Remote hiring of cleaning service for family member

December 6, 2023 10:16 AM

You have a far-off family member who for $reasons needs their home professionally cleaned on, let's say, a monthly basis. They need you to handle it all - finding, vetting, engaging and (potentially) setting up payment for the cleaning person/service, all remotely - and you did it! So how did you make this happen?

They live in a small town but are nearish to a larger one, and let's assume there are going to be potential service providers available to evaluate.

• What are your methods for finding a service?
• How long did it take?
• Do you consider it a successful outcome?
• What are some identifiable caveats or pitfalls?
• Can this even be done without having to actually physically travel there?
• What's the one thing you tell others who need to accomplish the same thing?

posted by I_Love_Bananas to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

I have not done this but finding services using facebook groups for the town/neighborhood, and would likely just pay them zelle on days they clean.
posted by sandmanwv at 10:25 AM on December 6, 2023

Use a service that has a big online presence -- like Tidy.com, Merry Maids, Handy.com, etc. See what's available in this person's area, then read some reviews and make a booking. It should be pretty straightforward. If the person or cleaning crew does a good job, book with them again. If not, try the next one. You'll be able to pay and tip yourself.

If their town is too small for one of these, I think you'll still be able to search Yelp or the like in their area and find a smaller local service.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:39 AM on December 6, 2023

Larger franchises such as Merry Maids often are more expensive than local contractors but typically bring their own products/vacuums (so you don't have to worry about stocking), offer a larger array of services as pre-scheduled one-offs (such as bi-monthly window cleanings but not weekly) and also should have bonded staff. Bonding may be important for those who are concerned about their own safety or theft. We also arranged for invaluable pieces to be safely stored away.
posted by beaning at 10:40 AM on December 6, 2023

A large national chain like Merry Maids would be the simplest way to do this, but not the cheapest.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:11 AM on December 6, 2023

The difficulty level of this task will depend on (among other things) a fair amount on the family member in question. How strongly does this person feel that there is "one right way" to clean the home?

Ideally, one's family member knows (or is acquainted with) several local folks who are already happy with their cleaning service. Give the cleaning services on the short list a call.

Ask about how the cleaning service is structured... is there one employee or many? Will you get the same person or persons each session? Continuity can be helpful since there's already the added communication layer between you + family member. Also consider if your family member will be able to communicate directly with the cleaners without technology/ language barriers. Ask how the cleaning service might handle some of your relative's quirks. Confirm that the the cleaning service will accept your preferred method of payment. Make sure you have a satisfactory answer to family member's greatest concerns.

Hire the entity that seems to be the best fit.
posted by oceano at 11:38 AM on December 6, 2023

- Please do not confuse "green" or "eco" cleaning with "will not cause painful reactions from strong chemicals or odors".

- Please make sure the actual people doing the cleaning will be able to communicate with your relative in real time, and that this is guaranteed.

- Please make sure they don't expect to show up and spray everything with Lysol or whatever harsh/cheap chemical they're used to using, vacuum, etc. and make it not only look clean but "smell clean". Unless your relative actually likes that. Few people do. Lots of men who run cleaning services _think_ they do.

I was able to find a lot of one-person local cleaning companies by getting a photo from the local vacuum cleaner repair store.
posted by amtho at 12:39 PM on December 6, 2023

Post on the local facebook web page. Don't just look at suggestions. When you post people may PM you who to avoid. No one wants to trash someone on the page, but they will tell you directly. And I Might add to your question (and who to avoid).
posted by ReluctantViking at 3:35 PM on December 6, 2023

You should mention the town. Someone here might have a suggestion?
posted by ReluctantViking at 3:36 PM on December 6, 2023

I needed someone to not only clean but also help organize and declutter for the first few months and then run occasional errands plus clean on an on-going basis. I found someone on craigslist, did a phone interview and then arranged for a trial clean. It was a single person and she was a great fit and my family member really liked her. I explained in general terms what needed to be done when I hired her and then she would consult with my family member each time she came on what needed doing. The cleaner would send me an invoice via email and then I paid (zelle, I think)

It was great experience although I think I got lucky.
posted by metahawk at 4:20 PM on December 6, 2023

How old is this person? I did this for an elderly relative and got a recommendation through the local seniors’ centre. They were great because they connected me to a cleaning service that’s part of a larger organization that does home care type services (like has personal care assistants for people who need help getting dressed or bathed in the morning etc.). All their cleaners are used to working with seniors and I found the people they sent to be really sensitive to the needs of my elder. Nothing seemed to faze them and my elder was someone who was not particularly keen on getting their house cleaned (thought they could do it better but kept falling).

So if your person is old enough to qualify for seniors’ services you might try calling your local seniors’ centre and asking for leads there.

Re: setting up payment etc., the payments were done via credit card kept on file by the home care agency, so my elder’s CC was charged every month and then it was paid off automatically (they had it set up that way, worked for us).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:12 PM on December 6, 2023

I've had some luck with care.com personally and used it to help family locate people to help my Nana (a state away) in the months before she died. It's worth the membership fee for a month to find the right person. I pay the housekeeper I used (that I found from care.com) with Venmo.
posted by thivaia at 7:52 AM on December 7, 2023