House cleaner red flags to catch before you book

On the first call

• They give a firm price before asking about square footage, bathrooms, pets or how often you want service.
• You get no business name, or a name that does not show up on the DOR Business Lookup. Washington requires a business license once a business grosses $12,000 a year or hires staff. (Washington DOR) A solo cleaner below that line may not need one yet, so ask before you rule them out.
• They say "bonded and insured" and cannot name the insurer or the bond company. We found no state rule requiring cleaners to carry a bond, so the word only counts if they can show the paper.

About payment

House cleaning is not construction, so L&I contractor registration does not apply to it. (L&I F625-084-000) L&I's warning signs for contractors still make a good filter for cleaners:

• cash only;
• payment to a personal name that differs from the business name;
• a big prepayment for a month of visits before the first clean;
• "sign today" pricing.

Source for the contractor list: L&I F625-084-000.

About the crew

• They cannot tell you who will come next week.
• They call the crew "independent" and have no answer about workers' comp. In Washington, employers buy workers' comp from L&I. (L&I)
• L&I warns homeowners that hiring someone outside a covered business can make you that person's employer, and most homeowner policies do not cover workers. (L&I)

At the first visit

• Someone you have not met shows up, with no call ahead.
• The cleaner asks to hand your key or code to a person you have not met.
• The bill comes in above the quote and nobody told you why before they started.

Carpet and upholstery claims

A company that says "certified" for carpet cleaning should name the certifying body. For IICRC, you can confirm a Certified Firm on the Global Locator or at 844-464-4272. (IICRC) Ask whether the technician coming to your house holds the certification as well.

Next

Run the first-visit questions with anyone who passes this list, or go back to how to hire a house cleaner.