Preparing for a Cleaning To ensure maximum efficiency, it is advantageous to have your home picked up as much as possible. While we do perform light, general tidying up, if we spend time picking items and putting them away, it may affect the time we are in your home. You may be billed for the extra time needed to perform additional work. In cases of extremely cluttered areas or surfaces, we reserve the right to use our judgment to skip those areas to avoid damaging items or if we have safety concerns.
Supplies We bring our own supplies and tools because (1) we have tested our products to make sure they provide quality results, (2) our employees are trained in their proper use, and (3) to free you from having to keep track of what we need before your scheduled cleaning day. If you would like us to use a specific cleaning product(s) provided by you, we ask that you call, text or email prior to your scheduled cleaning so that we can be prepared in advance.
Ladders Our Cleaning Technicians come with a 2-step ladder. We are unable to climb higher than two steps due to liability and workers compensation insurance limitations. Higher items will be dusted with an extension duster to the best of our ability. We can reach up to 10 feet with our extension duster so we can get those higher ceiling fans, ceilings, lights, etc.
Blinds and Dust We do offer slat by slat blind cleaning for an additional charge. Blinds must be at least 2”, we do not offer slat by slat cleaning service for mini blinds. Blinds may need to be vacuumed before they are wiped; this will require additional time. Please allow for some dust resettlement after we leave, we try to limit the dust in the air but cannot prevent this entirely. We cannot be held liable for blinds/shutters that have dry rot, sun damage and/or are not installed properly.
Moving Furniture We will move “light” furniture of 30 pounds or less, 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. We can move/slide furniture that sits on wood or hard floor surfaces that have protection on the legs/base.
Pets We love pets and will be careful around your fur-babies. Your pets are members of your family, and we respect that. However, if your pet is afraid of vacuums, territorial or overly friendly and will not allow us to do our work, we do ask that they be placed in areas that we are not working in. We will never let pets outside unless instructed to do so by our client. We do not clean litter boxes, feces, or urine.
Firearms For our protection and yours, if you have firearms, we ask that they be stored and locked away prior to our cleaning your home. 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 roaches, fleas or bed bugs is encountered, we will not clean until the problem has been rectified. We will leave you a note or call you regarding the problem.
Alarm System If your home has a security system, please inform us how you want to handle it. Security and safety of your home is a major concern at LMC Cleaning Services, and our staff is sensitive to security and access procedures. Our policy is to lock the door while we are cleaning and to not allow access to unknown persons. Please inform us if there will be contractors working in your home on our cleaning day.
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.
Key/Combination Control Policy Most of our clients provide us with keys, door combinations or garage door combinations to gain access to their home on their scheduled cleaning day. Rest assured we take the utmost care in protecting both your key or combinations and your home. Keys are locked in our key safe except for the day of your cleaning service and will be checked back in at close of business. All keys are immediately returned upon cessation of service. If you decide not to issue a key or combinations to LMC Cleaning Services and no one will be home during the cleaning, you may choose to leave a door unlocked or place a spare key in a secured place for the technicians to gain access to your home. In this case, you release LMC Cleaning Services of any liability that may arise from damages or theft to your home as we cannot guarantee that we are the only ones who will have access to your home that day. Our preference is a key or combination to gain access to your home as that is the most secure and safest option for our employees and your home and family.
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.
Payment We accept check, credit card, Venmo, Zelle and cash as forms of payment. Payment is due the day of your cleaning. We require all clients to keep a credit card on file in the event that payment is not left out for us on the day of your cleaning or if we need to enforce our cancellation polity fees.
Scheduling When we schedule your cleaning appointment, we reserve a day and time for you and you alone. This means we turn down anyone requesting your space. A last-minute cancellation can have a negative impact on our business and can require a complete reworking of employee schedules and arrival times estimated to other clients scheduled on the same day. We understand things can happen; all we ask is that you contact us as soon as possible so we can get your cleaning rescheduled. Please value our time as we do yours. Accordingly, we have implemented the following policies:
Cancellation Policy We require cancellations to be communicated to us 48hrs (2 full working days) in advance to avoid charges. (For clients scheduled on Monday we require cancellation by the prior Friday.) We have held your spot and turned down business so as not to interrupt your service. Cancelations communicated less than 48hrs prior to appointment will be billed for 50% of the cost of the cancelled service. (We do understand that there are certain circumstances that make it impossible for you to give us the required 48 hour such as the flu, strep or COVID and will consider that on a case-by-case basis.) All cancellations communicated less than 24 hours (1 full working day) prior to a scheduled appointment will be billed for the entire cost of the cancelled service, regardless of the reason for cancellation. NOTE: If you need to occasionally switch up your day within your scheduled cleaning week, we will make every effort to make that happen. Many of our clients are willing to switch up their day to accommodate, when necessary, as long as it is within their regular cleaning week. However, if you ask to switch your day and provide less than 48 hours’ notice AND we are unable to get a volunteer to accommodate your request, you will be held to the standard of our regular cancellation polity.
Unintentional Cancellations If we arrive to clean your home on your scheduled day and we are unable to clean your house due to a situation such as a locked door or inability to access with a code/combination provided you will be billed for the entire cost of that service. Prior to leaving, we will attempt to contact you twice over a period of fifteen minutes using the phone number you provide. If we are unable to reach you, we will leave, and you will be charged. In the event that we reach you and are required to wait for your return, we are unable to wait for longer than 20 minutes as we have other homes on our schedule, and this will affect arrival times promised to our other clients. We are bonded and insured, and we are willing to hold your house key(s) and/or alarm codes to prevent accidental lockouts. 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.
Skipped or Missed Cleaning Visits Our charges are based on the type of visit you schedule. Weekly rates are for weekly cleanings. Biweekly rates are for biweekly cleanings. If you skip a cleaning, you will be charged the rate for the next frequency of service as it will usually take additional time to complete your cleaning. A set cleaning price can only be given to clients that have a frequency of weekly, bi-weekly or every 4 weeks. If your cleaning lapses more than 5 weeks, we will charge hourly for the first visit back and when you re-resume with your regular cleaning frequency you will go back to your set cleaning price. Notify the Office. All cancellations must be made by email, phone or text to the main number which is (571) 264-7585.
Damages Accidents do happen. If we are responsible for damages to your home or items in your home, we will leave a note for you or you will be contacted by the office on the day of your cleaning. We make every attempt to repair, replace or pay for any items that we have damaged. We will not assume liability for pre-existing damages, scratches, dings in windows, paint, furniture, floors, walls, etc. or items not secured in a proper manner (e.g., heavy pictures hanging from thumb tacks, not anchored properly to walls). Items of monetary or sentimental value should be put away on the day of cleaning and/or cleaned by homeowner. All surfaces (e.g., marble, granite, hardwood floors, etc.) are assumed to be sealed and ready to be cleaned without causing harm/damage when common cleaners are used.
Release of Liability Should you decide you would like us to clean items of monetary or sentimental value (>$100) the following will apply: Client hereby releases LMC Cleaning Services 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 LMC Cleaning Services 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 and Closings Our office is closed and there will be no cleanings scheduled on the following holidays: New Year’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day
Arrival Time/Hours Our hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our technicians arrive at our first house between 8 am and 9 am, and the last location by 4:00 p.m. Unless you are our first cleaning of the day, we are unable to guarantee an exact arrival time. However, we can provide you with a 2-hour window of our estimated arrival time the day before your cleaning. Please allow us the flexibility of scheduling our arrival between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. We will strive to meet your requested arrival time, but we cannot guarantee it. If you want to wait for us to arrive, please be home during the estimated window of time to let the cleaner(s) into your home. If no one is home or we are turned away for any reason a cancellation fee will be charged (see Cancellation Policy.)