What do you think is better?

What is better? Hiring a well known cleaning company or individual?
There are many factors to consider with this question. Let's take an in depth look to each side.

Hiring a Company:

Many well to do companies have been established for more than 10 years. Although, like most companies, they started out small and grew. They are fully staffed and most likely drive company vehicles and maintain their own supplies and equipment. Not a bad thing really. But that is overhead that the company needs to incorporate when figuring out the rates to clean homes. A good company would also need to satisfy their staff by paying them a rate that will maintain the employees longevity with the company.
Too many companies pay poorly and attract less then desirable employees. Which then causes the "turnstyle" effect. Which means that employees don't stay on for very long and call off and do not show at all. Remember... the way the company treats their employees speaks volumes about the company itself.

Hiring an individual:

It's pretty scary hiring someone to come into your home and know little to nothing about the person. Any respectable person will have references... even if it's just one or two... to give a customer an idea of how well this person does. Establishing a repertoire is vital when it's just one on one. Most of my customers prefer an individual rather than have a crew of two or more in their home. Mainly, so they can keep an eye on who it is that is cleaning their house. I have heard some horror stories and I no longer wonder why people are paranoid.
Word of mouth is the best advertising hands down. Someone you trust recommends and individual and it's golden all the way. Someone is already familiar with your work and they feel the need to pass it along. So my advertising costs are at a minimal. I have mailed out post cards, advertised on Craigslist and handed out a boatload of business cards out to friends and family to pass out.

I don't think I will ever be one to advertise in the yellow pages, radio or television. I don't want to get that big. The overhead would be to high. I am not even sure I want to hire anyone on to help me either. Although there is one individual who has expressed interest and I may make the exception for her because she has been in the business working for another company for over 10 years. She is just sick of constantly having to train new hires and getting the brunt of attitude from unsatisfied customers. The company that she works for does not do background checks or drug test. To me that is absolutely a necessity if you are going to entrust another to represent your company. Theft is a big issue with cleaning companies. How could you not make every attempt to know the type of person you are thinking about hiring to protect your customers and yourself? To not do this is suicide and insane!

Of course I always like to get others perspectives so please feel free to share any thoughts or experiences you have had. I always appreciate it.

Tip #1 Saying goodbye to soap scum!

This is the first of this series. I have heard many people complain how soap scum is a tough bugger to get rid of. Not necessarily.

The key to keep soap scum from making your tub/shower look disgusting, is to maintain your tub/shower every time you bathe. It takes a few extra minutes after washing but it is well worth the aggravating 1-2 hours of scrubbing your arms off. Simply rinse down after you wash. Some people use a squeegee which is great and others use a damp cloth. Whatever item you have will work. But if you have years of build up that you can not get rid of then you need to bring out the big guns(Tub & Tile) and scrub till it is all gone. From there you will be able to maintain a cleaner tub/shower.

I have cleaned many of houses that seem to have never been thoroughly cleaned. These areas take up most of my time when cleaning homes. I am a perfectionist and I will not walk away from a challenge. I always recommend the maintenance after I am finished and surprisingly they have done exactly what I have asked of them.

If you would like to have a soap scum free tub/shower just follow my lead and you will be happy to be no longer scrubbing till the cows come home!

Eco Sense Product of the Month is

Sol-U-Mel is a 3 -in- 1 cleaner designed specifically for odor, stains and heavy all purpose cleaning. I use Sol-U-Mel on my heaviest cleaning jobs and with little to no effort on my part. It cuts my cleaning time by 3/4!

Sol-U-Mel also cleans carpets and it works great with pet stains and odors! This can be used straight out of the bottle or diluted with water for lesser clean ups! Remember Goo Gone? Well.... forget it! All you need is Sol-U-Mel! For Southern residents that have a hard time getting the Lovebugs off your car this product comes in handy and it takes off just the bugs and not the paint your car. I have used this to get tar off the bottom of my shoes!