How to hire the RIGHT people for your cleaning service business

Over the past 11 years of being an employer in the cleaning service industry, my partner and I have read thousands (if not tens of thousands) of applications and resumes, have hired hundreds of people and have parted ways with most. Through this journey we have learned what type of people work well within our organization and what type do not.

Unfortunately, finding the right employee is like finding a needle in a haystack. There is a huge population of unemployed persons that are all applying for the same jobs. So how do we find the right people within this mountain of applications and resumes? My partner and I have developed a hiring system that includes a series of steps, which we will discuss in a series of blog posts, that give us an insight as to which applicants are worth knowing more about.

Step One: Develop Your 'Perfect Employee'

Define your Company's Culture-

The first thing you must do, before developing your 'Perfect Employee' is understand your company's culture. What's a company's culture? It's the personality of your business which is defined by the personalities of its management and staff members. It's very important to understand the culture of your cleaning business, especially given that it is a service based business, where staff members are working in conjunction with each other, to complete jobs. Therefore, your teams must be able to get along and work well with each other.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself: 

What type of person are you looking for? 

What types of people "fit in" with your staff? 

If you were to create a perfect employee, what would that look like? 

List of Attributes-

The best way to answer these questions is to make a list of the best attributes that your current and most successful staff members have. Keep in mind that this list should contain more than just cleaning skills. Include attributes about their lifestyles, family life, personalities, and even what they do in there free time. By creating this list of attributes for your 'Perfect Employee', you will have a list of desirable qualities that you can compare your applicants to.

Classes of Employees-

In any business there are two classes of employees -those that lead, and those that follow. Therefore you should develop a list of attributes for both classes as you will need to hire different types of people for these different classes of employees. If you're looking for a leader, then you need people who are more assertive & motivated. However, if you are looking to hire a follower then putting an assertive type person in that position may cause problems within that team and eventually that person will become frustrated with their position and will not stay with your company because you are not offering them what they need to be happy.


Anyways, I think this is a great start to developing a system for hiring in your cleaning service business. It has taken my partner and I many years to develop our system and we hope it will help you to avoid some pitfalls along your way.

In our next issue, we will discuss your responsibilities, as an employer, to your staff. Until then just remember, without happy staff, you will never have happy customers. 

Best Wishes, Erica Jensen President of Clean Right Co. -Spokane, WA

Rehab your water from boring to fabulous!

About a month ago I went to the doctor for a check-up. My blood work came back showing a decline in my kidney function. This was strange and alarming! Strange because my husband and I live a fairly healthy lifestyle. We work out 5+ time a week & eat healthy (usually) so I didn't expect any abnormalities. Scary, of course, because you never want to hear that any of your organs are not functioning properly.

Thankfully, the diagnosis was something that was easily treated.
What was the diagnosis?

It was Chronic Dehydration. 

At first I found that hard to believe because I had myself convinced that I was healthy but, after further consideration, it made sense. My past drinking habit was to gravitate to coffee because.... well... because I love coffee alright! I only drank water when I was at the gym which was only serving to replenish the water I sweat out and did nothing to add hydration beyond that. So I pulled up my boot straps and made a resolution to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. How did I do it? Well I'm glad you asked because, in the beginning, it wasn't easy. Water is just plain .... well plain! While adding, almost anything, to your water simply adds calories that are unnecessary and, usually, unhealthy (sodium, sugar, sugar substitutes, caffeine, etc.).

I happened across a pin on Pinterest (my new-found love!) about creating your own Spa Water by infusing it with fruit and herbs. I've been to a few spas in my day and I have had the pleasure to have a flavored spa water. They are always so refreshing and delicious so I decided to give it a try and now I do it daily!!! Here is what I've done to make it simple to enjoy infused spa water on a daily basis:

• I went to Walmart and purchased two 32 ounce sipper water bottles that I planned to drink daily.  (2 x 32 = 64 ounces) 
• I also purchased oranges and strawberries.
• Cut the oranges into half slices and drop two into each bottle. Take a strawberry and slice almost all the way through, so the nob of it holds the strawberry together but the cuts expose the flesh of the strawberry, and drop one into each of the bottles as well. (Of course you can do just orange, just strawberry or any other combination. The pin I originally followed, linked here, has some great recipes.)
• Fill the bottles with water and refrigerate or drink! The longer the fruit stays in the bottle the better the infusion but, at least with orange, the essence is there immediately. 

I now drink at least 64 ounces of water each day and am very excited to try some other combinations. I am planning on doing cucumber next and definitely going to try some herbs as well.

What flavor combinations have you tried or are going to try? I'd love to hear how they worked!

Cheers! Erica Jensen, President and Co-Owner of Clean Right Co.

Sweep her off her feet this Valentines Day

Valentines Day is fast approaching and, though many men want to get something special for their loved one on this day, they ultimately settle for the traditional flowers and a box of chocolates. Most men settle on flowers and chocolate because they don't know what to get her and, in the midst of an anxiety attack due to the worry of getting something she doesn't want, they do just that. Now don't get me wrong, woman like flowers and chocolate but, it is an item that is low on our "wish list" of special gifts.

So here are a few tips on picking that gift that truly tells her you were thinking of her.

Tip 1 : Make a list of things that she is interested in or has a passion for. It could be technology, music, art, a good cause, shoes, hand bags and yes, even jewelry. The point is to make a list of things that she is connected with personally and to choose a gift associated with those interest.


Tip 2 : Keep in mind, its not about how expensive a gift is and, in fact, its not about a gift at all. What she really wants is to be shown that you are thinking of her and that she is special. This could be as simple as writing 'I love you' on her mirror and making her favorite breakfast. Those special times are far more favored and memorable than receiving an over priced pair of earrings.

Tip 3 : Make it personal by keeping it simple. What I mean is, going out to dinner and a movie is fine but, what is even better in her mind is you serving a special meal, cooked personally by you, at a lovely table set with flowers and wine and snuggling afterward on the couch to watch one of her favorite movies.

Tip 4 : Help make her life easier whether its just on that special day or something you can do to help her each day. These are the gifts that keep on giving. How you ask? Simple things like taking the kids to their Grandparent's for the day so you two have time together or doing the laundry and cleaning the house.
(And what kind of cleaning service owner would I be if I didn't insist that you hire a professional to do it for you! ;-) Call Clean Right Company to reserve your cleaning today (509) 534-3343. Servicing Spokane, WA.)

With these tips you are sure to hit a home run this Valentines Day by giving your special someone a gift that is truly from your heart.

Keeping it clean in the New Year

I think we can all agree, when it comes to cleaning our homes, we can find many other things we would rather be doing yet we enjoy having clean and tidy surroundings. And not to mention when we get that unexpected phone call or knock on the door with visitors. Yikes! Now there's a mad scramble to pick up, put away and cover up our life's messes. As well, many of us have made a resolution to keep our homes more tidy and organized this new year. Wouldn't it be nice to always have a neat sand tidy home? Yes?!? Well you've come to the right place!

I wanted to share an easy way to keep your home neat and tidy this new year, by spending about 30 minutes per day on a cleaning/organizing task in your home. You may need to customize this routine, given the size and number of rooms in your home, or even recruit (aka require) family member's help. But once this routine becomes a daily habit, you will never have to sweat that unexpected visitor, your stress levels will decline, and you will have more free time to spend with your loved ones.

Here is a list of a few things you will need to acquire or need to start doing to accomplish your new habits:

• A caddie containing your favorite cleaning agents to include glass cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, all purpose disinfectant, furniture polish and an abrasive cleanser.
• Also included in the caddie should be two old plastic drinking cups. One will house your toilet scrubbing tools which include a green/medium duty scouring pad and a pumice stone. The other will house your sink and tub scrubbing tools which include an old tooth brush, a white/light duty scouring pad and a magic eraser.
• A microfiber duster
• A vacuum
• A hand vac (if you have stairs)
• A mopping system. *I say 'mopping system' because there are so many to choose from. You need to choose the right system given the amount of hard flooring in your room as well as the type of flooring. These systems range from a mop and mop bucket for large areas of hard flooring, a microfiber mop and floor spray for medium areas of hard flooring to hands and knees for small areas of hard flooring.
• Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than you currently wake up.

Now let's discuss our new daily routine!

This routine needs to become a habit so don't get discouraged if it doesn't come easily or takes more time in the beginning. Also, just because you wake up 30 minutes earlier doesn't mean you have to do this routine in the morning. Getting up earlier just gives you that extra 30 minutes, to do this routine any time of the day but.... try to complete your daily task at the same time each day of the week. Doing so will solidify it as a habit that you need to fulfill at that specific time of day. Also, use your time wisely. Example: while your laundry is washing and drying, you should be doing other tasks from the list. 

Got it? Ok, here we go!

MONDAY: Bedroom (recruit (aka require) each family member to take care of their own)

• strip your sheets and make the bed with a fresh set
• put all dirty clothes in the hamper
• do a load of laundry
• pick up and put away things lying around on your furniture
• fold and put away clean clothes
• dust and polish furniture
• vacuum carpet/mop hard floor

TUESDAY: Living Room

• make your  bed! Ya I know this is in the bedroom but get use to it because you're going to do it daily!!
• do a load of laundry
• fold and put away clean clothes. Again, this isn't a living room task but you're going to do it daily!
• pick up and put away things lying around on your furniture
• dust and polish furniture
• vacuum carpet/mop hard floor

WEDNESDAY: Kitchen

• make your bed! Ya, again!
• do a load of laundry
• fold and put away clean clothes
• pick up and put away things lying around on your kitchen counters
• wipe out your microwave
• wipe down counter tops and spot clean exterior of cabinets
• scrub sink with abrasive cleanser, rinse and polish
• shake/vacuum your rugs
• vacuum carpet/sweep and mop hard floor

THURSDAY: Bathroom

• make your bed
• do a load of laundry
• fold and put away clean clothes
• remove shower necessities, dampen the walls of your shower with water then spray your tub and tile clean -let sit
• sprinkle abrasive cleanser in toilet and sink
• spray toilet with all purpose/disinfectant
• put things away on your bathroom counter
• scrub sink with white/light duty scrub pad using the toothbrush to get around the tight areas, rinse and polish
• clean mirror
• wipe down counter tops
• scrub toilet with green/medium duty scrub pad, using pumice stone for hard water or rust then flush
• wipe all components of the toilet, from the lid all the way to the floor
• wipe floor around toilet (just because it's usually difficult to get that area with your mopping system)
• scrub shower walls with white/light duty abrasive pad paying attention to corners and grout lines. Rinse the walls with warm/hot water
• sprinkle abrasive cleanser in the tub and use the white/light duty abrasive pad to scrub the tub then rinse with warm/hot water
• wipe the tub and shower walls dry and polish the faucet
• vacuum carpet/mop hard floor

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY: Living/Common Areas

• make your bed
• do a load of laundry
• fold and put away clean clothes
• choose one other room of the house, being a family room, another bedroom or what have you, and do one of the previous routines. Again, if you have multiple family members in the home, and they all chip in and do a room a day with you, then you may very well have these last three days to have fun! Yep, I said it HAVE FUN! After you make your bed and do laundry that is.....

WARNING -never mix cleaning products, always use them as directed and wear protective equipment as suggested. 

I hope this routine helps you achieve your goals of keeping a neat and tidy home this year. And don't forget, you can always get a little help from a licensed, bonded and insured professional cleaning service in your area. 

Sincerely, Erica Jensen -President Clean Right Company, Spokane, WA.

The Holiday Clean Up

After the dinner's done, the gifts have been opened and the guests have left for the evening, you turn around with a sigh, stare at what looks like the remnants of a tornado that has torn through your home.

Now comes the chore of post holiday clean up.
Here are some simple tips to help get things back in order and your life back on track.

1. Use re-usable totes to store your Holiday decor so you can safely put away your decorations and easily find them again next year. I would choose clear totes so you can see what it in it. If you are ultra organized, you can print a list of what is in the tote and tape it to the inside wall (so the type is visible from the outside) or tape it to the top of the lid. This way you don't have to take the tote down and open it to see you've chosen the wrong one.
2. After the tree comes down, wrap your lights around a piece of cardboard so they stay untangled and are ready for next year. Tape the replacement bulbs to the cardboard as well. You can also use this method for your garland and things of similar nature. 
3. Use the things eggs come in for storing your ornaments. 
4. Use a shop vac to suck up the needles and anything else that fell off the tree when you removed it. An upright may get clogged with the course, long needles and you will most likely come upon an ornament hook here and there that can cause damage to an upright. Once you get the majority of the needles up with your shop vac, use your upright to make sure you've got all the glitter and small leftovers.

I hope these tips help in getting your household cleaned up and ready for the new year. 

~Erica Jensen, President Clean Right Co.

Need some help cleaning up? Give Clean Right Company a call and schedule a cleaning service today! 

Call (509) 534-3343 or visit www.cleanrightco.com for your Free Estimate!

Time is Money

Professional cleaners walk a fine line between giving the customer what they want versus what the customer is willing to pay for. Many times the two just don't line up.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are requesting bids for your cleaning service needs:

1. Make a list of what is most important to you in the cleaning of your home and compare that to the service being offered. Find out what the company's standard is then inform them of the discrepancies between your list and theirs, if any! If the discrepancies are many, then this is a good sign that this is not the company you will be happy with. Save yourself some time and move on.
2. Most cleaning services offer a basic service that can be expanded on so don't be afraid to tell them what you want. The only way they will know what you expect is if you say it. 
3. Keep in mind that the more tasks you add, the more you will pay. When you hire someone to clean your home, you are paying for their time. Labor is the most expensive part of any business so keep that in mind when making your requests.
4. Be realistic with your expectations versus what you are willing to pay. If you want all of your furniture moved and vacuumed under at each service, versus a couple time a year, then be willing to pay for the time associated with doing so. 
5. A professional and experienced cleaner will know, on average, how long it takes to clean a half bath versus a full bath versus a 3/4 bath versus a large master. If you have a question as to why their price is the way it is (high or low) you should start by asking how long they have allotted for the cleaning of your home. This will either answer your question and relieve your concern or, let you know that you are not on the same page as the cleaner and again, you should move on.

I hope these tips help! Sincerely, Erica Jensen ~President Clean Right Company

Clean Right Company is a full service residential and commercial cleaning company servicing Spokane, WA and surrounding areas. Please give us a call at (509) 534-3343 or visit our website at www.cleanrightco.com for more information.

Holiday Madness

I can't believe Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner with New Years picking up the rear. Who's idea was it to group these holidays all together anyways?

The end of year holiday season can be a huge stress on our already busy lives. Feeling the stress of gift giving, spending time with family, travel, decorating, cooking, baking, and all while living our normal (or not so normal) day to day lives can become overwhelming.

There are some things we an do to relieve ourselves of the burdens associated with the Holidays.
Here are a few tips:

DINNER

1. Have that holiday dinner at someone else's home or go out to dinner. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to cook a huge meal and not have a huge mess to clean up either? YES! Though, if you do have dinner at someone else's home, bring a dish with you so they don't feel the pressure of cooking for everyone either and help clean up a bit before you go. If you go out to dinner, then tip your server because they are having to miss out on spending time with their loved ones and working on a holiday is no fun.
2. Have a pot luck! If you decide to have dinner at your home, then ask everyone to bring a side dish while you take care of the main course(s). You could also order your entire dinner from places like Fred Meyer. They'll make it all for you and all you have to do is pick it up and plate it. And at my home, the kids have to clean up after the meal!

GIFT GIVING

1. It's fun and rewarding to give gifts but it can also be a financial burden. Stick to giving gifts to parents and children. As we get older, our families grow and soon we are feeling obligated to give gifts to our parents, the kids, our sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, etc. This trend becomes very expensive and extremely overwhelming. If you stick to buying a gift for your parents and the children in your life (not the ones you never see or don't know well), you will be able to give more thoughtful gifts and not break the bank.
2. Make something! This is my favorite thing to do. I've bought Christmas tins and baked cookies to put in. I've made blankets, rice warmers (the things you stick in the microwave, heat up and then enjoy the glorious warmth), stuffed animals, etc. I like to create and make and I believe these gifts are the best kind because you spent your time and energy to create something for someone you love.

TRAVEL

1. There's nothing worse than traveling with cranky kids. Whether it's by car, plane or train, plan ahead. Bring something to play movies on, bring car friendly games, books, snack and drinks, bring anything and everything to keep your kids occupied and distracted.
2. Just don't do it! Stay home and relax. The Holidays are not suppose to be something we dread. If you don't want to travel cross state to see relatives you don't have to. Stay home and have a nice, quiet and intimate holiday with your closest family and friends.

Oh ya, one last tip -Hire Clean Right Company to clean your home just in time for the holidays. Call now to book your service before it's too late!!!

Erica Jensen

President

Clean Right Company

(509) 534-3343