FAQ
The Ins & Outs of How We Do Business
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How many people will come to clean?It varies by the day depending on the number of houses on the route. Between 1-3 people
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Do you run background checks?Yes, through the Michigan State Police website.
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Are you insured?Yes, we are well insured. Please follow the link below to our insurance certificate.
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Is it alright to tip the team?Tipping is welcomed. It is nice for the team members to feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. Please give any tips to the team members directly when they complete your cleaning. This can be done in person if you are home or, if you are not home, you may leave a cash tip on your note location for the team to divide evenly between themselves. Employees report their own tips, therefore Gingerly Clean does not keep any sort of record of them.
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How long is the average clean?That depends on many factors including: the size of the space, the amount of decorations, amount of clutter, pets, frequency of cleaning, condition of air vents/filters. At the estimate we can give you ideas on how to shorten the time needed for cleaning.
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Is this a maid service?No, Gingerly Clean is a cleaning service. Our job is to clean the dirt out of your area. We do not do: dishes or laundry. We also are not responsible to pick up after household members including pets. We do not move large amounts of items to clean under them either such as stacks of paperwork or clothes.
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Do you clean litter boxes?No, we do not clean litter boxes. We are also not responsible for cleaning up animal urine or feces.
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What is your cancellation policy?As long as you cancel before the team leaves for the day (8:45 am) there is no charge to cancel. We know that life happens and emergencies arise. If we arrive to your location and cannot complete the cleaning you will be charged our 2 hour minimum fee.
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Do I need to be home?Whether or not you are at home is completely up to you. The team is used to cleaning with or without the customer present. If you will not be home you will need to be sure we have a key or code for your door.
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Would my address be on my key?No, we keep your key number coded so that if it was ever lost or stolen it could not be traced to your home. All keys are on a Gingerly Clean key chain with our contact information.
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What hours do you clean housesWe start cleaning at 8:45 am and try to have the team leave the last house by 4:30. Due to the nature of the job our schedule is fluid and changes as the day progresses.
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Will I have a set schedule?We do set a regular schedule for the day of the week, which with our fluid schedule may need to be moved. We also do a business day before reminder call to confirm the day and expected time of your cleaning.
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Does my dog/cat need to be crated?Gingerly Clean does not have a specific policy on whether pets need to be crated. It depends on the animal and the situation. If your pet family member is very fearful, protective or in any way aggressive it would be best to have them crated or contained in a room that we do not enter. If your pet is not concerned with visitors or the sound of vacuums they don’t need to be contained. Some pets like the extra attention they get from the team while the cleaning takes place. More often than not the shy pets keep to themselves in different areas of the home. We take the needs of your pet household members very seriously and you will be asked several questions during the estimate if you have pets to be certain we understand the plan for your pet.
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How do you handle breakage?If the team breaks an item they will tell you in person if you are there. If you are not present the team will leave you a note in your designated note location. You will just need to call the office and we will make arrangements to either replace the item or you can replace the item and turn in a receipt for reimbursement. Often customers choose to have the reimbursement amount applied as a credit to the account.
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What if I have weapons in the home?During the estimate you will be asked if there are any weapons on the site. We make note of weapon location on the work order so the team does not encounter a weapon unexpectedly. We do not handle weapons so the team will clean around the area that the weapon is located.
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What if I have medications in my home?If it is at all possible we ask that medication bottles be put away in a cabinet or drawer before our team arrives. If there are medications out the team will clean around the area of the medications. We do this because it is common for people to have the medications set out in a specific order and moving them could mix up the bottles.
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How will I know when you are coming?We typically have a set schedule as far as the day of the week. Customers are scheduled for weekly, bi-weekly or every 4 weeks. We do not have a set time of the day but if you prefer either earlier or later we will make a note and try to make that happen as often as possible. We complete a reminder call or text the business day before to confirm your appointment.
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Do your employees get a W-2?Yes, Gingerly Clean follows all the legal employment guidelines. There is no funny business under the table with us. We are licensed, bonded and insured so you do not have to worry if there is an injury at your location. We can provide a W-9 and a copy of our insurance if you would like to have it for your records.
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What products do you use?We use many environmentally friendly products. Melaleuca and Shaklee are some of them. We also use some stronger products when needed. This is common when it comes to dealing with hard water. There is a list of products provided with a link below to the MSDS sheets.
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What if it storms?If there is a power outage let us know and we will reschedule your cleaning. If your driveway and or side road is not passible due to snow or ice let us know and we will reschedule. You will need to make sure that the sidewalk is free of deep snow and ice when the team arrives.
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What if I am not happy with the quality of cleaning?We aim to provide a quality service. If you are not happy with some aspect of your cleaning please call the office within 24 hours and a member of the management team will come take a look. If we missed something we will correct it for you at no additional cost.
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Can I have the same person every time?We do not guarantee that the same tech or team of techs will be assigned to your cleaning each time but if you have a specific team member that you are especially happy with let us know at the office and we will assign them as your primary cleaner. That will help them be assigned to your cleaning more often.
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What is the difference between an ongoing and on call customer?A customer is considered ongoing if they have a set schedule year round, at least 1 time every 4 weeks. These customers enjoy the ongoing rate which is $5.00 less per man hour. On call customers are all other residential or rental customers that do not have a set schedule. This includes those that have seasonal cleaning and do not maintain the 2 hour minimum clean at least 1 time every 4 weeks.
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What is the minimum cleaning time or cost?The minimum amount of time per visit is 2 man hours. If your general cleaning takes less than that we can add additional spring cleaning items to fill the full 2 man hours
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How does the travel fee work?We also no longer take on new houses more than 15 miles from the office. We charge a minimal travel fee, per visit, based on the distance from the office to your location. $10 standard travel fee for 5 miles or less from our office. Over 5 miles is $10 plus $1 per mile over 5 miles (one way). Example: A house that is 12 miles away is $17 for the travel fee.
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How do I know what my bill is at the end of the cleaning?We charge per man hour. That means PER PERSON, PER HOUR. We bill to the nearest ¼ hour. Your team leader will be able to tell you the total of your cleaning. The start time for cleaning is when our team exits the car and unloads the equipment. The end time is when they load the equipment back up and get back in the car. The man hours on site are multiplied by the hourly rate and the per visit travel fee is added. If you write a check ahead of time and the balance due is different any credit will be applied to your account. If you have a balance due we will let you know so you can add it to the payment for the next cleaning.
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Will you use my products?We provide all the cleaning products and equipment needed to complete the cleaning. If you have a specialty product that we do not carry you will need to provide the product as well as a printed MSDS sheet for the team to go over prior to use. We do not take responsibility for any product damage caused by customer’s personal products.
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What do I need to tell the team?Each time the team comes to your location they will have a work order. This work order is where the start and end times are recorded. It also gives them specifics about your location, pets, cleaning product’s needs, length of time anticipated. More often than not the team will not need any guidance from you for the cleaning unless you have an unusual request.
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What if I have ashes/remains at my house?Any human or pet ashes should be in a sealed container. Please make sure to let the office know so that a note can be made on the work order. The team will clean around the area with the ashes.
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What if I forget to put away “personal items” when the team is coming?If the team arrives and finds “personal items” of a sexual nature in your home we will clean around the area. Specifically, this means that if you have adult items in the shower we will not be cleaning the shower.
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Is there a dress code?Gingerly Clean requires that all team members wear clothing that is modest. They are instructed that clothing should not ride up or gap with bending and moving. We also ask that the customers dress modestly while we are at your location. It is also of note that the team members do not take off their shoes for cleaning. Cleaning is a very physical job and being on your feet 8 hours a day without support can lead to problems. Our team is allowed to keep their shoes on while in the house. If you would like them to bring slip over shoe covers to wear please let the office know.
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Can I hire Gingerly Clean employees for work outside of the company?The short answer is no. If you are a Gingerly Clean customer you may not hire Gingerly Clean employees to complete work that falls under our scope of practice. This includes all cleaning work such as windows and carpet shampooing. We ask that customers be respectful of our business and the cost and effort that goes into training our employees. Each employee signed a 2 year non-compete contract with our company before they started working for us. Employees that violate the non-compete contract are subject to termination, please do not put them in that awkward situation.
Billing & Pricing
Payments Accepted
We accept cash or check the day of service. You may also have a credit or debit card on file for processing. There is a $6 processing fee per transaction for this service. You may also pay a lump sum in advance and you will be notified when your funds have been depleted.
Cancellation Policy
We would appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to reschedule or cancel your cleaning but we understand that emergencies happen. As long as you call the office to cancel prior to 8:45 am the day of your scheduled service you will not be charged. If we arrive at your location and cannot complete the cleaning you will be charged our 2 hour minimum charge.
Satisfaction Guarantee
If you are unhappy with our service please call the office within 24 hours and a team member will come take a look and make any corrections necessary.