Good questions for interviewing cleaners.

[Soupdragon]

Hello all,

Having lurked for months I've finally got a question!

I have inherited our family home in North Yorkshire and the plan is to refurbish it this winter for holiday letting in 2016. Hopefully it should go well - sleeps 10, in a good location between the coast, Moors and York, very characterful house.

However I have to manage this remotely because I am in Cambridge so I really need to build a good team locally. I'm hoping to start interviewing cleaners towards the end of the month and I wondered if anyone has any top tips for separating out the wheat from the chaff? How can I tell if someone knows what they are doing? What are the worst case scenarios I need to ask about?

I can normally tell when something is clean (honest) but I'm pretty sure getting the right working relationship is going to be about a lot more than that. What else do I need to ask about?

[Casscat]

You could ask for references, or to be put in touch with anyone they currently clean for to see what they have to say 'off the record'. A lot of what you learn about cleaning standards will only come from direct experience though. With the couple who do my changeovers I have visited them at their home and could tell instantly that they had high standards as their place was spotless - in spite of having four dogs and three cats!

[greenbarn]

Welcome!
Ask them what they'd expect to be different about cleaning a holiday rental compared with a normal home.
Then ask them how many cleaners and long they think it would take to clean the rental (how many bedrooms, other rooms and levels is it?)
Do you want them to do the laundry?
Who'll be doing the meet and greet, and being the local contact for the guests? These things can add to the responsibilities, and it may or may not be a good idea to have the same people doing all tasks.

[Soupdragon]

Thanks Casscat and Greenbarn, and thanks for the welcome

Certainly I'll be looking for references, and ideally for other work from holiday homes. Luckily its quite a holiday home rich area so I've found a few different firms that have experience.

It's a big old house - two levels including farmhouse kitchen and utility, four receptions, six bedrooms, three baths. All sorts of fun challenges: open fireplaces, Aga, one room with (I kid you not) 12' high windows. It's going to take some cleaning!

Do you think it would help to have them visit and walk through a cleaning schedule with them? See if they have ideas to add?

What other stuff might they need to do beyond regular domestic clean? I'm thinking - beds, leave welcome pack, stockcheck china/glasses etc, dispense household disposables (loo roll, washing powder etc), ???

On the laundry front I'm stumping up for linens myself and hoping the cleaners can recommend a service wash/do it themselves. Will need to compare prices on that.

I reckon I'm also going to need a) someone who can meet and greet/caretake and b) someone who can do basic maintenance problems. Maybe the same person? Does anyone have any thoughts on the pros and cons of getting one firm to do everything?

PS - that's a stunning photo on your facebook page, Greenbarn, I bet that fetches them!

[Cymraes]

I am about 4 hours drive from my rental so I have to employ a property manager. She organises everything for me - cleaning, laundry, guest problem call out and she has the local connections to get things fixed as and when necessary.

It may not be the cheapest solution but it works. Trying to source repair and maintenance people long distance especially in an emergency is really difficult.

[Soupdragon]

Sounds as if you and I might be in the same boat Cymrae, how did you find your local manager? And what do you do when she goes on holiday?

[greenbarn]

It's a big old house - two levels including farmhouse kitchen and utility, four receptions, six bedrooms, three baths. All sorts of fun challenges: open fireplaces, Aga, one room with (I kid you not) 12' high windows. It's going to take some cleaning!

It's sounding like about an 8 to 10 man-hour clean and changeover to me, plus laundry, but I could be well out on that guesstimate. Standards generally need to be higher than for a domestic clean, and there's often some minor maintenance to fit in.
Depending on how big a refurb you're doing, you can reduce cleaning time and effort by making ease of cleaning a high priority when choosing what's going in and what materials you use - and check out what (if anything) the authorities might require you to change and/or install that can be done as part of the refurb rather than finding out afterwards!
Sorry, bit of TC already........

[Cymraes]

Sounds as if you and I might be in the same boat Cymrae, how did you find your local manager? And what do you do when she goes on holiday?

Just asked a few local letting agency reps for some names when I was discussing the possibility of using their services!

She operates her own holiday lets so she won't go on holiday in peak season and as she employs a number of cleaners we are covered when she does

[Annew]

Ask them how they would clean a toilet - amazing how many cleaners and cleaning companies just use a loo brush!

[Soupdragon]

Ooooooo. You've got me intrigued Annew (and a bit embarrassed).

What's the right answer? I'm ashamed to say a brush and appropriate chemicals is generally my approach. Obviously need to up my game!

[Circé]

Thank you for your offer to clean our house, does your price include VAT?
Our house changeover days are X, will this be a problem for you?
Do you think that if the outgoing guests leave at Xam you can get the place ready by Ypm?
Would you be doing the cleaning yourself/yourselves, or do you subcontract in whole or in part? In other words, who would actually be working in my house?
Do you bring your own cleaning materials and kit, or are you expecting me to provide everything?
I like to leave cleaning materials, hoover, mop etc for our guests, are you willing to check the stock of these and change the hoover filters & bag/empty & wash the filter each let?
Will you check & change lightbulbs if I leave a stock?
Does your quote include time for cleaning the BBQ & patio furniture?
Does your cleaning price include cleaning the windows every let, or just occasionally?
I could go on...

[DEP]

Hi Soupdragon

We went through this just at the start of the summer with our first holiday home. Thankfully we found a fantastic company that has a laundry and cleaning business. While we have family locally to help with emergencies we've ended up using this company more as a property management company too and it is working out well. They provide all their own cleaning materials and purchase the fresh items for the welcome pack.

I would definitely spend the time walking through the house with them and explain your requirements. Have a list of all that you are expecting and ask them to price accordingly.

Some things to be aware of include;

- putting out the refuse and recycling bins. Our cleaners had to sift through recycling bins as a particular group didn't recycle.

- Maintaining stock levels of kitchen items, bin liners etc.

- how will they report damage, breakages etc.?

- be specific about your laundry requirements, eg do pillow protectors get washed every change over etc.

- what about short term breaks/mid week changeovers are they geared up for that?

In our experience the individuals weren't really able to commit to changeovers during the peak season and didn't have back up if they were ill.

Hope you find a reliable solution for your let.

DEP

[Annew]

Ooooooo. You've got me intrigued Annew (and a bit embarrassed).

What's the right answer? I'm ashamed to say a brush and appropriate chemicals is generally my approach. Obviously need to up my game!

Using sponge/microcloth and chosen cleaning product (ecover loo cleaner in our cottages) Start with the outside of the loo (cistern or housing, down to floor level), then the seat and attachments (particular attention to the seat fittings) then hand down the loo with same sponge/microcloth and good scrub, same under the rim. (Gloves allowed). Flush, then buff seat and outside with a dry cloth.

Tried and tested during my years in hospitality and taught to me by head of housekeeping in a rather posh hotel.

[French Cricket]

Snap, Anne!

The main question I'd ask if we're looking for a cleaner (which we're not as I'm far too OCD about it to let anyone else do it ) is in what ways they would see a holiday let clean as different from a regular domestic clean.

If they say none, thank them, and say goodbye

[Annew]

Snap, Anne!

I'm far too OCD about it to let anyone else do it )

You are going to get on splendidly with my Mother!