Dearly beloved, let us gather to sing the praises of Tidy Up Cleaners…read more
I searched several sites on the Internet (including Yelp) to find someone to clean our house before we moved. In gathering bids, I had a friendly online conversation with Ruby, the owner, and got the info I needed without a high-pressure sale. Her bid turned out to be right in the middle of the reasonable range for fees, so I went with them.
A few days before the scheduled clean, I got an email with a very clear and straightforward contract attached, with all the services & expectations spelled out. I greatly appreciate this approach; in the midst of a situation like mine (e.g. moving out of town), assumptions can be deadly - and the contract answered every question I had & more.
But here's the story: My husband & I moved out of the house on a Monday, and the deep clean was scheduled for Tuesday, the day when we would turn over the keys to the new owner. After an exhausting moving day and a fitful night of sleep at the new house, I got up & drove back to our old house to keep the cleaning crew and let them in. The clean was scheduled to start at 9am, and I arrived at 9:01am... and there was _no one there_ waiting for me. I thought, "No. One minute late - ! They can't have come and left when I was late, could they?"
My fuzzy brain recalled the strict tone of the contract, and I began to panic. Thinking: "NononononononoNONONONO!!! Did they even call or text to see where I was? What does my phone... AAAAAgh!! Where's my phone?!?!" I had forgotten my phone at my new home. I couldn't call, couldn't text; couldn't receive any messages either, since the phone service at the house had been disconnected already. I'd previously arranged with my sister to do a dump run at 10am, so I knew she would come - but until then, it looked like I would be alone and _I would have to clean the entire 2100-sq-ft house by myself_.
I ran around the house like a headless chicken until 9:30am, when an unfamiliar car drove up and parked in front of the house. A tall young woman got out and calmly began to unload cleaning supplies and carry them up to the front porch. Another woman got out of a car parked up the street and joined her, and as they approached I hoped against hope and asked: "Are you guys the cleaning crew?" and they said "Yes - we're so sorry we're late. I had to go back and get a mask - didn't Ruby text you?" She continued to explain for a sentence or two, but all I remember after hearing those first words is the huge wave of relief breaking over my psyche and the fact that I was breathing again. I was saved!!!
Observations:
- The two-woman team appeared to have been trained in a particular method of cleaning; it gave me confidence they wouldn't miss anything.
- They worked hard. All day. For me, for their boss, for themselves.
- They were friendly and pleasant to talk to, yet stayed focused on their tasks.
Near the end of the day, Ruby (the business owner) came by to check & see how well things were going. I told her my story about the morning panic, and she reassured me that even with certain stipulations in the contract, she would never do something so inhumane as leave a customer hanging in my situation. As she picked up a broom and helped her crew complete the clean, we had a lovely conversation and we all left the house by 5pm, me feeling very glad I'd found a competent, skilled cleaning company that's run by a good human being.
Tl;dr: These people are awesome. I would recommend them to anyone for any cleaning task, large or small. Competitive rates, easy scheduling, skilled & diligent workers, friendly management, convenient invoicing & payment options. Hire Tidy Up!
(And hey, Yelp: Don't delete/demote this review! I'm a real person, and this was my real experience. So there.)