Utilizing a maid service can save you precious time by helping with domestic chores and other cleaning activities. There are many companies that recruit and train maids to provide professional cleaning experience. Maid service includes cleaning rooms, floors, carpets, furniture, scrubbing bathtubs and sinks and other maintenance tasks.

While interacting with professionals in the maid service industry, you will come across various key terms relating to maid services. This guide covers some basic terms, such as janitorial service, carpet cleaning and spring cleaning.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Janitorial services

While maid service primarily caters to residential households, janitorial services offer cleaning services to businesses. If you are hiring a janitorial services company, the cleaning work will usually begin after your employees have retired for the day.

I recommend: For a better understanding of janitorial services, read through information at Department of Revenue Services of the State of Connecticut.

Carpet cleaning

If you have expensive carpets in your businessplace, maintaining them can require professional carpet cleaning services. They have special equipment that will deep clean and protect carpets in high-traffic areas.

I recommend: For detailed information about carpet cleaning, browse through www.carpetcleaningsolutions.org, a knowledge resource for carpet cleaning.

Floor cleaning

Floor cleaning is vital if you want to prevent injuries due to slip-and-falls or just get rid of dirt and protect the floor surface. Since there are different floor cleaning methods available for different types of floors, it is a good idea to use professional services to aid in floor cleaning.

I recommend: You can learn more about floor cleaning and its importance at Andalucia.com. You can also read through an informative article at ServiceMagic.

Window cleaning

Window cleaning services involve cleaning both inside and outside window surfaces. Cleaning windows can be a very time consuming, cumbersome and risky task. You can opt for professional maid services that include window cleaning, as these service providers are better equipped for such dangerous tasks.

I recommend: Lily's Window Cleaning provides detailed information about window cleaning.

Move in/out cleaning

If you are a leasing business tenant who wants to move out or relocate, you will need to clean your location before handing it over to the owner. Cleaning service professionals can help you in cleaning and packing.

I recommend: If you want to learn more about move in/out cleaning services, you can browse through Greenplace Cleaning Services, a cleaning service company.

Maid service information is becoming a valuable commodity for today's entrepreneurs. Economic conditions demand that you spend more of your day generating revenue just to make ends meet. An online maid service directory can help you sift through specialists and find trained, fully-insured providers in your area. With so much information at your fingertips and more of your time allocated to building your business, can you really afford not to outsource maid service?

A maid service provider can offer a variety of scheduling options to work around your timetable. You can also arrange one-time sessions for special occasions, post-construction cleaning or move-in/move-out service. No matter what your needs are, finding the best maid service requires getting answers to some key questions:

1. What services are provided as part of the regular cleaning?

2. Will the maid service provide all equipment and supplies or are you required to obtain the cleaning supplies?

3. Does their agency provide any specialty service?

4. Are they willing to provide you with verifiable references?

5. Does the maid service require payment after each visit or on a monthly basis?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Confirm the services included in normal maid service

In order to save time and money, you need to find maid service that expressly addresses your needs. The whole purpose of outsourcing is to eliminate tasks from your to-do list. The definition of 'normal' cleaning duties can vary widely from company to company. So find out exactly what you will be paying for and negotiate the additional fees for any extra service you require.

I recommend: Merry Maids will supply you with a detailed list of services included in typical maid service. They also allow you to fully customize your service and provide a list of additional duties that can be added. The "treatment" plan at Molly Maid includes a comprehensive list of standard services along with a customized plan based on the unique needs of your space.

Research maid service information regarding special services

Maid service is no longer the exclusive realm of the affluent. New maid service providers are throwing their hats into the ring every day. That means that affordable service - even if you need specialized cleaning services due to severe allergies or health concerns - is still within your reach.

I recommend: The Maid Brigade is the only national maid service that is Green Clean Certified. Their supplies and equipment are certified to be safer for you and the environment. The Maids Home Services specializes exclusively in cleaning for your health. Their exclusive 22-Step Healthy Touch Deep Cleaning System removes more contaminants than any conventional cleaning method.

Utilize a maid service directory to verify credentials

Maid service requires letting a stranger into your home or business. To minimize your risk you should find a maid service that is insured, bonded and that performs background checks. Verifying this information for all potential candidates on your maid service list can be a time-intensive process; but, there are referral services that will do the leg work for you.

I recommend: The mission of ServiceMagic is to make it easier for you to connect to the right service professional. They conduct a 10-point screening review on every maid service provider in their network and compile a list of customer reviews to insure your satisfaction. PrescreenedPros' free search helps you find maid service providers in your area that have been screened for background, insurance and license information.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The Association of Residential Cleaning Services International offers consumer education on choosing a cleaning service along with an online directory to help you find maid service in your area.

Maid service is more than just keeping people's houses clean. It is taking care of the home and the people who live in that home. When you clean people's homes for a living, you get to know them and their habits. To take pride in your work, you'll want to know how to properly take care of people's homes for them, to keep them not only clean, but also healthy and safe for the whole family.

By learning some maid service education and training, you'll ensure that you'll do your best work on every home you take care of. Consider these tips.

1. Find out what the essentials of housekeeping are.

2. Find out about housekeeping safety procedures a maid should know.

3. Find out what you need to know to start your own maid service.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn the basic essentials of housekeeping

The number one jobs of maids is to clean the home. Although cleaning a house is not something you would think takes a lot of training, when you do it for a living, and possibly clean more than one home a day, every day, you're going to want to learn some skills on how to clean the homes quickly but effectively. Receiving training in house cleaning will help you boost your maid service business.

I recommend: American Maid Service Association provides a training DVD on routine cleaning essentials. MTO Clean provides a three step training program for maid services.

Learn about housekeeping safety procedures a maid should know

When you're the person cleaning people's homes, the safety of the way you clean the home, and the products you use, lies on your shoulders. Training in cleaning techniques is not all the training you should receive to be a maid. You'll also want to learn home safety procedures when it comes to cleaning the home. By learning home safety procedures, you can be sure that the cleaning products you use, the way you clean and what you clean are not endangering the people in the homes you clean.

I recommend: Expert Village provides an online video about house cleaning product safety. KeepKidsHealthy.com offers a list of safety tips for cleaning around children.

Learn how to start your own maid service

If you currently work for a maid service, or yourself, and want to do more than just clean homes, consider opening your own maid service. You already know how to properly clean people's homes, so why not take your knowledge to the next level and start your own business. You can learn the skills you need to run a business and train employees, learn how to start your business, and how to hire the right people to work for you.

I recommend: House Cleaning Biz 101 offers you the training to start your own maid service. Maid Services of America offer several business plans for starting your own maid service.