TErms of Service
These Terms of Service are designed to make sure there are no miscommunications between our clients and our cleaners. Every cleaning company is different. We have found that it is best for everyone to make sure our clients understand our unique policies and procedure prior to their first cleaning appointment. If you find that you have any questions at all about our terms, please contact us to discuss. As a small family business we do have room for flexibility and will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your unique cleaning needs .
We realize this is a lot to read over, but we really hope that you will take the time. We want to make sure you have the best cleaning experience possible, and understanding how our business works will be the first step everyone being happy. We hope to have you as a client for a long time!
Please note that as a small business, we do have flexibility. We care about your needs and will work with you whenever possible. If you find something in our policy that will be a problem for you, please let us know and we will do whatever we can to work with you.
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
If you are not happy with any area we have cleaned, please call us within 24 hours and we will come back and re‐clean the area in question free of charge. We must be allowed to come back into the home within 1 business day. Please note that we do not offer cash refunds or money off the cleaning, but we will 100% return and reclean the area in question. We will not reclean the entire home.
CLEANING‐DAY HOME PREPARATION
Generally we do not do any of the following as part of a regular cleaning: organizing, dishes, straightening up, washing blinds, changing beds, or laundry. **We ask that you have your home reasonably picked up before we arrive. Your price for cleaning is based on your cleaner focusing all of their time and energy on cleaning, not routine picking up. Please make sure that floors and table tops are free of clutter, and that countertops and sinks are free of dishes. Unfortunately we cannot wash dishes or load dishwashers, unless there are special circumstances. If you would like this to be a part of your regular cleaning please call to discuss.
**If you have a disability or have limited mobility and cannot do routine pick up, please let us know and we would be happy to work with you. As a small, family business and are happy to be flexible when necessary.
DAMAGE OR BREAKAGE LIABILITY
Our cleaners exercise reasonable care when cleaning your home. We do carry insurance for damage or breakage caused by our cleaning technicians.
We are not liable for damage that is caused by “normal wear and tear,” improper installation of an item in your home, or artwork, collectibles or family heirlooms valued over $50. If you have delicate knickknacks or items we ask that you remove them from the surfaces you would like dusted. We cannot dust or wash any fragile, high value or sentimental items. If we arrive and we discover a surface with many items that appear to be breakable or of high value, we reserve the right to skip the cleaning of that surface.
We cannot be held responsible for carpet or rug snags. These are the result of exposed loops and threads on the carpet getting caught up in our vacuums. If your carpet or rug has snags or loose fibers, we ask that you trim them before we arrive. Our vacuums are high quality and well-maintained, so they cannot snag a carpet or rug that is in normal condition.
Please make sure all mirrors, art work, TVs, picture frames, etc. are properly mounted to the wall. We cannot be held responsible for improperly mounted items.
We don’t generally wash blinds, but we can dust them upon request. We cannot, however, dust or wash thin aluminum blinds. They are too easily bent or damaged. If you request that we dust your blinds please make sure they are securely mounted. We cannot be held responsible for poorly mounted blinds that come off while dusting. Please make sure that all cords work properly.
During the holidays we cannot move or clean around any mantel or banister decorations, stockings, holiday villages, lights, hanging decorations, or other fragile or sentimental items. We will do our best to vacuum up all tree needles, but those often fall off as quickly as we vacuum them up.
If you have any issues with your plumbing, including leaking or dripping faucets, easily clogged toilets, toilets that run, clogged tubs or sinks, or leaky pipes please let us know. We cannot be held responsible for damage caused by such plumbing issues. Additionally we cannot clean any tubs or sinks that are clogged or that drain particularly slowly.
We do not do dishes, so please make sure any delicate glass or stemware is put away. We will not move such items to clean countertops or sinks. We cannot be held responsible for breakage of fragile items left on cleaning surfaces. If you have hanging stemware cabinets we cannot clean these areas due to the risk of breakage to such items.
BIO-HAZARDS/HARMFUL FUMES
If we arrive to a cleaning and discover that your home has strong fumes of paint, solvents, floor refinishing chemicals, or other chemical odors we will not be able to clean. Our cleaner will need to leave and you will be responsible for the full cost of the cleaning. If the fumes are limited to one room or area of your home, our cleaner will clean the rest of the home, but you will still be responsible for the full home cleaning fee.
If there is feces, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids in any part of the house (other than a small and reasonable amount on the toilet) that area of the home will not be cleaned and you will be responsible for the full cost of the cleaning.
We will not clean up vomit.
We cannot vacuum up any scented powder, baking soda, or any other powdered substances with our vacuums. We can, however, sweep up powders on flooring.
PET FECES AND URINE
We love animals and we are pet owners, so if your pet has an accident while we are cleaning, or between the time you leave and we arrive, we will do our best to clean up within reason. Most cleaning companies will not do this, but again, we LOVE pets and understand that things happen. If your pet is elderly or ill and accidents are common, we ask that you please confine the pet during the time that we are there to clean. If you do need to confine your pet we will be happy to let the pet back into the main home after we are finished.
Our cleaners cannot touch or pick up pet feces left intentionally.
We do not clean cat boxes or areas of urine or feces around cat boxes.
If, for whatever reason, pet feces, urine, or vomit is sucked up by our vacuum, the cost of repair, cleaning, and/or replacement will be charged to the customer, and any time used to try to clean or investigate any potential damage at your home is counted as cleaning time.
Please keep aggressive animals confined while your cleaner is in your home. If your pet is friendly and healthy we are happy to have them keep us company while we work.
PETS ESCAPING FROM THE HOME
We cannot be responsible for pets that “escape” when our cleaning technicians are entering/exiting your home. If your pet will be roaming free during the clean, please let us know in advance, so that we can be on alert when we open doors. We always close doors as soon as we enter and exit your home and we never leave doors open longer than the time it takes us to transfer our supplies from the porch to the inside of your home. We are very determined to keep your pet safe.
SCHEDULING CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS
Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to reschedule or cancel a cleaning appointment. Your cleaners count on your business to make a living and pay their bills. If you can provide us with at least 5 days’ advance notice of any scheduling changes, it gives us an opportunity to find another home for them to clean. Last minute notifications make it nearly impossible to find your cleaner work and can cause them financial hardship. For this reason we must charge cancelation fees.**
If you provide a five-day notice of a cancelation there will be no charge to you. A two to four day cancelation notice will result in a 50% charge, less than 48 hours-notice will require you to pay the full amount of the scheduled cleaning.
**You are allowed one last minute cancelation per year with no charge.
**If you or a family member has a major illness or compromised immune system that may result in frequent or last minute cancelations, please let us know. We will work with you.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Snow/ice: In the event of snow or icy conditions we will make every effort to honor your cleaning appointment. However, if we deem it too dangerous for our cleaners to be out on the road, we will cancel and reschedule your appointment for the next available slot. If schools are closed in your area we ask that you please let us know as soon as possible. Because we work in many different areas, this is our best indicator of road safety.
If a cleaner is working at your home and notices that it is beginning to snow and stick, they may need to leave. You will be refunded the balance of your bill, or we may reschedule to finish the job, whichever you prefer.
Flooding: If you live in an area that is prone to flooding we ask that you please let us know if any flood alerts are issued for your area on your scheduled cleaning day. If any roads enroute to your home are flooded, or it appears that they may become flooded, we will reschedule your cleaning for the next available slot.
ILLNESS
If our cleaners have a fever, vomiting, the flu, or any contagious illness, and we do not have a staff member available to fill in, we will cancel your cleaning and reschedule for the soonest available slot. If our cleaners have a cold or other minor illness we will show up as usual unless you would prefer we cancel. Please let us know ahead of time if you would like us to cancel due to minor illnesses or colds.
If you or a family member have a fever, vomiting, a positive covid tests or symptoms, the flu, or another potentially contagious illness we ask that you alert us ahead of time. Depending on the illness and circumstance we maybe choose to cancel your cleaning and reschedule for the nearest available slot after your symptoms have abated. If we must cancel because of your contagious illness you will be responsible for the full (or partial) cleaning fee (see terms under cancelations).
There will be no charge for the first last minute (less than 72 hours) cancelation due to illness in a calendar year, but we will charge 50% for a second cancelation, and 100% for any further cancelations due to illness.**see below Please understand that we do work for people with compromised immune systems, who are in chemotherapy, who are pregnant, and who have infants. We must take the health of all of our clients, and our cleaners, into consideration. We are careful to avoid picking up a bug that could put a vulnerable client at risk.
**If you or a family member have a chronic illness, compromised immune system, chemotherapy, or other condition that may require frequent cancelations, please let us know and we will be happy to work with you. We understand that there may be reasons for frequent cancelations and we can adjust our policies in such circumstances.
SCHEDULED ARRIVAL TIMES FOR CLEANINGS
We will always give you an arrival time. If we will be more than fifteen minutes early or late, we will always let you know via text or phone call. We are rarely late, but as you all know traffic in this area is quite unpredictable. We also occasionally run late at a prior job, which can cause us to be a few minutes behind. It is rare for our cleaners to ever be more than fifteen minutes late.
HOME ENTRY
Most of our clients choose to have us clean when they are not at home. We have no problem with this at all, and as a matter of fact, we often clean faster when alone. If you choose not to be home, please arrange with us ahead of time on how we will gain access to your home. Some clients prefer to give us keys to their home, some provide garage or door codes, some are there when we arrive to let us in, and some hide keys for us. We prefer that you do not leave your door unlocked unless there will be a very short time between the time you leave and we arrive. We prefer that you provide us with a means to lock your home when we leave.
If you leave the door unlocked, or ask us to, we are not responsible for any burglary or damage to the home.
If you will be at home while we clean, we ask that you let us know the best place to start our cleaning so that we can stay out of each other’s way as much as possible. For example, if you have a conference call schedule an hour after we arrive, please have us clean that area first. Or if you have to make a meal at a certain time, have us start in the kitchen.
You are responsible for providing your cleaner access/entry to your home. If for any reason (wrong entry code, dead battery on entry box, you forget to leave the key, etc.) your cleaner is unable to gain access to your home, you will be charged the full amount of the cleaning. If you are able to run home to open up, you will still be charged from the time the cleaner arrived at your home.
SECURITY ALARMS
If possible we prefer that you leave your home unarmed or disarm it remotely before we arrive. If you do want us to disarm your home, please be certain you give us a working code, and detailed instruction on the steps necessary to turn off the alarm. We also ask that you be available via phone or text, in case the alarm is tripped. Mountainside Home Services is not responsible for any charges from a local police department which is called out due to an activated alarm which we are not able to turn off, or because we were given an improper code. If you will be out of town and expect us to rearm your home when we leave, please call to discuss this prior to your appointment.
UNABLE TO COMPLETE CLEANING DUE TO CONDITION OF HOME
Very rarely we will arrive at a home and discover a situation that will prevent us from cleaning your home: this can be pests (including roaches, fleas, rats, mice, bed bugs, etc.), hazardous conditions (needles, illegal drugs or items, rat droppings, feces, urine, etc.) or hoarding situations that the company was not made aware of ahead of time. In situations such as those, the office will notify the customer of the situation and a full cleaning fee will be due and payable. It is our policy to provide you with visual evidence of the unacceptable condition. If you have a situation mentioned above, please discuss this with us to see if there is something we can do to help you. We are happy to accommodate when possible, but we must be made fully aware of the situation. If we cannot clean due to home conditions, we may be able to help you find someone who specialized in hazard clean-up.
We will not, for any reason, clean a home with a bed bug infestation.
SAFETY AND WORK CONDITIONS/TEMPERATURE SETTINGS
During the summer months, if you have air conditioning, we ask that you set the thermostat to 68 degrees or less, so your cleaners can work in a safe environment without overheating. If a cleaner arrives at your home and determines that the temperature is too high to safely clean, we may need to reschedule. If you don’t have air conditioning, but do have floor fans, your cleaner may opt to turn those on during the time that they are working. Fans will be turned off when the job is completed. During the winter, we request that the home temperature is set to at least 62 degrees.
We are not able to climb on any ladders or step stools that are more than three feet high.
We are unable to move, or help you move, furniture to clean under or behind. We can run our broom or vacuum hose under and behind furniture to the best of our abilities, but if you’d like the areas behind or under a heavy item, please have the item moved when we arrive.
Our cleaners carry water bottles at all times. Due to the physical nature of the job, we want to assure that we, and our workers, stay properly hydrated, especially in the hotter months.
FEES
Generally we charge a bit more for your first cleanings due to the extra work involved. We then adjust the price for all future cleanings, as long as you remain on at least a monthly schedule.
We generally charge at an hourly rate of $45 to $50 per man hour. Example if you have one cleaner for two hours the fee would be $90 to $100, and if you had two cleaners for one hour your fee would be $90 to $100. The hourly charge is dependent on your location, level of cleaning needed, amount of flooring vs carpeting in your home, whether you have pets and/or children, and if you are requesting a weekend appointment. Please be aware that the first cleaning often takes longer than future cleanings.
You can choose to book us to clean until the job is completed, or you may schedule us for a finite amount of time, with a list of cleaning priorities. We will begin with the top priority tasks and work our way to the lower priority tasks, completing as much as possible in the allotted time.
Move-out and one-time cleanings will be charged at an hourly rate of $48 to $50 per man hour.
Payment is due the same day of cleaning. We accept cash, check, Venmo, and PayPal.
Late payments are subject to a $10 per day late charge.
WAITING TIME/PARKING TIME
If we show up at your home and we are unable to get into your home for any reason, the waiting time is charged at regular hourly rate.
If we must park on the street and walk to your home, we will begin charging from the time we park our car.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE, FOR ANY REASON.
You made it! Thanks for reading all the way through. We appreciate it and look forward to working with you.
If you have any questions at all please contact us at: 425-359-2979 (call or text)
Or email us at: npackebush@gmail.com