The right maid service policies can keep your employees feeling safe, secure, and protected.
Compared to other lines of work, house cleaning is hardly dangerous, but it’s not without its risks. Your cleaning team can be exposed to unexpected hazards on the job if you’re not careful.
But if you enforce smart policies to keep your team safe, you reap several key benefits. First, your employees trust you to protect them and look out for their well-being, key to retention.
Second, you protect your cleaning company from a sloppy reputation. And third, you’ll never find yourself short-staffed due to a mishap that you could’ve prevented.
Here are five cleaning service policy types that will protect your cleaning company and staff members.
Pet policies
The sad truth is that not all pets are friendly—and not all owners are mindful of their own pet’s behavior. Additionally, a cleaner with a severe dog or cat allergy might be downright miserable working in some homes. Consider the following suggested policies to keep your cleaners safe and comfortable:
- Your customers must inform you ahead of time about their pets, including the species, breed, and number. Don’t be afraid to include caged pets in this policy. It can be pretty startling to walk into a room the day of the cleaning and find yourself face-to-face with a snake—even if it’s in a terrarium.
- Customers must secure dogs until they have become accustomed to the cleaning team. Some cleaners may not mind a bit of canine company while they clean. Others may prefer for all dogs to stay contained while they work. Make sure you’re communicating—and enforcing—those wishes with your customers.
- Your cleaners with pet allergies may request to switch houses if a severe allergy makes working conditions uncomfortable.
Large furniture policies
Some cleaning companies will happily move large furniture while cleaning, but this is not always the case. Without proper training, cleaners can really hurt themselves trying to shove a giant couch out of the way. Here are a few options to consider for your cleaning company:
- You may decide that moving large furniture is not a service you provide. If a customer wants you to clean under a piece of large furniture, they must move it for you.
- Alternatively, you can require customers to inform you ahead of time so you can equip your cleaners appropriately. You could also consider a small fee.
Up-high cleaning service policies
In homes with high ceilings, a proper floor-to-ceiling clean might require a ladder—which increases the risk of falling. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to offer high-altitude dusting. An up-high cleaning policy might limit how high your cleaners will climb on a ladder.
Waste cleanup policies
Life happens. Children—and adults—get sick. Puppies take time to potty train. But waste cleanup isn’t always straightforward. So here is on are a few policies you might consider for your cleaning company:
Your customers must tell you ahead of time if they need you to clean up human or animal waste. That way, your cleaners can grab specialty supplies if needed, including extra gloves and other protective gear.
You might charge an extra fee for these additional services.
Sick policies
The past two years have presented tricky changes for cleaning companies to navigate. In the early days of the pandemic, cleaners and customers alike were leery of exposing each other to COVID-19 risk. Things have normalized slightly, but you may consider a more cautious approach toward illness in the future. For example:
You might communicate with your customers to tell you if a family member comes down with certain illnesses. This could include COVID-19 or influenza. You can then reschedule their cleaning services to protect your cleaners from exposure.
Thoughtful maid service policies are a powerful way to protect your cleaners from risk—and earn their trust. And when your customers see you making intelligent business decisions, they know they’re working with a true professional.