10 Tips for Hiring The Right Perth Cleaner

Whether you’re looking for a Perth cleaner to clean your home or your office, finding the right cleaner can be a daunting task. After all, this is your space that you are asking someone to come into. Space that sends a message about how you are and the image you want to represent. Your cleaner will be airing out your dirty laundry (although only figuratively unless you pay extra for them to do a load of washing as well). You need to feel comfortable with them, and be able to trust and rely on them. Here’s ten tips to ensure you make the right choice

1- Plan ahead.

Most cleaning companies are booked well in advance for both one off and regular clients. Not only will it be hard to find a company who can complete a rush job, you won’t give yourself enough time to do the required research if you wait until you really need the cleaning job to be completed.

2- Ask for Recommendations.

There are plenty of places to ask for recommendations. While personal friends and business associates can be the most useful source of recommendations, you can also ask in local groups and online community pages.  

3- Do online research.

Find out if the company has positive or negative reviews. While one or two bad reviews may be explainable, a barrage of negative reviews is a pretty big red flag. Even checking the company’s website can tell you a lot about them. While a badly done website may not be an accurate reflect of the company’s quality of work, a well done website does usually reflect a commitment to professionalism.

4- Hire a cleaning company who is properly registered and insured

In Australia all businesses must have an ABN. If you can’t find this on their website, ask for it. This ensures they are registered as a business with the ATO. If they are specialised, make sure they have any necessary registrations and permits.

Since even the most highly trained and experienced cleaner can encounter unexpected problems, it is important that your cleaner has full and comprehensive insurance. While an uninsured cleaner may do a good job, it will be a disaster if things go awry.

5- Ensure they are the experts that you need.

Cleaning, whether residential, commercial, or industrial, can vary greatly in what is included. Each cleaner will have their own specialisations and different types of experience. Make sure the cleaner you are looking at is willing and able to clean all the items and areas that you want cleaned. Many cleaners won’t clean the external areas of your property for example, as this often requires additional specialised knowledge and equipment. Don’t expect a “cleaning firm” to be able to cover all bases. This may mean you need to be prepared to hire a specialised window cleaner and a gardener as well as an office cleaner.

6- Be prepared to pay for quality.

While a business looking for an office cleaner will typically have a better understanding of this point, it is common for families looking for a residential cleaner to undervalue the cleaning service. Since cleaning is an industry that can be tempting to get into as cash on the side jobs or helping out friends, it is vulnerable to offerings from less experience, poorly trained, or inadequately insured workers. If you want professional quality work, you should be prepared to pay for professional quality work.

If you need to understand this point more, consider that the minimum wage for a cleaner is $20.21, plus superannuation. A good rule of thumb is that for every chargeable hour worked an employee actually costs a company roughly one and a half to double their base hourly wage. This is especially true if the company is paying their staff ethically and investing in ongoing training- two factors you want in a good cleaner. Keep in mind that the income a cleaning company generates has to cover all of their employee’s work hours, not just their billable hours. This includes their leave time, training, travel time and administrative tasks. On top of that a company has penalty rates, allowances, insurance, education, equipment, materials, and other overheads to cover. Be suspicious of any cleaning company that doesn’t charge enough to cover employee costs, insurance, training, and cleaning supplies. If the rate seems too low then ask for an explanation. It may mean you are hiring a sole trader, or it may mean you are hiring a company who doesn’t ensure their staff are adequately trained and insured.

After all, remember that you are asking other people to clean your toilets….

7- Ensure you can align your expectations.

To ensure they can cover their costs different companies will have different policies on minimum charges, where they are able to travel to, and the level of work they will do. You may only want a 15 minute clean, but find that cleaning companies have a two hour minimum charge. Conversely you may be wanting a deep clean, only to find you’ve hired a company that only does general cleaning. Know what you want and ensure that the company you choose can work with the same expectations.

When it comes to cleaners one of the key points that need to be aligned is who is responsible for supplying the cleaning materials and equipment. Imagine the fuss if you hire a cleaner with the expectation that they provide their own cleaning materials, only for them to show up expecting you to provide them. Some cleaners prefer to use their client’s supplies so that they can ensure they are working with cleaning products that the client likes to use. Other cleaners prefer to work with their own products so that they can ensure they are working with cleaning products that they know and trust. Just make sure you are both on the same page before they show up to clean.

8- Make sure the cleaning firm is good with communication.

Sometimes things happen that are outside our control. This can mean that even the most organised and reliable cleaning company will have to reschedule. You do not want to be stuck with a cleaner who leaves you in the lurch without a word. Nor do you want one who just shows up two weeks later with a lame apology (and yes this has actually been known to happen). Clear, proactive, communication is an essential for any quality cleaning company. This will ensure you aren’t left frustrated, or wondering if they will ever show up.

9- Check That They Service Your Area

Perth is a large region. Most Perth cleaning companies will not clean every single location around Perth. A Balga cleaning company, for example, is more likely to service the North Perth suburbs than the south Perth suburbs. Since companies must pay their staff travel time, it is also possible that a cleaning firm will ask to charge a travel fee if you want them to clean outside their immediate service area. While this is an option you may want to take if you are set on a particular cleaning company, it may be an additional charge that you want to avoid.

10– Ask the right questions.

Utilise the above tips to ensure you have a clear, direct line of questioning.

Other than asking if they are reliable, trustworthy, and good with communication, you want to ensure that the cleaning company:

• Ensures they have properly trained staff
• Typically uses the same cleaner for your property every time
• Is adequately insured
• Services your area. Perth is a large expanse. Most cleaning companies will only service selected Perth suburbs.
• Has comparable rates for their inclusions (for example do they provide their own cleaning equipment and materials or are you expected to supply these).
• Are people that you personally feel comfortable working with

Make sure you know what you need and what it is you want, so that you ask the right questions.