residents:-How-to-Choose-the-Right-Carpet-Cleaning-Service&id=339177
House Cleaning Tips To Save You Time
House Cleaning Tips To Save You Time
By
James C
House cleaning is a job that nobody looks forward to. It is something that we want to get done as soon as possible. If you want to make the most of your house cleaning time read this article for some house cleaning tips. They could dramatically cut down your cleaning time.
The first thing you want to do to save time is be organized. You want to have all of your cleaners in one place. Nothing wastes more time than having to run around the house looking for a cleaner. Instead you should get yourself either a tray or a good bucket that you can place all of your cleaners in . Then when you clean your home you can simply bring your container of chemicals with you and you will never have to hunt for anything.
Another tip is to work in an organized matter. Do not go from one side of the house to the other and back again. Work yourself from room to room staring at one end of the house going towards the other end. Also work from the top down so that you do not dirty an area you have already cleaned. Cleaning in an organized fashion will save you countless hours of cleaning every month.
My last tip is to not spread the mess. Do not do things that just spread the dirt around. For example if you are dusting do not use a standard duster to wipe the dust off. Use a moist towel or rag that will actually hold the dust instead of just putting it into the air. Also when you vacuum use a good vacuum with a HEPA filter. If you do not you will simply be relocating the dirt instead of removing it.
I hope these tips will help you get the most out of your cleaning. If cleaning is still something you hate consider hiring a local maid service. It might be more affordable than you think.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_C
http://EzineArticles.com/?House-Cleaning-Tips-To-Save-You-Time&id=628390
Melissa Galt is a Lifestyle Designer and Speaker based in Atlanta, GA. She hosts a series of blogs on design tips and trends and produces a monthly ezine dedicated to helping subscribers design their signature life. For the latest teleclasses, seminars, and ebooks on designing your life check out http://www.melissagalt.com .
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