Policies and Guidelines

Thank you for using Virginia Housekeepers for your cleaning service. Please read over our policies and guidelines. We like to give all of our customer’s expectations up front and keep guidelines in place in order to deliver professional and dependable service. Please read over them and let us know if you have any questions or conflicts. Once again thank you for using Virginia Housekeepers.

Late Payment Fee

If payment is not made on the day of service, an administrative fee of $25 will be added to the balance for each appointment that is not paid in full if we have to spend the time attempting to collect the balance due. To clarify, the fee applies to anyone that we have to contact for missing a payment.

Cancellation Policy ($100.00 fee may apply)

Although a 7-day notice is appreciated, to avoid a late cancellation fee or late reschedule fee we must at least have a 48-hour notice prior to canceling or rescheduling service. Use this link to submit any changes to your appointment time or any changes to the appointment or notes to be added

https://virginiahousekeepers.com/appointment-change

If Virginia Housekeepers doesn’t receive a notice 48 hours prior to your cleaning it will result in a $100.00 cancellation/reschedule fee. Since you are on the schedule, it means that we are reserving a time slot for your specific cleaning. If canceled or changed at the last minute (within 48 hours) we have no way of filling that spot and the arrival times for other customers could be affected. We understand that “life” gets in the way of our set schedule. We know we will have to make adjustments or schedule changes from time to time. Therefore, each customer is allowed one last minute change or reschedule fee waiver per year.

Lock Out/Turned Away Fee

If we arrive on our scheduled cleaning day and are turned away at the door or cannot get in, we will charge full price for your scheduled cleaning. However, we will make an attempt to contact you via your cell phone to offer you the opportunity to remedy the situation.

Arrival Times

Customer, please note that we DO NOT give EXACT TIMES. The housekeepers will arrive as soon as they possibly can and will txt you (or call you) if they are delayed for traffic or a run-over from another cleaning (by more than 30 minutes). Please understand that we are cleaning homes prior to yours (cleaning times can fluctuate depending on the condition of the home) or unforeseen circumstances out of our control. We also have to consider travel time. Virginia Housekeepers will do our best to arrive by the specified time, but want to make the expectation is clear that we cannot be there at an EXACT time.

Payment policy

Our prices are non-negotiable after the time of quote. If there is a quality issue with the cleaning, the team can come back out to re-clean within 24 to 72 hours, but a discount off the cleaning is not an option unless given the opportunity to re-clean. Cash, check or electronic payments are our preferred forms of payment. Credit cards can be used but will be assessed an administrative fee per charge of 3%. Electronic payments will be processed after the cleaning is complete with-in 24 hours. If you are paying with check or cash, a credit card is still required to be on file to reserve your spot on the schedule and cover any cancellation or missed payments. If we receive the payment via check or cash, then your card will not be processed. However, if payment is forgotten, the credit card on file will be charged. The credit card is also charged if any cancellation fees apply to your account. Our services are due upon receipt and no credit accounts are available.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee Policy

Virginia Housekeepers guarantees our work. If the job is not done according to what you were quoted, we will come out and correct the problem within 24 to 72 hours, at no extra charge. Please do not correct the issue without a Virginia Housekeepers staff member seeing it. Also, any issues notified later than 24 hours after the cleaning will be handled on the next scheduled cleaning and noted in the file.

Breakage/Damages

We are Bonded and Insured and do take responsibility for any breakage or damages that are caused by our housekeepers. Our housekeepers are honest and all breakage is reported immediately, and then relayed to the customer. Please note that normal wear and tear on your home is not considered breakage nor is it our responsibility (example: loose door knobs, crumbling grout or caulking, etc). Virginia Housekeepers also ask that items on the wall or other surfaces are secured properly and can handle the light pressure applied while dusting (example: poorly hung pictures, mirrors, etc). It is always best to take picture with your cell phone and submit it to us for review.

Communication with the Housekeeper directly vs. the Office

It is very important for our customers to communicate with the office for any specific instructions on your home. We must know what is going on in the field and document it in our software system so that we can INSURE your request is fulfilled. Direct communication from customer to the housekeepers leaves out important details that we may need to know for billing purposes, in case of routine housekeeper absence, or to avoid miscommunication.

Supplies and Equipment

We provide all cleaning supplies and equipment, but if you would like for us to use yours, we can. However, we are not liable for any damages that your supplies may cause to areas applied or damages to actual equipment. Our supplies are proven and tested, and more importantly, the housekeepers are trained on how to use the supplies that Virginia Housekeepers provides. If your equipment or supplies require additional time to use we may have to adjust your pricing.

Cleaning Area Restrictions

Unfortunately, our team leads drive small cars and may not have space for a small step ladders. If there is something on the list that we cannot reach with our equipment, we will not be able to clean it. Generally speaking, we can clean up to 10 feet. No outside cleaning, AC living space only. We are not equipped or trained to clean outside areas. This includes porches, windows, garages, etc. There are some exceptions but will need to be handled on a case by case basis.

Team Policy

Weekly and Bi-weekly customers: Virginia Housekeepers will try to send the same team most of the time, however, there are illnesses, vacations, and staffing changes. In such cases, we may have to send a different team. This is why it is important to use the same day review email and communicate through the office, not just the staff cleaning your home. We permanently document your file so no matter what team we send, they will know everything about your home.

Quotes for One-time Services and Initial Deep Cleans

Set rate pricing on one-time cleanings is based on square footage and several other factors. The price you receive at the quote will be what you are charged. There are some rare cases of homes that are EXTREME DIRTY (double the amount of time of a normal house its size). In these cases, Virginia Housekeepers reserves the right to call the customer before the cleaning begins and adjust the quote accordingly. At that time, the customer and Virginia Housekeepers reserve the right to decline or accept the new price.

Dishes

If the dishwasher is empty, we will rinse and load the dishes. If the dishwasher has dishes inside, we will hand wash and air dry the remaining dishes next to sink. This will prevent any misplaced dishes or mixing of clean and dirty dishes. If you have an excessive number of dishes (over 15 minutes worth of time) extra time may occur to handle these items and fees will be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. Rate is $25 for each additional minutes over the grace period.

Skip Service Policy

If you are a routine customer and call to reschedule for any reason, your next cleaning will reflect the appropriate frequency and rate quoted. For example, if you are bi-weekly but skip a cleaning the next time we clean your rate will revert to the monthly (every four weeks) rate. This is fair due to the extra dust and dirt build up in the house. Also being a bi-weekly customer means we have reserved your spot in our schedule to be cleaned by the same team at a consistent time. If customers skip it will affect that team’s entire day’s schedule and compensation. Lastly, it is not fair to the monthly customer who pays a higher rate for monthly cleanings, and a bi-weekly customer who is actually only cleaned once that month, but remains at the cheaper rate.

Pet Policy

For the safety of your pet and our employees, we ask that you contain your animals in a restricted area while we are cleaning. Although we are VERY careful, this will help us prevent any disappearance of your pets. We have had pet attacks or bites in the past, and it is our duty to protect all Virginia Housekeepers employees from this happening. If the customer is not home and animals are loose we cannot force the cleaners to enter if they do not feel safe. Also if you have a pet please let us know at the time of booking so we can be aware and courteous to their requirements. We do not clean up any sort of excrement.

Prices & Customer Evaluation

Virginia Housekeepers review accounts on a periodic basis. We reserve the right to re-assess the estimated price in order to complete your cleaning routine. Our estimates are only valid for three months. However, all customers will receive an annual review of their account for potential adjustments – either to the routine, the schedule or the price/rate

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, our office will contact you if we need to reschedule the appointment.

Moving Furniture

We will move “light” furniture but we do not move refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc. We will try to reach all visible places either by hand or with an extension duster.

Fire Arms

For our protection and yours, if you have firearms, we ask that all they be stored and locked away prior to cleaning your home. We will not clean any rooms in which a firearm is visibly present. Please do not leave firearms under pillows or mattresses as they pose a danger when we are changing linens on beds.

Insects

Insect infestation can be a problem and may prevent us from cleaning your home. If an infestation of ants, termites, roaches, fleas, bed bugs, etc. is encountered, we will not clean until the problem has been rectified. Please do not expect us to clean up dead insects that you’ve sprayed (i.e. ants, etc.). We will leave you a note or call you regarding the problem.

Safety

The safety of our employees is extremely important. To decrease the risk of injury to employees we are unable to move heavy objects, flip mattresses, etc. We are unable to clean up vomit, blood, urine or excrement. If an employee feels that their personal safety is in danger, and the employee must leave the job site, the client is still responsible for the full cost of the job.

Injuries in Your Home

Our staff members are full time employees and not “independent contractors.” All employees are covered by our Workers’ Compensation Insurance. This covers the employee’s injuries and protects you.

Distractions

It is important for us to have access to every area of your home that we will be cleaning. In doing so, we need to work freely and without distractions. Excessive talking (beyond cleaning instructions) prevents us from being 100% focused.

Every effort is made to work safely and cautiously and we cannot assume liability for injury to others. We kindly ask that you, your children and pets remain out of the rooms that we are cleaning in order to prevent safety hazards (contact with cleaning products, tripping over buckets, caddies, vacuum cords, etc.).

Release of Liability

Should you decide you would like us to clean items of monetary or sentimental value (>$100) e.g., items within curio cabinets, etc., the following will apply: Client hereby releases Virginia Housekeepers. LLC from all liability arising out of cleaning these item(s). Client understands that he/she is completely responsible for repairing or replacing any damaged item(s) even if Virginia Housekeepers may have caused the need for repair or replacement.

Wear and Tear

The longer we live in our homes, the more wear and tear builds up in it. Baseboards, bottom of showers and tubs, mold/mildew, excessive water spots and soap scum on glass shower doors, worn flooring, grout, window tracks, etc. are all areas where wear and tear will impact results. These areas may take more than one cleaning to improve in appearance or may not come clean at all.

Holidays

Our office observes the following holidays, but in many cases, we have teams interested in working. We will contact you in advance if we need to reschedule your appointment.

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Black Friday
• Christmas Day

Quality control

Virginia Housekeepers needs your input on the overall experience and quality you are receiving so that we may address concerns that are important to you and understand how to improve our services going forward. Our housekeepers are compensated based upon the quality of our service. We appreciate all feedback as it allows us to be held accountable

Equipment and Supplies

We will bring all of the cleaning equipment and supplies. Our preference is to use our equipment and supplies since we are familiar with them. If you have any special requests, please do not ask the cleaners while they are at your home. Please contact us in advance to discuss the specifics. Eco-friendly products are only provided upon request and are not recommended for initial deep cleanings, move in or move out cleanings. Additional time may be required if we are required to use eco-friendly products.