Ask a House Cleaner

Are you anxious about cleaning? Want to learn how to make stress your friend? Running a cleaning business causes anxiety and stress. It's normal to be anxious about cleaning. With employee challenges, high-maintenance clients any business owner can get worried. Angela Brown, says there is a difference between being anxious about cleaning and adrenal fatigue. If you're restless, uptight and not sle...

Open foodstuff. Does your VRBO, Airbnb or short-term rental have house rules about leaving open foodstuff? Something like "toss your open foodstuffs" or "throw away your leftovers"? "Don't leave open food in refrigerator." Hotels, hostels and vacation rentals all have problems with short-stay guests who eat in their rooms and leave open foodstuff. It's not just drinks, its open food containers eve...

Cryptocurrency as a payment for house cleaning or maid service - are you there yet? Is bitcoin, Litecoin or some other altcoin cryptocurrency a replacement for credit cards? We can already send and receive payments online for cleaning. But will the chance to pay for goods and services through cryptocurrency be part of your blockchain strategy? Even with Eroscoin and the Bitwala debit card, the pay...

This Lazy Susan product review is one of my favorite household organization hacks. Now you don't need to see a Lazy Susan product review to know that cupboard organization and space saver ideas just make sense. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru shows you in this Lazy Susan Product Review how she uses a turntable as serveware. And it's not just kitchen organization that just got easy, it's bath...

"Employees disrespect you and how do you regain control? I want to grow my cleaning company but I have backstabbing employees who are hijacking my company. If employees disrespect you - do you fire them?" Angela Brown, talks about when employees disrespect you and unacceptable employee behavior. Insubordination suggests a need for management training. House cleaning is tough enough without maids a...

Are you sick after cleaning? Does housework make you ill? Do you have allergies or feel so sick when cleaning pet hair? If you're sick after cleaning you may suffer from sick house syndrome. Do you call out sick because you don't feel well? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says if you feel sick after cleaning its time to change your cleaning routine. These professional house cleaner tips can...

How to organize your closet and closet cleaning tips is today's Ask a House Cleaner focus. If you've ever thought "Help! I need you to come clean my space or clean with me and show me how to do it." This is for you. If you want to organize your closet and you plan to purge, renovate, donate and toss your stuff, these organization hacks are for you. These closet organization diy projects will impro...

What's a good salary for start-up in house cleaning? I'm trying to grow my cleaning company and I wonder how much do you pay yourself? And how much should you pay cleaning technicians? Angela Brown says, your salary for start-up in house cleaning will depend on your profit and loss statement. It's true, as a cleaning business owner you have to earn money. You have to have some left to reinvest in...

Household cleaning hacks are easy cleaning tips for the home. Household cleaning hacks are not shortcuts, but diy cleaning or tidying up on a regular basis. Household cleaning hacks (a.k.a. housework hacks, or cleaning tips and tricks) are bits of housework any savvy cleaner does daily. Angela Brown says easy house cleaning tips save time and energy as you clean and tidy your space. You don't have...

"Should I get a job as a janitor before house cleaning or should I get some sort of house cleaning training?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says being a janitor is fine. A janitor job will allow you to learn by doing (but commercial cleaning is different from house cleaning.) If you are an apprentice under a mentor or a cleaning coach who can guide you through the basics it will make ownin...

"Can young kids have chores? How young is too young to be Mom's big helper? I know parenting includes teaching kids to pick up after themselves. But should young kids have chores or is it wrong to ask kids to help me clean?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says it's okay for young kids to have chores. Show kids how to clean and teach kids to make their bed. Helping is a family affair. Teenag...

"Hijinks? How do you know if the house cleaners that call out sick or don't show up on deep clean or move out cleans aren't pulling hijinks? I'm trying to grow my cleaning company but I have unreliable employees." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says hijinks are real. When you have a big job and your maid is MIA, it's time for a heart to heart chat. If you call out on a deep cleaning more th...

Should Airbnb's charge extra for cleaning? They do offer turnover services for each guest. And should Airbnb's charge extra for cleaning if they don't hire a housekeeper or Airbnb cleaning service? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says Airbnb's or VRBO's can charge extra for cleaning. Airbnb hosts sign a living wage promise to pay the caretaker for hospitality and cleaning. "Home sharing is t...

Behind closed doors could be anything. House cleaners squirm when they arrive to clean and have to wonder "What's behind closed doors?" that are always open. Are the relatives in town? Is a family member inside sick? Should they knock or leave what's behind closed doors? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says it comes to boundaries and expectations. On your walkthrough, you can set the rules a...

"I've got an emergency clean for my Airbnb. The Airbnb guests wrecked my place and I've got a fast turn. How do you screen a professional house cleaner for an emergency clean in need of a quick fix? Is there a housekeeper for turnover services that understands home sharing and can do an emergency clean before my next booking?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says Airbnb cleaning service does...

"Should I consider buying a cleaning business? Or should I start a cleaning company from scratch? Buying a cleaning business could save years off the learning curve." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says buying a cleaning business could give you third party endorsement. And more room to negotiate if you buy a cleaning business from an independent. Today's Ask a House Cleaner sponsors are Sav...

Why don't all Airbnb hosts hire cleaners? I'm trying to grow my cleaning company and trying to break into the vacation rental business. But the host or superhost says not all Airbnb hosts hire cleaners. Why not? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says not all VRBO or Airbnb hosts hire cleaners because of competitive rates. If they are renting out a house, it's got to be clean even if it's DIY c...

"Do I need a Facebook business page if I'm just a house cleaner? I want to grow my cleaning company but don't see how a Facebook Business Page fits into it all. I'm not on social media and don't to Twitter or Instagram or even know how to do online marketing." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru addresses the Facebook business page on today's Ask a House Cleaner. "Any savvy cleaner will use Face...

"Cleaning systems don't work and consultants and coaches are overpromising. " Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru agrees business is hard. "But it's not because cleaning systems don't work. You have to apply what you learn. You need commitment and follow through. Cleaning systems don't work when you don't work." Today's Ask a House Cleaner sponsors are: Turnover Cleaning Tips (for Airbnb, VRBO,...

How do you rid your Airbnb or VRBO of 420 smell when you have a quick turnover? Even if your short-term rental has a no smoking policy you may find you've got a 420 smell at some point. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says if your house reeks of marijuana (420 smell) you can mask it. A combination of Ozium, Lysol all-purpose cleaner, and Nag Champa can hide the smell of weed. Of course, you...

"Help, I'm being sued by a previous boss. I'm trying to grow my cleaning company and I'm being sued because they said I stole their clients. Do I have to have a lawsuit if I'm being sued or can I just ask for forgiveness and resolve it outside of court?" Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says you may have signed a non-compete clause. A breach of contract may have triggered the subpoena and the...

"I've got no business plan - can I grow my cleaning company with no business plan? I've got bill collectors but can't pay them because I have outstanding collections. I need a band-aid for the bleeding wounds. And I need free resources to help me with business growth and development. Any free advice? " Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says yes, you can start a maid service with no business pl...

What do you do when customers don't pay? You're there to do house cleaning, not bill collections. Do you charge late fees for a late pay or worse a no pay? And do you keep cleaning when customers don't pay and just send them an invoice? Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says you need to revise your approach when customers don't pay. On your walkthrough there needs to be an agreement of payment...

Botched referral. What do you do when a referral backfires on you? As a maid, you give a recommendation to another house cleaner if you can't do the cleaning yourself. And a botched referral is not your fault. You may have a bitter, angry customer or just a miserable client that doesn't get along with the new maid service. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru defines a botched referral as a custo...

ON the business vs. IN the business - how do I grow my cleaning company and when is it time to hire an assistant? Angela Brown says a business plan will help you expand your cleaning business so you can work ON the business vs. IN the business. If working ON the business vs. In the business is the goal you'll need templates, systems, and tips to outsource. And you may need a virtual assistant or t...