Domestic Innovations - Frequently Asked Questions

Differences between Domestic Innovations and Maid Services.

Is a Cleaning Service more thorough than a Maid Service ?
- Yes. Maids are typically for keeping a basic, minimum "order" in a household. They are typically more focused on what you might normally do yourself to "keep things tidy". However, a Cleaning Service is the --NEXT-- step beyond just getting the clutter picked up and put away.
  Consider that, once you have picked up all the clutter - NOW COMES THE CLEANING!. The task of effectively cleaning is a more specialized service. It involves understanding surfaces, relevant cleaning products, and the techniques involved to do it correctly.
But some maids clean also? So what's the difference?
- Please realize that what "appears" clean can be deceptive. It might be wiped and shiny - but possibly not actually clean. So, we have to be careful to understand what "clean" really means.
  If a maid uses a water-dampened rag on a countertop, whereas Domestic Innovations uses Formula 409 (or appropriate cleaning agents depending on specific surface types), you might think you see the same result. But the results would actually be quite different.
  Domestic Innovations, in this example, actually cleaned. The maid basically only did some dusting. At first glance if you walked back through the kitchen - it might "appear" the same. See the difference?
  Fact: Domestic Innovations picks up a fair share of clients who learned the hard way that their maid service was NOT effective.
  The maid service did NOT effectively clean, and their thoroughness was hit-or-miss. You should not have to watch and keep reminding a service provider of the level of service you expect. Clients that encountered these issues with maid services that came to Domestic Innovations now understand the differences better than most.
  They all relate the same story about their mistaken maid service attempt: "They were cheap, and I got cheap service!"
  A maid likely does NOT know how to carefully treat expensive items like Plasma/HDTV monitors, flat-screen computer and laptop monitors, or other chemically sensitive items. Domestic Innovations knows to NEVER put potentially damaging chemicals on those sensitive surfaces. In fact, Domestic Innovations - by default - will not touch such valuable and fragile electronic components. Otherwise, Domestic Innovations will consult with you to understand exactly this sort of special cleaning consideration.
  Please take a moment to consider that your typical maid will not hesitate to spray Windex all over your Plasma TV screen. If you thought you were saving money by going with a maid service - let this example simmer in your mind. Oh, by the way - your maid is not bonded either. Looks like you're headed to Fry's for a new Plasma TV. There are actually many details in the average nice home that merit this kind of special consideration. Domestic Innovations understands these important details. Maids do not.
How do I decide between your cleaning service or a maid service?
- Well, now that you understand "dusting vs. cleaning", and that simply picking clutter off the floor is not the same as cleaning - you know enough to make an informed decision about what you need.
  A Maid might be right for you if...
  If you just need a bit of assistance to get clutter off the floor and furniture, and not so interested in how clean your home is, and on a very tight budget - a maid service may be the right fit. It will likely cost you less, but at this point your are clear about the limited service you can expect to receive on a maid service budget. Knowing this will help you align your expectations.
  You want Domestic Innovations if...
  If you have a home you are proud of and consider beautiful - it is very likely you already make an honest effort to keep it looking nice & kept. However, as a busy professional, you know that you don't have enough personal time to go the next step of keeping your home as totally clean as you would like.
  If this describes you, then you likely agree that the cleanliness of your home reflects well to your family and friends, and that having a such a clean home is actually very gratifying. You are exactly who Domestic Innovations looks forward to hearing from.

Monthly Costs and Applicable Fees.

How Often Do I Pay Domestic Innovations ?
- Domestic Innovations comes to your home once or twice a month. Our payment policy is to collect payment for each bi-weekly visit, for that current visit - or else prepaid for monthly service. We accept personal checks, VISA, MasterCard, and cash.
  If you have any other questions about our billing schedule, please contact us via the email link above or call. We appreciate thoughtful questions.
Are there fees if Domestic Innovations can not get into my house?
- Yes. When Domestic Innovations shows up to clean your home - and there is no way for us to enter your house, we charge a cancellation fee. This cancellation fee is related to our policy that says "If you need to cancel, please cancel at least 24 hours before we arrive - or else we charge a cancellation fee".
  So, if we show up and we can not enter your house - that is treated as if we "got cancelled at your front door".

Scheduling with Domestic Innovations.

What if I can't be home to let Domestic Innovations into my home?
- As soon as you can possibly let us know of your need to cancel or reschedule, please do so. The sooner you let us know, the more opportunity we have to work out an alternative. Please also see the next topic "Can I change this week's cleaning just this once?"
  Many of our clients have given us their house key for exactly this reason. In such cases, we discuss special considerations beforehand. Some things to consider when you entrust us with your key, on the day we come to clean:
  1. Please disable your alarm system
    When your alarm triggers, we call you so you can contact your alarm company to cancel the false alarm. Please realize this negatively impacts our schedule, so as a courtesy to everyone - please ensure this is handled before we arrive.
  2. Please put away threatening animals
    We do our best to befriend and respect your little furry loved ones, however, a 100lb snarling Rottweiler loudly promising death from inside your door...
    Well, you get the picture. You will come home to a full cleaning bill for the cleaning we were NOT able to do - plus the dog-slobber on the inside of your fiercely guarded front door. Please help us help you!
  3. Ensure interior rooms you want cleaned are accessible
    It is common for homes to have rooms that can be fully locked out. We can only clean rooms that we can get into. If you want a room cleaned, please ensure it is not locked so we can get in.
Can I change this week's cleaning just this once?
- Please let us know as soon as you can that you need to reschedule one particular cleaning session. The more advance notice we have, the better we can work out a solution that will work best for you.
  When you call to discuss this, we will try to work out an alternate visit right then. However, if we need a little more time to rework our overall schedule, we will get back to you as soon as possible.
  As a general tip, Domestic Innovations is able to reschedule much more effectively when you give us days to do it, versus hours.
Can I change my appointed day or arrival time once it is set?
- Changing your scheduled day and time is possible, however we generally discourage it. The reason is because we optimize our daily travel schedule to group homes across town in a way that we spend more time cleaning than driving.
  Therefore, we ask during our initial consultation that you please consider this carefully, since we need to keep that first selection stable to bring you the best service possible.
  If you truly need to permanently move your appointed day or time, please let us know. We will certainly do what we can, just please understand that there are deeper considerations that Domestic Innovations must factor to ensure that our careful attention to scheduling works best for everyone.

Help Us Help YOU. How you can be an "Effective Client".

How do I indicate I want fresh sheets on my beds?
- We will gladly remake your bed according to these simple steps:
  1. The bed is already stripped of the previous set of linens.
  2. You place the new, folded linens on the bed for our arrival.
  That's it!
Can I help prepare bathrooms, kitchen, etc. for Domestic Innovations?
- It is not an absolute requirement, but we very much appreciate when you:
  1. Put things away to clear surfaces.
    That way we can get directly to cleaning the surfaces.
  2. Pick things off floors and put them away.
    Again, we can get directly to sweeping/mopping/vacuuming, etc.
  3. Try to avoid leaving us an "Apocalypse" in the kitchen.
    We help tidy up if there's some dishes, so please understand we do NOT mean to say "we won't clean the sink area if there are dirty dishes". No, not at all - indeed we certainly DO clean up and tidy the kitchen.
    What we mean to say is a matter of judgement. Please consider that if we repeatedly encounter a kitchen that looks like "The Day After" Thanksgiving, or John Belushi yelled "Food Fight!", then we are not able to be as focused on cleaning your kitchen.
  4. Please be sensible about disposable/consumable items.
    The typical reason we must include this provision relates to oven cleaning - but there are certainly plenty of other examples. Consider the disposable aluminum tray grease-catchers you buy in 4-packs for $2.99. They are meant to be DISCARDED when they get filthy. It makes no sense to request that we should scrub a $0.39 disposable grease-catcher tray for half an hour and charge you $60.00+ to do it.
    It also makes no sense to detach a vacuum cleaner bag to take it outside, turn it inside out, and make a giant cloud of dust to clean it.
  If you look at the list above, what we are implying is that when Domestic Innovations is inadvertently diverted into having to act more like a maid service than the premiere cleaning service we are - we regret that you are not actually helping yourself get the highest value from our premier cleaning service.
  We found in the past that such clients generally misunderstood the two types of service. These clients thought "Why does Domestic Innovations cost what they do just to come dig me out of my giant mess?" Well, quite simply - that is not our business focus or how we provide our clients such an excellent value.
Are things that Domestic Innovations does not do?
- Yes, there are things that fall outside Domestic Innovation's service offering. These items include:
  1. We do not do your laundry.
  2. We do not run errands: grocery shop, pick up school-kids or dry-cleaning, etc.
  3. We do not tend to infant or elderly hospice-like care.
  4. We do not clean pools or spas.
  5. We do not clean exterior windows.
  6. We do not wash cars.
  7. We do not wash or tend pets.
  8. We do not put things in, or get things from: attics/garages/storage units.
  9. We do not prepare meals or cater parties.
  10. We do not do lawn work.
  11. We do not tend to indoor plants.
  12. We do not scale dangerous heights for ANY purpose. We have our own step ladder which defines the maximum height we reach to clean.
  13. We do not clean fireplace interiors.
  14. We do not clean or go near mold or any biological contaminants.
  15. We do not clean or go near dangerous chemicals, asbestos, explosives, or any similar dangerous substances.
  16. We do not clean disposable items meant to be discarded and cheaply replaced. These include, but are not limited to: vacuum cleaner bags, oven grease-catcher trays, A/C Inlet Filters, etc.
  17. We do not clean excessively unreachable or unreasonable places. Examples include, but are not limited to: underneath washers/dryers/refrigerators/other large appliances, behind entertainment centers in the tangle of cables, etc. If you have "borderline" inaccessible spots in your home and think they need cleaning then we can discuss it.
  18. We do not do "Handyman" tasks including, but not limited to: paint touch-ups, surface/upholstery repairs, stitching/mending, etc. Cleaning and Fixing are not the same.

Security Aspects like giving a key to your home, etc.

What does it mean that Domestic Innovations is Insured and Bonded?
- Domestic Innovations is bonded to provide a surety guarantee for our excellent service to you. We provide liability insurance and workers compensation provisions also.
  These assurances give you the peace of mind that if anything were ever to happen, that you are covered. You have a nice home and you want it as protected as you want it clean. Please consider these extra precautions we take on your behalf if you consider alternative services.
  You do not want to be risk-exposed with lesser service providers. You may think you are getting "a deal" for how little they cost, but consider how much you are putting on "The Chopping Block" every time they enter your home.
  You want the assurances. You want Domestic Innovations.
  If you have any questions regarding these bonding and insurance provisions, please contact us so we can discuss it with you.
Do other clients give their house key to Domestic Innovations?
- Yes, indeed many of our clients have given us a key to their home. We have been serving many of our clients for years now that entrusted their key to us long ago, which indicates several essential aspects of our excellence and reliability.
  Please feel free to discuss with us the possibility of entrusting a key to your home to us. Domestic Innovations fully understands that home-access is part of the most common dilemma of beginning an in-home service engagement:
  "How can I start enjoying the benefit of an in-home service when nobody is home?"
  That basic dilemma is one that Domestic Innovations has considered and resolved for you. We exercise strict key-control (check-in/check-out), and only our most senior and trusted managers are permitted to handle your key. We will return it to you immediately should you ask, and we will NEVER make a copy.