Everything you Need to know!
Browse our FAQ to get answers to all your questions. If there’s something we haven’t answered here, please Get In Touch and let us know how we can help.
Building an Accurate Quote
What if I don't know the square footage of my home?
No problem! Search your address on a real estate site (Zillow, Realtor.com) or look it up on the county assessor website. Otherwise just give it your best guess.
Is it possible to have you clean only some of the rooms in my home?
Of course! If you’re trying to control the budget, or have rooms that just aren’t used very often, we can can make a custom plan to focus on the areas of your home important to you. Use the online quoting tool to get a rough estimate and we can customize to your needs after that.
What do you mean when you say "Rotated Rooms"?
Most homes have a few rooms that are used less often than others, or just don’t accumulate much dust. We can put those on a rotation to make more time for the rooms that really need it. Most often this means we identify a couple of rooms to do every other visit, like an office, guest bedroom, home gym, toy room, etc. When you Get a Quote, you can specify what you have in mind, and we can adjust as we go to make sure it’s exactly what you need.
What happens if I hire you? Is the price set for life?
Homes are as unique as the families inside them, so it usually takes a while to make sure we’ve got the best amount of time and the right rotation of rooms to meet your needs. Here’s how it usually goes:
- First Appointment: this can take up to twice as long as your usual appointment, especially if it’s been a while since someone maintained things. No judgment from us… that’s why we’re here, after all. We’ve got to get a sense of your home and get everything back to a baseline. There’s no extra cost; consider it our investment in this partnership.
- Second Appointment: This one usually still takes a bit longer because we’re still learning, and it’s often considered “Clean 1” where we begin rotating rooms or tasks.
- Third Appointment: By now we’re usually pretty close to your quoted time, and it’s considered “Clean 2” where we handle the next rooms or tasks on rotation.
- Fourth Appointment: We’re back to “Clean 1” in the rotation and pretty must have our pace figured out. We’ve also gotten some feedback from you on what matters most.
- Fifth Appointment: Next up is “Clean 2” in the rotation and we’ve pretty much settled into our routine for your home.
Although we adjust along the way, after you’ve been through each of your rotations twice we make a point to check and let you know if we need to make any changes. Sometimes you have to add time, or reduce rooms in order to get what you want and stay on your budget.
Pricing, Discounts and Payments
Do you ever have coupons or discounts?
We do! You may find a discount code in a social media post, on a door hanger or as a referral code from a friend. You can also sign up to receive our newsletters with special offers, new services and more. Use the Get in Touch form and let us know in the Message box that you’d like to receive our newsletter.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards, cash and check. Payment is required at the time of service, so most people choose to leave a card on file to charge automatically (we’re fully PCI compliant through Stripe, so your info is safe and secure). There’s no extra charge for using credit cards, so get those points!
How do you determine the price for my clean? Can I set a budget for you to work with?
A number of factors go into quoting your clean including square footage, number of stories, number of bathrooms, hard floors vs. carpet, pets, and more.
You can specify which rooms to include in order to control the time and price, or you can let us know what you have in mind for a budget and we’ll recommend a schedule that meets your needs.
What's the deal with tipping? Is it expected?
Not by us! Our rate is set based on two things: being all inclusive, and paying a livable wage to top-quality employees. They can earn bonuses and incentives based on their performance so an excellent job is always rewarded.
If you absolutely want your cleaners recognized, any tip you leave will be passed to them directly. But really, it’s not expected!
The Actual Appointment
Do I need to provide my own supplies and equipment?
No, you don’t need to provide anything! We will bring everything we need to provide you with an awesome clean, right down to the trash bags.
Who will actually be in my home cleaning?
We generally work in teams of two, and do our best to keep the same cleaners in your home so they are familiar with your preferences, pets, etc. All of our staff has passed background checks and are thoroughly vetted by the owner.
Do I need to be present when you clean?
That’s totally up to you. Some people prefer to be around to keep an eye on things, or simply have nowhere else they need to be during that time. Others like to get out of the house while we do our thing. It’s your home, so we do our best to get in and out like little elves working our magic.
How will you gain access to my home?
If you decide to be home, you can let us in! Otherwise, people leave a specified door unlocked, provide a garage code or tell us where the spare key is.
What if you miss something, or it's not to my standards?
Us? Make a mistake? NEVER! Okay, okay, we are human and it does happen.
We have a specific process with quality assurance checks, but everyone has different priorities and if we miss something that’s important to you, please let us know! Following every appointment you’ll receive a brief (one-click) satisfaction survey where you can let us know if there was anything that needs more attention.
We know it can be uncomfortable to speak up sometimes, or you may feel like you’re being too picky. Trust us, you’re not too picky and you won’t hurt our feelings. It’s our mission to make sure you feel a sense of relief, happiness, satisfaction and balance when you walk through the doors so if we miss the mark, we want nothing more than to hear about so we can do better next time!
The Houseline Process
How do you train your staff?
Since “Hey, clean the bathroom” means something a little different to everyone, we believe in following a specific and consistent process for each type of room.
We start with some classroom-style learning where we discuss why we do what we do, and our standards for conduct in our clients’ homes. There’s also product education and safety, followed by setting up and organizing their kit. Everyone on our team has their own full set of supplies so there’s never any waiting around.
After that, we move on to hands on application and demonstration inside a practice home so we can build speed and maintain standards. After all that we bring them into our clients’ homes under strict supervision before they graduate their training and become a full-fledged Team Member rather than a trainee.
Continuing education and home inspections are ongoing to make sure we avoid complacency.
What do you clean in each room?
For a full breakdown, you can check out our “How We Clean” page. Generally, though, we move left-to-right, top-to-bottom so every surface is addressed. We start with dusting or vacuuming to get the loose dirt and dust out of the way. Then, we wipe, wash, scrub or scour as needed throughout the room.
A few things that are especially important to us:
- Cleaning the inside and outside of the toilet, including the sides and base.
- Polishing mirrors with an actual polishing cloth, not just window cleaner.
- Dusting and vacuuming baseboards and corners.
What sets you apart from others?
We think there are a few things that make HouseLINE different. First, we’re leveraging technology for homeowners (and staff) to make it as easy as possible to communicate your priorities and make changes. Next, the rigorous training mentioned above. There are a lot of “right” ways to clean a house, and we’re committed to training everyone according to the methods we like best. Finally, inspections and quality control. It’s human nature to be less diligent over time, but that doesn’t make it okay. We have peer reviews and supervisor inspections on a regular basis to make sure we give you our best, every time.
Gift Cards and Special Packages
Do you offer gift cards?
Yes, of course. You can cover the cost of the first appointment in a Routine Clean schedule, or offer a set amount that the recipient can apply toward any package they want. Contact us to discuss what you need and we’ll be glad to help you give the gift of clean!
Special Packages? What are those?
Okay, hear us out. Some people would LOVE to receive the gift a clean house for the holidays instead opening a single present. What do you buy for a busy parent who has everything? Time! Arrange for us to come get your house ready for a big event, or make the mess disappear after it’s over. Some of our most popular:
- Holiday Clean: Whether you’re hosting family or just need a helping hand during a busy time, we’re here to help. Mother’s Day and Birthday Gifts are common as well. If that someone special in your life has enough candles and fluffy socks, consider a different approach this time!
- Back to School: If having the kids home all summer multiplied the mess, we’ll be there to put things back in order as transition back into school, sports, clubs and other activities.
- New Baby: Especially popular for families welcoming a third (or fourth, or fifth) child and have every baby gadget you could need. Just before the baby arrives, during those first few crazy months, or when you return to work are all great times to lean on us for a helping hand.
Deep Cleans and Extras
Do you offer deep cleans (more than just a recurring maintenance appointment)?
Do we ever! This is one of our favorite things to provide for homeowners. It’s a big job, but it makes the home sparkle and glow. One client said, “The heavens opened up and angels sang when I walked through the door.” Yeah, it’s that awesome.
Whether it’s a one-time thing or something you do a few times a year, we call our deep cleans “Home Resets” and it’s usually a minimum of 16 hours (two people for 8 hours). We bust out tooth brushes to get even the tightest cracks and crevices (literally). We scrub grout lines, fight lime scale build up and make your home look and feel brand new. You can learn more here, and Get in Touch to build a custom plan.
What are the "Home Services" in "Houseline Cleaning and Home Services"?
Just about anything, really! Our purpose is “to help modern families improve balance and well-being through household support.” Maybe that means changing sheets and flipping mattresses, or picking up pet waste and scrubbing out a kennel. Call us about running errands, changing light bulbs, meal planning and prep, pressure washing, changing filters, and anything else that would lessen the burden of your to-do list. It’s all about the beautiful, peaceful feeling you get when you hand something off and trust that it’ll be done, and done right.
Can I add time or book a second appointment for additional tasks that won't ever make it into the rotation?
Yes, definitely! Maybe you need just a little extra help one week, or have to get the guest room cleaned up before company comes to visit. We can add another person to the team to get more done in your usual time slot, or book an entirely separate appointment to tackle those one-time extras.
Your household needs change with every season of life, and HouseLINE Cleaning & Home Services is ready to help, whatever that means for you.