How to Find and Hire a Reputable Housekeeper

 Deciding to hire a housekeeper or maid service can really relieve the stress of a busy couple or family who may not have time to clean their home themselves. A housekeeping service will usually come in once a week or bi-weekly, depending on your needs. It does take a lot of trust to be able to have someone come into your home and take care of your stuff, so it is important that you do not skimp on the due diligence needed to find a trustworthy housekeeper.

Here are some tips that you can use to find and hire a reputable housekeeper:

Ask Friends or Family for a Referral

Do you have local friends or family who use a housekeeping service? Can they refer you to someone that they have used for a while? Getting a referral from someone you know is a great way to find a trustworthy housekeeper. And the home cleaning will feel good about being referred because it shows that their current customer respects their work and is comfortable giving them the extra business.

Finding a Housekeeping Service Company or Individual?

There are plenty of maid service companies that you can contract to come in and do housecleaning or there are independent contractors who have their own company. If you decide to work with a company, make sure that you are able to get the same maid nearly every time, this way you can help the housekeeper become familiar with how you would like your home cleaned. Some folks have issues with maid service companies because the maids may not be getting paid a living wage because of the company's cut; if that concerns you, then do your research into the business practices of the prospective companies before giving them your business.

Check on References

If you are not able to get a referral from a friend or family member, then ask the prospective company or independent contractor for references. You should ask the references how long they have been a customer, if they are satisfied with the services, and other questions that you can ask that may pertain to your household needs.

Decide on a Service Schedule

Do you want a housekeeper to come in weekly? Or would you prefer someone just to come in monthly? Your needs will depend on your family, your budget, and their habits. You may test a service out and have a housekeeper come in monthly and increase the visits if you feel that a once a month cleaning is inadequate.

Determine Your Needs

What types of services do you need from your housekeeper? Will he or she do dusting, vacuuming, sweeping mopping, and light organizing? Or do you need the service to clean out the fridge, clean your outdoor furniture, and other specialty services? Make a list of what you would like done in each visit and, perhaps, what services should be completed on a monthly basis. Determining your needs upfront will make the relationship with your housekeeper go much smoothly.

Do a Trial Run

Before hiring a housekeeper long-term, you may want to do a trial run for a month or so to make sure that they can complete the job satisfactorily. If not, then no harm done, you can just move on to find another housekeeper.