Home for the Holidays

The holidays are such a beautiful time of the year, and at Sparkle we think your home should match that beauty, and shine brighter than any tree ever could. Our cleaning service can be contacted at 215-757-4014, and our staff would be happy to help you with any holiday needs you might have around the home!

What do you have to be thankful for?

What do you have to be thankful for? A clean home? A clear mind? None of the above? 

No worries, Sparkle can help! Please call us at 215-757-4014, and we'll help bring peace to your home once again. We offer one time cleanings, weekly cleanings, and monthly cleanings. We'll arrange our schedule to fit you in, because we understand how hectic things can get, and nothing makes us feel better than making sure our customers are happy.

Wow Mom this Year with a Wow-Worthy House Clean

Mother's Day is quickly approaching, less than 3 weeks away! When thinking of a Mother's Day gift, you should always consider everything that our moms do for us. Whether it's cooking, teaching, guiding, doing our laundry (and the list can go on and on...), mothers have their hands full. Which is why the best Mother's Day gifts are ones that take some of the stress away at least for a little while. Popular gifts that I've found to win Mom's heart include a day at the spa, flowers for the garden, and those adorable IOU's that the itty bitties bring home to help with dishes, car washing, laundry, etc. I still have a booklet of ones I took my time giving out to Mom and Dad over the years. But this year, I'm noticing a particular responsibility of Mom's that is getting bigger and bigger is the house cleaning! Between the usual dust collection and cobwebs that form irritatingly fast throughout the winter, it's a job for more than one gal.

You see where I'm going with this.... We are offering Mother's Day Gift Certificates this year so you can give Mom the gift of a clean and healthy home! So consider a different gift for your most beloved family member this year (as beautiful as the garden flowers are). You're sure to win her heart.

It works like this: You call us and tell us you'd like to purchase a certain amount of money towards a clean for Mom. If you have a specific amount in mind, that's fine; but you can also choose from $20, $25, $40, $50, $100. Pick one of the designs you see below. Once we receive your check or cash payment, we'll mail you a certificate personalized with both of your names. You can also stop into the office during regular office hours (7:30am to 4:30pm) to purchase a certificate. Give me 5 minutes and I print it out for you then and there! You'll have Mom call to schedule her clean (and we'll give her an idea of pricing as well) and the rest is pie. Can't get any easier than that!

Here's a few of the designs we are offering for Mother's Day Gift Certificates.





If you are interested or would like more information about this promotion, please give us a call at 215-757-4014. We look forward to hearing from you! Wishing all our Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day!

 

ReACT: 10 Things Your Cleaning Lady Doesn’t Want You to Know (TLC)

When we see something that makes us stop and say, “Is that right?” I think that’s good enough cause to make it clear to the web readers of the world that you have a reaction worth noting. That’s the reasoning behind our ReACT blog entries, for your future reference. It will give us a chance to comment on the words being shared in our industry and take part in the controversy or argument. Today’s topic is less of an argument than it is just plain feedback from individuals who have used a cleaning service in the past. It’s good to hear the truth about your experiences with people who you hire, but in this case, the act of generalization is hindering the truth.

TLC online released a “10 Things…” last week which claimed to be a collection of things your cleaning lady (or service of any kind) doesn’t want you to know. Let’s review what this article had to say:

10. She Doesn't Know Much More about Cleaning Than You Do

Claim: Average cleaning professionals never receive formal training.

Reaction: This may be true, but usually if you go with a professional cleaning company they will claim out right that their staff has been trained on correct products to use and other cleaning techniques that have made the company successful for its lifespan. Also, in the original quote, you can state what products you want used in your home or office, so the technicians are directed to use exactly what you request and nothing else.

9. She Brought Other People's Dirt and Germs into Your House

Claim: Cleaning professionals go to site to site and get dirtier as they go.

Reaction: Not going to lie to you here- cleaning is dirty work! But if your cleaning service is not using fresh towels and dusters for each location, it’s probably an aim to cut corners and is certainly not professional.

8. She's Working Faster but Not Necessarily Better

Claim: Your maid service is cutting corners to go home early.

Reaction: This is how cleaning companies make their money. It’s the honest truth – if your service quotes your cleaning job for 4 hours and it takes the staff 3 hours and 45 minutes, they’re ahead of the game and have made the company some money. But the issue is not that your cleaners are cutting corners; they are more likely just learning the best way to work the job location and be more efficient. If you see that things aren’t shining like they used to when your service comes to clean, tell your company right away!

7. She May Pull a Bait and Switch

Claim: Your cleaning service underestimated the work and now you’re paying up charges because it’s taking them longer to clean.

Reaction: Any professional cleaning company should handle this the right way – if your technician goes over the allotted amount of time on a job, it gets deducted from their pay for the week.

6. The Service May Send Someone Else

Claim: If your usual cleaning technician is not available, the company will send someone else in her place.

Reaction: This may happen at some point. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust them to do just as super of a job as your regular cleaner. They should follow the same checklist and have the same training and most importantly – go through the same background check and random drug testing.

5. You Got a Cheap Rate Because She's Not Insured or Bonded

Reaction: This is so important in this industry. General rule of thumb to follow – always hire a cleaning service that is bonded and insured. This will protect you from loss or injury in the home or office. If you rely on your homeowner’s insurance policy you’ll most likely be paying a much higher premium.

4. She Has a Spotless Record but Her Boyfriend Doesn't, and She Tells Him Everything

Claim: You can trust your cleaning technician but you can’t trust who she knows who knows someone else. Once the word gets out about your valuables and schedule, you can’t control how far that will go.

Reaction: True, you cannot trust everyone. But again, with a professional cleaning service, they should require their employees to sign a waiver saying they will not discuss client information outside of the work environment.

3. She Filled Out Her Checklist Before She Arrived

Reaction: Cleaning services should terminate those employees who deliberately do this with their checklists. I can’t tell you how many signs we have up around here that reminds employees to complete their checklists at the job site. I personally cannot imagine doing a job that big and not needing every task written out on that checklist!

2. She May Have Light Fingers

Claim: Your cleaning technician is swiping things from your home when you’re not looking.

Reaction: The cleaning people get blamed for everything. It’s unfortunate but true. We are the first source for people to blame when something goes missing or damaged. That is why employees are screened and randomly drug tested to make sure we are hiring people that are trustworthy and responsible individuals. Any act of theft is a deadly influence on the company, so any smart hiring manager will ensure their employees will reflect properly on the company’s name.

                                   1. The Tax Man May Think She's Your Employee
Claim: “Paying an independent worker $1,400 or more a year in wages can get you into trouble with the IRS.”

Reaction: Easiest solution… Hire a professional cleaning company that is bonded, insured and pays taxes for their business!

If you have any questions about these topics of interest please feel free to comment or give us a call! 215-757-4014. We’d love to talk to you about what you should be expecting from a cleaning service, and what you can expect from Sparkle Professional Cleaning!