Questions to Ask Before Hiring a House Cleaning Service

Hiring a cleaning service is a trust decision. You're giving strangers access to your home, sometimes weekly. The right questions, asked before booking, separate reputable companies from corner-cutters. Below are the 10 questions that matter most — what to ask, what answer to expect, and what to do if the answer is unclear.

1. Are your cleaners employees or contractors?

The right answer: employees. W-2 employees mean the company handles payroll taxes, workers' compensation insurance, training, and quality control. 1099 contractors mean the company is essentially a referral service — the cleaners work for themselves, which usually means less training, no workers' comp, and inconsistent quality. Queen of Maids hires employees.

2. Are your cleaners insured and bonded?

The right answer: yes, with documentation available on request. Insured means both general liability (covers property damage) and workers' compensation (covers cleaner injuries). Bonded means the company carries a surety bond covering theft. Ask for the Certificate of Insurance (COI) — reputable companies provide it without hesitation.

3. What's your background check process?

The right answer: criminal background check (county, state, federal), identity verification, and an in-person interview. Some companies skip these entirely; others run only a basic check. The cleaner who comes into your home should have been screened — and the company should be able to tell you how.

4. Do you have a satisfaction guarantee?

The right answer: yes, with specific terms. Queen of Maids offers a 200% Happiness Guarantee — if you're not satisfied, we redo the cleaning at no charge; if you're still not satisfied, we refund. Ask for the specific terms (time window, what triggers it, what's covered). "Yes we have a guarantee" without specifics isn't enough.

5. Who actually shows up at my home?

The right answer: the same dedicated team for recurring service, with trained backups. If you'll see a different cleaner every visit, quality and trust will both suffer. A consistent team learns your home, your preferences, and your priorities. Backups should exist for sick days and vacations — without them, you'll have appointments cancelled.

6. What happens if my cleaning quality drops?

The right answer: a clear escalation process plus the satisfaction guarantee. Quality issues should result in: (1) a redo visit at no charge, (2) feedback to the cleaning team, (3) re-training or team change if patterns persist. "Call us and we'll figure it out" is not a process.

7. How do you handle scheduling and cancellations?

The right answer: clear written policies, with reasonable flexibility. Look for: scheduling within a 5-day window for makeups, 24-hour notice for client cancellations, defined policies if the cleaner cancels. Onerous cancellation fees ($75+ for cancelling 24 hours out) are a red flag.

8. What does pricing actually depend on?

The right answer: home size, bathroom count, frequency, and add-ons. Vague "starting at" pricing without breakdown is a red flag. You should be able to get a binding quote based on objective factors (square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms) — not on someone walking through your home for an estimate.

9. Do you carry supplies, or do I?

The right answer: the company brings supplies and equipment. Quality companies bring their own products and professional-grade equipment. If you have product preferences (eco-friendly, fragrance-free, your own products), the cleaner should accommodate. "Bring your own supplies" is a sign of an under-resourced service.

10. What's your reputation outside this conversation?

Check verified reviews, BBB rating, and the company's social presence. Look at the spread, not just the average — a company with 1,400 reviews at 4.9 stars is far more trustworthy than a company with 12 reviews at 5.0. Look for how the company responds to negative reviews, too — that's where you see who they are when something has actually gone wrong.

Bonus: red flags to walk away from

How Queen of Maids answers each question

If you ask each of the 10 questions above to Queen of Maids: we hire W-2 employees, carry full insurance (general liability and workers' comp) and bonding, run multi-jurisdiction background checks plus identity verification and in-person interviews, offer the 200% Happiness Guarantee with clear 24-hour terms, match a dedicated cleaner to your home with trained backups, have an escalation process for quality issues, publish written scheduling and cancellation policies, offer transparent quote-tool pricing, bring all supplies and equipment, and have over 1,400 verified Google reviews at a 4.9 average across our four metros.