Ask a House Cleaner

Clogged toilet? Not again! When you have a clogged toilet do you call a plumber or do it yourself? Having a sanitary bathroom means unclogging a toilet when it won't flush and is filled with poop. Today on Ask a House Cleaner Angela Brown covers how to unclog a toilet using a plunger and toilet auger. She also covers some ways you might get a clogged toilet. And simple habits you can change before...

Nextdoor is a neighborhood referral app for your smartphone or desktop. Nextdoor is a great way to get more house cleaning leads. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we talk about Nextdoor, what it is, and how to get more business from it. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru is as much a fan of the Nextdoor app from the consumer side, and she is from the ratings and reviews side. Any savvy cleaner know...

Not my fault! We've all thought those thoughts. But how can you reach customer satisfaction if you insist "It's not my fault?" As the business owner, you don't get to shift blame, or cop an attitude for bad customer service. That will only destroy your business. Today on Ask a House Cleaner, The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown shares professional tips. Learn how to deal with a dissatisfied custo...

How to clean a shower floor? Hire a house cleaner. Just kidding. If you're a DIY housekeeper and you've ever wondered how to clean a shower floor, Today's tips and tutorial are for you. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we talk about soap scum, and the muckity muck that settles on your shower floor from clogged drains and water backup. Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru suggests you keep five things...

High maintenance employee is a frazzled employee, with personal commotion, personal chaos and personal drama. If you have a high maintenance employee it might be time for a wellness day if they need to seek professional therapy. A high maintenance employee will bring the entire company down. Before that happens, create new employee rules in writing. Get each member of your team to sign employee ru...

Hire a maid. The simple solution to house cleaning challenges right? Hire a maid. Bam! Did you ever wonder how to hire a maid? Or how does a maid service work? Or how to find a maid? And should you tip your house cleaner? How much does a maid service cost? If you tell your friends you want to outsource the time you spend cleaning house so you can spend more time with family. Or time growing your b...

Fun for kids is not usually the norm when parents ask their children to clean their room. So, How do you make house cleaning fun for kids? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we discuss the psychology of "Being Mommy's Big Helper" and "reward the behavior you want to be repeated." Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru has a Blue Ribbon contest that's fun for kids and adults alike. And a proven incentive...

Gloves - should you wear disposable gloves for house cleaning? Some housekeepers and maids don't think they need to wear gloves because they don't clean with toxic chemicals. The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown suggests there's a better reason maids wear gloves. In every house cleaner training or maid service training, you learn about PPE. Short for Personal Protective Equipment, and why gloves...

Topless house cleaning is a legitimate business but can be an unsafe one. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at the dangers of topless house cleaning. Kinky cleaning, sexy maid service, fantasy house cleaning and the reality of what to expect if you promote yourself to strangers. Angela Brown The House Cleaning Guru shares some big sister advice. See what really happens when there's topless hous...

Who is the boss? As a house cleaner or maid, it's easy to get confused. You do a free estimate. And then you show up to clean and there's somebody else in charge. Leaves you wondering who is the boss? The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown comes right out and asks. "Who is giving the orders?" "Who do I report to?" "Who is my supervisor?" Otherwise, you'll go home annoyed thinking "You're driving me...

I Skipped some chores is a house cleaner goof. But how many times will the customer keep you if the maid forgot to clean a room? Today on Ask a House Cleaner a distracted cleaning technician skipped some chores. (Or rather, didn't know a room was there and skipped the bedroom and the attached bathroom.) When the client called - the maid wants to bail. She feels the customer is suggesting she skipp...

Podcasts open a world of edutainment. Learn while you clean. Learn while you drive. Today on Ask a House Cleaner Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru talks about discovering podcasts on a road trip. She was seeking audible learning. She found The Art of Charm with Jordan Harbinger, a podcast for men. Enamored with the learning library in your pocket concept, she searched for more podcasts. She di...

Party help is as close as your housekeeper or maid. Lots of house cleaners moonlight planning parties and are a good extra pair of hands to help with a party. Whether you're celebrating a graduation or birthday consider your cleaner for party help. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at tasks besides cleaning you can expect when you hire a Savvy Cleaner. Decorator, to food prep, cleaning, hostess...

Left behind cleaning supplies? Forgot to do an inspection of your work? A growing trend in house cleaner education is to teach house cleaners and housekeepers to use a house cleaning worksheet. It's time-consuming and costly to realize you left behind cleaning supplies at the last customer's house. And #TheHouseCleaningGuru Angela Brown is ruthless and tells homeowners to keep left behind cleaning...

Too young, too old to clean house. What's the perfect age? How Young is too young to own a house cleaning business? The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown shares some advice on the wisdom. And the experience and understanding required to be a business owner. You'll need some knowledge about customer service. Along with the ability to understand customers requests. And then be responsible enough to...

Yardwork is something everybody with a yard needs. But not everybody can afford a landscaper. During slow times in the cleaning business, your housekeeper or maid may sell other services like yardwork to supplement their income. Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at odd jobs. Raking leaves, and shoveling snow as alternatives to cleaning. Yardwork, gardening and pulling weeds can keep money comin...

Customers bathroom - house cleaners question "Can I use the customers' bathroom?" Some people are funny about the cleaning lady using their loo. But if "I gotta go, I gotta go." Today on Ask a House cleaner we cover private vs public bathrooms and what to do when the house cleaner has to pee. The House Cleaning Guru shares tips from house cleaner training. She suggests maids sanitize the customer'...

Education is crucial to your success as a housekeeper. House Cleaners ask "Do I need a degree to run a cleaning business?" Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at education. From books to online learning, and self-study methods like Kindle. House cleaner training is ever changing. And while you may decide to take courses, or read on your free time, there are lots of options for tutoring and contin...

Best books for house cleaners are books that promote your maid services. Or make you a better housekeeper. Reading every day is great schooling for house cleaners and soon you'll have your own list of best books. The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown shares her tip of the day. Among her best books are excellent material for weekly meetings. Here you'll find a great education for maids. Change the...

Haggling over price when you do a cleaning bid or job estimate? You're not alone. Lots of customers love bargaining and discounts. They don't want to pay "all that money" for house cleaning or maid service. But is that any reason to be haggling over price and negotiating the housekeepers pay? Today on Ask a House Cleaner, The House Cleaning Guru, Angela Brown covers haggling over price and some ni...

Rant away, Angela Brown. Tell us how you feel about maids loitering on the job. Or how disrespectful it is when a maid borrows makeup from a client without their knowledge. Rant about how it's not borrowing but stealing when a housekeeper wastes time. They are stealing from the company that employs them. And the customer that is paying for the cleaning service. Today on Ask a House Cleaner, The Ho...

Maid stole a vacuum attachment from a client. Is it theft or an honest mistake? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at what happens when the customer's stuff ends up in the house cleaners cleaning caddy. She stole it right? Housekeeper Training shows us you can fix an oversight. Admit you stole it on accident, apologize and ask forgiveness. Today's tips including building trust and going from an...

Fire, firing, fired. Not words you want to think about as a cleaning service provider. Good help is so hard to find. So what happens when you have to fire your cleaning employee for being late and lazy? Today on Ask a House Cleaner we look at the unreliable cleaning technicians in danger of being let go. Should we fire them or enter them into a showcase? 101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employ...

Clear bag policy for house cleaners and maids is hitting America by a storm. Clear bag use reduces larceny, looting, robbery and stealing from clients and coworkers. The clear bag policy may meet some resistance at first. But in the end protects the business owner, the housekeeper or maid, and the client. It's a win-win. Clear bags, clear purses, clear totes and clear backpacks come in all shapes...

Air conditioning is a must for house cleaning. House cleaners and maids need air conditioning because they move so much they get warm and often hot. Maids cleaning without air conditioning not only run the risk of heat stroke, but they get grumpy, lethargic and sleepy when there's no air. You'll get more work from your housekeeper if you turn the air down when they come to clean. This show was spo...