After thoroughly researching this company and speaking with the owner (Petra) twice, I booked Bella Mia for a deep-clean which took place on 9/26. I hoped that they would become my regular cleaning company, and was excited to find a company that uses natural products. Long story short: my oven and stove were damaged, and I will have to continue my search for a reputable cleaning company in Austin.
I was a bit concerned when I walked into my kitchen in the middle of the cleaning and saw that a foaming cleaner had been sprayed and left to sit on my stove. However, I fully trusted Petra's claim that their company uses only "all natural" products "for the safety of their customers and employees." I trusted that the foam would not damage my appliance. It seems that this was a mistake.
After the cleaners left, I noticed white stains on the stainless steel handle of my oven. I contacted Petra, who assured me that they only use an "all-purpose cleaner" on stove-tops. I informed her that I plainly saw a foam sitting on my stove, and asked for the names of the products that they use on stoves and ovens. Petra argued with me, but eventually admitted that they use Easy Off Oven Cleaner "only on the the inside of ovens." She assured me that her cleaners would never use Easy Off on the outside of the oven.
I asked if it was at least possible that the cleaner had accidentally sprayed the handle, causing the damage. Again, Petra, who was not present at my home at the time of the cleaning, assured me that I was wrong and that no Easy Off could have possibly been sprayed on my stove or oven handle. After insisting repeatedly that damage had been done, Petra asked to come by my house to "clean the spots that her employees had missed."
Once she arrived at my house, she saw the damage to the handle and said that it was "hard to say what caused it" as she hadn't seen it before the crew had been through. Given that I have a dual oven Whirlpool, I pointed out that the lower handle is a good "before" picture. She then offered to get some stainless steel cleaner from her car. As luck would have it, I had stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work specifically to buy something to try and minimize the damage.
Now, to her credit, she did use that product to attempt to remove the stains herself. However, after being unable to remove them, she suggested that I see if my range's warranty was still effective. Her suggestion was to try and get the handle replaced as a warranty item. Ultimately, no responsibility for the damage was taken.
Fast forward to this evening. My fiance went to light our stove and noticed that 2 of the burner icons over the handles have been completely removed. The remaining 3 have been partially removed (see attached pictures). Fun fact: paint removal is such a common side effect of Easy Off that there are a few DIY sites that actually recommend using it specifically to remove paint. After this, I have absolutely no doubt that the foam I saw on my stove was Easy Off Oven Cleaner.
So, if you are looking for a cleaning company that truly uses "all natural" products, I would not recommend Bella Mia. If you are looking for a company that takes care of your appliances, I would not recommend Bella Mia. If you are looking for a company that takes responsibility when they damage your belongings, I would not recommend Bella Mia.
My only recommendation when it comes to this company is to make Petra come to your house beforehand to verify the state of your appliances in case of any damage. read more