Whether you are preparing for houseguests or you’re looking for a regular cleaning service, asking any prospective cleaning service some key questions will save you time, money, and unnecessary stress. 

A lot of people have a favorite cleaning service or contractor. Referrals are usually pretty quick and easy to come across— just ask a neighbor or a family member. They won’t hesitate to share their experiences, good or bad! But before you sign a contract or invite a cleaning service to offer you a quote, make sure you confirm that they are insured, bonded, and perform background checks. 

As complex as it may seem, the answers to these three points will help you determine the level of trust, satisfaction, and confidence that you can have with the service. After all, there’s at least a 32% chance of injury on the job. 

Insurance coverage generally means better management, training, and no passed down costs from accidents. It also keeps your home and your possessions protected from potential damage or loss and removes the burden of potential homeowner liability. A mountain of paperwork and fees is the last thing you want!

Using a professional cleaning service doesn’t mean the loss of the personal touch and detailed cleaning. In fact, you’ll gain high-quality standards, trustworthy staff, clear communication, and guaranteed satisfaction, all backed by protection for both you and the team. 

What kind of insurance should your cleaning service have?

There are four primary insurance coverages that your cleaning service should have: general liability insurance, bond insurance, commercial auto insurance, and worker’s compensation. 

General Liability Insurance 

Accidents can happen at any time, even for highly-trained professionals who have been working in their field for years.  General liability insurance protects you, your home, and your possessions by covering the claim, taking care of necessary settlements, and preventing messy lawsuits. It also protects the house cleaning crew and handles any necessary medical expenses. 

As a positive incentive, house cleaning services with general liability insurance typically have detailed training — proper cleaning methods and potential hazards — to mitigate accidents. 

General liability insurance covers: 

  • Bodily injury
  • Property damage
  • Advertising harm 
  • Libel or slander
  • Professional errors

Bond Insurance

Bond insurance protects you, the homeowner, from loss of money or property that might take place during a cleaning appointment. Most professional cleaning services perform background checks on their staff, but that’s not always the case. Bond insurance provides an extra layer of protection. 

Commercial Auto Insurance

Whether a cleaning service has commercial auto insurance for their staff is primarily a benefit to the company itself, ensuring that staff are covered on their way to and from cleaning services. However, in the long term, auto insurance coverage can mean more secure management and no surprise rate increases passed down to cover unexpected accidents. 

Worker’s Compensation

Routine mopping can lead to an accidental slip, potentially causing serious injury. Worker’s compensation takes care of expenses quickly and efficiently should a crew member become injured on the job. Worker’s compensation reliably covers: 

  • Medical care coverage
  • Temporary or permanent disability coverage 
  • Death benefits

The difference between cleaning services and independent contractors

More often than not, professional cleaning services have coverage for their staff while on the job at different homes, as well as coverage for their drives to and from each job. They’re also more likely to perform background checks to ensure a trustworthy team. 

Independent contractors may offer the opportunity to perform a background check, but you’ll need to make the request as well as check for specific insurance coverage details.  Typically, they are not bonded or insured, so there is little you can do in the event there is a theft or a problem with communication.

Should items be stolen or broken in your home during a service, bond insurance will cover the expenses. However, an uninsured service or contractor cannot be legally held responsible if they do not have the financial means to replace or repair the damage.  

In addition to reducing your financial risk, cleaning services often provide more support and training for their teams creating a more efficient and safe environment. You can feel more confident that:

  • Safer chemicals and cleaning solutions are used
  • Staff have been trained on proper cleaning methods
  • Staff are aware of potential hazards
  • Adequate support means staff are not rushing 
  • A supervisor confirms a job well done

Avoid major unexpected house cleaning expenses

Lower upfront costs from an uninsured service or independent contractor may be appealing, but that comes with significant potential higher expenses should an accident occur. Is it worth the financial risk? 

Studies show that cleaning workers suffer more injuries than other workers in private industries; an annual incidence rate of 32% according to a UCLA study. The most common injuries are from overexertion, contact with machinery, chemicals or materials, and slips and falls, according to the National Safety Council. 

In addition to immediate medical bills, long-term physical therapy fees, disability coverage, and other related expenses, working with an uninsured service may result in accusations of homeowner’s negligence, which can lead to long legal disputes: 

  • Knowing a dangerous condition and failing to communicate it
  • Failing to repair needed work
  • Creating a dangerous situation near or where the incident occurred
  • Unsafe work requests

Rest easy with trustworthy service

Don’t run the risk of thousands of dollars in liability and mountains of paperwork from an accidental fall from cleaning blinds or slip on a slippery wet floor, feel confident with an insured and bonded cleaning service. 

Clean My Space CT is dedicated to making cleaning your home as simple and straightforward as possible. Just tell us when, where, and if there are any particular areas you’d like for us to focus on and we’ll take care of the rest. Clean My Space CT’s team of cleaning professionals are background checked and well trained. We are also fully bonded and insured, in addition to carrying workman’s compensation insurance on all of our staff and paying all applicable state and local taxes. 

For service you can trust and rely on contact us today. We’ll do the hard work so you can focus on truly enjoying your home!