This article originally appeared on cubeduel.com

In the 1960s, working-age mothers spent 32 hours per week on housework while fathers spent 4 hours. Fast forward 63 years later, working-age mothers spend 6 hours per week on housework while fathers spend 3 hours.

For many families, those 6 or 3 hours are the only time they have to devote to housework. Between working full-time jobs, watching kids’ extracurricular activities, caring for pets, and finding time to unwind, housework often takes the back seat.

If this sounds like your situation, it may be time to hire a service. But before you do so, here are the most important things to look for when hiring a cleaning service.

1: Positive Reviews From Customers

Before hiring a cleaning service, check its reviews. A good place to start is checking reviews from the company’s website, as they provide valuable feedback from clients using the service.

However, do not stop there. Also, check reviews from third-party sites to see what customers have been saying about the company’s cleaning skills and professionalism and how they rate their experience working with the company. No company is perfect; however, you should see a pattern of positive reviews.

2: The Variety of Services

Do you need general maintenance cleaning, deep cleaning, or green cleaning? Or are you looking for move-in cleaning before you move into your dream house?

Some companies perform the same cleaning tasks (dusting, vacuuming, mopping) across the board, excluding clients that require higher levels of cleaning for different circumstances.

Before choosing a cleaning service, ensure that it offers various solutions for moving in or out, general maintenance, and more thorough deep cleaning.

3: Staff Working Conditions

What happens if a cleaning staff member gets injured while cleaning your home? What if your favorite vase gets knocked over and breaks into pieces?

Reputable cleaning services Charlotte, NC, carry workers’ compensation insurance and liability insurance to protect their employees and you (the homeowner) in case of a work-related injury.

Without these protections, you could be held responsible if a cleaning staff member sustains an injury while working in your home.

4: Flexibility of The Cleaning Schedule

Do you need to run back to the office to pick up a file or drive to your kid’s school to watch them play soccer? When life’s responsibilities arise, you need a cleaning service willing to work with you.

Opt for a cleaning service that is flexible about rescheduling and has no problem working around your responsibilities.

5: Impact on the Environment

For some, the smell of laundry soaps, disinfectants, and bleach are hallmarks of a clean home. For others, these smells cause their allergies to act up, causing them to sneeze, cough, or tear up. Alternatively, some people want to reduce their carbon footprint and help reverse climate change.

If any of these sounds like you, you want to hire a company that uses green products because green products are mild and gentle and are designed to minimize their environmental impact.

Hire the Best Cleaning Services in Charlotte, NC

Just like you would not trust a random doctor with your healthcare, you should not trust any cleaning service to clean your home.

Do your due diligence and ensure that the cleaning service has positive reviews and various service offerings, is bonded and insured, is flexible about rescheduling, and uses green cleaning products (if you have allergies and sensitivities). Get the best cleaning services in Charlotte, NC for a sparkly, thorough home cleaning.