I rarely leave negative reviews because I understand humans are imperfect and no cleaning is ever going to be 100% flawless. But this experience was genuinely shocking and incredibly disappointing.
For context, I've had house cleaners for nearly 8 years, so I have a realistic understanding of timing, pricing, and what a standard clean should include. My home is a very manageable 2 bed / 2 bath, approximately 1,000 sq ft. I specifically explained ahead of time that I had just hosted guests for several weeks, had new guests arriving soon, and mainly needed the home reset and cleaned thoroughly.
The company quoted me approximately 3 hours for $120 and outlined a very detailed standard cleaning list including dusting all surfaces, baseboards, vacuuming, mopping, polishing stainless steel appliances, trash removal, bathrooms, etc.
I was even trying to make the job easier:
* I told them not to worry about making beds
* I told them not to clean the guest shower
* Small home, minimal furniture, very straightforward clean
The cleaner arrived at 10 AM and spent over an hour in my very small primary bathroom with the door shut. Again, not my place to micromanage, so I left to run an errand.
About an hour later, I received a text from the company saying:
* the second bedroom was not completed
* she "ran out of time"
* she accidentally left her vacuum behind and needed to come back for it later
At that point I was already confused because this is a small home and basic biweekly cleaning.
When I returned home, the reality was honestly worse than expected.
Things that were NOT done:
* living room surfaces completely undusted
* bedroom furniture still visibly dusty
* ceiling fan visibly dusty
* baseboards not dusted
* stainless steel appliances not wiped or polished
* interior window smudges untouched
* kitchen trash not taken out
* guest bathroom not cleaned
* visible residue still left in one bathroom sink
* couch not vacuumed
* second bedroom untouched
In videos and photos I sent the owner, you could literally see dust collecting on my finger when I wiped surfaces.
Furniture had also been moved around and not put back:
* chair left in middle of room
* plant moved and left out
* hamper removed and not returned
Meanwhile, the cleaner left her vacuum on my couch before leaving.
What really pushed this over the edge for me was that the company advertises providing all cleaning supplies/tools, but:
* she used my paper towels
* used my toilet wand refills
* used multiple Swiffer cloths
because, according to her, she "had not built up her kit yet."
Honestly? Fine. I would not have cared AT ALL if the house had actually been cleaned properly.
To be fair, the cleaner herself was kind and professional. I also appreciated that she cleaned out her vacuum before leaving. I gave respectful feedback to the owner and even said I felt bad complaining because the cleaner was genuinely nice.
The owner acknowledged the issues, admitted multiple areas were "clearly missed," and offered for the cleaner to come back for a "touch up."
But this was not a touch-up situation. Forgetting to wipe the microwave is a touch-up. Entire rooms not being dusted is simply not completing the cleaning.
I ended up having to clean before hosting guests anyway because I didn't have time to wait for someone to come back and redo the majority of the house.
The final insult was the invoice adjustment:
after all of this, the company discounted the service by only $20.
So essentially:
* incomplete cleaning
* untouched rooms
* my own supplies used
* vacuum left behind on my couch
* and I still paid basically full price
I truly tried to approach this reasonably and professionally, but this was nowhere near the standard advertised or promised. read more
